Judy Christenberry - A Soldier's Return

Jim could barely believe he was holding Carrie in his arms. She was the softest thing he’d touched in years. Her lips were warm and she tasted of chocolate. Why had it taken him so long to kiss her, when he’d been aching to do just that since he’d first walked into her office?

Just then Carrie wrenched her mouth from his and tore herself away. Not even looking at him, she stammered, “I—I have to go.” Then she ran across the patio toward the house.

Jim stood there dazed and suddenly bereft by the loss of the woman in his arms. For years he’d told himself he needed no one, but right now he realized how much he needed—how much he wanted—Carrie. And that could mean only one thing. Trouble.

Dear Reader,

I don’t know about you, but as a little girl I fantasized about having an older brother. One who was bigger, older and wiser than me. In the CHILDREN OF TEXAS series, after writing about the three girls in the Barlow family, I’m finally writing about their big brother, James (Jim) Barlow. It’s rather odd when your big brother is thirty-one when you first meet him, but the three girls have an immediate response to Jim, and he to them.

Maybe I write strong men who love their families because of my dad. He was strong, brave and a family man. He was even a hero, because he was a fireman. He spent his free time doing things with the four of us, even though only one of us was a boy, my younger brother. But Daddy taught us all to shoot a gun, catch fish and hike in the woods. Some might consider these “man” things, but Daddy didn’t distinguish between us.

I hope you enjoy Jim’s trials and tribulations and the family love that he finds. As they always say, you never can have too much family. Especially when you’ve been alone for a long time.

Happy reading!

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for over fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time. She hopes readers have as much fun with her stories as she does. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy lives in Texas.

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Carrie Abrams was working on her computer when she heard the door of the detective agency open.

She turned her body to greet the entrant, but her eyes were still focused on completing the task on her computer screen. She clicked Save and reluctantly brought her eyes to the person standing by the door. Spit-shined shoes, crisp khaki pants, belted jacket…

As her gaze rose up the tall, straight-postured man before her, she saw he was a military man. A well-built military man. She looked at his face—and gasped.

“Jim!”

At the odd look on the man’s face, she retracted the surprised greeting. “I—I mean— Sorry, I mistook you for someone I, um—” She was stammering like a blubbering fool, but she couldn’t help it. That was a common result when one met one’s fantasy-come-to-life. Grabbing hold of herself, she cleared her throat and said in her best professional voice, “May I help you?”

“I need to speak with Will Greenfield.”

“And your name?” She almost held her breath.

“Captain James Barlow.”

She knew it! She’d recognize that face anywhere. After all, she’d been staring at his picture for over a year. But the man was even better looking in person.

On rather unsteady feet she got up from her desk, suddenly wishing she’d worn something other than a pair of jeans and a bulky sweater. You’re being silly, she told herself. Jim Barlow wouldn’t care what she was wearing. He didn’t even know her.

She rapped on Will’s door and opened it at his say-so, then stepped inside, closed the door and leaned against it.

“He’s here!” She whispered so the man in the outer office wouldn’t hear her.

“Who—” Will started to ask, but Carrie didn’t wait.

“Jim! He’s here. And he wants to see you.”

Will’s face broke into a smile. “Well, show him in!”

More than anything Carrie wanted to stay in Will’s office, to be part of the discussion with the captain, but she knew she couldn’t ask. It wouldn’t be professional.

And it was Will’s case, after all, not to mention part of his extended family.

Instead, she opened the door. “Captain Barlow, please come in.” She leaned against the door, reluctant to break contact with the men. Then her gaze was caught by the warning glint of the silver frame on her desk. Right near where the man was standing.

“Oh, no!” She rushed forward. Jim’s picture was on her desk. Had he seen it? She hoped not. How could she explain her fascination with Vanessa’s oldest brother?

The explanation was simple really. In her work as a private investigator for Greenfield and Associates, she found it easier to understand the person she was looking for if she had a photo of him or her. In this case, though, the picture hadn’t prepared her for the fact that Jim Barlow was an absolute hunk. He was taller than she realized, with thick muscles that in person couldn’t be hidden by his uniform. His dark hair didn’t surprise her, since his three sisters had the same brown color, but his chocolate eyes glinted with golden highlights in the overhead light. Yes, he was a definite hunk!

They’d found Jim early on in their investigation, so that excuse for his picture didn’t really work. It was just that. An excuse. The truth was she’d been fascinated by his square-jawed image ever since she’d first seen the standard-issue marine photograph. Vanessa had been, too. He was the picture of protective, strong…safe. The big brother every little girl dreamed of. The man every woman dreamed of.

Her best friend, Vanessa Shaw, had probably dreamed those dreams as she was raised as an only child. Then, after her father’s death, her mother had told her that she was adopted and that she had five siblings. That revelation had set in motion a chain of events that had brought tremendous changes in their lives.

Carrie drew a deep breath. It was so tempting to call Vanessa and break the news. But she couldn’t do that. That was Will’s privilege.

All she could do was sit here and pretend indifference that Jim Barlow had returned to the bosom of his family after twenty-three years.

“Mr. Greenfield,” Jim said crisply in greeting as the tall, middle-aged man came around his desk.

“Captain Barlow, welcome. May I call you Jim?”

Jim nodded. If he was right, Greenfield wasn’t the only one who thought of him as Jim. The receptionist had said she’d mistaken him for someone else, but if that was true, it was quite a coincidence.

“Sit down, Jim. We didn’t expect you for several more months.”

“Yes, I made a decision to get out of the marines. I thought I’d come meet my sisters, unless this is an inconvenient time.”