Sneak Peek Sunday . . . Abduction on the Union Pacific Express

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday! Today is another peek at A Touch of Camelot, a lighthearted historical western with a Camelot twist.

Gwin and her ten-year-old brother Arthur are the only survivors of the murder of their troupe after playing a tent revival in San Francisco. They’ve fled California in fear for their lives but have since been apprehended by the authorities.

Cole Shepherd is a brand new Pinkerton detective. His first assignment? Escort the beautiful con artist and her precocious brother across country by train to testify.

Last week, we peeked at the conclusion of their second grueling day aboard the Union Pacific Express. Cole has thwarted more than one escape attempt by his lovely charge, not the least of which was her attempt to convince him that if he didn’t let her and Arthur go before they reach San Francisco, Cole would be delivering them into the hands of corrupt authorities intent on seeing them dead before they ever set foot in a courtroom.

Cole isn’t stupid enough to fall prey to the pretty con artist’s lies. At least, not until tonight, when Gwin vanishes after visiting the ladies wash room in their sleeping car. All that’s left behind in the deserted aisle is her damp towel and a shattered perfume bottle. Cole gets a very bad feeling as he searches the moving train, not because he thinks she’s finally eluded him, but because he knows she hasn’t.

She would never flee without her little brother . . .

*

Cole paused at the door to the baggage car, his fingers tightening on the doorknob. Through the door window, he saw them, and what he saw confirmed all the fears that had nagged at him since discovering Gwin’s shattered perfume bottle. It was not Monroe, but the Chinese man.

The man was on his knees, leaning over Gwin’s sprawled, unconscious form. Cole’s stomach lurched at the sight of her lying so deathly still. Keep your wits about you, Shepherd.

He twisted the knob only to discover the door had been locked on the other side. The man’s head jerked up at the first rattle, and Cole knew he had to move fast. He stepped back and kicked. The heel of his boot landed squarely against the wood just above the doorknob. Luckily, the flimsy connecting door had not been made to withstand such punishment. It splintered and flew back on its hinges, cracking into the wall behind it.

All of this took less than five seconds, but it was plenty of time for the other man to react. Still on his haunches, he pulled Gwin’s limp body up and around to front him like a shield. The lamplight caught and glittered on a sliver of steel at her throat—a stiletto poised at her jugular. Her eyes were closed and she didn’t move. Cole couldn’t tell if she was breathing.

His eyes flicked back to the Chinese man’s face. They recognized each other in that instant, the way one professional recognizes another. This was no immigrant imported from the Orient as cheap labor for the railroads. This man had come here for a very different reason.

When the man spoke, Cole was surprised by a British accent. “I’m impressed by your timeliness, Mr. Shepherd, but then, they say if you want a job done right, call the Pinkertons.”

*

Uh oh. Cole’s first assignment for the Agency just got a whole lot more complicated. Is he up for it?

For more fun sneak peeks, hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!

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Sneak Peek Sunday! Sacrifices, sacrifices …

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday! Today we’re taking another peek at A Touch of Camelot, a lighthearted historical western with a Camelot twist.

Gwin and her ten-year-old brother Arthur are the only survivors of the murder of their troupe after playing a tent revival in San Francisco. They’ve fled California in fear for their lives but have since been apprehended by the authorities.

Cole Shepherd is a brand new Pinkerton detective. His first assignment? Escort the beautiful con artist and her precocious little brother across country by train to testify. His only directive? Don’t “misplace” his wily charges along the way…

Day two aboard the Union Pacific Express 840 en route to California has come to an end. Thus far, Cole has thwarted three creative escape attempts, one of which involved awakening in the middle of the night shackled to his berth with his own handcuffs.

He’s not amused.

Tonight there will be a change in sleeping arrangements. Cole has just ordered Arthur to take the top berth and Gwin to take the bottom, where Cole will be joining her in exactly two minutes.

*

Gwin searched Cole’s face for any sign that he might be bluffing. There was none. “But what about my reputation?” she asked.

“Which one? Horse thief? Or cardsharp? ”

“That’s not funny. You know what I’m talking about.”

“Well, if you weren’t such an all-fired pain in the—” He caught himself, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes again. He began in a calmer tone. “You proved to me last night that you cannot be trusted sleeping alone. Fine. Tonight we sleep together. Now, thanks to you, I’m about dead on my feet, so shut up and get your pretty little bottom in there before I put it in there for you.” He pulled out his pocket watch. “Your two minutes starts now.”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this! What are people going to think?”

“If anybody asks, we’ll tell them we’re married. We sure as hell act like it. One minute, forty-eight seconds.”

*

The sacrifices this guy won’t make for his job, hmm? 😉

For more fun sneak peeks, hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!

Sneak Peek Sunday . . . Petticoats and Handcuffs?

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday!  This is another peek at A Touch of Camelot, a lighthearted historical western with a Camelot twist.

Gwin and her ten-year-old brother Arthur are the only survivors of the murder of their troupe after playing a tent revival in San Francisco. They’ve fled California in fear for their lives but have since been apprehended by the authorities.

Cole Shepherd is a brand new Pinkerton detective. His first assignment? Escort the beautiful con artist and her precocious little brother across country by train to testify. His only directive? Don’t “misplace” his wily charges along the way. Simple.

Or maybe not.

It’s only been one day and Cole has already foiled two creative escape attempts. Tonight is their first night together aboard the Union Pacific Express 840. So, how can he be sure Gwin won’t fly the coop the minute he closes his eyes to catch some much-needed sleep?

*

Cole parted the curtains to their berth to find her lying on her side, a sheet pulled up over her chest, revealing the slim shoulder straps of a white chemise. Her head rested on one hand and her long-lashed eyes glimmered mischievously in the overhead lamplight. “What are you going to do now? Search me for weapons?”

