by Regan Black
In a matter of seconds, Knox and his deputies swarmed the area. Paramedics clustered around Dario and Rodrigo, while Knox pulled Felicity away to talk. She told him everything she knew, but her gaze kept straying to Dario, still on the ground as the EMTs worked above him. Would he really be okay?
She wanted to go to him, but Knox and his men were insistent she stay and talk to them. So she could only watch as the paramedics rolled Dario into the back of the ambulance and took off, sirens blaring as they drove away with a piece of her heart.
Two weeks later...
Adeline threw open the door and reached for Felicity. “I’m so glad you could make it!” she exclaimed.
Felicity smiled as she returned her friend’s embrace. “Thanks for inviting me. But I think I must be really early.” She glanced back at the empty drive and frowned. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Oh, they’ll be along,” Adeline said breezily. “Jeremy is upstairs getting Jamie dressed. Thorne and Knox both called to tell me they were running late due to kid challenges. Leonor and her husband are stuck in traffic, and Jade said she had a horse go into labor, so she might not make it at all. Claudia has apparently never been on time to anything in her life, and I asked River and Edith to stop at the store to pick up ice.” Adeline smiled brightly.
“It was nice of you to throw a party for everyone,” Felicity said.
Adeline shrugged. “It’s my pleasure. We’re all so happy to put this case behind us, it seemed like a good reason to celebrate.”
Felicity smiled, but the reminder of just how the case had ended sent her into a spiral of doubt. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I know there was no love lost between Livia and her children, but I can’t imagine they’ll all be happy to see me after I killed their mother.”
Adeline grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. “How many times do we have to go over this? You fired in self-defense. You did not murder her in cold blood. Although,” she said thoughtfully, “if anyone deserved that fate, it was Livia Colton.”
“I still feel bad,” Felicity began, but Adeline cut her off.
“No. None of that. Not today. This is why I wanted you to come—so you could see the Coltons don’t blame you for what you did.” She guided Felicity into the expansive kitchen. “Now, grab a glass of lemonade and head outside. I need to finish putting some hors d’oeuvres together, and I don’t want you moping around while I do. Get some fresh air and try to relax.”
Recognizing a dismissal when she heard it, Felicity did as she was instructed. She walked through the sliding glass doors and onto the patio, then stepped onto the path that led to the garden. It was an unseasonably warm day, and even though there would be no flowers blooming, the walk would do her good.
Her mind drifted back to that afternoon, the image of Dario lying bloody in the dirt bringing tears to her eyes. He was recovering nicely, or so she’d heard. But that split second of terror when she thought she’d lost him forever had broken her heart.
I can’t do this.
The memory of her words echoed in her ears, blocking out the birdsong in the yard. Dario had stared up at her from his hospital bed, his brows drawn together in puzzlement.
“What do you mean?” he’d asked.
“I can’t keep seeing you. It’s too hard for me.”
Dario had tried to reach for her hand, but she’d moved away, knowing that if he touched her, her resolve would crumble.
“What about me? What about what I want?”
Felicity had forced herself to smile. “I’m giving you what you want—the freedom to move on to the next pretty face. The way you always do.”
Dario had flinched at her words. “I see,” he’d said, his voice dull.
“It’s better this way,” she’d said. She couldn’t let him know that she was falling for him. Even though it hurt, she’d rather end things now than have him dump her in a few months once he realized they had different goals.
Felicity wanted a husband and a family of her own someday. Dario had made it clear from the beginning he wasn’t the marrying kind. But she didn’t hold it against him—her heart had simply ignored that fact, and now she was paying the price.
Even though she knew they couldn’t be together, she drew comfort from the fact he was still alive. The world was a richer place with him in it, and the memory of his laugh eased the ache in her chest.
And then suddenly, he was there before her.
She blinked, expecting him to vanish as quickly as he’d appeared. But he remained, solid and whole on the path in front of her.
“Dario?”
He smiled, and in that moment, Felicity decided that if this was a hallucination, she didn’t want it to end. He extended his hand and she took it, allowing him to lead her into the small garden patio.
The scent hit her first. Roses. Their fragrance perfumed the air, bringing a breath of spring to this midwinter’s day. She glanced around, amazed at the sheer number of bouquets on display. Red, white, pink flowers. Pale peach. Vibrant yellow. Every shade imaginable was present, the blooms surrounding her with their beauty.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered.
Dario gestured to a small table set in the middle of the patio. As she approached, she saw he’d used rose petals to write a message.
Will you date me?
She turned to look at him, her happiness at his sudden appearance draining from her. “How can you ask me that?” she said, her voice quavering. “After what I said to you in the hospital.”
