All For You: Halfway ThereBuckhorn Ever AfterThe One You WantOne Perfect Night

by Susan Mallery

“Yesterday. I got to Sacramento the night before and made the short drive in the morning.”

  “You’re settling in okay?”

  “I am, and I’m excited to get to work.”

  “Then let’s get to it.”

  They both sat. She angled her laptop toward him and tapped on several keys.

  “There are two major parts to getting the search and rescue software the town bought functional,” she began. “Mapping the physical geography of the area, and then getting you and your team trained on how to use it.”

  “Sounds easy enough.”

  “It always does, and then reality sets in.”

  One eyebrow rose. “Is that a challenge?”

  “No. I’m simply saying the process takes time. STORMS can adapt to nearly any situation. The success or failure of a search is usually a combination of information and luck. My goal is to take luck out of the equation.”

  STORMS—search team rescue management software—worked with the rescue team. Data was fed into the program and the computer then projected the mostly likely areas to search first. The more information known about the person missing, terrain, time of year and weather conditions, the faster the search went. Each searcher had GPS tracking information on his or her person. That information was sent back to the software and the search was updated in real time.

  As more areas were eliminated, the search was narrowed until the missing person was found.

  “I’ll start mapping the area in the next day or so,” she continued.

  “How does that happen?”

  “First by air. We use a helicopter and various kinds of equipment to supplement the satellite data we already have. There will be heavily wooded areas or steep mountainsides that have to be mapped on foot.”

  “You do that?”

  While the question was polite enough, the tone suggested he wasn’t a believer. Silly man, she thought with a smile.

  “Yes, Kipling. I can hike when necessary. If the areas are too remote, I take in local guides.”

  “I thought you were a city girl. Didn’t someone tell me you live in Austin?”

  “That’s home base for me, yes. But I grew up near the Smoky Mountains. I can hold my own.”

  What she didn’t mention was that when she’d been younger, she’d spent several years living with her maternal grandmother in those same mountains. In addition to knowing her way around rugged terrain, she could fish and knew three ways to cook squirrel, but she wasn’t going to share that. Tell someone you grilled a mean steak and you were applauded. Mention squirrel stew with root vegetables and they looked at you like you were in league with cannibals. People were funny, but she’d known that for a long time.

  “Then I’ll trust you to take care of business,” he told her. “When does your helicopter arrive?”

  She checked her calendar. “By the end of the week. It’s going to be a busy summer. Once we get the geography into the database, we’ll start testing the system. That means looking for people who aren’t really lost.”

  Humor pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I read the material.”

  “Good to know. Does that mean you also open instruction manuals?”

  He hesitated just long enough for her to start laughing.

  “I didn’t think so,” she said. “What is it with men and instructions? Or asking for directions?”

  “We don’t like to admit when we don’t know something.”

  “Ridiculous. No one knows everything.”

  “We can try.”

  No surprise there, she thought. Bravado seemed to go hand in hand with being male. Another reason she’d had so much trouble finding the right one. She wanted an absence of bravado and minimal ego. When emotions got riled, the opposite sex could be counted on to act crazy, and there was no place for crazy in her life.

  “Are you going to have a problem taking instructions from me?” she asked. “Because if you are, we need to get that taken care of right this minute. I can arm-wrestle you into submission if necessary.”

  Kipling laughed. “I doubt that.”

  “Be careful with your assumptions. My grandma taught me a lot of dirty tricks. I know places to dig in a knuckle and make a grown man scream like a little girl. And not in a happy way.”

  “There’s a happy way to scream like a little girl?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’ve had to use that threat before and some men think I’m talking about sex. I’m not.”

  His gaze settled on her face. “Interesting.”

  “So am I going to have a problem with you?”

  “No.”

  “Then this will be a good summer. I’ve never had a job in California before. I’m looking forward to getting to know the area.”

  “The town is a little strange.”

  “In what way?”

  He sat easily in his chair. There was no squirming, no sense that he wanted to be somewhere else. He had patience, she thought. He would have to. Waiting out bad weather, waiting out the seasons. Needing conditions to be right.

  Kipling Gilmore had won big at the most recent world championships, but then disaster had struck a few months later. She wasn’t one to follow sports, so she didn’t know many of the details. Obviously he’d recovered enough to take the job of heading the Fool’s Gold search and rescue team. She wondered if he’d had trouble adjusting to regular life.

  She knew it could be difficult for those cursed with fame to try to live like ordinary mortals.

  “Everybody here knows everybody’s business,” he said.

  Right. She’d asked him about the town. “That’s not uncommon for small towns.”

  “Yeah, but it’s different here. They’re more involved. We’ll talk in a couple of weeks and see what you think. The festivals are interesting, and you don’t have to lock your doors at night. If you live near the center of town, you don’t need a car very often.”

  “Sounds nice.” Despite having her home base in Austin, she wasn’t really a big-city girl. She preferred the eccentricities of a small town.

  “Have you met Mayor Marsha yet?” Kipling asked.

