Spotlight: The Touch of Love by Kyle Shoop

(Senses of Love, #5)
Publication date: April 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance

Synopsis:

Two Love stories.
One surviving WW2.
One surviving a separation.
Both fighting their own war.
But neither is willing to give up.
Because love is worth fighting for.

Alternating between the past and the present, The Touch of Love tells two intertwined love stories spanning generations. The first is set in modern times and tells the journey that Katie embarks on while being embroiled in a separation from her husband. The second is set in Poland during World War 2, and tells the story of Jakob, an orphan, who falls in love with a Jewish woman. Will either of these love stories survive the unforeseen battles awaiting them?

Present Day: While going thru old keepsakes in her grandfather’s attic, Katie stumbles upon two items which thrust her on a journey of discovery. The first is her old wedding dress, the sight of which still stings due to her recent separation. The second item is even more perplexing – an old black and white photograph of her grandfather during a war. The man with a deeply mysterious past. Knowing her grandfather’s days are limited, this photo sparks Katie’s journey to discover his past before his future runs out.

1939: Jakob and his brother are two carefree orphans deciding whether to join the Polish army when all of Europe is on the bring of World War 2. But Jakob’s decision is sealed the moment he meets Anna, a Jewish woman. Deciding he would rather fight for her survival than fight alongside his brother, Jakob embarks on a harrowing journey through the War, motivated solely by his unyielding love for Anna.

Can love survive the immeasurable tragedies of war?

The books in this series are standalone novels and may be read in any order.

Excerpt

WARSAW, POLAND

AUGUST 1939

As the two brothers walked with naive swagger down the city as if they owned it, Ezra’s plan came spilling out with eager enthusiasm: “We’re going to join the Polish army.”

Jakob stopped immediately in his tracks on the Warsaw sidewalk. He didn’t care that they were in front of a restaurant with a large window full of patrons who would see their confrontation. For the first time that he could remember since his mother’s death, he found himself in stark disagreement with his older brother.

“No way,” Jakob said plainly.

This caught Ezra off guard, and he turned to see Jakob standing defiantly behind him. Frustration came barreling out of Ezra: “Well, we have to!”

“No way.” Jakob’s body language gave away that he wasn’t budging on the issue.

“Think about it, Jakob,” Ezra was now pleading. “War is right on Poland’s doorstep. Look around you. See all of this? This is just a facade. In a few short months, either Germany or the Soviets - if not both - will be invading. What you see around you won’t be here forever.”

“So, what if I want to enjoy it while it’s here - instead of running off to war?” As Jakob said it, he could see the light of Ezra’s plan die in Ezra’s eyes. Jakob knew it wasn’t just a plan he was spoiling - it was Ezra’s dream. And in the heat of their abrupt disagreement, Jakob let that spill out as an insult. “You’re the dreamer, Ezra. You always have been. And I’ve always followed you through your dreams. But this isn’t a dream. This is reality. And people die in war.”

Ezra knew that what Jakob just said was right - he was a dreamer. He always so easily got swept up into dreams and ambitions that he never stopped to realize their effect on his younger brother. But this time, that wasn’t the case. Ezra’s plan had been thought out extensively before divulging it.

Despite his natural inclination to give into the heat of their disagreement, Ezra’s tone calmed down. He loved his Jakob – like nothing else in the world. They’d been more than brothers since their parents’ deaths. They’d been friends. Confidants. Life rafts. Shoulders for each other to both cry and laugh on. So, in this moment, Ezra’s natural instinct toward conflict was overcome by his even stronger inclination to love his brother.

“I know, I know, Jakob. I’ve led you on some crazy paths since mom died.” Ezra then put his hand on Jakob’s shoulder to bridge the gap between them - both emotionally and physically. “But this isn’t about my dreams. It’s about what’s real.”

“And then what, Ezra?” Jakob’s tone was mellowing out. “We just hope to survive the war? Wouldn’t you rather go somewhere safe and let other people fight a war that isn’t ours?”

“We’d survive. Look at us - two orphans that don’t need much, who have always found a way to survive.” Ezra smiled at having just referenced their prior pointless disagreement about whether they were orphans. “And then afterwards, we’ll open an orphanage.”

This made Jakob chuckle out loud and playfully push Ezra in the shoulder. “Not funny. But I’ll think about the whole army thing.”

“No, I mean it, Jakob. Someone’s gotta show all the other orphans how to survive. Who better than you and me?”

Now that they’d made up, Ezra went to put his arm around his brother’s shoulder to keep walking down the Warsaw sidewalk. Ezra’s mind normally would be filled with dreams at this point, now that there was a glimmer of hope for them to enlist in the Polish army. But his dreams were immediately cut short. Jakob wasn’t moving. 

It was as though he was frozen in place. Ezra quickly turned to look his brother in the eyes to see what the deal was. And for the first time, he saw dreams shining in Jakob’s own eyes. They’d always followed Ezra’s dreams, but now, for the first time, Ezra could instantly tell that Jakob had been struck with his own overbearing dream. The stark light beaming from Jakob’s glance emanated a look different than any other he’d ever seen his brother make before.

Ezra curiously followed his brother’s line of sight to see what had unexpectedly and wholeheartedly captivated Jakob.

Then he saw it. Or, rather - he saw her. Jakob was staring through the large restaurant window next to them, and at the lounge piano providing background music for the patrons. And seated at that piano was the centerpiece of not only Jakob’s attention, but what Ezra recognized as the centerpiece of Jakob’s very being in this moment. Behind the piano was, undeniably, a beautiful Jewish woman, whose blue eyes had met Jakob’s by happenstance, yet now was staring back at him with a consumption matching his.

Ezra knew it immediately by just observing the unspoken spark between his brother and the Jewish woman. Things were now going to be different for the two brothers.

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About the Author

Kyle Shoop is a multi-genre author of compelling stories. His new "Senses of Love" series is a romance series that provides rewarding and inspirational stories. The newest book - A TASTE OF LOVE - is now out! The books in the series may be read in any order.

Kyle is also the author of the Acea Bishop Trilogy, which is an action-packed fantasy series. All books in that series are now available, with Acea and the Animal Kingdom being the first book.

At a young age, Kyle was recognized for his storytelling by being awarded the first-place Gold Key award for fiction writing in Washington State. After spending several years volunteering in his wife's elementary classrooms, he was inspired to write the Acea Bishop Trilogy. He is now motivated to share the compelling stories in his new romance series. In addition to writing novels, Kyle is also an attorney.

Connect:

http://www.kyleshoop.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKyleShoop

https://www.instagram.com/WriterKyle/

https://twitter.com/WriterKyle

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907468.Kyle_Shoop

Spotlight: Fauxmance by Cookie O’Gorman

Publication date: April 28th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Fauxmance (fow-mans): Term for a romantic relationship that is fake. Real feelings, like love, are strictly prohibited. See also: Why would anyone enter a fake relationship?

Eighteen-year-old Magnolia believes in true love.

Or she did.

When her boyfriend dumps her the day before her sister’s wedding, Maggie is devastated—but her broken heart is only part of the problem. Maggie is the maid of honor, and her sister insists: Every member of the bridal party must have an escort. No exceptions.

Thank goodness for Hayden Davenport.

Sarcastic, cocky, a surprisingly good listener and self-professed player, when Maggie gets stuck in an elevator with the handsome stranger, she thinks she’s found the perfect wedding date. Unfortunately, Hayden hates weddings. Like really hates them.

But one soul-shattering kiss changes everything.

Maggie needs a fake boyfriend. Hayden wants to prove he’s changed his playboy ways. Faking it should be easy. The hard part?

Remembering it’s all pretend and not falling in love for real.

