Selena's Savior [Appledale 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Appledale 4

  Selena’s Savior

  Selena Monroe wished she had the courage to move away from her hometown of Appledale, Missouri and start over somewhere new. Her mother had a wild reputation and everyone treated Selena as if she was just like her mom when nothing was further from the truth. The truth was she led a mundane life and she longed to meet that special man that would see who she really was inside.

  Harrison Vaughn was glad he made the move from big city to small town. He liked his job working for the sheriff’s department, he had good friends. Life was good. If only he could figure out the puzzle of Selena Monroe. She acted shy and reserved, always keeping to herself. Was it real or was it just an act? He wanted to know who the real Selena was. The problem was, so did someone else. Someone was stalking the quiet beauty and Harrison was determined to protect her. Would he be able to keep her safe and discover the kind of love he always thought was a myth?

  Genre: Contemporary

  Length: 35,756 words

  SELENA’S SAVIOR

  Appledale 4

  Lee Rose

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

  [email protected]

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  SELENA’S SAVIOR

  Copyright © 2014 by Lee Rose

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63258-308-6

  First E-book Publication: September 2014

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Selena’s Savior by Lee Rose from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Lee Rose’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Lee Rose’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  To all those who love Appledale as much as I do. Thank you.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  About the Author

  SELENA’S SAVIOR

  Appledale 4

  LEE ROSE

  Copyright © 2014

  Chapter 1

  Selena Monroe walked into Ally’s Diner with a hearty appetite. The amazing smells hit her as soon as she opened the glass door and entered in. Her stomach rumbled letting her know she was starving. Breakfast had been a cup of coffee and that had been hours ago.

  Selena loved the fifties-style décor inside the diner. She walked across the black-and-white tiled floor. She couldn’t help but smile as she sat on a red round stool placed in front of the stainless steel counter. Soft instrumental music played over the speakers but Selena felt like she should be expecting some good ole’ fashioned music to match the theme of the diner.

  She didn’t feel like sitting alone in a booth today. Summer was ending quickly and autumn was taking over with a vengeance. It was only the beginning of September yet the air was cold and crisp. She had walked the six blocks from her work despite the chill in the air. She needed the walk to clear her head. Her boss, Dr. Anderson, had been especially cranky today. Nothing she did pleased him. He was never a jovial boss but lately he seemed crankier than usual.

  Lacy, one of the waitresses, greeted her. Her mother-in-law Ally Clark owned the diner. “Hi, Selena. Your cheeks are all red. Is it that cold out there?”

  Selena chuckled at the pretty redheaded waitress. Lacy was dressed in plain jeans and a red T-shirt but still managed to look very pretty. Selena took off her sweater that had seen better days and her plain nurse’s scrubs. “It sure is. Guess walking wasn’t one of my better ideas. I could use some hot coffee.”

  “I heard it’s gonna be a bad winter. Might even snow early,” Mr. Ed Harris, a longtime resident of Appledale, predicted. He already had on a black, knit winter hat as if he was prepared for the coming changing of the seasons.

  “You say that every year, Ed.” Lacy smiled gently at him as she refilled his coffee cup. She set a cup of the hot liquid in front of Selena.

  “I mean it this year, missy,” replied the cranky elderly man. He liked to call everyone under forty missy. Since he was in his late seventies they probably did seem really young to him.

  Selena smiled at Ed Harris. He had been one of her grandfather’s friends and she knew him well. “I believe that, Ed. That air today has a bite to it. Snow is pretty but I don’t like driving in it.”

  She didn’t bother picking up a menu. Instead she asked Lacy what the special of the day was.

  “Chili and cornbread,” Lacy answered. “I had some on my break and it is delicious. Really hits the spot on this cold day. Summer went by way too fast.”

  “Okay I’ll have that.” Something hot and quick sounded good to her. The last thing she wanted was to be late getting back to work. Dr. Anderson’s temper was frightening today. He was always on the stric
t side but the last few days it seemed like he was picking on her. This morning she had clocked in five minutes late and he had yelled at her. She didn’t make it a habit of being late, so being yelled at in front of the other employees had hurt her feelings. Maybe she needed a new job. Being a dental assistant seemed fine at first but now she was just unhappy and miserable. It was hard to pinpoint if that unhappiness stemmed from her job or her home life since neither one was a happy situation.

