Free Missy Meets the Marshal (Lone Star Love Book 2) by Amelia Smarts Page A

thought about it like that before, but I realized he was right. My body was being offered in exchange for money. He made me feel lucky to be thrown scraps he didn't eat because I believed what he said about me. I believed no one would ever love someone as disgusting as me."
    Grover's expression morphed into anger, which she knew wasn't directed at her. He ran a hand around his face and said through gritted teeth, "Missy, I swear on all that is holy I'm going to kill that man. I hate that you went through that."
    "I just want you to know I wasn't intentionally stupid. I had a reason for marrying him. I thought he was like you. And he very much was, without the kindness. That's what was missing, and that's why it affects me so much. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to meet someone like you, Grover, and to be shown such kindness, when for so long I had it in my head that it didn't exist in your type."
    The muscles in Grover's face relaxed, and he suddenly grinned at her, which surprised Missy. She couldn't find any humor in her words. "What's so funny?"
    "I understand it now. You have a hankering for bad boys, for real tough guys."
    She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued before she could speak. "I'm not making fun of you, darlin'. I understand it because I have a fondness for bad girls. One in particular." He pulled her into his chest and enclosed her in a tight hug. He gave her a firm kiss on the top of her head. "No more crying over me being nice, you hear? Otherwise my bad girl will get a spanking over this tough guy's knee, and that won't feel so nice."
    Missy felt the fluttering in her tummy, as she did whenever he spoke to her that way. She wrapped her arms around him. "I love you," she said for the first time.
    "I love you, too," he replied, also for the first time.
    She smiled. Untangling herself from his hold, she positioned her new stool in front of the high cabinet and stepped up to retrieve another platter. Suddenly she felt herself being plucked from her perch on the stool and carried to the sofa. She squealed when Grover flipped her over his lap and tossed up her skirts. His hand connected with her bottom over her drawers and he peppered her with sweet, sharp love licks that warmed her backside and left only the slightest sting.
    "Why are you spanking me, Grover?" she asked, giggling. She squirmed in his lap.
    "Because you need to learn a lesson! You don't listen. I said that stool was for when I'm not around. I'm still here, aren't I?"
    She laughed. "Yes, Grover."
    "Also, you said you were a bit cold. I thought I'd warm you up."
    "That's very thoughtful of you, husb—. Ow!" she yelped as he interrupted her with one final hard swat and set her on her feet.
    He strode to the kitchen, fetched the platter from the top shelf, and handed it to her with a wink.
    # # #
    Wearing a bandanna to disguise half his face, which didn't appear strange because of the wind and dust in the air, Nathan Matthews roamed the streets of Bartow, Texas, in search of two things—his wife and his wanted poster. Nathan swaggered to the window of the jail and brazenly searched the signs while townsfolk passed behind him. He found his poster. Just as he suspected, he was wanted dead or alive. He read his wife's poster tacked up next to his and noticed that she was only wanted alive. Figures, he grumbled to himself. Men didn't like the idea of ridding the county of any more females than absolutely necessary.
    Nathan snorted when he saw the photograph used for her poster. Taken a day after their wedding, the picture of her was blurry because she'd jumped when the photographer clicked. Nathan had shot his gun at that exact moment. He couldn't remember why, but he remembered her reaction. The photograph captured the startled, scared look in Elizabeth's eyes, which filled him with contempt and revulsion as he studied it. One thing he hated was weakness, and that's what his wife showed in the picture. All women were weak as far as