Series: Oil Kings #4
Publication date: June 7th, 2021
Synopsis:
I've been the wicked witch of King's Creek since I was eight years old, from my angry red hair down to my ball-busting boots. With a mean drunk for a daddy who left nothing but insults and unpaid bills in his wake, was there ever any other fate? Now his passing has left me one bad turn from losing my land to the neighbors my family's been feuding with for generations.
So of course it's Dawson King who comes to my rescue in the middle of a snowstorm. But I don't care how good he looks in a pair of Wranglers, or how much he spoils my horse, or how great of a cook he is. The Kings already have everything--money, looks, and charm. Dawson's not getting my heart too.
***
I'm living my dream, I admit it. I took over the family ranch from my dad and grew it into the envy of Montana. I have the best views, the best employees, and the respect of the entire town. The only thing I don't have is someone to share my dream with. So when my neighbor breaks her leg and nearly freezes to death, I all but kidnap her back to my place to recover.
We grew up less than a mile apart, but we couldn't be in more different places now. Bristol's had nothing but pride for so long, it's hard to get close to her--and I want to get very close. I don't care if the whole town loves me, I'm only interested in earning the love of one woman. But for a guy who's got the world at his feet, Bristol's heart might be out of my reach.
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Excerpt
A furrow developed between his brows. Here it was. The talk I didn't want to have. "Bristol, about the trust..."
"It's not my money. I get it."
"I didn't know how to tell you. No matter what, you would've been hurt and that was the last thing I wanted."
"So, what exactly is this trust about?" I wanted to hear it from him. My traitorous mind wanted to defend him. He had to be the one to tell me that he didn't want to marry me. That he didn't want to give up the money.
He wandered in. I stayed where I was. Getting closer to him was a bad idea when my heart hurt this bad.
"Mama set it up that we'd each get an equal share if we were married for a year by the time we turned thirty. After that, if we got divorced, our spouse would get half. It couldn't be touched by a prenup."
I waited. That wasn't the part that hurt so much. Oh, it was its own knife through the gut. My logical brain didn't care that we'd only been dating for a couple of months. Too early to get engaged or married in most relationships. But my heart ignored the major details.
His lips flattened, but he continued. "And if we weren't married by the time we were twenty-nine, or we got divorced before we were married a year, then the trust went to you and your dad. But since your dad's gone, it'd go to you." The last sentence was a whisper.
I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans. I'd stuffed my clothes from yesterday in my dirty laundry pile and didn't care if I touched them again. "I guess Pop would've blown it all."
"My brothers love their wives."
"But they only married them to get the money."
Regret rippled through Dawson's features. "Yes."
"And the woman Emilia lined up for you?"
"I wasn't interested."
"It's a lot of money."
"I want you. I want to be with you." He inched closer. "I want you to get the money."
So why hadn't he talked to me? I hugged my arms across my waist. "Don't."
"Bristol--"
"No, Dawson, I don't know what to think."
"I didn't want to hurt you."
"But you did."
King's Crown by Marie Johnston (Oil Kings #1) -
King's Ransom by Marie Johnston (Oil Kings #2) -
King's Treasure by Marie Johnston (Oil Kings #3) -
King's Queen by Marie Johnston (Oil Kings #5) -
Releasing August 16th, 2021
About the Author:
Marie Johnston writes paranormal and contemporary romance. She also works as a medical laboratory scientist and has worked as a public health microbiologist. Depending on the situation, she can be oddly unconcerned about germs or weirdly phobic. Marie's been a volunteer EMT, a college instructor, a security guard, a phlebotomist, a hotel clerk, and a coffee pourer in the bingo hall. All fodder for a writer!! She has a husband, four kids, and even more cats.
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