“I love you. I guess I’m flabbergasted that Tom would make this offer.” She could guess that he was in trouble.
“A man in desperate need will go to extreme measures.”
“Once upon a time, I loved Zupita, but now I realize Elsa’s Fluff is where my heart is. I couldn’t imagine doing anything but baking. And, with the profit we’ll make after selling it, we’ll put toward a college fund.”
He squinted. “You plan on going back to school, sweetheart?”
“No.” She went to her purse, pulled out the white stick and held it up. “Do you know what this is?”
He looked closer. “Maybe a modern type of coffee stirrer. Beats me.”
“No, not even close. It’s a pregnancy test. I used it this morning.”
His eyes widened and a smile played at the corner of his mouth. “You took a test?” He took the stick and examined it. “There’s a plus sign. Does that mean what I think it means?”
“It means you and I are going to be parents.”
“Holy smoke! Come here, sweetheart.” He scooped her up in his arms and swung her around. His laughter filled her with joy.
“Good thing our wedding is next month, before I start getting wider.”
He stopped turning, placed her back onto her feet, but held her close. “Have I ever told you that you make me the happiest man alive?”
“Every day, in the way you look at me, touch me, treat me like gold. I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
The End
From the author:
Thank you for reading Second Burn Cowboy. Pleaseleave a review and like my author page. http://www.amazon.com/Rhonda-LeeCarver/
Hugs,
Rhonda Lee Carver “Writing Men Who Love to Get Their Hands Dirty…”
At an early age, Rhonda fell in love with romance novels, knowing one day she’d write her own love story. Life took a short detour, but when the story ideas would no longer be contained, she decided to dive in and write. Her first rough draft was on a dirty napkin she found buried in her car. Eventually, she ran out of napkins. With baby on one hip and laptop on the other, she made a dream into reality—one word at a time.
Her specialty is men who love to get their hands dirty and women who are smart, strong and flawed. She loves writing about the everyday hero.
When Rhonda isn't crafting sizzling manuscripts, you will find her busy editing novels, blogging, juggling kids and animals (too many to name), dreaming of a beach house and keeping romance alive. Oh, and drinking lots of coffee.
I hope you’ve enjoyed Second Burn Cowboy (Book 6 of the Second Chance Series)
For other titles by Rhonda Lee Carver, please visit:
www.rhondaleecarver.com
Find me on Facebook, too!
www.facebook.com/rhondalee.carver
Other books by Rhonda Lee Carver
Diamond in a Rose
Double Dare
Delaney’s Sunrise
Second Chance Cowboy (Book 1, Second Chance Series)
Second Ride Cowboy (Book 2, Second Chance Series)
Second Round Cowboy (Book 3, Second Chance Series)
Second Dance Cowboy (Book 4, Second Chance Series)
Second Song Cowboy (Book 5, Second Chance Series)
Castle’s Fortress
Dreaming Ivy
Friends With Benefits
Sin With Cuffs
With Honor
Wicked Pleasures (Book 1, Wicked Wolves Series)
Wicked Lust (Book 2, Wicked Wolves Series)
Fighting Flames
Have you read Fighting Flames (Available at Amazon)? If not, here’s an excerpt I hope you’ll enjoy.
One year ago…
The elevator doors slid open and Karsyn Page exited the cubicle into the quiet parking garage. She’d spent another late night in the office and everyone else had already gone home.
Digging to the bottom of her purse, she finally found her keys after wading through tubes of lipstick, a bottle of lotion, receipts and coins. She clicked the unlock button on her keypad, the car beeped twice and she quickly headed toward the Lexus. Her fingers were on the handle when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and scanned the dim garage. Nothing.
She never liked parking in the garage, but the alternative meant walking a mile in heels in the snow.
A sense of relief spread through her when she pulled the door open.
“Karsyn Page.”
She jerked and spun, her keys fell from her hand as she looked up into the pale features of the man who’d startled her. Alarm sped through her, making her limbs tingle and the hair stand on her neck. “Robert? You scared me. What are you doing here? We didn’t have an appointment, did we?” Even as the questions left her tongue, she knew the answers. No client ever approached her outside of the office.
Robert and Lilith Wall had started counseling six months ago when he was caught cheating with his secretary. After Lilith had threatened divorce, he’d pleaded for her to attend counseling with him. That’s when Karsyn came into the picture. At first, Robert seemed like a typical mid-life crisis victim, until he stopped taking his meds for psychosis. He then discontinued the weekly sessions when Karsyn suggested that he should seek individual counseling to handle some underlying issues from his past.
Her mind quickly filtered through his case file. It’d been a while since she’d seen him. His wife had complained of his temper, but he’d never been violent, at least as far as Karsyn knew.
“Lilith left me.” He drove a shaking hand through his disheveled hair. His piercing green eyes were cold and distant.
“Robert, I’m sorry, but since you’re no longer accompanying Lilith to counseling sessions, I can’t discuss the issues. If you two decide to start again, I’d be glad to schedule you.” The corner of his mouth lowered. His glare made her instincts strike full alert. In the five years that she’d been a therapist, she’d never encountered a disgruntled client, but she knew what signs to look for.
His pupils were dilated. Sweat covered his forehead and dampened the armpits of his shirt. His breathing was shallow. He had all of the signs of danger. She impulsively took a side- step to gain some safe distance.
“She left me and it’s your fault. You told her to leave, and now the bitch is seeing someone else!” His breathing grew heavier.
Karsyn’s adrenaline spiked as she talked her nerves down. She’d been trained on manic patients, but now, faced with the encounter, some of her confidence was lost. “Why don’t we go to my office and discuss things? I’m sure we’d both be more comfortable there. I can get you a glass of water.” Where was the security guard? She subtly looked over Robert’s shoulder and scanned the empty garage. Any other time, the guard would be tripping over himself gawking at her.
“We tried that, remember? It didn’t work. You two cunts schemed against me. I should have made her stop coming to see you. I should have taken care of this long ago.” He paced on the balls of his feet, rocking back and forth, as one brow twitched. Beads of sweat ran down his cheeks.
“Robert, I understand you’re angry and upset. You and Lilith have problems that are difficult to work through. When faced with—”
“Shut up, you bitch! No more of your two-cent theories on how to make my marriage work. I wonder how many other relationships you’ve destroyed in your career of making people miserable.” He clenched his hands into fists and the air left Karsyn’s lungs.
Realizing she couldn’t talk him down, she focused on getting away. Her keys were on the floor, useless as a weapon. Her three-inch heel would be a second choice, but by the time she got it off her foot, he’d be on her. She took another step to her left, but this time he stepped with her, blocking her. “Whatever you plan to do, Robert, you need to think over the consequences. If you do something to harm me, you’ll go to prison and there won’t be an opportunity to work things out with Lilith.” Her mind sifted through logical reasoning.
He shoved a hand deep into his
back pocket, and when he brought it out, he opened his palm, showing her the small knife. The sharp blade glistened in warning. “My relationship is over.”
Karsyn threw her purse at his face, which gave her a second head start, but she didn’t get far in her high heels on the slippery cement floor. His heavy footsteps quickened as her breathing grew louder in her ears. She reached the elevator door, slammed the button, and just as the doors came open she felt a sharp blow to her back, sending her to her knees. Liquid heat streamed down her waist and into a puddle around her. Blood.
She fell face-first into the elevator compartment.
“Put the knife down or I’ll shoot!” Through a fuzzy tunnel, Karsyn heard the booming voice. Too late for help. I’m dying.
Her body became weightless.
A shot splintered the air as everything turned black.
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