Amanda Bradshaw, a librarian from modern day New York City, is suddenly transported to Calico, a small 1880s era western town. Without warning, she becomes the new schoolmarm in Calico instead of a librarian. Bewildered by this sudden change in scene, she is befriended by the sheriff, Austen Riley, and a sympathetic saloon owner named Lil. Riley is a man with dark secrets and an axe to grind with rancher Matt Mallory. Lil turns out to be a kindred spirit in surprising ways. But it's Matt Mallory who turns Amanda's life inside out. Matt is handsome, determined to win her as his wife, but his shady reputation leaves a lot to be desired. Still, Amanda is attracted to him as they flirt and tease, argue and banter their way towards love.
As Matt, Amy, and
Matt's young daughter, Molly, struggle to become a family, Marshall Riley plans
to destroy Matt and claim Amy for his own. But how can Amy prove Matt’s
innocence to the one man who wants him dead?
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Read An Excerpt
“I’m sorry,” her tear smothered voice whispered behind
him.
“Oh?” He continued his task as his tone turned
incredulous. “Why on earth could you be sorry?”
“You know what I mean.” Her voice barely rose above a
whisper.
He turned on one knee, his expression stony. “No Amy, I
don’t. I’m just a simple, old-fashioned rancher. I don’t understand the
complexities of personal relationships. Why don’t you explain it to me?”
He moved to the chair opposite Amy, seemingly paying no
mind to her obvious distress. He hunched over, resting his elbows on his knees
and folded his hands together. “Explain to me why you think I’m a murdering,
thieving coward whose sole purpose is to abuse innocent women. Go on…explain
it. I’m listening.”
Amy’s stomach knotted and she stiffened under his
withering glare. Even though she could tell he was doing his best to remain
cool, pain still lingered in the brown eyes staring so intently at her. Pain
and something else. Anger.
“I don’t think that at all.”
“No?” He quirked an eyebrow questioningly. “Then what is
it you’ve been thinking?”
“I’ve been thinking I’ve done exactly what I used to
pride myself on not doing. If that
makes any sense.” A dim heat raced like a fever across her face. “I’ve
misjudged you terribly. I know you haven’t done any of those things I keep hearing
about, but I made a mistake and got caught up in the town gossip. I know I’ve
been wrong to let those influences cloud my own personal opinion. And I’m so
sorry.”
“You know? How
do you know?”
“I just know.” Her voice was firm, final and she felt as
if her dormant wits had renewed themselves.
The great divide in the living room narrowed as he
leaned forward in his chair, and reached out to capture her hands in his. The
look on his face mingled eagerness and tenderness. “Does this mean you’ve come
to your senses about us?”
The shadow across Amy’s heart lifted, and she smiled
tentatively. “Now listen here mister.” She lifted a brow and tilted her head. Don’t
go gettin’ all cocky on me now. It simply means I’m willing to reconsider my
previous thoughts on the subject.”
“Just reconsider?” His voice took on a low, silky edge
as he moved closer, dropping down on one knee in front of her. Matt’s hands
slipped sensuously up her arms, sending a tingling of excitement racing through Amy.
She trembled, feeling his fingers lightly caress her
cheek, then trail along the line of her jaw. Then he slowly moved one finger
back and forth over her full lower lip. He was so close she could feel his
breath fanning her face.
“Have you any idea how special you are? How much I want
you, Amy?” Huskiness lingered in his voice.
“Matt, I…”
“Do you believe in love at first sight, Angel? I didn’t…
before I met you. The first time I saw you, I knew I wanted you in my life.”
A small smile broke Amy’s lips and Matt stopped the
mesmerizing caress of her mouth. “Was that when you came to my apartment that
night?”
“I’ve been aware of you for a very long time.” He
grinned and placed a quick, and not so satisfying, kiss on her lips. “Now,
let’s take a look at that ankle. You’ve been off it all day. I’m hopin’ it’s
getting better.”
Amy gave an exaggerated huff and folded her arms across
her chest. “Will you ever admit that
you were following me in New York?”
“If you think that’s when I saw you first, then I guess
that’s it, isn’t it?”
“Ooooh! You’re the most frustrating man I’ve ever met!”
A low chuckle rumbled through his chest. “Funny, Hannah
said the same thing.”
“Gee.” Amy’s eyes grew wide with an exaggerated
innocence. “I wonder why?”
“Now that, Angel, is one I can’t answer. I was always
the model of decorum while I was married.” His eyes wandered over her bandaged
foot and ankle, then made a pretense of raising the hem of her gown a wee bit
higher than modesty would allow.
“I’m glad you clarified that, Mr. Mallory.” Keeping her
expression stern, she snatched the fabric out of his hands, but failed to keep
the smile in her eyes from moving to her lips. “Because now methinks you have a
one-track mind.”
Another snicker and a look that could thaw all of
Antarctica was his only reply before he raised her foot to rest on his thigh
and bent to the task of unraveling the bandage.
“It feels better.”
“Swelling’s going down.”
Amy giggled. “I guess Molly was right. You can make hurts better.”
Matt’s thumb lightly caressed an angry purple bruise. A
mischievous shine entered his eye. “And just imagine how good you’d feel if I
kissed it better, too.”
“Well, kiss away.” She raised her foot off his knee and
collapsed into a fit of giggles as he began planting kisses all over her ankle
and calf, reminiscent of Gomez and Morticia Adams.
The light in Matt’s eyes changed. Maybe it was her
imagination and it was just the firelight twinkling, but Amy wasn’t so sure. In
fact, as his tongue lightly touched the underside of her knee, she was quite
certain it wasn’t the flames reflecting in his eyes. At least not the flames
from the fire. There seemed to be something new flickering deep in Matt’s eyes.
Hope. Desire. Love.
The pit of her stomach tingled. Matt pulled back for a
moment, his eyes never leaving hers while his warm fingers softly massaged the
naked flesh behind her knees. Amy’s heart jolted and her pulse leapt to the
spot he touched, beating out a crazy rhythm that betrayed the calm in her
facade.
She reached out and drew him in to her, pulling his face
up to meet hers and her lashes fluttered downward. Her mouth parted under the
gentle pressure of Matt’s kiss. Still on his knees, he shifted closer drawing
some of her gown and petticoat upward with the motion. He stroked a bare thigh
as their kiss deepened and tongues melded. A small moan caught in Amy’s throat
as she buried her hands in Matt’s hair. The coals of attraction smoldering deep
in her body suddenly burst into flames of desire.
She quivered, the muscles of her thighs contracting
lightly around him as he leaned in so close their bodies touched. His lips
seared a molten trail down her throat as he greedily drank in her flesh,
sending shivers of delight to race along the sensitive skin.
Impatient to feel the return of his mouth on hers, Amy
cupped the sides of his face between her hands and returned his lips to their
rightful place. His kiss was more demanding this time, reaching deeper into her
soul with each flick of his tongue. Seemingly of its own volition, a soft thigh
came up to encircle his waist, holding him tightly against her.
“Oh, Matt…”
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