Page 1 of The Texas Hero's Homecoming

Chapter One

Sam Russell wason a mission. And it just might be riskier than the Ranger missions he’d carried out in Afghanistan. His military instincts still with him, he wasn’t too sure of this outcome, but he’d damn well give it his best shot. There’d be a blockade of course, a force to be reckoned with. Didn’t all things worthwhile have to be hard won?

He got out of his truck, the worn red paint job bleached from Last Stand weather over the years, would never be the same. Neither would he, but first things first. Squinting, he stared across the Texas landscape and steadied his breath. Acres of Messina farmland was going to ruin, wasting away from unintended neglect. Man, he’d never have believed it. The once prosperous Messina Farms, where he’d worked weekends as a teen, was only a shell of what it had once been. His heart slammed against his chest. Sergeant Joe Messina, the man who’d saved his life, had no clue how bad things had gotten. Now that Sam was discharged, he owed this debt to his best friend, to check out the Messina family farm, make sure it was running smoothly.

Clearly it was not.

Sam ran a hand down his face, the memory of Joe’s bravery always with him. The unexpected barrage of bullets, Joe shoving him to the ground, nearly taking a bullet himself to save his life. Sam would’ve been hit for sure, if it hadn’t been for Joe’s quick reactions. They’d been on a secret mission, surrounded by a band of misfit terrorists, the fire fight ugly, yet their unit had managed to hold them off without casualties.

It had been a whew-that-was-close, stone-cold kind of feeling that really rocked a man to his core. Made him sit up and take notice. He was no longer that young man eager to prove his worth as an Army Ranger. His service had been important to him, but after ten years in the army, seven of those years a Ranger, for him, it was time to come home. Settle down. Figure out his future. Before he could do that, he owed Joe this. Hell, he owed Joe much more and he’d do whatever necessary to fix the Messina family farm.

A flash of ink-colored hair caught his eye, the deep rich strands catching the late afternoon light. He sighed. His humanblockadecame into view, all five-foot-five inches of her and he dug in his heels.

Autumn Messina.

Joe’s little sis.

She walked into the barn, out of sight.

He’d left her as a kid of seventeen. And now ten years later, the girl he’d once known was a woman. And according to Joe, a head-strong, pain-in-the-ass female with brains and beauty to spare.

Sam squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe he hadn’t been fair to Autumn, all those years ago, but now he was back, and it wasn’t like he wanted to start anything with her. No, he just wanted to help them out of a jam. He crossed the yard and stepped into the barn, the crunch of straw under his boots.

“Who’s there?” Autumn swiveled around, her eyes narrowing, pitchfork leveled and ready to pounce.

“It’s me, Sam.”

She faltered back a step, blinking her eyes. “S-Sam?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Hello, Autumn.”

Her Mexican-Irish heritage awarded her olive skin in warm rich tones, a heart-shaped mouth, and striking meadow-green eyes. She was beautiful, even aiming a pitchfork at him.

“What are you doing here?”

“Put the pitchfork down and I’ll tell you. Man, are you always this jumpy?”

She scowled; the face she made not pretty at all. “Everyone’s gone for the day. I didn’t expect an unannounced visitor.” She sighed and leaned against the pitchfork, refusing to give it up. She’d probably like to poke him with it. “I heard you were back in town.”

“Got back yesterday. How’d you know?”

“Last Stand isn’t exactly a metropolis. Word gets around.”

He nodded. He was sorta sucker-punched seeing her again, his emotions all tangled up. Which was strange, because he’d recently been dumped by the woman he’d intended to marry. He’d left the military with plans of settling down. Apparently, Hilary hadn’t been ready, taking up with her ex-boyfriend, rather than starting a life with Sam. He’d been thrown for a loop and hadn’t seen it coming. So, no matter how pretty Autumn was, she would never be on his radar. After his heartbreak with Hilary, he wasn’t looking for any kind of involvement. Especially with Joe’s little sis. No sir. He’d been stung once and it still smarted like the dickens.

“Well, I’m here in the flesh. I came to ch—To visit. How’s your father doing?”

“Papa’s okay.” She paused for a second, her eyes meeting his. “He’s probably too tired for visitors right now. Maybe you should come back another day. Or better yet, I’ll tell him you came by and we’ll call it even.”

She gave him the point of her chin.

He studied her. She wasn’t happy to see him, that was for sure. They’d always been close, because of his friendship with Joe. Joe teased that Autumn hero-worshipped Sam, being five years her senior. And damn, Sam should’ve known better than to get involved with her back then. They’d had one night under the stars, and they’d kissed and kissed. Her passion surprised him, the fire in her an ego boost. But he’d sensed it was more than innocent kissing with her. That maybe her hero-worship had reached another level. He shouldn’t have given in to temptation. Joe’s younger sister was off-limits and as soon as his addled brain had remembered that, he’d put a stop to it. She’d been a starry-eyed teen and his rejection that night hurt her. It couldn’t be helped. And now, it seemed she still held a grudge.

“So, what happened here, Autumn? I don’t think Joe knows how bad it is.”

“That’d be Papa’s doing. He didn’t want Joe to worry. He’s proud of my brother and his service to the country.”

She set the pitchfork against the wall and leaned back, crossing her arms over her middle. She looked every bit the farm girl in jeans and a red plaid shirt.

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