Rancher's Hostage Rescue

He grunted. “Ignore me. Just...try again. Lower.” His body skimmed along hers as he moved to better align her hands with their target.

An awkward awareness shot through her, along with a ripple of something she refused to call pleasure. She was not, not, not attracted to her late sister’s boyfriend...

* * *

Dear Reader (#u30a78ded-e4ca-5e9a-904e-2c7b5d364700),

As I write, a book’s characters become very real to me. They are my friends, my family, my children. It’s truly rewarding for me to give my heroes and heroines happily-ever-afters. But my empathy is not only for the main characters. Every now and then, a secondary character will stand out to me, whether because of their bold personality or because they were innocents, left without their own happy ending. The hero of this book, Dave Giblan, was one of those characters. I knew he needed closure, a happy ending...and maybe a bit of redemption along the way.

Who better to match him with than the one person who shared his grief over a certain loved one’s death? I hope you will enjoy Rancher’s Hostage Rescue, and Dave and Lilly’s second chance for a brighter future.

By the way, as in all my books, Rancher’s Hostage Rescue includes a cat. But this is no ordinary cat. I’m pleased to introduce you to Maddie, my grandcat! My son, who grew up surrounded by my felines, learned to love cats and all their eccentricities almost as much as I do. I was thrilled for him when he adopted a skittish long-haired cat during his first year of graduate school. Maddie has overcome her scary pre-adoption beginnings (mostly) and is now an attention-hungry, lovable fluff ball. Thanks, Jeffery, for sharing Maddiecakes for this story! You can find pictures of our family’s cats on my website, bethcornelison.com (http://www.bethcornelison.com).

Happy reading,

Beth

To Paul and Jeffery—all my love

Contents

Cover (#u3747ec48-9fa2-581c-a08f-13ed71905141)

Back Cover Text (#ud7ec2837-b446-5759-ad53-2ca899d1d3dd)

About the Author (#u066251cc-747d-520f-bd38-9e36221fec2e)

Booklist (#u550d07f0-c732-5ffd-bcab-bd47621b76f8)

Title Page (#u3b522e0f-125f-51a2-8465-ea0cfcb3b8c7)

Copyright (#u1a65b7b3-0533-5a5d-a739-4c718f8b484d)

Note to Readers

Introduction (#u2256270b-2da0-501f-ab86-b69374a6b31b)

Dear Reader (#ua63b7e9e-0b28-5866-bd71-6e1bb4d3463d)

Dedication (#u4d571624-f585-57d7-802e-f3e124e3ac2f)

Prologue (#u11c362b7-1f41-585a-ade9-f6e8055f5329)

Chapter 1 (#ue6d652ad-9de2-5441-b827-e98f9160daa3)

Chapter 2 (#u123f42da-37db-50a0-9d7d-7e80ade0dc4d)

Chapter 3 (#u30c1ccae-a5a1-56f6-847c-41282e68201a)

Chapter 4 (#ueab93573-138f-5066-8b7d-a1e653a549c9)

Chapter 5 (#u0cd16be1-7fcd-57a7-859b-59b02a4339ca)

Chapter 6 (#uf82c2e9a-a630-501f-8d5c-c29beb23792d)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue (#u30a78ded-e4ca-5e9a-904e-2c7b5d364700)

The plan was ready. His weapon cleaned, primed, loaded. His target identified and surveilled. His escape mapped out. Contingencies decided. The time had come.

He stashed his gun in an accessible place on his person, then covered it with his long shirt, his jacket. By this time tomorrow, he’d be out of state, on his way to his next small-town target as he made his way to the Mexican border. To freedom.

Wayne Moore strapped on his grandfather’s watch, the only thing he had left of his grampa’s. His father had given it to him just days before he’d died. Wayne acknowledged the familiar tangle of regret, longing and disgust he experienced when remembering his father. A complicated legacy. A love-hate relationship. Jacob Moore had taught him well. Some lessons were learned on their homemade backyard shooting range and some at his father’s side as they held up gas stations, diners and liquor stores. Others were taught with fists and belts. His dad’s last lesson had been taught through his failure.

Wayne shook his head, remembering. His father had gotten careless, cocky. Had taken on a large city bank without adequate backup, without considering all the ramifications and obstacles. Had seen only his past successes and the promise of a bigger payday. He’d paid for his hubris with his life, shot by the security officer as soon as he fired his own weapon.