E.E. Burke's Best of the West: Classic Western Romance from Linda Broday

Some books are so wonderful, they deserve to be brought back for readers who missed them the first time. Such a book is TEXAS REDEMPTION by New York Times Bestselling Author Linda Broday.

Two brothers…one woman…one final chance for Redemption

Desperate to escape her dark past, Laurel James agrees to wed the mayor of a small East Texas town. With him, life will be quiet, respectable. Safe. It should be everything she ever wanted.

And it is. Until Shenandoah rides back into town.

Shenandoah never thought he would find the woman he loved and lost…and he certainly never dreamed she’d be pledged to his brother. He knows he should step aside—he has nothing to offer a woman like Laurel James—but the moment their eyes meet, Shenandoah is lost. He can only find peace in her arms…but can redemption be more than a dream for a man who has known nothing but war?

Read an excerpt

  “Sit with me, Lil.” Brodie Yates’ order didn’t come with an alternative.

  Bittersweet memories rose from the ashes. She’d wished to hear those words about a thousand times. Deep in her heart, an ache throbbed.

  “You paid for the steak, not idle conversation.” Her statement came hard and brittle as she faced him, trying to forget the man in front of her and that he’d known her as Lavender Lil.

  Brodie reached into his pocket and flipped a silver dollar onto the table. The heavy coin spun for a second before clinking to rest with the woman’s profile staring up.

  “I’m paying for the company.”

  Laurel’s lips tightened along with fingernails digging into the soft flesh of her palms. “Who do you think you are to barge into my life this way?”

  “A man no one wants to know. The devil with a six shooter.” His tone held quiet torture.   “Someone who’s been to heaven and hell and half the stops in between.”

  Doubting the wisdom, she dropped stiffly into the spot Ollie, the café owner, had vacated, hating the swish of her skirts that floated lazily against his boots. “What does such a man talk about?”

  Damn her voice for going soft on her. She blamed the glimmer in his eyes...and the smile that promised sin.

  “Pain and regret. Happy times. Four days in St. Louis. Pecan praline pie that I have on good authority is the way to your heart. Should I continue?” He asked.

  Foreboding swept her down a winding road. To follow would be inviting back the dark, unwelcome nightmares she strove daily to forget. The past lay buried beneath more grief and turmoil than any person should ever have to live with.

  Brodie swallowed and laid down his fork when she didn’t reply. He leaned forward, his intent clear. Laurel jerked her head aside and drew back. However, such tactics didn’t deter a man like him.

  With a firm grip of her chin, he forced her to meet the hunger in his smoky gaze. “I recall a hot-blooded woman on a sultry summer night. The wet eagerness between—”

  “Please....”

  “That’s what you said then, too. Begged for more. Pleaded with me to take you with me.”

  “Lil died. She doesn’t exist anymore.” A razor sharp edge flavored harsh reality. He’d left her in that godforsaken place with never a backward glance.

  “You’re mistaken. Lil is very much alive.” He tapped his leather-vested chest. “She’s in here for safekeeping.”

  With the barest of fingertips he traced the line of her parted mouth, leaving a scorched path. A fine sheen of perspiration pooled in the valley between her breasts.

  “Kisses sweet as sun-ripened strawberries. Wonder if you taste the same as I remember.”

  “Stop.” Laurel twisted away and stood. “We can’t.”

  He stood and his caress gentler than dewdrops on an early spring day. She shivered against the contact of his thumb smoothing away perspiration pooling in the hollow of her throat then across her wildly beating pulse.

  “What’s a woman like you doing in Redemption? Surely not trying to find salvation.”

  “Is that so ridiculous?”

  Brodie’s clear gaze simmered. “Think a leopard can change his spots?”

  “I’m not the person you thought. Despite choosing to believe me unworthy, I had no control over my situation back then. I do have that luxury now, however.”

  “So you say, Lil.” Brodie’s lazy drawl scraped across raw nerves, silk over sandpaper. “Time does tell all.”

  Memories tumbled end over end, colliding with temptation she wasn’t positive she had strength to resist.

