Montana Hearts (24 page)
Authors: Darlene Panzera
Delaney gasped. “No. IâÂI didn't.”
Not waiting for him to reach them, Bree asked, “What happened?”
“Motorcycle accident,” he replied, taking the last few steps. “Right after I got out of the army.”
“Last July? That was ten months ago,” Delaney accused. “Why didn't you tell us you'd been hurt?”
“What, this?” Luke leaned on his good foot and lifted his injured leg. “This is just a scratch. I took more of a beating in Iraq.” He gave them a look that said he really didn't want to talk about it and shrugged. “I figured no sense worrying anyone.”
Bree poked a finger into his chest. “Ma's going to be mad that you didn't tell her. Grandma, too.”
“Yeah, I know.” Luke's jaw tightened. “But what's done is done.”
Bree knew that feeling. To lighten the mood, she teased, “You can't use that short hiking stick as an excuse not to give us a proper greeting. Come here, you.”
Luke didn't chortle with laughter like he did back in the days before they'd each left home, but he did give her a quick grin, even if it did seem forced. “How about a high five?”
Bree slapped the palm he raised like they'd always done and her heart eased.
Luke gave Delaney a high five next and then his gaze drifted to the little girl still clinging to her mother's knee. “Would you like a high five, too?”
Meghan hesitated, then a smile stole across her face, puckering her cheeks. “High five!”
“She talks?” Luke asked as they watched their niece reach a stubby hand in the air to meet his.
“Meghan's using short sentences and learning more words each day,” Delaney informed them. “Giving high fives is one of her favorite games.”
“Mine, too,” Luke agreed. “It's one of the things I
can
still do.”
Bree noticed he still wore his dog tags around his neck. And his honey-Âbrown hair, a shade darker than her own, wasn't the short, military cut she remembered. Now it fell down over his forehead in an unruly shag that was sure to send Ma running for the scissors. He also appeared thinner than she'd last seen him. Grandma would take that as a challenge to fatten him up with homemade breads and meat pies.
They hadn't seen each other for almost a year, not since they all came home last June for her birthday. Afterward Luke got out of the serÂvice and went to Florida to live on a boat and do odd jobs. She'd flown back to New York, and Delaney and Meghan had relocated with Steve to California. They'd still kept in touch through phone calls and Skype. But when had they lost touch so much that they'd started keeping secrets from one another?
She glanced at Luke's cane again. Did he think she wouldn't care? Or wouldn't understand? Before she could question him further, Luke pointed to Delaney's barren ring finger and asked, “Where's Steve?”
Bree gasped. She'd been so caught up in their hug and seeing Meghan again, and Luke, that she hadn't noticed. Now her sister had her full attention.
Delaney hesitated, glanced back and forth between them, then in a quiet voice said, “We're divorced.”
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DARLENE PANZERA writes sweet, fun-Âloving romance and is a member of the Romance Writers of America's Greater Seattle chapter. Her career launched when her novella “The Bet” was picked by Avon Books and
New York Times
bestselling author Debbie Macomber to be published within Debbie's own novel,
Family Affair
. Darlene says, “I love writing stories that help inspire Âpeople to laugh, value relationships, and pursue their dreams.”
Born and raised in New Jersey, Darlene is now a resident of the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, her horse, and loves camping, hiking, photography, and lazy days at the lake.
Join her on Facebook or at
www.darlenepanzera.com
.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
hc.com
.
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The Montana Hearts series
Montana Hearts: Her Weekend Wrangler
Montana Hearts: Sweet Talkin' Cowboy
The Cupcake Diaries series
The Cupcake Diaries: Sweet On You
The Cupcake Diaries: Recipe for Love
The Cupcake Diaries: Taste of Romance
The Cupcake Diaries: Spoonful of Christmas
The Cupcake Diaries: Sprinkled with Kisses
Other Novels
(Originally appeared in shorter form as “The Bet” in the back of Debbie Macomber's Family Affair)
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Give in to your Impulses . . .
