Love's Golden Embrace

Love's Golden Embrace Charlene Leonard (c) 2005 ISBN 1-59578-134-X

Love's Golden Embrace Charlene Leonard Published 2005 ISBN 1-59578-134-X Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2005, Charlene Leonard. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Manufactured in the United States of America Liquid Silver Books http://lsbooks.com Email: [email protected] Editor Jean Cooper Cover Art by David Burton This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Dedication For my daughter Gina Lourine Wood. I knew you were a precious gift even before you were placed in my arms for the first time. I’m truly blessed that my tiny daughter grew into a beautiful woman of character and strength. There are not enough words in the whole world to tell you what you mean to me. There is no way to express the gratitude for all that you have done so willingly over the years. Even when cancer reared its ugly head, you were there to hold my hand and encourage me on. My daughter, my heart, my friend. I love you.

Chapter One 1829-Georgia “Blackie, there is some really bad kind of nonsense going on down at the saloon,” George Rafferty hollered as he sat atop his great brown horse. He didn’t even bother getting down. Rafferty was a slim Englishman with a voice that was gruff for one who was only twenty-five. He wore a dandy’s hat to hide his thinning brown hair and a Kentucky flintlock pistol that rode low on his hip. Luke knew that George couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with it. It was all for show, just like the oversized horse that would be more fitting for a man of his own size than Rafferty’s one hundred and twenty pounds. Still, he was a good man and Luke knew it. “Damn it. I am a blacksmith, not a lawman.” It was the third time today he’d been called from his work to answer one disturbance or another. He was nearly out of patience. Luke was six foot seven and bigger than a bear. That was the reason the people of Ophir had unanimously decided he would be the one to keep the peace. Ophir used to be a small, peaceful Georgia town, but since gold had been discovered in the hills nearby, it had literally grown overnight into a tent city wonderland of crime and greed. The men flocked in daily from all over the country and dreamed of gold and quick riches. Ophir was nothing more than a shantytown now, where once fairly-new clapboard houses and business establishments had been built. The town was getting bad, the mining camps were even worse. They were going to need a real lawman soon—one who could be in the town full-time—or they would be overrun with lawlessness. Luke didn’t have that kind of time nor the desire to be a lawman. It was time consuming, the pay was low and death at an early age was a real possibility. He knew all about that. He threw down his hammer with disgust. “What now?” “There is some drunken fool at the saloon. He is putting up a woman as a stake on a hand of poker. Well, looks to be more of a girl than a woman. It is kind of hard to tell, as dirty as she is. If that isn’t bad enough, he has her roped and tied like a calf—he doesn’t even seem to care that she is getting tormented.” “What the hell?” Luke had seen and heard a lot recently but this did top it all. “Has the whole world gone crazy?” He slipped the apron off over his head and let it fall to the ground. No time to saddle his horse, so he jumped on him bareback and kicked him into a run. He heard George’s horse trying to keep up. There was indeed a crowd in front of the recently renamed Gold Nugget Saloon spilling out on to the street. Luke jumped off his horse and the few people who knew him were smart enough to get out of his path. He used his big arms and shoved the not-toosmart ones impatiently out of his way and cleared a path into the heart of the saloon. What he saw brought anger and disgust to his eyes. There was indeed a young lady trussed up like a calf. She was tied, with the rope wrapped round and round her slender body. They had laid her on one of the tables. She was struggling uselessly as a few of the men were taunting her and trying to peek under her skirts. It was a good thing her legs

had been wrapped tightly together by the rope or they would have succeeded. Her blouse was nearly undone and a good part of her pale breasts had already been exposed. “Stop that, you damn fools,” he bellowed. “Leave that woman alone.” The men backed off quickly, even though not one of them was of the regular townsfolk. His size and demeanor made men take notice, especially when he was angry. Then he turned to the other table of poker players. “Who instigated this unholy abomination?” The saloon was absolutely quiet at this point. No one answered him, but one drunken man stood up, swaying precariously. He looked to be in his seventies, with long, thin, graying hair and a sickly, dark coloring to his face. Men who drank too much turned that shade of death before they actually died. Drinking yourself to death was a slow and agonizing way to die. “That woman is mine. I can do what I see fit with her, and I see fit to wager her on this here hand of poker. That little hellcat ain’t been nothing but trouble since the day her pa gave her to me for a grubstake.” “Is that so?” Luke’s eyes narrowed dangerously. The regulars who knew him started backing off slowly. “This game is over and you will be leaving Ophir today without that gal in tow.” “Who do you think you are? This game ain’t over, mister. I got me a winning hand.” He lifted his cards to show him without actually exposing his hand, as if it was supposed to convince him to back off. Luke moved closer to the round table. The rest of the players stood up and moved back nervously. The old man watched him closely, but then realized he wasn’t wearing a gun or a badge. “Why, you ain’t a lawman.” “No, I ain’t, but I keep the peace here in Ophir.” Luke easily upended the table and sent cards, drinks and money flying. When the men tried to grab the money, he boomed out, “Leave it. It belongs to the lady now. You men should have known better.” He stepped right up to the old man and looked down on him. “And you—get on your horse and get out of town now. Don’t come back. Your kind is not welcome here.” “I ain’t leaving, mister, just cause you say so and I ain’t leaving without the gal and my money,” he challenged drunkenly. “I say that you are.” Luke bent and picked the old man up by the back of his shirt and his belt and lifted him high over his head. He walked to the door of the saloon, a path clearing quickly for him. He tossed the old man right out onto the muddy street. He turned his back and stepped back inside. “You folks go home,” he ordered. “George, chase ’em off.” He looked at the Englishman, who puffed out his chest with a bit of pride at being asked to help. “This saloon is closed until tomorrow.” “Aw, Blackie…” Ben, the owner of the bar, protested from behind the counter. “You heard me, Ben. It is your own damn fault for allowing this atrocity to go on in your saloon. Happens again and I’ll close you down permanently, even if I have to burn you down to do it.” “All right, Blackie. Don’t get your hackles up.” Ben tried a more soothing tone of voice. He knew Blackie would do exactly as he threatened if he had enough provocation.

The sound of gunfire was loud and nearby. Luke felt the sting of the bullet as it sliced across his side and he winced. He turned back to the old man who still held the smoking pistol in his hand. Some people never learned. He walked back towards the man. “If you don’t get on your horse right now and ride hell bent for leather out of this town, I’ll break your neck, old man.” Luke threatened. “That is a promise.” He could see the man sobering up before his very eyes. The old man ran unsteadily for his horse and scrambled into the saddle. He left, kicking the horse into a run. Luke turned back to the gawking people left in the bar. “This bar is closed. Go home!” he said in a loud, stern voice. People scattered and it only took a moment for George to clear out the saloon. Luke then turned his attention to the woman. She was lying absolutely still. Her blue eyes looked huge. One of them was bruised and swollen slightly as if she had been hit. He shook his head in disgust and went to her. “Sorry, ma’am. Take the money from the pot and leave while you can.” Her brown hair was a mess and she was covered with dirt and mud from the top of her head to the bottom of her boots. She didn’t say anything. Despite the fact she was so dirty, he noticed there were rope burns on her body, especially some bad ones around her slender, pale neck. Her wrists were raw. He carefully flipped her over and began to untie the knots. When that was done he helped her sit up so he could slip the ropes off. “Ma’am. Are you all right?” Ophir didn’t have a doctor to send her to. He heard tell there was a woman in Pleasant Dale who was as close to a doctor as one could get in these parts, but it was too far away. Luke was unsure what to do for her. “Ma’am?” “She don’t talk,” Ben told him grumpily, his bushy gray eyebrows drawing tight over his eyes. He still wasn’t happy about being closed down. He would lose a lot of money over this. Irrationally, he blamed the woman. “Not at all?” Luke frowned. “The old man said she was a mute. I don’t know why ya have to shut me down, Blackie. I’m gonna lose a lot of money. A man has got to get the money while it’s flowing.” “Ben, weren’t you the one who was just saying we needed a church here? And you let those men treat this poor, defenseless woman like this?” “I can’t control everyone, Blackie.” Ben looked away, a little ashamed. He hoped his wife didn’t hear about this incident. She would make his life miserable for quite a spell. “You better start trying, Ben, ’cause I meant it. I’ll shut you down permanently. This saloon has been causing me nothing but trouble. You people want me to keep the peace. It is going to take all of us. I can’t do it alone. I have my own living to earn.” “All right, Blackie,” he agreed, grudgingly. “Pick up that money for her,” he instructed Ben, as he kept unwrapping the rope from around the woman. Tarnation! She couldn’t have gotten away. A full-grown man couldn’t have worked his way out of these ropes. “You got a room for her?” “Not a one. I’m all full up tonight.” Luke sighed. It was a small establishment, he would have been surprised had there been a room, as crowded as the town was. There were probably twenty men sleeping in the two rooms upstairs as it was. “Know of any?”

“Not a one.” Luke sighed again. What was he supposed to do with the woman? If she couldn’t talk, how would she get along? How would she even take care of herself? He wasn’t even sure how badly she was hurt, but those rope burns around her neck looked pretty bad. Maybe that was the reason she couldn’t talk. He’d seen men hanged and live to tell about it, although they couldn’t talk for weeks afterwards. He hoped her wounds weren’t that bad. Ben brought him the scattered money. There was even a tiny sack of gold flakes. “Here ya go, Blackie. Don’t know why you’re gonna give it to her.” “We don’t know anything about her. She’s going to need it.” “She can’t stay here.” Ben grumbled his displeasure. Blackie could have at least let him keep the money to make up for what he was going to lose being closed this night. “What’s her name? Did the old man say?” “Seems like it was Anna or something like that.” Luke looked at the woman again, now that she was loose of the ropes. She was watching him carefully. “Is that right? Is your name Anna?” She tried to say something but he couldn’t make any sense of it. She nodded her head in agreement that her name was Anna. “A mute, eh?” He sighed again and scratched the back of his head. Things just couldn’t be easy could they? He stood up straight and offered her his hand. “Come on. I know where we can put you that you will be safe.” Luke wanted to make sure that crazy old man didn’t come back for her. The old fool had shot him! She didn’t take his hand but stood up on unsteady feet. He wondered how long it had been since she ate last or even had anything to drink. He would have to take care of that when he could. When she tried to walk and nearly fell over, he picked her up. “Come on, you’ll be safe with me—a lot safer than if I left you here in town.” She fought him weakly, but he ignored her struggles and carried her out, settling her on his horse. Then he climbed up behind her and headed towards home. She sat in front of him, absolutely rigid in posture. He figured she was afraid. She couldn’t know that he wouldn’t hurt her. He had great respect for women, although there hadn’t been many in his life. Luke was smart enough to realize that his size made women nervous even at the best of times—and she had been through who-knew-what kind of ordeal. Halfway home she pointed to the woods. “I don’t know what you want. You want to go off in the woods? Whatever for?” It took him a moment before realization dawned on him. “Dang! Sorry.” He pulled the horse to a stop and held onto her arms to let her down gently as she slid off the horse. If she didn’t come back, then he wouldn’t have to worry about her any more. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, because he would worry. She didn’t have a horse or a weapon or anything else and he would be the one who would have to find her. Luke had just about decided to go look for her when she returned on her own. He offered her a hand up and she took it. He wondered how much she understood of what was said. She could hear, he knew that. He’d seen her flinch twice at the saloon. Once when he bellowed out and once when the gun went off.

He kicked the horse into motion again. He wanted to get the work done that he’d been doing before he got interrupted. They hadn’t been moving long when she leaned back against him and then jerked forward just as fast. He smiled to himself. She was falling asleep. Poor thing. No telling what had happened to her before she ended up in the saloon. He frowned, thinking about it again. That couldn’t have been pleasant for her. How could people be so cruel? Especially to a woman—it wasn’t like there were a whole lot of them in the wilderness like they were. The next time she leaned back against him, she was fast asleep. Luke kept his arms bracketed around her so she wouldn’t fall off the horse. She didn’t even wake up when they reached his house. He had some contorting to do, but he did manage to get off the horse and keep her from falling off at the same time. Luke carried her inside his home. It was a small two-room house, but until today it had been big enough for just him. He was going to feed her first but it was best he let her sleep for now. He carried her through to his sleeping room and gently laid her on the big bed. Luke set her money on the table so she would see it when she awoke. He found a light blanket and covered her with it. He stood there looking down on her for a moment. She was slender, yet curvy in all the right places. He realized he shouldn’t even be having thoughts like this but it had been quite a while since he had been with a woman. He left and shut the door. He had plenty of work to do and she would probably sleep for hours. **** Anna woke slowly and was very disoriented when she finally opened her eyes. She was lying on a soft feather bed in an unfamiliar place. The room had only one small window providing light to let her know it was nearly dark outside. Her whole body ached and every pain announced itself as she sat up and looked around. The room was plain but it had the biggest bed in it that she’d ever seen, much less slept in. There was a round table near her and she could see the money and the little bag of gold the large man had given her. Tears started forming in her eyes before she could hold them back. He had been kind to her—not many people had since her ordeal began. She rubbed her throat. It was still unbearably sore. She wasn’t sure when she would be able to talk again. A fragrant aroma caught her attention. She heard noise in another room and stood up slowly. Her stomach growled noisily, letting her know that it was indeed food cooking that she smelled. Anna put the money in the pocket of her ruined skirt. She might need that if she had to make her own way home. When she opened the bedroom door she was surprised to see the huge man she only knew as Blackie. He knelt on one knee in front of the fireplace, stirring a blackened pot that was the origin of the delicious-smelling food. He turned towards her before she’d taken two steps. He smiled at her. Anna tried not to let him see her nervousness. She was incredibly grateful to this bear of a man. He had saved her life in more ways than one and he didn’t even realize it. She watched him covertly. His size put her in awe—it had the moment she had laid eyes on him strolling heatedly into the saloon. He had black hair and blue eyes. His face was square—almost craggy from exposure to hard work and the sun. He had a set of arms and shoulders on him that went unrivaled by any she had ever seen. The sleeves had been torn off his shirt—or were ripped away by the bulging muscles. She wasn’t sure.

“Come on in. Have a seat.” He motioned to the table and began filling a bowl of some kind of delicious-looking stew. Her stomach growled again, right on cue. Anna sat down. She looked around for a place to wash her hands. She was filthy— filthier than she had ever been in her entire life. There was a basin for a sink and a pitcher of water, so she went there to wash her hands. As she sat back down, she saw a writing box on another table in the corner. There were a lot of items jumbled on that table like books and papers and looked unused. Anna ran to it, gesturing wildly. He looked at her and shrugged. She took that to mean it was okay for her to get what she wanted. Anna opened the wooden box and grabbed a piece of paper. She took it out and found a steel point pen. Excitedly, she rummaged in the box and found a bottle of ink that was still liquid. She took all of her treasures back to the table, dipped the pen in the ink, and began to write. My name is Susannah Tremaine. I live in Union City. I was kidnapped four days ago. My brothers will be coming to find me. We need to contact them quickly, if possible. The kidnappers will be looking for me too and it might not be safe. There was so much more she would write once he understood the gravity of the situation. Like the danger they faced because she was sure the kidnappers wouldn’t want to give up the possibility of receiving the ransom. If not for the interference of the drunken old man she would still be in the outlaw gang’s hands. He had slunk away with her in the early morning hours while they slept, to obtain more booze, and encountered the card game. He had actually tried to sell her first for money to buy booze! Eagerly she handed him the note as he set her bowl of stew down in front of her, placing a spoon beside the bowl. He sat down across from her on the other side of the table with his own stew. That chair was sturdy and made for a man of his great size. He looked at the note. Anna didn’t see any expression on his face. Finally he laid the paper between them. “Sorry, I can’t read. Not a lick.” He couldn’t read? She couldn’t talk. Oh, what a dilemma! She was nearly crushed with the weight of disappointment. The tears started falling again. She was just so tired and wrung out emotionally. “Now, don’t cry. Everything will work out.” He tried to reassure her. “You are safe here and you can stay until you know what it is you want to do. Since you can write, we can mail a letter to your family. The townsfolk take turns going round about to Canton for the mail.” She nodded that she understood. She was grateful, although it would take forever for her brothers to get the letter. She wondered if they would get it at all. She would write more than one and mail them at different intervals. She knew her brothers; they were undoubtedly tracking her even now. She would stay here where it was safe and let them come to her. If they didn’t find her first, the letter would be waiting for them when they returned home. It was a good plan. Anna picked up her spoon and began to eat. Luke tore a big piece of bread off of a loaf and handed it to her. It hurt her throat to swallow so she had to take small bites and use the utmost care, dunking the bread in the stew to soften it.

