Out of Circulation (Hemlock Creek Suspense Book 1)

"
Out of Circulation
, the romantic suspense by Heather Day Gilbert, is a fun ride with clues and surprises along the way. It reminds me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and Ranger." ~
Jan Thompson
, author of the
Savannah Sweethearts
and
Seaside Chapel
series

"A spunky, quick-witted librarian who knows how to handle a firearm. An irresistibly imperfect alpha male hero who desperately wants to be a good man. Add a slowly unraveling mystery and Heather Day Gilbert's well-seasoned prose, and the result is a romantic story I'd check out again and again." ~
Christina Coryell
, author of
The Girls of Wonder Lane
series

"Fans of romantic suspense and inspirational romance will fall in love with Ace and Katie as they race against time to satisfy the demands of a vicious crime lord. This faith-affirming, sweet romance novella is the perfect quick read for a rainy afternoon. Don't miss it!" ~
Serena Chase
, USA Today's Happy Ever After blog, author of the
Eyes of E'veria
series

"Gilbert had me hooked from the very first page. A suspenseful, fast-paced read, lots of romantic tension, and compelling characters you root for and want to meet again." ~
Karin Kaufman
, author of the
Anna Denning
mystery series

OUT OF CIRCULATION

Heather Day Gilbert

Other Books by Heather Day Gilbert:

Miranda Warning
, Book One in
A Murder in the Mountains Series

Trial by Twelve,
Book Two in
A Murder in the Mountains Series

God's Daughter
, Book One in the
Vikings of the New World Saga

Indie Publishing Handbook: Four Key Elements for the Self-Publisher

Out of Circulation

By: Heather Day Gilbert

Copyright 2016 Heather Day Gilbert

Published by
WoodHaven Press

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, posted on any website, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews and articles.

Series: Gilbert, Heather Day. Hemlock Creek Suspense; 1

Subject: Romantic Suspense Stories; Genre: Suspense Fiction

Author Information:
http://www.heatherdaygilbert.com

Author Newsletter:
http://eepurl.com/Q6w6X

Rearranging the new books, librarian Katie McClure reflected on just how completely her dreams had run aground.

Growing up, she'd always planned on joining the FBI, where her father had worked for fifteen years. But a permanent foot injury and her dad's early death had negated that plan.

So much for doing anything memorable or spectacular. It seemed God had a funny sense of humor, derailing her noble aspirations and sticking her in the podunk West Virginia town she grew up in.

"Miss Katie, where's the latest Georgia Ray book? I've read five in the series and can't find the next one."

Katie snapped out of her funk, directing the young patron to the correct Juvenile Fiction shelf. The girl's mother, searching for her own reads in Adult Fiction, shot her a grateful smile.

Returning to the New Releases shelf, Katie caught sight of a tall man she'd never seen at the Hemlock Creek Library before. He seemed out of place in his urban button-down and slim dress pants. His wavy, nearly-black hair set off crystal-clear blue eyes. He winked in response to her gawking, and she mentally kicked herself. Seriously. Her life was so boring that instead of bird-watching or stargazing, she'd resorted to nearly salivating over some handsome man perusing library shelves?

Sighing, she decided to reorganize the week's display books by color, starting with red. She'd worked up a small grouping of her favorite reads when she glanced toward the Reference section. Something caught her eye.

A man in a mask.

She didn't hesitate to scream. "Everyone hit the floor!" Why wait around to see if the man had a gun?

Her boss, Reba, shot her a quizzical look from the floor behind the front desk. Katie pointed toward Reference, breathing slowly and pondering what she could use as a makeshift weapon, should the masked man move her way.

Sure enough, black combat boots marched straight toward her. Probably hadn't been the smartest move to shout and draw attention to herself, but she had to do something to protect the library patrons—especially the children.

She slid a chunky, oversized book from the shelf, hoping to hurl it at the fast-approaching man. She was utterly exposed in the middle of the floor.

Out of nowhere, the dark-haired stranger crept her way, positioning himself in front of her. "It's going to be okay," he whispered.

As the masked man rounded the corner, his unnaturally golden eyes narrowed, taking in Katie's would-be protector before fixing on her. A shorter masked man with a submachine gun trailed behind him, glancing around nervously.

A thick, foreign voice filled the air. "Ms. McClure—"

How did he know her name? Had he targeted her?

She closed her eyes, breathing a prayer she couldn't even put into words. Seemingly in direct response, police sirens wailed and tires screeched to a halt on Main Street.

