Of all the atrocities Iâve seen during my sixty years on this green earthâand believe me, Iâve seen plenty!âhaving my nephew, Jackson Colton, stand accused for my attempted murder has to top them all. The case those dim-witted boys in blue have against Jackson is purely circumstantial. Donât they see that they are wasting valuable time with these trumped-up charges when the real culprit is still out there? Iâll put a stop to this if itâs the last thing I ever do. Luckily, the star witness, Cheyenne James, is secretly sweet on my nephew and believes in his innocence. Those two put their headsânot to mention their lips!âtogether and figured out a way to beat the system by getting hitched. So Jacksonâs clairvoyant bride wonât have to testify, and the case will surely crumble! Now itâs only a matter of time before those two soul mates fess up their true feelings and make a lifelong commitmentâ¦.
KAREN HUGHES
enjoys writing about men and women who want to commit their lives to each other, share dreams and grow old together. She believes romance lives in everyday life and thinks there is a hero inside every manâhe just needs the right woman to bring out his best qualities. Wide open spaces call to her, yet she also likes the bustle and convenience of city life. Experience has taught her that true love can be found anywhere. To research this action-packed thriller, the author drove the California coast and fell in love with the mist-swept, rocky shoreline.
Meet the Coltonsâ
a California dynasty with a legacy of privilege and power.
Jackson Colton: Lawyer on trial. Falsely charged with Joe Coltonâs attempted murder, this lonerâs only defense is to wed the witness. But now that heâs legally bound to this dark beauty, he can only hope that the judge grants him a life sentenceâ¦to love!
Cheyenne James: Native American psychic. This counselor will do anything to stand up for her convictionsâeven if it means marrying a stranger who appears to have murder on his mind.
Thad Law: Man with a mission. Still assigned to the Colton case, this newly married detective smells something fishy. Could they have arrested the wrong man?
Patsy Colton: The manic matron. Masquerading as her sister Meredith, sheâd thought she was on easy street, but now sheâs getting cranky as her house of cards begins to tumbleâ¦.
Jackson Colton knew all about how cops operated. Although he practiced corporate law, heâd spent two summers during college interning in the Los Angeles County District Attorneyâs office. He knew that, when fishing for suspects or talking to witnesses who might be less than truthful, the boys in blue preferred to conduct interviews on their own turf. Doing so tended to intimidate people and make them feel like they were a captive audience, whether they legally were or not.
By summoning him to the Prosperino Police Department, Jackson theorized that Detective Thaddeus Law had embarked on a world-class fishing expedition. Which was why he now sat across the scarred table from the sharp-eyed detective in a small interview room that smelled of cigarettes and sweat. The only thing Jackson hadnât yet sorted out was why he was the fish Law had chosen to reel in.
Granted, heâd been at his Uncle Joeâs sixtieth birthday party nearly a year ago when someone took a shot at the Colton family patriarch. Nevertheless, hundreds of people had gathered in the courtyard of Hacienda de Alegria, where white doves soared, champagne flowed and exotic flowers floated in the bubbling fountain. Jackson knew that just his presence that night shouldnât have put him in a suspicious light. Nor did Law have reason to view him as the guilty party simply because heâd again been at the Colton ranch four months ago when a second shot barely missed his uncle. Yet, for reasons unclear to Jackson, the detective had turned a suspicious eye his way.
âSo,â Law said, leaning back in his chair. âNot one family member, staff person or guest at your uncleâs birthday party can verify your whereabouts at the time the shot was fired.â
Jackson regarded the cop. He had a small scar on his left cheek, a bump on his nose from where it had been broken and the bear-size build to knock anything out of his path without breaking stride. A formidable man, Jackson thought. One who obviously believed he had something on him or they wouldnât now be sparring in the stale-smelling room with stark fluorescent lighting and a single pane of one-way glass.
Since Jackson knew he hadnât tried to kill Joe Colton, Detective Law was headed for disappointment.
âI didnât know at the time I would need someone to swear to my whereabouts every minute of the evening.â Jackson raised a shoulder. âSo, I didnât bother interrogating the hundreds of people at my uncleâs party. That was your job.â