Chapter One
Cord Canyon leaned his head back against the leathered seat
and drew his hat lower over his eyes, only half listening to
the sports radio announcer's monotone voice.
As the sheriff in the small town of Lander, Wyoming, he'd
given his men the night off to spend with their wives and
lovers to celebrate Valentine's Day, and he'd taken the shift
solo.
It wasn't like he had anyone to spend the holiday with. No
one to give flowers or even a corny red card to. Not that he
couldn't have found a willing partner to spend the lovers'
holiday with, but the idea held no appeal for Cord. He'd had
enough lately of that kind of relationship. Most of the
women he'd dated hadn't made any kind of impression on
him beyond what they could provide for the night—
meaningless sex to temporarily fill a void.
Nothing more, nothing less. He'd decided long ago that was
the only way he wanted it. He'd given the whole "happily-
ever-after" thing a try once, and once had been more than
enough to let him know that it definitely wasn't his thing.
His glance moved to the sealed manila-colored envelope on
his passenger seat.
He didn't have to open it to know what it was, or who it was
from. Which was the reason this Valentine's day, like all the
rest over the past eight years, may as well have been any
other day of the week for him. He damn sure wasn't going to
make it any worse by opening up the package.
He shrugged off the dark thoughts and leaned his head
against the seat again, thankful for the solace the quiet
night afforded him.
The radio announcers began talking about auto racing, and
he lifted his head away from the seat, his interest piqued.
They were announcing the winner of the first race of the
season.
"Stock car racing season started today in Daytona, and this
year promises to be the most exciting yet with Brook Jasper
beating his competitors like they stole something as he
annihilated the track!"
"Yeah, they don't call him Brook the Beast for nothing," the
second announcer piped in, barking out a laugh.
"Got that right! And with the addition of Brick McNeil
standing in as crew chief…"
Hearing the name, Cord jerked, turning up the volume of the
radio, his heartbeat kicking harshly against his chest.
"…Yeah, that was a smart choice for the Beast. McNeil
comes from good bloodlines, her daddy being the one and
only, legendary, four-time champion Mac Axelrod. With a
team like that, Brook stands a good chance of going all the
way in the cup!"
"That is if she can stay out of trouble long enough to hang
on to this gig," the announcer said and both men laughed.
Cord frowned, sitting up straighter, intently listening to the
announcers.
"Did you hear about her latest antics?"
"Oh, yeah. Seems she's aspiring to be more than pit crew
chief if the number of speeding tickets she's got under her
belt are any indication!" Again both men laughed.
At that moment the Doppler mounted on Cord's dash
started flashing like crazy. With a curse, Cord glanced over at
the monitor. Seconds later a low-slung souped-up hot rod
raced by, kicking up a cloud of dust as it blew past.
Hell, even without the monitor he knew the driver had to be
going at least 30 miles over the speed limit. He cursed,
threw on his sirens and skidded out of his cover to go after
the car, forcing everything else out of his mind but the
chase.

Chapter Two
Cord should have known that his peaceful Valentine's was
too good to be true, that it had been wishful thinking to
believe most folks around town would be too busy making
love at this time of night—the nookie night, as one of his
deputies put it—to be out causing problems.
He should be so damn lucky. Instead he was chasing down a
speeder who thought he was on a racetrack instead of a
sleepy country road. But, hell, it wasn't like he had anything
better to do, he thought, turning into the deserted two-lane
highway. He bit back a foul curse as a debilitated truck
pulled in front of him, slowing down his pursuit.
When the driver of the truck refused to move over, Cord
glanced at his side mirror and smoothly maneuvered into
the opposite lane. Once he'd passed the elderly truck driver,
he slammed his foot on the accelerator, sirens blaring,
hoping like hell this wouldn't turn into a drawn-out chase,
and the young fool driving the hot rod would pull over.
Cord breathed a sigh of relief when after about a quarter of
a mile, he got the driver's attention and the hot rod pulled
to the side of the road.
Beyond pissed off, Cord didn't even bother to run the plates.
As soon as he shifted his car into gear, he grabbed his ticket
board and slammed out of the car.
Impatiently he waited for the driver to roll down the
window. Pulling his hat low, he ordered, "License and
registration, please."
The driver was turned away, already in the process of
hunting for the documents in the glove compartment, and
Cord hid his surprise when he saw the driver's long ponytail
escaping from beneath the hat tugged down on her head.
His speeder was a woman.
He ran his eyes over the car. Souped, chopped…pimped-out
—just a few adjectives that came to mind. The classic
Shelby Mustang was painted metallic gray, with two wide
scarlet-red bands adorning the top, sides and hood, set on
custom twenty-four-inch chrome-plated wheels. From the
type of car she was driving and the expert way she'd been
handling it, he'd assumed the driver was a man.
He of all people should know better than to assume
something like that.
Switching his attention back to the woman, Cord's frown
increased as he watched her frantically search for the
missing documents inside her glove compartment. He
crossed his arms over his chest, ticket board in hand.
"Listen, Miss…"
She turned around to face him then, the ends of her bow-
shaped mouth curled upward, and Cord felt like a semitruck
had slammed straight into his gut.
His gaze trailed over her heart-shaped face; her satin-
smooth, rich honey-colored skin; her large bow-shaped
mouth and dark brown doe-shaped eyes before settling
back on her mouth. Lush, one corner was curled up, lending
her an innocent yet somehow slightly wicked look. It was the
same mouth, the same look that had invaded his dreams for
over eight years.
They belonged to the woman who, no matter how hard he
tried, no matter how far he'd run, he'd never been able to
get out of his mind.
Brick McNeil.
His wife.

