Hearts on Fire: Romance Multi-Author Box Set Anthology

by Violet Vaughn

  Jordan wished the whole family could have made it to Davis’s concert—for her sake, if not for his. She was so apprehensive about the show that she was almost ready to throw up… or stand up in her seat and shriek like a maniac from the sheer anxiety of waiting. On all her visits to Seattle, she had watched Davis rehearse and even sat in on a few of his meetings with Tyler. She knew how much the label had invested in Davis’s new career. There was so much at stake for everybody involved. She bounced her heels again, faster this time, and chomped down harder on her fingernail. If she could only have held her mom’s hand or cracked jokes with her dad—it would have gone a long way toward calming her down. But other business had kept most of her family on the island. Besides, there just weren’t enough VIP tickets to go around. Jordan hoped Davis wasn’t too disappointed that only a few of the Griffins could attend.

  Finally the lights dimmed and the crowd screamed. From a few rows back, a chant began—Da-vis! Da-vis! Da-vis! It spread throughout the theater and thudded inside Jordan’s chest along with her heart. Emily reached across Storm to grab Jordan’s hand, squeezing it hard, and Carter put his arm around her shoulders.

  Davis walked out onto the stage, dazzling and distinct in the cool blue of a single spotlight. He looked so stunning Jordan could hardly breathe—confident and gorgeous in that simple, white t-shirt and his black skinny jeans. He had nothing with him but his guitar and his attitude, bold and perfectly self-assured. He walked to a single stool that stood before a lone microphone and sat casually, as if he’d been doing solo shows his whole life.

  He launched right into the first song without a word to the audience, letting his music speak for itself. The rich, full chords rang out across the audience, and between scattered cheers and whistles, Jordan could feel their surprise—their awe—at his new sound, complex and heartfelt, powerful in its restraint. She had heard him play this tune countless times over the past nine months, but now, seeing him perform it live—seeing the depth of feeling he put into it—Jordan felt turned inside out by the music. This sound was nothing like the Local Youths, and the audience clearly knew it. Davis wasn’t the performer he had been before. But this man who played for them now, all alone in the blue light with just his music to offer, was the man he truly was inside, all the way down to the center of his being. Jordan knew that man well by now—knew him and loved him.

  When the song finished, there was a moment of silence while the audience processed a Davis Steen who was totally different from the musician they thought they knew. Jordan held her breath, and just when the tension of waiting seemed unbearable, the audience erupted into applause. Davis beamed out at them. He was a hit, and he knew it. His future was secure.

  When the cheering died down a little, Davis handed his guitar to a roadie and stood up at the mic.

  “Thank you! Wow, did you guys like that new song, or what?”

  The theater shook with their thunderous approval.

  “Man, that’s good to hear. Listen, everybody… I hope you guys will indulge me for a minute.” The audience wooed in agreement. “I have something really important I need to do.”

  Davis stared down into the seats at the foot of the stage, searching past the footlights, into the darkness beyond. His eyes found Jordan’s and he smiled. “Jordan, will you come up here, please?”

  She stared at Emily and Storm, her mouth hanging open.

  Carter gave her a little shove. “Get up there, goofball!”

  On numb feet, Jordan stumbled up to the security guards at the foot of the stage. They conducted her to a small side stair. She couldn’t even feel her body as she climbed up onto the stage. She seemed a thousand miles away from herself, watching this scene unfold from another world, another dimension. Jordan had never been in front of an audience before. Even with the house lights down, size of the space, and all the people it contained, scared her. But she focused resolutely on Davis and went to him eagerly, drawn by his familiar smile.

  They took each other’s hands and stood that way for a moment, lost in one another’s eyes despite the audience that hooted and applauded.

  Finally Davis said into the mic, “Hey, everybody. Let me introduce you to my amazing girlfriend, Jordan.”

  Again the audience wooed.

  “She got me on the right track and helped me reinvent myself. I owe her a lot. You wouldn’t be at this show tonight, hearing all these new songs, if it weren’t for Jordan. I don’t think I can ever repay her for that, but I can try.”

  Davis reached into his pocket. Jordan’s heart pounded; her head felt so light she thought it might float away. As Davis grabbed the mic from its stand and went down on one knee, the crowd’s screams seemed to fill the whole world. Then they receded, and all Jordan could hear was the pounding of her pulse in her ears.

  Davis looked up at her earnestly. “Jordan, will you make me the luckiest man in the world, and marry me?”

  She stared at him, dumbfounded. This was too much—being up on a stage, in front of God knew how many screaming fans. For a moment the old Jordan reared up and babbled in her head, Absolutely not! This is not the kind of thing I do! An on-stage proposal was not something Jordan Griffin ever thought she would have to face. Over the nine months of their spotty dating, Jordan had only grown to love Davis more. But in all that time, she had never considered marrying him.