This book features two opposites with sizzling chemistry, a sweet, hopeless romantic and a cynical bad boy who’ll steal your heart. Elevators, fake romance, and weddings, oh my! Get ready to swoon, laugh, and say ‘I do’ to this heartfelt YA romance.

Excerpt

"Want to know the worst part?"

Hayden nodded, and I laid my head against his shoulder.  There was no way I'd be able to say this next bit while looking at him.  Even without eye contact, I didn't know if I'd be able to admit it out loud.

"He's the only guy I've ever kissed," I whispered.

"Seriously?" Hayden asked.

I gave a short nod.  "Yep.  We were so young when we got together.  I thought he was the one.  But today, when he let me go, there weren't any tears.  There was no regret in his voice.  He just looked relieved."

It was silent for a moment.

"I guess it doesn't matter anyway.  Kissing is overrated."

Hayden leaned away, lifting my head so I had to look at him.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"People always make it sound so amazing," I said.  "Kisses are supposed to cause fireworks, make you hear symphonies, touch you on a soul-deep level.  I used to believe all the hype.  I was a hopeless romantic through and through."

I shrugged.

"But my first kiss wasn't like that.  Actually, no kiss I had after was like that either.  Like I said, it's overrated."

Hayden shook his head, his eyes suddenly serious.

"That's awful," he said.

"No, they were pleasant enough, just nothing to write home about."

"I kind of want to find Sean, so I can kick his ass."

I laughed.  "Oh, it wasn't him.  Sean liked kissing fine.  I always figured it was me.  That I was defective or something."

Hayden put a hand on my cheek.

"It wasn't you, Magnolia."

I nodded but didn't really believe it.  Hayden couldn't know that.  He was just trying to make me feel better.

"I'm serious," he said.

"Yeah okay."

"Let me prove it to you."

My brows pinched together.  "How are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to kiss you," he said.

Anything I was about to say left me.  My brain went totally blank.  What were words again?

"If you still think kissing's overrated after that, okay.  I'll retire my player card for good."  Hayden's eyes went to my lips, and they tingled in response.  "That won't happen, though."

I swallowed to clear my throat.  "How can you be sure?"

"Because I'm going to do my best to please you."

He nodded.

"And between you and me, Magnolia, I'm a very good kisser."

I sent him a soft smile.  "You're so conceited."

"Not conceited if it's the truth," he said.

"Some of the things you say should annoy me, but for some reason I find it charming."

"That's good.  You have to be at least a little attracted to me, or this won't work."

No problem there, I thought.

Hayden seemed to be reading my mind, but I hoped he didn't know just how attractive I found him.  It was way too much for the short period of time we'd spent together.  And I was pretty sure the attraction was one-sided.  Although…he wasn't opposed to kissing me.  That meant he must've found me somewhat desirable, right?  Still.  He might just be doing this because he saw it as a challenge.

"Well, I wouldn't get your hopes up," I said.  "Sean once told me I wasn't very responsive."

Hayden scoffed.  "Don't worry.  Unlike your ex, I actually have skills."

I felt my breath hitch as he slowly leaned forward.

"I just don't want to disappoint you," I breathed.

Hayden's gaze locked on mine.  "This isn't about me.  It's about you."

The air between us grew thick as his eyes went back to my lips.

"And you could never disappoint me," he said.  "I've wanted to kiss you ever since we got on this elevator."

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Cookie O'Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad, The Kissing Challenge (YA novella), WALLFLOWER, and CUPCAKE are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romances, The Best Mistake and The Perfect Play. Her newest release FAUXMANCE is coming on April 28, 2022!

Connect:
http://cookieogorman.com/
https://twitter.com/CookieOwrites
https://www.facebook.com/cookieogorman
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https://mailchi.mp/bdb1d9c56ae7/the-cookie-jar
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14924267.Cookie_O_Gorman

Spotlight: One Night Expectations by LaQuette

Series: Devereaux Inc, Book 3

Publisher: Harlequin Desire

Publication Date: April 26, 2022

ONE NIGHT EXPECTATIONS BY LAQUETTE

An impulsive one-night stand has unexpected consequences in the latest Devereaux Inc. novel by LaQuette. 

For these Brooklyn power players,  one night holds surprises to last a lifetime. 

When her grandfather meddles in the billion-dollar development deal she’s closing for the family company, Amara Devereaux-Rodriguez feels betrayed…and rebellious. A chance encounter with Lennox Carlisle is just the kind of trouble she’s looking for. But their night together soon becomes a threat to Amara’s aspirations because the mayoral contender has the power to quash the Devereaux deal. And now Amara’s pregnant with his child. Can she quench the fire for Lennox that could send their lifelong ambitions up in flames?

Excerpt

Lennox put the beer down on a nearby end table and stared at the woman sitting next to him. Trying hard to remember John’s warning, he fought with himself about what he should say next. Lennox was in no way afraid to talk to a woman as fine as this. But when you were trying to become the mayor of New York City, you had to think twice about what you said as well as did.

He extended his hand to her, “Thank you, Ms.…”

She tilted her head, her sultry gaze sliding down the seated length of him, leaving a fiery burn in its wake. But instead of making him back away like the cautious, levelheaded professional he was supposed to be, it made him lean in closer.

She took his offered hand in a firm grip and smiled. “Angel,” she said. “My name’s Angel.”

“Angel is a lovely name. It’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

She continued to smile at him, holding his hand and letting her thumb pass over his knuckle. It wasn’t necessarily an overt gesture of attraction. But coupled with the flash of fire he saw in her eyes, he was pretty sure they were vibing on the same wavelength.

“Well,” she said, breaking the silence. “I don’t want to interrupt you any further. I suppose if you’re back here and not at the bar, you probably weren’t looking for company.”

She stood up, and he followed suit, stepping closer to her than he probably should have considering he didn’t know anything about her beyond her name.

“I did come back here to get away from the crowd. But that’s not the reason you should leave.”

She folded her arms, pushing her full, round breasts up, and he couldn’t find enough decency anywhere in him to look away.

“I’m not sure I get your meaning,” she responded. “What’s the reason I should leave?”

He hesitated for a moment, pulling his lip between his teeth to keep the words on the tip of his tongue from spilling out of his mouth.

“Aww, don’t get shy now, Len. Speak your peace.”

He nodded, loving the fierceness she wore like a second skin.

“You should leave because I’m tempted to find out if this thing that makes me want to bend you over that desk is mutual. Because if it is, I don’t think I have enough give-a-damn to ignore it.”

There, he’d given her the truth. And if she was smart, she’d take her leave, and this would never become more than a little flirting in the back of a bar.

But when she stepped into his space, so close that all he needed to do was shift slightly and his body would be pressed against hers, he groaned.

“You’d better know what you’re doing, Angel.”

She narrowed her gaze as her full lips curved into a sultry smile. “Is Len short for Leonard?”

Her question seemed out of place, but instead of using that brief moment as an excuse to step away, he shook his head. “No, it’s short for Lennox.”

“Good.” she moved in closer, wrapping her hand around the base of his neck. “I’d like to make sure I’m calling you by your proper name if this ends up being as good as I hope it will be.”

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Mass Market Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

2021 Vivian Award finalist and DEIA activist in the romance industry, LaQuette writes sexy, stylish, and sensational romance. She crafts dramatic, emotionally epic tales that are deeply pigmented by reality's paintbrush.

This Brooklyn native writes unapologetically bold, character-driven stories. Her novels feature diverse ensemble casts who are confident in their right to appear on the page.

