by Cora Seton
Gwen Gablonski, reforming bad girl, and former supermodel, is eager to change her ways. Agreeing to help Kerri and Jordan out while Kerri has her baby, she shows up in Harland County to cook at The Texas Republic. Rekindling an old flame with the volunteer firefighter isn’t on the menu, but she can’t seem to control the burn Tanner causes when he’s near.
This is another hot, heartfelt, sexy read in this series involving some series regulars, and introducing some new ones.
Thanks for reading,
~Donna
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com
Also by Donna Michaels
~Novels~
She Does Know Jack
Royally Unleashed
The Spy Who Fanged Me
~Time-shift Heroes Series~
Captive Hero (Time-shift Heroes Series-Book One)
~Harland County Series~
Harland County Christmas (Novella/Brock and Jen)
Her Fated Cowboy (Harland County Series-Book One)
Her Unbridled Cowboy (Harland County Series-Book Two)
Her Uniform Cowboy (Harland County Series-Book Three)
Her Forever Cowboy (Harland County Series-Book Four)
Her Healing Cowboy (Harland County Series Book Five)
~Citizen Soldier Novels~
Wyne and Chocolate (Citizen Soldier Series-Book Two)
Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series-Book One)
~Novellas~
Cowboy-Fiancé (formerly Cowboy-Sexy)
Thanks for Giving
Ten Things I’d Do for a Cowboy
Vampire Kristmas
Valentine’s Day Do-Over
Valentine’s Day Do-Over Part II: The Siblings
UPCOMING RELEASES:
Cowboy Payback (Cowboy-Fiancé Sequel)
~Dangerous Curves Series~
Knight’s SEAL—(Cat Johnson’s Hot SEALs Kindle Worlds Crossover/Rel. 08/04/2015)
Locke and Load—(Book 1/Nikki /Rel. 09/09/2015)
~Harland County Series~
Her Indulgent Cowboy (Book 7/Jesse)
~Citizen Soldier Novels~
Wyne and Song (Book 3/Ethan/Rel. Nov. 2015)
Dedication
To Harland County fans. I appreciate your unending support! To my family, the HOODS, my wonderful street team, and my fellow 12-Alalrm authors.
And especially Dawn and Roger for their help and guidance with all things firefighter. ♥
Chapter One
‡
Harland County was hot. Sizzling hot.
Gwen Gablonski sipped a tall glass of iced tea as she stood quietly in a corner and silently approved of the gorgeous, southern, testosterone filling Texas Republic, the restaurant/bar that was her temporary place of employment. The honky tonk had a huge fire pit, stage, and dance floor, with netting, driftwood and seaside décor gracing the white clapboard walls, giving the place a warm, friendly atmosphere.
The Tex Pub, as she heard it referred to, was currently the site of a going away party for the doctor she’d met last year at a wedding up in the Poconos of Pennsylvania where she had grown up. Jace and his girlfriend, Holly, were leaving tomorrow for a stint with Doctors Without Borders, and judging by the packed room, the whole county was seeing them off.
Including…him.
Tanner. The sexy-as-sin cowboy she’d spent a few hours with—naked hours—back east six months ago at that dang wedding.
She blamed that moment of weakness on her overloaded stress level at having returned home after a decade of modeling and traveling the globe. She’d had damage to repair in the Poconos. Attending the wedding of her sister’s best friend had been part of the mending process…and a little awkward. Okay, a lot awkward, considering she’d dated one of the bride’s brothers in high school, then dumped him a month after she’d left to model. Not one of her finest moments. But definitely the first fence she’d mended. She and Ben weren’t exactly BFFs, but they were in a good place, which was important since her sister was now engaged to the man.
Gwen smiled. She’d never seen Lea so happy. The two were perfect for each other.
Thank God she and Ben had never done the deed. Although, losing her virginity to him would’ve been a hell of a lot better than the asshat photographer she’d foolishly believed had loved her.
