Back Cover Blurb:
You can't
hide from the past.
Queen's world was shattered, and she was banished
to a foreign land. Years pass before she dares to return, but what she finds is
of little comfort. Greed and dishonesty have festered and grown in her absence.
Embittered and cynical, Queen trusts few people.
Excerpt:
"I don't
want him knowing what either of you look like. You need to leave until I get
him back to the inn."
"It's not
safe."
"The
situation is a disaster, but he's safe. I trust him."
Owen listened
to the voices. The first was Isadore/Iola. Thankfully, she'd dropped the
horrible screech she'd been using as part of the barmaid act. The other
belonged to a man. Older, he guessed, but he couldn't say by how much.
"I don't
like it. This isn't part of the plan."
A woman's
voice, also older. Isadore/Iola's parents?
The voices
talked some more in a hushed whisper, then a door opened and closed.
"You can
stop pretending to be unconscious, Mr. Loring."
"How do
you know my name?" Owen sat up, his movement slow. He winced at the pain
while taking in his surroundings. He was on a pallet in the main room of a
small cottage. His hand explored the source of his discomfort and found a
tender lump on the back of his head.
"I make
it my business to learn things about people." She stood near the front door,
not very far away in the smallness of the room. Her frizzy red hair looked as
if it might take flight were it not held down by the small linen cap that was
part of her uniform at the inn.
"I'm at a
disadvantage, then, because I'm fairly certain I don't know your name. Isadore.
Or should I say Iola?"
A kind of
tired silence was her only response, and Owen decided to go for the jugular.
"Maybe
it's Queen?"
Her hissed
intake of breath told him he'd hit the mark.
"I
stopped to visit Peter on my way here. He mentioned you two went fishing."
She smiled
then, and the lines of tension eased from around her eyes. "Peter never
mentions anything on accident."
Owen stared,
puzzling out her words. "You didn't go fishing, did you?"
A quick shake
of the head. "But you and I appear to be fishing in the same pond."
Peter had
always been a sly fox. He'd told Owen, but the younger agent hadn't listened.
"Nobody's
seen you in these parts for a long time."
She tipped her
head in agreement. "Four years."
"Where
have you been?"
"Does it
matter?" She frowned at him.
"You told
someone in this room that you trust me. So trust me now. Tell me what's going
on."
"Where do
I start?"
"Your
name would be a good place."
Her mouth again
stretched wide, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and light danced in the blue
orbs. "Let's stick with Queen for now."
Author Bio:
Heather
Gray authors the Ladies of Larkspur inspirational western romance series,
including Mail Order Man, Just Dessert, and Redemption. She also writes
the Regency Refuge series: His Saving
Grace, Jackal, and Queen - plus
contemporary titles Ten Million Reasons
and Nowhere for Christmas. Aside from a long-standing love affair with
coffee, Heather’s greatest joys are her relationships with her Savior and
family. Heather loves to laugh, and this
theme is prevalent in her writing where, through the highs and lows of life,
her characters find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud
right along with her.
You
can find Heather online at http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting, http://www.twitter.com/laughdreamwrite, and http://www.heathergraywriting.com.
She can also be found most days at The Inspired Inkpot, a street team,
prayer group, and all around awesome place to hang out - http://www.facebook.com/groups/theinspiredinkpot.
Buy Links:
Where to Find Me:
