Closer to You (A Haven, Montana Novel)

  Table of Contents

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  ALSO BY JILL SANDERS The Pride Series Finding Pride Discovering Pride Returning Pride Lasting Pride Serving Pride Red Hot Christmas My Sweet Valentine Return To Me Rescue Me The Secret Series Secret Seduction Secret Pleasure Secret Guardian Secret Passions Secret Identity Secret Sauce The West Series Loving Lauren Taming Alex Holding Haley Missy’s Moment Breaking Travis Roping Ryan Wild Bride Corey’s Catch The Grayton Series Last Resort Someday Beach Rip Current In Too Deep Swept Away The Lucky Series Unlucky In Love Sweet Resolve

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Text copyright © 2017 by Jill Sanders All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781542047388 ISBN-10: 1542047382 Cover design by Erin Dameron Hill

  To all my wonderful friends in HB

  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 CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CHAPTER ONE Tyler was pissed. Not just pissed, but pissed pissed. He stormed into his office and slammed the thin door behind him, sending a few hanging pictures to the floor and breaking the glass and frames along the way. That didn’t stop him from dropping into the chair behind his desk and pounding on the heavy wood a few times. “What the hell?” he growled. But, at this point, nothing was going to calm his anger. Nothing except seeing Haven, Montana, in his rearview mirror for the last time. Closing his eyes, he realized that was a dream that, if he was being honest with himself, he couldn’t expect to happen anytime in the near future. Haven, the small little hometown he thought he’d escaped, was his penance for all his years of partying. He was doomed to be stuck in this hellhole for the rest of his miserable life. “Hey.” The office door creaked open and his brother Trent’s head poked in. “Everything okay?” His younger brother was almost a spitting image of Tyler. His shaggy brown

  CHAPTER TWO Tyler was pissed again. Only this time, it wasn’t due to his ignorance or stupidity. Everything had been going great the last several months. He’d turned things around. Business had been booming. So much so that they had acquired one of their smaller local competitors, and the rumor was that another had gone under because of their success. They had also signed a lucrative deal with NewField Production Company, one that would keep McGowan Enterprises in business for the next few years. But now, JB Holding had sent trouble in high heels. What the hell had the woman been thinking when she’d worn those shoes? Her heels were taller than any he’d ever seen and they had been covered in white fur. It wasn’t bad enough that the woman was dressed as she was, but having his body react to her the way it did drove him even more toward the edge. Maybe it was just that it had been almost four months since the last time he’d enjoyed the feel of a woman’s body pushed up against his. Or, may

  CHAPTER THREE Dinner was pleasant enough after his mother had bombarded Kristen with questions, and everyone moved on to polite conversations. Honestly, if Tyler had known that his mother was going to pull a stunt like that, he would have tried to convince her not to. He could tell by the reaction of his brothers that neither of them knew their mother was going to spring that line of questions on Kristen either. He was impressed that Kristen had risen to the occasion and hadn’t seemed to hold back on the truth. Was she really clueless as to what JB Holding wanted with McGowan Enterprises? Maybe he needed to spend more time reading through the proposal she’d left on his desk. After all, his mother had been correct that lawyers could muddle up even the simplest things. There were a few lawyers in town he could talk to if he had questions. One of them, Steven Rice, was his father’s friend from way back. After eating, they moved back to the living room and sipped coffee while they enjoyed

  CHAPTER FOUR She tucked her shaky hands together and took a few deep breaths. Her body always reacted that way when dealing with her aunt. Even after all these years of doing so, it still got to her. Sure, she’d seen the determination in Tyler’s eyes. She’d also seen his clenched fists. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew how to use them, but she was thankful he hadn’t. She’d read the file on the uncle. Carl McGowan was more than a drunk. He had too many DUIs; even after he’d lost his license almost five years ago, he’d still been caught driving. He had a long police history with other arrests as well. He’d been divorced three times. Each time ending with accusations of spousal abuse. He had six restraining orders filed against him and several other arrests for breaking most of them. “Why does he come around?” she asked. Tyler sighed and shrugged. “Why else? Money.” He leaned back in his chair. “Does that happen often?” she asked, more curious now than ever. “Whenever he runs l

