âMaâam, where do you hurt?â
Randy stared at the way her hands were gripping her stomach. âAre you in labor? Can you hear me?â He resisted the urge to push deeper inside the car. Forcing a tenuous position would put his victim at more risk. But a mother in dangerânothing got to him faster.
And this one motherâ¦
Something about her seemed familiar, even if he couldnât put his finger on what. He scanned the parts of her body he could see, looking for anything heâd missed. Hair raised on the back of his neck.
His subconscious was trying to tell him something. What?
âAh!â she cried, louder than before. âHelp meâ¦â
Randyâs trained gaze cataloged each potential injury. It tracked up her torso and arms and shoulders, over the ebony hair framing the face that was finally uncovered.
A loverâs face, not a strangerâs.
âOh, my God. Sam?â
Dear Reader,
My letter in To Save a Family promised readers a firefighter story was in the works. For several ATLANTA HEROES novels, Iâve been teasing everyone, including myself, with glimpses of the hunky Montgomery brothers. I fell in love with this trio of rescue workers, and so have many of the fans whoâve written me. Now, the wait is over!
The youngest of the brothers, firefighter Randy Montgomery, loves his siblings, and he loves saving lives. But when a secret baby and an ex-lover on the run from the mob drop into Randyâs lap, his well-ordered world explodes. Sam Gianfraco is his match in every way, including her dark past and her distrust in happily-ever-afters. For the sake of their newborn daughter, can these soul mates follow their hearts and fight together, when life has taught them itâs safer to battle alone?
While you read The Firefighterâs Secret Baby, keep your eye out for future heroes. Youâll love Charlie Montgomery for how hard he fights to protect his baby brotherâyou havenât seen the last of him, I promise. And thereâs another recurring character refusing to sit on the sidelinesâ¦. Bet you can guess whoâs lobbying the hardest to take the lead in my next Harlequin Superromance!
Until next time, dream big, love with your heart wide open, and love fearlessly.
Anna DeStefano
P.S. Let me know what you think of the ATLANTA HEROES stories at www.annawrites.com. And join the fun and fabulous giveaways at www.annawrites.com/blog!
Bestselling, award-winning author Anna DeStefano volunteers in the fields of grief recovery and crisis care. The rewards of walking with people through lifeâs difficulties are never ending, as are the insights Anna has gained into what is most beautiful about the human spirit. She sees heroes everywhere she looks now. The top life lesson sheâs learned? Figure out what someone truly needs, become the one thing no one else could be for that person, and youâll be a hero, too!
For exciting news about her other Harlequin titles and her paranormal romantic suspense series, visit Anna at www.annawrites.com.
To those who stand and fight.
To those who run toward danger,
so others may be free.
To those who put all they are on the line.
To the heroes.
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
CHAPTER TWENTY
THUNDERSTORMS IN NOVEMBER?
Only in the south.
Sam peered through the greasy streaks her rental carâs wipers were making of the rain. She squinted at her rearview mirror. Were those the same headlights as before? Was she just imagining the danger bearing down on her?
Yes, Sam.
Itâs been two years of constant fear, but youâre imagining it all now.
A stabbing pain gripped her stomach. She forced her attention back to the road. Who cared who might be following her? She was going to careen into a guardrail if she didnât keep her eye on the road! She had to keep going. She had to get as far as she could before she tried to call her contact. Then everything would be okay. It had to be.
She was good at running, until the loneliness got too close. The hopelessness. Then sheâd do something stupid. Something dangerous, because she needed to feel real for just a little while. She cradled her palm over the very real cramps in her belly.
Not anymore. Not after tonight. Once she made it through this, there would be no more risky chances. No more flirting with danger. Only playing it safe and protecting the lives that were depending on her.
She straightened her shoulders and tried to see through her rain-soaked windshield. Enough. Whatâs done was done. Running was her only shot now. Their only shot. She refused to believe they couldnât make it.
âWhatever it takes,â she said to her unborn child. âI wonât let anything happen to you.â
A film-noir-worthy bolt of lightning spotlighted where her latest risks had gotten her. The storm beat down on the car. Dark pines danced on either side of the interstate. Pain streaked through her body.