RJ (HC Heroes Series Book 7) Read online

  RJ

  HC Heroes Series/ Book 7

  A Harland County Spinoff Series

  by Donna Michaels

  NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author

  RJ

  HC Heroes Series/Book 7

  Copyright © 2020 Donna Michaels

  Cover Art by Donna Michaels © 2020

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author—except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the web. For information, please contact the author via email at [email protected]

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  About this Book

  Recovering from a deadly helicopter crash, Rockford “RJ” James is ready to start his new life outside the teams, but his mending vertebrae prevents him from giving one hundred and ten percent to his agent status at his military buddy’s Texas security and investigation company. It also messes with his personal life, which is too bad because the sister of his buddy’s girlfriend sparks more than his interest.

  Free spirited artist/cake decorator, Lori Champion loves traveling around the world to compete in bake-offs. But when her twin hangs up her competition apron to put down roots in Harland County to deal with impending blindness, Lori follows, along with a boatload of guilt that she wasn’t the twin who’d inherited the disease. Leaving Connecticut—the home of her failed relationships—behind and moving to Texas has its perks…like helping the new SEAL in town settle in.

  In each other’s arms, they find respite from the guilt they carry and enjoy a no-strings fling. But when someone from Lori’s past arrives in town and begins to stalk her, RJ realizes his feelings for the beauty run a lot deeper than sexual gratification. The former SEAL will do whatever it takes to stake his claim and protect his free-spirited woman.

  Thanks for reading,

  ~Donna

  www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

  Author’s Note

  Visit www.donnamichaelsauthor.com for more titles and release dates.

  Join Donna Michaels’ Newsletter HERE for a FREE Book and to enjoy exclusive reads, enter subscriber only contests, and be the first to know about upcoming books!

  Dedication

  To all the HC Heroes fans, thank you so much for embracing this series!

  As always, to my editing team for putting up with my crazy schedule! To my daughter, author Jestina Michaels for providing some escape room info!

  To my husband and family for your unending support!

  ♥

  Table of Contents

  About this Book

  Author’s Note

  Dedication

  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

  Epilogue

  Also by Donna Michaels

  Connect with Donna Online

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  If the fracture in Rockford “RJ” James’ spine had been twelve inches higher, he wouldn’t be on a boat, fishing with three of his former SEAL brothers in the Texas Gulf.

  He’d be six feet under.

  Last Thanksgiving, at his buddy Dean’s suggestion, the two of them had swapped seats with the new members of their SEAL team because the tadpoles had been superstitious about their seats. RJ hadn’t thought twice about exchanging spots, but ever since the ensuing crash…that was all he thought about.

  Even though that move had broken RJ’s back and cost him his naval career, the young SEAL seated in his original spot had paid a much higher price…it had cost Troy his life.

  RJ had been born under a lucky star and it had followed him his whole life, including that day. It had intervened. Twice. Not only had he survived, but the spinal injury he’d incurred hadn’t led to paralysis. If the fracture had been a millimeter lower? Different story.

  Thankfully, he was in Harland County, Texas, working at ESI—Eagle Security and Investigation—a company owned and operated by a former Delta Force buddy. Mac was a stand-up guy and working for him, along with a few SEALs and D-Force guys RJ had served and bled with, was like trading one amazing team for another.

  “Loser has to cook the fish,” Cooper Thompson said, regaining RJ’s attention.

  He blinked and the boat, along with his three buddies, came back into focus.

  “Hell, no.” Dean Huntington shook his head, distaste wrinkling his face. “That’s liable to be you, Coop, and I sure as shit don’t want you cooking our catch.”

  After the chopper crash, Dean had also been medically discharged from the Navy and had arrived in Texas almost five months ago, two and a half months before RJ.

  Cooper waved his middle finger before casting his line into the Gulf, while a chorus of chuckles filled the air. “Abby likes my cooking.”

  “Your wife doesn’t count.” Dean shook his head. “Besides, she’s pregnant and has admitted to us she’ll eat anything right now.”

  RJ still couldn’t believe Cooper had put the moves on the sister of one of their Delta buddies, even though Abby had always had a thing for him. She was a huge improvement from Cooper’s first fiancée. The woman had dropped the guy when his friend had needed her most. Coop’s trust in women had spiraled. But Abby was a gem. She was loyal and would always stand by Cooper’s side, through thick and thin.

  So, it was a great match, and Cooper deserved some happiness. The fact that his buddy was also going to be a father by the end of November—and was excited about it—proved how right Abby was for his friend.

  Like RJ, Cooper had been adopted, and since both men’s adoptive parents had passed away, they’d decided to search for their birth parents. That was two years ago. Unfortunately, his buddy’s outcome had been far from the heartwarming reunion he had experienced.

  RJ’s birth parents had been sixteen when he was conceived, and although the high school sweethearts had given him up, they’d actually stayed together, gotten married, had two more children and had been searching for him for over three decades.