Chapter Three
Brick composed her face into what she hoped was a contrite
look and pasted on a smile…an innocent smile, a butter-
wouldn't-melt-in-her-mouth type of smile, as she turned to
the officer, hoping he wouldn't take out his handcuffs and
demand she get out of the car and spread 'em.
Although…
She studied him covertly from beneath lowered lids,
reconsidering. She might be willing to allow Mr. Tall, Dark
and Fine to do exactly that, she thought, running a glance
over him as he stared down at her, his eyes hidden by the
aviator glasses, his face shadowed by his wide-brimmed hat.
She could only see his mouth—wide, unsmiling, the lower
rim just a fraction fuller than the top. Testosterone
practically oozed from this guy's pores.
She mentally shook her head. If she was going to make it to
California in time the cop was an indulgence she couldn't
afford.
Not that she would. She hadn't indulged in that kind of
activity in nearly eight years.
Her gaze slid back to his eyes. Although obscured by the
dark shades, she felt his unflinching stare trained on her. She
checked her rearview mirror, then the side mirror. There was
no one around but the two of them, it seemed. She felt a
chill run over her arms.
Reminding herself that he was a cop and there was nothing
to be nervous about, she quelled the nervous pit in her
stomach and upped the wattage on her smile.
"I, uh… I can't seem to find my registration," Brick said. She
paused before going on. "Or, uh…my license," she finished,
biting the corner of her mouth, her voice low. Her eyes fell to
the star above his badge and she stifled a groan.
Oh hell, just her luck to get the sheriff to bust her.
She cast her eyes down toward the narrow space between
her car seat and the console. She hoped he didn't search her
car because he'd find both her registration and her driver's
license. All it would take would be a quick search of her
record and her plans to make it to California in time would
come to a screeching halt. Luckily the plates weren't
registered to her.
She mentally slapped herself, wishing she had taken care of
the ticket she'd gotten back in Daytona when she'd had the
chance. Then she wouldn't have to worry about Mr. Tall, Dark
and Fine Sheriff running her in.
Please just give me a warning…please give me a warning,
please give me a warning… She fervently recited the litany
over and over, as though some magical being would
intercede and grant her wish. Don't look inside my car, don't
look in my car… She sent the second litany up, with just as
much desperation, if not more.
"Step out of the vehicle, miss."
So much for magical beings, she thought, blowing out a
breath of air as she opened the car door and got out.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me, Ms.
McNeil," he said, his voice deep. "You're under arrest."
Her mouth widened in an O of surprise when the officer spun
her around and pressed her against the car. Seconds later
she felt cold steel clamp around her wrists.

Chapter Four
"Arrested! For what?"
Angrily, Brick tried to glance over her shoulder and up into
the face of the officer, jerking away from him even as he led
her to his car, but he forced her to keep moving.
"Hey! You can't do this…what am I being arrested for?" She
cried out as he placed his hand on top of her head and
assisted her into the backseat of the patrol car.
Without a word he slammed the door and strode over to the
driver's side before hopping in.
"I have a right to know," she said sullenly, her face flushing
as she caught his gaze on her in the rearview mirror.
"I think you know why," was all he said. Again his voice was a
low growl, muffled. Brick frowned, staring at the back of his
head. There was something familiar about his voice, despite
the muffled tone.
When he said nothing more, she turned and looked out the
window, gnawing on the bottom rim of her lip. Her car
wasn't registered in her name and he didn't have her license.
How did he know about the tickets or… Her eyes widened
and her head whipped around to stare at him again.
He'd called her by her name.
She closed her eyes, briefly, her heartbeat ricocheting a
staccato beat against her chest. His eyes met hers in the
rearview mirror. She'd been so caught up in the potential
trouble she'd be in if the cop ran her license, the little fact
that he'd called her "Ms. McNeil" had flown under her radar.
There was no way he could have known her name.
Slowly he tossed his hat away, throwing it on the seat next
to him, revealing close-cropped blond hair. Then he drew his
glasses from his face.
He gazed at her with light blue eyes surrounded by a dark
fringe of lashes that if she hadn't known better, she'd have
thought were fake. But she did know better.
Her heartbeat thudded hard and fast, each beat pounding
erratically against her chest so loud and strong Brick felt as
though she could count each one. Unreasonable, crazy tears
burned the back of her eyes as she stared at the one man,
the only man, she'd ever loved.
The same man she had once pledged to spend her life with,
for better or for worse.
It was her husband, Cord.
She met his hard, cold gaze in the rearview mirror. He looked
at her as though he hated her.
Brick swallowed down the instant swamp of emotions, her
eyes locked with Cord's. For long moments they simply
stared at one another, the years spent apart falling away as
though they'd never happened.
His face softened as his eyes ran over her. "It's been a long
time, Brick," he said, his voice a low grumble.
Brick sat forward, raising her joined hands as if to touch him.
At the same time Cord leaned toward her.
"Cord…" Her voice trailed away. "Don't do this."
His face hardened, losing its momentary softness. "You
should have thought of that before you broke the law,
Brick."
"I was going to pay the ticket! I just didn't get around to it,
and…"
Real panic set in when he put the key in the ignition and
started the engine. He flipped a U-turn, heading back in the
direction she'd come, back into the small town of Lander.

