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eBook Category: Romance/Historical Fiction
eBook Description: Jessie Hayden's life changed dramatically the day her eldest brother left home, never to be seen again. Stepping into his role as the lead wrangler on her family's ranch, she learns to cope with what the locals think of her and the things they say behind her back, but never learns to deal with the rift in her heart and the pain of losing the member of her family she'd been closest to. A storm swept night brings a stranger, Colt Tucker, into town. Discovering an advert placed by her father, he walks the four miles across pitch-black countryside to the Blue Plains Ranch and offers his services as a wrangler but things don't go smoothly from the start. Colt reminds Jessie painfully of her brother and he suffers the consequences as they begin to work together on the ranch. He finds himself drawn to her as she continually changes mood, going from gentle to tempestuous in the blink of an eye, and works to unravel the mystery of her past, bringing them closer together. One fateful night changes everything again, and Jessie finds herself losing the rest of her family and the man she's come to love. Months later, they meet up by chance and the sparks fly. Will Jessie listen to what Colt has to say, or is it too late for her to trust in him again?

eBook Publisher: Alinar Publishing, Published: 2006, 2006
Fictionwise Release Date: October 2006

23 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: eReader (PDB) [234 KB] , ePub (EPUB) [240 KB] , Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [204 KB] , Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [721 KB] , Palm Doc (PDB) [230 KB] , Microsoft Reader (LIT) [223 KB] , Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [232 KB] , hiebook (KML) [555 KB] , Sony Reader (LRF) [286 KB] , iSilo (PDB) [189 KB] , Mobipocket (PRC) [235 KB] , Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [295 KB] , OEBFF Format (IMP) [313 KB]
Words: 80810
Reading time: 230-323 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
ISBN: 190602300X

"Queen of Hearts is a page-turner. The character of Jessie really emits power through the story. She shows much dedication and loyalty to family ties. With every obstacle that is placed in her path, she stays determined to not allow anything to get her down. Colt has a tender heart when it comes to Jessie. He suffers from some things in his past and each day the two spend time together they seem to gain their strength from each other. Ms. Heaton creates genuine characters, a believable story that tugs at the heart strings then adds a little romance and trust along the way to make this story enchanting. She fashions a story with heart, deep emotion and well-rounded secondary characters that this reader came to love. This story is incredible in every way, and I believe a well deserved recommended read."--Linda, Fallen Angel Reviews

"Felicity Heaton brings the wild west to life ... With an engaging story, realistic dialogue and characters that will capture your heart Queen of Hearts is a must read for all romance fans. This is the first book that I have read by Felicity Heaton and since then I have been scrambling to get the other books that she has written. For a great historical romance I would definitely recommend picking up a copy of Queen of Hearts."--Dina Smith, Romance Junkies

"A reader would have to be stone-hearted to resist loving Jessie. She is so real, brave, fierce, and loyal. She struggles to carry terrible burdens which will become even worse. Colt is a good man, but he too has his ghosts. Both have much to learn, for reality is not what they believe. Along the way they overcome their pain, learning to trust again, and finally to love. Amazingly, the author has taken almost every clich� in the western genre and put them together into a totally charming and enjoyable story ... fans of western historical romance should definitely not miss this one. It will touch your heart and linger after the book is set aside."--Alegria, Coffee Time Romance

It was 1875 when he met her, three years since he started walking away, and three years since he'd began following the path. That path had led him to this place, a quiet town miles away from the world that he used to know, but somehow close to it at the same time. The scenery was familiar, a ghost of what he'd known, and the solitude reminded him of home, but the names and faces were all changed. The only thing that would truly be the same was the way the place was run--with the men, the horses, and the cattle.

At least he'd thought it would.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

It was cold. His boots were heavy and full of water. The wind drove the rain into his face until he couldn't see. He knew that he was almost there. He'd walked the muddy track from town like they'd told him to, and now he'd reached the ridge where he'd catch his first glimpse of the Blue Plains Ranch.

White lightning forked across the clouds, weaving patterns of thread-like veins against the steel-grey sky. It was so dark out that night must have fallen during his journey. Either that, or this was turning out to be as big a storm as the folks in town had warned him it would be.

As the thunder rolled overhead and another flash of brilliant white illuminated the wide plains below, he caught sight of the ranch house. It sat nestled in the valley. Its walls of wood were punctuated by windows lit with weak, warm light that looked like a beacon struggling to reach out to him through the heavy rain. He pulled his hat down so it protected his eyes and shielded his face, and set off down the slope towards the little house.

