Carol Finch - The Bounty Hunter and the Heiress

Eva lifted her chin rebelliously.

Raven barked a laugh. “Not as convenient as you might think if we continue to ride the stage. We’d have to sleep together to keep up appearances, sweetheart.”

Damn, she hadn’t thought that far ahead. Eva drew herself up to full stature. She couldn’t resist a challenge.

“I can endure sleeping together if you can, sweetheart,” she countered defiantly. “Turn around, please.”

“What for?”

“So I can retrieve the money I stuffed down my dress.”

Raven grinned scampishly and shook his head. “Being married and all, there’s no reason for me not to watch….”

The Bounty Hunter and the Heiress

Harlequin ®Historical

“Carol Finch is known for her lightning-fast, roller-coaster-ride adventure romances that are brimming over with a large cast of characters and dozens of perilous escapades.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

McCavett’s Bride

“For wild adventures, humor and Western atmosphere, Finch can’t be beat. She fires off her quick-paced novels with the crack of a rifle and creates the atmosphere of the Wild West through laugh-out-loud dialogue and escapades that keep you smiling.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

The Ranger’s Woman

“Finch delivers her signature humor, along with a big dose of colorful Texas history, in a love and laughter romp.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

Lone Wolf’s Woman

“As always, Finch provides frying-pan-into-the-fire action that keeps the pages flying, then spices up her story with not one, but two romances, sensuality and strong emotions.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

TORONTO • NEW YORK • LONDON

AMSTERDAM • PARIS • SYDNEY • HAMBURG

STOCKHOLM • ATHENS • TOKYO • MILAN • MADRID

PRAGUE • WARSAW • BUDAPEST • AUCKLAND

This book is dedicated to my husband Ed and our children,

Christie, Durk, Jill, Jon, Shawnna and Kurt. And to our

grandchildren, Brooklynn, Kennedy, Blake, Livia, Dillon

and Harleigh. Hugs and kisses!

Call of the White Wolf #592

Bounty Hunter’s Bride #635

Oklahoma Bride # 686

Texas Bride #711

The Last Honest Outlaw #732

The Ranger’s Woman #748

Lone Wolf’s Woman #778

* Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом. The Ranger #805

* Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом. Fletcher’s Woman #832

McCavett’s Bride #852

Cooper’s Woman #897

The Bounty Hunter and the Heiress #909

Other works include

Silhouette Special Edition

Not Just Another Cowboy #1242

Soul Mates #1320

Harlequin American Romance

Cupid and the Cowboy #1055

Harlequin Duets

Fit To Be Tied #36

A Regular Joe #45

Mr. Predictable #62

The Family Feud #72

Lonesome Ryder? #81

Restaurant Romeo #81

* Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом. Fit To Be Frisked #105

* Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом. Mr. Cool Under Fire #105

#907 THE OUTRAGEOUS LADY FELSHAM—Louise Allen

Her unhappy marriage over, Lady Belinda Felsham plans to enjoy herself. An outrageous affair with breathtakingly handsome Major Ashe Reynard is exactly what she needs! Follow Those Scandalous Ravenhursts in the second book of Louise Allen’s sensual miniseries.

#908 A LOVER’S KISS—Margaret Moore

A Frenchwoman in London, Juliette Bergerine is unexpectedly thrown together in hiding with Sir Douglas Drury after they are mysteriously attacked. As desire gives way to a deeper emotion, what will become of Juliette’s reputation?

#910 POSSESSED BY THE HIGHLANDER—Terri Brisbin

Peacemaker for the MacLerie clan, Duncan is manipulated into marrying the exiled “Robertson Harlot.” Despite shadows lurking over their union, Duncan discovers a love for Marian, and will stop at nothing to protect her…. The third in Terri Brisbin’s Highlander miniseries. Honor, promises and dark secrets fuel this medieval tale of clan romance.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Denver, Colorado

1880s

Dressed in her breeches and shirt, Evangeline Hallowell paced back and forth across the Aubusson rug in the spacious study of her home. At irregular intervals, she paused to glance anxiously toward the hallway, then at the window. Muttering a curse, she wheeled around to wear another rut in the imported carpet.

Her younger sister, Lydia, had left earlier that afternoon and she hadn’t said where she was going or when she’d be back. Now it was dark and Evangeline was worried. She had the uneasy feeling that something was amiss.

A loud wail erupted near the front door. The sound echoed through the tiled foyer and bounced off the walls. Evangeline whirled around to race to the study door.

She stared incredulously at Lydia’s disheveled coiffure, tear-stained eyes and puffy face. “Dear God, what happened to you?”

Dirt soiled Lydia’s expensive pink gown. The pristine lace—that was now a dingy shade of brown—was snagged with leaves and twigs and drooped noticeably over the torn ruffles.

“Oh, Eva, I’m such a fool!” Lydia burst out as she flung herself into Eva’s arms.

The sobs and howls commenced in earnest—the outpouring of emotion that had apparently sustained Lydia until she reached the safe haven of their lavish mansion. She clung to Eva as if she was a lifeline and she proceeded to bawl her head off.

Eva let her sister vent her anguish for several minutes before guiding her to the sofa that sat perpendicular to the bookshelves that stretched from floor to ceiling of the north wall. Although Lydia refused to release her hand—and nearly squeezed off the blood flow to her fingers—Eva didn’t complain. She had spent years nursing Lydia through one melodramatic, emotional ordeal after another because she had assumed the role of mother, father and older sister.

This high drama, however, seemed to be more serious than usual for Lydia.

“You were right about him,” Lydia blubbered, then dragged in a shuddering breath. “I was an imbecile to believe him.”

Him, Eva presumed, was the suave, smooth-talking gentleman who had been courting Lydia and escorting her to Denver’s elite social functions for the past three months.

Eva tensed as she reassessed her sister’s tattered gown. “If Gordon Carter forced himself on you—”

Lydia flung up a trembling hand that sported three broken fingernails. “Worse!”

Eva’s dark brows elevated. “Worse than ravishing you?”

Lydia bobbed her head, sending shiny waves of auburn hair tumbling from her lopsided coiffure to cascade haphazardly over her shoulders. “He broke my heart, stole my buggy and my favorite horse and he swiped my money!” she cried in distress.

Eva went perfectly still, her mind racing back through time to reevaluate Lydia’s rather peculiar behavior this past week. She had been in and out of the mansion without bothering to inform Eva or the servants when she planned to return. If Eva hadn’t been preoccupied—fending off a particularly persistent suitor—she might have paid more attention.

Should have paid attention, she chastised herself. It was her sworn duty to protect and care for Lydia. She had solemnly promised her father that she would, after he fell ill suddenly then died.

Lydia wiped her eyes with the back of her grimy hand, sniffled loudly then glanced toward the imported grandfather clock that graced the corner. “Gordon and I were going to elope because he said you wouldn’t approve and you were jealous because you were interested in him. He said we had to be clever and discreet. He said you would be outraged if you weren’t the first to wed.”

“What!” Eva scrambled to control her temper then gnashed her teeth, wishing she could take several bites out of Gordon’s conniving hide. “I never had any interest in that scoundrel. It was plain to me that he was insincere. He made all the right noises, in his dedicated effort to impress you and others in our social circle, but I didn’t trust his intentions. The fact that he tried to pit you against me is one more reason why I dislike him.”