Continue reading for excerpts from
our newest Avon Impulse books.
Available now wherever e-Âbooks are sold.
A
L
OVE AND
F
OOTBAL
L
N
OVELLA
By Julie Brannagh
R
IBBON
R
IDGE
B
OOK
F
OUR
By Darcy Burke
A
N
A
CCIDENTAL
H
EIRS
N
OV
EL
By Christy Carlyle
A
D
UKES
B
EHAVIN
G
B
ADLY
N
OVELLA
By Megan Frampton
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An Excerpt from
A Love and Football Novella
by Julie Brannagh
Hearts beat and sparks fly when two Âpeople find shelter in each other.
Seattle Sharks wide receiver Kyle Carlson needs to escape and Noel, Washington is the perfect place for him to do it and figure out his next step. He likes the seclusion and predictability of the small town . . . until the biggest surprise of his life turns up in the local grocery store.
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S
he swallowed hard. She looked down at her hand clasped securely in his. There was so much to say, but for once, she'd like to spend a Âcouple of hours sitting on the couch with nothing more pressing to do than enjoy herself.
“I have to tell you this,” he said. “I'm kinda into you. I have been since we were in school.” He let out a long breath. “Are you okay if we take this slow?” He peered at her through a mop of dark, shoulder-Âlength waves. His full lips twitched into a shy smile. “I don't want to screw it up,” he confessed.
It was probably a huge line he'd used with women before, but hearing something so bashful coming from the normally confident, handsome, funny Kyle charmed her. Even if it wasn't original, it worked. She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I like you too.”
“That's good to know,” he said. He squeezed her hand.
“I wonder how things would have been different if I'd gone to the prom with you instead.”
“You were a bit unavailable in those days.”
“Yeah. It wasn't working, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself it was. Of course, then I met Peter, and that was even worse.” Maybe she should change the subject. No one wanted to hear about the train wreck that was her love life. She still had a tiny flicker of hope in her heart that things could be different.
Somehow, law enforcement would keep her ex away from her, she'd meet a man she wanted to be with and who wanted to be with her in return, and her life would be happy. She didn't have to plan her entire future in the next ten minutes.
“I've had some sketchy relationships over the years too,” he said. They stared at each other for a minute or so, and he grinned at her. “How about that movie? What would you like to watch?”
She'd rather spend the evening talking with him and continuing to catch up on the past ten years, but maybe he preferred the relative safety of a shared activity that would not require baring one's soul. They had plenty of time to explore each other's thoughts and dreams. Maybe sitting on the couch holding hands was the best medicine for both of them right now.
“That's a good question,” she said. “Do we watch something we've seen before, or do we take a risk?”
“What's your favorite movie?” he said.
“Pitch Perfect,”
she said.
He clicked the TV on, hit the Amazon Instant Video icon, and located the downloadable movie. “I know I'm supposed to say something like I love the
Fast and Furious
franchise more than anything,” he confided. “Don't tell anyone, but I own the
Pitch Perfect
DVD. It's in Bellevue.”
“You're not a
Fast and Furious
fan?”
“Don't let it get out,” he joked.
“That's aca-Âawesome, Kyle.”
They watched the bar on the screen as the movie downloaded for a few seconds.
“I'll bet you sing along too,” he said.
“ âTitanium' is one of my favorite songs,” she assured him. “And I sing âSince U Been Gone' in the car. At least I did when I
had
a car.”
“We can sing it in my car.” He moved closer to her on the couch as the download ended. “Want something to drink before I click Start on the movie?”
“No, thank you. I'm fine,” she said.
“You are, aren't you?”
She laughed as he moved closer.
