by Jo Barrett
Table of Contents
Stolen Hearts
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
About the author…
Thank you for purchasing this Wild Rose Press publication. For other wonderful stories of romance, please visit our on-line bookstore at www.thewildrosepress.com.
Stolen Hearts
by
Jo Barrett
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are 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.
Stolen Hearts
COPYRIGHT © 2012 by Jo Barrett
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by RJ Morris
Model ~ Anna Kate Chambers
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Champagne Rose Edition, 2012
Digital ISBN 978-1-61217-532-4
Published in the United States of America
Chapter One
Sheriff Jake Conrad pulled his patrol car over to the side of the road in front of a huge RV. Remnants of steam wafted from beneath its hood. This was not what he needed, today of all days.
“Can I be of help, ma’am?” he asked, moving toward the motorist, his senses on full alert.
They had a growing drug trafficking problem in his town, Iron Horse, Wyoming, but hadn’t yet found out who the leader was or how they were making the drops. A big load could be stashed in a camper the size of the one in front of him, but he hadn’t figured on a woman to be the leader.
She stood and dusted the dirt and grass off the back of her jeans as he moved closer. He shelved the instantaneous zing of attraction, he had work to do and she could be the person he’d been looking for. It didn’t matter that she filled those jeans to perfection, had delectable curves, a mouth made for sin, and a pair of crystal blue eyes that seemed to take in everything around her in a single glance.
Slipping a lazy curl of yellow-gold hair behind her ear, she said, “No, but thanks. I’ve already sent for a tow truck.”
Jake blinked a moment and looked at the massive RV, tipped back his hat, then looked at her. Tucking his thumbs into his utility belt, he studied her a moment. George’s shop, the only auto place in town with a tow truck, didn’t have one big enough to haul that thing away. That meant she had to call over to Cheyenne. Could be that whoever she called was her contact for the hand-off, or could be she was just a beautiful, stranded woman, who was passing through. Either way, she would be sitting here all day and maybe into the night waiting for the tow.
“Mind if I ask who you called?”
She cocked her head as she returned his steady gaze. “I used my roadside assistance service. They’ll send the closest one they can find.”
He nodded and looked back at the camper. That was a reasonable answer, but something bugged him about the situation, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Or maybe it was the attraction thing that had him edgy. Either way, he knew the lady needed to move on and the sooner the better. A camper broken down on the only road that led to the suspected drop-off would hinder his investigation and put her in harm’s way—if she was who she appeared to be.
****
Christine studied the handsome sheriff, hating that her deprived libido went full tilt at the sight of him the minute he stepped out of his patrol car. Dark hair, tone body, strong jaw—currently clenching, if she wasn’t mistaken, and a serious set of shoulders made for an extremely sexy package of testosterone. And if she were a romance novelist instead of a travel journalist, she’d peg him as the hero in a heartbeat, or maybe even the sexy bad guy. Either way, he was yummy to look at, but something about her current situation didn’t sit well with him.
“I need to see your license and registration,” he said.
“Sure.” Shuffling around in her bag, she located her information and held it out to him. She didn’t think it wise to take another step closer.
Breakdowns were the biggest thing she hated about her work. Driving around the country alone wasn’t the safest thing to do for a living, but it was her job. Although she didn’t love it, she’d seen some beautiful places and it paid the bills. But even though he was a sheriff, that didn’t mean he was a good guy. She’d learned a long time ago that people didn’t always portray their true nature to the public, her father was a prime example. All laughs and fun to the outside world, but an abuser in his own home.
The sheriff slid his sunglasses into his shirt pocket, took the information from her, then perused it. “You’re a long way from home, Miss Harper.”
When she made no response, he lifted his head and her breath stuck in her throat. His dark eyes were lethal, hot then cold, she couldn’t begin to guess what was running through his mind. She managed an unsteady nod, then he handed back her information. She made certain her fingers didn’t graze his, because she had a feeling it would be bad—very bad.
“Any idea what the problem is? Or how long they’ll take?” His voice held a hint of frustration, adding to her jittery nerves.
It had been a long stretch of highway when whatever it was went haywire beneath the hood, and she was afraid it had something to do with the radiator, what with it doing an impersonation of Old Faithful. “No. But they said someone would be here as soon they could.”
He pinned her with a dark brooding gaze. “The closest tow for that thing would have to come from Cheyenne.”
She squared her shoulders and shot him a glare of her own, determined to not let him intimidate her. She wasn’t a criminal, for crying out loud. “So?”
He took a deep breath, his mouth in a grim frown. “You could be sitting here until tomorrow.”
Now he was just ticking her off. What did he care if she sat there all week? It was her life, and hellooooo, it was a fully loaded camper. She folder her arms with a smirk. “I repeat. So?”