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about you and me, and I figured out you’re scared because of my playboy reputation. But that’s not the life for me anymore. It’s time for me to settle down. Adeline has offered me a job with the firm, right here in Shadow Creek. I’m going to start putting down roots, and I want you to be a part of that. Unless I’ve completely misjudged everything and you don’t want that.” A flicker of doubt crossed his face, and Felicity realized he truly didn’t know how she felt about him.
She’d done such a good job of guarding her heart, she hadn’t let the one man she cared about know how much he meant to her. And yet despite his uncertainty, he was still willing to take a chance on her.
On them.
“No,” she said firmly. “I want that, too. I want you in my life, now and in the future. I need you to stay, if it will truly make you happy.”
She saw relief wash over him and she felt an answering lightness in her heart. “You make me happy,” he said softly. He reached for her, and she pressed herself against his chest with a contented sigh.
“This means we’ll be working together, you know,” he said in her ear. “And I seem to remember you saying something about how we shouldn’t mix work and sex.”
“That was a mistake,” she said. “Forget I ever said it.”
He chuckled, his chest vibrating against hers. “I’m so glad to hear you recant your statement.” He trailed one hand down her back and rested it on her bottom. “Because I have plans for us.”
Felicity moved against him, reveling in the feel of his strong, broad chest against her curves. “Don’t you need to rest and recover?”
“My doctor said exercise is good for me.” He nipped gently at the top of her ear and she shivered.
“You’re really going to stay?”
He drew back and looked down at her, his hazel eyes filled with warmth. “Do you really want me to?”
“Yes,” she whispered, reaching up to cup his face. “I do.”
He grinned. “Then it sounds like we have a deal.”
She laughed. “Should we shake on it?”
Dario shook his head. “I have a better idea,” he murmured. He lowered his mouth to hers, and Felicity lost herself in the promise of his kiss.
* * * * *
don’t miss the previous installments in the
COLTONS OF SHADOW CREEK miniseries:
THE BILLIONAIRE’S COLTON THREAT
by Geri Krotow
MISSION: COLTON JUSTICE
by Jennifer Morey
CAPTURING A COLTON
by C.J. Miller
THE COLTON MARINE
by Lisa Childs
COLD CASE COLTON
by Addison Fox
PREGNANT BY THE COLTON COWBOY
by Lara Lacombe
COLTON UNDERCOVER
by Marie Ferrarella
COLTON’S SECRET SON
by Carla Cassidy
All available now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense.
And don’t miss COLTON K-9 COP by Addison Fox,
available now from Harlequin Intrigue!
Keep reading for an excerpt from WYOMING UNDERCOVER by Karen Whiddon.
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Wyoming Undercover
by Karen Whiddon
Chapter 1
Sophia Hannah loved her job working as an assistant in the Children of Eternity, or COE, medical clinic. They worked hard at matching their young adults with the perfect job. Sometimes there were false starts, but not in Sophia’s case. She’d truly found her niche assisting Dr. Drew, its main physician.
As COE grew, the medical needs of its members multiplied, and a few years ago Dr. Drew had finally brought in someone else to help Sophia. An older woman named Ana. She didn’t like to work too hard, using her age as an excuse to sit back and watch while Sophia bustled around. But Sophia didn’t really mind. Staying busy made the day go by fast. And since she hadn’t yet married or started a family, she wasn’t in a huge hurry to go home after the clinic closed, so she used that time to catch up.
Right now, Ana had disappeared again. A few times Sophia had seen her outside chatting with one of her friends. She figured Ana’s lack of a strong work ethic, something highly prized within COE, might be the reason why she kept getting moved between jobs. Ana had once boasted that she’d worked at ten different things.
The front door opened and Ana came in. Her normally pale skin looked pink and her faded blue eyes sparkled.
“Sophia, you’re not going to believe this! I have great news!” she exclaimed. Though she kept her wiry gray hair pulled back in a bun, some pieces had escaped here and there, giving her a slightly disheveled appearance. She wore COE’s typical golden band around her throat, a choker-like piece of jewelry that indicated she was married. Here in the COE compound, these necklaces were preferred over a wedding ring. Sometimes late at night, Sophia ached with the desire to wear one. But so far, no man had even showed interest in her, never mind claiming her as his wife.
“Sophia?” Ana prodded. “Don’t you want to know?”
Ana had clearly been gossiping, an activity that was frowned upon.
“Aren’t you even curious?” Ana asked. “You should be, because this concerns you.”
For whatever reason, possibly her innate stubbornness, Sophia didn’t want to give Ana the satisfaction of showing interest. Instead she tilted her head, eyed the other woman and waited.
