Texas Proud

by Diana Palmer

  A powerful businessman seeks refuge

  ...but his secrets can’t be hidden

  Before he testifies in an important case, businessman Michael “Mikey” Fiore hides out in Jacobsville, Texas. On a rare night out, he crosses paths with softly beautiful Bernadette, who seems burdened with her own secrets. He hears whispers about a life-threatening condition, her solitary existence. This doesn’t stop him from wanting her, which endangers them both. Their bond grows into passion...until shocking truths surface.

  New York Times Bestselling Author Diana Palmer

  Praise for the New York Times bestselling novels of Diana Palmer

  “Diana Palmer is an amazing storyteller, and her long-time fans will enjoy Wyoming Winter with satisfaction!”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “The popular Palmer has penned another winning novel, a perfect blend of romance and suspense.”

  —Booklist on Lawman

  “Palmer knows how to make the sparks fly.... Heartwarming.”

  —Publishers Weekly on Renegade

  “Sensual and suspenseful.”

  —Booklist on Lawless

  “Diana Palmer is a mesmerizing storyteller who captures the essence of what a romance should be.”

  —Affaire de Coeur

  “This is a fascinating story.... It’s nice to have a hero wise enough to know when he can’t do things alone and willing to accept help when he needs it. There is pleasure to be found in the nice sense of family this tale imparts.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Wyoming Bold

  “Fans of second chance romances that triumph over tragedy and loss will enjoy this heartfelt story.... Untamed will definitely pull at your heartstrings.”

  —Harlequin Junkie

  “Lots of passion, thrills, and plenty of suspense...Protector is a top-notch read!”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  Dear Reader,

  I adore bad guys. It’s no secret that Darth Vader was my favorite Star Wars character. So when Cousin Mikey turned up in Defender, naturally I started searching for ways to put him in a book of his own. He couldn’t be too bad, of course—lawmen run in my family, and I’ve never broken the law in my whole life. But he had to have done a few bad things in order to be redeemed. I love turning bad guys around and making them into exemplary husbands and fathers. So, here’s Mikey, and I hope you like his story.

  The heroine has rheumatoid arthritis, a subject I know quite a bit about, because I share it with her. Now I do my best with diet and anti-inflammatories, under the direction of one of the finest rheumatologists around, my wonderful Dr. Bognar. (I might add that if there are any medical misstatements in this manuscript, they are strictly my responsibility. I’m writing from my own experience.)

  This novel is dedicated to my cousin Glenda, who died unexpectedly last November. She owned our local bookstore in Cornelia, where I always signed books for my readers. She was a most extraordinary person, much loved in our small community and greatly missed. A unique, God-fearing, sweet lady, whom I was privileged to know for many, many years. Many thanks to all of you for your prayers, support and kindness during my husband’s serious health issues, which resulted in much less time to write books for you to read. He is better now, and I’m back to work. I am still your biggest fan.

  Love and hugs,

  Diana Palmer

  Texas Proud

  Diana Palmer

  A prolific author of more than one hundred books, Diana Palmer got her start as a newspaper reporter. A New York Times bestselling author and voted one of the top ten romance writers in America, she has a gift for telling the most sensual tales with charm and humor. Diana lives with her family in Cornelia, Georgia. Visit her website at dianapalmer.com.

  Books by Diana Palmer

  Long, Tall Texans

  Fearless

  Heartless

  Dangerous

  Merciless

  Courageous

  Protector

  The Wyoming Men

  Wyoming Tough

  Wyoming Fierce

  Wyoming Bold

  Wyoming Strong

  Wyoming Rugged

  Wyoming Brave

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  In loving memory of Glenda Dalton Boling (1945–2019) of Homer, Georgia.

  You were my cousin, my friend, my favorite bookseller, my hostess for over twenty years of book signings with my friend Jan Walker. You left a hole in the world with your passing, Glenda. And all of us who loved you will miss you, as long as we live.

  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

  Excerpt from Wyoming True by Diana Palmer

  Excerpt from The Cowboy’s Promise by Teresa Southwick

  Chapter One

  Her name was Bernadette Epperson, but everybody she knew in Jacobsville, Texas, called her Bernie. She was Blake Kemp’s new paralegal, and she shared the office with Olivia Richards, who was also a paralegal. They had replaced former employees, one who’d married and moved away, the other who’d gone to work in San Antonio for the DA there.

  They were an interesting contrast: Olivia, the tall, willowy brunette, and Bernie, the slender blonde with long, thick platinum blond hair. They’d known each other since grammar school and they were friends. It made for a relaxed, happy office atmosphere.

  Ordinarily, one paralegal would have been adequate for the Jacobs County district attorney’s office. But the DA, Blake Kemp, had hired Olivia to also work as a part-time paralegal. That was because Olivia covered for her friend at the office when Bernie had flares of rheumatoid arthritis. It was one of the more painful forms of arthritis, and when she had attacks it meant walking with a cane and taking more anti-inflammatories, along with the dangerous drugs she took to help keep the disease from worsening. It also meant no social life to speak of. Bernie would have liked having a fellow of her own, but single men knew about her and nobody seemed willing to take on Bernie, along with a progressive disease that could one day make her disabled.

