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Lone Star Bachelor
Linda Goodnight
Her Unexpected HeroSawyer Buchanon was against hiring Jade Warren. The escalating threats against his family’s construction business—and Sawyer in particular—don’t warrant the time and money spent on a private investigator. Even if Jade’s smart, beautiful and challenging in a way that intrigues him. Jade has personal reasons to mistrust any Buchanon—especially one as handsome and smooth as Sawyer. But everything she’s been led to believe about the successful Buchanons crumbles in the face of Sawyer’s decency and sweetness. And the closer Jade gets to Sawyer, the more intense her feelings for him become. Soon the biggest risk she’ll face is having Sawyer steal her heart.
Her Unexpected Hero
Sawyer Buchanon was against hiring Jade Warren. The escalating threats against his family’s construction business—and Sawyer in particular—don’t warrant the time and money spent on a private investigator. Even if Jade’s smart, beautiful and challenging in a way that intrigues him. Jade has personal reasons to mistrust any Buchanon—especially one as handsome and smooth as Sawyer. But everything she’s been led to believe about the successful Buchanons crumbles in the face of Sawyer’s decency and sweetness. And the closer Jade gets to Sawyer, the more intense her feelings for him become. Soon the biggest risk she’ll face is having Sawyer steal her heart.
No female was impervious to Sawyer Buchanon.
Except Jade. Even if he had a kind side, and he did, and even if she found him attractive—and who wouldn’t?—he was a Buchanon. And her maiden name was on his father’s naughty list.
He spotted her inside the dim room with the baby and raised both palms in a comical, supplicating gesture.
“What’s this? You’ve ditched me for a younger man?”
“His toothless grin was irresistible.”
Sawyer paused for one second as if her banter caught him off guard. She knew he considered her humorless and cold, which was for the best, but she wasn’t always that way.
Crossing the room, Sawyer swooped Ashton into his arms. “You ready? Where’s the squirt’s bag?”
She reached for the backpack but Sawyer beat her to it, swung it over his opposite shoulder, and they headed out for the day.
The sight of the man with a baby in his tanned, muscled arms tugged at Jade’s insides. He was a puzzle she couldn’t fit into her tidy mental box.
Dear Reader, (#uf53c2fd0-216e-5019-b7a7-57eb13835e64)
As I finish up the Buchanon series with Sawyer’s story, I hope you’ve enjoyed our time together in Gabriel’s Crossing, Texas. Like most families, the Buchanons have their share of troubles but their Christian faith and family loyalty hold them together.
I set the Buchanon series in what is known locally as Texoma or Texoma Land, the Red River border area where Oklahoma and Texas meet. Though many people think of these states as flat, dry plains, Texoma is a beautiful area of forests, lakes, mountains and friendly small towns. If you ever have a chance to visit Texoma in the autumn, the scenery will take your breath away and the warm people will leave you with a smile.
I love to hear from readers. Connect with me at my website www.lindagoodnight.com (http://www.lindagoodnight.com) or on social media. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so we can stay in touch!
Until my next books, be well and happy.
May God bless you,
LINDA GOODNIGHT, a New York Times bestselling author and winner of a RITA® Award in inspirational fiction, has appeared on the Christian bestseller lists. Her novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Active in orphan ministry, Linda enjoys writing fiction that carries a message of hope in a sometimes dark world. She and her husband live in Oklahoma. Visit her website, lindagoodnight.com (http://www.lindagoodnight.com), for more information.
Lone Star Bachelor
Linda Goodnight
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Out of the same mouth proceed
blessing and cursing. My brethren,
these things ought not to be so.
—James 3:10
For my forever friend, Trisha Hayes. We’ve been
through a long journey together over many
years and many tears, laughter, music and kids.
Always, always, I knew I could lean on you for
prayer and love and enduring friendship.
And the turquoise jewelry ain’t bad either!
Love you, sweet lady. This one is for you.
Contents
Cover (#ubefd9147-adb2-5f73-8156-f6895b212983)
Back Cover Text (#u7a1c2117-9cb2-5ca2-8a88-0d872e2da471)
Introduction (#u8be86567-520d-5062-a8fd-87c9022e1f2c)
Dear Reader (#ua452445a-27a4-542f-9d06-0fede6a8304a)
About the Author (#ua86ad990-10fc-5d1a-8111-9bfcd45b6a0c)
Title Page (#u19e08dcb-bcda-5990-b5eb-0647ec347f99)
Bible Verse (#u2a94c64e-311c-59d2-8f59-33a422501454)
Dedication (#u8f56ea2c-ed20-5172-8b1e-cb1933e2832e)
Chapter One (#u6e8f9bab-42ce-5cc6-bdf7-b8f0aa91d241)
Chapter Two (#u1483df2a-fa51-5b32-a825-3545872a8d8e)
Chapter Three (#u8cce2f61-dd89-5d60-9549-a3c1b76e12f2)
Chapter Four (#ua6c86f1a-47d0-5133-afce-74b18ba8e45f)
Chapter Five (#u5a54a4d1-561f-520f-92c6-9b176d8895cf)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#uf53c2fd0-216e-5019-b7a7-57eb13835e64)
It was now or never. Walk up to that door and knock or drive back to the office and give the case to someone else.