“I know it isn’t exactly genteel dinner conversation, but I thought after supper I could bring the tub in for you—if you would like to take a bath and get cleaned up.” He didn’t look at her when he said it. Anna knew she must look like something the cat would drag in, usually dead. She appreciated the thought more than he could know. When he did look up, she nodded her head yes. “I’ll stay outdoors and give you your privacy until you let me know otherwise.” He resumed eating. It was so quiet Anna could only hear the crackle of the fire and an occasional slurping noise. She suspected she was making most of them. By the time supper was done, Anna had finished two bowls of stew and the chunk of bread he had given her. Luke put the dishes in a big wooden tub that was obviously for washing dishes. Then he went outside and it was only moments before he brought in a great big wooden tub lined with beaten metal. He set about pouring bucket after bucket of water into the big tub while he had several pots of water boiling on the fire. Back and forth he went, outside for the water, then back inside to dump it into the tub. It wasn’t long until the tub was full with warm water. He gave her a bar of homemade lye soap and a towel. Then he went in the bedroom and carried out a heavy wooden square chest as if it weighed nothing. “There are clothes in here that might fit. You can go through it.” He set it down. “Help yourself.” It was then that Anna saw the tear in his shirt and the blood that had dried on it. She had thought the bullet had missed him, obviously it hadn’t. Her natural concern had her going to him. She pointed to his wound. She wanted to take a look at it and see how bad it was. “It is nothing.” He lifted one side of his mouth crookedly. It was something if it had bled like that. Anna placed her hand on his arm when he would have turned away. She pointed again for permission to look at it. He shrugged and lifted that side of his shirt. There was a long gash in his side where the bullet had grazed him. It wasn’t deep. He had been lucky. Anna looked around for something to clean it with but she was a little distracted by his bright blue eyes and the tantalizing glimpse she saw of his tanned skin. His stomach was firm and muscular. Every bit of him must be muscular. He pulled the shirt down. “I’ll get my own bath after you have gone to bed and take care of it then.” He left, shutting the door. She frowned. He was a grown man but he should at least have cleaned it before now. Anna quietly slid down the bar that secured the door. She didn’t think he wasn’t trustworthy but she wanted to make sure of her privacy. She quickly stripped down and stepped into the tub. It was sheer heaven. The water was just the right warmth and she let it wash over her skin as she sank down into its embrace. It helped her sore and achy muscles. She dunked herself and got her hair wet enough to wash it. It took a while for the lye soap to make a good lather but once it did she scrubbed and scrubbed her scalp and washed her hair. She dunked herself again to rinse it. Anna then quickly set about washing every square inch of her body—twice. She ignored the bruises that she saw. There were so many. She was lucky she had escaped with only bruises. She could very well have been raped, possibly even killed. When she

was done she just lay back and let the relaxing water refresh her weary soul. Had she been at home she would have had scents to add to the water and floral scented soap for her hair. When her brothers located her, heads were going to roll. She could tell them where to find the men who had kidnapped her. One of them even worked for them! They had grabbed her when her brothers were off checking on the springhouse that they had built over the creek to help keep their foods and staples cool so they would last longer. Spring Place, her home, was a growing, thriving ranch. Their father had won a goodly-sized parcel of 490 acres in the land lottery of 1805. He had added to it considerably since. He was one of the few white men to settle in Georgia before the white people were even organized enough to think about having the Indians removed. It wouldn’t be long and the Indians would be forced to move further west. The removal of the Indians bothered the Tremaine family, because they knew it wasn’t all about the westward expansion of the country—it was all so greedy men could steal and resell their land. Anna thought fondly of her two brothers. The first and oldest was Lance. He was half Cherokee Indian. His mother had been a full-blooded Cherokee maiden that her father had married—or lived with—she was never sure about that. Moon Feather hadn’t lived but a day or two after Lance was born. His Indian name was Long Shadow. His mother had named him for the long shadows that had crawled across the room during the agonizing hours of childbirth. Her other brother, older than herself by several years, was Rex. She and Rex looked like their mother with golden blonde hair and blue eyes. She, too, had died young, being taken by typhoid fever when Anna was but six years of age. Her father, Ben, had never remarried and had died just three years ago. She missed her father and the wisdom that he always seemed to have in abundance. If he were still alive she was sure he would be fighting on the Indians’ behalf, politically and otherwise. Once the water started growing cold, she got out and dried her hair the best she could. Then she wrapped the towel around her body and started rummaging around in the big wooden chest. It was full of women’s clothes. There on top she saw a hairbrush. She laid it on the table to use later. She found a nice pink cotton blouse and a rose-colored skirt that fit quite well. She felt almost human again as she wrapped the towel around her hair and then went and opened the door. It was so dark outside she couldn’t see anything. The moon wasn’t giving much light this night. “Over here.” She heard him say and then saw movement by a tree. He’d been sitting down, leaning against it. He walked to her out of the darkness and Anna had a hard time not flinching. She wasn’t scared of him per se but she was nervous around men right now for obvious reasons. Anna went and pulled a chair in front of the fire and sat down to brush out her hair. It would dry quicker there. Luke didn’t bar the door again. He turned to her and looked surprised at her appearance. She couldn’t know how much better she looked now but she knew she felt better. “Lord have mercy! Soap and water never did me that much good.” Luke noticed her hair was a nice golden blonde color, not brown as he had thought. He swallowed, hard.

She was a looker, with delicate features and almond-shaped blue eyes. He hadn’t been expecting that or his own immediate reaction to her. Anna smiled at his backhanded compliment and would have said thank you if she was able. She never realized how important it was to be able to talk to communicate. She hadn’t even been able to ask for help when she needed to. She knew people saw her plight and ignored it, preferring to remain uninvolved. Things might have been different if she had been able to talk. Anna thought he might empty the tub but it only took her a moment to realize he was heating water to add to it. He would use the same water to bathe in. There was something very intimate about that and the thought made her blush. She wandered over to the writing table again and looked at the books sitting on it. There was a leather-bound family Bible. Someone who lived here had been able to read, even if this man couldn’t. She picked it up and opened the brass closures. She flipped it open. The first entry read Josiah Campbell married Mary Smith. June 6th in the year of our Lord 1800. The second entry was a birth. Luke Campbell born Dec 12 in the year of our Lord, 1802. The third entry was a birth as well. Sarah Campbell born May 16 in the year of our Lord, 1804. The fourth entry was sad. Mary Smith Campbell went to be with the Lord on Dec 31st in the year of our Lord 1812. Age 32. The last entry was the worst and tugged at her heartstrings. Sarah Campbell taken by the Indians on Dec. 31st, in the year of our Lord 1812. Age 8. Anna looked up as Blackie said. “My folks.” Judging by his age, he had to be Luke Campbell. The clothes she wore must have belonged to his mother. Indians had taken his sister and had killed his mother when he was ten years old. There was no mention of what became of the father, Josiah. She smiled at him sadly to let him know she understood what happened to his folks. “Since you can read, you can understand why I don’t abide by redskins.” There was bitterness in his voice that she could hear quite clearly. Anna wanted to tell him that not all Indians were bad. In fact, most of them were peaceful. They lived in log homes and tilled the land. They were every bit as domesticated as the white man. Her own brother was half-Indian. She loved him dearly even if he was reserved at times. Anna understood the differences he felt. She had observed how badly some people treated him, because of those differences. There was no way to talk to him of these things, not right now. She might never get to talk to him about them. She could very well be gone by the time her voice was back in good working order. He was mixing something in a tin cup. He handed it to her watching her curiously. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask what it was. “I am no doctor. It is just a little whiskey with honey mixed in for your throat. I suspect you aren’t a mute but only incapacitated right now. Am I right?” Anna nodded and smiled at him. She accepted the cup and held it between her two hands. “Why did your pa sell you for a grub stake? The very idea is…”

Anna was already shaking her head no. That wasn’t what happened. That was only the story the old man concocted to make it seem that he had the right to bet her on a hand of poker. She took several swallows of the warm liquid. “I see. Did that old man take you against your will?” Finally someone understood. She nodded vigorously. “You probably have family looking for you.” Yes! Her mind screamed as she nodded excitedly. He might not be able to read or write but he could reason with the best of them. “While you finish your drink, perhaps you better be writing that letter to your folks. They will be worried for you. We can take it to town first thing in the morning so it goes out in the next pouch.” Anna gratefully slipped into the chair at the table at which they had eaten, and he brought her more paper and the pen and ink. She finished off the drink. It did soothe her throat. She wrote the letter, folded it and sealed it with sealing wax she found in the box, then addressed it to Rex and Lance Tremaine at the Spring Place Ranch, Union City, Georgia. She just hoped they got it soon. The whiskey was making her sleepy all over again. She’d gotten so little sleep in the last few days. She stood up and signaled she would be going on to bed. Then realized she had taken his bed. Anna went back to the room and found several blankets. She would use those and sleep elsewhere, but where? He already let her know he was going to bathe. There were only two rooms. He seemed to realize her dilemma. “You take the bed. I’ll sleep out here.” He took the blankets from her and she took note of his great size again as he was standing so close to her. Anna smiled at him gratefully and went in the bedroom and closed the door. He was a very kind man.

Chapter Two It was the middle of the night when Luke and Anna were awakened with a loud pounding on the door. Luke slipped back into his pants as the bedroom door opened and Anna poked her head out. “I’ve got it.” He waved her back. He wanted her to stay where it was safe just in case there was trouble. More than likely the townsfolk needed him to quiet some disturbance. It had been happening a lot lately, day and night. Luke opened the door to look out. Anna wanted to scream at him that he didn’t even have a gun in his hand. It might be the kidnappers. There was a gun-belt hanging by the door on a peg but he didn’t even take it down. A slender man stepped just inside the door. “Trouble in the street, Blackie. Gunfire and general mischief from some miners.” “Be right there, George.” Luke told him and the man left. Luke turned back into the house. He looked for his shirt. It was hanging on the back of a chair. He went to grab it. Anna was still looking out the door of the bedroom. Her pretty eyes were huge and she looked upset. “I have to go to town. There is a rifle.” He pointed to the rifle leaning against the wall beside the door. “For you to use if you need it. Don’t shoot me when I come back.” He slipped the shirt on and stepped into his boots. He started to open the door. Anna didn’t care that she was barely dressed in a white gown that she had found in the chest. She ran out into the room, trying to say “Wait,” but it didn’t sound like a word at all. It was so frustrating not to be able to talk and make herself understood. He turned to look at her. Anna saw his eyes darken immediately at her halfundressed state but that didn’t matter right now. She grabbed the gun-belt off of the peg and handed it to him. He didn’t take it. “I haven’t worn those guns in over two years, Anna.” He told her softly in a calm voice. “I won’t take a gun along. If I do, someone is surely going to die. Without them I have a little control over things.” Anna stood there confused by what he said. Then she couldn’t help looking at his chest, as his shirt wasn’t buttoned. He had a broad, strong chest covered with silkylooking black hair. It seemed to go on forever. And those muscles! She tried to hand the belt and holsters to him again. She didn’t want him going off unarmed. Look what happened last time. He shook his dark head no. She ran and got the rifle. The rifle, then. He had to take something with him. “You might need that.” He wouldn’t take that either. “Bolt the door.” He ducked his head and left, pulling the door shut behind him. Anna bolted the door and then stood there numbly. Why on earth wouldn’t he take a weapon? He knew there was shooting going on in the streets. How could he have any control over things without a weapon? It didn’t make any sense to her. It was a while before Anna went back to bed. She left the bedroom door open so she would hear him when he knocked. What if he was killed and didn’t come back at all? She

didn’t even know her way into town, because she’d fallen asleep on the trip out here. There was so much that worried her. She didn’t like being alone either. What if the kidnappers came for her again? It was nearly light before she fell back to sleep and it was well into daylight when Blackie returned. “It’s me, Anna. Open up.” Anna heard his call and light tap at the door and ran to let him in. He ducked his head under the doorframe and came inside. He looked at her and his jaw tightened just a little. “I’m going to get an hour of shuteye before we go into town to see about your letter. Then I’ll open the shop.” She didn’t know what shop he was talking about. Ann bolted the door back and watched as he lay down slowly on the hardwood floor on the blankets he had used earlier. He was in one of the corners of the room. She felt awful that she was taking his bed. It was so kind of him. He didn’t even take his boots off. He used the other blanket rolled up as a pillow. She went back into the bedroom and dressed quickly in the rose skirt and the cotton blouse from the day before. She would wash out her own things today and see if they were even salvageable. Then it occurred to her the least she could do would be to make him breakfast. She found the eggs in a basket on the buffet table. The bread was there too, wrapped in a towel. She looked inside the buffet and saw honey, syrup, some jams and other items. “The cold food is down in the well out front, in a bucket,” he told her, watching her from his pallet. She turned to see that he had his hands behind his head and he was watching her with hooded blue eyes. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. There was no time like the present to get acquainted with the outside of his property, but she wasn’t going without a gun. Anna took one from his gun-belt. “Be careful with that. It’s loaded.” She nearly smiled. If there was one thing she knew how to handle correctly it was a gun. Her brothers and her father had taught her early. Anna went outside and it was then she looked at the pistol. It was silver with bone handles. It looked expensive. It had a skull carved into the handle with snakes coming out of the eye sockets. How gruesome! Obviously Blackie had expensive taste in weapons. It was made for a man with large hands and had considerable weight to it. Anna looked around. She spied the outhouse to the side. She made quick use of it. The house indeed had a well out front. She cranked the handle. It pulled the water bucket up. So she let it down and cranked the second handle. It was going to take a while as the bucket had quite a bit of food provisions inside and was heavy. She searched through the bucket and got out a slab of bacon that had already been cut into slices. She took only what she thought they would eat then lowered the bucket back down into the coolness of the well. She could see a chicken coop nearby. Some tall maples sheltered the house a little and the property had been cleared quite a distance to the edge of the woods. There was a barn for horses and a path that led away from the front of the house. Perhaps that path led to a road. A road would lead to town wouldn’t it?

Anna could tell Blackie was asleep when she returned and she set about as quietly as she could to prepare the breakfast. She set the table and opened the shutters on the windows for light. He was sleeping so hard that he didn’t seem to notice. She covered the food when it was done, to keep it warm, and sat down to wait on him to wake up. Only moments later, his blue eyes popped open—probably from the lack of continued noise. He was a light sleeper, apparently. He sat up easily, but he still looked tired. Yawning, he stood up. “Ready for me? Thank you, Anna. It is a treat to have my breakfast made for me.” She nodded and he sat down at the table. He helped himself and she did likewise. “It is real good. Thank you,” he said again. By the way he was eating she knew he meant it. Her letter was lying on the table between them. Anna picked up the letter and then nervously put it down again, most anxious for it to be on its way. “We will go to town as soon as we are done eating so we can catch the mail run,” Luke reassured her, as best as he knew how. She had to be concerned about so many things. “There is something that has been worrying me, Anna. I don’t know how to say it delicately, but there are other women in town that might be able to help you. I mean, since we will already be in town and all.” Anna looked at him and cocked her head questioningly. She wasn’t sure what he was trying to say. “I mean if you need womenfolk to talk to … oh, hell…” then he rolled his eyes. “You can’t talk and I’m sorry I cussed.” He continued on determinedly. “However clumsily, I’m trying to find out if that old man … had his way with you. If you need help in some way.” Anna was touched by his concern. She shook her head no and reached across the table to lay her hand on one of his. The kidnappers had been too busy running and trying to put distance between them and her brothers. They had left a ransom note, but they knew enough about the Tremaine brothers to know their lives wouldn’t be worth squat if the Tremaines caught up with them. Then she noticed he was staring at her hand lying atop of his own. It was so much smaller than his and pale where he was dark from the sun. It was quite a contrast. She pulled her hand back. He stood up and started putting dishes in the wash bucket. Anna knew she would do the dishes for him when they got back. She would help out all she could. “Give me a few minutes to hook up the team,” he said as he dried his hands then started for the door, leaving her alone in the house with her thoughts about this disturbing, handsome man who had come to her rescue. **** It was several miles into town. No wonder they hadn’t heard the gunfire the night before. Anna sat on the wagon seat next to Blackie. Blackie? She didn’t like that horrible nickname and didn’t know where he had gotten it. She was going to think of him as Luke. The main street was littered with tents and rough-hewn box houses barely big enough for a single person. Wagons had become homes, some covered, some not. There was trash and other things to horrible to mention strewn about. Horses and mules were

everywhere. The stench was horrible. The few buildings there were overflowing with people—miners and cowboys—mostly men and a few women. The street was muddy and rough from the horses and wagons, so Anna was jostled about on the seat until they stopped at the one and only small store. Luke lifted her down onto the wooden sidewalk out front of the store so she wouldn’t get muddy. She clutched her letter in her hand and tried to watch all the people nearby, just in case the kidnappers were there. She didn’t see them and felt a small measure of relief. She wouldn’t feel safe again until those evil men were caught. Anna was aware that people cleared a path for Luke as he escorted her into the small store. It showed their great respect for him. “Hello, Chastity,” Luke said to a tiny woman behind the wooden counter, and smiled. “Where has Mike taken off to?” Anna noticed that she was a pretty girl of about twenty, with brunette hair and vivid green eyes. There was a small baby sleeping soundly in a basket sitting on a chair next to Chastity. “Blackie,” she said excitedly, and came flying around the counter to give him a kiss on the cheek. He had to bend way down to receive it. “It isn’t often I see you any more, unless there is trouble in town.” “I’ve been keeping busy. Chastity, this is Anna. I don’t know her last name yet, but she has an important letter that needs to go out on the next pouch. Put the cost on my account.” Anna smiled at Chastity and the young woman smiled back. She looked sweet and wholesome. “Hi, Anna,” Chastity said, and stuck out her hand for a shake. Anna grasped it, grateful for the offer of friendship. “She can’t talk right now, Chastity. Her throat is hurt.” “Oh.” Chastity looked crestfallen. “A new woman finally comes to town and I can’t talk to her. Just my luck.” “When her throat is better I’m sure she’d love to talk all you want!” Luke laughed and turned to Anna. “Chastity will talk your ears off, whether you can talk to her or not.” Anna smiled. Chastity slapped a friendly backhand across his chest. “Just because you don’t like to talk, doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t.” She looked back at Anna. “It took me a whole year just to get a hello from this man that wasn’t a grunt. Where is your letter?” Anna handed it over. Chastity read the address out loud. Anna suspected it was for Luke’s benefit—a way of letting him know Anna’s last name without embarrassing him because he couldn’t read. “Rex and Lance Tremaine at the Spring Place Ranch, Union City, Georgia.” Anna felt Luke tense next to her. She looked up in time to see him scowl. Did he know her brothers? “Is this your family?” Chastity asked, and Anna nodded that it was. “Your last name is Tremaine?” Luke asked rather gruffly. She nodded again, and he stared at her. “You don’t look like…” Just then there was an eruption of gunfire down the street. “I’ll be right back. Stay here with Chastity where it is safe.”

