The Arizona Lawman

The prettiest rancher he’d ever seen

In her wildest dreams, Tessa Parker never expected to inherit a ranch. But as soon as she sets foot on the Bar X, the orphaned Tessa finally feels at home. And that brusque deputy sherriff who greets her? There’s something about him, too, that makes the rootless Tessa want to stake a claim.

Law and order make Joseph Hollister’s world go round. So when a Tessa from Nevada says she’s the rightful heir to his old friend’s ranch, it turns his universe upside down. Not to mention every fiber of his being, which thrums each time she’s near. But Joseph won’t get close to a woman who’s only passing through. Even though Tessa might be the only one who can repair his heart...

“You know, I’m getting the feeling that the two of us have more in common than just Ray Maddox.”

The husky note in his voice was so sexy it was almost like he was kissing her. The idea caused her nostrils to flare, her breathing to quicken.

“Why?”

Her murmured question put a faint smile on his face and then his head was bending downward, until his lips were hovering a scant few inches from hers.

“We’ve both lost parents. We both ride horses. And, uh, we’re both standing here beneath the desert stars—together. It’s like fate.”

The warning bells going off in Tessa’s head were deafening, but the clanging noise was hardly enough to make her step back and away from him. Something about him was pulling at the deepest part of her, urging her to touch him in ways she’d never wanted to touch a man before.

“This isn’t fate,” she tried to reason. “It’s—crazy.”

His soft chuckle fanned her face. “It’s okay to be a little crazy once in a while.”

* * *

Men Of The West: Whether ranchers or lawmen, these heartbreakers can ride, shoot—and drive a woman crazy...

The Arizona Lawman

Stella Bagwell

www.millsandboon.co.uk

After writing more than eighty books for Mills & Boon, STELLA BAGWELL still finds it exciting to create new stories and bring her characters to life. She loves all things Western and has been married to her own real cowboy for forty-four years. Living on the south Texas coast, she also enjoys being outdoors and helping her husband care for the horses, cats and dog that call their small ranch home. The couple has one son, who teaches high school mathematics and is also an athletic director. Stella loves hearing from readers. They can contact her at [email protected].

To April May Townsend with love.

Thank you for being a friend and dedicated reader.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

“Tessa, you are now an heiress.”

The legal document Tessa Parker gripped with both hands looked real enough, and Orin Calhoun was the closest thing she had to a father. He would never lie to her. But the words he’d just spoken didn’t make sense.

Staring at the rancher, she asked in an incredulous voice, “Are you making some sort of joke?”

Orin glanced over to Jett Sundell, longtime attorney for the Calhoun family and the Silver Horn Ranch.

“Help me out here, Jett.”

The younger man left his comfortable seat in an armchair to walk over to Tessa.

“The document is genuine, Tessa. I’ve already read the will in its entirety and talked at length with the deceased man’s attorney. He assures me his client had full control of his faculties at the time he made out this bequest.” Jett placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. “In short, a man by the name of Ray Maddox has willed you a sizable piece of property in southern Arizona. Along with a very tidy amount of money, which is already waiting for you in a bank account with your name. Congratulations, Tessa.”

Her hands began to tremble violently, causing the document to fall unheeded to her lap.

“That can’t be!” She stared wildly up at Jett then swung her gaze over to Orin. “I don’t know anyone in Arizona! This has to be some crazy mistaken identity!”

Orin held up a hand to calm her escalating doubts. “According to the attorney in Prescott, your identity has been verified several times over. He’s assured Jett that you are the correct beneficiary.”

“So the next step we need to discuss is what you want to do with this windfall,” Jett continued while directing a meaningful glance at Orin. “If it were me, Tessa, I’d want to take a look at the property before I made the decision.”

“Yes, but Tessa isn’t you,” Orin retorted. “She hardly needs to go traipsing off to Arizona to look at a piece of land she doesn’t need. Her home is here on the Silver Horn with us. It won’t be difficult to locate a trustworthy real-estate agent to handle all the details of selling it.”

Frowning, Jett walked over to his father-in-law’s desk. “Orin, I understand that Tessa is like your daughter but—”

“Like a daughter! Hell, as far as I’m concerned, she is my daughter! And as such—”