Carolyn Davidson - Tempting A Texan

“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

Miranda Jarrett

#649 THE ANGEL OF DEVIL’S CAMP

Lynna Banning

#650 BRIDE OF THE TOWER

Sharon Schulze

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Available from Harlequin Historicals and CAROLYN DAVIDSON

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*One Christmas Wish #531

“Wish upon a Star”

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The Texan #615

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.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

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. One booted foot lifted and rested against his other knee as he removed his hat and appeared to settle in.

“Did you read the whole thing?” Nicholas asked, sinking into his own chair, a scowl creasing his forehead.

“Nope. Only got as far as the words…” He looked up at the ceiling, his thought processes obviously in good order as he spoke. “Let’s see. It said something about you being named a guardian of your sister’s child. A girl, I think.”

“There’s been a mix-up somewhere,” Nicholas growled with a ferocity that matched his dark, angry visage. “I’ve never had a sister.”

“Somebody back East doesn’t agree with you,” Cleary said mildly.

“Well, they can just look elsewhere for a dumping ground,” Nicholas said harshly. “I don’t know what this lawyer expects of me, but raising a child is not on my schedule.”

“You seem to be quite taken with your godson,” Cleary said, his index finger following the crease in his hat brim. He looked up, his initial reaction to the message apparently diluted by Nicholas’s somber behavior.

“That’s different, and you know it. I won’t be saddled with a child purported to be my niece, when I know good and well that my background doesn’t include her mother.”

Cleary stood up, a lengthy procedure, adjusting his gun belt and glancing toward the open door. “I don’t suppose…” He hesitated, frowning.

“What?” Nicholas rose from the depths of his leather chair, discarding the wrinkled message on his desktop. Hands widespread on his blotter, he leaned forward. “You know a little about the law, Cleary. Is there anything I can do to put a crimp in this?”

“Is the child on her way here?” Cleary’s innocent expression denied the knowledge he’d gained by reading the message, and Nicholas felt the urge to grind his teeth in frustration.

“You know damn well she is.” He glanced down at the scribbled note. “Accompanied by a companion, is what it says here.”

“Who sent it?” Cleary asked.

“A law firm. Under orders from the court. According to this, the child is alone in the world.”

“Well,” Cleary drawled quietly. “You oughta make a good pair, then. I’ve never heard you mention any family.”

“That’s because I don’t have one.” Frustration emphasized every word as Nicholas repeated his original statement. “Where the hell somebody got the idea of sticking me with a five-year-old is beyond me. I’ve got other fish to fry.”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Patience Filmore, would it?”

Nicholas looked up, suddenly feeling defensive. “I’ve spent some time with her.”