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She won't let an innocent man hang—
When Charity Dawson resigns her father's corporate law firm to pursue a career as a trial lawyer she gets more of a change than she wanted. She finds herself transported to 1888 Texas in the middle of a murder trial.
Turner Reardon is on trial for the murder of his mistress. He's given up all hope when an oddly dressed young woman disrupts his trial claiming she's a lawyer and can prove his innocence. Her testimony is brilliant but, his optimism is short lived when she claims to be a lawyer.
Charity doesn't know how she arrived in Prairie, and no one believes she actually went to law school. Her evidence is tossed out and Turner is sentenced to hang. She has only one chance to save an innocent man's life and find the real killer.
Excerpt:
Turner stood when he heard the key in the metal door. He’d welcome anything to get his mind off his dilemma. To think that his life would come to an end the following morning wasn’t a pleasant thought. If he were an old man, he might feel differently but, hell, he was only thirty-four years old.
Sheriff Cannon came in with Aunt Ruby. Red-eyed, she carried a pie plate covered in a dish towel. The smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples filled the air.
“Aunt Ruby, you shouldn’t have come. You’ve got no business in this place.”
“You are my business, young man, and don’t you forget it.” She passed the pie pan through the slot, turned and sneered at the sheriff as he stood watch. “You’re favorite, apple, and don’t you let Sheriff Cannon or any of the deputy boys have one bite.”
Turner took it and sat it on his cot. “Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
“Ruby, it’s not like me and the boys sat on that jury yesterday when they sentenced Turner. We’re just following the law,” said the sheriff.
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Excerpt continued:
“Elijah, you should be ashamed of yourself. You were Turner’s daddy’s best friend. If you were a true friend, you’d be gettin’ this boy out of here until the real killer could be caught.”
“Aunt Ruby, leave him alone. He’s just doing his job. Come here now and let me kiss your cheek one last time.”
Elijah stepped between them. “Can’t let you do that, Turner.”
“Why the hell not?”
“You know why, she could pass you something, a weapon.”
“Hell, she just passed me a whole pie”
Elijah had the grace to look embarrassed. “We sliced it for you to make sure there wasn’t anything planted inside.” He cleared his throat. “We didn’t want to search Ruby.”
“It’s a good thing too, young man. I’m not a helpless old woman and can still take a plug outta your hide.”
“Yes, Ma’am, I know.” He put his arms around her shoulders and turned her toward the door. “Now it’s getting dark out, visitation is over. You can see Turner in the morning.”
She wailed, “Yeah, hanging by a rope. I can’t believe I’ll never see my boy alive again.” | |
Desires of the Heart
Coming soon from The Wild Rose Press.
When life today is filled with pain, look to the future – or past. Loren Fairchild longs for children, but is barren. At a cottage in Carlisle, UK, she puts her divorce behind her and begins a new life. She learns that in 1947 the former owner’s wife disappeared. The same week, according to local gossip, her husband took up with a dark-headed harlot. One morning, a simple minded woman appears and triggers events that change Loren’s life forever. Miles Chapeau misses the wife, the mother of his two children, he’d known before the war. When he returned from WWII in 1945 she’d been hurt in an air raid and now has the mind of a child. He loves her and would never forsake his duty, but misses the intimate side of marriage and a woman to share his life. One day she disappears and his existence is turned upside down
Excerpt:
When Loren woke again, the Constable was back with a nice looking man in a tweed jacket. Brown hair, chocolate eyes, and a kind smile. His teeth were nice and straight in his tanned face. He looked good enough to eat. Her brow wrinkled in thought. She’d seen him somewhere before.
“Mrs. Fairchild, this is Miles Chapeau, the owner of the cottage. He wanted to see how you were doing today.”
“Sss my cottage.” Her mouth felt full of cotton. “Water.”
Mr. Chapeau held a straw to her lips and she sucked drawing cool liquid into her mouth. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She liked his voice. It was warm and sexy. Lord, sexy? She was loosing her mind. He returned the glass to the bedside table.
“Tell me, Mrs. Fairchild, what happened last night?” asked Constable Jones.
She turned her head toward the Constable. “I left the cottage and went for a walk.” She tried to lift her arms. “The wind bleewww. Hard. Rained and rained. Had to fight the wind to get to the door.” She pointed at Miles and shook her fist. “Someone nailed me out of the gazebo. I had to climb the fence in the pouring rain.” | | |
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Excerpt continued:
Miles didn’t know what to think. This woman thought it was the year 2007 and her father owned the cottage. Life couldn’t get much crazier for him. “I don’t know how you got onto my property, but my family built the cottage in 1920 and one of us has lived there ever since.”
She squinted at him. “Chapeau, Miles Chapeau. Your wife disappeared in 1947 and you took up with a dark headed harlot.”
He staggered back. What the hell was she talking about? “Yes, my wife did disappear yesterday morning. Do you know where she is? Have you seen her?” He moved close to the bed and bent down, face next to hers. “If you know tell me. She has the mind of a six-year-old and needs constant supervision.”
She patted the hand he didn’t realize grasped her arm. A jolt of energy shot through him. “She’s fine, Mr. Chapeau, just fine. Yesterday she wandered onto my property. She scared poor Molly to death.” She laughed. “Snuck up behind her and grabbed her in a hug. When Molly screamed, the blonde lady laughed and laughed.”
Miles didn’t know whether to believe her or not. The woman she described definitely acted like Miriam.
The patient waved her hand. “I feel kinda drunk.” She shook her finger at Constable Jones. “No more of those drugs, you hear?”
The Constable shrugged. “We have to do whatever the doctor orders, Mrs. Fairchild.”
“Bullshit. Man doesn’t know one end of a horse from the other.” She grabbed Miles shirt front and pulled him closer. He breathed in her scent and didn’t like his body’s reaction. He didn’t like her vulgar mouth either. “Shhh, listen. Constable Sanders had her taken to a hospital for observation. Don’t you worry now; they’ll take good care of her in 2007.”
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