by Jo Grafford
“All yours, love,” he assured with his cheerful tremor.
“And the mansion next door?” She was sort of dying to know who her neighbors were.
“The Montgomerys. They own the resort, well, pretty much the whole town.” His tone was offhand as if it was no big deal. “Oh, hey!” He raised a hand, gnarled with arthritis, to wave at a dark-haired man swimming in their direction. “There’s ol’ Chuck’s grandson, Barrett. Thought I heard he was back in town.”
Oh, no! Lilibeth’s uninjured hand flew automatically to her hair. She really, really, really did not feel up to meeting another rich playboy, but it didn’t sound like she was going to be given a choice. She hastily finger-combed her cascade of long, dark hair back from her face and cast a critical eye down at her hot pink sundress. It would have to do. There was no time to change. Shoot! She’d completely forgotten to make arrangements to have her luggage delivered from the airport.
Her bleat of alarm made Jack Forrest return his attentions to her. “Is everything alright, Lilibeth?”
“Not exactly.” She grimaced at him. “I forgot all about my luggage.”
“But I didn’t.” He held up a finger and grinned at her. “A shuttle van will be on its way shortly with your things.”
“Oh, my goodness!” she sighed in relief. “You wonderful man! I could totally kiss you right now.”
Still grinning, the wily fellow actually sidled closer and tipped up his heavily lined face to hers.
In the same moment, a tall Roman god of a man rose from the swimming pool with water streaming down his sun-kissed chest and arms. He raised one dark brow at them. “Am I interrupting something?”
Hope you enjoyed this excerpt from
THE LAWKEEPERS:
Lawfully Loyal
Available in eBook and paperback on Amazon + FREE to Kindle Unlimited subscribers!
Much love,
Jo
Sneak Preview: His Wish, Her Command
“Hey, there! Welcome to Northern Air.”
Tanya Bullock forced a smile for the benefit of the stewardess in her all-navy uniform at the base of the portable metal stairwell. Good gracious, but she was as bubbly as a carbonated fountain drink. For the life of her, she couldn’t fathom what the woman was so excited about. They were about to board a tiny puddle jumper of a jet for the final leg of their trip to a dude ranch in Wyoming, which meant it was going to be a noisy, bumpy ride. Yay! Not!
She scaled the short flight of stairs with her black leather carry-on in her left hand, trying to empty her mind of every‐ thing but the coming days of much-needed rest — boss’s orders. The LAPD hadn’t given her a choice. Following three surgeries and eleven days in the hospital, they’d put her on an additional two weeks of paid leave to finish recovering from the drug bust that had ended in a gruesome shoot out. Coming up next would be the big kahuna psych evaluation where she would have to prove she was mentally fit to return to work. Then and only then would they hand back her badge and revolver.
She had every intention of passing the evaluation. She’d worked too hard to earn her spot on the city’s special narcotics task force and wasn’t about to let a few gang banger bullets put an end to her promising career.
Pausing beside her assigned seat, she glanced up in search of an empty spot in the cargo space for her carry-on suitcase. Miracle of miracles! There was one available directly over her seat. Now for the fun part of lifting her luggage with her right arm immobilized by a sling... Gritting her teeth, she braced herself for the unavoidable pressure on her abdominal stitches as she carefully swung the bag up.
A bump from behind and the subsequent jab of a purse or backpack into her ribcage made her suck in a pained moan. For a moment, her vision faded to black. Her carry-on slid from her fingers, and she blindly reached out to clutch the seat-back to keep her knees from buckling the rest of the way beneath her.
“Omigawsh!” a young woman’s voice trilled. “I am so-so-so sorry. Are you okay?”
Tanya turned and blinked rapidly at a short, slightly over‐ weight woman about her age. She wore a dark pixie cut and a wildly anxious expression. Dragging in a few mouthfuls of air, she finally dared to test her voice. “I’m fine. Thanks.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. It was more of a promise. “Fine” was where she was heading, give or take a few more days or weeks.
“I’m such a klutz. I feel horrible. Here, let me get that for you.” The young woman attempted to shimmy her curvy frame around Tanya to reach the carry-on she’d dropped and ended up bumping against the still-tender spot between her shoulder blades.
Gasping, Tanya gave up the aisle and slid weakly into her seat. It was a tiny jet, so her side of it consisted of solo seats, while the other side held double seats. At least she wouldn’t have anyone elbowing her for the duration of the trip.
The friendly, self-proclaimed klutz gave a soft grunt while she shoved her bodyweight into the task of wedging Tanya’s suitcase between two others in the overhead compartment. “Public transportation wasn’t designed for shorties,” she muttered.
“I’ve got you covered, Patty Cakes,” a familiar baritone voice with its equally familiar faint Hispanic accent rumbled. A single well-corded tanned arm gave the suitcase a final shove to wedge it in place.
