Lawman on a Mission
Former deputy Will Lawson is fighting to regain his reputationâand Mary Stone is his only lead to the bandit who framed him. Now that heâs tracked Mary to Leadville, Colorado, Will needs the proud beauty to reveal her past. Instead, his efforts spark a mighty inconvenient attractionâ¦
Maryâs only real crime is that she once believed an outlawâs lies. Still, she fears disclosing the truth to Will may land her in jailâand leave her young siblings without protection. Now she must choose between honesty and safeguarding her family. And if Will does clear his own name, can he convince the woman he loves to share it?
âWhy do you care what a supposedly bad man is doing with me?â
Will shouldnât care. It was none of his business if she married Ben or not. And yet, he couldnât stand idly by.
âYou lied to me about severing your connection with him.â
Mary flinched at his words. âI did not. Benâs visit here tonight surprised me just as much as it did you.â
Actually, Will had noticed that. Heâd also noticed how Mary bristled at Benâs attention. But something wasnât right with the situation. âThen why did you announce your engagement?â
âBen announced our engagement.â Maryâs eyes flashed as she emphasized Benâs name. Will had to admit, Mary had really pretty eyes. Green with flecks of gold, so deep a man could spend hours mining them and stillâ What was he doing mooning over her? Hadnât he learned his lesson?
âWhy did you go along with it? Why not tell everyone that youâd broken things off with him?â
âDidnât you hear me try to explain that it was over?â Maryâs voice was littered with the angst of unshed tears. âBut Iââ She shook her head. âIt doesnât matter. Iâll figure something out.â
Will took a step closer. âIâll help you,â he said softly. âLet me help you.â
DANICA FAVORITE loves the adventure of living a creative life. She loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily-ever-after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of Danicaâs stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun. Find her at danicafavorite.com.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
âProverbs 3:5â6
When I married my husband, I found great riches in his family. Without their support, I could not do half of the things I do, especially when it comes to writing my books. Fred, you are always there for us, and give to us so abundantly, I canât even begin to express the depth of my gratitude, love and admiration for you. Pat, you didnât get to see any of this, but thank you. Gloria, you have been such a welcome addition to our family, and you mean the world to us. Ricky, not only do you help me blow stuff up, but you always make me smile. Debbie, thanks for all your support.
Bernard and Teri, you guys have invested so much in our family, and Iâm so grateful for all you do. Most importantly, Iâm thankful for the family traditions youâve kept alive so my children will know about their Leadville relatives. And of course, Iâm so grateful that you give us free access to the Leadville house whenever we want to go up. Without our time in Leadville, there would be no book.
To the Novaksâyou bravely came to America and arrived in Leadville to create a future for your family at a time when life in Leadville couldnât have been easy. I hope my books honor your spirit.
And to Randy, thank you for introducing me to all of them.
Chapter One
Leadville, Colorado, 1881
Someone was following her.
Each time Mary Stone looked around or tried checking behind her, she didnât spot anything unusual. But she was no fool. Sheâd learned to trust that feeling deep in her gut when she knew something wasnât quite right. If only sheâd accepted her friend Pollyâs offer to accompany her on her errand to the mercantile. Selfishly, Mary had wanted just a few minutes to herself, away from her siblingsâ squabbles and the work of putting together their new household.
Selfishness never profited anyone. Maybe it wasnât an exact quote from the Bible, but it had to be in there somewhere. And now Mary was paying for that decision.
Teeming with saloons and miners celebrating the receipt of their wages, the busy street wasnât an easy place to find refuge. Two blocks ahead was the Rafferty Hotel, a respectable place where theyâd stayed when theyâd first come to Leadville. If Mary could get there, she could talk to Mrs. Rafferty and see if one of her hired men could escort her the rest of the way home. That was, if she didnât lose her pursuer first.