Against the Wind, Season 2, Episode 1 (Rising Storm) (11 page)

* * * *

As Ian Briggs drove through the heart of Storm, Texas, he wondered how such a quaint, quiet town had gotten its name.

He also wondered how he could get so lost in such a small town.

Keeping one hand on the wheel of his obnoxiously candy-apple red rental car, he tapped the screen of the non-functional GPS and cursed. Still frozen. The thing had been working fine when he'd picked up the mid-size Ford at the Austin airport, but it had gone on the fritz right after he checked into the bed and breakfast he'd probably never be able to find again. Now he was driving aimlessly around town, hoping to find Franklin Street.

As he passed by the Cuppa Joe cafe for what must have been the fifteenth time, he gave up being stubbornly male and pulled over to ask directions. He stepped out of the air-conditioned interior and nearly choked on the heat and humidity. In Montana, it was already cold, even for late October. But here...God, how did people stand it? It felt wrong to be wearing jeans and a T-shirt when he'd gotten on a plane this morning wearing a parka.

A refreshing blast of cool air and the rich aroma of coffee hit him as he entered the quaint shop. A few people seated at the handful of tables eyed him with varying levels of curiosity or suspicion as he moved to the counter. He nodded in greeting, but it was the curvy woman with the shiny black ponytail behind it who drew his interest.

She poured coffee into a big, lime-green mug and slid it to a guy wearing a Double J Ranch baseball cap at the other end of the counter.

"Thanks, darlin'." Double J guy took his coffee to a table, and she turned to Ian.

"Hi," she said, her smile reaching all the way to eyes the color of smooth, dark chocolate. "Can I help you?" She gestured to a blackboard with the daily specials. "The salted caramel latte is to die for."

Her
voice
was to die for. Light and cheery, with a musical lilt and a cute Texas accent. "Actually," he said, "I was hoping you could point the way to Franklin Street."

Cocking her head, she narrowed her eyes at him. "You from the media?"

"Montana."

She grinned, and he swore the entire cafe got a little brighter. "In that case, I'll draw you a map."

She turned around to put down the coffee pot, giving him a brief but tantalizing view of her denim-hugged backside. The apron tied at the small of her back in a neat little bow emphasized her hourglass figure, which he admired as she dug into the apron pocket for a pen and notepad and pivoted back around to him.

"Now, this little square is Cuppa Joe..." She gave him directions as she drew little lines, but he didn't hear most of it because he was too distracted by her voice and the way her lips moved as she talked. "...And Franklin Street is right there." She marked an X on the napkin with a flourish of her slender hand.

And look at that, she wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

Idiot. You're not here for a fling
.

1001 Dark Nights

Welcome to 1001 Dark Nights… a collection of novellas that are breathtakingly sexy and magically romantic. Some are paranormal, some are erotic. Each and every one is compelling and page turning.

Inspired by the exotic tales of The Arabian Nights, 1001 Dark Nights features
New York Times
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USA Today
bestselling authors.

In the original, Scheherazade desperately attempts to entertain her husband, the King of Persia, with nightly stories so that he will postpone her execution.

In our version, month after month, each of our fabulous authors puts a unique spin on the premise and creates a tale that a new Scheherazade tells long into the dark, dark night.

For more information about 1001 Dark Nights, visit
www.1001DarkNights.com
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On behalf of Rising Storm,

Liz Berry, M.J. Rose, Julie Kenner & Dee Davis would like to thank ~

Steve Berry

Doug Scofield

Melissa Rheinlander

Kim Guidroz

Jillian Stein

InkSlinger PR

Asha Hossain

Chris Graham

Pamela Jamison