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Montana Fever
Jackie Merritt
Made in Montana A GOOD COWBOY IS HARD TO FIND… .So Lola Fanon vowed not to be impressed when Duke Sheridan walked into her tiny shop in Rocky Ford, Montana. The tall, lean, jeans-clad rancher might be the "best catch in the county," but Lola had been around - she knew better than to trust a sweet-talkin', fast-walkin' con man. Duke could flirt all he wanted, but she refused to take the bait.Only problem was, those golden-brown eyes were getting mighty hard to resist! Lola had heard the rumors: Duke Sheridan always got what he wanted. How long would it be before his winsome smile lassoed her in?MADE IN MONTANA: The Fanons - born and raised in Big Sky country… and heading for a Montana wedding!
Table of Contents
Cover Page (#u7fddb2ad-a63b-5832-80f8-db6b731332a2)
Excerpt (#ub4aafed5-a57b-5862-92d6-7741d709b549)
Dear Reader (#u694d362b-8413-510f-837e-69908b444f73)
Title Page (#ue4bd3377-f3c2-57f5-ab79-26803806535b)
About the Author (#u1c35d89d-6f98-547a-b5a1-b552827c1a84)
Prologue (#u46025c55-a84c-53ce-90f4-cc33e7ab4b9b)
Chapter One (#u6a1e614d-9b2e-547d-9910-c8e952403a64)
Chapter Two (#ua28fb772-04a9-5eea-9362-98fb54b15a48)
Chapter Three (#ufa5548c4-364a-5d94-ae3a-d87c3d29830c)
Chapter Four (#uee92b5f6-9fa6-500b-a779-e3eacde5a0d4)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Preview (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
“You Have A Very Suspicious Nature,” Duke Drawled Lazily.
“You bet I do,” Lola snapped.
“My feelings for you are going deeper by the minute,” he said, flashing her a smile that she saw as smug.
Lola’s anger increased tenfold. “Your only feelings for me are below your belt, so don’t try to con me, Duke.”
“You’re angry.”
“I’m not only angry, I don’t like you. There’s the answer to your question. Are you happy now?”
He chuckled. “I don’t think you’re a liar, Lola Fanon, so what you’re trying to do is con both of us. When a woman kisses back the way you did, she doesn’t dislike the man who’s holding her.”
Damn his sorry soul, he was right.
Made in Montana: The Fanons—born and raised in Big Sky country…and heading for a Montana Wedding!
Dear Reader,
Cowboys and cops…sexy men with a swagger…just the kind of guys to make your head turn. That’s what we’ve got for you this month in Silhouette Desire.
The romance begins when Taggart Jones meets his match in Anne McAllister’s wonderful MAN OF THE MONTH, The Cowboy and the Kid. This is the latest in her captivating CODE OF THE WEST miniseries. And the fun continues with Mitch Harper in A Gift for Baby, the next book in Raye Morgan’s THE BABY SHOWER series.
Cindy Gerard has created a dynamic hero in the very masculine form of J. D. Hazzard in The Bride Wore Blue, book #1 in the NORTHERN LIGHTS BRIDES series. And if rugged rascals are your favorite, don’t miss Jake Spencer in Dixie Browning’s The Baby Notion, which is book #1 of DADDY KNOWS LAST, Silhouette’s new cross-line continuity. (Next month, look for Helen R. Myers’s Baby in a Basket as DADDY KNOWS LAST continues in Silhouette Romance!)
Gavin Cantrell is sure to weaken your knees in Gavin’s Child by Caroline Cross, part of the delightful BACHELORS AND BABIES promotion. And Jackie Merritt—along with hero Duke Sheridan—kicks off her MADE IN MONTANA series with Montana Fever.
Heroes to fall in love with—and love scenes that will make your toes curl. That’s what Silhouette Desire is all about. Until next month—enjoy!
All the best,
Senior Editor
Please address questions and book requests to: Silhouette Reader Service
U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3
Montana Fever
Jackie Merritt
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
JACKIE MERRITT
and her husband live just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. An accountant for many years, Jackie has happily traded numbers for words. Next to family, books are her greatest joy. She started writing in 1987 and her efforts paid off in 1988 with the publication of her first novel. When she’s not writing or enjoying a good book, Jackie dabbles in watercolor painting and likes playing the piano in her spare time.
