A Thousand Country Roads

Book excerpt: Sixteen years after Robert Kincaid and Francesca Johnson have agreed that their swift, passionate and deep love affair must end, they are still thinking of each other. Robert has never married, but continued his nomadic life as a photographer. He feels it is time to re-visit Roseman Bridge just to lay to rest his lingering love - not to SEE her as he doesn't wish to disturb the life she chose when she decided to stay with her husband and children. Francesca's husband has recently died and the children long left home. She takes her daily walk to Roseman and sees the back of a Landrover leaving - her heart stops for a second as she FEELS it was Robert. But he's gone. Meanwhile, teenager Carlisle feels it is time he looked for his biological father. His mother has never made a secret of the fact he was the result of a one-night stand. From the few details he has he tracks down Robert and introduces himself. Startled, but quite happy to have been a father, they have a few days to get to know each other - before Robert dies of a heart attack. Francesca receives a letter informing her of his death...