Western Homestead Love (Trilogy Bundle)
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2014 by Melissa F. Hart. All rights reserved worldwide.
No part of this book may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written consent of the author/publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
http://www.melissafhart.com/
Books in the series
Western Temptation - Volume 1
Western Seduction - Volume 2
Western Incitation - Volume 3
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Table of Contents
Western Temptation
1-Synopsis
1-Chapter One
1-Chapter Two
1-Chapter Three
1-Chapter Four
1-Chapter Five
Western Seduction
2-Synopsis
2-Chapter One
2-Chapter Two
2-Chapter Three
2-Chapter Four
Western Incitation
3-Synopsis
3-Chapter One
3-Chapter Two
3-Chapter Three
3-Chapter Four
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Western Temptation
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Synopsis
Matt didn’t intend to become sheriff of the tiny town of new homesteaders, but someone needed to keep the peace. Not much happens in his little territory, and he likes it that way.
Erin needs a fresh start far away from the dark evil of her family. What she didn’t expect was to find the town sheriff so distractingly handsome.
When Erin’s family comes after her, Erin sees all her dreams vanish, along with the sheriff who wanted to protect her.
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Chapter One
Matt lifted his hat and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. It wasn’t even noon and the temperature was well above the norm for the season. If they didn’t get some rain soon, most of the new homesteaders’ crops wouldn’t fare very well until harvest.
He scanned the horizon and straightened. A cloud of dust lifted off the trail coming into town. He hadn’t expected any new settlers until tomorrow. Dropping his hat back on his head, he leaned his shovel against the post and walked to the edge of Main Street. Even with his brim shading the mid-day sun, he could barely see the wagon. Looked like a single. Maybe one of the families from over in Wolf Creek.
As it neared, he could make out the lone rider on the buckboard. Full-bodied and tall, but he couldn’t discern any features beneath the floppy-brimmed hat. As the wagon neared, he noticed the droop of the horses’ heads and the crusted dirt over their bodies. This wasn’t a rider from anywhere close; they’d been on the trail for days.
The wagon eased to a stop, and he stepped out from the shade of the general store. “Howdy.”
“Hi.” The easy lilt of the rider’s voice caught him off guard, and he stepped closer. A woman tugged off her hat, sending a wide mass of fat curls tumbling over her shoulder. Now that she was so close, Matt wasn’t sure how he’d managed to mistake her for anything other than a woman. She stood and stretched, pulling her shirt and breeches tight against her body. He swallowed.
She may be dressed like a man, but there wasn’t a single thing manly about how well she filled out those clothes. Regaining his composure, Matt pulled his gaze up to meet hers, tugging off his hat with chagrin. “Howdy, miss. Can I help you?”
She sighed and handed him her reins, then disregarded his outstretched hand and hopped out of the wagon herself. “I’m just here to find the sheriff and get directions to my place.”
“Well, hopefully I can help you with both.” He held out his hand. “I’m Matt, Sheriff of Warrenville.”
Her face brightened, and she shook his hand. “Fantastic. It’s been a long ride.” She looked over his shoulder at the general store. “I need to pick up a few things while I’m here. Will you come in with me while you give me directions?
Chapter Two
Erin didn’t wait for the sheriff to follow her into the store. She was used to men thinking she was this tiny frail flower who needed to be doted on. If he wasn’t along fast enough to open her door with a gentlemanly swoop, he’d be sure enough any second to help carry her groceries. While it was always nice to have a man around to help with some things, Erin didn’t think they were as necessary as some women—and every man.
She was so excited to be homesteading her own place. Better that the local boys know soon enough that she could handle things on her own. Sure enough, she barely made it to the first aisle before the sheriff was at her elbow, offering to help. Erin turned to look at him again. He was very handsome with all that black hair and his well-trimmed mustache, but she could guarantee he was more trouble than he was worth. Every man was.
But that didn’t mean she was against letting them help. As she gathered the items off her list, she handed them to him one by one until his arms overflowed.
The trip from Iowa had been long and arduous, but so very worth it. Now she had a place of her own and no one to tell her what to do. She’d read every book she could manage to borrow and had studied during every spare moment to know everything she needed to homestead her very own plot. First she was going to have to build a house and a shed, but she’d rationed out how long each section would take, and her plan was to have enough of the house built that she could sleep in it come wintertime.
She paid for her parcels, and the kind sheriff took them out to her wagon.
“Where did you say you were headed?” He lifted his hat and wiped his sweaty brow.
“My homestead. The Erin Wisecomb plat.”
His eyes bulged just enough that Erin knew he had quickly put the pieces together and understood who her family was and that it would be in his best interest to get her taken care of. Hopefully that didn’t mean that he’d think she was in need of any extra protection or bothering. Her family—especially her uncles—had zero intention of coming out this way to bug her or anyone else in this sweet little town.
