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  READERS LOVE FERN MICHAELS!

  “WOW! Your books are fantastic! I’ll read each of them until I have read everything you have written.”

  —Deb Davis, Carroll, Iowa

  “I love the way you write about the South—especially Louisiana and South Carolina. You have brought our part of the world to life in a very special way.”

  —Regina George, Charleston, South Carolina

  “I started reading your novels in 1980 and have not stopped. I love your characters and cry when I’ve finished each book.”

  —Teresa M. Walker, Cibolo, Texas

  “I enjoy your books because they depict strong women characters who discover, accept, and love themselves.”

  —Diantha Christen Shaffer, Oak Park, California

  “Always at the end of your novels, I feel that the people in them are more than characters in a book. Thanks so much for writing what so many of us feel.”

  —Heidi Kanitz, Jackson, Michigan

  Books by Fern Michaels

  Sins of the Flesh

  Sins of Omission

  Return to Sender

  Mr. and Miss Anonymous

  Up Close and Personal

  Fool Me Once

  Picture Perfect

  About Face

  The Future Scrolls

  Kentucky Sunrise

  Kentucky Heat

  Kentucky Rich

  Plain Jane

  Charming Lily

  What You Wish For

  The Guest List

  Listen to Your Heart

  Celebration

  Yesterday

  Finders Keepers

  Annie’s Rainbow

  Sara’s Song

  Vegas Sunrise

  Vegas Heat

  Vegas Rich

  Whitefire

  Wish List

  Dear Emily

  The Godmothers Series

  Exclusive

  The Scoop

  The Sisterhood Novels

  Home Free

  Déjà Vu

  Cross Roads

  Game Over

  Deadly Deals

  Vanishing Act

  Razor Sharp

  Under the Radar

  Final Justice

  Collateral Damage

  Fast Track

  Hokus Pokus

  Hide and Seek

  Free Fall

  Lethal Justice

  Sweet Revenge

  The Jury

  Vendetta

  Payback

  Weekend Warriors

  Anthologies

  Holiday Magic

  Snow Angels

  Silver Bells

  Comfort and Joy

  Sugar and Spice

  Let It Snow

  A Gift of Joy

  Five Golden Rings

  Deck the Halls

  Jingle All the Way

  FERN MICHAELS

  PLAIN JANE

  ZEBRA BOOKS

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  READERS LOVE FERN MICHAELS!

  Books by Fern Michaels

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  Epilogue

  SOUTHERN COMFORT.

  HOME FREE,

  Copyright Page

  For Melba Johnson, Beth, Ron, and Eric Goins.

  Lindsey and Misty, too.

  Dear Reader,

  My reader mail has been telling me for years that you like it when I include a dog in my writings. That’s so easy for me to do because I am an animal lover and have five dogs of my own.

  Before I started writing this book, I saw something on the early-morning news that broke my heart and brought me to tears. It was the funeral of a K-9 Police Dog here in the state where I live. He was killed in the line of duty. Had he been wearing a bulletproof vest like his partner (a human police officer), he might have survived. However, tight budgets don’t allow for such things. Because I never wanted to see a funeral like that again, I donated twenty-two bulletproof vests to our K-9s here in my state. During that time I learned so much about these remarkable animals. They are extremely intelligent almost to the extent of being human in their understanding. They are dedicated, loving, and so very beautiful. It also made me start to wonder what happens to these dogs when they retire at the age of seven years.

  In this book you are about to read, there is such a dog, and I named him Flash. He was put up for adoption at retirement. He is a composite of all the dogs I had the pleasure of meeting. Because of his superior intelligence, he knows how to buckle up in a car, knows how to open and close doors, knows what to do when there is an “officer down” call. He can kill if ordered to do so or he can merely hold his quarry at bay. He will shake your hand, give you a smooch, tussle with you on the floor, and guard his family with his life. He truly is man’s best friend. In this particular case, woman’s best friend. I hope you enjoy Officer Flash, Shield #23, as much as I enjoyed creating him.

  Prologue

  Louisiana State University

  Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1988

  Jane Lewis closed her book and heaved a huge sigh. If she didn’t know the material now, she would never know it. She rubbed at her aching eyes with the palm of her hand, confident that she would ace her last final in the morning. She looked down at her watch and sighed again. She’d spent the entire day and evening in the library without eating. She realized suddenly that she was hungry, starving actually. Another sigh escaped her lips when she thought about the weight she’d put on since coming here to LSU. Forty pounds to be exact. She was going to work out and take off the entire forty plus ten more this summer if it was the last thing she did. It probably would be, since she was so out of shape.

  Jane turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Is your name Jane and are you in Acadian Hall?”

  “Yes, I’m Jane Lewis. I’ve seen you from time to time, but we were never introduced,” Jane said, standing up to offer her hand.

