Whiskey, the mischievous imp of Dodge City, thought it was bad enough for her brothers to sell their shares of her father`s ranch to their US Marshal friend, Morgan, but what was even WORSE was that those men all had it in mind that Whiskey would actually marry Morgan--this hard, firm, LARGE man she had barely met before. Morgan thought Whiskey just needed a firm hand to keep her in line, but Whiskey, who is constantly getting tied up in ridiculous, dangerous situations, is nearly impossible to control, and things get even more complicated when her twin sister comes into town, kicking up even more trouble at home. But Morgan has a dark shadow following in his path, threatening the peaceful life he meant to create with Whiskey. Will they come through this together? Or will Morgan`s past bring tragedy on everything he now holds dear?
Excerpt
What sounded too much like a death rattle came from Taos’ chest. Rage and concern made Morgan force aside thoughts of anything but what needed to be done. Ignoring the burning pain in his arm, he tugged off his coat and then his shirt. He barely noted the briskness in the air on his bare chest. Blood trickled down his arm. Damn bullet was still in the meat of his arm. Couldn’t have passed on through? Hell, no! No time for it now.
“Don’t you die on me,” he growled as he worked fast to rip the shirt up for bandaging.
His face pale as a sheet, Taos gasped, “Always ordering people around.”
“I demand obedience, too.” Especially now. He did not—would not—lose his friend today.
As Morgan pressed the makeshift bandage against his wound, Taos sucked in a breath and squeezed his eyes shut. He grabbed Morgan’s arm with a blood-covered hand. “I’m not going to order you. I’m asking.” He grimaced. “Whiskey. My sister. Promise me you’ll marry her.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Morgan blinked away the moisture stinging his eyes from the thought of losing the only man who knew all of his secrets. A man who had never questioned what Morgan had done, who had merely accepted him as friend. He scowled. “Talking nonsense.”
“Not nonsense.” Taos coughed, the sound knotting Morgan’s stomach. “It’s time…time for you to settle down…like you’ve talked about.”
Morgan shook his head. His comments over their many campfires together had been nothing but talk, nothing but spouting off a fool’s dreams. He had tried settling once and he’d failed. Badly.
“She needs a strong man. You.”
The thought of losing his partner was bad enough. The notion of getting married again was almost as bad. And to Whiskey? He frowned and snapped, “Hold that in place for a minute.”
As Taos held the bloody rag to his chest, Morgan reached up and in an awkward motion tied a strip of his shirt around his bleeding arm. He was getting dizzy from loss of blood. He needed to dig the bullet out. No time for that. He had to make a miracle happen here. He had to find the strength to go after his damn horse. Demon was well trained. Eventually he would stop running and then he would come back looking for Morgan. He was counting on that. Both he and Taos were counting on that.
“Promise me,” Taos prodded, drawing Morgan’s attention once more.
“I’d sooner you just cut out my heart.” To this day he remembered that run-in he’d had with the pint-sized brat at the Wakefield ranch. He’d been damn lucky her brothers hadn’t caught them together in Keno’s room, with him not even properly dressed. Not that it was his fault.
Taos coughed again and then drew in a ragged breath. “You’re wrong…about marriage.” He paled even more. “Even if I make it…promise me you will marry Whiskey.”
He envisioned the spirited woman who had been outraged about him being in her brother’s room. Grass green eyes had sparked with fire. A braid of warm red hair had hung to her butt. A butt he’d been sorely tempted to spank.
“Not a good idea. She’s not my kind of… I’m not her kind of…” He sucked in a breath. He had only told Taos that he’d had some words with her that day, not where they’d had their brief conversation.
“She needs you,” Taos insisted. “I need you…to do this…for me.”
Morgan fought down the demons of his past. As much as he didn’t want to, he knew there was only one answer he could give. He owed Taos too much already. “All right. I’ll do it.”
