Support Your Local Sheriff
(Harmony Valley #10)
by Melinda Curtis
by Melinda Curtis
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
October 1st 2017 by Harlequin HeartwarmingWill he pass the daddy test?
With his job in jeopardy, it couldn't be a worse time for Sheriff Nate Landry's recent past to come back to haunt him. But it would take an army to stop SWAT team leader Julie Smith. The fellow cop—and sister of his ex-fiancée—wants one thing from the beleaguered lawman: custody of the toddler son that Nate didn't know he had.
He may not be natural daddy material, but he quickly takes a shine to little Duke. And then there are the feelings Nate's been hiding for years. Only now Julie's running for sheriff of Harmony Valley—against him. Time to retreat? Not if he wants a future with the woman he loves.
Excerpt:
Clod-clump. Clod-clump.
The gray-haired residents of Harmony Valley had probably never done the wave at a sports stadium. But their heads turned in the same rippled effect to stare Nate’s way, starting from the back of the church and moving forward. Grins and coos rippled through the assembled, almost as if—
The little hand returned to Nate’s shoulder, followed by a hot-breathed “Hi.”
Mystery solved. Residents were doing the neck-craning wave to watch an angelic toddler putting on a show behind Nate.
When Nate turned his head, he received another gentle forehead bump. “You’re an awesome little dude.” Nate ruffled the boy’s hair.
The boy’s gray eyes widened in delight. “I Duke.” He tapped his skinny chest and grinned.
The majority of the assembled chuckled. The majority being over age sixty-five and being grandparents or great-grandparents who appreciated precocious children.
Behind Nate, someone emitted a heavy sigh. Feminine hands drew the toddler out of view once more.
“For years…” Doris half glanced behind her as if sensing she was losing her audience. “…you four have ruled Harmony Valley. Well, no more! The people want to be heard. The people want a say. The people want to vote for a sheriff of our own choosing!”
Nate sat back against the pew. He wasn’t the hand-shaking, promise-making, run-for-office type.
“Now, Doris…” Mayor Larry hated discord and looked as if he was ready to break Robert’s Rules of Order and escape out the back. He started again. “Now, Doris—”
“Don’t you Now Doris me. I want action and I want it now!”
“She slipped up there,” Flynn noted. “She said I.”
“The people…” Doris was quick with a correction. “The people want action now!”
“I’m going to remind the speaker,” Mayor Larry said carefully. “That there is a review process written in the town bylaws—”
“By you.” Doris scoffed.
The mayor tilted his head down and stared at Doris over the rim of his rectangular readers. “Written by the town council over seventy years ago.”
“Hi!” Duke shouted, completely stealing the limelight and bringing some much-needed laughter to the proceedings.
Doris spun, so upset at being upstaged her short hair seemed to tilt forward and take aim at the upstager.
The few residents not enamored of little Duke straightened and quieted like school children caught misbehaving. The rest kept on smiling and scrunching their faces in funny ways designed to encourage the boy, not calm him down. He really was a cute kid. Not even Doris was immune to his charms. Her expression seemed to soften.
“We should wrap this up so we can all meet that adorable young man in the back.” Agnes spoke into the microphone. “These are all good points, Doris. Therefore…” Agnes waited until Doris faced her again. “I move we hold a sheriff’s election as soon as possible. Say…this week, so as not to hinder our Spring Festival plans.”
Voices disappeared beneath a rush of sound, as if Nate was passing a semi truck on the highway with his windows down. His position was an inconvenience to the Spring Festival? His livelihood? His future?
The assembled were just as shocked as Nate. The church had fallen into a stunned silence. There wasn’t so much as a peep from Doris or Duke.
During the lull, Agnes elbowed Rose.
“Uh…” Rose looked as confused as Nate felt.
Mildred, who had a slight resemblance to Mrs. Claus, pushed her thick lenses higher up her nose and sighed. “I suppose…I second?”
Anticipating peace, the mayor beamed at the council. “All in favor?”
All three town councilwomen said, “Aye.”
“Motion passed.” The mayor closed out the meeting.
“An election?” Nate’s plain-and-simple world was suddenly not so plain and simple.
“Don’t sweat it.” Flynn stared down at his newborn son with a whole lotta love in his eyes. “You signed a new contract and you’re the only qualified candidate in town. You’ll win by a landslide.”
Nate’s future was out of his control. He didn’t think he’d sleep for a week.
“I Duke.” The little dude gripped Nate’s shoulder.
The woman’s hands drew him back.
“Juju,” the boy scolded.
In the past eighteen months or so, there’d been an influx of younger residents to Harmony Valley and a baby boom. Nate turned more fully in his seat to see who held his new friend.
Familiar gray eyes collided with his.
A storm cloud hovered over Nate. And flashed with lightning.
An election, a son he didn’t know about, and a woman who abhors him (yet he loves). All I can say is Nate’s life doesn’t get better. It only gets worse.
Melinda Curtis is an award-winning USA Today bestseller. She writes sweet romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, sweet romantic comedies and sexy traditional contemporary romances. Her latest release, Support Your Local Sheriff, is an ode to the quiet heroic sheriffs her mother made her watch with her on Sundays when there was nothing else on TV.
Other Books in the Series
About the Author
USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author, Melinda Curtis is the award winning author of contemporary romance that spans the sexy scale - from sweet romance to sweet romantic comedy (written under the Melinda Curtis brand) to fun, sexier romances (written under the Mel Curtis brand).
Melinda loves writing romances about women who don't realize how strong they are until a hero comes along to show them, while simultaneously capturing the wry humorous power struggle of falling in love (because, really, who lets the man have the last word?).
Tour Schedule
Tour Giveaway
- US Only. International will receive ecopies.
- Ends November 1st
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