The Lawman's Rebel Bride

  SECOND-CHANCE WEDDING...

  Deputy Sheriff Harlan Slade owes Belle Barnes a wedding, and she’s ready to collect. The divorced single dad left Belle at the altar years ago. Now, for the sake of Belle’s ailing grandmother, he agrees to temporarily tie the knot. Their faux union quickly feels all too real, but Harlan must protect his young daughter’s feelings and his own bruised heart.

  Belle’s passion for rescuing animals means frequent run-ins with the law. But she promises Harlan she’ll stay out of trouble—except for the kind she finds with him when old sparks fly. It seems Belle and Harlan’s short-term family has a future, until someone from their past threatens it all. Will Belle’s impulsive streak cost her the first real family she’s ever known?

  “Belle Barnes—correction, Slade—you’re under arrest.”

  Harlan removed the cuffs from his belt. “You have the right to remain—”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” The cold steel encircled her wrists. “And it’s still Barnes. I didn’t take your last name.”

  “—silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights I have just read to you?”

  “Is it even legal for you to arrest your own wife?” Belle tried to squeeze her hands out of the cuffs.

  “I can and I just did.” Harlan led her to his police cruiser and opened the door. “Watch your head.”

  He slammed the door. So much for today’s happiness. Surely he’d release her as soon as he got back. Harlan wouldn’t take her to jail.

  Would he?

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to the first book in my Saddle Ridge, Montana series! The Lawman’s Rebel Bride epitomizes two of my biggest loves: family and animals. I believe in doing everything possible for both.

  My grandmother Trudy passed away from Alzheimer’s disease back in 1998. It broke our hearts to watch a strong, robust woman who went on daily walks with her beloved schnauzer, Dukie, lose her memories. The day she stopped recognizing me was one I’ll never forget. It hurts seeing someone you love so dearly begin to fade. You’ll do anything in that moment to hold on to what’s left. This book allowed me to bring Grammy home, if only for a little while.

  My inspiration for the animals in The Lawman’s Rebel Bride came from The Gentle Barn in California and Tennessee along with Goats of Anarchy in New Jersey. These are two amazing rescues with multiple locations devoted to teaching kindness and compassion toward animals.

  As Harlan and Belle evolved on the page, I envisioned actor Bailey Chase and country singer Miranda Lambert in the lead roles. Miranda’s rebel roots and animal-lovin’ ways combined with Bailey’s rugged good looks and therapy-dog adoration made them my perfect fantasy couple.

  Feel free to stop in and visit me at amandarenee.com. I’d love to hear from you. Happy reading!

  Amanda Renee

  THE LAWMAN’S

  REBEL BRIDE

  Amanda Renee

  Amanda Renee was raised in the Northeast and now wriggles her toes in the warm coastal Carolina sands. Her career began when she was discovered through Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest. When not creating stories about love and laughter, she enjoys the company of her schnoodle, Duffy, camping, playing guitar and piano, photography, and anything involving horses. You can visit her at amandarenee.com.

  Books by Amanda Renee

  Harlequin American Romance

  Welcome to Ramblewood

  Betting on Texas

  Home to the Cowboy

  Blame It on the Rodeo

  A Texan for Hire

  Back to Texas

  Mistletoe Rodeo

  The Trouble with Cowgirls

  A Bull Rider’s Pride

  Twins for Christmas

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  For Grandma Trudy.

  You are forever in my heart.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Excerpt from Rodeo Baby by Mary Sullivan

  Chapter One

  “Harlan Slade, you owe me a wedding!”

  Belle Barnes stormed past the police department’s front counter, pushed through the attached swinging door and marched over to the deputy sheriff’s desk. Gasps aside, no one attempted to stop her. She’d seen the inside of the station more times than she could count. And Lord knew her history with Harlan was as well-known as it was long.

  “Belle!” Harlan jumped from his chair, almost knocking it over. The incredulous stare of his piercing blue eyes almost made her turn tail and run. He gave the room a quick scan before returning his attention to her. “What are you talking about?”

  “I need you to marry me...well, at least pretend to.” There was no sense in sugarcoating why she was there.

  Harlan cocked his jaw, grabbed the Stetson off the top of the filing cabinet behind him and pulled it down low, covering his thick chestnut-colored hair. “Let’s discuss this somewhere more private.”

  Private was the last thing Belle wanted. Private meant being alone with Harlan and that conjured up all sorts of memories and uncomfortableness she’d prefer to avoid. But she was desperate and she didn’t have time to waste on foolish pride.

  “Fine.” She followed him down the back hallway, away from prying eyes. If only she could pry her eyes away from the view of his jean-clad backside. The county sheriff strove for friendly casual and Harlan wore it well. The sound of his boots on the worn linoleum echoed against the walls, masking the thudding of her rapid heartbeat. Harlan swung open the heavy steel door and waited for Belle to exit first. She walked past him into the parking lot. Her bare shoulder brushed against his chest, causing her skin to prickle on contact. She inhaled sharply. Big mistake. The woodsy scent of his cologne transported her back to firelit nights snuggled up beside him. A time best forgotten.

