Renegade is getting a makeover...

Weird Fact: In Star Wars, Yoda was almost played be an adorable monkey wearing a mask and holding a cane.

Why is today's weird fact about Star Wars? Because it's REVENGE OF THE FIFTH! Okay, for those of you aren't total nerds like me, May 4th considered Star Wars Day because of the play on words, May the Fourth Be With You (May the Force Be With You.) And May 5th is the comeback for Revenge of the Sith.

Okay, I get it. Enough Star Wars. You're not here for that, you're here for books! Well, it's a good thing then, because I have some exciting news about RENEGADE.

Later this month, it shall have a brand new cover! Originally, when I wrote it, I had left it open to be part of a series, but to be honest, it's not a top seller, and never garnered as much interest as The Crow's Nest Series.

But the new cover for Renegade will properly brand it. Since it's not a "Book One" and is, in fact, a standalone. So, if you DO want this cover version in print, now is the time to order, as it will no longer be available after the beginning of June. I'm also inputting a sample of Renegade for your reading pleasure.

Amazingly enough, it was actually my best seller at Shameless last year. I described it as a small town, single dad, mafia romance. I know it's a motley crew of tropes. We know I'm weird, right?

Anyway, keep reading for a sample of Renegade!

RENEGADE

Chapter One

Reggie muttered a stream of curses at the black smoke billowing into the sky from her big rig's engine. The breakdown couldn't have come at a worse time. She'd used her CB to call for assistance, but Merrydale was twenty minutes out and tow trucks weren't known for their punctual response time. If it didn't show up soon, she'd need to contact Joshua Fisher and let him know the soil shipment would be late. At best, she'd lose part of the payment as a penalty. At worst, a fight would ensue, and Reggie wasn't in the mood. 

Hitting the steering wheel, she tipped her head back. The gray ceiling fabric hung low in places where the glue had worn from the soft foam above. She didn't have the money to fix it, and it wasn't a necessity. Buying a box of tacks from the local dollar store would do the trick a lot cheaper than paying someone to reupholster it. Whatever caused the smoke to shoot out of her engine would be a necessity that Reggie couldn't finagle with office supplies—which meant all the money from this job was going right into her rig. Baton Rouge was thirty minutes in the opposite direction and she'd probably get a better rate on whatever was wrong, but it also meant probably losing a ton of money.

"Damn it!" 

The grunting roar of an engine drew her attention to the road. Reggie grabbed her Ruger 9 mil. from the center console, the grip a familiar reassurance in her hand. After she checked the safety, she tucked it in the back of her jeans. Driving a big rig on the road alone was reason enough for her to have protection, but the constant haunting of Reggie's past made it a demand. Four months in the hospital made her never forget to be on alert.

She hopped out of the cab, her brown boots kicking up a bit of dust that rested on the hem of her blue jeans. The large red truck grumbled as it came to a stop beside her. Dave's Shop and Tow was barely legible on the side door. The driver killed the engine and got out. His graying brow shot up as he gave her a once over with brown eyes darker than Reggie's.

"You the one that called?" His words held a slight Cajun accent.

Reggie rolled her eyes. Women truck drivers weren't few and far between these days, but they still didn't rival the number of male genitalia that was generally found in the driver's seat. "No. There's another truck right next to mine," she said. "You just have to look really, really hard to see it."

He grunted and adjusted the center lining of his blue coveralls. The tag read 'Dave'.

Oh goody, she got to meet the owner directly.

"No need for sarcasm," he said. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened, his lips turning down in a frown.

Reggie blew out a breath. He hadn't specifically done anything wrong, and he didn't deserve her ire. She needed to get it together. Yeah, she wasn't conducting business in a fancy office, but it was still business. Treating Dave like shit wouldn't get her anywhere.

"You're right," she said. "Sorry. It's just been a long day."

He nodded. "I imagine it has been. Guess we best not make it any longer. Miss?"

"Dennis," she said. "Reggie Dennis. Reggie's fine."

"Dave," he replied. "Let's get to it then." He rolled up his sleeves. Scabs and dry patches from long years of working in the sun peppered the rough skin of his dark forearms.

