Millie woke up in a lonely room.

Leo was nowhere in sight, but a merry fire crackled in the hearth and a note crinkled on the pillow beside her.

She sat up to read it.

Had to meet a man. Be back soon, sweetheart.

She ran her fingers over the bold scrawl of his writing. Powerful, just like he was.

And regardless of the fact that he was a drifter and a prospector who had no home of his own, he was deeply concerned about her happiness.

And look at all he'd done for her uncle Fitzhugh. He'd lent the older man money.

And let's face it. Leo Ryder didn't appear to have too much of that.

Aside from his few windfalls at gambling.

Which was why she was falling for him.

She pulled on her clothes, remembering Leo had been the one to undress her.

Smiling, warm and content from starting the day with multiple orgasms, she grabbed her coat.

Her stomach rumbled. But with Leo gone, maybe she would check on how Beauregard was doing before getting breakfast.

Poor Beauregard. He wasn't used to being alone without her in the morning.

She liked to spend as much time out of her day as she could with him. He was quite a finely bred and pedigreed Arabian.

And she did not wish to trust him alone in the care of a complete stranger. Not without checking up on him.

She simply did not mind making the effort. When you had a good friend who was a horse, you went the extra distance it took to make sure he was happy and safe in his stable environment.

No one would ever be able to take her precious Beauregard from her.

She charged out into the hallway, down the staircase and across the lobby. She stepped out into the crisp, cold morning and marched down the alley.

Whatever should she do about Leo? If her uncle was alive, then the store was still his.

It had never truly been hers.

Which meant she would have to return home. After having spent nearly every last dime of her savings to get here.

Well, at least she had her poker winnings. She did not know how much they were worth, Leo hadn't said what denomination each color poker chip represented.

But maybe it would be enough for her to recoup her expenses.

Or to at least get her home.

Her heart sank. She did not want to go home. She wanted to stay here.

A shadow slipped out from against the building.

"I can't stand the sight of a stunningly beautiful woman like yourself." A stranger trudged through the snow, holding a revolver.

Pointed straight at her face.

She gasped. "Who are you?"

"You mean, you don't know who I am? I'm the biggest, baddest son of a bitch this side of Denver. I'm the outlaw who is gonna blow your brains out."

"Why do you want to hurt me?"

"Because you have the best goddamn store in the whole damn town. And the big new house being built too."

"What? The attorney mentioned a home. I figured he meant the apartment over the store."

"Dumb bitch. You mean, didn't you know about that fancy big house?"

"No" Her knees nearly buckled. "How do you know all of this?"

"Because I killed your insufferable, piece of sniveling shit uncle. Fitzhugh Conway got on my last nerve. Give me both properties and leave, I'll let you live. Maybe."

A voice boomed down the alley. "Drop the gun, Richard Lee."

Leo. Millie's heart stopped. There he was, stepping out of the shadows like a western hero, with his revolver drawn, fearless.

Mighty.

Standing tall for her, proud to protect and serve.

Leo stepped out of the shadows. "Let her go."

"You can't tell me what to do. No one does." Richard Lee's gun didn't lower.

Millie gulped. It was pointed straight at her face. Right in the center of her nose.

Who was this man, and why did he want both of her uncle's properties?

"Throw down your weapon and give me what I want, or I'll kill you all in cold blood." Richard Lee growled like a junkyard dog. "Do it now. I'm not kidding around here, Marshal."

"So, we meet again, Richard Lee. I hear you paid off a deputy marshal and you got yourself free. Evidence seems to disappear around you. But not this time."

"Don't count on it, Marshal."

Marshal. Millie realized the truth. Leo wasn't a drifter or a man too untamed to settle down.

He was a lawman. And a damned good one too judging by the way he didn't bat an eye.

"I won't tell you again, Richard Lee. Put the gun down, or this won't end peaceably. I won't let you hurt my wife."

"Wife?" Uncle Fitzhugh stepped into sight, looking disheveled, stressed and befuddled. "Millie, little Millie all grown up. When did you marry Leo?"

It was one of those impulsive, split-second decisions I've come to regret. That's what she wanted to say.

In her mind, she was casual, bold.

Brave.

Instead, she opened her mouth and only air sputtered out.

That's what outright terror could do to a girl.

"You've made a grave error, Marshal." Richard Lee's ugly face twisted with pure jealousy. "This pretty little wife of yours ain't gonna have a face. I've got all the power here."

Richard Lee's finger moved on the trigger and jammed his gun right between her eyes.

Millie went rigid with fear. She was going to die. She knew it.

Then Leo pulled the trigger.

Richard Lee went limp and tumbled to the ground.

Millie gasped, realizing the criminal was still alive. Blood poured from a wound in his chest, but she didn't care that he was hurt. Maybe dying.

All that mattered was that she was alive. That Leo was all right.

And that he was right there, his arms wrapping around her, hauling her against his chest.

Holding her safe and sound.

"I guess it's true. One good thing came from this." Uncle Fitzhugh picked up Richard Lee's gun. "You two found each other."

Sadness crept into Millie's heart.

It was true. She'd finally found the one man she could love for the rest of her life.

And she didn't know him.

Not at all.