By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Dale Mayer

Galen had plans to kick back and relax, but Levi needs someone to help out Zack, a friend of his. When Levi asks Galen, he’s game. There’s a little too much sugary sweet true love going on at the compound for him and his single state to handle. Then he meets Gemma and her sister, the real reason Zack was looking for help.

Gemma learned a long time ago how to handle her sister and her niece. When the two end up in deep trouble, Gemma drops everything and takes charge. But it’s dangerous, and she needs help. Galen wasn’t what she had in mind, but her heart is open and willing. Her body? Well, it’s good to go when a meet-and-greet leads to love at first sight.

Only the situation is dangerous, and she has to stay focused—until the truth comes out, and she finds out what’s really at stake.

One of the best parts of this book is when Ice comes out to give Galen his assignment. We get to see just a bit of how her pregnancy is going.

Zack is a contact that Levi and Ice want to work with and he has a problem. Well technically it’s not his problem, but the woman involved is like a little sister to him. Since Harrison has to do some more behind the scenes work on the Museum thing, Galen is the best choice to head out to Germany.

Zack and Galen hit it off pretty well, but find their quarry is gone.

Gemma’s brother-in-law Joe has been murdered and her sister Rebecca is in denial big time. Their house had been broken into and Rebecca keeps insisting it was simply a burglary gone wrong. Gemma knows better and her priority is to keep Rebecca and her daughter Becky safe. She knows it’s going to get dangerous and she’s going to need help. For now though they need to get to Joe’s cabin, get a bit of rest before continuing on.

Gemma isn’t pleased to find Rebecca has called Zack while she was getting gas. She wasn’t happy to find he wasn’t alone either or that they would meet up with them at Joe’s cabin.

This is a favorite scene.

Galen looked at Zack and grinned. “I like her.”

Zack snorted. “You would. She’s always been clear about right and wrong.”

“Like how? It would be nice if someone around here liked me,” Rebecca complained. “You like me, Zack, don’t you?”

He nodded affectionately. “Yep, but I’ve known you for a decade.”

“Right,” she said sadly. “How come we didn’t get together?”

“Don’t know,” he said cheerfully. “It just wasn’t right for us.”

“Maybe it is now,” she said, looking at him thoughtfully.

Galen was interested to see Zack’s reaction. He just shook his head. Galen still didn’t understand their relationship, but he’d choose Gemma over Rebecca any day. Hell, he’d love to spend some time to get to know Gemma better.

“You’re the little sister I never had,” Zack said. “We’ll keep it at that.”

She nodded glumly. “I wish Joe wasn’t dead.”

Galen had to admit he didn’t think she cared about Joe being gone because she loved and missed him but more that he’d been there looking after her and now she didn’t know what to do. She had pretty much alienated her sister from what he could see. The relationship definitely wasn’t one of mutual decision-making. And, for that, he felt sorry for Joe.

He looked at Zack to see a similar look of mixed emotions on Zack’s face. Galen finally realized that the answer to what he’d been wondering— if Rebecca was the one for Zack— was no. It really was a past relationship, and she’d slid into the kid-sister slot in Zack’s life. Which would make this job a lot easier.

Zack looked at him. “So what do you think?”

“I think Gemma’s right,” he said. “The fact that she found a couple places to rent is also unique. She’s very proactive.” Zack nodded, as Galen continued, “And maybe you didn’t hear, but she asked for my help. She said potentially some electronics were here.”

At that, Zack’s eyebrows rose. He looked at the closed door of the bedroom and nodded. “She’s always been one step ahead of the others.”

“And, in this case at least, she’s doing it for all the right reasons.”

Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the men. “I’m right here, though I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Zack said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, giving her a quick hug. He looked at Galen. “We should check the car for the stuff then.”

They headed outside, leaving Gemma to get some sleep while they went to the car. They took a look at the stuff in the trunk.

Rebecca came with the guys to the car. “Becky should be waking up soon, and I’ll need a hell of an explanation ready for this,” she announced.

“Why?” Galen asked.

“She had a party to go to this weekend, and she’ll be pretty upset to miss it.”

Galen nodded. He figured a little girl would get over it, but there might be some tears first. “So whose car is this?” he asked Rebecca.

“Whoever gave her the car is a secret, so don’t ask. She won’t even tell me who it was.” Rebecca’s tone held resentment. “He also gave her cash.”

