After leaving her fiancé at the altar, all Gabrielle wants is a day alone to reflect on the mistakes she’s made. But when her car breaks down in Baldwin’s Shore, a day turns into a week, and perhaps—if the goddesses of fate smile kindly—a little longer. But someone from her past has a different plan.
Sheriff’s deputy Colt Haines isn’t looking for love, and he definitely isn’t looking for a flighty blonde to move into his spare room and complicate his life. But his young daughter has other ideas. So too does his heart, and when Gabrielle’s secrets catch up with her, he’s left with no choice but to fight for her future and for his.
Secrets, Lies, and Family Ties is a standalone romantic mystery novel in the Baldwin's Shore series.
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Excerpt: Brie…
Scheiße
For fanden.
Helvete.
Voi vittu.
Fuck.
I could curse proficiently in five different languages—none of them in public, of course—but somehow, somehow, I didn’t have the words to convey just how screwed I was today.
Or rather, how not screwed.
A weird gurgle burst out of my throat, the sputter of hysterical laughter turning into a sob, and I kicked the tyre of Siri’s Audi. Then winced because my stupid satin wedding shoes gave my toes no protection whatsoever. Dammit all to hell! German cars were famed for their reliability, but five minutes ago, a red light had lit up on the dash, so I’d pulled over to check the glove compartment for an owner’s manual—there wasn’t one—and now the engine wouldn’t start again. Was this karma? Probably. Siri hadn’t wanted me to take the car, but I’d squashed myself behind the wheel and driven off anyway, her words ringing in my ears.
“Gaby, do you even remember how to drive?”
“I’ll figure it out,” I’d called over my shoulder.
And now I was stuck.
Stuck at the side of a highway in… Well, I had no idea, but I was fairly sure I was still in Oregon.
I began to regret hurling my phone at Emmett. If it had hit him, I could have taken some small measure of satisfaction from that at least, but the asshole had ducked and the phone had smashed against a vase of flowers, which had teetered sideways onto the floor and shattered, and then Rosa, Emmett’s maid, had materialised in an instant with a dustpan, and I’d tripped over her and nearly knocked my teeth out, and…
Don’t think about it, Gabrielle.
But how could I not? Right now, I should have been feasting on smoked salmon and champagne with my closest friends, dancing my first dance and celebrating the fact that I was Mrs. Emmett Collins. The fireworks should have come later, when my family found out what I’d done. Would the fact that I hadn’t actually gotten married mean they’d be happy now? Of course not. The circus had only just begun. Me eloping instead of trotting down the aisle at the huge celebration my mother insisted upon would have made the gossip pages back in Europe, where the paparazzi fed off my blood like hungry jackals, but me eloping and then ditching my fiancé five minutes before we got hitched? Now, that was a good old-fashioned front-page scandal.
And I wasn’t sure I’d survive another.
The ocean was to my left, out of sight but close enough for me to smell the salt on the air. To hear the siren’s call. Could I walk there? Not for the first time, I considered swan-diving into a watery grave, just vanishing under the waves and ending it all, but like so many things in my life, it wasn’t to be. Three years ago, it had been my brother who found me on the cliff edge, but today it was a stranger who stopped to help.
“What seems to be the problem, ma’am?” he asked.
Everything. Everything was the problem.
The man was big. Big all over. Broad shoulders, strong arms, muscular legs stuffed into a pair of worn blue jeans. Handsome in a rugged, unpolished sort of way, an oak tree that needed pruning. Hair the colour of dark chocolate, a neatly trimmed beard, and an easy smile. Kind eyes, but still I stepped back on instinct and got my feet tangled in my stupid dress. Would have landed on my well-padded ass if he hadn’t shot out an arm to catch me. The glint of a gold badge clipped to his belt caught my eye, along with something else. Yes, he was definitely big all over.
Excerpt: Colt…
What the…? Hadn’t Luca heard of a doorbell? Why was he kicking the damn door down?
I swung it open and started to ask exactly that, but the curses died in my throat when he deposited Brie into my arms.
“I guess this one belongs to you. Good luck, buddy.”
“What the hell happened?”
“The dream team of Addy and Paulo.”
“Hi, Colt!” Brooke hung out the car window, waving. “Men are assholes.”
Fuck my life.
“If Addy ever suggests going out again, handcuff her to something solid,” I suggested to Luca. “Just a tip.”
“Sure, if you take Paulo.”
“How did he get home?”
“Darla drew the short straw. I could hear him and Addy duetting ‘Survivor’ in the back seat as the three of them drove out of the parking lot.”
Brie’s dress had come courtesy of Darla too, I could tell that from a glance. Darla’s sense of style was—in a word—unique. But miles and miles of fabric was better than yoga pants that weren’t wide enough or long enough, especially if Brie was drunk in a bar.
“Better her than me. Well, thanks for returning Brie.”
Luca saluted and strode back to the car to deal with his own problem. Why did Addy do this? Yeah, I got that she wanted to have fun, and she did have good intentions, but she took it too far. I swore under my breath. Damn, I sounded like such a dad, and I still had all this to come with Kiki.
Brie’s eyes flickered open. “Hi, Colt.”
Then she bit her bottom lip, and my cock stirred in my pants. Fuck.
I must have spoken out loud because the sleepy smile slipped off her face.
“I’m sorry I was bad.”
Somebody kill me now.
“Your crown is slipping.”
“I don’t wear a crown. Ish…ish…more of a tiara.” She let out a giggle. “I might’ve starred in a sex tape.”
What on earth was she talking about? Forget relying on Luca—next time Addy had one of her bright ideas, I’d handcuff her myself. Encase her dainty little feet in concrete, whatever.
“Let’s get you to bed.”
“Bed? Okay.”
At least Brie was a compliant drunk. No fighting, no belligerence, just eyes rolling in different directions and a few hiccups. She began humming softly to herself as I carried her up the stairs, a tune I didn’t recognise, and by the time I laid her on the bed, she was back to smiling. I wasn’t about to wrestle with the quilt, so I grabbed a spare blanket from the closet and laid it over her. She’d have to sleep in the dress. I might have thought about her wearing my underwear more times than was healthy, but no way was I going to check if the reality matched up with my expectations.
“I should… I shhh…” she started, but I pressed a finger against her lips.
“Not tonight, sleeping beauty. Just get some rest.”
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