Southern Sass (Southern Desires Series Book 6)
Page 1
Table of 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
Epilogue
Southern Sass
Southern Desires Series
Book Six
by Jeannette Winters
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Sissie Entwistle had a natural gift for spotting soulmates, even for those who didn’t believe they existed. But through all her years of matchmaking, there was one thing that seemed hopeless. Her own happily ever after.
Ryan Watson was a tycoon in business. He played by his set of rules, and nothing stood between him and what he wanted.
When their worlds collide, the sparks ignite. Will the fire that burns be snuffed out when they find themselves in the midst of a terrorist threat? Or will the fight for their lives cost them a chance at true love?
Copyright
Kindle Edition
An original work of Jeannette Winters, 2017.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by Gin’s Book Designs (facebook.com/ginsdesigns)
Stock Photo Attribution: Depositphotos.com sunemotion, rickmcmillin
Dedication
There is no rhyme or reason. Love doesn’t come is a shape or size and it is unconditional. This book is dedicated to the one who holds my heart. TRUST & BELIEVE. HUGS & KISSES
Karen Lawson, Janet Hitchcock, E.L. King and Marion Arche, my editors you are all amazing!
To my readers who continue to inspire me with endless messages and kind words. Always make time for romance.
Hate to say goodbye to your favorite characters? The perfect solution is a Synchronized Series! One world. Three authors. Character cross-over. Triple the amount of books. Binge reading at it’s best.
Each author’s books are full stories you can enjoy individually! But putting them all together weaves an even more pleasurable reading experience.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
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
Epilogue
Other Books By Jeannette Winters
Chapter One
“It’s not safe,” Ryan Watson said to his daughter, Donna, who refused to hear what he was saying.
Ryan was a business giant. He could enter a boardroom and no one would question his directions. He knew Donna loved and respected him, but she wasn’t accepting what he was saying. Stubborn like your mother. If only I could’ve made her listen to me, our lives would be so different. It’d been several years since she’d died, yet seeing the same spark in Donna’s eyes brought it all back to him as though it were just yesterday. Normally he’d walk away to regroup. But he couldn’t . . . not this time. There was no way in hell was he going to lose Donna too, and no one else could guarantee her safety. If he had to put her under lock and key with a guard at the door, he would.
With her hands on her hips, Donna shot him the same disapproving look she’d been giving him since she’d lost her job at the Federal Emergency Management Agency almost a year ago. Although Donna never accused him of it, he could tell she suspected he was behind her termination. I would do it again if it means she stays safe. That’s my job as a father, and I won’t fail you.
“What’s bothering you is that you won’t be there to keep an eye on me.”
No. I want to make sure the wrong people aren’t. Ryan had always been a protective father, but with everything that had transpired over the last year, he went into overdrive. Donna might not appreciate him intruding in her life, but if she had any clue how dangerous things had become and how many lives had been lost, her tune would change.
Can’t ever let her know. God, she’d step right into the line of fire if it meant saving another person. I can’t let her do that. He was fine with growing old and being alone, but he wanted everything and more for Donna. It’s not your job to right the wrongs of the world.
He knew she had every right to protest his actions. She was thirty, and at times he treated her like she was still his baby girl. What she didn’t get was that was never going to change no matter how many birthdays she celebrated.
Looking into her sweet brown eyes, Ryan questioned if keeping her in the dark all this time had been a mistake. The world had become a volatile place, and he didn’t want her to be swallowed up by it. Ryan knew people on the outside might think what he was doing was extreme, but they didn’t know how close he’d come to losing her already. Ugly times call for drastic measures. Terrorist attacks were on the news all the time. Mark Collins and allies had been successful at keeping most people, including their loved ones, in the dark about how deep the lies and deceit were right here in the USA. It was an eye-opener when Collins requested his help in their recent covert operation. He was a savvy businessman with a hell of a lot of power. Never had he thought it would be used to protect his country, never mind his daughter.
When he last spoke to Collins, it was clear the threat wasn’t over. Pieces of the puzzle were missing, and until all had been accounted for, they must remain on high alert.
“You know it’s not you that concerns me. It’s all the jerks in the world that you’re not aware of.”
The sound of her foot tapping on the floor echoed through the room. She was much smaller than him, but she was fearless. Don’t fall for it. She knows how to work you. Always has.
“I’m going to be staying at the Nash’s ranch. You’ve been there. It’s like a fortress. Derrick is just as overprotective of Casey for some odd reason. Heck, he might even be worse if that’s possible.”
