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Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
It happens every time. I get a post release coma state where the adrenaline wears off and I collapse into a heap. 
The good news is, I am recovering. LOL. I have shouted about MATTHEW fro the rooftops enough to make myself hoarse and I hope everyone who reads it loves it as much as I do.
I am deep into my WIP and I’ve hit a blockage. That means I went the wrong way and need to back up and head another direction. Must let the imagination engine chug the right way so I can get out of the blocked state. It sounds dirty when I say it like that, doesn’t it? LOL
Anyhoo, thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate MATTHEW’s release. I am truly grateful to have such amazing people in my life. 
Posted in Daily Life, New Releases 2 People Said Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: leann - Beth -
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Yes, yes, yes! Matthew is finally here. Release day!!! Yeeeeeehaaaaw!
Without further ado, the winners of the four copies in my countdown contest are:
Leann Meier (Facebook comment)
Margaret Murray-Evans (Facebook comment)
Kaetrin (blog comment)
Artemis (blog comment)
Thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate Matthew’s release. I’m thrilled to see the first in the new series publish. I hope you like it!

Please enjoy all the excerpts I’ve posted the last week and get to know Matthew and Hannah, and their family. Here’s to a fabulously awesome release day!
Posted in Contests, New Releases 6 People Said Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: leann - azteclady - Beth Williamson - Artemis - Rhian Cahill -
Monday, January 30th, 2012

Tomorrow is the day y’all – Matthew releases tomorrow! I’m excited to share these excerpts with you and to fall in love with the Grahams all over again.
Comment here, on Facebook or Twitter to be entered to win one of four copies.
In today’s excerpt, we can see just how tough Hannah is beneath that plain exterior, and just how much she is becoming a Graham.
***
Matt had taken to wearing a pistol on his hip. It had been his Pa’s from the war, now his, and he felt safer with it close by. Even though they were simply getting ready for the barbecue, he was armed. And with good reason apparently. A fancy horse and buggy approached the house.
He immediately sent Catherine inside, but she came right back out with Hannah and Olivia with her. Matt wanted to yell at all of them to get inside the house, but didn’t want to be distracted by the inevitable bickering that would ensue. Instead he stood his ground, hand on his pistol.
Behind him, he knew Lorenzo, Nick and Caleb had retrieved rifles and were standing there like a well-armed line of defense. He’d sent Javier in the barn to watch the horses. They’d lost half a dozen the last time strangers had come to the Circle Eight. Several had perished in the fire, and others had been taken by the murdering sons-of-bitches who had dared defile the ground with Graham blood.
The air crackled with anticipation as the buggy drew closer. It had fringe around the time like a fancy decoration in a rich man’s house. He didn’t recognize the rig or the horses and therefore wouldn’t relax his guard even a smidge.
He smelled Hannah’s scent before she even spoke. She’d walked up directly behind him.
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know. Now get back in the house with the girls.”
He could almost hear her cursing him silently.
“I’ll do no such thing. I’m your wife and I will stand by your side no matter what.”
She reminded him of his mother, so strong and fierce, it surprised the hell out of him. Hannah was initially meek and soft-spoken. Two weeks of marriage had shown him, she was merely hiding her lioness inside. While it made him proud to be married to such a woman, at the same time he wanted to spank her. She was distracting him.
“Step back now,” he growled under his breath.
To his shock, she appeared beside him, holding a rifle. His mouth dropped open.
“Before you ask, I know how to shoot it. Don’t order me around anymore, Matthew Graham.” She gripped the rifle in the right places, her hands tight enough the knuckles were white. “I will protect this family with you.”
Matt’s brain was chasing its own tail. Hannah probably didn’t even realize just how much she had turned him on his ear. Was there a day that she wouldn’t surprise him?
He was going to yell at her to get inside but the buggy had arrived, and he had no time to spend on chastising his wife. Not that she would listen to him anyway.
****
Posted in Contests, New Releases 18 People Said Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Miranda - Terry Scarangella - Michelle Boone - Booklover1335 - Lynn R. -
Sunday, January 29th, 2012

Ah, yes, it’s only 2 days to go until Matthew releases! I really fell in love with the Grahams while I was writing the first book in this series. They are all combinations of good, bad, ugly, angry, sweet, loving and everything in between.
Comment here, on Facebook or Twitter to be entered to win one of four copies.
