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“You’re right, you know.”
“About what?” she asked, deigning to turn around and face him.
“You’re not in danger tonight.” He hesitated, and she moved to another step. “But don’t become complacent. Danger can come from many directions.”
He saw only the bottom half of her now as she moved on. And then her feet touched the seventh step, for he’d been unconsciously counting as she climbed. She was unmoving, and he waited.
“I think the biggest danger is not from you, Nicholas, but from within me.” One foot moved and then lowered again to settle beside the other. “I fear I’ll make a fool of myself one of these days if I don’t walk away from you.”
“But not tonight?” He asked so quietly he wondered if she had heard him.
Her feet shifted, then moved upward, her voice trailing behind her.
“No, not tonight.”
Tempting a Texan
Harlequin Historical #647
Praise for CAROLYN DAVIDSON’s recent titles
A Convenient Wife
“Carolyn Davidson creates an engaging,
complex plot with a hero to die for.”
—Romantic Times
The Bachelor Tax
“From desperate situation to upbeat ending,
Carolyn Davidson reminds us why we read romance.”
—Romantic Times
The Tender Stranger
“Davidson wonderfully captures gentleness
in the midst of heart-wrenching challenges,
portraying the extraordinary possibilities that exist
within ordinary marital love.”
—Publishers Weekly
#648 THE SILVER LORD
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#650 BRIDE OF THE TOWER
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Tempting a Texan
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Available from Harlequin Historicals and CAROLYN DAVIDSON
Gerrity’s Bride #298
Loving Katherine #325
The Forever Man #385
Runaway #416
The Wedding Promise #431
The Tender Stranger #456
The Midwife #475
*The Bachelor Tax #496
*Tanner Stakes His Claim #513
*One Christmas Wish #531
“Wish upon a Star”
Maggie’s Beau #543
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Tempting a Texan #647
I write of heroes and heroines from the past, of those who broke ground in our country, who survived in a world where only the strong prevailed. Those who were our forefathers, who have earned our respect and admiration. I find my inspiration all around me, in the men and women who daily travel to their places of employment, who raise children to be loyal and honest, loving and kind. I see heroes in our schools, those men and women who educate and mold young Americans. I see them in uniform, the patrolmen directing traffic, the firefighters driving emergency vehicles, pilots flying air force jets, each of them doing their part to support the democracy in which we live. And I find heroes and men like the one I live with, who has devoted his life to keeping his family safe and secure. To all heroes and heroines who live daily lives of such devotion, this book is dedicated. But especially to Mr. Ed, who loves me.
Contents
Chapter One
Collins Creek, Texas, April, 1897
“I don’t have a sister,” Nicholas muttered beneath his breath, reading for the third time a scribbled message carried into his office only moments before.
“It seems you do,” the sheriff said, grinning widely. He stood in the doorway, the messenger of tidings ill-received; and if the smile he wore was any indication, seeing Nicholas Garvey at a loss was well worth the time he’d spent delivering the message.
“Are you sure Henry got this right?” Nicholas asked, his mouth taut as he lifted the lined paper for the sheriff’s scrutiny. “Were you there when it came over the wire?”
“Sure was,” Cleary answered. “That’s why I offered to deliver it by hand. I figured it was important when Henry sputtered out the words and then tried to cover up his scribbles when I looked over his shoulder.” He moved to a chair in front of the wide, mahogany desk.