Table of Contents

Cover Page

Excerpt

Dear Reader

Title Page

About The Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Epilogue

Copyright

As Jade started out the door,
Reverend Weston reached for the
bolt of fabric in her hand.

“I can manage,” she protested.

“I’m sure you can.” He took it, held the door, then followed her to her rig. After setting the fabric carefully in the back, he covered it with an old quilt to protect it from the dust of the trail.

“Thank you.” She climbed aboard and caught up the reins. “But you might not want to be seen doing nice things for me, Reverend.” She gave a meaningful glance at the window of the mercantile. “After all, what will the good people of Hanging Tree think about their minister being seen with a wicked woman? They might decide you’re unfit to hold prayer meetings in their town.”

“I wouldn’t worry about my reputation if I were you, Miss Jewel. You’ll have enough to worry about with your own.” He gave her a dangerous smile and tipped his hat before sauntering away.

Dear Reader,

Our very talented and multiaward-winning author Ruth Langan can now add USA Today bestselling author to her many accolades, and we at Harlequin Historicals would like to congratulate her and fellow Harlequin Historical author Mary McBride for making it onto the list with their short stories in our OUTLAW BRIDES collection. Ruth’s new series, THE JEWELS OF TEXAS, moves into full swing with this month’s Jade, the story of a small-town preacher who surrenders his soul to the town madam. Don’t miss this wonderful new story from one of our readers’ all-time favorite authors.

In Kate Kingsley’s new Western, The Scout’s Bride, a determined young widow decides to accept the help of a rugged army scout who has made himself her unwanted protector. It’s a marriage-of-convenience story you won’t want to pass up if you enjoy a good Western.

This month’s Lady Thorn, from Catherine Archer, about a Victorian heiress who falls in love with a sea captain, is—in the words of the reviewer from Affaire de Coeur—“impossible to put down.” And Josh Colter and Alexandria Gibson discover they are both looking for the same man in Susan Amarillas’s new Western, Wyoming Renegade. Susan’s last two books have won her 5* ratings from Affaire de Coeur, and fans have been eagerly awaiting this tale of two people who must choose between family, and love and honor.

Whatever your taste in reading, we hope you’ll keep an eye out for all four titles wherever Harlequin Historicals are sold.

Sincerely,

Tracy Farrell

Please address questions and book requests to:

Harlequin Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O.Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

Jade
Ruth Langan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

RUTH LANGAN

traces her ancestry to Scotland and Ireland. It is no surprise, then, that she feels a kinship with the characters in her historical novels.

Married to her childhood sweetheart, she has raised five children and lives in Michigan, the state where she was born and raised.

To Kelly Shea

Langan and to her proud parents, Patty and Mike

And, of course, to Tom, keeper of the flame

Chapter One

San Francisco1867

“Come back to Texas with me, Ahn Lin.” Onyx Jewel lay among the tangled sheets, looking pleasantly sated.

“You know I cannot.” The young woman crossed to the bed wearing a flowing crimson kimono embroidered with Oriental symbols. She had sashed the robe carelessly, leaving as much revealed as covered.

He watched the fluid walk, enjoying the sway of her hips, the jut of her breasts, the subtle billowing of silk with each movement.

She was the most exotic creature he had ever known. Tiny, delicate and perfectly formed. Hair as black as a raven’s wing, falling nearly to her hips. Pouting lips that begged to be kissed. And dark eyes that seemed to see clear to a man’s soul.

“Can’t?” His voice was little more than a whispered growl. “Or won’t?”

Instead of a reply she held out a tray filled with an assortment of sliced fruits. Pomegranates, passion fruit, and mangoes were arranged in pleasing symmetry. It was possible, on the docks of this cosmopolitan city, to choose from the best the world had to offer. And here in the Golden Dragon, the city’s most opulent pleasure palace, a man could find a world of delights. The rooms were filled with the finest Irish crystal, Oriental silks. The rugs beneath their feet were Turkish, the bed hangings Belgian lace.

“Eat,” she said with a smile. “It will soothe the beast in you.”

“It isn’t food this animal needs.” He caught her wrist, and she was, as always, jolted by the strength in this Texan who had stolen her heart.

Though she had built the most impressive hotel in San Francisco, a city known for its excesses, she had been careful to hold herself apart from all who came here to partake of its pleasures. Until Onyx Jewel. This larger-than-life cattle baron was the most fearless adventurer Ahn Lin had ever met. And though she had tried to resist him, in the end she had been completely won over by his charms.

“We have spoken of this before.” Her voice carried the melody of her homeland. “Why must you continue to taunt me with what we can never have?”

He drew her fractionally closer, his eyes never leaving hers. “You said yourself it was a marriage in name only. For God’s sake, Ahn Lin, you were only three years old. And he was your grandfather’s best friend. By now he would be—” he mentally calculated “—seventy or eighty years old.”

“It does not matter. Until he dies I am bound to him, and he to me. I must respect the tradition—”

“Damn tradition! He’ll never leave China. And you’ll never return.”

She placed a hand on his naked chest and felt her heartbeat quicken. How could it be that she could want him again so soon? But she needed only to touch him and she was lost.

In a breathless tone she said, “Do not ask of me what I cannot give. Is it not enough that you are the only man in my life? And that I have given you what I can never give him?”

At that moment there was a knock on the door. Just a light rap, but Ahn Lin withdrew and stood a little away from the bed before she called, “Enter.”

An older woman in traditional Chinese garb stepped back to allow a graceful young woman to precede her.

“I bring greetings, honorable Father.” The stunningly beautiful young woman bowed her head as her tutor had instructed, staring at a spot on the floor, and folded her hands as though in prayer.

Ahn Lin clapped her hands and the girl’s head came up. But it was her father’s voice, rich and warm with humor, that put the sparkle in her eyes.

“Come here, Jade, and give me a kiss,” he called.

Ahn Lin stood to one side and watched the easy display of affection between father and daughter. And though the girl was small and dark haired like her mother, to the discerning eye she bore the unmistakable look of her American father.

This child would be the bridge between their two cultures. And though the mother would always be bound to that land across the sea, it was with a fierce sense of pride that she realized her daughter would know the freedom she herself would never know, the legacy of this bold Texan.

“How long can you stay, Father?” the girl whispered against his cheek.

“I leave in the morning.” Out of the corner of his eye Onyx saw Ahn Lin stiffen. He knew that his words caused her pain. But there was nothing he could do about it. Ironic, he thought, that he controlled millions of dollars, and could command the ear of the president himself, but couldn’t persuade one small, obstinate female to return with him to his home in Texas, so they could live like a proper family.

“Will I have a chance to visit with you before you leave, Father?”

He ruffled the girl’s hair and brushed his lips over her temple. “You know you will. I have a special birthday present for you.”

“A present?”

“It isn’t every day Onyx Jewel’s daughter turns sixteen.”

She clapped her hands in delight and gave him one last kiss, then returned to her tutor’s side. Assuming a formal pose, she bowed slightly and said, “I bid you good afternoon, honorable Father.”

Ahn Lin bowed in return, while Onyx winked and blew her a kiss. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles, and trailed from the room.

When the door closed, there was an uncomfortable silence. Onyx reached out a hand and pulled Ahn Lin to him. The plate of fruit dropped to the floor, but neither of them took notice. For they were filled with the knowledge that this one day of passion would have to last until next they could be together.

If the Fates were kind.

In a separate suite of rooms, Jade paced. She had seen her father arrive that morning, bearing an armload of mysterious parcels and boxes. As always, he had gone immediately to her mother’s suite of rooms, where he had remained sequestered for the day.

Jade had been trained since birth to curb her impatience and hide her true feelings under a veil of inscrutability. But this day her emotions were incapable of being contained. She had been so distracted during her French lesson, her tutor had given up in despair. When Aunt Lily had sent her to the docks with Cook to purchase fresh fish, her feet had fairly flown along the streets. When she’d returned and found her father and mother still in their rooms, she had sulked and refused her lunch, even though it was her favorite—spiced chicken and rice.

Now, having been assured by her father that they would spend some time together, she was desperate for the hours to fly by.

Even her tutor’s promise of a boat ride on the bay failed to elicit the excitement Jade usually felt. When they returned, Jade’s cheeks were abloom, her eyes alight with anticipation.

In her room she found her parents waiting. Both Onyx and Ahn Lin wore identical looks of flushed pleasure.

Jade rushed into her father’s arms. “I have missed you. You have been away too long.”

“I know. Am I forgiven?”

She absorbed his quiet strength, his easy affection, and felt her heart soar with love.

“Why don’t you open your gifts?” He turned her toward the bed, piled high with beribboned boxes.

With a laugh of delight she tore into the packages, to reveal elegant gowns, bonnets and parasols from New York, Paris and London. There were soaps in the shape of roses and violets. There were shoes made of calfskin, satin and fur.. There was a hooded floor-length cape of raw silk, lined with ermine, for those days when the cold winds blew in from the bay.