  There were new treatments, of course. Some of them involved weekly shots that halted the progression of the disease. But those shots were incredibly expensive, and even with a reduced price offered by kindly charitable foundations, they were still out of her price range. So it was methotrexate and prednisone and folic acid. And trying not to brood about the whole thing.

  She was on her way to her room at Mrs. Brown’s boardinghouse. It was raining, and the rain was cold. It was October and cool. Not the best time to forget her raincoat, but she’d been in a hurry and late for work, so it was still hanging in her closet at home. Ah, well, she thought philosophically, at least she had a nice thick sweater over her thin blouse. She laughed hysterically to herself. The sweater was a sponge. She felt water rolling down over her flat stomach under her clothes.

  She laughed so hard that she didn’t see a raised portion of the sidewalk. It caught her toe and she tripped. She fell into the road just as a big black limousine came along. Her cane went flying and she hit the pavement on her belly. She was fortunate enough to catch herself on her forearms, but the impact winded her. Luckily for her, the driver saw her in time to stop from running over her. It
was dark and only the streetlights showed, blurry light through the curtains of rain.

  A man got out. She saw his shoes. Big feet. Expensive shoes, like some of the visiting district attorneys who showed up to talk to her boss. Slacks that were made of wool. She could tell, because she used wool to knit with.

  “You okay?” a deep, velvety voice asked.

  “Yes,” she panted. “Just...winded.”

  She rolled over and sat up.

  A tall man, built like a wrestler, with broad shoulders and a leonine head, squatted down, staring at her with deep-set brown eyes in an olive complexion. His jet-black hair was threaded with just a little silver, and it was thick and wavy around his head. A lock of it fell onto his forehead as he bent over her. He had high cheekbones and the sort of mouth that was seen in action movies with he-men. He was gorgeous. She couldn’t help staring. She couldn’t remember ever having a man send her speechless just by looking at her.

  “Nice timing,” he mused. “Saw the limo coming, did we? And jumped right out in front of it, too.”

  She was too shaken to think of a comeback, although she should have. She checked her palms. They were a little scraped but not bleeding.

  “I tripped.”

  “Did you really?”

  That damned sarcastic, mocking smile made her very angry. “Could you find my cane, please?” she asked.

  “Cane?”

  She heard his voice change. She hated that note in it. “It went flying when I hit the raised part of the sidewalk. It’s over that way.” She indicated the sidewalk. “On the other side, probably. It’s red enamel. With dragons on it.”

  “With dragons. Mmm-hmm.”

  A car door opened. Another man came around the front of the car. He was older than Bernie but younger than the man squatting down next to her. He was wearing a suit.

  “What’s that about dragons?” the man asked, faintly amused.

  “Her cane. That way, she says.” He pointed.

  The other man made a sound in his throat.

  “Look anyway,” the big man told him.

  “All right, I’m going.” There was a pause while Bernie sat in the road getting wetter by the minute.

  “Well, I’ll be...!”

  The other man came back, holding the cane. He was scowling. “Where the devil did you get something like that?” he asked as he handed it down to her.

  “Internet,” she said. The pain was getting worse. Much worse. She needed a heavy dose of anti-inflammatories, and a bed and a heating pad.

  She swallowed hard. “Please don’t...stare when I get up. There’s only one way I can do it, and it’s embarrassing.” She got on all fours and pushed herself up with difficulty, holding on to the cane for support. She lifted her head to the rain and got her breath back. “Thanks for not running over me,” she said heavily.

  The big man had stood up when she did. He was scowling. “What’s the matter with you? Sprain?”

  She looked up. It was a long way. “Rheumatoid arthritis.”

  “Arthritis? At your age?” the man asked, surprised.

  She drew herself up angrily. “Rheumatoid,” she emphasized. “It’s systemic. An autoimmune disease. Only one percent of people in the world have it, although it’s the most common autoimmune disease. Now if you don’t mind, I have to get home before I drown.”

  “We’ll drive you,” the big man offered belatedly.

  “Frankly, I’d rather drown, thanks.” She turned, very slowly, and managed to get going without too much visible effort. But walking was laborious, and she was gritting her teeth before she’d gotten five steps.

  “Oh, hell.”

  She heard the soft curse before she felt herself suddenly picked up like a sack of potatoes and carried back toward the limousine.

  The other man was holding the door open.

  “You put me down!” she grumbled, trying to struggle. She winced, because movement hurt.

  “When I get you home,” he said. “Where’s home?”

  He put her into the limousine and climbed in beside her. The other man closed the door and got in behind the wheel.

  “I’ll get the seat wet,” she protested.

  “It’s leather. It will clean. Where’s home?”

