Title: The Gutshot
Series: A Good Run of Bad Luck #9
Author: Giulia Lagomarsino
Genre: Small Town Romance
Release Date: May 2, 2022
Cover Design: T.E. Black Designs
Cover Photographer: Reggie Deanching of RplusMphotos
Cover Model: Matthew Hosea
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It was just another day in the life of being a small town cop.
I’m a protector at heart, and always have been.
Which is why I stepped up immediately after finding out I had a kid.
Well…to be honest, I didn’t believe it at first.
I actually thought it was a prank when the little girl was brought into the station.
It took a paternity test for me to really feel the gravity of the situation.
Fine, I didn’t handle it well at all.
But when I had proof Emily was really mine, nothing would stand in the way of me protecting her.
I may have gone a little overboard.
At least, that’s what my sexy neighbor thinks.
But what does she know? She let my kid drink out of a garden hose!
Sure, I did it as a kid, but I’m bald now. What if drinking out of a hose at such a young age ruined my chances of having a decent head of hair?
Am I really supposed to allow my child to be put in danger like that?
But the more I hang around with Katka, the harder I find it to ignore the logic in what she’s saying.
Maybe it’s the late night dancing she performs for me.
Or her crazy family that thinks I’m not good enough.
Whatever it is about her, it drives me to the edge.
All I think about is her.
All I want is her.
But she doesn’t want a kid.
Despite the passion building between us, I’m not the man she’s looking for.
I’ll just have to find a way to prove I’m exactly what she needs.
“What is going on here?” I turned, still laughing to see Lucas storm toward me, a look of anger on his face.
“Your daughter was watering my flower beds, but the little devil turned on me and started hosing me down.”
“My daughter is not the devil,” he retorted.
I rolled my eyes at him. “You know what I mean. Would you relax? She’s having fun.”
“What did you do to get her over here? She was supposed to be playing in my yard.”
“I didn’t do anything. I was laying outside to tan when she came over and asked about my flower bed.”
“Right, she just—wait, did you say she asked you about your flowers?”
“Yeah,” I said slowly, unsure as to why this was a problem.
“She spoke to you?”
“Well, if you want to call it that. But yeah, there was an attempt at speaking.”
He frowned slightly, staring down at his daughter. “She hasn’t spoken to me once.”
Ouch. I didn’t want the guy to feel worse. “Well, it was more of pointing. She really only tried to say flower.”
“Still…I haven’t gotten even that.”
The poor bearded beauty in front of me looked so down in the dumps that I just couldn’t stand it. “Well, maybe that’s because you’re not having any fun.” I strolled over to Emily and bent down in front of her. “I think we should spray down Daddy,” I whispered.
She giggled, nodding vigorously as I grabbed the hose with her and we turned the spray on Lucas. He held out his hands as the water sprayed his chest, soaking his white t-shirt. He looked shocked, but then grabbed the hose out of my hands and turned it on me, getting me completely wet. I squealed and ran away from him, laughing when his daughter started chasing me around the yard.
Of course, I played along and let her catch me. I even pretended to fall to the ground and let her tickle me. I pretended like her little fingers digging into my arm was the funniest thing in the world, and the whole time, Lucas looked at me like I was strange.
“No more! No more! I can’t take it!”
Finally, Emily let up, still laughing at me as I laid on the ground and looked up at the sky. I was tired and out of breath now, so I stood and snatched the hose out of Lucas’s hands, taking a drink of water. Emily came over, her mouth gaping.
“Do you want some?”
I held the hose out to her, but Lucas quickly intervened. “Whoa! We are not drinking out of a hose.”
“Why not?” I asked, not understanding what the problem was.”
“Because it’s dangerous. You don’t know what bugs and chemicals and…and…other things could be sitting in there. Think of all the bacteria.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “Did you drink out of a hose as a kid?”
“Well…yeah.”
I gave him a shocked look. “And you’re still alive? Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it!”
“Your daughter was watering my flower beds, but the little devil turned on me and started hosing me down.”
“My daughter is not the devil,” he retorted.
I rolled my eyes at him. “You know what I mean. Would you relax? She’s having fun.”
“What did you do to get her over here? She was supposed to be playing in my yard.”
“I didn’t do anything. I was laying outside to tan when she came over and asked about my flower bed.”
“Right, she just—wait, did you say she asked you about your flowers?”
“Yeah,” I said slowly, unsure as to why this was a problem.
“She spoke to you?”
“Well, if you want to call it that. But yeah, there was an attempt at speaking.”
He frowned slightly, staring down at his daughter. “She hasn’t spoken to me once.”
Ouch. I didn’t want the guy to feel worse. “Well, it was more of pointing. She really only tried to say flower.”
“Still…I haven’t gotten even that.”
The poor bearded beauty in front of me looked so down in the dumps that I just couldn’t stand it. “Well, maybe that’s because you’re not having any fun.” I strolled over to Emily and bent down in front of her. “I think we should spray down Daddy,” I whispered.
She giggled, nodding vigorously as I grabbed the hose with her and we turned the spray on Lucas. He held out his hands as the water sprayed his chest, soaking his white t-shirt. He looked shocked, but then grabbed the hose out of my hands and turned it on me, getting me completely wet. I squealed and ran away from him, laughing when his daughter started chasing me around the yard.
Of course, I played along and let her catch me. I even pretended to fall to the ground and let her tickle me. I pretended like her little fingers digging into my arm was the funniest thing in the world, and the whole time, Lucas looked at me like I was strange.
“No more! No more! I can’t take it!”
Finally, Emily let up, still laughing at me as I laid on the ground and looked up at the sky. I was tired and out of breath now, so I stood and snatched the hose out of Lucas’s hands, taking a drink of water. Emily came over, her mouth gaping.
“Do you want some?”
I held the hose out to her, but Lucas quickly intervened. “Whoa! We are not drinking out of a hose.”
“Why not?” I asked, not understanding what the problem was.”
“Because it’s dangerous. You don’t know what bugs and chemicals and…and…other things could be sitting in there. Think of all the bacteria.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “Did you drink out of a hose as a kid?”
“Well…yeah.”
I gave him a shocked look. “And you’re still alive? Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it!”
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I’m a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, “No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book.” I didn’t think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn’t already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven’t been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.
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