The mere idea of being close to this man shook her senses.

Behind that incredibly masculine face and rock-hard body, he was a lawman. How could Noelle be attracted to him?

She couldn’t answer that. She only knew that for the first time in years, Evan was making her remember that she was a woman. And the feeling was too good to pass up.

“I thought you might enjoy seeing something other than that little ranch of yours,” he said with a lazy grin.

Since she’d moved she’d been asked out on a few dates. She’d refused all of them. And something told her if she was smart now, she’d tell Evan Calhoun a loud, decisive no.

But something strange was going on inside her. For the life of her she couldn’t seem to form the word, much less say it to the man.

* * *

Men of the West: Whether ranchers or lawmen, these heartbreakers can ride, shoot—and drive a woman crazy …

The Lawman’s Noelle

Stella Bagwell

www.millsandboon.co.uk

STELLA BAGWELL has written more than seventy novels for Mills & Boon. She credits her loyal readers and hopes her stories have brightened their lives in some small way. A cowgirl through and through, she loves to watch old Westerns and has recently learned how to rope a steer. Her days begin and end helping her husband care for a beloved herd of horses on their little ranch located on the south Texas coast. When she’s not ropin’ and ridin’, you’ll find her at her desk, creating her next tale of love. The couple has a son, who is a high school maths teacher and athletic coach. Stella loves to hear from readers and invites them to contact her at stellabagwell@gmail.com.

To all my friends at Jim’s Big Burgers.

Thank you for the brownies, coffee and food. And most of all, for making us feel special.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Reining the bay horse to a stop on the rocky rise, Noelle Barnes stood in her stirrups and peered toward the dry wash more than a hundred yards below. The dark lump lying near those slabs of rock looked like a man! And he wasn’t moving!

Was he injured or sick? Or even dead?

Her adrenaline pumping, Noelle quickly guided her horse, Driller, down the rocky slope. Along the way, she buried the lower half of her face in the woolen muffler tied around her neck and tried to ignore the early December wind whipping across the bare Nevada hills. The frigid air permeated her heavy brown ranch coat and caused her eyes to water, but she was used to being out in brutal weather. And she could hardly turn back now!

Halfway to the gulch, a sinking feeling hit the pit of her stomach. Her eyes hadn’t deceived her. The object lying at the bottom of the wash wasn’t an animal. It was a person!

Urging her horse to a faster gait, she wound her way downward through the rocks and sage until she reached the bank of the deep gulch. By then she could see a man lying facedown in the gravel.

Oh, my! Was he dead? What was he doing way out here? Alone?

Her heart pounding with fear, she guided Driller over the ledge and down the steep embankment. The ground was loose and the horse’s hind feet slid in several places, but at that moment she wasn’t concerned about either of them falling. Driller was sure-footed, and she’d ridden a horse for nearly all of her twenty-eight years.

“Come on, boy,” she encouraged her trusted mount. “A little farther and we’ll have it made.”

Noelle had hardly gotten the words out of her mouth when, several yards up the draw, another horse nickered shrilly. Driller returned the greeting.

“We’ll find your friend later,” she told Driller. “Right now we need to see if we have a corpse on our hands.”

At the bottom of the wash, Noelle dismounted. After tying Driller’s reins to a dead juniper trunk, she hurried over to the motionless body.

Dropping to her knees, she leaned over him, but stopped short of touching any part of him. Only a portion of the left side of his face was visible, yet it was enough for Noelle to discern he was young—somewhere in his thirties—and clean-shaven. A trickle of blood oozed through the dark chestnut hair just above his ear.

Jerking off her leather glove, she shoved away the kerchief tied around his neck and felt for a pulse. Relief flooded through her as she detected a faint but steady beat.

“Hey, mister, can you hear me? Wake up and tell me what happened.”

With her property being so remote, it wasn’t much use carrying a cell phone. She would either try to move this man on her own or go for help. And considering that he appeared to be at least six feet tall and somewhere close to a hundred and eighty pounds, she figured throwing him over his horse would be a mighty big chore.

Racing back to Driller, she jerked a bottle of water and a piece of ragged towel from her saddlebags. “He’s out, Driller. Colder than a mackerel. If I can’t wake him up, you and I might have to ride like hell to get help.”

Noelle raced back to the downed man, while behind her, the horse pawed as though to tell her he understood. And she’d bet that he did. Living out here for nearly four years, with no one to talk to but her animals, she figured they’d all learned a vast human vocabulary.

The water was slushy with ice. She poured a bit onto the rag and placed it on the man’s forehead, then shook his shoulder.

“Mister, can you hear me?” she practically yelled. “You need to wake up so I can get you out of this gulch.”

The shock of the water coupled with her voice must have done the trick, because he suddenly moaned and attempted to lift his head from the gravel bed.

Tossing the cold cloth aside, she slipped a hand beneath his head and lowered it to the ground. “Whoa, there. Just lie still for a minute.”

He continued to stir. As his head moved slowly back and forth, his eyelids fluttered open. Noelle had never been so glad to see a pair of dark green eyes, even if they weren’t totally focused.

“Oh, hell—I hurt all over.” Lifting a hand to the wound on the side of his head, he gazed groggily up at her. “Who are you?”

“Noelle Barnes. My property runs along the east side of this gulch. I spotted you from up on the ridge. Do you know what happened?”

Appearing to gather more steam, he braced a hand against the ground and, with Noelle supporting his shoulder, he pushed himself to a sitting position. “My head feels like someone used a claw hammer on it.”

“No doubt. You have a goose egg and a gash just above your ear. I’m not a doctor, but I’m guessing you have a concussion, at least. You can move your arms and legs, so that’s a good sign. Still, you need to get to a hospital.”

He swiped a hand across his face and Noelle used the moment to gather more details about the man. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a pair of brown ostrich-leather boots that probably cost more than she would spend on food for the next six months. His heavy, olive green jacket was made of oiled canvas, and beneath the corduroy collar was a white shirt. Although he looked natural in the cowboy gear, he appeared far too neat to be a working rancher.

“I’ll worry about that later.” He turned his head stiffly in an effort to look behind him. “Right now, do you see my hat anywhere? And what about my horse?”

“You sit still,” she ordered him. “I’ll round up both of them.”

She found the tan felt hat a few feet from where he’d fallen. The left side of the crown was bent in and the brim smeared with dirt, but that was the least of this man’s problems at the moment. She wasn’t at all sure he was feeling up to riding anywhere.

Thankfully, the horse, a black-and-white paint, wasn’t far away. The moment he spotted Noelle, he walked right up to her, as though he’d already decided he and his saddle pal needed help.

After gathering his reins, she gave the animal several reassuring pats on the neck, then led him through a tangle of sagebrush and rock until they reached the man. He was still sitting on the ground, his head hanging between his knees.

“Here’s your hat and your horse,” she told him. “But I’d advise you to stay where you are and get your bearings before you try to stand up.”

He turned an accusing eye on the horse. “This is the first time a horse has dumped me in years. That’s what I get for trusting my brother when I asked him for a mount.”

Noelle didn’t attempt to figure out that last remark. Instead, she got straight to the point. “Do you remember what happened?”

“I do now. A sage hen or some kind of bird flew up right in front of our faces, and it must have scared the devil out of the horse. Before I knew what was happening, he was walking on his hind legs, and I was headed toward the ground. I must have hit my head on a rock or something. That’s all I know until I woke up and found you standing over me.”

The man was an attractive son of a gun, she thought, but not in the pretty-boy kind of way her old girlfriends down in Phoenix used to swoon over. No, this man’s features were too harsh and rugged to be described as handsome or anything close to it. But the dark rusty hair falling onto his forehead was as sexy as all get-out, and so were his green eyes.

“What are you doing out here, anyway?” she asked. “This is private land.”

He reached inside his coat and pulled out a leather wallet. When he flipped it open and flashed a lawman’s badge at her, everything inside Noelle went cold and stiff.

If the man hadn’t been injured, she would’ve climbed on Driller and rode away without a backward glance. But he was dazed and hurt, and she wouldn’t turn her back on anyone who needed help. Even a lawman.

“Detective Evan Calhoun, Carson City Sheriff’s Office,” she read aloud. “What’s a detective doing out here on my land?”

“Your land? I was on government lease, following four-wheeler tracks. I crossed over a downed fence because the tracks continued into this gulch. I never thought the fence was a boundary line. Most landowners try to keep those upright.”

She huffed out a heavy breath. “The fence on the other side of this draw does need work,” she admitted. “I’ve been using the gulch as a boundary fence.”

