It’s finally here - my OFFICIAL release of The Bounty in paperback! You can buy it now at Amazon, and soon at Borders and Waldenbooks stores.
I’m so excited, I can’t stand it!!
I’m also proud to announce that The Treasure, Book 4 of the Malloy family series, is available from Samhain Publishing! Raymond, the oldest of the Malloy siblings finally gets his own story…
The Treasure
http://www.samhainpublishing.com/thetreasure.shtml
Genre: Romance/Historical/Western/Erotic Elements
When a clumsy governess from New York meets a lonely, bitter rancher, more than her heart will fall.
Ray Malloy is a single father in an age when every child has two parents. Abandoned by his shallow wife, he struggles to find the balance between being a father and being a successful rancher. At the end of his rope with his wild child daughter, he hires a governess from New York to teach his daughter, Melody, to be a lady.
Lillian Wickham is desperate for a job, poor as a church mouse, and determined as a bulldog. Arriving in Wyoming to a chilly reception, and saddled with a five-year-old girl that could be mistaken for an incredibly, dirty little boy does not daunt her.
Ray is determined to avoid women completely, to ignore Lillian’s luscious figure, ruby red lips, and husky voice. Lillian is determined to turn Melody into a lady, come hell or high water, and avoid the hellion’s devastatingly attractive father at the same time. Until one night when Lillian’s clumsiness drops her right into Ray’s arms and their passion takes on a life of its own.
When unexpected danger steals into their lives, and threatens the stubborn child they both love, will their passion be strong enough to survive, or will it tear their world apart?
Excerpt:
Cheshire, Wyoming, March, 1889
Ray Malloy was nervous. It was cold as a bitch that morning and his damn palms were sweaty in his gloves. Couldn’t feel his fingers after driving the wagon to the train station in freezing temperatures, but his goddamned, nervous palms were clammy.
He didn’t know what to expect from Miss Wickham. She sounded pretty proper and very smart in her letter. There wasn’t any personal information exchanged other than their names. He regretted that now. He could have at least asked how old she was, but hell, Mama said she lived with the nuns.
Truth was he didn’t know much about nuns. Or about Miss Lillian Wickham. He hoped she wasn’t a nasty old troll with a hairy wart and a stooped back.
He didn’t trust his instincts with women. After all, he had gotten trapped in the web of the most conniving, innocent-looking black widow spider in the whole Wyoming territory. His wife. Ex-wife now. Regina had skipped town a month after their daughter, Melody, was born. She divorced him six months later from San Francisco.
He hadn’t been with a woman since. Self-imposed celibacy was something he would have in common with Miss Wickham. Five years was a long time, but he didn’t trust women, excluding his sister, sisters-in-law and mother, of course. Unfortunately, aside from his family, Melody didn’t have any contact with other children or women.
And, he thought with a grimace, it definitely showed. She was nearly impossible to track, had a mouth like a sailor, and absolutely refused to wear “girlie” clothes or even take a bath more than once a month. She was a handful. Make that two handfuls. He had no idea how to raise her. He was obviously doing a shitty job of it, judging by the wildness.
Ray prayed Miss Wickham would be able to do something with Melody. She needed to learn her reading and writing, and maybe some ciphering. And she sure as hell needed to learn manners beyond asking “Where’s the biscuits, Pa?”.
He loved Melody fiercely and hoped he hadn’t caused too much damage to her by his ways. Ray knew he wasn’t affectionate, or patient, or even friendly most of the time. Melody was a tiny version of him, down to the scowl she wore when she was angry. His heart ached with the need to do right by her. Against his better judgment, he’d listened to his mother and hired the damn governess, a fancy word for teacher. Truth be told, he hadn’t been able to find someone willing to teach Melody in the entire state of Wyoming. That left him standing on the Cheshire train platform with clammy hands and a twisted-up gut.
Ray shuffled his feet on the wood-planked floor, trying to get the circulation going to his toes. In the distance, the train whistle shrieked, and inside, he jumped a country mile.
