Chapter 6

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Lorraine was as mad as an old wet hen. In addition to trying to rid herself of the dirt and grit that seemed to have attached itself to her, she felt as if she’d been baked, boiled, and fried by the hot western sun. The heat had drained all her energy, and she felt wilted, not surprised at all that her finely coiffed hair was hanging in strings around her face.

“Good mornin’, ma’am.”

When Lorraine whirled around, she found herself looking at the broadest chest she’d ever seen. Her gaze slowly crept up the large body until she was looking into the dark mysterious eyes she’d seen in the daguerreotype, only now they seemed to glow with a deep blue color that apparently delighted in her discomfort.

“I take it you’re Mr. Bonner?”

He touched his hat. “In the flesh.”

Lorraine’s gaze did a quick assessment of what he called his “flesh” and noticed how rugged and raw he appeared. She stubbornly resisted the feeling of erotic heat she felt and looked up at his mocking smile.