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EXCERPT

Chapter One

​She looked into his dark brown eyes, felt the usual flash of desire rush through her body, and settle deep within the core of her womanhood. Keeping a hungry gaze on her, he slowly removed his dusty hat and tossed it aside. He’d just come in from a long day spent breaking thelast stallion in the small group of horses he had recently purchased.

​He grabbed her hand, yanked her body to his, and leaned in. Muscled arms wrapped around her a moment before his lips took hers in a passionate kiss. She responded eagerly and heat traveled straight downward to her throbbinglady parts. Only he had the power to set her ablaze.

​Life on a Texas ranch isn’t all about working the cattle or breaking the next horse. Sometimes it’s about love—

​The tick of boot heels on the back porch, followed immediately by a loud banging on the front door, pulled Annie from her writing. Another round of thunderous knocking made her jump. She dropped her pencil and hurried to answer the impatient visitor. She met a frowning Rebeccahalfway. Her friend seemed to be as out of breath as Annie, and most likelyjust as nervous. The sun had barely made itself present. Good news never came at this time of the day.

“Seems awfully early for a caller,” Annie said.​

“I’ve scarcely finished dressing.” Her friend hooked the last button on her collar. “I suppose whoever it is must have something important to say.”

“That’s no reason to beat the door down.” She shouldn’t borrow trouble, but what if he’d sent the sheriff to escort her out of town already? Surely that wasn’t possible. It’s not time.

“Who do you think it is?”Rebecca rested a hand on Annie’sshoulder.

“I have no clue unless it’s—”

“No, it can’t be him, Annie. You still have a few days.”Rebecca gave her a gentle squeeze. “You gotta put that thought right out of your pretty little head.”

“Hopefully you’re right.” The hurried knocks began again, more thunderous this time around, making Annie flinch.“I guess we’d best find out who it is.” She smoothed her skirt and with Rebecca’s hand still holding onto her shoulder, she opened the door slow and easy. A man, wearing at least fifty pounds of dust on his body, stood in the doorway, hand poised to knock again. He removed his hat, shook away some of the dirt on it, and bent over in a hint of a bow. Without the hat, Annie recognized Ned McWilliams. Relief flooded her senses and shestraightened her stance, once again regaining her composure.“Good morning, Mr. McWilliams.”

“Excuse me for making such a ruckus this early in the mornin’, ladies, but we’ve got us a bad situation. Ol’ Ralph Jenkins showed up draggin’ in a man with a head wound of some sort or another. There’s too much blood to see much.” He nodded in Rebecca’s direction. “Seein’ as how you alwayshelped Doc Adams with all his doctorin’ we figured maybe you’d be willing to help out with this unfortunate gentleman.”

Annie glanced at her friend expecting to see sadness or guilt blanketing her expression at the mention of her dead husband. Instead, a look of excitement flashed across Rebecca’s face.

Rebecca let go of her hold on Annie and hurried to a small table near the kitchen window. After a mere second of hesitation, she grabbed her husband’s medical bag, and spun towards the dustyman. “Tell me what you know, Mr. McWilliams.” A hint of excitement sparked in herRebecca’seyes. 

Annie grinned. MaybeRebecca has decided to join the living…finally.

“If you ladies don’t mind, everyone calls me Ned.”

“About the injured man?” Rebecca said, Luke’s medical bag secured beneath her arm.

“Ol’ Ralph found this cowboy about a mile outside of town and carried him in. The feller’s out cold and has a barrel-load of blood leakin’ from his noggin’. Plenty of dried blood, too. It’s possible he’s been unconscious and out there all night. He’s busted up pretty good.” Ned held the door open for the women. “Ol’ Ralph and a few other men are unloading the poor bast—um—I mean the poor man, inside Doc’s office. They’re hoping you can fix him up.”

“I can certainly try. Let’s go see what we’ve got.”

The three of them hurried across the street and down two buildings to Luke’s former office. Annie had to give her credit. Rebecca only paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and entering her dead husband’s clinic for the first time since the accident that took Luke and their unborn baby in such a cruel twist of fate. 

A few men stood gathered around the examining table, their muffled voices ceasing when they approached the tableapproached the table with Ned. One of them held a bandana against the side of the injured man’s head.​

Ralph Jenkins nodded in their direction. “Glad to see you again, Mrs. Adams. I appreciate you coming to help especially during your time of mourning.”

“Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. It’s good to see you, too.” 

“Miss Annie.” He smiled weakly before turning to Rebecca again. “I’m not sure there’s anything to be done for this one, but if you can help, I’m sure the Colby family will be mighty grateful.”