Amanda Porterfield gazed
out the window of her bedroom at the endless landscape where cattle grazed and
wildflowers were in full bloom and where she had spent the entire twenty years
of her life so far. Even with all this natural beauty surrounding her, she was
quite sure she would go stark raving mad unless something exciting happened to
break the sheer monotony of her days here on the ranch.
Practically everyone else in her family had found love or at least adventure,
but here she sat with no prospectsβeither romantic, adventurous, or preferably
bothβin sight. She heard her mother and the familyβs housekeeper, Juanita,
talking as they sat in the courtyard and she decided to join them.Β βI think
Iβll go into town,β she announced after pouring herself a cup of coffee and
flopping into a high-backed chair.
βThatβs a good idea,β her mother replied, setting aside her mending. βIβll come
with you.β
Amanda swallowed a sigh. The point had been for her to be off on her own. If
adventure did not find her, then perhaps she needed to go seeking it. But with
her mother along for the ride, it was unlikely Amanda would be successful in her
quest.
βItβs been weeks since we went shopping,β her mother added with a sly smile
designed to let Amanda know that she understood exactly what was behind her
daughterβs sudden announcement. βPerhaps a new dress is in order for the
fandango the Johnsons are hosting next weekend?β
βPerhaps,β Amanda agreed, and she couldnβt hide the smile she gave her mother in
return. As much as she tried to mirror her sisterβs maturity and sophistication,
the truth was that Amanda loved shopping and parties. And who knew? There might
just be someone interesting to meet at the Johnson gathering. It was spring in
Arizona and ranches all over the area were hiring to handle the branding and
other tasks involved in getting the cattle ready for market in the fall. She
felt her spirits lift.
βPerhaps we might visit the Wilcoxes as well,β her mother continued. βIt occurs
to me that you need something meaningful to occupy you. Doc Wilcox mentioned a
friend of his in Tucsonβa banker whose wife died several months ago. The man is
looking to hire a tutor for his children. I think you would make an excellent
candidate. We could stop by and speak with him about how you might go about
applying for the position.β As usual, Amandaβs mother was planning her life for
her.
βI donβt want to be a teacher, Mama.β
βAnd I didnβt choose to be a widow,β her mother replied bluntly. βWe make the
best of our lives, Amanda, and right now you need to find some direction for
yours. So go fetch your bonnetβthat sun is going to be fierce today. And ask
Chet to hitch up the wagon.β
Reluctantly, Amanda did as she was told.
Amandaβs brother-in-law was a quiet man and a good listener. βMama thinks I
should apply for a position in Tucson tutoring some rich manβs children,β she
groused as she stood by the corral and watched Chet select a team of mules and
lead them out to the wagon. βShe thinks I need some direction in my
life.β
βAnd what do you think?β Chet asked.
βI thinkβ¦β What did she think? βIf it were up to meβ¦β
Chet quirked an eyebrow as he harnessed the mules. βIf you got that job, it just
might lead to something more to your liking.β
βI donβt see how. I mean, how would spending my days going over spelling and
reading and such and my nights preparing lessons and more exercises ever
possibly lead toβ¦β
βOf course, youβd have to move to Tucson,β Chet interrupted, as if she hadnβt
spoken. βThat would be a big change from living out here with a bunch of rough
cowboys and your family.β He wrapped the reins around the brake and gave her a
hand up to the seat. βSometimes, Amanda, what seems like nothing special turns
out to be just what you didnβt know you were looking for in the first place.β
She grinned. βLike you winding up here and married to Maria?β
Chet winked at her. βExactly like that.β
Amanda snapped the reins and the wagon rolled forward toward the house. Why
couldnβt she find a man like Chet? Smart and strong and good-looking as all
get-out. Of course, in the time Chet and Maria had been married, Amanda had
realized that looks werenβt everything when it came to being happy. Chet was
content to be a rancherβsettled into a routine. He had little taste for
adventure. While that suited Maria, Amanda was pretty sure she wouldnβt last a
year as a rancherβs wife. On the other hand, there was much to be said for a
good-looking cowboy. If only she could find one who shared her urge to try new
things.
It was nearly noon by the time they reached Whitman Falls. The ever-efficient
Juanita had packed a full lunch for them to share with Eliza McNew, owner of the
townβs general store. βNo need to go spending money eating at the hotel
restaurant,β Juanita had said as she set the hamper in the back of the wagon.
Of course Amanda had been looking forward to eating at the hotel. But with the
prospects of shopping for a new dress and a visit with Eliza and possibly her
best friend and sister-in-law, Addie if she wasnβt busy helping her father see
patients, Amanda couldnβt help but look forward to the day. She might even
reconsider that tutoring position.
"'Someone like me?' Is that how you see me, Amanda? As someone people
should fear?"
"I don't know what to think," she said. "One minute you seem so dangerous,
and the next you're sweet and caring and..."
He took a step closer, his eyes sweeping her face. "And which do you want me
to be?" His voice was low; it sent shivers down her spine.
"Both," she whispered, and lifted her face for a kiss.
Amanda Porterfield longs to experience real adventure. So when she's offered
a position in bustling Tucson, she leaps at the chance despite unknown
dangers―dangers like the mysterious Seth Grover.
As an undercover detective working to stop a gang of outlaws, Seth can't
afford the distractions a woman like Amanda inspires. Yet when the fiercely
intelligent beauty is thrust into the middle of a heist gone wrong, Seth will
fight for a future that may never be theirs...even if it means risking
everything he holds dear.
Romance Historical |
Romance Western
[Sourcebooks Casablanca, On Sale: July 20, 2017,
Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781492613022 / eISBN: 9781492613039]
Award-winning author ANNA SCHMIDT delights in creating stories where
her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their times. Critics have
consistently praised Schmidt for her ability to seamlessly integrate actual
events with her fictional characters to produce strong tales of hope and love in
the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides in Wisconsin.
Maxwell Smart in Get Smart. (Nancy Marcho 3:45pm July 9, 2017)
I always marveled at the way the actor developed the character of Maxwell Smart, so he wins my vote. His bumbling ways were humorous and at the same time, while others in contact with him considered him stupid, the audience knew he was SMART. (Anna Speed 12:41pm July 10, 2017)
I have always loved James Bond and the characters from the Mission Impossible tv series (Maryann Skaritka 12:48pm July 10, 2017)
Sherlock Holmes (Linda Knowles 5:21pm July 10, 2017)
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