  CHAPTER FIVE There was a time in her life when Kristen could have listed off a dozen or more things that she’d worked hard for. But, sitting across from Tyler, nothing sprang to mind. Especially seeing the look in his eyes. Had she ever felt that strongly about anything before? Sure, she’d worked hard to get where she was in her life and her career, but still, if something happened to her job, she knew there were at least a dozen or more places lined up that she could walk into and start over. They sat in silence as they ate their lunch, and with the first bite of the juicy steak, she had to admit that he had a point about the food there. So the atmosphere left a lot to be desired, but the food was the best she’d had in a long time. “So?” he asked after her plate was cleared. “How’d you like it?” He stood up and helped her on with her coat. “Okay, so the food was amazing.” She felt a shiver run down her spine when he reached up and gently pulled a strand of her hair out from the collar

  CHAPTER SIX Kristen could feel Tyler’s eyes on her from across the room. But she was too busy trying to explain why Rea wasn’t in the office without telling everyone the woman’s private affairs. Finally, after dancing around it for a minute, Tyler walked over and took the phone from her. “Steve, she’s off for the rest of the day. Whatever you need, you can tell Kristen here. She’s covering for us today. I’m sure she’ll make sure you get everything handled.” His eyes moved to her and then he nodded and handed the phone back to her. “Sorry,” Steve apologized and for the first time in ten minutes, the man sounded nice. “It’s just that I always deal with Rea. I’ve never dealt with anyone else before. Not in almost twenty-some years.” “I understand. What can I help you with today?” Kristen asked, feeling slightly relieved that Tyler had stepped in. “Well, we need a couple more porta-johns down at the east site.” “I understand. I’ll arrange for those to be delivered first thing tomorrow.” “G

  CHAPTER SEVEN She avoided Tyler all weekend by staying in her hotel room. He’d called her a few times, but she’d let each call go to her voice mail. She ventured out for one late lunch but made a point to avoid normal meal hours. She was thankful she’d had a couple days to recover from that kiss. She’d needed it. Who was she kidding—she still wasn’t over it. As she drove up to the trailer Monday morning, she knew something was wrong. There were two po
lice cars parked out front next to Rea’s car. From what she understood, the woman practically lived there. Worry flashed so fast that Kristen was out of the car and running to the front door before she felt the cold and snow. When she rushed in, every eye turned toward her. Tyler, Trent, and at least four officers. “What’s happened? Where’s Rea? Is she okay?” She couldn’t hide the panic in her voice. Then Tyler took a step back and she noticed Rea sitting at the desk, smiling up at her. “I’m fine, sweetie. They aren’t here because of me.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT Kristen spent the rest of the day going through McGowan’s books. Trent and Trey showed up shortly after they returned from lunch. She could hear them all arguing in Tyler’s office. Rea only chuckled every now and then when a choice curse word was loud enough for them to hear. At one point, Kristen had gotten up to go intervene, but Rea had stopped her. “Honey, it’s what brothers do. Maybe if Brian had a brother, he would have turned out better.” Sadness crossed the older woman’s eyes. Then she shocked Kristen by looking up into her eyes. “When you have kids, don’t stop at one.” “Kids?” She took a step back. “I’m not having kids.” “Ever?” Rea smiled and shook her head. “Honey, you’re too young to write off having a family.” She turned back toward the computer screen, dismissing the conversation. Rea’s casual comments shook Kristen to the core. As the afternoon hours ticked by, she struggled to focus on the numbers in front of her. All she could think about was what she wan