Connect: AUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOKTWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Spotlight: Love in Twinkle Falls by Freda Ann

Publication date: April 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Bridgette Dupont is engaged to the hunky, flirty fireman who has it all—yet why does she feel anxiety when she thinks of herself walking down that aisle on their wedding day?

With her best friend Sophie happily married and pregnant, Bridgette has a clear picture of what her life could look like, but she can’t help feeling the fear of motherhood...and when her past comes calling, all of Bridgette’s simmering emotions begin to boil over.

Ryan Hodges couldn’t be any happier with his fiancée, she’s beautiful, compassionate and sweeter than pie—but when his parents drop into town for a surprise visit, tensions between his mother’s wants and his fiancée’s needs come to a head.

When everything rains down on the happy couple all at once, their strength and faith in each other are put to the ultimate test. Will Ryan and Bridgette make it to the altar, or will they realize their future together was never meant to be?

Excerpt

Our food arrives just in time so I can stuff my mouth before I say something that’ll upset my hormonal best friend. 

“Thanks, André,” she grins.

While unwrapping the silverware, a girl in her late teens sitting cross-legged at the table in the corner catches my eye. Auburn locks peak out of the oversized hoody she’s wearing over black leggings. A bulging paisley print backpack sits at her feet.

“What are you looking at?”

“The girl in the corner sitting alone.”

She looks over her shoulder. “Do you know her?”

I shake my head. “Never seen her.”

“Then why are you staring?”

“For starters, she’s dressed awfully warm for spring, even in Twinkle Falls.”

“Maybe she’s visiting, or new in town.”

“Could be. She’s a fast eater, that’s for sure.”

“You’re awfully curious about someone you don’t know.”

“There’s something about her. She’s different from our usual visitors. Something tells me there’s a story behind those dark eyes.”

“Quit staring at the poor girl.” Sophie shakes her head.

“It was just an observation. How’s your lunch?”

“Good. I guess I was hungrier than I thought.”

“I see that, but you are eating for two—or three.” I grin.

Her eyes grow. “Bite your tongue Bridge. There’s only one baby in here according to the ultrasound.”

“Maybe the little girl is hiding behind her brother.”

Her napkin grazes my cheek as she playfully hits me. “Hey, why don’t you guys come over for dinner? The kids have been asking to see you.”

“You mean tonight?”

“Yes tonight. Why, do you have plans?”

Grabbing my phone, I skim my finger across it. “Oh look at that, I’m available.”

“Ha, ha smarty pants.” She purses her lips as her eyes roll.

“What time you want us there?”

“Liam should get home on time since Trace helped him out this morning, so how’s six o’clock?”

“Ryan is off shift so that works. Are you cooking any of my favorites?”

My gaze wanders back to the stranger in the corner as she eases out of her chair with her back to us. She grabs the backpack, hugging it against her while quickly walking to the door.

André scoops the folder with the check and money off the table, opening it. When his jaw droops, I’m pretty sure I know why. He looks at me and holds up the empty folder.

“Did you hear a word I said?” Sophie asks.

“She stiffed us! Stay here, I’ll be back.” I rise and briskly walk to the front door as it closes behind her.

Looking right then left, I see the girl crossing the road and heading for the park. I watch as she stops and leans over in exhaustion. Wondering if she’s okay, I cross the street and touch her shoulder  when her backpack slides to the ground.

“Hey, are you alright?”

Glancing at me, she says, “I’m fine.”

“Did you forget something back at the cafe?”

I stare at her, waiting to hear some lame excuse when she straightens up with her right hand clutching her stomach… her unusually rounded stomach. “I—I—” she stutters as she attempts to catch her breath.

“Are you pregnant?” I stare at her belly which is larger than Sophie’s.

After a moment of silence, she shifts her weight, peering at me with her dark eyes. “No, I swallowed a basketball.”

“Don’t get smart with me missy or I’ll call the cops and let them deal with you.”

Fear flashes through her eyes before they soften. “Yes, I’m pregnant.”

I pick up her backpack and point to the bench on the other side of the pathway. “Let’s sit.”

She waddles to the wooden bench before easing onto it. Seeing the worry on her face, I put her bag between us and sit facing her. “What’s your name?”

Staring at her clasped hands, she lifts her head. “Kylee.”

“Are you here with anyone?”

“No.”

“Where are you from?”

“The same place as you, by the sound of it.” I narrow my eyes, before she adds, “France. I’m from France.”

“Does your family still live there?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

“Then where do they live?”

“Nowhere, they—died.”

As her eyes grow dark again, I lean back on the bench. “I’m sorry. It must be hard not having family around, especially in your condition.”

“I have a distant relative, but she doesn’t want a pregnant stranger showing up on her doorstep.”

Shrugging, she fidgets with her hands. “Where are you staying?” I pry.

“There.” Kylee points to a cottage at the back of the church. Years ago, Pastor Morgan converted a three stall barn into a cottage for short term housing.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

Freda was born in southern New Jersey but grew up in Florida. She has loved writing her entire life. After retiring from a career in law enforcement, she knew it was time to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a published author.

She's the author of The Hawaii Series, proudly named from her love of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. It's a three-book series with all of them written as standalone books.

Freda loves her large family, horses, dogs, cat, and close friends. She hosts monthly family dinners at her home in the country, which she shares with her husband.

She loves baking (she owned and operated a cupcake business for years), cooking, yoga, crocheting, nature and traveling with the love of her life.

What helps her write? Music makes her happy! If music doesn't give her the right motivation, she puts on a romantic movie, usually from the Hallmark Channel, which she can't get enough of!

Freda speaks her mind and pushes perfection to its limit. She strives to be her best, most positive self she can be in life. With time, determination, and practice, she believes anything is possible.

Connect:
https://www.instagram.com/fredaannwriter/
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17264005.Freda_Ann

Spotlight: The Wrong Victim by Allison Brennan

A bomb explodes on a sunset charter cruise out of Friday Harbor at the height of tourist season and kills everyone on board. Now this fishing and boating community is in shock and asking who would commit such a heinous crime—the largest act of mass murder in the history of the San Juan Islands.

Was the explosion an act of domestic terrorism, or was one of the dead the primary target? That is the first question Special Agent Matt Costa, Detective Kara Quinn, and the rest of the FBI team need to answer, but they have few clues and no witnesses.

Accused of putting profits before people after leaking fuel endangered an environmentally sensitive preserve, the West End Charter company may itself have been the target. As Matt and his team get closer to answers, they find one of their own caught in the crosshairs of a determined killer.

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

A killer walked among the peaceful community of Friday Harbor and retired FBI Agent Neil Devereaux couldn’t do one damn thing about it because he had no evidence.

Most cops had at least one case that haunted them long after the day they turned in their badge and retired. For Neil, that obsession was a cold case that his former law enforcement colleagues believed was closed. Not only closed, but not a double homicide at all—simply a tragic accident.

Neil knew they’d got it wrong; he just couldn’t prove it. He hadn’t been able to prove it thirteen years ago, and he couldn’t prove it now.

But he was close.

He knew that the two college boys didn’t drown “by accident;” they were murdered. He had a suspect and he’d even figured out why the boys had been targeted.

Knowing who and why meant nothing. He needed hard evidence. Hell, he’d settle for any evidence. All his theory got him was the FBI file on the deaths sent by an old friend, and the ear of a detective on the mainland who would be willing to investigate if Neil found more.

“I can’t open a closed death investigation without evidence, buddy.”

He would have said the same thing if he was in the same position.

Confronting the suspected killer would be dangerous, even for an experienced investigator like him. This wasn’t an Agatha Christie novel like his mother used to read, where he could bring the suspect and others into a room and run through the facts—only to have the killer jump up and confess.

