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LENGTH: Long Category Novel
SENSUALITY: Sensual

Cover art (c) Jenny Dixon 2006
ISBN 1-58608-967-6
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Fleeing the law and a violent boyfriend, Tricia Stephen’s returns to the hometown she left years ago, never intending to return. But when Matt follows her she has no choice but to seek protection from the one man she learned early on that she could not trust.

Clint’s sister was killed by her abusive husband, and he isn’t about to allow that to happen to anyone else he cares for. Unfortunately, their past still haunts both of them and the act of love he used to set Tricia free has destroyed her trust in him.

Rating: Contains adult content, violence, and sexual content.

HER PROTECTOR

By

Pamela Tyner

© Copyright September 2006, Pamela Tyner

Cover art by Jenny Dixon, © copyright September 2006

ISBN 1-58608-967-6

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One

Tricia Stephens had never believed in love at first sight. She found the concept ridiculous. That was before she met A.J.

The instant she laid eyes on the tiny baby, her heart melted. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t her child.

She shifted, positioning A.J. more securely in the crook of her arm. As he sucked greedily on his bottle, he stared up at her, his little eyes filled with innocence and trust. Tricia couldn’t keep her lips from curving up the smallest degree.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile since you’ve been here,” Jenny commented.

Tricia glanced at her oldest and closest friend, who stood at the kitchen counter chopping vegetables for dinner. As she allowed the words to sink in, the only sound in the room was the whack of the knife slicing through the vegetables then striking against the wooden cutting board.

Jenny was right. It was indeed the first time she had smiled since she’d arrived back in her hometown of Lexington, Oklahoma, a little more than twenty-four hours ago. It was the first time she’d smiled in a long time. And it felt good.

“I haven’t had much to smile about lately. But A.J.’s so precious, I can’t help it.”

Jenny looked over at her son with an expression so loving and tender, just the sight of it made Tricia’s heart ache.

“I feel that way every time I look at him too.” Jenny grinned and popped a slice of raw carrot into her mouth before opening a cabinet and removing a frying pan from the bottom shelf. When she shut the door, it immediately popped back open. She pushed against it again only to get the same result.

Shaking her head, Jenny left the door as it was and placed the pan on the stove. “I swear, no matter how many times Neil fixes that, it won’t stay shut. That’s what you get when you buy a forty-year-old house.”

Tricia’s gaze moved over the small kitchen. It could use a few repairs. Numerous scratches covered the counter tops, a few of them so deep it almost looked like the previous homeowner had gouged them with a knife. The linoleum had seen better days, and the floor creaked every time someone walked across it.

But the walls and cabinets had a fresh coat of paint. Cheery yellow curtains covered the one tiny window above the sink. And even with the limited space and baby supplies taking up a good portion of the room, it was tidy.

More importantly, the room, the entire house, was filled with happiness, warmth, and lots of love.

The complete opposite of what Tricia had left behind.

She fought back the bitterness that swelled inside her, reminding herself that she also held some responsibility for the situation she’d been in. After all, she’d stayed--for three long years--clinging to the irrational belief that things would improve. It had taken an act of violence before she’d finally left.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she looked down to find A.J. had drained the last drop of milk from the bottle. She set the bottle on the table and lifted the baby to her shoulder. Leaning back in the chair, she gently patted A.J.’s back. She brushed her cheek against his soft, fuzzy head and inhaled deeply, filling her nose with his fresh, sweet baby scent.

She glanced over at Jenny, wondering if she truly realized how lucky she was. Tricia had thought that by twenty-six she’d have the same things Jenny had--a happy home, a loving husband, and a baby to cuddle.

Life certainly hadn’t worked out as she’d expected. Then again, she’d made some pretty poor choices along the way.

But things were going to change for her. This was the beginning of a new life, a better one. She might never have a loving husband and babies, but, at the very least, she’d have dignity and self-respect.

Jenny looked up, and their gazes met.

“You going to tell me what happened?” Jenny asked.

“No.”

Of course, without Tricia even telling her, Jenny had figured out part of the story, but she didn’t know it all. Tricia wanted to confide the entire truth, longing for the compassion and comfort she knew Jenny would offer. But to do so would mean admitting her own stupidity. She wasn’t ready to do that yet.

