 | THE SHERIFF'S GIFT Texas Brides of Pike's Run Series Book 2 Historical Western Romance Strong-willed and independent, Alice Parker is certain she’s meant to be a school teacher. She accepts her first position in Pikes Run, ready to mold the minds of young children, but unprepared to deal with her attraction to Sheriff Conner Lonnigan. If the board finds out she’s tumbled into his embrace more than once, she would be fired. Sheriff Conner Lonnigan is awed by Alice Parker. He falls for her almost immediately, but the demands at home forbid him from marrying. Conner’s duties as sheriff control his days, and his mother’s panic attacks control his nights. He doesn’t have the freedom to devote himself to Alice, but that can’t stop him from pursuing her anyway. Alice and Conner fight their love for each other, but the wants of the heart become too much to ignore. As they battle the demands of their jobs, the couple finds that ultimate fulfillment can only be found in each other's arms. PURCHASE THE SHERIFF'S GIFT |
THE SHERIFF'S GIFT
“What is it?” Alice asked.
He didn’t reply until she was outside. “I have somethin’ for you.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “I hope it isn’t another complaint from Beulah.”
He grinned down at her. “Nope.” He jerked his head in the direction of the yard. “Come on.”
She followed him into the yard and toward the barn. When they entered the building, the cows lowing and the horses swishing their tails, he stopped and pulled her into an empty stall.
They were alone except for the animals. This was what she’d tried to avoid, and here she was, despite her usual unflinching self-control, in the wrong situation. Though her heart exalted, her mind raced for ways to get this over with quickly.
He smiled down at her, his hand still at her elbow from when he’d pulled her over. “You look pretty today.”
“Only today?” she heard herself ask. Oh, dear! She was flirting.
He chuckled low and deep. “Every day. You’re always pretty.”
In her wildest dreams, she’d never thought to hear a man say such a thing. “What did you want to show me?”
He flushed beneath his confident smile. “A present. I ordered it for you.”
Alice’s heart stopped then sped like a locomotive. “Truly?” she whispered.
He nodded.
“But…but I didn’t get you anything,” she protested.
His smile turned soft, and her knees went to jelly. “Just havin’ you here is present enough.”
If he said anything else as tender and beautiful, she might faint from want of him. “Oh,” she murmured.
He gazed at her for a few moments more before reaching into his coat and pulling out a box wrapped in brown paper. He handed it to her.
Gingerly, she took it and unwrapped it slowly, wanting to savor the moment. Once the paper was gone, she sprung the latch on the box and lifted the lid. Her throat ached with emotion when she saw what sat in the velvet casing.
A small ceramic house, the rooftop covered in snow, stared up at her. It was beautiful. She ran a finger over its smoothness. “Thank you,” she rasped.
“There’s more.” He took it from her and lifted it out of its case. “It’s open in the back. You can put a candle here and since the windows are cut out, it’ll look like there’s—”
“Firelight,” she breathed. Awed and deeply touched, she gazed up at him. He’d remembered her memory of her mother and bought her a gift to commemorate the time. “Oh, Conner. How wonderful.”
He swallowed. “You like it?”
She closed her eyes in disbelief then opened them once more to look up into his handsome, dear face. “I adore it.”
And in that moment, everything she’d ever wanted changed forever. She loved Conner Lonnigan with all her heart. The emotion stampeded through her, causing her to tremble with its force. She couldn’t stop herself from rising up and taking his lips with hers.
“What is it?” Alice asked.
He didn’t reply until she was outside. “I have somethin’ for you.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “I hope it isn’t another complaint from Beulah.”
He grinned down at her. “Nope.” He jerked his head in the direction of the yard. “Come on.”
She followed him into the yard and toward the barn. When they entered the building, the cows lowing and the horses swishing their tails, he stopped and pulled her into an empty stall.
They were alone except for the animals. This was what she’d tried to avoid, and here she was, despite her usual unflinching self-control, in the wrong situation. Though her heart exalted, her mind raced for ways to get this over with quickly.
He smiled down at her, his hand still at her elbow from when he’d pulled her over. “You look pretty today.”
“Only today?” she heard herself ask. Oh, dear! She was flirting.
He chuckled low and deep. “Every day. You’re always pretty.”
In her wildest dreams, she’d never thought to hear a man say such a thing. “What did you want to show me?”
