“I don’t appreciate being cut out.” How could she have just left?
“Are you seriously going to be a drama queen about this? Because the decision wasn’t about you,” Judd said.
Not talking about Anna. Pull your head out of your ass.
“I know. Intellectually, I get that. But all of you were here, you went through it, and you processed it. I’m just still working my way through all of that. I’m her brother. I’ve spent my whole life protecting her. I can’t just shake it off.” The sense of failure was too great.
Liam nudged him with an elbow. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know that, too. I’ll get past it.” And he knew he would get past the complicated snarl of emotional shit with his sister, at least. “I’m just…not feeling like any of the things I cared about before matter anymore, and I don’t want to just go through the motions.”
His friends were silent for a long moment, watching him. Mitch wondered what they saw. Did they really buy that this was all about Miranda?
Judd blew out a breath. “Okay then. Take the time.”
“We’re here if you need us.”
A little of the pressure to perform, to rise to expectations, slid off Mitch’s shoulders. He let the corner of his mouth curve. “Are we done with the touchy feely shit now? Because I really just want to finish my pie.”
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Sneak Peek If I Didn’t Care
Wishing For A Hero # 1
He has one mission
* * *
Since they were children, career cop Judd Hamilton has built his life around taking care of his best friend, Autumn Buchanan. While he might once have dreamed of a different future for them, everything changed the day her father tried to kill them both. Determined to keep her safe, Judd put his feelings aside and turned his focus to protecting her, always.
* * *
She leads a double life
* * *
Nobody in their small town would ever dream that Autumn, Wishful's friendly librarian, is really successful erotic romantic suspense author, Rumor Fairchild. No one knows that the swoon-worthy hero of her series is based on her best friend, Judd. He's been fulfilling her rescue fantasies for years, and now she's ready to catapult them out of the friend zone to make her real life romance come true.
* * *
Their nightmare returns
* * *
But when the past comes full circle and Autumn's father returns to Wishful, even the power of Judd's badge isn't enough to keep her safe from the madman. If he wants the chance at a future with the one girl he's always loved, Judd may have to toss everything he's worked for aside to do the one job that matters.
Chapter One
DEAR GOD, IF I’D wanted to break up elementary school fights, I would’ve become a teacher.
Headed into the second leg of a double shift, Officer Judd Hamilton tried his best to clamp down on the irritation. He had, after all, volunteered to organize FountainFest safety for the police department. And if that meant keeping Jim Vernon and Neil Faber from coming to blows over who got to kick off the 1-mile Fun Run, then that’s what he’d do.
Beyond the two geezers, he caught a glimpse of his girlfriend, Mary Alice, smiling at him. Her group of third graders were obviously excited about the race but behaved themselves. Unlike these two. He really wished he could put the pair of them in time out.
Instead, he tried his best to channel the calm, reasonable tone he’d heard Mary Alice use on her class. “Look, gentleman, I respect the fact that you were both told you could fire the starter pistol. I know it’s a big honor—” for the three seconds it will take for everyo
ne to forget you were ever there, “and neither of you wants to be disappointed, but let’s have a little bit of perspective and festival goodwill, okay?”