Neil couldn’t stand to think that anyone might get away with such a brazen murder spree, sparked by revenge and deep bitterness. It’s why he couldn’t let it go, and why he felt for the first time that he was close…close to hard evidence that would compel a new investigation.

He was tired of being placated by the people he used to work with.

He’d spent so long following dead ends that he’d lost valuable time—and with time, the detailed memories of those who might still remember something about that fateful weekend. It was only the last year that Neil had turned his attention to other students at the university and realized the most likely suspect was living here, on San Juan Island, right under his nose.

All this was on his mind when he boarded the Water Lily, his favorite yacht in the West End Charter fleet. He went through his safety checklist, wondering why Cal McKinnon, the deckhand assigned to this sunset cruise, wasn’t already there.

If he wasn’t preoccupied with murder and irritated at Cal, Neil may have noticed the small hole in the bow of the ship, right above the water line, with fishing line coming out of it, taut in the water.

*

“I’m sorry. It’s last minute, I know,” Cal said to Kyle Richards in the clubhouse of West End Charter. “But I really need to talk to Jamie right away.”

“It’s that serious?” asked his longtime friend Kyle.

“I cannot lose her over this. I just can’t. I love her. We’re getting married.”

At least he hoped they were still getting married. Two months ago Jamie finally set a wedding date for the last Saturday in September—the fifth anniversary of their first date. And now this whole thing was a mess, and if Cal didn’t fix it now, he’d never be able to fix it.

You already blew it. You blew it five years ago. You should have told her the truth then!

“Alright then, go,” Kyle said. “I’ll take the cruise. I need the extra money, anyway. But you owe me—it’s Friday night. I had a date.”

Cal clapped Kyle on the back. “I definitely owe you, I’ll take your next crappy shift.”

“Better, give me your next corporate party boat.” Corporate parties on the largest yacht in their fleet had automatic eighteen percent tips added to the bill, which was split between a typical four-man crew in addition to salary. Plus, high-end parties often paid extra. Drunk rich people could become very generous with their pocket cash.

“You got it—it’s next Saturday night, the Fourth of July—so we good?”

Kyle gave him a high five, then left for the dock.

Cal clocked out and started for home. He passed a group of sign-carrying protesters and rolled his eyes.

West End Charter: Profit Over Protection

Protect Fish Not Profits!

Hey Hey Ho Ho Ted Colfax has to go!

Jeez, when would these people just stop? West End Charter had done nearly everything they wanted over the last two years—and then some—but it was never good enough.

Fortunately, the large crowds of protesters that started after the West End accident had dwindled over the last two years from hundreds to a half dozen. Maybe because they got bored, or maybe because West End fixed the problem with their older fleet, Cal didn’t know. But these few remaining were truly radical, and Cal hoped they didn’t cause any problems for the company over the lucrative Fourth of July holiday weekend.

He drove around them and headed home. He had more important things to deal with than this group of misfits.

Cal lived just outside of Friday Harbor with Jamie and their daughter. It was a small house, but all his, his savings covering the down payment after he left the Coast Guard six years ago. But it was Jamie who made the two-bedroom cottage a real home. She’d made curtains for the windows; put up cheery pictures that brightened even the grayest Washington day; and most recently, she’d framed some of Hazel’s colorful artwork for the kitchen nook he’d added on with Kyle’s help last summer.

He’d wanted to put Jamie on the deed when she moved in with him, but she wanted to go slower than that. He wanted to marry her, but she’d had a bad breakup with her longtime boyfriend before they met and was still struggling with the mind games her ex used to play on her. If that bastard ever set foot back on the island, Cal would beat him senseless.

But the ex was far out of the picture, living down in California, and Cal loved Jamie, so he respected her wishes not to pressure her into marriage. When she found out she was pregnant, he asked her to marry him again—she said yes but wanted to wait.

“There’s no rush. I love you, Cal, but I don’t want to get married just because I’m pregnant.”

He would move heaven and earth for Jamie and Hazel—why didn’t she know that?

That’s why when she finally settled on a date, confirmed it with invitations and an announcement in the San Juan Island newspaper, that he thought it would be smooth sailing.

And then she left.

As soon as he got home, he packed an overnight bag while trying to reach Jamie. She didn’t answer her cell phone. More than likely, there was no reception. Service was sketchy on the west side of the island.

He left another message.

“Jamie, we need to talk. I’m sorry, believe me I’m sorry. I love you. I love Hazel. I just want to talk and work this out. I’m coming to see you tonight, okay? Please call me.”

He was so frustrated. Not at Jamie—well, maybe a little because she’d taken off this morning for her dad’s place without even telling him. Just left him a note on the bathroom mirror.

Cal,

I need time to think. Give me a couple days, okay? I love you, but right now I just need a little perspective.

Jamie.

Cal didn’t like the “but” part. What was there to think about? He loved her. They had a life together. Jamie and their little girl Hazel meant everything to him. They were getting married in three months!

He’d given her all day to think and now they needed to talk. Jamie had a bad habit of remaining silent when she was upset, thanks to that prick she’d dated before Cal. Cal much preferred her to get angry, to yell at him, to say exactly how she felt, then they could move on.

He jumped in his old pickup truck and headed west, praying he could salvage his family, the only thing he truly cared about. Failure was not an option.

*

That night Kyle clocked in and told the staff supervisor, Gloria, that Cal was sick, and he was taking the sunset cruise for him.

“Are you lying to me?” Gloria asked, looking over the top of her glasses at him.

“No, well, I mean, he’s not sick sick.” Dammit, Kyle had always been a piss-poor liar. “But he and Jamie had a fight, I guess, and he wants to fix it.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to Cal tomorrow. Don’t you go lying for him.”

“Don’t get him in trouble, Gloria.”

She sighed, took off her large glasses and cleaned them on her cotton shirt. “I like Cal as much as everyone, I’m not going to jam him up, but he should have come to me. I’ll bet he gave you his slot on the Fourth, didn’t he?”

Kyle grinned. Gloria had worked for West End longer than Kyle had been alive. They couldn’t operate without her.

“Eight people total. A party of four and two parties of two.” Gloria handed him the clipboard with the information of those who had registered for tonight’s sunset cruise. “Four bottles of champagne, a case of water, and cheese and fruit trays are onboard. You have one minute.”

“Thanks Gloria!” He ran down the dock to the Water Lily. He texted his boyfriend as he ran.

Hey, taking Cal’s shift, docking at 10—want to meet up then?

He sent the message and almost ran into a group who were already standing at the docks. Two men, two women, drinks in hand from the West End Club bar, in to-go cups.

“Can we board?” the tallest of the four asked.

“Give me one minute. What group are you with?”

“Nava Software.”

Kyle looked at his watch. Technically boarding started in five minutes; they’d be pushing off in twenty.

“I need to get approval from the captain.” He smiled and jumped over the gate. He found Neil Devereaux on the bridge, reading weather reports.

“You’re late,” Neil said without looking up.

“Sorry, Skipper. Cal called in sick.”

Neil looked at him. “Oh, Kyle, I didn’t know it was you. I was expecting Cal.”

“He called out. Everything okay?” Neil didn’t look like his usual chipper self.

“I had a rough day.”

Rough day? Neil was a retired federal agent and got to pick any shift he wanted. Everyone liked him. If he didn’t want to work, he didn’t. He had a pension and didn’t even have to work but said once that he’d be bored if he didn’t have something to do. He spent most of his free time fishing or hanging out at the Fish & Brew. Kyle thought he was pretty cool for a Boomer.

“Your kids okay?” he asked.

Neil looked surprised at the question. “Yes, of course. Why?”

“You said you had a rough day—I just remember you talking about how one of your kids was deployed or something.”