“I’ll put this in the pouch right now.” Chastity walked behind the counter and placed it in a big leather pouch hanging on the wall. “It is my husband’s turn to take the pouch to Canton and he’ll leave tomorrow morning.” She smiled at Anna once more. “Are you a friend of Blackie’s? Are you staying with him? I haven’t seen you in town before.” Anna nodded in agreement. “I didn’t think he had any women friends.” Chastity smiled softly, her fondness for Luke showing. “Well, well, well…” Her pretty green eyes twinkled with interest. Anna tried to let her know it wasn’t like that. She held out her hand and shook it from side to side. “Oh, I know. Blackie is a gentleman if nothing else. It is just that he is so reclusive and all. I didn’t mean to question your upbringing. Blackie is such a mystery and there are so many rumors floating around about him. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t try to put a stop to them.” Anna raised eyebrows. Gossip! She wasn’t usually the first to want to hear gossip, but she was very curious about Luke. Chastity didn’t have any trouble understanding her expression and laughed. “He is a big, strong, handsome man, isn’t he? If not for my Mike, I would take a shine to him, too.” Anna understood. Chastity loved her husband and saw Luke as a friend. “Blackie was raised hereabouts, in that same house he lives in now. Indians killed his family. Did you know that?” Anna nodded. She had gleaned the information from the family Bible. “He disappeared for a few years when he turned sixteen. Some say he was in prison. Some say he was some kind of killer, a hired gun. The ones who knew him before say he didn’t come back the same person they knew. He was gone for so long—what did they expect?” Anna frowned. This didn’t sound like Luke. He had been nothing but kind to her. “Oh, I know. He doesn’t carry a gun, so how could it be true? Gun or not, one thing is for sure—you don’t want to get on the bad side of Blackie. Personally I don’t hold any stock in the rumors. I think he is a very good man, one of the best around.” A man walked up to the counter just then. “Just a minute, Anna, let me help this man.” Chastity walked over to help the man with a purchase, and Anna wandered over to look out the door. She didn’t see Luke, but directly across the street was an undertaker’s. He had stacks of wooden coffins displayed in front of the mortuary, and two or three of the coffins leaned against the stack, standing upright. The fronts of the standing coffins were open. One was very large, and had a smaller one sitting inside of it. “Ghastly, isn’t it? What a business to be in! Lately Dan has been doing a booming business, too. The big one he made for Blackie. It gives me the shivers. That man is just waiting for him to get shot.” Anna gasped. How horrible! The baby started to fuss and Chastity picked her up. “This is Sally. Isn’t she adorable? She is a month old now. Mike and I just love her to pieces. We hope to have several more.” Her pride in her family was obvious. Anna held out her arms, asking to hold the babe. She was indeed a cute baby, with chubby cheeks and a tiny pink mouth. Her eyes

were a murky blue, but Anna suspected they would turn a different color soon. Sally waved her tiny fists in the air. Luke walked back in the door and stopped when he saw Anna holding baby Sally. The sight moved him. Anna looked pretty today and had good coloring. The swelling was almost gone from her eye. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun. He found her very attractive. Not a good thing since she was a Tremaine, but attracted he was. Lance Tremaine’s sister! Could it get any worse than that? “Ready to go?” he asked. Anna handed the baby back to Chastity. She wanted to say how nice it was to meet her, but Chastity seemed to understand her silent look. “Nice to meet you too, Anna. Don’t be a stranger. Blackie, you bring her by again, please.” “Will do.” Luke took Anna’s arm and led her out to the wagon. He lifted her up into the wagon, and darned if his hands didn’t linger longer than they should have around her tiny waist. He was proud to be seen with her. Any man would be. When they got to the turn off to Luke’s house, she pointed to the building standing there, which was more of a rustic lean-to than a building. “That’s my shop. I’m a blacksmith.” Anna nodded. So that is where he got the awful nickname Blackie. His large muscles came from hard work—hot, sweaty work. He drove the wagon back to the house and lifted Anna to the ground. “Stay in the house where you will be safe,” he ordered, “and I’ll come check on you every so often. There is an old bell on the side of the porch.” He pointed to it. “If you need me, ring it a good long time. I’ll hear it.” He unhooked the horses and left the wagon out front of the small house, in case they needed to use it again. “Don’t forget to bolt the door.” He led the horses to the pen where they could pasture for the day. **** Anna had supper ready when Luke came home. She had watched him walking down the lane and unbolted the door for him. He had worked until nearly dark. He stopped at the well and pulled up a bucket of water. She watched as he took off his shirt. He drank some water, washed his hands and then poured the rest over his face, head and shoulders. Then he scrubbed himself down. She’d seen her own brothers do the same thing a hundred times. This was different and she knew it. She shouldn’t watch him, but she couldn’t help herself. Her boldness brought a fair amount of pink to her cheeks. He was just a whole lot of man. She had been attracted to men before, but nothing like she was to Luke Campbell. She moved away from the window when he put his shirt back on, reluctant to let him know she had watched him. Nervously she mixed herself some more whiskey and honey. She was determined to get her voice back. Anna sat down at the table to wait for him. She hated feeling like she was imposing, but she was doing everything she could to help Luke out. She’d cleaned and dusted his house, fixed meals for him and tomorrow she would work on the neglected flower garden out front. Luke kept the vegetable garden in good shape, but it was probably all he had time for.

When Luke walked in the door, his eyes went straight to her. Anna smiled at him and signaled for him to sit down. Anna stood and fixed him a plate of hot food, kept warm over the fire. “What is this? It sure smells good.” Anna had fixed potatoes, with ham chunks mixed in. A few peas and carrots were thrown in for variety. The sauce was made from flour, milk and butter. He took a taste. “This is great. Thanks, Anna. You will have to tell me the recipe when you can. You don’t have to do all the cooking, you know.” “I want to help out,” Anna attempted to say, and was amazed that it almost sounded like real, honest-to-goodness words this time. “Hey, you are starting to get your voice back.” He smiled at her, encouragingly. She lifted her cup to show him that it was due to the whiskey and honey. He frowned just a little. “How much of that have you had? It is strong stuff. I bought it from a whiskey seller, when he came through town last. He had a cart full—he mines for gold by day, and makes rotgut whiskey at night.” Rotgut? It tasted okay to her. She held up two fingers. He gave her one of his half smiles, where only one side of his mouth lifted. “Best not have another tonight.” When she only looked back at him, he warned teasingly, “I wouldn’t want you to take advantage of me.” Anna smiled. So he did have a sense of humor after all. She hadn’t been sure, because he seemed so serious most of the time. In a lot of ways he reminded her of her brother Lance, reserved and serious. Luke was also self-contained and self-sufficient. The two men would have a lot in common. She smirked at his comment—as if she could take advantage of a big strong man like this! He ate two big helpings of her cooking and it pleased her. She didn’t get to cook that often at home. They employed a man that did most of the cooking. “What did you add to the bread? I like this.” “Honey.” She said softly, and it must have sounded like it should, because he understood her. “Honey. I’ll remember that. The dishes are mine tonight. You just enjoy the rest of your evening.” Anna would let him do the dishes. She didn’t exactly like that chore anyway. She would read one of the books sitting on the table collecting dust. It was too bad he couldn’t read. Perhaps she could teach him a few words while she was here. By the time the dishes were done, Luke looked exhausted. Anna took a book and an oil lamp into the bedroom to read, so he could turn in early. She didn’t know how long it had been since he’d gotten a full night’s sleep. Some of it was her fault, because she was taking his bed from him. Some of it wasn’t. She wondered why he was the one trying to keep the peace amidst the madness that was happening in town. It seemed everyone had gold fever, because it was the same in Union City. Adventurers were flocking to Georgia to find gold. There were diggers, sawyers, peddlers, thieves, shopkeepers and lots of gamblers. They all came for the promise of quick wealth. There were young boys and old men—no age or complexion was missing. Whites, Indians, Negroes, they all came to pan for gold. Her brothers had protected her

from seeing the seedier side of it, not letting her near the mining camps, but even they hadn’t been able to protect her from everything. Anna turned out the lantern and lay in the bed, thinking mostly about the man in the next room. It had already been quiet in the main room for quite some time when Anna heard a noise. It seemed to be outside the cabin but she wasn’t sure. She listened closely. She went and opened the bedroom door and suddenly gasped as a hand was placed over her mouth and she was pulled tightly to a warm, half-naked body—a big body. She recognized Luke’s size if nothing else. “Shhh,” he whispered quietly. “Someone is outside. They have been here a while and they haven’t seen fit to come to the door.” He removed his hand from her mouth, but held her close to his side. Anna nodded her head. She tried to whisper back but it wasn’t recognizable. “The kidnappers.” He had a rifle in his other hand, she saw, thankful that he wasn’t going to be stubborn about it this time. “Now that I know you are awake, I want you to stay in the cabin. I’m going outside to check it out.” She nodded again. “Be careful,” she whispered, and he must have understood her because he answered. “I will. Stay put. Bolt the door after me.” Anna watched as he crossed the room and silently opened the door and slid outside. She ran to the door and bolted it. Time seemed to stretch on forever, but it was really only moments later when she heard gunfire. It made her jump nervously. There was a single shot, followed by several rapid shots. Then it was so quiet that Anna was sure she could hear her own brisk heartbeat. Much later, Luke tapped on the door. “It’s me, Anna.” She opened the door and he ducked his head and entered. He headed straight for the lantern and lit it. “Be right back.” He started to go back outdoors and Anna followed him, pausing to grab the other gun. She followed him outside into the dark night. “You might not want to see this,” he warned, not wanting her to see the dreadful scene. Anna saw the two men as the circle of light landed on them. They were dead, both shot through the heart. She gasped. It was a ghastly sight, but she recognized them as two of the kidnappers. She pointed at them. “They kidnapped me. I don’t know their names.” He held the light up so he could see her face. “They were looking for you?” She nodded. “They want my family’s money.” “I see.” He frowned. “They need you to make an exchange. Someone got away. How many are left?” She held up two fingers. It was the old man and the mastermind, Richard Hoyt. Anna didn’t know how many men were actually in on the kidnapping but she felt there must be more. Men like this traveled in packs. “Okay, let’s get you back inside in case they come back. I’ll take care of these two in the morning and take them into town.” He took her arm and he couldn’t fail to notice how badly she was shaking. She couldn’t hide it from him. He led her back inside the cabin. The minute the door was bolted Anna threw herself straight into Luke’s shocked arms and hugged him tightly. She was just so grateful she wasn’t alone in this. He grunted and Anna pulled back.

“Are you hurt?” She grabbed the lantern from his unresisting hand and began to look him over, because he didn’t answer her. His awesome chest and arms looked fine. Then she saw the blood on his pants near his hip. Anna looked up quickly. He was watching her with a strange expression on his face. Anna said, “You are hurt. We need to take care of this.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. Must have been that old man again. He is such a lousy shot he couldn’t hit me directly.” “Good thing, too,” she told him, and realized her throat was getting stronger. “Take off your pants.” “Pardon me?” He frowned in confusion. Anna smiled. “I said, ‘take off your pants’, Luke. Cover up with a blanket or something. I want to make sure your wound is taken care of.” “I can take care of it.” “You won’t. I know how you are. You will wait until morning.” She could see the answer on his face. That was exactly what he was thinking. “Whiskey,” she said, and went to get it from the sideboard. She’d placed it there earlier. “Do you have any clean rags?” She asked, grateful that he understood her rough voice. “Bottom left side of the buffet,” he answered, and she could hear him moving around. She waited to make sure he had enough time to cover up. When she turned, he was sitting in a chair and had his blanket pulled across his lap. “This really isn’t necessary.” “Of course it is. You don’t want to get an infection and get sick.” His laugh sounded more like a bark. “Ha. I’m seldom sick. I have the constitution of a horse.” “Even horses get sick.” She scolded with a laugh and knelt down by his side. “Let’s see it.” He pulled back the blanket, exposing his hip. He was much lighter in color there where the sun had not touched his skin. She saw the long, bleeding bullet track that ran across the side of his hip. He was lucky that he wasn’t shot in the pelvis. The bullet had only grazed him, but the cut was deep. She chewed her lip. “This is going to sting,” she warned, pouring a generous amount of whiskey on the rag. She handed him the bottle. He took a swig and assured her, “I can handle it.” She didn’t doubt that. Anna placed the cloth over his wound. She looked up to see how he was doing before she started to dab at it. He looked fine. He didn’t even jerk. She cleaned it as best she could. There really wasn’t any way to attach a bandage so she made doubly sure it was clean. Anna was already aware he was totally naked, and touching his hip didn’t help her unsteady nerves any. She had the overwhelming desire to touch the rest of him, all of him. Unconsciously her hand with the rag moved down his hip to his leg. The rag was forgotten as she touched his thigh. He had a strong, wide thigh, covered with the same dark hair as the rest of him. “Curious?” His deep chuckle brought her back to herself. She flushed furiously. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” He twisted just a little and grasped her shoulders with his hands. “I’m curious myself.” He looked down at her. His eyes were so blue. “You are?” He nodded. “I wonder what it would be like to kiss you.” He pulled her up close, and wrapped his arms around her. Anna watched silently, thrilled, as he slowly lowered his head. He laid his lips softly on hers. They were warm and pliant. Then he tilted his head and kissed her more fully, moving his lips against hers. Anna found she enjoyed it very much. She had been kissed before, but not with as much passion as this or by a man she was so attracted to. She pressed her lips against his to feel all of the wonder. He touched the tip of his tongue to her bottom lip and she opened her mouth to him. He deepened the kiss and pulled her between his legs to kiss her more fully. Anna went willingly and she lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck. She didn’t care that she only wore the thin nightgown that wasn’t much of a barrier between them. She only knew that she positively had to kiss him back. “I knew you would taste sweet and wholesome,” he whispered huskily against her lips, then continued to kiss her. Anna gave herself up to the magic she was experiencing. Her whole body started to feel warm and tingly. She leaned into Luke and felt the hardness between his legs. Now that was something she had never seen before, the shape and look of that part of a man. She pulled back just a little and looked down at him. She couldn’t see anything through the blanket, so she looked up at him. She trusted Luke and she sure did want to see what he looked like. His eyes were dark. “Go ahead. Look if you want,” he urged her, and Anna very carefully and slowly pulled the blanket down to expose his flesh to her eyes. He looked huge—long and thick. His manhood was nestled in tight dark curls and sat atop two huge sacs. She reached out and tentatively touched him. His skin was silky and warm. He was firm to her touch, and he got even harder when she wrapped her fingers tightly around him. When she looked back up at him with wonder in her eyes, he pulled her close again and kissed her thoroughly, until she was limp in his arms. Her body was practically humming with need, a need she didn’t recognize. She did however realize it had to do with Luke. She was suddenly aware of that area between her legs and squeezed them together, but it didn’t help the ache she felt there. Luke’s hands slid down from her shoulders. One hand wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her up and a little closer to him. The other hand slid down and covered the soft globe of her breast. His mouth caught her surprised gasp when his big hand covered all of her. He was gentle in exploring the shape of her. She felt her nipples harden into little pebbles, and she pushed her breast harder against his warm hand. He groaned. “You are such an innocent. I dare not let this go any further.” “But why?” she whispered, mesmerized by the intensity of his shining blue eyes. “A man only has so much control, Anna. I’m no different from any other man.” He let her slide out of his grasp and she knelt there at his knees. Her body was still feeling feverish and achy. She wanted something, but she didn’t know what. She sighed with disappointment—she felt so frustrated and needy. It was all

so confusing. She laid her hands on his thighs. “Luke, please?” She didn’t even know what she was asking for. He stared down at her with a slight frown and seemed to read her mind once more. “Turn around,” he instructed her, and she followed his guidance, not understanding where this would lead. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Just don’t look at me, Anna. If you do, I won’t be responsible for my actions.” She frowned, and tried to turn around again and look at him so he could explain further, but he kept a firm grip on her shoulders. Once she relaxed again, he moved his hands down over her collarbone and then lower to her breasts. He caressed her and touched her through her gown. He did this until she started getting restless. One hand moved down and covered her stomach. He pulled her back against him and pushed her hair over her shoulder, so he could kiss the back of her neck. Anna shivered in delight. The hand on her stomach didn’t move, but the other one lifted her gown in the back. She felt the hand sliding around on her hip to her front. He kept kissing her neck, and she didn’t even flinch when his hand went down inside the open slit of her drawers. He touched the very heart of her, in the place that ached with need. He stroked her there, and her head fell back against his chest. She tried to look at him, but he bent his head and kissed her neck. “Open your legs, Anna.” She spread her knees for him so he could touch her more fully. She felt wet and hot there. His touch caused this great need she was feeling. He slid his big hand between her legs and caressed her intimately. Her breath puffed out in surprise when she felt his finger slide into her dampness. “Feels good, doesn’t it? Just relax and let me make it even better.” He began to move that finger in and out of her, slowly at first, then faster. Anna pushed against his hand. It just felt so good, him touching her this way. Then he added a second finger and moved his hand against her with intensity. Anna moaned out loud. She was beginning to feel something she had never felt before, and it was building right where he was touching her. “Luke!” she gasped out. “I like it that you call me by my given name,” he whispered against her neck. He licked her on the back of her neck and sucked gently on that tender skin. Anna moved against his hand. Whatever was happening, she had to help it. The hand on her stomach moved up and caressed her breast. He plucked at her pebble-hard nipple gently, and that’s when it happened—the most glorious feeling burst forth between her legs. It swept over her in wave after wave of pleasure, and spread upwards, washing over her entire body. It was the most intense pleasure she had ever felt in her life. “That’s it. That is what you were needing, Anna,” he encouraged her, and kept moving his hand and fingers until the feeling subsided. His hand slowly stopped moving, and then pulled away. He kissed the side of her neck one more time. “Go to bed now, Anna. Go straight to bed and don’t look back.” He lifted her to her feet and gave her a gentle shove in the direction of the bedroom. Anna knew he had his reasons as she slowly walked to the bedroom door and went inside the room. He must have been right behind her because he was the one to shut the door before she could even turn around. Anna crawled into the bed. Her body was totally satisfied—her mind was totally confused. It was a long time before she fell asleep again that night.

Chapter Three When Anna woke in the morning. Luke had already fixed breakfast and it set on the table covered by a towel. He had apparently already eaten. She could hear the horses out front, snorting occasionally. Anna ate her breakfast and put the dishes in the washtub for later. If he was going into town, she was going to go with him. She didn’t want to stay here by herself. Her voice was better and she was hoping to get to talk to Chastity again. She wore a creamcolored buckskin skirt and a blue blouse with a nice wide leather belt. It was only a little big for her but she thought she looked presentable. She had brushed her hair until it shone. When she went outside, the wagon looked ready to go. In the back were the two bodies. She could tell, even though Luke had covered them with a large oilcloth. She glanced around but didn’t see Luke, so she waited until he came back. He came out of the barn, and she was surprised to see that he wore the gun-belt. It rode low on his lean hips. He also wore a dark brown shirt and dark pants. He walked tall and straight as always, and Anna thought he was the most handsome man she had ever come across. When he looked at her, she blushed, remembering how he had touched her body and how he had made it sing with pleasure. It was the kind of intimacy a man and wife would share, not two virtual strangers. She should feel guilty but she didn’t. “Morning,” he said, walking up to her. “Morning, Luke.” She watched him carefully. He didn’t seem embarrassed, so why should she be? “Ready to go?” She nodded and he lifted her up into the front of the wagon. “Your voice sounds much better today.” He walked back around to the other side. “Thank you. It is almost back to normal.” She smiled at him and was so grateful she could talk again. “Luke, about last night…” Anna saw him hesitate fractionally as he was getting in the wagon. “I’m not sorry about that,” he told her gruffly, and sat down next to her. “I’m not either.” She told him quickly and looked at him shyly from under her lashes. “I was only going to say thank you.” He barked out a laugh and smiled at her. “That’s a new one.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. The kiss was too short in her estimation. “You are most welcome, although I should be the one thanking you.” “Thanking me?” She frowned softly, not understanding. “That you would even let a man like me touch you.” He snapped the reins on the horses and headed the wagon down the lane. They lurched forward and began to move. Anna held on to the side of the seat. “A man like you?” “A man like me. One who opens his eyes in the morning and can only regret his actions of the days that have gone before.” “I don’t understand.”

