KILLER LAWYER

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KILLER LAWYER
by Mark Nolan
Thriller

Date Published: 12/10/2018

No rest for the wicked.

Trained as an assassin by the CIA, Jake Wolfe now wants a new life of peace and quiet, living on a boat and practicing law. But when his city is shocked by a serial killer and he’s framed for the murder of a friend, Jake must race against time to find the killer before he strikes again.

Drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse; at every step, Jake and his loved ones are being hunted by the clever, twisted madman. As the city is gripped in fear of the seemingly random shootings that could strike anybody, Jake investigates and uncovers ominous clues until a shocking reversal of fortune changes everything.

With the clock ticking and lives at stake, will Jake be able to find and stop the killer in time, or will he become the next victim?

Buckle up for a wild ride as Jake Wolfe and his exceptionally intelligent dog, Cody, return to action in this page-turning thriller in Mark Nolan’s bestselling series that has earned thousands of 5-star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads.

KILLER LAWYER Excerpt


At half-past midnight, newly-licensed attorney Jake Wolfe lay in bed staring at the ceiling and waiting for orders … orders to kill.

Resting on top of the covers, fully dressed except for his boots, he was ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Beneath him, he felt his sixty-foot power yacht, the Far Niente, rock gently on the water, where it was berthed at his boat slip.

In the stillness, he listened as small waves lapped at the hull, the boat creaked in a familiar way, the rigging from a nearby sailboat flapped in the breeze, and a passing seagull called to another. He knew every sound of the boat, as if she was an old friend with her own personality.

Closing his eyes, he wondered how it was possible that he’d become an assassin. After serving four years in the Marines and later doing secret black ops missions for the CIA’s Special Activities Division, he’d received an honorable discharge at his end of active service. Coming home and studying law online he’d passed the bar exam and started a solo law practice. The fighting should all be behind him now, but Uncle Sam had come calling again, in need of a patriot to help protect the homeland.

His girlfriend, Sarah Chance, should be in bed with him, but she’d accidentally witnessed Jake assassinate three terrorists. Now she was afraid to spend the night.

* * *

Sarah Chance lay awake in bed, thinking about Jake and worrying about being late with her monthly period.

Getting out of bed, she tied back her long dark hair with a scrunchie, put on her glasses, walked to the bathroom and tore open a pregnancy test kit.

She had absolutely no plans to have a baby at this stage of her life, and yet for some strange reason she felt torn, half-fearing and half-hoping she might be pregnant.

As she waited for the test result to be revealed, she thought about how she’d fallen so hard for Jake. That scared her a little. His secret life of covert ops had almost gotten her killed recently. How could she live with a proverbial sword hanging over her head?

If only Jake would tell the government he wanted out, that he’d done his duty, served with honor and now deserved to enjoy a normal civilian life. It was time for others to step up and take his place so

Jake and his war dog, Cody, could live in peace.

A tear rolled down Sarah’s cheek, and her eyes were wet as she watched the result show up on the test stick, plain as day and undeniable.

About the Author

Mark Nolan is the author of Dead Lawyers Don't Lie, an Amazon top 20 bestsellers, along with Jake Wolfe book two titled Vigilante Assassin and book three titled Killer Lawyer. He tries to make time every day to answer emails from readers. You can reach him and subscribe to his newsletter at marknolan.com.

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THE FABERGE ENTANGLEMENT

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The Faberge Entanglement

by Lesley Meryn and Elle Brooks

Romance, Thriller, Suspense, Adventure

Date Published: July 2015

THE FABERGÉ ENTANGLEMENT

Sabinne ‘Saber’ Darrieux’s father, the billionaire CEO of Frontenac Global Security has been kidnapped. His ransom is not cash in a numbered offshore account, or a briefcase of Bearer Bonds but something utterly unique, incredibly valuable, and until recently, hidden away from the world.

The kidnapper seems to know Saber very well and knows that the next day, through her work as an elite translator she will be in the same location as the Object. She must steal the Object and deliver it to the kidnapper to ransom her father.

