Shirley Jump - The Firefighter's Family Secret

The name sounded strange still, but it was beginning to grow on him.

Confusion muddied her eyes. “One of the Barlows? With Jack, Luke and Mac?”

“Sort of. I’m their half brother. From Atlanta. Firefighter, novice fisherman and decent first baseman.”

He didn’t know what made him give her that mini-résumé, but then she laughed, and it made his day. “Pleased to meet you, Colton Barlow from Atlanta. I’m Rachel Morris. Expert fisherwoman and not-bad shortstop.”

“Maybe you could teach me a thing or two about catching the right one.”

Her smile reached into her eyes, made her entire face brighter. A flirty tease lit in those green depths and toyed with the edges of her lips. “Is that what you’re here for? Because we don’t sell matches made in heaven. Just fishing poles and garden rakes.”

“I’m just talking trout and bass. Definitely not long-term commitments.”

“Just what this town needs. Another confirmed bachelor.” But she laughed when she said it.

Colton racked his brain for something else to say. To prolong the moment before he had to leave. He liked Rachel. And it had been a long, long time since he’d met a woman who interested him like that.

The Barlow Brothers:

Nothing tames a Southern man faster … than true love!

www.millsandboon.co.uk

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author SHIRLEY JUMPspends her days writing romance so she can avoid the towering stack of dirty dishes, eat copious amounts of chocolate and reward herself with trips to the mall. Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.comfor author news and a booklist, and follow her at Facebook.com/shirleyjump.authorfor giveaways and deep discussions about important things like chocolate and shoes.

To all the unsung heroes in my life, who put out a helping hand to others when they need it most.

You make the world a better place.

Contents

Cover

Introduction “I’m Colton. Colton … Barlow.” The name sounded strange still, but it was beginning to grow on him. Confusion muddied her eyes. “One of the Barlows? With Jack, Luke and Mac?” “Sort of. I’m their half brother. From Atlanta. Firefighter, novice fisherman and decent first baseman.” He didn’t know what made him give her that mini-résumé, but then she laughed, and it made his day. “Pleased to meet you, Colton Barlow from Atlanta. I’m Rachel Morris. Expert fisherwoman and not-bad shortstop.” “Maybe you could teach me a thing or two about catching the right one.” Her smile reached into her eyes, made her entire face brighter. A flirty tease lit in those green depths and toyed with the edges of her lips. “Is that what you’re here for? Because we don’t sell matches made in heaven. Just fishing poles and garden rakes.” “I’m just talking trout and bass. Definitely not long-term commitments.” “Just what this town needs. Another confirmed bachelor.” But she laughed when she said it. Colton racked his brain for something else to say. To prolong the moment before he had to leave. He liked Rachel. And it had been a long, long time since he’d met a woman who interested him like that. The Barlow Brothers: Nothing tames a Southern man faster … than true love!

Title Page The Firefighter’s Family Secret Shirley Jump www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author SHIRLEY JUMP spends her days writing romance so she can avoid the towering stack of dirty dishes, eat copious amounts of chocolate and reward herself with trips to the mall. Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com for author news and a booklist, and follow her at Facebook.com/shirleyjump.author for giveaways and deep discussions about important things like chocolate and shoes.

Dedication To all the unsung heroes in my life, who put out a helping hand to others when they need it most. You make the world a better place.

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

Extract Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

Copyright Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

Chapter One

The last thing Colton Barlow expected while visiting Stone Gap, North Carolina, was for opportunity to come knocking.

He wasn’t a man given to living by the seat of his pants, and, in fact, most everyone who knew him would say Colton was deliberate. A planner. A man who set a course and mapped his route carefully. It was how he had always approached a fire on the job—assess the situation, know the risks and variables and plot the battle with care. Rushing into a blaze with no forethought was what got people killed.

And Colton Barlow had already made that mistake.

He’d spent the past six months trying to settle back into his job. Most days he did okay. Some days he was lucky if he could shrug an arm into the heavy turnout coat. But he told himself he was fine, just fine, and everything was on track.

Until the information that upended his life, told him everything he thought he knew about himself was wrong and led him to a small Southern town and three half brothers he hadn’t even realized existed until a month ago. For almost thirty years he’d been Colton Williams—his mother’s last name—and now it turned out he was a Barlow. That last name still felt like a new pair of shoes—a little uncomfortable, a little odd. Maybe if he kept thinking of himself as Colton Barlow, the name would grow on him.

His family had, so far. He’d finally met the other Barlow brothers—Jack, Mac and Luke—at Jack’s wedding last week, and in the process, he stumbled upon a job opening on the Stone Gap Fire Department.

A job he hadn’t even been looking for. But once the idea took root in his head of a change, a new start, Colton thought it wouldn’t hurt to at least check it out. Maybe at a new department, people wouldn’t look at him with eyes filled with a mixture of pity and mistrust. Maybe he could finally leave the shadows behind him and begin again. He’d lost his love for firefighting after the accident, and wondered sometimes if he’d ever get it back. Then he’d talked to Harry and the first glimmers of excitement about his job returned.