He ran a hand down his face then shook his head. “Get in the car,” he said with a grumble, then turned toward the street.
Chris didn’t move an inch. She wasn’t about to go anywhere with mister piss-and-vinegar.
When he realized she wasn’t moving, he turned with his hands planted on his hips. “I’ll take you into town where you can wait in comfort,” he said, his voice laden with sarcasm.
With a tilt of her chin, she said, “I’m perfectly comfortable here.”
Whether or not the sheriff had just had a bad day and probably wasn’t some sadistic so-and-so didn’t matter. She was supposed to remain with the RV when she used her service. If she didn’t, they would charge her for the call and not tow it anywhere.
Shaking his head, he stomped up the little grassy embankment toward her, and she took several cautious steps back.
Jake noticed her unease and stopped with a rueful shake of his head, knowing he’d not handled this encounter well. Her ID seemed in order, and he doubted she had anything to do with the drug situation, but with only one deputy and nothing but lip service from the feds at this point, he couldn’t keep her safe and get the proof he needed.
“You can’t stay here. It isn’t safe,” he said.
/> “I’m sure I’ll be fine. But thank you for the offer.”
He didn’t miss the irritation in her voice. “Look, I’ll take you into town, then swing by George’s shop and he’ll come out and take a look at it. If he can’t get it running, then I will personally escort the tow truck from Cheyenne out here.”
She stood still for several moments watching him, her gaze cutting to the camper then back to him. “Where will you take me? George’s shop?”
“I’ll take you to Liddy’s Bed and Breakfast. You can wait there, and if it takes longer than a few hours, you can spend the night.”
“I could spend the night in my camper for free and the roadside service is already paid for. I’d have to pay this George person out of pocket.”
Wanting to reach out and just grab her and haul her off, he clenched his teeth against his growing frustration. “Lady, I’m on the verge of arresting you for illegally setting up camp in a non-camping designated area.”
“But—but that’s ridiculous!”
“If it’ll get you off this isolated road to where you’ll be safe, then it suits me just fine.”
Those coral tinted lips opened and closed without uttering a word, and he bit the inside of his cheek to push aside thoughts of what those lips could do. “You’ve got about two seconds to decide,” he said.
“Fine,” she snapped, and spun around to pick up her bag and water bottle from the ground.
Jake tasted blood in his mouth as he bit down harder on his cheek at the sight of her jeans pulled taught across her luscious body.
“I’ll need a few things,” she said, and stomped into the camper.
He took a deep breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow. If he had to go in and get her, there would be Hell to pay. Tight quarters with that sort of temptation was more than he figured he could handle at the moment.
She appeared with her lips in a grim line, toting a backpack, and headed for his car. After slamming the door once she climbed in, he did the same then made his way toward Liddy’s amid a heavy, heated silence. The less said the better, he figured. He’d likely say something he’d regret—as if he hadn’t already made an ass of himself.
Several minutes later, he pulled up in front of Liddy’s Bed and Breakfast. He didn’t have to tell Miss Harper to get out of the car. She stayed a pace or two ahead of him, forcing him to fight off the urge to watch her delicious backside swing as she marched up the walk.
He slipped his arm around and opened the front door, doing his damnedest not to touch her, but that didn’t stop her fragrance from invading his senses. Something soft and spicy, an aroma that would haunt him for some time. Heck, his patrol car would be filled with the fragrance for weeks.
Liddy met them in the front hall just outside her office. “Well, Jake, I haven’t seen you in a spell,” she said.
“No, ma’am. I’ve been busy of late.” He paused and glanced at the unhappy guest. “This lady’s RV broke down on the highway. I’m on my way over to George’s to see if he can get it running for her. I’m guessing you’ve got room if it takes longer than a few hours?”
“Of course I do.” Liddy turned toward his charge and stuck out her hand. “Welcome to Iron Horse. I’m Liddy Baker and this is my bed and breakfast.”
Miss Harper took her hand and smiled a smile she’d not granted him during their limited acquaintance. She was damn near the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. Her eyes lit up with a sparkle, and she had a crescent dimple in one side of her cheek.
“Thank you, I’m Christine Harper, but everyone calls me Chris.”
“Well Chris, why don’t we get you in a room so you can freshen up and rest a spell if you like,” Liddy said.
“That would be great, thanks.”
Liddy turned and ducked into her office for a key, leaving Jake alone with a woman he had no business thinking the things he was thinking about.
“I’ll, um, go over to George’s and see what he can do for your camper.”
“You do that,” she said, her smile gone, as the sparkle in her eyes turned to ice.
With a grunt he turned and headed for the door, but stopped, needing to ask her one more thing. She met his gaze and for half a second he could swear there was something other than venom in that look, something akin to desire, but it was wiped clean as Liddy stepped out of the office.
