Kate
The Dimarco Series
Jennifer Hanks
Disappointment. Rejection. Loneliness.
Feelings that have been suffocating single mom Kate Miller for years.
Moving to New Hope to raise her six-year-old son is supposed to be a fresh start, a way to put her past in the rearview mirror and focus on the road ahead. She isn’t looking for friendship or a relationship, especially with one very sexy detective who won’t stay out of her life or out of her mind.
No matter how hard she pushes him away.
Luke Dimarco is a man who’s faced his mortality. After surviving a shooting, in which he was the target of revenge, he understands life is fleeting. When Kate explodes into his world, showing him a glimpse of a future filled with all the things he craves, he makes the decision to grab a hold and not let go.
Even if it means sacrificing what he already has.
However, a darkness still surrounds the small town of New Hope and they will learn the only way to keep each other safe is to stand together. Luke will need to show Kate that trust is not just a word, but given to the right person, a promise.
But is it a promise he can keep?
The Dimarco Series
http://jenniferhanks.com
KATE
The Dimarco Series
Copyright © 2018 by Jennifer Hanks
All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Cover Design by CT Cover Creations
Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
KATE
About the Book
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Epilogue
Excerpt from GRACE
About the Author
DEDICATION
For all the single mothers.
You are unbelievably strong.
And you are not alone.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As always, I would like to thank my family, specifically my children who are incredibly supportive and patient when I’m facing deadlines and we’re eating sandwiches for dinner…again. You are the reason I do all I do and the reason I can.
Thank you, Clarise at CT cover creations! This is our sixth cover together, the fifth in the Dimarco Series and it may have been the most challenging but as always you were patient and creative enough to make my vision for Kate’s cover come to life.
Thank you, Judy Brown! What can I say? We’ve been through six books together and I still use comma’s way too often! Your support has meant more to me than you could ever know, not just as my editor, but as my friend.
Thank you Franci Neill for your proofreading services, but also for your advice and encouragement to continue writing this series about such an amazing and crazy family.
Thank you, Amy, for another incredible job formatting my work! You’ve been an amazing friend to me as well as a support and I can never thank you enough.
Thank you, Bex Harper from Bex Harper Designs, for creating such amazing teasers and banners for this book! I had the best time working with you to design teasers that tell the story of Kate and Luke in small glimpses. You are extremely talented and creative, but above all that, very patient while we went through photos and ideas together.
Finally, I’d like to thank the readers! Without your unwavering support and enthusiasm, this family, this series, may never have gotten this far. I also want to give a special thank you to my readers who are single mothers. I understand, being one myself, how difficult it is to find any free time in your overwhelming schedules, so I thank you for choosing to spend some of that precious time with the Dimarcos.
PROLOGUE
KATE
The blinking lights came close to the back of the car and I shook my head. Of course I was being pulled over. Checking my rearview mirror, I noticed it wasn’t a traditional police cruiser, but instead an SUV with a siren, so I hesitated before finally deciding I’d better just do it. I pulled to the side of the road, away from traffic, put the car in park and lay my forehead against the steering wheel. Hearing the tap on my window I contemplated not looking up, that’s how bad my morning has been but knowing that would only bring on more problems, I raised my head and looked out my driver’s side window. I groaned out loud; just my luck he would be gorgeous.
I pushed the button for my window to go down, not even having the energy to force a smile to my lips. He leaned down and I noticed he was tall, really tall, forcing him to bend at the waist to see in the window.
He smiled politely. “Do you know why I pulled you over?” His deep voice vibrated through the silent car.
I smiled a fake smile. “No sir.”
He nodded. “You ran the stop sign back at the intersection.”
“A stop sign?” I huffed, glancing at the clock on my dash before facing him once again. I was sitting here because of a damn stop sign.
His deep blue eyes narrowed. “Running a stop sign is a significant traffic violation.”
I snorted, a completely unladylike snort, shaking my head and mumbling under my breath.
He rested the palm of his hand on the top of my door and leaned in further. “Excuse me?”
