Pivot

PIVOT
EXCERPT #1

She took a calming breath.  “Okay, I’ll get you the money.  But the bank is closed on Sunday.  I won’t be able to get the money until tomorrow.”  It didn’t matter what she told Joey.  She wasn’t going to be there when he came back to collect.  “Meet me here at noon.  I’ll have the money for you then.”

“I’ll be here at eleven and you better have at least a couple of thousand.  You don’t, Lily comes with me.”

Meri suppressed a shudder.  It was hard to imagine that the man standing in front of her was Lily’s father.  Amazing how just one night–one stupid night–could change your life forever.

“I said I’d get you the money.  Now get out of here and leave me alone.”

Joey tucked the roll of twenties into the pocket of his black leather jacket.  “Tell Lily her daddy sends his love.”

PIVOT
EXCERPT #2

He hammered in another nail, looked up to see Meriwether Jones running toward him.  With the sun highlighting the gold in her dark hair, damn she was pretty.  “What is it?”

“I can’t find Lily.  She isn’t in your room.” 

Ian dropped the hammer and started back toward the house, Meri hurrying along beside him. 

“She never does this.  She always stays where you tell her.”

They shoved through the back door together, walked through the mudroom.  It took a moment for him to register that the dishes were all washed and put away, the countertops wiped clean.  He caught the scent of Lysol as he made his way toward the stairs.

“Lily!” he called out.  “Lily, where are you?”  They went upstairs and searched his bedroom, then the other two upstairs rooms and both baths.  No sign of Lily. 

His worry kicked up as they headed back downstairs and he strode into the den.  “Dad, Lily is missing.”

PIVOT
EXCERPT #3

There was something different about the desire he felt for Meri.  It was a yearning deep in his bones.  Every time she smiled at him, he felt a little kick. 

He didn’t understand it.  Hell, he’d never felt anything like it. 

And he sure didn’t know how to deal with it.

And there was Meri herself.  He didn’t know anything about her, except that she was in trouble.  If he was back in his office, he’d run her name, see if she had a criminal record.  When he thought of the way she was with Lily, thought of the amazing mother she was, he had a hard time imagining it. 

And the truth was even thinking about digging into her past felt like a betrayal.

Maybe he would just ask her what she was running from.

Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.

Maybe if he gave her a little more time, Meri would come to trust him enough to tell him.

As long as she didn’t trust him enough to wind up in his bed.

PIVOT
EXCERPT #4

“I think he remembers you.”

He smiled.  “I raised him from a colt.”

“Maybe you could buy him back.”

Ian shook his head, but she thought she caught an instant of regret.  “I’d have to leave him here.  Unless Dad got interested in horses again, it wouldn’t be fair to Sunny.”

Meri glanced back at the beautiful golden palomino.  “It must have been great having a horse of your own.”

“It was,” he said.  “I was a pretty fair rider in my day.  I thought about doing a little rodeoing, but Mom thought it was too dangerous.”  His mouth edged up as if he were amused by some inner joke. 

Meri wondered what it was.  Her mind sifted through the possibilities, but when she looked at him again, his focus had shifted away from the horse and he was looking directly at her.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Meri,” he said softly.  She felt his big hand on her cheek, gliding gently down to tilt up her chin.  Then he was bending his head, covering her mouth in the gentlest of kisses.