Adrian Steele, a British Intelligence agent has just come off of two harrowing missions. Upon returning to London for a well-earned rest, he learns that his friend and a fellow agent have been murdered in Moscow, but not before he made use of a unique Object as a mobile ‘drop site’ for the valuable intelligence he was carrying.

The drop site is traveling from Moscow to England. Steele insists on completing the mission to honor the death of his friend, Gerry Cornell.

At an ultra-chic quasi-diplomatic gathering in a mansion in Windsor, England, Saber and Steele meet and find themselves faced with a powerful, undeniable attraction. But at the moment, this compelling attraction is very inconvenient.

In reality, they are at the mansion to check out the security arrangements — for their own reasons — to steal the Object, a Fabergé egg worth thirty million dollars. But who will get to the egg first?

Fabergé eggs are very famous for their unique surprises. Saber and Steele are about to be very surprised, indeed.

And when Saber clashes with Steele; more than sparks will explode!

FABERGE ENTANGLEMENT Excerpt

He was more striking close up. The wire-framed glasses that had given him that bookish look were gone. As a matter of fact, at that precise moment there was nothing about him that was the least bit bookish. Now he looked more like a feral choirboy.

Saber lowered her eyes taken in by the seductive curve of his jaw, and his lips parted in an expression of amazement that drew her closer, hypnotically, begging to be covered with her own. She pulled herself back, reminding herself why she was there, what she must do. Leaving him to be found by the Sheikh's security men would be a pity, but she had a job to finish.

She knew her job; too, she was slick, professional. Her contribution to the family business was to test the security systems that were installed by Frontenac et Cie. She was always on-call to the "Uncles" between her translation assignments to do this testing. And she was very good at it. When caught in a tight spot, she was focused on the job at hand, holding back emotion, the fear of "capture" pushed away. Her focus was laser-like in intensity. She infiltrated the secured areas of high-security targets, grabbed the "package" then ex-filtrated as invisibly as a wisp of smoke. Reflection and reactions came after, as she wrote up her reports and advised the designers on flaws and vulnerabilities in their systems.

But all this slipped away as she felt the light touch of his hands, feeling their heat through thin black leather gloves. They slid very slowly up her thighs, coming to rest lightly and seductively around her waist. She stifled a gasp as she felt his hot fingers press into her, very much a lover's caress.

In scant seconds Saber's focus for the job at hand, the reason that she was there to begin with, melted away as she felt his hands tighten around her waist. Her grip on the gun weakened as a wave of heat suffused through her.

With a swiftness that took her breath away he closed the narrow gap between them. A hot flash of desire surged through her as his lips took possession of hers. Taking advantage of her surprise, he dashed the gun from her hand, sending it spinning away out of her reach. He flipped her over so she was now under him. Saber stared up at him wide-eyed, his lean, hard body on hers evoking a reaction from deep within her that was as intense as it was unexpected. Shocked, confused, she twisted her head away from his, but her eyes still kept a sidewise watch on him.

He bent in closer. Dark eyes flashed dangerously through the long shag of hair that fell over his face. Then, very, very slowly as though savoring every moment, he slid his gloved hand along her arm, around her shoulder, then up her pale exposed throat.

Steele's hand paused, feeling her pulse flutter wildly under his fingertips, before moving up to thread through her silky raven hair. His grip tightened and he turned her head to face him.

"Mmmm... I can do it, too," he breathed softly into her ear.

About the Authors

LESLEY MERYN

Enjoyed an exotic, adventure-filled childhood, following her anthropologist father and travel writer mother to the farthest corners of the world. She later took inspiration from her Aunt Sophia Francesca and became the author of romantic adventure novels. She alternates her time between Los Angeles, and a family property located in Yorkshire England.

ELLE BROOKES

She is the author of the first two books of the Time Frame Series. Loves travel, discovering new foods to try, reading and writing. She currently lives in the central highlands of Costa Rica with her cat Nikola and her hedgehog Quiller.

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UNCLE AND ANTS TOUR AND GIVEAWAY

Don't miss the giveaway at the end of the post!

