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Wild Mustang
Jane Toombs
SHE STRUCK A MARRIAGE BARGAIN WITH A MAN SHE DIDN'T KNOW….The fierce, raven-haired stranger who rescued her from a stampede was as untamed as the mustangs that cautious Laura Walker had come to the reservation to study. So why wasn't she terrified when Shane Bearclaw swept her into his saddle, into his arms? And why did she impulsively agree to a marriage with this magnificent, intimidating male?Shane had vowed to keep custody of his little sister. But was that reason enough to wed a skittish blonde as wary as the mustangs he wrangled? Or was fate misleading them both into believing that a mismatched pair…was made for each other?
“You’ll sign a paper,” Laura said.
“Paper?” Shane echoed.
“Agreeing not to expect me to—well, we’ll have separate bedrooms and such.”
He watched her blush. “You can be sure I’ll never approach you in that way.” He paused. “Unless you want me to.”
“Never!” burst from her lips.
“I’ll sign the paper,” Shane said hastily.
What were they doing, the two of them? Something neither wanted, that was for sure. But Shane would do anything to keep custody of his little sister, and Laura, thankfully, had agreed. So here he was, marrying a perfect stranger, and the deal wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d assumed….
Dear Reader,
Happy anniversary! Twenty years ago, in May, 1980, we launched Silhouette Books. Much has changed since then, but our gratitude to you, our many readers, and our dedication to bringing you the best that romance fiction has to offer, remains as true today as it did in 1980. Thank you for sharing with us the joy of romance, and for looking toward a wonderful future with us. The best is yet to come!
Those winsome mavericks are back with brand-new stories to tell beneath the Big Sky! The Kincaid Bride by Jackie Merritt marks the launch of the MONTANA MAVERICKS: WED IN WHITEHORN series, which focuses on a new generation of Kincaids. This heartwarming marriage-of-convenience tale leads into Silhouette’s exciting twelve-book continuity.
Romance is in the air in The Millionaire She Married, a continuation of the popular CONVENIENTLY YOURS miniseries by reader favorite Christine Rimmer. And searing passion unites a fierce Native American hero with his stunning soul mate in Warrior’s Embrace by Peggy Webb.
If you enjoy romantic odysseys, journey to exotic El Bahar in The Sheik’s Arranged Marriage by Susan Mallery—book two in the sizzling DESERT ROGUES miniseries.
Gail Link pulls heartstrings with her tender tale about a secret child who brings two lovebirds together in Sullivan’s Child. And to cap off the month, you’ll adore Wild Mustang by Jane Toombs—a riveting story about a raven-haired horse wrangler who sweeps a breathtaking beauty off her feet.
It’s a spectacular month of reading in Special Edition. Enjoy!
All the best,
Karen Taylor Richman
Senior Editor
Wild Mustang
Jane Toombs
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Books by Jane Toombs
Silhouette Special Edition
Nobody’s Baby #1081
Baby of Mine #1182
Accidental Parents #1247
Designated Daddy #1271
Wild Mustang #1326
Silhouette Shadows
Return to Bloodstone House #5
Dark Enchantment #12
What Waits Below #16
The Volan Curse #35
The Woman in White #50
The Abandoned Bride #56
Previously published under the pseudonym Diana Stuart
Silhouette Special Edition
Out of a Dream #353
The Moon Pool #671
Silhouette Desire
Prime Specimen #172
Leader of the Pack #238
The Shadow Between #257
JANE TOOMBS
was born in California, raised in the upper peninsula of Michigan and has moved from New York to Nevada as a result of falling in love with the state and a Nevadan. Jane has five children, two stepchildren and seven grandchildren. Her interests include gardening, reading and knitting.
Contents
Chapter One (#uddfafa09-2f50-5e8c-b102-d78b53eb83c0)
Chapter Two (#u2db48322-af93-5ebd-a9fc-66d689f2de22)
Chapter Three (#ufccfc670-2aa7-56a7-903f-bfbd9b8f53e1)
Chapter Four (#ud2192431-9d14-5e9c-aa82-1cb2bc4c5a2b)
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)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
The narrow and sparsely traveled blacktopped road leading to the Paiute reservation was in need of repair. There were no fences and, to either side, Nevada’s high desert rolled away in acres of silvery sagebrush and other native plants and grasses. Through the open windows of her rental car, Laura Walker breathed in the sage-tinged spring air, keeping tabs on the wild mustang herd to her left.
As usual, one of the mares was in the lead, the black stallion in rearguard position, protecting his harem. While Laura watched, the lead mare—a dun—altered course, obviously heading for the road. Laura pulled the car to the shoulder and stopped, not wanting to miss seeing the wild horses close-up.
As they neared the road, she counted five mares, the stallion, two yearlings, and one foal, doing its best to keep up. Two mares, one a pinto, one a chestnut, looked to be pregnant and, if she wasn’t mistaken, the spotted mare, now lagging behind the stallion, was lame. The rest of the herd seemed healthy.