“You’ve been claimed!” Ana exclaimed. “Great honor and prestige has been heaped upon you, lucky girl.”
“Claimed?” All Sophia could do was repeat the word. “But I haven’t even been courted by anyone.”
“Pfffft.” Ana waved away her concern. “This situation is different. You’ll need to begin preparations immediately, as your new husband-to-be is impatient. I was told that your wedding is to be in one month.”
One month? Sophia stared, her heart racing. “Are you playing a joke on me?” she asked. “Because if you are, this isn’t the slightest bit funny.”
“I’m not, I swear,” Ana said.
“Where did you get this information?” Sophia asked as she tried to figure out who among the many unmarried young men might have claimed her. The situation seemed strange, wrong somehow. She wanted to be courted, to fall in love. But this...
“Well?” Ana demanded, clearly annoyed at Sophia’s lack of outward reaction. “Aren’t you curious? Along with excited, ecstatic, thrilled? All perfectly reasonable reactions to news such as this.”
“Of course I am.” Sophia kept her voice calm as she spoke the lie. Truth be told, her insides were now a twisted mess of nerves. While she had been impatiently waiting to be claimed for six years, ever since she’d turned eighteen, the way it was happening had her sick with dread.
This was not routine or normal. COE was all about both of those things.
“Girl, you sure don’t act like it,” Ana grumbled. “You haven’t even asked who he is.”
Mentally, Sophia listed and discarded the names of any man who might be about to become her new husband, and came up empty. She’d rarely dated, and she couldn’t imagine anyone having the gall to announce a marriage that she hadn’t even agreed to.
“Tell me,” she demanded, partly ashamed and partly worried. “Who is he?”
“Okay, okay.” Grinning, Ana actually made a show of looking around as if to ensure no one else might be listening. “You’ve somehow managed to catch the eye of our leader, Ezekiel. That’s why the announcement is being made without your consent. You’re lucky, because you will be honored above all other women.” Her smile turned a touch malicious. “Well, except for all his other wives.”
Ezekiel. Dumbfounded, Sophia stared, hoping against hope that the other woman would poke her and admit she had only been joking. Ezekiel must be at least eighty years old and she’d never even met him. Alone among the people he led, he was permitted to marry more than once. Many of his wives were old enough to be Sophia’s grandmother.
Instead, Ana cocked her head. “You should be celebrating,” she prompted. “Yet you don’t even look happy, never mind thrilled.”
“Thrilled? But I don’t want to marry him!” Sophia heard herself protest, shocked that she’d even dared.
Ana reared back, her eyes wide. “Don’t say that,” she admonished. “You know him choosing you is the highest honor.”
She shuddered. “I just can’t do it.” This protest came out weaker. They both knew she had no choice whatsoever. Not in this. And after her wedding, not in anything.
Hurriedly, Sophia dropped into a chair before her legs gave out. “When did he even see me?” she wondered. “I assume he must have. Oth
erwise why would he have singled me out? I’m just one of many.”
Making a face at her, Ana shook her head. “I’m sure he must have caught a glimpse of you somewhere. I know you don’t realize it, but you’re actually really pretty.”
“Right.” If she truly had real beauty, the other young men would have been vying to become her husband the instant she’d turned eighteen. Instead she’d turned twenty-four, still single, without ever truly being courted.
“You should get ready for when they send someone for you,” Ana said.
Sophia winced, smoothing her hands down her long, cotton skirt nervously. Part of her still balked, though pragmatically she knew she had no choice. The people of COE knew to bow to the wise and gifted will of their leader. And if Ezekiel, a man so powerful he’d been chosen to be the mouthpiece of the Cosmos, wanted her for one of his wives, then she had no place wishing otherwise.
Except she did. She really, really did.
* * *
Jack Moreno sauntered into the dimly lit room. Without making eye contact with anyone, he chose a folding metal chair close to the back—and the door, which meant he could beat a quick exit once the meeting had ended. Since he’d only arrived in Wyoming yesterday, all the people inside were strangers, but they shared one thing in common. They might come from vastly different backgrounds and their ages varied from teenager to elderly, but they’d all once been addicted to some sort of narcotic. Meetings like this had probably saved more than one of them from dying.
For him, he believed this to be an unavoidable truth. The first time he’d walked into a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, having no real hope of it helping, he’d felt welcomed and, more important, accepted. Now, no matter where he went or how rough his life might become, he actively sought out the local chapter of NA. And even though it made him a bit nervous, he’d left his wallet with his ID, cash and credit cards back in the safe in his hotel room. His phone, too. More than once he’d been hit up by an addict more interested in scoring than recovering.