 | PRICKLY POPPY Wildflowers of Texas Series Book 3 Historical Western Romance Two years ago, Hazel Rutherford fled from her lying, greedy fiancé. Now, her young cousin is within his sights, and Hazel must return and rescue her. Which means facing a manipulative villain. But her uncle won’t let her go alone… Kit Kirby is the man tasked with escorting her and protecting her while she’s in Brownwood. Kit Kirby. Saloon owner. Hell raiser. The man that all the ladies—from five to eighty—swoon over. All except Hazel, that is. Since the day she met him, they’ve done nothing but fight. He calls her prudish. She calls him irresponsible. He calls her prickly. She calls him a conceited hell-trap. There’s no way she’ll make it to Brownwood with her sanity intact. But when Kit changes the game and kisses her, she’ll be lucky if she gets through the ordeal still the owner of her heart. PURCHASE PRICKLY POPPY |
PRICKLY POPPY
With his drink in hand, Kit turned to face her.
Hazel twitched her lips, irritated, embarrassed, and apprehensive with depending on him.
He assessed her with his gaze while the silence stretched.
She refrained from fidgeting and didn’t dare fall into the trap of asking him what he thought of her now. Certainly, he didn’t judge her.
But she really had no idea what he was thinking. He was a ridiculous mystery she didn’t care to solve.
He quirked his lips at her. “I find it hard to believe that any man could pull one over on you, so I don’t think you ever really loved this bastard.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line, remembering things she didn’t want to. He was wrong. She had loved him.
Kit cleared his throat, seeming to accept what was ahead for them. “You don’t want me to take you, and I understand that. But I’m what you’re gonna get. I might be a…” he furrowed his brow as if trying to recall something. “What did you call me that first time we spoke? A conceited hell-trap?”
She flushed but still kept silent. It was true anyway. She had not been wrong.
“Yeah, that was it.” He chuckled then took a sip of his drink, watching her over the rim. He let out a satisfied breath, then glanced at the amber liquid. “Good stuff.”
Annoyance began to simmer inside her, and her cheeks heated with the control it took to bite back the reprimand burning her tongue.
“I can see you’re gettin’ het up again, so let me finish.” He leaned forward slightly. “I’m taking you. I’ll protect you once we’re there, and I’ll sure as hell relish the chance to make this ass pay for hurtin’ you like that. No one’s gonna put a hand on you or your cousin. If I have to kill this Anson Welch, I won’t bat an eye. He deserves to be horsewhipped for lying to you and treating you like that. Nothin’s gonna happen to you.”
If he’d told her he was going to be a priest, she would’ve been less stunned. For the first time since knowing him, he actually seemed responsible. He’d spoken with such conviction and determination that she couldn’t doubt a single one of his promises. His words had mollified her somewhat, and she relaxed slightly.
“No one’s gonna hear about your secret from me, either.”
Well…
He had effectively assuaged most of her concerns. They still weren’t going to get along, but they were both adults. Surely, they wouldn’t argue for the entire duration of the trip. Her uncle trusted him. For some reason.
So…she was going to let it go. It remained to be seen if he was the best person to take her, but her uncle was wise and usually a good judge of character.
She twitched her lips, realizing she needed to say something, especially since she’d protested quite vehemently. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, she said with acquiescence in her tone, “Thank you. I appreciate your help and your discretion.”
“You’re welcome.” He rolled his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “You’re probably not gonna like this, but I hope I at least get to knock your former fiancé around some. I can’t imagine anyone runnin’ around on you. You’re a pretty little thing.”
His words stunned her. She didn’t know what to say to his compliment, especially since it was coming from him.
“I still think you’re prickly, though.”
And her surprise shot into irritation. She gritted her teeth.
He took a final swallow of his drink, winked at her, then left.
With his drink in hand, Kit turned to face her.
Hazel twitched her lips, irritated, embarrassed, and apprehensive with depending on him.
He assessed her with his gaze while the silence stretched.
She refrained from fidgeting and didn’t dare fall into the trap of asking him what he thought of her now. Certainly, he didn’t judge her.
But she really had no idea what he was thinking. He was a ridiculous mystery she didn’t care to solve.
