Who knew a man from her past...
would save her from an unpredictable future?
Just as innkeeper Madeline Nash is wrongly accused of a crime, former lover Julian Mercer unexpectedly shows up and lies to give her an alibi. As Julian’s deceit draws him into the dangers and mysteries of Madi’s troubled past, their romance rekindles. Nothing can keep him from protecting the woman he never forgot—not even bullets.
“Julian, I’m the only one who knew the gun was here,” she cried. Her body stiffened. She raised her head. “I know everything keeps pointing to me but I swear I didn’t kill her. I swear it!”
Julian leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto her forehead.
“I know you didn’t do it,” he assured her. “But you weren’t the only one who knew where the gun was. Someone else had to have known. And if you didn’t tell anyone where you put it, then—”
“Then someone must have followed me.”
Julian tried not to let his body tense. He nodded, gaze sweeping the trees around them.
“But why?” she asked into his chest.
More than anything Julian wished he could give her an answer. He wished he could make it all better. Assuage her worries and take her to bed and give her some pleasure in place of the pain that seemed to keep finding its way to her.
But, instead, he was about to invite more worry and pain.
CREDIBLE ALIBI
Tyler Anne Snell
Tyler Anne Snell genuinely loves all genres of the written word. However, she’s realized that she loves books filled with sexual tension and mysteries a little more than the rest. Her stories have a good dose of both. Tyler lives in Alabama with her same-named husband and their mini “lions.” When she isn’t reading or writing, she’s playing video games and working on her blog, Almost There. To follow her shenanigans, visit tylerannesnell.com.
Books by Tyler Anne Snell
Harlequin Intrigue
Winding Road Redemption
Reining in Trouble
Credible Alibi
The Protectors of Riker County
Small-Town Face-Off
The Deputy’s Witness
Forgotten Pieces
Loving Baby
The Deputy’s Baby
The Negotiation
Orion Security
Private Bodyguard
Full Force Fatherhood
Be on the Lookout: Bodyguard
Suspicious Activities
Manhunt
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.
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CAST OF CHARACTERS
Madeline Nash—As one of the Nash triplets abducted years ago, this innkeeper has lived with her life close to the chest. Yet after a handsome guest temporarily brings down her walls, she realizes her life will never be that simple again. Finding out she’s pregnant with his child was unexpected, but finding herself framed for the murder of one of her guests months later is something no one saw coming. Now she’s in dire need of protection. Lucky for her, the man she needs is already there.
Julian Mercer—After taking a detour to see the small-town innkeeper he can’t get out of his head, this former marine finds that very same woman in the middle of chaos—and pregnant with his child. What was supposed to be a quick stop before starting his new life now has him doing anything to protect the new family he had no idea existed. Because while danger might be around every corner, it sure didn’t count on him.
Loraine Wilson—Rich and deeply rude, this infuriating guest is found murdered at the inn with all fingers pointing at Madi.
Desmond and Caleb Nash—The brothers who make up the Nash triplets. The wealthy cowboy and detective do everything in their power to help clear their sister’s name and keep her safe.
Dorothy Nash—The Nash family matriarch has seen her fair share of heartbreak but always reminds her children to stay optimistic.
Christian Miller—As the lead detective on the case, he has more bad blood with the Nash family than anyone else, promising he’ll make sure Madi gets what’s coming to her no matter the cost.
This book is for Lissanne J., Marci M. and the Bat Signal crew.
Thank you for loving Madi and Julian and thank you for the continued support, critique and constant hilarity.
This book is also for Madi Rice. I named a character after you only to realize I never knew your real first name.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Excerpt from Steel Resolve by B.J. Daniels
Chapter One
Julian Mercer didn’t know this woman from Eve and yet he knew exactly three things about her the moment her baby blues swung his way.
One, she was hanging on to something that was heavy. As she made her way across the yard, following a path of mismatched stones embedded in the earth, there was an almost imperceptible drag to each step. Like there was an invisible weight on each shoulder that threw off a normal, happy gait. She was thinking of something and that something was difficult, whatever it was. Her polite, welcoming smile, which was required as the owner of the bed-and-breakfast, even had a tightness about it.
Two, someone or something had hurt her. Not just physically—though Julian clocked the small but noticeable scar that broke the smoothness of her skin above the left cheekbone. In addition to the subtle, weighted steps she took toward him, there was a hesitation. So small, yet he was as sure as his own scars lining his body that it was there. It was like she wanted to meet him but at the same time wanted nothing more than for him to leave. Halfway between fight and flight. It intrigued and perturbed Julian all at once.
And that third thing he knew about the golden-haired stranger making her way toward him?
She was beautiful.
Long braids thrown over each shoulder shone in the Tennessee sun and complemented a complexion formed by a life out in the elements instead of tucked in front of electronic screens. Crystal-blue irises took him in as his gaze dropped to the freckles dusting her cheeks. Those freckles, he had no doubt, probably made several other appearances across the skin of her arms and legs as well, but for now were hidden beneath a long-sleeved dress and a pair of black tights. It was a modest outfit, yet Julian didn’t miss the pleasant curves beneath the clinging fabric. She wore flats but only had to tilt her head up a fraction to see into his eyes as she came to a stop in front of him.
“Well, you sure are punctual, aren’t you, Mr. Mercer?” She held out her hand.
He shook it. “Is that a problem?”
“Absolutely not.” Her polite smile stayed just as polite. “It’s just not that common around here. Most guests end up stopping along the road to take pictures.
One time a couple showed up an hour late because they spotted a black bear hanging out in a tree.” She glanced down at her watch. It was one of those smart watches made for exercise. The time popped up on the screen as she moved her wrist slightly. “You said you were going to be here at eleven on the dot and here you are.”
“You can thank my military training for that,” he said with a wry smile. “I don’t think I could be late for something if I wanted to.”
She laughed. Julian made sure not to trace the scar against her cheek with his eyes again.
“Well, either way, I’m happy you made it.” She angled her body and spread her arms wide toward the house. “I’m Madeline Nash, and this is the Hidden Hills Inn.”
The bed-and-breakfast was aptly named. Near the heart of the very small town of Overlook, Tennessee, the road to the inn wound its way through fields, forests and hills. Mountains crested in the distance. No sound of cars or city life broke through them or the land they were boxing in. Julian had gone from big-city Tennessee to small-town Tennessee to this rural beauty. The inn was in the center of it all yet felt a world away from everything else.
Julian appreciated the quiet, just as he did the privacy.
“Let’s get you all signed in and then we can start the tour,” Madeline continued. He followed her up to the long covered porch. She paused before opening the front door. “I’m sorry but it wasn’t clear on the phone, are you expecting to meet someone here or are you traveling alone?”
“It’s just me. I’m alone.”
Madeline kept smiling. Customer service was in her wheelhouse and it showed. She kept to small talk without it ever feeling like small talk. After Julian signed in, she took him on a tour of the wide two-story house with all the best efforts of a seasoned host. From the common rooms to the private suites to the small bar that made up the surprisingly comfortable lounge at the back of the house, Madeline Nash made every space interesting and somehow intimate.
When the tour concluded at the bottom of one of the two sets of stairs the house offered, his golden-haired tour guide fixed him with a grin.
“I’ll leave you to it,” she said, already taking a step back. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call the number on the card in your room. Breakfast and dinner are served every morning and night at seven. There’s a list of activities and sights you might consider during your stay in a packet on your bed.”
Julian had a flash of impulsive bravado. He almost asked the innkeeper if she ever considered accompanying guests to those sights and activities when a car door slammed outside. They both turned to the entryway window. A man with dark hair and a cowboy hat started up the walkway.
Madeline didn’t say it out loud but she wasn’t happy to see him. Her already-tense body tightened. Yet her smile stayed where it was.
“Again, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Julian tipped his head in acknowledgment as Madeline left through the front door, greeting the man. Instead of coming inside, they moved across the yard and disappeared from view. A part of Julian wanted to follow, to make sure she was okay, but then his senses came back.
He didn’t know Madeline and thinking he had to protect her was foolish. His mother would have scolded him for his presumptions that the innkeeper was some kind of hurt, damaged woman in need of saving. For cripes’ sake, he’d only just met her.
Julian knew from experience that there were more people walking the earth with scars than with smooth, untouched skin. That didn’t mean he had to try to save them all.
That didn’t mean they needed saving in the first place.
First impressions were tricky like that.
The first smile was easy.
It was everything after that got a little murky when trying to decipher them.
His room was in the far corner of the second-floor landing. It was a big difference from the hotel rooms he’d been frequenting and, if he was being honest, the apartment he’d been living in the last several years. The room was spacious and stretched much wider than he thought was possible. Not only was there a king-size bed, there was an adjoining sitting area and a desk and a three-piece bathroom. He was surprised and happy to note that the showerhead was high enough to allow him to stand up straight beneath it, a luxury his apartment had never afforded him. In his Special Forces unit he’d been known as the Lumberjack. It wasn’t that inventive of a nickname but it was apt. Julian was built tall, wide and muscled like his father before him. Most times it translated into unintentional intimidation. Other times it meant he had to hunch over in the shower.