Today’s excerpt joins Hannah and Matthew as they find a darkened kitchen can be a very shadowy, sexy place…
***
Hannah took the soiled linens out of the room and closed the door as quietly as she could. She walked through the darkened house with a familiarity she didn’t have a week earlier. It was beginning to feel like home to her. She navigated her way into the kitchen and found a bucket.
“What are you doing?” Matthew’s quiet question didn’t startle her this time.
“Keeping a promise.”
He sat at the table and watched her. Perhaps it was a dream because she wanted him there. The house was so quiet, every move she made seemed to echo. She filled the bucket with warm water, then submerged the nightdress, soaped it up, then rinsed it thoroughly. As she squeezed out the water, Matt made a strange noise.
Hannah peered at him through the darkened room and realized he was shirtless. Her stomach flipped and her pussy throbbed once, hard and fast. He watched her and groaned over what he saw. What did that mean?
She set the nightdress aside and cleaned the small area on the sheets that had been soiled. The soap was slippery in her hands as she worked. She also kept glancing at her husband out of the corner of her eye. Each movement he made drove her to wonder exactly what he was doing.
After rinsing off the sheet, she picked up the bucket and both clean items. “I’ll be right back. I need to hang these on the line so they’ll be dry by morning.”
He simply nodded, a hazy figure in the gloom. She hurried outside and dumped the bucket, then hung up the nightdress and sheet on the line with shaking hands. The moon was bright, illuminating everything for her.
Something was going to happen; she just didn’t know what it was. Hannah stepped back inside and waited for her eyes to adjust. Matt sat where she’d left him in the chair. Her heart thumped as she approached him, anticipation making her mouth dry and her body tingle.
He wore only a pair of drawers, his hand down the front of them, moving up and down. She stared, fascinated by what she saw. Her body seemed to recognize what he was doing because she felt hot and achy, a pulse throbbed low in her belly.
“Come here.” His husky whisper sent a shiver down her spine.
She moved closer, his scent filling her nose, ripening her need to kiss him, touch him, be part of whatever he was doing. He took her hand and kissed it, then tugged until she was right in front of him.
***
Posted in Contests, New Releases 14 People Said Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Lynn R. - CrystalGB - Artemis - Kaetrin - Booklover1335 -
Saturday, January 28th, 2012

I hope you’ve been reading the excerpts this week and getting to know Hannah and Matthew. It’s 3 days until Matthew releases and the hits keep rolling! Woot! Comment here, on Facebook or Twitter to be entered to win one of four copies.
Onward to today’s excerpt – the Grahams have run up against an impossible, invisible enemy. The seven siblings show Hannah exactly how to argue… meet Olivia, Caleb, Nicholas, Elizabeth, Rebecca, and Catherine, and their housekeeper Eva. Now let’s watch the sparks fly.
***
The silence in the kitchen was only broken by Catherine’s slurping of her milk. The rest of the Grahams and Eva stared at Matt with expressions of disbelief, anger and confusion.
Matt’s anger had not dissipated much. It had smoldered deep within in all the way back to the ranch. Making love to Hannah had allowed him to escape while they had been together. Yet reality came crashing down the moment he spread the map on the table and explained their problem.
“What does this all mean?” Olivia’s face was pale. “We have to move?”
“It means we have a two mile gap between this ranch and our new land. We have a choice to make.” He looked at all of them in turn. “We can negotiate with Stinson to run our herd, and ourselves, back and forth across his two mile tract. We can try to buy it from him, or we move everything we have to the new property and abandon this one.”
“That bastard.” Caleb slammed his fist into the table. “He did this on purpose.”
“I think so too, but that doesn’t change the fact we have to make a decision.” Matt wanted to tear the map to pieces and make Stinson eat every piece. “We probably have a fight on our hands.”
“Damn right we have a fight on our hands.” Nicholas’ expression matched Caleb’s. “If Pa were alive, he would fight that son of a bitch.”
“Nicholas, hijo, your language,” Eva scolded.
“He is a son of a bitch,” Nicholas mumbled under his breath.
Matt stared at the map, at the two miles standing between their dream and reality. Stinson had done it deliberately, there wasn’t a doubt of that, or the fact he was a son of a bitch. Nick had that right.
“First thing we need to do is talk to him.” Olivia was still pale but calm. “Mr. Stinson is a reasonable man and I’m sure Margaret can convince him to give over rights or maybe sell it to us.” Olivia cast a sideways glance at Hannah. “Too bad she hadn’t married you when you asked.”
Perhaps no one else saw it, but Matt did. Hannah flinched at Olivia’s nastiness. Now he would have to spend time explaining what Liv meant about marrying Margaret, but that would come later.
