Damn it. Tom had been so excited about that promotion. Maddie fought the urge to follow him, but he’d made it clear he didn’t want to discuss the subject.
Nikki wiped the counter. “I don’t care how hot the new guy is. Tom should have gotten that job.”
“How do you know the new hire is hot?” On second thought, she didn’t have time for gossip. “Never mind. I need to get on the road. Thanks, Nikki.”
Maddie’s phone rang with an unknown caller ID. She stepped to the corner of the café.
“Hello?”
A woman asked for Madeline Cooper and then continued, “I’m Gina, calling from the office of Victor Mole, the developer of the proposed resort property next to Lake Caswego.”
“Yes. I’m familiar with the area and project.” Maddie frowned. The tribal members were concerned about the construction, with good reason. The land had a high probability of containing Native American artifacts. All the publicity over her team’s successful excavation had drawn attention to the area. People were buying private land left and right, no doubt hoping to dig up and sell whatever they could with no regard to the historical importance of the objects. Infuriating.
“Your name was on the list of practicing archaeologists of New York. We need a field survey before we can get our permit to build, and we’d like to meet with you to discuss this.”
Maddie nibbled at her lower lip. This could be big. If she found historically significant pieces, she could help preserve Native American history. But she’d planned to travel for work again in a month. “Can I get back to you?”
“I’m sorry, but time is of the essence. If you aren’t available—”
“Hold on.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. It couldn’t hurt to meet with the woman and figure out how long the job might take. She hadn’t committed to another dig yet, and the tribal leaders would appreciate having someone they knew and trusted conduct the survey. “Okay. I can fit a meeting in on Wednesday morning. Around eight?”
“I was hoping for something sooner than two days. I’ll put you on the schedule, but please call me if anything opens up.”
“That’s the best I can do right now.”
“Okay. Can you meet us at the site?”
Maddie agreed and hung up. After spending a year in one place, she itched to be on the move. She wasn’t a put-down-roots kind of person, but until she knew what might be at stake, she couldn’t walk away.
Coffee in hand, she hurried from the café to her car. She balanced the cup on the roof and dug out her keys.
“Maddie?”
She whirled around, and her almost-back-to-normal pulse quickened again. Scott hadn’t left. “Now what? Are you stalking me?”
“We have to talk.”
“Well, you had lots of chances over the last two years. So—”
“I know you don’t want to talk about us”—he held up a hand—“but what I asked you a few minutes ago has nothing to do with us.”
She hit the unlock button on her waterlogged remote. Nothing happened. Great. As she inserted the key into the lock, she glanced up at him. Big mistake. Those eyes that changed shades depending on his mood made her insides flutter.
He gave a slight shake of his head. “Look, I’m sorry to press, but can you please do me a favor and keep my past quiet?”
Quiet. The irony again. All she’d had from him was silence. So close, and yet so far away. Once, he would have drawn her into his arms and kissed her senseless. Now, an invisible wall stood between them. But her foolish heart kept pounding against it.
To break eye contact and end the agony, she yanked up her sleeve and checked her watch. “No time.”
“Maddie—”
“Gotta go.” She opened the car, dropped into the seat, and slammed the door shut. Her hand shook as she threw the vehicle in gear. When she pulled away, the coffee she’d left on the roof tumbled down past her window. She hit the brakes and cursed as she glanced in the rearview mirror.
Scott stood by the curb, a hand on one hip. The mist blurred his features, but it didn’t matter. She’d memorized them.
Pressing the accelerator, she left him in the fog.
***
Keep reading now by grabbing your copy
of LOVE UNCOVERED today!
Don’t miss book two of the Love Beyond Danger series with LOVE UNCOVERED and discover more from Diane Holiday at www.dianeholiday.com
Free-spirited Maddie Cooper never considered settling down—until Scott Fisher came into her life. But after her DEA agent left with nothing more than a broken promise, Maddie dug in deep with her first love: archaeology.
* * *
She’s unearthed significant Native American artifacts at a site in the Finger Lakes, but a break-in at the storage facility jeopardizes everything. To make matters worse, the new detective assigned to the case is none other than DEA Agent Scott. As if the burglary and Scott’s reappearance isn’t enough, a ruthless developer has moved into town, and he wants Maddie to falsify her survey results. Deeply committed to the preservation of history, she’s determined to bring down the developer without any help, least of all from her former lover.
* * *
After a tragic loss, Scott gave up on all the things that brought light to his life, including Maddie. He doesn’t want her anywhere near the dark, dangerous world of his undercover job. But their worlds collide when Maddie secretly decides to take on Victor Mole. She has no idea Mole is a brutal drug lord and artifact smuggler. With time running out on Maddie’s survey, and her life at stake, if Scott can’t find a way to protect her, he risks all he’s worked for and the only woman he’s ever loved.