“I have one more thing to confess,” he said as he reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. He slowly rubbed his thumb against her jaw. Her heart was going as if she'd chugged a four-Âshot latte, and the memories came rushing back. She remembered a thousand nights of football games, pizza, and hanging around on the beach with her friends. She remembered Kyle as a laughing teen with wavy, tumbled dark hair, sparkling dark eyes, and the confidence of someone who believed life held only good things for all of them. She thought that charmed life would go on forever.
They weren't high school students anymore. They'd both had their share of joy and pain as they'd ventured into the adult world. The stakes were higher now, especially since they'd confessed a mutual interest. The pain in her heart, if this did not work out, would be a momentary annoyance compared with the anguish she would feel if she exposed Kyle or his family to danger as the result of her unhinged, vengeful ex.
“What if he finds me?” she whispered. His couch wrapped them in a cocoon of overstuffed comfort.
“We'll deal with that later,” he whispered back. “I've wanted to kiss you for years now, Sophie. I think you want to kiss me too.”
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An Excerpt from
Ribbon Ridge Book Four
by Darcy Burke
In the fourth sexy and emotional novel in the Ribbon Ridge series, movie star Alaina Pierce just wants peace and quiet after a tabloid scandal that rocked Hollywood . . . but a hot and steamy affair with a gorgeous Archer brother is the perfect distraction.
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E
van Archer rounded the larger of his parents' two garages and was immediately hit by the smell of smoke and the peal of an alarm. He instinctively pressed his hands to his ears and looked up at the apartment on the second floor of the garage. Smoke billowed from an open window. Despite the excruciating sound, he ran toward the door, threw it open, and vaulted up the stairs. The door at the top, which led to the apartment, was open. The acrid scent of smoke assaulted his lungs as the scream of the alarm violated his ears.
A woman stood beneath the alarm madly waving a towel.
Evan strode to the dining table situated in front of the windows and pulled a chair beneath the smoke detector. He said nothing to the strange woman, but nevertheless she moved out of his way. He stepped onto the chair and promptly pulled the battery from the alarm. Blessed silence reigned. He closed his eyes with relief.
“Thank you,” she said, draping the towel over her shoulder. “I am so sorry about this. Who are you?”
He didn't look directly at her but recognized her immediately. “You're Alaina Pierce.”
“I know who
I
am. Who are you?” There was a guarded, tentative look in her eyes. He universally sucked at decoding emotional expression, but that was one he knew. Probably because he'd seen it in the mirror so much when he'd been younger.
He jumped down off the wooden chair and returned it to the table. “I'm Evan Archer. Are you staying here?”
“Yes. Sean didn't tell you?”
“Nope.” Evan hadn't seen his brother-Âin-Âlaw today, but that wasn't unusual. He and Evan's sister Tori lived in a condo in Ribbon Ridge proper, while Evan lived fifteen minutes outside the center of town with their parents in the house they'd all grown up in. “Should he have?”
“Maybe not. My being here is a secret.”
Then it made perfect sense that he hadn't told Evan. He was terrible at keeping secrets. “I suck at secrets.” And knowing when to keep his mouth shut.
“I see. Well, do you think you could keep me a secret?”
Maybe. If he didn't make the mistake of blurting it out without thinking. “I guess.”
“Hey,” she said with more volume than she'd used before. “Would you mind looking at me so I can see if you're telling the truth?”
He forced himself to look straight at her. She was beautiful. But not in the glamorous movie star way he'd expected. She wore very little makeup, not that she needed any at all. The color of her skin reminded him of rich buttermilk, and her hazel eyes carried a beguiling sparkle. They were very expressive and probably her defining feature. Along with that marquee smile he had yet to see.
“Do you have a superpower that allows you to detect lies?”
Her mouth inched up into an almost-Âsmile. “Yes, I do. It's a side effect of being ridiculously famous.”
“Good to know. I was only moderately famous, so that's a skill I don't possess.” He was also fairly lousy at lying. How could he recognize it in someone else? He looked away from her, settling his gaze on the still-Âsmoky kitchen. “I'll do my best not to expose your secret.”