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

“That is all I could ask for. More than I thought I would get.”


Ben sounded sincere. Alonzo had no reason to doubt him; he didn’t think Ben capable of telling a complete falsehood. He had been reluctant to tell the whole truth at times, but he had never settled on an outright lie to keep Alonzo at arm’s length. He didn’t doubt the other man’s integrity.


“Your…desires don’t preclude having a wife and children. What will happen to your land after you die?”


“Until Cullen tried to kill me, I hadn’t considered my own death at all.” He took the lone chair and straddled it, resting his arms against the back. His eyes became distant and unfocused, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. “I suppose it’s time for me to be practical.”


Chapter 17