Playing for Keeps - Signed Paperback

Twelve years ago, Justin McKinnon fell in love with the girl next door—Caroline Taylor—but their families had hated each other for decades, and no one was interested in putting the bad blood aside. What started as a spur-of-the-moment kiss at a barn dance turned into a forbidden, secret romance that would rival Romeo and Juliet.

Caroline Taylor has everything she ever wanted. She owns the best bakery in town, has a loving family, and she’s friends with everyone. So why did she just break up with the perfect guy because he kept dropping hints about proposing. How could she marry him when she’s still hung up on her first love?

When Justin got the chance to get away from his abusive dad and support his elderly grandparents, he took it, but it meant leaving Redemption Ridge—and Caroline—behind.

Now, Justin is back in town and ready to remind Caroline that they belong together despite the family feud hanging over them. Can she trust the man who once broke her heart?

Visit Redemption Ridge, Colorado and enjoy the faith, friendships, and forever-afters of the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series of Christian romance.

This series is a spin-off continuation of the best-selling Heroes of Freedom Ridge Series with all new characters and traditions, but the same magic of community and romance readers love.

Caroline bounded up the steps leading onto Skye’s front porch, swishing the flowy skirt of her dress. The Christmas Barn Dance officially kicked off the holiday festivities in town, and she’d be spending the evening dancing with her two best friends. 

She knocked on the door and bounced in her heeled boots—not from the chill in the air, but from pure excitement.

Skye groaned as she opened the door, with her hair a matted mess bunched on the top of her head. 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t go anywhere tonight,” Skye rasped before falling into a coughing fit. “I can barely hold my head up.”

Caroline pressed her palm to Skye’s head. Skye never got sick—she had as much energy as a curious toddler, and very few things slowed her down. “Cake and cookies, you’re burning up.”

Skye swatted in Caroline’s general direction, but missed completely. “I’m fine. I just want to sleep it off.”

“Where is your purse? I’ll take you to the doctor.” Caroline pushed her way past Skye and into her friend’s living room. Bottles of water, throat spray, and fever reducers stood at attention on the coffee table in front of the couch. 

“No, Mom is taking me. There’s no sense in you getting sick too.” Skye reached for Caroline and missed again. The purple crescents under her eyes were a striking contrast against her pale skin. “Will you please leave? I don’t have the energy to chase you.”

“Are you sure she’s taking you? I can go with you.” 

Seeing Skye so unwell had every nerve ending in Caroline’s body sparking. She needed to act. She had to do something. She’d miss the Christmas barn dance, but she could always go next year. 

“Yes, she’s calling Dad, then we’ll leave.”

“I’ll bring you brownies,” Caroline said. “What else do you want? I’ll go make them now.”

“No,” Skye croaked as she flopped onto the couch like a thin string of royal icing. “I want you to go to the dance. One of us should get to have fun.”

“I won’t have fun without you.” Caroline propped her hands on her hips, determined to stand by her friend like a statue if necessary. 

“Nora is home this weekend, and she thinks we’re meeting her there. We can’t both stand her up. You never get to see her anymore.”

Oh. Right. Their friend, Nora, was visiting from college. They hadn’t seen her since August. 

“Nora is my neighbor. I can walk to her house if I want to see her,” Caroline said. “And you could probably use a friend.”

“I could probably use sleep. I’m going to watch the back of my eyelids, and that’s all. I’ll be terrible company. Please go,” Skye begged. 

Caroline hung her head. Could she really leave Skye in this condition? Was that a yellow icing smear on the front of her green dress? She scratched at the dried smudge. Definitely icing. She couldn’t bring herself to care. The barn dance usually had low lighting. 

“Get out,” Skye whined. “I’m closing my eyes, and I don’t want you to be here when I open them.”

Caroline huffed. “Fine, but I’m stopping by on my way home.”

“I love you,” Skye whispered with closed eyes. “You’re the sweetest. Literally.”

Caroline chuckled. Her dreams of being a baker had only grown since she made the big life decision as a seven-year-old. She’d promised everyone in town she’d be the best baker they’d ever seen, and thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Burrows, the owners of The Cakery downtown, she was well on her way to fulfilling her promise. 

