Sometimes a cowboyâs only as good as his name
Rancher Carter Flagstone refuses to take the fall for a crime he didnât commit. Branded a murderer five years ago, heâs dead-set on getting freedomâand revenge. But after locating the woman who helped frame him, Carter is shocked to find Sadie Whitefeather scared, alone and hiding out in a remote Texas town. And what he discovers about the unforgettable night they spent in each otherâs arms makes Carter even more eager to learn the truth. On the run, with no one to turn to but each other, Carter finds forgiving Sadie isnât so hard after all. And clearing his name is more important than he ever imagined....
Sadie was the last woman heâd made love to before his freedom had been ripped away.
And even though heâd hated her for not stepping forward to clear him, while heâd lain on that brick-hard cot every night in prison, heâd fantasized about making love to her again.
Only, now his touch made her cringe with horror.
She wrapped her arms around herself. âYou broke in?â
Damn it. He had to be patient. And he had to protect her.
âBecause you were screaming,â Carter said, intentionally lowering his voice. âI thought the guy who shot at us had broken in.â He gestured toward the sheers. âMaybe through the window.â
Her gaze darted to the window then back to him, as if she was trying to decide whether to trust him. Whether to believe him.
He suddenly wanted that trust more than anything heâd wanted in a long time.
Almost as much as he wanted his freedom.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Rita Herron wrote her first book when she was twelve, but didnât think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesnât have to get a real job. A former kindergarten teacher and workshop leader, she traded her storytelling to kids for writing romance, and now she writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. She lives in Georgia with her own romance hero and three kids. She loves to hear from readers, so please write her at P.O. Box 921225, Norcross, GA 30092-1225, or visit her website, www.ritaherron.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Carter FlagstoneâHe is determined to prove heâs innocent of the murder he was convicted of, even if he has to force Sadie Whitefeather, the woman who slept with him and then framed him, to help him clear his name.
Sadie WhitefeatherâShe had her reasons for betraying Carter and is terrified of him and the man who threatened and assaulted her five years ago.
Everett FlagstoneâHe died of lung cancer after leaving prisonâor did he?
Dennis DyerâCarter was incarcerated for his murderâbut was he a pawn in a twisted plan to set up Carter?
Jeff LesterâThis brute attacked Sadie and has stalked her for five years; why did he want Carter in prison?
Sheriff Norman OttoâHe arrested Carter for murdering Dyer. Is he on the right side of the law or does he have a hidden agenda?
Loretta SwinsonâDid Jeff Lesterâs girlfriend know what he was up to?
Elmore ClementâCarterâs cousin inherited Carterâs fatherâs land. Only, Carter swears he has no other family. Is Clement a fraud?
To Ms. Culpepper, my childhood librarian
who taught me to love books.
Chapter One
Carter Flagstone would die before he would go back to prison.
Which might just happen if he didnât find out who had framed him for murder.
He rolled over on the makeshift bed heâd made in one of the unused barns at the Bucking Bronc Lodge, breathing in the smell of hay, fresh air and freedom.
A freedom that was temporary at best. One that had come at a cost. A guard had been injured in the prison escape, and fingers were pointing at him as the shooter.
His escape only made him look more guilty of that crime and the murder of that man named Dyer, the man heâd been convicted of killing five years ago.
The police had orders to shoot to kill. His damn mug shot was plastered all over the television and in the papers. And if that guard died and the cops caught him, and by chance he lived, heâd end up on death row.
Yep, Texas held one of the highest records for executions, and adding his name to the list would be his claim to fame.
Just like his sorry old manâs name would have gone on the list if he hadnât developed lung cancer. Hell, the state had decided to save their money and the publicity. Killing a dying man just didnât seem worthy.
His bones creaked and his muscles ached as he unfolded his body from the floor and stood. The scars on his arms and chest looked stark and ugly in the thin stream of light seeping through the slats of the barn.
Heâd always been a fighter, but prison had hammered in those instincts and made him better at it. Meaner. Tougher. Harder. Unrelenting.