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Colton Family Rescue
Justine Davis
A broken-hearted cowboy finds his second chance with a single mom under siege in the newest Coltons of Texas romance!Being rich and powerful didn't save T.C. Colton from painful betrayal. His beloved Jolie Peters walked out on him for cold, hard cash offered by his controlling mother…or so he believed at the time. Now, with a killer hunting down her young daughter – a witness to a murder – Jolie turns to T.C. to keep them safe.But trusting her again isn't easy for T.C. at first…although their attraction is still hotter than a Texas summer and he's crazy about little Emma. For a short time in a remote cabin hideout, T.C., Jolie and Emma feel like family, until the killer closes in, threatening every dream they're building together…
A brokenhearted cowboy finds his second chance with a single mom under siege in the newest Coltons of Texas romance!
Being rich and powerful didn’t save T. C. Colton from painful betrayal. His beloved Jolie Peters walked out on him for cold, hard cash offered by his controlling mother…or so he believed at the time. Now, with a killer hunting down her young daughter—a witness to a murder—Jolie turns to T.C. to keep them safe.
But trusting her again isn’t easy for T.C. at first…although their attraction is still hotter than a Texas summer and he’s crazy about little Emma. For a short time in a remote cabin hideout, T.C., Jolie and Emma feel like family, until the killer closes in, threatening every dream they’re building together…
That was one of the things she’d most loved about him; Colton or not, he wasn’t above apologizing.
“I shouldn’t have made such a big deal out of a passing comment,” she said.
“And I shouldn’t have accused you of…what I did.”
She nodded, accepting the sincerity she heard in his voice. “I guess the past isn’t so far behind it can’t jump up and bite.”
For a long, silent moment T.C. watched the horse, who was back on his feet now, shaking to get rid of the dust he’d picked up.
Then, without looking at her, he asked quietly, “Did you mean it? About…wanting me?”
Honesty was the very least of the things she owed him. “I’ve never, ever stopped wanting you.”
His eyes closed. The silvery light made his lashes stand out as a dark, thick sweep above his cheeks. He turned then. Looked at her straight on. “You’d better get inside, Jolie. Or we’re going to start this dance again.”
“Then let the music begin,” she whispered.
* * *
We hope you enjoy this dramatic series:
The Coltons of Texas: Finding love and buried family secrets in the Lone Star State…
Dear Reader (#ulink_bd21e9f1-5a0f-5fee-a968-7e2355b9d7d1),
This is my third visit with the amazing Colton family. They certainly are spread all over! I think I may like the Texas branch best of all, at least so far.
Writing a book in a continuity series is always a challenge, not only keeping everything straight between multiple authors, but because they’re not “my” characters. I try to look at it as if I’m writing a script for a favorite television series. Those aren’t my characters, either, but that doesn’t mean I care about them any less, it’s just different.
I’m a Westerner through and through, so this felt like home for me. And I’m always glad for the chance to throw in a special horse! Besides, well…cowboys. Women who match them. Texas. Cute kids. Bigger than life. What’s not to love? And one of my favorite themes is that of lost love regained.
In this case, there are a lot of obstacles in the way, not the least of which is the formidable Colton family itself. When Jolie Peters ran out on T. C. Colton, she had her reasons. T.C. only knows the only woman he ever really loved didn’t care enough to stay, and took the baby girl he’d started to think of as his own with her. But now she needs his help, and…well, read on and find out.
Enjoy!
Justine
Colton Family Rescue
Justine Davis
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
JUSTINE DAVIS lives on Puget Sound in Washington State, watching big ships and the occasional submarine go by and sharing the neighborhood with assorted wildlife, including a pair of bald eagles, deer, a bear or two and a tailless raccoon. In the few hours when she’s not planning, plotting or writing her next book, her favorite things are photography, knitting her way through a huge yarn stash and driving her restored 1967 Corvette roadster—top down, of course.
Connect with Justine at her website, www.justinedavis.com (http://www.justinedavis.com), at Twitter.com/justine_d_davis (https://Twitter.com/justine_d_davis), or on Facebook at Facebook.com/justinedaredavis (https://www.facebook.com/JustineDareDavis/).