  She drew in a breath. She was in so much pain that she couldn’t even protest anymore. “Mrs. Brown’s boardinghouse. Two blocks down and to the right. It’s a big Victorian house with a white fence around it and a room-to-rent sign,” she added.

  The driver nodded, started the engine and took off.

  The big man was still watching her. She was clutching the cane with a little hand that had gone white from the pressure she was using.

  He studied her, his eyes on the thick plait of platinum blond hair down her back. Her clothes were plastered to her. Nice body, a little small-breasted and long legs. She had green eyes. Very pale green. Pretty bow mouth. Wide-spaced eyes under thick black eyelashes. Not beautiful. But attractive.

  “Who are you?” he asked belatedly.

  “My name is Bernadette,” she said.

  “Sweet,” he mused. “There was a song about Saint Bernadette,” he recalled.

  She flushed. “My mother loved it. That’s why she gave me the name.”

  “I’m Michael. Michael Fiore, but most people call me Mikey.” He watched her face, but there was no recognition. She didn’t know the name. Surprising. He’d been a resident of Jacobsville a few years back, when his cousin, Paul Fiore of the San Antonio FBI office, was investigating a case that involved Sari Grayling, who later became Paul’s wife. Sari and her sister, Meredith, had been targeted by a hit man, courtesy of a man whose mother was killed by the Graylings’ late father. Mikey had made some friends here.

  “Nice to meet you,” she managed. She grimaced.

  “Hurts pretty bad, huh?” he asked, his dark eyes narrowing. He looked up. Santelli was pulling into a parking spot just in front of a Victorian house with a room-to-rent sign. “Is this it?” he asked.

  She looked up through the window. She nodded. “Thanks so much...”

  “Stay put,” he said.

  He went out the other door that Santi was holding open for him, around the car and opened her door. He reached in and picked her up, cane and purse and all.

  “Come knock on the door for me, Santi,” he told his companion.

  Bernie tried to protest, but the big man kept walking. He smelled of cigar smoke and expensive cologne, and the feel of his big arms around her made her feel odd. Trembly. Nervous. Very nervous. She had one arm around his broad shoulders to hold on, her hand spread beside his neck. He was warm and comforting. It had been a long time since she’d been held by anyone, and it had never felt like this.

  Santi knocked on the door.

  Bernie could have told him that he could just walk in, but he wasn’t from here, so he didn’t know.

  Plump Mrs. Brown opened the door, still wearing her apron because she offered supper to her roomers. She stopped dead, with her mouth open, as she saw Bernie being carried by a stranger.

  “I fell,” Bernie explained. “He was kind enough to stop and bring me home...”

  “Oh, dear, should you go see Dr. Coltrain?” she said worriedly.

  “I’m fine, really, just a little bruised dignity to speak of,” she assured the landlady. “You can put me down,” she said to Mikey.

  “Where’s her room?” Mikey asked politely. He smiled at the older woman, and she flushed and laughed nervously.

  “It’s right down here. She can’t climb the stairs, so she has a room near the front...”

  She led the way. He put Bernie down in a chair beside her bed.

  “You need a hot bath, dear, and some coffee,” Mrs. Brown fussed.

  There was a bathroom between Bernie’s room and the empty room next door
.

  “Can you manage?” the big man asked gently.

  She nodded. “I’m okay. Really. Thanks.”

  He shrugged broad shoulders. He frowned. “You shouldn’t be walking so far.”

  “Tell her, tell her,” Mrs. Brown fretted. “She walks four blocks to and from work every single day!”

  “Dr. Coltrain says exercise is good for me,” she retorted.

  “Exercise. Not torture,” Mrs. Brown muttered.

  The big man was thinking. “We’ll see you again,” he said quietly.

  She nodded. “Thanks.”

  He cocked his head. His eyes narrowed. “First impressions aren’t always accurate.”

  Her eyebrows arched. “Gosh, was that an apology?”

  He scowled. “I don’t apologize. Ever.”

  “That didn’t hurt, that didn’t hurt, that didn’t hurt,” she mimicked a comedian who’d said that very thing in a movie. She grinned. Probably he didn’t have a clue what she was talking about.

  He threw back his head and roared. “Police Academy,” he said, naming the movie.

  Her jaw fell.

  “Yeah. That guy was me, at his age,” he confessed. “Take a bath. And don’t fall in.”

  She made a face at him.

  His dark eyes twinkled. “See you, kid.”

  He walked out before she could correct the impression.

  * * *

  He stopped at the front door. “That room to let,” he asked Mrs. Brown. “Is it still available?”

  “Why, yes,” she said, flushing again. She laughed. “You’d be very welcome. We have three ladies living here, but...”

  “I’m easy to please,” he said. “And I won’t be any trouble. I hate hotels.”

  She smiled. “So do I. My husband was in rodeo. We spent years on the road. I got so sick of room keys...”

  He laughed. “That’s me. Okay. If you don’t mind, I’ll have my stuff here later today.”

  “I don’t mind at all.”