Just under two weeks to go until VULNERABLE, forensic specialist Georgia Morgan’s story. Time for the sixth of my Grab Bag Giveaways and just one more to go before publication date! I’m happy to see so many of you entering and to have the chance to share some of my previous novels.
Needless to say, with on sale date looming, I keep revisiting the book in my head and I find myself enjoying Detective Jake Bishop more and more. Especially knowing that when he first shows up in VULNERABLE he has no idea what he’s getting into when he’s partnered with Georgia on a reopened cold case.
I especially enjoy rereading this scene between Jake and KC at Rudy’s bar.
When Jake arrived at Rudy’s, he was dog tired but had heard from Rick that Georgia had landed a slot onstage at the last minute. As much as he needed to work, to sleep, he couldn’t resist seeing her sing.
The bar was crowded and most hovered close to the stage where Georgia held the mike close to her mouth and sang Faith Hill’s “Breathe.” As her voice echoed through the room, energy moved through him, tightening around his heart like a fist. What the hell was it about her that got under his skin?
She leaned into the microphone, closed her eyes, and her voice summoned sadness, loss, and frustration from the song. She could hit all the high and low notes with perfect pitch, but it was the emotion she so freely injected into each note that grabbed her audience and held them tight. Emotions he’d kept long locked in a very secure place burned in the center of his chest and coaxed feelings he’d not had since Boston.
“She’s so good,” KC said as he dried a tumbler with a bar towel. “Hard to take your eyes off her.”
Jake turned, surprised to be caught staring. “She’s great.” He reached for the half-full glass of ice water and took a long drink, astonished that his throat was so dry.
“I’m puzzled someone hasn’t snapped her up,” KC said, a teasing note woven around the words.
“She’s mean as a snake,” Jake said, setting down his glass harder than he anticipated. “Pretty to look at and nice to listen to, but don’t get too close. She’ll bite your head off.”
KC laughed as he carefully stacked the glasses next to a dozen others.“That’s what keeps it interesting, don’t you think? That’s what I loved about my late wife. So nice and kind to many, but she kept me on my toes. She never minced words when she was pissed at me.”
“How long were you married?” His gaze followed a drip of water down the side of the chilled glass.
“Twenty-five years.”
“That’s something.”
KC’s eyes dulled a fraction. “Sounds like a long time, but now it just seems like a blink.”
Jake had been engaged to Alice less than two months. They’d planned a spring wedding. That moment went by so fast there were days he wondered if it were real. “Life goes so fast. It’s over before you know it.”
“Yeah.” KC set the bar glass down as Georgia finished her song. “So you gonna nut up and ask her out?”
Jake carefully pushed his glass a few inches away. “Who?”
KC snorted a laugh. “Don’t bullshit me, son. You know who.”
Jake shrugged, deciding he’d rather play it dumb than out his feelings for Georgia Morgan and suffer her wrath. “As soon as I get my tetanus shot.”
I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek at Jake as I celebrate the sixth “romantic suspense weekend” in my Countdown to Vulnerable. Want to read more? If you haven’t already, check out the excerpt on my site. And please don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a Grab Bag of my titles.