She just needed her land and no one bugging her.
“Do you have family coming along in a bit, then?”
Erin covered the supplies where he’d put them in the wagon and tied the tarp back down. “No, sir. Just me.”
He stepped back and eyed her curiously. Erin crossed her arms and met his stare, ready and well-versed in the lecture that was about to come.
“Now, I’m not sure what you’ve heard.”
Erin lifted a hand and waited for him to pause. “I’ll be fine.”
He scowled at her and looked very parental. She didn’t need any more parents, thank you very much. She eased around him and gathered her horses’ reins and climbed back on the wagon. “Guess I’ll find it myself, then.” She tugged the tip of her hat and turned the horses toward the end of town.
“Wait just a minute,” Matt huffed. “I’m coming.”
He grabbed the reins of a nearby horse. “You’re already going the wrong way.”
A blush warmed Erin’s cleavage but she didn’t let her gaze drop even an inch. Out here, weakness was her enemy. She eased the horses back the other way and followed Sheriff Matt. Now that she’d made it this far, nothing was going to douse her enthusiasm.
They rode for a little over thirty minutes before Matt turned to the south and eased his horse to a stop. He’d tried to make small chat, but since most of it started w
ith a lecture about how he didn’t think this was a good idea for her to be out here on her own, Erin hadn’t returned much of his chatter.
He got off and dropped his horse’s reins, then held Erin’s horses while she got down. “Well, this is your new place. I still don’t think—”
“That’ll be enough, Sheriff. If I need anything, I’ll be sure to ask.” Erin’s chest tightened, and she stepped away from him to survey her new home. She’d picked this area because of the stream that ran through it, the sloping hills, and the thick forest of aspen trees. Now, standing here, the two long years to get here had been worth every obstacle, pain and saved dollar. The first couple months in her tent might be a little chilly, but she was confident that she could make this work.
“At least let me help you set camp for tonight.”
Erin swept her gaze to Matt. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and she was sure he meant well . . . men just never gave her enough credit. He was looking distressed, and she wanted to take his help and get him on his way. “That would be great. Thank you.”
Erin put him to work on the horses while she unpacked the necessities for the evening. While he worked, she was frustrated at how often her attention wandered to watch him move gracefully through the tall grass tending her livestock. He was very tall, towering over her horses and nearly as wide. She forgot how big the men were out here; they had to be in order to survive. His broad shoulders packed her harnesses and riggings to a small set of trees on the border of her property. He carefully arranged her tack, and her breath caught as he bent to pick up a dropped rope. The fabric of his pants pulled tight around his thighs, and she was suddenly very aware of how alone they were.
She yanked her gaze back to her own work and unloaded her sleeping roll and pans. Matt started a fire and fed the horses while she made dinner. Even though she hadn’t asked if he wanted to stay, Erin made extra food and set out another place on the little log she’d found to use as a table.
Matt came back and stood way too close to her. Erin couldn’t understand why she was so attracted to him. She’d been around men her entire life. To ease the tension, she stirred the stew and pulled the soda bread out of the fire. “Care to stay for dinner, Sheriff?”
He took off his hat and lowered himself to another fallen log beside her table. “Call me Matt, and I’d love to.”
His intense gaze catalogued her every move as she finished preparing the meal, and Erin felt warm beneath her britches. She’d worn men’s clothes for years, and she’d never thought it was a big deal, but now, she felt like Matt could see through the tight fabric and could make out every single swell and curve of her body. She just didn’t have a place for silly frilly dresses. There was no way to homestead in clothes like that, and she had a whole lot of work to do. Men’s work that required men’s clothes.
But now she wished that she had something that hid her body a little more so Matt’s attention would quit dropping to her breasts and bottom.
She swallowed and handed Matt a plate. His hungered look changed little as it moved from her body to his plate. “Thanks, Miss Wisecomb. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a home-cooked meal.”
Erin laughed and sat down on the log across from him. “Call me Erin, and this is hardly home-cooked.”
By the gusto he turned on his plate, Erin would have sworn that she’d given him a fat steak. The man liked to eat, that was for sure. But what man didn’t? An unfamiliar tingle shot through Erin as she watched his lips curve around the fork.
“Well, when you’ve been existing off jerky and the kindness of the town widows…”
Erin laughed. She didn’t want to like Matt, but there was something kind about him that drew her in. And he’d been helpful, which never hurt. She was going to need a lot of help. “Thank you for helping me unload.”
“You’ve got a lot of gumption to try and tackle this by yourself. I can’t say the prospect doesn’t bother me.”
Erin ate a bite of stew. “You won’t be the first one to think I can’t handle this.”