Uncle and Ants

A Silicon Valley Mystery Book 1

by
Marc Jedel

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

Mysterious attacks. Mischievous nieces. Can a clueless 
uncle catch a tech-savvy killer … and be home before bedtime?

When a freak accident hospitalizes Marty
Golden’s sister and condemns him to
babysitter duty, he thinks it’s just another case of hardwired bad
luck in Silicon Valley.
Until a suspicious murder suggests the mishap was no mere
coincidence. Something must be done.

Too bad this quirky, fashion-backward
uncle isn’t exactly hero material.

Convinced his sister is in mortal danger, this
amateur sleuth follows clues to an
oddball array of suspects. Armed with nothing but an eye for detail
and powers of self-delusion, Marty
tangles with gangsters, a cantankerous school secretary, and a
perplexing woman he can’t help but fall for. Glitches in his
investigation seem like a piece of cake compared to dinner-prep and
bedtime stories with his two precocious, pre-teen nieces.

Can Marty catch the culprit, save his sister, and get his life back in
order before he gets unplugged?

Uncle and Ants is the first novel in
a refreshingly modern mystery series set in Silicon Valley. If you
like clever humor, sassy side characters, and average Joes facing
extraordinary circumstances, then you’ll love this twisty mystery.

Buy Uncle and Ants to login to a fresh,
funny mystery today!

UNCLE AND ANTS excerpt:

I raised a hand to stop the waitress. “Excuse me. I was wondering if you know someone named Fernando Hernandez?”

She froze, her smile immediately disappearing as her eyes widened and her mouth opened. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” She bolted back to the kitchen.

Skye looked at me. I could feel the eye roll getting queued up. “Why did you scare away the waitress?”

“I just asked her if she knew someone who your mom was going to talk to on Monday.”

Before Skye could reply, a stocky, older lady stalked out of the kitchen carrying an industrial-sized, wooden stirring spoon in her hand like a sword. She advanced on our table. In what felt like an instant, she stood in front of me with a stern look on her face and her weapon pointed right at my face.

“Why you talk about Señor Hernandez? You scare Gabriela.” She spoke with a thick accent.

Surprised, I was more than a little concerned that her stirring spoon might have a hidden sword blade ready to flick open. “I’m sorry. My sister, their mother, was going to meet Fernando Hernandez but she wasn’t able to keep her appointment because she got hurt.”

“She hurt? You should learn not to talk about him here.” She leaned in closer until I could smell the garlic on her breath. She lowered her voice as she spoke again in a voice roughened by smoking or, perhaps swordplay. “Do you want girls to get hurt, too?”

At this threat, the girls paled and huddled together. None of us had expected to be accosted by an intimidating chef wielding a scary wooden spoon with unknown, possibly dangerous properties that could hurt us.

I tried to keep my voice from squeaking. “I only wanted to find out if he was a frequent customer here or, maybe, owned the restaurant?”

“Stop foolish questions. You leave now and don’t come back.” Even though she spoke in a low voice, her command struck me like a blow.

Megan overcame her fear. “What? But, Uncle Marty … I like the black bean volcano.” Her voice came out with an odd combination of anger and whimper.

The chef calmed a bit as she glanced at the girls. “Girls. You come back another time. Maybe when your mother is better. Do not bring him.” She thrust the spoon at me to make sure everyone understood who she meant.

But, I liked the black bean volcano too.

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Chutes and Ladder

A Silicon Valley Mystery Book 2

Can super-agent (in his own mind) Uncle Marty solve not one, but two mysteries without
becoming a victim himself? Will he ever be forgiven for bringing
Buddy, the Labrador, into his sister’s house?

All your favorite
characters from Uncle and Ants are back in a crazy, new adventure.
Plus, introducing a new member of Marty’s family!

Coming Soon!

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Marc Jedel, Author

Marc Jedel writes humorous murder mysteries. In his high-tech marketing
roles, he's also written fiction. These are just called emails, ads,
and marketing collateral.

