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“So give me a chance to prove myself, too. That’s all I ask, Dad. One chance.”
He hesitated, and for one brief moment she let herself hope.
“Madeline…” he began.
She closed her eyes, knowing the answer even before he said it. Her father never used her full name unless he was about to deliver bad news. He’d called her Madeline when he’d told her about her mother’s death in a traffic accident all those years ago. And then again a few months later, when he’d announced that she’d be attending a boarding school in Boston, instead of staying with the family in Chicago.
Madeline had never boded well.
“It’s time to put this silly idea out of your head,” Gus said gruffly. “You’re not going to work for me as a bounty hunter, and you’re not going to work for the competition, either. Everybody in this city knows better than to cross Gus Griffin.”
“Then I’ll open my own business,” she said, mortified to feel her lower lip quiver.
“Nobody in their right mind would ever hire a woman to bring in a fugitive, especially a woman who refuses to carry a gun.” He stood up and awkwardly thrust a tissue in her direction. Gus Griffin could face an armed felon without blinking an eye, but a woman in tears terrified him.
She grabbed the tissue and wiped her nose, aware of the office door closing behind her. She was alone. Again. Despite the tightness in her throat, her eyes were dry and hot. He wouldn’t even give her chance. After all these years, he still wouldn’t let her be part of the family.
She’d grown up trying to knock down the emotional wall that kept her separated from her father and brothers. They loved her and tried to protect her, but they didn’t understand her. And they didn’t want to let her into their world.
She reached across the desk for another tissue, her elbow bumping the magazine onto the floor. With an irritated sigh, she picked it up and scowled at the sexy cowboy who grinned up at her.
“It’s all your fault,” she muttered, though she knew her father would have used any excuse to keep her safely behind a desk instead of out in the field.
She flipped through the magazine, half tempted to place an order just to irritate her father. She knew it was immature and irrational, but so far acting mature and rational hadn’t gotten her very far.
She dropped the magazine into her lap, the pages falling open to the special insert called Grooms-to-Go. She’d never looked at this section before, having no interest in a man desperate enough to advertise himself for marriage. Then she blinked at the picture in front of her. And for one brief, terrifying moment her heart fluttered in her chest.
She held her breath as she looked up at the wanted poster in the center of the bulletin board. The one that had been there for so many months. The one with the picture of the Kissing Bandit. Then she looked back at the magazine.
It was him.
Maddie gulped, trying to breathe normally again. She’d found him. The man her father and brothers had been fruitlessly searching for was right here in black and white. His hair was a little shorter, and dark instead of blond, and he’d shaved off his mustache. But he still had the same square jaw, the same sexy dimple in his chin. She quickly scanned the brief description. Height: Six feet two inches. Hair: Brown. Eyes: Blue. Name: Tanner Blackburn.
Maddie stood up, too excited to remain still. Tanner Blackburn was one of the aliases of the Kissing Bandit. His name and hair color might change, but his m.o. was always the same. He’d dupe lonely women into falling in love with him, then he’d bleed them dry.
Now the Kissing Bandit was here, right in front of her. Or rather, in Texas. And obviously up to his old tricks. If she could bring him in….
If? When she brought him in. Then she’d finally have everything she’d always wanted. The love and respect of her father. The approval of her brothers. The satisfaction of finally proving herself as a full-fledged member of the Griffin family.
She smiled at the photo of the handsome man in the magazine. He’d soon learn that a Griffin always gets her man.
1
“BREATHE,” TANNER BLACKBURN ordered the man standing next to him. “It’s just the wedding rehearsal. You don’t need to start panicking until tomorrow.”
“I’m not panicking,” Cabe White said, his voice husky with emotion. “I just can’t get over how damn beautiful she is.”
They stood in the center of an old barn located on the outskirts of Abilene, Texas. The open doors did little to assuage the oppressive June heat. Flies buzzed around them and the air was ripe with the odors of hay and manure.
Tanner watched as the bride-to-be stood in the doorway. She wore a long pink denim skirt and a pale pink western blouse with pearl buttons. Her fine, silky blond hair was tucked beneath a straw cowboy hat adorned with a pink satin band.
Despite the heat and the flies and the way his new cowboy boots were pinching his toes, Tanner felt a twinge of envy deep inside of him. Cabe and Hannah were meant for each other, even though he’d seen her first. Hell, he’d dated her first. After reluctantly allowing his kid sister to place his picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, he’d finally met a woman who had stirred his interest. He’d thought it was fate.