Tanya’s fingers froze on the seatbelt she was clumsily trying to fasten one-handedly. How was it possible for him to be here? She was supposed to be hundreds of miles from home, heading alone to a dude ranch way up north, far from everyone and everything she knew so she could rest and recover in private. In private! Not a few inches away from the hottest guy she’d met in her life.
She shifted in her seat and tried to curl her body sideways to face the window, but the pressure on her stitches proved too great. With a silent sigh of defeat, she collapsed against the headrest and lay there panting. Just breathe through it. In and out. In and out.
“Whoa! I must be living right.” Wesley Rivera struck his palm over his very ripped chest that his faded orange college t-shirt did nothing to hide. “Is that really you?”
There was no denying it was him. All six feet of lanky, well-chiseled muscle and mouth-watering dark good looks right down to the evening shadow that only enhanced his appeal.
“Who?” The woman he’d called Patty Cakes gave a bounce of excitement in her seat across the aisle.
His dark gaze warmed with admiration as he adopted his best broadcaster’s voice. “The one. The only. Tanya Bullock. Hometown hero and detective extraordinaire.” His firm lips widened in a smile of sheer male delight.
The young woman squealed loud enough to make the pair of teenage passengers in front of her turn around in surprise. “Well, hurry up and introduce us, so I can badger her for a selfie and an autograph already.”
Autograph! Tanya gaped at the woman. She was a narcotics detective who’d nearly lost her life in the line of duty — not some Hollywood celebrity, for crying out loud!
“Patty, this is Tanya Bullock, a former college classmate,” Wes supplied smoothly. “Tanya, this is Patty Cakes, my co- pastor at Alpha Omega Campus Ministries.” He neatly swiveled his well-chiseled frame into the seat beside his co- pastor so the passengers waiting in line behind him could move past.
Patty rolled her eyes and punched his upper arm. “Ow.” She shook her hand in the air as if it hurt and grimaced at him. She leaned around him to get a better look at the object of her admiration. “It’s Patty Cason, actually, though this goofball is forever mispronouncing my name.” Her expressive brown eyes swiftly took in Tanya’s stonewashed jeans, red and white plaid shirt, and black sling. “I was so sorry to hear about your injuries in the news. Believe me, Wes and I pray for our local PD every day. You all sure don’t have an easy job keeping our streets safe.”
Tanya’s brain was quick to note the young college minister’s reference to Wes and I. Did that mean the two of them were together? Not that it was her place to concern herself with stuff like that. She’d turned down Wes all three time
s he’d asked her out. He was totally free to date whoever he wished.
Unfortunately, seeing her only college crush with someone else was a harsh reminder of her self-imposed solitary existence and abject loneliness. Her career made having a social life difficult and having any kind of romantic relationship all but impossible. Which was prob‐ ably for the best, considering Wes Rivera was one of those people who went to church more often than Easter and Christmas. (Because he chose to, no less!) Totally not her type.
“So what brings you to the great northern state of Wyoming, detective?” Wes’s wide smile dimmed a few degrees as he scanned her features. “Surely not work?”
She gritted her teeth, wishing like crazy he and his inquisitive co-pastor would turn around in their seats and pay attention to something besides her. Anyone besides her! How else was she going to get her doggone seatbelt fastened without making a complete fool of herself?
“R and R,” she replied grimly. “Boss’s orders.” She held her breath as she finally got the two pieces of her seatbelt pinched together between her fingers. It would take only another inch or so to clasp them. In that exact moment, the person behind her kicked her seat. The resulting pain reverberating through her was all it took to make her drop one end of the seatbelt.
“Oh, hey!” Wes leaped into the aisle and bent over the passenger seat behind her. She didn’t hear what he said, only the response of the man he was conversing with. “Sure thing, bro. I’ll be more careful. Thanks for letting me know.”
Her cheeks burned with mortification as her exhausted brain registered the fact they were most likely discussing her injured condition.
“May I?” Wes leaned his broad shoulders over her seat. His warm fingers brushed against hers as he gently clasped her seatbelt.
“I could have done it myself,” she fumed. “I’m not an invalid.”
“Actually, Detective Bullock...” He lowered his head to stare directly at her with his sinfully decadent dark chocolate eyes. His tone was both challenging and teasing.
Okay, so maybe she kind of was an invalid at the moment. It was so not cool of him to point it out though. “Don’t say it,” she threatened. The arm sling was turning out to be such a sympathy grabber.
He grinned and shoved away from her seat to return to his own seat in one swift movement. “You haven’t changed one bit, detective. Still as growly as a bulldog.”
“Thank you.” She leaned back in her seat. Since Wes didn’t show any signs of leaving her alone yet, she arched her brows at him. “Enough about me. What brings you and Patty this far north?”
“A dude ranch that came highly recommended for our youth retreat. You might have heard of it since you seem to be heading in the same direction. The Broken J Ranch?”
That was the same place she was heading! So much for her wish for a quiet couple of weeks in the country. “A youth retreat?” She squeaked out the words. Please assure me you and Patty Cakes are on a recon mission to scope out the place and that you don’t have a pack of noisy teenagers in tow.