With each gift, Jade’s eyes grew bigger, her sighs softer. And after admiring each gift, she rushed to her father with another kiss.

“I thought you might wear this tonight,” he said casually as he offered her yet another parcel.

She lifted the lid to reveal a traditional Chinese gown of bright green silk with a mandarin collar and frog fasteners.

“Oh, Father, I have no words. It is so beautiful.”

“No more than you. You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman, Jade,” Onyx said softly. “Almost as beautiful as your mother.”

It was the highest compliment he could have paid her, and Jade felt her throat constrict.

“I’d like you and your mother to join me downstairs for a special birthday dinner,” he said.

Downstairs. With the guests. It was a rare occasion indeed. “Thank you, honorable Father.” Jade glanced shyly at her mother and saw that she, too, was surprised. Though Jade had grown up in this business, she was kept apart from it. “I would like that.”

“Good. Your mother and I will go now. Join us when you’re ready.”

Onyx caught Ahn Lin’s hand and the two strolled from the room.

When she was alone, Jade danced around and around, pausing only long enough to examine each of her gifts again. Then, when a maid arrived to help her dress, she felt the smooth slide of silk against her flesh. Her waist-length hair was brushed until it gleamed. The maid secured it with jeweled combs and draped it over Jade’s shoulder, allowing it to spill across one breast.

When Jade examined herself in the looking glass, she caught her breath. She looked different somehow. Older, maybe. Or was it only her imagination?

Laughing, she danced from the room and down the stairs to join her parents. Finding the private dining room empty, she hurried into the more public rooms. There the air was scented with French perfume, incense and the rich sting of cigars. There was the deep rumble of male voices and the higher trill of feminine laughter. Glasses clinked. In the background music played softly. A lute, a violin, a piano. All carefully calculated to soothe away the cares of the outside world.

Jade stepped through the doorway into yet another room. Several men sat around a table holding cards. A woman in a shimmering, low-cut gown held the deck, dealing slowly.

As Jade watched the players, one man’s head came up and his gaze locked on her. For the space of a heartbeat she couldn’t move.

He was not dressed like the others, in the garb of a gentleman, but rather in the rough garments of the trail. There was an aura of danger about him. Except for a tattered cowhide jacket, he was all in black. Black shirt and vest over black trousers tucked into black boots. He wore a wide-brimmed black hat from which streamed a lion’s mane of golden hair. His bearded face was in shadow. It was obvious that he had been on the move, and hadn’t taken time to shave. A stubbly growth of dull red-blond hair covered his cheeks and chin, masking his features. But she saw his lips, full and sensuous, curve into a lazy smile. And saw his eyes gleam like a cat’s. Smoke curled from a cigar in his hand. On his finger was a ring of twisted gold, with an amber stone that caught and reflected the light of hundreds of candles massed on the mantel. From the pile of chips in front of him, it was obvious that he was winning.

Jade had grown up in a house that catered to such men. None had ever affected her. But standing here, feeling his gaze on her, she couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe. He was the most arresting, fascinating man she’d ever seen.

“Here you are. Cook has prepared a special dinner.” Onyx, with Ahn Lin beside him, halted next to his daughter. “We’re eating in that little alcove.” He offered his arm, and Jade moved along at his side until they reached their table.

All through dinner she could feel the stranger’s eyes watching her. Even when he seemed engrossed in the cards, she could feel his attention wandering to her. And though she didn’t know why, she felt strangely exhilarated. Deliciously wicked.

When a servant brought tea and special little cakes with candles, Jade closed her eyes and made a wish, then blew out the candles.

“What did you wish for?” Ahn Lin asked gently.

Jade felt her cheeks grow hot.

“If she tells, she won’t get her wish,” her father admonished.

Grateful for his words, Jade expelled her breath in a long sigh. For in truth she had wished for something… someone… dangerous. Someone forbidden to her. Never before had she entertained such thoughts. And she knew she had no right to them. Not now. Perhaps not ever.

Onyx reached into his pocket. “I have one more gift for you, Jade.” He removed a small jeweler’s case. Lifting the lid, he said, “I want you to wear this always.” He held up a gold rope on which rested two magnificent stones. One was black, the other green. “The black stone is onyx. The green is jade,” he explained. “They represent the two of us.”

Jade felt tears sting her eyes as her father placed it around her neck and fastened it. Sharing her emotion, he kissed both of her cheeks, then caught her hands in his and stared deeply into her eyes. “I can’t always be the father I’d like to be. But know this, my darling. No matter what, I will always be with you. Even after I leave this world, I’ll move heaven and earth to watch out for you.”

“Oh, Father…” She was so touched, words failed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely.

“I’m glad you like my present. I—” When Onyx felt a hand on his arm he straightened and looked up.

“It isn’t fair.” The man facing Onyx was impeccably dressed in a gray evening suit with high starched collar, gold and diamonds winking at his cuffs. In his hand he held a wad of money. But all the money in the world couldn’t gloss over the fact that he was very drunk. “Here you are with two of the most beautiful women in the world….” The man’s slurred words were loud enough to cause everyone in the room to turn toward him in stunned surprise. “And here I am all alone. You should be willing to share.” He held out the money and pointed at Jade. “I’ll take the younger one off your hands and—”

Onyx stood so quickly he sent his chair toppling backward. His hand fisted in the man’s shirtfront, cutting off his words, cutting off his very breath. His face a mask of fury, his words choked with anger, Onyx growled, “You’ve just insulted my family. The young lady is my daughter. Now get out of here. And don’t ever set foot in the Golden Dragon again.”

The man brought up his hand, revealing something shiny that reflected the glint of candlelight. He jammed it tightly against Onyx’s chest.

“Onyx,” Ahn Lin cried. “He has a gun.”

Reflexively Onyx shoved Jade and Ahn Lin behind him and drew his own weapon, though he knew it was too late. Before he could fire, the sound of a gunshot thundered through the room. For long moments there was an eerie silence. No one moved. No one spoke. Then, with a strangled cry, the man facing Onyx crumpled to the floor.

Across the room the man in black had upended the table, scattering cards and money everywhere. In his hand was a smoking gun.

For the space of several heartbeats Onyx and the gunman faced each other across the room, and the crowd seemed to hold its breath, waiting for what was to come. But instead of the expected gunfight, the man facing Onyx calmly returned his pistol to his holster, signaling an end to the incident.

Pandemonium broke out. While almost everyone in the room gathered around the fallen man, the one who had shot him watched without emotion. With the grace of a mountain cat he strolled to a side table, where he lifted a tumbler of whiskey to his lips and drained it in one long swallow.

Onyx dropped to his knees and checked for a pulse, then shook his head. “He’s dead. Otherwise…” He left the words unspoken. But everyone knew that he would have been the one lying dead had it not been for the quick thinking of the mysterious gunman.

Jade, pale and shaken, heard only snatches of the excited words being spoken.

“…been in here before. Name’s Nub Harkness.”

“Always causing trouble…”

“Can’t hold his liquor…”

“You can be thankful Nevada was here tonight,” someone said to Onyx, “or you’d be the one lying there dead.”

With a thoughtful look Onyx crossed the room and spoke to the man whose quick action had saved his life. He offered his hand, and the gunman accepted.

A few minutes later the authorities arrived, and Onyx and Ahn Lin drew a little away to answer their questions.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the gunman made his way to where Jade, pale and shaken, continued to stand alone in the little alcove.

“I’m sorry your birthday party was spoiled.” His voice, little more than a whisper, was low and deep, for her ears alone.

Jade’s pulse was still pounding in her temples. In her befuddled state she couldn’t put into words all that was whirling through her mind.

“Thank you.” She felt tears spring to her eyes and blinked them away. “Thank you for saving my father.”

He studied her, seeing the confusion, the numbness that signaled shock. Hoping to put her at ease he said lightly, “How old are you today?”

“Sixteen.”

“Sixteen.” His gaze slowly trailed over her and she saw a strange look come into his eyes. If any other man had looked at her like that, she would have felt sullied. But this man had a way about him. Some strange charm that held her in its thrall. Despite the fact that he had just killed a man, he seemed relaxed, almost casual.

“It’s traditional to kiss a young lady on her sixteenth birthday. For luck.”

Without warning he leaned close and touched his lips to hers. It was the merest brushing of mouth to mouth. But she felt the tremors ripple through her body, leaving her shaking. She was so overcome with feeling she couldn’t move, couldn’t even speak. All she could do was stand very still and absorb the shock of his lips on hers, and pray her legs wouldn’t fail her.

When he took a step back, she strained to see his face, to memorize his handsome features. But all she could see were his eyes, hooded and mysterious, and his lips, curved into a dangerous, enigmatic smile.

“The drunk was right about one thing. You are the most beautiful woman in this room.”

Woman. She was startled by the term. No one had ever before called her a woman.

Then he did something so unexpected she could do nothing but stand, as still as a statue, too stunned to even react. He traced his index finger around the outline of her lips, then dipped it inside the moistness of her mouth. As she blinked, he lifted his finger to his own mouth, as if tasting her. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Without another word he turned, then melted into the milling crowd.

