by Jen Talty
Destiny’s Dream
The Men of Thief Lake book II
Jen Talty
Destiny’s Dream
A Men of Thief Lake Novel
Book II
USA Today Bestselling Author
JEN TALTY
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.
COPYRIGHT © 2018 by Jen Talty, Revised 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or Who Dares Wins Publishing except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Publishing History: Kindle Worlds 2018
Book Description
Destiny Baker promised herself, she’d never make the same mistake twice. She’d put her trust in a man once, and she wound up in the Witness Protection Program.
No more boyfriend.
No more dog.
No more heartache.
That is until a pooch by the name of Coop, shows up in her backyard. She could handle the dog, but the dog owner is a different story all together. The last thing Destiny needs is a man, especially one as sexy and charismatic as Assistant Police Chief Mason Cooper.
For companionship, Mason Cooper trusted one creature: his German Shepard. All women had have done was lie to him. He preferred to keep his free of simple and free of conflict. However, there is nothing simple about his new neighbor and she has a secret. One that he wants nothing to do with. However, when an unknown threat presents itself, he’s duty bound to protect her.
When a deadly secret from her past not only threatens her life, but Mason’s family as well, he takes matters into his own hands and loses his heart.
Even if he saves Destiny, he’ll still have to say good-bye to the only woman in his life who had earned his trust.
Praise for Jen Talty
"I positively loved In Two Weeks, and highly recommend it. The writing is wonderful, the story is fantastic, and the characters will keep you coming back for more. I can't wait to get my hands on future installments of the NYS Troopers series." Long and Short Reviews
"In Two Weeks hooks the reader from page one. This is a fast paced story where the development of the romance grabs you emotionally and the suspense keeps you sitting on the edge of your chair. Great characters, great writing, and a believable plot that can be a warning to all of us." Desiree Holt, USA Today Bestseller
"Dark Water delivers an engaging portrait of wounded hearts as the memorable characters take you on a healing journey of love. A mysterious death brings danger and intrigue into the drama, while sultry passions brew into a believable plot that melts the reader's heart. Jen Talty pens an entertaining romance that grips the heart as the colorful and dangerous story unfolds into a chilling ending." Night Owl Reviews
"This is not the typical love story, nor is it the typical mystery. The characters are well rounded and interesting." You Gotta Read Reviews
"Deadly Secrets is the best of romance and suspense in one hot read!" NYT Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst
"A charming setting and a steamy couple heat up the pages in an suspenseful story I couldn't put down!" NY Times and USA today Bestselling Author Donna Grant
"Murder in Paradise Bay is a fast-paced romantic thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. You won't want to miss this one..." USA Today bestselling author Janice Maynard
To my family, for putting up with all the voices…
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Books by Jen Talty
About the Author
1
“Welcome to the first day of your new life.” Destiny Baker found the key left by the landlord under the welcome mat and inserted it into the door of her new store, which donned the name Destiny’s Dream, Event Planning for Every Occasion. She laughed. Not just at her new career, which was a far cry from running poker tables, but her name as well.
Destiny Baker. She sounded like a Girl Scout cookie. Though, it was a bit better than Heidi Storm. She understood that she needed a name that was so different from her former life, but she would have preferred to be called anything but Destiny.
Even worse, she was supposed to be a sweet, girl-next-door type who grew up near Scarsdale, Arizona.
She could pull off the event planner position easily. She’d put together many fancy parties for her ex and his associates. Of all the options she’d been given for a career, being an event coordinator seemed like the best fit, especially with her outgoing personality.
Now all she had to do was develop a filter, keep her opinions to herself, and more importantly, fit into small-town life.
That was going to be a stretch.
She checked the time. Her first shipment of supplies was to arrive at two in the afternoon, and her official opening was tomorrow at nine. She had three hours to clean this place up; only glancing around, she didn’t have to do much. The floors were spotless. The shelves she’d ordered were already installed along with a seating area with a couple of comfortable sofa chairs for her customers to relax and look over options for invitations and other necessary items that went into a spectacular event. She’d have to thank Mr. Cooper, who obviously went above and beyond the call of duty.
And a little controlling. While she appreciated Mr. Cooper’s gesture, she needed to keep her hands and mind busy. Too much downtime always made her squirrelly, but if she was going to fit into this tiny little town in the middle of nowhere Minnesota, then she needed to keep from getting herself in trouble and that meant working.
Perhaps the back room needed attention.