“Well, sorry about getting onto your land.” He pushed up the cuff of his jacket and squinted at a gold watch. “Damn. I’ve been out here way too long.”

He made a move to get to his feet. Noelle felt compelled to grab his arm and give him a steady pull. Once he was standing, he swayed slightly, but with her supporting him, he managed to stay upright.

“Between the freezing weather and that whack on the head, it’s a wonder you haven’t gone into shock,” she told him.

His gaze focused directly on her face, and Noelle felt something in her stomach do a crazy flip.

“I’m grateful that you found me,” he said. “What did you say your name was?”

“Barnes. Noelle Barnes.”

“Miss? Mrs.?”

She tried not to bristle at the question. It wasn’t really any of his business whether she was married or single. But maybe he was thinking she had a husband back at the house who could help. Only Noelle didn’t have a husband. She didn’t even have a cell phone.

“Ms.,” she answered curtly.

He extended his hand to her. “Well, thank you very much, Ms. Barnes. If not for you, I might still be on the cold ground.”

Even with the leather acting as a barrier between their skin, the feel of his strong hand wrapping around hers was very unsettling. Her reaction had nothing to do with him being a detective for the sheriff’s office.

She looked away to a spot at the far end of the gulch. “No need for thanks. Do you think you’re up for a short ride? My house is only a couple of miles from here. Where did you leave your truck and trailer?”

“Farther than that. It’s parked just off a county road a few miles north of here.”

She eased her hand from his. “Then you’d better come with me and rest before you head on home.”

“My vision is still a little blurred, but my head is clearing. I think I can ride back to my truck all right.” He pulled a cell phone from a leather holder on his belt and squinted at the flat screen, then muttered something under his breath. “I’m having trouble focusing, but it looks to me like I’m not receiving a signal of any kind. This thing is useless out here.”

“Which is why I never bother with one,” she replied.

He jammed the phone back into the holder. “Okay, I’ll forget that plan. If you’d be kind enough to call the sheriff’s office when you get home, just let them know I’m okay and will be getting back late.”

In spite of being uncomfortable in this man’s presence, she shook her head. He hardly looked well enough to ride to his truck. It was going to be difficult for him even to get to her house.

“Forget it,” she said flatly. “I’d be stupider than you are if I let you ride off in the condition you’re in.”

“Look, Ms. Barnes, I—”

“Call me Noelle. And right now you’re in no shape to argue. If necessary, I figure I could manhandle you.” She pulled his horse forward and slipped the reins over the animal’s neck. “See if you can mount up. We’re going to my place.”

Apparently deciding he might be smart to take her advice, he took a step toward the horse and immediately swayed. Noelle grabbed his arm to prevent him from collapsing. With his chin resting on his chest, he pulled in several long breaths.

“I think you might be right,” he said in a strained voice. “I don’t feel so great.”

Fearing he was going to pass out, she slipped an arm around his waist and held him tightly. “Do you need to sit down? There’s no hurry. We can try this in a few minutes.”

“No. Just let me get my foot in the stirrup and then give me a shove up.”

If nothing else, he was determined, Noelle thought. She twisted the stirrup around to give him easier access. “I hope your paint doesn’t decide to move. He might end up dragging you into the next county.”

“If he does, I’ll come back to haunt my brother Finn,” he muttered.

To her relief, he managed to get his foot in the stirrup. With one hand against his back and the other on his butt, she pushed until he plopped into the saddle with a heavy thud.

Hurrying around to the right side of the horse, she fixed his other boot into the stirrup, then handed him the reins. By now he was half slumped over the saddle horn, his face the color of putty.

“Are you going to fall off?” she asked with concern.

He responded with a dismissive wave. “Get your horse. I’ll make it.”

There was nothing more she could do now, Noelle decided as she hurried over to Driller. Except pray that he could hang on long enough to reach the warmth and safety of her house.

Once in the saddle, she turned Driller down the draw. The paint obediently fell into step behind her. Thank God the horse wasn’t behaving like a wild bronco. Now she had to find an easier trail for them to climb the steep bank of the gulch. Otherwise, the lawman might tumble off his horse again. She seriously doubted his head could survive another impact.

Unfortunately, as the draw narrowed, the steepness of the bank increased. A hundred yards from where they’d started, she pulled Driller to a stop to look back at the lawman. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, she would’ve been inclined to smile at the cockeyed angle of his hat and the dazed look on his face. But a head injury could be deadly. She wanted to get him out of the cold and to medical help as quickly as she could.

“Looks like we’d better climb the cut bank here before the trail gets any steeper,” she told him. “And hang on. I don’t want to have to pick you up off the ground and throw you over the saddle.”

“Yes, ma’am. Just lead on.”

The climb made three switchbacks through a patch of scrubby juniper and creosote bushes. Throughout the ascent, Noelle kept glancing behind her, expecting at any moment to see him listing precariously from one side of the horse to the other. But thankfully, he managed to keep his seat until they reached the top. She sighed with relief.

From this point on, the trail wasn’t nearly as challenging. Barring an incident with his horse, they’d be at her place in a half hour. And then what was she going to do with him?

* * *

As the horses clopped along at a steady walk, Evan focused on Noelle Barnes’s back. Although his vision wasn’t completely clear yet, he could see she was bundled in heavy clothing. A worn, brown ranch coat topped her faded jeans, while a red woolen muffler was looped several times around her neck. The old gray felt hat on her head sported a ring of sweat stains around the band. The flattened brim was covered with dust. Long, dark hair fell about her shoulders, and each step of the horse caused it to swish against her back.

What was she doing out here on this cold December day? he wondered. She’d said this was her property. Even so, it was hardly the type of weather in which to take a leisurely ride. She wore long shank spurs on her boots, something a novice rider would never do, and she handled her mount as though being atop a horse was as familiar as walking across the kitchen floor.

One thing was for sure. She wasn’t the soft, delicate sort or anything close to the type of woman he occasionally dated. While he’d been sitting on the ground trying to get his bearings, he’d noticed she was rather tall, with some weight on her bones. Her figure was shapely enough to fill a man’s head with all sorts of pleasurable thoughts. But it had been her face that caught his complete attention.

The cold wind had whipped a rosy color into her cheeks and turned her wide lips a pale pink. Large chocolate-brown eyes had studied him with unashamed candor, and it had become apparent to Evan that she was a woman who followed her own rules.

As the two horses carried them through a series of low hills covered with sparse tufts of grass and patches of sagebrush, thoughts of Noelle Barnes continued to slip in and out of his groggy mind. Normally Evan would’ve used this opportunity to toss a pile of questions at her. But with pain still beating at the backs of his eyes, it was all he could do to stay upright in the saddle.

Fifteen minutes into the ride, they passed a herd of cattle numbering a hundred or more. Evan wondered whether they belonged to Noelle Barnes, but he lacked the strength to ask her. A quarter of a mile later, a small house came into view. The run-down stucco sat on a knoll and was a faded beige that matched the color of the dead vegetation covering the land around it.

Several yards behind the house stood a big barn of weathered gray wood. The loft was open at the end, and he could see it was practically full of alfalfa hay. Next to the structure were several corrals, some of them made of wooden rails, the others crudely built with cedar posts bound closely. A cow with a small calf was in one of the pens, while two horses were stalled next to them.

Yep, there was definitely a man around, Evan thought with a measure of relief. This woman wouldn’t be ranching out here alone. It just wasn’t possible.

He followed her to an old hitching post erected a few feet in front of the barn. Nearby, the penned horses lifted their heads and nickered at their buddy. Other than that, nothing stirred.

Evan glanced from the barn area over toward the house. “Where’s your help?”

“You’re looking at it,” she said bluntly. “Get down and I’ll take you to the house before I deal with the horses.”

Evan wasn’t used to having a woman order him around. Normally he would’ve been irked by Noelle Barnes’s bossy attitude. But he was too busy thinking about her being out here alone to dwell on her brusque commands.

He climbed to the ground. As soon as his boots were firmly on the hard dirt, he was stunned to feel his knees shaking with weakness. Evan had always been a fairly healthy guy with hardly a sick day in his life. Feeling this vulnerable was something he’d never experienced. It jarred him to the very core of his being.

“I’m feeling better,” he said in the strongest voice he could muster. “And I need to leave my horse saddled. I’ve got a long ride from here.”

“You’re not riding anywhere.”

Not wanting to argue the matter and waste what little strength he had, he simply handed her the reins.

