EpilogueMandy and Shane married in a small ceremony for just friends and family. It was amusing to see her side of the church filled with former and current criminals warily eyeing the cops on the other side of the church. The police in attendance seemed just as uneasy, but things became smoother as the alcohol flowed during the reception.During the toast, her dad gave effusive praise for Shane, and Sean also spoke of their enduring love. It was a sweet, tender moment, but all she could think of was taking him up to their room in the hotel, tearing off his handsome tuxedo, and having him take her rough and hard.That was what she was in the mood for right then, though he wasn’t likely to indulge her. At ten weeks pregnant, he treated her more like spun glass then an adventurous sexual partner. She knew she’d have to wait for that side of him, but it was no hardship to see the tender side either. She loved all parts of Shane, no matter how light or dark. As they danced together one l

BABY FOR THE SHERIFFChapter OneThe sound of police sirens had a mobilizing effect on all the partiers crammed into, and spilling out from, Benji Shultz’s party. That his parents’ cabin was deep in the woods didn’t seem to have deterred the police from busting up the underage drinkers’ get-together. From her vantage point in the corner, Sera might have been amused by the frantic scrambling of her former high school classmates fleeing the scene if she hadn’t been just as eager to escape.Someone jostled her arm, making her spill beer over her cute black cami with its sparkling straps and rhinestone heart that rested right between her breasts. Cursing, she set the cup on the nearest table, wincing at the thoughtlessness of leaving her trash behind. However, her parents would be much angrier to find out she’d been drinking than if they learned she had shown bad manners at her host’s house.She wobbled on the too-high heels and cursed again. Why had she let Julie convince her to wear the

BABY FOR THE DEPUTYChapter OneJulie pushed her way through the crowd of partiers fleeing the underage drinking party hosted by Benji Shultz. She hoped he didn’t get in too much trouble with the cops and his folks, but she was more worried about her best friend. She and Sera had gotten separated shortly after their arrival at the party. She’d allowed Eric Foster to drag her off to a darkened corner for a lot of flirting and a little touching, and Sera had drifted away.Cutting through the woods proved to be a smart move, as she managed to avoid the milling deputies. Her heart thudded with dread at the idea of running into her father, who would be Sheriff Robinson in those circumstances, not Dad. With only a few scratches from low-lying branches and moderately tangled spots in her brown hair, she emerged onto the county road a few minutes later.Biting her lip and wondering what she should do about Sera, she approached her car. It was on the side of the road where she had parked it, a

Chapter ThreeThe blinding sun streaming through the opened curtains woke her, and she groaned. Derek stirred beside her, and she turned her head to look at him and avoid the sunlight. “Good morning,” she whispered, feeling ridiculously shy considering what they had shared.“Hey.” He leaned over to kiss her near the mouth.Disregarding morning breath, she changed the angle and captured his mouth for a long kiss. Their movements became more amorous, and soon they were on the threshold of making love again. He reached into his bedside drawer to pull out a condom.Julie intercepted his hand, taking it from him and tossing it back in the direction of the nightstand. “We don’t need that.”He arched a brow. “Are you sure? We already took a risk last night.”“What’s the worst that could happen?” She winked. “I might get pregnant, which would curtail my sluttish ways.”Derek groaned. “Am I ever going to live down that assumption?”“No.” She rolled her hips to encourage him to sink inside her.