Cornered
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Rafe rolled over, away from the edge of the cliff. He crushed her to his chest, wrapped his arms and legs around her, buried his nose in her hair and whispered raggedly against her ear. “I didn’t lose you. Thank God, I didn’t lose you. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.”
Hannah huddled against his warmth and strength, too spent to offer more than a nod when Irene handed her her glasses.
The threat was over.
They could all go home.
But Hannah never wanted to say goodbye.
Chapter 8
Rafe slipped his key into the back door of the Extreme, Inc., offices and wearily pushed it open. He didn’t bother looking at his watch. Judging by the stars, it was close to three in the morning.
He was too late.
After his brother, Luke, had picked them up off the high grassland of Bridger Pass and helicoptered them all down to the town of Moose, Wyoming, Rafe had filed a report with his father for Extreme, Inc.’s attorney and the rescue team who were heading up the mountain to retrieve the bodies of Frank, William, Natalie, Rowdy and Cyrus. He’d taken a few stitches and been declared free of any major injury at the hospital in Moose. He’d given his statement to the sheriff’s department and park security, and notified his commander at the Watchers of Frank Brooks’s death.
He’d done his job. He’d conquered the mountain one more time and saved eight people from certain death.
He shoved the door closed behind him and leaned against it. The darkness of the empty hallway walls surrounding him didn’t even raise his pulse.
He was too damn late. Again.
Hannah was gone. He’d left her at the hospital with the others while he’d handled his responsibilities. But when he’d gone back to see her a few minutes ago—just to watch her sleep and know that she was safe again—the night desk clerk informed him that all of the Randolph College parties had checked out.
“I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
He’d had her in his arms. She was alive, she was safe. And now she was gone.
“Son?” A deep-pitched voice, so like his own, echoed from the shadows. Lucas Kincaid, Sr., rose from the chair in his office and came out to lay a hand on his older son’s shoulder. “Did you get everything taken care of?”
Except telling Hannah how he felt. But he nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The squeeze on his shoulder became a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re home safe and sound. You had us worried when you failed to report in this morning.”
“I figured somebody would come looking for us.”
“We Kincaid men take care of those we love.” It was a statement of fact, and a true declaration of the bond the family shared.
It gave him the strength to muster a smile. “I need to shave and get cleaned up. Then hit the sack for about twenty-four hours.”
“Sounds good. But you might want to check your office first. You have a visitor. Goodnight, son.”
“’Night, Dad.”
A visitor at three in the morning? Rafe couldn’t be civil right now. If it was work, he didn’t want to deal with it. If it was the sheriff again, he could wait. He stalked past his office door, heading toward the apartment upstairs where he lived.
“Rafe?” That warm, seductive siren’s voice called to him out of the darkness.
Hannah.
He spun around, hit the light switch and walked straight across his office to scoop up the woman bundled up in a blanket in the chair behind his desk. He turned with her and sat, nestling her in his lap, crushing her in his arms and kissing her until he felt the blood of possibilities pounding through his veins once more.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” He kissed the arch of her brow above her glasses. “Thank God you’re still here. I was afraid I’d missed the chance to say goodbye.”
Hannah wrapped her bandaged hands around his wrists and pulled his fingers from her hair. The confused frown on her face was as precious as any smile she’d shared. “Why do you want to say goodbye?”
“For closure.” Ah, hell. He wasn’t sure how to explain this. But words were so important to this woman, he had to try. “I never got to say goodbye to Frank or my mom or…” He brushed aside the kinky amber curl that shaded her cheek. “There have been too many relationships in my life that I didn’t get to finish right.”
“And we’re finished?”
“You’re headin’ back to Kansas, aren’t you?”
Hannah pushed herself out of the chair, out of his lap, beyond his reach. He would have followed to snatch her back, but she turned on him and pointed a finger that kept him rooted to the spot.
“You know, nothing against wheat and sunshine and friendly people, but why in the hell would I want to go back to Randolph College?” He loved it when she went all Miss Chapman on him like this, caring enough to set him straight, standing up to him before he did something foolish that could ruin his life. “I mean, sure, we made some headway as a team. But the authorities have already arrested Dick for embezzlement. Randolph’s Board of Trustees will launch an investigation into Ed and Keith’s activities. Irene says she’s giving up her consultation business and moving to southern Florida. The Defoes are on their private jet trying to decide whether they want to sue the college or just withdraw their funding, so there’s not an awful lot at Randolph I’m anxious to see.”
A spark of hope made him smile. He thought maybe it was safe to stand now. “I wouldn’t want to go there.”
Hannah adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. She inhaled a deep breath and took one step toward him. “I hear they have colleges here in Wyoming.”
He moved a step himself. “Some of the country’s best.”