Derrick of all people had lost the most. There was a damn good reason why that place was under such heavy security. Bet Casey doesn’t even know just how much there is. Some things were best not discussed, but Ryan had a simple explanation for his daughter. More lies and cover-ups. Two things I promised Donna I’d never do to her. “She’s his wife and pregnant.”
“Women have babies all the time. Besides, I don’t know how having an armed guard at a gate helps a woman in her co
ndition. If anything, I think it would cause undue stress. Which of course is not good for her or the baby,” Donna challenged.
In a flat tone, Ryan answered, “You forget Derrick’s first wife and daughter were killed.” And that your old boss, Jeremy Talroy at FEMA, was involved in the cover-up. Since Casey had also worked for JT, Derrick’s actions were totally in line with what Ryan was doing. You never knew who lurked in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to take what made you happy.
Donna’s confident, defiant expression changed. In a softer voice, she said, “Guess with all the excitement of their wedding and now the baby about to arrive, I . . . forgot. How could I?”
When Ryan saw her eyes well with tears, he pulled her tiny frame into his arms. “That’s because you see all the beauty in things.” Unlike me. “The world would be a better place if there were more people like you.”
Donna sniffed, wrapped her arms around his waist, and looked up at him. “Dad, there’s a lot of wonderful people out there. You just don’t give people a chance.”
“I don’t need anyone else in my life besides you, kiddo.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Dad, I’m thir—”
He laughed. “Quit reminding me.” Ryan knew damn well how hold his daughter was. What she didn’t get, was whether she was thirty or a hundred, as a father, he’d always look at her as his baby girl.
Donna joined in and laughed saying, “No matter how many times I say it, you seem to conveniently forget.”
By choice. He tapped her on the nose and gave her a wink.
“Dad, why don’t you come with me?”
“To a baby shower? I don’t think so.”
Donna shook her head. “Don’t worry; we don’t want you there either. I was talking about Honeywell. The people there are probably the nicest people I’ve ever met. Give it a chance. I think you’d like it. Who knows, maybe you’d have fun.”
Donna knew one side of him, the one he needed to be for her—strong and serious. That didn’t mean he didn’t know how to have fun. He used to have fun all the time. That ended, and there was no place for it in his life again. “I have meetings tha—”
“I’m going to Honeywell for this baby shower. Your choice is to come with me or stay here, but I’m going to be there for Casey. She’s my friend, and that is what friends do. We’re there for each other in good times and bad.”
There was no stopping her this time without telling her why. Honeywell was a small town filled with people who looked out for each other. It probably was one of the safest places around. That didn’t mean he was going to let her go there without anyone keeping an eye on her. He needed to talk to Mark to make sure someone was going to have their eye on Donna. That call had to take place in private.
He looked down at Donna and said, “You better pack, because that jet is leaving in less than an hour. If you’re not on it, you and I will be having dinner together.”
Donna bolted out of the room so fast Ryan almost felt insulted. My company can’t be that bad. He knew it probably was. Since his hidden bunker had been attacked and bombed, he’d been on edge every second of the day. Living with a hungry grizzly bear would be easier than living with him.
At least the attacks hadn’t made it to his home yet. The others hadn’t been so fortunate. He couldn’t imagine what it was like in the Collins or Nash households after all they’d been through. He looked around his now quiet living room. Texans weren’t afraid of anything, but this enemy was unlike anything he’d encountered before. They weren’t some punks breaking into a house to rob them. Not as simple as two men facing off with a gun in their hands either. These cold-hearted bastards used the people you loved to take you down. Women and children were only as valuable as how they could be used in the process. No one could predict the next actions of people so sick and depraved.
It wasn’t going to be easy, but he needed to let Donna do this. She didn’t need to know it was going to be on his terms. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Mark.
“Collins.”
“Mark, I need a favor.”
“What do you need?”
Mark was one of the few people he could speak frankly to and not seem irrational. “Eyes on my daughter. She’s insisting on going to Honeywell to see your sister, Casey.”
“I spoke to Derrick earlier. Casey is excited about having company. She wants things to get back to normal. Unfortunately, this crazy shit is becoming our norm.”
“So you agree that I shouldn’t let her go?”
“I’m not a father yet, but I can’t see you being able to stop her. If she’s anything like you, she’s—”
“I get it. So what’s the plan to keep everyone safe?”
“The ranch is secure, and I have several people in town to keep an eye on things there.”
