Something crashed in the woods. Was it a deer? Or something more dangerous? Dagne didn’t
care; she just kept running…
My family has been going to Chincoteague and Assateague
Islands since my children were little, often twice, in the spring for the
mating birds, and in the fall for the migrating snow geese. A barrier island
situated east of coastal Virginia, it has everything: a lovely beach, a
wonderful wildlife refuge, ponies, marshes, a lighthouse, and most alluring of
all, oysters. Dagne, like me, scarfs
them up at every opportunity during her year on the island. Luckily, her new
beau, Refuge Manager Aidan Ellis, is happy to treat her to them.
Blurb:
Dagne Lonegan, aka Dear Philomena, advice columnist,
hoped that spending a year on the Eastern Shore island of Chincoteague would extinguish any feelings
she had left for Jack Andrews, erstwhile lover and long-time jerk. It’s just her luck that in her first week on
the island she’s entangled in a murder.
Only she doesn’t know it.
Unfortunately, the murderer doesn’t know she doesn’t know. Strange and dangerous things begin happening
to her, disrupting her new romance with Aidan Ellis, the handsome manager of
the National Wildlife Refuge. As if that
weren’t enough, Jack arrives to take charge of the murder investigation.
Will Dagne stick with the tall, cool glass of a Ranger or
risk falling back into the arms of the man who broke her heart?
Excerpt (G): A Tall, Cool Ranger
As she leapt out of bed, someone knocked at
the front door. She checked the clock. Eight. A bit early. Maybe it was
the milkman. She clucked at her little joke, but took a moment to smooth
her hair and flip off her fuzzy slippers. Halfway down the stairs, she peered
through the glass door to see a tall, broad-shouldered silhouette. Someone new?
And handsome too! Panting only slightly, she tripped on the last step and
almost fell flat. Sucking in a couple of ragged breaths, she called, “Who is
it?”
“Miss Lonegan? It’s Aidan Ellis. I’m the
Chincoteague Refuge Manager. I apologize for the early hour, but I’d like to ask
you a couple of questions.”
Questions? Dagne zipped into the
kitchen and turned the burner off before opening the door. A tall, remarkably
good-looking man in the tan uniform of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stood
on the mat. His dark brown eyes flecked with cream reminded her of the Sika elk
that roamed Assateague. The flat-rimmed ranger hat obscured his hair but his
tanned face sported a bit of five o’clock shadow, which only served to
highlight the straight Roman nose. He smiled a dazzling smile, and stuck his
hand out. “Miss Lonegan?”
“Yes?”
“May I come in?” Dagne realized she was
still holding his hand and gazing hungrily into those chocolate eyes. She shook
her head to clear it.
“Of course, of course.” She led the way
into the living room and indicated one of the easy chairs patterned in blue
ponies. She sat down on the sleep sofa, only to spring up to clear the coffee
table of half-filled take-out boxes and bits of underwear, her face burning.
The ranger sat quietly, hat in hand, while she bustled about trying not to
stare at his large, strong hands. A full head of rich brown hair too—is
there anything that isn’t gorgeous about him? “Sorry. I’ve just moved in
and I haven’t had time to organize, or even grocery shop.”
“I understand. Cora Anne said you’re
staying for a year?”
Chincoteague sure was a small town. “Yes.
I’m trying to write a novel.”
“That’s wonderful.” He didn’t seem
surprised at the news. The pause lengthened. Dagne finally settled down on the
sofa. “Well…Mr. Ellis, is it? What can I do for you?” How about a big, wet
one?
“Miss Lonegan, as I mentioned, I supervise
the wildlife refuge. I don’t know whether you’ve heard, but there’s been a
murder.”
Dagne took a moment to pull her jaw back up
and her eyes back in. “A what?”
“A murder. We found the body Saturday
morning. On the refuge.”
“No, I had no idea. I haven’t talked to
anyone yet today.” Wait a minute. When was I trapped on the Woodland Trail?
“Saturday? The day before yesterday?”
“Yes.” He studied her, his eyes sharp. “I
heard you were there on Friday afternoon. I mean, on the refuge. Nick, one of
our volunteers, said he talked to you.”
Dagne tried to think. “Yes, that’s right. I
stopped in at the visitor center just at closing around four. I’d seen a fawn
with a broken leg on the Swan Cove trail the day before and wanted to let them
know.”
“And where did you go after that?”
“I decided to walk the Woodland Trail.”
He sat forward eagerly. “You did? Did you
see anyone else on the path?”
“There were a few people, yes, but they
passed me early on. I was alone for most of the hike.”
“Did you see anyone in the parking lot?”
“No. No one. By the time I got back to my
car everyone had gone.”
“What made you decide to go so late in the
day?”
This was beginning to sound like an
interrogation. His intensity made her nervous. “I…I didn’t really think about
the time. I’d been working and thought I’d take a break and get some exercise.
To tell the truth, I’d forgotten how long the trail was. When the sun went down
the place spooked me a bit and I ran most of the way back.”
“Hmm.” He sat back. A couple of
minutes ticked by. He seemed lost in a reverie.
“Mr. Ellis? Who was murdered?”
“What? Oh, please, call me Aidan. A local
girl, name of Terri Aster. She’d been missing for three days. We assumed she had
run away, but then Park Service maintenance reported an…odor. Police dogs found
her.”
“Oh dear. And do you know who killed her?” Now
that’s a stupid question. Why would he be here if they’d already caught the
murderer?
“No, ma’am. We’re just following up leads,
looking for possible witnesses. That sort of thing.” He looked grim.
“I see…Aidan. And you can call me Dagne.” God,
he’s cute. Did I just simper?
“Dagne. Nice name.” He smiled, and a
tingling sensation trickled up her back. “Anyway, we don’t have much to go on
yet. We’re questioning anyone who visited the refuge on Friday or early
Saturday.”
Curiosity trumping prudence, Dagne
ventured, “So, how was she killed?”
Aidan stopped smiling. “I’m afraid it would
be inappropriate to give out details at this stage.” He stood. “Here’s my card.
Since we found the body on federal property I’ll be in charge of the
investigation. If you think of anything else that might be of interest don’t
hesitate to give me a call. For example, if you saw or heard anything unusual.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to make a
flirtatious reply, but she bit it instead. Talk about inappropriate timing! But
he was so gorgeous, so polite, so different from Jack. Maybe, just maybe….
I Heart Book Publishing, October 12, 2015
eBook, 72,000
words, Print 209 pp
Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romantic Suspense, Mystery Romance
Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romantic Suspense, Mystery Romance
M/F, 3 flames
Buy Links:
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/5795202
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/584372