Slow Dance With The Sheriff

Ex-ballerina Eleanor Patterson is the darling of Manhattan society—until she discovers her pedigree background is a lie. So she heads to sleepy Larkville for answers…. Sheriff Jed Jackson never expected to rescue a stunning woman from a herd of cattle, or to be so fascinated by the vulnerability beneath Ellie's tough city veneer. Yet watching her unwind is irresistible, and as he helps her learn to dance again he wants to give both Ellie and himself a new beginning….

"First published as Diamond in the ruff by Harlequin Books in 2014 and Slow dance with the sheriff by Harlequin Books in 2012"--Title page verso.

Stories From the Sheriff’s Daughter is a beautifully written short novel that follows the life of a nine-year-old girl who moves to a small-town Texas county jail when her dairy farmer father is elected sheriff. In these engaging episodes, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, days in small-town Texas in the 1950s and 60s spring to life. The family’s house is only separated from the jail by a carport, so the sheriff’s daughter grows up in the jail’s environment of lawmen, prisoners, and politics. She bumps up against some of life’s worst tragedies, including murder, rape, and suicide, despite her parents’ attempts to protect her innocence. In this very different coming-of-age story, the sheriff’s daughter moves into adulthood, trying to find her own identity, her life forever affected by growing up next door to a county jail. Though the stories in the novel are fiction, the author actually did grow up at the Burleson County jail in Texas, where her father, and eventually her mother, served as sheriffs of the county.

Find your Happily Ever After with two feel-good stories of dogs unleashing romance in small-town settings. Stray hearts looking for a home Diamond in the Ruff Baker Lily Langtry isn’t one to commit to anything more than her mouthwatering pastries. So when a puppy appears at her door, she’s stunned by her new responsibilities—and how quickly she falls for the adorable creature. But Lily gets more than she bargains for when she takes the cute canine to visit handsome town vet Christopher Whitman. Maybe pet ownership isn’t the only commitment Lily’s ready for… Slow Dance with the Sheriff Sheriff Jed Jackson never expected to rescue a stunning woman from a herd of cattle, or to be so fascinated by a Manhattan socialite like Ellie Patterson. But the ex-ballerina has a softness beneath her tough city veneer that Jed finds irresistible. And as he helps her learn to dance again, he wonders if both of them might have a chance at a new beginning.

A single mother from a family of lawmen wonders if she should risk her heart on a handsome police chief in this heartwarming second chance romance. When police chief Anson Curry returns a lost little girl to her frantic mother, his only goal is to ease the single mom’s anxiety. But it doesn’t take long for Tess Harper’s amazing child to have Anson wrapped around her little finger—and for Tess to have him thinking about a possible relationship. As for Tess, she’s tempted—even though she had planned to be in Oak Hollow, Texas, only temporarily. But after losing her father and brother in the line of duty, Tess thinks Anson’s job poses too much of a risk to her heart. And Anson has no plans to get involved with someone who’s planning on leaving. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is not to follow their hearts. . . .

They Said That A Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity Didn't Come Twice… But when Kelsey Graham stepped off the bus in Maple Junction, Wisconsin, for their high school reunion, Ethan Taggert decided that whoever "they" were, they were wrong. Ten years ago she'd shouldered the blame for a car accident that was not her fault, and she'd been run out of town for it. Now she was back and it was time to set things right. Ethan's now the sheriff of Maple Junction, and he realizes he never should have let Kelsey go the first time. This could be his second (and last?) chance at happiness…if Kelsey will let him help. Maybe, just maybe, she'll see that he's the man she should have been with all along.

Broken things can’t be fixed… Or can they? Officer and single dad Mike Harrison doesn’t believe in second chances. Ever. That is, until he learns that his former best friend—gorgeous green-eyed car mechanic Georgie Bennett—is back in town. Unfortunately, she’s also a suspect in a recent break-in! But it’ll take an old classic car to show Mike and Georgie that almost anything can be restored with a little patience…and a whole lot of love.

Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she's forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation. To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed. Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past and he doesn't intend to let her down again. Especially since her life is on the line. As the threads of the investigation cross and tangle with their own personal history, Sam and Emma have a chance to discover the truth, not only about the victim but about what went wrong in their relationship. Award-winning author Patricia Bradley will have the hairs standing up on the back of your neck with this nail-biting tale of obsession, misunderstanding, and forgiveness.