She’d been stupid and foolish, especially back then. Cripes. The past decade had been one mistake after another. As smart and successful as she had been with her career, she made a fiasco out of her love life. Too bad it had taken a tragedy to open her eyes. But, she finally got a clue, quit the business—retired Gwen Gable—and endeavored to travel a better path, one that led to a better her.
She hoped.
First stop, Harland County.
The only downfall…Tanner.
The brown-haired, brown-eyed, hot cowboy strode straight toward her; that sexy, kickass, eagle tattoo of his peeked out from under the edge of his short sleeve and made her want to push the material up and expose his muscled bicep to her tongue. But, she would behave. That ship had sailed, she reminded herself, watching him approach, dimpled smile absent from his handsome face. It didn’t stop her pulse from kicking up, or the strange prickling of her skin as he neared.
“Hello, Gwen,” he said, voice a little deeper than she remembered.
And sexier.
Damn him.
She lowered her glass and nodded. “Hello, Tanner.”
He cocked his head and eyed her closely. “What brings you to Texas?”
Apprehension tightened his features, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. Exactly what she feared he would think when he saw her in his town.
She couldn’t help but smile. He was such a guy.
“Relax. I’m not here because of you,” she informed with a shake of her head. “Jordan and Kerri McCall hired me to cook when Kerri takes maternity leave.” Was it mean that she enjoyed watching surprise replace the wariness in his gaze as the idiot got a clue? Probably, but…oh, look at that, she didn’t care. “Get over yourself, cowboy. Our time between the sheets was good, but not that good.”
Using that as a parting shot, she pushed past him and headed for the table where her new bosses were seated with Brandi and a few other women she recognized from the wedding.
“Mind if I join you?”
“No. Pull up a chair,” Holly replied, motioning to an empty seat.
“Thanks.” Beyond happy to have at least gotten her meet-and-greet with Tanner out of the way, she sat and silently snickered. It had gone exactly as she’d expected.
A quick glance to the side had her noting the bad boy cowboy was now surrounded by grinning women.
Shocker.
Not.
The man was very easy on the eyes with a lazy, sexy grin that drew you right in and made you feel special. And for a few, decadent hours last fall, she had felt special.
Then reality had returned with a vengeance, and she’d scrambled from his hotel room before she did something foolish, like stay the whole night.
Her behavior should’ve given the guy a clue. Apparently not. The surprise that had turned to apprehension a few minutes ago spoke volumes. He’d assumed she’d pined over him the past six months, until she couldn’t take it anymore and had to rush down to his neck of the woods to see him again.
As if.
She tore her gaze away and huffed into her drink. She never ‘pined’ over a guy. Not anymore, at least. Not since that asshat photographer nearly ten years ago. No. There had been no pining over Tanner, just a few isolated pauses when she’d allowed the memory of her liaison with the lean Texas bad boy to warm her on frigid winter nights.
She wouldn’t have that issue here.
Harland County was anything but frigid, even at the beginning of March, as she discovered an hour ago. The instant she’d stepped out of the cool confines of the McCall Enterprises’ jet with Brandi and her husband, Kade—who had been in the Poconos for a funeral—she’d gotten her first taste of the Texas warmth and
humidity.
“Thanks for flying down.”
The voice of one of her employers brought her attention back to the table. Dressed in a tan sheriff’s uniform, Jordan McCall appeared cool and composed, wearing an air of command that instantly put you at ease.
A woman with her shit together.
Exactly the state of mind Gwen hoped to someday achieve. But, she knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and judging by the worldly look in her boss’ dark eyes, the sheriff had seen and experienced more than her share of grief.
She’d met the McCall sisters at the wedding last year, too. That’s when they’d asked if she’d consider filling in as a cook when the younger took maternity leave.
It was hard to believe six months had gone by, until she rested her gaze on Kerri McCall, the mother-to-be sitting to her right. Poor thing appeared ready to pop any second.