Until she’d fallen in love with his cousin.
Tanner hadn’t even seen Cabe for almost five years. As teenagers, Cabe, Tanner and Tanner’s twin brother, Ronnie, had all been hell-raisers together, breaking curfew and female hearts on a regular basis. They’d all had the same dark hair, deep blue eyes, and square Blackburn jaw that the ladies seemed to love. And they had all loved the ladies.
But Tanner had given up his playboy ways after his parents divorced when he was twenty-four years old. He’d even agreed to take custody of his kid sister, Lauren, who at fourteen, had been well on her way to becoming the most notorious hell-raiser of all.
Cabe and Ronnie hadn’t grown up as much as drifted away. Except for a card at Christmas, they rarely kept in touch. They hadn’t even attended their maternal grandmother’s funeral. Tanner had been named executor of the estate and contacted each of them about their inheritance. He, Ronnie and Lauren had been given eighty acres of Iowa farmland that had been in the family for three generations. Their cousin Cabe had inherited their grandmother’s house in Hominy, Iowa. A month ago, Cabe had come to Dallas to collect the deed.
That’s when he’d met Hannah.
And that’s when fate had decided to play a trick on Tanner. Hannah had taken one look at Cabe and fallen hard and fast. It had been love at first sight for both of them. Hell, even Tanner had seen that. They’d both politely waited to act on their affection until Tanner had offered to step aside.
What else could he do? Hannah wanted someone who could sweep her off her feet. A man who would think it was romantic to marry western-style in an old dilapidated barn.
A man the exact opposite of Tanner Blackburn.
He’d realized that he’d almost made a big mistake. Hannah was a nice woman, but she wasn’t the right woman. Not for him. He wasn’t even sure such a woman existed, but he intended to keep looking. Instead of heading home for Dallas, he’d bought an airplane ticket to Jamaica. With over ten weeks in vacation time built up, Tanner thought it was time for a little rest and relaxation. And, if he was lucky, a little romance.
It had taken some juggling to arrange a week off from his job at the law firm of Collins and Cooksey, but he’d refused to put it off. This was the first vacation he’d had since… Well, he couldn’t remember when. Vacations were a luxury his parents hadn’t been able to afford, especially after their divorce.
By the time Tanner had worked his way through college and law school, he’d been too busy paying off his school loans to take any time off. Plus, he’d wanted to keep an eye on his sister.
All of which hadn’t left him much time for a love life.
But his little sister had graduated from high school this year and was leaving for college in the fall, which meant he’d be on his own. That was one of the reasons he’d agreed to let Lauren place his picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine. It was just a lark, though he’d felt duty bound to go out on a date with every woman who contacted him.
All thirty-four of them.
The problem was, most of them weren’t looking for love. Not really. They wanted a knight in shining armor. Someone to rescue them from the jerks in their lives—men who preyed on a woman’s vulnerabilities.
Men like his brother, Ronnie—although Ronnie had recently turned over a new leaf. He was now a missionary in Guam, of all places. The former bronc rider, once coined the Romeo of the rodeo, now kept himself busy doing good deeds. Tanner wasn’t totally convinced by his brother’s abrupt metamorphosis from playboy to preacher. Still, he’d been gone for the past few months and showed no sign of returning.
Now Tanner was ready for a change, too. He’d had enough of bachelor life and was ready to settle down. The hard part seemed to be finding the right woman. After his recent experiences on the dating scene, he longed for a woman who desired him. Just him. Not his bank account. Or his handyman abilities. Or his new Chevy Tahoe SUV.
He had high hopes of finding his fantasy woman in Jamaica. Strolling along a white sand beach in a string bikini. A woman with a thirst for banana daiquiris and making love in the moonlight. A woman who liked the thrill of the chase and could give him something that had been missing in his life for far too long—a challenge.
A horse whinnied in the stall behind him, reminding Tanner to pay attention to the wedding rehearsal. The minister wore blue jeans and a faded chambray shirt. Tomorrow, the entire wedding party would be decked out in western wear, complete with boots, cowboy hats, chaps and spurs. Tanner had left his spurs back at the hotel for the rehearsal, but he’d worn the new boots he’d purchased in Dallas, along with his black felt cowboy hat.