“And someone as sweet as you shouldn’t. I haven’t always lived in a way I’m proud of, Anna.” She laid a hand on his leg in understanding. “We all can say that, Luke. No one is perfect.” He shook his head and snapped the reins again. “Only an innocent would say that.” He smiled sadly. She slapped his leg in annoyance but the truth was she didn’t want to take her hand from his leg. She enjoyed touching him. “I am not that innocent.” “Yes, you are, innocent and sheltered as it should be. Although I’m surprised someone managed to get his hands on you with your brother around. Lance screwed up.” “You know my brothers?” She smiled. She had meant to ask him about that. “Lance. Don’t smile, Anna. It won’t be pleasant when he finds out you are with me. In fact, it will likely be quite a problem.” “Why?” “He hates me. I hate him,” he answered simply. She gasped in surprise, and he glanced sideways at her. “Anna, I vowed I would kill him the next time I saw him. I imagine Lance has made the same vow concerning me.” Anna snatched back her hand. “What?” He had totally shocked her with his blunt statement and she was momentarily unable to grasp its meaning. “You want to kill my brother?” Her brother? How could he? “I did.” “But he is my brother.” “I know.” She pulled on the reins in anger, confusing the horses but managed to make the wagon stop. Luke pulled back on the reins once she let go, controlling the horses. “You can’t kill Lance. I won’t let you,” she challenged him, throwing up her chin in defiance. At the back of her mind was the fact that Lance could very well be the one to kill Luke. Lance was an expert with his gun, his knife, and any weapon he used. She didn’t want to see anything to happen to either one of them. He only smiled tenderly at her and ran a callused hand down her cheek. “I said I did, Anna. I didn’t say I still had intentions of doing that. I wouldn’t do that to you.” “Is it because he is a half-breed?” “That certainly didn’t help matters, but, no.” “Then why? Why do you hate Lance so much?” She watched as his face hardened into a mask to hide the kind man she had come to know underneath. “I am not going to discuss that with you. Not anyone. That is my business, Lance’s and mine. We will settle it.” Anna didn’t know this man. He was hard and bitter. Her heart ached for him. “Luke.” She lifted her own hand and placed it on his cheek. “Please, let’s not argue. Just promise me you won’t hurt my brother.” He sighed and the mask slipped off again. His eyes softened as he looked at her. “I won’t hurt your brother, Anna. You have my word on that.” She leaned over to kiss him. “Thank you, Luke. I don’t expect you to forgive him for whatever transgression you think is between you. Just don’t hurt him.”

Anna let Luke pull her solidly into his embrace and kiss her forcefully until she was pliant in his arms. This man could make her feel so much and want so much at the same time. She was beginning to think she was falling in love with him. **** The town was crowded and noisy as Luke turned the wagon onto the main—and only—street. It had grown since their last visit by several new tents. He watched everyone closely and kept his eyes peeled for the old man and anyone else who looked as if they had any interest in Anna. He pulled up in front of Chastity’s store first, and lifted Anna down out of the wagon. “Stay inside with Chastity until I get back.” “Okay, Luke.” She smiled at him before going inside, and his stomach knotted up. She was coming to mean so much to him. He should leave her with Chastity and Mike, but she wouldn’t be safe in town with that old man running around loose, and the other kidnapper. It was best she stay with him, proprieties be damned. He didn’t want anything to happen to her. He got back into the wagon and didn’t even sit down to turn it around to the other side of the street where the undertaker’s was. Dan, sitting in a chair and smoking a big fat cigar, was watching him as he pulled the wagon up in front of the mortuary. Dan had sharp features and a rather large nose, with brown hair that hadn’t been cut in months and hung long on his back. “Morning, Dan. I have some business for you.” Dan ambled over to the wagon. He grunted when he saw the bodies. “Who’s paying?” “The town.” Luke helped pull the bodies from the wagon. Between them they lifted them out and placed each into a separate box. It wasn’t hard to do; they were already stiff, rigor mortis having set in. Luke left Dan to do his job. He left the wagon there as he made his way down the street. He didn’t have any particular destination in mind. He just wanted to make sure the old man wasn’t hanging around in town. He would make it a point to ask Anna what the other man looked like. He should have done it before now but she distracted him. He could barely take his eyes off of her and his mind was continually fantasizing about making love to her. He didn’t even have to close his eyes to imagine her naked and responsive underneath him. Luke groaned inwardly. He had to stop thinking about her that way. **** Anna hugged Chastity—she was so glad to see her again. “My voice is back, but it still sounds rough.” “I’m so glad.” Chastity smiled at her. “Mike left early this morning. It is so hard on me when he is gone. Your coming to town again so soon helps with the loneliness.” “I had to talk to you,” Anna told her earnestly, “in case my brothers come to town. I don’t want Luke getting shot.” “Luke?” “Blackie.” “His name is Luke? I didn’t know that. Oh, this must be important. Tell me.” Chastity grasped her hand and pulled her to a chair behind the counter.

Anna did. She told her about the kidnapping, the old man trying to sell her. Even that Luke and her brother Lance had some kind of past and that he wouldn’t share it with her. “If you should see them, warn them that I’m safe and tell them where they can find me. I don’t want them thinking Luke is the one who kidnapped me. Rex looks a lot like me. We have the same eye color and hair color. Lance is darker-skinned and he has black hair and brown eyes.” “You had different mothers.” Chastity seemed to understand. “I used to have a halfbrother, too.” “Very different mothers. Lance’s mother was Indian,” Anna told her, and was grateful that Chastity didn’t seem to care about that. “I’ll keep a watch for them if they come into town first. You can count on me. I would hate for Blackie … ah, Luke … to take any heat for someone else’s actions.” “Thank you.” “I’m just so glad you weren’t hurt any worse than you were. It must have been awful for you.” “It was terrifying, but I knew my brothers would find me eventually. It gave me hope. Only Luke came to my rescue first.” She smiled, thinking about Luke. “He is a fine man. There aren’t too many men in this town you can trust. My Mike is one. George Rafferty and Luke Campbell are two more.” She smiled suddenly. “I’ll have to get used to calling him that. There are others but I don’t know them as well. The face of the town changes daily.” Anna nodded. It was the same in Union City since gold was found nearby. There was a disturbance outside in the street. They both heard a gunshot and then the sound of shouting, and ran to look out the door. Anna said, “Oh, my God!” when she saw what all the commotion was. She just couldn’t believe she was seeing what she was seeing. It was almost comical. Chastity gasped and shrieked. “It’s Blackie.” It was indeed Luke. He was standing in the middle of the street. He had the old man who had snatched Anna hanging on his back. The old man was pummeling Luke on the head with one fist and hanging on with the other. Luke had managed to get his gun away from him. She heard Luke say with a low growl, “I warned you, old man.” Then he flipped him right over his shoulder. In one smooth movement, Luke knelt down and slammed that old man across his knee. “Oh, my God,” Anna said again. The old man fell to the street flopping limply when Luke pushed him away. He looked dead. His eyes were open but unseeing. A small trickle of blood began to roll out of the corner of his mouth. “What just happened?” It was all so horrifying. “Luke broke the man’s back,” Chastity whispered, and gasped again. “I think Luke’s been shot.” Anna jerked when she heard that and looked at Luke again. He was holding his shoulder, and she could see the blood running down his arm from there. “Oh, my God.” It was beginning to sound like a litany she had said it so much. “Go to him. I have to stay with the baby,” Chastity urged, and Anna ran into the street to him.

“Luke!” He turned when he heard her coming. She nearly stumbled in her haste to get to him. “Luke!” “I’m okay, Anna,” he forestalled her. “No, you’re not. Come back to the store with me.” She took his good hand and pulled gently while he kept the other hand over his wound, and pulled him back to the store. He balked at the entrance. “I’ll get blood everywhere.” “That doesn’t matter. Come inside, Blackie.” Chastity had already chased out everyone who’d been in the store, and she closed and locked the door once Anna and Luke were inside. She had set out medicines and bandages to have at the ready. “Move your hand,” Anna instructed him. “That shirt has to come off.” “You just want to see me naked,” Luke teased her, and sat down in a chair. Anna could see the paleness of his features and the white line around his mouth. “Funny man.” She pulled up on his shirt and lifted it off over his head. The blood gushed out of his wound—the bullet had caught him in the shoulder. Chastity gasped and grabbed for a chair to sit in. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I don’t handle the sight of blood well.” “Just stay sitting down,” Anna warned her. “You don’t want to pass out and hurt yourself.” She placed a cloth over Luke’s wound. “Hold this tight,” Anna instructed him. He did what she said while she rummaged through the items Chastity had set out. She found some scissors and a long skinny knife. They would have to do. She looked up at Luke. He was being much too quiet. “It would have been better if the bullet had gone all the way through,” she told him. “Says who?” “You will think so in a minute. I have to dig it out.” He gritted his teeth. “Just do it. It won’t be the first time, Anna.” Despite being told not to get up, Chastity got Luke a bottle of whiskey and brought it to him. “This might help.” “It sure will.” He took several big swigs, then several more. “Okay. Ready.” “She meant for cleansing the wound.” Anna took the bottle from him and poured it over the instruments, then the wound. He didn’t make a sound but he came up a little out of the seat. He took the bottle back and took a few more swigs. “I’m cleaning it from the inside out,” he joked weakly. When he nodded he was done, Anna began digging tentatively for the bullet. Luke pushed her away, shaking his dark head—and took a few more swigs. “Just dig for it fast, Anna. Locate it quick and pop it out. Okay?” She bit her lip. She knew it was hurting him, but it seemed to her that such a method would hurt even more. She looked into his over-bright blue eyes. “I can handle it.” He assured her. “A lot better than passing out.” He took another swig. “Okay. Do it.” Anna kept chewing on her lip, but she stuck the knife in and quickly located the bullet. It wouldn’t pop out though. She had to insert the scissors and grasp hold of it to pull it out. When it came out, a big gush of blood came with it. Anna took the bottle and poured what little was left into the wound and packed it tightly. He was still doing well, even though he was pale and his skin felt clammy, so she wrapped bandages around his shoulder tightly, to hold the packing in place. “I’m going to

get the wagon so we can get you home. Stay put,” she told him. He grabbed her arm before she could leave. “Take a gun.” His voice was a tad slurred from pain or booze, she wasn’t sure which. Anna pulled one of the pistols out of his holster. “Be right back.” Chastity came to stand by Luke. She brought him another bottle of whiskey. As she left the store, Anna heard him tell Chastity that she was an angel of mercy for the gift. She spotted the wagon across the street, but it was pointed the wrong direction. Turning the wagon in the middle of the street was a chore but she finally controlled the horses enough to get them to do what she wanted and pulled the wagon in front of the door. Luke was standing in the doorway, watching her. He had managed to get his shirt back on. “Take care of him. Let me know if I can help,” Chastity called out. “Bye, Anna.” “I will. See you again soon.” She was just starting to jump down when Luke told her to stay there. He walked out under his own power and went to the back of the wagon. He slid in and told Anna she would have to drive. She already knew that! Anna snapped the reins and the horses lurched forward pulling the wagon and Anna left town as fast as she could. When she turned to look back at Luke he had already lain down in the wagon and looked fast asleep. He was clutching the whiskey bottle to his side so it wouldn’t spill. Anna thought she made the trip in record time as she pushed the horses hard. Everything at the cabin looked the same as when they left it. She jumped down and went to the back of the wagon. Anna jostled his booted foot to wake him up. “Luke?” There was no way she could do this by herself. He would have to move under his own power or there was no telling how much time he would be spending in the wagon. He opened his glassy eyes and looked at her. Then he sat up and scooted to the end of the wagon. When he stood up, he swayed just a little. Anna tried to get under his good arm to help him. “No, don’t,” he warned. “If I fall down I would take you with me and hurt you in the process.” She didn’t pay him any mind as she helped him inside the cabin. He grumbled about women who didn’t have the common sense to listen to good advice. He tried to stop where he usually slept on the floor. “Oh, no, you don’t! You will take the bed and not argue with me about it.” He gave her a silly smile. “Look who is getting bossy!” She directed him into the bedroom and pulled back the covers for him. He tried to sit down. “Don’t sit down. Take your clothes off first.” “Okay. Can you take care of the horses?” He pulled off his shirt and flinched when it tugged at his wound. “I sure can,” she assured him. “I’ll feed them and put them in the barn.” She’d taken care of a lot of horses over the years. He sat down on the bed and kicked off his boots. “Take a gun with you. Shoot it if you need me.” “I will.”

“There’s only one left now right?” She knew he meant the kidnappers. “Right.” It was the worst of the lot, Richard Hoyt. He had tricked her family into thinking he was a hard-working hand. Hah! She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she suspected there were others involved as well even though she hadn’t seen them. Luke slipped out of his pants. Anna thought she had to be the most lecherous person on the face of the planet, because she couldn’t help staring at his naked body. He had been shot, for pity’s sake! He got under the covers and his eyes closed immediately. He looked very pale. Anna ran to get some water and left a cup by the bedside for him. Then she gathered up his clothes. They would need to be soaked to get the blood out and there was a lot of it. She threw them in the washtub as she went by. First, she had to put the horses away and move the wagon. **** Anna put feed in the trough for the horses and made sure they had water. Then she pitched some hay for them to eat too. The barn was a little darker than she cared for but it was a typical horse barn. She saw the brushes and harnesses and walked over to that wall. A shelf on the wall held wooden boxes and equipment. Something small and shiny on that shelf caught her attention, and she picked it up and carried it to the door of the barn so she could see it more clearly. She dusted it off. It was a badge in a funny acorn shape. It was so badly dented up; she couldn’t read the words on it any more. It must be some kind of a lawman’s badge. Why would Luke have it? Why would it be tossed away in the barn? She put it back on the shelf where she found it and went back to the house. A blacksmith wouldn’t do that kind of work would he? Fixing badges? She didn’t know. Anna thought about the badge the whole time she was washing out his shirt and pants. It had to be Luke’s, there was no other explanation for it. He was the one who said it wouldn’t be the first time he had to have a bullet dug out of him. It was very curious. She worried for him because he had lost so much blood. Anna opened the door and looked in on him. He was sleeping soundly. She left the door cracked open in case he needed something. When Luke slept through lunch and supper, Anna really started to worry. She crept into the room and stood by the side of his bed. Very carefully she reached over and touched his forehead. He didn’t have a fever. That was a good sign. It was probably the whiskey that was making him sleep so soundly. Anna had just made her pallet in the floor when Luke came stumbling out of the bedroom. “My God, did I sleep all day?” She smiled at him. His hair was tossed and in disarray, and she found that alluring. He had a dark growth of stubble on his jaw and was squinting at her like a pirate. The white bandages stood out glaringly against his tanned skin. “You sure did. Are you hungry?” She was glad to see he was doing okay and that he was alert. Anna had some food put aside for him keeping it warm over the fire. “Yeah.” He sat down heavily in his chair. “Anything happen today?” “It’s been quiet.” Anna told him. She wouldn’t have woken him up for anything less than a dire emergency. She dipped up his supper and gave him a generous piece of cornbread. “After you eat we should check your wound and change the bandages.”

“Okay,” he nodded tiredly and yawned. He knew he wouldn’t have any trouble going right back to sleep after he ate and made a stop at the outhouse. “You can have the bed back.” “No.” “No?” He raised eyebrows at her. She watched as he started eating good healthy bites. Nothing was wrong with his appetite. “You need the bed.” “You take it.” “We have a problem then,” Anna told him saucily. “Because I’m not using the bed tonight.” She stamped her foot for emphasis. “Anna.” His voice warned of his displeasure. “The subject is closed,” she told him stubbornly. It only caused him to laugh. “I mean it,” she said to enforce her order. He could laugh all he wanted to, but he was using the bed. He held up his hand. “Okay, okay. I give in.” “Good. I didn’t want to have to get rough with you in your weakened condition.” She couldn’t help giving him a little lip. He only smiled and helped himself to more cornbread, using it to wipe up the sauce on his plate. “I made an apple pie, too.” She sliced him a piece and one for herself. “It is pretty tasty, if I say so myself.” Luke had two big slices before he pushed away from the table and went outside. Once again she wanted to scold him for not wearing his gun. He didn’t even take the lantern with him although it was already dark outside. Anna washed the few dishes and had just hung up the towel to dry, when he came back inside and bolted the door. He picked up the lantern with one hand and when he walked past her, he snagged her arm with the other. “Hey!” She squeaked out as he pulled her into the bedroom. “There won’t be any argument this way,” he told her, and shut the door. “You take one side and I’ll take the other. The bed is big enough for the both of us.” “What?” she said in disbelief. “Nothing is going to happen, Anna. I promise.” He paused. “As long as you stay on your side of the bed.” “But … but … we didn’t check your wound,” she stalled. “In the morning.” He slid off his pants and got back in the bed. Anna just stared at him. Her nightgown was in the other room. He seemed to know that. “Go put your nightshirt on.” He told her quietly. “Then come back. I’m not in any shape to chase you around the house and make sure you do as I ask.” Anna went into the other room and changed. Too bad, she thought she might like to be chased around the house by him. He had already thoughtfully turned down the light of the lantern when she returned. After she crawled into the bed, he extinguished it. “Night, Anna.” His voice was deep and reassuring. “Thank you.” “Night, Luke.” She bit her lip softly and turned away from him. ****

Luke wasn’t sleeping deeply when Anna turned over in her sleep and cuddled next to him for warmth. He didn’t mind. He even smiled to himself in the dark and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her so that her head lay on his chest. It had been a long time since he’d actually slept with a woman in his arms, a very long time. Her hair smelled sweetly of soap and just a hint of honeysuckle. There was some honeysuckle growing in the garden out front. She must have found it. He lifted a strand and rubbed it between his fingers. Then he stroked it across his cheek. It was soft and silky. Anna was a remarkable woman. She was equal parts of sweetness and stubbornness. She wasn’t so innocent that she didn’t meet a challenge head-on either. He liked that about her. There was so much he liked about her. Her hand came up and landed on his wound. He ground his teeth and gently moved it down to his stomach, out of harm’s way. He held her small hand in his large one for quite a while. “Aw, hell,” he said out loud, finally admitting it to himself. He was in love with Anna Tremaine. It had happened just that fast. He was in love with a woman whose brother he would just as soon kill as look at. She came from a wealthy family. He had his own wealth—he just didn’t show it off. He preferred to live here in this humble house and work in his father’s blacksmith shop. It kept him out of trouble. It was the whole reason he came back to Georgia. He needed peace in his life. That sure hadn’t lasted long once the rumors of gold being found started. Anna wiggled in his arms and he kissed the top of her head. She turned over and presented him with her shapely backside. A silent groan escaped him. He turned over with her and assumed the spooning position, just so that he could hold her in his arms some more. He worried about the one kidnapper who was left, and he wouldn’t rest until the man was in jail or dead. He would never be allowed to hurt Anna again. He also worried that Lance Tremaine would shoot him on sight and he had already promised Anna he wouldn’t hurt her brother. He’d like to. It was Lance’s fault Luanne was dead. He hadn’t thought about Luanne in a couple of years now but just the thought of her brought her smiling face to his mind’s eye. He’d met Luanne in South Carolina, in a cathouse of all places. She was so out of place there, compared to the other girls. She had managed to keep that sweet, trusting personality of hers, regardless of what she had to do to survive. Luke had intended to take her from that place. He hated the thought of any other man touching her. Apparently he wasn’t the only man thinking that way—Lance Tremaine wanted her too. A great sadness filled him when he thought of Luanne’s wasted life. In the end, Luanne had taken her own life. She’d left a note saying that she couldn’t decide between the two of them and that she felt she wasn’t worthy enough for either. He and Lance had come to blows over Luanne’s death. In fact, Luke had thought he’d beaten Lance Tremaine to death. It was only later that he learned Lance was still alive. Because of that fight, Luke quit his job. He had always been known as a tough but fair lawman until the incident with Tremaine. Luke was sorry he had pushed so hard for Luanne to leave with him. If he hadn’t, she might still be alive. She wasn’t a strong woman on the inside. He’d known that. He didn’t know she thought she didn’t have any worth. But she had been worth the world to him.