“I said,” I turned my body to fully face him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not kidding—”
“Do you have any idea what my morning’s been like?” I started and unfortunately like most times in my life, I couldn’t stop myself even though I knew I should have. “Do you know that I walked in dog vomit this morning as soon as I got out of bed?” I didn’t let him answer. “Then I tried to wake a six-year-old boy and clean dog vomit off myself, grab a cup of coffee, all while running late to get him to school because I forgot to plug in my phone last night and it died so my alarm never went off.” I threw my hands in the air. “Then I get in the car and realize I’m still in my pajamas, never brushed my teeth, and I’m not even wearing a bra.”
His eyes shot down to my chest and I flung my arm across my boobs, my eyeb
rows hitting my hairline. “Don’t look!” I shouted.
His eyes slowly came back to mine, a smile playing around his lips. That only annoyed me further. “I didn’t even comb my hair. So now I’m late for a job I just started and I have no time to shower because I’m sitting here talking to you.” I leaned out my window. “Over a stupid stop sign. So honestly, if you’re going to give me a ticket or whatever, could you follow me home and just like tape it to the door or something so I can at least brush my teeth?”
I ran my eyes over his outfit and realized for the first time that he wasn’t wearing a uniform. He was in jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you a real cop?”
“I’m a detective.” He said.
I shook my head. “Can a detective pull me over like this?” I didn’t wait for an answer. “You know what, I don’t care. I just need to go.” I attempted to run my hands through my hair, but realized it was still in a messy bun on the top of my head and not the cute kind. The kind that looks like a rat nested in my hair and has been there awhile. I laid my head back against the headrest.
“I’m not going to give you a ticket.” He said. “But—”
I snapped my head up and threw my car into drive, encouraging him to take a step back from my window. “Perfect. Thanks officer or…umm…detective I guess.” I had no idea what to call him.
I tapped on the gas trying to inch forward because he still hadn’t moved back. I put my head out the window to see how close I was to his feet. “Umm…you kind of need to move so I can leave. I don’t want to run over your feet and then get hauled into the police station smelly and gross with no bra on and dirty teeth.” I smiled, trying to make a joke.
He leaned in towards the window again and I sat back, rolled my eyes, and slammed my head once again against the headrest. What is wrong with this guy? Does he not understand how badly I need to get moving?
“Slow down, Ms…?” When I didn’t fill in my name, he continued. “You’ll definitely be late if you’re in an accident.”
I lifted my head and smiled without any real meaning behind it. “You’re right, that’s good advice.” I sat up straight once again. “Can I go now?”
He nodded while backing up and I took my chance, pulling out, forgetting to look for traffic before I did and glanced in the rearview mirror to see him, hands on his hips, staring at the back of my car and shaking his head.
I didn’t care. I didn’t have time for hot cops or detectives with gorgeous blue eyes and messy brown hair. I had no time in my life to even think about what it would feel like to have his arms around me, his body over mine. I shook my head trying to clear the images in my mind. I did not need another man in my life. I’d had one, one I thought would love me forever and he was nothing but a disappointment. Now, the only male in my life is six years old with an enormous appetite and a love for baseball and dogs. Between my two jobs, his school and t-ball practices with games starting soon, it was all I could do to get five hours of sleep a night and bathe regularly.
I thought of how I must look and cringed. He had to have been so disgusted, no wonder he let me go. At least the coffee I gulped down would override the horrible morning breath.
I pulled into the driveway of the small house I’d bought when we moved here. It’s cute and updated, but it’s tiny. If there was one more person in our little family, we wouldn’t fit. The dog was pushing it, but Andy had begged when we’d seen him at the grocery store on one of those days where other businesses set up booths. The local shelter had a booth and was handing out flyers. A small puppy sat beside their booth, his leash being held by a woman with long dark hair. Andy had made a beeline for that dog and I’d known, I’d just known, I was taking him home.
After talking with the woman, who explained the adoption program, we’d decided to take him home for a test run. She told me he was a mix of a couple of breeds but he looked like a golden retriever so that’s what I’ve told everyone who’s asked. She’d also told me her name was Sydney and welcomed me to their town, giving me her phone number before we left. It was sweet, but I didn’t have time for friends, I barely had time for me and Andy.
