He crushed Caraâs body against his, the sensation both relief and torture.
She tore her mouth from his. âWe have to stop. I donât do this with colleagues.â
âOkay,â he said, letting go of her and stepping back. Blood still roared in his head, but he forced his desire to chill.
Cara stared at him with a shocked, wide-eyed expression that reflected his own feelings. âIâm sorry. I donât know what got into me. Can we just forget it ever happened?â she continued. âWe have to work together, and I need to concentrate on the case. Besides, Iâm sure you have plenty of women lining up toâ¦â
Wes leaned one shoulder against her front door. He smiled and brushed a strand of hair off her face. âBut I was just about to let you cut to the front of the line.â
âThe front of the line? Arenât I lucky?â
His grin only widened. âLet me inside, and we could both get lucky.â
Dear Reader,
Over the past few years Iâve developed a weakness for the Kimball family. Theyâre a close, boisterous bunch, who support and challenge each other through all the bumps and heights in their lives. As I dived into Wesâs life, I wondered how they would all react to a new kind of testânot just a romantic tangle, but a danger to the very life of their town.
An arsonist is loose in Baxter, and Wes, who longs for acceptance but still walks his own path, is called on to solve the mystery.
I enjoyed exploring Wesâs strengths and vulnerabilities and watching him be awed, frustrated and, finally, embraced by love. By the time I finished the book, he and Cara felt like old friends. I hope they do the same for you.
Visit my Web site at www.wendyetherington.com and tell me what you think. Or you can still reach me via regular mail at P. O. Box 3016, Irmo, SC 29063.
Happy reading!
Wendy Etherington
POLICE LIEUTENANT Wes Kimball slid his truck to a stop behind two patrol carsâthe entire force in Baxter, Georgia. The fire departmentâs ladder truck, pump truck and an ambulance completed the collection of city vehicles.
Less than a hundred yards away the warehouse still billowed smoke. By the light of the three-quarter moon, he could see emergency crews lined along the sidewalkâshadows in the night, fighting a battle the heat and flames had already claimed. Still, two teams of firefighters held hoses of streaming water, aiming the quenching drink toward the buildingâs crumbling shell.
Wishing he had a hot cup of coffee, Wes climbed from the truck, then strode purposefully toward the scene. The distinctive smell of gasoline washed over him.
He paused, inhaling deep. Great.
The second fire in as many weeks involving gasoline and a building owned by a prominent Baxter businessman. The second time heâd been called out in the middle of the night to investigate. Last time it was a real estate management office; this time an office supply warehouse. Since he was the only cop in town who worked the arson cases with the fire department, and heâd been dealing with the first fire for the past several days, Wes figured heâd hear from the mayor by dawn. That gave him only three hours to come up with a lead. On four hours sleep.
He hunched his shoulders against the brisk October wind and approached the semicircle of cops standing to the side of the ladder truck. Great beginning for a Tuesday.
âEarly enough for you?â Eric Norcutt, a high school buddy and fellow cop, asked.
âToo damn,â Wes returned.
Two other members of the Baxter PD snapped to attention.
Wes nodded. âMorninâ.â
They returned his nod, saying nothing. Since he was known almost as widely for his formidable temper as his high rate of solved cases, he could hardly object. One of those things he vowed to work onâusually after heâd had a run-in with his boss or his older brother, who was the fire chief.
âWhatâs the word on the warehouse?â Wes asked.
âDead loss,â Norcutt said. âJust like the other place.â
A shout rose in the air, then a loud crash. A large beam fell from an upper floor and crumbled to the ground. Still, the firefighters stood their ground, aiming water toward the smoldering building, the picture of proud dedication. No doubt disciples of his brother Ben, who was the spitting image of their heroic father, both of whom Wes had long since ceased trying to live up to. Heâd always felt like something of an outsider in his family, probably always would.
Scanning the area again, he stiffened, recognizing two figures standing off to the side. The mayorâwhose portly figure was unmistakableâand Robert Addison, the owner of the building, looked to be in deep and intense conversation.