“I love you too. Get some rest. Drink lots of fluids. Call me if you get bored.”

Skye lifted a lazy hand and let it fall back to the couch beside her. “Already sleeping.”

Caroline slipped out the door and closed it behind her. The darkness enveloped her as soon as she stepped off Skye’s porch. She typed out a text to Nora when she settled in the car.

Caroline: Skye is sick, but I’m on my way. See you soon!

There. She wasn’t on her own, but it was weird to go anywhere without Skye. 

Donut holes. She’d spent more time than she’d intended at Skye’s, and the parking around the barn at the ranch looked like someone had thrown car sprinkles all over the field. Would it kill them to hire traffic control for the evening?

Lights from inside the barn streaked through the dark night, and Caroline slowed to watch for bumps on the gravel path as her headlights illuminated the way. Most people were already inside, and she’d have to wind through all of the rows to find an open spot. 

Headlights from behind blinded her as they reflected off her rear-view mirror. She wasn’t the only one coming in late. 

The truck followed her through the rows, slowly weaving through the field-turned-parking-lot. When she found an open spot and parked, the truck stopped behind her. 

“Caroline!” 

“Fudge!” she whispered before opening her door and craning her neck to face the guy. 

Patrick Fondren was the worst of the worst. He walked around thinking that he was king of the castle because he was a big-shot football star in a tiny town. Too bad that looks and athletics didn’t equal brains. The guy thought “no” was a silly joke. Caroline based that observation off the many times she’d told him to ooze away like molasses. She was all out of friendly hints, and he hadn’t gotten the message. 

“What?” she shouted as he turned on the cab light in his truck.

Patrick rested a forearm on the steering wheel and propped an elbow on the open window. “You’re dancing with me tonight.”

Rude! “No, I’m not.”

There. That was plain enough.

Patrick laughed, and the sound grated on Caroline’s nerves like she was being turned into zest. “Don’t move. I’ll be back to get you.”

Caroline’s jaw hung open as his loud truck revved and left her behind. The nerve of that guy! There was no way on God’s beautiful earth she was dancing with that creep. Her blood ran cold every time he rested his arm over her shoulders in the hallway or tried to grab her hand in class. A guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer to dancing would have a tough time accepting no as an answer for other things, and she was too smart to stick around and let that happen. 

Grabbing her keys, phone, and credit card, she shoved them into her coat pockets and hopped out of the car. If he wanted to confront her about a dance, he’d have to catch her first. 

Her ankles grew colder as she wound her way through the maze of vehicles. If she could get inside, Nora would know how to get the guy off Caroline’s back. 

The phone in her pocket dinged, and she pulled it out, continuing toward her escape as she read the message. 

Nora: I’m so sorry. I have to stay home with Dad tonight. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

No! Caroline whipped around to see how far she’d come. Could she make it back to her car before Patrick caught up to her?

Nope. The lumbering sleazeball was gaining on her by the second. 

She wasn’t thinking quickly enough, and her feet still hadn’t decided which way to run. When she turned back toward the barn entrance, a man stood off to the side, leaning against the wall. 

She knew him. Correction: she knew of him and recognized his face. Justin McKinnon was the one guy she was supposed to stay away from, but despite the things his awful dad did to terrorize her parents on a regular basis, Justin seemed like more of the strong, silent type. 

At least, that was the impression she’d gotten when he’d been in school with her a few years ago. She hadn’t heard anything about him since he graduated two years ago. 

With handsy Patrick nipping at her heels, mysterious Justin looked like the lesser of two evils. Was he the kind of guy who would help a stranger in a moment’s notice?

Patrick shouted at her. A curse followed by a barking command. “Slow down.”

Yep. Her decision was made. She just had to hope Justin would play along. Heavens to biscuits, her heart was beating faster than the mixer at the bakery. Could she really do this?

It was Justin or Patrick, and one of those would talk over her and make disgusting innuendos all night. 

Justin lifted his chin from the phone in his hands as she jogged his way. She skidded to a stop in front of him, toe-to-toe, and whispered, “Will you please act like we’re together for just a few seconds?”

Justin’s brow lowered over stormy, dark eyes. “What do you mean? Why?”