“That’s enough Liv. We don’t have money to buy the land straight out obviously. I want to offer Stinson a share of profits our first year to buy the land.” Matt had considered a great many possibilities on their return from Houston. The first one he discarded since murder would garner him a noose, not a ranch.
“Give him our profit?” Caleb shook his head.
“It’s logical.”
“It’s loco.”
“Papa would whoop his behind.”
“I’ll whoop yours if you don’t stop pushing me off the bench.”
“We can’t give him our hard-earned money.”
“That’s our blood, sweat and tears, Matt.”
“I don’t sweat. I’m a lady.”
“You sweat and you stink.”
“Shut up.”
“Enough, all of you!” Matt had listened to their bickering for so long, he had no patience for it today. “Sometimes life doesn’t give you a good choice, but it does give you choices. We have to decide if it’s the best one.”
They all stopped yelling but there were elbows and glares around the table.
“What does Hannah think?” Catherine looked up at them, a milk mustache on her lip.
Everyone turned to look at her. She’d been sipping her coffee quietly and paused with the cup halfway to her mouth.
“Me? I don’t have a say in this.”
“Yes you do.” Rebecca piped up. “You’re a Graham now.”
Matt caught her gaze and held it, telling her with his eyes the girls were right. Regardless of Liv’s attitude, the rest of the family had accepted her. She was a Graham.
Posted in Contests, New Releases 15 People Said Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Kaetrin - Beth - Rita from South Africa - azteclady - Booklover1335 -
Friday, January 27th, 2012

4 more days until Matthew! I hope y’all are enjoying the excerpts. I know I’m having fun. :) Comment here, on Facebook or Twitter to be entered to win one of four copies.
Onward to today’s excerpt – marriage between Hannah and Matthew is on a rocky path…
***
Hannah dropped the bag and left the house, running after she cleared the front door. It didn’t matter what they thought of her. She could not stand by and watch a perfect, beautiful woman throw herself at Hannah’s husband.
The Vasquez boys, Nicholas and Caleb were in the corral looking at a horse when she ran past. They all stopped to stare at her, but no one spoke. She didn’t stop until she reached the crest of the hill just beyond the barn. By then she was out of breath and shaking.
She bent over and put her hands on her knees. Hannah tried to calm her breathing and her heart, which was about to break a rib it was beating so hard. There had been no way she could have stayed in the house a second longer. The last thing she expected was a woman who had obviously been waiting to marry Matt. Why had he married Hannah instead?
“Hannah.” Matt walked up the hill toward her. “What are you doing?”
The laugh that burst from her throat was more like a pitiful cry. She straightened up and met his gaze, knowing her pain and confusion shone in her eyes. “Why? Why did you marry me?”
“Hannah, I told you why.” Matt put his hands on his hips and scowled. “I had to marry to get the land from Texas.”
“Why didn’t you marry her? She’s beautiful, obviously rich and she was expecting it from what I can see.” Hannah felt like her heart was just pouring out of her mouth in a steady stream. No matter what, she had to get everything out or she would choke on it.
“Margaret?” He looked back toward the house. “I meant what I told her, a cow pony doesn’t belong with a thoroughbred. She flirted with me, but I never took it seriously. She flirts with every man.”
“Ha! She obviously wanted you to ask her to marry her. Now you’ve painted yourself into a corner and had to marry someone named Hannah.” Hannah’s hurt had turned to rage and she let it fly. “You’ve made me into a second choice and saddled yourself with an ugly cow instead of a beautiful butterfly. You settled for me, and worst of all, I settled for you.”
“Hannah.” Matt’s mouth opened in surprise. “You are not second choice. I never even thought of Margaret when I needed a wife.”
“I don’t believe that.” Hannah’s face was likely redder than a beet since she’d been shouting at him.
“It’s true. We don’t suit, never have.” He reached for her hand but she backed away.
“She’s exquisitely beautiful.” Her voice began to fade, as did her anger. Her pain began to seep back up, stealing her breath.
“On the outside.” Matt moved closer until he backed her into a huge tree. The bark scratched at her back. “I didn’t marry her because I didn’t want to.”
Hannah stared into his eyes, wanting so desperately to see honesty, but she didn’t know him well enough to tell for sure. His tone conveyed the truth, but she couldn’t believe him entirely. Her head overruled her heart again.
“I don’t believe you.”
For a split second, she saw hurt in his gaze, and some evil little part of her was glad of it. He’d hurt her enough already.
