Man Behind The Badge

Pamela Toth

HAUNTED BY MEMORIES…Veterinarian Robin Marlowe moved to Colorado to put the past behind her. She had darn good reasons for not trusting men, especially good-looking flirts like sheriff Charlie Winchester. But the gorgeous hunk showed up everywhere she went–even when she tried to turn away.ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS…Charlie was paid to pick up clues, and after one look at Robin's creamy skin and wide eyes, he could tell she'd been hurt–badly. Charming every girl in Waterloo had never been a chore–until Robin. Now he was determined to be there for her, be patient, be her friend–be anything she needed…because this lawman wanted nothing less than her heart!

“I’m Charlie Winchester, your local sheriff,”

he said, touching two fingers to the brim of his hat. He flashed a smile that revealed straight white teeth and twin dimples. His dark eyes studied her with leisurely thoroughness from behind amber lenses.

“I’ll bet you’re the new vet.”

“How’d you guess?” Robin asked.

He folded his tanned, muscular arms across his chest. “It wasn’t a guess. You’ve got out-of-state plates and a rental trailer.”

“Pretty clever of you,” she replied dryly, taking a step back from all that hunky broad-shouldered masculinity before it gave her the vapors.

From inside the clinic, a phone rang and a dog barked.

“I gotta go,” she said, turning.

“My office is right down the street, if you need anything.”

She waved but didn’t look back. “Yeah, thanks. See you.”

Charlie stroked his chin thoughtfully as he watched her disappear. “Count on it, sweetheart.”

Dear Reader,

Our resolution is to start the year with a bang in Silhouette Special Edition! And so we are featuring Peggy Webb’s The Accidental Princess—our pick for this month’s READERS’ RING title. You’ll want to use the riches in this romance to facilitate discussions with your friends and family! In this lively tale, a plain Jane agrees to be the local Dairy Princess and wins the heart of the bad-boy reporter who wants her story…among other things.

Next up, Sherryl Woods thrills her readers once again with the newest installment of THE DEVANEYS—Michael’s Discovery. Follow this ex-navy SEAL hero as he struggles to heal from battle—and save himself from falling hard for his beautiful physical therapist! Pamela Toth’s Man Behind the Badge, the third book in her popular WINCHESTER BRIDES miniseries, brings us another stunning hero in the form of a flirtatious sheriff, whose wild ways are numbered when he meets—and wants to rescue—a sweet, yet reclusive woman with a secret past. Talking about secrets, a doctor hero is stunned when he finds a baby—maybe even his baby—on the doorstep in Victoria Pade’s Maybe My Baby, the second book in her BABY TIMES THREE miniseries. Add a feisty heroine to the mix, and you have an instant family.

Teresa Southwick delivers an unforgettable story in Midnight, Moonlight & Miracles. In it, a nurse feels a strong attraction to her handsome patient, yet she doesn’t want him to discover the real connection between them. And Patricia Kay’s Annie and the Confirmed Bachelor explores the blossoming love between a self-made millionaire and a woman who can’t remember her past. Can their romance survive?

This month’s lineup is packed with intrigue, passion, complex heroines and heroes who never give up. Keep your own resolution to live life romantically, with a treat from Silhouette Special Edition. Happy New Year, and happy reading!

Karen Taylor Richman

Senior Editor

Man Behind the Badge

Pamela Toth

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Dedicated with appreciation and affection to my editor,

Karen Taylor Richman, for her support,

her understanding and—most of all—her patience,

above and beyond the call of duty.

PAMELA TOTH

USA TODAY bestselling author Pamela Toth was born in Wisconsin, but grew up in Seattle where she attended the University of Washington and majored in art. Now living on the Puget Sound area’s east side, she has two daughters, Erika and Melody, and two Siamese cats.

Recently she took a lead from