He grabbed a ladder from the back of his truck and put it at the front of the rig's engine. After climbing up, he popped the hood, and stuck his head underneath, old eyes inspecting the mechanical parts with precision.

Reggie hoped it wouldn't be anything damning. She needed the money from this shipment, and there was still a slim chance she could make it on time. Her pockets were wearing thin, and that made it hard to stay on the move. Staying in one place too long made it easier for people to track her. Especially with the abundance of cameras that almost every place seemed to have now.

Shadows washed through the foliage. Tall trees darkened the road and bushes rustled as the wind blew through. Fear made her shoulders tense for a moment until a raccoon darted across the road. She let out a slow breath and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. The gun's metal body against her skin gave her a small comfort, but Reggie knew, especially in today's world, just how easy it was for someone to find her—even in the middle of nowhere.

"Well," Dave said. "There's a lot going on under here. Gonna need to dig a little deeper. I'll tow her back to my shop and figure out just what the problem is."

Crap, crap, crap!

If the guy couldn't fix it on sight—a long shot at best—that meant she'd have to crawl back in the cab and hit the enter button on the email. She needed that money. Especially now that she'd have to pay for repairs on top of everything else.

"I've got a load of soil in the back," Reggie said as Dave climbed down the ladder. "I don't suppose we could make a pit stop on the way?"

"Going to Fisher's then," Dave said in a matter of fact tone.

Reggie blinked. "Uh, yeah—how'd you—"

"Only one landscaping business in Merrydale. At least only one worth calling. It's on the way," he said. "Go on, hop in my truck. I'll get your rig squared away and we'll make a pit stop."

Relief washed through her muscles. "You, Dave," she said with a smile. "Are a lifesaver."

Leaning over, she kissed his cheek.

"Ain't much of nothin," he replied.

She couldn't be sure, but Reggie thought she saw the slightest blush creep into his dark cheeks.

***

They made it to Fisher's Landscape just before Reggie's deadline. She owed Dave another kiss. The man, despite his skeptical nature, had saved her bacon. Taking a breath, Reggie jumped out of the tow truck. Her rig hung off the back, connected by chains and hooks. Considering the size of the order, she really expected the place to be bigger, but it was a small warehouse, nursery, and greenhouse all wrapped into one. Green shrubbery and brightly colored flowers decorated the front lot in an appealing view that would attract attention from the road. A modest house sat to the left of it all, in need of a new paint job, and a gutter cleaning, but otherwise homey looking. A sign just outside the property read, "Fisher's Landscape and Design."

If the guy wanted to buy entirely too much soil, that wasn't her problem. So long as he had enough to pay her, Reggie would drop off the stuff and happily be on her way. Well, at least on her way to the garage so Dave could figure out why her truck was blowing more smoke than a chimney on the coldest winter night.

Dave got out and walked up with her. "Josh! You got a delivery here!"

A head peeked out over some palm fronds before he walked around to greet them. Reggie did a double take at his dark hair and hazel eyes. His chiseled face made her belly tighten. He stood and his smile had Reggie losing all form of coherent thought. The sight of his muscular body had her logical brain shutting down. Dirt covered his skin and his white shirt clung to his chest from sweat. Her mouth went dry and images of what she could do to him in the shower took over the intelligent part of her brain.

It'd been entirely too long since she'd had sex.

"Hey Dave," he said, shaking the man's hand. "What brings you out this way?"

He had the same Cajun drawl as Dave, but his deep voice carried it in a much more seductive way.

"Think I said you got a delivery," Dave said, his words ripe with amusement. "Josh, this is Reggie. Her rig's carryin' your soil. Broke down just outside a town."

"Sorry to hear," he held out his hand to her. "Pleasure to meet you."

Somehow, her brain worked out the mechanics, and she shook his hand, his calloused palm gritty from dirt.

"You too," she said. "Sorry about cutting it so close. Didn't expect Lady to go all lame on me the way she did."