Pushing back the swinging door, she frowned. The white desk her landlord had sent her pictures of looked bigger and nicer in person. A filing cabinet had been placed behind the desk against the wall. Her landlord even went as far as having stacked the boxes that she’d shipped from the supply store neatly in the back corner.
She headed toward the back of the building, hoping something needed to be done, but the bell above the front door dinged, so she turned and headed to the front of the store, realizing she should have locked the door. She was not ready to start mingling with the townspeople. It would be better if she had a chance to scope out the town. Take a walk up and down the streets. Maybe sit at a coffee shop with a book, pretending to read while she got the lay of the land.
“I won’t be open until…” She stopped just as she pushed the door open to the main room. It swung back and hit her shoulder.
“You okay?” the officer asked.
And not just any cop. No. This one was at least six three with light-brown hair that had to be a little too long as it fell about a quarter-inch past his collar. He tucked his sunglasses in his chest pocket, showing off eyes the color of the sky when not a single cloud distracted you from the rich blues that stretched on forever.
“Yep.” She took in a long, slow breath. Even though cops were now on her side, they still made her nervous.
Her first thought was that he was there to warn her about what would happen to her if she ran a poker game in the back room, even if it were legal. But Sterling told her not a single person in this small town knew who she was,
and the only tie she had to her old identity was a phone number if she thought her life were in danger.
“How can I help you?” she asked, aware that not a single speck of color filled the white and stainless-steel décor. She knew there were a few local companies she could order from, so that would give her something to do today. She wouldn’t go overboard, because the flowers would die, but just something to make things look homey and also use as examples of center pieces and whatnot.
He pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. “I’m Mason Cooper, your landlord both here and the cottage you’re renting.” He tilted his head as if she should have known this information. “I told you I’d meet you here this morning? Have you had a chance to see the cottage?”
“Oh no,” she said, sighing a bit of relief. “I came right here, figuring I had a lot of cleaning to do and installing shelves, but wow, you really took care of things for me.” She took the keys from his hand, holding his gaze because she figured she’d be checking out the rest of the sexy man standing in a hot uniform less than two feet from her if she didn’t. He had a firm handshake and she’d bet—scratch that, no betting allowed—she imagined he had a rock-solid bicep to go with the shake.
Who would have thought dull brown would be so handsome on a man?
And it didn’t hurt to look, giving her some material for a late-night fantasy because even if she did take a man to bed again, it certainly wouldn’t be a cop.
She chomped down on the inside of her mouth and reminded herself to think before actually speaking. “You really shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.” What she really wanted to say was: Wow. That’s mighty presumptuous of you, first, that I wanted your help and second, that this is the way I wanted it set up. But a sweet, small-town girl wouldn’t be so direct.
“No trouble at all,” Mason said with a big, handsome grin. “My last tenant left the place spotless, so really, I did very little except put the desk together.”
He’d done more than that, but the new and improved Destiny wouldn’t argue the point, even when her old self could barely contain herself. The woman she used to be would love putting a man in his place.
But this wasn’t a poker table, and he wasn’t a client.
Nope. He was a cop.
That thought sent a shiver up her spine.
For the next few months, she needed to stay focused on her business. If she put all her energy into that, she’d be able to squelch the sarcasm while studying the town and its residents. It was no different than setting up the perfect table, making sure she knew all the players but not letting them really know her.
“I’m on duty all day, but if you need anything at all, just ask. I live next door to the cottage.” Mason smelled like a combination of hazelnut roasted coffee and cinnamon, reminding her she hadn’t had anything to eat since last night when Sterling dropped her off at a hotel an hour away with all the documentation she needed to really start her life over. This was it; she was on her own. A few dollars in the bank, the twelve-month lease for her shop and her cottage rental paid, and no ex-boyfriends with cute dogs to break her heart.
Or talk her into doing something illegal.
That thought snapped her back to the present. Having a cop as a friend wasn’t necessarily a bad thing if by chance Lucas or his buddies ever found out she wasn’t dead. Also, Mason could give her the lowdown on the town and that would be helpful in her ability to rope in clients and get referrals.
“That’s very kind of you.” Geez, now she sounded like some southern belle.
“My pleasure,” he said, glancing around. “A package came for you at the cottage; I put it in the kitchen.”
