id="u63de8180-480d-5680-820d-9f77fe0d40cf">
About the Author
Though born and raised in L.A., CASSIE MILES has lived in colorado long enough to be considered a semi-native. The first home she owned was a log cabin in the mountains overlooking Elk creek, with a thirty-mile commute to her work at the Denver Posy.
After raising two daughters and cooking tons of macaroni and cheese for her family, Cassie is trying to be more adventurous in her culinary efforts. Ceviche, anyone? She’s discovered almost anything tastes better with wine. When she’s not plotting Intrigue books, Cassie likes to hang out at the Denver Botanical Gardens near her high-rise home.
Hook, Line and
Shotgun Bride
Cassie Miles
Table of Contents
Chapter One
A flat tire.
Tom Hawthorne slammed the door to his Toyota SUV, slammed it hard. Why the hell had he decided to take a shortcut instead of staying on the highway? It was the middle of the night, and he was stuck on this winding gravel road in a mountain valley. No other cars. Not a cabin in sight. Only the stars bore witness to his rage. “Son of a bitch.”
Lately, things had been going wrong more often than right. He would have felt cursed if it wasn’t for Angela.
The thought of her cooled his temper. He carried her image with him always, through the hell of the battlefield and the horror of working triage as a Marine Corps medic. Angela’s sweet love made everything bearable.
As he opened the rear of the SUV, he took out his cell phone. Surprise, surprise, he actually got a signal.
She answered right away, as though she’d been waiting for his name to pop up on her caller ID. “Good evening, Mr. Hawthorne.”
“Hello, Mrs. Hawthorne.” Though they’d been married eight months, he still enjoyed claiming her as his wife. “I’m going to be later than I thought. I got a flat.”
“Bummer. How was your night out with the boys?”
Boring as hell. “I’d rather be with you.”
“But it’s traditional for a Marine to blow off steam while he’s home on leave.”
One-handed, he hauled out the spare tire and the jack. If he’d still been a drinker, he might have had more fun on his night out with old buddies at a bar. The only alcohol Tom had consumed in the past year was a glass of champagne at their wedding. “The hour-and-a-half drive to the mountains was too long. And I lost twenty-seven bucks at pool. But you could make me feel a whole lot better, baby. What are you wearing?”
“Flannel pajamas.” She laughed. “Are you fixing that tire or what?”
“Give me some incentive,” he murmured. “Tell me about your sexy nightgown.”
This was a game they’d played for years, and she was good at it. Her voice lowered to a purr. “I’m standing in front of the fireplace, and I’m warm all over. I have on a black, see-through nightie. It’s short—so short that it doesn’t even cover my bum if I bend over.”
He closed his eyes, relishing a mental picture of Angela’s slender waist and round butt. “Your hair?”
“Loose and tangled all the way down my back. Oh, and I have those highlights I’ve been wanting
