Brody (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood Book 3) Page 20
Nope, love and marriage weren’t in the cards for him. Didn’t mean he wasn’t up for a good time. He loved women. All women. Big, small, short, or tall, didn’t matter. Feminine curves with legs that went on for miles? Oh, yeah. But commitment for a lifetime—he’d never burden any woman with that kind of heartache. Turning his back on the war waging on every street in America couldn’t be won without people like him staying the course. He wasn’t a martyr, far from it, but he knew the realities of his life and his job.
“By the way, did you hear—Brody bought the Summers’ farm.”
Ridge knew his mouth hung open for a second before he closed it. He huffed out a chuckled. “Seriously? Why’d he do that?”
“He and Beth are going to fix up the house. Make it into a home. It wasn’t damaged, and the rest of the property, other than the barn, is in decent shape. Lots of land.”
“Almost seems like fate, doesn’t it?” Ridge tossed his empty bottle into the recycling bin and grinned. “All’s well that ends well. I’m just glad he’s happy.”
“Come on, bro, let’s celebrate. We’re all together, and life is good.”
“You go ahead, I’ll be right there.”
As Antonio walked back to the patio, Ridge pulled out his phone. He’d put it on vibrate at the start of the barbeque, and he’d ignored the incessant buzzing, but couldn’t put it off any longer. He knew who’d been calling anyway.
“Hey, boss, what’s up?”
“We’re a go.”
A surge of adrenaline shot through Ridge at the man’s words. Finally, they’d gotten to go ahead to search for the pipeline running through Central Texas. Every DEA agent within a two-hundred-mile radius knew drugs were coming through their area, but nobody had discovered exactly where the shipments deviated off their visual radar. He’d been scouting around an area the next county over from Shiloh Springs, and he’d gone to his boss with an idea—one so out-of-the-box he’d expected to be turned down on the spot. Instead, he’d listened, asked a zillion questions, and said he’d take it to his commander.
“We’ve got a very narrow window to find out how the drugs are moving through the area—if they are—and shut it down.”
“I’ll find it.”
“I expect reports, consistent reports, every forty-eight hours. Miss one, and I’ll pull you so fast, you’ll leave skid marks. Are we clear, Boudreau?”
“Every forty-eight hours. I won’t let you down.”
“When can you head out?”
Ridge looked at his family, together and laughing, felt the gaping hole deep inside, and sighed.
“I’ll head out tonight.”
Disconnecting the call, he slid the phone into his back pocket, and smiled.
“Looks like I’m going courting.”
Thank you for reading Brody, Book #3 in the Texas Boudreau Brotherhood series. I hope you enjoyed Brody and Beth’s story. Want to find out more about Ridge Boudreau and the excitement and adventure he’s about to plunge headfirst into? Keep reading for an excerpt from his book, Ridge, Book #4 in the Texas Boudreau Brotherhood. Available at all major e-book and print vendors.
Ridge (Book #4 Texas Boudreau Brotherhood series) © Kathy Ivan
Pulling into the garage, Maggie killed the engine and reached for the button to lower the door, but movement from the corner of her eye stopped her dead in her tracks. Somebody was sneaking around her property. Couldn’t be Henry. She’d talked to him earlier that morning, and he’d asked for the day off. Felicia, her housekeeper, had already come and gone.
Reaching across the seat, she wrapped her hand around the shotgun and stepped out of the garage. Scowling at the thought of another trespasser, she skirted the perimeter of the house, eyes peeled for any sign of movement. Nothing. Was her imagination playing tricks on her? She was getting antsy, because she’d caught a couple of up-to-no-good squatters on the back forty of her property, and chased them off. Why couldn’t people mind their own business, and keep their noses out of hers?
There it was again. Somebody crept around the edge of her patio, although creeping might not be the best word. He really didn’t slink or even trying to hide. The way he walked reminded her of one of the bigger jungle cats. A lion or maybe a panther, all smooth, controlled muscle, coiled and ready to pounce.
With a moue of disgust, she flattened her back against the Texas limestone of her house and watched. Waited. And wondered what game the stranger was up to. He was far enough away she couldn’t get a good look at his face, but the rest of him was a feast of sensuality. From his predatory walk to his dark hair, he exuded an almost feral nature. A wildness she’d never imagined being attracted to—until now.
His gaze seemed to miss nothing, studying not only the house, but the grounds. The flowering rose bushes she’d lovingly planted so long ago, when she’d first gotten married and life had been simpler. In hindsight, she could recognize the irony of planting roses. Her life had been nothing but prickly thorns for so long, she’d all but forgotten there was beauty to go along with the pain.
Some instinct must have alerted him, though she hadn’t moved a muscle, because he stopped, frozen in place. He spread his hands out to his sides, palms forward, showing them to be empty. She knew he hadn’t spotted her, but something made him realize he wasn’t alone.
Lifting the shotgun in front of her, she stepped out into the open, and pointed it straight at him. Never wincing. Never flinching.
“I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. I’ve only got one thing to say.” She hefted the gun higher, pointing it directly at his head. “Get off my property.”
LINKS TO BUY RIDGE:
www.kathyivan.com/Ridge.html
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BOOKS BY KATHY IVAN
www.kathyivan.com/books.html
TEXAS BOUDREAU BROTHERHOOD
Rafe
Antonio
Brody
Ridge
NEW ORLEANS CONNECTION SERIES
Desperate Choices
Connor’s Gamble
Relentless Pursuit
Ultimate Betrayal
Keeping Secrets
Sex, Lies and Apple Pies
Deadly Justice
Wicked Obsession
Hidden Agenda
Spies Like Us
Fatal Intentions
New Orleans Connection Series Box Set: Books 1-3
New Orleans Connection Series Box Set: Books 4-7
CAJUN CONNECTION SERIES
Saving Sarah
Saving Savannah
Saving Stephanie
Guarding Gabi
LOVIN’ LAS VEGAS SERIES
It Happened In Vegas
Crazy Vegas Love
Marriage, Vegas Style
A Virgin In Vegas
Vegas, Baby!
Yours For The Hol
idays
Match Made In Vegas
One Night In Vegas
Last Chance In Vegas
Lovin’ Las Vegas (box set books 1-3)
OTHER BOOKS BY KATHY IVAN
Second Chances (Destiny’s Desire Book #1)
Losing Cassie (Destiny’s Desire Book #2)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA TODAY Bestselling author Kathy Ivan spent most of her life with her nose between the pages of a book. It didn’t matter if the book was a paranormal romance, romantic suspense, action and adventure thrillers, sweet & spicy, or a sexy novella. Kathy turned her obsession with reading into the next logical step, writing.
Her books transport you to the sultry splendor of the French Quarter in New Orleans in her award-winning romantic suspense, or to Las Vegas in her contemporary romantic comedies. Kathy’s new romantic suspense series features, Texas Boudreau Brotherhood, features alpha heroes in small town Texas. Gotta love those cowboys!
Kathy tells stories people can’t get enough of; reuniting old loves, betrayal of trust, finding kidnapped children, psychics and sometimes even a ghost or two. But one thing they all have in common – love and a happily ever after).
More about Kathy and her books can be found at
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