She might now be with Tremaine, but she would be alive. At the time he had hated him with a fierce loathing—now he could only wish things had been different for Luanne. He hadn’t known she felt so badly about herself until after she took her own life. He didn’t know why she thought she didn’t have any worth. She was so wrong. She was worth the world to him. Then the gunfighters had come. It had seemed like everyday someone wanted to challenge him to a duel. He’d been fair game because he wasn’t a lawman any more. Old men, young men—they all came wanting to make a name for themselves at his expense. He’d taken off his gun and left South Carolina, and until yesterday he hadn’t worn it again. He’d been grateful to come home to Georgia to restore his soul and rest his weary heart. Anna wiggled against him again and turned over, facing him—she was a restless sleeper. Here was another woman who was coming to mean the whole world to him. He pulled her close. Once more, Lance Tremaine might come between him and the woman he wanted. It wasn’t a pleasant thought. Anna thrashed in his arms. She must be having a bad dream. He stroked her shoulder and it wasn’t long until she calmed down again. She was a much stronger person than Luanne ever was. It showed it so many ways. He lifted his head when she murmured something that sounded suspiciously like his name. He smiled and pulled her against him even tighter, then fell asleep holding her in his arms.

Chapter Four Lance Tremaine slid off his horse and examined the man on the ground. He was dead now, but it looked like he had suffered quite a while before he died. He’d been gut shot, not an easy way to go. The man had dark hair and looked to be pretty young. It was hard to tell, though—he could have been dead a day or a few days. The sun and time had already done its damage. “Anything to tell who it was?” Rex asked quietly as he looked all around the area. Just as they had everyday since Anna had been kidnapped, they’d started out at first light, but they hadn’t been riding long. Lance knelt down and went through the pockets of the man. He didn’t find anything but a watch and a cigar clipper. “Not much.” He tossed the watch to Rex, then the cigar clipper. “Poor S.O.B.” Rex opened the watch. It looked to still be working. There was a name engraved inside. “Michael Talbot,” he read out loud. There was a folded-up paper, too, a drawing of a young woman—a very pretty young woman. He refolded the paper, closed the watch, and put the watch and the clipper in his pocket. “We will ask about him in the next town.” He got off his horse and started helping Lance, who was already moving rocks to place over the body. They had no way to bury the poor man, so they would make a cairn of stones to keep the animals from getting to the body. “Indians?” Rex asked. If anyone could tell, Lance could. “No. The horses were shod. It was two men, robbery most likely. Two of the same ones who took Susannah.” “We are getting closer to finding them.” Lance only nodded his agreement. **** Luke looked at Anna with the hardest, sternest expression he could muster up. It didn’t faze her a bit. He was losing his edge if he couldn’t intimidate a little slip of a woman like this. “I said, no!” She looked right back at him without blinking an eye and stomped her booted foot for emphasis. “How old are you?” Luke growled softly. His voice didn’t intimidate her either. Yup, she was going to be walking all over him before long and he was going to let her. He had so much tenderness in his heart for her already. “Twenty-four.” “Well, it is a sure thing you aren’t my mother.” She frowned then, looking puzzled. Her blue eyes sparkled. “What is that supposed to mean?” “You are trying to boss me around like a mother.” “Maybe so, but it is for your own good.” She lifted her chin. “Anna, I have been taking care of myself for a long, long time now,” he tried to remind her, calmly and rationally.

“But I’m here now, and I say you stay home today. There is nothing so pressing you have to do it today.” He tried his darnedest not to laugh. She was determined to take care of him, even if he didn’t need it. He was feeling fine. He had stayed home yesterday. Today he needed to get some work done. “How would you know what I have to do?” “I don’t, exactly, but I know you need to take it easy today. You’ve been shot, Luke.” She was standing between him and the door looking like she would wrestle him to the ground if he made a move to leave. Anna was such a delight. He might like to be wrestled to the ground by her—he would even let her win! “Besides…” she turned away haughtily and went to the washtub. “…I hid your boots.” “What?” It was his turn to frown. “You heard me.” She tossed her golden blonde hair back from her face. He looked underneath the chair where he had left them the night before. They were indeed missing. “Anna…” he warned, trying to sound ferocious when he really wanted to laugh out loud. He had another pair of boots in the chest in the sleeping room, but she couldn’t know that. She was washing the dishes and pretending to ignore him. Two could play at this game. Luke went to her and put his arms around her. “Anna, darling.” He nuzzled her neck and blew a little puff of air in her ear. God, she smelled good! “Don’t try and sweet-talk me.” She gave her head a quick shake. “It won’t work.” He grinned despite himself. “I need my boots.” “Nope. Nothing you can do or say will make me give you those boots.” The stubborn little minx! Luke kissed her on the back of the neck until her head fell forward a little and her hands stopped moving on the dishes. He lowered one hand and placed it on her stomach to hold her in place. A simple reminder of what had gone on the other night, of what he could make her feel. “Nothing?” Her head wasn’t as quick to shake no this time. He slid his other hand around to her front, and slipped it up to cover her breast, touching her through her clothes. He heard her slight sigh and felt her nipples harden immediately. He pulled her tighter against him, God, how he wanted her. “Well … if I don’t go do some work today … what would I do to keep busy?” he whispered against her neck. “A man’s got to keep busy.” Luke turned her in his arms so that he could see the blue of her wide eyes. They were so expressive and he could tell his touch was exciting her, but no more than it was him. He bent his head and pressed his lips to hers, wrapping his long arms around her. Pulling her close, he practically lifted her off the floor. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, not caring that the warm water was dripping from her hands. He had only meant to toy with her a little, but she was heating his blood up like a raging forest fire. “Anna. You better give me my boots, darling, before I do something we both are going to regret.” “Luke?” She looked at him before licking her lips and pressing them together tightly. She didn’t back away. “Yes?” “Would you think it terrible of me if I said I wouldn’t regret it?” Her fingers slid down to worry the buttons on his shirt.

He smiled softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever been propositioned so sweetly—but I would regret it, Anna. I would be taking advantage of you and that’s not right.” She pouted at him and then gave him a shove that didn’t move him an inch. “Oh, you are so frustrating! Your boots are under the bed. Go on, then.” He could see the disappointment in her eyes. She started to turn around again, but he stopped her by holding on to her arm. “You were serious?” “Luke, I’m not some wide-eyed child who doesn’t know her own mind.” She argued hotly. “I never thought you were.” His finger came up and traced her soft lips. “I respect you, Anna.” “I know.” “Listen to me,” he urged. It was important. “I respect you as a person and as a woman. I’m very fond of you.” She nodded. “But? I hear a but.” “Clever woman. But I’m not the sort of man who should be your first time. I’m not even the sort of man who should probably ever be any of your times.” Just the thought of any other man touching her made him feel sick to his stomach. “Why is that?” she asked him openly, her blue eyes studying him intently. “I want to understand, Luke.” “You’ve never even been with a man. You don’t know your own body, and…” “Can we skip to the part about you?” He smiled. What a perplexing, delightful woman! “Sure. I’m a dominant man, Anna. In bed, and out.” “Pushy, arrogant, confident. I get it. You aren’t so bad.” “When I make love to a woman I want—no—I need to be in control.” She frowned so he continued. “Whatever I want, you would have to provide. You would have to obey my every whim.” “So?” “Even if it makes you uncomfortable.” “Uncomfortable how?” He shook his head. Perhaps it would be easier for him to show her. She would balk at his commands, but she would finally understand what he meant. “Take off your clothes, Anna.” “What?” “I said take off your clothes. I want to look at you.” He crossed his arms across his chest. “Right now? It is broad daylight.” He nodded. It was a bold request but he wanted her to get the point without having to shock her completely. She hesitated and stared back at him, then darned if he didn’t see a fire light in her pretty blue eyes. It surprised the heck out of him. Her slender fingers went to the buttons on her blouse. She started to unbutton the first one. “I would have to be willing to let you look or do whatever you wanted to do to me, just because you asked?” She released the second button. “Exactly. Whatever. Whenever. Wherever. Now you are getting the picture.”

The third button opened and then the fourth. He could see the pale skin underneath. He swallowed hard. She had no undergarments on that he could see. She pulled the blouse out of her skirt and undid the last button. “I understand a little. But what do I get for letting you look … and whatever else you might have in mind for me?” She looked up at him with stormy eyes. They’d gone from playing and teasing to seriousness in a matter of seconds. “You get my absolute promise that I won’t hurt you—that I will make you feel very good. I would be sure you enjoy everything we do.” He barely choked out the words. He couldn’t believe she was doing this. He had only meant to make her understand his needs. He didn’t realize she would be able to meet them so compliantly—or so provocatively. She had effectively turned the tables on him. She was a feisty woman, confident in herself. He wanted her more now than ever, and he had wanted her a lot. She slipped the blouse off, exposing her pale, creamy breasts to his eyes. The ruddy peaks were already pointing proudly. “That doesn’t sound so bad to me.” He watched her softly rounded shoulders lift and fall again. He curled his fingers at his sides to make sure he wouldn’t touch her yet. He had to remember she was an innocent despite her bravery. He could stop himself for her sake if he needed to. If anything, he was all about control, and that included his own. “Take everything off, Anna,” he instructed her, and watched as she undid the wide leather belt, letting it fall to the floor. She undid the buttons of the skirt next and peeled it away, then stepped out of it. The white cotton petticoat went next. Even her knee-length drawers were added to the growing pile, until she stood before him completely naked. She didn’t try and cover herself. Her chin came up just a little. Oh, yes, she was uncomfortable being naked in front of him, but she had done it. She had even found excitement in doing it for him. It pleased him very much. Luke looked at her tiny waist, then down further to the heart of her that was covered with dark blonde hair. She had long, slender legs. He stepped close to her and put his hands around her waist. “You are beautiful, Anna, every bit of you.” He loved that she was so brave—not many women were. She lifted her mouth for a kiss. Luke didn’t kiss her. He denied her that for the moment. He stared into her questioning eyes. “Don’t move.” He knelt down in front of her and looked up to see the puzzlement on her sweet face. “Luke?” He put his big hands between her knees. “Spread your legs for me, Anna.” When she didn’t comply, he pushed them apart a little until she started to move them on her own. He could help her a little, that was part of the thrill for him, the coaxing and the seduction. Getting everything just right. “More,” he instructed her. “More.” He sat back and watched her move, until her legs were spread way apart in front of him. He looked up again and saw the faint blush on her cheeks. He liked the sweet blush of innocence. She had never done this for a man, but she was doing it for him! “Touch yourself for me.” “What?” “I didn’t stutter. Touch yourself, Anna. Do it.” Hesitantly her hand came down and she ran the flat of it over her mound. “That’s it. Touch it. It excites me to see you touch yourself.”

Her fingers curved in a little and she kept moving her hand over herself. “Yes,” he encouraged her. “You ache there, don’t you?” She didn’t answer. “Tell me what you feel.” He placed his big hand over hers to keep it from moving. “Yes. All right? Yes, I ache there. I want to feel the same thing you made me feel the other night, Luke. I would rather you touched me though.” “Oh, I’m going to touch you, Anna,” he promised her. He’d touch her, he thought, just not the way she was expecting. He leaned forward and moved her hand. He heard her gasp loudly just as his tongue slipped across her pussy lips. She jerked and her hands grabbed at his hair. “Don’t move,” he warned her, his voice lowering in anticipation. “But, Luke…” “Don’t move.” He licked her again, dragging his tongue across her with purpose. He pushed her back slightly until she was leaning against the table with the washbasin behind her. He spread her legs even further and buried his head between her legs so he could taste her fully. He drove his tongue inside her with force. “Luke.” She gasped for a breath, her fingers unconsciously tightening on his hair. “That is so … so … hedonistic.” She began to wiggle her hips against his hot mouth just a fraction. “I said, don’t move, Anna.” He pulled back. She tried to pull him to her once more. “Why not?” He resisted and told her tersely. “Just because I said so.” She chafed a little at his command. “You started it!” “And I’m going to finish it. In my own good time.” She looked down at him and blinked several times. “Luke.” He stood up and gathered her up in his arms. “Now do you understand?” “I understand that if you don’t take me to your bed right this instant there is going to be some bloodshed.” She told him haughtily and Luke burst out laughing. “Be in control all you want, but you better not leave me like this.” “I won’t.” He swung her up in his arms. His grin softened into a smile of anticipation. “I promised, didn’t I?” Luke carried her through to the bedroom and laid her ever so carefully on the bed. She sank into the feather mattress. He positioned her carefully so that he could look his fill of her. Just looking at her pale slender body had the blood pounding in his ears. She gave him just the ghost of a smile and lifted her arms to him. Luke didn’t need a second urging. He stripped off his clothes without ceremony and joined her on the bed. Before she could even wrap her arms around him, he took hold of her wrists and pinned her arms above her head. He was very careful not to hurt her with his weight or his strength. “Hey.” He bent his head to her delicate neck and nuzzled the soft skin there. He licked her neck where the bruises were still barely visible. He inhaled the scent that was uniquely Anna. He found that pulse in her neck—it was beating in a fast excited rhythm. Her breath was short and panting as he used his other hand to cover the soft globe of her breast. He shaped it and caressed it before bending his head to lick the tiny peak into a tight bud. “You like that don’t you?” “Yes,” she whispered softly.

He placed his whole mouth over her nipple and teased it with his tongue before he began to suckle it gently. She sighed and was already beginning to raise her hips in need. While he suckled her, he slipped his hand down across her stomach and moved it to the heart of her need. When her breath hitched, and stopped, he leaned up and kissed her surprised lips. “Breathe.” She did and he continued to explore and caress her there. Only when she lifted her hips again did he slip a single finger inside her. “Oh!” “It is only the beginning of many sensations, love.” He moved that finger in and out firmly. When she was wet and slick he inserted a second one. He stroked her harder. “I like that,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.” Luke smiled. He loved tormenting her. “I have to.” She was pushing her hips up and wiggling them to get the sensation she wanted. He pulled his hand away. “Why?” She lifted her head to look at him. “Turn me loose. Why did you stop?” He could tell she wanted to use her hands to force him to continue pleasuring her. That elusive orgasm was just out of her reach. “If I don’t stop then you wouldn’t be able to feel this.” He slid up and over her spreading her legs even further so he could fit into the cradle of her hips. “I’m going to take you, Anna. If you don’t want this, now is the time to say so. This is your last chance to change your mind and keep your innocence.” “I don’t want to keep it. I want you…” She looked into his blue eyes with her own, so that he could see the trust there. “…more than anything. Take me, Luke.” He kissed her with all of the tenderness he felt for this small woman. Luke adjusted himself to enter her. It took all of his willpower to take this slowly. He didn’t want to hurt her. He pushed against her until the soft round head of his manhood was just barely inside her. She moaned. “It gets better, love.” Slowly he moved, each inch gloriously slow to enter her. Her body stretched to accommodate him. Once he was fully seated and she seemed to be okay, he started moving again. He didn’t want her to feel any pain or discomfort. He finally released her hands and they immediately went around his shoulders. He moved slowly at first, letting her body naturally lubricate itself. Then he began to move against her with purpose. “Oh,” she gasped out again. “That feels … good.” He smiled. “You won’t stop this time will you?” “Only if you tell me to,” he assured her. “Lift your legs, Anna.” “Luke?” “Trust me. It will be even better for you. Wrap your legs around me. Hug me with them.” She lifted one leg timidly, and he took it and held it against his side while he pulled the other one up and around him. She hugged him as he asked, and he was quick to reward her with faster stroking. “That is better!” she agreed, gasping as he increased his rhythm. Then she locked her legs tightly around him.

He kissed her because he was pleased that she was so receptive. He would never get enough of kissing and loving this woman. He already knew that. “It is going to happen,” she warned. Her hands clasped his back, and her legs clenched around him tighter. “It sure is. Let it happen, Anna.” He pushed harder and stroked a little slower now, letting her feel the drag of his thickness inside her. “Luke!” He looked up to see that her blue eyes were huge. Then he watched as they drifted shut, letting the orgasm wash over her. She lifted her hips, and he continued to stroke her, sure that if she didn’t hurry he was going to explode inside of her. “Luke! It feels so wonderful.” Only when her body began to relax did he pull out of her. It was a good thing he did, because he spilled his seed all over the bed between her legs. He didn’t want her getting with child. It was too soon. He laid his forehead against hers to catch his breath. When she unwrapped her legs. He began to kiss her with all of his passion. There was so much more to show her, teach her. She pulled her lips away. “Can we do that again?” Luke hugged her close and smiled. “We sure can. How would you like to be on top this time?” “On top? We can do it like that?” Her blue eyes were full of interest. He grinned. “For sure.”

Chapter Five Chastity was just unlocking the store for the day when she saw George Rafferty standing outside. It was a pretty day, and Sally was already tucked safely in her little bed behind the counter. She opened the door all the way and glanced at George. He looked very upset as he gripped his hat in his hands nervously. There was another man standing behind him who wore his hat low on his head, so that she couldn’t get a good look at his face. “Morning, George. Something the matter?” “Morning, Chastity. Can we come in and talk to you?” “Well, surely.” She smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. This was so unlike the good-natured George. She wondered if the somber man standing behind him had anything to do with it. “Come on in.” They entered the store, and Chastity was surprised when the other man shut the door instead of leaving it open like she usually did. He leaned back against it. “George?” she questioned. “Chastity, I don’t know how to tell you this so I’m going to say it straight out.” She thought she saw tears in his eyes and frowned. A very sick feeling was starting in the pit of her stomach. “What is it?” she whispered. Unconsciously her hands came together and gripped each other tightly. “Mike’s been shot. He’s dead. I’m so sorry.” Chastity sucked in a startled breath. She shook her head in denial. “No. That is not possible.” The other man stepped forward. He had something in his hand and tried to give it to her. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but it is true.” He tilted his head back and Chastity saw the compassion in his blue eyes before she looked down at what he was offering. It was Mike’s watch. She would know it anywhere. “No … No, no, no, no.” She couldn’t breath. “We found him a few miles from here,” the stranger told her. “I’m truly sorry for your loss.” “Mike’s dead? You saw him?” “Yes, ma’am. There is no mistaking it.” Chastity reached for the watch, but her vision was already blurring. It was growing dark. Her beloved Mike was dead? She fainted before she ever got the watch in her hand. Rex stepped forward quickly and caught her before she could hit the floor. “Good Lord!” He lifted her up in his arms. She hardly weighed anything at all. He felt so sorry for her. She was awfully young to be widowed. “Where can I put her?” he asked the man he knew as George Rafferty. Rafferty was the only one in the town who seemed to care about finding the family of the murdered man. “She lives upstairs. I’ll bring the baby,” George told him. A baby? “Good Lord,” he said again, and moved to the stairs at the back of the shop.