The lead mare crossed directly in front of the parked car, the other mustangs following her. Laura caught her breath in admiration of their grace and beauty.
Last was the spotted mare who, Laura now saw, definitely limped. The lame mare was almost across the road when a green pickup zoomed into sight, boom box throbbing. Without slowing, the truck roared past. The startled mare lurched ahead, colliding with the foal and knocking it off its feet.
When Laura saw the baby horse was having trouble getting back up, she flung herself from the car and dashed across the road to try to help. Was the foal injured? She hoped it was nothing serious.
Her attention fixed on the foal, Laura paid no attention to the other mustangs who’d gone on ahead. She hadn’t quite reached the foal when it managed to struggle to its feet unaided, so she stopped, resisting the impulse to touch the baby. She wasn’t here to interfere.
A high-pitched angry scream from behind her made her whirl. Horrified, she stared at the charging, black stallion. He must have decided she was a threat to his harem and circled back without her noticing. Fear froze her—he’d cut her off from her car, and there was no other safe place in sight.
Hooves thrummed from behind her. Before she could move, she found herself grabbed, hoisted into the air, and deposited facedown across a rider’s lap like a sack of potatoes, whooshing the breath from her lungs.
As he urged his gray gelding away from the mustangs, Shane Bearclaw kicked him into a gallop to get away from the roused stallion as fast as possible.
“Stupid,” he muttered, meaning it for the blond woman he’d rescued. “Could’ve been killed.”
When he reached the rise where he’d been when he first noticed her get out of her car, he reined in Cloud and looked to see if the black stallion had calmed down. The herd was moving off, away from the rise. Reaching down, he pulled up the blonde, so she more or less sat on his lap.
“You figure this was a good day to die?” he growled.
She stared at him from frightened eyes as blue as Lake Tahoe, holding her body stiffly away from him. Serve her right to be scared. She’d sure as hell scared the devil out of him.
“The mustangs are wild, and the word means what it says,” he told her. “Wild stallions are dangerous. Anybody with sense doesn’t go near them.”
“Let me down.” Her voice quavered so badly he had trouble making out her words.
“Not unless you promise to get up behind me until I get you to your car. I have no intention of trusting you until I see you get in and drive away. My rodeo days are long gone—I’m not up to trying that trick twice in one day.”
He found himself wishing those spectacular blue eyes didn’t look so fearful. “Hey, it’s over,” he said, in softer tones, suddenly aware that no matter how foolish she might have been, he was holding a very pretty blonde on his lap.
“I’m Shane Bearclaw,” he said, realizing he wanted to know who she was.
Laura looked into the dark eyes of this stranger who held her far too close to him. His long black hair was tied back, revealing a strong-featured face. In a way, he reminded her of the stallion who’d threatened her. She found Shane Bearclaw equally threatening.
“Laura Walker,” she managed to say. “I was coming to meet you at your ranch. And, yes, I’d much prefer to be seated behind you.”
This was not the greatest of beginnings as far as she was concerned. Her fear of him was beginning to abate, leaving in its place an edgy awareness of him as a man. That, she could do without.
He offered a one-sided grin as he slid off the gray. “So you’re the semi-Fed in person.”
“The what?” she asked as she eased back until she was behind the saddle.
He remounted. “Anyone who arrives on the reservation with the Fed’s blessing.”
“I have a federal grant, but I’m not otherwise connected in any way with the government.” Indignation threaded through her words.
A shrug told her that he intended to go on thinking of her as he darn well pleased. Deciding she’d delayed far too long in demanding to be taken back to her car, she remedied that in crisp tones.
“If you’ll drop me off at my car, I’ll meet you at your ranch, and we can then discuss how I can best meet my objectives with your help.”
Without a word, he urged his horse into motion, and she found holding onto him was almost as intimate as sitting on his lap. But it was either hang on or fall off.
What seemed like long minutes later, he halted the gray by her car, slid off, and helped her down. “How good are your directions?” he asked. “The ranch isn’t on a main road.”
“Sketchy,” she admitted, stepping away from him.
He rattled off his own version of how to get there.
She nodded and got into the car. Watching him ride away, she realized he was a superb horseman and belatedly remembered that she’d forgotten to thank him for rescuing her. No wonder. No sooner had she gotten her breath back from being suddenly flung onto a horse, when she’d found herself sitting on a strange man’s lap.
Laura had thought her uneasiness around men was under control, but she hadn’t anticipated such an intimate confrontation as she’d had with Shane Bear-claw. And this was the man she’d be working with over the next month or so. A take-charge macho-type who wouldn’t equate brains with women.
Learn to reserve judgment. Laura could almost hear her therapist’s voice. Men are not all the same.
Maybe not. Maybe that big brute on the horse hadn’t been trying to intimidate her. But it certainly felt that way.