Jade felt suddenly bereft. He was gone. The man who had saved her father’s life. The most fascinating man she’d ever met had evaporated like the mist over the bay.

His bold kiss had stunned her. And his quick action had saved the life of the one who meant more to her than anyone in this world.

All she knew about him was his name. Nevada.

And the fact that he was capable of killing without emotion.

Chapter Two

Hanging Tree, Texas1870

“I bring greetings, honorable Father.”

Jade Jewel bowed before the rough pile of stones that marked her parents’ graves. She often rode alone to the windswept site after the heat of the day had ended, finding solace in this primitive place that her father had so loved. How strange, she thought, that it was death that had finally joined them like a proper family.

When she had read of her father’s murder by an unknown assassin, she had left the Golden Dragon in the hands of Aunt Lily and a well-trained staff and had hurried to Texas. What she had discovered when she arrived, cloaked in shock and grief, were three half sisters who, though vastly different, found themselves bound by a common thread.

She had grown to love those three strangers. Diamond, as rough as this land that nurtured her, always dressed like her wranglers, in buckskins and boots, a gun belt perpetually at her hips. Pearl, educated in Boston, was the perfect lady, in prim, but-toned-up gowns and a parasol to shield her delicate skin from the harsh Texas sun. And Ruby, an earthy beauty from New Orleans, shocked the sensibilities of everyone with her revealing gowns and casual indifference to propriety.

Despite their differences, Jade had found friendship, acceptance and, best of all, a feeling of family love with these young women. And so she had stayed on, adding her dead mother’s ashes to this Texas soil, so that her parents were reunited in death as they never had been in life.

The evening sky was vivid slashes of red and gold against a backdrop of stark mountain peaks. A wild, desolate wind came keening across the hills, flaying the ends of Jade’s hair across her cheeks.

All day the summer air had been hotter than a funeral pyre. Now, with night approaching, it was cold enough to sting the skin and chill the bones.

To the occasional passing wrangler of the Jewel ranch, Jade presented a fascinating picture. A tiny, delicate creature, she had dark almond eyes and hair the color of a raven, falling thick and straight to below her waist. In a land of gingham and buckskin, she preferred the garb of her mother’s ancestors, a slim sheath of brilliant silk that fell to her ankles, with slits on either side for ease of walking. This day it was shimmering green, her favorite color, with a high mandarin collar and frog fasteners.

After a childhood spent in the luxury of San Francisco, this rough Texas landscape was alien to the young woman. But, she reminded herself, it was not nearly as difficult for her as it must have been for her mother, who had left the comfort of home and family in China to make a new life across the sea.

“What sustained you, Mother?” she whispered as she dropped to the earth on her knees. “Was it the ancient customs?” She moved her hand to the adjoining stones. “Or the love of one special man?”

She didn’t need to ask what had sustained Onyx Jewel, the man who had stolen her mother’s heart. Onyx was the most fearless man she had ever known. He had lived life to the fullest, until the day a coward’s bullet had put an end to him.

From her carriage Jade retrieved an enameled plate, decorated with exotic symbols. Holding a match to a small stick, she dropped it on the plate and watched as smoke curled, followed by a sweet, thick fragrance. As the incense burned, she again knelt by the graves and closed her eyes, trying to calm her troubled spirit.

“I think it would please you if I would remain here in your home, Father. But how can I put down roots in Texas and still follow the ancient ways?” She remained on her knees for long, silent moments. “I seek your wisdom, Father.”

In her mind’s eye she visualized her childhood home in San Francisco, the luxurious apartment atop the city’s most opulent pleasure palace. They had entertained kings and politicians, millionaires and actors. The rich and famous from all over the world had come there, to see and be seen. In that cosmopolitan setting, the daughter of Ahn Lin and Onyx Jewel had become skilled in the ways of the world. She had acquired a vast knowledge of languages and customs and intellectual pursuits. But she had no idea how to put such talents to use.

And then it came to her. The perfect solution to her dilemma.

As the vision faded, her lids fluttered, then opened. Her features relaxed into a smile of pleasure. “Of course. It is all so simple. It is exactly what the town of Hanging Tree needs. Thank you, my esteemed father, for sending me the vision. I shall begin work at once on the arts in which I have been trained. I shall reproduce here in Hanging Tree the pleasure palace of my youth.”

Jade guided the team through the wide dirt road that was the main street of Hanging Tree. The elegant white-and-gilt carriage moved smartly past the blacksmith’s shop, the stables, Durfee’s Mercantile and Doc Prentice’s infirmary. She sailed past the jail and marshal’s office, past Potter’s Boardinghouse, until the rig rolled to a stop at the very end of town, on a high, grassy knoll.

The air rang with the sound of saws biting into wood and nails being hammered. A collective shout went up as another wall was raised into place. Workers swarmed like bees securing the structure.

Jade stepped down from the carriage and stood watching as her future took shape before her eyes. Already she could envision the facade, with bright red winged arches, and a golden dragon standing guard on either side of huge, hand-carved double doors.

Once inside, a visitor would be transported to another world. Rugs, furniture, tapestries from the far-flung corners of the globe. Soft, muted music. Food unlike any ever tasted in Texas. And the air heavy with incense.

“There she is, Reverend.” A woman’s voice was raised in anger. “As brazen a hussy as you’ll ever see.”

Jade turned to see a crowd of townspeople trooping toward her, led by town gossip Lavinia Thurlong and her friend Gladys Witherspoon, with the preacher in their midst.

“Why would you bring such trash to our town?” Lavinia demanded, pointing toward the growing structure.

“Yes. Why?” The words, spoken by six or seven women, sounded like echoes.

“Why, we don’t even have a proper church yet. And you’re wasting money and precious lumber on this… this den of iniquity.”

Half a dozen heads nodded in agreement.

“Mrs. Thurlong,” the preacher said gently, “maybe you should give Miss Jewel a chance to speak.”

“A chance to speak! We don’t need to hear from the devil’s own. I say we take a torch to this disgusting building before it can become a blight on our community.”

Voices murmured in agreement.

The preacher stepped forward and faced the group of angry women. “Mrs. Thurlong, you agreed we would merely ask Miss Jewel about her intentions for the building.”

“I don’t need to ask,” Lavinia said with an air of importance. “Everyone knows what she’s planning. A whorehouse. Right here in Hanging Tree.” She fixed Jade with a steely look. “And you can’t deny it, can you?”

Jade swung away, turning her back on the crowd.

“You see?” Lavinia shouted. “She can’t deny the truth.”

Jade could hear the preacher’s voice, low, persuasive. “All right, ladies. You’ve made your point. Now I think it’s time to return to your homes.”

“Oh, we’ll go home,” Lavinia cried. “And draw our shutters against the filth invading this town. But I warn you, Reverend, if you don’t persuade her to take her disgusting business elsewhere, we’ll have to resort to something stronger than words.”

Jade clutched her arms about herself and listened to the sound of retreating footsteps and the murmur of voices as the crowd dispersed.

“They mean it, Miss Jewel.”

At the sound of the deep voice, Jade turned. “Reverend Weston. I thought you’d left with the others.”

She took a step back from the charismatic young minister, who seemed to have captivated the imaginations of all the females in Hanging Tree, both young and old. He was too intense, too… volatile. There was about him an aura of strength and mystery that bothered her. From the first time she’d met him, he had affected her this way. She didn’t understand her reaction. But something about him made her uneasy. He was too tall, too muscular, too… potently male.

“I stayed so that we could have a little talk.”

“I don’t want to talk. I just want to watch my building take shape.” She knew her voice sounded breathless, but she couldn’t seem to control it. It wasn’t the nearness of this man. It wasn’t personal. It was simply that he had startled her.

He didn’t look like a man of God. In fact, there were times—when he stood before the congregation, his fist in the air, his voice ringing with righteous indignation—that he looked like the very devil himself. With a’ mouth that was far too sensual for any man, and eyes more gold than green, he seemed exactly like a wild predator set free from his cage. There was a restless energy about him that disturbed her.

He lowered his voice. “So far, the people are only resorting to words, Miss Jewel. I’m afraid when the building is completed you’ll find yourself the object of a great deal more than words.”’

She was stunned. Her dark eyes flashed with challenge. “Just because I’m opening my business here in town?”

“It isn’t just another business. To the simple people of Hanging Tree, it is the work of the devil.” He studied her look of shock and knew that he’d caught her off guard. “They’ll never permit it.”

“Is that a threat, Reverend Weston?”

“A warning, Miss Jewel.” He caught the full effect of those blazing eyes and felt a jolt. “You have no idea of the fervor of these people. I think you ought to be prepared for a fight.”

“What would you have me do? Stop building now, before it’s even completed?”

“You could turn it into something the people need.”

“Such as?”

“How about a hotel?”

“The thought of calling the Golden Dragon a hotel is as ludicrous as calling my father a cowboy.”

“It’s said that before he became a cattle baron, Onyx Jewel was a simple cowboy.”