In his family, Marc was born first — a fact his sister never lets him
forget, no matter what milestone age she hits. For most of Marc’s
life, he’s been inventing stories. Some, especially when he was
young, involved his sister as the villain. As his sister’s brother
for her entire life, he feels highly qualified to tell tales of the
evolving, quirky sibling relationship in the Silicon Valley Mystery series.

Family and friends would tell you that the protagonist in his stories, Marty
Golden, isn't much of a stretch of the imagination for Marc, but he
proudly resembles that remark.

Like Marty, Marc lives in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, where he
writes within earshot of the doppler effect of the local ice cream
truck. Unlike Marty, Marc has a wonderful wife and a neurotic but
sweet, small dog, who much prefers the walks resulting from writer’s
block than his writing.

Visit his website, marcjedel.com, for free chapters of upcoming novels,
news and more.

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ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE!

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#NEW RELEASE -- GARNET #GIVEAWAY

Yee Haw! Today is release day for GARNET, The Widows of Wildcat Ridge, book 9. I’m so excited about this book and I hope readers will be too. Writing in a multi-author series is fun but not easy. Everything has to be coordinated so none of us contradicts the others. 

Don’t miss the giveaway mentioned at the end of this post.

Garnet is a spunky heroine. She was brave enough to leave Georgia to become the mail-order bride of Michael Chandler and help him operate his Crystal Cafe. Only nine months after she arrived, a terrible disaster occurred and Mike, his brother Joe, and sister-in-law Dessie were killed. This left Garnet managing the café on her own, taking charge of her niece and nephew, and grieving for those who died.

She’s not one to have a pity-party. Instead, she works hard to fulfill her duties at the Crystal Café and take care of Hyacinth, age 6, and Joey, age 8. She’s devoted to these precious children and even enjoys the café—if only she had someone to help her. Then, she has a prowler in her rooms above the café. What if the children or she were hurt? Who prowled through her things and why?

Adam Bennett is a rugged bounty hunter who slips up and is waylaid by the man he’s chasing along with his two cronies. After a severe beating, they kick him into a deep ravine and make off with his horse, pack mule, and all his gear. Eventually he struggles out of the ravine and down the mountain to Wildcat Ridge and the Crystal Café.  Will a paper marriage help or hinder his search?

Here’s an excerpt when Adam show up at the café the day after the prowler:

A loud rap at the back door startled her. She kept the curtains closed unless they were serving food and couldn’t see who had knocked.

Joey grabbed his stick. “Don’t answer it. Might be the robber there.”

She wiped her hands on her apron. “Or a friend who needs something.” Joey didn’t know the Colt .45 was in her apron pocket. After taking a deep, bracing breath, she opened the door.

The dirtiest man she’d ever seen stood there. His beard was as dirty as his clothes. Fresh cuts showed through the mud on his face. He was tall and broad-shouldered but looked as if he could barely stand.

“Ma’am, my name is Adam Bennett. Please don’t be put off by my appearance. I was robbed up the mountain a ways and lost all my gear. I’m mighty hungry. If you need anything done, I’d like to work for a meal.”

Joey was by her side. “He isn’t the one from last night.” All the same, her nephew kept his pick handle in his hand.

“We’re the Chandlers. Come in and sit down. Wait, wash your hands and face at the sink first. You can’t handle food while you’re that filthy.”

While the man washed his hands, she filled a plate from leftovers and poured a cup of coffee. “Joey, please get my medicine box from upstairs.”

He leaned close. “I don’t think I should leave you alone while he’s here.”

Joey took being man of the family seriously. “Oh, all right. Hyacinth, would you get the medicine box for me?”

“How come he doesn’t have to and I do?” Usually sweet, Hyacinth was a bit spoiled and definitely jealous of her brother.”

“Because Mr. Bennett is injured and needs our help. Please hurry.”

Her niece stomped up the stairs while muttering under her breath, her golden curls bouncing with each step.

When Garnet glanced at the man, she saw he’d wolfed down his food. “I’ll get you more. How long since you’ve eaten?”

“Not sure how long I was in and out of consciousness up there. They attacked me on Saturday. What day is this?”