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Acknowledgments
“Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”
– Winston Churchill
Those famous words also ring true for all branches of the United States military. I would like to thank those who serve our country, especially the veterans who came back wounded or suffering from PTSD. The sacrifices made by these soldiers are humbling, and the testimonials of amputees who underwent hippotherapy treatment inspired this book.
I want to thank my husband for his endless support and allowing me to drag him into numerous conversations about plot twists (and I apologize for arguing about why his ideas wouldn’t work.) Also, for the nights when I lost track of time, and he grinned and ordered a pizza while the healthy dinner I had planned went unmade.
Thanks to my daughter, Kelsey, who knows my characters as well as I do and helped me dig into the psychology of my villains. Any misinterpretations are my own. And thanks to my son, Brent, who respects that I’m doing something I love, but mostly hopes the covers of my books won’t embarrass him.
A huge thanks to City Owl Press and my editor, Mary Cain. She challenged and pushed me to bring my writing to the next level, while fostering a great working relationship. Tina Moss showed endless patience and worked hard to make sure I loved the cover. Thanks Tina.
A big thanks to my critique partners who are my constant support; Christina Hovland, CR Grissom, and Renee Ann Miller, along with the From the Heart Chapter of RWA® critique group. I couldn’t have done it without you all.
About the Author
DIANE HOLIDAY is an award-winning author and a 2016 Golden Heart® Award Finalist. She writes romantic suspense with a healthy dose of humor. Her characters will make you laugh, cry, and root for them to the end. If you are sleep deprived because you couldn’t put her book down, then she’s achieved her goal. Diane is married to a retired Navy Captain, who is her go-to for colorful slang and guy-talk
. She and her husband live in South Carolina on beautiful Lake Murray. In her spare time, she can be caught reading, boating, or mailing care packages full of homemade goodies to her daughter in California and her son in Maine.
www.dianeholiday.com
About the Publisher
City Owl Press is a cutting edge indie publishing company, bringing the world of romance and speculative fiction to discerning readers.
www.cityowlpress.com
Additional Titles
LOVE UNCOVERED
By: Diane Holiday
Award-Winning Author
Running from Danger, Discovering Love.
* * *
LOVE ON THE LINE
By: Diane Holiday
Award-Winning Author
Losing to Danger, Winning in Love.
* * *
ALL I EVER WANTED
By: Katrina Mills
Second Chance, Summer Romance.
* * *
CRAZY ON YOU
By: Nicole Terry
Romantic suspense meets comic relief with this amazing, car chasing adventure romance!
* * *
A TOUCH OF DARKNESS
By: Yelena Casale & Tina Moss
USA Today Bestselling Authors
Cassie Durrett dreams of the darkness. And lives the nightmare.
Award Winning Urban Fantasy
* * *
BLACKBIRD SUMMER
By: Em Shotwell
When the world fears you, being Gifted is a curse.
* * *
FORGET ME NOT
By: Em Shotwell
Maybe dating the good guy isn’t so bad.
* * *
BOHERMORE
By: Jennifer Rose McMahon
USA Today Bestselling Author
When your dreams become reality, being cursed can be a real nightmare.
* * *
INISH CLARE
By: Jennifer Rose McMahon
USA Today Bestselling Author
When your dreams become reality, hidden secrets come to light.
* * *
BALLYCROY
By: Jennifer Rose McMahon
USA Today Bestselling Author
When your dreams become reality, the legends become truth.
* * *
FORBIDDEN BY FAITH
By: Negeen Papehn
Sara knows her life would be easier if she married a man of her faith, but when has love ever been easy?
* * *
FORBIDDEN BY DESTINY
By: Negeen Papehn
Leyla had never known what it felt like to fall in love. Not until her best friend Sara broke Ben’s heart.
* * *
FORBIDDEN BY TIME
By: Negeen Papehn
When love blossoms from the unexpected will the years between separate them forever?
* * *
HARVEST MOON HOMECOMING
By: Jessie Gussman
A tangle of arguments and decorations leads to a stolen kiss.
* * *
BETTER TOGETHER
By: Jessie Gussman
He wants her to notice him. She has to pretend she doesn’t.
* * *
JUST RIGHT
By: Jessie Gussman
Sometimes a match that’s all wrong, turns out to be just right.
* * *
THE 12 DARES OF CHRISTMAS
By: Leigh W. Stuart
‘Tis the Season to Be Daring...
* * *
MISCHIEVOUSLY MINE
By: Leigh W. Stuart
Only one can come out on top…
* * *
THE FIX
By: Kristin Rouse
Sometimes the fix is worth the fall.
Love in Hiding Page 28