“The things we do for love.” He grinned at her.
Heat rushed over her face, and she looked out the window again. She should just keep her mouth shut, but she had one question to ask him before she clammed up. “What’s it like to join the Byrd family?”
He cast her an inquisitive look. “Honestly?”
“It goes no further than this vehicle.” She nodded and mimicked locking her lips.
“It’s terrific and terrifying.” A wry smile found his face. “I’m not big on a lot of talking, so you can imagine my overload when the whole family gets together. But the love, camaraderie, the concern for each other takes over, and I’m more than glad I said I do to Sierra.”
He tapped his thumb on the wheel. “But if you’re thinking of saying I do as well, just know that you’re saying it not just to Erik but to the entire Byrd family too.”
Erik didn’t like how his mom had cornered Kennedy. She didn’t look upset, but it was just a matter of time before Kennedy broke under pressure and admitted their engagement. Erik didn’t want to spoil this day, so he headed through the crowd in her direction.
Toni clasped his hand. “I know you’re on a mission, but I just wanted to be sure you tell Kennedy that I’m going to throw my bouquet soon if she wants to get in on it.”
“I’ll be sure she knows.”
“I’m glad you two are back together,” Clay added. “Maybe we’ll be here for you two soon.”
“I better go.” He gave both of them a quick hug and slipped into the crowd again before he said anything to take away from their day. As he approached, Kennedy locked gazes with him, and their secret burned in her eyes.
His mother spun. “Oh, good. You won’t believe it, son.”
“What’s that?” He did his best to keep a level tone.
“Kennedy agreed to come to family dinner tomorrow night.”
“That is, if you want me there,” Kennedy quickly said.
He took her hand. “Of course I do.”
“Oh, I see.” His mom’s lips curled up in a broad smile. “I hoped it would be this serious, but now I can see it is.”
He cast her a questioning look.
“The way you two look at each other. We’ll have another wedding real soon if I’m not mistaken.” His mom’s smile widened.
Erik stepped closer to his mother but kept hold of Kennedy’s hand. “I’m not confirming or denying anything. But I am asking you to ignore us until after Clay and Toni’s big day is over. They deserve to be the center of attention.”
“Your kindness is touching.” His mother squeezed his shoulder. “I’m not sure what I did to deserve such fine sons, but I am most blessed.”
“Now don’t go all mushy on me, Mom. Go gush over Clay before they leave.”
She nodded. “To be continued at dinner tomorrow night.”
Erik wanted to groan, but he was blessed to have a mother who loved all of them so very much. He looked at Kennedy. “She means well.”
“I know, and I look forward to having her in my life.” She grinned. “On most days, anyway.”
Erik drew her close for a hug. “Toni is going to throw the bouquet, so we should head over there.”
“I’ll let someone else catch it. I don’t need it. I’ve already got the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Hearing the words made his breath hitch. “You don’t have to catch it, but should still go over there or people might wonder why you aren’t.”
“You’re right.” She started in the direction of the exit, tugging him along as they wound among round tables set with crisp white linens and littered with cake plates and forks.
She stopped next to Malone in the back of the twenty or so young women.
Malone glanced at them and rolled her eyes. “This is a waste of time for me. I doubt I’ll ever get married.”
Erik had learned that, as outgoing as Malone was, she was also a very private person, never talking about anything outside of her career and Reed. Erik wouldn’t ask why she didn’t think she would marry, but Kennedy stepped closer to her. “Mind if I ask why not?”
Malone frowned, and her perfectly plucked eyebrows rose. Erik expected her to blow Kennedy off, but she met her gaze instead. “I have too many people who need my help to find time to be a wife or even a mother.”
Kennedy seemed to mull over her answer for a moment. “I applaud your cause. It’s very noble. But you deserve happiness too.”
Her frown deepened. “A topic I don’t want to get into today.”
Toni and Clay approached the women, who all looked eager to catch the bouquet.
Toni smiled at them. “Thank you all for coming. I pray your dreams come true like mine did.” She shot her husband a burning look, and Clay blushed.
Erik understood. These women who’d come into their lives brought such indescribable emotions that the guys couldn’t contain them. The public acknowledgment of a look like this one could make any one of them blush.
Toni turned around. “Okay, ladies. Here it comes.”
She lifted her arms and did a few practice movements, then let the bouquet fly. The woman had quite the arm, and the flowers soared over the group toward the back. Kennedy bumped her hip into Malone, who eased over and the bouquet fell into her hands.
Applause broke out, but she looked at the arrangement as if it was a live snake coiling around her fingers. “But I…I don’t.”
She shook her head and looked at everyone around her. “This doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a silly tradition.”
Erik spotted his mother making a beeline in their direction. He would step in front of Malone to protect her, but he didn’t want to make a scene.
His mom curled an arm around Malone’s shoulder. “It looks like you need to sit down.”
“I think I do,” Malone said. “I don’t believe in what this means, but it’s thrown me for a loop.”
Something Erik had never seen with this strong attorney.
“Let’s go have a talk about it.” His mother led Malone among the other women to a nearby table.
Kennedy slid her arm into his. “You think your mother is matchmaking?”
“Absolutely.” He looked at Kennedy.
“Then she has her work cut out for her,” Kennedy said. “Malone had a mighty fierce response to the flowers like even thinking about marriage made her sick.”
Kennedy inched closer to Erik. “I’m glad we’re over that.”
“Me too.”
“Your trust issue is gone too, right?”
“It is.” He took both of her hands and smiled at her. “I know you’ll never intentionally hurt me.”
“I won’t. I promise.” She moved closer, and he caught a pleasant whiff of that flowery perfume again. “And no secrets either. None. With our freedom from WITSEC, that is all in the past.”
He slipped his arms around her waist. “And no more disappearing.”