  “Connie Bryan. I’m on four. You’re five, I think. I was wondering if you would mind if I walked with you if you’re going back to the dorm. It’s late, and I hate walking alone. I hate to admit it, but I’m a real scaredy cat.”

  “Sure,” Jane said, gathering up her books. Connie Bryan was everything she ever wanted to be but could never be—petite, blond, 105 pounds, and so popular she’d been voted Homecoming Queen. She dated the star quarterback and rumor had it they were getting married in June.

  “You ready for graduation, Jane? I have two finals tomorrow, and that’s it. How about you?” Connie asked, falling into step beside Jane.

  Jane blinked at the girl’s obvious friendliness. “My last final is at eight. I feel pretty good about it. Is it true you’re getting married after graduation?”

  “Yes. My mama is planning the wedding as we speak. She told me she was addressing the invitations tonight. The last fitting on my gown is Saturday. I can’t wait. All I want to do is get married and have a whole houseful of children. Todd does, too. I’m going to teach for a year or two before we start our family. How about you, Jane?”

  “I’m going on to medical school. Tulane. I’m anxious about that. I don’t think I’m marriage material, at least not yet. I want a career.”
/>   “Commendable. Four years of college is enough for me. Do you have a specialty in mind?”

  “Pediatric medicine. I might switch up and just do general medicine. I’m not sure. Do you mind if I ask you a question ?”

  Connie laughed. “It’s really dark out here, isn’t it? Gives me the creeps. I’m so glad you’re walking with me. What’s the question?”

  Jane looked around. Normally the campus was a beehive of activity even this late in the evening. Tonight, though, with finals pretty much over, a lot of the students had already left, hence the quietness at this late hour. “A couple of the lights are out. I noticed it last night. My question is, how did it feel to be chosen Homecoming Queen?”

  “It was the second most exciting moment of my life. The first was meeting Todd and knowing I’d met my soul mate. Are you seeing anyone special?”

  Jane laughed. She wished she could think of something smart and witty to say to the pretty girl walking along with her. “No, I’m not seeing anyone special or otherwise.”

  “You just haven’t found the right guy yet, Jane. But you will in time. The moment you look into someone’s eyes and know that person is your destiny, it’s like no other feeling in the world. Todd and I are going to have such a wonderful life. We have our house all picked out, the furniture, even the kitchen dishes and place mats. We want four children and neither one of us cares if they are boys or girls as long as they’re healthy. We even picked out names. I’m going to bake and decorate for the holidays. We’re going to have Christmas trees in every room in the house. Todd and I both just love Christmas. We met right before Christmas break our first year here at LSU. I can’t wait. I think about it all day, and I dream about it every single night. God has certainly blessed me.”

  “You’re very lucky, Connie. I wish you all the happiness in the world,” Jane said sincerely.

  They came out of the darkness like stalking wolves. It was hard to distinguish how many there were until they started to talk. Five—and one hovering outside the immediate group—Jane thought, as the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Odd man out. Then she started to shake, or was it Connie who had suddenly grabbed her arm in a viselike grip?

  “Well, lookee here, boys. We snagged us a real little beauty. The school beauty, to be exact.”

  “What . . . What do you want? Leave us alone,” Connie managed to squeak before a hand was clamped over her mouth, and she was pulled away from the safety of Jane’s plump arm.

  “Come on, you guys, cut it out. This isn’t funny,” Jane gasped before a hand was clamped over her own mouth.

  “It’s not supposed to be funny, so shut up. One more peep out of you, and you’ll get a chop to the neck. We have plans for Little Miss Homecoming Queen, don’t we, guys?”

  Jane struggled to free herself, but the arms holding her were muscular and hard. In that moment she knew escape was not an option. She watched in horror as three dark forms dragged Connie off the path and into dense shrubbery.

  “You can’t do this,” Jane whimpered behind the smelly hand, knowing she was going to be next.

  “I thought I told you to shut up. We aren’t interested in a fat tub of lard like you.”

  Jane kicked backward, hoping her Nike would meet flesh. It didn’t. She felt a hard jab to her stomach and then one to her chest. She went limp with the pain. She sensed rather than saw the boy on the sidelines leaving. With the side of her face to the ground, she could hear running feet. Maybe he wasn’t one of them. Maybe he was going for help.

  It seemed like an eternity, but it was only minutes before the boys traded places. A moment later she was free, kneeling on the ground, crying with pain, knowing what was happening to Connie Bryan. She had to do something besides moan and whimper. She struggled to her knees, anger rivering through her. The moment she was on her feet, she screamed at the top of her lungs, the sound carrying in the quiet evening. She felt her head snap backward as a knee jabbed into the small of her back. She bit down on the hand covering her mouth and knew she drew blood; she’d bitten the boy to the very bone. She spit the blood from her mouth.

  “What the hell . . .”

  “This goddamn beached whale needs a lesson. Which one of you wants Miss Piggy?” an oily voice offered. “No takers?”

