Free The Lawman’s Blackmailed Bride (Billionaire Brothers 3): BBW Romance by Jenn Roseton Page A

Cole.
    Phoebe followed his gaze and furrowed her brow. Surely the expert wasn’t implying that Cole … Of course not, she chided herself. Although she might have wondered in the beginning if she could fully trust Cole, he’d proven himself to her. He definitely was not another Scott , her antique stealing ex-boyfriend.
    “ I will,” she replied.
    Her sexy P.I. shepherded her out of the store and back into the SUV. “You were right.” He grinned at her. “Fifty thousand is a lot of motivation to rip off an old lady.”
    Phoebe wanted to do a little tap dance. She didn’t know how she’d been able to restrain herself in the store. She’d been right! “Now all I have to do is give the coin back to Mrs. Miller.” She couldn’t stop smiling.
    Cole dug out his phone. “Why don’t we call her right now and let her know about the valuation? I bet she’ll be pleased to know how much her coin is really worth.”
    “You can find her phone number?”
    He winked at her. “Sweetheart, with this database I can find just about anyone in a few minutes.”
    She watched his long, strong fingers punching the keys. What would it be like to be a private investigator? In a way, the antiques business had something in common with investigating. Antiques held the key to the past, but sometimes it was quite a puzzle to prove provenance of an item. She guessed a P.I. like Cole solved some puzzles in his line of work as well.
    Cole handed the phone to her. “It’s ringing.”
    Phoebe gulped. She was excited to tell the little old lady the good news, but would Mrs. Miller understand why she’d taken the coin?
    A few minutes later, she ended the call and handed the phone back to Cole, a smile on her face. Mrs. Miller had been thrilled to hear how much the coin was worth, and had reassured Phoebe that she hadn’t for one moment thought she was a thief. Phoebe promised to return the coin to her as soon as she arrived in Cheyenne.
    “Mrs. Miller’s looking forward to getting her coin back.” The phone call had proved to be easier to make than she’d thought.
    The corners of his mouth tipped up into a grin. “Then we better head back to Wyoming.”
    She nodded. “You’re right.” According to the GPS, it would take them around six hours to drive back to Cheyenne. And once she returned the coin to Mrs. Miller, she doubted she’d ever see Cole again. Just her luck to be falling in love with a man she couldn’t have.

CHAPTER 6
     
    Phoebe admired the scenery as they drove along the highway in South Dakota. The highway was twisty and steep in places, but the views were gorgeous - green-yellow pasture and distant hills.
    Although she enjoyed driving around Cheyenne, she was glad Cole was driving right now. Some of the turns were scary.
    “ Not much longer,” he said reassuringly as he expertly navigated another sweeping curve.
    She smiled at him. How had he known what she was thinking, apart from the way she clutched her purse at particularly steep inclines or nervously sipped from her water bottle? He seemed to be well-versed in reading body language. Just as well he doesn’t know you’ve got the hots for him.
    Phoebe settled back in her seat, determined to relax. A moment later, a red car came toward them, screeching up the steep hill.
    The car veered toward their lane, then corrected itself.
    “ Jerk,” Cole muttered, his eyes on the road and his hands gripping the steering wheel.
    She bit her lip, trusting Cole’s driving, but wishing the red car had already passed them.
    As they neared the other vehicle, it suddenly swerved into their lane again.
    “ Hold on!” Cole wrenched the wheel.
    The next few seconds happened in a blur. When Phoebe opened her eyes, she stared down the side of a cliff. Her gaze dropped to her torso. All her limbs seemed intact and apart from feeling shaken and jolted, she thought she was okay.
    “Cole!” Her voice sounded rusty. “Cole!”
    “ I’m okay, sweetheart.” Never had his voice