Lindsay McKenna - The Defender

Two wounded souls in the Wild West. One last chance to claim the love they deserve.

After escaping her troubled past, all Katie Bergstrom wants is to put down roots on her raptor rehabilitation facility outside Jackson Hole. She doesn’t count on reconnecting with her estranged birth mother—or the recent appearance of a sexy ranch hand.

Former marine Joe Gannon is used to a life of risk. Working on the ranch, life is simpler...except for the undercover work he’s been asked to do. Getting too close to Katie could damage his current operation. Yet despite his orders to remain suspicious, he knows she’s innocent—and in danger. As he does everything he can to protect her, Katie can’t help but fall for him. But after a lifetime of betrayal, is this too-secretive, too-seductive rancher someone she can trust?

Praise for

LINDSAY McKENNA

“McKenna skillfully shows that it’s all about the romance and not only the sex. After all, hard work, honesty and trust is what western romance is all about.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Wrangler

“McKenna’s latest is an intriguing tale...a unique twist

on the romance novel, and one that’s sure to please.”

—RT Book Reviews on Dangerous Prey

“Riveting.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Quest

“An absorbing debut for the Nocturne line.”

—RT Book Reviews on Unforgiven

“Gunfire, emotions, suspense, tension and sexuality abound in this fast-paced, absorbing novel.”

—Affaire de Coeur on Wild Woman

“Another masterpiece.”

—Affaire de Coeur on Enemy Mine

“Emotionally charged...riveting and deeply touching.”

—RT Book Reviews on Firstborn

“Ms. McKenna brings readers along for a fabulous odyssey in which complex characters experience the danger,

passion and beauty of the mystical jungle.”

—RT Book Reviews on Man of Passion

“Talented Lindsay McKenna delivers excitement and romance in equal measure.”

—RT Book Reviews on Protecting His Own

“Lindsay McKenna will have you flying with the

daring and deadly women pilots who risk their lives....

Buckle in for the ride of your life.”

—Writers Unlimited on Heart of Stone

The Defender

Lindsay McKenna

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO, Harlequin,

for her passion in helping save the endangered Peregrine Falcons of Canada. Quest and Kendal could never have a better auntie than you! These raptors have a real champion and the world is a better place for people such as yourself who support our threatened wildlife. Thank you. For the whole story of how Donna got involved with these Peregrine Falcons, just go to http://harlequinblog.com/topics/company-news.

To professional wildlife photographer Ann Brokelman, who not only helps the world see Peregrines, a species

at risk in Canada, but freely gives of her time and passion to the Canadian Peregrine Foundation. And who also takes time to help amateur photogs like me

get better at photographing wildlife. To appreciate Ann’s incredible photography, please visit her blog: www.naturephotosbyann.blogspot.ca.

To the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, who has worked with heart and soul to rescue the beautiful Peregrine Falcon from the edge of extinction in their country. It is all volunteer work and volunteer contributions. They serve as wonderful role models of what we can do in our country to halt the death of so many raptors from pesticides used by agriculture. Visit their website:

www.peregrine-foundation.ca.

Dear Reader,

The Defender is a story within a story. Yes, it is part of the Wyoming series and continues my tradition of danger, romance and suspense. Here is the “other” story: over a year ago, I received an email from Harlequin corporate headquarters. Donna Hayes, Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of Harlequin, had spotted a pair of Peregrine Falcons who were about to nest on a building across the street. Amazed, I read the missive. The Peregrine has been driven to the edge of extinction by DDT and other harmful pesticides used by farmers in Canada and the United States.

As I read the email, I wanted to let Donna know that I, too, was involved in supporting and donating to High Country Raptors, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. I sent her a YouTube link. My good friend Monica Amarillis had taken her cell phone and recorded me with Luna, a European eagle owl. You can see the videos on YouTube; search for “Eileen and Luna” and “The owl Luna catches a mouse.” The raptors you will see are birds cared for by Susan Hamilton, falconer, of High Country Raptors, who also holds an eagle license.

After Donna saw the videos, she sent me an email telling me I had to connect with Ann Brokelman, a professional wildlife photographer. I did, and the rest is history! Because we all support not only with time, but donations to the volunteers who care for raptors, we have a wonderful, ongoing triangular connection in this incredibly magical realm of birds. Raptors do change your life. I know that for a fact. And always for the better!

For those readers who are avidly waiting for my next book in the Wyoming series, I wanted to get more deeply into another passion of mine: romantic suspense! If you enjoy action, adventure, threat, hot romance coupled with danger, you’ll enjoy The Defender. Katie Bergstrom is a twenty-six-year-old raptor rehabilitator who tries to help wounded and injured raptors back to health in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She was abandoned at birth by her mother. Rebelling, lost and always trying to find her mother, Katie goes through many foster homes and gets into teen trouble. She eventually winds up in Jackson Hole, where her luck changes and she’s given a new lease on life. Raptors, with their own unique magic, focus her life and give her reason to thrive, despite her dark, unhappy past.

Joe Gannon, born in Jackson Hole, is a Marine Corps captain who was wounded in Afghanistan. He comes back stateside only to find out he can never fight for his country again. The FBI offers him a job. He has been specially chosen to return home to try to get close to Katie. Her birth mother, Janet Bergstrom, is suspected of criminal activity. Can he lie to Katie? Is Katie really a part of her mother’s illegal activities? Most of all, Joe finds himself caught in an impossible situation because he must fight his attraction to Katie and remain undercover to discover the truth. Where do lies and truth begin and end? Can their growing love survive?

Enjoy!

Lindsay McKenna

Contents

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER ONE

SUNLIGHT BATHED the golden eagle’s half-opened wings, making them appear to be liquid bronze. Katie Bergstrom steadied the sixteen-pound bird on her leather gauntlet, facing him into the cool mid-morning breeze. She stood on the grassy floor of a wide valley, the magnificent Teton Range nearby. The sky was a fierce cobalt blue, the sun glaring at the snowy slopes.