  Three decades…

  RJ still couldn’t believe it.

  The reunion had been far from awkward. He’d clicked instantly with his biological family, so much so that he’d stayed on their Iowa farm while recuperating from the crash. But he’d missed his brothers. Missed the team. Missed helping others, and as soon as he was able to travel, he had lined up doctors and physical therapists in Harland County and headed to Texas.

  He’d arrived just in time for Cooper and Abby’s wedding and toward the end of the evening, he’d been a bit…overzealous in his trust of the abilities of his mending body.

  It wasn’t his finest hour and he preferred not to think about it…or her. Or the possibility that he’d let her down.

  Gabe chuckled. “It’s true. She admitted it.”

  RJ’s heart rocked in his chest until he realized his buddy’s remark was about Abby not…her.

  “Well, to my sister,” Gabe corrected. “And Rylee told Lyndsey and me when we had dinner with her and Dex the other night.”

  Rylee and Dex. That duo was even more shocking. The f
act that another of their Delta buddies had pursued Gabe’s kid sister and was still breathing was a miracle.

  Man, RJ would’ve given his right nut to see that happen. Gabe was nothing if not super protective of Rylee. The former Chief Petty Officer was also the sheriff of Harland County, so committing murder would probably be frowned upon. That had worked in Dex’s favor.

  Perhaps RJ wasn’t the only one born under a lucky star.

  Almost twenty months ago, Gabe Bryson had left the teams to join ESI, but had somehow instead ended up as the local sheriff.

  It was fitting, though. Gabe possessed previous law enforcement experience and lived and breathed duty. It sucked that they didn’t work with Gabe, but they met once a week for breakfast, along with the D-Force guys. And when their days off coincided—like today—they often hung out and gave each other grief.

  “Besides, loser cleans the fish, Coop.” Gabe smiled from his starboard side perch, his pit bull, Chief, laying quietly by his feet. “And I’ll cook ‘em.”

  After spending several years in the Navy with the guys, RJ could attest to the fact that the former Chief Petty Officer was the best cook of the bunch.

  “Thank Christ,” Dean muttered, casting his line.

  “Yeah, we wouldn’t want you cooking, Dean.” Cooper snorted. “The last time we had to call 911.”

  RJ laughed, recalling the incident back at Coronado.

  “That’s because you marinated the steaks in pure oil, and it dripped into the open flame.”

  Cooper winced. “Not my fault you didn’t wrap foil around the grates. And it wasn’t pure oil. There was vinegar and seasonings, too.”

  “Not enough.” Dean set his pole in the stand and shook his head. “It’s your fault for using too much damn oil.”

  “You hear that, Chief?” Cooper frowned, glancing across the boat at Gabe. “He is at it again. He never wants to admit when he’s wrong.”

  Gabe shook his head. “Don’t drag me into this conversation.”

  “Yeah, it’s pure bullshit anyway,” Dean muttered. “I always own up to my mistakes.”

  Cooper snorted. “Delusional. I don’t know how Loni puts up with you. You’re a lucky man.”

  That brought a smile to Dean’s face. “I agree. I am damn lucky.”

  RJ agreed, too. Dean’s girlfriend was not only an award-winning baker, she was brave and tenacious, facing possible permanent blindness with a strong spirit. She was also gorgeous, with long dark hair and bright blue eyes like her twin sister…whom he tried not to think about.

  “So am I.” Now Cooper was grinning.

  Even Gabe smiled. “Me, too.”

  “Yeah.” Cooper nodded. “The three of us were lucky to find amazing women.”

  “And are smart enough to hold on to them,” Gabe added.

  Cooper’s attention shifted to him. “So, now it’s RJ’s turn.”

  He gripped his fishing pole in one hand and held up the other. “No. It’s not. I’m happy for the three of you, but I don’t have time for a woman. All my focus is on work and getting my body back up to par.”

  Between his job and PT, his days were occupied. And his nights? Well, they were just going to have to continue to drag on.

  “Lori seems to think your body is just fine,” Dean remarked out of the blue.

  Damn, who’d said anything about Lori?

  RJ deliberately didn’t use her name. Not even in his head.

  Dean chuckled. “You forget I’m living with her twin sister. Your name has come up in their conversations several times over the past few months.”

  It has?

  His pulse increased then leveled out when his mind rationalized the reason. Probably about his performance…well, lack thereof.

  “Not sure what negative thought went through your head just now,” Dean said. “But I can assure you Lori is interested in you.”

  “And you apparently thought the same about her when you slipped away from my wedding reception back in June.” Cooper grinned.

  He didn’t want to think about that or…her.

  His performance that night had lacked one important element…a backbone. Sure, his spirit and flesh had been more than willing when they’d snuck off to get naked in her cottage near the beach reception. But his spine? Hell, that part of his anatomy had been a big negatory. Upon his first thrust, pain had shot out in all directions, sucking the life from his erection.