After she’d tethered both horses at the hitching rail, he followed her across the barren yard to a back porch with a low roof supported by cedar posts. The door opened directly into a small kitchen. As Evan stepped in behind her, he caught the scent of burned coffee and cooked apples.

Rough-hewn beams supported the room’s low ceiling, while the floor was covered with worn brown linoleum. A green curtain with roosters printed across the hem hung over the only window. Below it, a chipped porcelain sink was full of dirty dishes.

“Sit at the table and let me take another look at your head,” she said. “Looks like it’s still bleeding.”

Evan walked over to a white farm table pushed against the back wall of the room and removed his coat before he sank into a chair at the end.

“I’ll be right back,” she said.

He watched her leave the room, then glanced curiously around him. Where was the phone? Surely she had a landline somewhere. He had to call in to the office. His coworkers had probably been trying to contact him for the past two hours.

The thought had him pulling his phone from its holder, but as soon as he turned it on, he mentally cursed. The signal was no stronger here than it had been in the dry gulch.

Deciding he didn’t have time to wait for the woman with the velvety brown eyes, he pushed himself to his feet and moved, albeit shakily, toward the open doorway she’d disappeared through.

He’d taken two steps into a tiny hallway when she suddenly stepped from a door on his right and nearly rammed right into him.

“What the hell are you doing?” she barked at him. “I told you to sit!”

He understood this whole ordeal was a nuisance and a huge interruption to her day, but he didn’t deserve this. Nor had he asked for it.

Squinting, he focused his aching eyes on her face. “I admit I got a wham on the head, but as far as I can tell, I still have my memory. I don’t recall you being my boss.”

Her lips, which had turned a darker pink since they’d entered the warm house, pressed into a thin line of disgust.

“I’m not trying to be your boss. I’m trying to keep you from falling on your face and reinjuring yourself.” She made a sweeping motion toward the front part of the house. “But be my guest and roam around all you want. If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

With that, she started to walk away, but he snatched a hold on her forearm. She met his reaction with a questioning stare that had him immediately dropping his hand to his side.

“Sorry. Just tell me where the phone is. I’ll make a call and get myself out of your hair.”

She pointed to the right, where a doorway opened to another room. “In there. At the end of the couch.”

“Thank you. I—” Before he could finish, a wave of woozy weakness came over him. He instinctively reached out to her to brace himself.

He heard her mutter a curse under her breath as she grabbed his arm to steady him. “Come on,” she said in a gentler tone. “I’ll help you to the phone.”

With a supporting hand on his arm, she guided him out of the hallway and into a cozy living room. Along the way, he noticed she’d taken off the ranch coat, and he was surprised to catch the faint, mellowed scent of flowers emanating from the wool sweater she wore. The garment was tattered at the neck and the cuffs, and the Nordic weave across her breasts had faded. She hadn’t bothered with makeup or fussed with her clothing, but she’d taken time that morning to put on a feminine scent. Evan had always found it difficult to understand a woman’s thinking, but this lady was far too complex for him even to try to unravel.

He sank heavily onto the cushion of a short red couch. Noelle handed him a cordless phone from a nearby table.

“I’ll look at your head after you finish your call. Do you think you can drink something? Water? Coffee or hot chocolate?”

She was standing in front of him, her legs slightly apart and one hand resting on her hip. The faded denim outlined her strong thighs and rounded hips, while the sweater clung to her breasts. She was more woman than he’d ever had in his arms. In spite of the throbbing pain in his head, he had to admit to himself that there was something very sexy and sensual about her.

“Do you have any aspirin? I’d take two of those with a cup of coffee.”

“You think it’s wise to medicate yourself?”

He reached up and tentatively touched his fingertips to the lump above his ear. “I’ll make sure the doctor knows—whenever I see him.”

“You’re going to see him as soon as I can drive you into town. So make your call. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She turned to leave the room.

He quickly asked, “You’re planning on taking me to town?”

She frowned at him. “That’s right. You’re not up to riding or driving. How else would you get there?”

He did his best to straighten his shoulders. “There’s no need for you to trouble yourself. I’m about to call my office. Someone will drive out to pick me up.”

“No,” she blurted. “I don’t want any more lawmen around here.”

Although each word he spoke seemed to intensify the ache in his head, he attempted to joke, “What’s the matter? Is there a stack of warrants out on you or something?”

Her nostrils flared as she stared at him. “No. I simply don’t like you people. That’s all.”

Too stunned to make any sort of reply, Evan watched her walk out of the room.

You people? Through the ten years he’d worked for the sheriff’s office, he’d met plenty of folks who disliked lawmen. But they were usually drunks, drug users or hardened criminals. Not a decent woman like Noelle Barnes.

What had a lawman ever done to her? he wondered. Put her in jail? Broken her heart?

Mentally shaking his aching head, Evan punched in his partner’s cell number and lifted the phone to his ear.

It didn’t matter whether Noelle Barnes loved or hated law officials, he told himself. Once he got back to civilization, he’d never see her again.

Chapter Two

More than an hour later, as Noelle paced restlessly around the large waiting area of the hospital emergency unit, she was still trying to figure out what had come over her.

Like Evan had told her, there’d been no real reason for her to drive him into town or to see that he got to a doctor. There were plenty of deputies in the sheriff’s office who would’ve come to Noelle’s house and collected him. Instead, she’d insisted she drive him herself. Now, as the long minutes continued to tick by, she began to worry that his injury might have been more serious than either of them had suspected.

She’d seen people before who had taken severe licks on the head. Once her brother, Andy, had been hit in the temple with a hard-thrown baseball, but the only bad effect he’d suffered was a black eye. Then a girlfriend of hers had fallen and banged her head against a concrete wall while she and Noelle were roller-skating. But the only injury she’d sustained was a minor cut on the scalp.

On the drive into town, Evan Calhoun had told her that his mother had died from a head injury after a simple fall on the staircase. And though he didn’t appear to be connecting her demise with his own injury, just hearing about it had shaken Noelle. No matter whether he worked as a carpenter, a cowboy or a law officer, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

The sound of a crying baby drew Noelle’s attention. Across the room, a young woman was trying to pacify a fussy infant and control a rowdy toddler at the same time. The mother looked completely frazzled, yet Noelle couldn’t help but envy the woman. She had someone to love, someone who needed her. She had a family.

Jamming her hands into the front pockets of her jeans, Noelle looked down at her boots and tried to keep her mind from slipping back to Phillip and the short year they’d been married. For a while, she’d been naively in love. Like most new brides, she’d been dreaming and planning for their future. One with two or three children they would raise on a small ranch outside Phoenix. But those wonderful dreams had been flattened when she’d discovered Phillip was as phony as her father’s integrity.

With a weary sigh, she looked away from the mother and children and glanced for the umpteenth time at the double doors where Evan had disappeared with a nurse. He’d been back there nearly two hours. Something had to be dreadfully wrong.

Determined it was high time to get some answers, she marched over to the admission desk, where two nurses were dealing with ringing phones, paperwork and people who were just as weary and worried as she.

Trying to hold on to the slender thread of patience she had left, Noelle was waiting in line to speak with one of the nurses when the double doors suddenly opened. Relief flooded through her as she spotted Evan in a wheelchair, being pushed by a male nurse. Evan looked pale and wrung out, but that was far better than lying flat on his back in a hospital bed.

Stepping out of the slow-moving line of people, she intercepted the two men before they reached the middle of the waiting area.

“The doctor isn’t holding you over?” she asked in surprise. For the past half hour, she’d been thinking he’d be admitted to a room for a night of observation, at the very least.

“No, thank God.” He slanted her a weak grin. “I didn’t think you’d still be here.”

She lifted her chin. “Why would I run out on you? I’ve already wasted most of the day. What’s two more hours?”

He chuckled before cringing in pain. Noelle was surprised at how much empathy she felt for him. Up until she’d found him in the gulch with his face in the gravel bed, she’d never met him. Having this much concern for a complete stranger wasn’t normal.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the nurse making a survey of her rough work clothes and dusty hat. No doubt he wondered what connection she had to this Carson City detective.

“Are you taking this man home?” the nurse asked Noelle.

“That’s right.”

“Then park your vehicle next to the curb and I’ll bring him out.”

Noelle exited the building and hurried to fetch her truck. Cold wind swept across the crowded parking lot. She tried not to imagine what would’ve happened if she’d ridden in a different direction today. Even if Evan had awakened without her help, he might not have been physically capable of tracking down his horse and riding out of the gulch on his own. The plummeting temperature tonight would’ve surely caused him to suffer hypothermia. Noelle had always believed that things happened for a reason. It was clear that she was meant to rescue the detective, although she couldn’t imagine why.

