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Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.Someone to Watch Over Me (The Thorntons Book 5)Published by Blue Violet Press LLCSeattle, WashingtonCopyright © 2017 by Iris MorlandCover design by Resplendent MediaAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 1
Blood, sand, heat. It smells of copper and he can’t see anything in front of him. He shouts, hoping he’s not the only survivor, and he hears a groan through all of the noise. He wonders if his eardrum is blown from the blast.He follows the noise. It’s instinctual at this point. He wonders if he imagined it when he can’t find the source of the sound. Then: he sees something. He kneels next to his comrade, gently turning him over. He doesn’t know if his friend is dead. When he hears him choke and gasp, he realizes he’s alive.But given the wound in his belly, he will be dead within minutes.He tries to get his friend up, get him help. He can’t die out here when they’re going home in a week. Not like this. His friend has a new baby girl and his wife needs him—Another blast rocks him. He collapses onto the sand, hits his head on something hard and painful, and it all goes black.Seth Thornton barely caught the scream in his throat as he woke up. Thrashing under the too-heavy bedcove
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 2
Seth considered Heath DiMarco, whose expression looked very much like he’d enjoy throwing Seth out on his ass. Seth had known that Rose’s last name had rung a bell, but he’d been so wrapped up inherthat he’d never considered that she had an older brother.An older brother who was currently bristling with protective instincts.Heath was shorter than Seth, but Seth had a feeling the elementary school teacher had more to him than he let on. Despite his glasses and his quiet demeanor, something lurked beneath that calm façade. Seth had encountered too many men trying to hide their darkest parts not to recognize it now.Seth had met Heath a handful of times when Heath had joined the Thornton brothers for drinks. Heath had been a good friend, especially to Harrison, and to Harrison’s wife, Sara, when she’d begun teaching at Fair Haven Elementary. Seth knew little about Heath, though, and since he’d been gone from Fair Haven for so long, he was at a loss at how to respond to He
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 3
“Shh, Bea is napping,” Lizzie cautioned as she let Seth in. “She should be up in a half hour, though.”Seth wanted to tease his twin sister about how much she’d changed in the last year—who would’ve imagined Lizzie worried about waking up a baby?—but considering what his sister would do to him if he woke up the baby…“Trent’s at La Bonita until this evening. How are you? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”“It’s been a week, Lizard.”Lizzie, with her dark hair and bright green eyes, looked like one of the Thorntons, although she and Seth only resembled each other in their hair and eye color. She was the opposite of him in every other way: slender and of average height, she was quite a bit shorter than him and had been since he’d outgrown her in junior high.Despite having given birth only two months ago, Lizzie looked radiant. Tired, definitely, and a little harried: her hair was frizzy, and Seth saw what looked like spit-up on her t-shirt, but she was happy. After a long
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 4
Seth had stared down the barrel of a gun many times, but never had his potential assailant been a beautiful woman. A beautiful woman who also happened to be his neighbor.Oddly enough, he didn’t feel afraid having Rose point a gun at him: he felt pride. She knew how to handle a gun, and her stance bespoke a woman who had done a lot of practicing with the weapon in her hand.It also told him that she’d gotten the gun for a legitimate reason.He kept saying her name, calmly, slowly, until she returned to herself. He saw a flash of something—embarrassment?—in her eyes before she finally put down the gun and set it aside.At his request for whiskey, she frowned, but she allowed him to come inside without further comment. Callie growled low in her throat; Seth gave the dog a wide berth. He knew what German shepherds could do when protecting their masters. There was a reason the military used them so often.“I just have rosé,” Rose said, a slight smile plying her lips finally.“Appropr
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 5
“Hey Rose, can you get my table?” Rebecca asked, her expression harried. Rebecca had just started at The Fainting Goat, and she tended to get overwhelmed easily.Rose waved a hand. “Go take a break. I’ll take care of them.”Rebecca sent her a grateful look and sneaked to the back, where she’d stay until Trent noticed one of his latest waitresses had disappeared. Rose enjoyed working at the local bar: Trent and his assistant manager, Landon, were fair, although they expected their employees to work hard and follow the rules. Rose had been astonished when Trent had told her that not only did his staff receive more than minimum wage, but they kept the tips they received.Rose had almost jumped at the chance when Trent had called her and told her he had a position for her.Despite the decent wages and tips, it still wasn’t a ton of money. Although Fair Haven was a far cry from being as expensive as Seattle just south of them, the cost of living was high. Thus the reason why Rose had an