Chapter Five
Brick slumped back against the seat and closed her eyes,
quelling the ridiculous tears that threatened to fall. She
knew the fact that she was sitting in a police car, headed for
jail, had nothing to do with her speeding tickets. Her day of
reckoning had finally arrived….
"Baby, everything is going to be fine. We'll still go ahead
with everything we planned—"
Brick was already shaking her head before he could finish
speaking.
"It's not that, Cord. It's—" She stopped when she felt his
hands on her shoulders, turning her around so that she faced
him.
He stroked a finger beneath her chin, forcing her eyes
upward. "Baby, we'll get through this together. I know it's
hard…it's hard for me, too. I—" He stopped as his voice
broke. After a few moments, he continued, "Everything will
be okay, just trust me. We're in this together."
He brought her close, pressing his lips to her hair. Brick
heard his deep inhalation, the feel of his mouth on her head.
Leaning into his embrace, she wrapped her arms around him.
She allowed him to hold her for a while before she broke
away.
"We wanted to get married anyway," he said. "This only
pushed the timetable up a little, that's all."
He thumbed away the tears from her cheeks, but she saw
the uncertainty in his eyes before he forced a smile. She felt
as though her entire world was falling apart around her.
Brick smiled shakily past the tears, and nodded her head,
more to stop him from making any more empty promises
than because she agreed.
Brick had known from the first time she'd laid eyes on Cord
that he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life
with. But she wondered if he'd only asked her to marry him
because she was pregnant. And now that she no longer was,
did he still want to go through with it? Did he still want her?
Brick slumped against the seat, exhaling a long shaky
breath, fighting back the emotions the memories brought
along with them.

Since noboDy Is commntinG maybe I should stop updating because nobody is intersted with my story

Nice writeup keep going

I'll get you arrested if in a few hours time there's no update on this page.



And don't ask me why.

Chapter Six
Cord unlocked the front door to the deserted police station,
flipping on the lights as he ushered Brick inside.
The short drive to the station had been done in a tense
silence, both lost in their own thoughts.
Cord cursed himself, wondering what the hell had gotten
into him to bring her back here, to let her turn his world
completely upside down.
But the moment he'd realized who she was, there'd been no
way in hell he was going to let her go. He wasn't going to let
her walk out of his life. Not again. At least not without an
explanation this time.
He shot an angry glance toward her. She stood nearby, her
back to him, her body stiff.
"Have a seat at my desk, we can go from there."
She turned to face him then. "Okay, so what now? I mean,
why have you brought me here? Obviously you know about
the tickets, and yeah, I should have paid them. I plan to as
soon as I get back home. But what's the real reason I'm
here, Cord?" she asked before lifting her joined hands. "And
really…is this necessary?" She jerked her head toward her
bound wrists.
"Yeah, it's necessary. Given your…propensity…for fleeing
sticky situations, I'd say they're definitely necessary. Take a
seat, Brick."
Cord tossed his hat onto his desk and removed his jacket,
taking his time, desperately trying to get it together and not
follow her every move. Old habit. To say he'd been aware of
what Brick was doing at every moment was putting it mildly.
There had been a time in their lives when they were
inseparable. They'd met when she was seventeen to his
eighteen. He'd been looking for work and scored a job
working the pit crew for several drivers on the stock car
racing circuit. He'd met Brick on the track and their
relationship had quickly progressed, though Cord had waited
—barely—until she reached eighteen before consummating
their relationship.
And from there, it had gone nuclear. The chemistry between
them had always been combustible. Whenever they were in
the same room with each other, everything and everyone
faded away and it was as though it was only the two of
them, alone. Didn't matter where they were; their chemistry
was off-the-charts hot, a burning intensity the likes of which
Cord had never experienced before or after Brick.
And long after it was over, he still felt the lingering embers
of that flame.
The day they'd gotten married had been the happiest in his
life. And the following day, the worst. He'd woken up alone, a
note left on the pillow where she should have been telling
him it had all been a mistake and that she'd file the papers
for their divorce as soon as she returned from Daytona with
her father.
Just like that it was over.
It had taken the better part of a year for Cord to stop trying
to contact her, finally getting it through his thick head that
she no longer wanted him. And it had taken years after that
for him to finally stop waking up and reaching for her.
Her voice drew Cord out of his thoughts. "Is this the only
way you can get a woman to stay…by keeping her against
her will?"

bellefidel pls wats dis story about...is du
is a love story or......

udison:
bellefidel pls wats dis story about...is du
is a love story or......

it is romantic love story oh