Showing results by author "Freya Barker" in All Categories

When the rug is pulled from under Detective Sloane Eckhart, she leaves the Billings PD and returns to Libby, Montana. Eight years ago, she left with her pride and the promise of a future, but her heart was broken. On her return, there is no pride left, no prospects to speak of, but at least her heart is safely secured in the back seat. High Meadow will always be home to Dan Blakely. Working with horses, being part of the HMT search and rescue team, and now building his own home right next door checks all his boxes. Only one thing is missing, but that dream walked out the door a long time ago.

Investigator Gus Flemming is hot on the trail of a bail skip with organized crime connections that bring him to Cedar Tree. Once there, the focus of his investigation lands squarely on the gently rounded shoulders of a vivacious red haired Emma, whose physical limitations have done nothing to dampen her zest for life.

Returning home to Grand Junction would not have been Rosie Perkins’ first choice, but with her mother no longer able to take care of herself, it’s the only one she has. As is working the night shift at a local hotel to bring in a much-needed income. Rosie juggles to keep all the pieces of her life together and has no room to add anything more. One morning, after a long shift, when she witnesses a hotel guest crash into a dumpster, her careful control starts to unravel.

Bookstore owner Kerry Emerson finally seems to be back in control of her life. Her failure of a marriage firmly in her rearview mirror and her recent business expansion a success, she is in charge of her own future. One that is looking better than ever. The sight of the tall man, with the familiar salt and pepper goatee pushing open the door of her store, sets her hair on end. He doesn't exactly bring good memories.

For Mia, a crowded subway ride changes her entire life. Retreating to the wilderness helps her cope with a world that is suddenly too loud, too turbulent. Her existence safely contained to the small cottage on the lake, she is unprepared for the neighbor that moves across the bay.

Seb Griffin showed up in Cedar Tree eight months ago and was hired on at Arlene's Diner as a cook. An ex-con with secrets of his own, Seb walks a fine line. Since he began working at the diner, he's developed feelings for his fierce, stubborn boss, and the need to keep his distance from her, to protect her, is a daily struggle.

Even at 37, with a challenging but rewarding career as a paramedic, Bella Gomez is treated as the baby of the family. It's made her allergic to anyone meddling, so she chooses to keep mostly to herself. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop her family from inserting themselves in her life. Nor does it deter the one man she knows she shouldn't get close to from showing up on her doorstep.

When a new case sends her to investigate a local motorcycle club, covering as the president's new flavor of the week, the lines between professional and personal quickly start to blur. Although the Arrow's Edge MC stays mostly on the right side of the law since Ouray took the gavel, the appearance of the feds at their gate can still rattle his cage. When a string of robberies points squarely in Ouray's direction, he's forced to cooperate and put the blonde, prim and proper half-pint on the back of his bike.

In the dark alley of a pub, the words "Please don't" take hold of her heart and break the silence she seeks. Thinking herself beyond redemption, she tentatively grabs on to the slim thread of hope that unfolds inside of her. Holding her secrets close, she can't resist the comforting draw coming from The Skipper. The unconditional friendships it offers, the protective roof it provides, and the spark that its owner ignites in her - melting the frost off her heart, and slowly stripping away her resistance.

As a 41-year-old mother of three boys, working two jobs, Marya Berger doesn’t have the time or energy to consider a relationship. Especially after a lifetime of poor choices in the romance department. But when the disappearance of a young boy strikes a little too close to home, and a younger man she’s tried to ignore offers his help, she doesn’t stand in the way. Single father, Dylan Barnes, the junior member of the La Plata County FBI team at 33, has his focus firmly on his job and his son, Max.

Juggling two jobs is nothing new for registered nurse Hillary Glenwood; she’s been doing it for most of her adult life. However, her carefully controlled life runs completely off the rails when she recognizes the new neighbor coming to the rescue. As a hacker, Radar Jansen hasn’t always used his expertise in the most respectable ways, until he came to work for PASS Security. While walking his dog one night, he sees a familiar woman rushing into a dangerous situation. His training kicks in.

Growing up a military brat and spending eight years overseas with the Army Medical Corps, clinical social worker, Willa Smith, has had enough of rules and regulations. She is much happier working with veterans at the new, far more relaxed South Avenue Shelter, until one of its residents is implicated in a murder. Former military turned security operative, Dimas Mazur, has worked for PASS security since he returned stateside after a disabling injury. The job keeps him busy, but when a homeless veteran he knows runs into trouble with the law, he doesn’t hesitate to jump in.

Patience has always been Caleb Whitetail's strength. Quiet and unassuming is what you see with the GFI investigator, but the blood boils hot right under the surface. He kept his distance for years only to see the woman who has held his attention almost lose her life not just once, but twice. He is done standing in the shadows.

Ink and sawdust meets brisket and moxie. I’m a tattooed casualty. A charmer, a fraud, a skeptic, and a carpenter. My name is Tse. I’m cocky enough to believe my own lies, but too oblivious to see the truth is already out there. I’m a cautious perfectionist. A sister, a scrapper, a dreamer, and a workhorse. My name is Sophia.

When her surly teenage son moves back to live with ER physician Naomi Waters unexpectedly, her motherly instincts go on high alert. Nothing could've prepared her for the wave of trouble that follows him back into her life. Sheriff Joe Morris blew his chance with Naomi a few years back when he'd moved faster than his own past allowed. At the first opportunity to get his foot back in the door, he takes it and risks everything to keep her and her son safe.

A life in the service of others is both penance and a blessing. She soothes her personal hell by pulling victims from theirs, helping them on their path to survival; never finding her own. When a crippling blow finally evaporates her last hope, the temptation to give up is strong. Still, she can't find it in her to turn her back on those who need her.

Even with a degree in psychology and a keen ability to read people, security specialist Bree Graves can’t seem to get a bead on her boss. There was a time she thought she had him figured out but she’d been wrong. Still, she loves her job with PASS, and her team has become her family. However, she doesn’t realize how much she needs them until her latest assignment puts her on the radar of a dangerous stalker. A victim of obsession, betrayal, and violence, Bree has no choice but to put her faith in the man who almost broke her.

Nowadays Kendra Schmitt puts most of her time into the new clinic in Cedar Tree. Always the responsible one in her family, she has avoided any kind of entanglement. In particular with a persistent young investigator. With her schedule a bit more predictable, she is ready to explore a personal life and concedes to what turns out to be a disastrous blind date. Junior member of the GFI team, Neil James, has seen and experienced more than most at his age.

More often than not, Clint Mason has his foot firmly wedged in his mouth, which tends to get him in plenty of hot water with the ladies. Although his laid back good ole' Southern charm does not fly far with the female population of Cedar Tree, the big burly contractor hides his dark side well.

An assignment has just turned interesting for GFI investigator Malachi Whitetail. When a shy, mousy woman walks into his local diner, it takes him a minute to recognize her as an employee of the real estate office he's been monitoring. Not a believer in coincidence, Mal decides a closer look at the short brunette might be warranted. It will be the first, but certainly not the last time, he finds himself coming to her rescue.