“Have you had a chance to settle in yet?” the very pregnant woman asked, rubbing her back.
She shook her head. “Not really, but I will later.”
“Yeah, poor thing,” Brandi said, apologetic smile tilting her lips. “Gwen had barely set her suitcases down in my old cottage when Kade and I whisked her across the street to this party.”
She smiled and lifted her glass to her mouth while her darn gaze strayed to the bar where Tanner now stood talking to a bunch of gorgeous guys.
Dang me. Now, that was a sight she could get used to.
In her former line of work, she’d been around plenty of good-looking males, some were great guys who took the business and their role in it seriously, eating right and living right. But there were others who were bigger divas than the women. The major difference between them and the eye candy before her was that these handsome specimens were men. No spray tans or pedicures or waxing, just one hundred percent testosterone at its finest.
Kerri leaned close, still rubbing her back. “The male scenery sure is something here, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she replied, only because she’d been caught staring more than once, and always at the same scenery, too.
Dammit.
“Tanner’s a great guy.” Holly smiled from across the table, nodding toward the scenery Gwen’s gaze kept returning to ogle.
Did he have to look so damn good in a pair of jeans? What was with that?
With his back to her, leaning against the bar as if he owned it, talking to Kade, Jace, and a few other men, the sexy cowboy wore denim in the best possible way—tight in the hips, butt, and thighs, and loose from the knees down, declaring his frame solid, lean, and sexy as sin. And it was certainly all that. The gray T-shirt, stretching across his broad shoulders, emphasized the muscles rippling down his back and arm as he lifted a bottle of beer to his mouth.
A hot, talented mouth…
Gwen gave her head a mental shake and did her best to ignore the unwanted flash of heat rushing through her body. “I suppose.” She shrugged. “I don’t really know him that well.”
Just in the biblical sense.
“Yeah. Right,” Jordan scoffed. “Your eyes kind of tell a different story.”
Damn woman’s too astute to argue.
She did anyway. “And I think maybe your eyes must be reading a different book, because I’m not interested.” Much.
Jordan smiled.
So did the others at the table.
“I’m not,” she insisted, and even turned so the cowboy was out of her peripheral view. “Besides, I’m only here to cook until Kerri comes back to work. I’m not staying.”
Brandi blew out a breath. “Oh boy.”
“Yeah.” Kerri nodded. “Where have I heard that before? Oh, right. From me.”
“And me.” Holly raised her hand.
Shayla, the pretty redhead holding a sweet little newborn nodded. “Me, too.”
“Me, three.” The sheriff grinned.
Gwen’s jaw dropped. All of them? Seriously?
Had they all only planned to be in town temporarily and now had Harland County husbands? Damn. Not great odds. Even Holly, the smiling guest of honor, had a Harland County boyfriend she was about to follow to some Godforsaken country.
She lifted her chin. “It’s not going to happen to me. I’ll just avoid the water around here. Must be something hokey in it,” she added, before dismissing the subject by taking a long pull of her tea.
No way would she fall for Tanner, or any Texan. No matter how hot he was, in or out of clothes.
The women laughed, and Kerri said, “Too late.”
Gwen’s heart lurched. No, it wasn’t too late. She’d only spent one night with the guy, not even a night. A few hours, and, okay, so they were two incredible hours, but that didn’t mean squat. She wasn’t interested. Her temporary time in Harland County had nothing to do with finding a man and everything to do with finding herself again. Liking herself again.
She sucked down more tea.
The mother-to-be smirked and nodded to the glass blessedly cool in Gwen’s suddenly warm hand. “You’ve been drinking the water for over a half-hour now. I used it to make the iced tea.”
Shit. She shoved the nearly empty glass away. “It’s okay. I’m immune.”
And nothing like the friendly women seated at the table. There was a difference between her and them. A big difference. They all had something in common—they were good people.
She wasn’t.
