Boot Hill Bride

Read Boot Hill Bride Online

Authors: Lauri Robinson

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Western

BOOK: Boot Hill Bride
10.95Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

The Wild Rose Press

www.thewildrosepress.com

Copyright ©2009 by Lauri Robinson

First published in 2010

NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser

only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email,

floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a

violation of International copyright law and subjects the

violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice

overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are

erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to

others.

This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.

2

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

CONTENTS

Praise for Lauri Robinson

Boot Hill Bride

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

A word from the author...

Thank you for purchasing

* * * *

3

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

4

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Even sitting here, stinging from the cold of the night, his

fingers tingled, wanting to touch her silky skin, caress the

curve of her back and examine those perfect dimples—

"Holy shit!" Snake exclaimed under his breath.

Howard snapped his head up. Both of his brothers stared

over his shoulders, their mouths agape, and their eyes as

round as biscuits.

"What?" he asked, twisting his neck to follow the trail of

their gazes. His jaw went lax, the bottom of his chin all but

slapped against his chest. The sight he stared at knocked the

air out of him harder than being thrown off a wild bucking

bronc.

Inside the canvas, the flickering light of the lantern made

his tent glow brighter than the moon. The white, heavy tarp

had become pale yellow, and a dark silhouette moved about

inside the gently billowing sides. It was a moment before his

eyes locked on the shadow and registered what he saw,

sending the impulse to his brain.

Randi was undressing, and the light projected each

movement against the canvas screen more clearly than the

finest painter could create. Her graceful, womanly profile

moved with perfection as she drew her gown over her head.

The contours of her breasts, flat stomach, the inward arch of

her lower back, and her long, slender legs became clearly

visible to onlookers.

"Shit!" Howard leaped to his feet. Almost as an

afterthought, he grabbed the hat off his head and swiped it at

5

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

both of his brothers, knocking theirs askew. "Turn around!"

he demanded before storming off toward his tent.

Jogging across the grass, he shouted, "Randi! Randi!

Dowse the light!"

The silhouette inside stalled.

"Dowse the light!" he repeated.

6

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Praise for Lauri Robinson

SHOTGUN BRIDE,
The Quinter Brides, Book One: "This

firecracker of a story should not to be missed."

~Coffee Time Romance

BADLAND BRIDE
, The Quinter Brides, Book Two: "An

amazingly well-woven story. Lauri Robinson has created not

only a wonderful couple, but also a believable family. Skeeter

is a charismatic, charming hero, and Lila is a great match for

him. These characters are colorful, vibrant, and full of life.

They surround you with their wit and realism."

~Romance author Mallary Mitchell

"I love the McBride series, these books are wonderfully

written and they all connect together but have a story all their

own to tell."

~Tonya, You Gotta Read Reviews

"
LAWMEN AND OUTLAWS ANTHOLOGY
is a thoroughly

enjoyable set of stories. Each story had its own cadence and

feel to it and I enjoyed them all very much. My favorite was

SHERIFF MCBRIDE
by Lauri Robinson."

~You Gotta Read Reviews

"
AN APRIL TO REMEMBER
is a wonderful story, a must

read for someone who loves a bit of everything, heartache,

catastrophe, romance, and passion."

~WRDF Reviews

"
AN APRIL TO REMEMBER
will touch your heart and make

you weep with gratification that we have authors such as

7

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Robinson. This was a wonderful read and I wish it could go on

forever. It's a keeper for any bookshelf!"

~ Long and Short of It Reviews

[Back to Table of Contents]

8

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Boot Hill Bride

The Quinter Brides, Book Three

by

Lauri Robinson

[Back to Table of Contents]

9

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and

incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or

are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons

living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is

entirely coincidental.

Boot Hill Bride: The Quinter Brides, Book Three

COPYRIGHT (C) 2009 by Lauri Robinson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or

reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written

permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the

case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or

reviews.

Contact Information: [email protected]

Cover Art by
Nicola Martinez

The Wild Rose Press

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Cactus Rose Edition, 2010

Print ISBN 1-60154-738-2

Published in the United States of America

[Back to Table of Contents]

10

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Dedication

To Liz, Connie, and Jackie.

The best daughters on earth.

[Back to Table of Contents]

11

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Chapter One
Southwestern Kansas

1885

Another scream split the air. Louder, longer.

Oh, dear Lord, it's all my fault.
Randilynn Fulton huddled

as close to the back wall of the outdoor privy as humanly

possible and rubbed cold fingers against the chills racing up

and down her arms.
Please don't let him hurt Aunt Corrine
.