“My feet are firmly planted wherever my soon-to-be husband plants his.”
He smiled at her, his heart alight with fire. He couldn’t ignore the need to kiss her any longer, and he pressed his lips against hers. Firmly but quickly, he let her know how much he loved her. When he looked up, a dreamy smile slid across her face.
He groaned and pulled her into his embrace. “Don’t plant them too deeply, honey. Because when you marry a Byrd, you’ll be expected to soar.”
Thank you so much for reading Night Watch. If you’ve enjoyed the book, I would be grateful if you would post a review on the bookseller’s site. Just a few words is all it takes. Click or tap HERE and you will jump to the right place to post your review.
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And you’ll be happy to hear that there are more books in this series!
Book 1 – Night Fall – November, 2020
Book 2 – Night Vision – December, 2020
Book 3 – Night Hawk – January, 2021
Book 4 – Night Moves – July, 2021
Book 5 – Night Watch – August,
2021
Book 6 – Night Prey–October, 2021
I’d like to invite you to learn more about these books as they release and about my other books by signing up for my NEWSLETTER.
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You’ll also receive a FREE excerpt of my upcoming book and learn about my monthly giveaways when you sign up.
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I love to interact with and hear from readers, so hop on over and let’s connect via the newsletter, on social media, or even send me a message.
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Now read on for a sneak peek at the next book in the Nighthawk Security series.
NIGHT PREY - BOOK 6
She lived for upholding the law…
Defense attorney, Malone Rice, doesn’t want to go to her fifteen year class reunion. Attending means running into her former high school flame, now Portland police detective, Ian Blair. But when the committee decides to honor her for her pro-bono work with homeless teens, she knows it would be churlish not to attend. She will have to go and make the best of it.
But now the law won’t save her.
As expected, Ian attends the reunion, but what Malone doesn’t expect—could never expect—is that Ian would find her standing over their classmate’s dead body. Or that she would still have feelings for the once bad-boy of their high school. Ian’s struggling too, between arresting Malone for murder and his age-old attraction to her. He walks a tightrope, until evidence surfaces that the real killer’s still out there, and Malone becomes his prey. Can Ian overcome his feelings to focus and uncover the truth before the killer strikes again and Malone ends up dead?
PRE-ORDER NIGHT PREY NOW!
NIGHTHAWK SECURITY SERIES
Protecting others when unspeakable danger lurks.
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Keep reading for more information on the additional books in the Nighthawk Security Series where the Cold Harbor and Truth Seekers teams work side-by-side with Nighthawk Security.
A woman plagued by a stalker. Children of a murderer. A woman whose mother died under suspicious circumstances.
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All in danger. Lives on the line. Needing protection.
* * *
Enter the brothers of Nighthawk Security. The five Byrd brothers with years of former military and law enforcement experience coming together to offer protection and investigation services. Their goal—protecting others when unspeakable danger lurks.
Book 1 – Night Fall – November, 2020
Book 2 – Night Vision – December, 2020
Book 3 – Night Hawk – January, 2021
Book 4 – Night Moves – July, 2021
Book 5 – Night Watch – August, 2021
Book 6 – Night Prey –October, 2021
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For More Details Visit -
www.susansleeman.com/books/nighthawk-security/
THE TRUTH SEEKERS
People are rarely who they seem
A twin who never knew her sister existed, a mother whose child is not her own, a woman whose father is anything but her father. All searching. All seeking. All needing help and hope.
Meet the unsung heroes of the Veritas Center. The Truth Seekers – a team, that includes experts in forensic anthropology, DNA, trace evidence, ballistics, cybercrimes, and toxicology. Committed to restoring hope and families by solving one mystery at a time, none of them are prepared for when the mystery comes calling close to home and threatens to destroy the only life they’ve known.
Book 1 - DEAD RINGER
Book 2 - DEAD SILENCE
Book 3 - DEAD END
Book 4 - DEAD HEAT
Book 5 - DEAD CENTER
Book 6 - DEAD EVEN
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For More Details Visit -
www.susansleeman.com/books/truth-seekers/
COLD HARBOR SERIES
Meet Blackwell Tactical- former military and law enforcement heroes who will give everything to protect innocents…even their lives.
Book 1 - COLD TERROR
Book 2 - COLD TRUTH
Book 3 - COLD FURY
Book 4 - COLD CASE
Book 5 - COLD FEAR
Book 6 - COLD PURSUIT
Book 7 - COLD DAWN
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For More Details Visit -
www.susansleeman.com/books/cold-harbor/
HOMELAND HEROES SERIES
When the clock is ticking on criminal activity conducted on or facilitated by the Internet there is no better team to call other than the RED team, a division of the HSI—Homeland Security’s Investigation Unit. RED team includes FBI and DHS Agents, and US Marshal’s Service Deputies.
Seconds to Live
Minutes to Die
Hours to Kill
For More Details Visit -
www.susansleeman.com/books/homeland-heroes/
WHITE KNIGHTS SERIES
Join the White Knights as they investigate stories plucked from today’s news headlines. The FBI Critical Incident Response Team includes experts in crisis management, explosives, ballistics/weapons, negotiating/criminal profiling, cyber crimes, and forensics. All team members are former military and they stand ready to deploy within four hours, anytime and anywhere to mitigate the highest-priority threats facing our nation.
Fatal Mistake
Kill Shot
For more details visit -
www.susansleeman.com/books/white-knights/
About Susan
SUSAN SLEEMAN is a bestselling and award-winning author of more than 40 inspirational/Christian and clean read romantic suspense books. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts the website, TheSuspenseZone.com.
Susan currently lives in Oregon, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a retired church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, two very special son-in-laws, and two amazing grandsons.
For more information visit: www.susansleeman.com
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