“I hope your brother gets back with Blackie quick. I don’t know who else to call to help her. Chastity doesn’t have any family here.” Rex hoped like heck he did, too. He didn’t know what to do with the woman. She would be grieving as soon as she woke up. **** Lance dismounted at the blacksmith’s shop. Seeing no one there, he decided to walk down the lane to find the blacksmith’s house. It couldn’t be too far off and he needed to stretch his legs. He tied his horse to an out of the way tree. The walk was doing him some good, he thought, as he neared the small wooden house. He was just about to call out when some clothes blowing on a line caught his eye. His dark eyes narrowed. Anna’s clothes! He was sure of it. What the hell were her clothes doing, hanging on the line of a man who was supposed to be keeping the peace in Ophir? Lance pulled out his gun and crept quietly up to the house. He stepped up onto the wooden porch. He was going to look in the window when he heard a woman’s moan. Anna! The first moan was followed by another. The son of a bitch was torturing his sister! Lance opened the door and swept inside the room. It was empty. He went straight into the next room, his gun ready in his hand. He sucked in a startled breath as saw his sister’s back. She was nude, and she was sitting atop a man! She wasn’t moaning from pain. She was moaning from pleasure. “Susannah! What the hell are you doing?” She turned to look at him, grabbing for a blanket to cover herself at the same time. “Lance! Oh, my God.” The man lifted his head off the bed and Lance sucked in another startled breath. Once Anna moved away, Lance could see him clearly. “Tremaine,” Luke said, but he didn’t look surprised to see Lance. “Campbell, you…” He could hardly talk for shock and anger. “…son of a bitch. I’m going to kill you.” He aimed his gun without even having to think about it. Luke Campbell was bedding his sister! “If I could kill you twice, Campbell, I would.” “You can try.” Luke put his hands behind his head and locked his fingers together. “No, you won’t kill him,” Anna yelled at him, drawing his attention back to her. What the hell was she doing with Campbell? Was he the kidnapper? Anna fell across Campbell’s big body, blocking his shot. “He saved my life, Lance.” “Move away from him, Anna,” Lance said in his most deadly voice. If she didn’t move, he was going to shoot around her and hit him square between his treacherous eyes. Lance thought she was moving away, but it surprised the hell out of him when she grabbed a gun off the side table. She barely had time to aim it properly before she fired. The bullet hit the gun he was holding and skimmed across his hand, making him drop it and jerk back. “Holy cow!” Luke said in shock, as his head came off the bed again. His hands went instinctively around Anna’s waist. Anna did that? “Mary, Mother of God! What the hell did you do that for?” Lance hollered. Lance grabbed his hand and stuck it between his legs. Son of a bitch, that hurt. He bent to pick up his gun with his other hand.

“Don’t even think about it, Lance,” Anna warned. “I made Luke promise he wouldn’t kill you. Now, I want the same promise from you.” “Anna.” “I mean it, Lance. Promise me you won’t kill Luke.” “He deserves to die.” He shook his hand because it was still stinging. “Damn it, you shot me.” It was his own damn fault for teaching her how to shoot a weapon. She was as good a shot as he was! “Maybe he does. Maybe not. But you will not kill the man who means so much to me.” Lance glanced at Luke, who looked as shocked as he felt. Lance took a small amount of comfort from that. “Promise me,” she threatened, “or I’ll give you a part in your hair that will never go away.” Lance looked at her and then at the gun in her hand. She could do it. “All right, I promise. I won’t kill him today.” “Ever.” “Ever,” he repeated. He bent down and picked up his gun, returning it to his holster. “Now leave so we can get dressed.” Lance turned and left, but not without slamming the door to the room. Damn it, what was going on here? Anna had been kidnapped—they had been looking for her for days. Instead of finding her in dire circumstances, she was making love with Luke Campbell! The one man in the whole world who he hated the most! Lance sat down in a chair, and then sprang up again. He couldn’t stay in this house. It was Campbell’s house. He went outside and stood in the yard. He had been sent to retrieve a man named Blackie and bring him to town. Blackie was supposed to be keeping the peace in Ophir, even though he was only the blacksmith. Blacksmith, hell! He was none other than Luke Campbell. Luke Campbell was a renowned lawman. He had practically cleaned up Spartanburg County, South Carolina all by himself. He was the fastest man with a gun Lance had ever seen. That was years ago. But he didn’t care how good of reputation the man had or how good a shot he was. He hated him. Luke had tried to steal Luanne from him. Luanne was dead and it was all Luke Campbell’s fault! Hell, Luke Campbell had almost killed him, and he hadn’t failed for lack of trying. They had been trying to kill each other with their bare hands! “Lance,” Anna called softly from the doorway, interrupting his black thoughts. “Come inside so we can talk.” “Susannah, I’m going to paddle your backside,” he warned as he stepped back up on the porch. “No, you aren’t. You are going to come in here and behave like a gentleman. Luke saved my life,” she told him. “You could appreciate it just a little bit.” Lance walked into the house again. Luke was sitting at the table wearing only his pants. Lance narrowed his eyes when he saw the bandages wrapped tightly around Luke’s shoulder. Too bad someone had missed, he thought uncharitably. “You saved her life, so you figured she owed you?” He scowled at Luke. Luke’s hands tightened into fists. Anna gasped. “It wasn’t like that at all, Lance. Please calm down.”

Lance couldn’t stop himself. He was so angry. “You took advantage of my sister, you low-life…” Luke stood up then, knocking back the chair with the force of his anger. Anna stepped in front of him, and Luke looked down at her strained face. She laid her tiny hands on his chest. “Please,” she begged, and he sat back down. If Lance said anything to hurt her, Luke would break his promise and beat him to a bloody pulp. He nearly smiled. He already knew what Lance would look like if he did. He’d done it once before. Anna turned back to Lance. “Do you want to know who kidnapped me or not?” She placed her hands on her hips. “If you should be mad at anyone, it should be Richard Hoyt you are gunning for. He masterminded the whole thing.” “I know that. What I don’t know is how you ended up here with Luke Campbell.” “I’ll tell you if you’ll listen.” She stomped a foot. “Sit down.” Lance sat down across from Luke, glaring at him. He didn’t lift his hands onto the table, but kept them at his sides, near his gun. “Where is Rex?” Anna asked Lance. “In town—there was trouble. That’s why I came out here—to get a blacksmith … I thought.” He continued to glare at Luke. “Instead I find my missing sister in bed with Luke Campbell.” His voice rose at the end of his statement. Every time he thought about the situation, he got angrier and angrier. “I’m a grown woman,” Anna told him heatedly. “I make my own decisions. Would you rather have found me at the mercy of the kidnappers?” Lance looked away—he didn’t want to think about Anna at the mercy of the kidnappers. That was all he had been able to think about as it was for the last several days. “What trouble?” Luke frowned. Usually George Rafferty was the one to come get him. “A man was shot and killed. You would know that if you were in town doing your job, instead of being out here diddling my sister in the middle of the day.” Anna threw up her arms in frustration and went into the bedroom. “You are both going to be impossible, I can tell already.” Lance saw her leave out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not diddling your sister, as you put it,” Luke yelled. “I happen to care a great deal for her. Don’t try and make it sound cheap.” “It is cheap. Anything to do with you is cheap,” Lance yelled back, and stood up. “You took advantage of her innocence—all for your sick, twisted revenge. Did you think you were getting back at me through my sister?” Luke stood up and bellowed. Any other man would have been running for his life. “I love your sister. I love her so much I could even forget she had a pathetic excuse for a human being like you for a brother!” Anna came out of the bedroom. She tossed Luke’s boots and his shirt to the floor in front of him, and started to walk out the door. “Where do you think you are going?” Luke bellowed, then controlled himself. It wasn’t her fault she had a jackass for a brother. “I’m sorry, Anna. Where are you going?” he asked more reasonably.

“Into town to see what the trouble is,” she answered calmly, putting on soft leather gloves from the trunk as if she weren’t the least bit upset by the men’s tirade. She had Luke’s gun-belt hanging over her arm. “Who was killed?” Luke glanced back at Lance. He still wanted to beat him to a pulp. If Anna wasn’t here he would. “Some man. We found him a few miles from here. A Michael Talbot.” He grumbled. He would rather shoot Luke than look at him. Darn Anna for making him promise not to kill him. Luke sat down heavily. Anna gasped. “Oh, no. Is that Chastity’s Mike?” “It is.” Luke realized she had never met Mike. Anna ran out the door. She was already crying. “Some sheriff you are,” Lance tossed out. “I’m not the sheriff here. I am simply the stupid blacksmith who got roped—against his will—into keeping the peace.” He hurriedly slipped on his boots. “No one here knows anything about me. I aim to keep it that way.” Then he slammed a hand flat on the table. “You want Ophir to have a sheriff so damn bad,” he pointed his finger in Lance’s face, “you be the sheriff.” Luke grabbed his shirt and hat, and followed Anna out the door. He wasn’t about to lose track of the best thing that had ever happened to him. This was a woman who was equal to him in every way. She was strong in mind, will and spirit. This was a woman he could spend the rest of his life with. **** Anna watched Luke as he hitched up the wagon for her. He kept giving her sly looks. She could see that he was worried. She just didn’t know what he was worried about. If he was worried about Lance catching them in bed together, then he needn’t bother. She was her own woman. Rex and Lance both knew that. She didn’t answer to them and they didn’t answer to her. It had always been that way. She deliberately gave him a tentative smile. He nodded his head and she could see the tension leave him. It was the right thing to do. Lance came out of the house, shutting the door behind him. “I’ll see you in town,” he told Anna in a short clipped voice, and started walking down the lane. Anna tried not to worry about Lance. He never was a very talkative person—but he sure did have a lot to say to Luke! She was going to have to find out what their dispute was. Luke jumped up in the wagon, took his gun-belt from the seat and put it on, before sitting down next to her. “I hope Chastity is all right,” Anna commented. She was anxious to get into town and check on her. Chastity had befriended her when she needed it the most. “She should be.” He slapped the reins. “Anna, I’m sorry that happened. I wouldn’t want your brother catching you in a compromising position like that for the world. You know that don’t you?” She laid her hand on his leg and squeezed it. “I know. It’s okay. Lance is a big boy. He’ll get over it.”

Luke pulled the wagon out onto the road. Lance was on his horse far ahead of them—he wasn’t wasting any time, either. “Is your other brother going to want to shoot me too?” Luke asked. It paid to be prepared, and Lance had already caught him unawares. He wasn’t a fool. He could very well be dead now if not for Anna’s intervention. Anna smiled. “Rex? No, he is a lot calmer than Lance, and easier to deal with.” “That’s good to know. Where did you learn to shoot like that?” “My father, Rex, Lance.” She shrugged. “They taught me to take care of myself. I didn’t do such a good job with Richard Hoyt. He caught me off guard. I didn’t think I had to worry about my safety on my own property or that the hired hands were going to try and kidnap me!” “You shouldn’t have to. Anna, I want to talk to you about something serious.” “Okay.” She looked at him with bright inquisitive eyes. “What is it?” “I know we hardly know each other.” “We do fine.” She patted his leg again. “I love you. I don’t want you to leave with your brothers. I want you stay here with me. We can get to know each other better.” She had heard his confession of love before, even though it had been yelled at her brother. It had thrilled her heart beyond belief. “At this point I don’t plan on leaving with them, Luke.” He sighed his relief. “They know I’m safe now—and I want to get to know you, too.” “Thank you. You don’t ever do what I expect.” He looked at her. She was a wonder! She laughed with delight at his confession. “I would hate to be predictable.” Then she sobered up as the town came into view. “But right now we have to think of Chastity. I hope her family has come to comfort her, or at least knows of her plight and is on the way.” “She has no family, Anna. She only had Mike and the baby that I know of.” “Oh, Luke.” She wiped at the tears forming in her blue eyes. “We will be her family, then.” Anna couldn’t imagine being without family. It was too horrible to even contemplate. “Whatever it takes.” Luke wouldn’t let Chastity down. She had befriended him when he first came back to town, even when he had still been mean and surly with everyone. She had been like a fresh breeze, never condemning or judging. He owed her in a lot of ways. Anna watched as Luke began to scan the crowd as they rolled into town. He was looking for Richard Hoyt and she knew it. She was looking for him too. It was only a matter of time before he reared his ugly red head. **** Rex looked at his brother calmly. Lance was in a rare state of agitation, whispering so no one would overhear him. George Rafferty was sitting by the bed of Chastity Talbot, close enough to hear the brothers’ conversation. They wouldn’t understand that Lance probably wasn’t serious, but was just blowing off steam. “Are you nuts? I’m not going to shoot and kill some man just because you say so, Lance.”

“He deserves to die.” “Why?” Rex ran his tired hand through his sandy blonde hair. He was still shook up more than he could say over his helpless reaction to Chastity Talbot’s grief. “I ain’t saying.” “Come on. What gives?” Rex coaxed. “He was bedding your sister. Isn’t that enough?” He was surprised. Anna had never shown any undue interest in a man before. It must be serious if she did so now. If one thing was for sure, it was that Susannah Tremaine knew her own mind. “Our sister,” he corrected, thoughtfully. “Our sister. You know I love her, too.” “Maybe so, but if you don’t claim her any better than that, you don’t deserve to call her sister. Anna can take care of herself, Lance. She is a grown woman.” “The man was Luke Campbell,” Lance whispered hotly. Rex frowned. “The Luke Campbell from South Carolina-way?” “The very same.” “Hell, Lance. You just want me to shoot him because he is the man you had that fight with years ago over a woman.” Now he understood what was going on, and why Lance was acting so out of character. That incident had left Lance looking like the walking wounded for weeks, and his heart had taken even longer to heal. The woman had been lost to him. “She’s dead and he ain’t.” “You are still blaming the wrong person. She was the one who chose to end her own life, not Campbell.” Rex put a restraining hand on Lance’s arm. That was years ago and Lance still wasn’t over it. “If you won’t shoot him yourself for Anna’s sake, I’m sure as hell not going to do it.” “Damn it.” Lance exploded and stormed out of the room and went back downstairs. “I’m going to find me a bar. Then I’ll go back and see if I can locate that missing mail pouch.” Rex looked over at Chastity. She was still just lying there staring up at the ceiling. She hadn’t said a word since she woke up. She hadn’t moved a muscle, not even to see about the baby. He was worried for her. Now that Anna had been located and was apparently unharmed, a world of tension had lifted from his shoulders. He turned when he heard boots flying up the stairs. He barely had time to turn when Anna came flying into his arms. “Rex, Rex. You’re here!” He hugged her close to his chest. A hand went to the back of her head. He was relieved beyond words. He looked up to see a huge, dark-headed man standing in the doorway. This had to be Luke Campbell. He was frowning slightly. Rex stuck out his hand while still holding on to Anna. “Thank you for taking care of my sister.” He was sure Lance hadn’t said the words. Luke stepped into the room and shook his hand. “Welcome.” Then his eyes went to find Chastity. She was lying on her bed, absolutely still. Her eyes were open. George was sitting in a chair at her side. Baby Sally was sleeping in the wooden baby bed. He looked at George who looked terribly uncomfortable. He recognized the helpless feeling. “George, that man who just left would make a fine sheriff for Ophir.” He pointed

at the door Lance Tremaine had just gone through. “I’ll take care of Chastity. Go see if you can’t locate the mayor and tell him about Lance.” George looked relieved to have an excuse to leave. “Right. I’ll check back later to see how she’s doing. Thanks, Blackie.” Luke turned around to see Anna frowning at him, with her hands on her hips. Her brother, however, was actually smiling. Oh, yeah, he’d turned Lance over to the townsfolk! It was a fitting reward. Lance wanted them to have a sheriff so bad, he could do it. He wasn’t sorry. He turned back to Chastity and sat down in the chair beside the bed. “Chastity?” She didn’t even look at him as Anna came to stand at his side. “She’s in shock or denial or both,” Rex told them, unnecessarily. “She’s been like that since we broke the bad news. We didn’t know what to do for her.” Anna sat down on the side of the bed and took Chastity’s hands in her own. They were as cold as ice to the touch. “Will she be okay?” She didn’t quite know what to do for her other than to just comfort her with her presence. Words would be so inadequate. Luke frowned. He had always thought Chastity was strong and could handle anything. Then he thought about losing Anna and his heart nearly stopped. If this was what Chastity was feeling, no wonder she was so bad off. Mike was gone from her forever. “We’ll take care of her—her and the baby.” “I’m going to ride out after Lance,” Rex told them, and left. It bothered him to see Chastity’s plight. It bothered him a lot. He could very well be grieving for his sister if Luke Campbell hadn’t come along. Anna watched her brother leave. “We can’t leave her here alone.” She looked around at the small room. There wasn’t enough room for them to stay with her either. There was the store to consider. Chastity would need the money it brought in for her livelihood. Her eyes fell on baby Sally, who was beginning to stir. “Oh, Luke.” She couldn’t keep the tears from her eyes. He moved to sit beside her on the bed. “I know.” He hugged her close with one arm, the good one. “We will think of something. George can run the store for her. It will give him something to do besides bother about the town. It might even be good for him.” Sally started fretting in earnest, and Anna went and picked her up. She wanted to soothe the little baby. Poor little thing, she didn’t know her father was gone. She would never get to know him. Anna started crying again right along with Sally. “She’s hungry,” Luke told her. “Chastity?” He took her hand and patted it. “You have to take care of your daughter. Do you hear me? I know you are hurting, but your daughter needs you to be strong, Chastity.” She finally looked at him with pain-filled green eyes. “That’s my girl,” he said. “I’m going to go find George and leave you two women alone while you take care of Sally.” He stood up and gave Anna a kiss on the cheek. “Be back in a bit. Will you be okay?” “Yes,” Anna nodded. She would help Chastity all she could. ****