  “What’s this all about?” Harlan’s hat shaded his features from the midmorning sun, making him more difficult to read. His tan button-down uniform shirt stretched taut across his shoulders and biceps as he folded his arms. He stood wide-legged in front of her, bringing his six-foot-one-inch height closer to her five foot four. “I’m fairly confident I’m the last person you want to marry.”

  That was the truth. She’d already stridden down that white-lined aisle only to watch him bolt for the church doors midceremony. There was nothing like the man of your dreams jilting you on your wedding day in front of the entire town. Belle shivered. It was close to eighty degrees in Saddle Ridge and her nerves were in overdrive. The past and the present were about to collide and she couldn’t put on the brakes. Not now. Not when her grandmother needed her most.

  Belle leaned against a parked police SUV for support. “My grandmother’s
Alzheimer’s causes her to regress more each day.” Saying the words aloud made the situation even more real. “She has no concept of the present, yesterday or even last week.”

  “Belle. I’m sorry.” Harlan’s deep, rich voice soothed. “I’ve wanted to visit Trudy in the nursing home many times but I wasn’t sure I would be welcome.”

  “Oh, you’re welcome.” Belle silently prayed for strength. “She believes we’re still getting married. There’s no convincing her otherwise. I even tried telling her we already were, but she’ll have none of it. She keeps asking for you and I’m hoping if she sees you, maybe we can tell her together that we’re eloping and it will put her mind at ease. I don’t know what else to do. In a week or two, she might regress further. I can’t promise she won’t ask for you again, but she’s growing more agitated each time she does and you’re not there.”

  Harlan reached for her. His rough thumbs grazed the top of her hands. “I’m sorry you’re going through this.”

  Belle pulled from his grasp. “Don’t do that.” She didn’t want to be comforted or touched...at least not by him. Her heart couldn’t take it. “This isn’t for me. It’s for my grandmother. I don’t want to be anywhere near you, but I will do whatever I must to make her last days comfortable, however many she has. And if that means pretending to marry you, then so be it. But I can’t do this without your cooperation.”

  “I’ll do it.” Harlan checked his watch. “How about I meet you there at noon? Is Trudy still in the same place down the road?”

  Belle nodded. The ease with which he agreed caught her off guard along with him knowing where her grandmother resided. Then again, their sleepy little town of Saddle Ridge in northwest Montana only had one nursing home, so it wasn’t too far of a stretch.

  “Okay.” Belle tugged her keys from her bag, not wanting to be near him any longer than necessary. “I guess that’s it then. I’ll see you later. And—um—thank you.” She hadn’t wanted to make eye contact again but felt the inexplicable need to do so. The second she did, she regretted it and turned to leave.

  “Belle, before you go—”

  She spun to face him. “Don’t you dare say I’m sorry one more time. I’ve heard eight years of sorry every time I see you, which is why I do everything in my power to avoid you.” She gripped her keys tighter. She needed Harlan’s help and yelling at him in the police station parking lot was a surefire way to get him to back out of their agreement. “Can we please do this without dredging up the past?”

  “You’re asking me to pretend to still be your fiancé on the eve of what should have been our eighth wedding anniversary. Kind of impossible, don’t you think?”

  Belle’s heart hammered against her rib cage. “You remember?”

  “August 1. Of course I remember.” Harlan closed the distance between them. “You’ve never let me explain why I left that day.”

  “Left? Ha! You tore out of that church like your tuxedo was on fire. There’s nothing to say. Nothing to rehash. Please.”

  “Okay.” Harlan held up his hands. “I’ll meet you at the nursing home at noon.”

  Belle headed to her pickup, wishing she’d worn something other than flip-flops. They didn’t make for a graceful exit when you’re trying to walk away quickly. Walk? Forget that! She’d rather run just like he did. If her grandmother hadn’t still lived in Saddle Ridge, she would have fled this godforsaken town long ago and never come back.

  She hopped up into her battered old truck and jammed the key in the ignition, praying it would start. Money was tight since she’d had to sell her grandmother’s house to pay for the nursing home. She had everything budgeted and there wasn’t one extra cent to dump into the thirty-two-year-old Chevy. Ol’ Red was loud, but she turned over. Belle stepped on the clutch and shifted into first, easing the truck onto Main Street. She arrived at the nursing home a few minutes later. Her boss, Dr. Lydia Presley, had been gracious enough to give her the day off. Working as a large-animal veterinarian assistant meant she wasn’t always needed during the day. Nights were a different story. When Lydia was on call, Belle was, too.

  “Miss Belle, we didn’t expect to see you back so soon.” Nurse Myra greeted her as she entered her grandmother’s room. “Trudy fell asleep soon after you left.”

