Loving Kate

Abandoned by her fortune-hunting suitor in the rural town of Deadrange, wealthy, spoiled, Boston-bred beauty Kate Danville finds herself unable to pay for the fare back home and sets out to teach high-handed lawman Lucas Brannigan a much-needed, passionate lesson. Original.

Despite her father's harsh warnings, Kate Danville is determined that she's doing the right thing. Bound for Deadrange, Nevada, leaving the security of her father's home in Boston, the headstrong beauty is traveling cross-country in a stagecoach to meet the man she wants to marry. Just past the Nevada border, however, the stagecoach is brought to an abrupt stop and Kate finds herself glaring at a trio of stagecoach robbers. Marshal Lucas Brannigan hears the blast of a rifle and as he comes over the ridge to investigate, he's amused to find a petite fancy lady holding off a notorious gang at gunpoint. As he comes closer to offer his assistance, she whirls the end of her shotgun at him and it accidentally goes off, just missing him by inches. Once in Deadrange, Kate is relieved to find her fiancé waiting for her, anxious to escape her shameful feelings stirred by the tall, handsome marshal. By afternoon, she is forced to realize that she has been lured to Deadrange by an unscrupulous swindler as he, along with her money, has disappeared. She immediately wires her father to ask for funds to return home, and is dismayed at his abrupt refusal. She had finally pushed him too far, and now she's left to find a way out of this predicament herself. One job after another ends in disaster and the marshal has his hands full just keeping the little lady from being torn to bits by the angry townsfolk. Although well-meaning, Kate just courts disaster and it's not long before Lucas realizes that she also has a hold on his heart. Before he gets the chance to prove it to her, the bank is robbed by the same gang that robbed the stagecoach. He watches in horror as they ride out of town with Kate as hostage. He vows to rescue her - or die trying. Loving Kate is as playful as it is dramatic and under the expert hand of Ms. Adams, these characters leap from the pages straight into your heart.With spirited dialog and lively action, Loving Kate carries the reader to the very best that the wild west has to offer. Joyce Adams knows who her characters are and skillfully paints them into a vivid portrait of words. Fast-paced and thrilling, Loving Kate covers the full range of emotions.Lori Wright -- Copyright © 1994-97 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times