I’ve already talked to someone who’s found it in a store and it’s no longer listed as a ‘pre-order’ on Amazon.
So it’s out there.
A cynical cowboy has to convince the toughest cowgirl you’ll ever meet he should join her family. . .and then convince himself.
Here’s the beginning
The Husband Tree
Belle Tanner pitched dirt right on Anthony’s handsome, worthless face.
It was spitefulness that made her enjoy doing that. But she was sorely afraid Anthony Santoni’s square jaw and curly dark hair had tricked her into agreeing to marry him.
Which made her as big an idiot as Anthony.
Now he was dead and she was left to dig the grave. Why, oh why didn’t she just skip marrying him and save herself all this shoveling?
She probably should have wrapped him in a blanket, but blankets were hard to come by in Montana. . .unlike husbands.
She labored on with her filling, not bothering to look down again at the man who had shared her cabin and her bed for the last two years. She only hoped when she finished she didn’t forget where she’d buried Anthony’s no-account hide. She regretted not marking William’s and Gerald’s graves now for fear she’d dig in the same spot and uncover their bones. As she recalled, she’d planted William on the side nearest the house, thinking it had a nice view down the hill over their property. She wasn’t so sure about Gerald, but she’d most likely picked right, because she’d dug the hole and hadn’t hit bones. Unless critters had dug Gerald up and dragged him away.
Belle had to admit she didn’t dig one inch deeper than was absolutely necessary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Husband Tree is available now on Amazon. And I’ve had my first reported sighting in a bookstore, so it’s HERE!. I have my author’s copies now. So I can give one away! YAY!
I’ve been playing my Mannheim Steamroller CD constantly on my computer. I just love their version of Deck the Halls. It says Christmas to me. And, I just heard Amy Grant singing Breath of Heaven. So, so beautiful, sort of downbeat and haunting but I keep thinking about it after it stops playing. I just love it.
I heard a song on the radio the other day that took me way back to the days when westerns dominated the movie screen and the television airwaves.The song was The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.Hearing the song immediately put me back in front of the screen reliving scenes from that great movie.
Got me to thinking about other Cowboy/Western ballads I love – not all of them movie related – and I thought I’d do a list of my top ten favorites for this post.And for those of you who want to hear them again (or for the first time), I’ll post links to videos that feature them as well.
According to Wikipedia, Thanksgiving is a harvest festival and a time to give thanks and express gratitude in general. The holiday is celebrated in Canada and the United States and while it originated due to religion, it is now primarily considered a secular holiday.
While some say that the earliest Thanksgiving celebration happened in 1565 in Saint Augustine, Florida, the Thanksgiving holiday that we all have come to know has been associated with the site of the Plymouth Plantation in 1621. In Canada, the celebration occurs on the second Monday in October and in the U.S., on the fourth Thursday of November.
As legend has it, the Thanksgiving celebration was a way for the Pilgrims to give thanks to the Indians who taught them how to grow corn, catch fish and survive brutal winters.It was also a time to thank God for the bounty of the harvest.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s a warm and cozy day where families come together to share a bountiful meal and to give thanks for all the good things in their lives.
So today, I’m giving thanks to all of you who have come by visit me at Petticoats and Pistols through the years.I’ll be leaving this site as a regular blogger, but I’ll be back from time to time to guest blog and fill in for our wonderful writers here. I will dearly miss every single one of you and your insights and thoughts.
I’ve posted some favorite pictures where the Fillies at Wildflower Junction have come together for conventions and just plain old fun.These are fond memories that will stay with me forever.Love you, Fillies!
Note the Fillies at the San Francisco Literacy Signing, the five of us, Pat, Stacey, Pam, Kate and myself.And then there was the High Tea we attended with our editors (around the wagon wheel).There’s a picture of Cheryl and I (Cher in yellow, me in white) at our Dallas convention and then there’s my dear friend Tanya with hubby Tim, me with my hero, Don before the Brooks and Dunn concert.BTW as you read this Tanya and I will have gone to the Tim McGraw concert last night. We are both huge country music fans. Go figure!
I hope you all keep reading and writing and supporting westerns! Don’t forget to enter our Cowboy Under the Christmas Tree Contesttoo!
Happy Trails and Happy Reading !
