This is a western novel where a rancher, schoolmarm, and Indian team up for some romantic suspense. Lots of mystery and humor. And here's the SNIPPET:
Tye stood and offered Maria his hand, and she let him pull her to her feet. “Let’s walk, Maria. The horse will either stop farther up the road or end up in the ranch yard. And let’s hope the baskets of food weren’t thrown out in the ruckus.”
“With our luck?” She begrudgingly set out, walking beside him.
They had barely covered a few yards when they heard a rider approaching from behind. Gun drawn, Tye pushed Maria off to the side of the road and behind him. Moments later, around a bend, Marcus came thundering up, and Tye stepped out to halt him.
“You are sight for sorry eyes, Marcus.”
Marcus drew up his mount and looked at Tye with wrinkled brows, then back down the road where Tye had pitched two headless snakes and a gunnysack. “From the look on your face, your afternoon is on a downhill slide, Tydall—to hell. Please, don’t tell me you lost the horse and the buggy?”
“Long story, Marcus. And jokes would not be well received at the moment.” Tye threw a cautious sideways gaze at Maria a few feet away. She was shaking dust from her dress. Her hair had come undone and framed her face in a wild, disheveled array.
“Holy mother in heaven, she looks like she could scare bats out of a cave!”
“Marcus!”
“All right, stay calm,” Marcus said in a low voice.
“Tell me what in blue blazes happened.”
Tye squinted up at him. “Someone hoped we’d tangle with a few rattlers. "That's what happened."