He bent his body against the wind as it whipped the tails of his coat around, dipped his head so his hat took the brunt of the weather and pulled his long coat tighter around him to protect himself. With nothing better to do, his eyes took to searching out the small torrent of water he could hear in the darkness. With every flash of lightning that streaked along the sky, he could see that the water was running down the cart tracks on the road, carrying little rocks and mud down into the valley.

He raised his head and squinted into the distance as a horse's whinny cut through the sound of the wind and rain. He immediately sought out the owner of it, instinct and years of working on a ranch telling him that the horse was frightened by the storm.

He pushed his sodden hat up so he could see better and a bolt of lightning assisted his search by highlighting the horse that he was looking for.

It wasn't alone.

He watched with interest as the rider managed to remain seated on the wildly rearing horse.

Jessie held onto the reins tightly as her horse, Ranger, reared again and kicked out. Giving his neck a loving pat, she ignored the fact that her coat had blown open and her hat was nearly off her head, and focused on calming him. She leaned close to him, letting him know that she was as scared as he was, and that the quicker they got this done, the faster he'd be in the safety of the stable and she'd be in the warm.

She smiled as he snorted and scratched at the dirt, showing her how unhappy he was about being out in the rain, and then urged him onwards towards the cattle pen.

The mud was slick under hoof and she knew better than to hurry him. Letting him pick his own pace, she relaxed back into the saddle and attended to her coat, fastening it tightly around her slim frame and stopping herself from getting even more soaked. She pulled her hat down hard, jamming it onto her head so it wouldn't blow off in the gale.

When they reached the pen, she waited for Ranger to settle before sliding down from his back and grasping hold of him tightly to retain her balance. The wind whipped the rain at her, stinging her cold face as she tied her horse to the fence and then walked carefully to the gate.

Another rumble of thunder echoed out around the hills and she listened to the cattle as they moved. In their panic, they grouped together and pushed against the fence. It creaked and moaned under the pressure, and she knew she had to get them out into the open. They'd be safer on the plain and down by the creek than they were in the pen, and it would give them space to run like they wanted to.

Tugging the gate open, she swung it around and kept behind it, using it as a shield as she waited for the cattle to move.

They didn't.

She glanced up at the sky and looked for a sign that it was willing to assist her. A grateful smile curved her lips as another bolt of lightning hit the hills in the distance and the cattle immediately began to stampede, running out of the pen at breakneck speed and pushing against each other in an effort to escape.

Turning to face into the wind, she held onto her hat as she looked at the pen that contained the other horses. The storm had come in so quickly that she hadn't had time to get them in before the lightning had begun. She'd had to focus on the cattle first, but now that they were taken care of, she could get the horses into the stable.

Another few minutes and she'd be home dry.

Patting Ranger on his flank as she passed him, she battled against the elements and slowly made her way over to the pen. The thunder and lightning continued to clash, the wind driving the rain hard against her, so fast that it was almost horizontal. Reaching the pen, she grabbed hold of the rope around the neck of the horse nearest her and began to lead it towards the gate.

She shrieked as lightning flashed across the clouds directly overhead and thunder boomed at the same time. The horse reared onto its hind legs, its eyes wide with fright, and she lost her grip on the rope. She leapt backwards as the other three horses began to whinny and kick at the fence. Her eyes widened as one of them kicked at the gate and she saw the old wood starting to give way.

"Don't you dare you little..." She gritted her teeth as she struggled to make it to the gate, and then pressed herself flat against the fence as the horse leapt over it and thundered into the distance, weaving in a zigzag pattern as it panicked. "Spirit!"

She ran to her horse, hauled herself up onto his high back, and started after the runaway. She crouched low against Ranger's back as she pulled her neckerchief up over her mouth and nose to protect them, and urged him on, galloping at full speed into the storm and onto the plains.

He watched in curiosity as the horse came bolting towards him and for a moment, he was sure that it was going to run him down. As it closed in, a rumble of thunder caused it to change direction and it cleared him by a few metres. He turned, followed its progress up the hill, and then looked back towards the house in time to watch another horse fly by. It was the one he'd seen earlier--the one with a rider.

His gaze followed the horse, watching the way the rider was skilfully handling it. He couldn't take his eyes off them as they went wide, breaking away from the runaway and coming around over the ridge.

A neigh from the other horse and the sound of closing hooves told him that the rider had successfully cut the runaway off. He stepped to one side as they bolted past him in the darkness, the rider closing in with a lasso ready to fly at any given moment.

