Cowboy Love and Mystery Book 13 - Familia

By Claire Rose

The family is united. Courtney is willing to help her family since she feels used by Timeon, but Will and Evelyn choose to watch her and make sure she's loyal to them. Courtney manages to convince Timeon to leave his family, and Big Tom is enraged. Adrian and Oliver help uncover Will and Mike's plans to implicate Big Tom

• Language: English
• Publisher: romanceshortbooks.com
• Release date: Dec 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781778486517

Claire Rose

Get/Share Your FREE CLM Romance eBook Now at cowboyloveandmystery.comClaire Rose is a talented author in the world of clean romance, captivating readers with her heartfelt and enchanting love stories. With a gifted pen for crafting tender relationships and weaving tales of pure passion, Claire brings a refreshing purity to the realm of romance literature. Her irresistible characters and ingeniously crafted plots transport readers to a world where true love conquers all obstacles. Whether set against the picturesque backdrop of a small town or amidst the glamour of a bustling city, Claire's novels offer a delightful escape into a world where love grows, hearts mend, and happily-ever-afters are always within reach. Immerse yourself in the charm and magic of Claire Rose's exquisite storytelling and experience the joy of falling in love all over again, but with twists and turn you won't see coming!

Book preview

1

Evelyn

Three years ago…

Evelyn stood at the door, watching the sickly-looking girl in front of her. She wore what looked like an outworn dress. The scarf she had over her head was torn in a few places. Tiny strands of her stubborn brown hair peeked out. Evelyn wondered if the girl knew that her hair knew and saw more things before she did.

Evelyn shook her head. How could she know that? The fearful look etched on the strange girl’s face screamed her lack of awareness of anything that was not security and shelter.

Hi, I am Courtney,the strange girl spoke after an awful moment of silence.

Evelyn didn’t know what to say. Uh… uh… Cour…?

Courtney. This is my father’s house. I had to come!

Evelyn sized the girl up. She would be a few years younger than herself, Evelyn thought. She would be Lisa’s age. Evelyn wondered what the chances of her father being a cheat were.

My father never mentioned you, Evelyn announced. She frowned when the fear in the girl’s eyes changed to surprise. She scoffed and shook her head in disbelief.

You guys never knew about me? The girl was hurt. It was evident in the way her voice broke as she spoke.

You guys?

He told me about my sisters, Evelyn and Lisa. And Frankie, our dead brother.

Frankie? Evelyn shook her head. You must be mistaken. We don’t have any brothers. Evelyn thought the girl must be one of those street swindlers; they appear at the door, looking wretched and pathetic.

They would blackmail you into letting them into your house, and while you were busy trying to make something warm for them, they would cart away your precious belongings they found closest to them.

Here’s a picture of…

Evelyn, how long does it take to answer the door and return to your chores? We need to get to the restaurant soon. People need food to survive!

There’s someone lingering by the door! She says she’s our sister! Evelyn called out.

Katrina was at the door shortly. She looked at the girl, over and over, as if she were looking to find some proof of sanity around her. She turned to Evelyn.

She might be one of these miscreants roaming the street, Katrina concluded.

I am not! I am Courtney and my mother mentioned this address as my father’s before she died in my arms last night.

Katrina laughed shakily. Look here, child. I have gathered experience with age and I can see through your cheap web of lies. You should go back to the street and report your loss to your chairperson!

Katrina banged the door shut and Evelyn chuckled, I thought the same of her!

Why did you choose to waste all of your time at the door then? her mother snapped.

She was going on about some dead brother of ours… Frankie. Can you believe the cheap liar? Evelyn laughed hard.

She frowned when her mother stopped walking and started towards the door. Evelyn followed her.

The door opened, after a rough pull from Katrina. Evelyn wondered what was going on. Katrina looked around for the girl. They found her crouched beneath a tree. She looked up at them and got up, holding out a photograph.

Evelyn inched closer to see the photograph her mother now had in her hand. She frowned when she saw her father’s face in the picture, with the girl and another woman with a striking resemblance. Bill was