Oh, wow. His voice was lower than she’d expected. 

After a second to process that initial shock, she stormed on, talking quickly without stopping to take a breath. “That guy wants me to dance with him, but I’ve already told him no, and he won’t leave me alone. Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

Justin slowly lifted his head to look over her shoulder. Patrick’s rhythmic footsteps were getting closer, and Caroline clasped her hands in front of her chest as she silently begged him to go with the flow. 

Justin turned his piercing eyes back to her and wrapped his strong arm around her waist. 

Oh, boy. Every inch of her skin hummed at his touch as he pulled her flush against him. Her hands released from each other, and her palms pressed to his solid chest. She was weightless, hovering in an alternate universe where this man was a more powerful force than gravity. The air was barely thirty degrees, but her insides were flaming hot. 

Justin leaned down until his lips grazed the shell of her ear to whisper, “Can I kiss you?”

Sweet buttercream, her knees were melting, and her reason was off on vacation. She’d kissed a couple of guys, but she’d never experienced this kind of physical reaction, even after the fact. 

Patrick’s steps hadn’t slowed behind her, so if he was watching, the loving embrace wasn’t deterring him. 

“Yes.” It was barely a whisper in the wind, but she’d gotten it out. 

Then Justin’s mouth was on hers, pressing and skimming in a dance that was too close to perfect. Forcing herself to breathe, Caroline lifted onto her toes and leaned into him. His embrace tightened around her, and her hands slid up his shoulders and into the short hair at the nape of his neck. 

A low rumble vibrated from Justin’s chest, and Caroline gasped, breaking the kiss that had spun completely out of control in a matter of seconds. 

Covering her mouth, she stepped back and stared at the man in front of her. She’d kissed a stranger. She’d made out with someone and liked it!

Justin rubbed a hand over his face, then trailed his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do all… that.”

Caroline turned, whipping her hair in a fan out around her as she searched the dark parking lot. Patrick was nowhere to be found. 

Facing Justin again, the music from inside the barn rose over the roaring in her ears. “I think we did it. He’s gone.”

Justin scanned the area. “I never liked that guy.”

“Who does?” Caroline gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth. 

Justin laughed. The hard lines of his face melted, giving her a glimpse of a smile. 

Caroline lowered her trembling hand. The last ten minutes had her adrenaline pumping. “That was mean. I shouldn’t have said that. He just wouldn’t back off.”

“You shouldn’t have to put up with that. No means no.”

Wow. Justin had strong feelings about consent, which was a plus in Caroline’s world. She had plenty of morals that she would stand on to the bitter end, and this was one of them. Still, not everyone had the same virtues she did. She could have easily chosen a stranger who would take just as much advantage of her as Patrick.

“Thank you for… that.” Her thumb jerked over her shoulder as if the threat had once been behind her. What was she running from again? 

Justin stared down at her with an expression she couldn’t read. Shadows from the low light fell over his eyes, hiding them from her. “Anytime.” He glanced over his shoulder at the door leading to chatter and dancing. 

Another thanks was on the tip of her tongue, but she’d already said those words. What did you say to someone you didn’t know but shared an earth-shattering kiss with? “Well, um…”

“Do you want to hang out with me tonight?”

What? They’d just “met,” and he wanted to hang out? Of all the things he could have said, that wasn’t one she’d expected. 

Caroline’s pulse picked up speed again as she grasped for a reply. What was she supposed to say, and why did she want to say yes?

He was Chuck’s son. Their families hated each other. Everyone in town knew it. Justin hadn’t even bothered to introduce himself because they’d known about each other since they were kids. They were neighbors for goodness sake, but their relationship wasn’t the friendly kind. 

Justin rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen, I know we just officially met in an unconventional way, but I’m not like him.”

Him. Justin’s dad. He didn’t even want to say his name or define the relationship.

She’d known him all of five minutes, but he was doing a good job of showing her that he was telling the truth. Why couldn’t Skye or Nora be here when she needed advice? Caroline trusted blindly, and she was aware of that flaw. She liked being friends with everyone and giving the benefit of the doubt. 

Sometimes it landed her in trouble.

Like with Patrick. He’d shown her plenty of times that he couldn’t be trusted. 