  Destiny shook her head. “I have a meeting with her later today.”

  Amusement returned to his eyes. “I’ll be there, too. I think you’re going to like her. She’s California’s longest-serving mayor. While she looks like a sweet old lady, she’s actually tough and keeps firm control over her town. She gets things done, and sometimes I’ve left wondering what just happened.”

  Qualities she could totally get behind. “I like her already.”

  “I thought you might.” He stood. “Welcome to Fool’s Gold, Destiny.”

  She rose, as well. “Thank you.”

  As he walked to the open doorway, she let her gaze drift over his body. He was in a great shape, she thought, admitting he was just charming enough to make her wonder if there was any potential there.

  She shook her head, because she already knew the answer, and it was no. No way, no how. She wanted ordinary. Regular. The kind of man who understood that life was best lived quietly. Kipling had roared down a mountain at who knew what speed. He was a thrill seeker at heart, which meant not for her.

  She would simply keep looking. Because the man of her very own calm, rational dreams was out there, and one day she would find him.

  Copyright © 2015 by Susan Mallery Inc.

  About the Author

  New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has won the hearts of millions of readers around the world with books described as “immensely entertaining, intensely emotional” (RT Book Reviews), “hilarious” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) and “heartwarming” (Publishers Weekly). One major retailer recently described her as “the queen of romantic fiction.” While she deeply appreciates the
accolades of critics and booksellers, Mallery is even more honored by the enthusiasm of her readers and the word of mouth that catapults her toward the top of the bestseller lists time and again.

  Mallery lives in not-so-sunny Seattle with her husband and four playful pets—two cats and two dogs—who make her laugh every day and who are not even a little bit impressed by her growing fame. Visit Susan online at www.susanmallery.com.

  BUCKHORN

  EVER AFTER

  Lori Foster

  Dear Reader,

  I’m so incredibly thrilled that the Buckhorn families remain so popular. With each reissue (they were originally published in 2000) so many of you write me to ask for more.

  So I’m very happy to say that I have more planned! Given these stories are reader favorites, I decided additional novellas featuring the second generation of the families would be perfect for my annual benefit books. (Benefit books have special contracts where all advance and royalties go to my favorite local charities. See lorifoster.com/benefit-books.)

  The novellas will be timed to tie in with my Annual Reader & Author Get Together (info on www.lorifoster.com) so you can always look for them in June of each year. I don’t yet know who will be featured in the next book, but I’ll announce that information on my website as soon as I do.

  Thank you so very much. Happy reading!

  To Shawn Heighton.

  I greatly appreciate your insight into the duties of park rangers. The details you shared were invaluable, but I also very much enjoyed your own personal take on moral duty. I have a feeling that many park rangers feel the same, on duty or off.

  Thank you for what you do!

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  EXCERPT FROM HOLDING STRONG

  CHAPTER ONE

  EVEN AT 7:00 P.M., the summer sun hung in the sky, a giant red ball of heat scorching the earth, ramping up his frustration and stealing the remainder of his energy. Sweat glued the back of Shohn Hudson’s uniform shirt to his spine and plastered his hair to his head. After the long day of chaos, he wanted to grab a cool dip in the lake, bum dinner off his folks and then head home to sleep in blessed air-conditioning.

  The day had been so hellish, he didn’t even want female company, had in fact turned down a few sexy campers. The ladies hadn’t been shy when asking him to stick around and “share their campfire” with them.

  But with other obligations still waiting, not to mention the restrictions of being a ranger, he’d declined, and then lectured them on fire safety.

  And now, instead of heading to the lake, he drove to the Animal House Pet Hotel to pick up Amber’s dog for her. His cousin had lousy timing for a favor, not that she’d realize it was lousy timing. And he did owe her. Amber had saved his ass many times by running interference for him, helping him to shake off the women who refused to take a hint.

  Pulling into the gravel lot, Shohn admired yet again the setup that housed upward of thirty dogs at a time. He and his family were all animal lovers, and they appreciated the upscale, friendly, caring atmosphere of the place. Anyone in Buckhorn County who needed to board a pet came to the Animal House for top-of-the-line care. From tall shade trees to a grassy field, an obstacle course to a big doggy pool, an exercise track to a play area, Nadine Moest gave dogs the best of everything.

  Unfortunately, as far as the females in Buckhorn County went, Nadine was the least interesting on his “maybe someday” list. Never mind that she had a banging body, or that she’d factored into his hottest adolescent fantasies; he and Nadine were friends, nothing more, so most of the time, she didn’t even make that list.

  Most of the time.

  Speak of the devil...

  As Shohn put the Jeep in Park, Nadine came around to the front of the building walking three big dogs, two leashes in one hand, one in the other. She had her long brown hair in a sloppy top-of-her-head bun that threatened to topple at any second. Snug shorts showed off her plump thighs and a spectacularly rounded ass as she directed the dogs. Nadine Moest was not a skin-and-bones kind of girl.

