Mia Romano

Chapter One

Jade Wellington positioned the nail near Austin’s fly. Things were definitely going to get messy. Pearls of sweat beaded her forehead as she drew back the hammer.

“Wait! Not there. Move it to the right just a little.”

“Here?” Jade tilted her head in the direction of her partner in crime.

“Yes, that spot right there. It’s perfect!”

Jade reared back, driving the nail in with the precision of a marksman, then stepped aside to admire her mischievous deed.

She combed her fingers through jagged bangs, closed her eyes, and inhaled a breath of sultry California breeze.

“That should fix him—for good this time.” He might as well be dead and buried, just like her marriage.

Jade’s best friend, Celine, swiped soiled hands across the back of her designer jeans. “I could see this working. I mean, how many women in the town of Cranberry would be willing to fork over this much cash just to get their hands on him?”

Jade stood back, reading the poster she’d nailed to the light pole. She was proud of her cleverness.

“Missing husband—last seen running out of the neighbor’s house zipping up his pants. If found, please send a $500 reward and keep him! Please call 123-6782. P.S.—All major credit cards accepted. CASH ONLY.”

Celine brushed a newly-perked red curl from her face. “You know, I think marking out the credit card deal was an excellent idea. With so many stolen cards these days, a girl has to be careful.”

Jade shifted her eyes towards her friend. “I hate to admit it, but my mother was right in this case. He’s entirely too handsome for his own good. As awful as this might sound, I almost wish he was dead.” She gave one last look at Austin Wellington’s photo on the poster. “One thing’s for certain—I should get some interesting phone calls from it. If I’m lucky, my neighbor, Carletta, will pay to keep him, and it will cover part of next month’s mortgage payment."

“Hey, he did you a big favor. You just don’t realize it yet. Now you can get on with your life the way it should be.”

Chapter One

Under and Out

I knew Uncle Buckster’s pranks were far from over when I spotted the welcome mat in front of his tombstone. He’d made sure the forceful winds wouldn’t blow it away by securely pinning a railroad spike at each corner. He’d always been a neat-freak, and even in death, that wasn’t going to change.

Killed in a rodeo accident three days earlier, my uncle wasn’t ready to give up on life, love, or adventures. I knew this to be a fact, because Uncle Buckster had died three times in the past ten years. I couldn’t help but wonder what stipulation he’d put in his will for me this time.

The last time he’d died, he’d stated I must find Carico, his prized bull who’d been missing for over a month. That’s when I’d met Tanner Stone, the best cowboy, lover and asshole in Texas history. Well, hardee-har-har, Uncle Buck. Another one bites the dust. It didn't work.

My uncle would do anything to fix me up with a man. I recalled the last words he’d spoken to me, only three days before his latest death.

Cindy, you need a man in your life. I’d do anything to see you happy. I’d give my last breath for it.

No doubt, he’d probably had a conversation with Ben Atkins, the sexy new undertaker down at Greyson Funeral Home, while Ben had prepared him for the family viewing. I’d heard Ben was a shape-shifter, so I'm sure they had an interesting debate about me.

Uncle Buck’s funerals were always private—family only. How could we ever explain to the citizens of Houston, Texas, that my uncle had passed away—again! Even though with each death he came back as something different, in his human form he always looked the same—a little overweight, brown eyes, and balding on top. He always did the comb-over thing, trying to pretend he had a full head of hair, although seventy percent of the time it was covered by a worn, brown cowboy hat.

Uncle Buck was a shape-shifter. The first time, he’d been a black panther. The second time, he’d gone for the tiger-stripe look. And this time…

“A chimpanzee? You’ve decided to be a chimp?” I screamed out in horror. “Why?” I handed him a glass of sweet tea. He sat on my new red sofa, scratched his hairy belly, and picked at something I hoped wasn’t a flea.

He placed a napkin on his lap. "I better cover myself. If I morph back to human form, I don't think you want to see me buck naked. I can't control my morphing yet.”

Burnin' Down Nash Vegas

                                                                                                                              Chapter One

Aaron Montana watched the thick cigarette smoke curl around the beautiful woman performing on stage. He wondered if the money she received in tips was worth being treated like a pole-dancing stripper.

Stepping down from the stage, Bailey Carson strummed her guitar, singing her latest country song in the crowded honky-tonk bar in Nashville, Tennessee. Every night that she walked the aisles between the tables, men would stuff a few bills in the pockets of her tight jeans, slurring out a suggestive comment or two.

Aaron sat at the back in his usual spot, wondering if she ever got tired of it all. He loved the way her violet-tinted eyes sparkled when the crowd pounded the tables, begging for one more song. The low sultry twang of her voice soothed him more than any whiskey. Did she go home alone every night to a run-down apartment overlooking the street-lined bars below? Was she trying to support six kids that an ex-husband had abandoned her with? He’d read in a tabloid that she was single, but it hadn’t given much more about her private life other than she liked her privacy.

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