The Gem

Life gives you what you want. But you have to fight for what you need.

The Malloy Family, Book 12

Charlie Chastain is an oddity, and it doesn't bother her a bit. Her life in Ft. Laramie—hunting game, up to her elbows in carcasses, stitching hide clothing—suits her independent spirit.

So what if she's not a great beauty like her sisters? No one will force her into society's mold, much less a dress. But to say she is completely happy would be a lie—and no one understands that better than the only man in her life she trusts. Elijah Sylvester.

Aside from serving as the fort's resident fix-it man, Eli has spent a lifetime fighting bullies who consider him stupid, a throwaway. He fights his feelings for the woman who makes his heart hammer, but considers him nothing more than a friend.

When Charlie's restless feet send her off on a new adventure, Eli saddles up so she doesn't go unprotected. But their trip takes a dangerous turn and suddenly the hunters become the hunted. And by the time Charlie realizes how much Eli means to her, it could be too late.

Warning: Contains a cussing, stubborn, trouser-wearing woman who knows how to use a gun, and a gifted man who knows how to load, prime, and fire up her heart. Could inspire a need to purchase chaps. Hey, we won't judge.