  Her loose T-shirt couldn’t hide her generous rack, especially with the words I Heart Wet Kisses drawing his attention. Her shirt was as sweaty as his, a little dusty and had a picture of a dog to go along with the text.

  When they spotted him, the dogs began to bark in glee, straining against their leashes. Dark glasses hid Nadine’s eyes, but Shohn could tell that she frowned as she approached his car.

  As she reached him, she shoved the oversize sunglasses to the top of her head. “Hey, Shohn. What are you doing here?”

  No smile, no happiness at seeing him. That was one of the things about Nadine that he liked least of all—her complete and utter indifference to him.

  He rested one arm over the open window frame, the other over the steering wheel. “Picking up Amber’s dog for her.”

  The dogs pulled Nadine this way and that, making her boobs jiggle, and since she was right there outside his driver’s side window, well, how was he not supposed to make note of it?

  “Amber didn’t say anything to me about you picking up Rookie.”

  “Must’ve slipped her mind.” No way was she wearing a bra. Things were moving too easily under there to have any type of restraint.

  “Sorry,” she said in a voice gone high. “You can’t have him unless Amber specifically tells me to give him to you.”

  “The hell you say.” Hearing the conviction in her tone, Shohn put his ranger hat on the seat, rolled down the remaining windows to let in any scarce breeze that might decide to stir up and opened the door of his Jeep, forcing Nadine to back up. The dogs went berserk with happiness, barking and jumping and nearly taking her off her feet.

  He relieved her of a leash—clearly against her wishes.

  “Shohn!”

  “Nadine.” He smiled, but it had no discernible effect on her. Difficult girl. “Relax,” he told her. “Dogs like me.”

  She eyed his utility belt with the Glock, the mace, the spare ammo. “Only trained staff is supposed to handle the dogs.”

  “I know what I’m doing.” He knelt down to talk to the husky. “You giving her a hard time, boy?”

  “Girl,” Nadine corrected. And then, under her breath, “And here they call you an expert.”

  “Hadn’t gotten the back view yet, Nadine.” He rubbed the dog’s head and straightened again. “An expert what?”

  She went still, her face flushing, and she frowned some more. “Nothing. Never mind.” She turned and started in. “I’ll call Amber to see if she gives permission.”

  Shohn watched the jiggling of her rounded rump in the snug shorts until the husky gave an impatient jerk of the leash. Following behind her, he asked, “You think I’d lie about it?”

  “I think I have liability to consider.” She held the door open for him.

  Two steps up the porch and he heard the din of a dozen dogs playing. “You’ve known my family forever, Nadine.” Deliberately he sidled in close to her, his chest brushing her...chin. At five-four, she was so much shorter than his six-one that he’d have to bend down to rub against her breasts.

  “Your family is terrific,” she said in that slightly shrill voice again. “Lovely, even.” She let the door drop on him and hurried along.

  Meaning his family was lovely, but he wasn’t? Not that he wanted to be lovely, for crying out loud. “I don’t lie. If I tell you that Amber sent me, then she—”

  “I’ll give her a call to confirm it.” Nadine led the dogs down a hallway and into a penned area at the rear of the house.

  Shohn surveyed the room. It was spacious with dog toys
everywhere, watering stations, stacked beds and various play stations. Even with so many dogs inside, it looked clean, which had to mean she worked on it nonstop.

  “Come on, then,” Nadine grumbled. “She wants to get back in.”

  Shohn brought the husky up close and Nadine let her into the pen and then unleashed her. She took off at a run.

  An assistant was in the penned area, tossing balls, rubber chew toys and raggedy stuffed animals from a big basket. She was young, slim, cute...

  Bristling, Nadine stepped in front of him. “Don’t even think it, Shohn Hudson.”

  Leaning away from that venomous tone, Shohn lifted his brows. “Think what?”

  “About hitting on my assistant, that’s what.” One hand on his chest, she backed him up two steps. “She’s off-limits to you.”

  “Hey, I’m armed,” he teased.

  “I noticed.”

  Her gaze dipped down his body again, but it didn’t seem to be his gun that held her attention. “Keep that up and I’ll be packing a different type of heat.”

  She shook her head as if to clear it. “I mean it, mister. I like Roxi. She’s doing a great job. I do not want you corrupting her.”

  What the hell? Shohn planted his feet and refused to back up any farther. So Nadine not only wasn’t interested in him, she also had a very low opinion of him. It didn’t make any sense. As a general rule, women liked him. “How the hell would I corrupt her?”

  Her flattened hand turned into a pointing finger that poked, poked, poked with her every word. “The last girl you played with started calling in sick, leaving early and, instead of working when she was here, she was forever checking her text messages, hoping you had contacted her.”

  Shohn caught her finger and held on.

  She pulled, and when he didn’t release her, she beetled her brows over her big brown eyes. “You hadn’t.”

  With her looking at him like that, he had a hard time keeping up. “Hadn’t what?”

  “Called her,” she said with exasperation, and again tried to free her pointy finger.