Dark Heart Wolf - Haley Weir Page 0,1

and slipped out before the storm hit.

The harsh rain and the wind lasted until nightfall washed over Wolf Valley.

Mary Ann changed into her bed dress and robe before settling in to write her letters. All of a sudden, she felt drawn towards the window. She threw open the shutters and stared down at Sam Cassady. Something possessed her...something she could not explain. It had taken over her body. Mary Ann stared down into glowing red eyes as an animalistic surge of recklessness swelled inside of her. “Are you gonna stand out there all night or come in?”

Perhaps Boone was right to worry...

Her voice seemed to snap him out of the trance. Sam braced his hands against the windowsill and lifted himself. Mary Ann swallowed down the last bit of fear inside of her. The town and Boone had no right to make her feel as though her friendship with Sam was inappropriate. But Mary Ann knew the second he stepped too close, she would not be able to resist doing the things she was often accused of.

“Do you sit out there a lot, Samuel?” Mary Ann asked brazenly. “You know if my brother ever caught you, the town would ask for your head in a pine box.”

Sam smiled and scratched the back of his neck bashfully. “I’m not a good man, Mary Ann. I got a woman who loves me and a daughter that swears I hung the moon in the sky just for her,” he said softly. “But I can’t take my eyes off of you when I’m in town. It makes me feel...worthless. Savannah deserves better than me.”

“And I don’t?”

“You do…”

“You’re damn right, I do,” she snickered. “But sometimes better ain’t always what’s best for us. For example, takin’ a job at the mayor’s office would be better for me, but you and I both know that working with my brother is what’s best. Somebody needs to look after him.”

“What are you sayin’, Mary Ann?”

She stood up and bounced up to the tips of her toes. Her hands trembled as she walked over to him. Sam subconsciously met her halfway, and that recklessness bubbled up. She was helpless to it as she wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him melt into her embrace. Sam's head lowered, and Mary Ann tilted her head back and brushed her lips against his. The taste of him was like fire and rain. She gasped at the crackle of energy that passed between them and he jumped back. “This...ain’t right. I love Savannah. I love Malia...I won’t leave my family.”

Mary Ann nodded her head. “I know. I just wanted to know what that felt like before I left tomorrow mornin’. Thank you, Samuel. Thank you for bein’ the best man in my life.”

Chapter One

Wolf Valley

November 1875

Mary Ann gazed out the window of her home, no longer feeling the happiness that used to come whenever she watched the sunrise. The crisp autumn air rustled the colorful leaves just beyond the glass that fogged each time she drew breath. A cup of hot tea was clutched in her hands as she watched the folks of Wolf Valley wander about the town. Her brother was gone. Dead. His memory haunted every corner of the house. Mary Ann found it difficult to leave her bed most days.

She set aside her teacup and wandered out of her bedchamber before heading down the staircase. Her shoulders pushed back and she stood tall as she stepped out of the front door. Mary Ann strolled down the dirt road that cut through town, stopping out front of the shop. Her keys jingled as she unlocked the door and pulled open the curtains.

Without her brother, Mary Ann had to use what was left of her money to keep pushing on. Boone's wife, Abigail, had inspired her to set up her own shop. So, she sold everything within her home that was not absolutely necessary to her comfort and got a loan from the bank. Mary Ann stared around the small bakery and allowed herself to smile. She walked behind the counter and tied on her apron, ready to set in for a day’s work.

The bell above the door chimed and Mary Ann looked up from the ball of dough that sat in the bowl in front of her. She cocked her head to the side and smiled as Beth Mason entered her bakery. "Good mornin'," Mary Ann said softly. “How are things at the ranch?”

"Sam and Boone are at each