And had the past to prove it. A past, at times, unfortunately captured in print.
But she was working on changing her life. Working on making amends. Behaving. Keeping on the straight and narrow. Avoiding bad boys like Tanner. That was key.
And, oh yeah, he was definitely the poster child for bad boys, from the wicked tug of his lips pitting dimples in his cheeks, to the devilish glint in his brown eyes. Pure sin. Pure temptation.
Pure trouble.
“Exactly what I said,” Kerri stated. “I thought I was immune.”
“Me, too,” Holly agreed.
Brandi nodded. “Me, three.”
“Ditto.” Shayla smiled.
The hell with it. Gwen reached for her glass and finished the remainder of her tea while the women continued to smirk. Damage was already done.
“I meant what I said.” Holly leaned closer to the table a few seconds later. “Tanner is a good guy. And I could tell there’s something between the two of you when I saw you talking earlier.”
She snorted. “I could tell something, too.”
“What?”
“He thought I came to Texas looking for him.” She shook her head. “I set him straight, though.”
Kerri narrowed her gaze. “What’d you do?”
Gwen shrugged. “Told him to get over himself. I was here to help you.”
Once again, the women laughed, and Jordan even slapped the table. “I knew I liked you.”
At least someone did.
“Well, you may have put Tanner in his place,” Holly said, damn smile still curving her mouth. “But I know what I saw, and what I saw was some serious chemistry. And trust me, I know chemistry and the losing battle of trying to fight it.”
“Amen,” Shayla murmured.
She shook her head and sighed. “You’re still not getting it. I did not come down here because of Tanner.”
“No, I do get that,” the guest of honor insisted. “You’re here temporarily. To help out. To work.”
“Yes.”
Holly sat back in her chair and lifted a shoulder. “So was I, but things change. My priorities changed. I changed. And I’m blessed to have met Jace, and damn lucky he wants me in his life.” A happy expression lit the woman’s face. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to badger, it’s just, I’ve been where you are, and well, things have a way of snowballing out of control.”
“Amen.”
“Ditto.”
Crap.
“Thanks for your concern, but I’m pretty sure that won’t happen to me. Tanner and I had one night. A great night, but that’s all it was. It’s enough,” sh
e defended, more than a little disconcerted to realize she was lying through her teeth. A few more nights in the cowboy’s capable hands would probably put an end to her strange longings. But she refused to go there. “It really was nothing more than letting off some steam. Hell, I don’t even know his last name.”
“Hathaway,” the women replied in unison.
Shit. She didn’t want to know that.
“He’s a national guardsman and volunteer firefighter who helps out at all the ranches around here, including ours,” Brandi added.
Or that either.
“Hate to break it to you,” Jordan said. “But, despite his bad boy persona, Tanner Hathaway is a stand up guy. He’s always first to help out, lend a hand, give up his time.”
Heat gathered low in Gwen’s belly as her body instantly remembered how he’d helped her out when he lent a hand and gave more than his time.
“See that man he’s talking to?” Holly pointed to the bar.
Reluctantly, she twisted around and looked. Tanner, Jace, and Kade were laughing at something the older, gray-haired man had said. “Yeah.”
“That’s his mentor Barry Patterson, the old fire chief,” the dark-haired woman explained. “Barry has Alzheimer’s and no family left to take care of him. Guess who stops in to check on the guy daily?”
Well, hell. She definitely didn’t need to know that. Her heart cracked open enough for her chest to hurt with some unknown emotion. Dammit. She needed to shut these women up and fast before she rode the stupid train and warmed up to the bad boy.
She turned back to face the table, and change the subject. “I did a calendar shoot once to benefit Alzheimer’s. It’s a terrible disease.” The mother of one of her model friends had suffered from it for years before succumbing. In her grief, Jane had turned to drugs and alcohol, and although Gwen had liked to party, she’d refused to do drugs and had tried to get her friend to stop.