Luke hadn’t taken three steps away from the store’s door when a shot rang out. He heard it hit the post right next to his head. He pulled his pistol out of his holster and squatted, trying to locate the direction the shot came from. He didn’t see anyone, and the townsfolk all seemed to be looking around, too. Hell of a thing when people took pot shots at you in the middle of the day and in the middle of a busy town. He caught hold of Anna’s hand just as she came flying out of the store. He pushed her back inside the building. “Are you crazy? Stay in here, out of sight.” “It might be Richard Hoyt.” “Probably is, but you stay in here where you will be safe,” Luke insisted. She was too precious to him to let anything happen to her. “I want you to be safe, too.” She stomped that tiny foot. She always did that when she was earnest about something. He smiled and pulled her to his chest. He kissed her on the forehead. “I will. Now lock the door behind me.” **** In the end, Luke and Rex looked until nearly dark for the last kidnapper, Richard Hoyt. They didn’t find him. He was doing a good job of staying out of sight. Lance hadn’t been seen since he left town earlier in the day. Luke and Rex decided it would be best if they took Chastity, the baby and Anna back to Luke’s house. Chastity’s one room place wasn’t big enough for the all of them. Not that Luke’s place was that much bigger, but he and Rex could sleep in the barn. Luke was surprised when they got back into town and found that Anna had already had the same idea. She had Chastity and Sally all packed and ready to go. Chastity had dark circles under her green eyes from crying, and she wasn’t talking much at all. She barely even answered their questions. Luke was the first to notice how Rex seemed to watch and study her. Chastity was a good woman, but Rex wasn’t seeing her at her best. He wondered if Rex was attracted to her. Time would tell. They loaded the wagon and Luke drove it. Rex rode shotgun, watching for Hoyt. He settled the women in the house, and then he and Rex went out to scout around the area. It was while they were riding that Luke told Rex how he felt. “I love your sister,” he told him plainly. There wasn’t time to beat around the bush. Luke didn’t want Rex taking her off with him in the morning. “It is obvious that you do, and that she returns that love.” “Glad you can see it. Now you won’t be surprised when she stays with me instead of leaving with you.” “I wouldn’t have been surprised.” Rex nodded and took off his hat. It was growing dark. “But she is coming with us.” “Isn’t that for her to decide?” Luke stiffened. “Normally, but these aren’t normal circumstances, are they? There is a kidnapper who wants to either kidnap her again for the ransom or kill her so she can’t identify him.” “I won’t let anyone get close to her.” Rex pulled his horse to a stop, and Luke stopped his too. They were almost back at Luke’s home. “Don’t get me wrong, Campbell. I know you can take care of Anna, but you seem to forget there are two women involved here. I know my sister—she won’t leave Chastity and the baby alone. Chastity can’t handle running the store right now. Her

place isn’t big enough for everyone—neither is yours. The logical solution is for everyone to come to the ranch.” “Your place?” “Exactly. You are welcome, too. I know you don’t want to be away from Anna. In fact, your help locating and taking care of Hoyt would be greatly appreciated. The fact he is most likely responsible for Michael Talbot’s death has made me realize just how deadly the man is.” “He sure has managed to stay out of sight.” It was a sore spot with Luke that he hadn’t located the man before now. He had red hair. How many red-headed men were in Ophir—or the whole county for that matter? “Since Lance won’t be going back to the ranch with us, thanks to you, I think it is the only logical thing to do. You can take his place.” Luke laughed. “You think he will let them talk him into being the sheriff of Ophir?” He still wasn’t sorry he’d done it. He might not like Lance, but he knew Lance would make a good sheriff. Lance could find out just how hard it was to be a sheriff, too. “Yes, I do. He’ll be bitching and moaning the whole time, but he will do it. They need one, too.” Rex smiled. “You sure are a wily one.” “That I’m.” Luke smiled back. Rex was a reasonable, likeable man. “Let’s go see what Anna has cooked up for supper, because I’m starved. It might take some convincing on our part to get Chastity to leave Ophir, even for a little while.” They urged the horses into a steady canter. “Then we don’t give her a choice,” Rex said reasonably. “Because I want to get them back as quickly as possible. I thought I could drive the women and baby in the wagon, and you can ride behind to make sure we aren’t ambushed.” “It’s a good plan. I’m sure Hoyt will follow.” “I’m counting on it,” Rex answered. “If we can keep him from picking us off at night when we stop, everything should be fine.” “I’ll make sure of that.” Luke told him determinedly. **** “Well, I don’t like this plan,” Anna argued hotly. “You could be picked off just as easily.” Luke had explained the plan to her as they cuddled on the front porch after supper. Rex was already in the barn and Chastity and baby Sally were in the bedroom readying for bed. “I can take care of myself, Anna.” “Of course, but … Luke…” He kissed her to silence her. Anna knew that, but she was worried for him. Luke and Rex wanted to leave at first light and expected her to just go along with everything. She would have to, for Chastity’s sake. She didn’t want to leave her alone in Ophir, and she didn’t want to be apart from Luke either. She lingered over his kiss, then told him. “I don’t want to be apart from you, Luke. Won’t you even join us in camp at night?” He shook his dark head. “We won’t be apart for that long. How big is your house?” Anna smiled. She loved Spring Place, but she knew that it was going to be Rex’s. Lance wanted to make his own way and Anna knew she would be with her husband when she married. She leveled her blue eyes on Luke—he was the one she would marry. He

just didn’t know it yet. Her mind was set on it. She had enough dowry they could have a fine place of their own. He had the land. They could build whatever they wanted. The thought excited her. “Anna?” “Sorry, my mind wandered. We have plenty of rooms. Enough for everyone to have their own.” “I think Rex likes Chastity.” He ran a hand over her hair and kissed her face. He could barely stop kissing her. Anna smiled. “I think you are right, but it will be a long while before Chastity starts thinking about moving on with her life, now that Mike is gone.” “They were happy together.” “I wished I could have known him. It is so sad he was cut down in the prime of his life that way. Sally is so young, and he won’t get to see her grow up.” “Something tells me he will see it, Anna. He just won’t be a part of her growing up.” She nodded. Luke was right. Mike would watch over his little family from heaven. **** Richard Hoyt rode slowly into the camp that was situated at the end of a canyon. He didn’t want to get shot, and he knew there were rifles trained on him, but he had a message to deliver and it might as well be now as never. It was Tom Garner’s fault that the plan had fallen apart. He deserved to be dead, the drunken bum! He didn’t know how the other Garner brothers were going to take Tom’s death, though—at the hands of a blacksmith at that. They had lost a lot of money because of his need for alcohol. Tom was the reason the girl had gotten away. Richard had tried to get her back on his own, but it was obvious now he needed help. The Tremaine brothers were on to him now, and he had seen that blacksmith break Tom Garner’s back like a twig. **** When Rex pulled the wagon up in front of Spring Place, Anna had never been so glad to see home. Luke had joined them for the last few hours of the trip. She glanced at Luke. He still looked incredulous at the size of the ranch. She knew how huge the ranch house was—it was a two-story log monstrosity out in the middle of nowhere. Her father had spared no expense, and his own blood and sweat had gone into the building of this house. It was a place of comfort and strength. It could withstand an Indian attack or very strong storms. They’d both over the years. She glanced at Rex, sitting next to her. He was scrubbing a hand across his face. She knew how tired he was. He hadn’t slept in days, but he was still trying to watch Chastity’s reactions. Charity wasn’t responding much to anything, even when they stopped in front of the huge house. Nothing seemed to spark any kind of reaction from her except the baby, and Chastity looked very tired, too. Anna was really worried for her new friend. “See why I didn’t want to leave you at the bunkhouse?” Anna turned to Luke. He sat atop his huge horse. His big hands rested on the saddle horn. “We have plenty of room.” “I see that.”

Luke dismounted, and Rex and Anna tied off the wagon. There was a young ranch hand who handled the horses and wagons. He would put them in the barn and see to the horses’ needs. Rex came over to Chastity’s side of the wagon. He held out his arms to take the baby. She reluctantly gave her to him, and accepted Rex’s offered arm to help her down from the wagon. Anna watched Rex helping Chastity, then realized that Luke was likewise waiting to help her down. She turned to him, smiled and practically fell into his arms, enjoying the feel of his big hands on her waist. She felt them tighten around her. She even managed to give him a peck on the cheek before he set her feet on the ground. “Behave yourself.” He smiled pleasantly. “Make me,” She taunted provocatively, just to get a rise out of him. She was looking forward to making love again with Luke, this time without interruptions. “I’ll take care of that later, my love,” He promised, and turned to help the boy with the horses. Anna knew he meant it by the growl she heard in his words. She was looking forward to it. **** Grady and Zack Garner were angry when they found out about the death of their older brother Tom. They were livid when they found out the woman was no longer in their possession, but was in the possession of the very man who had killed Tom. Grady would have shot the bearer of this bad news point blank had it not been for Zack’s interference. “Wait, Grady. Hoyt is still useful to us. He can take us to where the blacksmith lives. We can still get the girl back, and then he can deliver the letter demanding payment. It isn’t his fault Tom ran off with the girl.” Grady nodded. “That’s true. They will never know we were involved.” Richard Hoyt knew as surely as he was standing there quaking in his boots that he would die when the deed was done. They would kill him and he would never see any of the money. How had he gotten himself involved with this vicious gang anyway? He’d wanted easy money, and he hadn’t found it prospecting. He’d met Tom in town—and Tom had told him of his gang and the way they planned to kidnap a woman and hold her until her family paid with cold, hard cash. It was his idea to start working for the family to make it easier to capture the woman. The plan had worked well at first. It was his own damn fault for trailing Tom and the woman the next morning. He should have hightailed it to parts unknown, and washed his hands of the whole thing. Hell, if he got out of this alive. He’d try the plan again somewhere else, on his own this time—if he got out of this alive! **** Anna hadn’t seen Luke all day. He’d been out riding the area with some of the men. Rex was bone weary and had slept all day. She had taken care of Chastity and little Sally as best she could. She was a little tired herself, but was determined to wait up for Luke. She wanted to show him where her room was—right next to the one she’d put him in. Chastity and Sally were right across the hall. Rex’s room was further down the hall, as

was Lance’s room. Not that Lance ever spent much time there. There were still vacant rooms. She went back downstairs to wait in the huge living area. Anna loved her family’s home, but it was big enough to be a problem to keep up with it. That’s why, when Lance said he didn’t want to bother with it, she decided she didn’t either. Rex was the only one who seemed to want to keep the old house. Since her father’s death, he had been putting money into her ‘dowry,’ as he called it, to buy her part of the homestead. There was an account for Lance as well. Rex would be the one to raise a family here. Finally, she heard someone at the door. Luke walked in slowly. It was the first time for him to see the inside of the house, but he didn’t show it too much interest once he saw her standing there by the couch, waiting up for him. He scowled. “Don’t you people bolt the door around here? I just walked in. Anyone could have.” He turned and lowered the board they used for just that. “Of course we do, normally, but I knew you were still to come in.” He crossed the room to her. “Next time, Anna, bolt the door. I know how to knock.” He gathered her up in his arms and kissed her. “I missed you.” “And I missed you. Let’s go to bed—or do you need to eat something first?” She watched that full smile slide across his handsome face. “I better have something to eat if I’m going to keep up with you tonight.” Anna took his hand and led him towards the cooking room. She sliced bread and placed chicken on it. Then she gave him a plate of peach cobbler for dessert. “You must have been uncomfortable at my place,” he commented when he saw the size of the cooking room. There was a huge, long table for eating, so he sat down there to watch her as she worked. “I love your house, Luke. There is nothing wrong with it.” “It’s small. I intend to add to it some day.” “Enough room for a family?” “Exactly. I have plenty of land and the money to buy more if I need.” “I won’t always live here, Luke,” she told him, and noticed her voice sounded a little breathless to her own ears. “This will be Rex’s place when he marries.” She sat down next to him on the long bench. Luke puzzled over that. “What about Lance? Isn’t he the oldest?” “He is. He wants to make his own way.” Luke nodded. It took a man with guts to give up something as nice as this to make his own way. Especially a half-breed—they didn’t always fare well in the scheme of things. Lance should take the offer and be glad of it. “This cobbler is good, Anna. You said you had a man here who did the cooking?” “We did. He has apparently quit and gone hunting for gold.” “Gold fever.” Luke nodded. “Seems to be catching.” “You didn’t catch it.” Anna took his dishes and put them away to wash in the morning. She couldn’t be concerned about that now. “Nope, I don’t have to pan for gold. I have my own gold mine. I can mine it any time I want.” “What?” Anna knew her mouth was gaping open. She came and stood by him. “Gold mining is hard work.”

“Wait a minute. You have your own gold mine?” she asked again. “And you haven’t done anything about it? Like being a blacksmith isn’t hard work?” “Sure, I’ve done something about it. I take out what I need. I take it to the mint in Gainesville.” Anna smiled and shook her head helplessly. She was glad he wasn’t one to be eaten up with riches and wealth. Having plenty of money was great but it wasn’t everything. “You amaze me.” “Just wanted you to realize when it comes time to give up the good life here at Spring Place Ranch, you won’t be married to a pauper.” Her mouth fell open again. Was she really hearing this? Luke pulled her close, even though she was standing, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You would do me a great honor if you would be my wife, Anna Tremaine. I’m quite willing to give you time to consider my proposal, if you need it.” “I don’t need time to think about it, Luke. Yes. I will be your wife.” “My partner?” “Your partner, equal in every way.” “Thank you, Anna. There is something I want to tell you first. Just so there are no secrets or misunderstandings. Before I was a blacksmith, I was…” “…a sheriff,” she answered for him. She already suspected as much. She had found the badge in his barn. “You’ve heard of me?” He looked at her expectantly. “No. I found your badge.” “Ah, in the barn. I’m telling you because I still seem to draw gunmen even after all this time. If I can’t talk them out of the folly of a challenge, I have to protect myself, Anna.” “Are you that good?” “I’m that good.” It was said with experience and knowledge, not conceit. “I understand, and, Luke…” she paused. “…I would want you to protect yourself, especially now. I would not like to be a young widow like Chastity.” He hugged her close again and laid his head against her chest. “I love you, Anna, more than I can say.” Her heart raced. “I love you too, Luke, and I intend to say it a lot. Now tell me what your dispute with Lance is about. Let’s not have that between us.” “Anna.” His tone of voice questioned if she would be able to handle the answer. “Come on, Luke. Tell me. What could be so bad?” “We loved the same woman,” he told her simply. She worked her mouth while she thought about it. “Loved the same woman? I didn’t think Lance had ever been in love.” There were niggles at her conscience that Luke had been with at least one other woman—and she suspected there had been many others. He was an attractive, confident man. “I met Luanne in South Carolina at a…” He had started to say whorehouse. “…place of ill repute.” “I see. So, I’m not the first woman you have loved.” The thought hurt even though she knew she was being ridiculous. Everyone had a past. Luke was no exception. She had had a few crushes and loves of her own. “You are the first woman I have ever asked to be my wife.”

“Luanne wasn’t wife material?” Why? Because he’d met her at a brothel? “No, Anna. I loved her, but she wasn’t wife material. I always knew that, but I wanted to take her from that place. Your brother Lance had the same idea.” He admitted now that he had wanted to shelter and protect her, but she would have never been a real wife. Maybe to Lance she would have been and he had gotten in the way. “What happened?” “Luanne killed herself. She claimed she wasn’t worthy of either one of us. We put too much pressure on her, and she wasn’t able to handle it.” “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Why are you mad at Lance? He didn’t kill her.” “Anna, I wish I knew. At the time I blamed him, but now I realize it was myself I should have blamed. Luanne was wrong to take her life, but if I had stepped back when I found out about Lance, she would be alive. She would be with him, but she wouldn’t have taken her own life. He probably loved her more than I did, to be honest. My pride got in the way.” “In all fairness to Luanne, she had a hard decision. I know you both, and you are both fine men. She shouldn’t have taken her own life, though.” “She wasn’t strong like you. She wasn’t anything like you. Lance and I came to blows over it. I nearly killed your brother, Anna. I meant to at the time.” “That was you?” He nodded. “You very nearly did kill him,” she gasped, remembering how bad off Lance was at the time. “He didn’t leave me a healthy man either, Anna. He couldn’t stand and I could barely walk. I quit my sheriff’s job that day. I knew I was wrong, for what I had done to your brother. A lawman is supposed to be fair and unbiased. I thought he was dead. It wasn’t until later that I learned he still lived.” “Well, you two are going to have to resolve your differences,” she warned him. “I can’t have you at each other’s throats all the time.” “We will—or time will take care of it, Anna. I’ll do whatever I can to get along with him, for your sake.” “Thank you for sharing all this with me, Luke. I know it wasn’t easy.” She kissed him lightly. “Now that you’ve eaten, let’s go upstairs to my room.” “Certainly.” “You have a room, but you won’t be needing it.” She smiled at him wickedly. He stood up and took her hand. “Lead on.” **** It was two days later when the Garner gang rode onto Tremaine land. There were eight men altogether. They rode hard and fast. What they didn’t know was that Lance Tremaine was trailing them, and that he was riding even harder and faster. He knew a short cut to the homestead that they didn’t know. He was taking advantage of it, but he still didn’t know if he would get there before they did. Rex Tremaine was in the barn. He heard the horses coming and stepped out to see who was approaching at such a fast clip. It wasn’t anyone he recognized. He went to the front door of the house, but he needn’t have bothered, Luke was already aware of the men coming, too.

He signaled Rex back into the barn, and Luke went back inside the house. Let them come. They would be ready. There was no way they would rob and steal from this homestead. Not money or women for money. Luke turned and saw Anna coming across the living area with a rifle. He took it from her, as well as the box of bullets. He knew she intended to use it herself. No way. “Go upstairs, Anna. Stay with Chastity.” “But, Luke…” “No buts, Anna. I know you can take care of yourself. This is how I’m. You will have to do as I wish in this matter. You stay with Chastity. Take a gun. If the worst should happen, defend yourselves.” Anna stomped a tiny foot. “Don’t you get shot.” Then she ran upstairs after grabbing another rifle from the gun rack. Luke set the rifle down beside him and waited. Rex saw the men dismount, and head toward the house. He stepped out of the barn, gun drawn and shouted, “Stay where you are.” One of them pulled his weapon, and drew a bead on him. Rex returned fire. He hit that man with his first shot. He was ready to shoot another, but Luke stepped outside, guns blazing, and Rex watched in fascination as four men went down easily. It happened so fast. Apparently Luke was good with both hands, because he was using both pistols. He had several pistols tucked into his belt for easy reach. When one was empty he pulled another lightning fast. The men didn’t stand a chance. One man’s gun fired as he fell to the ground, but hit nothing. The three men who remained standing jumped back on their horses and took off. One of them had bright red hair—it had to be Richard Hoyt. Rex thought about giving pursuit, but the minute he saw Lance come around the side of the house, bent low over his horse, he knew he didn’t have to. Lance kicked his paint into a run, and gave pursuit. “Where did he come from?” Luke asked, as Rex walked up to the house to help him make sure that all the downed men were indeed dead or disarmed. “Lance was probably trailing them.” Rex knelt down, and checked each man. The men were all dead and their horses roamed aimlessly around the yard now. They would gather them up later. “He as good at that?” “He is.” Anna came flying out of the house, her skirts swishing. Chastity wasn’t far behind her. “That happened so fast,” she exclaimed, and ran into Luke’s arms, inspecting him for wounds at the same time. “Will they be back?” Chastity surprised them all when she asked. She had been so silent since Mike’s death. “Lance will take care of them. They won’t be back,” Rex answered her. They didn’t know how relieved he was that Chastity was talking again. “That man is Grady Garner.” She pointed. “How do you know?” Rex asked, frowning down at the man at his feet. “He robbed the store once. He didn’t try to hide his identity either. He was proud of the fact.” “The Garner gang. That explains why there are so many of them,” Luke commented.