From behind the wheel of her plain white Chevy Cruze, Jade Warren eyed the housing complex next to the smooth green golf course of Gabriel’s Crossing, Texas. She wasn’t a bit surprised that Sawyer Buchanon lived in such a nice place. His family’s construction company had likely built the buff brick townhomes, something she would know if she’d done her computer homework. But the impulse to immediately drive to the river town and face the dragon had overshadowed her usual rigid work ethic.
Do the job. Do it right. Don’t get involved.
Which was exactly why she shouldn’t have accepted this assignment.
She was involved. She’d been involved for years. Being here, accepting this investigation, made her a traitor.
But frankly she was tired of chasing absconding debtors and deadbeat exes. She wanted a case with meat on the bones, something she could sink her investigating teeth into.
Most of all, she was curious about her family nemeses, the dreaded Buchanons.
To hear her daddy tell it, the Buchanons breathed fire and plotted the demise of anyone they didn’t like. And they always won. She’d grown up despising a group of people she’d never met.
Until today.
A pretty redhead exited the front door of number 4, Sawyer Buchanon’s home. Figures. Very little investigative skill was required to learn Sawyer liked women and they liked him back. His social media was loaded with messages and photos from beautiful females.
The shapely, jean-clad redhead hopped into the cab of a bloodred F-150 pickup complete with a big white toolbox across the back.
Jade waited until the woman pulled away, the truck’s mufflers rumbling, before leaving her nondescript car to walk across the lush, manicured grass, up the clean-swept sidewalk past recently groomed boxwood to ring the doorbell.
Before she had time to put on her game face, Sawyer Buchanon, in gray athletic pants and white T-shirt, opened the door.
Jade thought she had prepared for this moment. She’d seen his photos. She knew he was very handsome and was determined not to react, not to become distracted from the case, or worse, become an idiot female and simper.
She swallowed and breathed slowly through her nose in a concerted effort to keep her expression cool and passive.
Photos didn’t do the man justice. Messy midlength hair, vivid blue eyes and a morning scruff as black as his hair.
Every female cell in her body reacted. She held the reaction inside, tightening her mouth to a determined thin line.
Sawyer flashed a movie star smile, a little crooked and a lot breathtaking.
Jade clamped her back teeth against her cheek until pain shot from the roof of her mouth to the top of her head.
There. Better. He wasn’t that good looking.
“Did you forget somethi—Oh, I thought you were Clare.” He poked his head around the door and looked toward the driveway. “She just left.”
Right. The redhead.
Jade stuck out a hand, her words intentionally crisp. “I’m Jade Warren, Paris Investigations. Is this a good time for us to talk?”
His smile faltered, replaced by a look of bewilderment. “You’re the private investigator my father hired?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?” She braced for it.
“Does my dad know you’re...?”
Her hackles rose. “A woman?”
“I was going to say pretty.” He flashed the smile again, eyes alight with mischief, and stepped to one side. “Come in. I was about to have a Coke. Want one?”
She shook her head. “Too early in the morning.”
“That’s what I’ve been told.” He led the way into the living room. The interior surprised her somewhat. Given his reputation, she’d expected a bachelor’s lair but was met with clean, simple lines in tones of gray and white with splashes of maroon. Masculine. Tasteful. Jade settled on the dove-gray sofa. Directly in front of it was a big-screen television mounted above a small tiled fireplace.
While Sawyer disappeared around a wall for his caffeine, she took out a notebook and jotted a few lines.
He popped back into the room. “I have coffee.”
“I’m good, thank you.”
He held up a single-serving coffee pod. “K-cups. Only take a minute. Would you rather have hot chocolate? Cider?” He turned the packet up close to his eyes and pretended to squint. “Caramel vanilla cream?”
She loved caramel vanilla cream. So, apparently, did his legion of girlfriends. Probably including the shapely redhead.
With a soft hum, she scribbled player on her pad. Now he was showing his true colors. “Do you stock every flavor?”