Contents
Cover (#u2c61ccb6-f7e0-5920-bcc9-1b6874564c11)
Back Cover Text (#ue894fab5-c453-502b-a994-e650e7acb2ca)
Introduction (#u4e868998-0f90-5d5b-b16e-c6c8f2c7397f)
Dear Reader (#ulink_46ffc62b-3625-53b3-a3f9-d52694d51b2b)
Title Page (#ud9a56a27-ec75-5086-89fe-cac7f93df1e8)
About the Author (#u3d19664c-a61d-5546-af44-8e052c6a13fa)
Chapter 1 (#ulink_bb0416ee-ecca-5593-9cf8-18a031aba924)
Chapter 2 (#ulink_c4e5d970-9266-5036-bf5b-355e749aad4c)
Chapter 3 (#ulink_3b2a1152-157b-5dfc-87f7-dae77dab7365)
Chapter 4 (#ulink_e4f0efc5-2238-5173-a7ec-1fffd514e182)
Chapter 5 (#ulink_20b89837-5dc1-5854-aea0-6db7df3acb6d)
Chapter 6 (#ulink_f2697912-0acf-5de9-ab8f-578946587e08)
Chapter 7 (#ulink_42dd3315-79fd-51e2-92ab-edbbbf838858)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 27 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 28 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 29 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 30 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 31 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 32 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 33 (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 (#ulink_1516157c-662b-553a-a811-0395240831a6)
“You made him smile again.”
Jolie Peters glanced up at Mandy Allen as she paused by her prep counter. The server never failed to pass on little tidbits like that, and it made her job—and the fillips she’d added to it of her own volition—worthwhile.
“Thanks, Mandy.”
It was a simple enough thing, an extra swirl of the house’s famous barbecue sauce on the rim of the plate was standard presentation, but it was Jolie who had had the idea of doing it in the initials of their regulars. And the staff was always careful to give the plate the right orientation so the customer couldn’t miss it.
“And Mrs. Sandoval really liked the monkfish. I told her you suggested it, because she likes lobster, and she said to pass along her thanks.”
Jolie’s smile widened. “Thanks. I really appreciate hearing that.”
And she did. It would have been easy enough for Mandy to have implied the suggestion was her own, but the woman was scrupulously honest.
“Peters!” She turned at the call from Martine Amaro, the woman responsible for keeping the back of the house running smoothly, which she did with the efficiency of a twenty-year drill sergeant. “Garza is here. You’re done.”
“With two minutes to spare,” she muttered as she headed to the employee room, pulling off and dropping the crisp white apron and cap into the laundry cart on the way. Because heaven forbid she should run into overtime.
She immediately apologized silently to the woman who was in charge of keeping things moving. Not only had she hired her when many wouldn’t, but Mrs. Amaro had been more than fair, had allowed her to adjust her hours to be in keeping with Emma’s day care, and when there were leftovers to be doled out, she made sure a portion was saved for Jolie even if she was off shift.
She wasn’t getting rich, but she was getting by. Her apartment was in an old building and not in the greatest area, but it had been renovated recently enough. Her car was a decade old but reliable. Most important, her daughter’s day care was close enough to walk to for lunch, well staffed and utterly trustworthy. Between the cost for it and her rent, she had little extra, but she was content. She had, after all, come a very long way.
“See you for a moment, Ms. Peters?”
Uh-oh.
The reaction to Mrs. Amaro’s words was instinctive. Things had been going well here, and she thought she was all right, but nothing in her life had ever stayed right for long, except Emma. Jolie had been here nearly a year, but she never took anything good for granted. She never expected anything good to last. Because in her experience, it never did.
As she walked toward the office, her mind was racing. If she lost this job, what would she do? She was finally at ease, if not happy with her life. It had been a long, difficult trek to get to that point. Was it now going to blow up in her face? She’d been honest about her past, so at least there was nothing there to come back and bite her. She—
“Sit down,” the older woman directed.
Jolie sat. She tried to fight down the tension rising in her, but it was hard. She’d spent so much of her life in one scrape or another that she couldn’t help thinking she had—unknowingly this time—wound up in another one.
“Relax,” Mrs. Amaro said, and smiled. She did it so rarely it took Jolie aback. It changed her entire face, made the stern, brusque woman seem kind and approachable.
Jolie let out a breath. “I was afraid I was in trouble.”
“Quite the opposite. You’re doing good work.”
The last of her tension drained away, replaced by a warm relief. “Thank you.”
“In fact,” her boss said, “you’re getting a raise.”
Jolie nearly gaped at her. This, she would never have expected.
“Courtesy—” Mrs. Amaro’s smile widened “—of the governor.”
She blinked. “What?”
“He appreciated that you put his initials and campaign logo on all the plates at his fund-raiser back in July. The head of catering staff told him it was something we did for our regulars. The governor promised us his next function, and suggested whoever had thought of it should get a raise.”
“I...wow.”
Although she admired the governor and appreciated his graciousness to the staff, she had volunteered to work the prep for that fund-raiser mainly because the extra money would pay for Emma’s day care for the rest of the month. True, it had taken some time and practice to get the logo right, but she had liked doing it. And she was surprised the busy man had even noticed, let alone taken the trouble to say something.