“Monday. No wonder you’re hungry.” She set another plate of food in front of him and refilled his cup.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I had a lot of fun with Garnet and Adam, the children, the children’s grandparents, and the people in Wildcat Ridge. The villain is an especially dangerous one but our hero and heroine are up to the challenge—we hope!

The universal Amazon buy link is http://getbook.at/GarnetWOWR.  

GARNET is available in e-book, print, and is free in KU. I hope you’ll read and enjoy GARNET.

To celebrate the release, I’m offering a $5 Amazon gift card to three people who comment here.

BAYOU VOWS

Don 't miss the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post!

Bayou Vows

The Bayou Bachelors #3

by Geri Krotow

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pub
Date: 1/8/2019

Not even the wildest Bayou Bachelor of all can resist the right woman.

Jeb DeVillier has a lot of explaining to
do. True, he did steal millions from the sailboat business he ran
with his partner, Brandon, and disappear to South America. But Jeb
has a good reason—Brandon’s sister, Jena Boudreaux. A decade ago,
she broke his heart when she chose career over their relationship.
Still, when he learns she’s being held for ransom by drug dealers,
he doesn’t hesitate. He’ll save her life, no matter what the danger.

When Jena called Jeb out of the blue, it
was to ask him to give her last words to her family. She knew the
risks when she took one final mission for the CIA. Suddenly, Jeb’s
riding to the rescue like her own personal Cajun knight. Yet now that
they’re both safe in New Orleans, he refuses to give her a second chance.

That’s not good enough for
Jena. Because when you find someone crazy enough to risk everything
for you, the only sane thing to do is to hang on tight . . .

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BAYOU VOWS Excerpt

Rain battered the condo roof, and for the fifth time in as many minutes Jeb DeVillier reread the contracts from the many accounting firms eager for his CPA experience. He wondered which job he’d pick to start his life over. All four positions were out of state, far away from his native New Orleans, which had been his comfort zone for too long.

Away from Jena Boudreaux.

Usually the rain soothed him and gave him the peace he needed to think, but since he’d come back from Paraguay nothing had filled the crater in his soul.

Her face had been cut from lip to cheekbone.

No matter how many times he went over what happened last month—especially the part where he stole his best friend’s money to save that same best friend’s sister from certain death—he hadn’t been able to justify his actions to himself. At the very least he should have told Brandon he was taking the company coffers to Asunción, Paraguay, to save Jena.

She could have died. Should have, statistically.

He’d saved Jena by getting the ransom to the Paraguayan drug cartel in time, gaining a lifetime’s worth of stress in the process. His first trip to South America had been a matter of life or death. There’d been no time to think, no chance to second-guess. He’d received the alarming text from Jena and acted on instinct.

The image of her motionless figure, bloody and battered, flashed into his mind for the millionth time. Unlike any other memory in his life, this one didn’t fade. It grew stronger, the utter despair it elicited strangling out any flicker of hope left in his battered heart.

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Bare Devotion

The Bayou Bachelors #2

Sweet and sultry, hot and wild…that’s desire, Louisiana-style. And
there’s no one better to explore it with than one of the Bayou Bachelors…

Returning to her flooded New Orleans home to face Henry Boudreaux, the man she jilted
at the altar, is the hardest thing attorney Sonja Bosco has ever
done—even before she discovers she’s pregnant. Sonja backed out
of the marriage for Henry’s sake. He wants to be part of his
father’s law firm, and his parents will never approve of an
interracial marriage. Better to bruise his heart than ruin his life.

Henry can’t forgive
Sonja, and doubts that he can trust her again. But learning that
they’re going to be parents means there’s no avoiding each other.
Springtime on the bayou is already steamy enough…now they’re
living in the same small space while their damaged house is repaired.
And with each passing day they’re getting a little more honest. A
lot more real. And realizing that nothing—not even New Orleans at
Mardi Gras—glows brighter than the desire they’re trying to deny…

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Fully Dressed

The Bayou Bachelors #1

There’s nowhere hotter than the South, especially with three men who know how
to make the good times roll. But one of the Bayou Bachelors is about
to meet his match…

New York City stylist Poppy Kaminsky knows that image is everything,
which is why she’s so devastated when hers is trashed on social
media—after a very public meltdown over her cheating fiancé. Her
best friend’s New Orleans society wedding gives her the chance hide
out and lick her wounds...