  Trained to improvise, he’d switched to plan B and got creative, making sure to take care of her needs. Twice. Then was admittedly shocked when the hot woman had adopted a plan B of her own, sucking the life back into his erection before taking him down with mind-blowing pleasure.

  It had been amazing, and any other time, he would’ve stayed and made a whole night of worshiping her curves. But that had been his first sexual encounter since the crash and although her mouth had been wickedly talented, it wasn’t the part of her gorgeous body where he’d wanted to find his release.

  In his mind, he’d let her down. RJ wasn’t used to that and was admittedly having trouble coming to terms with it, hence his reluctance to seek her out again.

  Despite running into her daily, he hadn’t made any more moves on her. He’d kept their encounters friendly and as impersonal as possible without being rude. The woman deserved someone who could take care of her needs, and unfortunately, it wasn’t him.

  At least, not then.

  But he’d be foolish to think she’d want him in her bed again, even if his spine was a hell of a lot stronger now.

  “I think you’re giving RJ a little too much credit,” Gabe said, gaining RJ’s attention.

  He frowned at the guy. He wasn’t used to the chief talking negatively about him.

  “You two seem to forget none of us came by our relationships easily,” Gabe spoke to Coop and Dean but kept his gaze on the water. “We all screwed up in the beginning. If Lori is RJ’s amazing woman, then he’s unfortunately going to screw up a few times. He’s one of us. It’s inevitable.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He chuckled. “But I’m not looking for an ‘amazing woman’ right now. I meant what I said. My focus is elsewhere.”

  “On your PT.” Gabe nodded. “I heard you, but I don’t think you heard me.”

  What was that supposed to mean?

  A small smile tugged Gabe’s mouth. “You’ll figure it out.”

  “It better be soon,” Dean said. “According to Loni, her sister is supposed to show up to hang out with the girls at Gabe and Lyndsey’s. Which means, she’ll be there waiting for us to bring back dinner.”

  RJ’s pulse wasn’t the only thing to flicker to life at the thought of seeing the beauty again.

  Shit.

  “Hey, did we ever say what the winner gets today?” Cooper asked, and RJ was grateful for the change of subject.

  Gabe shrugged. “The usual. Whoever catches the biggest fish gets bragging rights.”

  “That leaves you out, Coop.” Dean snickered. “We all know who is going to win.”

  “Yeah.” Cooper nodded. “RJ. That damn lucky star of his always makes sure of it.”

  RJ laughed. “It’s not luck, you idiot. It’s skill.”

  But when he finally cast his line into the Gulf and almost immediately got a bite, he couldn’t help but agree with his buddy. Perhaps luck had a lot to do with it.

  Hopefully, he didn’t use all of it on fishing today. He was going to need some to get through his encounter with Lori later. He planned to actually talk to her and not seem so rude.

  “And so it begins.” Cooper shook his head.

  RJ snorted and would’ve flipped the smirking bastard the finger, but he was too busy reeling in his catch.

  It blew his mind how, although he worked his ass off in rehab, his spine still twinged with each dragging and reeling movement. Undeterred, he continued for several minutes, refusing offers of help, preferring to fight to bring his fish on deck. And in the end, satisfaction spread a grin across
his mouth when the southern flounder flopped at his feet. It had to be a good twenty-four inches, too.

  “Looks like you will be cooking some fish tonight, Gabe,” he said.

  Dean laughed. “And Coop will be busy cleaning them.”

  “Hey…” Cooper looked pointedly at Dean’s hands then met the man’s gaze and raised a brow. “You haven’t caught anything either.”

  “True, but I will.”

  “How could you know?”

  “I just do.” Dean scratched the bridge of his nose with his thumb, a slight grin tugging his lips. “I’m sitting closer to RJ than you. So maybe the breeze will blow some of his luck my way.”

  Cooper chuckled. “Not sure it works that way.”

  “Yeah?” Dean sat up, gripping his pole as it whizzed with the unmistakable sound of something on the line. “Might want to tell that to my fish.”

  One by one, they each caught several fish, even Cooper, and by the time they docked and piled into their vehicles, they were more than ready to eat. Dean and Cooper both caught three, which was the least, so they would share cleaning duty.

  RJ won, and he had to admit, it felt good to be in top form of something for a change. He was in good spirits and looked forward to Gabe’s grilling. The only reason RJ dragged his feet was because the sooner he got to Gabe’s, the sooner he ran into…her.

  Chapter Two

  Lori Champion found it ironic that people celebrated Labor Day by taking the day off. That irony was almost as good as the margarita she sipped while kicking back with her sister and their friends, Abby and Lyndsey, in the latter’s backyard.

  Almost as good.

  Lyndsey’s slushy mango margarita was killer. Well, Gabe’s margarita. Apparently, the delicious recipe had come from the vet tech’s fiancé.