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 was actually one other consideration.


They passed three days touching and reading, talking and eating, cuddling and sleeping. To Alonzo, it felt like they had spent the full seventy-two hours making love. Every touch was actually a caress. Every word an endearment. But Alonzo didn’t pretend things could continue like that indefinitely. Though he had left enough food and water for the animals to be comfortable for a couple days, he needed to return to his presidio and duties soon. They both knew it was only a matter of time before Cullen arrived, seeking his men and preparing to stake his claim to a home that didn’t belong to him. Alonzo had the feeling that would be yet another meeting that would end in bloodshed. He didn’t even try to discuss it with Ben, though. He had told Ben that he believed a person had the right to defend their home and their person, and he didn’t want Ben to think he had been lying about that.


Chapter 32