“Cash is good,” Galen said mildly, noting the visible disgust on Rebecca’s face.

As they dug into the trunk of the car, she grabbed two bags. “These are Becky’s.”

He looked at them, nodded, looked at the rest of the gear in the back of the car, and asked, “So how much of this is yours?”

She pointed out six suitcases.

Six. He looked at her. “And this was a quick pack for you?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t know what I would need, did I?” And, with that, she sauntered inside.

He looked at Zack. “Only one suitcase in here she didn’t point to.”

Zack nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’ll be Gemma’s.” He shook his head and pointed to a box. “What’s in there?”

Sure enough, it was electronics. Computerized electronics with long-life batteries.

“This is pretty sophisticated stuff.” Galen whistled. “And this hooks up to the satellite feed.”

“Let’s get this inside, and see what we can do,” Zack said. It didn’t take long to sort out that she had three security cameras. “One front, one back?”

“Maybe one inside for close-ups?”

As Gemma came out the bedroom door, she nodded, rubbing her eyes.

He frowned at her. “You weren’t down for very long.”

“I do power naps,” she said. “I just have to go down, and then I’m good after ten minutes.” She noted the absence of her sister. “Is Rebecca in with Becky?” she asked, pointing at another closed door.

“Yeah,” Zack confirmed.

Gemma motioned at the box. “So that is all I have. Except for my laptop which connects to these.”

“Did you try them?”

“I did, which is why I’m short on sleep.”

The guys nodded, bringing the rest of the stuff inside the cabin. She brought out her laptop from a huge bag he’d noticed sitting off to the side in the kitchen area. One of those over-the-shoulder purses which women carried around that seemed to hold everything. And, sure enough, she pulled out a modem, several battery packs, a mouse, and then a notebook.

She sat down at the small kitchen table and quickly turned on the laptop. “My thoughts had been one for the front road, one for the back door, and one for inside somewhere along this transition wall.” She pointed up to where the wall was. “We could then potentially see the kitchen and living room and somebody coming up and down the stairs.”

With that agreement in place, the men quickly secured the cameras as best they could to be out of the way, hidden, even bringing some greenery in to make it look like it was a decoration.

With that set up, she brought up the software and motioned to the computer. “Numbers one and two are online.”

Galen stepped behind her to take a look. “Good enough. Number three isn’t picking up anything though.” He walked over and readjusted it. “I don’t like the looks of the sensor in the back.”

She went to a box and brought out a smaller box from inside. “Here. These are replacement sensors.”

He looked at them in surprise. “Where did you get this stuff?”

“I have connections.”

He grinned at that. “So do I,” he said, with an approving nod. “They’re good to have.” He could feel more easing of her stiffness.

She nodded. “They’ve been a saving grace so far.”

“That’s how you got the car?”

“How do you know it’s not mine?”

“I checked.”

“Hell, yes, that’s how I got the car.”

He was glad that Gemma had somebody capable of helping her right now. He wished that he’d been the one she called. Something was just so compelling about that quiet take-charge way about her, to the point that he was getting irritated with the sister and would like to just ditch her. But that was hardly the point, when keeping her safe was why they were here in the first place.
Dale Mayer. Galen’s Gemma (Kindle Locations 400-459). Valley Publishing Ltd..

I have to admit I like Gemma’s contacts, and also the compound she brought them to after the cabin. She had spent many a summer on that property. A happy time for her and their is plenty to keep little Becky happy as well.

The guys find they like Tim the owner, even though he seems to have quite and arsenal on the premises. Also good to know Tim is a Veteran and will help keep everyone safe while they are there.

Gemma has plenty of love for her family and is proactive in every thing she does. Her niece Becky is adorable but even at her young age she gravitates more toward Gemma than her mother. I mean seriously, who names their daughter after themselves?

So much intrigue and mystery surrounds Joe’s death and Rebecca isn’t helping at all. It seems like a twist happened on every other page. Not to mention the growing attraction between Galen and Gemma that simmers them sizzles.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series, ‘Zack’s Zest’. The tease at the end of this book was perfect.

5 Contented Purrs for Dale!

Dale Mayer

Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It’s a Dog’s Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).

She honors the stories that come to her – and some of them are crazy and break all the rules and cross multiple genres!

To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in print and ebook format.