A few minutes later, after Evan was safely buckled in the passenger seat and she had the heater blowing on their feet, she put the vehicle in motion.

“Okay, you need to give me a clue where you live,” she told him as she directed the truck toward the nearest exit of the parking lot. “I’m not familiar with the residential streets around Carson City, so you might start with some general directions.”

“Sorry, but I don’t live here in town. Just take me by the sheriff’s office. Someone there can drive me home.”

Glancing over, she saw that he’d removed his hat. The hair around the wound had been clipped down to the scalp, and a row of stitches now held the gashed skin together. The man was tough to be up and walking, she thought. She’d give him that much.

“Is there some reason you’re trying to get rid of me?” she asked.

Wiping a hand over his face, he said, “No. Just trying to save you a long trip. I’m sure you have things to do at home.”

“The daylight hours are gone. The only thing I’m going to do when I get home is feed the horses and tend to a sick cow.”

He didn’t say anything until the traffic cleared enough for her to pull into the street. “Okay. Go to 395 and head north.”

Noelle didn’t know why she’d made it her responsibility to see this man to the doctor and then home. She could have let a coworker deal with him. But something about finding him on her property and rescuing him from hypothermia, or worse, had left her feeling a bit possessive. Like finding a wounded animal and not wanting to let go until she was certain it could survive without help.

“A deputy has already gone out and collected my truck and trailer from where I parked them on the side of the road,” he informed her. “Someone will pick up my horse tomorrow. And don’t worry, it won’t be a lawman. It’ll be someone from the ranch.”

She darted another glance at him. This time his eyes were shut, his head resting against the back of the seat. Even with that angry wound above his ear and a pale face, he still managed to look incredibly strong and handsome.

Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “You have a ranch?”

“It belongs to my family.”

“So you do ranch work along with being a detective for the sheriff’s office?”

“Since about ten years ago, I haven’t done much cowboy work. That’s when I started working as a deputy.”

He was telling her that he lived on the ranch but didn’t work there. How did that situation sit with the rest of his family? she wondered. And what kind of family did this man have? Did it include a wife and children? Somehow she didn’t think so. He didn’t have the look of a man who’d been roped and tied by a woman.

What the heck has come over you, Noelle? Whether this man, or any man, is married should mean nothing to you. You don’t want one in your life. He wouldn’t be worth the heartache.

Shutting her mind to the mocking voice in her head, she asked, “What did the doctor say about your injury? They kept you back there so long I thought you must’ve been going through brain surgery.”

“Sorry you had such a long wait. After the doc finally studied the scans of my head, he said I have a concussion. He prescribed something for the pain and ordered me to take it easy the next few days. And not to get another lick on the head. I told him I wouldn’t be riding Lonesome anytime soon.”

Lonesome. The horse’s name fit Noelle perfectly, she thought. Aloud she said, “I liked your paint. You wouldn’t think about selling him to me, would you?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him looking at her with comical surprise. “Are you kidding me?”

“I don’t do much kidding, Detective Calhoun.”

“My name is Evan. Call me that, will you?”

In her mind, she’d already been calling him Evan. But he hardly needed to know she’d been thinking about him in such a familiar way. “All right, Evan. Now what about the horse? While I was unsaddling him, I looked him over. He has big strong bones, great withers and a nice soft eye. The two of us have already decided we like each other.”

He studied her for a long, thoughtful moment before he finally replied, “I’ll have to ask my brother. He handles the ranch’s remuda.”

She frowned as she maneuvered the truck into the passing lane. “Your ranch has a remuda?”

“Why, yes. Every ranch has a remuda.”

She supposed he was technically right. Even a small spread like hers needed a horse. Only the word remuda meant a collective string of them. And her string consisted of three.

“Now that we’re talking about ranching,” he went on, “I’m still trying to figure out if I heard you right today. You work that place of yours all by yourself?”

“That’s right. I can’t afford help. And even if I could, I prefer doing things my own way and at my own pace.”

He lifted his head to look at her. Though she could see him only in her peripheral vision, the sight was enough to rattle her senses. Without even trying, he was one of the sexiest men she’d ever crossed paths with. Being confined in the truck cab with him reminded her just how long it had been since she’d felt a man’s arms around her.

“How do you manage it all alone?” he asked. “As we rode to your house, I spotted a fairly large herd of cattle.”

He sounded clearly astounded. Noelle figured the women in his life were probably a different breed from her. Most likely they were the soft, delicate sort who looked great in lingerie but acted helpless in a feedlot. Sometimes in the quiet darkness of the night, she wished she could be that woman, if only for an hour or two. But that wouldn’t pay the bills or put food on the table. She had to be strong and capable. Always.

“Only a hundred fifty head. Doesn’t take much work to feed that many cattle in the winter. In the summer, when grass is available, I can concentrate on other things. And when it comes time for branding and working, I call on the day hands who work over on the Double X.”

“Hmm. So how long have you had your place?”

Ever since her beloved aunt and uncle had died and her snake-in-the-grass ex had shown his true colors, she thought grimly. To Evan, she said, “Four years—give or take a few months. My aunt Geneva and uncle Rob willed it to me with the stipulation that I use it to produce livestock. And that I never sell the property.”

“You said ‘willed it.’ Did they die?”

She winced as a pain of regret traveled through her. “Together. In a car accident.”

“That’s too bad. They must’ve thought a lot of you.”

“They didn’t have any children, and the three of us were always close. To be honest, I was shocked when I found out they’d left the place to me. They owned a little ranch of their own in the Prescott area, but I had no idea they owned land here in Nevada.”

“So Prescott is where you’re from originally?”

“No. I lived in Phoenix. But I spent every summer and weekend I could with my aunt and uncle. That’s where I learned about horses and cattle. Uncle Rob had done that all his life. He taught me a lot.”

“I see. So you decided to take on the challenge of turning the land here in Nevada into something.”

Actually, she’d first thought of her move from Phoenix to Nevada as an escape, not a challenge. She’d wanted to get away from the crushing pain of her divorce and her clueless parents. But it hadn’t taken long for her to begin to see the property as the future instead of a refuge.

“Something like that,” she murmured.

He didn’t say anything more. After a few moments passed, she looked over to see he’d closed his eyes and was once again resting his head against the back of the seat. No doubt his injury was causing him some misery. Talking probably made it worse.

That was okay with her. She’d already shared more about herself with this man in the past few minutes than she’d ever told anyone. What in the heck was that about? Since her brother, Andy, was killed five years ago, looking at any person wearing a law-enforcement badge had left her cold. So why was she spilling her personal life to this one? It didn’t make sense. Except that he seemed different somehow from the cool, professional policemen who’d tried to explain away an eighteen-year-old’s death.

Doing her best to shove the confusing doubts and questions from her mind, she concentrated on the traffic and hoped Evan didn’t drift off to sleep before giving her directions to his home.

As if reading her thoughts, he suddenly spoke. “Before you get to the Washoe Lake turnoff, there’s a gravel road that goes west. Take it. Three miles in, you’ll see the entrance to the Silver Horn. Cross the cattle guard and stay on that road until you reach the ranch house.”

“Got it.”

Twenty minutes later, Noelle was wondering whether she’d made the correct turn a few miles back or she was driving them deeper into the wilderness. In the past half hour, the only thing she’d seen was a dark dirt road. But she was loath to wake her passenger and question him. He needed the rest. And the absence of his low, rich voice made it easier for her to keep her mind on driving.

Eventually, she spotted a cattle guard up ahead. As she drove closer, she could see it was flanked on either side with rock pillars. A sign that simply read Silver Horn swung from an arch of metal pipe spanning the entrance. She steered the truck over the metal ridges and hoped the ranch house wasn’t far off.

Another fifteen minutes passed before Noelle finally caught a glimpse of lights on a far-off hill. When Evan had told her it was a long drive from town to his place, he hadn’t been exaggerating. But that hardly mattered now. In a few minutes, she’d finally be rid of Detective Calhoun. The idea left her torn between extreme relief and unexplainable sadness.

* * *

Someone was beating the side of his head with a hammer. Evan fought as hard as he could to defend himself until the nightmare eventually had him bolting forward in the seat, causing the seat belt to latch tight against his throat.

“What the hell?” he muttered as he struggled to thrust the nylon strap away.

“You were having a dream. You’re okay.”

