The Scoundrel

The Scoundrel
Lisa Plumley

Schooling the scoundrel…Brawny blacksmith Daniel McCabe is not the marrying kind. He likes his freedom just fine, and no Morrow Creek lady is going to change that! But an unexpected delivery makes the bachelor rethink his roguish ways.Daniel suddenly needs a wife–and longtime friend Sarah Crabtree is quick to oblige. After all, she's been sweet on Daniel for years. But then Sarah's dream turns into a nightmare. Her love match is nothing but a marriage of convenience! Now Sarah has to convince the biggest scoundrel in Arizona Territory to let her into his bed–and his heart….

The mattress sagged. Sarah rolled over, a smile on her face.

Daniel started in surprise, his heart pounding. He clutched the bed linens and stared back at her. His first thought was, She looks angelic. Which was daft. Then, What the hell is she doing here? He didn’t remember having gotten in bed with her last night, but that didn’t mean… Could he have sunk so low as to seduce Sarah?

What was the matter with him? Of a certain, he was a scoundrel. But to have taken advantage of an innocent like Sarah? His friend?

Hoping to figure things out, he risked a wary second glance at her. Yep. She gazed back at him as steadily and as trustfully as ever. Just as she had yesterday, when they’d…exchanged vows.

All at once, Daniel’s wedding rushed back to him, complete with Sarah’s prettiness and that disturbing thing she’d said after he’d carried her inside the house.

Now I believe we’re married.

Praise for Lisa Plumley

The Matchmaker

“…will have readers laughing out loud throughout most of the book. This is another keeper by Lisa Plumley.”

—A Romance Review

“…filled with charming characters, a sassy love story and laugh-out-loud antics. THE MATCHMAKER, as creative and unique as Molly’s cinnamon buns, will satisfy your sweet tooth. It’s a winner.”

—Old Book Barn Gazette

The Drifter

“A sweet Americana tale…this gentle love story will touch your heart!”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub

“In this charming tale of acceptance Ms Plumley has touched a universal chord. Sparked with whimsy and humor, this is a thoroughly enjoyable book!”

—Rendezvous

“There’s a lot to like in THE DRIFTER. If you’ve missed those wonderful romances by LaVyrle Spencer, you might want to check it out!”

—Romance Reader

The Scoundrel

Lisa Plumley

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

In loving memory of Verna Plumley

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter One

August 1882

Morrow Creek, northern Arizona Territory

T here was only one thing Daniel McCabe didn’t understand about women—how a man could be expected to choose from among them. Beginning with the raven-haired ones and ending with the feisty ones, there was an endless variety of females for a man to sample. Settling down with just one seemed nigh unthinkable.

Curling his fist ’round the pint of Levin’s ale on his table at Jack Murphy’s saloon, Daniel smiled at the rouged-and-powdered beauty before him. Her costume shimmered of fiery satin; her bosoms pushed at its neckline in a way that made him wonder about the architecture of corsets. To make so much of so…much, the garments had to be fashioned of something sturdier than mere muslin and whalebones. Something more akin to tiny versions of the sleigh runners he’d been shaping at his blacksmith’s shop before coming here today.