Finding Amy (23 page)

Chapter 34

After a sleepless night, for the most part, Amy gave up trying and took a long, hot bubble bath. The w
edding would start at two, which gave her time to grab a quick breakfast and visit Ms. Browning before driving out to Stan’s cabin. With her head against the back of the tub, Amy closed her eyes only to see Carson’s face as he approached her in the bar. When his lips pressed against the corner of her mouth, her resolve melted. His scent lingered in her head and remembering the passionate kiss made her body tingle. If they’d been in a different place, at a different time, she would’ve been lost.

Beads of perspiration trickled down her temples.
Longing for the man she would never have churned through her like water through a faucet. She ran her hand across her belly in an attempt to calm the butterflies. Amy opened her eyes, hoping the smoldering heat in her would disappear. It didn’t and his face burned into her mind. How the hell could she get over him when she couldn’t even control her own body around him? She had cleared the hurdle with her sister but couldn’t seem to get this part of her life under control.

“I’ll work on it.” Amy let the water out of the tub and grabbed a towel. After she had dressed, she checked to make sure she had everything then left the room. The elevator
came down from tenth floor and stopped at every floor. Her boot tapped the floor in her impatience until stopping at the eighth floor. When the doors opened, Amy expected to see a crowd. The empty elevator surprised her. She pushed the button for the lobby and the doors closed. It picked up speed but slowed at the fifth floor. The doors eased open and Amy’s mouth dropped open. Carson hesitated before entering. His gaze fixed on her and she couldn’t turn away. When the doors closed, he pressed his body against hers and shoved her into the back of the elevator.

With his face much too cl
ose to hers, he whispered, “Where did you go in such a hurry last night?”

One of his arms pressed against the back wall and the other wrapped around her waist, leaving it impossible
for her to move. Where would she go anyway? Maybe I need to practice what I’ve been trying to convince myself. Amy lifted her head, straightened her spine and spoke with as much confidence as she could muster. “I didn’t want to be around you, so I left.”

Carson cocked
his head and creased his forehead. “Now why is that? Seems to me you enjoyed that kiss as much as I did.” He lowered his head and nuzzled her neck which sent chills up her spine.

Amy battled with her body’s response and the anger she wanted to feel. “I had been drinking.”

Cool air hit her when Carson stepped away. He reached around, pushed the stop button and the elevator bumped to a halt. “What are you doing? Are you crazy?” She leaned her head over to see around him.

Carson pushed her back against the wall with his body and his
lips whispered against hers, “Maybe.”

Gathering her into his arms, he held her snugly, mold
ed against him. The heat coming from him caused skin to sizzle and her heart pounded. Amy kept her head down and stared at his chest, panting with every breath. He placed his fingers under her chin and raised her head to face him. His lips caressed hers. The prolonged anticipation had been almost unbearable. When he claimed her lips, the calm shattered with the hunger of his kiss. The gentle massage sent currents surging. If Carson didn’t have her pinned to the wall in the elevator, her legs would buckle.

Raising his mouth
, Carson gazed into sea green eyes. “Amy.” He lowered his forehead to rest on hers.

A loud siren blared into the elevator and it bounced once then started moving. The sudden distraction snap
ped Amy out of the trance Carson had inflicted. She shoved on his chest with all the strength she could find. He stepped back and the doors opened. Amy scooted around him and rushed to the lobby door. Once she exited the hotel, she ran to the parking lot. After punching the rental door open, she reached for the handle and was whirled around to face Carson. He stretched his arms out and pressed both hands on the door, blocking any retreat.

Amy shoved on his chest but Carson stood strong. She couldn’t budge him.
His eyes squinted and the veins in his neck bulged. “You are such a stubborn woman. I just want to talk to you and I owe you an exp—,”

“We have nothing to talk about and you don’t owe me anything. Now, please let me go. I’m meeting someone.”

Carson’s eyebrow shot up and his arm stiffen. “Who? Never mind. They can wait. You are going to hear me out. I’m being threatened with eviction if I don’t change my attitude. It’s because of you that I have this attitude.”

“How—,”
Carson placed his finger over her lips.

“Shh. Let me finish. I can’t sleep without you invading my dreams; I have no patien
ce with the ranch hands and they are starting to quit; I’ve run buyers off; my own mother has just about disowned me and the captain has refused to assign me any major cases.” Carson took a deep breath.

“Maybe you should talk to your fiancé.” Amy’s voice c
racked and she cleared her throat. Her whole body had deceived her.