Prologue (#ulink_5aa60281-c4fb-537d-bfce-71a65bbda1c5)
A modest blue sedan drove slowly into the town of Rocky Ford, Montana. Though it was twilight, the woman behind the wheel tried to see everything she passed. Her heart was pounding and had seemingly changed positions in her chest, feeling as though it had risen to the base of her throat.
Her mind and body seemed heavy with unnerving questions. Had she done the right thing by coming here? Maybe she should have written first. Or called.
But no, she thought then. Her goal could not have been accomplished through the mail or by telephone. She had been compelled to come to this place since the moment she had learned the truth, and she must see it through.
Turning her thoughts, she began looking for a motel, something quiet yet busy enough that her presence would pass unnoticed. How long she would be renting a room was an unknown at this point. She might have to change addresses several times to remain anonymous in a town of less than eight thousand residents if things didn’t happen fast. Fortunately, she noted with some relief while traversing the main street, Rocky Ford was not lacking in motels.
Spotting a pleasant-looking redbrick establishment with exceptionally clean grounds and a sign advertising a connecting café, she turned into the parking area and stopped near the office.
Drawing a deep breath to calm her speeding pulse, she got out of her car and walked into the office.
One (#ulink_16ac5bca-a138-57c7-b1e6-adfe8139ffd6)
Giving her hair a pat, Lola Fanon smiled at herself in the mirror over the sink in the small bathroom of her store. She really liked her new style. Her almost black hair had always been long, at least shoulder-length, and this short but sophisticated cut was a major change.
But she relished change, she thought with another smile. Her reflection seemed to agree. Her green eyes shone with a dancing excitement, precisely the way she felt inside. The store had been open for only three months and was already proving to be a smart decision. And the Lord knew that Lola Fanon, world traveler, settling down—back in her hometown yet—and opening a men’s clothing store, was definitely a change.
In her mind this innovation was permanent, though. She had finally seen enough of the world and had gotten very lonesome for home. Lonesome for Rocky Ford, Montana, and for her family. It was great to be back, great to be living under her Uncle Charlie’s roof again, and it was especially gratifying to be the owner of a business.
Humming under her breath, Lola took her purse and left the little bathroom. Betty Drake, one of her part-time employees, was at the counter ringing up a sale. Lola darted into her office at the back of the store, deposited her purse in a desk drawer, then returned to the main part of the store to walk among the merchandise, her eye attuned to anything out of order. Betty was chatting with her customer—she knew almost everyone who came in—and Lola began straightening the stacks of jeans on the twenty-percent markdown table which the customer had obviously gone through quite thoroughly.
The man left with his packages. The two women smiled at each other as Betty came around the counter. “Good sale. He bought three pairs of jeans and two shirts.”
“Great,” Lola said. Betty was a wife and mother, and her hours were from an eight o’clock opening until 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, as she wanted to be free when her three children got home from school. Lola’s help in the afternoons and on Saturdays—the store was closed Sundays—consisted of high school kids, who were proving to be very good help. Lola got along with all of her part-time employees, but she especially enjoyed Betty, who was only a few years older than herself and had a wry sense of humor that sometimes had Lola in stitches.
A woman came in and Betty walked off to greet her. Lola was finishing with the jeans just as the bell above the door jangled again, announcing another customer. She turned from the table with a smile and felt the strangest frisson of energy travel her spine. The man walking in was one for the books, tall, lean and startlingly handsome. A shock of sandy hair. Tanned face. She couldn’t see his eyes, as they were behind a pair of very dark sunglasses. He was dressed like most of her male customers, in jeans, boots and Western-cut shirt; nothing unusual, but there was something besides his good looks that affected Lola.
She didn’t take time to wonder about it; instead, she began moving toward him. “Good morning.”
Duke Sheridan turned his head to see who had spoken to him, at the same time removing his dark glasses and tucking them into his shirt pocket. One good look at Lola had him feeling very male and high-spirited. She was slender, in white jeans and a loosely structured, emerald green blouse tucked into the waistband of the pants. Her dark hair was short and perfect for her beautiful face. Yes, he thought, beautiful. Who was she? Before walking in here he had believed that he’d known every attractive woman in the area.
