Life with this man would never be dull, and she couldn’t wait to begin her new life as Mrs. Lance Holloway.
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LAWFULLY CHARMED
Bareglen Creek, TX
1885
He shifted in the saddle, his eyes scouring the landscape as though the source of the unease in the pit of his stomach would somehow manifest in the early morning horizon. Days like this didn’t end well, and he, Sheriff Sullivan “Sully” Clarke sat up straighter in his saddle, urging his mount forward. He’d learned the hard way that it was best to meet a challenge head on, and best to keep his premonitions to himself.
“Sheriff, what’s the rush?” Jim Hawarden, his deputy sheriff’s baritone voice boomed from behind him.
Sully raised his hand and pulled the reins, patting Cider’s neck as he came to a sure stop but then sidestepped and whinnied, shaking his mane. Did he sense it, too? “Easy boy.”
Jim pulled alongside, tipped his hat and wiped the sweat dripping down his face on the back of his sleeve. “Jeez, Sheriff, when are we gonna take a break?”
Sully sighed as he glanced at his deputy. Jim was just shy of his own height at six feet, and an impressive figure with dirty blonde hair that always looked like it needed a trim, and gentle brown eyes. He was a good man, but was he really cut out for this work?
He was eager to help—driven to help, even, but part of Sully believed he’d be better off full-time at his sister’s farm. The man was simply accident prone, and for a man who’d chosen Texas, he hated being out in the heat. But then again, when his sister, Mary Trost, lost her husband, she’d needed help with the small farm they’d purchased. She never could have run it alone. Jim may not love the Texas heat, but he clearly loved his sister, and his business degree and savvy is probably what saved her from having to sell.
“We’ve only been riding for an hour, J—”
A shot rang out, echoing like thunder across the hills. Cider reared as Jim’s steed raced past them without his rider. Sully fought to spin Cider around, leaped off and raced toward his deputy—now prone on the ground, a red circle spreading on his chest. “Jim, Jim, can you hear me?” Fear tightened his chest as he reached his side.
His deputy groaned, opening his mouth to speak, but fell silent.
Sully felt for the pulse at his neck. It was there, but weak.
“Stay with me, buddy,” he urged as he hefted him over his shoulder. The low moan was a welcome sign that he was still alive, at least for the moment. A movement in the trees to his left caught his eye. He quickly flung Jim over the saddle, leaping up behind him in one swift move, spurring Cider on, who responded as though he’d been born to race.
He leaned forward, covering Jim’s body with his own, tightening his legs around Cider’s belly; instantly Cider ran harder and faster. A second shot rang out, this time taking Sully’s hat with it as they crested the hill and Cider flew down the backside.
Sully guided Cider along the ridge to the right, pushing him harder, backtracking toward town and out of the gunman’s sight. He glanced back to see if the gunman was in pursuit.
“Stay with me, Jim, stay with me,” he whispered in his deputy’s ear, still leaning over him as Cider pounded toward town. He wasn’t sure Jim would still be alive when they reached Doc Holloway’s, who was not to be confused with the gunslinger Doc Holliday who was in fact a dentist. But if ever there was a man who had nine lives, it was Jim Hawarden.
He found himself mentally counting the number of times Jim had been shot or injured—hoping this wasn’t number ten—as blood seeped onto the hand supporting Jim’s chest. Cider seemed to know where they needed to go as they entered town and he came to a quick stop in front of Doc’s house.
Two men rushed forward to help him, John Barker and Evan Dow. “Evan, help me get Jim into Doc’s. John, let Doc know we’re coming,” he barked, as a third man, Joseph Cane, stepped up and took Cider’s reins.
John and Sully eased Jim from the blood-soaked saddle, and the three carried him quickly inside. The look on Doc’s face spoke volumes. “Just do what you can, Doc. If ever a man could survive the impossible, it’s Jim,” Sully demanded as he turned and stormed back through the door.
He was met outside by four men on horseback, John Barker, Evan Dow, Joseph Cane, and Adra Dudley, a Texas Ranger, who held the reins to a fresh horse from the stable.
Sully’s breathing slowed as his eyes acknowledged each of the men. “Good of you to join us, Adra,” he addressed the Texas Ranger. “I don’t know who shot Jim, but from what I could tell, it appeared to be a lone gunman. He was hiding in the tree ridge just outside Kneeman’s Pass. He took a shot at me, too, narrowly missed,” he said as he absently rubbed his hat-bare head and pushed the bangs that had fallen onto his forehead back. “Now let’s go find him.”
“You’ll need a hat in this hot sun, Sheriff,” John Barker added.
“It will have to wait.”
“I’ll get one from my store and meet up with you. You headed straight to Kneeman’s Pass?” John asked.
The sheriff nodded. “Meet us there,” he said as John turned his horse north toward the store he and his wife owned. Sully addressed each of the remaining men. “I don’t have time to make this official, or give you a badge, Evan or Joseph, but for the sake of finding the man or men who shot Jim, consider yourselves deputized. You men know the way I work—I prefer to capture him if possible—but I also don’t want to lose any of you. If you’re in danger, take the first shot.”
“I’ll follow your lead with this one, Sheriff,” Adra conceded. As a Ranger, he could have demanded the lead, but that wasn’t the way he worked. Jim was one of Sheriff Sully’s men, and he deserved to lead them. All of them.
“I appreciate that, Ranger.”
“Sheriff!” A short, stocky man, Hank Adams, Deputy Sheriff, yelled as he stepped out of the jail across the street. “You just got a telegram with an urgent message. You might want to read it before you take off. Want me to join you?”
Sheriff Sully leaped onto his horse in one fluid move and kicked him into a trot, crossing the dirt street toward the jail; the other men followed. “No, Hank. Stay here and mind the town. I’ll read the telegram when I get back. Find someone who can get a message to Jim’s sister, Mary. She should be here with him.”
Hank opened his mouth as if to argue but closed it just as quick. Everyone knew there was no point in arguing with Sully when he used that tone, so he simply shrugged, turned, and sauntered back to the jail.
John Barker pulled up beside Sully and handed him a hat.
“Thanks, John. Let’s go, men.”
As they galloped past the stables, he heard Cider whinny. I wish you were with me, too, buddy, but you deserve a rest after that hard ride. Wish me luck.
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About Kate
Kate Cambridge is a bestselling indie author writing cozy mysteries, sweet historical romance, and contemporary romance—all with a thread of faith, hope, and suspense intertwined. Her debut series, The Choice Brides Suffragette Series, has been a bestseller with three books yet to be released. She has participated in several multi-author collaborations, including Sweet Americana, The Burnt River Western Romance Series, and the latest a multi-author Hero Hearts Christian romance series. She is also an author in the Kindle World, First Street Church.
She has been an avid writer since middle school and has always loved living adventures vicariously through books; as a
result, she pursued a degree in Liberal Studies because, well, nothing else quite fit. Before writing full-time, she ran her own boutique marketing agency, and prior to that wore several hats in the corporate world including: negotiating six and seven figure real estate deals, training, and project management for a major supermarket company.
Writing is her passion, but she also loves animals and hopes to open a shelter for abused and homeless dogs some day. Her greatest joy and blessing is her faith. She is married to her favorite person on the planet, loves being a mom, and also enjoys sailing, music, sea kayaking, and spending time with friends and family at their home on Sebago Lake.
Connect with Kate:
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Also by Kate Cambridge
Read the HERO HEARTS Series
Circle of Trust
Lawfully Charmed
Contemporary Romance
Burnt River Series: Aqua’s Achilles, Western Romance
Burnt River Series: Ivy’s Search, Western Romance
Cozy Mystery
The Prequel, A Hannah & Callum Cozy Mystery
For additional books visit Kate on Amazon!
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