She bristled. “Simple? Never. And the Golden Dragon will never be simply a hotel. In the land of my mother, her ancestors provided pleasure for emperors.” Jade’s voice lifted with pride. “The Golden Dragon will be a place where men from miles around can gather.”

“Then be warned, Miss Jewel. The citizens of Hanging Tree will not take this lightly.”

“I think it’s not the people of this town you worry about, Reverend.” She kept her smile in place, though her tone betrayed her growing anger. “I think you fear that the words you preach will not be strong enough to help them resist the… pleasures I offer.”

His eyes narrowed. “I know more about these people than you do, Miss Jewel. They’ll rise up and fight you on this. And the fighting could turn ugly.”

“I should think that would make you happy.” Deliberately ignoring him, she turned her back on him and watched the swarm of workmen. “You can become a hero in the eyes of your congregation as you lead them in the fight against the devil.”

“I wouldn’t want to see that happen, Miss Jewel.”

“Neither would I, Reverend Weston.”

Proud. Intractable. Those were the words that came to mind as he watched her. She would be a formidable opponent. But he knew from experience that she would be no match for the people of Hanging Tree.

“I hope you’ll change your mind about the sort of work you intend to do.”

“How can I? It’s all I know. All I’ve been trained for.”

He paused a moment, studying the proud tilt of her head. Could it be that in her innocence she saw nothing wrong with her plans? “I’ll bid you good day, Miss Jewel.” In loose, easy strides he walked away.

Jade continued to watch the workmen. But her heart was beating overtime. And the day had grown unseasonably warm. Anger, she told herself, not the preacher, always had that effect on her.

“Good afternoon, Miss Jade. I was just talking about your new business to the Reverend and Willy here.” Rufus Durfee, owner of Durfee’s Mercantile, nodded toward Wade Weston and a visiting rancher, who had brought him a wagonload of beehives in exchange for some sacks of flour and sugar.

Jade managed a smile.

Rufus hooked a thumb toward the end of town. “Miss Jade Jewel is building the Golden Dragon.”

“You don’t say?” The rancher squinted through the dirty window and watched the workers as they scrambled to secure the final wall.

Jade walked between two shelves displaying an assortment of canned goods and bolts of fabric. She heard the rancher ask, “What good’s a place like that out here in the middle of nowhere? I mean, hell, Rufus, who can afford it?”

Rufus gave a muffled reply. “What do I care? As long as it ain’t my money, I’m willing to allow Miss Jade to build anything she wants. Don’t forget, the town’s growing. Last year alone we had the visiting judge stop by almost once a month. And those banker fellows, looking to take over Chester Pierce’s bank, after he got hung for shooting Onyx Jewel.” He lowered his voice. “It would seem that Hanging Tree is enjoying a building boom. Besides Miss Jewel’s place, Farley Duke has just finished work on his sawmill down by the creek. And there’s a rumor that the railroad’s coming to Hanging Tree. If it’s true, there’ll be cattlemen and railroad men and people from all over the country beating a path to our little town.”

“The railroad.” The rancher’s voice grew loud with excitement. “Why, Hanging Tree could become as big as Fort Worth. Or Abilene.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” Rufus warmed to the subject. “Maybe I should add to my place. At roundup time, cattle drovers could clean me out in a single day.”

Jade smiled to herself as she selected a length of pale pink fabric for Pearl. She hoped the rumors were true about the railroad. If so, the Golden Dragon could become the most important watering hole in all of Texas.

Hearing footsteps, she whirled as Wade Weston walked up behind her. “Are you following me?”

“You flatter yourself, Miss Jewel.” He reached over her head and removed a tin of tobacco. “In the course of any given day, you’ll probably see half of Hanging Tree in Durfee’s Mercantile.”

She glanced at the object in his hand. “Tobacco, Reverend? I thought you were above such things.”

At her attempt to bait him into a fight, he merely smiled. “I’m riding out to visit old Yancy Winslow, and I thought he’d appreciate a little gift.”

“I should have known. You have no vices, do you?”

His smile grew. “None that I’d care to tell you about, Miss Jewel.”

As he sauntered away, Jade glowered at his back before following at a distance.

“’Course,” Rufus was saying to the rancher, lowering his voice for emphasis, “there always seems to be a dark side to a town’s growth. I’ve heard a few stories lately that had me wondering what this town’s coming to.”

“How do you mean?” the rancher asked.

Rufus lifted an apron and began polishing his spectacles, enjoying the fact that his audience had swelled. Two women from the town had just entered. Lavinia Thurlong and Gladys Witherspoon glared at Jade as she approached.

“There’s talk that a gang of outlaws might be in the territory. A rancher returned from tending his herd to find his wife and children dead, their house and barn torched. And that’s not all.”

“Go on, Rufus,” Lavinia urged. Her chin quivered with excitement. She couldn’t wait to pass along this juicy bit of gossip. “What else have you heard?”

Rufus took his time, enjoying the narrative. “Over in Crooked Creek a rancher was found shot in the back, his entire herd stolen. Some say it’s the Garland Gang.”

Though that meant nothing to Jade, she couldn’t help noticing the reaction of Reverend Weston. He had gone very still.

“Can’t be,” the rancher said. “I heard that gang disbanded a couple of years ago, after one of ‘em went to prison.”

“I heard that, too,” Rufus said. “But Marshal Regan thinks the killings sound like Ned Garland.”

Rufus took Jade’s money and handed her change, then turned his attention to the preacher. “You tell Yancy to give you a list of supplies, Reverend, and I’ll have my boys deliver them next time they’re out that way.”

“Thanks, Rufus. I’m sure Yancy will appreciate it.”

As Jade started out the door, Reverend Weston reached for the bolt of fabric in her hand.

“I can manage,” she protested.

“I’m sure you can.” He took it, held the door, then followed her to her rig. After setting the fabric carefully in the back, he covered it with an old quilt to protect it from the dust of the trail.

“Thank you.” She climbed aboard and caught up the reins. “But you might not want to be seen doing nice things for me, Reverend.” She gave a meaningful glance at the window of the mercantile, where Lavinia and Gladys could be seen watching. “After all, what will the good people of Hanging Tree think about their minister being seen with a wicked woman? They might decide you’re unfit to hold prayer meetings in their town.”

“I wouldn’t worry about my reputation if I were you, Miss Jewel. You’ll have enough to worry about with your own.” He gave her a dangerous smile and tipped his hat before sauntering away.

As she left the town of Hanging Tree, Jade struggled to put Wade Weston out of her mind. Why in the world should one small-town preacher cause her so much discomfort? He was, after all, smug, arrogant, overbearing. And far too perfect for her taste.

She would prefer an adventurer, like Onyx Jewel, the man who had won her mother’s heart. Or—the thought came unbidden to her mind—a mysterious gunman dressed all in black, who would calmly shoot anyone who threatened her harm, then kiss her until she was breathless.

With an effort she forced herself to put aside such nonsense and concentrate on the work ahead of her. She would have to go to San Francisco soon, to see to the furnishings for the Golden Dragon. There was only so much she could do by mail order. The rest would have to be arranged through her connections in the bustling California city.

The sound of her carriage blotted out the steady thrum of horses until they were nearly upon her. Turning, she was startled to see a cluster of horsemen. Their faces were hidden behind bandannas.

And their guns were all aimed at her.

Chapter Three

The cold, hard lump of fear settled in Jade’s throat, threatening to choke her. Recalling Rufus’s tales of horror, she urged her team into a run. The pretty, gilded carriage raced across the dusty ground, jolting over ruts and rocks until, at times, it seemed airborne.

Even when she heard the sound of gunfire she refused to halt. Instead, she shouted to her horses, urging them even faster.

A quick glance over her shoulder showed the horsemen gaining. One rider, on a lathered mount, pulled ahead until he was even with her rig.

“Stop or you’re dead!” he shouted, leveling his pistol at her.

When he saw that she had no intention of obeying, he whipped his dust-covered mount until it reached her team. Leaning far over in the saddle, he caught the lead horse’s bridle and held on until the team came to a shuddering halt.

Horsemen surrounded her carriage, their guns drawn.

“Now, woman, step down,” one of them called.

“Let’s see what we worked so hard to catch,” shouted another.

The men laughed until a glance at their leader made the laughter die on their lips.

He remained astride his mount. Instead of a gun he now held a whip in his hand. A bandanna covered the lower part of his face. Only his eyes were visible beneath the wide-brimmed hat. There was a simmering blood lust in those dark, feral eyes. Jade was reminded of a wolf about to devour helpless prey.

“Step down from that rig.” His voice, rough and commanding, added to his aura of danger.

Fear had Jade’s heart hammering, but she gave no outward sign. Instead, clutching her shawl firmly around her shoulders, she stepped from the carriage and faced her attackers.

“If it’s money you want—”

“Oh, we’ll help ourselves to your money. And…other things, as well.” At the leader’s suggestive words, his men began to laugh.

