ONCE UPON A RANCH IN WYOMINGâ¦
After losing his comrade, Sergeant Gil Hanford thought a visit to the manâs widow would be the decent way to honor his late friend. But Gil found more than comfort in Kai Tiernanâhe had always secretly desired beautiful Kai, but a sudden, mutual passion helped assuage their griefâ¦until duty reared its head, removing him from her arms, seemingly forever.
Four years later, Kai is starting over at the Triple H Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Born a rancher, she is looking for a new beginningâbut her new boss is unforgivably familiar. Kai has tried to move past the memory of what happened between her and Gil, even though sheâs never forgiven him for leaving her. But even as they begin their journey toward something new and oh-so-uncertain, a shadow emerges, determined to claim Kai for itself.
Praise for New York Times bestselling author
Lindsay McKenna
âA treasure of a bookâ¦highly recommended reading that everyone will enjoy and learn from.â
âChief Michael Jaco, US Navy SEAL, retired,
on Breaking Point
âHeartbreakingly tenderâ¦readers will fall in love with the upstanding hero and his fierce determination to save the woman he loves.â
âPublishers Weekly on Never Surrender (starred review)
âMcKenna skillfully takes readers on an emotional journey into modern warfare and two peopleâs hearts.â
âPublishers Weekly on Down Range
ââ¦Packed full of danger and adventure. Fans of military romance will appreciate the strong female characters, steamy sex scenes, and details of military life.â
âBooklist on Taking Fire
âThis was a beautiful and heartwarming story. Grayson and Skylar are an awesome alpha pair.â
âNight Owl Reviews on Wolf Haven
âReaders will find this addition to the Shadow Warriors series full of intensity and action-packed romance. There is great chemistry between the characters and tremendous realism, making Breaking Point a great read.â
âRT Book Reviews
To the best editors Iâve ever had:
Alicia Condon, Tara Gavin and Linda Curnyn. From the âgood ole daysâ where we kicked butt and took names in the romance world of publishing⦠taking romance at Silhouette to new heights! Creativity! Thinking outside the box! We, and so many others, changed the course of romance publishing. Many thanks to my wonderful readers for showing us the way!
Dear Reader,
I love what-ifs because they lead me down some interesting, twisted, turning paths. In Night Hawk, you will meet former Delta Force sergeant Gil Hanford, who went into the US Army at eighteen.
Gil met and worked with Sam Morrison. Sam was married to US Army Apache combat helicopter mechanic Kai Tiernan. Gil fell in love with Kai but, respectful of their marriage, he kept his distance. It was a painful time for Gil because he saw how unavailable Sam was to his wife, Kai. He could only sympathize with their plight.
Sam is killed in a firefight, and Gil is there when it occurs. Feeling grief-stricken, wanting to console Kai, he goes to her to offer his condolences. They end up in one anotherâs arms for five days, dealing with conflicting emotions. On the morning of the fifth day, Gil is ordered out on an undercover op. He thinks itâs for a few days, but it ends up being two years.
Kai is left without her husband and without Gil. She never finds out what happens to Gil. Thinking heâs used her to soothe his grief, Kai goes back to Wyoming and drifts from one ranch to another. Few ranchers are willing to hire a woman to be a mechanic.
Finally, four years later, she ends up at the Triple H Ranch near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Itâs only half a day later that she meets the ranch foreman: Gil Hanfordâ¦
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I hope you enjoy Night Hawk.
All the best,
CHAPTER ONE
KAI TRIED TO get her heart to stop pounding so hard in her chest. She sat in her Ford pickup in front of the Triple H Ranch, rubbing her damp palms against her jeans. This was the twentieth ranch sheâd traveled to in order to apply for a job as a mechanic and wrangler. Sheâd been to six ranches in South Dakota, ten in Montana, two in Idaho, and now Wyoming ranches didnât look like they were hiring, either. Worse, she was a fine mechanic due to her US Army time as an Apache helicopter repairer, but the listless economy was stopping any new hires. Plus, she was a woman and the ranch owners just rolled their eyes when she said she was a mechanic.
Kai could fix anything. You name it, she could handle it. She knew being a woman brought prejudice to the table. And ranchers tended to be conservative, old guard and even outright Neanderthal in their view of women. Sheâd had one rancher nearly fall off his chair in his office laughing hysterically when she said she was a mechanic.