Julian threw his bag down just as his phone started to ring.
The caller ID read Chance Montgomery.
“Mercer,” Julian greeted. He walked to one of the windows that ran along the room and looked through the blinds. He spotted Madeline at the table where she’d been sitting when he’d pulled up earlier. Her male companion stood across from her. Julian couldn’t get a read off of him.
“You know, we’ve been friends for a few years now,” Chance said in his Southern twang. “Answering with a ‘hello’ or even a ‘howdy’ instead of your last name would make our conversations a little more casual and a little less like I’ve just accidentally called my old high school math teacher and she’s still mad about the gum I put on her chair that one time.”
Julian chuckled.
“Old habits die hard,” he responded, actively loosening his shoulders by rolling them. “Brevity and precision have been my friends in the military for a while now.”
“Luckily for you, the private sector has a lot fewer friends.” He paused and then laughed. “Well, you know what I mean.”
“It means I need to say ‘howdy’ apparently.”
Chance laughed again.
“You can’t see it but I’m giving you a type of salute you also wouldn’t find in the military. It has to do something with a certain finger.”
They joked around for a few more minutes before Chance finally circled back to the reason for the call. Julian didn’t mind the chatter; in fact, it was one of the reasons he was headed to Chance’s workplace in Alabama. Chance, a cowboy by upbringing but, lately, a surprisingly skilled bodyguard, was one of the few civilian friends Julian had kept through his marine service over the last ten years. Julian not only liked him but was confident he could work alongside him, which was why he was interviewing at the private protection firm Chance’s uncle owned.
“I just wanted to make sure you were stopping to smell the roses in Overlook and not rushing here,” Chance said, losing his earlier humor. “The interview isn’t until next week and as long as I’ve known you, you haven’t had a vacation, one that actually counted. So I’ll reiterate one more time and then let it go. Enjoy yourself, go watch a sunset, sleep in, buy a lady a drink. You’ll thank me for that advice when you’re out in Germany away from all the Southern hospitality you’ve been hitting on your way here.”
Julian knew Chance was right. His last deployment before he officially left the military started the week after his interview. Then he would hopefully return to Alabama and finally, finally stay put for a while.
“I’ll make sure to smell the roses,” Julian promised. “I’m here for two days and then on to Nashville for the next three. I should be at your place after that.”
Chance must have thought this was acceptable. He ended the call without any more constructive criticism. Julian stayed at his spot by the window, admiring the curve of the mountain in the distance. Then his gaze dropped to the innkeeper.
Two days here and then he’d be one step closer to a new life.
* * *
“I’M NOT TRYING to destroy the family, Des.”
Madeline Nash watched as her brother tried to save face moments after showing his backside. He took his dark gray Stetson, pressed it against his thigh and blew out a sigh she recognized
as frustration.
“I didn’t say that and you know it.”
Madi pulled out her long braids, tamed the waves with her fingers and then sectioned her hair again. She separated it into three parts. Ever since she was a little girl she did what her eldest brother, Declan, had dubbed “angry-braiding.” It wasn’t like she could correct him. The evidence throughout her thirty years of life was fairly damning. Every scowl or frown captured in photographs or home movies was accompanied by long braids down her back or across her shoulders.
Some people counted to ten to cool off; she made her hair more manageable.
“You didn’t have to say the words, Des. You gave me that look and then that tone. Don’t for a minute deny it, either. Even outside our triplet telepathy I know your moods.”
Desmond rolled his eyes. It was his trademark move for their disagreements.
“All I asked was if you had been to the ranch lately,” Des countered. “I didn’t suggest you were destroying anything, let alone our family.”
Madi tried not to let the guilt move into her gut again. Instead she channeled her irritation. Her hands went across her chest and her chin rose a fraction.
“And why would you ask that? You’ve never asked about me going to the ranch before.”
“Because up until three months ago, you lived on that ranch.”
If Desmond had been anyone else, Madi would have blushed at how childish she knew she sounded. But he was her brother. So she huffed and pretended there was nothing wrong with what she’d just said. She finished the braid over her left shoulder, then looked at anything but him.
“For your information, I had lunch with Ma and Nina a few weeks ago and it was lovely.”
Desmond gave her a pointed stare.
“And was that at the ranch or in town?”
It was Madi’s turn to roll her eyes. It didn’t matter that she was an adult who had opened and currently ran her own business; Desmond still found a way to make her feel like she was a child again. A child who was perpetually in need of a guide to help her through the life he thought she should be living. It was at all times frustrating; seldom was it touching. In those few instances, a voice deep inside Madi would remind her why Desmond was protective of her more than he was with her brothers.
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