  CHAPTER NINE Kristen held her breath as she watched Tyler’s brown eyes register her words. Her entire body was on fire for him. Could he feel the heat that was coming from her? She moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pushed to the toes of her boots and placed her lips softly over his. She felt the moment he allowed himself to relax into the kiss. Into her. His hands circled around to her hips, pulling her closer until she felt him pressed against her stomach. Her desires tripled instantly and she felt her knees turn to jelly as his hands fisted in her clothes. In one swift move, she was pinned against the wall. “You’re playing with fire,” he warned, holding her still as his eyes ran over her. When they settled on the spot of skin, just above where the zipper of her jacket stopped, she knew he’d decided like she had. “Maybe, but I think I can handle it,” she said, pushing her hands into his hair and pulling him back to her lips. His hand moved her leg up, until she fe

  CHAPTER TEN The house was as impressive as the home Tyler had grown up in. He knew that the place had been built by John’s father and grandfather, much like his own home had been built by his family. Kristen sat back quietly while Tyler talked to the Meiers about the process of hunting for oil, how they would drill then pump the oil, and once the well dried up, cap it all off. He went into great detail on how they would leave the land better than they had found it. “Of course, my brother Trent is in charge of what happens after. I can set up a meeting if you’d like?” “That would be fine. Maybe we can pick a sunny day when we can walk the land.” “I hear the cold is supposed to let up in a few weeks,” Tyler replied. “I’ll have him call you and arrange it.” He stood with John. “So, do we have a deal?” John glanced over at his wife. When Robyn nodded and smiled, Tyler reached out and shook the man’s hand. As they drove back into town, Kristen sat silently looking out the window. “Have you

  CHAPTER ELEVEN Tyler kept himself busy the following days. The police weren’t any closer to finding out who’d broken into the trailer. They had talked to the protesters, with little luck. Apparently, the entire group had attended a viewing of a movie at the local VFW that night. One of those new documentaries on climate change. Still, everything had been quiet since, so he was hoping that whoever had broken in had gotten it out of their system. His mind was too consumed with other things. The fact that Kristen hadn’t come into the trailer since the day after their near-tryst didn’t escape him. He thought about driving by the hotel and checking on her, several times. She was leaving tomorrow and he wondered if she would stop by and say good-bye. Did he want her to? The fact that his brothers kept telling him he was growing more agitated by the hour did little to settle his temper. He wasn’t sure who he was mad at—Kristen or himself. After all, she was innocent. Wasn’t she? He highly dou

  CHAPTER TWELVE Tyler couldn’t believe the beauty looking up at him. Or the fact that his body and mind wanted her so much. It gave him pause to see the want in those green eyes of hers. He ripped open the condom package with his teeth and then held still as she helped him roll it on. Her fingers wrapping around him sent a pulse shooting through every inch of his body. Their eyes locked once more and he knew he’d passed the point of stopping. Nothing and no man could hold him back from sliding into her, taking her, claiming her. He leaned down and took her sweet lips once more. She tasted like heaven, looked like a goddess, and was pure addiction. When she moaned with pleasure, he let out a moan to match hers. “Hold on to me,” he said softly as his lips returned to her neck. He felt her legs wrap around his hips and squeezed her body closer to his. “Tyler.” He could hear her begging him as he plunged into her heat. Slowly, he began taking his pleasure, giving her as much. Her nails bit

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN “Enough business talk.” Tyler rolled over until he held Kristen in his arms. “I didn’t bring you out here so we can talk business.” His mouth moved down until it covered hers. He felt her respond to him and wondered if it was warm enough to peel those clothes off her and make love to her right there in the field. Then he felt her shiver and knew it wasn’t. Still, that didn’t mean they couldn’t have some fun. Her body fit nicely under his. Her softness was something he knew he could take years exploring. Desiring. His hands moved over her clothes, then slowly inched under her clothes. When she tried to pull his shirt off him, he gripped her wrists and held them by her side. Then used his mouth to roam her exposed skin just above her belly button. Again, he felt her shiver. This time, he knew it was from desire. Her jean clad knees spread, so he could settle between them. He’d unbuttoned her jeans, and tugged them until they lay just below her hips. He ran his mouth and