He flushed beneath his confident smile. “A present. I ordered it for you.”
Alice’s heart stopped then sped like a locomotive. “Truly?” she whispered.
He nodded.
“But…but I didn’t get you anything,” she protested.
His smile turned soft, and her knees went to jelly. “Just havin’ you here is present enough.”
If he said anything else as tender and beautiful, she might faint from want of him. “Oh,” she murmured.
He gazed at her for a few moments more before reaching into his coat and pulling out a box wrapped in brown paper. He handed it to her.
Gingerly, she took it and unwrapped it slowly, wanting to savor the moment. Once the paper was gone, she sprung the latch on the box and lifted the lid. Her throat ached with emotion when she saw what sat in the velvet casing.
A small ceramic house, the rooftop covered in snow, stared up at her. It was beautiful. She ran a finger over its smoothness. “Thank you,” she rasped.
“There’s more.” He took it from her and lifted it out of its case. “It’s open in the back. You can put a candle here and since the windows are cut out, it’ll look like there’s—”
“Firelight,” she breathed. Awed and deeply touched, she gazed up at him. He’d remembered her memory of her mother and bought her a gift to commemorate the time. “Oh, Conner. How wonderful.”
He swallowed. “You like it?”
She closed her eyes in disbelief then opened them once more to look up into his handsome, dear face. “I adore it.”
And in that moment, everything she’d ever wanted changed forever. She loved Conner Lonnigan with all her heart. The emotion stampeded through her, causing her to tremble with its force. She couldn’t stop herself from rising up and taking his lips with hers.
REVIEWS FOR THE SHERIFF'S GIFT
"As Kara O'Neal proved with her first novel, she has a talent for creating realistic characters. Alice Parker was just unconventional enough to stand out in Pikes Run, Texas, but not so independent to seem unrealistic. Conner Lonnigan was a strong, well-rounded character, but he seemed a little too in touch with his emotions to fit my idea of a sheriff who routinely hunts down outlaws and bandits. Overall, The Sheriff's Gift was a joy to read- I literally could not put it down."
-- Amazon Reviewer
"Kara has done it again. I really enjoyed reading The Sheriff’s Gift. I think I liked it more than Welcome Home. I fell in love with this family in Welcome Home, and I’ve come to love them more in this story. We were introduced to Conner and his mother in Welcome Home. Conner’s family suffered such a great loss. All the stress falls on Conner. He is a remarkable person, for all he does for his mother and brothers. Alice is a strong independent woman who knows exactly what she wants. When the two characters meet we are given a beautify love story."
-- Goodreads Reviewer
"I absolutely adore Kara O'Neal's writing. She is gifted, and it shows on every page. The world she's created in Pike's Run is both beautiful and compelling. Her characters are real and complex. They are unique, but drawn so well that the reader understands them and feels like they know them. The problems they face are genuine and hard to get around, and that's what makes their happily-ever-afters so sweet. They've earned them. When you read Connor and Alice's story, you're cheering them on the whole way, and at the end, you are happy to see them work things out. I walked away feeling warm and satisfied, and, in a world that is sometimes so dark, that's something we all need. I can't recommend this series enough!"
-- Amazon Reviewer
-- Amazon Reviewer
"Kara has done it again. I really enjoyed reading The Sheriff’s Gift. I think I liked it more than Welcome Home. I fell in love with this family in Welcome Home, and I’ve come to love them more in this story. We were introduced to Conner and his mother in Welcome Home. Conner’s family suffered such a great loss. All the stress falls on Conner. He is a remarkable person, for all he does for his mother and brothers. Alice is a strong independent woman who knows exactly what she wants. When the two characters meet we are given a beautify love story."
-- Goodreads Reviewer
"I absolutely adore Kara O'Neal's writing. She is gifted, and it shows on every page. The world she's created in Pike's Run is both beautiful and compelling. Her characters are real and complex. They are unique, but drawn so well that the reader understands them and feels like they know them. The problems they face are genuine and hard to get around, and that's what makes their happily-ever-afters so sweet. They've earned them. When you read Connor and Alice's story, you're cheering them on the whole way, and at the end, you are happy to see them work things out. I walked away feeling warm and satisfied, and, in a world that is sometimes so dark, that's something we all need. I can't recommend this series enough!"
-- Amazon Reviewer
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