A Texas Child. Linda Warren

>

      

      To save a child

      Regret. Assistant District Attorney Myra Delgado knows all about it. She’s spent seven years regretting a foolish betrayal of her ex, Levi Coyote. But now Myra needs Levi, a private investigator, and the stakes are bigger than their history—a baby has been kidnapped. And only Myra is brave enough—or crazy enough—to go after a Mexican drug lord and attempt a rescue.

      Levi might not be able to forgive her, but he can’t let Myra face the danger alone. As they work to save an innocent child, he learns a shocking truth about their shared past. If they make it through this, he and Myra just might get a second chance at not only love, but family.

      Her heels sank into the dirt again, and she reached down and yanked them off

      “I’m not going to rehash the past with you again. It’s done. It’s over. I was young and stupid. I’m not sure what your excuse was other than being a total asshole with a high-and-mighty attitude. I’m human. I made a mistake. Get over it.”

      She swung toward the door, heels in her hand, and just as quickly swung back. “Good luck with your marriage. I hope she never disappoints you, because you’re one unforgiving bastard.”

      Levi drew a sharp breath and slung his hat across the barn. It landed softly on bales of alfalfa. The horse skittered away and he stroked it to calm her, but nothing was going to calm the churning in his gut. Myra made him madder than anyone. She knew how to push his buttons. Damn her!

      Dear Reader,

      A Texas Child is the third book in my Willow Creek, Texas series. In the first two books—A Texas Hero (July 2013) and A Texas Family (October 2013)—I shared how the ideas for the stories were born. A Texas Child was a little different, created by pure imagination and a little luck. Myra Delgado is a character from The Texan’s Bride (Mills & Boon Superromance, October 2011), and Levi Coyote is a character from Her Christmas Hero (Mills & Boon American Romance, December 2010). Both have very strong personalities and I knew one day I would write their story.

      First, I had to have a way to bring them together. Second, I needed a plot. Myra is an assistant district attorney and Levi is a private investigator. They both work in law enforcement, so I started by giving them a past. Voilà! That worked. I still needed a plot. One day on the news was a story about a woman who’d married a man from Mexico and he’d taken their child and disappeared. She couldn’t get the law to help her, because the man was the boy’s father. My imagination wheel began to spin and I thought I could work that in as part of the plot.

      Believe me, it wasn’t easy. My editor suffered through many emails and talks about how the story wasn’t working. At times, I wanted to admit defeat. Miraculously, I finished it. Now you’ll be the judge of whether it works or not. I have to say, though, that after all the frustrations and changes, I like this story. I hope you do, too.

      Until the next book, with love and thanks,

      Linda Warren

      P.S.—You can email me at [email protected], or send me a message on Facebook, www.facebook.com/lindawarrenauthor, or on Twitter, www.twitter.com/texauthor, or write me at P.O. Box 5182, Bryan, TX 77805, or visit my website at www.lindawarren.net. Your mail and thoughts are deeply appreciated.

      A Texas Child

      Linda Warren

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Two time RITA® Award-nominated and award-winning author Linda Warren loves her job, writing happily-ever-after books for Mills & Boon. Drawing upon her years of growing up on a farm/ranch in Texas, she writes about sexy heroes, feisty heroines and broken families with an emotional punch, all set against the backdrop of Texas. Her favorite pastime is sitting on her patio with her husband watching the wildlife, especially the injured ones, which are coming in pairs these days: two Canada geese with broken wings, two does with broken legs, and a bobcat ready to pounce on anything tasty. Learn more about Linda and her books at her website, www.lindawarren.net, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/authorlindawarren.

      To my dear editor, Kathleen. Thank you for patiently listening to me moan about this book for almost a year. And thank you for your continued support and faith in me and my stories. I’m honored and blessed to have you as my editor. You’re the best!

      Acknowledgments

      To the people on the internet who helped me sort through a lot of problems.

      A big thanks to Tammy Medina for sharing her visits to Matamoras, Mexico.

      And a special thanks to Crystal Siegert and Sarah Stanley for sharing all things baby.

      All errors are strictly mine.

      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

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

       Chapter Eighteen

       Epilogue

       Excerpt

      CHAPTER ONE

      AN OLD LOVE slept on her conscience, gnawed at her heart and tortured her soul. Betraying Levi Coyote had scarred Myra Delgado for life. She’d spent the past seven years regretting, blaming and cursing herself, but it hadn’t changed a thing.

      As an assistant district attorney in Houston, Texas, she didn’t quite understand what she was doing in Willow Creek, Texas, following