Catherine Anderson has long since been a favorite of mine.  Her contemporary romances also pull at the heartstrings.  I know if I pick up one of her novels that I'll need a box of Kleenex nearby.  FOREVER AFTER was originally released in 1998.  It's being reissued this month for readers who may have missed it the first time around. 

Meredith Kenyon and her four-year-old daughter, Sammy are on the run.  Meredith's cruel husband may have died, but his father is still very much in Meredith's life and wants full custody of the little girl.  Meredith knows that her father-in-law is just as bad as her late husband and she'd rather go on the lam than hand over custody of her own flesh and blood. 

Heath Masters, local sheriff, happens to live next door to Meredith.  She doesn't want him to figure out she's on the run, but the pair become involved when Heath's dog, a retired canine police member, takes a liking to young Sammy.  Goliath, a loveable yet protective rottweiler, refuses to leave the little girl's side, regardless of Meredith's fear.  Soon, Heath is falling in love with both mother and daughter, but Meredith fears she'll have to run when her father-in-law's henchmen locate her. 

FOREVER AFTER is packed with suspense and romantic tension.  I have to say that Sammy and Goliath almost steal the show.  The little girl is adorable and her bond with Goliath become a central part of the story.  The romance is definitely heated from the get-go and by the ending, I was sad to see the story of Heath and Meredith come to an end.  Maybe readers will see them again sometime.