Noelle. Diana Palmer
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу Noelle - Diana Palmer страница 1

Название: Noelle

Автор: Diana Palmer

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Зарубежные любовные романы

Серия:

isbn:

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ

      Praise for the reigning queen of romance

      DIANA PALMER

      “Nobody does it better.”

      —New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard

      “The popular Palmer has penned another winning novel, a perfect blend of romance and suspense.”

      —Booklist on Lawman

      “Palmer knows how to make the sparks fly…heartwarming.”

      —Publishers Weekly on Renegade

      “Sensual and suspenseful.”

      —Booklist on Lawless

      “Diana Palmer is a mesmerizing storyteller who captures the essence of what a romance should be.”

      —Affaire de Coeur

      “Nobody tops Diana Palmer when it comes to delivering pure, undiluted romance. I love her stories.”

      —New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz

      Also by Diana Palmer

      Heartless

      Fearless

      Her Kind of Hero

      Nora

      Big Sky Winter

      Man of the Hour

      Trilby

      Lawman

      Lacy

      Hard To Handle

      Heart of Winter

      Outsider

      Night Fever

      Before Sunrise

      Lawless

      Diamond Spur

      Desperado

      The Texas Ranger

      Lord of the Desert

      The Cowboy and the Lady

      Most Wanted

      Fit for a King

      Paper Rose

      Rage of Passion

      Once in Paris

      After the Music

      Roomful of Roses

      Champagne Girl

      Passion Flower

      Diamond Girl

      Friends and Lovers

      Cattleman’s Choice

      Lady Love

      The Rawhide Man

      DIANA PALMER

      Noelle

      In memory of Ryan Patton Hendricks, whose light

       still shines brightly in the hearts of all those who loved him.

Noelle

      Contents

      Prologue

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Prologue

      The street was wide and dusty—and because it was late in the afternoon, there was a lot of activity in the small town of Terrell, New Mexico Territory. Most of the buggies and wagons had stopped, however, to watch the developing confrontation in front of the adobe courthouse, where the circuit judge had just ruled against a group of small ranchers.

      “You sold us out!” a raging-mad cowboy yelled at a tall, distinguished man in a dark, vested business suit. “You helped that land-hungry British son of Satan kick us off our land! What will we do come winter when we don’t have a place to live or food for our kids? Where will we go, now that you’ve taken our land away? It isn’t even as if Hughes needs it. By God, he owns half the county already!”

      Jared Dunn, the tall, elegant man he was facing, watched him without blinking, without moving. His pale blue eyes were narrow and intent—dangerous—but the cowboy was too far away to see them.

      “It was a fair trial,” the man said in a cultured accent, with just a trace of a drawl. “You had attorneys.”

      “Not like you, Mr. New York City big-shot lawyer!” the man said, his expression turning ugly. He was wearing a sidearm. Many people did in 1902, although not in towns, most of which had regulations against firearms. But this little place was much as it had been in the late 1880s and the law was just getting a toehold here. This was still a territory, not a state.

      The angry cowboy had come heeled, and Jared Dunn had anticipated he would. The sheriff of this town was a mild little man who was elected for his sunny personality, not his toughness, so he could expect no help from that quarter. In fact, the sheriff had conveniently vanished when the cowboy started yelling threats across the street.

      The cowboy’s hand dropped lower, hovering over his gun butt.

      “Don’t do it,” Jared warned, his voice deep and clear and ringing.

      “Why? Are you afraid of guns, Mr. Big Shot?” the cowboy demanded, with a faint sneer. “Don’t you city boys know how to shoot?”

      Slowly СКАЧАТЬ