“I can understand that, but I don’t like it.” He took her hands and pressed his forehead to hers. His breath gusted across her mouth and she breathed him in, his anger and hurt mingled with hers.
“Maybe one day, I’ll change my mind,” she whispered. “But right now I can’t.”
Posted in Contests, Daily Life 15 People Said Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Ruth S. - Kaetrin - leann - Alicia Wilson - Booklover1335 -
Thursday, January 26th, 2012

The countdown rolls onward, y’all – 5 days until Matthew‘s release! Cannot wait!! Comment here, on Facebook or Twitter to be entered to win one of four copies.
Onward to today’s excerpt – Let’s meet Hannah’s grandmother and see what sage advice she has for her granddaughter…
***
“He’s a man, child. That’s all I can say.” Granny slowly buttoned her dress with gnarled hands. Hannah knew if she offered to help, the older woman would be insulted. “Men can bully you around if you let them.”
“I don’t want him to bully me around.” Hannah frowned. “But it seems he only wants me for the land.”
Granny snorted. “He told you that the minute he proposed. Why is that a surprise to you?”
It wasn’t a surprise, it was a disappointment. Hannah had let her romantic side wreak havoc with her practical side and it had resulted in misery. She tried not to, but it happened anyway. And the result was a disaster.
“It’s not. I just, well, I wanted more.” She sighed and sat on the bed beside her grandmother, whose familiar scent helped calm her.
“Then you gotta earn it.” Granny held out her hand and Hannah helped her to her feet. “Ain’t no call to sit around whining.”
Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “I’m not whining.”
“Land sakes, you’ve done nothing but whine since we got here.” Granny speared her with one of her looks that always made Hannah squirm.
“I didn’t think I was whining.” She thought back over the four days since her wedding and realized Granny was right. She had been just accepting what was given to her rather than asking for what she wanted. That caused resentment, and apparently, whining.
“It’s only natural that you feel out of place, Hannah. They’re a big family.” Granny patted her knee. “What you need to do is stake your claim, let them know who you really are.”
Hannah didn’t want to admit she didn’t know who she was, and couldn’t tell anyone anything. “What if they don’t like me then?” her voice dropped to a whisper. “What if Matt doesn’t?”
“Get a backbone, child. There ain’t no guarantees in this world. You got to take what you want and fight for what you need.” Granny pointed at the chest in the corner. “Fetch me my reticule in that chest.”
After some searching, Hannah found the nearly ancient looking reticule, oft-mended and tattered as it was. She handed it to her grandmother.
“Now when I first got married, your grandfather was a fool. He was a terrible husband. My mama saw that and told me the same thing I’m telling you. Stand up for yourself and don’t let nobody step on you.” Granny fished around in the reticule and pulled out a handkerchief yellowed with age. As she unfolded it, Hannah found herself leaning forward, trying to see. “This here was my mama’s wedding band.”
Granny held up a thin band of silver. “I don’t know what it’s made of, but it’s worth something. She gave it to me and said to keep it hidden. It was mine to do with.” She put it in Hannah’s palm and closed her fingers around it. “It’s now yours. If you need to, sell it for money, but only if it’s for you. This whole ranch is your husband’s and now you have something of value.”
The slight weight of the ring in her hand didn’t compare to the significance of what her grandmother had given her. It might not be a treasure, but it was something she could keep and call her own. She hugged her grandmother, so happy to have her there, to have her support and her love.
“Thank you. I will keep it safe.”
“A’course you will. That’s a legacy, that is. Not much of one, but it’s what I have to give you.” Granny got to her feet.
She had given Hannah so much more than a ring. Without her grandmother’s love and support, Hannah would have ended up in an orphanage or worse. She meant the world to Hannah and she’d just proved she still did.
“Now quit your whining. Go get what you want and fight for what you need.” Granny shuffled toward the door. “I need some vittles and you best get packing.” She glanced back at Hannah. “I’ve got faith in you, child. Go get him.”
Posted in Contests, New Releases 9 People Said Link
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Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

The countdown continues. 6 days, y’all, 6 DAYS until Matthew releases!! Wheeeee!! Comment here, on Facebook or Twitter to be entered to win one of four copies. Yeehaw!
Onward to today’s excerpt – Hannah and Matt’s first night as man and wife. A marriage of convenience, right? Hmmmm…
***
Hannah sat on the edge of the bed wringing her hands. She’d turned the lamp down so low it was barely a flicker in the darkness of the room. Footfalls sounded on the stairs and she knew Matthew was nearly there. The rest of the family was settled in their beds, that left only one person who could be walking up the steps.
