The Harder They Fall

By Roxanne D. Howard

FROM NOW ON...

Piper Goldhirsch has returned home for the holidays after being on assignment for two months in war-torn Syria. Still heartbroken over the way things ended with ship captain, Jack Spencer, she's wary when he offers to take her away to Catalina Island for a romantic weekend. She's begun to carve out a promising career, and doesn't want to sacrifice the strides she's made with Channel 4 news, but she longs for Jack and agrees to the get-away.

SMOOTH SAILING

Jack is determined to win back Piper at all costs. When he receives a cash settlement from the tabloid that defamed him, he buys a new yacht and whisks her away hoping to reignite the fire between them. Their passion rekindles, but a dangerous stowaway hijacks the yacht and holds Piper and Jack captive. Working to keep each other alive, they realize there's no tomorrow unless they are together. Forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948029476

Roxanne D. Howard

Roxanne D. Howard is a U.S. Army veteran, and a Columbia College alumni. She loves to read books in every genre, and she is an avid Star Wars fan, musical theater nut, and marine biology geek. Roxanne resides in the western U.S., and when she's not writing, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband, children, and furry companions. Roxanne loves to hear from her readers, and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.

Book preview

FROM NOW ON...

Piper Goldhirsch has returned home for the holidays after being on assignment for two months in war-torn Syria. Still heartbroken over the way things ended with ship captain, Jack Spencer, she's wary when he offers to take her away to Catalina Island for a romantic weekend. She's begun to carve out a promising career, and doesn't want to sacrifice the strides she's made with Channel 4 news, but she longs for Jack and agrees to the get-away.

SMOOTH SAILING

Jack is determined to win back Piper at all costs. When he receives a cash settlement from the tabloid that defamed him, he buys a new yacht and whisks her away hoping to reignite the fire between them. Their passion rekindles, but a dangerous stowaway hijacks the yacht and holds Piper and Jack captive. Working to keep each other alive, they realize there's no tomorrow unless they are together. Forever.

THE HARDER THEY FALL

Roxanne D. Howard

www.BOROUGHSPUBLISHINGGROUP.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Boroughs Publishing Group does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites, blogs or critiques or their content.

THE HARDER THEY FALL

Copyright © 2018 Haley Cavanagh

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. Unless specifically noted, no part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Boroughs Publishing Group. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of Boroughs Publishing Group is illegal and punishable by law. Participation in the piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights.

ISBN 978-1-948029-47-6

E-book formatting by Maureen Cutajar

www.gopublished.com

For Carey

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To Bianca and Natalie Duarte, whose gorgeous artwork continues to inspire me. Thank you for the spirit and soul you put into your creations. They have been such an influence on my work.

Thank you to the volunteers and staff at NOAA who dedicate their time and efforts to restoring coral reefs and helping the ocean return to a healthy, habitable place for marine wildlife.

To my dear editor who wields a proverbial red pen more powerful than any sword: I count my lucky stars to have been able to work with you on so many projects throughout the past year and hope for many more to come.

I’m very grateful to the wonderful staff of Boroughs Publishing Group, who made it possible for my stories and novels to become a reality. I will always be thankful for your time, effort, and the expertise you lent throughout the publication of this series.

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

About the Author

THE HARDER THEY FALL

Chapter One

Jack Spencer reached up to place the starfish on the top of the Christmas tree. The theme this year was nautical, with dolphins, whales, fish ornaments, and sparkly green seaweed in place of tinsel. The news filtered through in the background from the flat-screen TV. He stood back to assess his handiwork. I know it’s…different, but hell, normal is boring. I get that I’m not going to impress you, but since it’s Christmas and all, you want to weigh in and give an honest opinion here? He turned around. Finn, his golden retriever, tilted his furry head to the side and wagged his tail.

Works for me. Jack bent down and retrieved the extra seaweed from the floor, then paused as Hakeem Patel, the TV news anchor, caught his attention.

"Good evening. Tonight we’ll bring you live to Syria, where Piper Goldhirsch has a special report."

Jack catapulted over the sofa and crash-landed on a cushion. He’d been waiting for this all evening. Finn joined him. He scratched behind the dog’s ear, distracted as his attention zeroed in on the screen. C’mon, c’mon, he muttered.

Hakeem turned to a different camera. "But first up, the Orange County jailbreak."

Oh, great, Jack grumbled. Cock block me, why don’t you. He normally skimmed the news on his cell phone to stay up to date on the political hodgepodge, but he’d been religiously watching every broadcast since Piper became a field reporter. He sighed and leaned back against the couch cushions.

"How did convicted murderer Diego Archuleta escape, and where is he hiding? Diego Archuleta, who has ties to the Mexican cartel, was convicted of rape, drug dealing, and manslaughter, and sentenced to life behind bars. Three days ago, his penitentiary cell was found empty. He is considered extremely dangerous and possibly armed. If you’ve seen Diego…"

Jack’s mind drifted to the last time he’d held Piper. Her soft body fit perfectly against him. She’d made him feel complete. A number for the sheriff’s department flashed on the screen. Jack drummed his fingers against the arm of the sofa. Finn whined, and he glanced down at him. Don’t give me that look, bud. I’ve been waiting for this all day.

"Now to our field anchor in Syria, Piper Goldhirsch, with a special report." Jack leaned forward, eager to see Piper. He wasn’t disappointed. A light snowfall drifted down behind her. Her generous dark curls escaped from beneath her soft cream-colored knit cap. She wore a black coat, and her scarf and gloves matched her hat. She put a hand to her earpiece and waited. They had a delay each time she did her broadcast, but Jack loved it because it meant he got to stare at her a little longer before she spoke. She looked like an angel in the middle of a damn battlefield. The edge of the shark’s-tooth necklace he’d given her peeked out the top of the scarf. The corner of his mouth lifted. That was a good sign, at least. She was thinking of him.

"Hi, Hakeem. I’m here in Damascus. Tensions have mounted all week amid the strain of U.S. relationships with Turkey, who refuse to withdraw their military presence from Syria amid a political tug-of-war. The rapid blasts of artillery rounds have carried on late into the night. While many lucky people have fled the country, those who remain are sheltered in the bunkers, waiting for a miracle. As we wait in limbo for word on a possible cease-fire, we thought we’d turn the tables a bit and focus on the families in need. Here in war-torn Syria, where war has gone on for over half a decade, everyone you meet has lost family and friends in the past year. More than a quarter of a million people have died since the war began, leaving many children without families. The cease-fire has lasted since March, but people here pray for a more permanent solution. Each one of these children has a story to tell."

The camera zoomed out to show her surrounded by many Syrian children with tattered clothes and mismatched winter apparel. A little girl he’d seen with Piper before, with large haunted eyes and long black braids, held on to Piper’s free hand. Many of the other children looked wiped. She looked down at the girl, who clutched her hand.

"This is Amira, and a year ago, she was found beneath some debris east of the capital. She lost her whole family." Jack interlaced his fingers and leaned forward as Piper recounted Amira’s story. A gut-wrenching memory gripped him as she spoke. He’d stood holding his dad’s hand when he was five years old, much like Amira did now, at his mom’s grave. That poor girl. Losing his mother so young had been hard. His dad did all he could to fulfill both roles, and he at least was emotionally aware of what Jack needed at pivotal times. He ran his fingers through his hair. It would have crippled him to lose both parents at once, as Amira had. That kid was probably tougher than all the crusty seadogs he’d been out on the ocean with.

Amira didn’t seem to understand a word Piper said, but she remained glued to Piper’s side. She smiled up at Piper and leaned in toward