And as a parting gift I’ll be picking 3 names randomly from today’s comments to receive either a Toby Keith or Alan Jackson CD of Christmas songs and to one lucky winner, a beautiful Christmas Tote filled with signed books from me and other fabulous authors.Check back later in the day to see who’ll win the prizes …
Hello, friends! It’s good to be back with such a great group who loves western fiction. The second book in my Lonestar series, Lonestar Secrets, is about a young veterinarian who returns to her hometown. Five years earlier she’d been told one of the twins she bore out of wedlock had died, but the day she arrives, she sees another little girl who looks like the daughter holding her hand. Even worse, the child seems to be the daughter of a man who betrayed her.
Don’t you just love high drama? JLonestar Secrets was a fun story to write because of the great conflicts. But back to western stories. One thing that is common in stories of the west is my favorite thing in the world. It even tops chocolate if you can believe it. Coffee. And my hero Jack loves coffee. That makes him a real man in my estimation! I wasn’t always a coffee drinker. My parents always had a pot of Folger’s brewing when I was growing up so I thought it was for, well, older people. When I started writing, I met a fellow author friend (Kristin Billerbeck) who bought me my first iced mocha. We happened to be in Santa Fe so the western connection was even part of my first coffee experience. One sip and I was in heaven. I’ve been on a quest for the perfect cup of joe ever since.
My favorite coffee is from a coffee brewer in Phoenix called Echo Espresso (http://www.echoespresso.com/) so it’s another reason I believe the west has the best coffee. My favorite is called World Blend. It’s mellow like Kona coffee but still strong enough. I’ve been on a diet so I’ve learned to like it iced with just a tiny touch of sweetener in it, though my favorite way to drink it is lightened with International Flavors hazelnut creamer. How about you? Do you have a favorite coffee? What’s your favorite way to drink it?
Pull up a chair and cozy up to the fireplace while we raise our cups in mutual love of the brew we love! I might even whisper whodunit in my book!
You know if you can’t find something defined on Wikipedia, it doesn’t exist. Guilty pleasures are real, however, and here’s the definition: “A guilty pleasure is known as something someone considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it.
Fashion and food can be examples of guilty pleasures.”
A while back, at my local RWA chapter meeting, our icebreaker was to confess our guilty pleasures. The confessions were hilarious, and got me to thinking. Dee Ann said, “Music is my guilty pleasure. It’s more of an obsession. I’ll hear a new song and I have to have it. Not necessarily the artists’ entire CD but that one song. Dee Ann has a passion for any song sung by American Idol winner, David Cook. She downloads all songs sung by the sexy Idol. “My realization from writing this,” said Dee Ann, “is that music is not my guilty pleasure. David Cook is my guilty pleasure.” I have David Cook CS too, but I never thought of him as my guilty pleasure.
One of my friends confessed to playing Fashion Solitaire online. I admit I checked it out, but I resisted the free hour. I don’t need any more addictions. I already play Mafia Wars on both My Space and Facebook. Hmmm, another one I share.
Tina Gayle responded: “When I was younger one of my guilty pleasures was wearing my sister’s clothes. I had to be real careful though, and make sure I put it back in the exact same place in the exact same way it was hung.Luckily, I left for school after she went to work and got home before she did. Oh, to have a sister who is the same size as me again.” Whew! I don’t have a sister, so I never picked up this habit.
A writer friend who will remain anonymous (unless she reveals herself here) admitted she keeps a can of chocolate frosting hidden in the back of her refrigerator and eats a scoop while watching Cops. Watching Cops is part of that guilty pleasure, because she can feel superior in that her husband wears a shirt.
The rule: This frosting may only be eaten with an index finger. In case of discovery, the offending finger can then be poked into her mouth.
“What are you doing?”
”Nothing.”
You know who you are.
Okay, I share that chocolate obsession and almost always have a can of frosting handy. I once ate a jar of hot fudge. But thankfully, I don’t watch Cops.
Gee, I do a lot of the same things other people do, but I just don’t feel guilty about it. In order for it to be a guilty pleasure, one must actually keep it a secret from someone and have remorse about the compulsion.
Most of you already know I’m a collector of the highest caliber. I stop at all garage sales and flea markets and antique malls I can find, and I can’t pass a Goodwill without stopping to browse. Do I actually need anything? Heavens no. Do I buy things? Undeniably yes. My family and my husband cringe over these purchases. My family cringes because they’ve all helped us move a couple of times. My husband cringes because he’s always building new storage and display areas. So a real guilty pleasure is that I buy things and then leave them in the trunk until no one is home, then wash them up or whatever they need, and put them away so it looks as though they’ve always been there. And no one’s the wiser. Well, until now. Remorse yet? No.
And here’s another one: Even when we both have to get up the next morning, my daughter Kristin and I often stay up until midnight or later engaged in Boom Blox competitions. When we play several nights in a row, our arms and shoulders get so sore we can hardly move them.