“Now, don’t go putting words in my mouth. I didn’t say you couldn’t handle it; I just know what can go wrong out here.”
Erin sighed and set her plate on the table, then wiped her mouth. “Well, go ahead and warn me then so you can cross it off your list.”
He inhaled heavily and set his plate on top of hers, then realigned his hat. “I don’t want us getting off to a bad start, Ms. Wisecomb—Erin. You’re obviously a capable girl to have made it this far on your own—incredibly capable—but there are dangers here that I can barely protect a town from, let alone a single woman out here on the prairie by herself.”
“I can shoot a gun, and I’ll have at least one outbuilding before the snow comes.”
“There’s no talking you out of this, is there?”
Erin shook her head. “What would you have me do, move to town and rent a hotel room? I don’t have that kind of money, Sheriff. I have this piece of land. It’s everything I own. Well, that and the clothes on my back.”
The minute the words left her lips, Erin knew she’d been a fool to draw any attention back to her clothes. Matt’s gaze immediately honed in on her bosom, straining against the buttons of her shirt. His lips parted as he drew in a short breath, and then he stood, equal parts awkward and fidgety.
Erin rose and wiped the plates down while Matt walked to where his horse stood. He gathered the reins and came back to where Erin was putting away the food and cooking utensils. She felt the heat of his awareness and was grateful for something to occupy her hands.
“I’d better get back to town. Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”
She lifted her head and gave him her most confident smile.”Guarantee it. But you’re more than welcome to stop by tomorrow to check on me.”
He tipped his hat. “I’ll be here after the sun comes up.”
She wasn’t immune to his gentle smile and caring attitude. “If you can be here by breakfast, I’ll feed you again.”
He mounted his horse. “Count on me.”
Erin had a feeling she’d be able to do that no matter what issue came up. Even though he didn’t think she was capable enough to pull this off, she appreciated his willingness to leave her to it. “See you then.”
He tipped his hat and turned his horse. “G’night.”
As his back faded into the shadows, Erin tried to muster all her courage and not miss his company.
Chapter Three
Erin’s eyes flew open, and she tensed beneath the covers. Her fingers found the safety on her shotgun, and she eased her hand tighter around the trigger. Her ears strained for the sound that had invaded her dreams. Now she regretted not moving the horses closer before she went to bed. One snorted and stomped a foot into the dirt. She’d loaded the fire before going to bed and with her bedroll so close, she knew she’d be safe from predators, but the horses were too far away for the flames to offer any protection.
Slowly, she rolled over and scanned the darkness. Nothing moved but she could feel the presence of a predator nearby. Something was stalking her horses. Easing upright, she held her gun out in front of her and inched toward the horses. She still couldn’t see what was upsetting them. Her older horse moved nervously and stared into the dark. Working quickly, Erin unlatched the hobbles that kept them from bolting and untied their ropes. With the horses in one hand and her gun in the other, Erin led them closer to her camp and the fire.
A sudden burst of fur and teeth came out of the darkness, and the horses yanked their ropes from her hands. She lunged toward them, desperate to catch a hold of the rope ends. The horses reared and Erin raised her gun, hoping to kill the wolf before it took out a horse. The gunshot scared all of them as it ricocheted across the dark night. The horses raced away in one direction, the wolf in the other.
And Erin stood there watching her life savings and one of the most critical elements to her survival gallop into the darkness. She sat down heavily. Tears burned the bac
ks of her eyes but she refused to give into them. The sheriff wasn’t right. She could do this and losing her horses was just a minor setback. She added more logs to the fire and stared into the flames. In the morning, she’d go look for them and bring them back. They’d wandered off before and always found their way back to camp.
The wolf might find them again, but she had to hope that her horses were savvy enough to outsmart and outkick the smaller animal if it tried anything.
She sighed and pulled her bedroll around her shoulders, too edgy to get any sleep tonight. Hopefully this wasn’t the start of a trend, but just the universe’s way of getting her to pay closer attention to her gut instincts.
She could do this. She could. Erin fought back the desperation and fear that so often crept in during the lonely long hours of the night. Now that she’d lost the horses, it would be so easy to let the naysayers like Matt win.
Erin’s head jerked up. Something was moving again in the shadows well beyond her circle of vision. It was coming from the direction where the horses had fled. She stood and moved a few feet away from the fire so she could see better.
Then she almost cried out in relief as Matt ‘s cowboy hat rose from the darkness, along with the white faces of her two escapees. She lowered her weapon and ran toward him. “Oh, thank goodness.”
He rode all the way into camp and tossed her their ropes. “You’re lucky I’d gone out to the McPatrick’s place after leaving here. I was just headed home when these two blew past me like I was standing still.”
He dismounted and helped her secure her precious beasts. “What happened?”
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