Support Your Local Sheriff

Support Your Local Sheriff
Melinda Curtis

Will he pass the daddy test?With his job in jeopardy, it couldn’t be a worse time for Sheriff Nate Landry’s recent past to come back to haunt him. But it would take an army to stop SWAT team leader Julie Smith. The fellow cop–and sister of his ex-fiancé—wants one thing from the beleaguered lawman: custody of the toddler son that Nate didn’t know he had.He may not be natural daddy material, but he quickly takes a shine to little Duke. And there are the feelings Nate’s been hiding for years. Only now Julie’s running for sheriff of Harmony Valley—against him. Time to retreat? Not if he wants a future with the woman he loves.

Will he pass the daddy test?

With his job in jeopardy, it couldn’t be a worse time for Sheriff Nate Landry’s recent past to come back to haunt him. But it would take an army to stop SWAT team leader Julie Smith. The fellow cop—and sister of his ex-fiancée—wants one thing from the beleaguered lawman: custody of the toddler son that Nate didn’t know he had.

He may not be natural daddy material, but he quickly takes a shine to little Duke. And then there are the feelings Nate’s been hiding for years. Only now Julie’s running for sheriff of Harmony Valley—against him. Time to retreat? Not if he wants a future with the woman he loves.

Nate grinned, no half smile about it.

The two sides of his mouth matched in upturned delight.

Julie almost fell over. That full grin. She’d never seen it before. It boosted him from handsome to gorgeous. He should smile like that all the time. Strike that. If he smiled like that all the time, he’d be irresistible. To women. To...her.

Deep inside her something shifted; something fit. And it fit as easily as her thumb on Nate’s worry stone. She looked away, refusing to name it or acknowledge it or think about what that something was.

But that grin. It made her wonder.

Dear Reader (#u93cfa53e-af90-59b1-9de3-bf5d9987b2bd),

Welcome to Harmony Valley!

Just a few short years ago, Harmony Valley was on the brink of extinction with only those over the age of sixty in residence. Now the influx of a younger generation is making life in Harmony Valley more fun than afternoon television for its gray-haired residents.

Sheriff Nate Landry had a tough childhood that made him reluctant to have children of his own, so when he met a woman who had faced her own challenges and wouldn’t be having children, it seemed like a sign. But things fell apart on his wedding day. Now, more than two years later, his ex-fiancée’s sister, Julie Smith, shows up with a toddler she says is her sister’s baby and his, and she’s got custody papers that she wants him to sign. After all Nate’s been through, his decision to let go should be easy.

I hope you enjoy Nate and Julie’s journey to a happily-ever-after, as well as the other romances in the Harmony Valley series. I love to hear from readers. Check my website, www.melindacurtis.com (http://www.melindacurtis.com), to learn more about upcoming books, sign up for email book announcements, and I’ll send you a free sweet romance read, or chat with me on Facebook at MelindaCurtisAuthor (https://www.facebook.com/MelindaCurtisAuthor/) to hear about my latest giveaways.

Melinda Curtis

Support Your Local Sheriff

Melinda Curtis

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

Award-winning USA TODAY bestselling author MELINDA CURTIS is an empty nester still married to her college sweetheart, despite raising three kids, flipping houses and writing full-time through many live-in remodels. Having been raised on a remote sheep ranch with grandparents who built houses from scratch made Melinda the perfect match for Mr. Curtis, who was raised by a family of contractors. Just don’t ask her to operate a drill, because she always seems to reverse the setting.

Melinda writes sweet contemporary romances as Melinda Curtis (Brenda Novak says of Season of Change, it “found a place on my keeper shelf”), and fun, sexy reads as Mel Curtis (Jayne Ann Krentz says of Fool For Love, it was “wonderfully entertaining”).

This book is dedicated to my sister-in-law, Lynn DeMerritt, who was the inspiration for April. Both Lynn and April went through cancer treatments that left them sterile, only to be blessed with a child after they’d lost all hope and their relationships fell apart. Lynn, you knew your fate and still showed the world love and grace. Your daughter is a blessing to me. I’m so happy that part of your story is being told in a book released on the first anniversary of your passing.

Contents

Cover (#u0dea9cfb-2688-5073-8ad8-0db73faeedf4)

Back Cover Text (#u6461e318-4e7a-59f6-a5a3-cfe938fab2ff)

Introduction (#u1a619f3e-2dc1-53fa-8933-66218399f3ae)

Dear Reader (#u3a3afbaa-98bb-515f-beef-0a508e4b213a)

Title Page (#u11470474-422a-5072-959a-33f151ef01fa)

About the Author (#uac248238-b607-5c95-8ddf-6c62d9213015)

Dedication (#u7fa3a73f-723f-51b3-8e1d-25b8be0f1362)

CHAPTER ONE (#ufdf7c0e0-e7ff-53f2-be4e-6adaa00fa5b7)

CHAPTER TWO (#u23fad6d4-b0e0-54a0-979c-79ddf5aaeb1e)

CHAPTER THREE (#u9e4837c9-f6b3-5c88-866f-21f909e7cc20)

CHAPTER FOUR (#u21dc48d9-23c6-5a74-8b1b-6a3cea52570c)

CHAPTER FIVE (#ubb6a9674-0257-5878-8f64-ccb5fc8431b1)

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)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)