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

“I’ve never thought about it,” he confessed. “I can read enough when I go into town and order supplies, but it’s never seemed necessary to learn anything more.”


“Well, it might not be necessaryto learn more.” Alonzo straightened and stretched his back, pulling his shirt tight across his chest. “You could probably live without mastering the ability. But the ability to read those books…it’ll introduce you to new worlds and new thoughts. You can learn a lot about a man from the books he treasures.”


Silently, Ben agreed. “So what kind of books do you treasure? Other than your Bible.”


“Oh. My father gave me a copy of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Manchawhen I left for America. It was his father’s copy. I have some in English, too. King Lear and Hamlet.And of course, Milton’s Paradise Lost.”


Chapter 11