Atonement
Just how far are people willing to go to keep their secrets?Protecting the citizens of Beartooth, Montana, is never an easy job. One year later, sheriff Dillon Lawson still feels guilty that he couldn’t save his twin brother Ethan. But the biggest test of his bravery comes when Tessa Winters arrives, claiming to be pregnant…with Ethan’s baby. At first, Dillon can’t decide if this beautiful woman is a con artist or a victim. If Ethan didn’t die in that car crash, then where is he—and why is he hiding?Now, Dillon is prepared to do anything to uncover the truth…anything except admit his growing feelings for Tessa. But with violence threatening, Tessa and Dillon must trust in each other to save not only themselves…but also Tessa’s unborn child.
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Just how far are people willing to go to keep their secrets?
Protecting the citizens of Beartooth, Montana, is never an easy job. It’s been one year, and Sheriff Dillon Lawson still feels guilty that he couldn’t save his twin brother, Ethan. But the biggest test of his bravery comes when Tessa Winters arrives, claiming to be pregnant…with Ethan’s baby. At first, Dillon can’t decide if this beautiful woman is a con artist or a victim. If Ethan didn’t die in that car crash, then where is he—and why is he hiding?
Now, Dillon is prepared to do anything to uncover the truth—anything except admit his growing feelings for Tessa. But with violence threatening, Tessa and Dillon must trust in each other to save not only themselves…but also Tessa’s unborn child.
Praise for B.J. Daniels
“A well-written, Western-themed romantic suspense novel that will keep readers guessing throughout.”
—RT Book Reviews on Forsaken
“Action-packed and chock-full of suspense.”
—Under the Covers on Redemption
“Unforgiven is B.J. Daniels at her finest.”
—Under the Covers
“Daniels, as usual, proves she’s as adept with family relationships as she is with deep intrigue and suspenseful action.”
—RT Book Reviews on Cardwell Ranch Trespasser
“The mystery and danger thickens from the first page, weaving a spell around readers.”
—RT Book Reviews on Justice at Cardwell Ranch
“An explosive tale of love, trust and the twisted ties among an embattled family.”
—RT Book Reviews on Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch
I happily dedicate this book to my two favorite quilt clubs: Hands All Around and Quilting by the Border. These talented ladies inspire me—
and they’re a whole lot of fun. And yes, I can see a book set at a quilt retreat in the future.
Contents
PROLOGUE
SO THIS IS how it ends.
It was his first thought when he opened his eyes and found himself tied to the steering wheel of a speeding car, reeking of alcohol—worse, dead drunk with it—and about to die.
Through the windshield he saw that he was barreling along a rutted desert road lined with cacti bathed in moonlight. Sobered by the realization, he slammed his foot down on the brake. Nothing. Panic washed over him like an ice shower.
He stomped on the accelerator only to find it tied down, as well. With his hands roped to the steering wheel, he couldn’t turn the car off the dirt track he was now bumping along. Nor could he grab the emergency brake—let alone open the door and bail out.
Bailing was the one thing he’d excelled at in life. That, however, was no more than a fleeting thought as he hit a jarring rut in the road, the speedometer wavering just this side of eighty.
Ethan thought of all the mistakes he’d made, the people he shouldn’t have double-crossed and the few he’d actually cared about. He didn’t have long to mourn his misspent youth, though. Ahead the dirt road made a ninety-degree turn to the left to avoid a deep rocky ravine. It was a turn he realized he wouldn’t be making.
That was when the hair rose on the back of his neck as he realized he wasn’t alone. He knew the smell of death, would have noticed it sooner had it not been for the reek of his own fear the moment he’d opened his eyes and seen what was happening.
As the car hit another rut in the road, the body in the backseat rose with it. He saw the man’s face and let out a shocked curse of regret and pain. Buck Morgan. The gangly wrangler hadn’t known what he was getting into. Buck’s body dropped with a sickening thud as the car came down hard.
Ethan felt something give. The ropes that bound his wrists suddenly felt looser. He freed one hand, but still couldn’t reach the emergency brake or the gearshift. He remembered the small knife he always kept in his right front pocket. Even if they hadn’t taken it, what were the chances he could get it out of his pocket before...
It was there. In an instant, it was in his hand. He thumbed the blade open and frantically sawed at the rope around the steering wheel as car roared toward the cliff.
The wheels bounced out of the road ruts and wiped out several large cacti before the dark chasm opened up before him. A scream tore up out of his throat as the knife ripped through the last of the rope. He grabbed for the door handle.
Seconds later the car left the road and soared out through the moonlit night. He watched in a kind of sick awe as the vehicle seemed to hang suspended in midair over the abyss. A bubble of laughter buoyed up, but not for long. He was a fool if he thought he could cheat death the way he had cheated everyone in his life.
CHAPTER ONE
FROM THE MIDDLE of the corral, Dillon Lawson tugged gently on the halter rope, urging the filly in a circle. She was a beauty and he couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride in her. The filly was smart, too. He’d known that the moment he’d looked into her eyes after she was born.