She reached up and laid her palm against his craggy, unshaven cheek, gently touching him as if he was precious to her. “You know, I’m even certified to teach middle and high school English.”
“No kidding?” The spirit of Miss Chapman was gonna save his butt yet. He rested his hands at her waist, pulled her closer. “Did I ever tell you that you remind me of an English teacher I once had?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Is that a good thing?”
“Very.”
“What if I stayed?”
“What if you stayed?”
They blurted the question in unison. They answered together, too.
“Yes.”
And when Rafe Kincaid kissed Hannah Greene, he knew there was no need to say goodbye. I
Everything you love about romance…
and more!
Please turn the page for Signature Select™
Bonus Features.
Bonus Features:
Author Interview
A Conversation with
Linda Turner
A Conversation with
Ingrid Weaver
A Conversation with
Julie Miller
Author’s Journal
An Interview with Rafe Kincaid of EXTREME, INC. by Julie Miller
10 Quotes Smart Readers Should Know
by Julie Miller
Top 10 Reasons Women Make Good Sleuths
by Ingrid Weaver
Sneak Peek
ROMANCING THE RENEGADE
by Ingrid Weaver
FORBIDDEN CAPTOR
by Julie Miller
BONUS FEATURES
CORNERED
Author Interview:
A conversation with
LINDA TURNER
USA TODAY bestselling author Linda Turner began reading romances in high school and began writing them one night when she had nothing else to read. She’s been writing ever since. Recently, she took some time out from her busy schedule to chat with us.
Tell us a bit about how you began your writing career.
It seems like I’ve been preparing to be a writer my entire life. I’ve always loved to read—anything and everything. I read every biography in elementary school I could get my hands on, especially those about American women throughout history�
��Martha Washington, Betsy Ross, Sacagawea. I eventually graduated to Nancy Drew, then romances when I was in high school, but not just category romance. I loved Pride and Prejudice, Gone with the Wind and Romeo and Juliet. My high-school English teacher wanted me to be on the school newspaper, but I was such an introvert and journalism really didn’t appeal to me. Then, after I graduated from college and was working for the FBI in D.C., I didn’t have anything to read one night. I started writing what I liked to read, and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Was there a particular person, place or thing that inspired this story?
I wanted to do something fun, something a little different from a regular detective story. I’ve always loved Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn movies, and I wanted that kind of chemistry between the hero and heroine. I also didn’t want it to be a heavy, who-done-it kind of story. Once I added the parrot, the story just seemed to flow. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun writing a book.
What’s your writing routine?
My writing routine isn’t nearly as disciplined as I need it to be. I like to start writing by eight, but I’m lucky if I get going by nine. At the moment I have six dogs, three cats, five chickens, two ducks and seven guinea fowl to feed every morning, plus I need to make sure the cows have water. I was a city girl all of my life—until I moved to the country two years ago. It’s wild, especially when the coyotes are howling and my dogs join in, but I love it. Once everyone’s fed, I settle into my bed with my laptop and write until about four. When I’m on a tight deadline, I sometimes work until midnight.
How do you research your stories?
When I first started writing, I tried to travel to the location of my stories to research the settings and get the feel of the place, but that was before I had six dogs, three cats, etc. So I try to write about places I’ve been. As for researching jobs for my hero and heroine, I talk to people in the same field when I can or have my twin sister research it on the Internet. I hate to confess it, but I was born in the wrong time period. I’m completely computer illiterate!
How do you develop your characters?
As for developing my characters, I start out with a certain character type for every character in the book, but they don’t always turn out the way I expect. They take on a life of their own and usually develop into characters I wish I’d thought of. I don’t know quite where they come from. I know it sounds weird, but there’s a voice in my head that I go with—that’s the only way I can explain it.
When you’re not writing, what are your favorite activities?
When I’m not writing, I’m antiquing, doing something crazy with my sister or working on my house. In 2000 I bought a house that was built in 1920 and had it moved thirty-five miles to the eleven acres I own in the country. The house had absolutely no architectural details except for ten-foot ceilings and a built-in ironing board, so I’m gradually restoring it and adding character as I go. I love it!
What are your favorite kinds of vacations? Where do you like to travel?
Growing up with a mother who loves to take country roads she’s never been on before, I started traveling at an early age. I’ve been all over the United States. I attended the 1984 summer Olympics in L.A., the 1988 winter Olympics in Calgary and spent a year working for the FBI in Washington, D.C. I would love to go to Tuscany, or take a train trip through New England in the fall. I don’t care for cruises—the ship moves too slowly in the water—but I love driving anywhere and everywhere.
Any last words to your readers?