“Take off the shawl. I’d like to see what I’m getting.” He began to uncoil his whip.

Jade stood her ground, clutching her shawl even more tightly about her.

“I guess I’ll just have to teach you a lesson, woman. When I give an order, I expect it to be followed without delay.” The whip snaked out, and in one quick, practiced movement snagged her shawl, tearing it from her.

His eyes narrowed when he saw what she’d been hiding beneath it. The jeweled handle of a small, deadly dagger glinted in her hand.

“You think you can use that knife against all these guns?” he sneered.

“Would you care to test my skill?” Fear clogged her throat, making her voice husky. But she had no intention of giving in to the terror that threatened. “Before your bullets can stop me, my blade will find your heart.”

At her words he sat up straighter in the saddle, regarding her in silence. “I guess I’ll just have to call your bluff.”

He lifted his arm to crack his whip. At the same moment Jade tossed her knife. Reflexively he twisted in the saddle. Instead of finding his heart, the blade bit deeply into his shoulder.

“Why, you little…” He let out a snarl of rage as he pried the knife free and tossed it aside. Then he gripped his flesh to stem the flow of blood.

Before his men could react, a series of gunshots rang out, sending them diving for cover. Another round of gunshots sent the dirt spraying directly beneath the feet of their leader’s horse.

“It must be a posse, Ned,” someone shouted. “Run.”

The leader gave one last glance at Jade, then wheeled his mount and beat a hasty retreat. With shouts and curses, the rest of his men followed, leaving Jade standing alone.

She turned in the direction of the gunshots, but could see nothing but a thick stand of trees. She waited, lifting a hand to shield the sun from her eyes, but no horsemen appeared.

“They’ve gone!” she shouted. “You drove them away!”

Her words were met with silence.

Puzzled, she bent and retrieved her knife from the dirt. It was still stained with the blood of her attacker. Clutching it in her hand, she strode toward the trees, calling, “You can come out now. We’re alone.”

The grove of trees was empty. There was no one there.

She turned to look in all directions, but could see no one.

She knelt and studied the dirt. It bore the unmistakable sign of a single set of hoofprints.

Could it be that there had been only one man? If so, he had been wise to keep his identity hidden from those gunmen. For they would surely have stood up to his gunfire and exacted revenge for his interference.

But why hadn’t he remained to reveal himself to her? She had a right to know who had saved her life. She wanted to thank him. And somehow reward him for his kindness.

After carefully studying the surrounding area, she returned to her carriage and took up the reins. As the horses set off at a brisk pace, reaction to what had almost happened began to set in. Despite the warmth of the sunlight, she couldn’t stop shivering. Her body was racked with tremors. She had no doubt that, without the appearance of her unknown savior, her fate would have been the same as that of the other victims of this vicious gang.

But who had saved her? And why had he chosen to keep his identity secret?

“A mystery man. How romantic,” Pearl said when Jade told her sisters what had happened.

Her husband, Cal, foreman of the Jewel ranch, tightened his grasp on his bride’s shoulder when he heard the news, and drew their adopted sons, Daniel and Gilbert, closer. It was one more thing to be concerned about. One more reason for the wranglers to keep a close eye on the women and children. “We’ll need to report this to the marshal.”

Jade nodded. “If it weren’t for my…mysterious rescuer, there would be something far worse to report.”

“Mystery man. Hah.” Diamond, ever the cynic, touched a hand to the gun at her hip. Her cowhide vest couldn’t hide the slight swelling of her middle, the only indication that she was expecting a baby. “What you need is a pair of six-shooters.” She glanced lovingly at her husband, Adam, who returned her smile with a wink. “Then you won’t need a man to save your hide. You can do it yourself.”

“I have my knife,” Jade said softly. “And I used it against their leader. But even a pair of pistols would not have been enough against those men. Without that mysterious gunman, I would never have survived.”

“I wonder who it was,” Diamond mused. “Most of the wranglers around here work for us, or for one of the other ranchers in the area.”

“Perhaps a passing cowboy,” Pearl suggested.

“But why wouldn’t he reveal himself to me?” Jade demanded.

“Could be a man on the run,” Adam said, recalling his own scrape with the law, when he’d been wrongly accused of murder.

Cal nodded. “A man outside the law wouldn’t want anyone to know he was in these parts.”

“You are all wrong. I know who it was, chérie,” Ruby said to Jade.

Everyone turned to the young woman, whose lips were curved into a knowing smile.

“It was your guardian angel.”

“What nonsense,” Diamond snapped.

“Nonsense! You do not believe in spirits?” Ruby’s eyes flashed. “In the bayou we know these spirits intimately.”

“Well, here in Texas—” Diamond began, but a question from Pearl silenced her.

“Didn’t you say you saw hoofprints?” Pearl asked gently.

Jade nodded.

Pearl turned to Ruby, determined that common sense would prevail. “I don’t think guardian angels ride horses.”

“What do you know?” The fiery beauty gave her sisters a haughty look. “Jade said the grove of trees was empty. Those prints could have been made hours earlier. You will need more than that to convince me that it was not a guardian angel that saved Jade.”

As Jade made her way to her room, she mulled over all that she had seen and heard. She was more confused than ever. Whether it was a spirit, a guardian angel or a flesh-and-blood man, she owed her life to this invisible protector.

Wade Weston yawned and stretched before tossing aside his bedroll and getting to his feet. He had decided against returning to his regular room at Millie Potter’s boardinghouse last night. Sometimes he needed to be alone. To get away from the fancy black suit and the starched white shirt and the polite words expected of a man of the cloth.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like people. Most of the time he enjoyed their company. Decent folks like Millie Potter and her three sweet daughters, April, May and June. And honest folks like Rufus Durfee and his fine, strapping boys, Damon and Amos. And lonely old folks like Yancy Winslow.

But there were times when he just wasn’t fit company. When the black moods came over him, blotting out all the good, the fine, the decent things of this world. Then he had to pull away, draw into himself and keep his own counsel.

He tossed another log on the smoldering embers of the fire before placing a blackened pot on the coals. Soon the air was redolent with the deep, rich fragrance of coffee.

He lathered his face and ran the straight razor across his cheeks and chin in smooth, even strokes. Then he stripped and strode into the frigid waters of Poison Creek. After soaping himself, he began to swim. With strong, powerful strokes he swam the width of the creek and back. Pushing himself to the limit, he continued to swim back and forth until his muscles protested.

Breathing hard from the effort, he clambered up the slope and tossed back his wet hair, sending a spray of water dancing in the sunlight. With his skin still damp, he had to struggle into his pants. As he reached for his shirt, he caught a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. He whirled.

Jade was there, seated in her carriage.

How long had she been here? From the strained expression on her face, long enough to have seen more than she’d bargained for, he thought. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open in surprise. But to her credit she wasn’t blushing. And in the blink of an eye she composed herself.

“You shouldn’t sneak up without warning. If I’d been another kind of man I might have fired off a shot before I even knew who you were.” Wade grabbed up his shirt and shrugged into it, tucking it into his waistband and buttoning it as he walked toward her.

Seeing the tight line of her mouth, he softened his tone. “Sorry, Miss Jewel. I didn’t mean to be so abrupt. But you startled me.”

“You startled me, as well.” She couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from his strong fingers working the buttons. When she finally did, she found herself mesmerized by the width of his shoulders, the muscles visible beneath the fabric of his shirt. She couldn’t put aside what she’d just seen. He had the body of a rancher, or a cowboy. Hardly what was expected of a preacher. “I—wasn’t prepared to see you… to see anyone here.”

His stern features relaxed into a mocking grin. “Obviously I didn’t expect to see you, either, or I would have been better prepared. Or at least better dressed.” He nodded toward the campfire. “Will you join me for a cup of coffee?”

“No. Forgive me for intruding.” She lifted the reins, prepared to flee.

He reached a hand to stop her. “Please, Miss Jewel. Don’t run away. I’m afraid I reacted badly. I apologize. I really would enjoy your company.”

As his hand covered hers she felt the jolt. And struggled not to show it.

Her reaction to this man puzzled her. He had already made it clear that he intended to oppose her. What had her honorable father always said about an enemy? Better to face his angry words now than his gun later. Perhaps she should try to befriend her opponent. Or at least soften his arguments with a few of her own.

“I suppose I have time for a cup of coffee.” She stepped down from the carriage and crossed to a fallen log. “Do you often sleep in the woods?”

“Not often.”

“I thought you rented a room at Millie Potter’s.”

“Usually.” He poured two cups and handed one to her before taking a seat in the grass. “But sometimes I just need to be alone.”

“Ah.” She stared into her coffee. “I can understand that. I often find myself wishing for time alone.”

“I suppose it must seem overwhelming sometimes, facing the prospect of a new business, while also having to adjust to three new sisters.”

She nodded. “I haven’t decided which is more difficult. The business, or the strangers who are my sisters.”