For all the creeper vibes she got from Patrick, there was nothing like that about the man standing in front of her now. He’d been polite, apologized for something she initiated, and hadn’t tried to force her hand at all.

This was one of those moments where her discernment was going to show up and show out or she was going to end up the star of a one-hour crime documentary.

Everyone deserved a chance. She believed that—mostly.

“Okay, let’s go,” she said as she headed for the entrance to the dance hall.

Justin’s hand wrapped around hers, gently tugging her to a halt. His larger hand encased her smaller one, holding on with a tenderness that didn’t match the rough surface. “Not in there.”

Caroline peeked inside the barn where the music grew louder by the second, and the lights had her squinting in their brightness. “Why not?”

Justin was silent for a moment, so she turned back to him. His left brow rose. 

“You want to spend the rest of the night being gawked at so rumors can fly at school on Monday?”

Hmm. He had a good point. Justin wasn’t even in school anymore, but he’d thought of her situation and the aftermath of walking into the most popular Christmas event in town arm-in-arm with him. Maybe he was trying to save his own skin, but if that were the case, why had he even asked her to spend time with him?

Plus, she really didn’t want to explain “hanging out” with Justin to her older brothers. Yeah, keeping this meeting a secret was priority number one. 

But Caroline never snuck around. She never lied to her parents. In fact, she wanted them to know where she was at all times. It was the safe thing to do. If she went missing, they would know where to look first. 

Okay, that was a stretch. Hopefully. Still, better safe than sorry. 

No one was waiting for her inside, but Justin was still standing by for her answer. 

“I guess you’re right. That wouldn’t be a good idea,” Caroline whispered. 

Justin glanced at where they were linked as if he just realized he was still holding onto her. He released her hand as quickly as he’d taken it and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. 

The full impact of the decision she’d just made began to sink in. It was risky. She would have to keep it from her family and pray she wasn’t doing something stupid like the first girl to enter the basement in horror films. “Where are we going?” 

Justin’s shoulders widened as he straightened. His frame wasn’t huge, but he had plenty of lean muscle… everywhere. He was noticeably bigger since graduating from high school a few years ago, but he looked almost meek with his hands tucked into his pockets. 

“Do you trust me?”

Oh no. Was this a trick question? She’d officially met him half a second ago. “Um, I don’t know.”

Justin tucked his chin and chuckled. “That’s fair enough. I was thinking we could walk to the creek behind the barn.” He pointed behind the building where the chorus of “I Cross My Heart” by George Strait melted into the night. 

Oh. She’d been to the creek plenty of times with her brothers, Skye, and Nora over the years. It was one of her favorite places that wasn’t a part of her own family ranch. 

She looked at Justin, and a tug-of-war raged inside her. A sure “yes” was on the tip of her tongue, but her throat kept closing. His dad had stolen from her family plenty of times, poisoned their cattle, torn up fences, and liked to dispose of his junk on their side of the property line. 

If her family saw her hanging out with the neighbor’s son, they’d freak out. Rightfully so. Chuck McKinnon wasn’t someone to play around with. But was Justin dangerous too?

Justin glanced one way, then the other, making sure they were still alone before tilting his head down slightly and whispering, “I promise not to kiss you again. Unless you ask.”

And every strap and tie holding her guard up loosened. Sure, he could still kill her and throw her in the creek before the night was over, but instead of fear creeping up her neck, peace washed over her. 

Caroline shifted her weight from one side to the other. “I have to be home by twelve thirty.”

Telling him about her curfew was a test of sorts. If he disregarded it the way she never had, even a casual friendship wasn’t going to work between them. 

Justin nodded once. “We’ll be back to your car at eleven thirty.”

Sweet cream cheese, he passed with flying colors. 

Her life was a series of decisions pre-planned and orderly. She made good grades, volunteered in the community, went to church every time the doors were open, and always followed the rules. 

There weren’t any rules against hanging out with someone new, but there was a cloud of uncertainty looming over the mysterious man in front of her. There was history and a warning wrapped up in the lingering excitement of that out-of-this world kiss. 

Just this once, she could break the unwritten rule and do something risky. 

Caroline gestured toward the creek and flashed Justin a smile. “Lead the way.”