  Jane heard them leave, laughing and slapping each other on the back. She crawled over to the shrubbery, to where they had taken Connie. She gathered the girl into her arms. Her head rolled listlessly. “Connie, I have to leave you here for a few minutes while I get help. I can keep screaming, but it probably won’t do any good. I’ll be right back.”

  “No!” the shaking girl whispered. “Don’t tell anyone. Help me. I can walk. I just need to lean on you.”

  “Let me get the campus police. They’ll call the regular police. You need to go to a hospital or the crisis center.”

  “No! Did they . . . ?”

  “No. They didn’t want any part of me. They said I was too fat. I tried to get loose to help you, but they held me down. Are you sure you can walk?”

  “I can walk. When we get close to the dorm, will you go inside and bring out a coat or something? Can I stay in your room, Jane? My roommate is still here.”

  “Of course you can stay with me. You need to see a doctor, Connie. You have to report this. Are you listening to me?”

  “We’ll talk about this later. Just get me inside and into the shower. Please, Jane.”

  “You . . . you can’t wash away the evidence, Connie. Listen, I know where the crisis center is. I can take you there right now. Please.”

  “No. Not now. Be my friend and help me, please.”

  “There’s Acadian. Stay in the shadows, and I’ll run in and get my raincoat. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “No, I’m not all right. Will you hurry, please.”

  Jane lumbered off, her thoughts so chaotic she thought she was going to pass out. Pretty, petite Connie, gang-raped. Tub of lard. Beached whale.

  Inside the dorm, Jane stepped into the elevator and rode it to her floor. She rummaged for her raincoat, her hairbrush, and the empty bottle of Robitussin that she kept brandy in for the severe cramps she experienced every month. She galloped back down the hall, not bothering to lock her door. The elevator was in use, so she used the stairs. Students coming into the building stared at her, some of them shouting greetings while others mumbled and muttered about finals the following day. Jane ignored them all as she raced to the spot where she’d left Connie.

  “Drink this, it’s brandy. Take two long, hard pulls. Let me brush your hair. Now, slip into this coat and belt it so your torn clothing doesn’t show. When you feel steady enough to walk, I want you to lean on me. There’s some activity on the first floor. You can pretend you had too much to drink.”

  “I don’t drink, Jane.”

  “Okay, we’ll say you just feel sick. I don’t like this. You need to see a doctor. Please, change your mind and let me call the authorities.”

  “No, Jane, not now. Let’s just get out of here, okay?”

  “All right, all right, but this is against everything I believe in. We can’t let those guys get away with this.”

  “We don’t even know what they look like. I can tell you what they smelled like, but not what they looked like. One of them made me swallow his . . . you know. I threw up all over him.”

  Jane wanted to cry. Her hold on Connie tightened. “There’s the dorm. I only see a few people. Can you make it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then let’s go. Someone turned the lights down. It must be after midnight. Good. The elevator is open. Just hold on to my arm.”

  The minute Jane locked the door to her room, Connie slipped to the floor and curled into the fetal position. Hard sobs wracked her body. Jane dropped to the floor and stared at the young girl helplessly. “You can’t let them get away with this, Connie. You just can’t.”

  “You know how that works, Jane. They were all jocks. They’ll lie the way they alway
s do. Campus rape is a fact of life. I can’t identify them, that’s the bottom line. I’m done crying now. Help me into the shower. Promise me you’ll stand guard, okay?”

  “I promise. Connie, you can’t wash away what happened.”

  “I can try. Do you think for one minute Todd would want to marry me once he found this out? He wouldn’t. No man would. This is between us, Jane. If you tell, I’ll deny it. I want you to understand that.”

  “Then Todd isn’t the person you think he is. You didn’t invite that violation. You’re a victim, dammit. If you do nothing, they get away with it. They’ll do it to someone else.”

  “Then it’s their problem. I’ll deal with my problem in my own way. I have two finals tomorrow, and then I’m driving home. All I have to do is throw my suitcases in my car. I took the rest of my stuff home two weeks ago. I need a few hours’ sleep. Please don’t look at me like that, Jane. Please. All I want right now is for you to be my friend and help me. Are you sure it’s okay for me to sleep here tonight?”

  “I don’t have any extra sheets, just the ones on my bed. Like you, I took the rest of my stuff home a few weeks ago. I do have an extra blanket, and you can use my raincoat for a cover unless you want me to go down to your room for your things. My stuff is going to be much too big for you.”

  “Do you have an extra pair of pajamas? I’ll worry about the rest of my stuff in the morning.”

  “I wish you’d let me do something, Connie. I don’t feel right about this.”

  “I’m doing what I have to do. Can we go to the bathroom now? Throw my clothes away, even my shoes.”

  Jane opened a drawer and pulled out a brown-paper grocery bag. “I’ll take care of it.”