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN The meeting the next day was hell. Tyler hated wearing a suit, hated being stuck in a stuffy room all day, full of stuffy people who presumed to know more than he did about what the town of Haven needed. The worst part of it was, it was on a Sunday. He should be sitting around, watching a game at home with his brothers, with his mother cooking dinner, but he wasn’t. He was here, listening to people talk and fight about the future plans for his town. They went over everything from the new construction for the grade school to speed limits, and even touched on if they should allow temporary signs above businesses. Even his brothers looked frustrated, sitting across from him in their own suits. He knew that most of the men and women in the room would be more comfortable in a worn pair of jeans, enjoying a beer after a long day’s work. But once a year, they dressed in their finest and argued about the future of Haven. Even Martha Brown, the mayor of Haven, had a hard time k

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN When everyone stepped out of the diner, Tyler took a deep breath and could tell instantly that warmer weather was on its way. “We’ll have some rain first.” His mother smiled over at him as if she knew what he was thinking. Kristen had been right. Playing charades against them would be fatal. Tyler didn’t know how his mother knew what he was thinking, but it had always been nice knowing they were on the same wavelength. “Yeah, which means everything will be extremely muddy in the coming days.” He sighed. “I’ll have the trailer’s parking lot regraveled this week,” Trent added, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “Come on, Mom, I’ll take us home.” Trey was already leaning against the hood of their mother’s SUV. Kristen watched his family leaving, while Tyler watched Kristen. “It must be nice to have such a wonderful family.” She sighed and turned back toward him. “Sometimes.” He smiled and held out his arm, much like his brother had for their mother. Kristen hesitated

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN Kristen sat in Tyler’s truck until two police cars pulled in next to them
. Then he glanced over at her. “Stay in the truck,” Tyler warned, but she was already climbing out to talk to the officers. She’d already seen that her laptop was missing from its spot on the desk and laying in pieces on the floor. What she hadn’t noticed in her first glimpse of the ruined room was that most of her expensive clothes had been slashed. “It looks like they used this.” One of the officers held up a bag with one of the knives she’d been using in the makeshift kitchen since arriving. “Who would do this?” she asked, tears sliding down her face. “Why would they do this to me?” Tyler gathered her up in his arms and held onto her. “I’ll call my mom. You can stay with her.” “No.” She shook her head. “I . . .” “It might be best,” the older officer broke in. “At least for tonight. Then you can come back tomorrow and start cleaning up after we’re done here.” She hadn’t thought about what they mi

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN The dreams were so real. Her mind flashed between places. First, she was in her hotel room. In the shower, as someone came into her room, a dark figure hovering just beyond the foggy glass doors. When she wiped the fog away, no one was there, until the fog built up again, then the menacing shadow returned. Next, she was in the trailer. It was night and the figure was there, stalking her in the darkness and cold. When she ran, the figure was always just a few steps behind her. In her slumber, her body twitched until a warm hand landed on her stomach, a soft whisper in her ear. “Shhh, it’s okay. I’m right here,” the voice said as warm arms pulled her closer. She buried her face into his chest, smelling the sexy scent she’d come to know. She sighed with relief as she melted into a dreamless slumber. When she woke, she was alone in the soft bed. Chalking it up to another dream, she showered and dressed in the borrowed jeans and sweater. She took her time braiding her hair

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The next morning, Kristen dressed in her new jeans and sweater she’d bought, then pulled on her mud boots. On the way to the trailer, they stopped at Tyler’s house so he could get a fresh change of clothes. She sat and waited in the truck while he ran upstairs to change his clothes. Even at this early hour, she watched several people coming and going at the Wet Spot. Despite the chill, there were three workers standing outside the door to the club smoking. Even though they were bundled in coats, she could see the short skirts and heels underneath. She didn’t have anything against the working girls. Actually, she looked up to them. They were on their feet for hours at a time, grinding half-naked against men they didn’t necessarily find attractive, but with smiles on their faces at all times. Keeping up appearances, playing a role, and charging top dollar for their troubles. She’d heard that most oil town strippers made six digits a year. She smiled when she saw Tyler st