The Ranger's Bride

The Ranger's Bride
Laurie Grant

Rede Smith didn't think so, yet the Texas Ranger hadn't counted on the brave and beautiful Addy Kelly, whose tender mercies and intoxicating touch gave him hope for a life free of the dark secret that plagued him.Respectable widow Adelaide Kelly had a secret: she was neither a widow nor respectable in small-town eyes. But the scandal her divorced status would create paled beside the shocking fact that she'd allowed the rugged Rede Smith into her home, heart and deepest desires.

If only she wasn’t a lady, and he just the son of an outlaw!

But she’d seen his smile, and apparently taken it for condescension. “You think it’s funny, don’t you?” she fumed. “That I would want to do something besides sit and sew all day! Ohhh! Men like you make me so angry—!” She whirled away from him. “Well, good night to you, Rede Smith. I shall leave you to your insufferable dreams of male glory!”

Addy turned on her heel and began to stalk out of the barn, but he didn’t want her to go away angry at him, so he reached out and caught her by her wrist.

“Now, Addy, there’s no need to get your feathers all ruffled—”

“I’m sure you don’t think so,” she snapped, trying to wrench her wrist loose, but he held it fast. “Let me loose, you arrogant sidewinder!”

But he couldn’t…!

Dear Reader,

Harlequin Historicals is putting on a fresh face! We hope you enjoyed our special inside front cover art from recent months. We plan to bring this “extra” to you every month! You may also have noticed our new look—a maroon stripe that runs along the right side of the front cover and an “HH” logo in the upper right corner. Hopefully, this will help you find our books more easily in the crowded marketplace. And thanks again to those of you who participated in our reader survey. Your feedback enables us to bring you more of the stories and authors that you like!

We have four incredible books for you this month. The talented Shari Anton returns with a new medieval novel. Knave of Hearts is a secret-child story about a knight who, in the midst of seeking the hand of a wealthy widow, is unexpectedly reunited with his first—and not forgotten—love. Cheryl St.John’s new Western, Sweet Annie, is full of her signature-style emotion and tenderness. Here, a hardworking horseman falls in love with a crippled young woman whose family refuses to see her as the capable beauty she is.

Ice Maiden, by award-winning author Debra Lee Brown, will grab you and not let go. When a Scottish clan laird washes ashore on a remote island, the price of his passage home is temporary marriage to a Viking hellion whose icy facade belies a burning passion….And don’t miss The Ranger’s Bride, a terrific tale by Laurie Grant. Wounded on the trail of an infamous gang, a Texas Ranger with a past seeks solace in the arms of a beautiful “widow,” who has her own secrets to reveal….

Enjoy! And come back again next month for four more choices of the best in historical romance.

Sincerely,

Tracy Farrell, Senior Editor

The Ranger’s Bride

Laurie Grant

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Available from Harlequin Historicals and LAURIE GRANT

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The Ranger’s Bride #550

To Christoval, Texas, home of my grandparents,

the late John Lee and Sally Hill. When I’m writing about

a small town in Texas, I’m thinking of the time I spent

there as a child. And always to my own hero, Michael.

Contents

Chapter One (#u336ccfbc-e13b-547d-942c-852fe89565f4)

Chapter Two (#u48e7b88b-51e4-5b25-a0ce-ae426da82a15)

Chapter Three (#u8248b5d5-5d8a-57cc-8f8c-b25076f547f1)

Chapter Four (#u07f314a3-0ee7-5c9a-af70-7d2415108305)

Chapter Five (#ubc971961-8ac8-5786-83b2-6a4cd688ff42)

Chapter Six (#ubd9fb9fa-5174-5613-9669-0ddfd171a8c6)

Chapter Seven (#u9fa8246b-32af-5a09-aa51-60080a728cce)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)