Convicted Read online

  CONVICTED

  by

  MEGAN HART

  Amber Quill Press, LLC

  http://www.amberquill.com

  Convicted

  An Amber Quill Press Book

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

  Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

  or events is entirely coincidental.

  Amber Quill Press, LLC

  http://www.amberquill.com

  All rights reserved.

  No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

  Copyright © 2003 by Megan Hart

  ISBN 1-59279-077-1

  Cover Art © 2003 Trace Edward Zaber

  Layout and Formatting

  Provided by: ElementalAlchemy.com

  Published in the United States of America

  Also by Megan Hart

  After Class

  The Clear Cold Light Of Morning

  Dream Upon Waking

  Driven

  Friendly Fire

  Lonesome Bride

  Love Match

  Opening The Door

  Passion Model

  Playing The Game

  Pot Of Gold

  Right To Remain

  Riverboat Bride

  Sand Castle

  Trial By Fire

  With Steps Like Knives

  Dedication

  Special thanks to Officer Tom Nicklas of the St. Mary's Police Department for all his help. A million hugs and tons of gratitude to my family and friends for all their support. Of course, as always, to DPF, who makes it all possible.

  Chapter 1

  * * *

  Lisa Shadd put down her menu and stared up into the face of the man she'd sent to jail three years before.

  "I guess it really is hard to find good help these days," quipped her sister Allegra from across the table. She tilted her head toward the man waiting to take their order and added a laugh that made Lisa wince.

  "Al." Lisa shook her head.

  "Are you ready to order?" Deacon Campbell spoke the words with incredible dignity considering the circumstances.

  Lisa studied him. His sleek dark hair was shorter, trimmed around his neck and ears. His face was thinner; his deep brown eyes a little harder. Three years had changed him, but not for the worse. If anything, time and circumstance had aged his previous good looks into an almost feral beauty that reminded Lisa of the wolf-dog hybrids Harry Keller kept on the outskirts of town.

  Allegra laughed again. "I'll have the grilled chicken breast and a Tequila Slammer. Oops, I said slammer!"

  Allegra's poor attempt at humor made Lisa cringe. She turned to her sister with a warning look that, thankfully, Allegra chose to acknowledge. Allegra got up from the table with a pout.

  "I'm going to the ladies room," she said with a fixed glare at Deacon. To Lisa, she said, "Keep an eye on my purse."

  Throughout it all, Deacon's expression had not wavered. His pen remained poised over his notepad. Only the tightening of his full mouth gave Lisa the suspicion her sister's words had affected him.

  Lisa cleared her throat and tried to sound light. "How long have you been...back?"

  Deacon met her stare steadily. "I got out two months ago."

  "I hadn't heard." Lisa surreptitiously wiped her moist palms on her skirt. She'd thought a hundred times of meeting him again. In a town the size of St. Mary's, there'd be no way to avoid it. She just hadn't expected to see him here.

  Deacon cocked his head to the left and raised one eyebrow in the way she still remembered so well. "Sorry, I guess my press agent forgot to send you the notice."

  His casual but slightly bitter reply made her cheeks flush. Lisa finally dropped her eyes. She couldn't blame his bitterness. He'd spent the past three years in jail because of her testimony. She wasn't exactly his best friend.

  The restaurant's owner, Tom Lee, appeared from behind Deacon and smiled nervously at Lisa. "Is there a problem here?"

  "No, of course not," she began, then spotted Allegra standing across the room. When her sister noticed she'd been caught out, she looked anything but apologetic.

  "Deacon was just taking my order," Lisa said firmly. "No problem at all, Tom."

  Tom flashed Deacon a wary look as though he expected the much taller man to threaten him. "Remember what we talked about, Mr. Campbell."

  Deacon took a deep breath, but only nodded. If she'd been in his situation, Lisa knew she would not have been able to hold her tongue. Tom nodded at her tersely and bustled away back to the kitchen, his portly frame rocking from side to side with the exertion.

  "Something to drink?"

  She ordered a pop and a salad, having no stomach now for the greasy burger and onion rings she'd planned on ordering for lunch. "Thank you."

  There was more she wanted to say, but nothing would come out. It didn't seem the place, or the time, to tell him she was sorry for ruining his life. Instead, Lisa sat back in her chair and watched him head toward the kitchen.

  The last time she'd seen him, he'd been wearing a black suit, his long hair tied back in a slick ponytail in deference to being in court. It was a far different look from the faded jeans and cotton t-shirts he usually wore, and one that didn't suit him as well.

  Three years was a long time. Long enough to forget about him. So why hadn't she?

  She had no more time to think about it before a tall blond man slid into the chair next to hers and planted a swift kiss on her cheek. "Hey."

  "Terrence, you're late." Lisa spoke a little more abruptly than she'd intended. Seeing Deacon had flustered her.

  Terry shrugged and grinned. "Captain O'Neill had me filing again."

  Before Lisa could reply, Allegra came back to the table. Her smile for Terry was a lot brighter than it usually was. "Hey, Ter-Bear."

  Lisa gritted her teeth. "Al!"

  Allegra shrugged, looking innocent. "What? Can't a girl tease her future brother-in-law?"

  Terry laughed and squeezed Lisa's shoulder, but Lisa wanted to duct tape Al's mouth closed. "Al, please."

  "What?" Al repeated. "Hey, did you order already?"

  Deacon came to the table with Lisa's pop and set it down gently in front of her. His eyes took in Allegra, then settled on Terry's blue uniform. When he looked at Lisa, his eyes were faintly amused. His mouth, however, remained in its same straight, grim line.

  "Ready to order?"

  Terry flipped his menu closed. The men eyed each other. Lisa could practically smell the testosterone in the air.

  "Campbell," Terry said coolly. "I heard you were out."

  Deacon didn't miss a beat. "Nice to see you, Officer Hewitt. What'll you have?"

  Lisa knew what Terry was going to order before he even said it. Smoked turkey on wheat, no mayo, no onions. No chips. Unsweetened iced tea. It ought to have been nice, knowing, but today his predictability annoyed her.

  "Well." Allegra smirked at Lisa when Deacon had once more left the table. "What a cozy little reunion."

  Lisa stood. "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom."

  Her cheeks burning, she left the table. Behind her she heard Allegra murmuring something to Terry, but she didn't care. Let them think what they wanted. She needed to splash her face with cold water.

  Three years ago, Deacon had asked Lisa out for beer and wings after an adult education class in organic gardening they'd both taken at the Dubois campus of Penn State University. At first put off by Deacon's rough boy exterior and loud motorcycle, Lisa soon discovered he was a man who truly loved working wit