Catalina's Way (Erotic Romance - Western Romance)

By Melissa F. Hart

The year is 1901 and Catalina Wyatt is a 30-year-old, self-sufficient, no-nonsense female bounty hunter who lives life by her own terms and takes no imitations for what she really wants. When she receives her biggest bounty to date to capture the criminal “Reckless” Russell McGraw, her journey leads her to the small town of North Pike, Georgia, where she meets two men who are as different as night and day: 35-year-old Daryl Watersfell and 18-year-old Charlie Kilner, and forms a mutual attraction to both. Having trouble juggling nice guy Daryl, who she genuinely cares for, and bad boy Charlie, who she sees as someone who can help her with her investigation, “Catalina’s Way” is about self-discovery as much is it is about the discovery of others and finding out who you should trust and what’s really important in life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MFH Ink Publishing
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301669509

Melissa F. Hart

I started writing romance fiction since I was 16 years old. I'm now a published writer thanks to the wonderful world of ebooks.I live in Canada and I love the winter months. As you can see, I wrote several books related to the winter holidays.I'm not represented by an agent and I'm a proud indie. I have learned how to create websites and edit images, design book covers, etc. All my books and what you see on this website I have created myself.I'm currently a certified accountant but my dream is to be a full-time independent writer of hot erotic romance books.

Book preview

Catalina’s Way

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2013 by Melissa F. Hart. All rights reserved worldwide.

No part of this book may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written consent of the author/publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

http://www.melissafhart.com/

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Synopsis

The year is 1901 and Catalina Wyatt is a 30-year-old, self-sufficient, no-nonsense female bounty hunter who lives life by her own terms and takes no imitations for what she really wants. When she receives her biggest bounty to date to capture the criminal Reckless Russell McGraw, her journey leads her to the small town of North Pike, Georgia, where she meets two men who are as different as night and day: 35-year-old Daryl Watersfell and 18-year-old Charlie Kilner, and forms a mutual attraction to both. Having trouble juggling nice guy Daryl, who she genuinely cares for, and bad boy Charlie, who she sees as someone who can help her with her investigation, Catalina’s Way is about self-discovery as much is it is about the discovery of others and finding out who you should trust and what’s really important in life.

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Catalina’s Way

My name is Catalina Wyatt; Cat for short. I became a bounty hunter at age 22. I’ve taken a lot of crap from my male colleagues through the years for several reasons: one, I’m a woman. Two, I’m a better bounty hunter than most of them and they have to find a way to make themselves feel better, and three, I do whatever the hell I want. If that means meeting some sexy looker on the road and hopping into bed, so be it. My reputation normally precedes me and I can’t say that I don’t like it that way. I take the good decisions with the bad ones, ‘cause in the end, they’re all my choices and I wouldn’t change a thing about ‘em. They’re all a part of me and it’s my way or no way. I do things Catalina’s way. What’s the use of living your life if you’re always worried about what people are gonna think about you, right? In that case, you’re living for other people, and that ain’t no life at all.

I remember being a little girl back in rural Kansas and my mother telling me I could be anything I wanted to be, fact that I was a girl aside.

Don’t let no one tell you that you can’t be what you wanna be just ‘cause you’re female, she used to tell me, if they try, tell ‘em all to go to hell.

That was my mama. She didn’t take any bull. Must be where I get it from. I had four siblings and lots of cousins whom I grew up around; all boys. So obviously, being the only girl, I was spoiled, but it didn’t mean they didn’t know not to mess with me. By the time I was 10, I could kick all their asses, even the ones that were older than I was. Our favorite game was Cops and Robbers and I always wanted to be the cop. By the time I was 6, my makeshift pretend jail cells made of stick and wire were full within 45 minutes whenever we’d play. I was so good they all got to where they didn’t want to play with me anymore, which gave me a huge sense of pride and satisfaction. That’s when I realized I wanted to be a bounty hunter. As soon as I turned 18, I became a deputy. My first bounty was when I was 22 and it kind of fell into my lap from there. The fellow who was supposed to take it died unexpectedly of a heart attack and I volunteered for the job. It was for a piece of scum named Jethro Billings. Killed a 6-year-old girl after raping and torturing her. I got $500 for him. I was hooked from then on. So far, I have a perfect track record – 22 bounties with 22 captured, all alive.

On a gorgeous, sunny May morning, I waltzed into Sheriff Bailey’s office with intent. I’d gotten a telegraph saying he had a new bounty for me and that I’d be pleasantly surprised with the payoff. I was excited being as it had been a slow winter.

Whatcha got for me, Ralph? I said with a smile.

New bounty, he said without looking up from his desk, Don didn’t want to give it to you. Wanted to turn it over to Ian or Phil. But I told him how highly recommended you come and that you always get your man.

You better not have gotten me all the way down here to tell me you gave the bounty to one of those clowns who couldn’t find their asses if there was a price on ‘em, I grumbled.

Once Don heard your turn over record, I was able to talk him into it, said Ralph, here it is. Ever heard of Russell McGraw?

Can’t say I have, I replied as I picked up the paper to inspect it closer.

His partner’s been dead for some time, but it’s taken us this long to get a bounty on McGraw because it was like he dropped off the face of the earth for a few years. Just had a sighing of him, so we made up the flyers, Ralph explained, when it was just bank robberies, there was actually a poster hanging in the town square of one of the places he blew through for $5,000 to anyone that shot him dead.

The paper bore the sketch of a man in his late forties with a thick mustache and what looked like a couple weeks of outgrowth on the rest of his face. He wore a large brimmed hat with a buckle in the middle of it and a scarf tied around his neck, knotted on the left side. Above his head was inscribed, ‘Reckless’ Russell McGraw: wanted for kidnapping, torture, rape, robbery, burglary, and murder. One million dollars alive, $75,000 dead. Last seen in North Pike, GA.

Holy shit, Ralph! I exclaimed. One million dollars?! You know I’ve never had to bring in a stiff!

Don’t get too cocky with this one, Cat. He’s a wily one, said