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 6
Seth hated the dreams the most.They always started innocuously enough: he was back in the deserts of Afghanistan, the heat and the sand palpable. He heard his fellow soldiers laughing and joking around as they returned from some mission. Seth had moved up the ranks to corporal by the time he’d gone on inactive duty, and although he hadn’t been in charge of anyone, he had acted like a mentor to the newbies by the time he’d started his second tour.In this dream, Seth watched as his best friend and fellow corporal Max Meyers waved at him to join him. They were in the middle of the desert, and Seth didn’t know what Max wanted to show him. He jogged up to Max, who pointed to something in the sand.“I can’t see anything,” Dream Seth said, confused.Max grinned. Max had a smile that you’d never forget, his teeth crooked yet his grin infectious. He was the jokester of their group, always trying to keep people’s spirits up. Seth had found Max annoying when he’d first joined, but through s
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 7
“Why did I agree to get up this early just to see you?” Rose joked as she barely stifled a wide yawn.Heath grinned. “It’s only nine a.m.”“You’re a morning person, I’m not.” She yawned again, and Heath laughed.Rose had agreed to meet Heath for coffee that Sunday at The Rise and Shine, the bakery Megan Thornton—née Flannigan—owned and ran. Rose had only been here a few times; working at The Fainting Goat, she tended to get up late and return home in the wee hours of the morning.“I’m not a morning person,” Heath replied, “but I’ve been getting up early for work so many years now that I can’t break the habit.”“I’ve never had that problem.”“Why does that not shock me?”Rose stuck out her tongue right as Jubilee Thornton placed their two coffees and muffins in front of them. “Cinnamon latte for you,” she said as she handed the drink to Rose, “and a latte with an extra shot for you. Just how you like it,” she said to Heath.Rose suddenly felt more awake than she had been just a
Last Updated : 2021-10-03
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Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 About the Author
A coffee addict and cat lover, Iris Morland writes sexy and funny contemporary romances. If she's not reading or writing, she enjoys binging on Netflix shows and cooking something delicious.Stay in touch!irismorland.comIris Morland’s MermaidsNewsletter Facebook Twitter BookBub Goodreads Instagram
Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Also by Iris Morland
Say You’re MineAll I Ask of YouMake Me YoursHold Me CloseOopsie DaisyHe Loves Me, He Loves Me NotPetal PluckerWar of the RosesincludingThen Came YouTaking a Chance on LoveAll I Want Is YouMy One and OnlyThe Nearness of YouThe Very Thought of YouIf I Can’t Have YouDream a Little Dream of MeSomeone to Watch Over MeTill There Was YouI’ll Be Home for Christmas
Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Enjoy this exclusive excerpt
After eating dinner and changing her clothes, Jubilee almost lost her nerve. What if Heath wasn’t home? What if he was home, but he told her to go away? How humiliating. Her stomach churned as she imagined all sorts of scenarios.“Did I make myself a promise?” she said to herself as she began to put on her shoes. “I’m not going to let Heath beat me.”She wasn’t going to be that shy wallflower anymore. The girl everyone overlooked. The girl everyone assumed was too delicate, too naive, to take seriously. She wasn’t going to be that girl any longer.She only knew where Heath lived because she’d stopped by with Rose one evening a few months ago. She just hoped he was home at all tonight.When she saw Heath’s car in his driveway and a light on inside the first-floor apartment, her heart started to pound. She almost lost her nerve right then. Taking a deep breath, she told herself to remain calm, cool, collected. She’d seen how Heath looked at her. She only had to use that desire to her
Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Epilogue
“Okay, I’m ready.” Rose glanced one more time in the mirror, checked her makeup for the thousandth time, and took a deep breath.She walked into the living room, feeling rather absurdly exposed. Seth’s eyes widened.“Well?” she said, trying not to fidget. “Is it stupid? I’ll take it off—”“No, no. I love it.” His grin was swift as he pulled her close and into his lap. “The wings are amazing.”“Really? Do I look like a hummingbird? I thought I might look more like a blue jay—”“No way. It’s perfect. Best Halloween costume ever.”She looked at his costume and rolled her eyes. “You’re not even in a costume!”“Yes, I am.” He showed her a sign he’d made that readNudist on Strike.“I’m on strike, babe.”“Oh well, does that mean you’re on strike for me? Because that’s a damn shame.”He nuzzled her neck. “No way. You can get me naked anytime.”She laughed, and he kissed her, although she eventually pushed him away because she was not going to let him ruin her makeup. She’d
Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 20
It was nearly dawn by the time Rose and Seth returned to Seth’s apartment. He had to get stitches in his hand, his bicep and throat were bandaged , and after long interviews with the cops, they were allowed to go home. Johnny and his gang would remain in jail for the time being.Heath had taken Callie for the day, and when they’d all met up at the hospital, he’d returned her with a shake of his head.“She wouldn’t calm down all day,” he’d reported as Callie cavorted around Rose in excitement. “I think she missed you.”Rose had almost cried at seeing Callie again. Burying her face in the dog’s fur, she’d had to gather her composure to thank her brother for everything.Now in Seth’s apartment, they both collapsed onto Seth’s bed, Callie lying at the foot of the bed. Seth winced when he rolled onto his side.“How’s your hand?” Rose asked as she curled next to him.“Fine. I think they gave me enough painkillers to sedate an elephant.”“Good. Then if you annoy me, I’ll put some into
Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 19
After Johnny left her, Rose took in the room, looking for any means of escape. There was no furniture, nothing to use as a weapon to get the zip ties loose. Rose struggled for a while, until she realized all she was doing was hurting herself in the process.She forced herself to stay calm. She’d texted Heath her location, and she knew her brother would move heaven and earth to find her. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, in and out.What would Seth do? Sitting in this prison cell, tied up and terrified, she felt all of her feelings of anger and grief toward Seth melt away. She wanted to see him one last time because no matter what, she loved him. What if she never got to tell him how much she loved him again?She choked back a sob at that thought. She couldn’t devolve into panic, or she would never get out of this alive.Johnny had used zip ties on her wrists and her ankles, tying each ankle to the chair itself. Years ago, she’d taken a brief self-defense class, and she forced
Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 18
Rose entered her own apartment and stood in the middle of her living room. Her brain couldn’t compute what had just happened. She stared at the dirty dishes currently sitting in the sink, the mug on the coffee table where she’d left it this morning. It had seemed ages ago, drinking from the mug.Callie whined and sat next to Rose. She whined again, but Rose didn’t respond.It was over. After everything that had happened to her, she’d fallen in love with a man who didn’t want to fight for that love. He wanted to let himself fall deeper into his own doom, and she could do nothing about it.A stray firework exploded some miles away; she flinched. She waited for a second one, and she breathed a sigh of relief when that seemed to be the only one.She washed the dishes that had been sitting in the sink all day. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, got dressed for bed. Pulling out the futon, she realized that her pillow smelled like Seth. Exchanging it for another pillow, she almost sc
Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 17
One moment Seth was next to her watching the fireworks, the next he was pushing his way through the crowd. He disappeared from her line of sight for a moment.“What’s wrong?” Caleb yelled over the latest firework explosion.“I don’t know! I need to go after him.”Rose ducked under someone’s arm and headed toward the Thornton house. She saw a door close, and she went inside the house, which was mostly dark except for a dim light from the hallway. She’d gone through a back door that led into a mudroom. She waited a moment and then heard footsteps. She ran after the sound.She discovered Seth in a room upstairs, his head in his hands. She glanced at the decor and realized that this must have been his childhood room: there were posters of rock bands on the walls, a giant but old stereo on a table near the bed, and a scattering of rudimentary wooden figurines. She almost smiled when she saw the desktop computer still sitting on the desk.“Seth.” He didn’t respond, and she sat down next
Someone to Watch Over Me: The Thorntons Book 5 Chapter 16
Rose awoke to the sound of Seth’s voice. Yawning, she sat up, her brain slowly clearing of sleep.Seth’s shoulders were tense as he spoke to someone on the phone. “Yeah, you’ll have my answer soon, sir. Yeah. Yeah, I understand. Bye.”He seemed not to realize she was next to him. She began to rub his shoulders, concerned, but he pushed her hands away.“I need to take a shower,” he muttered. “I’ll be back,” he added in a gentler voice.Rose heard the water turn on next door, and as she made breakfast for herself and Seth, she frowned. Who wanted an answer from him? He hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort lately.Rose gave Callie a bite of bacon. “It’s just one thing after another with us, isn’t it?”Seth returned twenty minutes later, his hair wet and looking a little less dazed. They sat down to eat, not speaking, and Rose decided not to press him until he felt ready to tell her what was going on.Seth set his plate down on the table, smiling when Callie tried to nose another p