She swallowed her first response. He was her landlord. Of course he had a set of keys, but she hoped from now on, he knew not to use them. If he did, she wouldn’t be able to contain her razor-sharp tongue. “Thanks. It’s probably my seeds. I’ll be getting other deliveries this weekend, but no need to do anything with them if I’m not home. They can stay on the front step.” Sterling told her she should get a hobby, so gardening seemed like a cool thing to try. Anything to keep her from downloading one of those Texas Hold’em apps. The bug to gamble would probably always be there, but she didn’t have to act on it.
She just needed to keep her hands and mind occupied.
So, gardening was it. At least until the winter months. When that happened, she would make jam. Lots of jam. Or maybe take up snowshoeing. That was something she’d never done, nor did she think she ever would.
Just like gardening.
“Have you had a chance to walk around town yet?” Mason asked.
“I literally just pulled in,” she admitted.
“Then let me do the honor of showing you.”
She held up her hand. “Thanks, but I’m sure you have other things you need to be doing.” She made sure her smile was genuine and made eye contact, which increased her pulse. Playing the men and women at her table had come naturally to Destiny. The talent might have been raw, but she had to cultivate it. Over the years, she’d learned how to pinpoint a player’s weakness and their strong points just by observing them in their daily routines. She would follow a new player to the coffee shop, dog park, or wherever they spent some of their free time. If the opportunity arose for her to observe a player at work, then she’d do it.
Thus far, she pegged Mason to be one of those men who were too nice, knew they were too nice, but would never change because doing the right thing trumped doing for himself. So, while she told him a tour wasn’t necessary, she knew he would push, and she would accept.
“Nope,” he said with a wide smile, showing off perfectly straight white teeth. She guessed him to be in his early thirties, and obviously not married, since she did check his ring finger. He was probably one of the most eligible bachelors in town. Based on a five-minute conversation, Destiny decided that Mason was single partly because he had too kind of a disposition, but etched behind his inviting and caring eyes was a coolness that could only come from betrayal.
Her curiosity kicked in, and she wanted—no—needed to know more about the sexy assistant chief of police. Not for any other reason than to keep her mind occupied. She also told herself that this was all about fitting into this small town. All she needed to do was get to know people on a superficial level, then she could keep them at arm’s length, not letting them get close, but they would feel as though they were.
Build trust.
That’s what Sterling told her to do, and that’s what she planned on doing.
“Aren’t you on duty?”
“I am, but that doesn’t mean I can’t show you around.” He had a voice that sounded like the gentle flow of water in one of those spa rooms that lulled you into a deeply relaxed state.
“Won’t your boss be mad?”
Mason laughed. “I’m second-in-command. Besides, the chief of police, Blaine Walker, likes us to get to know the community, so if I didn’t give you the five-cent tour, he’d be pissed.”
“We don’t want to upset the boss.” She found herself following him out the door.
He waited patiently on the sidewalk as she turned the key, hearing the door lock click.
A few people milled about the sidewalks. This place was about as small town as anyone could find. She’d never seen anything so quaint, and it made her heart beat a little faster.
This was the kind of place everyone knew your name.
And your business.
That was both good and bad.
“Hi, Mason,” a young woman with blonde hair, large breasts, and eyes for the policeman said as they walked in the direction of the local hotel, passing the animal rescue center. A couple dogs wagged their tails as she tried to ignore them yapping and clawing at the window, begging for attention. She’d always been a dog person, but after her dog died when she’d been twenty, the only dogs she had belonged to Lucas. She had to leave them behind when the FBI staged her death.
God, she missed Oscar. He had been th
e best German shepherd she’d ever known, but Sterling warned her never to get attached because if the day ever came she had to pack up and leave, taking a pet wouldn’t be part of the equation.
“Lilly.” Mason nodded. “I’d like you to meet Destiny. She’s opening up an event planning business. You might want to check out her services for your next big party.”
Destiny clenched her jaw, forcing a smile. While she appreciated the introduction, Mason came on way too strong regarding her business.
However, she was way too amused by Lilly and Mason’s interaction to really care that much.
“I don’t know. I’ve always prided myself on being able to throw the best party this town has ever seen.” Lilly curled her long fingers, sporting an expensive-looking manicure, around Mason’s bulging biceps, her thumb rubbing up and down his sleeve.
He didn’t exactly yank his arm away, but he certainly didn’t seem to appreciate the woman’s overt fondling.
Not to miss out on an opportunity, Destiny dug out a card from her purse. “I’m offering all new clients fifty percent off my fees for the first event.”
“You’ll never stay in business,” Lilly said, waving the card in the air before stuffing it in her clutch, not even glancing at it.
