Quotes from Mary Connealy

When they did, she wore a dress, but she grumbled the whole time.

He'd always seemed ageless. Until Maizy's recklessness had nearly killed a man.

calm. "I'm just thinking I haven't really . . . um . . . seen you yet. I mean you seem . . . young. You feel really young." And beautiful. She felt very young and beautiful. "But if we get out of here and you're . . . uh . . . old and—" ugly—"sixty years old or something . . . well, it's going to be awkward.

Maizy was a little bit afraid of what it might be because Pa had gotten a few wild ideas in his day.

Someone knocked on his front door, someone brave because Rylan knew he'd not been fit company for anyone.

The door swung open. Rawhide and the doc had shoved some of the jumble aside and dragged his bed into this room so Rylan could look out the window and see his barn and corral. It gave him a nice view while he fretted.

Territory June 23, 1866 Last time. This is it. Never again. Rafe Kincaid pulled his chestnut thoroughbred to a halt in full darkness, still a short distance away from the entrance of the cavern. He rubbed the ugly, jagged

A man flirting with bankruptcy had no business thinking of a woman. Which of course hadn't stopped him. And it was all the worse because, strange as it was to see her dressed up in manly clothes, there was no denying that the woman made a pair of britches look mighty fetching. He'd stayed away from her, and when he couldn't, he'd hid his interest in cool words.

The West is different than where we came from. It's a land that demands strength of people. A land that tests courage. With the muscles in our backs and the brains in our heads, we can do whatever we want out here, and I intend to accept that challenge and grow strong enough to belong in this wild and rich land.

She tugged on her sleeves again. He could tell the dress was bothering her something fierce. Well, he could understand that. He'd've been mighty uncomfortable in a dress himself, and she was probably no more used to a dress than he was.

Maizy swallowed hard, a motion that almost strangled her in this blasted dress, and she nodded.

They looked at each other in dismay, and she knew just what he was thinking. He wanted her gone, but he needed her. She wanted to help, but she wanted to do it wearing britches. Neither of them had a hope of getting what they wanted.

the light . . . Well, that was in his head now, and he couldn't get it out. Yep, awkward, sure enough. And yet, she'd felt very young and beautiful. Very. "Get your hands off of me." He loosened his grip but didn't let go all the way because she had a ways to fall—about twenty feet straight down.

what?" "Our children are going to be really smart." Rafe smiled at the little innocent as he rested his hand on her lower back and urged her forward. "What makes you think of such a thing right now, Rafe?" She came along so willingly. "Not one reason in the world, little

He closed his eyes so he couldn't see her. But, like a man who had stared at the sun too long, she was burned into his brain.

Then I can turn my attention to cleaning. It's a fine cabin but . . . but . . ." She looked a bit lost as she studied all the clutter stacked through the cabin. "I need to knock a f-few cobwebs down." Rylan saw about a hundred cobwebs without turning his head. "And the floor needs to be swept and scrubbed." She had to find the floor first.

There was another twenty-foot descent after the ladder ended at the ledge, but it wasn't as smooth as the upper stretch, so Rafe could climb down.

The house was here when I bought the ranch, and this clutter came with it. I've added my own things to the mess, and I haven't spent a lick of time tending it. I reckon that's pretty easy to see.

rubbed the ugly, jagged scar that ran from the corner of his eye to his hairline just above his ear. He was glad

It's hard to think of you as a Margaret. Maizy suits you." "I doubt I'd answer to anything else." Maizy smiled as she adjusted the cloth.

Thank you. I haven't been able to eat much. Rawhide's meals lean toward tough, mostly burned meat. Maybe a good meal will help me regain some strength and knit these bones a bit faster.

Part of being good with a rifle is knowing what I'm shooting at. Did you think I'd just start unloading bullets into the underbrush?

make sense out of what he couldn't see. "Help me." Definitely a woman. "I'll get you out." "Don't leave me, please." Her voice broke. Her arms clamped around him as if she were hanging on to save her life. In her mind, she probably was. He wrapped his arms around her. In the dark he couldn't see anything. She seemed young. She'd come at him fast. But someone older, running

Maizy went to work. Knowing Rylan was watching her made her conscious of every move. She tried to stand in a more ladylike way, though heaven only knew exactly what that was. Her dress choked her a bit less when she stood straight, so she tried to think of being ladylike as a way not to strangle.