Her husband.
Oh, she thought she was ready for this but she was sorely mistaken. Perhaps if she hadn’t kissed him before, she may not have been so nervous. Now that she’d had a taste of him, of what it felt like to be in his arms, just how soft his lips were, she was a puddle of quivering mud.
The door slid open with barely a whisper and Matthew’s bulk filled the doorway. Hannah’s heart lodged in her throat while every small hair on her body stood up at attention.
“Good evening, Hannah.” His soft tones were probably meant to calm her, but it didn’t. In fact, it as if he had whispered in her ear, heightening the strangeness surrounding her.
“Matthew.” Her voice was not her own, huskier and deeper than normal, it scratched at her ears.
He shut the door and she started, nearly falling off the bed. She certainly didn’t present an air of sophistication to this endeavor.
“Matt, please call me Matt. The only time someone calls me Matthew is if I’m in trouble.” He smiled and she was again reminded just how handsome her husband was.
“Matt.” This time she whispered and his smile disappeared.
“I want to thank you for—“
She held up her hand stopping him. “Please do not thank me for marrying you. I don’t think I could be in this room if you did that.”
He sat down beside her, and dwarfed the bed. Lord, the man really was big. When he took her hand in his, his warmth had a calming effect on her frazzled nerves.
“I wasn’t going to thank you for that.” He kissed her knuckles. “I was going to thank you for cooking. We’re a big crew and it takes a lot to satisfy us.”
Hannah’s heart decided to pick that moment to start racing like a thoroughbred. She could barely hear him over the rushing sound of the blood passing her ears.
“Y-you’re welcome.”
He reached up and cupped her cheek, his callused thumb sliding lazily across her cheek. “Don’t be scared, Hannah. I promise to always take care of you and keep you safe.”
In the semi-darkness of the room, hearing the soft tones of his deep voice, she fell a little bit more in love with her new husband.
“I promise to be the best wife I can be, although I haven’t had any practice.”
He smiled and pressed his forehead against hers. His warm breath mingled with hers. Although they were barely touching, it was an incredibly erotic moment. For the first time in her life, she was sharing part of herself, her very breath, with someone else. She’d never been that close to anyone before, not even Granny.
Truthfully she could not have picked a better husband and although she’d only known him a week, Hannah trusted Matt. He would keep to his promise. When his mouth moved close to hers, she shut her eyes and let the moment take over.
****
More tomorrow!
Posted in Contests, New Releases 18 People Said Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Pam B - StacieD - WendyK - Booklover1335 - beth -
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

I’m SO excited! It’s now officially 7 days until the CIRCLE EIGHT: MATTHEW releases from Kensington Brava. This is a brand new series for me and this particular book has become so much more.
It’s my first Rhapsody Book Club pick, which is amazingly exciting. I can’t wait to see what it looks like in small hardcover. :D
MATTHEW also brought me to the Graham family. It also brought me to the new Republic of Texas in 1836, a rough time but an amazing time in history. As I came to know the family, I fell in love with each of them. Seven of the eight are still at the ranch, while the youngest, Benjy is missing. While reeling from the violent deaths of their parents, the Graham siblings ache for the loss of their brother – he is the broken link in the circle of eight.
Their lives will never be the same, they will never be the same. The Grahams have to change, as painful or as exciting as that is, they face their new world.
To celebrate MATTHEW’S release, I’m going to post excerpts each day on my blog. Over the next week, every time you post a comment about MATTHEW on my blog, Twitter or Facebook, you’re entered to win a copy of MATTHEW. I’ll be giving away five copies!
Without further ado, here is excerpt #1… when Matthew meets Hannah.
***
Matthew stared at the collection of rifles for sale. He had his father’s to use, and had given his old one to Nicholas, but Caleb needed one. They were so doggone expensive though. He didn’t want to choose between food or a weapon, although with a weapon he could get food.
It was Saturday again, and he’d had three days to mull over the pickle he was in. So far, he hadn’t come up with any solution other than finding a wife named Hannah in the next twenty-seven days. Easier said than done. Most of the women in town were married, and the ones who weren’t were either too young to have tits or too old to remember how to use them. And he didn’t know of one named Hannah who wasn’t married.
The bell over the door to the store tinkled and he heard a muffled curse, then a slam. Matthew peered around the display to see Caleb on his ass while a woman bent over with her hand outstretched to help him up.
