Blurb
Sex,
drugs, and country music. That was the lifestyle for Emily Kendall, a
Texas girl who hit it big on the country music charts—until she
found herself pregnant and battling addiction. Now out of rehab and
seeking a new life for herself and her unborn child, Emily returns to
her hometown of McAllister. The last thing she’s looking for is
trouble, no matter how good it looks in uniform…
A
widower, single father, and former Army Ranger struggling with PTSD,
Sheriff EJ Cowley has his own demons to battle while keeping folks
safe. The last thing he needs is a troubled celebrity speeding
through town in her bright red Maserati. But when someone from
Emily’s past threatens her safety and the peace of McAllister, EJ
has no choice but to protect her. And soon both will learn there’s
more to the other than meets the eye. And that wounded hearts can
love again…
Excerpt
Emily
refolded the two pairs and headed out to the display of jeans. As she
put the pants back into their slots, she glanced around to see if
anyone was close enough to see her. Her heart pounded in time with
the fast beat of the song playing over the sound system as she
reached the cubbyholes marked maternity. With another discreet look
around, she picked out three pairs in her size and headed back to the
tiny dressing room.
The
jeans fit perfectly, but how the hell was she going to buy them? She
refolded the pants, tucked them under her arm, and went to the shoe
section. While she looked for a pair of boots, she devised a plan. If
she was lucky, maybe no one would notice she’d bought maternity
jeans.
“I
personally like Justin boots, but I work in mine.”
She
sucked in a breath at the low timbre of EJ’s voice behind her. Was
he everywhere in this town? Turning with a box of boots, she smiled.
“It would seem that we have something in common then. I’ve always
like them, too.”
He
raised a brow and a side of his mouth quirked up when he noticed the
boots she’d chosen. A basic pair used mostly for riding and work.
“You taking up cowboying now?”
She
set the clothes she’d chosen on the bench beside her and sat to try
on the boots. As she slipped off her flip-flops, she dug a pair of
socks out of her purse. “Not that it’s any of your business, but
I need a pair of boots to ride in.” She looked up at him with a
smug smile. “Now that you know why I’m here.” She looked over
his uniform. Tan polyester blend shouldn’t fit a man that sinfully
well. “You’re obviously working. I want to know why you’re
following me.”
He
rubbed a hand over his chin and averted his gaze. “I…eh… Saw
you come into the store and wanted to ask if you’d join me for
coffee.”
Was
he asking her out on a date? Trying hard and failing to stop her
heart from speeding up at the possibility, she pulled on her socks.
“I don’t drink coffee.”
“Well,
then I guess you’ll have to join me for lunch.”
As
she tugged on one of the boots, she looked up at him. His pewter eyes
held a challenge in them. She pulled on the other one and stood.
Damn, they were too tight. Ignoring the pinching of the boots, she
put her hands on her hips. “Tell you what. You can drink coffee and
I’ll drink tea, how does that sound? I had breakfast not too long
ago.”
He
glanced at her feet, then knelt down in front of her.
“What
are you doing?” She took a step back, but he caught her foot.
“You
look like you’re trying to stuff your feet into a shoe three sizes
too small.” He squeezed around her booted foot, then glanced up at
her. “Boots are supposed to fit like a glove not a vise.”
Holy
hell, he looked hot down there. She couldn’t get enough air in her
lungs.
EJ
stood and pulled the next size off the self. “Try these.”
He
was close enough that every breath she took filled her senses with
his clean outdoorsy scent. How could a man smell this good?
“Are
you a boot salesman as well as the sheriff?” Did that husky voice
belong to her?
“I
know something about boots.” He grinned, showing off straight white
teeth and full kissable lips.
Stepping
back, she bumped into her pile of clothes on the bench, knocking them
to the floor in front of him. Before she could bend to pick them up,
he knelt and gathered up a pair of the jeans. When he shifted his
surprised gaze to hers, she trembled as icy fear replaced the heat of
attraction in her gut.
She
knelt next to him and took a deep breath. In a low tone, she said,
“Yes, I’m pregnant, but I’m not ready to let it be common
knowledge.”
He
refolded the jeans and set them on the bench. “Then your secret is
safe with me. How were you planning to buy these? The clerk would see
what they are.”
She
set a folded pair on top of the one he’d placed on the bench and
shifted to sit beside them. “I know. I was hoping I could distract
her enough that she wouldn’t notice what she was ringing through.”
He
leaned against the shelf of boots behind him. “Not a half-bad
plan.”
Needing
to do something besides stare at him, she lifted one of the boots out
of the box he’d given her and pulled it on. A much better fit. She
slipped into the other boot.
“You
could let me buy them.”
If
you’d like to see more excerpts check them out here:
Buy
Links
Kensington:
http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/29486
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heartland-Heartsong-Book-Walter-Ellwood-ebook/dp/B015VA3O8S/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heartland-Heartsong-Book-Walter-Ellwood-ebook/dp/B015VA3O8S/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heartland-sara-walter-ellwood/1122713773?ean=9781601834911
About
the Author
Although Sara Walter Ellwood has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her contemporary westerns. She’s been married to her college sweetheart for over 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia. Sara Walter Ellwood is a multi-published and international Amazon bestselling author of the anthology set Cowboy Up. She also dabbles in the paranormal genre with her The Hunter’s Dagger Series, which was previously published under the pen name Cera duBois.
Author
Links:
The
other
books
in
Singing
to
the
Heart…
Heartstrings,
Book 1
and
Heartsong,
Book 2
are also
available
in ebook
and print
Heartstrings:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heartstrings-Heartsong-Book-Walter-Ellwood-ebook/dp/B00IGFX7BA/
For other vendor links and book information check out my website page: https://sarawalterellwood.wordpress.com/singing-to-the-heart/
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