Redemption at Hawk's Landing Read online

  A missing sister, a murdered father and a dangerous reunion years in the making.

  The last place Honey Granger wants to be is Tumbleweed, Texas—the judgmental town that made her childhood a living hell. But when Sheriff Harrison Hawk informs her that her alcoholic father has been murdered, she reluctantly joins his investigation. The sexy sheriff has long suspected Honey’s father in his sister’s disappearance and vows to solve both mysteries. But keeping his professional distance from the vulnerable blonde proves nearly impossible. He’ll guard her 24/7 until her life is out of danger. But how will she feel if Harrison proves her father was a murderer?

  Badge of Justice

  “I’m going to find out who did this,” Harrison said. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Honey.”

  She started to say something but he stopped her. “Shh.” He pressed his finger to her lips to quiet her. “I mean it. People in this town haven’t been nice to you and it’s not right. I should have stood up for you a long time ago, when we were kids.”

  A blush stained her face and she averted her eyes as if bad memories had assaulted her.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to remind you of the past.”

  “I can’t ever forget the past,” Honey said. “Not until we figure out if my father killed your sister.”

  Their gazes locked. Tension escalated. Emotions and desires flamed between them.

  She shivered and Harrison realized he’d wanted to soothe and protect and touch her ever since he’d seen her at the morgue.

  No longer able to resist, he stroked her cheek with the back of his thumb, then lowered his head and kissed her.

  REDEMPTION

  AT HAWK’S

  LANDING

  USA TODAY Bestselling Author

  Rita Herron

  USA TODAY bestselling author Rita Herron wrote her first book when she was twelve but didn’t think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. A former kindergarten teacher and workshop leader, she traded storytelling to kids for writing romance, and now she writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. Rita lives in Georgia with her family. She loves to hear from readers, so please visit her website, ritaherron.com.

  Books by Rita Herron

  Harlequin Intrigue

  Badge of Justice

  Redemption at Hawk’s Landing

  The Heroes of Horseshoe Creek

  Lock, Stock and McCullen

  McCullen’s Secret Son

  Roping Ray McCullen

  Warrior Son

  The Missing McCullen

  The Last McCullen

  Bucking Bronc Lodge

  Certified Cowboy

  Cowboy in the Extreme

  Cowboy to the Max

  Cowboy Cop

  Native Cowboy

  Ultimate Cowboy

  Cold Case at Camden Crossing

  Cold Case at Carlton’s Canyon

  Cold Case at Cobra Creek

  Cold Case in Cherokee Crossing

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Sheriff Harrison Hawk—Guilt ridden over his sister’s disappearance eighteen years ago, Harrison must investigate the murder of the man he suspected is responsible. But can he protect his heart when old wounds and desires draw him to Granger’s beautiful daughter, Honey?

  Honey Granger—Tainted by the suspicions about her father, Honey wants the truth. But finding it means teaming up with Harrison Hawk, the man she had a crush on as a teen—the man whose mother hates her.

  Chrissy Hawk—Her disappearance tore the Hawk family apart. What happened to her?

  Special Agent Lucas Hawk—He blames himself for his sister’s disappearance because he stood by while one of his friends bullied her.

  Dexter Hawk—He fought with Chrissy the night she disappeared and told her to get lost—and then she did…

  Brayden Hawk—He believes it’s his fault his sister was lost because he convinced Chrissy to sneak out with him the night she went missing.

  Ava Hawk—Chrissy’s mother suspected Waylon Granger of abducting and killing her precious daughter. But she has her own secrets…

  Reverend Langley—Does the local preacher know more than he’s saying about Chrissy’s disappearance?

  Geoffrey Williams—Did this respected town council member do something to Chrissy eighteen years ago?

  Elden Lynch—Is he as harmless as he seems?

  Mrs. Lynch—She will do anything to protect her son, who has a mental disability, and keep him away from Honey Granger.

  To the fans of The Heroes of Horseshoe Creek series

  who asked for another family—meet the Hawks!

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Excerpt from Cowboy’s Legacy by B.J. Daniels

  Chapter One

  The dead man lay sprawled on the mountain ridge at Dead Man’s Bluff, his eyes blank, his arm twisted at an odd angle.

  He’d probably broken it in the fall. Blood matted his graying hair from where he’d hit the rock as he’d gone over the edge of the ridge.

  Sheriff Harrison Hawk cursed. Dammit, he’d recognized him immediately.

  Waylon Granger.

  The man his mother blamed for his sister’s disappearance eighteen years ago. They’d never been able to prove he was at fault, though.

  And now he was dead; they might never know the truth.