Letting the lasso go, she smiled beneath her neckerchief as the rope settled around Spirit's neck, and tugged her backwards. She slowed her horse down and reeled Spirit in, keeping a firm hold of the frightened mare as they approached the ranch house.

She leapt down off Ranger's back and led him straight into the stable with Spirit, putting them both into their stalls as quickly as possible. Keeping a close eye on Spirit, she checked if she had calmed down now that she was safely in the building, and when she was satisfied that the chestnut mare was going to behave herself, she turned to her horse. She rubbed his nose affectionately while heaving a sigh and looking out at the rain soaked darkness.

Walking back out into the yard, she went straight for the horse pen and led them in one by one until they were all in their stalls. She stretched as she slid the bolt into the lock of the last stall door and then shivered as her wet clothes stuck to her skin. She needed a coffee and time to warm up in front of the fire, and then she'd come back and take Ranger's saddle off.

Stepping out into the rain, she drew the stable door closed.

"That's some fancy riding, lad."

She froze as she heard the unfamiliar male voice, thick with an accent that she didn't recognise, and then looked out of the corner of her eye at him where he was standing by the fence. Putting the bolt across the door, she turned to face the stranger as she tipped her hat up and pulled her neckerchief down off her face.

She looked him straight in the eye.

He stared straight back at her, stunned to find himself looking at the face of a woman when he'd been expecting to see that of a young man. His eyes dropped to her hands as she pulled her gloves off and jammed them into her pockets with an air of annoyance.

"Bad weather for walking. You lost?" She turned away from him and started towards the house.

He stared blankly at where she'd been standing. The only sound in his ears was the steady drumming of the rain on his hat and her receding footsteps. Gathering himself, he followed her.

"Looking for the Blue Plains Ranch. Folks in town said it was out this way," he explained as he continued to try to come to terms with the fact that she was a girl and not a boy. She'd handled the horse so well, as though she was an expert wrangler, but she was nothing more than a little woman.

Albeit a little woman that was showing him that she had a temper not to be messed with.

"Well ... you found it." She turned a sceptical eye on him as they reached the shelter of the weakly lit porch of her house. He stepped up onto the wooden deck to get out of the rain, and found her eyes skipping over his face and falling to rest on the bag that was slung over his shoulder. "What're you peddling?"

"Peddling?" He felt confused for a moment and then realised that she was still staring at the sack that he was holding. He frowned beneath his soaked hat. "I'm no peddler, miss. I've come 'bout the position."

"Position?" She raised a brow and pushed her hat off her head, letting it hang loose against her back. "The ranch hand position?"

He nodded.

"I don't see a horse," she said and intimated his possessions. "Unless it's damn small and hitching a ride in your kit there."

He frowned as he looked at her and realised that he had been right the first time. She wasn't a girl; she had the air, manners and grace of a boy, and more venom than a viper.

"I had to sell her. Poster said to contact a Mr. Hayden. Now, unless you're Mr. Hayden, I'd like to speak with him." He smiled wide at her as her brows knitted into a tight frown and her eyes grew dark.

Holding his gaze as he pushed his hat up, Jessie ignored the intensity of his dark eyes and brows, and searched them. There was something about him that seemed so familiar, something that made her want to shove him back out into the rain and tell him to get going.

Keeping her eyes locked with his a few seconds longer, she thought it over and relented.

"Wait here," she said as she realised her parents would be angry if they found out she'd turned away an applicant for the wrangler position. It wasn't like they'd had many.

In fact, he was the first, and the poster had been up for over a year.

She took her hat off as she stepped into the house. Placing it down on the side table, she closed the door behind her to stop the rain from coming in.

"Jessie?" her father called out to her and she headed straight into the next room, smiling as the warmth of the large fire hit her. It made the wooden walls of her home look even warmer as the light danced off them, turning them a rich shade of deep gold. The plain curtains had been drawn across the little windows at each end of the room, shutting out the sight of the storm and making the house feel even more snug. She glanced at the rickety staircase that led up to the bedrooms and silently wished she were tucked up in bed.

The older man greeted her with a broad smile when her eyes finally wandered back to him. The grey whiskers of his moustache bristled and his eyes twinkled as he did so.

"Yes, pa?" She leaned against the doorway.

"You get them in?" he asked and she nodded.

"All of them. Spirit got spooked, but she's in now, and behaving." She hesitated briefly as she thought about mentioning the newcomer, and she could see in her father's eyes that he'd noticed it. Realising that she had to say something now, and seeing the tiredness in his round face, she heaved a sigh. It would be good to have a hand around the ranch. Her parents were too old now to be helping and she didn't want her father to feel like he had to keep struggling with the daily chores. "Found a straggler, too, says he's come about the position."