Miss Wickham was about to arrive.
* * * *
As Lily stepped from the train at the Cheshire station and set her valise down, she began to search the people on the platform for her new employer. She had bid goodbye to New York nearly a week ago, and here she was finally in Wyoming. It seemed like a dream, like it was happening to someone else. As she had crossed over the great country, she kept a journal of everything she saw. From rivers, to beautiful buildings, buffalo, wild horses and everything in between. It was all incredible and each amazing sight made her decision the best one she had ever made. Without it, she would never have seen all the treasures she’d been too busy to see when she was a child.
The first thing she noticed about Wyoming was it was really cold. Not the kind of cold on the streets of New York. But a biting, gnawing cold that chewed at her cheeks and left them numb. There was snow everywhere she looked. Even on the roof of the train depot. And icicles hung down, some of them at least a foot long. It was a winter wonderland. She pinched herself to stop gawking and started searching for Mr. Malloy again.
After the steam from the locomotive’s engines cleared, she saw a man standing alone in the middle of the platform.
Now that was a big man.
Squaring her shoulders, as well as her resolve, she picked up her valise and headed towards him.
“Mr. Malloy?” she asked when she was about ten feet away.
As she approached him, he took off his hat and regarded her with a bruising stare. He nodded at her question as his large hands tightened perceptibly on his hat. Setting her valise down, she straightened herself up to her full height of not quite five feet. His wavy hair was varying shades of brown and red, and his eyes were a deep emerald green. Yes, indeed, he was quite an imposing size. His bold gaze raked her up and down without a flicker of warmth. She shivered and wasn’t at all sure it was from the frigidly cold air.
“This isn’t going to work, Miss Wickham. I was expecting an older woman. Why, you’re no bigger than a minute, probably not even eighteen yet. Wyoming is no place for a woman like you. Go back to New York.” He turned, leaving her standing on the train platform.
Well, we’ll see about that.
“Mr. Malloy,” she said loudly as she reached out to grab his arm. He stopped short and stared down at her hand as if it were an offensive creature biting him.
“Don’t touch me.” His voice was low, but incredibly forceful.
The fierceness of his command was not lost on Lily. She removed her hand promptly, but with dignity nonetheless.
“My apologies.” She took a deep breath. “I assure you, Mr. Malloy, I am not a child. I am a twenty-six-year-old woman, long since put on the shelf. As I wrote in my letter, I have served as a governess and tutor for eight years for many of the finest families in New York. Mother Superior has corresponded with your mother about me and gave me a sterling recommendation. I am strong, capable and intelligent. I will not be turned away like a beggar looking for food. You offered me a position, sir, and I took you at your word. I always keep mine.” She finished with a firm nod, a trick she’d long ago learned when dealing with recalcitrant children. Thank God he hadn’t noticed her knees knocking together so hard, they almost sounded like drums.
His right eyebrow rose as she spoke. “Think highly of yourself then?”
She knew her cheeks looked like crimson banners, but she refused to back down. This was her future they were talking about, not a parlor conversation about fashion.
“No, I’m simply stating the facts. I am well qualified for the position you offered as your daughter’s tutor, and I’m a more than adequate housekeeper. More than that, I…I need the position. I have nothing to go back to in New York, and no funds to get there.” She hated to admit it to this man, but the trip to Wyoming cost her nearly every cent she owned. She was, to put it bluntly, poor as a church mouse.
He studied her with his razor-sharp gaze for a minute before sighing long and hard.
“Wyoming isn’t a forgiving place, Miss Wickham, and I’m not a forgiving man. We’re both hard, cold and demand respect. I don’t accept excuses from the people who work for me. The first time one of my hands endangers anyone, or lies to me, they’re out on their ass. Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly. Does this mean I’m hired?” Her heart began to beat a staccato rhythm as hope burned in her chest.
“Temporarily, but only until you’ve earned enough to return to New York. Don’t try to convince me otherwise, because my mind is made up.”
With that, he picked up her valise and started walking at a brisk pace down the platform.
****
