Sheriff Angela Zimmerman is not what Bonaparte expects when he arrives in her district. But he was here to help her out at Levi’s request. A little matchmaking by Levi was going on too but didn’t change the fact that she was in trouble.

When Levi said he was sending a man over, she didn’t realize he meant this gentle mountain of a man. Still Bonaparte was confident and capable, and that’s what mattered. Something rotten was happening in her town, and getting to the bottom of it alone was nearly impossible. Especially when all her deputies had been coerced to quit.

Sensing something much bigger was going on is one thing, but proving it is another. So the two set out to get the proof they need—no matter the danger. No one expected what they found …

I think this is the first time I’ve seen Levi send someone on a mission with a bit of an agenda. Angela Zimmerman is the sheriff in a small town, a town being plagued by threats and shady dealings.

Bonaparte isn’t sure what to expect when he arrives. All he knows is Angela is Levi and Ice’s friend and needs help. As she briefs him on the issues, he realizes things are not going to be easy. Sons of mob bosses threatening people and their families to get property has to have some money making venture behind it. That venture isn’t an obvious one and there’s much digging to do.

After showing Bonaparte the properties and talking with her friend who’s grandfather actually sold to them Angela asks where Bonaparte’s staying. She’s surprised when he says he’s staying with her and even more so when he asks about groceries versus going out.

This is a favorite scene.

“Right and wrong is not always that clear,” she said. “No, sometimes it takes a little bit to work your way through, but it becomes clear eventually. So, where to?”

She looked at him in confusion.

“Do you have groceries?” he asked. “Or do we need to go out for dinner or stop at the store?”

She laughed. “So now you’re inviting yourself for dinner too.”

“Well, I figured, if I offered to take you out for dinner, you’d likely get mad at me.”

“Why would I do that?” she asked in astonishment.

“Well, opening the door was a strange thing for you. You are an officer of the law, so I don’t want to make it sound like I’m compelling you to do something or that I’m disrespecting your office,” he said, with a knowing smile. “But I’d really like to take you out for a good steak.”

Her eyes widened. “A good steak would be perfect,” she said. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“So where am I headed then?” he asked.

She smiled and said, “Away from here and back into town.”

“If you say so,” he said. “Is it nice and public?”

“Yes, of course it is,” she said, frowning. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Nothing,” he said. “I just want to make sure it’s really public.”

She groaned. “You want to make sure everybody thinks that the pretty little sheriff has a partner, is that it?”

“No, not at all,” he said. “I want everybody to know that the sheriff has a deputy,” he said. “One who’s not afraid to back his boss up.”

She looked at him, smiled, and said, “You know what? That just might work.”

“Doesn’t matter if you’re female or not, by the way,” he said. “I’d step up for the side of right any time, any day, any place, anyhow.”

She chuckled. “There’s a lot to be said for that.”

“There is,” he said. “It makes it all nice and clear. So where’s the steakhouse because I’m getting really hungry now.”

Still laughing, she directed him to the one on Main Street. “That should be public enough for you,” she said.

“Good,” he said. “Let everybody know, right off the bat, that you are no longer alone and that somebody around here has your back.”

“I can get behind that,” she said quietly, as he parked the truck. She looked around and smiled because, even now, people were studying the strange truck. “Don’t look now,” she said, “but we’re already attracting attention.”

“Good. The more, the better.”
Dale Mayer. Bonaparte’s Belle (Kindle Locations 552-574). Valley Publishing Ltd..

Running into the brothers Leroy and Leonard is a highlight to their dinner.

Things start to escalate and Angela is surprised just how many people are involved in all of the problems.

I loved the interaction with the dogs and the simmer to sizzle relationship that sparks between Bonaparte and Angela.

This series is a favorite and I hope it doesn’t end any time soon!

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.