Boom Blox is a Wii game created by Stephen Spielberg. The fiend. Our favorites are the towers you have to slide blocks from and try not to topple them, and also the blocks of towers you do try to knock down systematically. You can play alone or as partners, but most often we compete against each other. And this from me, the person who won’t have games on her computer.
Here’s what Charlene Sands said about her guilty pleasure: “Everyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge Tim McGraw fan. I’ve never belonged to a fan club, ever, not even for Elvis, but I belong to his. I’ll pay outrageous prices on ebay for Very Good Seats to his concert. Thankfully, my good friend, Tanya is my enabler. She loves Tim too and we go together and have a blast! I see every movie he’s in, buy his records, visit his website, know the names of his band members and his children. I’m a die-hard fan.”
Tanya Hansen didn’t confess to the Tim addiction, but she did tell me that in winter she sits in front of the fire with a book instead of doing the things she should be doing, and in summer ditto with walks along the beach. Who can blame her there, eh?
I polled readers to see what their passions were.
Connie in Nebraska says: “I love old movies, especially musicals, and especially Elvis, and if I can watch them while playing with my beads, I am in heaven.”
Cindy said this: “Nancy Drew PC Games are my guilty pleasure. These things are sooooo addictive. Me and my girls sit at the computer for hours playing these things until we finally (usually days/months later LOL) solve the mystery.”
Robyn told me: “My guilty pleasures are my ‘afternoon naps’. I am not napping as much as I did, but when my 2nd one was born, I was under doctor’s orders to nap every afternoon to help keep my blood pressure down. I never gave it up. We trained family and friends not to call or bother me in the 2-4pm range. Even if I didn’t nap, I’d sit quietly and read or watch TV. Just some ‘me’ down time. I still sneak in naps, but my afternoons are still my downtime.
So my questions for you today:
Do you have chocolate remorse? Do you have a favorite Wii game? Do you sneak books home? How about a fascination with a celebrity?
It’s difficult to say exactly what creates an incredible onscreen kiss, but it has to be a combination of the chemistry between the actors, the tension that has led up to this point in the story—just like in a book—and the dialogue that accompanies the event. Everyone has his or her favorite movie kisses. Most popular in recent polls were the waterfall scene in The Last of the Mohicans, Twilight (honestly, I didn’t make it that far through the movie), Romeo and Juliet, Gone With the Wind, Katie and Hubbell (Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford) in The Way We Were, that famous upside down kiss in Spiderman, and Moira Kelly and D.B. Sweeney in The Cutting Edge.
Here are a few of mine:
The Notebook – Ryan and Rachel in the rain
Allie: “Why didn’t you write me? Why? It wasn’t over for me, I waited for you for seven years. But now it’s too late.”
Noah: “I wrote you 365 letters. I wrote you everyday for a year.”
Allie: “You wrote me?”
Noah: “Yes. It wasn’t over, it still isn’t over.”
Allie McGraw and Ryan O’Neal in Love Story
“Look, Cavalleri, I know your game, and I’m tired of playing it. You are the supreme Radcliffe smart-a[lec]. The best. You can put down anything in pants. But verbal volleyball is not my idea of a relationship. And if that’s what you think it’s all about, why don’t you just go back to your music, and good luck. See, I think you’re scared. You put up a big glass wall to keep from getting hurt. But it also keeps you from getting touched. It’s a risk, isn’t it, Jenny? At least I had the guts to admit what I felt. Someday, you’re gonna have to come up with the courage to admit you care.”
They stop walking and Jenny says: “I care”
Angie Dickenson and John Wayne in Rio Bravo
Gorgeous young Angie says, “I’m glad we tried it a second time. It’s better when two people do it”
Body Heat – Man oh man did Kathleen Turner and William Hurt ever have chemistry in this flick. Whew! He breaks the bay window with a porch chair and finds the sultry femme fatale waiting for him on the stairs. Wowzer, what a kiss.
“You’re not too smart, are you? I like that in a man.”
Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn in The Terminator
“I came across time for you, Sarah. I love you. I’ve always loved you.”
What could be more romantic, eh?
William and Anna (Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts) after the press conference in Notting Hill.
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray after dancing to I’ve Had the Time of My Life in Dirty Dancing
Princess Bride – Robin Wright and Carey Elwes
The narrator says to his grandson: “Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.”
Robin Wright actually has two great movie kisses. Besides her Princess Buttercup masterpiece, she ran through the pool at the Washington Monument to kiss Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump.
Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger in Jerry McGuire
“I’m looking for my wife…If this is where it has to happen, then this is where it has to happen. I’m not letting you get rid of me. How about that?…Our company had a very good night. A very, very big night, but it wasn’t complete. It wasn’t nearly close to being in the same vicinity as complete, because I couldn’t share it with you. I couldn’t hear your voice, or laugh about it with you. I missed my wife. We live in a cynical world, a cynical world, and we work in a business of tough competitors. I love you. You complete me.” (Earlier they’d seen a deaf guy sign these words to his girl in an elevator.)
Dorothy tearfully interrupts: “Aw, shut up. Just shut up. You had me at hello. You had me at hello.”
I don’t even know how long this collection of film kisses is, because I couldn’t get through them all, but here’s the most extensive listing of movie kisses I’ve ever seen:
Did I mention your favorite or did you see it in the video?
Can you name five of the movies in this video montage?
Can you believe it’s already been two years since P&P was launched?
Happy Birthday to Us!
To celebrate the occasion, we decided to catch up with the three Fillies who saddled up and departed for different pastures: Kate Bridges, Geralyn Dawson, and Lorraine Heath.
Welcome back, ladies.
Kate ~ Congratulations on your 2nd anniversary! I wish you many more! And much continued success to the Fillies and dear readers. It seems like I just left, and I miss you all. I’ve been busy. My next book comes out in November, called ALASKAN RENEGADE. Here’s a summary: When the Skagway town nurse, Victoria Windhaven, sets off on a dangerous medical journey through the Alaskan wilderness, she is forced to ride with a man from her past–bodyguard Brant MacQuaid. Five years ago in St. Louis, Brant left her sister standing at the altar. Victoria can’t forgive him. He is one of three men who deserted Victoria when she needed him most. Now it’s up to them to battle the wilderness, a vicious criminal who is in desperate need of medical help for his father, and the undeniable attraction that grips them. For more info or to preorder, visit www.KateBridges.com. I’m still waiting on the front cover, which should be any day now.
For those of you who’ve been following my writing projects, I’m still working on a romantic comedy screenplay that’s been a lot of fun, and very different from writing a novel. Whenever I get stuck on one plotline, I switch to the other project. I’ve also squeezed in a couple of holidays since I left–a trip to the Bahamas, and I just got back from camping in northern Ontario. I’ve got two more Alaska books coming out next year–I think I’m in love with that part of the world! Best wishes to all. I’ll pop in to say hi in person!
Geralyn ~ Happy Anniversary P&P! After taking a writing sabbatical for much of 2008, I sold a romantic women’s fiction series to Ballantine. They’re publishing the first three books close together, so pub dates are still far out–late 2010 and early 2011. The first book of the new series features the fourth brother of my Callahan brothers series, so it’s both an ending and a new beginning.www.GeralynDawson.com
Lorraine ~ Congratulations to the fillies on your 2-year anniversary! Difficult to believe how quickly time passes. It’s wonderful to see the popularity of the site and to know that westerns still have a warm place in so many readers’ hearts.
I’ve missed hanging out with the fillies, but these days I sometimes feel as though I’m living under a rock. As you know, I had to mosey away from you wonderful ladies because of time commitment issues. By December, I will have had 7 releases this year: 3 Victorian-set historicals and 4 young adult novels.
My current releases are Surrender to the Devil, written by Lorraine Heath, and Full Moon, written by Rachel Hawthorne, which continues my recent ventures into the paranormal world.
Again, congratulations to the fillies for all your accomplishments and for continuing to keep westerns on the shelf. They still remain some of my favorite reads.www.LorraineHeath.com
Thanks for joining us for the celebration, ladies, and best of luck in the future. We can’t wait to read your latest!
Published at July 30th, 2009 in category Filly Fun
So in light of being short on brain power, I’ve borrowed something that perfectly matches my mood that I found on some other lazy person’s blog. She gave me permission to steal it. Why not? She stole it herself from someone who stole it from someone else. That’s not dishonest, that’s A TEAM EFFORT.
Do you ever get those ‘Out Of Office’ replies to emails? Well, they’re annoying and boring aren’t they. Someone somewhere has gone to the effort to make them a little more fun. Here’s a list of auto replies that you might see in your email box some day.
1. I am currently out of the office at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Please be prepared for my mood.
2. You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn’t have received anything at all.
3. Sorry to have missed you, but I’m at the doctor’s having my brain and heart removed so I can be promoted to our management team.
4. I will be unable to delete all the emails you send me until I return from vacation. Please be patient, and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.
5. Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for the first 10 words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.
