What is a classy woman who looks like she’s been mud-wrestling hiding from in a carnival? Chick Lovett offers a desperate-looking Eden Payne shelter and a job working in his game booth. Having witnessed a body hauled onto a boat and a prominent politician who was involved, Eden can’t go home. As they work together to find proof of a woman’s murder, as attraction brings them closer than he’s ever been with another woman, "Chickie-loves-it" wonders if Eden will ever realize he’s more than a seasoned carny.
Excerpt:
He sought out the lady mud wrestler. She had disappeared. No, she was waiting in line for a ticket to the Tilt-A-Whirl. She appeared out of place. And frightened. Her stance was self-protective, and she was looking around furtively.
Then her attention focused on something that made her frown. Chick realized she was staring at a small carrot-topped boy of five or six who stood alone in the midway, his face puckered, tears rolling down his chubby freckled cheeks. With seeming reluctance, the woman stepped out of line and approached the child. She stooped and spoke to him for a moment, then helped him dry his tears. The next thing Chick knew, they were hand-in-hand, walking straight toward him. He stuck a toothpick between his teeth.
“Excuse me,” the woman said, quickly glancing over her shoulder before stopping at the counter. “But Jimmy lost his older sister and her friends.”
The blue eyes meeting his were shadowed so Chick couldn’t read her thoughts. Her voice was low, her speech precise. Cultured. And despite her disheveled appearance, he realized the lady was wearing expensive clothes. He rolled the toothpick to the corner of his mouth. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” She answered too quickly, glancing behind and all around them. “I’m fine. Jimmy’s the one with the problem. Can you help him find his sister?”
“There are a half-dozen policemen wandering around.”
”No police!”
Her eyes widened, and in them, Chick recognized fear. His brow furrowed and he was about to demand an explanation. She didn’t give him the chance to question her.
“I mean, you must have a loud speaker system or something, right?” she asked.
“We have a lost and found by the front gate.”
“This is a child we’re talking about, not an article of clothing.”
“I wan’ Laura!” Jimmy shouted, then burst into sobs that racked his little chest. “I wanna go home.”
The woman dropped to her knees and tried to comfort the boy. She stroked his carrot top and lifted his chin. “Sh-h. You’re going to be fine. We’ll find your sister and she’ll take you home.” She glared up at Chick, impatience burning away the more brittle emotions he’d seen reflected in her finely boned face. “Well?”
Genre: Romance
Excerpt:
He sought out the lady mud wrestler. She had disappeared. No, she was waiting in line for a ticket to the Tilt-A-Whirl. She appeared out of place. And frightened. Her stance was self-protective, and she was looking around furtively.
Then her attention focused on something that made her frown. Chick realized she was staring at a small carrot-topped boy of five or six who stood alone in the midway, his face puckered, tears rolling down his chubby freckled cheeks. With seeming reluctance, the woman stepped out of line and approached the child. She stooped and spoke to him for a moment, then helped him dry his tears. The next thing Chick knew, they were hand-in-hand, walking straight toward him. He stuck a toothpick between his teeth.
“Excuse me,” the woman said, quickly glancing over her shoulder before stopping at the counter. “But Jimmy lost his older sister and her friends.”
The blue eyes meeting his were shadowed so Chick couldn’t read her thoughts. Her voice was low, her speech precise. Cultured. And despite her disheveled appearance, he realized the lady was wearing expensive clothes. He rolled the toothpick to the corner of his mouth. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” She answered too quickly, glancing behind and all around them. “I’m fine. Jimmy’s the one with the problem. Can you help him find his sister?”
“There are a half-dozen policemen wandering around.”
”No police!”
Her eyes widened, and in them, Chick recognized fear. His brow furrowed and he was about to demand an explanation. She didn’t give him the chance to question her.
“I mean, you must have a loud speaker system or something, right?” she asked.
“We have a lost and found by the front gate.”
“This is a child we’re talking about, not an article of clothing.”
“I wan’ Laura!” Jimmy shouted, then burst into sobs that racked his little chest. “I wanna go home.”
The woman dropped to her knees and tried to comfort the boy. She stroked his carrot top and lifted his chin. “Sh-h. You’re going to be fine. We’ll find your sister and she’ll take you home.” She glared up at Chick, impatience burning away the more brittle emotions he’d seen reflected in her finely boned face. “Well?”
Genre: Romance
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Used availability for Patricia Rosemoor's Ticket to Nowhere