Paw Enforcement 02 - Paw and Order (39 page)

“Thanks. I'm just glad none of my batons landed in the hay.” That would've been a disaster.

As I went to round up the cases for my batons, Clint followed me.

“Guess what?” he said, his face beaming.

I looked up into his brown eyes, which sparkled with excitement. “You're the champ?”

He threw a victorious fist in the air. “Hell, yeah! Three hundred and thirty-three points on four rides. Can you believe it?”

I offered him a smile. “Congratulations.”

His grin faded and his face grew serious for a moment. “I've decided I'm going out on the circuit. It's like they say. You only live once.”

“That's true.”

“I'm off to Utah next week. Already put in my resignation at the sheriff's department.”

“What about Jack?”

“Shoot, that horse is my best friend. He'll come with me, of course.” Clint eyed me for a moment, his gaze assessing me. “I'm going to miss you, Officer Luz. When the rodeo comes through town, I just might look you up. If you decide to give boy trouble the boot, maybe we can go out and have some fun.”

I reached out a hand to take his and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “I wish you all the best, Clint.”

He gave me a squeeze in return. “You, too, Megan.” He released my hand, tipped his hat to me one last time, and turned away.

I returned to Seth's side and together we watched as Clint was awarded his championship belt buckle. Seth even clapped for Clint, though his enthusiasm was less than mine, naturally.

Seth and Blast hung around while the show's staff packed everything up and closed down. Finally, at two
A.M.
, the last barn was locked and my shift was over.

The four of us headed out to the parking lot, stopping next to my cruiser.

“So we'll talk in the morning?” Seth said. “Sort things out?”

“Sure. Ten o'clock.” I stepped closer to him, put a hand on his chest, and looked up into his eyes. “But what about now?”

“Now,” he said, “we do this.”

With a soft smile, he put his mouth to mine.

 

ST. MARTIN'S PAPERBACKS TITLES BY DIANE KELLY

Paw Enforcement

Paw and Order

THE TARA HOLLOWAY NOVELS

Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure

Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte

Death, Taxes, and Extra-Hold Hairspray

Death, Taxes, and a Sequined Clutch
(an e-original novella)

Death, Taxes, and Peach Sangria

Death, Taxes, and Hot Pink Leg Warmers

Death, Taxes, and Green Tea Ice Cream

Death, Taxes, and Mistletoe Mayhem
(an e-original novella)

Death, Taxes, and Silver Spurs

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DIANE KELLY
is a former CPA and tax attorney, who had several brushes with white-collar criminals during her career. When she realized her experiences made excellent fodder for novels, her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her Special Agent Tara Holloway romantic mystery series. A recipient of the 2009 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements, she has received more than two dozen RWA chapter awards. Diane's fiction, tax, and humor pieces have appeared in
True Love Magazine, Writer's Digest Yearbook, Romance Writers Report, Byline Magazine,
and other publications. She is also a proud graduate of the Mansfield, Texas Citizen Police Academy.

For more information, visit her web site at
www.dianekelly.com
.
You can also find her on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/dianekellybooks
,
or follow her on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/dianekellybooks
.

 

 

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

 

PAW AND ORDER

 

Copyright © 2015 by Diane Kelly.

 

All rights reserved.

 

For information address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

 

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eISBN: 9781466849167

 

St. Martin's Paperbacks edition / January 2015

 

St. Martin's Paperbacks are published by St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

 

 

“Diane Kelly's writing is smart and laugh-out-loud funny.”

—Kristan Higgins,
New York Times
bestselling author

Don't miss the next novel in Diane Kelly's Paw Enforcement series

LAYING DOWN THE PAW

Coming in August 2015 from St. Martin's Paperbacks