  Evidently he had considered it. Though not for very long, Jordan felt sure. This was just like Davis, to be so wild and crazy, to jump into something without really thinking about it.

  Jordan couldn’t just say yes—there was too much to ponder, too many questions to ask and too many answers to search for. There were too many variables to consider, too many plans to make!

  Davis laughed as he stared up at her. She could see from the affectionate look in his eyes that he knew exactly what was going through her head. He moved the mic away and said, just for her, “Wherever the wind takes us. Remember?”

  Remembering the snap of the Corilolis’s jib on that bright June morning, Jordan finally allowed herself to let go of her fears. With a surge of gladness, she fell feet-first, right into the moment. She covered her mouth with her hand, fighting back tears of joy. Sure, this was wild and unplanned. But if her relationship with Davis had taught her anything, it had taught her that a little unpredictability was a good thing, in moderation. And she loved Davis—what more did she need to know? If Jordan was going to go where the wind blew her, there was no one she trusted at her helm more than Davis Steen.

  She grabbed the mic from his hand. “Yes!” she shouted.

  The word had hardly rung out over the crowd before the wild celebration of Davis’s fans swallowed it up. Their joy roared in her ears as Davis stood and slid the ring onto her finger. But when he swept her into his arms and kissed her, right in front of the whole world, all Jordan could hear, all she could feel, was the beat of Davis’s heart against her own.

  * * *

  This is a brand-new book in a brand-new series. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to review Rock the Boat on Amazon. Reader reviews help new books succeed. Thanks for your support!

  So… what exactly did Emily and Storm get up to while they were spending the night at Aunt Susan’s cabin? Jordan runs a tight ship, and if she finds out her crew members have been fooling around on the job, she might reconsider her decision to keep Sea Wolf Charters afloat. But there’s more at stake than just their jobs. Emily’s brother Bennett is back in town—and ready to take over Ross Harbor Resort when their father retires. Bennett has big plans, but he needs big money to make his dreams come true—and his gorgeous sister is the bait he’ll use to seal his business deal. Suddenly Storm and Emily are faced with a real dilemma. Should they keep their secrets hidden in the dark, or open the hatch and risk losing everything?

  Find out what happens next in Below Decks, coming to your Kindle on April 5th, 2016!

  If you enjoyed Rock the Boat, be sure to sign up for Lib Starling’s mailing list to receive notifica
tions whenever new Griffin Bay novels are released. Emails are infrequent, always relevant, and your email address will never be used for any other purpose.

  * * *

  MORE BOOKS BY LIB STARLING

  The Griffin Bay series

  Below Decks: April 5th, 2016

  Turning Tide: May 3rd, 2016

  Iron Wind: May 31st, 2016

  Clewless: June 28th, 2016

  Paranormal Romance

  Alpha House: A Shapeshifter/BBW Serial Novel – Get Episode 1 here, or enjoy the complete seven-part serial in one ebook bundle!

  A Sense of Shadows

  Ghostlight

  About Lib Starling

  The fictional town of Griffin Bay is modeled after Friday Harbor, Washington, where Lib Starling lives with her husband and their two very naughty cats. Lib fell in love with her husband while he was living aboard a converted 42’ World War II lander… so she’s no stranger to the enchantment of boys who sail, or to the challenges of romantic encounters in the confined spaces of a boat!

  Lib writes contemporary and paranormal romance (and the occasional urban fantasy) in an office perched above Friday Harbor’s only used book store. When she’s not writing, Lib enjoys weightlifting, painting landscapes, recording her podcast about Jem and the Holograms, and sailing the San Juan Islands on her favorite boat, Rachel, a Dash 34 owned by her good friend.

  Find more information about Lib Starling at RunningRabbitBooks.com, and don’t forget to join her mailing list so you’ll be notified whenever new books are available.

  Happy sailing!

  The Cowboy Way - Anna Alexander

  The Men of the Sprawling A Ranch Series

  An on the job accident leaves ranch owner Trey Armstrong with a dislocated shoulder and no recollection of the last few years of his life, including his marriage to the lovely Greta. His mind might not remember her but his body sure does, and despite his lack of memory, Trey finds himself eager to return to the homestead. With his ranch a success and a beautiful, understanding wife by his side, Trey comes to think he's been living the charmed life.

  But not all is as it seems. Behind shy smiles and scorching kisses, Greta is hiding secrets that could destroy their rediscovered relationship. When the illusion of his perfect marriage begins to crumble, Trey realizes he can't live in oblivion forever and will have to remember his past in order to salvage his future.

  Welcome to the Sprawling ‘A’ Ranch, where the men are as hot as the August sun.

