Hot On His Trail. Kristin Eckhardt

      

      Isabella Trueblood made history reuniting people torn apart by war and an epidemic. Now, generations later, Lily and Dylan Garrett carry on her work with their agency, Finders Keepers. Circumstances may have changed, but the goal remains the same.

      Lost

      Her so-called life. Calley Graham’s overprotective mother had stood in her way long enough. But all that would change if she could sign on as a rookie investigator for Finders Keepers!

      Found

      One tough trail boss. Matt Radcliffe was leading a cattle drive out of New Mexico. He sure didn’t have time for a pesky investigator who wanted to drag him back to Pinto, Texas. But Calley figured if she volunteered to take over as camp cook, she could keep her job, and maybe keep the cowboy, too!

      Matt pulled back, breaking the kiss before he lost what little control he had left.

      “Why did you do that?” he asked in a low voice, sounding more gruff than he’d intended.

      “It was your idea,” Calley said softly, her fingers rubbing her cheek.

      He could see redness there and knew his beard stubble had made the mark. “Damn it, Calley. All I had in mind was talking.”

      She tilted her head as she looked at him, confusion clouding her blue eyes. “Was it so awful?”

      Awful? Was she serious? “No. It was just…unexpected.” He wondered how he could explain it to her when even he didn’t understand the riot of emotions churning through him.

      “I’m sorry if I offended you,” she said, not looking the least bit sorry to him. “I thought I was helping put your new plan into action.”

      “Can you at least give me a little warning next time?”

      “Don’t worry, Matt,” she said calmly, turning toward the chuck wagon. “There won’t be a next time.”

      He watched her disappear inside the wagon, then heard the loud clank of pots and pans, followed by a muffled oath. Matt smiled. He might have been wrong, but so was she. There would definitely be a next time.

      Dear Reader,

      I’m a big fan of country music and was inspired to write this story by listening to Trisha Yearwood’s song “I Want To Live Again.” The toe-tapping music and heartfelt lyrics are perfect for my heroine, Calley Graham, who is determined to live life to the fullest. Matt Radcliffe is a sexy cowboy who prefers to live life alone. But Calley is hot on his trail, which means Matt doesn’t stand a chance!

      I hope you enjoy Matt and Calley’s story. Happy reading!

      Karen Hughes

      Hot on His Trail

      Karen Hughes

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

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      The Cowboy Wants a Baby

      Jo Leigh

      His Brother’s Fiancée

      Jasmine Cresswell

      A Father’s Vow

      Tina Leonard

      Daddy Wanted

      Kate Hoffmann

      The Cowboy’s Secret Son

      Gayle Wilson

      The Best Man in Texas

      Kelsey Roberts

      Hot on His Trail

      Karen Hughes

      The Sheriff Gets His Lady

      Dani Sinclair

      Surprise Package

      Joanna Wayne

      Rodeo Daddy

      B.J. Daniels

      The Rancher’s Bride

      Tara Taylor Quinn

      Dylan’s Destiny

      Kimberly Raye

      Hero for Hire

      Jill Shalvis

      Her Protector

      Liz Ireland

      Lover Under Cover

      Charlotte Douglas

      A Family at Last

      Debbi Rawlins

      THE TRUEBLOOD LEGACY

      THE YEAR WAS 1918, and the Great War in Europe still raged, but Esau Porter was heading home to Texas.

      The young sergeant arrived at his parents’ ranch northwest of San Antonio on a Sunday night, only the celebration didn’t go off as planned. Most of the townsfolk of Carmelita had come out to welcome Esau home, but when they saw the sorry condition of the boy, they gave their respects quickly and left.

      The fever got so bad so fast that Mrs. Porter hardly knew what to do. By Monday night, before the doctor from San Antonio made it into town, Esau was dead.

      The Porter family grieved. How could their son have survived the German peril, only to burn up and die in his own bed? It wasn’t much of a surprise when Mrs. Porter took to her bed on Wednesday. But it was a hell of a shock when half the residents of Carmelita came down with the horrible illness. House after house was hit by death, and all the townspeople could do was pray for salvation.

      None came. By the end of the year, over one hundred souls had perished. The influenza virus took those in the prime of life, leaving behind an unprece-dented number of orphans. And the virus knew no boundaries. By the time the threat had passed, more than thirty-seven million people had succumbed worldwide.

      But in one house, there was still hope.

      Isabella Trueblood had come to Carmelita in the late 1800s with her father, blacksmith Saul Trueblood, and her mother, Teresa Collier Trueblood. The family had traveled from Indiana, leaving their Quaker roots behind.

      Young Isabella grew up to be an intelligent woman who had a gift for healing and storytelling. Her dreams centered on the boy next door, Foster Carter, the son of Chester and Grace.

      Just before the bad times came in 1918, Foster asked Isabella to be his wife, and the future of the Carter spread was secured. It was a happy union, and the future looked bright for the young couple.

      Two years later, not one of their relatives was alive. How the young couple had survived was a miracle. And during the epidemic, Isabella and Foster had taken in more than twenty-two orphaned children from all over the county. They fed them, clothed