Forrest for the Trees, an all new slow burn small town romance from Kilby Blades, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!
Forrest Winters isnât just a federal fire marshal; heâs a thorn in Ranger Sierra Bettsâs side. The way he swings his big axe, fixes her with his chameleon gray eyes, and talks about his jurisdiction has a way of breaking her concentration. He has a way of showing up everywhere he doesnât belong, including Greenbrier Ranger Station. And he really needs to quit stealing her bacon bites.
When a series of suspicious fires, an underhanded co-worker, and a cagey Parks Police Chief threaten her job and the park itself, Sierra grudgingly agrees to partner with Forrest. Their side investigation may be her best shot at preventing the framing of an innocent man. But can his firefighting expertise and her detective skills lead them to the real arsonist before Forrest breaks her with his charm?
‘Forrest for the Trees’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone and is book #1 in the Green Valley Heroes series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe
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Excerpt
âDo you walk around with bacon in your pocket or something?â Sierra asked.
Forrest gave Everest a final rub and rose to his feet. âI reckon itâs just good, old-fashioned Southern charm.â
Reaching toward his face, he pushed up the temple of his sunglasses until they sat on top of his head. Forrest looked down at her, smirk on his face, as usual, having his fun. Only, for Sierra, there was nothing fun about the heat that rose to her ears every time his gaze set on her, clouding her thinking with his smoky eyes.
Forrestâs eyes werenât just gray, and they werenât âjust eyes.â His gaze was penetrating and clear, with dark lashes that matched his dark hair. His irises were never the same, though whatever their hue at any given moment, a dark charcoal ring that looked like drawn pencil outlined the lighter color, adding intensity. Today they shone brightlyâthe color of wet shaleâa stark difference from the last time sheâd seen him. Theyâd turned dark, like slate, when heâd talked about the fires. There was something wondrous, and magical, and devastating about watching the way they changed.
âWhat are you doing in my neck of the woods?â
Forrest chuckled and crossed his arms. âYour woods again, huh?â
Sierra mirrored his posture. ââNeck of the woodsâ is a Southernism. I know how yâall like your sayings.â
He laughed again, his voice rich and deepâanother thing about him she had the bad habit of replaying in her mind.
âBetter than a pig likes slop.â Forrestâs eyes twinkled.
It made Sierra grateful for her own sunglassesâwindows to her soul, and all. She didnât want to think what Forrest might notice if he really saw her then. He would never stop gloating if he knew of her susceptibility to his allure.
âYou never said what you were doing here,â she pointed out.
âFollowing up on some potential fire hazards. Just being vigilant. You know how it is âŠâ
Sierra nodded. âI do.â
âI was just down at the ranger station âŠâ he began haltingly. âI wanted to thank you for what you left meâyou know, my fire marshal snacks.â
Sierra bit her lip against her own smile. âYou liked that, huh?â
âNot just me. The guys thought it was pretty funny.â
âYou told me you could read, so I figured âŠâ She trailed off innocently, and shrugged.
After their last conversation and his repeated, willful ignorance of her Tupperware marked specifically as being âRanger Snacks,â sheâd brought in a smaller Tupperware labeled âFire Marshal Snacks.â
âSad thing is, a different fire marshal mustâve beat me to it,â he continued. âImagine my disappointment when I opened the container and it was empty.â
âOh, no!â She feigned shock. âWhat did you do?â
âPicked up the phone and called Ed Ellis. Asked him to put out an APB to track down whoever had my bites.â
âThen you helped yourself to the ranger bites, Iâm guessing.â
He made a production out of looking distraught. âTheyâre not as good as fire marshal bites, but I had no choice.â
He didnât take his gaze off of her. When heat rose again in her ears, she knew she had to go. Plus, if she didnât get moving, she really would be late.
âNice to see you, Marshal Winters.â
His smirk melted into a half-smile. âAlways a pleasure, Ranger Betts.â
About Kilby Blades
Kilby Blades is a USA Today Bestselling author of Romance and Women’s Fiction. Her debut novel, Snapdragon, was a HOLT Medallion finalist, a Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist, and an IPPY Award medalist. Kilby was honored with an RSJ Emma Award for Best Debut Author in 2018, and has been lauded by critics for “easing feminism and equality into her novels” (IndieReader) and “writing characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal” (Publisher’s Weekly).
During her career as a digital marketing executive, she moonlighted as a journalist, freelanced as a food, wine and travel writer and lived it up as an entertainment columnist. She has lived in five countries, visited more than twenty-five, and spends part of her year in her happy place in the Andes Mountains. Kilby is a feminist, an oenophile, a cinephile, a social-justice fighter, and above all else, a glutton for a good story. Follow her everywhere @kilbyblades.
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