Exiled to an abandoned presidio in southwestern Texas, Father Alonzo Vargas is accustomed to being utterly alone except for his white donkey, Angelica. He is also fully acquainted with the corrupt and rotten sheriff, John Cullen, the man responsible for his semi-permanent exile. When he finds a victim of the sheriff hanging upside down from a tree, he immediately cuts the man down and vows to nurse him back to health.<br><br>Ben McKinnon has never done anything to cross Sheriff Cullen -- except defend the land he inherited from his father. The land Cullen covets. He's surprised when the exiled priest makes it clear that he will not only be a nurse, but will also become Ben's ally in the fight against Cullen. He's even more shocked when he realizes he doesn't just want Father Alonzo as a friend. Ben cherishes the other man's mind, his body, and his heart.<br><br>But Alonzo is not a free man. And if Sheriff Cullen has his way, they will both be dead men.

Those Who Cherish

The man didn’t protest when he pulled the canteen away. “My thanks,” he said, though his voice was still coarse. He sank back onto the ground, his gaze darting upward to the manacles weighing his arms down. He sighed and promptly closed his eyes again. “Though perhaps it’s best if you go.”


“No, I can’t do that.” Alonzo leaned over to inspect the manacles. The chain was not thick, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it there. Dried blood lined the cuffs and colored the man’s palms. He had no doubt that if he didn’t get those off his wrists, an infection would set in. “We have a little time before we need to leave. It’ll give you a chance to catch your breath.”


“It’s your breath I fear for, Father.”


Chapter 3