Kate James - When I Found You

Is she part of the solution...or the problem?

It could be a terrorist threat. Or is it some other sinister plot? An unprecedented rash of security breaches at San Diego’s international airport is putting passengers at risk and bringing the competence of the airport’s chief of security, Ariana Atkins, into question. With explosives the weapon of choice, police K-9 unit captain Logan O’Connor and his bomb detection dog, Boomer, might be Ariana’s best, if not only, line of defense. Logan is certain his belief in Ariana, and his growing love for her, aren’t misplaced...but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s misjudged someone’s intentions.

She was the target.

If Logan hadn’t been with her, she might’ve died... But he and Boomer had been. He’d probably saved her life, but he was injured because of that. All these thoughts tumbled over each other. “Oh, God,” she whispered, and stepped into Logan’s comforting arms. When they enfolded her, she broke down sobbing. Of all her concerns, she voiced the one that made most sense to her troubled mind. “You’re hurt. You got hurt because of me,” she said in a quavering voice.

Logan held Ariana as she cried. He never would’ve imagined this strong, determined woman capable of tears, let alone falling apart as she was. Knowing that others would be joining them soon, he encouraged her to pull herself together. He recognized how fragile she was—and that caused a whole maelstrom of emotions to break loose inside him, not the least of which was a reminder of why he’d avoided relationships his entire life.

Dear Reader Dear Reader TITLE PAGE ABOUT THE AUTHOR DEDICATION Acknowledgments 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 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE EXTRACT COPYRIGHT ,

It seems like yesterday that I placed my fingers on the keyboard to start writing When the Right One Comes Along, the first book in my K-9 Trilogy. It’s hard to believe this third book is now complete, too.

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time over the past year and a half with Cal, Jessica and Scout; Rick, Madison, Sniff and Nitro; and finally Logan, Ariana and Boomer. I’ve enjoyed discovering these characters’ stories, and their heartbreaks and happily-ever-afters.

When I Found You is a work of fiction. Although it refers to the leaked results of Homeland Security’s inspector general’s 2015 covert testing of the Transportation Safety Administration’s (TSA’s) operations and technology, I want to draw special attention to the difficult and demanding job that TSA’s frontline workforce performs. I would also like to recognize the San Diego Harbor Police, who have responsibility for providing law-enforcement services at San Diego International Airport. Although in the story I assigned this responsibility to the San Diego Police Department, the Harbor Police’s Explosives Detection K-9 Team is currently the only TSA-certified explosives-detection team south of Los Angeles. I hope they will forgive me for the liberties I have taken in the name of fiction.

I hope you enjoy When I Found You, and maybe you’ll miss these characters a little, the way I do. I’ve provided some discussion questions on my website, in case you’d like to use this story for your book club.

As always, I would love to hear from you! You can connect with me at www.kate-james.com, www.Facebook.com/katejamesbooks, @katejamesbooksor at PO Box 446, Schomberg, ON, L0G 1T0, Canada.

Kate

www.millsandboon.co.uk

KATE JAMES spent much of her childhood abroad before attending university in Canada. She built a successful business career, but her passion has always been literature. As a result, Kate turned her energy to her love of the written word. Kate’s goal is to entertain her readers with engaging stories featuring strong, likable characters. Kate has been honored with numerous awards for her writing. She and her husband, Ken, enjoy traveling and the outdoors with their beloved Labrador retrievers.

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To my parents, for selflessly providing me with the opportunities and encouragement to pursue my dreams.

To the men and women who dedicate their lives to law enforcement—they deserve our unwavering support and gratitude.

Acknowledgments Acknowledgments 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 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE EXTRACT COPYRIGHT

My editor and I considered a number of titles for this book, but none seemed just right. So we asked readers. I was thrilled to see the tremendous enthusiasm demonstrated by many people. As it turned out, we didn’t have just one winner but four: Summer Halls, Laurie Iglesias, June Smalls and Jill Weatherholt. Thank you, ladies!

I would also like to extend my appreciation to Maria Reeves for allowing me to “borrow” the name of her beloved yellow Labrador retriever, Darwin, for the newest four-legged member of the San Diego Police Department’s K-9 Unit. Darwin and his handler, Shannon Clemens, might have their own story one day!

Thank you, once again, to Constable Jim Hilton and York Regional Police (Ontario, Canada). Constable Hilton, a member of YRP’s canine unit, was invaluable to my research for this trilogy.

Finally, none of my books would be what they are without the contribution of my fabulous editor, Paula Eykelhof. Thank you, Paula, for all that you do! Thanks also to Victoria Curran, senior editor, for challenging me and all the Mills & Boon Heartwarming authors to tell the very best stories we can.

Contents

COVER

BACK COVER TEXT Is she part of the solution...or the problem? It could be a terrorist threat. Or is it some other sinister plot? An unprecedented rash of security breaches at San Diego’s international airport is putting passengers at risk and bringing the competence of the airport’s chief of security, Ariana Atkins, into question. With explosives the weapon of choice, police K-9 unit captain Logan O’Connor and his bomb detection dog, Boomer, might be Ariana’s best, if not only, line of defense. Logan is certain his belief in Ariana, and his growing love for her, aren’t misplaced...but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s misjudged someone’s intentions.

INTRODUCTION She was the target. If Logan hadn’t been with her, she might’ve died... But he and Boomer had been. He’d probably saved her life, but he was injured because of that. All these thoughts tumbled over each other. “Oh, God,” she whispered, and stepped into Logan’s comforting arms. When they enfolded her, she broke down sobbing. Of all her concerns, she voiced the one that made most sense to her troubled mind. “You’re hurt. You got hurt because of me,” she said in a quavering voice. Logan held Ariana as she cried. He never would’ve imagined this strong, determined woman capable of tears, let alone falling apart as she was. Knowing that others would be joining them soon, he encouraged her to pull herself together. He recognized how fragile she was—and that caused a whole maelstrom of emotions to break loose inside him, not the least of which was a reminder of why he’d avoided relationships his entire life.