Sheâs Running From The Lawâ¦
Alexandra Hunt is living a lie. In fact, thatâs not even her real name. But after the death of her estranged husband, Alex and her four-year-old daughter were at the mercy of ruthless people: her powerful, possibly crooked former in-laws. When they came after her child, Alex saw no choice but to flee. Small town Fredericksburg, Texas, offers unexpected sanctuary. Until she meets her next-door neighbor, by-the-bookâand devilishly handsomeâTexas Ranger Zane Winchester!
Single father Zane has to admit he has a thing for sweet, pretty Alex. Yet while the attraction is mutual, sheâs definitely hiding something. And Zane canât abide a liar. He needs to find out Alexâs secrets before he can truly allow her into his and his teenage daughterâs lives. But when he discovers the truth, will he help Alexâor turn her in?
âDammit, Alex.â Frustration roughened Zaneâs voice to a growl. âEverythingâs private with you, everythingâs too personal to share.â
She drew back, stung.
âSome days I catch myself obsessing, what is she keeping from me? Then I think, everything. You say this part of a relationship is for getting to know one another, but whenever I try, you shut me out. You change the subject, you refuse to answer questions, you get hostile. And over the past couple of days, you kiss me or give me âthat lookâ and the question gets forgotten. I think I prefer the direct hostility. It feels more honest.â
Tears blurred her vision. A dozen scathing replies came to mind, but she choked them all down. Because sheâd been a fraud from day one. She didnât have the right to fight with him over it.
âIâm obviously not ready for this,â she said. âMaybe I never will be. Maybe Iâm damaged goods. Youâre a great guy, and you should hold out for someone with more to offer.â
âAlex, waitââ He scrambled off the bed.
She paused in the doorway and gave him a sad smile. âOn the bright side, you wonât have to worry about my distracting you with kisses anymore.â
Dear Reader,
I have enjoyed writing my Hill Country Heroes books almost as much as I enjoyed visiting the Texas Hill Country region! For my last book in the miniseries, I wanted to come up with a special hero, someone quintessentially Texan. Meet Zane Winchester, Texas Ranger, a brave lawman devoted to his community and his daughter. Unfortunately for Zane, sometimes raising a teenager can be just as tricky as tracking down bad guys.
Single mom Heather Hargrove is facing her own parenting challengesânamely how to keep her four-year-old out of the clutches of her wealthy and corrupt former in-laws. When desperation forces Heather into hiding under a false identity, she winds up living right next door to Zane. Just how is she supposed to keep her secrets from a man trained to solve cases and see through lies? Just as troubling, how is she supposed to keep herself from falling for the handsome neighbor who manages to make her laugh in the midst of her problems and values her advice as a parent?
Writing this book, I grew to care not only about Heather and Zane but their community of friends and family. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest announcements on whether any of the characters might be popping up in future stories!
Happy reading,
Tanya
Rescued by a Ranger
Tanya Michaels
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Three-time RITA® Award nominee Tanya Michaels writes about what she knowsâcommunity, family and lasting love! Her books, praised for their poignancy and humor, have received honors such as a Booksellersâ Best Bet Award, a Maggie Award of Excellence and multiple readersâ choice awards. She was also a 2010 RT Book Reviews nominee for Career Achievement in Category Romance. Tanya is an active member of Romance Writers of America and a frequent public speaker, presenting workshops to educate and encourage aspiring writers. She lives outside Atlanta with her very supportive husband, two highly imaginative children and a household of quirky pets, including a cat who thinks sheâs a dog and a bichon frise who thinks sheâs the center of the universe.
Itâs important for writers to recharge creatively and stay inspired.
This book was powered by the music of NEEDTOBREATHE and Rob Thomas.
Chapter One
Oh, God, what have I done? Panic crowded Heather Hargroveâs chest. Faced with the scariest threat of her life, sheâd boltedâpotentially making her circumstances even worse. In an attempt to calm herself, Heather watched her four-year-old daughter contentedly snore beneath a blanket on the leather sofa. Josieâs safe. For the moment, anyway.
I wonât let anyone take her from me.
Although theyâd fled Houston earlier that day, the reality of Heatherâs situation was just as grim here in Dallas. She did not have the long-term resources to fight Eileen and Phillip Hargrove. Her wealthy former in-laws were one of the most powerful couples in the state of Texas. Theyâd be nearly impossible to beat in a custody battle even if they let themselves be constrained by anything as plebeian as âconscienceâ or âlaw.â When Heather had first become engaged to their son, the Hargroves had attempted to end the relationship by bribing one of her former foster mothers to lie about her. With pockets as deep as theirs, who knew what kind of damaging testimony they could buy? If Heather had faced them in court, she would have lost Josie, her entire world. But her failure to appear this afternoon meant the judge could rule automatic forfeiture of custody.