Wade leaned his back against his saddle and studied her. One dainty foot was crossed over the other. Her gown of amber silk clung to her curves in a very beguiling way. She appeared tiny. Delicate. But he knew that her appearance was deceiving. There was nothing weak or fragile about Jade Jewel. Right now she was frowning, and he knew that he was the cause of that frown. Ordinarily he would have done whatever he could to ease her tension. But today there was a devil inside him. One that he was tired of fighting.

“What brings you to the banks of Poison Creek at this hour of the day, Miss Jewel? I don’t think it’s privacy you’re seeking. Or a bath.” Though the thought of seeing her bathing caused a pleasant heat low in his stomach.

“I was eager to see what the workmen had accomplished since my visit yesterday.” The truth was, it had taken all Jade’s courage to leave the safety of her ranch. But she couldn’t permit a gang of villains to rob her of her freedom. And so, despite her fears, she had forced herself to venture forth. “I…thought I’d take a different route to town.”

Wade heard the slight hesitation in her voice. “Is something wrong?”

“Of course not. Everything is fine. Why do you ask?”

He wrapped his hands around his cup and gave a negligent shrug of his shoulders. “I just wondered why you came in this direction, when it’s so far out of your way.” His gaze was arrested by the jewel-handled knife tucked into the sash at her waist. “And why you’re wearing that for protection.”

Seeing the direction of his gaze, she touched a hand to the hilt. “I carry this always, though I usually keep it hidden from view. It was my mother’s. And her mother’s before her. When my mother came here from China, she carried this to ward off evil spirits.”

His lips curved. “Did it work?”

She gave a mysterious smile. “I don’t know about evil spirits. But it saved her many times from men with evil intentions.”

Wade grew thoughtful as he stared into his cup. “The world is full of men with evil intentions.”

“I suppose you see a great deal of them in your work.” She sipped her coffee.

“And what about your work, Miss Jewel?” He looked up, pinning her with those fiery eyes. “Don’t you think you’ll have to deal with evil men in the Golden Dragon?”

She felt the heat stain her cheeks. “That will be my problem. And I’ll be the one to deal with it.”

“It won’t be just your problem. The presence of such men will become a problem for the entire town.”

She gave a sigh. “I knew you would find a way to twist this conversation until it got back to my business and why I should forsake my plans.”

“You’ll find many in town who oppose you, Miss Jewel. What you’re planning is offensive to them. It will attract the sort of people to Hanging Tree that often bring trouble. I hope you have good friends to stand by you.”

Again she heard that thread of righteous anger. “It’s what everyone hopes for. A friend to stand by us in our time of need.” She paused, thinking about her experience at the hands of the gunmen. Without thinking of the consequences she blurted, “I discovered such a friend yesterday.”

He watched her in silence over the rim of his cup.

“On my way home from Hanging Tree I was attacked by a group of armed men.”

His eyes narrowed. “Did you recognize them?”

She shook her head. “They called their leader Ned. Their faces were covered by bandannas. But I know that they intended…harm.” She saw the hardness that crept into his features. And the little muscle that began working in his jaw. Even a man of peace would know what armed, ruthless men did to helpless women. “All I had for defense was my knife. But I was prepared to use it.” She lowered her voice. “Or die trying.”

“You look very much alive to me, Miss Jewel.”

She drained her cup, then set it aside. “The gunmen were driven away by the sound of gunshots. But when they rode off, I found myself alone. Whoever fired those shots didn’t wish to be seen. But I keep asking myself, why? Why would someone go to the trouble of saving my life, and then leave before I could offer my thanks?”

“Perhaps you imagined the gunshots.”

“Did my attackers imagine them, as well?” Agitated, she stood.

He got slowly to his feet, towering over her. Again she felt awed by the sense of tightly coiled strength in this man of peace.

“No, Reverend Weston. I know what I heard. Someone saved my life. And though I don’t know him, I’m deeply indebted to him.” She tipped her head back to look up into his eyes. Her own were troubled. “Ruby explained it by saying that in the bayou everyone believes in the presence of guardian angels. Is that part of your culture, as well? Do you believe it was a…guardian angel who saved me?”

He gave her a dangerous smile. “It might have been.” The smile grew. “But more than likely it was a stranger just passing by who saw a need and responded to it.”

“But why would he leave without revealing himself?”

His gaze fastened on her lips, and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

“I can see that this disturbs you, Miss Jewel. But I don’t see why it matters so much. You’re safe. You walked away unharmed.”

The breeze caught a strand of her hair and flayed it against her cheek. Without thinking he reached up and caught it, watching through narrowed eyes as it sifted between his fingers.

Jade couldn’t breathe. Her heart was thundering so loudly in her chest, she was certain he could hear.

When he realized what he’d done, he lowered his hand to his side, where he clenched it into a fist. “And you’ve probably learned a valuable lesson about the perils of traveling alone in this desolate land.”

She let out the breath she’d been unconsciously holding. Sweet heaven, she’d feared he would kiss her. And the truth was, she couldn’t be certain whether or not she would have resisted.

“Now you sound like Diamond.” Highly agitated, she stalked to her carriage. “Thank you for the coffee, Reverend Weston.”

“Any time, Miss Jewel.” He placed a hand beneath her elbow to assist her into the rig.

Her pulse speeded up and she blamed it on anger.

As she took up the reins he said, “I hope you’ll be cautious on your ride into town.”

“You needn’t fear.” She flicked the reins, and the horses lurched ahead. “I wouldn’t want to test my guardian angel too often. By the time the Golden Dragon is completed, he may be the only one left on my side.”

Deep in thought, Wade watched until her carriage disappeared below a ridge. Then he returned to the campfire and tossed his lukewarm coffee into the flames.

Chapter Four

“Reverend Weston, look what Agnes made for you.” Lavinia Thurlong had a death grip on her daughter’s arm, shoving her forward until she was standing directly in front of the handsome minister.

“It’s a blackberry pie.” Agnes blushed and giggled as their fingers brushed.

“Thank you, Agnes. That’s very kind of you.” Wade gave her a gentle smile and set the pie on the windowsill of Durfee’s Mercantile. Once a week he held services in the back room. The people came from miles around to hear his ringing sermons.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jade step down from her carriage, flanked by her three sisters. He fought to cover his surprise.

“Agnes is the best pie baker in Hanging Tree.” At the moment it wasn’t her daughter’s baking skills that interested Lavinia. The only thing she had on her mind was snagging an eligible bachelor for eighteen-year-old Agnes.

Agnes was a pretty little thing, with a headful of dark curls, big brown eyes and a dimple in each cheek. The trouble was, all the cowboys for miles around were sniffing after her. And none of them was what her mother considered proper husband material.

Now, Reverend Wade Weston, on the other hand, was handsome enough to make even Lavinia’s heart flutter. And every mother knew that a man of God would make an excellent husband. After all, the town minister and his family always had a place to sleep and food on the table. Not like farmers, who had to scratch a living from the soil. Or cowboys, who were always off chasing a dream, or another herd of mustangs. And from Reverend Weston’s sermons he was known to be kind, considerate, thoughtful. In short, every mother’s dream.

“I guess she takes after you, Lavinia,” Wade said, keeping his smile carefully in place as Jade trailed her sisters up the steps.

Lavinia blushed nearly as much as her daughter. With matching smiles the two women filed into the room and took their places alongside their neighbors.

“Morning, Wade.” Diamond greeted him affectionately.

“Good morning, Diamond.” He accepted her handshake. “Where’s Adam?”

“Out with the herd on the north range.”

“Send him my best.” He turned to Pearl, who was lowering her parasol. “I see Cal didn’t join you.”

“He and the boys are with Adam. This time of year there’s just too much to do out on the range.”

“I understand.” He smiled at Ruby, who was adjusting her shawl to hide her revealing neckline. “I’m happy to see you, Ruby.”

“You would have seen a whole lot more of me if Diamond hadn’t reminded me to cover up.” She knotted the ends of the shawl and tossed them carelessly over her shoulder before sauntering inside the mercantile. “Wouldn’t want to create a scandal,” she muttered.

The eyes of every man in the room riveted on her as she followed her sisters up the aisle to a row of vacant seats.

Wade was still chuckling when he turned to Jade with his hand outstretched. “Good morning.” He kept his tone deliberately bland, though he felt suddenly too warm.

This day she was wearing a gown of pale blue silk, with mandarin collar and black frog fasteners. Her long hair had been twisted into an elegant knot on top of her head, with little tendrils slipping loose to kiss her cheeks and the nape of her neck.

“I’m glad you came with your sisters. I was afraid you might begin to avoid Sunday services.”

“And miss hearing you warn the good people of Hanging Tree about the evil woman in their midst?”

He nearly laughed at the sparks that shot from her eyes. She was daring him to rile the congregation. And he was a man who had always loved a challenge. But he wasn’t here to cause trouble. He would rather prevent it whenever possible.

She shot a look at the steaming pie. “An admirer, Reverend?”

“It’s Wade,” he said with a wicked smile. “And the pie is from Agnes Thurlong.”

Jade returned his smile with a sugary one of her own. “A fine choice. Agnes is shy and sweet. She’d never give anyone a moment of trouble.”