The feminine voice was strong and steady and enough to break through the last vestiges of the disturbing dream.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. Suddenly everything came rushing back to him. “Oh. It’s you. Noelle.”

“That’s right. You’ve been asleep. But I think you’re almost home now.”

Wiping a hand over his eyes, he drew in a long breath and scooted up in the seat. Ahead of them, he could see the tall pines and poplar trees lining the driveway to the Silver Horn ranch house. For a few moments today, after Noelle had found him in the gulch, he’d wondered if he would ever see this place or his family again. But now that he realized he was going to live, he dreaded the berating he would surely get from his grandfather Bart Calhoun.

Realizing the truck was slowing, Evan glanced over to see Noelle gazing past the trees to the three-story brick house and the blaze of Christmas lights decorating its face, the lawn and the long walkway.

“This is where you live?”

“Ever since I was born,” he answered easily. “Why? Is anything wrong?”

She turned her attention away from the house and back to the circular driveway. “No. I’m relieved that I didn’t make a wrong turn and you’re finally home.”

He said, “Just park at the end of the sidewalk and I can make it the rest of the way.”

She stopped the truck at the walk lined with low-growing juniper bushes. The evergreens were threaded with tiny, twinkling lights, turning the walkway into a dazzling trail.

“I’d be honored if you’d come in and meet my family,” he said. “Greta, our cook, will have leftovers from dinner. After everything I’ve put you through today, you must be hungry.”

Her tight hold on the steering wheel never lessened. “No thanks,” she said bluntly. “I have to be getting home.”

Even though the effort caused the gash in his head to hurt, he attempted to smile. “I promise I’m the only lawman that lives here. The rest make their living off cattle and horses.”

Clearly not finding his remark amusing, she stared straight ahead. “I’m sure your folks are fine people. But I have chores waiting on me.”

For some reason, the thought of her going back to that windswept hill and modest little house struck him hard. There wasn’t much there but a barn full of hay, a handful of horses and a small herd of cattle. Why had she chosen such a hard, isolated life for herself? he wondered.

That’s none of your business, Evan. And she clearly isn’t about to let it become your business. So forget it and let her be on her way.

He reached over to shake her hand. She dropped the steering wheel long enough to oblige him. Her grip was strong, but brief.

“Well, thank you for all your trouble, Noelle. I can truly say I’d rather we met under different circumstances, but I’m very grateful you came along when you did.”

“Forget it,” she said curtly, then looked at him. “You never did say what you were doing out there riding in the hills. It had to be more than following four-wheeler tracks. Don’t you think I have a right to know?”

“Actually, you should know. A few weeks ago, a body was discovered just a few miles from your place. I was following up on some leads regarding that case.”

Her brows lifted slightly. “I read about it in the newspaper. But I didn’t think it was that close—and the article didn’t say anything about it being a homicide.”

“I’m not saying it was a homicide, either. That detail hasn’t been determined yet. But it’s a fact that gangs sometimes meet out in the area not far from your property. To avoid the law coming down on them, we think. Have you ever seen anything suspicious? Especially around the dry gulch where you found me?”

“No. Never. Sometimes when the weather is nice, there might be a few teenagers sitting around smoking and drinking beer. Not far off the county road, on the property next to mine, there’s a rock formation with a cave beneath. The kids use it as a place to hang out.”

Feeling the need to caution her, he said, “Those might not be innocent teenagers, Noelle.”

She turned a hard look on him. “I might’ve known you’d say something like that. A group of kids, cigarettes and beer. That instantly makes them gang members, thieves or murderers, doesn’t it?”

There was more than sarcasm in her voice. There was downright anger. Her reaction made him wonder whether, as a teenager, she’d been targeted by the law. Though the notion hardly seemed likely, it was clear that something had hardened her toward police officers.

“No. I’m only saying it would be wise of you to use caution. A woman alone is—”

“No different than a man alone,” she finished briskly. “Now, do you think you can get to the door under your own steam or do I need to help you?”

In his line of work, Evan was used to dealing with belligerent people. Some reacted out of fear, others out of downright meanness. No matter the reason, he’d been trained to keep his patience and let the barbs and jabs hit the invisible armor he always kept around him. But in Noelle’s case, he found her unfounded resentment hard to take.

“I think I can manage,” he said stiffly, then reached for his wallet. “Let me pay you for bringing me home and tending to my horse. I’d like to believe the rest of your help was a Good Samaritan act.”

“I don’t want your money. And as for being a Good Samaritan, I don’t walk away from wounded animals. Or humans.”

“Fine.” He opened the truck door and climbed out. “Thanks again. Maybe we’ll see each other again sometime. I know that would make you happy.”

“Deliriously so,” she muttered, her eyes focused on the windshield in front of her.

“Goodbye, Noelle.”

She didn’t reply, so he simply shut the door to the truck and started walking toward the house. But halfway there, he glanced over his shoulder at her disappearing taillights and wondered why it even mattered that she hadn’t told him goodbye.

Chapter Three

During the long drive home, Noelle cried so hard the flood of tears made it difficult to see the road. She’d always prided herself on being emotionally stable. Not once since she’d moved to Nevada to start a new life had she shed a tear. Not for the death of her beloved aunt and uncle. Nor for the divorce, the break with her parents or even the loss of her brother. None of those things had melted her resolve to stay strong and in control.

So, damn it, why was she crying tonight? Why had a lawman with a lump on the side of his head and a goofy grin on his face turned her into a ball of jumbled emotions?

She was ashamed of herself for many reasons. If she was half the woman she wanted to believe she was, she would turn the truck around, drive back to that big mansion and apologize to the man. But tonight she was discovering she wasn’t nearly as strong as she thought, and that jolted her. Whether he knew it or not, Evan Calhoun was forcing her to look at parts of herself she didn’t want to see. Tonight or ever.

When she finally arrived home, she left her truck and walked straight to the barn. The horses were hanging their heads over the top rail of the corral, waiting impatiently for their supper. Earlier this evening, before she’d driven Evan to the emergency room, she’d turned his paint into the corral with her horses, and so far they weren’t trying to kick or bite each other to death. Which was a relief. If his horse came up lame or injured while under her care, Evan’s family would no doubt hold her responsible.

The fact that she’d asked him about selling the animal stung her cheeks with embarrassment. She’d recognized the horse was from good bloodstock, but she’d never imagined he’d come from a ranch like the Silver Horn. A horse of Lonesome’s quality would carry a hefty price tag. One that would never fit into her budget.

At one time, she could’ve bought dozens of horses like the paint and never made a dent in her bank account. Money had been at her fingertips to buy anything she’d desired. But the cost of living the same sort of lifestyle as her parents had been too high for Noelle. Especially when she’d learned that her father, Neal, had earned a portion of his millions by not-so-honest business practices.

The best decision Noelle had ever made in her life was to turn her back on all that wealth, and the phoniness, and move here to Nevada. Even if it meant she ate canned tuna for dinner instead of beef steak and wore work boots instead of stilettos.

At the barn, she wasted no time pouring grain for the horses and filling their hay manger. The cow she’d penned next to the horses had been recuperating from a respiratory infection. Noelle injected her with a shot of antibiotics, then spread hay for her and the calf.

Once her chores at the barn were finished, she returned to the house and went straight to the bathroom to shower. It wasn’t until she was standing in front of the vanity that she caught sight of her image in the medicine-chest mirror. The reflection shocked her. Her eyes were swollen, and tears had marked tracks down her dusty cheeks.

Disgusted by her unreasonable attitude toward Evan and her emotional breakdown, she pulled a washcloth from the vanity and stepped into the shower. But even after her face was drenched clean from the warm water, she still couldn’t shake the memory of Evan’s wounded expression.

He’d been not only offended by her sharp retorts but also hurt. Why had she said all that to him? Why had she deliberately set out to make him dislike her?

You know why, Noelle. Just when you’d started thinking he might be different, he’d talked about teenagers as if they were all potential criminals. He dug up those painful memories you’ve been trying so hard to bury. You might as well face it now. Evan Calhoun is no different from the officer who shot and killed Andy. And the sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.

Trying to shut out the terrible voice in her head, Noelle finished her shower, then wrapped herself in a heavy robe and walked out to the kitchen to fix something to eat.

Tomorrow would be a new day, she told herself as she shoved a piece of bologna between two pieces of bread. And she was going to do her best to put this one behind her.

* * *

The next morning when Evan opened his eyes, he was shocked to see daylight seeping through the curtains and the digital clock on the nightstand clicking to 7:35.