He nodded with a half smile. “Good memory. Jill is doing great. She’s on base in Japan, a mechanic. She loves it. And Eric is good, just works too much at the hospital. Thanks for asking.”

“Four guests are waiting to board—is it okay?”

“There’s always someone early, isn’t there?”

“Better early than late,” Kyle said, parroting something that Neil often said to the crew.

Neil laughed, and Kyle was glad he was able to take the skipper’s mind off whatever was bothering him.

“Go ahead, let them on—rear deck only. Check the lines, supplies, and emergency gear, okay? No food or drink until we pass the marker.”

“Got it.”

Kyle slid down the ladder as his phone vibrated. It was Adam.

F&B only place open that late—meet at the club and we’ll walk over, k?

He responded with a thumbs-up emoji and a heart, then smiled at the group of four. “Come aboard!”

*

Madelyn Jeffries sat on the toilet—not because she had to pee, but because she didn’t want to go on this cruise, not even for only three hours. She didn’t want to smile and play nice with Tina Marshall just because Pierce wanted to discuss business with Tina’s husband Vince.

She hated Tina. That woman would do anything to make her miserable. All because Pierce had fallen in love with her, Madelyn Cordell, a smart girl from the wrong side of the tracks in Tacoma.

Pierce didn’t understand. He tried, God bless him, but he didn’t. He was from another generation. He understood sex and chivalry and generosity and respect. He was the sweetest man she’d ever met. But he didn’t understand female interactions.

“I know you and Tina had somewhat of a rivalry when we met. But sweetheart, I fell in love with you. There’s no reason for you to be insecure.”

She wasn’t insecure. She and Pierce had something special, something that no one else could understand. Even she didn’t completely understand how she fell so head over heels for a man older than her deadbeat father. Oh, there was probably some psychologist out there who had any number of theories, but all Madelyn knew was that she and Pierce were right.

But Tina made her see red.

Tina, on top of this pregnancy—a pregnancy Madelyn had wanted to keep quiet, between her and Pierce, until she was showing. But somehow Pierce’s kids had found out last week, and they went ballistic.

They were the reason she and Pierce decided to get away for a long weekend. Last night had been wonderful and romantic and exactly what she needed. Then at brunch this morning they ran into Tina and Vince who were on a “vacation” after their honeymoon.

Madelyn didn’t doubt that Tina had found out she was here and planned this. There was no doubt in her mind that Tina had come to put a wedge between her and Pierce. After five years, why couldn’t she just leave her alone?

Just seeing Tina brought back the fearful, insecure girl Madelyn used to be, and she didn’t want that. She loved her life, she loved her husband, and above all she loved the baby inside her.

She flushed the toilet and stepped out of the stall.

Tina stood there by the sink, lips freshly coated with bloodred.

Madelyn stepped around her and washed her hands.

“Vince took me to Paris for our honeymoon for two glorious weeks,” said Tina.

Madelyn didn’t respond.

“I heard that you went to Montana.” Tina giggled a fake, frivolous laugh.

It was true. They’d spent a month in the Centennial Valley for their honeymoon, in a beautiful lodge owned by Pierce. They went horseback riding, hiking, had picnics, and she even learned how to fish—Pierce wanted to teach her, and she found that she enjoyed it. Fishing was relaxing and wholesome, something she’d never considered before. It had been the best month of her life.

But she wasn’t sharing that with Madelyn. Her time with Pierce was private. It was sacred.

She dried her hands and said, “Excuse me.”

“You think you’ve changed, but you haven’t. You’re still the little bug-eyed girl who followed me around for years. I taught you how to walk, I taught you how to attract men, I taught you how to dress and talk and act like you were somebody. If it wasn’t for me, you would never have met Pierce Jeffries. And you took him from me.”

“The boat leaves in five minutes.” Madelyn desperately wanted to get away from Tina.

“Vince and Pierce are going into business together. We’ll be spending a lot of time together, you and me. You would do well to drop the holier-than-thou act and accept the fact that I am back in your life and I’m not going anywhere.”

Madelyn stared at Tina. Once she’d been in awe of the girl, a year older than she was, who always seemed to get what she wanted. Tina was bold, she was beautiful, she was driven.

But she would never be satisfied. Did she even love Vince Marshall? Or had she married him because of the money and status he could give her?

Madelyn hated that when she first met Pierce she had thought he was her ticket out of poverty and menial jobs. She hated that she had followed Tina’s advice on how to seduce an older man.

Madelyn had fallen in love with Pierce, not because he was rich or powerful or for what he could give her. She loved him because he was kind and compassionate. She loved him because he saw her as she was and loved her anyway. But when he proposed to her, she’d fallen apart. She’d told him that she loved him, but she could never marry him because everything she was had been built on a lie—how she got her job at the country club, now they first met, how she had targeted him because he was wealthy and single. She would never forgive herself; how could he? His marriage proposal had been romantic and beautiful—he’d taken her to the bench where they first had a conversation, along the water of Puget Sound. But she ran away, ashamed.

He’d found her, she’d told him everything, the entire truth about who she was—a poor girl from a poor neighborhood who pretended to be worldly and sophisticated to attract men.

He said he loved her even more.

“I knew, Madelyn, from the beginning. But more, I see you, inside and out, and that’s the woman I love.”

Madelyn stared at her onetime friend. “Tina, you would do well to mind your p’s and q’s, because if I tell Pierce to back off, he’ll back off.”

She sounded a lot more confident than she felt. When it came to business, Pierce would listen to her, but he deferred to his oldest son, who worked closely with him. And Madelyn had never given him an ultimatum. She’d never told him what to do about business. She’d never have considered it, except for Tina.

Tina scowled.

Madelyn passed by her, then snipped, “By the way, nice boob job.”

She left, the confrontation draining her. She didn’t want to do this cruise. She didn’t want to go head-to-head with Tina for the next three hours.

She didn’t want to use the baby as an excuse…but desperate times and all that.

Pierce was waiting for her on the dock, talking to Vince Marshall.

“Would you excuse us for one moment, Vince?” she said politely.

“Of course, I’ll catch up with Tina and meet you on the boat.”

She smiled and nodded as he walked back to the harbormaster’s building.

“What is it, love?” Concerned, worried, about her.

“I thought morning sickness was only in the morning. I’m sorry—I fear if I get on that boat, I’ll be ill again. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“Nonsense,” he said. He took her hand, kissed it. “You will never embarrass me.” He put their joined hands on her stomach. The warmth and affection in his eyes made her fall in love with him again. She felt like she loved Pierce a little more every day. “I can meet with Vince tomorrow. I’ll go back to the house with you.”

“This business meeting is important to you, isn’t it?”

“It might be.”

“Then go. Enjoy it. I can get home myself. Isn’t that what Ubers are for?”

“A sunset is not as pretty without the woman I love holding my hand.”

She wanted him home with her, but this was best. They had separate lives, at least in business; she didn’t want to pressure him in any way, just because she detested Tina. “I will wait up for you.”

He leaned over and kissed her. Gently. As if she would break. “Take good care of the woman I love, Bump,” he said to her stomach.

She melted, kissed him again, then turned and walked back down the dock, fighting an overwhelming urge to go back and ask Pierce to come home with her.

But she wouldn’t do it. It was silly and childish. Instead, she would go home, read a good book, and prepare a light meal for when Pierce came home. Then she would make love to her husband and put her past—and that hideous leech Tina Marshall—firmly out of her mind.

*

Jamie already regretted leaving Friday Harbor.

She listened to Cal’s message twice, then deleted it and cleaned up after dinner. Hazel was watching her half hour of PAW Patrol before bath, books, and bed.