The men exchanged glances, then bolted for the side door that gave way to an outdoor reading area.

Everyone stayed frozen for a few moments. A slight whimpering sounded from the Children's Section, followed by a mother's soothing murmurs.

Katie tried to de-escalate her ragged breathing. The man had known her name. But why? What had he wanted from her?

As police officers burst through the doors, the dark-haired man lightly tapped her shoulder, pulling her back to reality. He stood, thrusting out his hand to help her to her feet.

"Thank you." She tried to keep her balance, but stumbled into him, accidentally reaching for his waist to right herself. Her eyes widened as she realized he had a concealed gun tucked under his shirt. Guns weren't allowed in the library, but then again, it comforted her to know that if there'd been a shootout, he would have been armed. Who was this guy?

"So sorry." Her face reddened, and in return, the man dazzled her with a brilliant smile. For the thousandth time, she wished she could be more like her older sister. Molly didn't have a stumbling gait like her own. Molly's hair was a glossy auburn, while hers was a bright, flaming red. Molly always knew exactly what to say to men. Molly had boyfriends in droves, but refused to marry anyone with a salary under $120,000.

After an intense but brief conversation with the police officer in charge, Reba made an announcement on the library speakers. "The intruders are gone. Please gather in an orderly fashion in the conference room so the police can take statements."

"Ace Calhoun," the man intoned, drawing Katie's attention back to him. His voice was deep and had a decidedly Northern clip to it. "Nice to meet you. Good thing I was passing through today. I thought I'd get a taste of small-town life, but I'm guessing what happened here isn't a daily occurrence?"

She shook her head, still in disbelief. "Not at all." She took his proffered hand, giving it a weak shake. "Katie McClure. Thanks so much for trying to protect me." She kept her eyes on his chiseled face, but couldn't stop thinking about his concealed gun.

He seemed to read her mind. "Don't mention it. I'm just visiting from Manhattan. I came down to attend the Executive Protection Conference. I'm a bodyguard." He subtly patted his belt holster.

She nodded mutely, unsure how to respond.

A young police officer walked over to take their statements. It was more than possible that Ace didn't want the cops to know he was packing heat in the library, so she left out that tidbit as she explained the course of events.

When their statements were complete and the officer strode off to speak with other witnesses, Ace smiled. "I really need to get going, but nice to meet you, Katie McClure. Here's my card."

He pressed a business card into her hand, but she pocketed it and watched as he walked toward the library doors. Pushing through the turnstile, he ambled out onto the street without looking back to notice her final wave. She doubted she'd ever see him again—maybe he was her guardian angel.

****

Ace Calhoun was on a mission—a mission he hadn't wanted to accept. But his boss wouldn't take no for an answer. "You have to do this job. You owe me one favor, then you're off the hook."

Pretending to be a bodyguard wouldn't be hard. He knew his way around weapons and bulletproof vests. And his orders—to charm a couple pretty sisters and gain access to their home—couldn't be easier.

But he hadn't expected company.

Those masked thugs had made it clear they were looking for Katie. Who had tipped them off? This would throw a massive kink into his plans.

In his calculated fashion, he'd already begun laying the groundwork. He had chatted up the oldest sister, Molly, at The Greenbrier Resort where she worked. Not only did she look like a model, she had been extremely receptive to his overtures.

And today he'd tracked down Katie McClure at the Hemlock Creek Library. She was taller than he expected—maybe 5'11. She had long red hair, just as described. What his boss hadn't mentioned was her liberally freckled skin, her button nose, and her grape-green eyes that peeked out from under straight red bangs and followed his every move.

In fact, she was a little more than he bargained for, with her hawk-like observational skills. Although she projected an innocent vibe, she had to be equal parts savvy, given how quickly she had raised the alarm for the masked men. And she hadn't mentioned his concealed Sig to that cop, even though she was aware of it.

One thing was certain: Katie McClure, wobbly as she was on her legs, was no pushover.

****

In a tradition they had maintained since Dad's death, Katie, her mom, and Molly gathered for a family dinner. Katie's brother, Brandon, had moved to Arizona before Dad died, while she was only in high school.

While Katie had always admired her dad's dedication to the FBI, Brandon had loathed it and resented Dad for all the hours he'd spent at work. The McClure women knew he had never forgiven his father, but they didn't know how to broach the topic when he visited every Christmas.

