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Chapter One Pepperville, Texas, Early 1880s C assandra Bixby paused from setting type for the newspaper to glance at the clock hanging over her desk. Pride and excitement bubbled inside her. In a few minutes, the bank would open its doors. She would be there to deposit her life savings into Aunt Louise’s account. Gerald Nash, owner and editor of the Pepperville Times, halted at the door of his private office. He was fortyish with hazel eyes and brown hair that was beginning to recede slightly. He was industrious and energetic, which accounted for his trim build. He had suffered a broken nose sometime in the past. Plus he had a slick red indentation above his left eyebrow and a half-moon scar on the underside of his jaw. Cassie wondered how he’d come to have them but she’d never asked. He glanced curiously at Cassie and frowned. “Is something wrong? You’ve been watching the clock for a half hour.” “No.” She pivoted to face him as she wiped the ink off her hands. “Everything is right tod
Chapter One
Chapter Two W hen Cassie burst into the newspaper office with the black tomcat at her heels, Gerald stared at her in alarm. “Are you all right? There’s sawdust and wood chips stuck in your hair. Why is your dress twisted sideways? There’s no color in your face and you look as if you’re about to faint. What happened?” Cassie spared a quick glance in the mirror Gerald used when working with woodcuts for newspaper illustrations. He was right, she decided as she assessed her reflection. The side seams of her green dress were twisted around her as if she were a maypole. She did look a frazzled mess after the gigantic outlaws had carted her off, tossed her into the back of a lumber wagon and all but left her for dead. Well, that was a bit dramatic, but she was lucky to be alive after she’d fought back. She shouldn’t have risked life and limb to recover her money. But damn it all, it was important! In the aftermath of the robbery, Cassie wilted into her chair. She was still shaking all over.
Chapter Two
Chapter Three C assie exited the marshal’s office in a huff. First off, Jackson Culpepper’s witch insinuation annoyed her. Secondly, she didn’t appreciate his casual acceptance of the bank robbery. Granted, murder and thieving were likely everyday occurrences to a man in his profession. However, she took the matter very personally. She had lost a lot of hard-earned money and the marshal behaved as if he would begin the investigation when he got around to it. If her irritation toward his lack of interest in pursuing his investigation wasn’t enough to infuriate her, the fact that she found that raven-haired, amber-eyed marshal physically appealing bewildered her beyond words. True, she’d noticed the ruggedly handsome marshal while she waited tables at the café and she’d seen him around town while working for the newspaper. But today she’d been forced to deal directly with her unexplained attraction to the six-feet-two-inch, two-hundred-pound virile male—who was also the irritating marsha
Chapter Three
Chapter Four J ack’s body was still vibrating like a tuning fork while he watched Cassie hurry off. He wasn’t sure he could explain what had happened to him. One second he was trying his damnedest to resist the unexpected, lip-blistering kiss Cassie delivered. Then wham! He’d hauled her up against him as if he had been deprived of feminine attention for years on end. What had become of the iron-willed self-control he’d spent thirty-two years nurturing and cultivating? To make matters worse his brothers had witnessed the steamy embrace and were grinning like a couple of idiots. Harrison arched a dark brow. “Mind telling us what that was all about?” “Yeah, big brother, what were you doing? Interviewing one of the robbery victims?” Jefferson razzed him. “What did you find out?” He’d discovered that he was dangerously susceptible to the alluring scent, addictive taste and luscious feel of the woman he’d robbed of her life’s savings. Hell and damnation! Cassie had kissed him as if there wer
Chapter Four
Chapter Five T wo days later Jack exited the overcrowded jail cells, heaved an exhausted sigh then ambled over to pour himself a steaming cup of coffee. Jefferson entered the office and paused to take inventory of Jack’s torn shirt. “Rough night?” Jack nodded, then half collapsed in his chair behind his desk. “One of the trail herds camped north of town. Half of those love-starved, liquor-swigging yahoos descended on the town with a vengeance. My deputy and I had to round up several of them and corral them into the jail. They sang their drunken ditties until long after midnight. I didn’t get much sleep, though I tried several times to catch a nap in my chair.” “That explains why you didn’t make it to the ranch to snuggle up in your own comfy bed.” Jefferson strode over to help himself to the coffee warming on the stove. “But this is guaranteed to wake you up.” Jack leaned forward when his brother tossed the morning edition of the Pepperville Times on his desk. His blood boiled when he
Chapter Five