He was going to be late for work!

He bolted upright in the bed before the ordeal of yesterday had time to creep into his sleep-fogged brain. The sudden movement sent pain crashing from one side of his skull to the other, causing him to grab his head with both hands and curse.

“Oh, hell!”

Evan was still waiting for the ache to subside when a light knock sounded on the door, but he dared not go open it. Instead, he called in a strained voice, “Whoever you are, come in. Just walk softly.”

The door creaked open, and a female voice spoke softly. “It’s me, Tessa. Greta sent me up with your breakfast and a pain pill.”

Evan wasn’t at all sure he could eat. But since he’d not had a full meal since yesterday morning, he realized he needed to try.

He glanced at the tall, slender maid as she placed the breakfast tray on the nightstand. Even though she was barely out of her teens, she’d worked for the Calhoun family for a few years now. Evan thought of her as a sister more than anything and treated her as such.

“I fell asleep last night before remembering to set my alarm,” he mumbled. “Why didn’t someone wake me? I’m going to be late for work.”

Tessa eyed him with disbelief. “You’re not going to work today. Didn’t you read the orders the doctor sent home with you?”

Read? After listening to Grandfather Bart rake him over the coals for allowing a horse to dump him, Evan had done well to make it upstairs and fall into bed.

“I don’t care what those orders say. As soon as I eat and shower, I’m going to the office.”

She handed him a thin china cup balanced on a matching saucer. “You feel that good?”

Even though he felt as if an earthquake was rattling his insides, he managed to take the coffee without spilling it. “No. I feel like hell. But the office is overloaded with cases right now.”

Tessa walked across the room and pulled back the drapes to reveal a view of the distant mountains covered with tall evergreens. Silver Horn land went beyond those mountains to the west and across the desert hills to the east. Thousands of acres belonged to one family. His family. The fact would probably be mind-boggling to a woman like Noelle, who was trying to eke out a living with the barest necessities.

Dear God, he didn’t need to be thinking about her and her smart mouth. It would only make his head hurt worse. But even with the pain crowding every bit of space inside his skull, she’d managed to find room enough to insert herself.

“Tessa, would you like living on an isolated ranch alone?”

The young woman paused and looked at him with a puzzled expression. “No. Why? Am I going to be transferred to a line shack or something?”

He laughed and immediately regretted it as shards of pain splintered the left side of his head. “Not hardly. We couldn’t do without you. I was just wondering. I met someone yesterday who…puzzled me.”

Tessa gave him an understanding smile. “I meet people like that every day. And then I remind myself that I can’t expect everyone to be like me. We all want different things. That’s what makes each of us interesting, don’t you think?”

Ignoring the food on the tray, Evan reached for the pain reliever and swallowed it with a swig of coffee. “You’re too smart to be nineteen,” he told her.

Lifting her chin, she started toward the door. “You know very well that I’m twenty-one. And eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

Fifteen minutes later, Evan felt human enough to follow Tessa’s suggestion. By then the food was cold, but that didn’t matter. The eggs and bacon would ease the gnawing in his stomach.

He’d finished the meal and was swinging his legs over the edge of the bed when a hard rap sounded at the door and Finn stepped into the room. His younger brother was a lanky, good-looking guy with curly auburn hair that was usually hidden beneath a gray cowboy hat. At twenty-eight, he’d been manager of the horse division of the ranch for four years. It was a job that kept him going from daylight to dark and beyond.

“What are you doing in the house at this hour?” Evan asked.

Finn walked over to the tray on the nightstand and plucked up a piece of half-eaten toast. “I’ve already been down to the barns. I came back to check on you. Dad tells me that Lonesome dumped you. That horse has never bucked in his life. What happened?”

Evan frowned. “He didn’t buck yesterday. A bird flew up in his face and scared him. He sort of reared up and jumped sideways at the same time. I wasn’t expecting it and fell off. That’s all. And before you start in on me, I know I should keep up my riding skills, but it’s not like I have the time.”

“I’m not going to preach. Even the best of us can lose our seat from time to time.” Munching the toast, Finn leaned down to inspect the gash on Evan’s head. “That looks nasty. How do you feel this morning?”

“Okay. Just a little headache,” Evan lied.

Finn looked relieved. “Good. When Dad said you had a concussion—well, the whole family and I couldn’t help thinking about Mom. Are you sure the doctor looked you over good?”

“Finn, they took so many scans and X-rays of my head yesterday, you could stand me out in the yard tonight and use me as a Christmas light. Thanks for worrying about me, though.”

Finn laid a hand on his shoulder. “We love you. That’s all,” he said, then turned and started toward the door. “You need anything? I’ll tell Tessa to bring it up.”

What he needed most was to get one tall cowgirl out of his head. “No thanks. But wait a minute, Finn. About Lonesome, he’s—”

Finn turned back to him. “Yeah. I’ve already heard. You left him at the house of the woman who found you. I believe Dad said her name was Barnes. Is that right?”

“Noelle Barnes. She lives on a small spread over by Douglas County.”

“Okay. Give me the directions to her place and I’ll have one of the hands pick him up today and pay her for her trouble.”

“No. Don’t offer her money. I’ve already tried that. I…” Evan broke off, shocked to feel his face getting hot. Maybe, if he was lucky, Finn would put the flush down to the three cups of coffee he’d swallowed with his breakfast. “I wanted to see if you could do without the horse for a while. Just leave him there. As a favor to me.”

Finn frowned with confusion. “What?”

Evan blew out a frustrated breath. “The woman—she took a liking to Lonesome and wanted to know if the ranch would sell him to her. But, Finn, I doubt she has two pennies to rub together, and she’s not the sort to accept charity. I thought maybe we could simply forget to pick up the horse.”

An understanding grin suddenly spread across Finn’s face. “Look, as far as I’m concerned, the woman rescued you from a bad situation. I’d be glad to give her two or three horses for saving your life.”

“One will be sufficient.”

“Fine. We’ll leave Lonesome where he is. And if anyone asks about him, I’ll just say he found a new home.”

“You’re the best, brother.”

Waving away his thanks, Finn left the room. Evan rose shakily to his feet. Doctor’s orders or not, he had to get back to work and focus his mind on solving crimes instead of a barbed-tongued woman with velvety brown eyes.

* * *

Nearly a week later, Noelle drove into town for a load of feed and stopped on her way out at the Grubstake Café for coffee and a fat cinnamon roll that was a specialty of the old diner.

Even at nine in the morning, the large rustic room was still full of breakfast diners and coffee drinkers. Noelle took a seat at the long wooden bar and looked around the old eating place.

Since she’d been here last, someone had put up a blue spruce in the far corner of the room and decorated it with lights, candy canes and silver tinsel. Overhead, huge ornaments hung from the rafters, while Christmas music played from a nearby radio.

It was the time of year for celebrations, gift giving and family gatherings. Noelle would participate in none of that. She would, however, put up a small tree in her house and give her livestock an extra helping of feed on Christmas Day.

Through the years, when her aunt Geneva and uncle Rob had been alive, she’d spent wonderful holidays with them on their ranch near Prescott. Her aunt had always cooked for days before the event, and her uncle had decorated the house and lawn and even the barns with lights and evergreen branches. On Christmas Eve, they had attended church services. The next morning, they sat around the tree and opened simple but meaningful gifts.

Noelle’s mother and father had never understood why their daughter hadn’t wanted to travel with them to some exotic island or exciting city to celebrate the Christmas season. They’d not understood that their children hadn’t wanted extravagant vacations for a gift. They’d simply wanted their parents to be home and attentive. But that scenario wasn’t Neal and Maxine’s style. As a result, Noelle had always chosen to go to her aunt and uncle’s, while teenage Andy had spent his Christmases with one of his grungy friends.

“Noelle, has anyone waited on you yet?”

At the sound of Jessi’s voice, Noelle looked up at the redheaded waitress standing directly behind the bar. The young woman was one of the few friends Noelle had made since she’d moved to the Carson City area. “Not yet.”

Resting a pencil over her ear, Jessi leaned forward and said under her breath, “We got new help and she’s as slow as molasses. But she’s so nice, I can’t help but like her.”

Smiling vaguely, Noelle shook her head. “Have patience. She’ll get into the swing of things. And I’m in no hurry. All I need is coffee and a cinnamon roll.”

“Coming right up,” Jessi told her.

When the waitress returned a few moments later with the order, she placed it in front of Noelle and added a small box next to the plate.