6. The email server is unable to verify your server connection. Your message has not been delivered. Please restart your computer and try sending again.
7. Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system. You are currently in 352nd place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.
8. Hi, I’m thinking about what you’ve just sent me. Please wait by your PC for my response.
9. I’ve run away to join a different circus.
“Mercy me, what’s wrong?” Her sister yelled from the chicken coop across the farmyard. “A snake? A spider?”
“No. It’s just…” Serenity moved her foot gingerly from the soft, steaming pile. “I misstepped. It’s got all over my good shoe. And my petticoat hem.”
With a loud moo, Marguerite slapped the pail with her tail. Milk slopped down the front of Serenity’s skirt, and she wailed again. “Oh, I planned to wear this to school in the morning. I must make a good impression on my students the first day.”
Nerves slipped up and down her spine like a meadow snake.Or what she thought that would feel like. What had she gotten herself into…thinking she could teach anybody anything?
As she stepped outside the old soddy, she held tight to the bucket and tried to settle her stress. When she was child, the family had lived inside, but now, the structure kept their animals safe from bad weather and wolves. And rain.
Rain? Her heart sank.
“I smell it,” she moaned.
“No wonder,” announced Amity who came over with her egg basket and gave a quick examination. “Marguerite is a good-size gal. She eats a great deal and well, you know.”
Serenity glared. “Not that. I smell rain.”
“Rain? The sunset is glorious. Not a storm cloud anywhere.”
Clucking her tongue, Serenity glanced toward the sun as it fell into the horizon flat as a griddle. She sniffed again. Soon’s she saved enough money, she’d be off to the Green Mountains of Vermont to visit Aunt Geraldine.
“No, it’s rain. I’m sure of it,” she said firmly. “And that’s all I need tomorrow. Twenty-two youngsters cooped up after a long summer.”
She shivered with downright fear as they walked to the stalwart wood farmhouse. “Those Sharpton boys would scare the stuffing out of the Christmas goose. Amos is only eleven but he’s taller than I am.”
“You’ll be a grand schoolmarm,” Amity insisted. “But I can assist you if you like.”
Serenity scoffed gently, for her sister wasn’t much older than some of the bigger boys. “Thanks, but I’d best earn that gold eagle all by myself. No sense in getting Papa displeased with you as well.”
Indeed, Papa acted like her decision to take over the schoolroom for a few weeks was a scourge instead of a blessing at a needy time. The harvest had been meager. Truth to tell, he wasn’t at all pleased about her travel plans, either.
She sighed. As they reached the back door, Papa and Timothy Larsen stepped out of it. So distracted by her spoiled clothes, Serenity hadn’t noticed their neighbor’s fine black gelding ground-tethered near Mama’s garden. He dipped his head and touched the brim of his black Stetson at her.
Upon sight of him, her heart rose to her throat before it tumbled to her toes. But she hardened it right up. Truth to tell, Timothy was a good man, young, handsome and prosperous, but last thing she neededwas a widow-man with two small girls to raise.
“He’s cold, Parson. That’s all we need to know. You’re a pretty li’l thing, China Doll. I’d sure like you under my blankets keepin’ me warm through this next winter.”
Cassie gasped.
“Pick, li’l lady.” A tall, thin man pressed forward from the right. “I’ve got chores to home.”
“See here, I won’t stand for this.” The parson stumbled and nearly fell, knocking into Cassie.
“You’re leavin’, Parson. We get it done now, today, or she’ll be livin’ with one of us for months till you come back. Griff’s young’un’ll be born and she’ll be broodin’ with a new one by then.”
“She will if she don’t marry an old codger like you.”
An outburst of laughter send Cassie stumbling backward. Her stomach heaved at the sickening things they were saying.
Cassie recognized that awful voice. Mort Sawyer had arrived.
A huge black horse pranced right up through the middle of the mob. Mort seemed unconcerned if he trampled anyone under iron shod hooves and the men seemed to know it. They snarled and grumbled in protest, but they fell back far enough to allow the man through, like wolves giving way before the leader of the pack.
“Parson, let’s get it over and done.”
A howl of protest exploded from the other men
She heard the parson say, “I’ll not marry a woman to someone against her will, Sawyer. I won’t conduct such a travesty. This isn’t something you can dictate. You let her go right this. . .”
Mort grabbed the parson by the front of his black suit. “You’ll marry us, Parson or I’ll take her home and after she’s given me a son or two, she’ll agree nice enough.”
Mort shoved the parson back and he fell to the ground. A man who would do that to a preacher would do unspeakable things to his wife.