Josh smirked, and dimples nestled at the corner of his lips beneath the dark scruff of his minimal facial hair. "Lady?"

Reggie nodded. "That's what I call her."

Josh looked past Reggie to the rig, giving the giant silver cab a once over. The D.O.T. number sat on the side just behind the door, and the trailer rested on the tail behind it. "Yeah, I think you're right. Definitely a Lady."

His hazel eyes lingered with a stark intensity that had heat rushing up her neck. Reggie didn't know if he was talking about the truck or her, but she cleared her throat. "Well ah, if you need help unloading it, that's an extra fee."

"Actually," Dave said. "You'd be doing me a favor, Josh, if I could just leave the trailer here till I figure out what's wrong with the rig. It'll be a lot easier gettin' her in as a bobtail."

Reggie frowned. She didn't feel comfortable leaving her trailer with a stranger, even if said stranger had her pheromones screaming with lust. She shook her head. "Why can't we keep it at your shop, Dave?"

"Ain't got the room, really. It'd just be sitting out in the field. Might as well keep it here where Josh can unload at his leisure."

Spreading her stuff out was dangerous, especially if she needed to make a quick getaway. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to find a viable excuse as to why the trailer should go with her. Every thought left her looking stingy, anal, or insane.

"It can stay here, " Josh said. "And I'll pay you the fee for unloading. If that's all right with you, cher?"

"Cher?"

He chuckled. "Term of endearment. Pretty common round these parts."

"Ahh," she said. "Well, stick to Reggie."

"Sure thing."

"It's settled then," Dave said. "We'll leave the trailer here."

"Wait, I didn't settle—"

"You're getting paid either way, and this makes it easier on me." He walked to the truck. "Where you want me to park her, Josh?"

"Over on the side of the greenhouse," he said.

Dave ducked into the tow truck and Reggie sighed, unaware of how the situation had gotten away from her. She'd known how to bargain, barter, and conduct deals since she was fourteen. She squinted her eyes at Dave, curious about his ways.

"Your trailer will be fine here," Josh said, drawing her attention back. "Besides, it'll probably only be for a day or so."

Something about the way he spoke made her want to feel at ease. Reggie squared her shoulders and brushed her fingers over the small of her back, feeling the bulge of the gun. "Thanks. It's not that I don't trust you..."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'd have some reservations myself if I had to leave my livelihood in someone else's hands."

"Never taken a vacation then?"

He shook his head. "Nah. At least not away from Louisiana. I think my kids would die of shock if I took them somewhere outside the state line."

Kids. Reggie swallowed past the sudden lump of emotion in her throat, her hand moving to her belly where a thin scar lay beneath the hem of her jeans.

"Kids are pretty resilient," she said.

"You got any of your own?"

Her throat clenched tighter, and she shook her head, looking over to Dave. He maneuvered the truck expertly, backing the trailer in next to the greenhouse without a hitch.

"They're worth it." He chuckled. "Even if they can be a pain in the ass sometimes."

Reggie gave him a polite smile. The conversation had gone from her finding him hot—to realizing that he had a family. Envy nibbled at her heart and she shook her head.

"Well, thanks for letting me leave the trailer here. If you need any help unloading, just shoot me an email. You still have my email from the papers, right?"

Josh nodded. "Yeah." He took a bandanna out of his back pocket and wiped the sweat from the back of his neck. "But a phone call or text would be easier, no?"

"No," She gave a short shake her of her head. "I don't own a phone. I work through email and CB."

He regarded her carefully, and Reggie wanted to shift under his gaze, but managed to keep her feet steady.

"All right then, ch—Reggie," he sighed. "Sorry."

She smirked at the slip up and nodded. "I'll go help Dave unlatch the trailer and we'll be on our way." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a set of keys. "So you can get in it."

Josh took them and cupped them in his palm. "Much obliged."

"See you later, Josh."

"I look forward to it, Reggie."

She raised a brow, wondering if there'd been something more to his words, but then she remembered kids—probably meant a wife was around somewhere. The coherent thought process started to come back, but the heat between her legs still pulsed.

Yeah, she needed to get laid.

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