Rising Hope by Edie James
49
By the timethe pizza had been demolished and the darts thrown, Sarah could hardly keep her eyes open. It turned out, emotions took it out of a person. Even good emotions. She covered a yawn with the back of her hand and tried to focus on what Emmie was saying.
“I’m glad you’re staying.” Emmie jerked her chin in her twin’s direction. “You’re good for him.”
Sarah tried to summon an answering smile, but much as she wanted to believe Emmie’s words, she didn’t want to get her hopes up too high too fast. “You think so? I feel like I scare him sometimes. Or maybe that was just Peaches.”
“Peaches definitely scared him, but you do too, in a different way.” Emmie grinned. “In a good way.”
Enzo appeared between them and wrapped his arms over their shoulders. “Are you two talking about me again?”
Emmie rolled her eyes. “Yeah. That’s literally all we do. Talk about you.”
He nodded knowingly. “I figured.”
Emmie’s mouth tightened. She pulled an arm back, but before she could elbow him in the ribs, he skittered out of reach. “Over confidence isn’t as attractive as you think it is, baby bro.”
Sarah smothered a grin. “I was wondering who was older.”
Emmie pressed a finger to her own chest. “Ten whole minutes.”
“Yeah but that doesn’t mean—” Enzo stopped in mid-sentence to stare at the tall blond surfer striding into Giuseppe’s.
Emmie looked equally startled.
“Someone you know?” Sarah asked.
Emmie glared at the newcomer. “I guess you could say that.”
The surfer waved and headed in their direction.
Emmie groaned softly.
Enzo looked like he’d bit into a lemon. “Skeet Archer.” The name came out more like a curse.
“He’s cute,” Sarah observed.
“I guess.” Emmie shrugged. “If you like the tousled slacker look. Apparently, there’s not much going on in the brains department, though. This is the second time he’s crashed a MacKenzie gathering.”
Enzo shook his head. “I should talk to him. Outside.”
Emmie pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him. “I got this. You keep the fam off him.”
She stalked toward the newcomer.
Sarah eyed Enzo. He shrugged. “It’s a long story.”
“Then skip to the end.”
He rolled his eyes, exactly the way Emmie did, and blew out a breath. “He’s Romeo. She’s Juliette. This isn’t going to end well.”
Wanting more, she raised her eyebrows, but Enzo was too busy frowning at his twin’s back as she spoke to the newcomer.
“Your sister’s a brilliant woman. She’ll be fine.”
“My sister is a brilliant woman. But she won’t be fine. Not if she gets tangled up with an Archer.”
“Your brother married one.”
“Alyssa was only an Archer by marriage. Besides, I meant the men.”
“Worse than the MacKenzie boys, are they?”
Finally, a smile. He shook his head. “You have no idea.”
Stubborn? Confident, bordering on arrogant? Way too handsome for their own good? Yeah. She actually did. Not that she’d argue with him. Yet.
She twined her arm with his and steered him back toward the table. “Have a little faith.”
Easy to say. Difficult to do. But she planned to try. Hard.
Loving a MacKenzie would be worth the effort.
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Thank you for reading!The mystery of Tina MacKenzie’s murder deepens in RISING FAITH as Emmie and Skeet Archer reignite the cold case and hunt a group of clever killers. By the time the case is solved, friendships…and families…will be forever changed.
CLICK HERE to order RISING FAITH on Amazon.
Legal clinic attorneyEmmie MacKenzie has finally accepted her father's claim that her mother's death at the hands of a drunk driver was no accident, but agreeing to work with brusque, self-centered bad boy, Skeet Archer, to find the real killers? A seriously bad idea.
He might be the youngest son of the mighty Archer clan, but Skeet is the ultimate outsider in MacKenzie Cove. He dreads returning to the tiny beachside town where everyone knows his past, but clearing his half-brother of the six-year-old crime will erase a debt he’s owed for far too long.
Though the rest of her family is skeptical, Emmie agrees to join forces with Skeet to find her mother’s murderers. But the more clues they unearth, the closer danger creeps.
Some secrets really are worth killing for…as many times as necessary.
CLICK HERE to order RISING FAITH on Amazon.
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What Amazon readersare saying about the MacKenzie Cove series—
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Wow! Wow! Wow! Faith-filled romantic suspense at its best!”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “I can’t wait for the next book about the MacKenzie Family! Excellent story by a exceptional author!”
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Thanks again for reading!
Here’s to Faith, Family, and Friends…always.
All the best, Edie
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Need more romance?More suspense? More loving, faith-filled, rowdy families to root for?
Begin with the series that started it all… Hope Landing Romantic Suspense. Click HERE to join my newsletter and download the first book FREE.
Two wary souls get a second chance at love
If a killer doesn’t find them first.
When a stalker turns to murder, pilot Kelli Spencer needs protection. What she doesn’t need is her old love Jack Reese returning to stir things up, but the former Navy SEAL and his team of protection specialists are the best of the best. Trust him with her life? If she has to. With her heart? No way.
The last time Jack left, he made it clear married life held no appeal. Ten years later, he wastes no time letting her know he hasn’t changed. Not that she’d be fool enough to hope.
As the commander of Knight Tactical, Jack jumps at the chance to protect Kelli and take down a killer, but as soon as she’s safe, he plans to shake the dust of the small mountain town off his feet again…until he realizes he never should have left the first time.
Can he convince Kelli to give him another chance, or will a devious killer destroy his plans for a happily ever after?
Danger. Family. Faith. Meet the SEALs of Hope Landing. Born to protect. Destined for love.
Welcome to Hope Landing, where the former SEALs of Knight Tactical Protection battle danger and tests of faith on the road to lasting love. A series of clean, inspirational action adventure romances, each guaranteed to lift your heart.
Read on for the first 3 chapters…