Free Romance: Cowboy Romance: Riding The BIG Bull (BBW Romance, Western Contemporary Romance, Cowboy Romance) by Sara Snow Page A

having a man in the bed who could not at least respect what he was getting.
    Tonight, Mary decided all her attention was going to Paul.
    Seeing as the people of Alto never bothered to try to collect on the sizable bounty, $5,000, on Paul’s head, Marshall Tom Willis finally decided to come back to Alto to take care of matters himself. The Marshall was not a bad man. Mary knew from other towns that he had a reputation for treating women well, and he was a man of honor. He had once been a resident of Alto, and he had a fine reputation with the people here.
    The town folk tried to explain to him why having Paul with them, and alive, was worth more to them than the reward. Tom Willis would not have it. He did, however, understand the sentiment of the good folk of Alto, especially after the Padre himself tried to plead for Paul’s freedom and life.
    “I will make a simple proposal then,”Tom announced to the town.“Rowdy Paul meets me tomorrow at high noon, here in front of Earl’s Saloon. We will have a nice, one on one showdown. If he lives, he walks a free man. I’ll make it known that his debt to society is paid. If he does not, well that is honor and God’s will at work.”
    Paul answered it. Mary knew he would. Tom Willis knew that he would as well. Paul was an outlaw, but like the good Marshall, he was also a man of honor. If a duel were presented to him, he could do nothing else but accept it.
    Mary fidgeted as she watched Paul down his shot of whiskey, offered by Earl on the house. He was a handsome man, with light brown hair and dashing blue eyes, as bright as the sky on a sunny day. The stubble was growing along his chin and cheeks. He considered it good luck if he had something important, like a train robbery or a“negotiation”with a pair of feuding ranchers. He would not shave it until after the showdown.
    He would not Mary thought to herself shave it ever again. Tom Willis was more than an honorable man of the law. He was also one of the fastest draws and one of the best shots in the west. Paul was good. Mary had seen him hit a man on horseback at two-hundred yards. Paul had injured the man.
    Tom Willis had managed the same feat–at three hundred yards striking the man in the head and killing him. That man had also been going at a full gallop, whereas Paul’s target was only managing a light trot.
    Things did not look well for Paul.
    “So there I was,”Tom said, pushing his wire-rim glasses up on his nose andpicking up his own shot of whiskey.“I was facing down Cartwright and I said to him,‘you’ll do best to ride on out of town now.’The man looked at me with a crazy look in his eye. The next thing I knew, he was charging right at me, trying to knock the wind outa me with his shoulder.”
    Paul shook his head as he looked at the Marshall.
    Tonight, the two men were just old buddies. Tom, like Paul, had worked for Lyn Carlisle. Tom had worked for Carlisle for a half-dozen seasons at least, and was the one who brought Paul on. They had gone their separate ways after Carlisle’s death. Paul had a mind toward revenge. Tom did not have the stomach for it, and eventually turned up lawman.
    That revenge was what had brought him here. Everyone knew who had Carlisle killed, and Paul and a handful of others saw to it that justice was done. The Sheriff in Alto at the time would do nothing, and no one had solid evidence to take to the Marshall at the time.
    Outlaws, however, did not need evidence; they only needed surety. Paul saw to it that Carlisle’s murderers were taken out, and in return, the law decided he was a wanted man.
    The various train robberies and other deeds-no-good followed after. Paul figured that if he was wanted, he might as well have money to retire on once that wanted status wore itself out.
    Mary walked up to the two men, giving Tom a polite nod before turning her attention to Paul.“I thought I might give you a nice night before you and our good Marshall have to face off