Once Burned (30 page)
“Ty,” she murmured, walking slowly toward him.
He met her halfway, concerned when she didn’t wrap him in her usual enthusiastic hug. There was a haze of sadness in her eyes, he noted. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s been a long week,” she replied. Finally, she embraced him and whispered, “It’s so good to see you.”
Ty closed his eyes and held her tightly, delighted to have her in his arms but wondering if it was real. Two hours ago, he had been dating Heather with no idea when he’d see Shannon again and now… he was single and she was here. It seemed too good to be true.
She leaned back to look at him. “What? Aren’t you glad to see me, too?”
A slow, tender smile curved his lips. “You bet I am.”
She hugged him again.
“Join me for dinner?”
“I think I’m going to have to pass tonight, Ty. I’m exhausted.”
“No offense, but I’m going to have to agree about that. You
look
tired, and I’ll bet the roads were a mess. Which makes me wonder why you didn’t wait until they cleared a little. This is kind of a spur-of-the-moment trip, and you’re not usually so impulsive.”
“I got my first taste of what it’s like to catch the attention of the tabloids. Chris took the writer of the article’s word over mine. So, here I am.”
“He broke up with you?”
She only nodded and lowered her eyes.
“Is he stupid?”
She let out a sniff of laughter, but said nothing.
“Are you all right?”
“Not really. Which is why I’m here.”
“I hope you know I’m here for you if you need it.”
“Thank you, Ty, but right now, I think I just need some time to clear my head. I am a little upset with men in general right now, and I don’t want to take that out on you.”
That stung a little, though he wasn’t sure why. To hide it, he joked, “What about Pat?”
“He’s my brother.” At last, she met his gaze again and smiled. It didn’t touch her eyes, but it was better than nothing. “Give me a week or so, and I’ll stop by the Bar E. I want to meet this horse you’re so smitten with. Just… give me a little space for now, okay? We’ll have plenty of time to catch up once I relax a little.”
“How long are you planning to stay?”
“I was thinking I’d stick around at least until the day after New Year’s, maybe longer. I don’t know yet. I’m sort of winging it on this trip.”
“All right, then. Just give me a call when you want to meet Holly.”
With a nod, Shannon turned and called to her sister-in-law, “I’ll see you and Pat in a little while.”
Aelissm reappeared. “Heading up to the cabin?”
“Yeah. I should probably take a nap before you unleash my niece and nephews on me.”
“See you in a couple hours, then.”
Shannon laid her hand on Ty’s arm for a moment and squeezed, then brushed passed him and out the door. He stared after her, fighting the urge to follow. She needed space right now, he reminded himself.
“Shall I break out the mistletoe early this year?” Aelissm inquired.
When he turned his attention to her, he found her smirking at him. “Depends. Do you think Pat would shoot me if I asked to date his sister?”
Don’t miss the fourth
Hammond Brothers
book,
Last Surrender
, coming late 2015
Hammond Brothers, Book Four
(Northstar Romances #8)
Jeremiah Mackey has made a lot of mistakes in his life, and he’s spent time behind bars because of them. Then the same sheriff’s deputy who arrested him offered him a job on his family’s ranch. Jeremiah took the chance to turn his life around with a promise to never look back, and in the years since, he hasn’t. With Heather Brown newly single, his future is looking even brighter, but first, he’ll have to convince her not to give up on love. He’ll also have to fight to hold on to everything he’s worked so hard to achieve and to protect the people he’s come to love as his own family when someone from his past comes looking for him… someone who wants him and the interfering sheriff’s deputy dead.
Don’t miss out when
Mistletoe Kisses
and
Last Surrender
are released.
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and have the release announcement sent right to your inbox!
Don’t miss out when
Last Surrender
is released.
Sign up for Suzie’s newsletter
and have the release announcement sent right to your inbox!
Suzie O’Connell grew up in Western Washington, but in her late teens, a two-week adventure at her stepsister’s rustic Montana cabin left a permanent mark, and she has called the mountains and valleys of Southwestern Montana home ever since. She has been writing stories for as long as she can remember, and everything around her is story fodder. Her love of writing and of Montana pushed her to pursue (and earn) a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Writing from the University of Montana-Western. A former high school English teacher, she now counts herself blessed to pursue writing—her first passion—full time.
When she isn’t writing, Suzie enjoys spending time in the mountains with her husband Mark, their daughter Maddie, and their golden retrievers Reilly and Bridger. She is almost as happy with a camera in her hand or helping her husband build log furniture as she is writing, and will readily jump on any excuse to enjoy the beauty of Montana.
Suzie loves hearing from fans, so don’t hesitate to shoot her a quick email at
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contact form
on her website). You never know… you might just end up with a cameo in one of her books.
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