“I need to know what’s going on at all times.”
“There’s only one person who could pull that off and not look suspicious.”
“Who’s that?”
“Sissie Entwistle.”
“The woman from the bar?”
“The one and only.”
“I was thinking someone with some military training. You know . . . with a gun, who’d blow the bastards away if they try to hurt Donna.”
“They’ll be around too. Trust me, Sissie is much more observant than you’d guess. Nothing slips by her, unfortunately.”
“So you’re setting it up?”
“I’ll inform my team. You talk to Sissie.”
Call Sissie? She’d left a lasting impression on him when they first met. Several times he’d tried to come up with a word to describe her. It was impossible. There was something so complexed about her yet so vulnerable. She’d caught his interest, and that was something he hadn’t ever thought about or wanted. Reaching out to her for any reason was the last thing he wanted to do. His life was full of complications already, and he didn’t need another. Ryan didn’t doubt for one minute that Mark was accurate when he said Sissie was observant, so he didn’t want her observing his mild interest in her.
“I’d rather you call.”
“I thought you wanted to be kept up-to-date with every detail? If that’s the case, you need to make that connection because, trust me, you’ll get more than you asked for.”
That’s what concerns me. Derrick didn’t let many people on his ranch, but Sissie had earned the right to come and go as she pleased for some reason. She wasn’t his first choice, but she was his only option. “I’m trusting you on this Collins. You better not be wrong.”
“She won’t let you down.”
Sissie Entwistle, I think I have a job for you. Ryan searched Google for the number to the Wild Sass Saloon. He hoped he wasn’t about to make the biggest mistake of his life.
“Wild Sass, ya’ll best speak up cause this place is livin’ up to its name tonight!”
He recognized Sissie’s voice even through the hooting and hollering in the background. “I need a favor,” Ryan said loudly.
“You and everyone else in this town. I’m not in the mood for any special orders tonight. Eat what’s on the menu or stay home.”
Under any other circumstance he’d take the time to appreciate how someone so delicate-looking could run a bar with such an iron fist. When they’d met in person, she seemed so much quieter and reserved than what others portrayed her to be. Which one is the real Sissie?
“It’s not dinner I need.”
“Don’t you be callin’ thinkin’ there’s anything else you’re gettin’ here. ’Cause being bitten by a rattler will be less painful than what I’d do to you, ya hear?” Her voice snapped back at him with fire and sass and a sharp warning.
Perfect for the job. “You misunderstand me. I need your help.”
There was a pause on the line before she spoke again. “Who is this?”
“Ryan Watson. We met before.”
Another pause and when she spoke this time her voice was quiet. “I’m sorry, Mr. Watson. I thought you were Mc
Lean or Bubba. They’re always pullin’ some crazy shi . . . stuff to drive me to drink. Of course, I own a bar, so that’s convenient at least.”
Ryan didn’t know who those two men were, but he didn’t like them already. He was long past the age of pulling a prank. Besides, there wasn’t time for games. People’s lives could be at stake. “This is no joke. I need to hire you for a job. One that no one can know about. Are you interested?”
Her voice took on a different tone when she spoke again. “I might not be a big businesswoman, but I don’t agree to anything without details first.”
He liked that she wasn’t a pushover. If she were, Donna would steamroll right over her in a heartbeat. “My daughter, Donna, is flying to Honeywell soon. She wants to be in town for Casey’s shower and the birth. I don’t have to explain to you my concerns about her being there without my—”
“Over protective ass ruining her time?”
Blunt. But correct. He was used to giving orders and having them followed. It was evident Sissie wasn’t as quiet as he’d first thought, and she was going to speak her mind. Any other time he might enjoy such a challenge. “The family will all be staying at the Nash’s ranch. I need someplace safe for her to stay off the ranch.”
“And you want what from me exactly?”
“She’s thinking she’ll stay at the hotel or with Casey.”
“And neither is an option I take it?”
“No. I want a room at the saloon and you to keep a close eye on her. Anything that does not look right to you, you reach out to Mark Collins or me immediately.”
“I don’t have rooms for rent here.”
“You live there.”
“I do, but all I have is a spare room in my apartment over the saloon. She’s welcome to it if you want.”
“Good. I need you to find a way that she has no choice but to stay with you.”
“You want me to convince someone I don’t know to stay with me instead of with her friends or at the hotel right down the street? What makes you think I can pull this off?” He could hear the sarcasm in her voice.