Katie was working on a salad when Molly burst through the front door, making her expected late entrance. Katie suspected her sister's alleged "overtime" consisted of chatting up wealthy old men.

Dropping her oversized purse and elegant trench haphazardly on the couch, Molly balanced precariously first on one leg, then the other, removing her strappy gold heels. Then she unbuttoned her blouse, stripping down to a fitted Pima tank top. Finally, she padded into the kitchen, her red toenails sparkling with each step. Molly McClure knew how to make an entrance.

Katie glanced down at her own clothing ensemble—Dad's oversized oxford shirt and her favorite beat-up jeans. Well, it had been a long day.

"Katie!" Molly dropped kisses on her sister's cheeks in an affected European fashion. "Mom told me what happened! Heavens to Betsy, are you all right?"

Katie nodded. No use going into details with Molly the Melodramatic, who would make the entire event seem like some kind of personal attack.

But wasn't it? They had known her name.

Lost in thought, Katie carried the salad to the table, while Molly busied herself cutting garlic bread. When the oven timer buzzed, Mom rushed in, gave Molly a peck, and set her bubbling veggie lasagna in the center of the table.

After they settled into their seats, Mom said the blessing and Molly launched into colorful descriptions of guests at The Greenbrier. Katie finally tuned in when she heard the words "New York City."

"...And this suave, smiling man from New York City came right up to the desk and produced this platinum card. Jessica flirted with him relentlessly, but I'm telling you, those Yankee men have that air of...
je ne sais quoi
. Longish black hair, arctic blue eyes, big muscles...dreamy."

Molly had to be talking about the mysterious Ace Calhoun she had met at the library—able to impress the female staff at The Greenbrier with a single smile. Being a bodyguard must be a lucrative profession, if he was able to afford such a high-class resort.

Molly shot her a look. "I'm telling you, sis, he was perfect. Come to think of it, he's your type."

Her type? Since when did burly Yankee bodyguards constitute her type? Molly was only looking on the outward appearance, which—granted—was very pleasing. Katie wondered what Mr. Ace Calhoun's heart looked like, which was the only thing that mattered. Still, she had to concede she'd been impressed with his noble attempt to keep her out of harm's way.

"I've met him," she said shortly.

Molly's gold-flecked eyes widened. "You're kidding me! How?"

Katie calmly forked up a bite of Ranch-drenched salad and took her time chewing it. This was too fun, keeping Molly in suspense. Instead of playing her usual role as homebody sister, she was now a woman of the world. In the know.

"We met at the library."

"At the
library
?"

Katie tried to ignore Molly's tone, which was loaded with sarcasm. "Yes. Occasionally people do come and go from the library, and sometimes—though rarely—those people are from out-of-state. Just passing through."

Molly looked like she wanted to jump out of her seat. "Yes, but you said you'd
met
. You must have talked to him. What did he say?"

Not much, come to think of it. But she'd never admit that.

"Actually, he tried to protect me from those thugs. He got between me and their guns. Then afterward, he told me he was a bodyguard from Manhattan, attending a conference. I didn't realize it was at The Greenbrier. Pretty swanky conference, if you ask me."

Molly rolled her eyes. "Of course it is. I'm sure he's a top-tier bodyguard."

Katie snickered. Her sister was just making up that
top-tier
terminology, something she tended to do.

Molly's eyes flashed. "What are you laughing about? I suppose you're feeling special that he talked to you. He talked to me too, you know."

That much was inevitable. Most men fell over themselves to get Molly's attention. It was the way it had always been, even more so once guys noticed Katie's limp. She was not the popular sister.

Mom intervened. "Girls, girls. Have either of you talked with Brandon lately?"

Molly poured herself a refill of sweet tea. "I called him last night. He said he's been flying the helicopter more than guiding whitewater tours this month. I guess they have a new guy trained on the rafts."

"I wish he'd just come home. It's not like we don't have whitewater in West Virginia." Katie stabbed a piece of lasagna, sending veggies and noodles sliding on her plate.

Mom placed a hand on Katie's. "I know you miss him. When it's time, I believe God will bring him home to us."

Molly nodded. "You should call him sometime, sis. He asks about you a lot."

Katie knew she should. Besides, for once she had something interesting to talk about.

After cleaning up, they cozied onto the couch to watch their customary episode of
Gilmore Girls
, but Katie found herself yawning repeatedly. Even Lorelai's clever one-liners weren't making her laugh tonight. She finally stopped fighting the urge to conk out and stood up.