The last person Bailey is interested in helping is golden boy Ryder Westbrook. After a painful personal betrayal, irresistible attraction to another man, who is probably too good to be true, seems like a terrible idea. But she also needs something from the Westbrooks, a chance to start over and build the restaurant of her dreams. Ryder and Bailey make a simple plan—work together to get what they both want, but what happens when they find out what they really want is each other?
Don't miss any of the sexy soldiers! Ryder (#1) - Barbara Freethy Adam (#2) - Roxanne St. Claire Zane (#3) - Christie Ridgway Wyatt (#4) - Lynn Raye Harris Jack (#5) - Julia London Noah (#6) - Cristin Harber Ford (#7) - Samantha Chase
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EXCERPT
Prologue
"We're hit! We're hit!"
Navy pilot Ryder Westbrook heard
the panicked words of his copilot, Michael Valdez, but he was too busy trying
to regain control of the SH-60 Seahawk helicopter to reply. They were coming
back from a humanitarian mission—having dropped food, water and medical
supplies into the rugged and remote villages of Afghanistan—when they'd taken
enemy fire.
They weren't going to make it
back to the carrier in the Persian Gulf. They were going to have to set down
somewhere, hopefully far from the rebel forces that had just shot at them.
His heart pounded against his
chest, but he remained calm, his training playing through his head as he went
through every option to retain control of the twin-engine helicopter.
Flying was in his blood. The helo
had always felt like an extension of his own power, but now that power was
crumbling, and he was being forcibly reminded of just how fragile life could
be.
But he couldn't quit. There had
to be a way out.
Unfortunately, his optimism was
dampened by the fact that the ground was getting closer by the second, and his
crew was depending on him to get them down safely.
His copilot had a wife and a baby
back in the States. Colin Forbes, the sensor operator, was getting married in a
month. And he…well, he still had things he wanted to do.
He had to keep them all alive.
Searching the ground for a viable
landing site, he spotted what appeared to be a flat, open rural area. Not only
did he want to protect his crew, he didn't want to hurt anyone on the ground.
Glancing over at Michael, he saw
his friend making the sign of the cross.
"We're not going to
die," he said emphatically, drawing Michael's gaze to his. "Not
today. Not this time."
He could see the hope in
Michael's eyes. His friend wanted to believe him.
Hell, he wanted to believe himself.
He'd been in tight spots before,
and he'd always come out on top. It had been that way his entire life. Growing
up in Eagle's Ridge, he'd been the golden boy—the one who set new records, who
made things happen, who achieved whatever he went after.
But this was real life. This was
happening now, and he was the only one who could save all their lives.
In ten years of naval service,
he'd never encountered a situation exactly like this. He'd never felt so
worried that his number might really be up.
He shook the negative thought out
of his head, squaring his jaw, tightening his hand on the controls, as he rode
the bird down to the ground.
The impact was harder than he'd
expected, the helicopter shattering into pieces of fiery metal. And when everything
went black, he fought against the idea that this might be it.
He had more he wanted to do,
people he should have made peace with a long time ago, a home that beckoned to
him—the Blue Mountains, the Snake River, the people of Eagle's Ridge—a life
still to be lived.
He needed more time… He just
didn't know if he was going to get it.
Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 60 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened Fog City Publishing in 2011 and has since sold over 7 million books! Twenty-three of her titles have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists, including one title, SUMMER SECRETS, which hit #1 on the NYT. In 2014 Barbara was named the Amazon KDP Bestselling Author of all time! She was also the first Indie writer to sell over a million books on Barnes and Noble. Known for her emotional and compelling stories of love, family, romance and suspense, Barbara is a six-time finalist and two-time winner in the Romance Writers of America acclaimed RITA contest for her novels DANIEL'S GIFT and THE WAY BACK HOME.
For more information, visit her website at www.barbarafreethy.com
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