Darkness spun in front of her. A quiet voice behind her cut through the noise.
“I’ll marry Mrs.Griffin, if she’ll have me.”
Cassie’s head cleared and, as she twisted around to locate the owner of that kind voice, her eyes focused on Red Dawson. The man she’d hated more than any other on this earth ten minutes ago.
With a voice as out of place as a breeze in the midst of a tornado, Red asked, ““Whattaya say, Cassie, will you marry me?”
“Parson, it’s settled. We get it done now!” Mort roared.
Cassie still hated Red Dawson, although less than she had a few minutes ago. Or more correctly, she now hated other people more.
Unless Griff’s grave opened this minute and let her jump in, Cassie didn’t see as she had much choice. A minute passed as the chaos went on around her and the trampled grave stayed closed and, as if someone else spoke out of her lips, she said, “Yes. . .”
She almost said ‘Red’ before it occurred to her that Red must be a nickname. She didn’t know the name of the man who proposed to her. It was humiliating to ask him.
Somehow it seemed less humiliating to just say, “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The cowhand named Obie spat on the ground. The glob landed at Josie’s feet. As she stepped back, Ty grabbed Obie by the collar and lifted him to his toes. “Mind your manners, Jones.”
Obie snorted.
Ty lifted him higher. “What did you say?”
“Mizz Bright’s no lady.”
Josie blanked her face, but she felt the sting of Obie’s words. After her father died, she’d learned to be tough. She drove hard bargains and wore trousers when she worked. She liked pretty things as much as any woman, but she’d traded lace for denim and hat pins for a Stetson. She liked the Stetson just fine, but sometimes she longed for the lace.
Right now, she didn’t care about either. She had to keep Obie from quitting.
Ty had no such concern. Using both hands, he hurled the man against the wall. Obie hit with a thud but came back swinging. Ty ducked, then landed a punch that sent Obie to the ground. Gordie cussed, then swung at Ty. The blow snapped back his head.
“Stop it!” Josie ordered.
Fists still flew and curses filled the air. Blood spilled from a cut on Ty’s jaw, but he didn’t seem to care. Josie knew better than to get between brawling males. Instead she went to the water trough on the side of the barn, filled a bucket and lugged it back around the corner.
She’d have gladly doused the three of them, but the fight had already ended. Obie was sitting on the ground, wiping blood from his nose. Gordie had dropped to his knees and was tossing up his breakfast. Ty alone had stayed on his feet, but he was destined for a black eye, maybe two.
Josie saw red. “I can’t believe you gentlemen!”
Obie glared at Ty. “Believe it, Mizz Bright. I quit.”
“Me, too,” said Gordie.
Panic welled in her middle. “But–”
“Get lost,” Ty ordered.
Gordie managed to stand. “She owes us wages.”
Josie felt ill. She owed them a month’s pay and didn’t have it.
Ty pulled a billfold out of his pocket, then looked at Josie. “How much?”
She shook her head. “I can’t let you do it.”
“Sure, you can.”
She bit her lip. “This isn’t your problem.”
Ty looked peeved. Before she could argue, Gordie named the exact amount.
Ty opened his billfold and held out the money. As Obie took his share, he glared at Ty. “You owe me for the smokes.”
“Sure.” Ty tossed a handful of pennies to the ground. “That ought to cover it.”
Obie sneered at him. “You’re gonna pay for this, Donner.”
“I expect so.”
More broke than prideful, Obie stooped to pick up the coins, then motioned for Gordie to follow him to the bunkhouse. With Ty shadowing them, the men packed their things and saddled their horses. She didn’t know whether to be angry with Ty or grateful. She needed help, but Obie and Gordie had given her nothing but grief.
As the men rode off, Ty started to chuckle.
Josie put her hands on her hips. “What’s so funny?”
In spite of the bruises, he looked pleased with himself. “I always did like a good fight. I guess I still do.”
“That was good?”
“One of the best.” His expression turned serious. “Those men disrespected you, Josie. I won’t tolerate that treatment for you or for Isabel. I have it coming. You don’t.”
Josie disagreed. “No one deserves meanness. That includes you.”
He grinned. “There you go again.”
“What?”
“Being nice to worthless fools . . . You have a real knack for it.”
“In your dreams,” Cara had said to Kevin when he’d made that outlandish request, but he’d only grinned with mischief and said,
“something like that.”
Now, dressed in jeans and wearing leather boots Kevin had provided, Cara sat upon Dream Catcher, the five-year old mare who had been born at TCC’s stables when Cara had been living with Kevin.Growing up with horses on her parent’s estate, Cara had forgotten how much she loved riding.She and Kevin would take an occasional ride in their early years of marriage, before he’d been too obsessed with work to take the time.