Chapter Six J ack involuntarily cringed when he saw Cassie pass in front of the office window. His first reaction to seeing her alluring figure in the trim-fitting yellow gown was instant awareness of her as a woman. She reminded him of sunshine bursting through low-hanging clouds. His eager anticipation of seeing her quickly turned to unease. The woman incited too much conflict inside him. When she swept into the office, sunlight glinted off her honey-gold hair and glowed on the creamy flesh exposed by her scoop-necked dress. To his bemusement, she walked over to place a silver dollar on his desk. His brows climbed higher when she graced him with a beaming smile. “What the hell is going on?” he asked suspiciously. “I’m bribing you.” “It’s against the law,” he reminded her. She wrinkled her nose at him. “Well then, after our interview, I am inviting you out to lunch at my aunt’s café and I will pay for your meal and your companionship.” He eased back to regard her warily. “What’s the c
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven C assie was pleased to see all eyes zero in on her and Jack when they entered Bixby Café. By then she had regained her composure—after the embarrassing incident at the cabin. It was glaringly apparent she couldn’t trust herself alone with the brawny marshal. For reasons beyond her comprehension, Jack had unleashed her inhibitions the instant he kissed her, causing her to lose the self-control she valued so highly. Indeed, she barely recognized herself when she was in his arms, matching him kiss for desperate kiss and caress for bold caress. “Good afternoon,” Suzannah greeted as she approached their table. She nodded politely to Jack, then leaned down to wink confidentially at Cassie. “We’ll take Aunt Louise’s special,” Cassie requested without preamble. “The marshal has to return to his office shortly and I’m behind in my duties at the newspaper office.” “By all means, go ahead and order for me,” Jack teased. “I’m sorry. That was presumptuous,” she mumbled. Suzannah waite
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight “O h, my God!” Louise howled in horror when Jack burst into the café with Cassie’s limp body draped over his arms. She wheeled around to lead the way down the hall and up the steps to her upstairs apartment. “What happened?” “Not sure yet.” Jack refused to go into detail while the customers in the crowded café were hanging on his every word. When he rounded the corner to the hall, he overheard several unflattering comments about Cassie, but he paid no heed in his haste to put her to bed and check her thoroughly for injuries. Louise frowned pensively as she opened the door for Jack. “Do you think someone attacked her because she’s stirred up other women to join the fight for her causes?” Jack didn’t take time to reply. Instead, he said, “Send someone to fetch Doc Hinton.” “I’ll take care of it myself.” Louise dashed from the apartment, leaving Jack holding Cassie and unsure what to do with her. Cassie was wearing the same bright yellow dress she’d had on yesterday—only it
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine C assie was sitting up in bed, waiting for Jack, when he breezed into the room. “First off, I want to thank you for trying to protect me,” she said. “But it isn’t necessary. I can take care of myself.” He chuckled. “Right. You were doing such a fine job of it when I found you sprawled in the muddy alley.” “Well, except for that,” she had to admit. “But I’ll go back to town this evening so I won’t inconvenience your family more than I have already.” Jack loomed over her. “Don’t you get it, buttercup? People are trying to kill you. Or you’re trying to kill them. I’m still trying to figure out which. Either way, I want you off the streets.” He swooped down unexpectedly and kissed her right smack dab on the lips. “Damn, I’ve wanted to do that since I found you in the mud…dead…or at least I thought you were. Unfortunately, there have been dozens of people milling about. I haven’t been able to get you alone and conscious at the same moment.” He was in an odd mood, she decided. H
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten W hile Jack was searching for clues in town, Cassie sat at the dining-room table at his ranch. “I’m going crazy,” she complained to Harrison when he joined her for lunch. Harrison chuckled when she bounded to her feet to circumnavigate the spacious dining room. “You have too much restless energy,” he teased. “There are better ways to relieve it.” She cast him a withering glance when he waggled his dark brows roguishly. Then she plunked down to eat the meal Clara had prepared. “You might charm all your lady friends with that rakish grin, but it won’t work on me.” “No, I’m sure it won’t,” he agreed before taking a bite of stew. “That’s only because you’re stuck on my big brother.” “I’m no such thing,” she objected. He was right, but she’d shoot herself in the foot before she admitted it to Jack’s rascally brothers. “If you say so,” he patronized her. “How long does it take Jefferson to ride into town to fetch clothing and writing tablets? Heavens, it’s only a three-mile round
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven T he moment she kissed him, the world went out of focus. Desire pulsated through Jack’s oversensitive body. He told himself to slow down and take his time savoring the delicious pleasure of having Cassie’s alluring body pressed to his. But his brain couldn’t control the hungry demands of his body. Without breaking the heated kiss, he tugged at her bolero then tossed it carelessly across the room. He worked the buttons of her shirt impatiently, but the instant he got his hands on the full swells of her breasts he was in no rush to move on. Exploring her silky skin never failed to fascinate and distract him. He could feel her trembling beneath his wandering caresses. He could hear her breathe raggedly. Knowing he aroused and excited Cassie gave him a unique kind of satisfaction. Yet touching her wasn’t enough anymore. He wanted to taste every exquisite inch of her luscious flesh until he knew her body better than he knew his own. He wanted to feel her arching anxiously aga
