Prince Charming Wears A Badge

You don’t have to believe in magic to find it...

Callie James never expected a handsome prince or a fairy-tale ending. She already knows that life is full of unhappy-ever-afters—like finding her boyfriend with another woman, and being forced to return to her hometown and deal with her troubled past. Fortunately, she’s pretty much safe from romantic entanglements. That is, until she discovers the chief of police is also her teenage crush, Tyler Garrett. Now she must find a way to face her wicked stepfamily, win over Prince Charming...and save herself in the process.

“I wanted to thank you for tonight.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Callie said.

“Yes, you did.” Tyler swallowed. “I’ve been so wrapped up in family and work that I haven’t taken the time to go out and enjoy myself with other adults. So thank you for going along. I’m not sure I would have gone alone.”

“Really? You seemed anxious to go when Riva asked us.”

“That was for your sake. You needed a break.” He shrugged. “Turns out, so did I.”

The clouds uncovered the moon, illuminating her face. He leaned closer and touched his mouth to hers. He’d been wanting to do that all night. As soon as their mouths met, he knew it was a mistake.

This wasn’t the one chaste kiss they’d shared in high school.

This was the real thing.

Dear Reader,

When I originally conceived the plot of Prince Charming Wears a Badge, I had no idea it was a twist on Cinderella. But then I saw the live-action version of the movie Cinderella, where they go into much more detail about Cinderella’s life. When I saw how she was treated by her stepmother and stepsisters, I saw the similarity to my story.

The main difference, or the twist, is that my Cinderella, Callie James, doesn’t wait around for her prince to find her. She studied hard and got a full scholarship to college and never returned home. At least until she’s forced to. And that’s where she finds Tyler Garrett, a true prince of a man.

I hope you enjoy this twist on a favorite fairy tale. I’d love to hear from you at [email protected]. Check out my website, www.lisadyson.com, for upcoming releases.

Wishing you a happy ending,

Lisa Dyson

Prince Charming Wears a Badge

Lisa Dyson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LISA DYSON has been creating stories ever since getting an A on a fifth-grade writing assignment. She lives near Washington, DC, with her husband and their rescue dog with a blue tongue, aptly named Blue. She has three grown sons, a daughter-in-law and four adorable grandchildren. When not writing, reading or spending time with family, Lisa enjoys traveling, volunteering and rooting for her favorite sports teams.

To my prince of a husband, Michael

Acknowledgments

A special thank-you to my friend attorney Benjamin W. Glass, III for answering my many questions about the legal system. Any mistakes are entirely my own.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

A FEW DAYS ago Callie James was planning a romantic surprise for her boyfriend.

Now she found herself in front of a judge who held Callie’s future in her hands.

She swallowed the lump in her throat that held back the bile churning wildly in her digestive tract. Her folded hands on the defense table were damp as she waited for the judge to speak.

Callie never got into trouble. Sure, she’d received a speeding ticket once and had the occasional library book fine, but that’s as far as it went. She’d never come close to the possibility of jail time.

The judge turned her attention from the papers in front of her to the scattered observers in the courtroom. She cleared her throat and looked over horn-rimmed reading glasses to focus on the prosecution side of the room. “The charge is malicious destruction of property?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Her now ex-boyfriend, Andrew, who happened to be a Maryland Assistant State’s Attorney, rose from his seat at the prosecution table and straightened his conservative navy-and-white diagonally striped tie, which he wore with his equally conservative navy suit.

“You’re prosecuting the case on your own behalf?” The female judge’s wizened eyes narrowed in disapproval.

“No, Your Honor,” he said quickly and looked down to his right.

A much younger but similarly dressed man seated next to him stood up. “ASA Ross, Your Honor.”

Was this guy even out of law school yet? He had the haircut of a six-year-old and the lanky build of a fourteen-year-old who was wearing his father’s suit.

When the judge smiled at ASA Ross, Callie figured this was it. They were all conspirators in her downfall. They were going to lock her up and throw away the key.

“Harvey Goodman for the defense, Your Honor.” Callie’s lawyer was her financial firm’s house counsel and the only person she could think of to call. Harvey was nearing retirement age and she just hoped he wasn’t out of his league. His expertise was in mergers and acquisitions—he probably hadn’t litigated since law school. Which was likely about the same time he’d bought his suit, whose buttons strained over his middle.