“I don’t need no help,” his little brother snapped.
“I’m sorry about that mister. I’m a bit of a hurry.” Her voice was like whiskey, husky and rich. The sound of it made Matt’s dick twitch, which surprised the hell out of him.
He must have made a noise because she straightened up and his gaze locked with her. His first thought was she was plain as prairie wheat, brown hair, brown mud on her skirt, with a round bosom to match her round behind.
Yet she had that voice. He still felt a tingle from it.
With a nod, she stepped around Caleb who was just getting to his feet. “Stupid cow.”
“Caleb. Apologize to the lady.”
“I don’t see no lady.” Caleb stuck out his lip like a five-year-old.
“What you will see is my fist when you get knocked on your ass again.” Matt towered over him. “Now apologize.”
“Sorry.” Caleb flung the word with all the grace of a pile of bird poop.
Matt met the woman’s gaze again. She shrugged and turned away, but not before he saw a glimmer of pain in the depths of her eyes.
He should just go about his business and not worry about a woman he didn’t know, regardless of how much his brother acted like an ass. Yet something told him to make peace with her. It was what his mother would have wanted. That thought alone made his feet move.
Matt found her by the turnips, empty sack in hand.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” He was surprised to see her start. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t. I’m just, well, never mind. It’s been a bad day.” She didn’t even look up from examining the vegetables.
It gave him the opportunity to study her. She smelled of flour and fresh bread, with just a hint of onions. Her hands were long-fingered and although she obviously worked with them, they were elegant. Her skirt had mud on it and was as attractive as the potato sack in her hand.
Her hair, which looked like a plain brown from far away, had bits of gold and red in it. Curls were stuffed into a fat braid that swung with each movement. He wondered what that hair would feel like on his hands.
Matt almost choked on his own spit. First her voice sent his body into imaginings, and now he was taking it one step further. What he needed to do was stop thinking about a stranger in the store and focus on his more immediate problem with the land grant.
“I just wanted to apologize for my brother.”
“Don’t fuss over it. He’s a boy.” She had the sack half full by then, picking turnips faster with each word out of his mouth.
Matt reached out and took her wrist to stop her, explain why Caleb acted so foolish. He never got the chance. A jolt of something like lightening raced through him, hitting him square in the stomach. He dropped her arm and jumped back a foot, much to his embarrassment.
She stared at him, her brown gaze wide. “What was that?”
“I have no idea.”
“Why did you touch me?” She clutched the sack to her chest and inched her way toward the counter.
“I don’t know. I was trying to apologize.”
“You already did that.” She bumped into the counter, never taking her gaze off him.
“I know. I’m sorry.” He was tripping over his own tongue, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with him.
She put a dollar on the counter. “I only got half a sack, Frank. I’ll be back tomorrow for the other half.”
With that, she almost flew out the door, like a muddy brown bird running from an eagle who threatened her.
Matt wanted to slap his forehead. He didn’t have a huge amount of experience with women, but he had some. Enough to know he had just acted like a bigger jackass than Caleb.
Frank, the mercantile owner with eyebrows that had a life of their own, eyeballed him with a frown. “What did you say to Hannah to make her run like that?”
A second jolt of lightening smashed into him. “Did you say her name was Hannah?”
“Yes, you young fool. Hannah Foley is one of my best customers. Doesn’t usually come in on Saturday and you done run her off.” Frank wagged his finger at Matt. “You have no call to be rude to her.”
“I wasn’t rude. Jesus, did you say her name was Hannah?” He surely sounded like a young fool.
“Are you deaf, boy? I done told you that already.” Frank leaned forward. “Are you teched in the head or somethin’?”
Matt shook his head. “No, just a huge fool. Is she new in town?”
“She lived here all her life at the boarding house with her granny. You and your kin are the new ones in town.” Frank humphed.
“I really didn’t mean to scare her. I was just trying to apologize.” Matt knew he might have just made another big mistake by letting Hannah leave the store. Not only was her name Hannah, but there was a strange connection between them.
He turned and glared at Caleb, who was back to staring at the rifles. “I ought to kick your ass six ways to Sunday.”
Caleb’s eyes widened at the ferocity in Matt’s tone. “What did I do?”
“You just insulted my future wife.”
***
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Last 5 people who had something to say: Lisa B - Monique Ito - Lynn R. - beth - StacieD -
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
Today’s eye candy for your viewing pleasure. Tomorrow kicks off the week long countdown to MATTHEW! Stay tuned y’all!

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