Surprised, Noelle stared at the gift wrapped in bright red-and-green paper. “What is this?”

Grinning impishly, Jessi shrugged. “Just a little something from me. You always give me tips when I know you can’t afford them. That means a lot to me. Open it.”

“It’s still a while before Christmas,” Noelle pointed out.

“So it’s a few days. We’re supposed to give to our friends all through the year.”

Since Jessi wasn’t about to let her take the gift without opening it, Noelle quickly tore off the festive paper and lifted the lid on a white cardboard box. Nestled in a bed of cotton was a barrette covered with colored rhinestones. It was feminine and sparkly and something that she would’ve never splurged on for herself.

“Oh, it’s lovely, Jessi.” For the second time in a matter of days, tears filled Noelle’s eyes. Feeling foolishly emotional, she tried to blink them away. “You shouldn’t have done this.”

“Don’t be silly. It didn’t cost much.”

Noelle gazed at the hair jewelry and couldn’t help but remember one particular Christmas Eve. It was Noelle’s birthday and since her parents had rarely acknowledged the day separately from Christmas, she’d been hopeful when they’d given her a gift to open early that whatever was inside the box was just for her special day. But then she quickly learned that the matching barrettes covered with real diamonds and emeralds had been purposely given to her to wear to a Christmas Eve party the family was planning to attend. Those barrettes hadn’t been given with the same sincerity as this gift from Jessi. That made all the difference to Noelle.

“I realize that,” Noelle said in a husky voice, “but you need to watch your pennies, too.”

Jessi laughed. “It’s just money. And I think it’s high time I saw you in something pretty.”

Before Noelle could thank her properly, a diner at the end of the bar called to Jessi. The young woman hurried away to tend to the customer.

Noelle put the lid back on the box and was digging into the cinnamon roll when someone sat down on the stool next to her. Always one to keep to herself, she didn’t bother looking around until the man spoke in a deep, familiar voice.

“This is a surprise,” he said. “I’ve never seen you in here before.”

Evan Calhoun! How had she managed to come across him here in the Grubstake this morning? Some sort of crazy fate was throwing them together.

Turning her head in his direction, she said, “I’ve never seen you here, either. But I don’t drop by that often. Maybe once a week in the midmorning.”

“Oh. I usually come in every day before duty.”

His gaze roamed over her face and Noelle had never been more aware of her appearance. Although she hadn’t taken great pains when she’d dressed that morning to come to town, she had put on a nice black sweater with her jeans and dabbed a bit of pink color on her cheeks and lips. Was he noticing that? Or trying to figure out some way to insult her as she’d insulted him the other night? Either notion made her cringe inwardly.

Trying to clear away the tightness in her throat, she asked, “How’s the head?”

“Back to normal. Thanks for asking.”

Drawing in a deep, bracing breath, she stared at the half-eaten sweet roll. “I—uh—hadn’t expected to see you again, but now I’m glad I ran into you like this. It gives me the opportunity to apologize to you. I behaved rudely the other night, and I regret it. You didn’t deserve that from me.”

She could sense him looking at her, yet she didn’t have the courage to turn and face him. Something about his eyes made her feel as though he was looking right into the deepest part of her, and that was a place she definitely didn’t want him to see.

“We’d both had a tough day,” he replied. “As far as I’m concerned, all’s forgotten.”

“That’s kind of you.”

She lifted the thick coffee mug to her lips. While she sipped, Jessi returned to take Evan’s order.

“Coffee and one of those things that Noelle’s eating,” he told the waitress.

Surprised, Jessi glanced at the both of them. “I wasn’t aware that you two knew each other.”

Evan smiled. “Noelle saved my life a few days ago.”

Noelle spluttered with embarrassment, and Jessi leaned curiously over the bar toward Evan. “Really? You’re the lawman. Aren’t you supposed to be the one saving the lives around here?”

He laughed. “The tables were turned this time.”

Groaning, Noelle said, “It was no big thing, Jessi. Evan fell off his horse and I just happened to help him get home. That’s all.”

The waitress was clearly disappointed. “Oh. And here I was thinking I would hear about you collaring some criminal.”

To Noelle’s relief, Jessi was called away at that moment. She used the distraction to turn her attention back to the last of the sweet roll.

Evan said, “I hope Lonesome isn’t giving you any problems.”

She glanced over at him. This time she allowed herself to take note of his clean-shaven face, the brown leather jacket covering a white shirt and the pistol holstered at his side. He looked strong and in total control today, and she had to admit to herself that he was too damned attractive to be walking safely among the female population.

“So you’re aware he’s still at my place?”

“Uh, yes. My brother Finn is in charge of all the Silver Horn horses, and he let me know it might be some time before he could send a hand out to pick up the paint.”

She frowned. His excuse hardly made sense, especially when a ranch as big as the Silver Horn probably had dozens of hired hands. “Then I could deliver him. It wouldn’t be that big of a problem.”

“Oh, no. I mean, there’s no urgency about it. The ranch hands have more than enough horses to ride. Just keep Lonesome there and use him like he’s yours. He’ll be needing some exercise anyway.”

“I wouldn’t want to do that. If he came up lame, I’d be responsible.”

“We have a vet on the ranch. If that ever happened, he’d deal with the problem. In the meantime, just take good care of Lonesome until someone eventually comes around to pick him up.”

Seeing she couldn’t argue with him, she simply shrugged her acquiescence. “Okay. I’ll be glad to.”

Jessi returned with Evan’s coffee and roll. As he began to eat, Noelle placed a tip by her empty plate and rose to her feet.

As she picked up the little box containing her Christmas gift, he asked, “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Yes. I need to get home and unload the feed before it starts to snow.”

He glanced over his shoulder and looked out the window at the parking lot. “That’s your truck? The black one with the feed sacks stacked in the back?”

“That’s it,” she answered. “Guess you were too groggy the other day to remember it.”

Dismayed, he turned back to her. “You’re not going to unload all of that by yourself, are you?”

She smiled vaguely. “Like I told you, I take care of the ranch by myself. I’m strong. Lifting a fifty-pound feed sack is nothing new to me.”

His appreciative gaze traveled over her. “Then the other day in the gulch, you probably could’ve slung me over the saddle.”

“I’m not so sure. But I would’ve certainly tried.” She turned to leave. “Goodbye, Evan.”

Before she could step away from the bar, he caught her arm. “Please. Wait a minute,” he said. “I have something to ask you.”

Curious, she eased back onto the stool. “About Lonesome?”

“No. I’m not worried about him. He’s in good hands.” He released his hold on her arm, even while his gaze held fast to hers. “I was wondering—do you have anything pressing to do tomorrow?”

His question caught her completely off guard. Instead of being able to think quickly and give him a resounding yes, she paused too long to make anything sound convincing. “Not exactly. Just routine chores.”

“How would you like to take a drive with me up to Virginia City? My maternal grandparents, Tuck and Alice Reeves, live close to there, and I’ve been promising them a visit. Tomorrow is the only day off I’m going to have for a while.”

The invitation stunned her. She had been rude to this man, and the two of them were barely acquainted. “Why would you want to take a stranger with you to visit your grandparents?”

He smiled at her and as Noelle’s gaze followed the line of his white teeth, she inwardly shivered. The mere idea of being close to this man shook her senses. Behind that incredibly masculine face and rock-hard body, he was a lawman. How could she be attracted to him?

She couldn’t answer that. She only knew that for the first time in years, she remembered that she was a woman. And the feeling was too good to pass up.

“Oh, I think I’ll be safe in your company,” he said with a lazy grin. “And I thought you might enjoy seeing something other than that little ranch of yours. Just in case you’re wondering, my grandparents love having company. You’d be very welcome.”

Since she’d moved to the Carson City area, she’d been asked out on a few dates by men she’d met through connections to her work. She’d refused all of them. And something told her if she was smart now, she’d give Evan Calhoun a loud, decisive no.

But something strange was going on inside her. For the life of her she couldn’t seem to form the word, much less say it to the man.

“Actually, it might be nice to see Virginia City,” she said before she could stop herself. “I’ve never driven up that far north.”

Before she could guess his intentions, he reached for her hand and clasped it tightly between both of his. “Great. I’ll drive out to your place and pick you up in the morning. Is ten okay?”

Across the room, she spotted Jessi staring curiously at the two of them. Noelle wondered whether the heat from Evan’s hands was racing straight to her cheeks and staining them red. They definitely felt as if they’d turned a hot scarlet.

“Ten is fine.” She awkwardly eased her hand from his. “I’ll see you then.”

