How I envision Kate (Photo used with permission: ‘Sunset at Assos’ by Nevit Dilmen ~ see more of his work at www.sxc.hu/profile/nevit)
On her wedding anniversary, Kate Huntington pauses to count her blessings–her wonderful husband, Eddie, a successful career as a psychotherapist, and her close friendship with Rob Franklin, a lawyer who has handled the legal problems of many of her clients through the years. Little does she know that one of those mutual cases is about to rip their lives apart.
For more of Kate’s back story, and her playlist of favorite songs, click HERE.
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Rob Franklin‘s a big man–six-two and battling middle-aged spread. In some ways he is like his easy-going friend, Ed Huntington (Kate’s husband) but when the chips are down, he has a backbone made of steel. The friendship between Rob and Kate began as work buddies, when Kate referred some of her clients to him for legal advice. As their friendship grew, they started socializing outside the office along with their spouses, and the four of them became good friends.
Rob’s friendship with Kate has deepened gradually through the years. It takes being stalked by a killer, however, for him to realize that, after his wife Liz, Kate is the person he is closest to on the planet. As they attempt to keep themselves and their families safe while tracking down that killer, the adversities they face will both strain and ultimately strengthen their friendship.
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Inside Rose Hernandez‘s five-foot ‘compact’ body is one tough lady cop. Disgusted with her supposedly superior officer’s incompetence and laziness, she risks her career to help Kate and the Franklins with their investigation. ” I joined the police force to ‘protect and serve’ people like you, not force you to track down killers on your own!” she tells them.
Rose doesn’t smile often, but when she does it turns her rather plain face into a thing of radiant beauty. The first time Mac Reilly (Kate’s friend since childhood) sees that smile, his heart turns to mush. The curmudgeonly former Green Beret resists love’s pull at first, but in Rose Hernandez he has met his match, in more ways than one.
WARNING: If you have not yet read MULTIPLE MOTIVES or ILL-TIMED ENTANGLEMENTS, you may not want to go beyond this point. The following contains some spoilers.
Kate and Skip on their first ‘non-date’ (copyright by dreamstime.com; right to use purchased)
Skip Canfield is six-five and drop-dead gorgeous. But he wasn’t always tall, broad-shouldered and buff. The short, scrawny teenager who was bullied because of his goofy nickname still lives inside of him. He was Kate’s bodyguard when she was being stalked by her late husband’s killer. He liked and admired her, but she was just another client at the time.
When he’s hired by Rob Franklin to help clear his Aunt Betty of suspicion of murder, Skip finds himself in daily contact with Kate again and he decides to pursue his growing interest. Kate tells him it’s too soon–she’s still grieving for her beloved Eddie–but it quickly becomes apparent that she is indeed attracted to him. He’s a patient man. He’ll give her time.
As the investigation becomes more complicated, and more dangerous, Skip realizes something has shifted. Before he was just interested; now he’s falling in love. But until Kate finishes letting go of her dead husband, he’s unable to officially date her, or even touch her.