He quirked his lips at her. “I find it hard to believe that any man could pull one over on you, so I don’t think you ever really loved this bastard.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line, remembering things she didn’t want to. He was wrong. She had loved him.
Kit cleared his throat, seeming to accept what was ahead for them. “You don’t want me to take you, and I understand that. But I’m what you’re gonna get. I might be a…” he furrowed his brow as if trying to recall something. “What did you call me that first time we spoke? A conceited hell-trap?”
She flushed but still kept silent. It was true anyway. She had not been wrong.
“Yeah, that was it.” He chuckled then took a sip of his drink, watching her over the rim. He let out a satisfied breath, then glanced at the amber liquid. “Good stuff.”
Annoyance began to simmer inside her, and her cheeks heated with the control it took to bite back the reprimand burning her tongue.
“I can see you’re gettin’ het up again, so let me finish.” He leaned forward slightly. “I’m taking you. I’ll protect you once we’re there, and I’ll sure as hell relish the chance to make this ass pay for hurtin’ you like that. No one’s gonna put a hand on you or your cousin. If I have to kill this Anson Welch, I won’t bat an eye. He deserves to be horsewhipped for lying to you and treating you like that. Nothin’s gonna happen to you.”
If he’d told her he was going to be a priest, she would’ve been less stunned. For the first time since knowing him, he actually seemed responsible. He’d spoken with such conviction and determination that she couldn’t doubt a single one of his promises. His words had mollified her somewhat, and she relaxed slightly.
“No one’s gonna hear about your secret from me, either.”
Well…
He had effectively assuaged most of her concerns. They still weren’t going to get along, but they were both adults. Surely, they wouldn’t argue for the entire duration of the trip. Her uncle trusted him. For some reason.
So…she was going to let it go. It remained to be seen if he was the best person to take her, but her uncle was wise and usually a good judge of character.
She twitched her lips, realizing she needed to say something, especially since she’d protested quite vehemently. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, she said with acquiescence in her tone, “Thank you. I appreciate your help and your discretion.”
“You’re welcome.” He rolled his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “You’re probably not gonna like this, but I hope I at least get to knock your former fiancé around some. I can’t imagine anyone runnin’ around on you. You’re a pretty little thing.”
His words stunned her. She didn’t know what to say to his compliment, especially since it was coming from him.
“I still think you’re prickly, though.”
And her surprise shot into irritation. She gritted her teeth.
He took a final swallow of his drink, winked at her, then left.
REVIEWS FOR PRICKLY POPPY
 "Gut-wrenching moments of fear and ‘what-ifs’ plague Hazel as every mile brings her and Kit closer to their destination. Interspersed with the persistent sense of failure is the acutely written, spot-on dialogue which is good for more than one laugh-out-loud moment. Kit is the picture of the Old West hero while Hazel, the Prickly Poppy, is the woman we all should strive to become. Based on a scale of 1-5, Prickly Poppy merits a 7." -- Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews | "Prickly Poppy is a historical western romance that features enemies to lovers, opposites attract, bodyguard, and protector romance. To say it is unputdownable is the understatement of the year. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading this book. The descriptive narration plunges the reader into 19th century Texas where men and women are just as fierce as the frontier land they live on. The plot is lush with world-building and historical accuracy. The sparring dialogue between Hazel and Kit is reason enough alone to read Prickly Poppy. But it’s the characters which make Prickly Poppy unforgettable. Hazel is, without a doubt, one of the bravest heroines I’ve ever read. To have experienced what she did and then put herself in peril to save her younger cousin, just wow. She might be prickly around Kit, but her heart is pure. She’s selfless, speaks her mind, and is an incredible woman to know and love. Kit is a self-depreciating hero who, underneath his teasing manner, lives an honorable life. He’s a self-made businessman who values loyalty above all else. From the moment I first met Kit, I knew his true feelings for his prickly Poppy. He’s protective, keeps his true feelings close to the vest, and sees Hazel for who she is. Trust me, you’ll swoon over Kit. Prickly Poppy will have you laughing one minute and gasping in shock the next. An emotional historical western romance, Prickly Poppy is one of the best romances I’ve read this year." -- NN Light Reviews |
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