Free Rocky Mountain Rose (Rocky Mountain Bride Series Book 3) by Lee Savino
Authors: Lee Savino
May?”
“There is a lady here by that name, sir. What business do you have with her?”
“Investigation of the murder of Joseph Boone, brother of Otis Boone.”
“And cousin to James Doyle?” Lyle muttered, but swung the door open.
Rose had taken the seconds to prepare for her audience and arranged herself on the chaise so she leaned on the arm with her hair flowing down her back: the picture of a queen in repose. “Sheriff,” she purred, extending a hand. “Welcome.”
The man’s eyes darted back and forth between the handsome Lyle, casually leaning along the door, and Rose’s seductive, supine position. “I’m here to ask you some questions about the suspicious death of Joseph Brooks.”
Rose raised a delicate brow. “Is that the man who fired a shot during my act a few nights ago? Brought a gun to a fist fight?”
The sheriff nodded, looking unhappy.
“Why, then, my dear sir, there’s nothing suspicious about his death. I shot him.” She patted her long thigh, cocked up on the chaise. “I have the weapon right here.”
“You committed the murder?”
“Wasn’t murder. Self-defense. Besides,” she swung up to her feet, her temper flaring, her good humor gone, “he killed my friend, Samuel Wright. Who’s investigating that death? I’d like to know.”
Faced with a redhead mad as a spitting cat, the sheriff took a step back.
“I concur, good sheriff.” Lyle drawled from his place at the door. “As a citizen of Colorado Territory, I’m concerned that this town isn’t providing proper justice to those who aren’t bosom buddies of Doyle. The dead man is Doyle’s cousin, correct?”
Boxed between a tall man and angry woman, the sheriff chose to face the man.
“You know as well as I, Doyle owns this town, and the one just over,” he told Wilder.
“Then you’ll be happy to know we came from a meeting with him just last night,” Rose said, drawing both men’s eyes. Lyle shook his head but she ignored him. “Everything’s been settled.”
“That true?” the sheriff asked Wilder, and Rose made a sound of frustration.
“It is,” Lyle confirmed. “Though the terms weren’t agreed on exactly amicably. Doyle agreed to let Rose leave with me.”
“And who are you to her?”
“I’m her husband,” Lyle replied smoothly. “Or at least I will be, whenever the minister gets here.”
Rose’s mouth fell open, but the sheriff didn’t notice.
“You taking her away from all this?”
“That’s my intention,” Lyle said. “We don’t want to cause any more trouble.”
The sheriff frowned then pointed a finger at Rose. “Rein her in,” he said, eyes still on Lyle.
Lyle let a smile spread across his handsome face and gave a little bow. “Do my best, sir. May take a few more trips to the woodshed, but I’ll learn her.”
The sheriff laughed and anger coursed through Rose like brushfire. She waited until Lyle had shut the door and pivoted slowly to face her.
“So that’s your plan to rescue me,” Rose said, deceptively quiet. “Marriage.”
“Yep.” He tucked his hands into his pockets and cocked his head as if waiting for her outburst.
That only made her rage boil over. Her fists knotted at her sides to keep from flying at him again. “What the devil are you thinking?”
“There’s my Red.” He grinned. “You know, as much as I like you sweet, I love seeing the spitfire. You have enough vinegar to send a man packing. Good thing I know the real you.”
“You don’t know me,” she sputtered. “You waltz in, snatch me out of a saloon, and—”
“Save your life,” he supplied patiently.
“Interfere,” she hissed. “Then drag me off over and over again...”
“Rescue from a very dangerous man. Bury your friend, at the risk to my life, my brother’s and yours.” Lyle advanced, holding up a finger for each point. “Provide a horse for you to escape Doyle’s town. Stand up for you in front of the sheriff and plan to ride out with you tomorrow, to
“There is a lady here by that name, sir. What business do you have with her?”
“Investigation of the murder of Joseph Boone, brother of Otis Boone.”
“And cousin to James Doyle?” Lyle muttered, but swung the door open.
Rose had taken the seconds to prepare for her audience and arranged herself on the chaise so she leaned on the arm with her hair flowing down her back: the picture of a queen in repose. “Sheriff,” she purred, extending a hand. “Welcome.”
The man’s eyes darted back and forth between the handsome Lyle, casually leaning along the door, and Rose’s seductive, supine position. “I’m here to ask you some questions about the suspicious death of Joseph Brooks.”
Rose raised a delicate brow. “Is that the man who fired a shot during my act a few nights ago? Brought a gun to a fist fight?”
The sheriff nodded, looking unhappy.
“Why, then, my dear sir, there’s nothing suspicious about his death. I shot him.” She patted her long thigh, cocked up on the chaise. “I have the weapon right here.”
“You committed the murder?”
“Wasn’t murder. Self-defense. Besides,” she swung up to her feet, her temper flaring, her good humor gone, “he killed my friend, Samuel Wright. Who’s investigating that death? I’d like to know.”
Faced with a redhead mad as a spitting cat, the sheriff took a step back.
“I concur, good sheriff.” Lyle drawled from his place at the door. “As a citizen of Colorado Territory, I’m concerned that this town isn’t providing proper justice to those who aren’t bosom buddies of Doyle. The dead man is Doyle’s cousin, correct?”
Boxed between a tall man and angry woman, the sheriff chose to face the man.
“You know as well as I, Doyle owns this town, and the one just over,” he told Wilder.
“Then you’ll be happy to know we came from a meeting with him just last night,” Rose said, drawing both men’s eyes. Lyle shook his head but she ignored him. “Everything’s been settled.”
“That true?” the sheriff asked Wilder, and Rose made a sound of frustration.
“It is,” Lyle confirmed. “Though the terms weren’t agreed on exactly amicably. Doyle agreed to let Rose leave with me.”
“And who are you to her?”
“I’m her husband,” Lyle replied smoothly. “Or at least I will be, whenever the minister gets here.”
Rose’s mouth fell open, but the sheriff didn’t notice.
“You taking her away from all this?”
“That’s my intention,” Lyle said. “We don’t want to cause any more trouble.”
The sheriff frowned then pointed a finger at Rose. “Rein her in,” he said, eyes still on Lyle.
Lyle let a smile spread across his handsome face and gave a little bow. “Do my best, sir. May take a few more trips to the woodshed, but I’ll learn her.”
The sheriff laughed and anger coursed through Rose like brushfire. She waited until Lyle had shut the door and pivoted slowly to face her.
“So that’s your plan to rescue me,” Rose said, deceptively quiet. “Marriage.”
“Yep.” He tucked his hands into his pockets and cocked his head as if waiting for her outburst.
That only made her rage boil over. Her fists knotted at her sides to keep from flying at him again. “What the devil are you thinking?”
“There’s my Red.” He grinned. “You know, as much as I like you sweet, I love seeing the spitfire. You have enough vinegar to send a man packing. Good thing I know the real you.”
“You don’t know me,” she sputtered. “You waltz in, snatch me out of a saloon, and—”
“Save your life,” he supplied patiently.
“Interfere,” she hissed. “Then drag me off over and over again...”
“Rescue from a very dangerous man. Bury your friend, at the risk to my life, my brother’s and yours.” Lyle advanced, holding up a finger for each point. “Provide a horse for you to escape Doyle’s town. Stand up for you in front of the sheriff and plan to ride out with you tomorrow, to