  Her head whirled in tune with a thundering heartbeat as she flew from the dining room of the cafe into the kitchen. Splashing water from the porcelain bowl beneath the pump, she cooled her heated cheeks.

  Please let me come. I promise I won’t be any trouble.

  Not now, darlin’. Can’t, but I’ll be back.

  He’d heard nothing over the roar of his lust. He closed his eyes to her shame. In all fairness, he never knew they kept her prisoner. By the time she decided to trust him, he’d waltzed out the door. And left her behind.

  The roughness of her tooth scraped her tongue with the memory of what happened afterward.

  Easy footsteps aroused alarm. A quick pivot found her staring at the man whom she wanted more than anything on earth.

  He approached with slow, deliberate steps.

  “Didn’t get my dollar’s worth of conversation.”

  “I didn’t ask for or take your money. I owe you nothing.” Laurel backed up until her shoulder blades flattened against the wall.

  “You saying I can’t pay for favors?” He took a step.

  “Yes. I told you I’m not the same....” A roar began inside her head. She eyed the approaching storm knowing it was too late for help.

  “You saying you won’t give that little moan like you used to if I touch you?” He progressed two steps this time.

  She licked her parched lips. Didn’t the man understand? Persisting in this would only awaken sleeping dogs that had no reason to stir from their slumber.

  “Do I dare find out if will your lips will remain cold and lifeless?” He inched closer, narrowing the space between them more.

  So close. A trickle of sweat slid down her back soaking the tight waistband. The fragrance of leather and fresh cut hay meandered up her nose. God help her. His mouth pressed to hers would rekindle the love she still felt for him. She wasn’t made of stone...just flesh and blood and more regrets than she could count.

  The lazy half-smile indicated enjoyment. He knew his nearness suffocated her thoughts.

  He meant to strip every shred of her newfound dignity.

  He intended to kiss her.

  And perhaps more?  She gasped for air but found little.

  “Convince me. For old time’s sake.” He reached for a dark curl. “Show me I’m no longer in your blood and I’ll leave you alone. I dare you.”

  A rabbit in a snare had a more reasonable chance. His hand slipped behind her head. Laurel sagged weakly against his chest, tired of fighting forbidden attraction. Beneath her ear, his heart raced, perhaps chased by memories on a fast horse.

  “I’ve dreamed of this for so long.” His breath stirred the hair against her throbbing temple. “I’ve relived every detail of those nights in my mind. The faint scent of rose water behind your ears, the tiny pulse in the hollow of your throat. I remember every whispered endearment.”

  “Please...stop. I don’t—”

  His mouth smothered the plea. Her body betrayed her, responding to desire born from hopeless fear long ago.

  Laurel welcomed the thrusting tongue and when her breasts ached for his caress, he covered them with his palms, rolling the nipples to hard peaks. Delicious, shameful thrills played tag up her spine.

  Soft mewling escaped from somewhere deep inside, a place where lies could not hide. A place she never thought to revisit in this century.

  The arousal bulging beneath his supple trousers into her soft belly spoke of equal need. Passion became a raging inferno that threatened to scorch everything in its path...including her lofty goals of good intentions. Low moans rumbled in his throat when she wound her fingers in the thickness of his hair.

  What she wouldn’t give to pretend he meant nothing. Simply a man she used to know. Or maybe just some nameless wanderer who’d ridden into town looking to put food in his belly.

  Truth and lies, pleasure and pain. Seemed she couldn’t have one without plenty of the opposite. She’d pay any price if he’d up and disappear from life one more time.

  But wasn’t the greater sin in denying he made her feel alive again?

  Abruptly, he pushed away. “Got my answer. You still care for me. Admit it. The fire burns hotter than ever. Cloak yourself in self-righteous claims that mean nothing but I have my proof.” 

  Laurel recoiled, wishing him into the nearest grave.

  “You low-down double-crosser. I didn’t throw myself into your arms. You came to me. You took what belongs to your brother.”

  The imprint of his touch lingered on her skin like a hot brand.           