An old-fashioned pump organ was set up in the hayloft and the nesting barn swallows kept swooping down at the organist’s head. Her rendition of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” was punctuated with shrill yelps of terror.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the minister to run through the vows and position the wedding party in the appropriate places. Tanner’s only duty as best man was to hold on to the wedding rings and stand by Cabe—and to pretend it didn’t matter to him that he’d lost the only woman he’d given a second glance in over a year.
The minister wiped his perspiring brow with a handkerchief. “At this point, you may kiss the bride.”
Tanner’s smile froze as he watched Cabe pull Hannah into his arms and rehearse a kiss that they’d obviously practiced many times before.
The kiss went on and on and on.
“Hey, Cabe, save something for the ceremony,” Tanner joked, determined never to let Cabe or Hannah see the envy twisting inside of him.
Hannah laughed when Cabe finally released her. “If this is the rehearsal, I can’t wait to experience the real thing!”
Cabe grinned. “Maybe we should just have the minister marry us right now so we can proceed straight to the honeymoon.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “Oh, Cabe, you’re not serious!”
“Why not?” Cabe turned to Tanner. “Do you have the rings?”
Tanner patted his jeans pocket. “They’re right here, safe and sound. But you’ve already reserved the barn and put a down payment on the reception hall. Then there is the caterer to consider, and the band. Both will demand to be paid even if you don’t use their services.”
“See,” Hannah said with a laugh, “at least someone is sensible around here.”
Tanner’s jaw clenched. Sensible. Now he was not only dull and boring, but sensible. How much worse could it get?
Hannah turned to him. “Oh, before I forget, I wanted to tell you that my cousin Jane is coming to the wedding tomorrow. You’ll adore her, Tanner, I just know it. She’s so sweet—a little quiet though. But she loves to talk about embroidery, so that would be a good icebreaker.” Hannah turned back to Cabe. “Jane embroidered ten sets of matching pillowcases for us as a wedding present.”
Cabe winced at Tanner over his fiancée’s head. “Honey, maybe Tanner already has a date for the wedding.”
“Oh,” Hannah exclaimed, turning to Tanner. “I never thought of that. Do you?”
“Yes,” he improvised, before he found himself shackled to a blind date for the wedding reception. He’d had more than his share of dreary dates lately. He didn’t want someone sweet and quiet. He wanted a woman who excited him. A woman who was completely unpredictable. A woman who would agree to attend a wedding with a perfect stranger at a moment’s notice.
And now he had less than twenty-four hours to find her.
SHE’D FOUND HIM.
Maddie took a deep, calming breath as she looked around her hotel room, making certain everything was in place. She hadn’t been thrilled about the two-hundred-dollar-a-night room charge, although it would definitely be worth it if she could pull this off.
She’d arrived in Texas three days ago and traced Tanner Blackburn to a house in Dallas. It had been surprisingly easy, but then he probably hadn’t expected a bounty hunter to locate him through the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, especially since ninety-nine percent of the bounty hunters were men.
A chat with Tanner’s next-door neighbor had revealed that Mr. Blackburn was planning a weekend trip to Abilene to attend a wedding. Several phone calls later, Maddie had all the information she needed. Tanner Blackburn had a room reserved for two nights at the Huntington Hotel in Abilene.
She’d tailed him from Dallas. Seen him register at the hotel, then leave again. After registering for her own room and setting everything in place for the takedown, she’d gone back to the lobby for surveillance.
After spending three hours in the lobby pretending to read the newspaper, she’d finally seen him return with a small group of people, half of them heading for the elevators, the other half making a beeline for the bar. Blackburn had joined the group at the bar.
He’d played into her plan perfectly.
Maddie had returned to her hotel room to make certain everything was ready when she brought Blackburn here. She knew she had to play this game carefully. One screwup and she’d lose not only the Kissing Bandit, but her dream to join the family business.
She walked over to the bed, adjusting the pillows. Then she checked once more for anything he might be able to use as a potential weapon. She’d already hidden the glasses, ashtrays, mirrors and other breakables.
Not that she expected him to turn violent. Her extensive study of the Kissing Bandit’s methods had taught her that he preferred to use his wiles instead of weapons.
But a girl could never be too careful.