“What’s the name of your service, in case George needs to know?” he asked, glad Liddy had reappeared. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say for a second there, afraid it might have been something about dinner—or a whole lot more.
She pulled out a card and handed it to him. He took it from her long slender fingers, and with a curt nod, headed for George’s shop where he hoped to get the enticing woman and her camper out of his town and off his mind.
Chapter Two
Liddy was one of the friendliest people Chris had met in a long time, and before the woman found out what she did for a living. That was rare. Many times, the destinations she reviewed were fabulous right up to the point where people were involved. She was the first to admit she wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. A trait she figured she owed to her father. But what she and her mother had endured from him had made her stronger, made her learn to push her way through life like a bulldozer so no one could ever step on her again.
Then again, sometimes people were just plain rude, that is until they learned of her profession. That’s when they would pour it on, wanting a fabulous article to promote their hotel or whatever. She’d learned to tune them out over the years, but she never tuned out the real people. The ones like Liddy, who really did care about her comforts and needs while she stayed in her bed and breakfast. They were the ones she wished she could write about, instead of their vacation destinations.
She turned and pulled a few things from her bag where it sat on the bed. “Someday,” she muttered with a sigh. She’d get to stop traveling and write what was in her heart, what she saw in other people’s hearts. But until then she would make do with what paid the bills.
Her thoughts turned to her current location, as she placed her bag in a chair by the door. Iron Horse, Wyoming, was a quaint little spot in the middle of nowhere. She couldn’t even recall seeing it on the map, but the ‘B’ and ‘B’ was nice with its old furnishings, and subtle updates here and there. Her room was pleasant too with an at-home feeling and rather spacious.
She freshened up and made a call to cancel the tow until she got a report back from the sheriff. Then, after a feeble attempt at taking a nap, she decided to look around and maybe write a little piece on the place instead, all while taking side notes for that day when she could write the stories that floated in and out of her head.
As Chris stepped off the stairs, she heard Liddy fussing.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. What does that mean?” Liddy asked, her troubled voice carrying from the office into the foyer where Chris stood.
She moved closer and knocked on the wall beside the open door. “Liddy, are you all right?”
The older woman lifted her grey head and smiled. “Oh, hey there, hon. Yes, I’m fine. Darn old thing,” she added under her breath as she rose. “I thought you said you were going to take a nap?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d take a look around.” She wasn’t about to admit that the minute her head hit the pillow the only thing she could think about was the sexy sheriff of Iron Horse. Work was a cure for just about anything.
Liddy smiled wide. “Well, there’s not a whole lot to see. Nothing of any real note. We do have a founder’s day festival every year in the spring, a few other seasonal celebrations, but not much else. We’re a sleepy little town.”
“And you love it here,” she said, knowing it was a fact.
“That I do. I wouldn’t live any place else. What about you? Where are you from?”
“I’m from Virginia, but I travel all around the country for my job. As a matter of fact, I thought I’d do a little work while I was h
ere.”
“What kind of work?”
“I review vacation destinations for a travel magazine.”
“Oh, I just love reading those things. I’ve got a stack of them here.” She turned and rummaged through a pile. “Do you write for one of these?”
“Um, yes, this one,” she said, slipping the magazine from her selection.
“Really? Well, my goodness! I’ve read your work then. Do you write under your real name?”
“No, it’s best not to, that way I can get the real skinny on the location without the management knowing why I’m there. But in your case, it’s not an issue,” Chris said with a smile.
“My case?”
“You bet. I’m going to write about your ‘B’ and ‘B’, if that’s okay.”
“Oh, I’d love it! Folks don’t come here to stay much, but if they’re traveling it’s a nice place to jump off the road for a spell and rest up while they’re on the way to wherever they’re going.” She juggled the magazines and started to turn away. “And I tell you what, I won’t even charge you for the stay.”
“Oh, no. You most definitely will charge me, that is, the magazine,” Chris added.
Liddy paused and looked back at her with a crinkled brow. “But I’ve got to do something to thank you, honey. I can’t let you do all that for nothing.”
She laughed at the woman’s sincerity. There weren’t too many people like her left in the world. “It’s my job. And I’m happy to do it.”
“Well, I know, but it’s not right in my mind,” she said, as some of the magazines slid from the stack in her hands and landed on her computer keyboard. “Shoot, now that thing’s going all crazy again.”
“Here, let me help.” Chris scooped away the magazine that was causing the computer to beep incessantly and glanced at the screen. The resolution was horrendous, she could barely tell what was on the screen without a magnifying glass. “You, um, working on the books?”
Liddy put the magazines back in the large box by her desk on the floor. “Hardly. I can’t figure that darn thing out and was just about to turn it off and go back to my old ledger.”