Carson pressed his lips together and shook his head. “About that. Brittany is not now, nor has she ever been my
fiancé.” He explained how that deception had occurred. “She went around telling people that we were engaged. I was livid when someone asked me when we were getting married and I confronted her. She ended the relationship a few days later, which is still a relief to me. She’s not my type and I am glad I didn’t have to be the one to break it off.”

Amy c
ocked her head. “Then why do you keep her bath products?”

Carson frowned. “Bath products?
What are you talking about?”

Amy
ducked to get under his arms, only to be caught. “Never mind. There’s no point in this conversation. Please let me go.”

“
No. You have to hear me out. When she showed up and I later found out you had left, I tried to find you. I flew to Dallas and learned you had flown to Cody. I couldn’t get a flight to Denver due to the approaching storm. So I went home and turned into a zombie. I realized when I found you gone that I had fallen in love with you. As a matter of fact, I knew before we ever made love. You were different. I’d never meet anyone like you. I don’t want to live anymore without you. If you don’t feel the same, I’ll hang around until you do. I think you do though. I felt the passion in your kiss last night and today in the elevator.”

Amy leaned her head
over and stared into those blue eyes that she had looked for since she left Tyler. “Why didn’t you follow me to Galveston? You’re a Texas Ranger. You located me in Wyoming and again in the dark, outside the tool shed. You could have found me. You must have known I returned home and went back to school and work.”

“I came to the conclusion
at DFW that if you cared about me the way I care for you, you wouldn’t have disappeared. The fear that you would reject me scared the hell out of me. In my mind, I thought you would come back. Crazy thoughts, Amy, I know that now.” He reached in his jacket pocket. “I have something for you.”

When he slipped her lost, five star necklace around her neck, Amy caved. The sincerity in his voice, face and kisses gave him away.

Carson took her face in his hands and gently kissed her. “I love you Amy Summers and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll have me. I’ll move to Galveston if you want to finish your degree or you can finish at UT in Tyler. I don’t care.”

Amy’s heart melted. Standing in front of her
had to be the man she couldn’t forget. The man she had longed to be with for the past six months. But she wouldn’t be just his roommate. “What are you saying, Carson?”

Carson didn’t hesitate. “Will you marry me?”

Amy smiled and caressed his sturdy chin and then his cheek. “I love you, Carson Garrett and I will be your wife.”

His lips descended on hers and all of the pent-up passion she had shoved into the corner of her heart, burst forth.

“Get a room,” a man groaned as he passed.

Amy laughed and laid her head on Carson’s chest. “What do we do now?”

“I think we better get dressed to attend a wedding and tell everyone the good news. The next one will be ours or Rex and Jamie’s.”

“Rex and
Jamie’s? Are you serious?”

“That’s a story for later. Right now I want you all to myself.” He
glanced at his watch and squeezed her hand resting on his arm. “We have a couple of hours before the wedding. Any ideas as to how we can spend that time?”

Amy
grinned up at him. “I certainly do, Mr. Texas Ranger. I certainly do.”

The End

Book Description

What begins in Montana as routine for Texas Ranger Carson Garrett, quickly turns into a '
run for your life'
chase in order to protect the two women and child he is returning to Texas. How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

When Texas Ranger, Carson Garrett is assigned to locate and place in protective custody the wife of a man suspected of illegal activities with a Columbian drug lord, it turns into more than routine. The estranged husband has put out a hit on his wife and the only person who knows where she is hiding is her twin sister, Amy Summers. Protecting the sister she loves may be the thing that destroys her
 . . ..

It is a race against time for Carson to find Amy, convince her of the imminent danger and get her to lead him to Jamie so he can escort both women and Jamie’s four-year-old child back to Texas. Even if they make it can love on the run survive?

Besides the obvious problems of running from a man who is trying to kill them, Carson and Amy have an instant attraction to each other and it is clouding his usual sharp judgment and causing them both to make costly mistakes.

A determined hitman, a diabolical plan. There is only one way to stop them both
 . . .

Finding Amy

About the Author

Growing up on a farm in East Texas, Carol sought refuge from four male cousins by making up stories and forcing the younger boys to sit and listen. Her writing career took off when she signed her first contract in 2008. The first book, When the Past Came Back has been revised and scheduled to be released this year along with its sequel, Chasing the Devil. Carol loves making up stories, putting characters in dangerous situations and seeing how they find their way out. Action and adventure with romance thrown in as an extra bonus is the kind of stories she reads and loves to write.

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:

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www.carolbraswell.com

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