Sheâll stop at nothing to see justice served
Attorney Nora Sullivan wants her motherâs killer behind bars. To do that, she needs the help of the primary suspectâs sonâGriffin York. Too bad Griffin seems determined to avoid all involvement. Fortunately, Nora knows something about persuasion and sets out to convince him heâs needed. Itâs not easy getting past his rebel facade, yet she sees glimpses of the considerateâand sexyâside he hides. Her efforts to sway him have an unexpected effect when every glimpse of the inner Griffin makes her want him more!
Regardless of the simmering attraction, what can the future hold for them? Their differences go beyond the murder case between them. Yet when Nora needs Griffin the most, he proves he just might be on her side.
âYou thinking Iâm some sort of hero?â
Griffin asked flatly. The sooner he disabused Nora of that notion, the better. âFor all you know I was itching for a fight and got lucky enough to find one.â
âYou were protecting me,â she insisted.
âYouâve been nothing but a pain in my ass since you walked into my garage, you know that?â Maybe his harsh words would change her mind, keep her away.
She walked closer to him, then stopped and laid the flat of her hand lightly on his chest.
âIâm sorry,â she said, as she rose onto her toes, âbut I really feel like this is something I have to do.â
He looked at her, unable to see more than the flash of her eyes, feel her moving ever closer to him. He shook his head once, a quick, decisive no. A warning. A plea.
She ignored them all. âBrace yourself,â she said, her breath washing over him, âthis might hurt.â
And she brushed her lips against the uninjured side of his mouth.
Dear Reader,
One of my favorite things about being a writerâother than working in my pajamas if I so chooseâis getting inside my charactersâ heads. I love developing their personalities, figuring out their wants and desires, their secrets and fears and, best of all, discovering what they need to grow to become their best selves.
Most of the time, Iâm completely in charge of my stories. I have a very clear idea of who my characters are and how I want them to behave. Before I wrote even one page of the first book in The Truth about the Sullivans trilogy, I knew the Sullivan sisters. Layne is honest, controlled and responsible. Tori is independent, clever and charming. And baby sister Nora? Well, she was supposed to be a nice counterbalance to her confident sistersâsmart, sweet and a bit shy. Someone who doesnât look for confrontation, who weighs all her options before carefully making a decision.
Youâll notice I said supposed to be.
From the moment she stepped onto the page of Unraveling the Past, Nora let me know I had her all wrong. Oh, sure, sheâs smart. Very. And while sheâs warm and generous, Iâm not sure Iâd call her sweet. She also says exactly whatâs on her mind and leaps into situations without considering the consequences.
Best of all, she keeps cynical Griffin York on his toes, never acting or reacting the way he thinks she will. He returns the favor by pushing her out of her comfort zone and challenging her to see herself as her own person instead of just one of the Sullivan girls.
I had a great time writing On Her Side and getting the chance to revisit the town of Mystic Point. I hope you enjoy the story!
I love to hear from my readers. Please visit my website,
www.bethandrews.net, or drop me a line at [email protected] or P.O. Box 714, Bradford, PA 16701.
Happy reading!
Beth Andrews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Romance Writers of America RITA® Award winner Beth Andrews has never purposely destroyed a car, rode on a Harley or started a barroom brawl. Thank goodness she gets to live vicariously through the characters in her books! Her goals for the year of walking three miles each day, and making every recipe in the dessert cookbook she got for Christmas, go together like diet Coke and a large order of French fries. Beth and her two teenage daughters outnumberâ¦oopsâ¦live with her husband in Northwestern Pennsylvania. When not writing, walking or eating, Beth can be found texting her son at college. Learn more about Beth and her books by visiting her website, www.BethAndrews.net.
For Hannah
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Special thanks to Assistant Chief Mike Ward of the Bradford, PA, Police Department.
CHAPTER ONE
IT WAS THE RAREâand what her sisters would probably describe as blessedâday when Nora Sullivan was struck speechless. But try as she might, she couldnât articulate any of the thoughts flying through her head. Not after the bombshell Layne had oh-so-casually just dropped.
Luckily her other sister, Tori, had no such problem. âWhat did you say?â