The Angel and the Outlaw

Kathryn Albright

Литагент HarperCollins EUR

He wants her as his bride, but the law wants him! No one asks the dark, brooding stranger about his past. People gossip, but daren't question. He and his young daughter live alone–and that's the way Stuart Taylor wants…needs it to stay. When the spirited new schoolteacher, Rachel Houston, is touched by Stuart's shy little girl, who's never uttered a word, everything starts to change.Stuart's surly manner doesn't worry Rachel–she can see the vulnerability hidden in the depths of his blue eyes. She's convinced there's more to the rugged, handsome stranger's story. But when the truth comes out, has Rachel the courage to stand by her man?

The Angel and the Outlaw

Kathryn Albright

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

To my mother and father, who taught me

to go after my dreams.

Thank you for your love, support and encouragement.

Contents

Prologue

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 Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Prologue

San Francisco, California, 1870

At the sound of someone running up his ship’s gangplank, Matthew Taylor looked up from the scatter of charts on his desk.

“Matthew! Let me in! I must speak with you.”

He strode to the door and stopped short at the sight before him. “Linnea!”

The light from the cabin’s oil lamp exposed harsh bruises against the pale skin on her face. Blood dripped from a cracked lip. Under the dark hooded cloak, her blond hair, usually swept up in the latest fashion, hung unkempt to her shoulders.

“My God! What happened?”

“I…I killed John!” she gasped. “He was going after Hannah.”

Suddenly he realized the bundle she held was her daughter. “Let me take her.” He pulled the cover away, breathing a sigh of relief that Hannah was free of any sign of battering. She was shaking, just as her mother was. He laid her on his bunk and turned back to Linnea. “Tell me what happened,” he said, the rage in his voice barely subdued.

Her eyes filled with tears. “I…Might I use your handkerchief?”

He handed one to her. God, he couldn’t stand the tears. “Don’t cry, Linnea. You know I’ll help.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “I know.”

With his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face to the light. “How long has this been going on?”

She turned away from him. “Awhile.”

He poured a brace of whiskey into his mug and handed it to her. “It’s all I have.”

“Taylor!” John Newcomb bellowed from outside.

Linnea’s eyes widened. “I thought he was dead!”

“Taylor!” John was closer now. “You holing up with my wife? You send her on out here. We’ve got unfinished business.”

Linnea started to rise.

“No,” Matthew said, and motioned for her to stay put.

She grasped his arm. “Matthew. Be careful. He’s changed since you last saw him.”

He stared at her, taking in the changes the past few years had wrought on her. A hundred things went through his head in that moment, none of which he could say to her as a married woman. Why did you marry this animal? Why didn’t you wait for me? He sighed. At the least, he could protect her.

He squeezed her hand. “I’ll just talk to him. I don’t want a fight, but I won’t run from one, either.” He reached into a desk drawer and drew out his Colt .44.

On the wharf, John Newcomb leaned heavily against the railing, his tie askew against his linen shirt. “Send my wife out, Taylor. She don’t belong with you.”

“You’re drunk, Mr. Newcomb. Go home and sleep it off.”

“I’m not leaving without my girls. Linnea! We need to ta