Daughter of Texas

by Terri Reed

  “I know you won’t,” she replied, her voice holding a note of admiration. “Gisella told me you all are sure I’m no longer a target.”

  “That’s true. Jimenez agreed to a polygraph test and passed. He was the only one after you. Now that he’s in jail for attempted murder, you’ve nothing left to fear. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you myself.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she considered his apology. “You can make it up to me.”

  Mild surprise flickered. He arched an eyebrow. “Oh. How?”

  She leaned a hip against the counter, relaxing slightly. “Well, first by going to church with me this morning.”

  He blinked. “Church?” What day was it? He’d been working so much he hadn’t even realized… “You want to go to church?”

  A soft smile touched her lush lips. “Yes. I figure I’m going to need my faith if I’m going to get what I want.”

  Anticipation sizzled along his nerve endings. “Okay. Sounds a bit odd.”

  She gave a delicate shrug. “The Bible says Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. I’m choosing to believe Him.”

  “I don’t think that verse means God will grant you any wish you want, but rather He’ll put the right desires in your heart.”

  A beaming smile lit her face, making his toes curl.

  “Then it’s true,” she said. “Because my desire goes against logic and reason. Therefore, He must have given it to me, right?”

  He tried to sort out her words and found them as clear as the mud at the bottom of the Rio Grande. “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”

  She giggled, a pleasing sound that strummed his senses. A tremor of pure attraction shuddered through him. He sucked in a sharp breath.

  When she smoothly advanced on him, he found himself cornered, his back literally against the wall. His palms began to sweat. Emotions bounced around his chest like pinballs.

  She laid a warm, delicate hand on his chest. “What I want, Ranger Fritz, is you.”

  Sure he hadn’t heard her right, Ben stuck a finger in his ear and shook it as if to make his hearing better. She couldn’t have just said she wanted him. Him? His pulse beat at sonic speed and his temperature skyrocketed through the roof. “Excuse me. What did you say?”

  The edges of her mouth tipped upward in a coy smile. “You heard me.”

  Who was this vibrant and determined woman in front of him? Gone was any trace of the icy aloofness he used to receive from her. This was no fragile ballerina needing to be coddled and protected. He’d seen glimpses of this woman over the past month but now…wow. His mind exploded, sending him off balance. And the love he’d already acknowledged detonated within him, filling every fiber of his being. He fought to breathe, to think.

  “I did hear you. And it’s out of the question for so many reasons.”

  Clamping his hands on her upper arms, though careful not to touch the tender welt from the bullet grazing, he lifted her slightly off her feet and set her aside so he could move past her without knocking her over.

  She dogged his steps into the living room. “How can you say that?”

  Needing air, he opened the sliding glass door. The happy sounds of the children who lived in the apartment complex playing outside stirred a painful yearning in his soul. He shut the sliding glass door, blocking out the sounds of his deepest desire. A family to belong to. He had a family. The Rangers were his family.

  Anything else… He couldn’t.

  Keeping his back to her, he said, “I can’t. You and me, well, a relationship between us wouldn’t be right.”

  “You can’t? Not right?”

  The confusion and outrage in her voice stabbed at him. His resolve faltered, but he stayed the course for her sake, as well as his. He never broke a promise.

  Turning, he steeled himself to meet her gaze. She deserved the respect. “I made a promise to your father to watch out for you.”

  Her face showed confusion. “And you did. Admirably. You saved my life, you caught the bad guy and put him in jail. What more could anyone ask?”

  Anguish clogged his throat barely letting the words pass.

  “You don’t understand. The promise was more encompassing than that. Your father wanted more for you. I want more for you.”

  “More?” She made a face. “You’re right. I don’t understand. What more could there be?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “A good life. A safe life. A life without all the baggage that comes with…my world.”

  An indignant light entered her dark gaze. She held up a hand. “Hold up! Wait a sec. You don’t get to decide what kind of life I need.” She pointed to herself. “I get to. And I’ve lived in your world my whole life.”

  “Not really. Your father kept you insulated. He didn’t ever want to put you at risk. And I don’t either.”

  She cut the air with her hand in a slicing motion. “Do you think I haven’t thought this through? Do you think I haven’t told myself that I should walk away from the pain and sorrow that is inherent with the life of a Ranger?”

  She advanced on him. “A wise woman told me life isn’t safe. I know that. Ben, I don’t want safe. I want…” Suddenly, she hesitated as insecurity flashed across her face. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Tell me you don’t feel anything for me and I’ll walk away. I’ll leave you to your life.”

  His mouth was as dry as cotton. Her words scorched a trail to his heart. He couldn’t tell her he didn’t feel anything. He would be lying. He loved her. The words sat on his tongue but refused to let go.

  “Look,” Ben said. “You don’t know what you’re saying. What you’re asking. You deserve so much more than the likes of me. I can’t let you settle.”

  Frustration crossed her face as she shook her head. “Not your call.”

  He had to make her see reason. “Your feelings are born out of grief. They won’t last. You need time to figure out what you really want in life. This has been an intense month. You’ve lost your father. You’ve been shot and shot at. Your world has been turned upside down. You’ve changed—”

  “No. I haven’t changed.” She stepped closer. “But I’ve grown. I finally feel like I can be me. There’s no more anger and resentment holding me down. I do know what I want in life. Time isn’t going to change that. And yes, it’s been an intense month. We’ve both suffered a great loss.” Tears filled her eyes. “My world imploded. But I survived, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually, because of you.”