  She lived here in Appledale all her life and had never been anywhere else. Moving somewhere new sounded really appealing right now. She was only twenty-five after all. Why did she stick around this small town? Her mother made it very clear that she didn’t need anybody. She enjoyed charging Selena rent money for the small cramped room she slept in but she wasn’t interested in spending any real time with her only child.

  Selena sighed. That was another headache to think about. Her mother, Della Mae. Della liked to act like she was still young but she was well into her late forties. She hung out at the local bar as often as she could picking up men and bringing them home to continue the party. Selena hated being there at night but she had to sleep if she wanted to keep her job.

  Lacy brought her a bowl of steaming hot chili and placed it in front of her. Selena thanked her and dug in. She liked coming here for lunch because Lacy and Stella, the two waitresses, never judged her because of who her mother was. A lot of people assumed she was cut from the same cloth as her mother even though she didn’t drink and she had never stepped foot in Thorn’s bar before. She had stopped dating long ago because the men assumed taking her out meant sex at the end of the night. Yet despite the sedate lifestyle she led, it did nothing to stop the rumors.

  “You still coming to my house to play chess with me, Selena?” Ed Harris asked eagerly, setting his empty coffee cup down. His gray hair peeked out of his hat.

  She smiled at the elderly man. He was gruff on the outside but soft as a marshmallow inside. He had been friends with her grandfather before he passed away three years ago. Selena had started visiting him once a week and kept the tradition of playing chess with him. Ed’s wife had passed away long ago and he got lonely at times.

  “As long as you promise me hot chocolate I’ll be there, Ed,” she answered him with a gentle smile.

  Ed Harris laughed and nodded. He laid a few bills down on the counter and left.

  “I swear that man smiles more when you’re around,” Lacy mused with a shake of her head. Her reddish brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She picked up the empty coffee cup and put it in a bucket.

  “He is all bark and no bite, Lacy,” Selena assured her. “He gets lonely living outside of town but he refuses to sell his farm and house. He says that is where he and Wilma lived and he can’t let go of the memories.”

  “Mrs. Johnson is the same way. I want her to move into town so I can see her more often but she says she likes being surrounded by her memories in her house,” Lacy said. “Thanks for picking up her groceries for me Selena. I was so swamped that day. Stella left early because Lily had a fever.”

  “You’re welcome, Lacy. I like Ms. Johnson. She is such a sweet lady. She made me tea and showed me her teapot collection.” Selena smiled at the memory of the day she spent with the elderly lady.

  Lacy smiled. “Yeah she is so proud of her collection. I dust them whenever I am there. Her husband gave her one every year for their anniversary. She misses him so much.”

  Selena silently wished she had someone who could love her despite all the baggage she came with. She didn’t think she would find Mr. Right in Appledale. If she didn’t want to end up alone all of her life she just might have to move somewhere new.

  Selena set her spoon down once she was done with her chili. “I’m glad Lily feels better. I asked about her when I ran into Stanley at the bank. He said it was a cold but she is fine now.”

  Selena looked behind her to where Stella was waiting on a customer. Stella was tall and slender with short black hair and a very friendly manner.

  “Yeah me too,” Lacy said of Stella’s two year old daughter Lily. “Stella is a nervous wreck whenever the kid sneezes. I guess it’s because she waited so long to finally get pregnant.”

  “I know. She is a terrific mom. I really hope she gets blessed with another baby,” Selena told her. Stella had tried getting pregnant for years before finally having a daughter and she made no secret she was hoping to get blessed a second time.

  Soon it was time for Selena to leave. She paid her bill and said her good-byes.

  She walked back to work hoping the rest of the afternoon went quickly. She had a headache from lack of sleep. Her mom had been up arguing with one of her boyfriends for most of the night. Selena had gotten up and yelled at the both of them. Thankfully Della had kicked him out.

  She hadn’t gone more than a block when she saw a sheriff’s Jeep slow down. She let out an annoyed sigh when she recognized Harrison Vaughn, one of Appledale’s deputies. She could ignore him.