Her dad’s remote house near Rogue Harbor was on the opposite side of the island from where they lived. Peaceful, quiet, what she thought she needed, especially since her dad wasn’t here. He was an airline pilot and had a condo in Seattle that he lived in more often than not, coming up here only when he had more than two days off in a row.

She left because she was hurt. She had every right to be hurt, dammit! But now that she was here, she wondered if she’d made a mistake.

Cal hadn’t technically cheated on her. But he also hadn’t told her that his ex-girlfriend was living on the island, not until the woman befriended her. She wouldn’t have thought twice about it except for the fact that Cal had hidden it from her.

She had a bad habit of running away from any hint of approaching drama. She hated conflict and would avoid it at all costs. Her mother was drama personified. How many times had young Jamie run to her dad’s house to get away from her mother’s bullshit? Finally when she was fifteen she permanently moved in with her dad, changed schools, and her mother didn’t say squat.

“You should have stayed and talked it out,” she mumbled to herself as she dried the dishes. The only bad thing about her dad’s place was that there was no dishwasher.

But Cal was coming to see her tonight. He didn’t run away from conflict. She wanted to fix this but didn’t know how because she was hurt. But he had to work, so she figured she had a few hours to think everything through. To know the right thing to do.

“Just tell him. Tell him how you feel.”

Her phone buzzed and at first she thought it was an Amber Alert, because it was an odd sound.

Instead, it was an emergency alert from the San Juan Island Sheriff’s Office.

19:07 SJSO ALERT! VESSEL EXPLOSION ONE MILE OUT FROM FRIDAY HARBOR, INJURIES UNKNOWN. ALL VESSELS AVOID FRIDAY HARBOR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Her stomach flipped and she grabbed the counter when a wave of dizziness washed over her.

She turned on the small television in the kitchen and switched to the local news. She watched in horror as the news anchor reported that a West End Charter yacht had exploded after leaving for a sunset cruise. He confirmed that it was the Water Lily and did not know at this time if there were survivors. Search and rescue crews were already out on the water, and authorities advised all vessels to dock immediately.

Cal had been scheduled to work the Water Lily tonight.

Hazel laughed at something silly on PAW Patrol. Jamie caught her breath, then suddenly tears fell. How could—? No. Not Cal. She loved him and even if they had problems, he loved Hazel more than anything in the world. He was the best father she could have hoped for. Hazel wasn’t planned, but she was loved so much, and Cal had made it clear that he was sticking, from the very beginning. How could she forget that? How could she have forgotten that Cal had never made her feel inadequate, he’d never hurt her, he always told her she could do anything she wanted? He was always there for her…when she was bedridden with Hazel for two months. When she broke her wrist and Hazel was still nursing, he held the baby to her breast every four hours. Changed every diaper. He sang to Hazel, read her books, giggled with her in makeshift blanket forts when thunder scared her.

And now he was gone.

There could be survivors. You have to go.

She couldn’t bring Hazel to the dock. The search, the sirens, the fear that filled the town. It would terrify the three-year-old.

But she couldn’t stay here. Cal needed her—injured or not, he needed her and she loved him. It was as simple as that. Rena would watch Hazel so Jamie could find Cal, make sure he was okay.

“Hazel, we’re going home.”

“I wanna sleep at Grandpa’s!”

“I forgot to feed Tabby.” Tabby was a stray cat who had adopted their carport on cold or rainy nights. He wouldn’t come into the house, and only on rare occasions would let Jamie pet him, but she’d started feeding him. Hazel had of course named him after a cat on her favorite show.

“Oh, Mommy! We gotta go rescue Tabby!”

And just like that, Hazel was ready.

Please, God, please please please please make Cal okay.

*

Ashley Dunlap didn’t like lying to her sister, but Whitney couldn’t keep a secret to save her life, and if Whitney said one word to their dad about Ashley’s involvement with Island Protectors, she’d be grounded until she graduated—and maybe even longer.

“We’re going to be late,” Whitney said.

“Dad will understand,” Ashley said, looking through the long lens of her camera at the West End Charter boat leaving port. She snapped a couple pictures, though they were too far away to see anything.

She was just one of several monitors who were keeping close tabs on West End boats in the hopes that they would catch them breaking the law. West End may have been able to convince most people in town that they had cleaned up their act, and some even believed their claims that the leakage two years ago was an accident, but as the founder of IP Donna Bell said time and time again, companies always put profit over people. And just because they hadn’t caught them breaking the law didn’t mean that they weren’t breaking the law. It was IP who documented the faulty fuel tanks two years ago that leaked their nasty fuel all over the coast. Who knows how many fish died because of their crimes? How long it would take the ecosystem to recover?

“Ash, Dad said not a minute past eight, and it’s already seven thirty. It’s going to take us thirty minutes just to dock and secure the boat.”

“It’s a beautiful evening,” Ashley said, turning her camera away from the Water Lily and toward the shore. Another boat was preparing to leave, but the largest yacht in the fleet—The Tempest—was already out with a group of fifty whale watching west of the island in the Haro Strait. Bobby and his brother were out that way, monitoring The Tempest.

Ashley was frustrated. They just didn’t have people who cared enough to take the time to monitor West End. There were only about eight or nine of them who were willing to spend all their free time standing up to West End, tracking their boats, making sure they were obeying the rules.

Everyone else just took West End’s word for it.

Whitney sighed. “I could tell Dad the sail snagged.”

“You can’t lie to save your life, sis,” Ashley said. “We’ll just tell him the truth. It’s a beautiful night and we got distracted by the beauty of the islands.”

Whitney laughed, then smiled. “It is pretty, isn’t it? Think those pictures are going to turn out? It’s getting a little choppy.”

“Some of them might,” she said.

Ashley turned her camera back to the Water Lily. The charter was still going only five knots as they left the harbor. She snapped a few pictures, saw that Neil Devereaux was piloting today. She liked Neil—he spent a lot of time at the Fish & Brew talking to her dad and anyone else who came in. He’d only lived here for a couple years, but he seemed like a native of the small community. She’d talked to him about the pollution problem from West End, and he kept saying that West End fixed the problem with the old tanks and he’d seen nothing to suggest that they had other problems or cut corners on the repairs. He told her he would look around, and if anything was wrong, he’d bring it to the Colfax family’s attention.

But could she believe him? Did he really care or was he just trying to get her to go away and leave West End alone?

Neil looked over at their sailboat, and both she and Whitney waved. He blew the horn and waved back.

A breeze rattled the sail, and Whitney grabbed the beam. “Shit!” she said.

Ashley put her camera back in its case and caught the rope dangling from the mast. “You good, Whit?”

“Yeah, it just slipped. Beautiful scenery is distracting. I got it.”

Whitney bent down to secure the line, and Ashley turned back toward the Water Lily as it passed the one-mile marker and picked up speed.

The bow shook so hard she thought they might have hit something, then a fireball erupted, shot into the air along with wood and—oh, God, people!—bright orange, then black smoke billowed from the Water Lily. The stern kept moving forward, the boat in two pieces—the front destroyed, the back collapsing.

Whitney screamed and Ashley stared. She saw a body in the water among the debris. The flames went out almost immediately, but the smoke filled the area.

“We have to help them,” Ashley said. “Whitney—”

Then a second explosion sent a shock wave toward their sailboat and it was all they could do to keep from going under themselves. Sirens on the shore sounded the alarm, and Ashley and Whitney headed back to the harbor as the sheriff’s rescue boats went toward the disaster.

Taking a final look back, Ashley pulled out her camera and took more pictures. If West End was to blame for this, Ashley would make sure they paid. Neil was a friend, a good man, like a grandfather to her. He…he couldn’t have survived. Could he?