Cole studied the delicate line of her jaw, the curve of her lips. Oh, she knew what she was doing to him, and he didn’t doubt for a minute she would try to use it. When Fritz Landis had warned him not to let his guard down, Cole had never foreseen this particular danger. He hadn’t known then he would be stuck traveling across the country with a sharp-witted, smart-mouthed, pint-sized temptress.

He took the handcuffs from his pocket and reached for her right hand. She jerked back. “Hey! What’s this?”

“Just taking precautions.”

“Where in heck do you think I’m going in my underclothes? Do you intend to shackle Arthur, too?”

“No, he’s sleeping with me. He can’t go anywhere without crawling over me, and, I assure you, I’m a very light sleeper.”

*

Hmmm, how do you think Cole’s plan will turn out? Will he succeed in getting the good night’s sleep he deserves?

For more fun sneak peeks, hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!

Sneak Peek Sunday … Guinevere Meets Lancelot

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday! This is our second peek at A Touch of Camelot, a lighthearted historical western with a Camelot twist.

Last week, we met Cole Shepherd and Guinevere “Gwin” Pierce at the tender ages of sixteen and fourteen. This week, we jump ahead several years to Topeka, Kansas, 1878, when neither one has a conscious recollection of that eventful first meeting.

Gwin and her ten-year-old brother Arthur are the only survivors of the murder of their troupe after playing a tent revival in San Francisco. They’ve fled California in fear for their lives but have since been apprehended by the authorities.

Cole Shepherd is a brand new Pinkerton detective. His first assignment? Escort the beautiful con artist and her precocious little brother across country by train to testify. His only directive? Don’t “misplace” his wily charges along the way. Simple. Right?

***

Gwin sat, restless and stewing, on a stool next to Cole Shepherd and Arthur at the bar in the dining area of the Topeka train station. She’d barely touched the food on her plate. This was because she’d been unable to resist staring at Cole Shepherd’s handsome profile as he’d blithely shoveled away his own midday meal.

She was entranced by the lines and angles of his princely face despite her efforts to be objective. Lancelot. Gwin had recognized him immediately. How could she not? Hadn’t he lived in her dreams for as long as she could remember?

Cole stabbed a piece of beefsteak with his fork and turned to catch her gaze before she could look away. He gave her an infuriating grin. “What’s the matter, Miss Pierce? Do I have gravy on my chin?”

Gwin scowled. “No. Why do you ask? Do you normally dribble at meals?”

He shrugged and turned back to his plate. “It’s just that you’ve been staring at me ever since we sat down. Either I’ve got gravy on my chin or you’ve fallen in love with me.”

Before Gwin could retort, the blast of a train’s whistle cut the air. She heard the rhythmic chufa-chufa of a locomotive’s steam engine as it pulled into the depot and turned her head in time to see the Union Pacific Express come to a squealing halt in front of the open dining hall. The number on the side of the engine read 840. This was the train that, if Cole Shepherd had his way, would carry the three of them most of the distance to San Francisco. This was the train that, if Gwin had her way, would pull out of this station without them.

***

So, what do you think? Does Cole have his work cut out for him?

For more fun sneak peeks, hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!

Sneak Peek Sunday … His Big Moment

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday! This week, a peek at A Touch of Camelot, a light historical western romance with a Camelot twist.

Our heroine is Guinevere Pierce, daughter of one of the slickest con artists in the west. Our hero is Cole Shepherd, the son of a small town sheriff. Their story begins in Abilene, Kansas, 1871 when Cole is just sixteen.

If our hero isn’t working or pursuing his studies, he can be found with his nose buried in an issue of The Police Gazette. His dream is to become a Pinkerton detective.

While watching a medicine show one day, Cole’s keen sense of justice is inflamed when he sees an adolescent boy pick a man’s pocket. And the chase is on.

The pickpocket is scrawny but nimble. He leads Cole on a merry scramble as the pair dart and dodge their way through the dusty streets of the bustling cow town and out to the cattle yards…

***

 By now, the kid had reached the corral fence and was getting away. Cole glared at those dirty boots as they climbed first one slat and the next. He lunged, reaching out just in time to snag the kid’s pant leg. He refused to let go even as the boy kicked. “Give it up, kid! Give it up now, and it’ll go easier on you!”

Cole yanked hard, bringing the boy down. They collapsed into the mud, Cole landing on his back to wrap his arms around his captive’s middle. The contents of the kid’s pockets spilled out: an astonishing collection of coins, bills, watches, and playing cards.

Cole howled a curse when he felt teeth sink into his forearm, but he didn’t let go. He rolled over instead, flipping his adversary onto his back. They’d already lost their hats in the scuffle, and Cole saw russet-red hair fashioned into a crude bowl cut. It looked soft and glossy, and it was just as it occurred to Cole that he’d never seen hair like that on a boy that his palm swiped across the kid’s chest and he stopped dead to discover he wasn’t wrestling with a boy at all. They both froze.

“Sweet mercy,” Cole whispered.

He had never felt a girl’s breast. He had dreamed about it a few times, and, of course, he had contemplated it a lot. There were girls back in Beaver Creek who wouldn’t have minded if Cole came courting, but none were the type a fellow could rightly consider grabbing at. Besides, marriage was the last thing on Cole’s mind. A Pinkerton didn’t have time for a wife. No, Cole had finally been forced to reach the gloomy conclusion that breasts weren’t likely to play a large part in his future.

But now his moment had arrived! And he wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. His hand, however, suffered no such uncertainty. It refused to budge even as his conscience screamed, Get your hand off her bosom, Cole! Give it up now and it’ll go easier on you!

***

I hope you enjoyed meeting our intrepid hero and sticky-fingered heroine.

For more fun sneak peeks, hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!