Smokin’ Six Shooter

Smokin’ Six-Shooter

B.J. Daniels

Booklist

Also by B.J. Daniels

Harlequin Intrigue

Cardwell Ranch: Montana Legacy

Steel Resolve

Iron Will

Ambush Before Sunrise

Double Action Deputy

Whitehorse, Montana: The Clementine Sisters

Hard Rustler

Rogue Gunslinger

Rugged Defender

HQN

Montana Justice

Restless Hearts

Heartbreaker

Sterling’s Montana

Stroke of Luck

Luck of the Draw

Just His Luck

The Montana Cahills

Renegade’s Pride

Outlaw’s Honor

Hero’s Return

Rancher’s Dream

Visit her Author Profile page at Harlequin.com, or bjdaniels.com, for more titles!

Chapter 1

“There must be some mistake.” Dulcie Hughes shifted in her chair, anxious to flee the lawyer’s office. “We’ve covered everything my parents left me in their estate.”

“Not this particular part of your inheritance,” he said and cleared this throat. For years Lawrence Brooks, Sr., had been her parents’ attorney, but upon his death his youngest son, Herbert, had taken over his father’s law practice.

Herbert was in his early thirties, only a few years older than Dulcie herself, a tall, prematurely balding man with tiny brown eyes and a nervous twitch.

Today though he seemed even more nervous than usual, which made her pay closer attention as he handed her the documents.

“What is this?” she asked, frowning. Her elderly parents had discussed all their financial arrangements with her at length for years. She’d never seen this before.

“You’ve been left some property in Montana.”

“Montana?”

He tried to still his hands as he waited for her to read the documents.

“My parents never mentioned anything about having property in Montana.” She read the name. “Who is Laura Beaumont?”

“You don’t know?”

She shook her head. “I’ve never heard the name before. This is all the information you have?”

“Apparently Laura Beaumont’s estate was being held for you in a trust until their deaths, taking care of the expenses. That’s all I can tell you.” He stood abruptly, signaling an end to their business.

Dulcie didn’t move. “Are you saying this is all you know or this is all you’re allowed to tell me?”

“If you want to know more, I would suggest you obtain an attorney of your own to look into the matter further,” he said, tapping his fingertips on his desk as he waited impatiently for her to leave. “Or go to Montana yourself.” He made the latter sound imprudent.

“Maybe I’ll do that,” Dulcie said, rising to her feet and tucking the papers into her shoulder bag.

“As your parents’ attorney, that completes our business,” Herbert said, sounding glad of it.

For the past four months, she’d been grieving the loss of her parents and not in the least interested in dealing with the financial aspects of that loss.