Her thoughts, or perhaps fears, tumbling together made

her glance down. Running through the streets of Dodge

wearing nothing more than a nightgown would be extremely

foolish, but she had to do something.

Seems she had a calling for foolishness. Slipping out of the

house, while it was full of customers, had been extremely

foolish as well. Had someone seen her? Had Danny J learned

Aunt Corrine had been hiding her in the little alcove above the

kitchen? Her heart pounded, echoed in her head and

amplified the sounds swirling about. She'd never met Danny

J, the man who ran the woman's boarding house, but had

heard enough to be duly afraid.

The trembles in her knees increased, snuck over her body

from head to toe. With pin-pricking stings, the frost-covered

grass penetrated the thin layers of her nightgown and

pantaloons. The coldness, along with the darkness of the late

night hour made every limb shake. She tucked her chin to her

chest and tightened every muscle to gain control of the

12

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

trembles. It was to no avail, even her teeth chattered

together.

"Think, Randi, think. There has to be something you can

do," she whispered.

Abruptly, the screams of the woman stopped. Randi

snapped her head up. Deep rough shouts followed by more

crashing hung in the air for long minutes before everything

went deathly quiet.

Randi covered her mouth with a trembling hand and

peered about. Searing cold, pitch-black air surrounded her.

Danny J's elaborate house sat on the edge of Dodge City. She

didn't know the layout of the town, but there, too, she'd

heard enough to be duly afraid. Squinting, she struggled to

see the light-colored sand of the well-used dusty road near

the gate of the whitewashed fence surrounding the property.

The thought of the lonely dead-end road intensified her lack

of options. She didn't have a clue as to where the sheriff's

office was located.

She lifted her rump and scooted along the back side of the

outhouse to peer around the other corner. Though she

couldn't see it from here, a short distance up the road

between Danny J's and Dodge, a new building was being

erected. The rafters and support beams were up, she'd

watched them rise from the ground almost a week ago, but

since then the site had been quiet.

Slowly, focused on not making a sound, she rose and

eased her way around the privy. The silence of the night rang

in her ears. If she left there wouldn't be any proof, and Danny

13

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

couldn't blame Corrine for hiding her. Were they looking for

her right now?

At the front corner of the outhouse, she peered toward the

big house, searching the windows for movement. Lanterns lit

the glass, but no shadows flickered beyond. She swallowed

against the frantic beat of her heart and flipped around. After

sucking in a deep breath, she balled handfuls of her

nightgown with both hands, hitched the hem high above her

knees, and sprinted across the yard toward the fence.

The chest-high boards glimmered in the moonlight,

highlighting the painted vertical planks fit too tightly together

for her to squeeze between. Increasing her speed as she drew

closer, she thrust her hands forward and grabbed the top. A

smothered grunt slipped between her clenched teeth as she

thrust her body over.

While she soared through the air an ear piercing rip

sounded and the material of her nightgown tightened around

her neck. The unexpected tug brought her sailing body to an

abrupt halt. A shocking sensation of weightlessness vibrated

her body. Then the tight hold let loose and gravity pulled her

down as if she was a heavy solid rock.

Air gushed from her lungs as she hit the ground. Fire

exploded in her chest, but fear gave her no time to dwell on

it, nor check for additional injuries. She rolled onto her hands

and knees, forced her lungs to accept new air, and leaped to

her feet again.

Twigs, pebbles, and stiff grass tore at the bottoms of her

icy feet as she ran, pumping her arms to gain as much speed

as possible. By the time she slowed her pace near the

14

Boot Hill Bride

by Lauri Robinson

building site a sharp pain bit at her side like a hornet's sting,

and her lungs flamed. With a final burst of energy, she raced

forward, scanning the security of the area as she ran. Not a

single flicker or flutter made itself known. Seconds later,

breathless, she wrapped her arms around one of the tall

support beams and clung to it, gasping. The cold air burnt as

hard going in as it did coming out.

Still huffing, but half expecting to see someone bounding

after her, she flipped her head up, looking back toward Danny

J's. Through the blackness of the distance she watched lights

in two upstairs bedrooms go out. She locked her flaming

Other books

High and Wild by Peter Brandvold
Kristin Lavransdatter by Undset, Sigrid
The Paris Architect: A Novel by Charles Belfoure
The Sea Wolves by Christopher Golden
Design For Loving by Jenny Lane
The Patriot Bride by Carolyn Faulkner
The Rangers Are Coming by Phil Walker
Unknown by Unknown