One Tough Texan

One Tough Texan
Barb Han

Small-town Texas with high-stakes risks Alice Green, a young cop, goes rogue to save a young girl when she believes her actions led to the girl's abduction. Joshua O'Brien is prepared to put everything on the line to help solve this crime. But can Alice open up enough to let the handsome rancher aid in her mission?

Small-town Texas with high-stakes risks

Alice Green lives with ghosts. A rogue cop whose mistake led to the loss of a young girl’s parents, Alice is haunted by the decisions that halted her sterling career. And now the same girl who lost her parents has been abducted. And Alice will stop at nothing to find her.

Joshua O’Brien doesn’t want to tell his brothers—fellow inheritors of his deceased parents’ ranch—that he has bigger plans. Applying to work for the FBI brings the possibility of an exciting and illustrious career. But when he meets Alice, whose beauty is only surpassesd by her brain, it doesn’t take long for things to heat up. And while helping her crack a case might save a life…it could also cost him his own.

Cattlemen Crime Club

There was fire to her eyes now. Fire and spark. It was what he’d come to love about her. Hold on…

Love?

That was a strong word to describe his feelings.

“I had a choice just like everyone else. Bad things happen to good people all the time and whatever happens in childhood isn’t a child’s fault,” Alice said, and he already knew he was in trouble with her. “But the day I turned eighteen, I figured that I had a choice about my life. I could blame my rough situation on everyone else and be miserable. Or I could take charge of my life and find happiness. Not that I’m all that great about that last part. I make mistakes, but I’m giving my best effort.”

Alice stood toe-to-toe with him now. What she lacked in height she made up for in spirit.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said. Staring into those blue eyes was like looking straight into the sun. He was going to get burned. He just didn’t know how badly yet.

One Tough Texan

Barb Han

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

USA TODAY bestselling author BARB HAN lives in north Texas with her very own hero-worthy husband, three beautiful children, a spunky golden retriever/standard poodle mix and too many books in her to-read pile. In her downtime, she plays video games and spends much of her time on or around a basketball court. She loves interacting with readers and is grateful for their support. You can reach her at www.barbhan.com (http://www.barbhan.com/).

I feel hugely blessed to be a Harlequin author. Working with my editor, Allison Lyons, is truly better than any gift I’ve unwrapped during the holidays. The same rings true for my agent, Jill Marsal. Thank you both!

Merry Christmas to Brandon, Jacob and Tori. I love all three of you. I hope you always know how very much!

The best present in my life has been you, Babe. Thank you for always encouraging me to follow my dreams and enjoying every step of the way as much as I do. With you, every day feels like Christmas. I love you!

Contents

Cover (#u5dab4abb-5485-52b9-80c4-a4410bf75b24)

Back Cover Text (#u5f9ad3ae-7aa9-5a03-982f-c6d115a19589)

Introduction (#ud01a667c-08d4-5207-b338-eacb4ad6ac38)

Title Page (#u510bd35c-8ddd-5d03-b27f-b60881844699)

About the Author (#u6f030d1a-21f5-54dd-b4ae-b2dca11e5a2c)

Dedication (#ued127b6c-d16b-535b-9343-bef983f923b3)

Chapter One (#uc435f506-1dd9-587e-8686-6ede15e5061c)

Chapter Two (#u7aa717f8-de0e-55f3-b399-cc300260e5c0)

Chapter Three (#u3aff6bde-6e02-51f3-a43a-e1631581727f)

Chapter Four (#u347de077-2b4f-5ec9-9199-671e09458985)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One (#u40e05ba5-3850-54c1-a674-b054fff20deb)

Joshua O’Brien eased his foot off the gas pedal. His Jeep shuddered before the power died. He was out of gas in a flash flood thirty miles from the family ranch in Bluff, Texas. He cursed his floating gas gauge as he pushed open the driver’s side door. Running two towns over to Harlan to pick up a box of donations to be auctioned off at his family’s annual Christmas Benefit wasn’t exactly his idea of an exciting Friday night. When the Nelson widow had opened the door in her red silk bathrobe and then offered him a nightcap, he’d been even less thrilled. Drawing the short straw to make that pickup—and deal with the seventy-year-old Mrs. Nelson—was just one in a long list of reasons that Joshua wasn’t cut out for the family business at the Longhorn Cattlemen Ranch and Rifleman’s Club and it made him miss his job in law enforcement that much more. Could he make his temporary leave permanent in order to stay on at the ranch? The decision could wait.

He shook off his bad luck, grabbed a gas container from the back and trudged through the ankle-deep water. According to his phone’s GPS, there should be a gas station a few blocks ahead. He figured he could walk there and back quicker than one of his brothers could drive into town from the ranch to get him so he set out on foot rather than make a call for help and admit his own stupidity.

It was the kind of pitch-black night outside that made it hard to see much past the end of his nose. His eyes would adjust in a few minutes. A bolt of lightning raced sideways across the sky, emphasizing layers of thick gray clouds as far as he could see. This storm wasn’t passing anytime soon. Joshua checked his surroundings. He’d passed the quarter acre cul-de-sac lots and was now walking past a field with overgrown grass. The bad weather must be keeping everyone indoors because the roads were empty. That meant no chance of hitching a ride.

A flash flood alert had already buzzed on his cell. If he hadn’t been distracted thinking about his parents’ murder investigation then he would’ve filled up the tank sooner, instead of sloshing through water that was rapidly gathering on the roads and sidewalks while wearing his good boots.

He still couldn’t think of a soul who’d want to harm his folks. His father, a self-made millionaire cattle rancher who’d owned a few thousand acres in Bluff, Texas, had built his business on handshakes and hard work. His mother, the matriarch of the family, was as kind as she was giving. Joshua and his five brothers had inherited the lion’s share of the family business, which included a successful rifleman’s club. A token share went to their aunt and uncle, same as it had been when his parents were alive. The brothers had voted to give a devoted worker a piece of the pie.

Joshua’s investigation experience told him to look at those who were closest to his parents, the ones who had the most to gain. Skills honed by Denver PD told him to look for motive, means and opportunity. The only people who stood to benefit from his parents’ murders were him and his brothers. None of his brothers had motive. Each was successful in his own right and the O’Briens had always been a loving, close-knit bunch. It couldn’t be one of them, which led Joshua to believe that someone had a beef with his parents. It was the only thing that made sense. And he drew a blank there, too. There were no secret affairs, no emotional dramas with friends. His parents were exactly as they appeared on the surface. Generous. Kind. Loving.