Every attractive unattached woman, he quickly amended; she must be taken.
Not that he was a womanizer. But he’d lived in this part of Montana all his life and there were very few unfamiliar faces.
“Morning,” he replied with a lopsided grin that arrowed straight to the core of Lola’s system. “Been meaning to stop in since this store opened.” They had gotten close enough to each other for him to see the name tag on Lola’s blouse. He bent his head to read it aloud. “Lola Fanon.” His eyes rose to meet hers. “Are you one of Charlie Fanon’s kids?” The Fanon on her name tag was encouraging. Most married women took their husband’s last name.
“You know Charlie?”
“Everyone knows Charlie. Let’s see. He has three kids, if I remember right. Haven’t seen any of them for quite a while, now that I think about it.”
“He has two children and a niece,” Lola said with a small laugh of indulgence. “I’m the niece.”
One of Duke’s eyebrows went up. “Really? I was always under the impression that…well, you know what I mean.”
“A lot of people thought Charlie was my father while I was growing up. Some probably still do.”
Duke’s gaze kept roaming her features. Her perfect little nose, startling green eyes and sensual mouth seemed to demand a great deal of study. He was thoroughly enjoying this unexpected meeting, and was willing to talk about anything to prolong it.
He folded his arms across his chest, as though settling in for a good long chat. “So, Charlie raised you?”
“Since I was nine.”
“But we’ve never met, have we?”
“Not that I can recall.” That wasn’t completely true. He seemed vaguely familiar, although she couldn’t really place him. There was hordes of information she could pass on to clarify her own past for this man, but it really wasn’t any of his business, good-looking or not. “Is there something I can help you find?” she asked, indicating the merchandise in the store with a wave of her hand.
He smiled. “You know, maybe there is. Seems like I lost something when I walked in here.”
“Pardon?”
“Yeah, there seems to be an empty spot right about here.” Unfolding his arms, he tapped the left side of his chest. “I think what’s missing is a piece of my heart. Do you have it?”
Lola’s face colored. What an outrageous flirt! Well, she’d dealt with his sort before.
“I think if you’re suddenly missing a body part, sport, it’s from a little higher up than your chest,” she said pertly.
Duke laughed with genuine relish. He did like a woman with spirit. “Could you by any chance be referring to my brain, Lola Fanon? Oh, by the way, I’m Duke Sheridan.” He held out his right hand.
Lola stared at it. Now she knew who he was, or at least, what he was. A rancher. The Sheridan Ranch was one of the largest and most successful in the area. Or it had been before she left Rocky Ford.
But did she want to touch that big masculine hand? Feel its warmth? Physically connect the two of them, if only for a handshake? Although Betty was taking good care of her lady customer, Lola could sense that she was also highly interested in what was happening near the table of jeans.
“Hey,” Duke said softly. “Don’t be afraid to shake my hand. I guarantee not to bite.”
Lola tilted her chin to a defiant angle, and she boldly stared into Duke’s golden brown eyes while she laid her hand in his.
He laughed. “I don’t scare you at all, do I?”
“Not an iota.” But she only allowed the handshake to last a few seconds. “Now, is there anything I can show you, Mr. Sheridan?”
“A whole lot, Miss Fanon, if you’re willing.”
His bedroom voice sent ripples of heat throughout her body, which she did her best to ignore. “I’m willing and delighted to show you anything in the store that’s for sale, Mr. Sheridan. The key phrase is for sale, in case you missed it.”
“Didn’t miss it at all.” Grinning to himself, Duke walked over to a display of hats. “You’ve got some good merchandise in here.” He took a hat from the rack and put it on. “What do you think?”
“It’s definitely you,” she drawled, which was an out-and-out lie. The black hat he’d chosen was huge, with a ten-inch crown and a wide, floppy brim, and it looked ridiculous on him.
He laughed as though she’d said something hilarious. Removing the hat, he replaced it on the rack and picked up another, a cream-colored Stetson. “I think I like this one.”
So did she. “The black one suits you much better,” she said with a smile of exaggerated sweetness.
“Yeah, right.” Leaving the hat on, he moved to a rack of shirts. Flipping through them, he asked, “Who owns the store?”
“I do.”
