âTalk to me, Libby,â he said, looking into the depths of her amber eyes.
âWhat is it?â he whispered, afraid he would scare her away.
âItâs nothing,â she answered, and tried to break free, but he held her tight.
When he turned her face with one finger so he could look into her eyes again, he saw the sparkle of tears.
Cupping her cheek with one hand, he pulled her closer with his other. âWonât you let me help?â
Her sigh seemed to come from the depths of her, but she didnât look away. Tears mixed with raindrops as they made a path down her cheek, and then her eyes slowly drifted shut. Without thinking, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Garrett felt her start to pull away, and then she seemed to fold herself into him.
Dear Reader,
The winter of 2010â2011 has been a tough one for those of us who live in North America. Between snowstorms and flooding, no one has escaped unusual weather. The one good thing that may have come from this is the chance to read.
Whether itâs the weather or just the overall enjoyment of books, it seems Iâve been rebitten by the reading bug, doing more reading this year than I have for a long time, and really enjoying it. Iâve also been doing a lot of writing, which has culminated in this, the sixth book set in Desperation, Oklahoma. Iâm especially pleased that youâve chosen the story of Desperationâs City Attorney, Garrett Miles, a man whoâs happy with his lot in life, and single mom Libby Carter. When a âpackageâ is delivered to Garrett, his life takes on new responsibilities as he learns firsthand some of the things Libby goes through every day. As for Libby, she has secrets that canât be shared. But can secrets remain buried in Desperation?
In the United States, one out of four people will be victims of domestic violence. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, over 2 million people called a hotline or domestic violence crisis center in 2004. If youâre in a violent relationship or know someone who is, get help now. For more information, visit the Domestic Violence Resource Center (www.dvrc-or.org) or domesticviolence.org. Help make sure everyone has a chance at happy ever after.
Best Wishes and Happy Reading,
Roxann
Ignoring the lunch crowd at Louâs Place, Garrett Miles skimmed the minutes from Tuesday nightâs city council meeting and jotted a note on a legal pad. The local tavern might not be the ideal place for the city attorney to be working, but his tiny office in the municipal building had become claustrophobic. Besides, he was hungry.
âCoffee, tea or â¦â
Smiling, he looked up and into a pair of familiar amber eyes and a devilish smile. âWhen did you start working the lunch shift?â he asked.
Libby Carter waited until heâd put his paperwork aside before she placed a cup of coffee in front of him. âJeanine needed a couple of hours off, so I offered to cover for her. I didnât know you came here for lunch.â
A strand of her blond hair had slipped from the twisted knot at the back of her head and fallen along her cheek, and he fought the urge to touch it. Heâd always been attracted to Libby and liked her far more than he should.
He pushed the thought aside, smiled again and shrugged. âI had a hankering for one of Kate McPhersonâs barbecue beef sandwiches and didnât want to wait until after work.â
âI canât blame you for that,â she answered, tucking the errant strand of hair behind her ear. âIs there anything else I can get you? Besides the sandwich, that is.â
Picking up the cup in front of him, he shook his head. âJust the sandwich,â he answered. âAnd keep the coffee coming.â
She looked over her shoulder when another customer called to her, and Garrett heard her sigh before she answered. âBe there in a second, Gus.â When she turned back to Garrett, she flashed him a smile. âDuty calls. Iâll have that sandwich for you right away.â
âThanks.â
He watched her walk to the bar where several locals sat, their beer glasses and bottles in hand, their talk quiet except for an occasional burst of laughter. He didnât stop in for lunch at Louâs often, preferring to visit in the evenings after work, but today heâd needed the change of scenery. Seeing Libby was a perk.
Picking up the cup of coffee, he took a drinkâand nearly scalded the roof of his mouth, causing him to let out a small yelp.
Libby appeared within seconds with a glass of water. âToo hot?â
He nodded and set his cup down quickly.
She picked it up and sighed. âI told Lou he was serving it too hot. Did he listen? Like he always does, meaning never. Iâll get it cooled down.â Shaking her head, she hurried to the bar and reached over the top of it.
Garrett stared, instantly forgetting about his burned mouth. He wasnât the only one in the place who was looking. Nearly every man with decent eyesight was watching, the same as he was. It hadnât escaped his notice or anyone elseâs that Libbyâs charms included more than being a good waitress with a sassy attitude. She was a very attractive woman.