Texas Justice Series

He never lets anything get to him. Except her. Police Chief Shane Highwater has the respect of the entire town of Last Stand, Texas, and they all believe he was blameless when an accident several months ago ended one life and tore apart another. All except reporter Liliana Jones, who blames him for her fiancé’s death. There's more to the story than she knows, secrets that might change her mind. Secrets Shane can't tell her. But oh, does he want to, because Lily Jones is the first woman he's been undeniably drawn to in a very long time. When a tragedy in town throws them together, Lily is forced to admit Shane is everything everyone said he was and ignoring the growing attraction is near impossible, and she’s no longer sure she wants to. Has her change of heart come too late?

She’s no one’s second choice ... Slater Highwater had his own reasons for coming home to Last Stand, Texas. And if anyone wants to know why a guy with a philosophy degree from an Ivy League school was now running the historic Last Stand Saloon, he has a stack of ready answers, none of which are completely true. But Joey Douglas never asked that question. Perhaps because she and Slater are always carrying on conversations no one else can follow. Or perhaps because she suspects she knows why he came home – her glamorous and calculating older sister broke his heart. Joey has longed for Slater since she first laid eyes on him, but her sister will always be an insurmountable barrier between them. Sure she and Slater click intellectually and sparks ignite whenever they’re in the same room, but Joey will never, ever settle for being Slater’s consolation prize no matter how much she loves him. Can Joey step out of her sister's shadow? Can Slater convince Joey she's his true soul mate?

A Christmas in Last Stand brings unexpected gifts to two very different people... Detective Sean Highwater may be one of the famous Highwaters, but he has always felt a half-step off because of the way his agile mind works. Only learning to focus has enabled him to not just survive, but thrive. Elena de la Cova is from a respected and highly regarded founding family, brought up with rather stringent expectations, but right now she is a widow trying to raise a son she doesn't understand. If Last Stand had royalty, in Sean's book it would be elegant Elena. He's willing to help her son as he had been helped, but being that close to Elena scares him to death since he’s been in awe of her for years. Elena is impressed both with the way Sean gets through to her son, and with his appreciation for the Christmas customs of her culture as much as his own. Their perceptions of each other shift, but will the passion that strikes between them be enough to overcome their perceptions of themselves?

The spark is still there... and brighter than ever Cowgirl Sage Highwater had some tough times growing up: she was the only girl in a family of five, and the youngest to boot. She lost her amazing father and her closest sibling on the same day. And two years later, the boy she loved down to her soul left her behind without a word. Growing up, Scott Parrish had been the talk of Last Stand, Texas, and never in a good way. At odds with his family, he’d constantly courted trouble. No one seemed to care or understand him, except Sage. At seventeen he’d been given a chance to make something of his life. He’d seized it, but at the expense of leaving the girl he loved. Ten years later he’s back, but not to stay. Is a few days enough for even a determined cowgirl to convince the bad boy-turned-hero to finally give their love a chance in the hometown he's hated for years?

He’s haunted by one mistake... Kane Highwater has been on the run for over a dozen years, since he was sixteen. And every step of the way he's carried the weight of what happened the day he left Last Stand. He'd reacted in fear and anger, and it had cost him everything. He stirs her heart in a way she never imagined... Lark Leclair admires the Highwater clan for many things, including how they've never stopped searching for their missing brother. As a former Child Protective Services worker, she understands better than most why he'd run. But when she spots Kane in a crowd at a national reining competition where her friend — his sister — is competing, it will take all of her experience, compassion and instincts to convince him to stay. Their attraction is immediate, but Kane is certain he can never regain his place in his legendary family. Can Lark convince him that with her by his side, it's not too late for a fresh start?