  “I wanted to check in on her once more.” Belle lowered herself into the chair across from her grandmother. The woman who’d always been so active and full of life lay frail and motionless. The hospital bed and large safety rails dwarfed her body. Her once round cheeks and flawless complexion were sallow and gaunt. “After this morning, I’m not sure if my being here helps or upsets her.”

  Trudy stirred and Myra brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. This was one time Belle was thankful she lived in a small town. Everyone in the nursing home knew her and her grandmother. She’d heard horror stories about the poor treatment of the elderly in some facilities. While she hoped those incidents were rare, she didn’t have any concerns when it came to her grandmother’s care. Trudy used to be Myra’s Sunday school teacher, as she had been to quite a few other nursing home employees.

  Her grandmother was only sixty-five and had battled Alzheimer’s for the past five years. Early onset of the disease was uncommon and only accounted for 5 to 10 percent of all cases. Belle was well schooled in life-isn’t-fair. That didn’t stop her from asking, “Why Trudy?” every single day. Her grandmother was the only family she had. Her mother had given birth to her at age eighteen and took off when Belle was six. Took off as in she left Belle alone in a hotel room in Texas, never to return. At least her so-called mother had possessed the good sense to scrawl Trudy’s phone number on her left arm so the police had someone to call. Now she was losing the only person she’d ever loved, except for Harlan, and he’d stopped mattering to her a long time ago.

  “Were you able to find Harlan?” Myra asked.

  “How did you know?” Maybe the nursing home staff knew her better than she realized.

  “I’d like to say it was a lucky guess, but Gail saw your truck at the police station on her way in.”

  Of course she did. Gail was another nurse at the home. Sweet as the day is long, but the biggest gossip Saddle Ridge ever saw.

  “He said he’d stop by later.”

  Myra nodded, not pressing for further details. Belle was too anxious to sit around waiting for the hour of doom. She kissed her grandmother goodbye and told Myra she’d see her later. She had a few guests staying at her apartment and she needed to make sure they weren’t wrecking the place.

  * * *

  AT NOON, HARLAN parked his police SUV outside the nursing home. He dug into his pocket for a roll of antacids. Tearing the foil open, he popped a couple in his mouth. The three cups of coffee he’d drunk earlier were burning a hole in his chest. Steeling his nerves, he pried himself from the vehicle and made his way to the front entrance.

  He removed his hat as he opened the door and looked around. Maybe it was his imagination, but the nursing home seemed too quiet as he approached the front desk.

  “May I help you?” the woman behind it asked.

  “Hi,” he squeaked. Well, that was embarrassing. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I’m Harlan Slade and I’m here to see Gertrude Barnes. Belle Barnes is expecting me.”

  “Oh! You’re the guy.” A lightning bolt of recognition lit her face. She’d heard of him and presumably not in a favorable way. “She’s waiting for you in room 219. Down the hall, last room on the right.”

  Pretending to be Belle’s husband—even for a few minutes—was damn close to a root canal without anesthesia. Not because he hated her. He wished it were that simple. No, Harlan had been cursed with still loving her. She’d put every ounce of faith and trust in him since the day they met in first grade. And instead of marrying Belle as planned, he’d knocked up her maid of honor.

 
He’d run out on their wedding because he was nineteen and nowhere near ready to be tied down. Only he ended up married to Belle’s best friend a few months later. Correction, former best friend. And he certainly didn’t do it out of love. It had been one hundred percent obligation and it came back to bite him in the ass. Molly walked out of their lives within a year, leaving him to raise their daughter alone. Which suited him fine. He’d rather raise his child in a happy, single-parent home than with a woman who blamed their little girl for ruining her life.

  “Mind if I come in?” Harlan poked his head in the room. Belle jumped as if a mousetrap had gone off under her chair.

  “Not at all.” Trudy beamed from her bed. “I’ve been waiting for you. Come sit with me.” She weakly motioned to a chair on the other side of the bed. Her appearance took him by surprise, but he tried not to show it. She’d always been a robust woman. The last time he’d seen her, she’d taken Dukie—her beloved schnauzer—for one of their mile-long hikes. The woman before him was almost unrecognizable.

  “Hey, babe.” He set his hat on the table next to Belle, leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

  The steel daggers that shot from Belle’s icy blue eyes were just about enough to knock him dead on the floor. Okay, so he didn’t need to kiss her, but he wanted their relationship to look believable.

  “Belle, what’s the matter with you? Give your husband-to-be a hug. Only one more day.” Trudy clapped. “I can’t wait.”

  Belle plastered a smile across her face and rose from her chair. Even in faded jeans, flip-flops and a plain white tank top, she looked like a million bucks. He used to call her his platinum angel. When the sunlight hit her long blond hair just so, she had an ethereal glow about her. He caught a glimpse of it this morning.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave it a squeeze. A little too much of one if you asked him. The scent of lavender vanilla filled his nostrils. Some things never changed. She still used the same shampoo.