Lenora Worth - Capitol K-9 Unit Christmas - Protecting Virginia

DANGER STRIKES AT CHRISTMASTIME

Protecting Virginia by Shirlee McCoy

When foster care worker Virginia Johnson inherits her abusive late husband’s family home, she’s desperate to sell it before Christmas. But a mysterious intruder doesn’t want her in the house. Terrified, Virginia turns to her neighbor, Capitol K-9 Unit officer John Forrester, and his four-legged partner, to keep her alive to see the New Year.

Guarding Abigail by Lenora Worth

Capitol K-9 Unit officer Dylan Ralsey’s new mission: protect a murdered diplomat’s daughter while she’s in the nation’s capitol. But when an attempt is made on Abigail Wheaton’s life, Dylan and his trusty canine partner must keep her safe from a murderer who wants to ruin everyone’s holiday.

Capitol K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

Meet the Capitol K-9 Unit officers and

their loyal police dog partners

Officer: John Forrester

Age: 34

K-9 Partner: Samson the German Shepherd

Assignment: Protect his next-door neighbor from the person who keeps breaking into her newly inherited house.

Officer: Dylan Ralsey

Age: 32

K-9 Partner: Tico the Belgian Malinois

Assignment: Keep a diplomat’s daughter safe from the man who killed her father.

Aside from her faith and her family, there’s not much SHIRLEE McCOY enjoys more than a good book! When she’s not teaching or chauffeuring her five kids, she can usually be found plotting her next Love Inspired Suspense story or wandering around the beautiful Inland Northwest in search of inspiration. Shirlee loves to hear from readers. Drop her a line at shirlee@shirleemccoy.com and visit her website at shirleemccoy.com.

LENORA WORTH writes award-winning romance and romantic suspense. Three of her books finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, and her Love Inspired Suspense novel Body of Evidence became a New York Times bestseller. Her novella in Mistletoe Kisses made her a USA TODAY bestselling author. With sixty books published and millions in print, she goes on adventures with her retired husband, Don, and enjoys reading, baking and shopping…especially shoe shopping.

Capitol K-9 Unit Christmas

Protecting Virginia

Shirlee McCoy

Guarding Abigail

Lenora Worth

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text DANGER STRIKES AT CHRISTMASTIME Protecting Virginia by Shirlee McCoy When foster care worker Virginia Johnson inherits her abusive late husband’s family home, she’s desperate to sell it before Christmas. But a mysterious intruder doesn’t want her in the house. Terrified, Virginia turns to her neighbor, Capitol K-9 Unit officer John Forrester, and his four-legged partner, to keep her alive to see the New Year. Guarding Abigail by Lenora Worth Capitol K-9 Unit officer Dylan Ralsey’s new mission: protect a murdered diplomat’s daughter while she’s in the nation’s capitol. But when an attempt is made on Abigail Wheaton’s life, Dylan and his trusty canine partner must keep her safe from a murderer who wants to ruin everyone’s holiday. Capitol K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

Introduction Meet the Capitol K-9 Unit officers and their loyal police dog partners Officer: John Forrester Age: 34 K-9 Partner: Samson the German Shepherd Assignment: Protect his next-door neighbor from the person who keeps breaking into her newly inherited house. Officer: Dylan Ralsey Age: 32 K-9 Partner: Tico the Belgian Malinois Assignment: Keep a diplomat’s daughter safe from the man who killed her father.

About the Authors Aside from her faith and her family, there’s not much SHIRLEE McCOY enjoys more than a good book! When she’s not teaching or chauffeuring her five kids, she can usually be found plotting her next Love Inspired Suspense story or wandering around the beautiful Inland Northwest in search of inspiration. Shirlee loves to hear from readers. Drop her a line at shirlee@shirleemccoy.com and visit her website at shirleemccoy.com . LENORA WORTH writes award-winning romance and romantic suspense. Three of her books finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, and her Love Inspired Suspense novel Body of Evidence became a New York Times bestseller. Her novella in Mistletoe Kisses made her a USA TODAY bestselling author. With sixty books published and millions in print, she goes on adventures with her retired husband, Don, and enjoys reading, baking and shopping…especially shoe shopping.

Title Page Capitol K-9 Unit Christmas Protecting Virginia Shirlee McCoy Guarding Abigail Lenora Worth www.millsandboon.co.uk

Protecting Virginia Protecting Virginia Shirlee McCoy

Dedication To my Monday morning breakfast buddy. Thanks for always making time for me, Ms. Marge!

Bible Verse You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you. —Isaiah 26:3

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Guarding Abigail

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Copyright

Protecting Virginia

Shirlee McCoy

To my Monday morning breakfast buddy.

Thanks for always making time for me, Ms. Marge!

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you.

—Isaiah 26:3

ONE

The house looked exactly the way Virginia Johnson remembered it—a hulking Victorian with a wraparound porch and gingerbread trim. The once-lush lawn had died, the wrought iron fence that separated the yard from the sidewalk was leaning inward, but the ancient oak still stood at the right corner of the property, a tire swing hanging listlessly from its branches.

Even with dead grass and darkened windows, the property was impressive, the beautiful details of the house highlighted by bright winter sun. Most people would have been thrilled to inherit a place like this.

Virginia was horrified.

She walked up the driveway, her throat tight with a hundred memories that she’d rather forget, her hand clamped around the key that had come in the mail three weeks ago. It had been in a package with a letter from a lawyer who’d been trying to reach her for two months, a check for more money than she knew what to do with and the deed to the house.

She hadn’t wanted any of it.

She’d torn up the check, tossed the deed and the key in the trash. Would have gone on with her life and pretended her grandmother-in-law, Laurel, hadn’t left her everything the Johnson family owned. Except that kids were nosy, and Virginia’s job as assistant housemother at All Our Kids Foster Home meant that she lived and worked with children all the time.

Most days, she loved her job. The day little Tommy Benson had taken the letter, torn-up check, key and deed out of the trashcan and delivered them to Virginia’s boss, Cassie McCord, Virginia found herself wishing that she worked in a tiny little cubicle in a sales department somewhere. Because Cassie wasn’t one to let things go. She couldn’t understand why Virginia would let a beautiful home rot.

If you don’t want it, why not sell it? she’d asked. You haven’t had any time off in three years. Take a couple of weeks off, contact an auction house . Have them auction what you don’t want to keep, then you can put the house on the market. Imagine what you could do with the money, how many kids you could help.