The bright spot was, while we were chatting she’d asked if we were new in town and I explained we were and also that I was looking for a part-time job. Sydney told me she knew of a job opening for a waitress and it only required weekend hours. She’d even called her friend who knows the owner personally and got me an interview for the next day, which was perfect since I didn’t start my full-time job until the following week. I went in for the interview and was hired on the spot. Henry, the bar’s owner, set up training for the following day. For the last month, I’d been waitressing there every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.
I hauled myself from my car and rushed to the side door of the house straight into a small mudroom. I smiled sadly at Cookie. Yes, Andy named him Cookie because he said he looks like the color of a vanilla wafer and Andy loves vanilla wafers. I felt bad that he would be in his crate for the day, but I was out of options. He was still mostly puppy and naturally eating and chewing everything he could get his mouth around, hence the vomit this morning. Andy wanted him to sleep in his room with him every night and because I’m usually exhausted by bedtime, I cave. But Cookie makes his way around in the middle of the night and snacks. My goal is to have a babysitter for Andy when summer vacation starts in June, so he and Cookie can both play in the house and yard.
I still haven’t found anyone, and school will be out soon, but I’ve been thinking I may call Sydney. She seems to know a lot of people. I’d imagine she could help me find someone looking to make some extra money over the summer who’s trustworthy and likes kids. And dogs, let’s not forget about Cookie.
I ran through my small kitchen, straight into the bathroom and flicked on the light. Positioning myself in front of the mirror, ready to do my best on very little time, I took a good look at my reflection and flinched. Large grey circles weighed heavy under my eyes, showing off my lack of sleep and my hair was worse than a rat’s nest, there are no words for what was happening on top of my head. I cringed when I thought back to all the people I saw at the school this morning and the hot cop. I dug my phone out of my loose pajama bottoms pocket and looked at the time again. Sighing, I pushed in the number for my boss. I wasn’t going to make it in time anyway, so I may as well give myself time to shower. I work as a receptionist at a real estate office, so I have to look, at the very least, presentable. I don’t know my boss very well yet, but she hasn’t exactly been warm and fuzzy, so I have no idea what to expect. I do know she likes her employees to be prompt, but also well put together. Maybe if I explained my morning, she’d give me an extra half-hour to make myself presentable. She hasn’t seemed too sympathetic with the single mother situation, although I’d never used it as an excuse because before today, I’d never needed to.
I closed my eyes when her voice came across the line, hoping I’d still have a job when I hung up.
CHAPTER ONE
LUKE
Walking into Hanks I looked around and smiled. I hadn’t seen much of my family lately because of a case I’d been working on that had taken up most of my time. The time I had leftover, I was using to move into my new house, a house I bought when I’d had no intention of buying one. After I’d been shot eight months ago, by a man out for revenge, I’d needed a place to heal and out of all my brothers and even my sister, Jake’s house was the one I chose. I’m still not sure why, except I knew he wouldn’t get in my face, he’d let me heal in my own time and having his two-year old son, Braydon there was an even better reason to not feel sorry for myself and to get my ass moving every day.
While I was in the hospital healing from surgery, Jake had bought and moved into his house. A few weeks later I was discharged from the hospital and moved in with him and Bray. I knew as soon as I met his next-door neighbor, Lanie, that my brother was in trouble. There was something ab
out her and it was obvious Jake saw it too. Their story and journey to be together is a long and complicated one, but they made it and he couldn’t have found a better woman to spend the rest of his life with.
When Jake told me Lanie planned to sell her house and move in with him, I wasn’t at all surprised. What surprised me was how quickly my thoughts turned to buying it. I didn’t have my own family, I had an apartment that I was hardly ever in, and a job that worked me long hours. I didn’t need a house. However, one night after work, I pulled into Jake’s driveway, sat in my SUV and stared at the little house. It was small but had a nice piece of ground so I’d have room to add on to the house when I had the time, and honestly, the thought of living next to my younger brother brought a smile to my face. I hadn’t had much to smile about recently, so I took it as a sign and offered to buy it from Lanie, who’d agreed immediately.
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