Texas Stakeout
New York Times bestselling author Virna DePaul thrills with this story of a killer in waiting and a brother in hiding. Could they be the same person?Dylan Rooney is out of his element. A U.S. marshal and city-wrangler at heart, he must adopt a new cover–and a new client–in the heart of Texas. The assignment: protect Rachel Kincaid, a widow with a young son who realizes her struggles are just beginning when her ranch hand is killed. Posing as the new ranch hand, Dylan quickly learns that catching a killer may not be so simple–especially when Rachel's fugitive brother is the prime suspect. And when the woman he's vowed to protect is the same woman he's falling in love with.
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New York Times bestselling author Virna DePaul thrills with this story of a killer in waiting and a brother in hiding. Could they be the same person?
Dylan Rooney is out of his element. A U.S. marshal and city-wrangler at heart, he must adopt a new coverâand a new clientâin the heart of Texas. The assignment: protect Rachel Kincaid, a widow with a young son who realizes her struggles are just beginning when her ranch hand is killed. Posing as the new ranch hand, Dylan quickly learns that catching a killer may not be so simpleâespecially when Rachelâs fugitive brother is the prime suspect. And when the woman heâs vowed to protect is the same woman heâs falling in love with.
Her chin rose, and slowly, so did her gaze, until she made visual contact.
She cleared her throat, the sound delicate yet deliberate, then spoke. âLike you said, weâre attracted to each other. I thought my reaction to you was a fluke. But thisâ¦â
âBut this was real,â he finished for her. âNo aberration. No fluke.â He knew not to press her, but rather to let her draw out her own conclusions.
She shook her head, sending her hair flowing in the gentle evening breeze. âI want you and you want me.â
He wove his fingers under her hair and stroked the soft skin covering the back of her neck with the pads of his thumb. âThatâs a truth I would never deny. But my job. Your brother. Our feelings complicate things, Rachel.â
âI know.â She took a step back, breaking their contact, and blew out a sharp breath. âSo while this was funâ¦â She waved her hands in the air, as if gesturing to their momentary lapse of judgment.
âSo while this was fun, itâs over now,â he said firmly.
âExactly.â
Yeah, they could both wish that were the case. But he knew in his bones it simply wasnât true.
The last few books Iâve written for the Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense line have involved heroes in law enforcement, and this one is no different. Dylan Rooney is a U.S. marshal who is tracking down a fugitive in Texasâa place very different from where he grew up in California. Thatâs just one of the reasons Dylan feels thrown off balance throughout the book.
The other big reason is Rachel Kincaid, the heroine, who just happens to be the sister of the man Dylan is hunting. Rachel is a strong, independent single mother who believes deeply in her brotherâs goodness, so when Dylan shows up accusing him of murder, itâs natural for Rachel to view him as the enemy. Then the real enemies show up.
As Rachel is forced to rely on Dylan for protection, the more she begins to like and respect him, and this includes his dedication to upholding the U.S. Marshals motto: Justice, Integrity, Service. Throughout the story, Rachel and Dylan face a similar dilemma: how to reconcile oneâs duty with feelings of desire and love that seem to conflict with that duty.
I hope you enjoy their story as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Wishing you much love and happiness always,
Virna DePaul
VIRNA DEPAUL
was an English major in college and, despite a passion for Shakespeare, Broadway musicals and romance novels, somehow ended up with a law degree. For ten years, she was a criminal prosecutor for the state of California. Now sheâs thrilled to be writing stories about complex individuals (fully human or not) who are willing to overcome incredible odds for love. She can be found on Twitter at @virnadepaul or at virnadepaul.com.
For James. I miss you!
Contents
U.S. Marshal Dylan Rooney was on a stakeout. Only in the hill country of Texas a stakeout didnât mean sitting in an unmarked sedan, drinking coffee and eating donuts. Nope. A Texas stakeout meant sitting on the back of a horse. And Dylan, who was a mediocre rider at best, had drawn the short straw in more ways than one. As a marshal, it wasnât uncommon for him to work away from his home base in California. It was, however, uncommon for him to be this bored. And this sore.
He much preferred traveling by plane, train or automobileâthe faster and sleeker the mode of transportation, the betterâthan relying on a four-legged best from hell.
While two other marshals from Dylanâs five-member team, and several other marshals from various states, scoured the country for Jackson Kincaid, a prisoner whoâd recently escaped transport in California, Dylan was on his third day in Nowhere, Texas, binoculars trained on the ranch owned by Jackson Kincaidâs sister, Rachel. Besides the sheer boredom of it all, it wouldnât have been a bad assignment, but he hadnât counted on his damn horse having anxiety issues. Ginger, the horse heâd rented from an adjacent farm, wouldnât stop dancing in the red Texas dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust in Dylanâs face.