The day Dream Catcher was born, Cara had rushed to the stables and the moment she’d seen the feisty little filly, she’d fallen a little bit in love. To sit upon the sweet mare and ride off into the hills of Maverick County with Kevin seemed almost like a dream.
The Texas sun lowered onto the horizon and burst hues of orange gold onto the valley as they rode in silence. There was a quiet settle to the land, a peace like nothing Cara had experienced for a long time.She’d been so caught up in the fast pace of Dallas, that she’d forgotten what it was like to be with nature. Kevin seemed to understand that, setting the slow pace and enjoying the scenery. There was an odd sense of comfort being here with him. She could almost forget his blackmail and his manipulation.
Almost.
She slid a glance his way and let go a little sigh.Looking just as comfortable atop a horse as he was cutting a deal in his downtown office, Kevin acclimated well.Dressed in solid Wranglers, a blue plaid shirt and black Stetson, her husband dressed down very nicely.
“You’re staring at me,” he said with a grin.
“Oh, you’d like to think so.”Caught, Cara averted her gaze, hiding her own grin.
“I know so.See anything you like?”
Cara sobered at his question. “I don’t know, Kevin. Do I?”
Kevin clucked his jaw a few times. “You need to lighten up, Cara.Enjoy the scenery.”
“And you think you’re part of that scenery?”
“Me,” he said, lowering the brim of his hat. “No ma’am. I wouldn’t presume.”
Cara chuckled. Okay, maybe she should just lighten up. She didn’t like Kevin’s blackmail, but she could enjoy the ride. If for no other reason, she was atop Dream Catcher on a glorious late summer evening.
“I see a whole lot I like,” Kevin said quietly, after a minute.
Cara sensed his gaze on her and a burning heat crawled up her neck.She didn’t dare look at him.A lump formed in her throat. She didn’t trust herself to respond.
They rode in silence until the dirt path led them to a rise. “Wait here,” Kevin said mysteriously, and clicked his mare into a trot. He rode on about ten yards to the peak of the rise then turned toward her. “Okay, come on up.” He gestured with a wave.
Dream Catcher followed the path in a trot, until Cara met Kevin at the top of the rise. Looking into his eyes first then following the direction of his gaze, Cara gasped at the view below. “Oh, Kevin. This is amazing.”
A small well-kept cottage on the TCC property was lit outside by at least a hundred pillar candles.A table, dressed in white linen was set with fine china, crystal wine glasses and lilies of every variety.
“It’s beautiful.”Tears stung her eyes. Why couldn’t he have done something like this years ago when their marriage was shaky? When she needed attention. When she needed to know she was more important than his business. Oh, Kevin, she thought, why are you doing this now when it’s too late?Her questions plagued her, but she pushed them out of her mind.
Lighten up, Cara.
This is temporary.
“I’m glad you like it.” Kevin pushed his horse on and Dream Catcher followed him down the other side of the rise. When they reached the cottage, Kevin dismounted.He walked over to Cara and reached for her.She slid down the left side of the horse into Kevin’s arms. He held her, their gazes entwined as luminous candles lit the backdrop.
“You were always gorgeous in candlelight, babe.”
Cara smiled, the compliment warming her heart.
Kevin tilted his head, the brim of his Stetson grazing her forehead. She braced herself for the kiss, tightening up inside in anticipation.
Kevin brushed his lips slightly over hers in the lightest feather touch of a kiss then backed away. Cara blinked, a little surprised.
He took her hand. “Have a seat.” He guided her to the table and pulled out the chair for her. “I’ll see to the horses.”
She watched him take the reins of both horses and go behind the cottage. When he returned and sat down, a chef appeared at the table wearing a white coat and tall hat, a waiter standing just behind him. “I hope you enjoy the meal Mister and Missus Novak,” the chef said.
“I’m sure we will,” Kevin returned, with a nod.
Cara sat quietly while the waiter served their first course, a little pastry puff filled with light cheese and raspberries.She took her first bite and closed her eyes. “Oh…this is heaven.”
When she opened her eyes, Kevin’s gaze was on her, watching her enjoy the pastry with a gleam in his eyes. “The chef came highly recommended.”
Cara was again tempted to ask, why was he going to so much trouble?The question still plagued her, but she’d already decided that she would just go with the flow and see where that would take her, so she remained silent on the subject. “I can see why. He’s already got my vote for Chef of the Year.”
Kevin poured them each a glass of light wine.
