From Publishers Weekly
After rescuing his six-year-old niece from San Francisco's infamous Barbary Coast, Solomon Wolfe returns to his Montana ranch and goes gambling for a wife to raise his obstreperous charge. Cairo Brown, an elegant lady hustler who reigns over the local billiard establishment, seems the perfect choice. As this unlikely couple face off in a pool tournament with marriage as the prize, tension rises. The unusual twist on the "marriage of convenience" device provides an extra dollop of delight while the carefully detailed background adds richness to a satisfying story about two survivors surprised by love. Complex family entanglements and revenge culminate in a rousing finish to this thoroughly enjoyable western romance.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
When gunslinger, drifter Solomon Wolfe becomes the sole provider to his 10 year-old niece, he decides to put some purpose into his life. He takes young Garnet back to his family's abandoned ranch in Montana. He's been gone for many years; in the meantime, one Cairo Brown has set up a sophisticated billiards hall. She's the toast of the town and the best billiardist, male or female, for miles. Solomon challenges her, and wins, again and again, until he's taken her nest egg with which she planned to take go to New York City to start anew. Practically destitute, she agrees to be married to Solomon for one year, to care for Garnet and earn back her money. In that time, Cairo and Solomon clash over domestic tasks, ranch life, Solomon's former lover on an adjoining ranch, and an evil villain trying to lead Garnet astray. When Garnet is kidnapped and Solomon and Cairo go in search of her, this poignant love story is brought to a climax that will leave the reader both laughing and crying.
From the Publisher
When gunslinger, drifter Solomon Wolfe becomes the sole provider to his 10 year-old niece, he decides to put some purpose into his life. He takes young Garnet back to his family's abandoned ranch in Montana. He's been gone for many years; in the meantime, one Cairo Brown has set up a sophisticated billiards hall. She's the toast of the town and the best billiardist, male or female, for miles. Solomon challenges her, and wins, again and again, until he's taken her nest egg with which she planned to take go to New York City to start anew. Practically destitute, she agrees to be married to Solomon for one year, to care for Garnet and earn back her money. In that time, Cairo and Solomon clash over domestic tasks, ranch life, Solomon's former lover on an adjoining ranch, and an evil villain trying to lead Garnet astray. When Garnet is kidnapped and Solomon and Cairo go in search of her, this poignant love story is brought to a climax that will leave the reader both laughing and crying. Copyright 1996 by Lois Kleinsasser.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Cairo straightened her shoulders, pressed her hand flat against her churning stomach, and forced herself to smile lazily at Solomon. She nodded to James Harrington as she passed on her way to the man who stood in the center of her parlor, looking big, rough, and immovable.
She distrusted Solomon's appearance now, after a week of his absence. He wanted more--he wanted to take her dreams of New York and suck them dry.
She disliked the way his eyes followed her slow, meandering path to him--like a wolf watching his prey.
She detested the tightening of her nerves, the hair rising on her nape, and the instant tensing of her body.
"I thought you'd had enough," she murmured, touching his shoulder with her fan.
He stood, unmoving, looming over her. Her angular, broad-shouldered, hard-as-nails predator had returned. He smelled of soap and leather and a deeper intimate scent that caused a reluctant excitement scurrying through her, flicking at her senses and her nerves. She snapped open her fan and closed it, killing whatever memory she had of Solomon pinning her to the bed. Cairo regretted her taut nerves and the slight tremor that coursed down her body when Solomon glanced at her mouth. "Well?" she asked impatiently, waiting for him to speak. "What do you want?"
Two hours later, Cairo gripped the table behind her with damp palms. She pushed back the tiny tendrils clinging to her hot check. She forced herself to breathe quietly and gripped the cushion tighter, using it as an anchor to prevent launching herself at the man who had just taunted her into betting the last of her cash reserves. "I will not place the two pieces of my cue stick on the table," she snapped at him, answering his offer to submit.
She would never submit to this man.
"Can you cook?" he asked without interest as he moved past her and she grabbed her skirt, jerking it aside.
"I play pool," she stated, too harshly, angry that her skills, her table, and the red balls had betrayed her. "I am a businesswoman, a professional billiardist."
Solomon turned to face her. He leaned back against the table where he had won all of her cash and studied her. "I'll wager the cash I've got left of yours and the promise not to play you again against--"
Cairo stopped breathing. The male crowd stopped moving, stopped talking and stared at Solomon. The customers edged closer to the tense scene between Cairo and the man who could beat her. "Against what?" she asked when she could whisper, her throat almost closed with tension.