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve “I’ m greatly relieved that your brothers didn’t harass me at breakfast,” Cassie commented while she and Jack trotted their horses toward town the next morning. “Did you threaten them within an inch of their lives?” “No,” Jack replied. “I didn’t bother with half threats. I told them I’d shoot them dead if they tormented you.” She chuckled at his comment. “Thank you for that. But you don’t have to defend my honor. Crusading for women’s rights and social reform has earned me dozens of rude, unflattering comments…. And, Jack?” “Yes?” His golden-eyed gaze focused intently on her. “I know what it’s like to stand up for what you think is right,” she assured him. “You did what you felt you had to do about the suspicious activity at the bank.” “I didn’t want to have to take such drastic measures to force the culprit’s hand. I don’t want to have to interrogate Gerald about his involvement, either, but I will.” “I’ll circle around to approach town from the west,” she insisted as s
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen J ack glanced up from the paperwork on his desk to see another cowhand with dusty clothes and leathery skin enter the jail. The drover had the look of a man who had spent weeks on horseback, herding cattle toward the Kansas railheads. He pulled off his hat and combed his long hair away from his face. “The bank is locked up tight,” the drover grumbled. “What am I supposed to do about withdrawing the money I put into the account so I can restock supplies and pay wages?” Jack came to his feet to offer the disgruntled drover his hand. “I’m sorry about the inconvenience. I’m Marshal Culpepper.” The cowboy reluctantly shook hands. “Robert Patterson. Sorry won’t pay the bills, Marshal. I deposited that money last fall on my way home from Dodge City so I wouldn’t have to fret about getting robbed by my own men or those damn outlaws who try to rustle my cattle.” “I understand your concern because my brothers and I have moved our livestock up the trail in the past,” Jack commise
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen J ack pounded on the back door of the bank. When no one answered, he hammered on it again. Above him, a window on the second floor opened and Pettigrew stuck out his head. “What do you want, Marshal? The bank is closed out of respect for Millard Stewart.” Jack didn’t think the red-haired banker looked the least bit aggrieved about the loss of his teller. “I’m coming up,” Jack called to him. “We have a situation that needs to be resolved immediately.” Pettigrew’s fair features puckered in annoyance. “I’ll be down in a minute. Wait in the hall by my office.” Jack defied the instructions and went in the unlocked back door directly into Pettigrew’s office, hoping to find incriminating evidence lying around. There was none, of course. He really hadn’t expected to be that lucky. When he heard Pettigrew clattering hurriedly down the steps, Jack stepped away from the desk to lean negligently against the doorjamb. “Now what is this about?” Pettigrew asked peevishly as he steppe
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen P ettigrew swore savagely then hurled the sheets and quilt against the wall. Cassie didn’t move a muscle when the rest of the bedding tumbled into a pile on top of the bedspread that concealed her. Pettigrew spat curses to Sam’s name as he dumped the dresser drawers upside down then slammed them against the floor, shattering them in several pieces. To Cassie’s everlasting relief, the outraged banker stalked from the room. She had escaped execution at Pettigrew’s hands—for the moment. As long as she was locked in the bank with him, he was still a lethal threat and she had best beware. She scooted from her hiding place when she heard Pettigrew bounding down the steps. She waited anxiously, hoping the bastard would leave the bank so she could escape with the evidence of his fraudulent activities. “Where did you put it, you son of a bitch?” Pettigrew railed at Sam. Sam didn’t reply. That was not a good sign—unless Sam was injured and playing possum, hoping Pettigrew would l
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen I n the middle of the night, Cassie stirred drowsily and squirmed to gain more space. “Move over, Max,” she mumbled. “You’re crowding me.” “I’m not Max.” The sound of Jack’s husky voice and his light caress filled her with pleasure. A welcoming smile played on her lips as she rolled onto her back to see his shadowy form poised above her. “No, you definitely aren’t Max.” She traced the curve of his sensuous lips. “You’re much better.” “Glad to know I’m more important to you than that cussed cat,” Jack whispered as his head came steadily toward hers. “I’ve been aching with the want of you all night.” “I haven’t thanked you properly for saving my life.” Cassie skimmed her lips over his full mouth, savoring the addictive taste of him. “You’re welcome.” Her hand drifted down his bare chest. She was delighted to discover that he was completely and gloriously naked. Good. It saved her time disposing of any clothing that stood in her way. “Do you know what happens to bandits wh
Chapter Sixteen
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