Deep Scars: Primrose Valley, #3

By Amber Aames

Breanna McCullough lives a life of self-imposed isolation due to the scars on her face. She's used to being alone, but that doesn't mean she isn't lonely. When she finds a man in her barn, shot through the head, she nurses him back to health with Dr. Luke's help. She soon forms an attachment, but she's convinced a man like Grady Pellegrin could never look past her deep scars to see the kind soul inside.

She's underestimating him, and Grady intends to prove that to her. Unfortunately, the gang of outlaws who shot him aren't done with him yet, and when they put his woman's life in danger, Grady will protect her at any cost.

Primrose Valley is an ongoing series, where the town and people will continue to develop with each new addition to the series. Each story will focus on a different couple while deepening the storyline and enhancing the characters' story arcs at the same time as allowing readers to get an ever-deepening look at the town and the people who comprise it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishers' Portal
• Release date: Jul 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393464891

Book preview

Chapter One

It was the start of a lovely summer day, though the sun beating down on her face this early in the morning was still enough to make Breanna wince. Even years later, the scar tissue was sensitive to sunlight or as little as a strong breeze occasionally. Alone as she was on the homestead, she hadn’t planned to wear the scarf she normally draped over her head with holes cut out for her eyes, but she decided to return to the house and fetch it to protect her face against the sun.

Once she put it on, she stepped outside again, enjoying the warmth of the sun more once she had a barrier between it and her sensitive skin. She crossed the yard, heading toward the barn. Minerva would need milking, the stubborn goat. Breanna hoped Minerva wouldn’t be running around the pasture, trying to escape her morning milking. That had somewhat become the routine since she had traded a gallon of honey for the goat several weeks before.

When she entered the barn, the first thing she noticed was Minerva standing placidly at the milking bench. That was a surprise itself, but not nearly as big a shock as the second thing she noticed.

There was a man passed out in the hay in her barn, and she stiffened. Her revolver was in the house, and she hadn’t given a second thought to bringing it along. She took it with her when she went to the garden and such, in case she ran into a snake, but the barn was familiar territory, and she’d never needed the weapon before.

At first, she assumed he was some drunken cowboy who’d been in search of somewhere to pass out, but as she got closer, she gasped at the blood around his head. She expected him to be dead, so she approached cautiously as the horse standing near him whinnied at her.

She cast a fearful glance in the direction of the black stallion, who seemed to be standing guard over his master. She was honestly uncertain if he’d let her approach, but other than the one whinny, he stood there serenely.

Her palms were damp, and she dried them on her apron as she got closer, nudging the man’s thigh with her foot. Mister, you alive?

He didn’t open his eyes, but he did shuffle slightly, which made her jump back in fright. She honestly couldn’t believe he was still alive after seeing the blood around his head, put there by an obvious bullet wound to the side of his head.

She stared at him in surprise as she tried to decide what to do. She couldn’t just leave him lying there, but she certainly couldn’t lift and carry him inside, even if she wanted to let the man in her house.

Frozen by indecision, she jerked again when he moaned. He said something she couldn’t understand, but he was obviously more alert than she had expected.

Without thought, she bent down to take his hand. It’s okay, mister. I’m going for the doctor.

He moaned again, thrashing around, and she put a hand on his shoulder, trying to soothe him. Just relax. I’ll be back with Dr. Luke soon.

Either her words calmed him, or he was back to unconsciousness, because he relaxed a moment later and stopped thrashing. She was worried it was the latter, and she wasn’t certain how much time the stranger had before he succumbed to his injury. She wasn’t even sure Dr. Luke could help him, but she had to try.

That presented