Cara sat back in her seat and stared into Kevin eyes. “You can be so charming, when you want to be.”
“I want to be. Right now. With you.”
Why? Cara didn’t understand it, but the voice in her head told her to go with it and enjoy these last few days with Kevin.Soon enough, their marriage would be over.
When they finished all four courses of the main meal Kevin suggested they go inside the cottage for coffee and dessert. “The chef made us something special.”
“I should be full, but I can always fit in dessert,” Cara said, feeling the zipper of her jeans expanding a bit. She was slender and at five foot eight, she could afford to eat a decadent dessert once in a while.
Kevin stood and reached for her hand. With fingers entwined, they entered the cottage, climbing the steps, their boots scraping the wooden floors. Cara made a quick tour of the quaint cottage noting the rustic stone fireplace, cozy chintz sofa and several swag-draped pane windows. “It’s lovely here.”
“It was the groundskeeper’s home at one time. TCC let it go to ruin, practically. I renovated it and now it’s available-”
“For impressing your dates?” she blurted, in a teasing tone.
Kevin whipped around and grabbed her by the waist, bringing her flush up against him. “You have a mouth on you, don’t you?”
Cara pulled her head back to look at him fully. “You always liked my sassy mouth.”
Kevin’s gaze devoured her mouth. He cupped her head with one hand and pulled her close, his lips ever so close. “I still do.”
Cara’s heart pumped double time when he kissed her. He tasted of robust wine and warmth. He tasted familiar and fine. He tasted of all the sweet things in her life she missed. “Kevin.”
“I love it when you whimper my name,” he said between kisses.
“I didn’t whimper,” Cara protested mildly.Kevin cupped her derriere and tugged her in. Hip jamming hip, she felt his desire, rough against rough as their jeans brushed.
Kevin nibbled on her throat. “Really? Guess I’m gonna have to do something about that.”
My new book
Hello, friends! It’s good to be back with such a great group who loves western fiction. The second book in my Lonestar series, Lonestar Secrets, is about a young veterinarian who returns to her hometown. Five years earlier she’d been told one of the twins she bore out of wedlock had died, but the day she arrives, she sees another little girl who looks like the daughter holding her hand. Even worse, the child seems to be the daughter of a man who betrayed her. 
author friend (Kristin Billerbeck) who bought me my first iced mocha. We happened to be in Santa Fe so the western connection was even part of my first coffee experience. One sip and I was in heaven. I’ve been on a quest for the perfect cup of joe ever since. 
You know if you can’t find something defined on Wikipedia, it doesn’t exist. Guilty pleasures are real, however, and here’s the definition: “A guilty pleasure is known as something someone considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. 
One of my friends confessed to playing Fashion Solitaire online. I admit I checked it out, but I resisted the free hour. I don’t need any more addictions. I already play Mafia Wars on both My Space and Facebook. Hmmm, another one I share.
A writer friend who will remain anonymous (unless she reveals herself here) admitted she keeps a can of chocolate frosting hidden in the back of her refrigerator and eats a scoop while watching Cops. Watching Cops is part of that guilty pleasure, because she can feel superior in that her husband wears a shirt. 
Most of you already know I’m a collector of the highest caliber. I stop at all garage sales and flea markets and antique malls I can find, and I can’t pass a Goodwill without stopping to browse. Do I actually need anything? Heavens no. Do I buy things? Undeniably yes. My family and my husband cringe over these purchases. My family cringes because they’ve all helped us move a couple of times. My husband cringes because he’s always building new storage and display areas. So a real guilty pleasure is that I buy things and then leave them in the trunk until no one is home, then wash them up or whatever they need, and put them away so it looks as though they’ve always been there. And no one’s the wiser. Well, until now. Remorse yet? No.
So my questions for you today:
The Notebook
Allie McGraw and Ryan O’Neal in Love Story
Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn in The Terminator 
William and Anna (Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts) after the press conference in Notting Hill.
Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger in Jerry McGuire
Victoria Windhaven, sets off on a dangerous medical journey through the Alaskan wilderness, she is forced to ride with a man from her past–bodyguard Brant MacQuaid. Five years ago in St. Louis, Brant left her sister standing at the altar. Victoria can’t forgive him. He is one of three men who deserted Victoria when she needed him most. Now it’s up to them to battle the wilderness, a vicious criminal who is in desperate need of medical help for his father, and the undeniable attraction that grips them. For more info or to preorder, visit 
dies because of time commitment issues. By December, I will have had 7 releases this year: 3 Victorian-set historicals and 4 young adult novels. 