He lifted a hand in farewell, and Noelle left the café.

On the drive home, she tried to think of anything and everything besides Evan Calhoun. She had a whole list of chores to be finished before nightfall. She didn’t have time to daydream about a man. Any man, she told herself.

But a half hour later, she was home and changing out of her sweater and boots when it dawned on her that she’d been so shaken by Evan’s invitation, she’d forgotten to pay the ticket for the coffee and cinnamon roll.

Feeling worse than sappy, she picked up the phone and punched in the number for the café. Thankfully, Jessi answered.

“It’s Noelle,” she told the waitress. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed yet, but I forgot and left the café without paying my bill. Can you take care of it for me until I come back in?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already taken care of it,” Jessi assured her. “But I would like to know what’s going on with you. Evan Calhoun was holding your hand! What was that all about?”

Noelle drew in a shaky breath, then blew it out. “I’m not sure, Jessi. I think I might’ve just made the biggest mistake in my life.”

Either that or she was finally waking up from a long, cold sleep.

Chapter Four

The next morning, when Evan arrived at Noelle’s lonely little ranch a few minutes before ten, he realized just how loopy he’d been the day he’d hit his head in the gulch. Everything he’d remembered about the place was like a foggy dream. Now, as he parked the truck a few yards away from the house, everything was crystal clear. Almost brutally so.

Even in his dazed state that day, he’d noticed the small size of the house. But he didn’t recall it being this little, or the chipping stucco and weather-bleached trim so worn and in need of repair. Except for two small windows, the front of the dwelling was bare, with no sort of porch to shield the entrance. A stone positioned below the simple door acted as a step. Beyond the house, he could see a partial view of the old board barn. The whole structure was listing slightly to the east, as though it had grown tired of battling the years of westerly winds. But since the barn was in no danger of collapsing, Evan supposed it was serving its purpose.

As he walked to the door of the house, Evan couldn’t help but think back to when he’d asked Tessa about living on an isolated ranch and she’d humorously asked if the family was going to send her to take care of a line shack. Evan had laughed at her question. But now, as he took a good look at Noelle’s home, he realized that some of the line shacks on the Silver Horn were far sturdier and more comfortable. And though it shouldn’t have, the fact made him feel a bit guilty about the wealth he’d been born into.

Noelle answered his knock fairly quickly. As soon as Evan took one look at her, he realized why he’d taken the trouble to ask her out. A pair of cream-colored jeans clung to her shapely hips and long legs, then finally disappeared into a pair of brown suede dress boots. A pumpkin-colored blouse caressed the fullness of her breasts and brought out the rich, russet highlights in her long, brown hair. Yet it was the strength of her features and the candor in her dark brown eyes that struck him the most.

“Good morning,” she said. “Please come in while I finish gathering my things.”

He stepped past her and directly into the cozy living room. Along the way, he caught the same flowery scent she’d been wearing the day he’d fallen off Lonesome. Damn. There were bits and pieces of that day he couldn’t recall at all. Yet he could remember very distinctly how this woman had looked and smelled. He supposed with only a part of his brain working, the male instinct had taken over.

“It looks like we’re going to have a beautiful day today,” he told her. “I hope the weather holds. I’d like to show you around my grandparents’ place without freezing you.”

“I’m outdoors every day, Evan. Rain or shine. Heat or cold. I’m used to it.” Smiling faintly, she gestured toward the couch. “Have a seat if you like. I’ll be only a minute.”

She disappeared into another part of the house. Rather than taking a seat, Evan stood where he was and took a visual survey of the small room. The walls were painted a pale beige and covered with an assortment of prints, mostly outdoor scenes full of horses and Western landscapes. Linoleum covered the floor, and in places the brown-and-gold pattern was worn through to the black backing, but she’d hidden most of it with a braided rug in the center.

Along with the red couch he’d rested on the other day, there was a stuffed red armchair, both of which had faded to the color of a half-ripened watermelon. A wooden rocker with a thin pad tied to the seat was jammed in one corner, while directly across from it was a small television set equipped with a pair of rabbit ears. Without a proper antenna, he doubted she received enough signal to get the public-access channel out of Carson City, much less a regular station with nationwide programming.

Did she live in this manner because she was frugal, he wondered, or simply because she lacked the funds to do better? Either way, he was more than intrigued by the woman. Yet the lifestyle she’d chosen was her business, and she’d already made it fairly clear that she didn’t want him poking his nose in it.

The sound of her footsteps had him turning to see her stepping through the open doorway. A gray woolen coat was thrown over her arm, while a brown leather purse swung from her shoulder.

“Will I need anything other than my coat and purse?”

“Not a thing,” he said with a smile. “Do you have the barn situated like you need it? The horses—”

“Yes. Everything will be fine until this evening.”

“Good. Then let’s get going. If we’re lucky, Grandmother will have something cooking on the stove.”

He followed her out of the house, then stepped to one side while he waited for her to lock the door. But she didn’t. When she started toward his truck, Evan stared after her in dismay.

“Noelle? You forgot to lock the house.”

Glancing over her shoulder at him, she shook her head. “I didn’t forget. I never lock it.”

Stunned, Evan quickly caught up to her. “Never lock it? But someone could walk in and steal anything they wanted!”

She shot him a bored look. “And just what would they be getting, Mr. Detective? A few pieces of clothing? Some mismatched dishes? A little trinket box full of costume jewelry? A TV set that you’d do well to sell at a pawnshop for twenty-five dollars? No. If someone wants to get in the house that badly, I’d rather them walk through the door instead of breaking out the windows.”

Her logic set him back on his heels. For a moment, he wasn’t sure how to reply. Her reasoning made sense, and it pointed out just how few material things she owned.

“What about Christmas gifts?” he asked. “At this time of year, if you have any of those hidden away—”

“No,” she interrupted him. “I don’t really do much in the way of Christmas buying.”

He wondered whether her finances didn’t allow for shopping or she simply didn’t enjoy the holiday. Either way, now wasn’t the time to ask.

Taking her by the arm, he urged her on to the truck. Along the way, he said, “As an officer of the law, I tell folks all the time not to make it easy for thieves to steal or commit a crime. But—and don’t ever repeat this to Sheriff Wainwright—in your case, I can see your point.”

As he opened the truck door to help her into the cab, she actually gave him a broad smile. “You can? That’s surprising.”

He chuckled. “I can have an open mind. When I really work at it.”

* * *

Minutes later, after they’d driven away from her place, Noelle glanced around the plush interior of the truck, then allowed her gaze to settle on Evan. Although he was dressed casually in faded jeans and a denim jacket over a green paisley shirt, he wore the clothes with an easy air that could only come from a wealth of self-confidence. And though she hated to admit it, the attitude added volumes to his sexy appearance.

They’d traveled a few miles in companionable silence when she asked, “What made you want to become a lawman?”

With his brows pulled together, he darted her a glance. “You make it sound like I’ve chosen to have an incurable disease.”

She could’ve told him that for the past five years, she’d considered lawmen as loathsome as an incurable disease, but this man was going out of his way to repay her for a kind deed. For today she would try to forget that he wore a pistol on his hip and a badge on his chest.

“Sorry,” she said. “It’s hard for me to figure you out. I mean, your family owns and runs a huge ranch. You had other options and directions you could’ve taken in your life. Instead, you chose to be an officer of the law.”

He stared thoughtfully ahead at the lonesome two-lane highway. “You’re right. I grew up learning all about raising cattle and horses and the round-the-clock work it takes to run a place the size of the Horn. My dad even says I’m good at ranching, and maybe I am. But I had other interests, too.” Glancing at her again, he said, “To answer your question better, it was my granddad Tuck, the one you’ll meet today, who directed me toward being a law officer.”

“Oh. So I take it he’s not a rancher.”

“No. Not like the Calhoun family. Granddad runs a few head of cows and has a couple of horses, but he doesn’t do it for a living. Having livestock around is just something to give him a reason to get outdoors and stay busy. And keep out of Grandmother’s hair. You see, he’s a retired sheriff.”

Dear Lord, somehow she’d managed to land herself smack in the middle of a family of lawmen! What had she done to deserve a bunch of sad reminders shoved at her? Why couldn’t she have found an old, wrinkled rancher in the gulch that day? A bent, bowlegged cowboy who had simply ridden off his range and gotten lost? Instead, she’d found a hunky deputy who happened to be a member of one of the richest families in the state.

“Oh,” she said. “Did he work for the same office you do now?”

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