A Cowboy With Something To Hideâ¦
On the rodeo circuit, B. J. Lambert had plenty of chances to forget about his first love. Back in Coffee Creek, itâs impossible. Savannah Moody is as irresistible to B.J. as when they were teens. Heâd still do anything for herâexcept give up the secret he promised to keep.
Sheriff Savannah Moody knows B.J. is hiding something. Not his feelings for herâitâs obvious to both of them that the attraction is as strong as ever. But she simply canât afford to give in. She has her sister to care for, and the family land, and B.J. might be gone tomorrow. She also has a job to do: to pursue the truth and discover what really happened eighteen years ago when a barn burned and a man died. Even if it costs her dearlyâ¦.
âCould we find someplace quiet to talk?â
B.J. thought about his trailer. Too small, too intimate. âI could stand some food. Want to go out for a steak?â
She hesitated, and he could see the mistrust in her eyes. Even after all these years, it hurt.
She blamed him for what had happened to Hunter. Always a kid who invited trouble, heâd gone even more wild after the fire. Heâd given up on school, found a rougher set of friends and two months later, on his and Savannahâs eighteenth birthday, had stolen money from their mother and run off to his first rodeo.
Since then heâd been traveling from one state to the other, always on the move.
On the surfaceâand to Savannahâit probably seemed like the two of them lived pretty similar lives. But the heavy drinking and gambling that sucked up most of Hunterâs energy was not B.J.âs scene.
âMy truck is parked close.â She pointed to the visitor lot. âHow about we talk there?â
Though she worded it as a question, she didnât wait for him to answerâjust started walking as if she expected him to follow.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Coffee Creek, Montana, where the Lambertsâa family of ranchers and cowboysâown the largest spread in Bitterroot County, all controlled by matriarch Olive Lambert. Why donât you start by grabbing a sticky bun and coffee from the Cinnamon Stick Café? Winnie and her new baby still havenât returned to town, but donât worryâthey soon will. And Jackson Stone will be waiting. Watch for their story in the final installment in this series, coming this October.
In the meantime, you might want to take your coffee out behind the café and enjoy the view of the creek for which the town was named. See that topaz-colored water? Thatâs why they call it Coffee Creek.
When youâre all done your snack, walk by the Court House, where the Sheriffâs Office is located. I suppose youâve heard about Savannah Moody, the new sheriff? Her father was an alcoholic and gambler who lost the familyâs fortune before passing away from liver disease. Her mother is in the Mountain View Care Home.
Now Savannahâs life is about to become a lot more complicated. Her first love, B. J. Lambert, is back in town. Heâs done with the rodeo and ready to settle down. Heâs thinking it might be with her. But thereâs a little problem called âthe pastâ that must be dealt with first!
Happy Reading,
C.J. Carmichael
www.cjcarmichael.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hard to imagine a more glamorous life than being an accountant, isnât it? Still, C.J. Carmichael gave up the thrills of income tax forms and double-entry bookkeeping when she sold her first book in 1998. She has now written more than twenty-eight novels for Harlequin and invites you to learn more about her books, see photos of her hiking exploits and enter her surprise contests at www.cjcarmichael.com.
This is for my writing companion, my real âlaptop,â our family cat Penny. Every writer should have a classy cat like you.
Prologue
Sheriff Savannah Moody drove up to the church and parked right at the front, next to the bridal partyâs white sedan. She thought of all the people waiting inside. The white steeple was the visual focal point of Coffee Creek, Montana, but Savannah had rarely been inside.
Her fatherâs funeral, with the paltry attendance of less than a dozen mourners, the marriage of a close friend and then that friendâs first babyâs christening. That was pretty much it.
And now this.
With long, purposeful strides, she made her way along the sidewalk, up the stairs and to the double doors. Muffled organ music seeped out from the buildingâs poresâa joyous sound that soon would end.
Delivering tragic news was the hardest part of her job. Today she had to do it to a man whoâd been her first love. Theyâd dated all through high school. Sheâd been so sure sheâd spend the rest of her life with him.
Then heâd done something stupid, involved her brother, and the next thing she knew heâd joined the rodeo circuit, rarely making it home to Coffee Creek in the seventeen years that followed.