p>
Maddie shivered, realising they were trapped.
“He’s after me. He knows I went into the woods. He knows I saw.”
Shane nodded and pulled her into his arms again.
“The sheriff will find him.”
Her limbs trembled. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this weak and exhausted or this relieved to see anyone. She leaned into him, feeling his warmth and his strength.
Shane was here to rescue her. That’s what a true lawman did.
All he’d ever wanted was to protect her. But she’d been so certain she could take care of herself – that she had no other choice. Now her eyes burned with tears and it took all of her strength not to cry.
But before she could take another breath, she heard the roar of an engine and a bullet whizzed through the air next to them…
Shotgun Bride
By
BJ Daniels
BJ DANIELS wrote her first book after a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist and author of thirtyseven published short stories. That first book, Odd Man Out, received a 4 1/2 star review from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine and went on to be nominated for Best Intrigue for that year. Since then she has won numerous awards, including a career achievement award for romantic suspense and many nominations and awards for best book.
Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and two springer spaniels, Spot and Jem. When she isn’t writing, she snowboards, camps, boats and plays tennis. Daniels is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Thriller Writers, Kiss of Death and Romance Writers of America.
To contact her, write to BJ Daniels, PO Box 1173, Malta, MT 59538, USA or e-mail her at bjdaniels@mtintouch. net. Check out her website, www.bjdaniels.com.
MILLS & BOON
Before you start reading, why not sign up?
Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!
Or simply visit
Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.
Available in July 2010 from Mills & Boon® Intrigue
Tall Dark Defender
by Beth Cornelison
&
Stealing Thunder
by Patricia Rosemoor
Manhunt in the Wild West
by Jessica Andersen
&
Tycoon Protector
by Elle James
Dark Guardian
by Jan Hambright
&
Terms of Engagement
by Kylie Brant
Shotgun Bride
by BJ Daniels
This book is dedicated to the readers who love the
fictional town of Whitehorse, Montana, and its residents
as much as I do. Say hello to the Corbett family.
Chapter One
Jerilyn Larch froze, one foot on the floor.
From the sagging motel bed, Earl Ray Pitts mumbled something, let out a snort and resumed snoring loudly.
Jerilyn released the breath she’d been holding and slipped out of the bed, knowing she’d called this one a little too close.
Gingerly she picked up each piece of her clothing from the grimy carpet and tiptoed into the bathroom to get dressed.
Jerilyn Larch hadn’t just fallen on hard times. She’d hit rock bottom. While the Larch name had once meant something in this part of Arizona, it wasn’t worth squat anymore.
The land was gone and so was the money. Worse, as her mother would have said, Jerilyn had hooked up with the wrong sort. She needed to get out of this ratty motel—out of this town—as quickly as possible and put some miles between her and the man still in the lumpy double bed.
Dressed, she peered out of the bathroom. Only a little of the gray dawn leaked through the cheap drapes. Earl Ray was still sleeping or at least pretending to. She could never tell for sure with him. The man had a mean streak that she knew all too well. He’d told her often enough that he’d kill her if she ever left him—or at least make her wish she was dead.
For days she’d been looking for a chance to escape.
She glanced around for his keys and caught sight of herself in the filmed-over mirror by the door, shocked by what she saw: a woman who looked much older than forty-two, a woman with nothing to lose. Jerilyn silently made a promise to herself. Her life was going to get better, starting today.
Spying the keys on the bureau, she carefully picked them up and hesitated for a moment before she scooped up Earl Ray’s wallet.
Slipping out, she hustled to his Buick parked in front of the room. The car was old, the rear panels rusted, a real embarrassment. She wished that if she had to borrow a car, she could at least get one that was worth a damn. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, and she had the keys to this one.
Jerilyn climbed behind the wheel and made a quick check of the wallet. Earl Ray didn’t have enough money to get her far. She tossed the wallet on the seat and felt herself panic as she considered what her options were with little money, a car that probably wouldn’t get her past town and nowhere to run.
Earl