As if on cue, the two teenage boys sitting in front of him burst out laughing at something. They scuffled a few seconds then one of them popped his head around the seat. “Can you believe this bozo? He thinks the Cowboys still have a shot at making the playoffs, but I say no way. Not with their starting quarterback heading into surgery. What do you think, Pastor Wes? Who are you liking for the Super Bowl?”
Tanya stared at them in dismay as they debated football.
Nope. Not a recon mission.
Patty rolled her eyes again and offered her a sympathetic smile. “At least you only have to listen to them Monday morning quarterbacking for the next half an hour. I get to listen to them for the next two weeks.”
Two weeks! It looked like her reservation at the Broken J Ranch was going to overlap a little too perfectly with Wes Rivera’s youth retreat. Today so wasn’t her lucky day. “Don’t be so sure,” she mumbled before she could stop herself. “I’m heading to the same place as you.” Ouch! She immediately wished she could recall her comment, knowing it sounded less than gracious.
“You’re kidding! That’s incredible.” Wes whipped his head in her direction again.
Sure. If you say so.
He glanced at the teens in front of him. Only after the kid he’d been talking to had turned around, did he continue speaking. He leaned his head across the aisle in her direction. “Just thinking off the cuff here since I had no idea we’d be running into you, of course.”
He shot another glance at the two boys seated in front of him and lowered his voice. “Listen. You may or may not have already guessed, but this isn’t your normal, every day, faith-based youth retreat. Not even close. Five out of six of our students have had some sort of run-in with the law in the past. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve paid their dues in juvie and have earned their right to attend this retreat through good behavior, but...” He leaned closer to her. “It would do them a world of good to meet an officer like you in a small group setting. I’m thinking campfire talk, that sort of thing, if you’re willing to spare a few minutes of your time. You know how it is on the streets. How many of them have been conditioned to fear the police, and, well...” He offered her a lopsided grin. “I was thinking you could give them a fresh slant.”
A fresh slant. She gave an involuntary shiver at his words. He had no idea how many times she’d been shot in the recent drug bust gone south nor who had done the shooting, because the LAPD had done a fantastic job of withholding the sordid details from the paparazzi. But the terrifying truth was her shooter was a seventeen-year-old drug dealer who’d unloaded on her from behind. It had been a deliberate and heartless ambush, one that had instantly killed her partner. She still wasn’t sure how she’d survived it.
Dragging in a few bracing lungfuls of air, Tanya stalled giving him an answer to his question by asking one of her own. “If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of crimes are we talking here?”
He shot another look at the boys in front of him. “Some of their history is need-to-know, but it’s the usual stuff. Possession, using, street corner dealing, that sort of thing.”
Tanya felt the blood leave her face. The “usual stuff” had put a good LA police officer in the grave twelve days ago and had nearly ended her own life as well. “I, ah...” Horrified at the tremor in her voice, she stopped and cleared her throat. “I’m under strict orders to be resting and recovering if I hope to ever get my badge back, but I could maybe carve out a few minutes one evening.”
As if sensing her resistance to the idea, Wes nodded gravely, a concerned wrinkle riding the center of his brow. “I understand and no pressure. We’ll appreciate whatever time you can spare, no matter how short.” For a second, he looked as if he was about to settle back in his seat and leave her alone.
Finally! But she was mistaken.
After a moment’s hesitation, he canted his head in her direction once more. “Just for the record, I’m very sorry about the circumstances bringing you to the Broken J, but...” He shook his head and spared her a rueful smile. “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it’s good to see you again.”
Hope you enjoyed this excerpt from
WHISPERS IN WYOMING:
His Wish, Her Command
Available in eBook and paperback on Amazon + FREE to Kindle Unlimited subscribers!
The sequel to this story
His Heart, Her Love
is also available on Amazon.
Much love,
Jo
Read More Jo
I write — a lot! And I’m currently writing these series:
Mail Order Bride Rescue Series — a mad dash of gallant rescuers in a sweet series to fetch all the mail order brides from the mayhem that befalls them on their journey West!
Her Billionaire Series — a sweet contemporary romantic rivalry between two mega corporate dynasties in the Alaskan Gulf! You can expect several more titles in this series in 2020!
Lost Colony
Series — a pre-colonial epic saga about the Lost Colonists of Roanoke Island. In the first book, a working class girl poses as a male clerk to gain passage on a ship bound for the New World. She encounters a deadly conspiracy, pirates, and a dreamy Native chief who offers his protection for a price. This finale to this series will release just in time for Thanksgiving, 2019.
Ornamental Match Maker Series — a fun and cozy, super sweet holiday multi-author series!
Other Multi-Author Series — Whispers In Wyoming, Sailors and Saints, Silverpines, The Lawkeepers, The Bride Herder, The Pinkerton Matchmaker, Belles of Wyoming, Proxy Brides, and Holliday Islands Resort. More new titles coming every month!
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Happy reading! — Jo