Karen Whiddon – Runaway Colton (страница 1)
In the newest Coltons of Texas romance, a woman framed for a heinous crime falls for the man who must bring her safely home
Wrongfully accused of masterminding her adoptive father’s disappearance, Piper Colton needs answers. So she leaves the family ranch behind to embark on a dangerous mission...but she’s not alone for long. Her brother enlists the help of Cord Maxwell—a local bounty hunter—to ensure his sister’s safe return. But Cord has an agenda of his own, and it’s not just to avoid falling for the Colton beauty! He promises to help her in exchange if she’ll help him track down his runaway niece—and stay with him. It’s an offer she cannot resist and a powerful attraction she cannot deny...
“Are you flirting?”
Though Piper colored, she didn’t look away. “Maybe. Maybe not. I’m trying to find out where we stand with each other. I also noticed you didn’t answer the question.”
Cord laughed; he couldn’t help it. “I’d have to be dead not to find you attractive,” he told her. “But don’t worry, I won’t let it get in the way of the job I have to do. Or finding Renee. Both are too important to me.”
Color still high, she finally smiled back. “Fair enough. Now how about we call it a night and regroup in the morning?”
Though it was still early, he nodded. “Okay. Good night.”
She sighed. “I’m probably going to regret this, but...”
Before he could ask what she meant, she crossed the space between them, grabbed him and pulled him down for a kiss. Her mouth moved across his, nothing tentative about it. A wave of lust swamped him. Damn if it wasn’t the most erotic kiss he’d ever shared.
Standing stock-still, he let her nibble and explore, until he couldn’t take it any longer.
* * *
We hope you enjoy this dramatic series—
The Coltons of Texas: Finding love and buried family secrets in the Lone Star State...
Runaway Colton
Karen Whiddon
KAREN WHIDDON started weaving fanciful tales for her younger brothers at the age of eleven. Amid the gorgeous Catskill Mountains, then the majestic Rocky Mountains, she fueled her imagination with the natural beauty surrounding her. Karen now lives in north Texas, writes full-time and volunteers for a boxer dog rescue. She shares her life with her hero of a husband and four to five dogs, depending on if she is fostering.
You can email Karen at KWhiddon1@aol.com. Fans can also check out her website, www.karenwhiddon.com.
As always, to my beloved husband, Lonnie.
You are the inspiration for every love story I write.
Contents
“I was framed.” Back ramrod straight, clenching her hands into fists so her adoptive brother and sister wouldn’t see how badly they shook, Piper Colton kept her voice perfectly level. “You have to realize that.”
“Framed.” Marceline Colton snorted, making her elegant, gem-encrusted earrings swing. “Right. Piper, you were arrested. The police wouldn’t have arrested you unless they had sufficient evidence. I think finding Eldridge’s bloody shirt in your closet might have been the final clue.”
“I saved up to buy that shirt for him one Christmas when I was sixteen. You know that.”
“Now it’s evidence,” Marceline continued, her voice as icy as her pale blue, flawlessly made-up eyes. “Apparently enough evidence for them.” She sneered, her bright red lipstick a bright slash of color in her alabaster face. “Where’s your trademark optimism now?”
“It’s all circumstantial. They don’t even have a body.” Piper spoke with confidence, despite the fact that her own family’s suspicion hurt her heart.
“I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before they find the body,” Marceline declared. Even at home, every strand of her golden-blond hair appeared perfect. When Piper had been younger, she’d been envious of Marceline’s movie star appearance. Now, understanding the amount of work that went into maintaining that look, it only made Piper feel tired. Plus, Marceline might be gorgeous on the outside, but her inner self was an entirely different matter.
“That’s true,” Fowler Colton agreed, his cold blue eyes intense. As usual, he wore one of his custom suits and perfectly pressed black Stetsons. “Come on, Piper. You can tell us. Did you kill Eldridge?”
Though Piper wanted to double over at the amount of pain his question caused, by sheer strength of will she managed to remain expressionless. Her natural optimism hadn’t fled—it had just gone into temporary hiding. “How can you ask me such a thing? Why on earth would I murder my own father?”
“Adoptive father,” Marceline reminded her. “You’re not a real Colton, after all.”
As if she could forget. Not possible, with Marceline finding a way to remind her of that fact at least once a day. Piper figured this was Marceline’s way of dealing with her own insecurity, since Marceline hadn’t been born a Colton, either. However, since her mother, Whitney, was actually married to Eldridge Colton, Marceline clearly figured that put her one step above Piper, who’d been orphaned when Whitney and Eldridge adopted her.
“Think of what you’re doing to poor Whitney,” Fowler said, the disapproval in his voice matching the disgusted expression on his face. “She took you in, adopted you, cared for you, and you repay her by killing her husband. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Piper.”
Piper opened her mouth and then closed it. She had the strangest urge to laugh, but reined it in lest they label her insane, as well. “You know me, Fowler. How could you think I’d kill anyone, let alone Eldridge? I won’t even squash a spider.”
Marceline snorted. “Well, obviously this time you must have figured you had more to gain.”
Looking from one to the other, Piper shook her head. “No matter how many times I tell you I didn’t do it, you’ll never believe my innocence, will you?”
“Nope,” Marceline responded promptly. She and Fowler exchanged identical smug smiles, making Piper wonder if they’d high-five each other next. She’d long ago given up on trying to figure out why the two of them disliked her so much. At least she still had T.C., Reid and Alanna, her other siblings. She’d bet they’d believe her.
“You know I’ve been mourning Eldridge,” Piper began, hoping to try again. “I love—loved—him. Why would anyone believe I’d harm him?”