  “But that doesn’t mean you…” He couldn’t bring himself to say the word love. He couldn’t hope her feelings were real. If he allowed her fully into his heart and then she left…he didn’t want to go down that awful road again.

  “Yes, it does.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned back to look up into his face. “I love you.”

  Everything inside him stilled. Joy blasted through him. He tamped it down. Slowly, he extracted himself from her embrace.

  “You deserve so much better than me. You should have a life that doesn’t put your safety at risk.”

  She shook her head with a determined gleam in her eyes. “You don’t get to make that judgment. That’s a decision only I get to make. And I choose you.”

  “You don’t understand.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Loving me puts you in danger. Puts me in danger. And my team. If someone wanted to get at me, all they would have to do is go after you. I can’t live with that.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” Her expression hardened with determination. “If every law enforcement officer thought that way none of them would marry and have kids. Besides, aren’t you the one who told me God is good? If you really believed that, then you’d trust God with us. Where’s your faith, Ben?”

  Her words sliced through him like a knife carving through butter. She was right. If he really believed, really had faith that God worked in his life, then he’d have the faith to trust that God would protect them both.
“I do have enough faith in God. I just don’t have faith in love.”

  Her eyebrows drew together. “I don’t understand.”

  “How long will your love last?”

  “Forever.”

  “You say that now.” He swiped a hand over his face, feeling exposed and raw as he let out his deepest fear.

  “Your love will wane and then you’ll regret your decision and…leave.”

  For a long moment she stared. “Not going to happen. Once I commit, I’m fully committed. Love as an emotion, a feeling…” She shrugged. “Yeah, it will ebb and flow just as all emotions and feelings do. That’s part of being human. That will have no bearing on my commitment. And I am ready to leap, jump, dive into a relationship with you, Ben. You and only you.”

  He so desperately wanted to believe her words. “But—”

  “No buts.” Her expression gentled. Compassion filled her pretty eyes. “I get it. This is a lot to take in. And it’s out of the blue. And we don’t really know each other.” She made a face. “I mean, we’ve known each other for a long time, but we don’t really know each other. We can go slow. Take our time figuring this out. Whatever you want. But I’m in. All the way.”

  Her words zoomed straight to his heart. All in. If she were willing to take the risk of loving him, could he do no less?

  They stared at each for a long moment. A slow smile spread through him. The depth of love shining in her eyes wouldn’t be denied. She loved him. Him.

  “I love you, too.” The words burst from his mouth like a dam breaking. In a swift move, he pulled her into his arms. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

  She reached up to tug his head closer. When her lips hovered a breath from his, she said, “You did everything right.”

  With a growl of joy and pleasure, he kissed her, sealing their future together.

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed the first book in the TEXAS RANGER JUSTICE continuity series. Writing about Texas Rangers was a first for me and I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the life of a Ranger. The Texas Rangers have a long and exciting history that inspires admiration. Thank you for the opportunity to introduce you to Ranger Ben Fritz and I hope you are looking forward to getting to know the other Texas Rangers in this series.

  Corinna Pike suffered a terrible tragedy when she found her beloved father murdered. At first, angry at God for allowing this to happen, she had to come to a place where she could once again trust her Heavenly Father. Balancing Corinna’s grief and her growing feelings for Ranger Ben Fritz proved challenging but in the end her love couldn’t be denied. Through Ben’s steadfast commitment to God, Corinna and justice, he managed not only to protect her, but to fall in love with her as well.

  Blessings,

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  What made you pick up this book to read? Did it live up to your expectations? How so?

  In what ways were Ben and Corinna realistic characters? How did their romance build believably?

  Talk about the secondary characters. What did you like or dislike about the people in the story?

  Was the setting clear and appealing? Could you “see” where the story took place?

  Corinna was angry that God didn’t answer her prayers for her father’s protection. Have you experienced times where God’s answer to your prayers wasn’t the answer you sought? Explain.

  Ben told Corinna evil had killed her father. What does this statement mean to you?

  Why do you think God allows free will?

  Corinna revealed that she danced because it was her mother’s wish for her life. What are some expectations that have been placed on you? How did you deal with them?

  Though the Miriam Shelter is fictional, the issue of domestic violence is very real. In what ways could you help those suffering from this issue in your community?

  Corinna found value in volunteering her talent to teach the children of the shelter to dance. Can you share about the talents God gave you? In what ways are you using those talents for good?

  The loss of her father affected Corinna deeply. Can you share a loss that had touched your life? How did it change you?

  Ben took his promise to watch over Corinna seriously. Can you share a promise you’ve made that was important for you to keep?

  Did you notice the Scripture in the beginning of the book? What do you think these words mean? What application does it have to your life?

  How did the author’s use of language/writing style make this an enjoyable read? Would you read more from this author? If so, why? Or why not?

  What will be your most vivid memories of this book? What lessons about life, love and faith did you learn from this story?

  Special thanks and acknowledgment to Terri Reed for her contribution to the Texas Ranger Justice miniseries.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-8002-5

  DAUGHTER OF TEXAS

  Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Books S.A.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.

  ® and TM are trademarks of Steeple Hill Books, used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

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  *The McClains