  He barked a laugh. “I didn’t notice any resistance. Your body remembers a lover’s touch. The supposed fresh start and tender feelings you claim for my brother?  Fact remains, they’re nothing but smoke and mirrors, darlin’.”

Get TEXAS REDEMPTION

Amazon: https://amzn.com/149264644X

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iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/texas-redemption/id1145470770?mt=11

Meet Linda

Linda is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her interest in reading and history came very early, so it was no surprise when she began writing western historical romances. She resides in the Texas Panhandle on land the American Indian and Comancheros once roamed, where ghosts from the past lurk around every corner. Humble roots and the love of family have become focal points of each book she writes.  

Where did you get the idea for this story?

I was still a brand new writer when I got the idea. This is actually the first story I wrote that had any structure and depth and I wrote it before I published my first novel which was Knight on the Texas Plains in 2001. So I had a lot to learn and I knew it. I attended a Romance Writers of America Conference in the mid-1990s and sat in on a workshop about how to create heroines that spring to life. I can’t tell you the speaker’s name. All I can say is that she talked about how to make a heroine out of anyone no matter their social status or past. The information she gave that day taught me so much and I was scribbling as fast as I could. Sitting in that room with writers around me, Laurel James was born. I went home so excited and wrote the book. But publishers back then shied away from the subject of prostitution unless the heroine was a cook, a maid, or kept the books. Since Laurel was actively involved in the business I had no luck selling it until 2005.

Can you tell us about the hero and heroine?

Some pre-story: Laurel was kidnapped at the age of fifteen and taken to a brothel St. Louis. The Civil War was just beginning at that time. She dreamed of escape but each time she tried, they caught her and the punishment became more severe. After she was there a while, she met a Rebel spy who went by the name of Shenandoah. They fell in love but were separated by war.

Fast forward to the book: Laurel escaped the brothel with the help of the woman who cooked for the girls. They make their way to the small town of Redemption, Texas where they open a café. Laurel catches the mayor/banker’s eye and they become engaged. Though she doesn’t love him, he offers her respectability and a chance to wash off the sins of her past. Only Shenandoah rides into town. He’s Brodie Yates, the mayor’s brother and he threatens to destroy everything she’s worked for. He’s being chased by the army to stand trial for his activity as a spy. But there’s no denying their love and trouble follows.

If you could interview one person in history who would it be?

The lady gambler – Lottie Deno. She was such an interesting woman—bold, brash, and she went after what she wanted. Lottie was born on a Southern plantation and had everything she wanted. Her father taught her to play poker and she became amazingly skilled. After his sudden death, she saw poker as the way to provide for her mother and siblings. Lottie traveled across Texas, establishing quite a name for herself in the rough saloons. She played with all the greats—Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and so many others. She married only once to Frank Thurmond and lived to a ripe old age of 99. I’d love to sit down with her and ask what that was like. I’m sure she had a million stories to tell. Coincidentally, Miss Kitty who ran the saloon in the TV western Gunsmoke was based on Lottie Deno.

How is it working with hot guys all day?

Well, you know it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it. I really enjoy creating men that readers would love to cuddle up with. But’s it’s not ALL fun and games. Sometimes we butt heads and I have to lay down the law. It’s hard because they wink and give me that sexy, lop-sided grin that stops my heart and I forget what I was going to say. The hardest part is keeping their clothes on them. My gosh! I get no writing done with them parading around in front of me wearing only a sinful grin. But seriously, it’s the best job in the whole world.

What is the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

Breathe a big sigh of relief. Until I type The End, I never know what I have. I go out to dinner with friends to celebrate and that’s always fun. Then the next day, I clean off my desk and get ready to start the next adventure.

Find out more and connect with Linda:

Website: http://lindabroday.com/

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/lindabrodayauthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lbroday

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1204489.Linda_Broday

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Linda-Broday/e/B001JRXWB2

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lindabroday1/

Linda will give away 3 copies of TEXAS REDEMPTION. Just comment and enter the drawing.

READER QUESTION:

How many pages do you give a book to draw you into the story—only a few, a first chapter or further?

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