When The Heart Beckons

Being an outlaw’s daughter has never been easy for Rebeccah Rawlings. Leaving the stuffy Boston boarding school where she taught behind, she escapes her father’s bloody past hoping to find peace and a new start in Powder River, Montana, only to encounter the cool-eyed lawman who hunted her father years ago. Rebeccah was little more than a child when she first met Wolf Bodine, but she’s never forgotten him, has had endless daydreams about him. Now Wolf is the town sheriff with a young son, and he doesn’t trust Bear Rawlings’ daughter. Neither does the town. But the stunning violet-eyed young teacher who can ride and shoot like a man is determined to stay – and on her own terms, even when her father’s enemies and his old gang come after her. Even when her feelings for Wolf Bodine threaten her wary heart. The last thing Wolf expected was to care for Bear Rawlings’ daughter, or any woman – not after what he’d been through. But as danger closes in, Wolf realizes he’ll do anything to protect her -- and to unlock the love in her wounded heart…

Elegant Julianna Montgomery flees a forced marriage only to have her would-be husband frame her for theft and put a price on her head. Captured by ruthless bounty hunter Cole Rawdon, Julianna is furious when Cole doesn’t believe her protestations of innocence. Betrayed early in life, Cole doesn’t believe in anything but his own deadly skill and speed with a gun. He trusts no one until Julianna’s beauty and spirit begins to touch his heart. As enemies converge around them, it will take all of Cole’s wits and skill to save Julianna. While they try to ward off danger, they're forced to face the most perilous question of all. Can they dare to believe in love?

New York Times and USAToday bestselling author Jill Gregory has transfixed readers around the globe with her superb stories of romance and adventure...

“Jill Gregory’s western romances always pack a wallop. Cold Night, Warm Stranger is true to form. Strong characters that engage reader’s emotions and an action-packed story with a powerful plot makes this a not-to-be-missed western.” – Romantic Times 4 ½ stars. Top Pick!

Maura Jane Reed was twenty-four years old and had never gone to a dance, owned a new dress, spoken aloud without giving careful thought to each word, or kissed a man. On that savage January night when snow engulged the Rockies in a raging blur of glittering white, when the wild creatures hid and shivered, and no one stirred in the tiny, dirty town of Knotsville, Montana, she had no inkling that her life was about to change forever.

Quinn Lassiter was a feared gunfighter, a man without home or roots. But when one night of love-making left Maura pregnant, Quinn did the one thing he’d thought he’d never do. He married Maura and promised to take care of her and their child. He was certain married life in a cabin would be like prison, but soon his new bride’s irresistible beauty and spirit made him long for her with a need that couldn’t be denied. Quinn never thought he’d fall in love, but that was before he found the one woman who made him forget his wandering ways….

“You will be enticed from the first chapter…You will cry and cheer for these wonderfully beloved characters, who will do nothing less than capture your heart…Jill Gregory has done it again. Her talent shines through in this sensually captivating novel -- she shows us once again that love can conquer all.” -- Rendezvous

“For tales of romance and adventure that keep you reading into the night, look no further than Jill Gregory.” -- Nora Roberts

“Refreshing characters, witty dialogue and adventure…Just This Once enthralls, delights, and captivates, winning readers’ hearts along the way.” – Romantic Times. Historical Romance of the Year nominee. 4 ½ stars. Top Pick!

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Jill Gregory sweeps readers from the saloons of the American West to the glittering salons of Victorian England as Josie Cooper, a charming pickpocket trying to discover the truth about her past is forced into a pretend marriage by Ethan Savage, the powerful Earl of Stonecliff. Can a former dance hall girl and experienced pickpocket find love in London with the man who blackmailed her into becoming his wife?

Ethan needs a bride to fulfill the terms of his father’s will. He won’t let anything get in the way of what he wants. Yet somehow his adorable but untrustworthy countess begins to steal her way into his heart. His

When Becky Hamilton is orphaned at the tender age of fourteen, she comes to live with her aunt in Waco and begins work cooking and cleaning for the town’s brooding young sheriff. Mesmerized immediately with his raw masculinity and sinewy strength, her fascination turns to love as the years pass and his honest integrity is revealed.

Jake Cooper manages to ignore his pretty, little orphaned housekeeper for three long years. But when she begins a subtle metamorphosis from girl to woman, he can’t control his consuming need for her any longer. It has been his job to protect the town all these years, but who will protect her from him?

Excerpt:

Becky clutched the plate to her mid-section, standing as still as a rabbit caught in a predators sight, when she saw the way he stood at the door, watching her.

Her hands began the all too familiar shaking, and she heard a roaring sound in her ears and a crashing, splintering noise at her feet. She looked down at the broken plate and in her confusion quickly bent down to retrieve it. A sharp pain in her hand jerked her upright again.

The spell was broken when his deep voice intruded on her consciousness. “Goddammit!”

Becky stood immobile as he pushed off the door and was quickly upon her. He picked up her hand in his. “Becky, what the hell?”

She looked down at his hands holding hers and saw a stream of blood running from a cut on her finger. She realized she had compounded her mistake by cutting her finger. The plate was in shards on the floor. She knew those plates had belonged to his mother. Tears welled in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Sheriff.”

He pulled her to the kitchen and his large body crowded her against the counter as he held her hand where it was bleeding. His arms wrapped around her from behind, his chest pressed into her back as he held her bleeding finger in the pail of cold water. The water turned pink as she tried not to faint.

His mouth moved to her ear. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth.” He growled the words in her ear. His warm breath caressed her face.

“I’m sorry about your m-mother’s china.” Her voice wobbled from the impact of his nearness.

He reached around and tugged her chin up and around so he could look into her eyes. “You know this isn’t about the goddamn china, don’t you, Becky?”

From the Author

I hope you enjoy The Sheriff and the Innocent Housekeeper as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you've read any of my other works, this story is a little bit different. It's a historical western and much sweeter than what I normally write. I wanted to try my hand at something different, and Sheriff Jake Cooper was born. Although quite a bit more romantic than my other stories to date, I hope you find it every bit as sexy and entertaining.