Cowboy Behind the Badge

Cowboy Behind the Badge
Delores Fossen

Two newborns in jeopardy bring together former sweethearts in the second book in USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen's Sweetwater Ranch series!The last thing Texas Ranger Tucker McKinnon expects to find in his pantry is two sleeping newborns. But it's the woman who spirited the infants to his ranch who stirs the lawman's blood, along with haunting memories. Once, Tucker and Laine Braddock were inseparable…until murder divided their families. Now, with a killer on Laine's trail, Tucker has never felt more powerless. Or been more determined. Desperate to keep her and her innocent charges safe, Tucker uncovers some shocking truths. Including the feelings they still share–and the desire they're finding impossible to resist.

Laine was there by the door, waiting for him, and Tucker wasn’t sure who made the first move or even how it happened, but she ended up in his arms.

Strange that it kept happening, and it shouldn’t. Even a hug of comfort was a Texas-sized reminder that it was Laine in his arms and that nothing good could come of this.

Well, nothing reasonable anyway.

Maybe it was because every inch of him was on edge that he even thought of holding her as a stress reliever. Yeah, for a second or two, it was relief, but what always followed were some crystal clear reminders of why they shouldn’t be doing this in the first place.

The heat between them.

The bad blood, too. Hard to hang on to bad blood, though, when the blasted attraction kept getting in the way.

Cowboy Behind the Badge

Delores Fossen

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

USA TODAY bestselling author DELORES FOSSEN has sold over fifty novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She’s received the Booksellers’ Best Award and the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, and was a finalist for a prestigious RITA® Award. In addition, she’s had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. You can contact the author through her webpage at www.dfossen.net (http://www.dfossen.net).

CAST OF CHARACTERS (#ulink_9b428e00-247c-5af0-9200-76dff0c505e3)

Texas Ranger Tucker McKinnon—The bad boy lawman of the McKinnon family. He’s not daddy material, or so he thinks, until he’s forced to protect two newborns and the woman he’s long considered his enemy.

Laine Braddock—A child psychologist. She’ll do anything to protect the babies she’s rescued, even if it means turning to Tucker, the last man on earth who’d want to help her.

The newborns—They’re too young to realize the danger or the people willing to risk their lives to keep them safe.

Dawn Cowen—A missing woman at the center of a black market baby farm investigation.

Martin Hague—A social worker who seems too eager to take the rescued babies from Tucker and Laine.

Darren Carty—Laine’s ex-fiancé, who might have a personal stake in not just the investigation but in the babies that Laine rescued.

Rhonda Wesson—Once a victim of a notorious black market baby farm, but does she know more than she’s saying?

Contents

Cover (#udd00886c-43e1-5588-adc1-be33394d6d98)

Excerpt (#ub6cb603c-8445-559b-a57e-067664b85734)

Title Page (#u45f715b1-eb67-52ef-8379-d2d637b1c530)

About the Author (#u9d8ab0e2-434d-5bac-be69-b6e82dab3a7f)

Cast of Characters (#ulink_7e5ff0c0-0579-5e98-876e-0d93dcd4336a)

Chapter One (#ulink_b3754ba4-9383-58a8-a48d-2e8a530df4c5)

Chapter Two (#ulink_41fb124c-36f0-5bcd-a495-8313e7c4be62)

Chapter Three (#ulink_cfd5c81a-13f9-5de2-81db-d857ee0a2552)

Chapter Four (#ulink_648b2f8f-4f5f-5dda-ab5c-d40e0bbfef19)

Chapter Five (#ulink_5dae711c-c5bf-554d-b696-6bbbdc1ed257)

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)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One (#ulink_649f791b-99de-5801-89ec-776f5bf58213)

Tucker McKinnon heard the sound the moment he stepped from the shower. Someone was moving around in his kitchen.

He opened his mouth to call out to his brothers, the only two people who would have let themselves into his house, but then he remembered. His older brother, Cooper, was on his honeymoon, and his kid brother, Colt, was working at the sheriff’s office in town.