Awakening Veronica
Divine Creek Ranch 17
Awakening Veronica
Bullied all her life, Veronica Benedict has learned to withdraw rather than risk being hurt by those closest to her—but that’s not the only type of bully she has to deal with.
On a research trip, a fellow author introduces her to two Doms at a wedding. Travis McDaniel is disillusioned by life in Washington, D.C., and is back home in Divine, examining his future.
Driven by the need to keep the citizens of Divine safe, Hank Stinson has put his loneliness and his secret desires aside—until he meets Veronica. Hank and Travis are captivated by the introverted author. Hank must decide if he needs this special kind of love more than he needs to be elected sheriff again, and Travis must choose between life in Divine and an opportunity to make a difference in the world. When they discover the bullying Veronica is enduring, their protective instincts come roaring to the surface.
Genre:
Contemporary ,M
é
nage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys
Length:
107,505 words
AWAKENING VERONICA
Divine Creek Ranch 17
Heather Rainier
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
AWAKENING VERONICA
Copyright © 2013 by Heather Rainier
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-102-8
First E-book Publication: December 2013
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2013 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
Awakening Veronica
by Heather Rainier 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 Heather Rainier’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Rainier’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
DEDICATION
To the man who knows me better than anyone. My husband. Thank you for continuing to inspire me. You’re a hero in every sense of the word.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to Kimberly for inspiring the creation of one of the heroes in
Awakening Veronica
. I appreciate her so much for sharing a moment from her life that added such wonderful depth to the story. As part of the Divine Divas street team on Facebook, she is one of many women who inspire me on a daily basis with their loyalty, enthusiasm, and naughtiness. Thanks is also due to her friend, Mike, for telling me about this real life hero.
Speaking of the Divine Divas, I must add a special thank you to all of them, including their admin, Rana. In the process of writing and researching Awakening Veronica I asked them about their experiences with bullying. Even though it stirred painful memories for many of them, they shared their hearts with me and helped to bring this story to vivid life. I’m truly blessed to know each of them.
I owe Cara Covington, a.k.a. Morgan Ashbury a serious debt of gratitude for allowing me such free use of her Lusty, Texas matriarch, Kate Benedict, as well as a number of her other characters. I appreciate the trust she placed in me more than I can ever adequately voice. Oh, and when I grow up, I want to be just like Grandma Kate.
Without wonderful readers, there wouldn’t be a Divine Creek Ranch Collection. I appreciate every one of you so much. In particular, I wish to thank all those kind people who reach out to me on Facebook, Twitter, and through e-mail. They are rays of sunshine in my day and I love interacting with them.
Thank you to my beta-reader, Stormy, for her part in making this story a worthy addition to the series. Her insights and suggestions show her keen love for Divine and I appreciate her thorough attention to detail.
My editors at Siren, and the rest of the staff, have my heartfelt appreciation for their part in delivering a well-written story to readers. I’m fortunate to live close enough to occasionally visit them in person and they are truly a marvelous, professional bunch.
My publisher, Diana, has my deepest gratitude and admiration for the high standards she sets and for continuing to believe in me.
CAST OF MAIN CHARACTERS IN BOOK READING ORDER
Divine Grace
Grace (Stuart) Warner
is co-owner of Harper Embroidery. She’s also invested in and works at Discretion, a ladies’ adults-only boutique located in Morehead.
Jack Warner, Ethan Grant, and Adam Davis
are distant cousins and owners of the Divine Creek Ranch. Jack is also a building contractor. Adam is an HVAC and electrical contractor. Ethan co-owns The Dancing Pony nightclub, located in Divine.
They have one daughter, Rose Marie.
Her Gentle Giant (Part One & Two)
Rachel (Lopez) Wolf
was employed at Thorne Home Theater as a bookkeeper. She now does the books for Discretion and is a stay-at-home mom.
Eli Wolf
was one of the bouncers at The Dancing Pony and is now licensed as an EMT.
They have one son, Levi.
Heavenly Angel
Teresa (Palacios) Martinez
worked at Stigall’s with Grace and is now invested in Discretion and works there part-time when not caring for her children.
Angel and Joaquin Martinez
are brothers and horse breeding specialists who handle the breeding operation on the Divine Creek Ranch.
They have two sons, Michael and Eleazar, and an infant daughter, Isabella.
Rosemary’s Double Delight
Rosemary (Piper) Garner
splits her time between the family business, Cheaver’s Western Store, and her husbands’ business, Garner Custom Furniture.
Wes and Evan Garner
are brothers and self-employed custom furniture craftsmen who have known Rosemary since kindergarten. They have one son, Thomas Daniel.
Spurs and Heels