Taming Talia (28 page)
Authors: Marie-Nicole Ryan
She prayed he would elaborate. She must know! She searched for a way to ask for more information.
“I assumed it was a bank employee. I was given an address to forward condolences to you, which turned out to be your father’s home address in Virginia.”
So whoever answered the telegram didn’t seem to know that she’d left town. It couldn’t have been one of Jonathan’s men. Or could it be that Jonathan’s pride was so hurt by his wife’s desertion, he hadn’t told even his friends? She stared at the scuffed toe of Cody Campbell’s boot as she tried to take in the information.
Hadn’t anyone reported her disappearance to the authorities? Wasn’t there a crew out searching for her? Wasn’t her neighbor Mr. Parks curious about her whereabouts? The thought that she might not be missed disconcerted her. Jonathan could easily have killed her, and no one would have been the wiser. The only public appearance she made was an occasional visit to church, and then always veiled. Always at Jonathan’s side. The man on the other end of that telegraph could very well think she was alive and well in Virginia. Jonathan might have been preparing for her disappearance all along.
Pulling herself back to the present, Elise moistened her lips. He looked to be the type of man who never missed a detail. Her strange behavior surely piqued his curiosity. Daniel walked in bearing a tray, and Elise could have kissed him for his timely appearance.
“Oh, thank you, Daniel. Would you like some coffee, Mr. Campbell?”
“Your husband?”
Elise nearly bit her lip in two. A husband wouldn’t serve his wife and caller. A wife would certainly introduce her husband as such. Her tongue seemed to swell. Her prepared speech had scattered into the deep recesses of her mind. She glanced at Daniel.
“Elise and I are married.” Daniel smiled. It wasn’t a lie. Both were married, just not to each other.
“Elise? But I thought—”
“My name is Mary Elise. I prefer Elise now.”
“Do you take sugar?” Daniel set down the tray, his interruption saving her from further inquiry.
Elise led their visitor to the living room and lowered herself onto the couch, breathing easier when Cody didn’t voice a question regarding her marriage. He sat across from her as she poured the coffee. With the cup of coffee in hand, her flaring nerves settled, and she felt more equipped to deal with their visitor. “My father loved this ranch. He wanted so much to come back here before he passed. Did you know him well?”
Cody looked a bit out of place in the upholstered chair. She imagined him to be much more at ease in the saddle on the open plains. He emanated the vibrancy of the wild. His entire being seemed constrained by the four walls.
“He and my father were good friends. I’ll always remember the old prairie schooner he’d drive around.”
“I loved that old thing.” Elise smiled. “I wonder whatever happened to it.”
“Your father sold it to the Wilson’s in town. They have something like twelve kids and counting.”
“I used to take my dolls in there and play all day long. Until my mother dragged me in for lessons.”
“I remember you as a girl. Things have changed since you left.” His voice lowered, giving his words a different—much more personal—meaning.
Taming Talia
Marie-Nicole Ryan
She'll take her pleasure hot...until it burns its way to the cold truth.
Loving the Lawman, Book 2
Over her not-so-dearly-departed husband’s grave, newly widowed Natalia Montrose vows to shake off the memories of her abusive marriage by bedding the first suitable man she meets. Enter handsome, flirtatious Jared Fields, who offers to help her manage her assets.
Natalia has no intention of giving up control of the ranch her father traded away—along with her hand—for gold. But she intends to enjoy this stranger’s advances until all her desires are sated.
Jared is a rarity among Pinkerton agents. Well educated, the disowned black sheep of a wealthy New York City family, he enjoys the freedom afforded by his various assignments. But discovering whether the fiery Widow Montrose had her husband killed is a challenge with an unexpected twist. All he can think about is what he’ll do when he gets her in bed.
Natalia and Jared circle each other warily, feeling the pull of sensual heat. But when the Blizzard of 1889 hits, the sexual sparks may not be enough to keep them warm...or alive.
Warning: Contains a sex-starved widow and a saddled-hardened Pinkerton agent who set the sheets afire.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
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Taming Talia
Copyright © 2012 by Mary Varble
ISBN: 978-1-61921-125-4
Edited by Linda Ingmanson
Cover by Angela Waters
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: August 2012
