Today's Excerpt is from
Love in a Pawn Shop
Written by Bonnie Edwards
April 1 Seattle, WA
Dane Caldwell ignored
his better judgment at 3:45 p.m. and walked across the street into Dixon’s Pawn
Shop. Like millions of others in every city in America, the shop sat in a row
of storefronts with overhead apartments. Except for the signs, they were all
identical. Each one had a door at the side for the apartment stairwells, and
he’d bet each one also had a rear entrance to the apartment from an alley in
back.
Cops liked to
know where the exits were, but since he was here without backup, he’d take the
most direct approach and walk in like any other customer. He was so far out of
his jurisdiction, he might as well be from Mars.
He’d watched the
place since arriving from Philly this morning. But at 3:10 p.m. waves of school
kids had begun to visit the store and he had to see for himself what drew them
in. He didn’t know much about children, but a pawn shop was a damn strange
hangout for nine-year-olds.
Three boys went
inside, and he slid in behind them and kept his back to the window as they
barreled up to the counter in the darker recesses of the store. He planned to
hang back and observe, nothing more.
Then he saw her.
Dark red hair
fell in slight waves across her face. Her mouth, pursed in concentration, sat
over a strong chin with a slight dimple. It had to be her. His information said
she worked alone every weekday.
The woman must be
Dix Dixon. She bent over her cash drawer with a screwdriver in her hand.
As the boys raced
toward the counter, papers fluttered in their hands. “Hey, Dix! We got our
report cards! Wanna see?”
Her chin dimple
disappeared when she smiled at the boys. Warm, friendly, and bright enough to
clear the gray Seattle sky, her smile packed a punch. He narrowed his gaze as
she patted each head affectionately and read their report cards in turn. Each
boy preened at her compliments. Dane frowned. She could charm the birds from
the sky.
And his
grandmother out of the family jewels. For a woman like Dix, conning an old lady
would be a piece of cake.
The boys were
busy petting some kind of animal; from where he stood, he couldn’t tell if it
was a cat or dog.
Dane hung back,
surprised that a woman he was half convinced was a con artist would give this
kind of attention to neighborhood kids. He supposed that her wide-open smile
worked its magic on most people. It was certainly working on him. He fought the
urge to smile along with the boys and feigned interest in a carpenter’s tool
kit. He’d given in to his curiosity and come into the shop, but he wasn’t idiot
enough to move closer.
“I’ll be right
with you,” she said to him. After one more set of oohs and ahs, she handed the
boys back their report cards.
He gave her a nod
and studied the front of the store while listening to the conversation behind
him. Older computers, household appliances, and sports equipment filled the
front half of the space. Closer to the counter, he saw electric and acoustic
guitars hanging from the ceiling. Amplifiers lined the walls.
She clapped her
hands, pulling his attention to her again. She said, “Okay, troops, line up
single file and head for the exit. I’ve got work to do.”
The boys groaned
and she grinned at them. When they turned, he could see them better. Identical
triplets.
“Now,” she said. “If
you see my brother, tell him to get his butt home. I want to see how he did on
his science quiz.”
“Ah, Dix,” one of
them said, “Quit worrying. Riley’s gonna make it. All the way.”
“Yeah,” the other
two chimed in. “All the way, Riley, all the way, Riley!” they chanted until she
whistled loud enough to be heard over the din.
“Like I said,
line up and get a move on.” She clapped her hands again to shoo them along.
The boys trooped
past him single file until they reached the door. Then they jammed up, arms and
legs and elbows wedging their way through.
He was hard-pressed
not to laugh, but he managed. He wasn’t here to be amused. He was here to get
an overall impression of the woman.
As soon as the
boys squeezed their way out the door, he was alone with her.
Center stage.
For Dix life is about unexpected obstacles like family obligations.
Why'd Dane walk in when all Dix wants is out? Dane must prove love is
more than another complication.
Love in a Pawn Shop is part of the
When the oath to protect and serve tangles with love, expect sparks and lots of heat!
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About the Author: Bonnie Edwards
Multi-published author Bonnie Edwards lives
with her husband and pets on the rainy coast of British Columbia. She believes
life should be lived with joy. That joy shows up in her earthy, irreverent love
stories. Bonnie uses long hikes to bounce ideas off her husband and her standard
poodle, who almost always agrees with her.
She has written novels, novellas and short stories
for Carina Press, Harlequin, Kensington Books and Robinson (UK) although now
she publishes her work herself.
Sometimes her stories have a paranormal
twist, likes curses and ghosts, other times not. But they’re always
entertaining and guarantee a happy ending.
For more info and sample chapters: http://www.bonnieedwards.com/
Find her here:
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Bonnie-Edwards/e/B001IO9UTO
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BonnieEdwards
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bedwards1342/
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