  “Jump in, Selena, and I’ll give you a ride. It’s cold today,” Harrison Vaughn said firmly in his “I mean business” voice.

  She rolled her eyes but got in. She was wearing a thin sweater over her nurse’s scrubs and she was cold. That was the only reason she was listening, she told herself.

  Harrison had been in town for over a year now. He always eyed her suspiciously and she knew exactly what went through his head. Like mother, like daughter. His abrasive attitude had rubbed her the wrong way and they had taken an instant disliking to each other. He had an intimidating aura surrounding him and she always felt tongue-tied and nervous around him. He kept his brown hair cut short and his brown eyes were cold without a hint of softness or warmth in them. He was tall and lean like a runner.

  Usually she tried not to open her mouth around him because she knew something sarcastic would come out. There was no point in making his dislike of her greater. She had enough enemies in this town, she didn’t need more.

  She didn’t understand her own feelings about Harrison. She felt physically attracted to him despite the bad feelings between them. All it took was for him to be within a few feet from her and her nipples beaded into hard pebbles and the place between her legs felt hot and needy. How was that for pathetic? He thought she was some Mata Hari and devious criminal mastermind when she was just a plain, boring girl trying to survive in this small town.

  “I was fine with walking, Deputy Vaughn. I had no plans to stop and rob anyone,” she said sarcastically, then pressed on her lips so she wouldn’t say anything else.

  Harrison chuckled, as if finding her surly attitude amusing. “Having a bad day, Miss Monroe?”

  “Yes. It just keeps getting worse,” she answered honestly. “But you don’t want to hear about my problems. So what do we chitchat about? How cold it is for fall?”

  “I know we got off on the wrong foot and that is all my fault, Selena,” he admitted softly and with something sounding like regret. But that was impossible. Harrison always watched her and she felt like a bug under a microscope when he was around.

  “You mean you no longer think I am a drunk, cheap tramp out to cause harm to the men of this town?” She gasped dramatically. She was tired of being judged harshly by people. Leaving Appledale sounded better and better every time she thought about it. She needed to get serious about this idea forming in her head.

  “I never said that,” he denied hotly.

  “You thought it though. It was clear on your face.” She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice but she didn’t think she succeeded. He pulled up in front of her work and turned the ignition off. He turned in his seat to face her. His features were hard and dangerous-looking and she was glad she wasn’t a criminal. He would be scary to go up against. If he was the one interrogating her she would confess to anything. She had the urge to scoot closer to the door.

  “I was a DEA officer for so many years in Chicago. It made me a cynical bastard and when I came here I was suspicious
of everyone. That was already in my nature because of my job,” he said seriously and she was shocked by his admission. He usually glared at her or treated her like a common criminal but he never started a conversation with her. “I have watched you this last year and I know you are nothing like your mother. I am sorry I gave you such a hard time.”

  She was totally speechless and didn’t know what to say. She sat there for a minute in silence. “Um, okay. Thanks for the ride, officer,” she stammered.

  She got out of the car feeling like she just exited a scene from the twilight zone. She went inside the dental clinic and peeked out the window. He was still sitting there as if lost in thought. That was so weird.

  * * * *

  Music was playing loudly inside the bar. Thorn’s was packed full of people drinking and dancing. Harrison sat at the bar and just watched. He had the same beer in his hand all night but he was sure no one noticed. He didn’t like to drink much. His parents had been alcoholics and the bitter memories left a bad taste in his mouth. He might drink a beer with a friend but he never allowed himself to get drunk.

  He didn’t even feel like being here but he had promised Logan Wilson, his partner, that he would hang out with him. Only Logan found some cute brunette to flirt with and had left him sitting here alone. Maybe he should call it a night and just go home. He was in a weird mood today.

  He was thinking of Selena’s shocked face when he had apologized to her in the car earlier. Her pretty soft-blue eyes widened as if he was crazy and he heard her soft little gasp. Was he that much of an asshole? Apparently. She looked at him like he had just lost his mind admitting he was wrong. He was a cold-hearted, cynical bastard and he was fine with that. It kept people from wanting to get to close.