Excerpt from my new release "Ain't No Angel" Available today!
The morning rays of sun spilled through the drab brown curtains that hung on the lone window in the motel room. Jessie woke and reached for Travis, but the bed next to her was cold and empty.
Sitting up, she found him sitting in a chair, fully dressed and watching her.
"Hey," she said quietly and pulled the sheet up to cover her nakedness.
"Hey yourself," he answered. "Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll take you home."
It was a dismissal if she had ever heard one and it cut deeper than she expected. Throwing the sheet off her, she stood and gathered her clothes. Then she retreated to the bathroom to get dressed and wash her face.
Looking at her reflection in the cracked mirror, she was surprised at how angry she was at his dismissal. But they had agreed on one night and now it was over.
She didn’t know anything about him, after all. She didn’t even know what he did for a living. For all she knew he could be a criminal.
Heaving a sigh, she went back to the little motel room to find her shoes. Turning, she stopped when she realized he was standing behind her.
"I’m sorry, Jessie girl. I wish I had more time. But we both knew the stakes," he said as he reached to pull her into his arms.
Evading him, she sat and slipped her feet into her shoes.
"I know, Travis," she said as she stood and faced him. "Will you answer a question for me?"
"I’ll try," he answered as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"What do you do for a living?"
Her question took him by surprise, his eyebrows went up and he looked at her intently.
"I’m a bounty hunter and I’m here looking for someone."
Jessie released the breath she had been holding. At least he was on the right side of the law.
"Who are you looking for? I’ve lived here all my life, maybe I can help," she said as she swung her purse over her shoulder.
"I need to speak with Jessica Parker. Do you know her?"
Jessie stopped dead in her tracks and felt the beginning tremors of panic start in her chest. He was looking for her.
She had always gone with the name Jessie. It was the nickname her parents had called her and it felt right. But her ex-husband Cyrus hated it and wanted her to go by Jessica. And she had dropped her married name Parker the moment she left him.
"Jessie? Do you know her?" Travis prompted.
Jessie sat down on the bed, her knees threatening to give out. She was going to have to tell him.
"I’m Jessica Parker. Or rather I was."
Travis started at her in momentary shock.
"You are Cyrus Parker’s ex-wife?"
"Yes." She nodded and laced her fingers together in her lap until the knuckles were white.
Travis sat heavily back in the chair and ran his hands over his smooth head. Damn. Well, it couldn’t be helped now. He would have to stick to the plan, question her and go from there. If she didn’t offer him anything then he was hightailing it out of here and back home.
Before he was tempted to do something stupid and ask her for more than they had agreed on.
Thank you for reading!
The rest of the story is available at these locations:
Amazon.com
Ellorascave.com
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