ZEBRA BOOKS

       KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

       http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

      To Barb, Patti, and Morgan.

      Good people, good friends,

      and obviously, good sports.

      Happy hooking!

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Epilogue

      ZEBRA BOOKS are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      119 West 40th Street

      New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2004 by Lori Foster

      This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

      To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

      If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

      All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, educational, or institutional use.

      Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Sales Manager: Attn.: Sales Department. Kensington Publishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

      Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      First Brava Books Trade Paperback Printing: March 2004

      First Zebra Books Mass-Market Paperback Printing: October 2009

      ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-4949-4

      ISBN-10: 1-4201-4949-0

      ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-1288-7 (eBook)

      ISBN-10: 1-4201-1288-0 (eBook)

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

      Printed in the United States of America

      Chapter One

      “Nasty, nasty weather.”

      Shay Sommers sent her best friend, Dawn, an impatient look. She’d been commenting on the weather for the past ten minutes. Probably her idea of a subtle hint to go. The weather was furious, but then, so was Shay. And she wasn’t ready to leave. Not by a long shot.

      Dawn pushed back her chipped coffee cup and got right to the point. “Come on, Shay. It’s getting dark outside. And I’m cold. There’s no point in hanging out here any longer. Leigh’s on her way to the clinic, and you know Dr. Martin will take good care of her.”

      “Of course she will.”

      “Shay,” she said, dragging her name out. “The guy is long gone.”

      “Probably.” Shay drummed her fingers on the scarred countertop. “You should go. Make sure Leigh is taken care of. Tell Eve to send the bill to me. I’ll check in with you later.”

      Dawn’s deep black eyes narrowed. “And what will you do in the meantime? Hang around here all night, terrorizing the neighborhood with your frowns? Plotting revenge?”

      No answer was answer enough.

      Dawn groaned. “Damn it, Shay. She’ll be all right now, thanks to you. At least she’ll be better than she would have been if you hadn’t decided to take up this project.”

      Shay made a sound of disgust. “Project.” Her fingers continued to drum and her frown grew fierce. “It always seems like such a ridiculous word when it’s applied to real people.”

      Dawn squeezed Shay’s hand, and her voice gentled. “I know you want to help, Shay. But you can only do so much.”

      “It’s