When the wagon carrying Odessa Clay and her father overturns, he is killed. She is left alone in the middle of the desert to try to find her way to kin in Phoenix. Hot, dry and scared, Odessa is near death when Zach Johnson finds her. Squinting up into his tanned and handsome face, she imagines she’s died and gone to heaven.
Would-be-outlaw, Zach comes across an unconscious woman alone in the middle of nowhere. Where did she come from? She appears young, but the curves beneath the dusty gingham say otherwise. He didn’t plan to become someone’s hero, but he cannot leave her helpless and stranded.
Will the promise of Odessa’s sweet lips lure Zach from the secret mission that has his gut twisted into a knot? His father’s ranch isn’t the only thing at stake—now it’s his heart, too.
Excerpt:
After slipping the sheet music beneath the mattress, Odessa stripped down to her undergarments, hung her dress on the bedpost and crawled between the covers. She stifled a giggle. Zach would be surprised when she gave him the news of her plans, but she’d have to wait and pretend she found the job during the daytime. Believing she’d put something over on him brought a feeling of satisfaction. A smug grin tugged at her lips.
Fatigue from the long day embraced her. She plumped her pillow and pulled the blanket up beneath her chin. Releasing a relaxing sigh, she closed her eyes.
“You’ve been gone quite a while. Gonna tell me where you’ve been?” Zach’s deep voice cut the silence, startling her.
“Ah…I thought you were asleep.”
“I’m sure you did.” He sat up, letting his blanket fall to his waist.
Distracted by moonlight from the window highlighting his bared chest and muscled arms, her alibi drifted right out of her mind.
