Debra Burroughs - Paradise Valley 04.5 - The Color of Lies by Debra Burroughs Read Free Book Online

had come so close to losing Emily. After what he’d gone through with Miranda—the months of solitude at a cabin in the mountains after the funeral, trying to work through his grief. And then the job offer to leave his hometown, San Francisco, and start over in the small town of Paradise Valley—he didn’t know if he could go through all of that again.
    He never imagined he could love anyone as much as he had loved Miranda. Then he met Emily. She had broken down the walls he had built up around himself. She had invaded his life and had taken his heart captive.
    “Oh, Emily,” he sighed, turning away from the window.
    “Colin?” Her eyes fluttered open.
    He dashed to her bedside. “I’m here, Babe.” He bent down and smiled at her before kissing her softly on the lips. “How are you feeling?”
    “Like I’ve been hit by a truck.” She gave him a little smile.
    “Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
    Her hand flew up to her battered face and it floated over the cuts and swelling. “Are you saying that looking at me makes your eyes hurt?”
    Colin laughed. “There’s that sense of humor I love.”
    He sat in the chair beside her bed, relieved she was awake and talking. He pulled her hand away from her face and curled his fingers around it, running his thumb over her engagement ring. “I love you, Emily Parker. It’ll take more than you getting hit by a truck to stop our getting married.”
    “Don’t worry, no one’s calling off the wedding. The doctor said she believes I’ll make a full recovery.”
    “When was she here?”
    “Oh, it was early, early—still dark outside.”
    Colin lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “I can’t wait to marry you, Babe.”
    “Well, you’ll have to wait.” She grinned. “I’m not wearing this cast with my wedding gown.”
    He stroked her cheek. “You know, there’s something we’ve never talked about.”
    “What’s that?”
    He thought about how the conversation had gone with Miranda, and he hoped it would go better with Emily. He took a deep breath. “What do you think of having kids someday?”
    “I think I’d love it—a couple of little stinkers running around, looking just like you.”
    “Or you,” he said. “You’d have to give up being a private investigator, or at least put it on hold for a while, don’t you think? ‘Cause I can’t see you chasing bad guys when we have little ones at home. Are you okay with that?”
    “I’m more than okay with that. I love working as a private eye—you know I do—and I don’t think I’ll ever totally get away from it, but being a mother, raising our children, that would be the most exciting adventure of all.”
    Colin rose and leaned over her, looking into her adoring blue-green eyes. “There is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with, Emily.” He bent down and gently kissed her.
    Her lips hinted at a smile. “Till death do us part.”
    THE END

Afterword
    I hope you were as excited and entertained reading The Color of Lies as I was when writing it. If you did enjoy the romance and suspense of The Color of Lies , I would like to ask you a favor to go back to Amazon and leave a review. We indie authors live and die by our reviews.
    Want more romance/suspense? Just check out the next section!
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Other Works by Debra Burroughs
    The Scent of Lies, A Paradise Valley Mystery: Book One
    An engaging, fast-paced mystery with a sensual, but sweet romance. Think “ Sex and the City ” meets “ Nancy Drew. ”

    Praise for The Scent of Lies …
    “The Scent of Lies caught my attention on the first page and kept me engaged until the last. Main character, Emily Parker, is a likable, vulnerable, sassy, hotheaded, smart woman surrounded by loving friends. This cleverly crafted story takes the reader on an engaging romp through hidden clues, romance, crime and murder.”
    ~ Janis McNutt
    Amazon Reviewer
    “Debra Burroughs has once again had me addicted to my kindle. I