#1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller presents the Stone Creek story that started it allâ¦
When trouble strikes in Haven, Arizona, Ranger Sam OâBallivan is determined to sort it out. Badge and gun hidden, he arrives posing as the new schoolteacher, and discovers his first task: bringing the ranchersâ children under control. So he starts with a call on Maddie Chancelor, the local postmistress and older sister of a boy in need of discipline.
But far from the spinster Sam expects, Maddie turns out to be a graceful woman whose prim and proper demeanor is belied by the fire in her eyes. Working undercover to capture rustlers and train robbers has always kept Sam isolated and his heart firmly in checkâuntil now. But something about the spirited postmistress tempts him to start down a path he swore heâd never travelâ¦.
Praise for #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller
âMiller is one of the finest American writers in the genre.â
âRT Book Reviews
âThis is a delightful addition to Millerâs Big Sky series.This author has a way with a phrase that is nigh-on poetic, and all of the snappy little interactions between the main and secondary characters make this story especially entertaining.â
âRT Book Reviews on Big Sky Mountain
âMillerâs down-home, easy-to-read style keeps the plot moving, and she includesâ¦likable characters, picturesque descriptions and some very sweet pets.â
âPublishers Weekly on Big Sky Country
âAfter reading this book your heart will be so full of Christmas cheer youâll want to stuff a copy in the stocking of every romance fan you know!â
âUSATODAY.com Happy Ever After on A Lawmanâs Christmas
âA fine conclusion to Millerâs latest trilogyâ¦Animal lovers will enjoy the creatures that make up a delightfully integral part of the story.â
âRT Book Reviews on The Creed Legacy
âMiller once again tells a memorable tale.â
âRT Book Reviews on A Creed in Stone Creek
âA passionate love too long denied drives the action in this multifaceted, emotionally rich reunion story that overflows with breathtaking sexual chemistry.â
âLibrary Journal on McKettricks of Texas: Tate
âStrong characterization and a vivid Western setting make for a fine historical romance.â
âPublishers Weekly on McKettrickâs Choice
Dear Reader,
It is with pleasure and pride that I take you back to Stone Creek and to Sam OâBallivanâs world. Sam is one of my all-time favorite heroes, a man of strength, integrity, humor and honor. His lady, Maddie, is his perfect matchâa partner as well as a lover, his equal in every way.
I would also like to tell you about the scholarship program that I financeâLinda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women, awarded to those seeking to improve their lot in life through education. You can find more information on my website, www.lindalaelmiller.com.
I also hope that youâll be on the lookout for A Wanted Man, where weâll revisit Stone Creek to check in on schoolteacher Lark Morgan and town marshal Rowdy Rhodes. With train robberies, gangsters and romantic sparks flying amongst it all, you wonât want to miss it! Be sure to also watch for a new trilogy in another familiar setting, Parable, Montana, beginning in June with Big Sky Summer.
Happy reading!
For Kathy and Betty,
the Bannon girls, with love
CHAPTER ONE
Haven, Arizona Territory
Fall, 1903
THE PINT-SIZE CULPRITS, heretofore gathered around the well, scattered for the brush as soon as Sam OâBallivan rode into the schoolyard on his nameless horse, but heâd seen enough to know they were up to no good. He caught glimpses of bowl-cut hair, denim trousers and chambray shirts as they fled. Pigtails, too, and a flash of red calico, bright as a cardinal rousted from the low branches of a white oak tree in winter. With a disgusted shake of his head, Sam reined in and dismounted, leaving the gelding to stand untethered while he strode toward the scene of recent mischief. A part of his mind stayed behind, with the animalâit was newly acquired, that horse, and the two of them had yet to form a proper acquaintance. All during the long ride south from his ranch just outside Flagstaff, heâd been too busy cogitating on the complexities of this new assignment to consider much of anything else, going over Major John Blackstoneâs orders again and again in his head, sorting and sifting, weighing and measuring.
âHold on,â he called. The bucket rope was taut and quivering, and he recalled this particular trick from his own youth.
A male voice echoed from the depths of the water hole, a shambling train of plaintive syllables rattling along a track of hopeful goodwill. Sam recognized the keynote as relief.