Unspoken laughter warmed his voice. “I see you came to town prepared to goad me into a fight.”

Jade lifted her chin a fraction. “I came today because Diamond suggested that Sunday assembly would afford me an opportunity to face Lavinia and the others who have begun a whispering campaign against me.”

Wade wanted to tell her they weren’t whispers. They had grown loud. And ugly.

“I’ll warn you again, Miss Jewel. Tread carefully. Even neighbors can become a dangerous mob, given the right set of circumstances.”

He saw the way her eyes narrowed, and realized his warning had fallen on deaf ears.

“I also came today to thank my guardian angel.”

If he was surprised, he managed to hide it. “And how would you recognize this paragon?”

“At the end of your service you always ask if anyone has any news they wish to share with the congregation. I’ve been thinking that I would plead for my guardian angel to reveal himself so that I can properly thank him.”

Wade couldn’t hold back his laughter. “I’m sure such a request would bring dozens of men leaping to their feet for the chance to be…properly thanked by Miss Jade Jewel.”

She felt her cheeks grow hot. “I believe you’re having fun at my expense, Reverend Weston.”

“I told you. It’s Wade. And I’m not making fun of you. More than half the men in this town would give a great deal to have Miss Jade Jewel indebted to them.”

“I think you have me confused with my sister Ruby.”

“If you believe that, you underestimate yourself, Miss Jewel.”

She didn’t allow herself even a moment to bask in the glow of his praise. After all, he was merely being kind. It was his job to say such things to people, in order to keep them coming to his service. Besides, sooner or later he would show his true colors and take sides with the townspeople against her.

“I’ll say good day. I’m sure you’ll provide us with plenty of food for thought, Reverend Weston.” She emphasized his title before pulling her hand free and brushing past him.

“I’ll try my best, Miss Jewel.”

Wade spent another half hour greeting the farmers and ranchers and their families who took advantage of Sunday-morning services to stock up on supplies and visit with their neighbors. While he made small talk, or listened to their litany of problems, he found himself glancing across the room to where a slim young figure in a silk gown the color of Texas bluebells sat beside her sisters.

A number of people nudged each other, whispering and pointing at the four fascinating Jewel sisters. But it was Jade who caused the greatest interest. Each day, as the Golden Dragon took shape, the rumors spread.

Whenever their eyes met, Wade felt a growing admiration for the woman who was the object of so much speculation. Whatever she was feeling, she kept her spine straight, her gaze level.

By the time he started his sermon, he had found his inspiration. And by the time his sermon ended, even Lavinia Thurlong and Gladys Witherspoon agreed that the preacher had never displayed more zeal.

The topic of his sermon had been the danger of idle gossip.

“Does anyone wish to share something with the congregation?” Wade asked at the end of the service.

When no one stood, he stared pointedly at Jade. Feeling the heat of his gaze, she refused to look at him. Instead, she kept her eyes lowered and studied her hands, folded primly in her lap.

She’d had plenty of time to mull over her intention. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Wade was right. If she foolishly announced to the entire town that a mystery man had saved her from a gang, she would then have to describe in detail what had happened. And the thought of making public her encounter was most unappealing. It had been difficult enough just telling the marshal. Besides, throughout the entire sermon she had felt the hostile stares from the congregation. There was no way she wanted to draw any more attention to herself.

“Well, then.” Wade gave them the benediction of his smile. “I hope you will all leave with a lighter burden than when you entered.”

He walked to the door and opened it, then stepped out on the porch, shaking hands with the people as they took their leave. When the Jewel sisters stepped outside, he had a smile and a kind word for each of them.

Jade steeled herself as she was forced to offer her hand. “That was a lovely sermon.” She absorbed the jolt as she looked into his eyes.

“I’m glad you liked it.” His big hand engulfed hers. There was a hint of laughter in his voice. “I did it for your benefit. After all, you’re going to need all the cooperation your neighbors have to give, once the Golden Dragon is completed.” Before she could respond he added, “I thought you were going to ask about your mystery man. What happened, Miss Jewel? Lose your nerve?”

“I…thought about it and decided you were right. It would be foolish to make a spectacle of myself. I’m sure he had a good reason for not wanting to reveal himself.”

“I think you did the right thing. Still,” he added with a growing smile, “it would have been interesting to see how many men would admit to being your guardian angel.”

She pulled her hand away and took a step back. Once again he was laughing at her. She found his sense of humor wearing thin. “Good day, Reverend Weston.”

“Good day, Miss Jewel,” he muttered as he turned to Rufus Durfee and his family.

With Sunday services concluded, most of the ranchers and their families enjoyed a brief respite from their rigorous chores. The children played tag around the trees, while the men loaded their wagons with supplies. The women spread quilts on the grass and gossiped with neighbors while laying out the food they’d brought from home.

“Come on.” Diamond looped her arm through Pearl’s, and motioned for Jade and Ruby to follow. “Let’s get to Millie Potter’s before all the food is gone.”

Millie Potter’s boardinghouse always enjoyed a rush of business on Sunday. Besides her regulars, like Marshal Quent Regan and Dr. Cosmo Prentice and the other bachelors, there were those ranch families prosperous enough to indulge their taste for Millie’s fine cooking.

Potter’s Boardinghouse sat at the end of the dusty road the townspeople referred to as Main Street. The house reflected the woman who owned it. Neat as a pin, with the floors and windows sparkling, it boasted a formal parlor and a dining room big enough to hold a dozen or more comfortably. The dishes might have been mismatched, and a few of them cracked, but the food more than made up for it.

From the kitchen wafted the wonderful fragrance of freshly baked bread, and the spicy perfume of apples and cinnamon.

The door was opened by thirteen-year-old Birdie Bidwell, a neighbor of Millie’s who helped out with the chores to supplement her family’s meager income.

“Hello, Birdie,” the sisters called as they stepped inside.

“Good morning, Miss Diamond, Miss Pearl, Miss Ruby, Miss Jade.”

“Birdie,” Jade said with a warm smile, “Pearl tells me you’re her best pupil.”

“Not for much longer,” the girl said. “Pa thinks it’s a waste of time for a girl my age.” She held out her hands. “I’ll take your shawls.”

When Ruby reached for hers, Diamond shot her a withering look. At once the buxom beauty smiled and said, “I think it’s a bit chilly. I’ll just keep my shawl, if you don’t mind, Birdie.”

If the girl was puzzled, she kept her thoughts to herself. The summer sun was already high in the sky and threatening to turn the day into a sizzler. But if one of the Jewel ladies wanted to keep her shawl on, it certainly wasn’t her place to ask questions.

As she hung the other shawls, her hands lingered on Jade’s.

“What is this made of, Miss Jade?”

“Silk.”

“It sure is soft,” the girl said, running her callused palms over it. “It must cost a fortune.”

“I suppose so.” Jade gave the girl a gentle smile. “Maybe when you’re older, you can buy a silk shawl.”

As she walked away, Birdie shook her head. Silk was all right for a fine lady like Miss Jade. But the most she would ever hope for was a new gown of simple homespun. Birdie had never worn a new gown. All her clothes were made over from her mother’s castoffs.

She gave one last glance at the fine Jewel ladies, then hurried off to finish her chores.

“Morning, Millie,” Diamond called out as she entered the dining room. “Can you accommodate us today?”

“Good morning.” Millie tucked up a stray strand of flaming hair before lifting the coffeepot. “Take a seat. You know there’s always room for my best customers.”

Her smile bloomed when she caught sight of the preacher.

“You’re just in time,” she called.

He made his way across the room, stopping to talk to the other guests before pausing beside Jade. He held her chair and settled in beside her. His thigh brushed hers, and she felt the heat all the way through her skirt.

“I would have thought you’d be at Agnes Thurlong’s, having a leisurely Sunday meal with her family,” Jade said.

“And sit idly by while they try to ensnare me?” His smile grew. “I thought I’d be safer here at Millie Potter’s.”

Just then Millie and her young helper began to serve the meal. As she paused beside Wade, Millie placed several biscuits on his plate. “I baked these especially for you,” she murmured. “With extra sugar and cinnamon just the way you like them.”

Jade nearly choked on her laughter. Everyone in Hanging Tree knew that Millie, a widow, was hoping to snag a daddy for her three little girls. And who better than the town preacher?

“Oh, yes,” Jade said in an aside. “You’re definitely safer here.”

She savored her moment of victory while, beside her, Wade Weston dug into his meal in silence.

“That’s an awfully big building you’re putting up, Miss Jade.” Marshal Regan forked eggs onto his plate and passed the platter to Doc Prentice. “Folks in town are concerned.”

Jade felt the curious looks from the others. “Concerned, Marshal?”

“That your…business might attract the wrong sort.”

Jade gave him a cool, reassuring smile. “I think you and the people of Hanging Tree will be pleasantly surprised with the results. The Golden Dragon will be a place of music, culture and fine food. I intend to run the Golden Dragon just the way my mother did in San Francisco.”