“How will we know we are safe? Richard Hoyt got away.” Anna worried her bottom lip. “It might take Lance a while to catch up to them.” “It might,” Rex agreed. “We will keep a close eye on things until we find out different,” he assured his sister. “You both better go back inside. We will take care of this,” Rex told them. He didn’t want anything to remind Chastity of Mike’s death, and she had already seen too much. Once they were back inside, Rex asked Luke. “Where did you learn to shoot like that?” “When I was a kid—out of necessity. At the time it was either learn to hit what I was shooting at, or starve to death. I wasn’t any better at catching fish.” Rex laughed—until he heard what he had to say next. “I’ve been on my own since I was ten.” “With no one to instruct you?” “No.” “Obviously you didn’t starve to death.” Rex reasoned. Luke Campbell was a strong man full of capabilities. “I’m going to go after Hoyt. Can you handle this here?” “I can. The hands will have heard the gunfire and will be riding in. Go on—take off before Anna sees you leave.” Luke smiled. “You do know your sister.” He went to the barn and saddled his horse. He left at a gallop. He wasn’t sure he could catch up with them, but his horse wasn’t tired like theirs were. **** Luke walked very carefully into Lance’s camp, tugging on his horse’s reins. He didn’t want to get shot, so he made lots of noise to announce his presence. Lance wasn’t seated next to the fire, as he’d expected. Instead, Lance’s voice came from behind him. “Campbell,” he practically spat out his name. “What are you doing here?” Lance walked past him and sat down next to the fire. Most men would have offered a handshake. His dark eyes watched him closely. Luke tied his horse to a nearby tree. “I came to see if I could help.” “I don’t need any help, and if I did, I wouldn’t want it from you.” Luke frowned. He hadn’t expected a friendly welcome, but civil hospitality would have been nice. “Are you always so disagreeable?” “Yes.” “I won’t take it personally, then.” He didn’t want to get in a row with Lance, but it might be unavoidable. He’d promised Anna. He sat down on the ground next to the fire without waiting to be invited. “We are going to have to find a way to get along, Tremaine.” When he didn’t answer, Luke continued. “I intend to marry Anna.” Lance stood up then. “I can’t stop you from marrying my sister, but I don’t have to like it.” Lance moved away from the fire and sat down again. He was putting distance between them. He would keep them from marrying if he could. Luke couldn’t blame him. “I intend to make her happy and see that she lacks for nothing.”

“You do that, Tremaine, because if you ever mistreat her—sister or no sister, promise or no promise—I will kill you.” “Fair enough. Now tell me what you have on Hoyt and the rest of the Garner gang.” “They are holed up in the canyon ahead of us. I intend to wait them out. It’s a box canyon. They get one chance to surrender. If they don’t, I will stay with them until they are caught or dead.” Luke nodded. It was a good plan. Then he noticed the badge pinned to the leather vest covering his shirt. “I see the townsfolk of Ophir talked you into being the law.” “You should know seein’s how you recommended me. You were hoping I’d get shot weren’t you?” “Believe it or not, I think you will make a fine peacekeeper. A much better one than Ophir deserves. They go through them at a pretty good clip. The pay is lousy and there are no benefits.” “I’m just doing it until the Garner gang is taken care of.” Luke didn’t say anything. He had started out being sheriff that way too, thinking the job would only be temporary. “Why did you quit?” Lance asked him suddenly. “A sheriff has to be fair and honest. I thought I had beaten a man to death for something that wasn’t his fault. It was time to step down.” Lance grunted. “It was a fair fight. Had we used firearms, I would have been dead for sure. You should head back to the ranch. Rex is good with a gun but I saw you today—you are better. I doubt there is any more threat from these men, but I would feel safer if Anna had you looking after her. Rex has his hands full with the homestead.” “All right, if you are sure you don’t want my help.” “I’m sure. There is nothing to do now but wait them out. I’ll let Rex know when they have been caught.” Luke stood up. They had talked and no bloodshed had happened. It was a start. “Be careful.” He untied his horse and mounted him. Lance looked like he could handle the rest of the Garner gang all by himself. Luke didn’t doubt he could and would. “Always do. Take care of Anna.” **** Three weeks had passed, and there had been no sign of the remains of the Garner gang, nor any word from Lance. Anna was still too nervous to relax her guard. Rex had taken Chastity to Ophir several times to check on the store. He had talked Chastity into letting George Rafferty continue to run the business, which he was happy to do. In fact, George wanted to buy it, but Chastity was reluctant to part with it. Anna was happy that Chastity didn’t seem in any hurry to leave Spring Place Ranch. Chastity needed to feel needed and once she had started doing the cooking, it filled that need in her. Anna didn’t mind if Chastity did the cooking. It was good for her. It might even help with the grief she felt at the loss of her husband. Anna watched from the porch as Luke split logs in the yard. He was helping Rex stock firewood for the winter months ahead. She admired his fit form. He’d taken off his shirt and his muscles glistened from the hard work. His jaw was tight in concentration. She could see it from where she was standing. It wouldn’t do to miss and cut a foot or leg off with that deadly tool. He would lift a log and place it on end atop a stump he was

using then split it with a quick blow of the sharp ax. Sometimes he used a wedge and a sledgehammer to split it in half if the log was too thick. It called for a lot of brute force. Just watching his smooth, methodical movements made her want him. Perhaps when he took his bath later she would join him and wash all those glorious muscles for him. Tomorrow they would hunt up a preacher and get married. Anna was beyond excited. She had picked out her best dress to get married in. Luke was determined he would buy clothes in town. They were going to honeymoon later, after the Garner gang had been captured. Luke wouldn’t tell her where they were going. They chose to spend a few days at Luke’s, in private, before they came back to the Ranch. The only thing marring her happiness was that the rest of the gang hadn’t been caught yet. It felt like a threat hanging over her head—that the gang could appear at any time. Once again, she admired Luke’s trim body as he lifted the ax high above his head and let it fall, neatly splitting the log in half, then quarters. He cleared the pieces away and was just lifting another log into place when he looked up to catch her staring at him. He smiled at her and she could see the promise of another wonderful evening of making love in his crystal blue eyes. He made a tight fist with his hand, placed it over his heart, and then stuck out his finger and pointed at her with it. I love you, too. Anna thought to herself. He was quite a man and Anna felt cherished by him every single moment they spent together. This was the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. They would carve out their own part of the wilderness and make their own stamp on the world. Anna continued around to the back of the house. She wanted to use the privy before she went back inside to help Chastity fix the lunch meal, by watching the baby for her. No sooner than she had done her business and stepped outside, than someone grabbed her from behind. A dirty hand was thrown over her mouth. Anna saw stars explode on the inside of her eyelids as a wicked blow was dealt to the back of her head. **** Anna moaned softly in misery, as she came awake to a blinding headache. She didn’t know how long she had been out—long enough, apparently. Her ribs screamed in pain as she found she was tied hand and foot and was currently lying over a horse’s back. There was a man sitting behind her, with a hand laid on her back to keep her from slipping off. There was a dirty rag stuffed in her mouth and tied around her head so she couldn’t scream. She was afraid—deathly afraid. She tried to twist around to see who it was. A gloved hand slapped her on the butt. “Stay still.” Anna’s anger knew no bounds then. She knew that voice. It was Richard Hoyt. How had he gotten back on Tremaine land unseen? How was he able to kidnap her a second time? This just couldn’t be happening to her again, but it was—it was! Where was Luke? What happened to Lance? He was supposed to be following the last remaining men. Where was Rex? Hadn’t anyone seen what happened to her? Anna wiggled again, trying to get a good look at Hoyt. He slapped his hand down hard on her backside again. “I said be still.” “Don’t touch me,” she mumbled, but he only laughed. She knew he didn’t understand a thing she said, and that she was at his mercy for the moment.

“Just like last time, eh? This time you weren’t choked into unconsciousness—I used the butt of my gun. That’s because, little lady, we are gonna have some fun tonight.” He ran his hand over her butt with lascivious intent, before moving it back to hold her in place in front of him on the horse. “Oh, no, we aren’t,” she tried to argue, fighting her bonds. He would keep his hands to himself. Anna knew she would fight him tooth and nail. He had tried to get physical with her last time, too, but there had been no time for anything but riding hard and fast. She realized this time his horse was only moving at a fast canter, not a dead run like before. That might be a bad sign, a very bad sign. He wasn’t worried about being caught. Anna tried to clamp down on the fear that was closing off her throat. It wouldn’t do any good to panic. The jostling became almost unbearable as they traveled to higher ground—she knew her ribs would never be the same. The rocks caused the horse to nearly stumble several times, frightening her even further. Higher and higher they went. Such a limited area of vision was left to her that Anna couldn’t tell where she was. All she could see was the ground beneath her as it went past. When they finally stopped, Hoyt jumped down from the horse. He pulled Anna off, letting her fall hard to the ground. Then he half-dragged and half-carried her into a mineshaft. It looked like a very old and unstable mineshaft, practically hidden in the side of the rocky hill by trees and underbrush. It wasn’t that long or that deep, and she could see that whoever had shored it up didn’t do a very good job. The timber used was just green saplings and small trees. This was Tremaine land, she realized suddenly! Oh, Lord! But where had this mineshaft come from? “This will be home for a while, Anna. Don’t make any loud noises or you will bring the earth down on the both of us.” Anna believed him, as the dust particles constantly fell and settled on the earthen floor around her. When they were at the end of the shaft, Anna was grateful there was still enough light for her to see. Hoyt tied her tightly to one of the logs stabilizing the sides of the shaft. “If you move this log you’ll cause your own death, Anna. So make it easy on yourself and don’t struggle to get free or the roof will collapse on you.” “Now, I’m going to take this gag off, but you better remember not to scream.” He untied the cloth around her face, and pulled the one out of her dry mouth. She wouldn’t scream—and she didn’t want to die by suffocating to death. “Let me go.” Anna said immediately. “There is no need for this. I’ll take you to get the money.” “Your brothers would never let me live to collect it, Anna. You still think I’m just some dumb hired hand that you can manipulate, don’t you? Well, you can’t. I put you here so I can see if anyone comes close. If they do, I’ll shoot them.” “Where are we?” She knew the answer, but she had to ask to be sure. Just in case she could escape. “On Tremaine land. We didn’t go far. You didn’t really think I was out punching cows everyday did you? I was prospecting just like every other man in Georgia.” “Obviously you didn’t find any gold,” she sneered. “Obviously. I did realize you were worth a ton of gold, though, Anna. To your brothers.” He laughed. “You still are.”

“They will kill you first, or Luke will—either way you are a dead man.” “Tough talk from a lady. Is Luke the big blacksmith? The one who broke Tom Garner’s back?” “He is. Luke Campbell.” Anna watched in satisfaction as his head snapped back in recognition. There was a frown in his brown eyes. “Doesn’t matter who he is. He gets too close, and doesn’t follow directions, I will kill you. Then him.” “Of course they will try and find me,” Anna reasoned. “You better hope they follow my note to the letter, or you will die that much sooner.” Anna looked at him numbly. Luke couldn’t read—but then he wasn’t the only one at the ranch. Then she realized with dread that Richard Hoyt didn’t intend to let her live. **** Luke had never had to use so much self-control in his life. Once Chastity had read him Hoyt’s letter, his heart nearly stopped. Then in his rage he wanted to rip apart everything in his sight. Anna had been kidnapped again! While he was supposed to be watching over her! The crafty bastard had managed to elude Lance and make his way clear back to the homestead without being spotted. Luke followed them at a distance. He knew he risked Anna’s life if he got too close. Hoyt was a dangerous man. Rex had balked at being left at the ranch to keep watch over Chastity and the homestead—but he had agreed, just in case there were more of the outlaws hanging around. Once Luke realized Hoyt was heading up to the hills, he hung back even further to watch where he ended up. When he saw him stop, Luke dismounted and tied his horse to a tree, out of sight. He started walking as fast as he could toward Hoyt and Anna, while trying to be careful to stay out of Hoyt’s sight. The first muddy creek he came upon. Luke smeared his whole body and clothes with mud. He didn’t miss his hair or face either. He even smeared his precious guns. He didn’t want the sun glinting off of anything to give away his position. He would crawl the last several hundred yards if he had to—he would do anything to get close. Luke thought he lost sight of Hoyt, but then realized that the last copse of trees must be where he was hiding, because he saw no further movement. Slowly and carefully he made his way up the hill. Then he crouched down and listened. He didn’t hear anything, but they had to be up there. Why wasn’t Anna making some kind of noise? What if she couldn’t? He feared Hoyt had already killed her. Luke knew the man would never leave Anna alive. He should have been out there tracking him down like Lance, but he hadn’t wanted to leave Anna at the homestead. He was a greedy bastard, not wanting to let her out of his sight. He didn’t know where Lance was either. It was possible he was dead. He had left Lance to do the tracking because he knew Lance was a good tracker. Luke had never been good at that, always relying on others. He regretted not staying with Lance now. He heard the nearby whinny of a horse. He was getting closer. Luke started crawling on his belly—slowly, very slowly. He had to rescue Anna if there was any chance. He

didn’t know what he would do if he lost her now. He couldn’t even bear to think about it. Life just wouldn’t be worth living without her. Luke stopped moving instantly when he heard a noise and carefully scanned the area without moving his head. He saw Hoyt standing in the entrance of what looked to be a small mine shaft. It would be so easy to pick him off now, but he didn’t see Anna. She was probably being held prisoner in the mineshaft. Hoyt hadn’t had time to do anything else with her, and Luke was sure Hoyt didn’t know he was there yet. Slowly and carefully, he eased his arm down until he could draw his weapon from his holster and pull it up to aim at Hoyt. He watched as Hoyt looked back inside the cavern and spoke lowly. “What are you doing in there, Anna? You aren’t trying to escape, I hope. We have such a big evening ahead.” He laughed. “You, me, the darkness—where no one can hear you scream.” He laughed again, deliberately. That was all Luke needed to hear. He took aim and shot. Hoyt didn’t even have time to look surprised as the blood began staining the front of his shirt. He looked down at his chest and collapsed to the ground. Luke jumped to his feet, but then he heard the rumbling sound as the mineshaft caved in. He watched with horror as the dirt exploded out in all directions, filling the air. “Oh, God, no.” He started running. “Anna!” The dust hadn’t even settled as he began to dig with his bare hands. He had to get to Anna before she suffocated. What had he done? He should have realized the mineshaft wasn’t safe. It was a little hole-in-the-wall thing. It looked dangerous even from the outside. He moved rocks. He clawed at the dirt. Finally, Luke emptied his guns of bullets, and used them like shovels to move the earth. When one of his guns broke, he grabbed Hoyt’s gun and used it. Luke barely heard Lance come up next to him. He had ridden hard to get there quickly, and jumped off nearly on top of him. “Don’t tell me Susannah is in there.” “She is. Help me. You dig and I’ll move the rocks.” It went much faster with the both of them to help. Luke picked up huge rocks and tossed them, but he had no idea how he did it. He thought he heard a noise, what sounded like a cough. “Anna? Anna?” he called out hopefully. He was nearly sick with worry. “Luke? I’m here.” They could barely hear her and she was coughing, but she was alive. Thank God, she was alive! “Don’t move around, Anna,” Luke warned. “Are you hurt?” “No. I’m tied to a log Hoyt was using to shore up the mine.” “Keep very still, then. We’ll have you out in no time. Lance is here, too. Don’t even try and talk. We don’t want the shaft to collapse further.” “Lance, can you believe Hoyt was mining for gold on our land?” “Susannah, damn it. Listen to Luke and shut your trap,” Lance warned with an exasperated growl. Luke nearly smiled when he heard her grumble something they couldn’t understand. Oh, yeah, she was all right if she could give her brother and him grief like that.

“Sure you want to marry her?” Lance asked gruffly, but Luke saw the smile he was trying not to show lurking around the edges of his dark eyes. “I’m sure. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.” “She is strong-minded and precocious.” “I wouldn’t have her any other way. We should get along together just fine.” Luke pulled away another big boulder, and they could finally see into the opening it left. Anna was scowling at them. She would have tapped her foot in impatience, if it weren’t tied to the log preventing movement. “What took so long? My goodness, what happened to you?” She looked at Luke. He was covered from head to toe with mud and dirt. “I’m not washing those clothes for you. You will have to do it for yourself.” “See what I mean?” Lance gave him the ‘I told you so’ look. Luke started laughing. He couldn’t help it. He didn’t quit laughing until they had her untied from the sapling and fully out of the mineshaft—and only then because she kissed him hungrily. **** Anna gave Luke a hearty shove back onto the bed. “Oh, no, you don’t. I get to be on top this time.” She didn’t mind the way Luke’s blue eyes were watching the bounce of her naked breasts with the movement. She adored the way he let her know he found her attractive—and Luke found many ways. All the outlaws had been accounted for and were now dead or behind bars. The wedding went off without a hitch, and the short honeymoon was progressing mighty fine in her estimation. She still had no idea where Luke was taking her for the official honeymoon, and she didn’t care as long as they were together. Anna glanced at the gold nugget band that Luke had made with his own hands, especially for her. She loved it. They were currently well into the second day at Luke’s house and they had barely gotten out of bed other than to find nourishment. Anna was a very happy woman—a happy and well-loved woman. This gentle bear of a man was forceful, yet kind, easygoing but not the kind of man to ever be taken lightly. He was self-assured, and she knew she could trust him, not only with her life, but her future as well. “I will love you my entire life,” he told her, and slipped his hands around her waist to settle her on his big body. She would be setting her own rhythm and wouldn’t need his help for long. Anna threw back her head, exposing her pale creamy neck. “I have a feeling that is the truth of it.” She gasped as he filled her completely. “You have my word on it.” Luke closed his eyes in enjoyment when she started moving on him. “And you have mine. I will love you always, Luke Campbell—lawman, blacksmith, lover, miner—whatever you do I’ll be at your side.” “There is one other thing I would like to do before I get old and die.” “What’s that?” she asked, gasping as her orgasm overcame her and she collapsed against his chest. “I would like to be a father.” Anna pulled back up and looked at him. Her blue eyes were nearly luminous with happiness. “Didn’t I tell you? I think I’m already pregnant.” “What?” He sat up, nearly dumping her over before he caught her to his chest.

“You may get your wish sooner than expected, that’s all.” She kissed him quickly. “Anna.” He scolded. “We should be more careful in bed if you might be with child.” “Luke, dearest. Don’t even think about changing a thing about our lovemaking or I will shoot off both your ears.” She raised haughty eyebrows at him. Darned if he didn’t believe this strong caring woman could do that very thing! “Susannah Campbell, you are more precious to me than all the gold in these hills.” He kissed her with all the love and passion inside him. The End About the Author: Charlene Leonard lives in Oklahoma with her husband. Her hobbies include reading, writing and painting. She has three children and five grandchildren. She is in a fight against Inflammatory Breast Cancer, a rare form of the disease, and she urges all women to get checkups. You don’t have to have a lump to have cancer. Her website is www.charleneleonard.com , and she would love to hear from you at [email protected].

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