Whatever Solomon wanted to wager, she had to meet him. She had to win back her savings...
"This," he said slowly, taking the old wedding ring from his pocket and rolling it onto the green material of Cairo's billiards table.
She stared at the small gold circle. It had little value and they had been playing for thousands. "I don't understand."
He locked his legs at the knee, reminding her of his gunfighter profession. The hard mask was down, his eyes too alert, too knowing. "Marriage. To me."
"No." She turned to him, gripping her cue stick in both hands. "I detest you."
"Didn't ask you to like me," he stated in a logical tone.
"You're serious!" she exclaimed, incredulous that he would conceive marriage to her.
He nodded. "Garnet needs a woman's touch. Just for a year. You're not much, but she seems to like you. You might be able to shave off her rough edges...at least enough for another woman to manage her."
"You must be jok--" Cairo's skin heated, then chilled, and she stood very still. She gripped the table that had been her anchor through the years, solid and dependable, even when it was dismantled for wagon transport. "You are serious!"
"You lose and you marry me. You'll have to do until a better wife comes along, or until the year is over. That should be enough time to put my ranch on its feet," he stated easily, and then began shooting practice balls. He glanced at her. "I don't have all night."
Excerpted from The Wedding Gamble by Cait Logan. Copyright (c) 1996 by Lois Kleinsasser. Excerpted by permission of Dell, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
She distrusted Solomon's appearance now, after a week of his absence. He wanted more--he wanted to take her dreams of New York and suck them dry.
She disliked the way his eyes followed her slow, meandering path to him--like a wolf watching his prey.
She detested the tightening of her nerves, the hair rising on her nape, and the instant tensing of her body.
"I thought you'd had enough," she murmured, touching his shoulder with her fan.
He stood, unmoving, looming over her. Her angular, broad-shouldered, hard-as-nails predator had returned. He smelled of soap and leather and a deeper intimate scent that caused a reluctant excitement scurrying through her, flicking at her senses and her nerves. She snapped open her fan and closed it, killing whatever memory she had of Solomon pinning her to the bed. Cairo regretted her taut nerves and the slight tremor that coursed down her body when Solomon glanced at her mouth. "Well?" she asked impatiently, waiting for him to speak. "What do you want?"
Two hours later, Cairo gripped the table behind her with damp palms. She pushed back the tiny tendrils clinging to her hot check. She forced herself to breathe quietly and gripped the cushion tighter, using it as an anchor to prevent launching herself at the man who had just taunted her into betting the last of her cash reserves. "I will not place the two pieces of my cue stick on the table," she snapped at him, answering his offer to submit.
She would never submit to this man.
"Can you cook?" he asked without interest as he moved past her and she grabbed her skirt, jerking it aside.
"I play pool," she stated, too harshly, angry that her skills, her table, and the red balls had betrayed her. "I am a businesswoman, a professional billiardist."
Solomon turned to face her. He leaned back against the table where he had won all of her cash and studied her. "I'll wager the cash I've got left of yours and the promise not to play you again against--"
Cairo stopped breathing. The male crowd stopped moving, stopped talking and stared at Solomon. The customers edged closer to the tense scene between Cairo and the man who could beat her. "Against what?" she asked when she could whisper, her throat almost closed with tension.
Whatever Solomon wanted to wager, she had to meet him. She had to win back her savings...
"This," he said slowly, taking the old wedding ring from his pocket and rolling it onto the green material of Cairo's billiards table.
She stared at the small gold circle. It had little value and they had been playing for thousands. "I don't understand."
He locked his legs at the knee, reminding her of his gunfighter profession. The hard mask was down, his eyes too alert, too knowing. "Marriage. To me."
"No." She turned to him, gripping her cue stick in both hands. "I detest you."
"Didn't ask you to like me," he stated in a logical tone.
"You're serious!" she exclaimed, incredulous that he would conceive marriage to her.
He nodded. "Garnet needs a woman's touch. Just for a year. You're not much, but she seems to like you. You might be able to shave off her rough edges...at least enough for another woman to manage her."
"You must be jok--" Cairo's skin heated, then chilled, and she stood very still. She gripped the table that had been her anchor through the years, solid and dependable, even when it was dismantled for wagon transport. "You are serious!"
"You lose and you marry me. You'll have to do until a better wife comes along, or until the year is over. That should be enough time to put my ranch on its feet," he stated easily, and then began shooting practice balls. He glanced at her. "I don't have all night."
Excerpted from The Wedding Gamble by Cait Logan. Copyright (c) 1996 by Lois Kleinsasser. Excerpted by permission of Dell, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