  Curiosity over what had happened nagged at Harrison. Granger was a known drunk, and a mean one. Even his daughter, Honey, had left home after high school graduation to escape the bastard.

  What was Granger doing here at Dead Man’s Bluff?

  This was the teenage hangout—just as years ago he and his friends had been drawn to the swimming hole and dark mines with the mysterious ghost stories that surrounded them, the local high schoolers still frequented it.

  The two thirteen-year-old boys who’d called in the body sat hunched by Granger’s rusty pickup, their young faces etched in horror.

  The scent of death hit Harrison, the summer heat accentuating it.

  Memories of the night his little sister, Chrissy, had gone missing bombarded him. The years since hadn’t dulled the pain or trauma. It felt as if it had happened yesterday.

  He was seventeen at the time and supposed to babysit his siblings that night while his parents attended a party. I
nstead, he’d sneaked out to meet his buddies at this very place.

  He inhaled sharply. He’d thought Lucas, fifteen, would watch their thirteen-year-old brother, Dexter, eleven-year-old Brayden and their ten-year-old sister, Chrissy. But Lucas had a friend visiting and hadn’t noticed when Chrissy and his youngest brother, Brayden, sneaked out. Dexter claimed he and Chrissy had argued because he was playing video games and she kept interrupting. Brayden and Chrissy rode their bikes to the bluff to see what Harrison was up to.

  While they were exploring, Brayden tripped and sprained his ankle. Chrissy went to get help. Brayden thought she’d run to Honey Granger’s, but Honey denied seeing her that night.

  The sheriff organized a search party, and they’d searched the mines and town and dragged the swimming hole. But they hadn’t found her.

  Someone claimed they’d seen Granger’s truck drive by, casting suspicion on him. Granger denied picking Chrissy up or having any contact with her.

  Desperate for a big-sister role model, Chrissy had taken a shine to Granger’s daughter, Honey. But Harrison’s mother didn’t like Honey and had forbidden her from hanging out with the teenager.

  Honey’s father didn’t allow Honey friends or visitors, so Harrison’s mother suggested that the man had caught Chrissy on their property, lost his temper and done something to her.

  The boys’ voices sounded from Granger’s truck and dragged Harrison back to reality. The taller one stood and walked toward him, his eyes wide with fear. “C-can we go home now, Sheriff?”

  Harrison felt for the boy. He and his friend were only kids and had no business being out here by themselves. The mines and bluff were dangerous.

  Hopefully they’d learned their lesson.

  Unfortunately neither had seen anyone else at the bluff. They’d been horsing around, throwing rocks off the ridge when they noticed the vultures, then spotted Granger’s body on the ledge below.

  “Yeah, but be careful. If you think of anything else you saw, call me.”

  The boy nodded, then jogged over to his bicycle. His friend joined him, then the two of them began pedaling as fast as they could to get away. Tonight they’d probably be glad to go home to their parents.

  A siren wailed in the distance, indicating the rescue team and crime team were approaching. Once they recovered Granger’s body, they’d transport it to the morgue for an autopsy.

  Although most likely Granger had been drunk and had simply slipped and fallen, Harrison had a job to do. Whether or not he liked the man didn’t matter.

  He had to verify that his death was accidental.

  His stomach knotted. He also had to call Honey and deliver the news that her father was gone. It was one conversation he dreaded.

  * * *

  HONEY GRANGER WIPED perspiration from her forehead, the Austin summer heat stifling as she studied her latest project—a brick ranch built in 1960 that she was renovating.

  The scent of dust and old weathered wood blended with the hint of new pine she’d bought to replace the rotting boards on the kitchen floor.

  Adrenaline pumped through her. Taking dilapidated, run-down houses that had been left for dead and refurbishing them was challenging but stimulating. She loved transforming the ruins into something beautiful, and had built a successful business out of it.

  She’d been trying to do the same for herself for years—take the battered girl who’d run from Tumbleweed, Texas, and make her into something to be proud of. Sometimes she thought she’d succeeded.

  Other times she felt like the tainted teenager with the thrift store clothes and shady family, who’d run away when the gossip and rumors became too crushing.

  Her contractor and business partner, Jared North, strode toward her, swinging his sledgehammer.

  Today was his favorite part—demo day.

  He tilted his hard hat. “You want that wall between the kitchen and living room knocked out?”

  Honey nodded. “Everyone wants open concept these days, to be able to see their friends and family while they cook and entertain.”

  “Got it,” Jared said. “It’s load bearing, though, so we’ll have to install a support beam.”