“Sounds like a mighty big job for one little female,” Doc Prentice muttered.

Jade lifted her chin and bit back the words that threatened. Instead, sipping her tea, she merely smiled. She would show them. She would show all of them what one little female could do.

Beside her, Wade Weston detected the tiny flicker of emotion. The lady was very good at hiding her feelings.

Doc turned to the marshal. “I hear there was another shooting.”

The lawman nodded. “The other side of Poison Creek. Six outlaws ambushed Samuel Fisher on his way home from the sawmill where he’d been working for Farley Duke. Samuel was lucky to escape with his life. If it hadn’t been for his wife and four boys riding up just then, he swears he wouldn’t have made it.”

“Did he recognize any of the gang?” Doc asked.

“Not a one. Had their faces hidden behind bandannas. But from the sounds of it, they’re the same ones that have struck before.”

“Maybe it’s time to swear out a posse and go after them,” Doc suggested.

“I don’t like to take so many men away from their families. Especially with a vicious gang like this.” Quent Regan washed down his meal with hot black coffee, the fourth of the morning. “These outlaws seem to enjoy killing.”

“You think they’ll strike again?” Diamond asked quietly.

Quent shrugged. The badge pinned to his shirt winked in the rays of sunlight streaming through the dining-room window. “I don’t know what to think. But I’ll tell you one thing. No one’s going to terrorize the citizens of my territory. Not while I’m marshal. My deputy and I are taking every precaution to protect the town.”

Pearl shivered. “Such violence. I’m afraid I’ll never get used to it.”

“It’s part of Texas,” Diamond muttered.

“It’s part of life,” the marshal added.

“But it doesn’t have to be.” Wade’s words, though spoken softly, held a hint of steel.

Jade turned to study him. In profile, he didn’t resemble the man who had spoken so lovingly from the pulpit. With flaring nostrils and tightly clenched jaw, he looked as though he could lead a posse himself.

“It’s easy for you to say,” the marshal remarked, “when you carry a Bible instead of a gun. But you don’t earn your living chasing outlaws.”

“In a way, I do.” Wade’s tone softened, though the fire was still in his eyes. “You chase them to punish them, while I chase them to offer them the chance to seek forgiveness from those they’ve harmed.”

“Well,” Quent said, fiddling with his knife, “you may offer them forgiveness, Reverend. I offer justice. At the end of a rope.”

Doc Prentice nodded, his pencil-thin mustache twitching as he smiled. “It’s how our town got its name.”

Everyone knew that the doctor, though a relative newcomer to Texas, had a fascination for the history of the town.

“Have there been many hangings?” Pearl asked.

“I’ve been told there were dozens,” Doc replied.

“Was there an actual tree?” Jade asked.

“It’s gone now.” Doc Prentice helped himself to another biscuit and slathered it with Millie Potter’s wild cherry preserves. “They say that old oak was here a hundred years or more. It stood on a hill just outside of town. The branches stuck out like long, spindly arms. Just perfect for hanging a man. The first hanging was for cattle rustling. Folks came from miles around. Afterward they stayed and had a picnic on the banks of Poison Creek.”

He popped the biscuit into his mouth and chewed, then washed it down with a swallow of coffee. “After that it became a kind of tradition. Folks would flock to a hanging, then stay around to visit with the neighbors they hadn’t seen since the last time.”

Jade shuddered. “I can’t imagine having a picnic after such a horrible event. It seems so uncivilized.”

The marshal nodded in agreement. “Most of it was before my time. I hear it got so bad, folks were eager for the next hanging, just so they could have an excuse for another picnic. The sheriff finally had to request a federal judge be sent all the way from St. Louis.”

“What good would that do?” Jade asked.

“He figured a cool head was needed to keep the townspeople from making hasty decisions that might cost an innocent man his life.”

Beside her, Jade realized that the reverend had gone very still. When she glanced at him, he lowered his gaze. But in that brief moment when their eyes met she caught sight of a blazing anger. His hands were clenched so tightly in his lap, the knuckles were white from the effort.

Suddenly he pushed away from the table. “If you’ll excuse me,” he called to Millie Potter, “I have a lot of visits to. make today. I promised Yancy I’d bring him some more tobacco. And I told the Thompsons I’d stop by and share a Bible reading with their boy who was thrown from a mustang and suffered a broken arm. Since the widow Purdy took another spell, I thought I’d stop by there, as well.”

“Sounds like you have a full day, Reverend.” Millie filled the marshal’s cup, then set down the coffeepot and wiped her hands on her apron before crossing the room. “But I should have expected as much. After all, it is Sunday. Will I see you later?”

He shrugged. “There’s no telling. If I find myself too far from town, I’ll just sleep along the trail.”

“Then you’d better take this.” She handed him a linen-wrapped bundle. “Just in case.”

“Thanks, Millie.” He turned to the others at the table and said his goodbyes.

Jade watched him pull on a cowhide duster and take his leave. She found herself wondering at his reaction to the marshal’s words. She’d sensed anger in him. And pain. Not so surprising, she told herself. After all, he was, as Marshal Regan said, a man who carried a Bible instead of a gun. The thought of mob violence would be repugnant to such a man.

Still, for a man of peace, his reaction had been almost violent. And his violence, though carefully banked, was frightening to behold.

Chapter Five

It was late afternoon and Wade had been on the trail since breakfast at Millie Potter’s, bringing whatever comfort he could to those who lay sick or dying.

As his horse topped a rise, he stared across the wide expanse of barren land to where a carriage stood tilted at a crazy angle. When he rode closer he found Jade standing alongside her rig, examining a broken wheel.

“Are you hurt?” He swung from the saddle and hurried to her side.

“No.” She was so relieved to see someone, anyone, she could have hugged him. “Fortunately the team was moving slowly, otherwise I’d probably have been thrown to the ground. There’s no telling how much damage might have been done.” She rubbed a tender shoulder. “As it is, I was bounced around a good bit.”

He studied her with grave concern. “Are you certain nothing’s broken? Your arm? Your shoulder?” He ran a hand across her shoulder, down her arm, probing gently.

She was surprised at the tenderness of his touch. And jolted by it. To cover her shock she muttered, “The only thing broken is that wheel.”

Wade was genuinely concerned for her safety. And annoyed by the rush of feelings the simple touch of her evoked. “With his fears relieved, he gave in to a wave of unexpected anger. “What in heaven’s name are you doing all alone in the middle of nowhere? There isn’t a living soul for miles. Did you want to tempt the fates? To see if you could outrun a gang of outlaws again?”

At his heated words, her relief was forgotten as her anger surfaced. “I don’t owe you an explanation, Reverend Weston. But for your information, I was visiting the graves of my parents.”

That stopped him, but only for a moment.

“Then you should have taken some of your wranglers along for protection.”

“They have a ranch to run.” She touched a hand to the knife at her waist. “Besides, I told you. I always carry protection with me.”

He swallowed back a snort of anger. “As I recall, your knife was useless against the gang that stopped you on the trail.”

She glared at him, but before she could protest he said crisply, “Maybe you enjoy tempting fate, to see if your…guardian angel will save you again.”

“Instead,” she said with a frown, “I have only you.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.” He turned his back on her and studied the broken wheel. “I’m afraid I don’t have the tools to repair this. But I can take you to your ranch….”

She brightened.

“As long as you don’t mind a few stops along the way,” he finished.

She sighed. Her plans for the rest of the day would have to be postponed. But at least she wasn’t stuck unhitching the team and riding bareback to the ranch. She managed a smile. “Thank you, Reverend. I’d be grateful for the ride.”

He unhitched her team and led them to a shady knoll with grass and water, then tied them to a rope stretched between two trees. Assured that the horses were secured, he swung into the saddle, then reached down and pulled Jade up behind him.

The slit on both sides of her silk skirt allowed her to straddle the horse’s back without tearing the fabric. It also exposed a great deal of her flesh, from ankle to knee.

Jade was surprised by the flare of feelings when her arms encircled his waist. As the horse broke into a run she was forced to hold on tightly. With her cheek pressed to his shoulder, she clung to him as the horse’s hooves ate up the miles of Texas landscape.

While he guided his mount, Wade fought a battle of his own. He was achingly aware of the breasts flattened against his back, of the thighs pressed to his, of the small, delicate hands holding firmly to him. The wind caught Jade’s hair, swirling it like silk around him. He inhaled the exotic scent of her perfume and found himself thinking things he had no right to. Things that quickened his heartbeat and made his blood run hot.

The direction of his thoughts threatened to distract him and make the rest of his day completely unsettled.

“It was good of you to come, Reverend.” The widow Purdy lay in the big bed her husband had made for her more than fifty years earlier. “And what a lovely surprise to find Miss Jewel with you.”

“You two know each other?” Wade had thought the widow, living in such isolation, would have no knowledge of this newcomer to the territory.

“Diamond had her wranglers slaughter a cow and deliver it to my place to see me through the winter. When she couldn’t accompany them, Jade came in her place.”

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