She stared at the smoking boat, split in two.

No. She didn’t see how anyone survived that.

Tears streamed down her face and as soon as she and Whitney were docked, she hugged her sister tight.

I’ll get them, Neil. I promise you, I’ll prove that West End cut corners and killed you and everyone else.

Excerpted from The Wrong Victim by Allison Brennan, Copyright © 2022 by Allison Brennan. Published by MIRA Books. 

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Hardcover | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

ALLISON BRENNAN is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over thirty novels. She has been nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by International Thriller Writers and the Daphne du Maurier Award. A former consultant in the California State Legislature, Allison lives in Arizona with her husband, five kids and assorted pets.

Connect:

Author website: https://www.allisonbrennan.com/

Facebook: @AllisonBrennan

Twitter: @Allison_Brennan

Instagram: @abwrites

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52527.Allison_Brennan

Spotlight: That Cowboy of Mine by Donna Grant

Another stunning cowboy novel from New York Times bestseller Donna Grant, That Cowboy of Mine!

Is he an enemy?

Dillon Young is proud that she inherited her aunt’s ranch. The problem: someone is trying to run her off and is willing to do whatever it takes. Strange, dangerous things keep happening. Dillion suspects her no-good neighbor and fellow wealthy rancher Hank Stephens. Never a man to get his hands dirty, he sends others to get the job done. So, when the irresistible Cal Bennett is found passed out drunk on her property, Dillion is on high alert. Until someone takes a shot at her and Cal springs to her rescue. When the hard-bodied, no-nonsense-talking cowboy points out that she may need some help, Dillion is inclined to reluctantly agree.

Or a lover?

Waking up on a stranger’s property with a shotgun in his face is not Cal Bennett’s idea of a good time. Never mind that the person on the other end of the barrel is one of the most fiercely beautiful women he has ever seen. Things get more interesting when he finds himself shielding her from flying bullets. It’s clear that this smart, savvy woman could use a hand and Cal is all too happy to lend any part of his body she requires. His proposal: pose as lovers until they find out who is after her ranch. As the danger rises and secrets are revealed, the passion explodes between them and there is no turning back.

Excerpt

Hill Country Texas June

The distinct sound of metal snapping loudly before cracking back into place jerked Cal awake. He knew that sound. Everyone knew that sound. His heart hammered in his chest with the knowledge that someone had just cocked a shotgun.

And he was pretty sure it was at him.

He blinked rapidly against the bright sunlight that pierced his eyes like laser beams. In the next second, he realized that he was lying on the ground. Cal raised his hand to block the sun. That’s when he saw someone standing five feet from him. His gaze moved from well-worn boots, up slim, jean-clad legs, to the red plaid button-down, unbuttoned to reveal the white tank top underneath. It wasn’t until Cal’s eyes locked on the woman’s face that his heart skipped a beat.

She was stunning. Utterly exquisite. Powder blue eyes that reminded him of a clear, summer sky glared at him with annoyance. Wavy brunette locks gently ruffled by a soft breeze fell from beneath the straw Stetson. Her delicate, heart-shaped face, pronounced cheekbones, and slim neck gave her a fragile, almost vulnerable appearance.

But there was nothing weak about the gun aimed at him.

He wanted to know her name and everything about her. He couldn’t wait to hear her voice. With one look, he was captivated. It was a good thing he was already on the ground. He was that struck by her. Cal couldn’t remember the last time a female had left him so dumbstruck. Then again, he had never encountered such a woman before.

He hadn’t known that someone could feel this way just by looking at another. Someone should’ve warned him.

“What are you doing on my land?” she demanded.

Damn. Her voice was just as sexy as he imagined it would be. If her voice was that good, how would her laugh be? He swallowed in an effort to collect his thoughts, but his mouth felt like cotton. What he wouldn’t do for some water. But he wasn’t stupid enough to ask. His head throbbed mercilessly, made worse by the sunlight. He held both hands up, palms out, showing her that he wasn’t a threat.

“I asked you a question.”

The way she held the shotgun told him that she knew how to use it—and she wouldn’t hesitate. Once again, he attempted to swallow before saying, “I … don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” she repeated doubtfully. “You don’t know why you came onto my land and stole a horse?”

“What? I-I would never steal a horse. I swear. I don’t know how I got here,” he hastened to say as he searched his fuzzy memories. “I … well, I had a bad day yesterday. At least, I think it was yesterday.” He tried to remember, but it was all a haze.

She blew out an irritated breath. “I suppose that bad day is why you reek of alcohol?”

He nodded, which was a mistake since the pain in his head doubled.

“My guess is that you were so inebriated, you were unsuccessful in stealing one horse, but you did open the gate to another.”

Cal glanced at the barrel of the gun she still had aimed at him with steady, sure hands. “I apologize, ma’am, for being on your property, but I’d never steal a horse. The last thing I remember is being in town at Ike’s.”

“That bar is not only in a seedy location, but the clientele is questionable, as well.”

“I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. My name is Cal Bennett. I’m a bull rider. Or, at least, I was. I didn’t qualify at the Bandera rodeo this past weekend to move on to the next round.”

“Forgive me if I don’t cry in my beer,” she replied as she lowered the gun so it pointed at the ground instead of at his chest. “Get on your feet and off my land. I’ve got a horse to find. And you can tell whoever sent you that my answer hasn’t changed.”

Cal sat up, the movement causing his head to feel as if hundreds of tiny jackhammers drilled into his skull. He squeezed his eyes shut, though her last words confused him. To the point where he felt compelled to say, “No one sent me.”

“I don’t want to hear it. I’ve heard enough lies recently to last a lifetime.”

His stomach roiled violently. The last thing he wanted to do was get sick in front of this woman. As displeased as she was—with reason—he feared she just might shoot him. He swallowed, praying that his head stopped pounding, and his stomach would ease long enough for him to get to his vehicle. “I’ll be happy to leave. Just point me in the direction of my truck.”

She glanced away as she murmured, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Then her blue eyes locked on him. “I haven’t seen your truck.”

“Then … how did I get here?” he asked in confusion.

She glared at him for several tense seconds. “I. Don’t. Know. What I do know is that I want you gone. Immediately. If I see you on my land again, I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”

“Understood,” he said as his stomach roiled again. He parted his lips, breathing through his mouth.

“You can’t even stand up, can you?”

He heard the frustration and exasperation in the sigh that followed her words. Cal had done several idiotic things in his life, but trespassing was a first. “I … just need a moment.”

When she didn’t demand that he get to his feet, Cal lay back on the ground and closed his eyes. His stomach eased enough that he wasn’t worried about getting sick, but he knew from past experience that his headache wouldn’t ease for hours. His mind drifted as he fought to sober up. The ground was hard, and the morning sun was already warm and rapidly headed toward sweltering—and the day would only get hotter.

How in the hell had he ended up on a ranch? The last memory he could dredge up in his hazy mind was sitting at the bar at Ike’s, doing his damnedest to drink his cares away. Apparently, he had succeeded. It didn’t bode well that he couldn’t remember anything. It had been ages since he’d drunk so much that he blacked out.

And given how he felt, this was likely the last time he’d do it. He was getting too old for such idiocy.

“Come on.”

Cal’s eyes jerked open for a second time when he realized that her voice was nearer. He found her squatting beside him.

“I’ve got work to do. Do you want help getting to your feet, or should I let you attempt it on your own?” she asked icily.

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” he replied. “You were just pointing a gun at me.”

“I could still shoot you.”

He found his lips curving into a smile, and damned if he didn’t see a grin pull at her mouth as well before she turned her head away. He took her outstretched hand. From his vantage point on the ground, she didn’t look that tall or strong enough to be able to do much. He soon discovered that he was wrong.

