Bits and Bobs

One

Corey shifted his bulk from one swollen foot to the other.

"I don't know why I couldn't wear my black cowboy boots, " he muttered.

"Because you agreed to wear what everyone else is wearing, Corey Williams, or did you leave your memory at home with your badge?" Justin Anderson, dressed in a cream-colored tuxedo punched Corey on the shoulder as he walked past his friend.

"When did I agree to that? I don't remember having a vote," Corey turned to Justin and crossed his arms over the cumberbun restraining his waistline.

"You didn't, neither did I nor anyone else. When I asked Diane to marry me, we all lost our votes about wedding stuff. You know, it's a girl thing. We guys go along because the benefits are so great," Justin winked at his friend and smiled as he watched Corey run a finger around the neckline of his tuxedo shirt pulling it away from his flushed neck.

"This damned thing is choking the life out of me. Why couldn't you guys have waited until winter to get married? Why'd you have to pick the hottest damn day in July? It's so hot the birds have stopped singing. How much longer is this going to take? he growled. He felt sweat trickling down his back as he stood under the shade of the centurion oak tree that graced the town square. The leaves hung limp in the heat of the day.

"I see the girls coming around the corner. The tall redhead in the light blue is who you'll be escorting down the aisle, but you'd have known that if you'd shown up at the rehearsal," Justin said.

"Justin, I told you I'd be in your wedding if my workload permitted it. To be here today, I had to agree to work two nights for Bob. Oh, wow!" Corey and Justin stood, mouths gaping, as Justin's bride, Diane, made her way toward the wedding party gathered inside the band gazebo. Her cream-colored sheath dress hugged her trim form and the pikake floral headpiece that had been flown in from Hawaii stood out against Diane's dark hair. The sweet fragrance from the headband haloed around Diane. Corey watched his friend's face soften and take on that funny look he'd been wearing since the first time he'd met his fiance.

Corey limped to his red pickup, the tight rented shoes pinching his swollen feet, and opened the door. The echo of a large motorcycle rumbled through the square and vibrated the air around the truck. He looked around while the guttural rumbling continued to shatter the peace of the small town square.

The State Police know better than to gun their motorcycles in the center of town. Who the hell is creating so damn much noise?

He grabbed the handle of his door and, placing a swollen foot on the step, pulled himself into the cab of his truck. He surveyed the square, filled with more cars than usual today, and looked down the surrounding streets, but still couldn't locate the source of the peace-shattering racket. Shrugging, he turned over the engine of the big red truck, steered it away from the curb, and drove slowly through the streets. Corey peered into his rear view mirror and frowned. A motorcycle roared past his slow moving truck and sped out of the town center. He caught a glimpse of blue chiffon billowing in the breeze and a flash of red hair.

Coffee Times Romance-5 Cups

When Corey Williams' best friend, Justin, gets married, Corey sees the expression of absolute happiness on his friend's face and he wants to experience that same feeling. Corey gets his chance when he meets a young redhead at the wedding and he is truly smitten.

Corey is a detective, and when the case he is assigned allows him to work closely with the beautiful redhead, he starts thinking about how good it would be to have a woman like her in his life. After a failed first marriage, he wonders if it really is worth the effort to get involved in a relationship again. But the more he is around Riona, something tells him she just might be the one.

Riona Byrne is a tough news reporter who goes after her story. When she attends a wedding of a good friend, she soon discovers her chaperone is a cop. Not only that, but he is the cop who allowed her motorcycle to be towed away on their first encounter. When she learns that Corey can help her with a lead on a story, she decides to meet him on his territory. He does have twinkling eyes and a softness about him that she could easily grow to love. Why let the little incident get in the way?

Corey and Riona are loveable characters that delight at every turn. I was hooked after the first couple of pages. I did not want this book to end. I loved it when Corey said Riona could be the death of him. When Riona discovered she could really become attached to Corey, I cheered. These are two characters that I would love to read more about. The secondary characters are great. This book is incredible. A big thumbs up to Ms. Cooper. This story hooks you with nonstop, on the edge action that keeps you guessing at every turn of the page. Ms. Cooper has a flare for great writing that is simply superb. I cannot wait to read more of her work.

Cherokee

Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance