High in Trial (22 page)

He stepped in front of me, halting my forward progress, and dropped both hands onto
my shoulders. Cisco obediently and alertly sat at my side when I stopped. Miles said,
“Are you serious?” There was a puzzled, genuinely incredulous frown on his face. “Honey,
what happened today wasn’t your fault. It was the fault of a crazy man. Even the police,
with inside information and advance warning, couldn’t stop it. How were you supposed
to?”

“That’s not the point.”

“It’s absolutely the point. And another thing. These things keep happening to you
because you’re bright and curious and stubborn and brave and you have a heart as big
as a golden retriever’s
.
” The smile in his eyes coaxed a small, reciprocal one from me. “And I would be proud
to have Melanie grow up
to be
just like you. Only…” He fell into step beside me again, dropping one arm to my waist.
“Let’s not take her to any dog shows for a while.”

“Trials,” I corrected him. “They’re called trials.”

He dropped a kiss on my hair. “I love you, babe.”

I said, “I love you back.” I pressed my head briefly against his shoulder and added
softly, “Let’s go home, okay?”

So we did.

When we got there, a long and complicated story of love, lies, and betrayal was waiting
for me, and it was good to have a friend by my side while I heard it. When
that story
was finished, I would never look at my life, or the people I loved, in quite the
same way again.

Perhaps, after all, that wasn’t such a bad thing.

~*~

Also in
T
he Raine Stockton Dog Mystery Series

SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRACKS

A child has been kidnapped and abandoned in the mountain wilderness. Her only hope
is Raine Stockton and her young, untried tracking dog Cisco...

RAPID FIRE

Raine and Cisco are brought in by the FBI to track a terrorist …a terrorist who just
happens to be Raine’s old boyfriend.

GUN SHY

Raine rescues a traumatized service dog, and soon begins to suspect he is the only
witness to a murder.

BONE YARD

Cisco digs up human remains in Raine’s back yard, and mayhem ensues. Could this be
evidence of a serial killer, a long-unsolved mass murder, or something even more sinister…
and closer to home?

SILENT NIGHT

It’s Christmastime in Hansonville, N.C., and Raine and Cisco are on the trail of a
missing teenager.
But when a newborn is abandoned in the manger of the town's living nativity and Raine
walks in on what appears to be the scene of a murder,
the holidays take a very dark turn for everyone concerned.

THE DEAD SEASON

Raine and Cisco take a job leading a wilderness hike for troubl
ed
teenagers, and soon find themselves trapped on a mountainside in a blizzard… with
a killer.

ALL THAT GLITTERS
: A Holiday Short Story e book

Raine looks back on how she and Cisco met and solved their first crime in this Christmas
Cozy short story. Sold separately
a
s an e-book or bundled with the print edition of HIGH IN TRIAL.

Spine-chilling
suspense by Donna Ball

SHATTERED

A missing child
, a desperate call for help in the middle of the night… is this a cruel hoax, or the
work of a maniacal serial killer who is poised to strike again?

NIGHT FLIGHT

She’s an innocent woman who knows too much. Now she’s fleeing through the night without
a weapon and without a phone, and her only hope for survival is a cop who’s willing
to risk his badge—and his life—to save her.

SANCTUARY

They came to the peaceful, untouched mountain wilderness of Eastern Tennessee seeking
an escape from the madness of modern life. But when they built their luxury homes
in the heart of virgin forest they did not realize that something was there before
them… something ancient and horrible; something that will make them believe that monsters
are real
.

EXPOSURE

Everyone has secrets, but when talk show host Jessamine Cray’s stalker begins to use
her past to terrorize her, no one is safe … not her family, her friends, her coworkers,
and especially not Jess herself.

RENEGADE
by Donna Boyd

Enter a world of dark mystery and intense passion, where human destiny is controlled
by a species of powerful, exotic creatures.  Once they ruled the Tundra, now they
rule Wall Street.  Once they fought with teeth and claws, now they fight with wealth
and power.  And only one man can stop them… if he dares.

Also by Donna Ball

The Ladybug Farm series by Donna Ball

For every woman who ever had a dream… or a friend

A Year on Ladybug Farm

At Home on Ladybug Farm

Love Letters from Ladybug Farm

Christmas on Ladybug Farm

Recipes from Ladybug Farm

Vintage Ladybug Farm

Romance Revisited by Donna Ball

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER

He was a cowboy looking for a wife. She was a lady specializing in brides. They were
made for each other... They just didn't know it yet.

A MAN AROUND THE HOUSE

He was the answer to a busy working woman's dreams. But was he too good to be true?

FOR KEEPS

He's an animal trainer who lives by one rule: never get attached. She's a social worker
who knows all too well the price of getting involved. It may take an entire menagerie
to bring them together, but eventually they both must learn that sometimes it's for
keeps.

STEALING SAVANNAH

He was a reformed jewel thief now turned security expert and her job depended on his
expertise. But could he be trusted not to steal the most valuable jewel of all-- her
heart?

UNDER COVER

She's working on the biggest case of her life, and her cover has already been blown--
by the very man she's investigating. Now they must work together to solve an even
bigger mystery-- their future together.

THE STORMRIDERS

They were thunder and lightning when they were married, and their divorce has been
no less turbulent. But trapped together during a deadly blizzard with the lives of
an entire community depending on them, they discover what's really important, and
that some storms are worth riding out.

INTERLUDE

Sometimes a chance encounter is over in a moment, and sometimes it can last a lifetime.

CAST ADRIFT

She was a marine biologist on short deadline to find a very important dolphin, with
no time to waste on romance. He was a sailor who knew there could only be one captain
on his ship-- himself. But two weeks at sea together could change everything...

~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR….

Donna Ball is the author of over a hundred novels under several different pseudonyms
in a variety of genres that include romance, mystery, suspense, paranormal, western
adventure, historical and women’s fiction. Recent popular series include the Ladybug
Farm series by Berkley Books and the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series. Donna is an
avid dog lover and her dogs have won numerous titles for agility, obedience and canine
musical freestyle. She lives in a restored Victorian Barn in the heart of the Blue
Ridge mountains with a variety of four-footed companions. You can contact her at
http://www.donnaball.net