  The Cowboy Way

  ISBN 9780990595502

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  The Cowboy Way Copyright © 2014 Anna Alexander

  Edited by Gwen Hayes. Copy Edit by Eilis Flynn

  Cover design by April Rickard with Dewpoint Studios

  Cover photography by Jenn LeBlanc with Studio Smexy, Natalia Bratslavsky at Dreamstime .com

  Electronic book publication July 2014

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, House of Rosenorn

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  The publisher and author acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.

  The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third party websites or their content.

  * * *

  Dedication

  To my family, always.

  Acknowledgments

  You may have read or heard acknowledgements that begin with “this book would not be possible without…” and that is no less true for this book. Seriously, without the encouragement of Danielle Monsch, it might have taken years for The Cowboy Way to make it to the bookshelves. Thank you is not enough to express my gratitude for her mentorship, support and butt kicking. I also want to thank Carmen Cook, April Rickard, and Eilis Flynn for their encouragement and positive vibes for bringing Trey and Greta’s story to life.

  Thank you. Gracias. Grazie. Merci.

  1

  “I’ve gone over your CT scan several times, Trey. Besides the mild concussion and dislocated shoulder, there is nothing wrong with you.”

  Bullshit.

  Trey struggled to keep the curse trapped behind his lips and shifted his body on the hospital bed’s scratchy white cotton sheets. “Then why can’t I remember?”

  Dr. Grayson closed the folder in his hands. “It’s common not to remember the details involving a head injury.”

  “What about the rest of it?” he bit out between teeth clenched against the rising panic.

  “It’ll come back in time. You have a good-sized goose egg on the back of your head, but there isn’t any physical evidence of trauma to explain your loss of memory. The brain is a complex organ. Perhaps it decided it needed a break for a spell and is off on a little vacation and will return when it’s rested. You’ve been working hard these last few years.”

  “Have I?” Because I don’t fucking remember!

  Trey closed his eyes and expelled a long, hot breath out his nose and bunched the bed sheet in his fists like the reins of an out of control stallion. The gold band around the third finger of his left hand felt like it was encircling his chest, squeezing the calm right out of him.

  For the last two days he’d been in and out of consciousness. Two days of his life. Gone. When he had finally came to enough to be able to formulate a coherent sentence, the rapid-fire questions from the hospital staff had begun.

  “What’s your name?” a male voice had asked from his right.

  “Trey, Trey Armstrong.”

  “What do you do for a job?”

  “I have a ranch.”

  “What’s your wife’s name?”

  “I don’t have a wife.”

  The silence that followed had only lasted a few heartbeats, but the doc might as well have stuck a bullhorn right in his face and shouted, Wrong, buck-o! You’re married.

  In his mind the ranch he had grown up on was as crystal clear as high-def television, and the memory of his parents, who passed away a year apart, was still a bitter ache in his chest. But when it came to a wife or recalling his daily routine, his past was as vast and desolate as acre upon acre of rolling green alfalfa.

  Good God, what else could he be forgetting, children? Hell, he hoped not. A family of his own had always been on his horizon, but the thought of having one now made his heart sink into his stomach. Children deserved to be coddled and cherished. He wanted to be the kind of dad whose kids looked to him as a hero, and there was nothing heroic about him now.

  What type of asshole forgets his wife?

  “And you’re sure there isn’t a bruise, or bleeding, or anything going on up there?” he asked again. A physical condition meant he could heal. With the right treatment he would be as good as new in just a few short weeks. Please, Lord, let this setback be as simple as a little swelling that needed a few white pills to set him to rights.

  “I’m positive, Trey. The best thing for you is a little TLC.”

  Dr. Grayson checked the IV with a casual flip of his fingers, oblivious to the emotional tornado brewing in the
hospital bed. Trey didn’t like vague. He liked answers and action. The lack of a quick solution chapped his hide and made him want to shout a string of curses until the walls turned blue. He wasn’t a patient man. At least, he didn’t think he was.

  “If it makes you feel better, come see me if you don’t have some of your memory return in a week. Of course, if you start to have seizures or fainting spells, come in right away.”

  “Thanks, Doc. That makes me feel loads better,” he muttered.

  “We’re going to keep your shoulder immobile overnight,” the doc continued. “You’ll be sore for a while, and you shouldn’t do anything strenuous for the next few weeks. Keep off the horse and let your men do the ranching. Mark—do you remember Mark?”

  Trey gave a tight nod. Yep, even the cynical grin of his best friend and foreman came readily to mind.

  The doctor continued. “Good. As I was saying, Mark can take over the majority of the work for a while. Since you’ve been on IVs for a few days, I’m going to start you slow on food. I’ll have some broth sent in. How does that sound?”