Re-release May 1, 2014
DARE TO TRUST
Colorado Trust Series Book 5
(Previously published as Shadowed Trust)
(Previously published as Shadowed Trust)
Trust makes all the difference when love and danger collide
Ad-exec Jordan Blake believed image was everything—until his
parents were convicted of murder, the family company went bankrupt, and his
excessive drinking and arrest fueled the tabloids. When lawyer David Barnes
offers representation in exchange for assistance in reopening his Colorado
mountain resort, Jordan has no choice. It’s help or jail.
Hollywood wild child Lexie Sinclair disappeared by changing
her name, joining the army, and marrying a soldier. Then her husband wrapped
their car around a tree, killing himself, and leaving her permanently injured.
For the past few years, she’s been content to live in peaceful obscurity as
caretaker of David’s defunct resort.
Jordan’s arrival exposes Lexie’s true identity and brings
her dead husband’s ‘friends’ calling. Jordan offers to help, but the shadow of
his drinking leaves Lexie reluctant to trust. Can they conquer their fears and
find the courage to face the criminals—and the world—together?
EXCERPT:
He drove across the wooden bridge and parked a short
distance from the log house. As he closed his door, the hairs on the back of
his neck pricked. Unease halted his steps. Someone was watching. He recognized
the sensation from the past couple months with all the reporters, and man, did
he hate it.
When a wary scan of his surroundings revealed nothing, Jordan shrugged
off his discomfort and walked toward the tall set of stairs that led to the
wrap-around porch and front door.
He looked around the isolated property with a frown. This is
it? Where were the cabins he was supposed to work on? Oh, wait, there they
were. He peered through the Aspens and pine trees, counting a total of six
structures nestled in the woods along the lakeshore. At least they would
provide a good view for the guests. Finally, a positive he could work with.
A noise from behind made him spin around. Moisture dripped
from the trees, plopping onto the previous year’s foliage carpeting the ground.
Otherwise, eerie quiet blanketed the area. Another twig snapped. His gaze
jerked to the side and landed on a horse walking through the trees, its ears
pitched forward as it watched him with curious brown eyes.
Damn horse, giving him the willies. He felt like an idiot
and forced his shoulders to relax.
On the third step leading up to the main house, a movement
on the porch caught his attention. A small raccoon waddled to the top of the
steps and began to growl at him.
Do raccoons growl?
This one did—was—at him. Suspecting the animal might be
rabid, Jordan
kept his distance and looked beyond to the screen door, hoping to see David
Barnes standing inside.
A deeper, more ominous growl from behind sent a chill down
his spine. Instinct warned him to turn slowly, then urged him to run at the
sight of a large mountain lion no more than ten feet away. Frozen in a
predatory crouch, the tawny cat’s golden gaze locked on his. Only its tail
moved, swinging slowly from side to side, the tip giving a sharp twitch every
couple seconds.
His heart lodged in his throat, pounding hard, shortening
his breath. The instinctive urge to run was paralyzed by the fear coursing
through his veins.
Footsteps sounded from inside the log house, but Jordan
didn’t dare take his eyes off the cougar. Menacing growls continued to emanate
from both it and the raccoon, but the cat was bigger. And infinitely more
dangerous.
“What are you—?”
“Yes, but—”
“Slowly back away from the door and go get it.”
“Mr. Blake—”
Jordan’s jaw tightened. Of course she knew who he was,
seemed like the whole damn world did. The squeak of hinges told him she’d
opened the door, and he risked a quick glance—only to do a double take at the
sight of the woman who’d ridden the horse in town.
“Sass, leave him alone,” she said before glancing down
toward her feet. “You, too, Rocky.”
The growling ceased on both sides.
Unconvinced
the danger was past, Jordan
turned back to the cougar. He tensed as the animal’s front dipped lower,
muscles clearly bunching for action. Before he could react further, the cat
bounded past him, up the steps. It gave the raccoon a swipe with its massive
paw as it landed next to the woman. The masked critter rolled across the porch
with an outraged howl, landed on all fours, and came back for more.
“Sass, Rocky, behave,” the woman commanded, her prior
chiding tone now sharp.
The cougar slunk over to lie down near a porch swing, its
gaze refocused on Jordan
with chilling intensity. The raccoon backed off, too, but kept a wary eye on
the cat.
He turned his stunned gaze to Laura on the porch, and gave
himself a mental shake. Not Laura—or Melissa. And now, after a closer look in
which he noticed she’d taken off the glasses she’d worn in town, revealing
bright blue eyes to go with her wine-colored hair, he realized she didn’t look
like anybody who lived on the prairie.
Lexie stared at Jordan Blake staring at her. If she thought
he was better-looking from across the street, up close the man was lethal.
Tall, with dark blond hair, thick eyebrows and thicker lashes to frame the
incredible brown eyes focused on her. He filled out his T-shirt under his brown
leather jacket, stretching the material taut across his chest.
But she wasn’t interested in gorgeous, and the only reason
her heart rate picked up was because he’d ticked her off. A gun, indeed.
Instead of snapping at him as she wanted, she managed a
fairly polite, “May I help you?”
“I’m here to see David Barnes,” he said, his voice as stiff
as his posture.
No one ever came here for David. He set up client
appointments at the Boulder
office. Lexie tried to relax, but her shoulders remained tense, and her pulse
refused to settle down.
“Why?”
“He hired me to do some work.”
“He hired you? You mean you’re not a client?”
“I don’t need a lawyer,” he ground out, sounding offended.
She almost scoffed as she crossed her arms in front of her.
“What work?”
His expression told her his business with David was none of her business. “And you are?”
“What work?” she demanded, dread beginning to creep in
behind her bravado.
They stared at each other until he backed down first,
surprising her.
“I’m here to inspect the cabins, see if any need major
repairs before winter.”
He quit there, but Lexie knew there was more he wasn’t
telling her. She couldn’t believe David was going ahead with the reopening
after only one conversation about it! Hurt followed on the heels of her
indignation. She knew it was his decision, his resort, but didn’t he know she
wasn’t ready for this yet?
New people every week, the chance of being recognized. Even
now, without her glasses on, nervousness clawed her insides. And then the—
Jordan Blake leaned a hip against the railing of the stairs
and crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking her posture. “You decide yet?”
“Decide what?” she asked with a frown.
“What excuse you’re going to give instead of simply
admitting David isn’t here.”
Lexie straightened, annoyance shooting heat straight to her
cheeks. Her right leg throbbed as she distributed her weight evenly on both
feet for maximum height and caught his gaze. “He isn’t here. And if he truly
did hire you, that means I’m your boss until he gets back.” What do you got to say to that, hot shot?
~*~
“Thoroughly entertaining...I lost track of the time because I was so engrossed in the story.” ~ Diana Coyle, Night Owl Reviews
**For those who started the Colorado Trust Series in 2011**
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