Brandon Boudreaux is in no mood to party. His multi-million dollar sailboat
business is in danger of sinking thanks to his partner’s sudden
disappearance—with the company’s funds. And when he rolls up to
his estranged brother’s pre-wedding bash in an airboat, a
cold-as-ice friend of the bride looks at him like he’s so much
swamp trash.

The last person Poppy should get involved with is the bad boy of the
Boudreaux family. But they have more in common than she could ever
imagine—and the steamy, sultry New Orleans nights are about to show
her how fun letting loose can be…

“New Orleans serves as a strong supporting character in Fully
Dressed as Krotow gives an inside view on the sights, sounds, and tastes of the
bayou.” —RT Book Reviews

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Geri Krotow is the award winning author of more than thirteen
contemporary and romantic suspense novels (with a couple of WWII
subplots thrown in!). While still unpublished Geri received the
Daphne du Maurier Award for Romantic Suspense in Category Romance
Fiction. Her 2007 Harlequin Everlasting debut A Rendezvous to
Remember earned several awards, including the Yellow Rose of Texas
Award for Excellence.

Prior to writing, Geri served for nine years as a Naval Intelligence Officer. Geri served as
the Aviation/Anti-Submarine Warfare Intelligence officer for a P-3C
squadron during which time she deployed to South America, Europe, and
Greenland. She was the first female Intel officer on the East Coast
to earn Naval Aviation Observer Wings. Geri also did a tour in the
war on drugs, working with several different government and law
enforcement agencies. Geri is grateful to be settled in south central
Pennsylvania with her husband.

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HOMETOWN GIRL AFTER ALL

Don't miss the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post!

Hometown Girl After All

Hometown Series Book 2

by
Kirsten Fullmer

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Julia lost everything while she was ill. Self-conscious and alone, she’s
moved to Smithville, determined to hide away in her rundown Victorian
house. Little does she know, she can’t hide anything in a small
town, including her interest in the deliveryman. 

Resolved to keep his life simple, Chad has his hands full running his delivery
business and supporting his adopted family. So why can’t he get
that withdrawn city girl, Julia, off his mind?

Will the eccentric but well-meaning Smithville folk push Julia and Chad to
open up, or will the emotional toll drive them both back into seclusion?

Read and excerpt

Ordering Bobby to move toward the wall, Chad set his end of the heavy hutch down and eased it into standing position. “This thing weighs a ton,” he groaned, rubbing his back.

Bobby flopped back against the wall, his chest heaving and eyes bugging.

Glancing back and forth between the kitchen and the hutch, Julia frowned. “Do you think this will work?”

Chad brushed his hands together. “Will what work?”

Reluctant but with no one to ask, Julia waved for him to follow and wandered into the kitchen, Ringo at her feet. “I bought those two hutches to put on either side of the sink,” she said over her shoulder, “but the sink needs to be moved under the window.”

Trailing behind her, Chad stopped in the center of the kitchen. She continued toward the old sink and ratty broken cabinets. He glanced from the sink to the window. “You’re not going to put in new cabinets and counter tops?”

“I don’t think so...” Julia answered, deep in thought, purposely keeping her gaze from Chad as much as possible.

He walked in a circle, critically surveying the sink, then stared at the wall with a window. “I’m not sure the sink and both those hutches will fit along this wall.”

Julia winced, her eyes finally settling on his face. “Yeah, I should have measured before I bought them.”

“Don’t panic yet,” Chad muttered as he unclipped the tape measure off his belt. With an efficient whir and a click, the tape spread along the floor from wall to wall. “Let’s see, looks like twelve-foot, one and a half clearance from base board to base board,” he mumbled, rewinding half the tape.

He moved to the sink and Julia scuttled out of his way, as if to avoid the masculine force field he emanated into the room. He stretched the tape across the length of the ancient piece of porcelain and bent to get a closer look. “Almost thirty-six inches.”