“Okay. When you’re ready to talk about it, let me know.” Jenny returned to her work, transferring the vegetables from the cutting board to the pan.

That was Jenny. Never pushy, but always supportive. Tricia considered their friendship--one that had spanned over two decades--to be one of her greatest treasures.

Despite their closeness, after Tricia had moved to Florida with Matt, they’d lost contact. It’d been over a year since she’d spoken to Jenny. Nevertheless, when she’d arrived unannounced, in the middle of the night, she’d been welcomed with open arms. Even all those months of non-communication hadn’t diminished the long, strong bond between them.

Hinges creaked, and Tricia’s gaze darted toward the back door. If the sight of Jenny’s husband, Neil, walking in the door in the middle of a workday didn’t panic her, his grim expression did.

Tricia’s hand stilled, coming to rest on the baby’s back. With a sense of impending doom, she waited silently for Neil to speak.

He remained in the open doorway, his gaze locked with Tricia’s. “Matt’s in town. He knows this is where you’d come. You’re not safe here. You have to leave.”

Tricia nodded as her heart pounded furiously against her chest. Although she’d tried to convince herself that Matt wouldn’t bother coming after her, her realistic side had known there was a strong possibility that he might.

Matt held no affection for Tricia. That was evident by his contemptuous treatment of her. But as far as Matt was concerned, Tricia belonged to him. He never gave up his possessions, even the ones he regarded as worthless.

Still, she thought she’d have more time before he came after her. She needed more time.

Neil stepped inside the room. When Clint Owens walked in behind him, Tricia felt the blood drain from her face. Clint was the last person she’d expected to see, and he ranked high on the list of people she had no desire to see.

At one point in time though, many years ago, she’d been foolish enough to imagine spending a lifetime with Clint. It had been almost a decade since she had seen him. During that time his face had matured, became leaner and firmer. His body had filled out some, and his shoulders were broader now. Other than that, he hadn’t changed much.

A black Stetson covered blond hair that brushed the collar of his shirt, which was the same shade of blue as his eyes, eyes that could be as warm as the sunshine on a hot summer day or as cold as ice. His expression was blank, his lips set in a thin line. But she knew those lips could quickly and easily curve to form one of the most charming smiles she had ever seen.

“Hello, Tricia,” Clint said calmly.

She gaped in astonishment. This man had betrayed her, humiliated her in front of the entire town. Now he actually had the audacity to stand there and speak to her as if none of it had ever happened.

“Get your stuff together,” Clint ordered. “You’re coming with me.”

Confusion swirling in her brain, Tricia looked at Neil in question.

“I’m sorry. This was the best plan I could come up with. Just go with Clint until Matt leaves town. Once he’s gone, you can come back here.”

“Go with him where?”

“To my house,” Clint interjected.

Tricia’s gaze shot back to Clint. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m very serious.”

“Absolutely not.” Tricia spoke slowly, emphasizing each syllable.

“You don’t have a choice,” Jenny said, taking A.J. from her arms. “If you stay in town, Matt’s sure to find you.”

“I know,” Tricia said, more sharply than she’d intended. Standing, she rubbed a hand over her forehead and took a deep breath. “I know,” she repeated calmly.

Matt could show up at any minute. If he was in Lexington, it was for one reason--he suspected that Tricia had returned home, turning to Jenny for help. She had to leave, for her own safety as well as that of Jenny’s family. She refused to put them in danger.

“I’m leaving, but not with him.”

“Honey, I know how you feel about Clint,” Jenny said. “But I also know he would never let anything happen to you.”

“The man has already proven himself untrustworthy and capable of betrayal.”

Jenny shot a glare at Clint and then returned her gaze to Tricia. “Despite that, he’d never let anyone hurt you. Put your feelings aside and be reasonable. You need help and....”

“I don’t need his help.”

True, she had nowhere to go, no family to turn to, less than half a tank of gas in her car, and a grand total of three dollars and seventeen cents in her purse, but she’d figure something out. She had to because she had no other choice.

Actually, she did have another choice, as unappealing as it was. But she’d have to be extremely desperate to agree to this plan. She refused to believe she was that desperate. At least, not yet. There had to be another alternative.

Clint heaved an impatient breath, and she shifted her gaze to him. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes were filled with determination.

“We don’t have time for this, Tricia. We need to get out of here. Now.”