Once a Lawman

Once a Lawman
Lisa Childs

Chad Michalski is just doing his duty when he pulls over Tessa Howard for speeding.But from the moment the vivacious blonde strolls into traffic court, the widowed cop knows he's headed for trouble. Especially when she enrolls in the Lakewood Citizen's Police Academy, where he can keep a stern eye on her…and attempt to resist her much-too-tempting charms. Tessa has always admired a man in uniform.But the sexy lieutenant's by-the-book attitude could derail their relationship before it picks up steam. That's when Tessa, who's working hard to support her six younger siblings, decides it's time to show Chad what it really means to protect and serve. And maybe even land the lawman in the process!

“I know your type.”

“What’s my type?”

“You’re beautiful.”

Tessa spun toward him, her mouth falling open at his compliment.

Desire caught in Chad’s chest. He wanted to kiss her. “Vivacious,” he continued. “Reckless.”

“I am not reckless.”

“Your driving record proves otherwise.”

She shrugged. “A few speeding tickets. And I’m not reckless. You don’t know me.”

“You’re wrong,” he murmured as she ground the engine, then peeled out of the ramp with such speed the gate rattled. “I know you, Tessa Howard.”

Dear Reader,

I am so excited to be starting a new series for Harlequin American Romance—CITIZEN’S POLICE ACADEMY, based on my participation in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, Citizen Police Academy. The police department sponsors this program to educate the community about how they operate. I learned a lot, but most of all I developed such appreciation and understanding for how difficult and dangerous a career in law enforcement is. The people who choose these careers are very special.

While the officers in the Lakewood Police Department are purely fictional, I’ve imbued them with some of the sterling qualities of the officers I met in the GRPD. And I can’t wait to give each of these characters the happily-ever-after they deserve.

Once a Lawman is also part of the MEN MADE IN AMERICA miniseries, a yearlong celebration of American heroes. In 2009 look for one book a month that celebrates the hunky American male!

Happy reading!

Lisa Childs

Once a Lawman

Lisa Childs

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bestselling, award-winning author Lisa Childs writes paranormal and contemporary romance for Harlequin/Silhouette Books. She lives on thirty acres in west Michigan with her husband, two daughters, a talkative Siamese and a long-haired Chihuahua who thinks she’s a rottweiler. Lisa loves hearing from readers who can contact her through her Web site, www.lisachilds.com, or by snail-mail at P.O. Box 139, Marne, MI 49435.

A special thank-you to Watch Commander, Lieutenant Mark Ostapowicz, of the Grand Rapids Police Department, for his patience and helpfulness in answering my many, many questions while I was a participant in the Citizen Police Academy and my many questions in the course of writing this book. Any factual mistakes are entirely my fault.

And much gratitude to Kathleen Scheibling for contracting this series of my heart for Harlequin American Romance.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

Tessa Howard glanced around the courtroom, crowded with whispering people of all walks of life: elderly, teenagers and young professionals like herself. The knot of tension in her stomach eased. He wasn’t going to show up. I’m almost free.

Maybe taking the time to fight her ticket in traffic court hadn’t been wasted. If the officer who’d given her the ticket failed to show up, the speeding charge would be dropped. She glanced at her watch, the knot of tension tightening again as she thought of the appointments she was missing. While she couldn’t afford the time waiting in court was taking, she could afford another ticket even less.

“Tessa Howard,” the bailiff called her to the bench.

Tessa stood, refastened the button on her suit jacket, and tugged down the skirt that had ridden up her thighs. She swung her straight blond hair over her shoulder. The hair flip, as usual, attracted male attention. From her career in telecommunication sales—and her maternal grandmother—Tessa had learned that a smart woman used her brains and her femininity to get what she wanted. Of course, neither of them had gotten her out of her ticket. Yet.

She drew in a deep breath. After crawling over the other people in her row, she stepped into the aisle and, heels clicking on the tile floor, approached the bench.

“You’re in my court again, Ms. Howard,” the judge commented as she approached. “Speeding?”

“No, sir, I wasn’t speeding. The officer must have confused my car with someone else’s,” she insisted. What was it that Nana Howard had always claimed? A lie well told and stuck to is just as good as the truth.

Her grandmother had freely imparted her sometimes unconventional bits of wisdoms. Nana-isms had probably prepared Tessa more for her career than the marketing classes at Lakewood Community College had.

A smile tugged up the corner of the judge’s mouth, softening the older man’s austere face. “Is that true, Lieutenant Michalski?”