  “It’ll be worth it.” Honey stepped back, mentally picturing the reconfigured design of the kitchen. “With the wall gone, we can install upper and lower cabinets, and build a large center island, maybe from reclaimed wood, for more prep space and storage beneath.” She walked over and examined the fireplace. “Remove the Sheetrock. My guess is there’s shiplap below it. Exposing it will add character to the space.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Honey laughed at his mock salute. The planning and design stage, she was in charge. But when it came to the actual construction details and labor, Jared took command and she saluted him.

  “How about the bathrooms?” Jared asked.

  “We’re gutting them.” The outdated tiles and flooring had to go. She just hoped they didn’t find water damage or mold.

  Her phone buzzed at her hip, and she checked the number. The area code wasn’t Austin’s, but it seemed familiar. It took her a moment to realize the location.

  Tumbleweed.

  Nerves fluttered in her belly. The sheriff’s office.

  Fear and anger resurfaced quickly. Good grief, she’d recognize that number anywhere. What had her father done now? He’d been arrested for public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and driving under the influence when she lived at home. And she’d had to bail him out.

  But she’d cut off contact when she’d left town and told Sheriff Dunar not to bother calling her when he locked her father up again.

  The phone buzzed again. Jared frowned. “Aren’t you going to answer that?”

  Honey shook her head. She didn’t give a damn if her father was in trouble. He had shamed her enough in high school. She’d moved away years ago to escape the stigma.

  She refused to let him taint her newfound life here in Austin.

  The phone settled, and she and Jared walked through the rest of the house. She pointed out her plans—a new window here, French doors off the living room to open up to the patio they were resurfacing, removal of all the popcorn ceiling, bathroom remodel.

  Her phone buzzed again just as they finished. The same number.

  Damn.

  “What’s wrong, Honey?” Jared asked.

  She bit the inside of her cheek. “Nothing.” She snatched up the phone. “I guess I’d better take this.” She’d tell Sheriff Dunar to lose her number and never bother her again.

  Her lungs tightened as she hurried outside to the backyard for air. Just the thought of her father made her feel dirty.

  Ready to get the call over with, she pressed Connect. “Hello.”

  A heartbeat of silence passed. “Is this Honey Granger?”

  Honey heaved a breath. It didn’t sound like Sheriff Dunar. “Yes, who is this?”

  “Harrison Hawk... I’m sheriff now.”

  Honey swallowed hard. Harrison Hawk was sheriff of Tumbleweed?

  Good God. She’d had such a crush on him when she was younger. But then his little sister went missing, and her hellish life became a real nightmare when her father became a suspect.

  “Harrison?” Honey rubbed her damp forehead, wiping at the perspiration. “How did you get my number? Why—”

  “Just listen, Honey. It’s important.”

  She leaned her back against a sawtooth tree and waited, but her gaze homed in on the sagging porch and rotting awning of her renovation project.

  “I have bad news,” he said in a gruff voice. “It’s about your father.”

  Was there any other kind of news where he was concerned? “What has he done now?”

  Another tense moment passed, then Harrison cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Honey.
I hate to have to tell you this, but he’s dead.”

  Honey’s legs buckled, and she felt herself sliding to the ground just like the rotting exterior of her latest project.

  * * *

  SEVERAL TENSE SECONDS passed as Harrison gave Honey time to absorb the news.

  A rescue team and the medical examiner sped up the winding road to the clearing at the top of the hill and screeched to a halt.

  “Honey, are you still there?”

  The rescue team climbed from their vehicle, followed by the ME. Harrison waved them over to the ridge and pointed out the body.

  “Honey?”

  “I’m here,” she said in a strained voice.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I just thought you’d want to know.” Or maybe not. She hadn’t returned to Tumbleweed in years. He didn’t know if she’d spoken to her father recently or if they’d communicated at all since she’d left.

  “How? His drinking?”

  “I can’t say for sure until the autopsy.”

  Another strained silence. She was obviously in shock.

  “I’ll transport the body to the morgue,” he said, hating to sound callous but he didn’t know what else to say. Better to just stick to business. “I didn’t know if you wanted to come back and make arrangements—”

  A heavy sigh. “I’ll let you know when I get there.”

  “All right.” He watched as the rescue team anchored a harness so they could climb down and bring up the body. “If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”

  Honey murmured, “Okay.” A second later the phone went silent, leaving him wondering if she’d been alone or with someone. He should have asked before he dropped the bomb.

  But he and Honey hadn’t exactly been friends when she lived in Tumbleweed. Worse, his sister’s disappearance had cast a dark cloud over both their families.

  The rescue workers’ voices jerked him from his thoughts, a reminder he needed to focus on the job. He strode to the edge of the bluff and looked down.

  One of the workers was kneeling by Granger’s body.

  Harrison used his camera phone to take pictures before the men moved it. The ME stepped up beside him.