I would love to thank the readers who have been so loyal all these years. I don’t usually do book signings—I think that goes back to being a twin and getting a lot of attention from the day I was born. My sister jokingly told me when I first started writing that she didn’t care how famous my name became, but my face—and hers!—was another matter. Not that I’m in this for fame—I just love a good romance. And I’m very grateful that my readers do, too. Because if they didn’t, I’d have to go out and find a real job!
Author Interview:
A conversation with
INGRID WEAVER
USA TODAY bestselling author Ingrid Weaver has won the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award for Romantic Suspense, as well as the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Suspense. She enjoys creating stories that reflect the adventure of falling in love. Recently, she chatted with us as she took a break from writing her latest book.
Tell us a bit about how you began your writing career.
It seems too easy to say that I started writing by reading, but that’s how it began. I consumed books voraciously, anything from mystery to romance to science fiction, so I thought actually writing a book of my own couldn’t be that hard. It took three worn-out manual typewriters, eight rejected manuscripts and five years of stealing writing time from my job as a stay-at-home mom before I sold my first book. But it was all worth it to be able to earn a living doing something I love.
Was there a particular person, place or thing that inspired this story?
Aside from chocolate? Because as a writer I spend much of my time in a make-believe world, I find the blurring of the line between fantasy and reality fascinating. Perhaps this is why I could relate so closely to Erika when she struggles to figure out what is real.
What’s your writing routine?
I’m an unrepentant morning person. As a child, I loved the day each year when daylight savings time kicked in, since it meant I could get up an hour earlier. I’m usually at my computer well before dawn and I work until noon. Afternoons are more flexible, especially in the case of emergencies such as nice weather or gardening.
How do you research your stories?
If I can’t find the background information I need in my reference shelves or in my husband’s collection of scientific and technical books, I use the local library or the Internet. But my favorite method is simply to ask someone. Most people, writers included, love to talk about their professions.
How do you develop your characters?
I believe our personalities are shaped by heredity and by the crises we endure in life. At the same time, the way we behave in a crisis reveals our true character. When I create fictional characters, I like to delve back into their formative years and figure out what shaped them. Then I toss them into one crisis after another and show who they are by how they react.
If you don’t mind, could you tell us a bit about your family?
My children, whom I stayed at home to raise, are all grown up now. Luckily, none of them are writers, so I’m hoping there won’t be a tell-all book someday about how I raised them.
If you don’t mind, how did you meet your husband?
We were both attending university—he was studying chemistry, I was pursuing an English degree—and we met when his roommate invited me to dinner. That was it. We knew. We’ve been together ever since.
When you’re not writing, what are your favorite activities?
Every now and then I go on knitting or jigsaw puzzle binges, but generally my non-writing time gets swallowed by our farm and our chronically expanding gardens. And of course, my dog happens to be the world’s most adorable and energetic springer spaniel, so I’m often out walking the back forty with him.
Do you have a favorite book or film?
That’s hard to choose. I have always loved Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonrider series, particularly the initial trilogy, Dragonflight, Dragonquest and The White Dragon. Ms. McCaffrey’s such a wonderful storyteller. I reread her books every few years as a restorative.
Any last words to your readers?
Absolutely. If you enjoy a book, if you’re moved by a story, then please, tell the author. I treasure every letter and e-mail I’ve received—it means I’ve done my job.
Author Interview:
A conversation with
JULIE MILLER
Julie Miller is an award-winning author and teacher who attributes her passion for writing roma
nce to the fairy tales she read growing up. Inspired by the likes of Agatha Christie and Encyclopedia Brown, she believes that the only thing better than a good mystery is a good romance. Recently, we spoke to her about writing, life and romance.
Tell us a bit about how you began your writing career.
My earliest stories were adventures that I created for my Barbie and G.I. Joe dolls when I was about 8. Even back then, before I had a concept of romance, I knew what made a great hero.
My novel-writing career began when my son was one. We’d just moved to a new town in a new state, and I had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom for a year. As much as I loved that time with my son, creatively, I needed something more. So when he napped, I wrote—challenging myself to see if I could write an entire novel like the mysteries, romances and romantic suspense books I loved to read. I’m proud to say that I could both write a complete book and raise a terrific son. I entered that first novel into a few contests, joined Romance Writers of America (and helped charter our local group, Prairieland Romance Writers) to learn about the business end of things and gained a wonderful critique partner and support group—I even had that novel considered by the Silhouette Shadows line. The line folded, but that editor’s encouragement to send something else stayed with me. Eventually, I sold three paranormal romances to Dorchester books, but my dream of writing romantic suspense for Harlequin stayed with me. I eventually got another manuscript done, targeted specifically for Harlequin Intrigue, which I sold. That book was One Good Man, the beginning of my successful, seven-book TAYLOR CLAN series for Intrigue. I’ve been happy writing a variety of projects for Harlequin ever since.