The tape retracted with a snap. He crossed his arms across his chest and stared at the stained grooves of the drain board. One calloused hand reached out to test the old fashioned hot and cold taps with X-shaped handles. “You really want to keep this dirty old thing? I’m sure you could get a good deal on a nice new one...”

Julia wandered back to the sink, her eyes riveted on Chad’s hand, but she ran her fingers along the curved front edge.“ Well, not the broken cupboards but I’m keeping the sink. Becky says it will clean up and I like it; it fits the house.”

His brows rose. “Okay then,” he said with a shrug, “let’s see how wide that hutch is.” He turned and strode back to the living room, Ringo following at his heels.

Her steps dragging, enjoying the help far more than she should and lost in confusing notions about Chad, Julia followed behind him. Giving herself a mental shake, she told herself to pull it together because she required his strength, knowledge, and no-nonsense approach to the project. After all, she certainly had no idea where to start the kitchen reno.

Pulling out the tape, Chad measured across the width then the height of the hutch, then walked past Julia toward the kitchen. She followed, forcing herself to focus only on the furniture.

When she got back to the kitchen, Chad held the tape propped in front of him at hip level with one hand, the yellow steel kinked out and extended to measure along the wall.

His stance was purely male, bringing a completely different visual to Julia’s mind, and it didn’t involve a tape measure.

He glanced up at her then did a double take at her expression. His eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch in question, as if he could hear her hormones screaming.

Embarrassed to be caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar, Julia straightened her spine and met his gaze, her chin high, her eyes cool.

As if slapped, the tape measure crinkled to the floor with a clatter and Chad tore his bewildered gaze away from Julia. Shifting his feet to get back on track, he gave the tape a few expert flips and kinks and measured from floor to ceiling and then from the corner of the room to the center of the window.

Feeling surprisingly wretched over dousing the warmth in his eyes when he was just trying to help, Julia retreated a step, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips.

Holding the tape in place again with his hip cocked, trying to explain further, Chad turned to Julia. “As you can see, it’s five-foot six to the center of the window and the sink is thirty-six inches wide. If you divide the sink by half, then the hutch can’t be wider than forty-eight inches or your sink won’t be centered under the window. Problem is, that hutch is just over four foot four.” He gazed at her expectantly, waiting, the tape extending from his hip to the wall, twitching slightly, his expression one of concentration.

Silence filled the room as Julia struggled to focus on Chad’s words, not the stiff steel tape extending across the room from his crotch.

Embarrassed and flustered, Julia licked her lips, then shook her head, once again reining herself in.

His brow lifted, as if he knew she was sexually addled, but had no idea what her problem was.

Awkwardly, she glanced toward the window, then back to Chad. Withdrawing mentally and scolding herself, she attempting to break the spell, but failed miserably. A spark of surprised interest glittered in his eye when their gaze clashed, and that catalyst pushed Julia over the edge. She raised her chin, shuttering her expression once again.

Chad’s presence darkened at her blatant dismissal and the tape measure whirred and clattered back up into the roll in his hand; the connection between them abruptly severed.

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Hometown Girl at Heart

Hometown Series Book 1

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Hometown Girl Forever

Hometown Series Book 3

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Christmas in Smithville

The Hometown Series Book 4

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Hometown Girl Again

Hometown Series Book 5

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Kirsten Fullmer grew up in the Western US and graduated from high school in
1984. She married soon thereafter and quickly built a family.
With three young children and number four on the way, she returned to
college in 1992. Her career as a draftsman included many settings
ranging from a steel fabrication shops to prestigious engineering
firms. Balancing family life with the workplace forced her to
become the queen of multitasking. In 2001, bored with the cubical
life, she moved on to teach drafting in technical college, then to
opening her own consulting firm teaching 3D engineering software. Due
to health problems, Kirsten retired in 2012 to travel with her
husband for his job. She now works writing romance novels and enjoys
spoiling her three grandchildren. Since 2017 Kirsten has lived and
worked full time in a 40' travel trailer with her husband and her
little dog Bingo.

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