She not only got him to his feet in one movement, but she also steadied him by taking most of his weight. Her arm wrapped around his waist while her other hand held the shotgun. The top of her hat barely reached his chin. That was when he realized that his Stetson was missing.

He wanted to ask her name, but he wasn’t sure if he should push her if she weren’t willing to offer it up. Her comment about someone sending him was troubling. He hadn’t been sent.

Or had he?

Cal couldn’t recall how he had gotten to the ranch, much less why. Then there was the case of him supposedly trying to steal a horse. That in and of itself was enough for her to shoot him over. Horse stealing was never taken lightly. It didn’t matter what century it was.

He had to lean most of his weight on her as she began walking. The world tilted and swam before his eyes. It took all his concentration to put one foot in front of the other. He didn’t want to fall. He’d already made a fool of himself. The least he could do was remain standing. It was by sheer will alone that he didn’t allow his wobbly legs to buckle. He desperately wanted to act proper and be a gentleman. Maybe because the last person who’d looked at him with such disapproval had been his grandmother, and she had demanded those things in him.

Cal wanted to rejoice when they finally reached her enclosed, six-seater Polaris Ranger 1000 UTV. Not only because he was able to get out of the sun to shade his eyes, but also because he could sit. She reached into the back and grabbed something.

“I suppose this is yours?”

He opened his eyes long enough to see his favorite black Stetson. It was dirty and covered in dust, but it was once more in his hands. “It is. Thanks.”

She said nothing as she started the UTV and put it in gear. He slumped in the seat and closed his eyes. The drive back to the ranch was bumpy as they headed up and down the hills. Cal had a few close calls where he feared he might vomit. Somehow, he managed to keep whatever remained of his battered dignity.

When the vehicle slowed, he cracked open his eyes. He expected to see a house or barns. But they were still in the middle of nowhere. The woman put the UTV in park before she got out. Cal watched through cracked eyelids as she walked to the nearby creek and squatted to inspect something.

Suddenly, the birds got quiet. Too quiet. The hairs on the back of Cal’s neck rose. He slowly sat up, fully alert while his gaze moved around the dense growth of trees and brush that surrounded them. He didn’t see anything, but he didn’t need to. The animals had warned him. Cal’s gaze returned to the woman as a soft gust of wind ruffled the foliage. She was out in the open with nothing to shield her.

No sooner had that thought gone through his head than he heard the pop. Without thinking, he jumped out of the vehicle and rushed up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and taking her to the ground as a second pop followed. As they fell, Cal looked to where she had been and saw the bullet ricochet off the rock.

“Are you hit?” he asked in a whisper.

She shook her head.

When he glanced at her, he saw that her face was pale, and she was shaking. His attention returned to the spot next to the creek to see what she had been investigating. He spotted a horse halter that looked as if someone had cut it.

“Do you have hunters on your property?”

She shook her head again.

Unease filled him. Was he still drunk, or had he just witnessed someone attempting a murder?

“We need to get back to the UTV,” he told her. “It’ll offer us some protection. Can you walk?”

“Of course,” she snapped.

He didn’t take her sharp words personally. He would probably do the same if someone had just tried to kill him. Cal released her. Together, they got to their feet and hurried to the vehicle. Her hands shook when she started the engine and put the UTV in drive. Cal searched the area where he thought the shooter had been as they sped away, but he didn’t see anything.

Whether he wanted it or not, he was now sober. His head still hurt, and his stomach needed food to soak up the alcohol, but he was well and truly clearheaded.

They rode in silence until he spotted roofs in the distance. When they reached the homestead, he noted how well-maintained the fences, corrals, and barns were. The house was older but impressive with its rustic beams and columns around the porch. The white limestone found so prevalently in the area gave the domicile a grand appearance. He particularly loved the wide porch that included rocking chairs and even a swing. Cal could imagine how nice it would be to sit on the porch as dusk settled over the land.

The UTV jerked to a halt. His head swung to the woman to find her blue eyes focused on him.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I’m glad I was there.”

She held out her hand. “I’m Dillon. Dillon Young.”

He shook with her, the feel of her skin against his like a punch to the gut. He blinked, trying to discern what had just happened, and gave her a nod. “Nice to meet you.”

“I don’t know if you just happened to stumble onto my land, or if you were sent. Regardless, you saved me today, and I owe you.”

“I wasn’t sent,” he replied, holding her gaze so she knew he meant every word. “You owe me nothing. I did what anyone would do.”

She glanced away. “Hardly.”

“Has someone shot at you before?”

She shook her head and gripped the steering wheel tightly. “He did shoot at me, didn’t he?”

“Yes, ma’am, he did.”

“Dillon?”

Her head turned at the sound of her name. Cal spotted an older man striding toward them. He was bowlegged with wrinkled skin that looked like old leather from years out in the sun. The hair peeking out of his brown Stetson was solid white, matching his bushy eyebrows. His light brown eyes were clear and intense. He sported a handlebar mustache that matched his hair and completely covered his upper lip. Despite his obvious age, he moved like a young man, covering ground quickly.

“What happened?” he demanded as he reached Dillon. There was concern on his face as he looked her over. “You’re pale.”

Then the man’s gaze slid to Cal and lingered for a moment. When Dillon shook her head as if she wouldn’t answer, Cal took it upon himself to do so. “There was an incident. Someone shot at her.”

“Dillon,” the old man admonished and removed his hat as he shook his head in shock.

“I’m fine,” she answered woodenly.

But it was obvious she wasn’t.

Cal cleared his throat and held out his hand across Dillon to the man. “I’m Cal Bennett. Apparently, I got drunk last night and wandered onto the ranch. Dillon found me passed out this morning.”

“Emmett Perkins,” he replied as they shook. “I’ve worked at the Bar 4 Ranch since I was fourteen. Worked my way up to ranch manager,” he replied with a smile. “I’m honestly surprised Dillon didn’t shoot you.”

“It was close,” Cal said with a grin. He glanced at Dillon to find her staring off into the distance. His smile faded as he thought about what could have happened had he not pulled her out of the way.

Emmett cleared his throat as his gaze darted to Dillon. “How close was it?”

Cal didn’t need to ask for clarification. “There were two pops. I didn’t see where the first landed. Most likely, it went into the water. There was a shift in the wind, and I think that’s the only reason it missed. The second ricocheted off the rock where she had been.”

“Had been?” Emmett asked with his shaggy eyebrows raised.

Dillon replied. “Cal jerked me out of the way.”

“These things can’t keep happening,” Emmett said.

Cal frowned. Keep? Had Emmett just said keep? He didn’t want to ask since he was a trespasser on the ranch, but he couldn’t help but feel involved after witnessing things firsthand.

“I’m fine,” Dillon said and climbed out of the vehicle.

“You wouldn’t be,” Cal said as he followed suit and walked around the front of the UTV. “You were out there by yourself. If you had been shot, who’s to say you would’ve been able to get back? Who’s to say that whoever was there wouldn’t have stayed to finish the job?”

“He’s got a point,” Emmett said.

Dillon put her hands on her hips and faced Cal.

Before she could reply, he said, “You need someone to patrol.”

“That’s a fine idea,” Emmett said. “You up for the job?”

Cal blinked. He had no money, nowhere to go, and nothing to do. But did he want to get involved in whatever was going on? He looked into Dillon’s powder blue eyes and recalled how she had shaken in his arms after being shot at. How the mere touch of her had run through him like lightning. There was no way he would walk away. Not after finding someone like her.

“Yes,” Cal answered.

Copyright © 2022 by Donna Grant.

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