“It’s almost time,” Maddie said aloud. She’d waited for this moment for so long. Her first takedown. And since she hadn’t seen or spoken to her father or brothers in over a week, she didn’t have to worry about Tate and Ben interfering this time. She’d taken extra care to make certain they couldn’t trace her whereabouts.
The Texas Mail-Order Men magazine lay open on the desk. She picked it up and studied the man’s picture once more. Blackburn had altered his appearance somewhat, which was only natural when you were a fugitive from justice. She stared at the photograph, a tingle of excitement racing through her veins. Soon she’d be meeting the elusive Kissing Bandit face to face.
Maddie slid the magazine into the desk drawer, then slipped into a pair of high heels, ignoring that her knees were shaking. She checked her makeup in the mirror, applying a last dab of cherry-red lipstick to her mouth. Her plan was definitely risky. Playing the femme fatale had never been her forte. Although she’d attracted her share of men, they always seemed to lose interest in her after the first date. And she couldn’t entirely blame her overprotective brothers.
Maddie knew her flaws better than anyone. She was too stubborn, too bossy, too self-reliant. Most men liked to play the hero for a woman. Impress her with his muscles and machismo. They didn’t like a woman who knew how to take care of herself. Her own family had taught her that much.
She smoothed her hands over the snug fabric of her red dress, hoping the exorbitant price she’d paid would be worth it. The agency would receive eight thousand dollars if Blackburn was turned over to the court in time. But that time was running out. A bail jumper had to be returned to the custody of the court within one hundred and eighty days of his failure to appear. Otherwise the bail bondsmen had to pay the entire amount of the bond, which in this case was eighty thousand dollars.
The Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency was on the payroll of several Chicago area bail bondsmen, and their reputation for catching elusive felons like the Kissing Bandit was unparalleled in the Chicago area.
Now it was up to Maddie to maintain that reputation. She had just nine days left to bring Blackburn to justice. Adrenaline shot through her veins as she walked toward the door.
The Kissing Bandit was about to be unmasked.
2
TANNER SAT IN THE empty hotel bar, nursing his beer. The wedding party had retired to their rooms, most of them exhausted from the long trip into Abilene. But Tanner was on a mission. Find a woman to take to the wedding tomorrow or learn more than he ever wanted to know about embroidery.
Unfortunately, his hopes for snagging a date were fading fast. He still wore his cowboy hat, since his sister had once informed him that women were attracted to the rugged, outdoorsy type. He might not actually live on a ranch, but he did spend plenty of time outdoors. A former state champion swimmer, Tanner still worked out four evenings a week at the local recreation center. He glanced at the clock, wondering if he’d have more luck impressing the ladies down at the hotel swimming pool.
Surprised to see it was close to midnight, Tanner drained his beer mug. Hannah had suggested he turn in early so he’d be fresh for the wedding tomorrow. But he just wanted to be numb.
“Can I buy you a beer, cowboy?”
He slowly turned around to see a tall, slender brunette. She had big brown eyes and silky nutmeg hair that caressed her bare shoulders. She wore a strapless red sundress that hugged her mouthwatering figure. The three-inch heels on her matching red pumps made her long legs seem endless.
He swallowed hard, then abruptly stood up and motioned to the bar stool beside him. “Only if I can buy you one first.”
She sat down, then held out one slender hand. “My name is Giselle, but all my friends call me Gigi.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Somehow he guessed a woman named Giselle wouldn’t be interested in an estate lawyer. She’d want someone exciting. Impulsive. Someone who lived life on the edge. He could imagine the interest fading from her beautiful eyes as soon as he said, “Hi, I’m Tanner and I manage the affairs of dead people.”
So why say it?
Tanner straddled his bar stool and spoke before he had time for tedious second thoughts. “My name is Whip. I’m a bull rider.”
Her finely winged brows arched in surprise. “Really? I’ve never met a bull rider before.”
Tanner propped his cowboy boot on the rung of her bar stool. “It gets a little rough sometimes.”
“I can imagine,” she said, obviously impressed.
He tried to remember all the stories his brother Ronnie had told him about the rodeo. Most of them had been highly exaggerated, but entertaining. He signaled the bartender for two beers, mentally weaving a story that would keep her smiling.
It was amazing how easy it was to fall back into the playboy role after all these years.
Gigi crossed her impossibly long legs. “So are you in Abilene to ride bulls?”