"In all this weather?" her mother said.

She looked at her where she was sat by the fire, her greying hair pulled back into a loose bun and her brown dress still covered by the apron she insisted on wearing when she worked in the kitchen.

"With no horse, too," she added.

"Did you show him in?"

She glanced at the fire and then turned her back on them as she walked towards the door. "I got to see to the horses. The storm looks like it's getting worse, and Ranger needs his tackle taken off."

"Jessica."

She stopped as she heard the tone of her mother's voice. It's command for her to confess everything was as clear as a summer sky, and she knew better than to ignore it.

"He's on the porch," she said without turning around and waited for them to say something. She didn't know why she'd left him there. She'd known they'd be angry with her for not showing him in, but she just couldn't get past her gut feeling that there was something wrong about him.

"We didn't raise you to be rude, Jessie. Show him into the parlour. I'll fix some coffee," her mother said.

She gave her a restrained nod before continuing to the front door.

Opening it, she found the man leaning against the railings and staring out into the darkness.

She didn't say anything as he turned to look at her; she just stepped to one side and held her hand out, showing him that he was allowed to come in now.

The corners of his lips twitched into a slight smile at the stiff way she'd invited him in and she could see that he knew it hadn't been her idea.

He stepped towards her, holding her gaze and removing his hat.

She managed to keep her eyes on his for a few brief moments before dropping them to rest on the rain-soaked wooden boards beneath her feet. Clearing her throat, she looked at his heavily worn boots and wondered just how long it had been since he'd sold his horse. They looked as though he'd walked across half the state.

As he moved past her and into the house, she glanced at the stable and then frowned again as she looked at his back and saw a rifle slung over it beside his bag.

Shutting the door, she kept her jacket on and let her eyes follow his progress into the house. Her mother ushered him into the parlour, offering a seat and the warm welcome that she'd neglected to give. As he sat down, she went to see her father where he was still resting in the other room.

"Pa," she said as she came to stand by the fire, warming her hands and trying not to leave a puddle on the rug.

"What's wrong, Jessie?"

She didn't bother to hide her feelings as she turned to face him.

"Something ain't right about him," she hissed as she snuck a glance at the door to make sure they were still alone.

"Now how did I know you were going to be saying that?" He smiled at her and shook his head.

"I'm serious, pa. What kind of man walks through a storm, and what kind of wrangler has no horse? All he's got is the clothes on his back and a rifle for company. Something ain't right."

Her father looked at her and sighed. "Jessie, dear, just because he doesn't have a horse, doesn't mean he can't work. Sometimes people lose belongings. Sometimes they lose everything but their name and their gun. These are hard times."

She let his words and his sympathetic look sink in. It was wrong of her to judge the newcomer by what he owned, but she couldn't help feeling suspicious of him, like she felt suspicious of every man.

Mary gave an apologetic look to the man sitting at her table as the conversation between her husband and youngest daughter drifted into the room. She poured the coffee in silence and then sat down opposite him, giving him a warm smile.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tucker. Jessie's had a hard time of it since her brother, Charlie, left home, but it doesn't excuse her manners."

He pulled his eyes away from the door and smiled at her.

"About near broke our hearts," Sue said with a sigh.

He looked at the woman who was sitting next to her mother and tried to look sympathetic as she fluttered her eyelashes at him. He got the feeling that while her brother's leaving may have deeply upset Jessie, it hadn't really bothered her elder sister. He was spared answering by their father walking in.

Immediately standing, he offered his hand to the older man, who shook it firmly and then looked to his wife for coffee. He watched as the man swiftly drank the warm liquid and then placed the cup down on the table.

"What's your name, son?" Frank wiped his hand across his mouth and looked him over.

"Colt Tucker." He smiled and then glanced at the girl he'd met outside as she started to leave the room.

"Well, Colt, it's getting late. We'll talk about the position in the morning. Think Jessie is about ready to show you where you'll be sleeping for now." Frank frowned at Jessie as she opened her mouth to protest and then smiled at her when she shut it again.

"Hope you like horses, Mr. Tucker," Jessie grumbled as she pulled her coat tight around herself, preparing to go outside.

She didn't wait to see if he was going to follow her, she just walked out of the door.

He nodded to each of her family members and then went out into the storm. He could see her heading towards the stable, her arms wrapped tightly around her body in an attempt to keep some of the warmth in. The rain sapped his body heat, the wind making eerie noises as it blew through the fences of the two pens in the yard. He saw her tug at the bolt on the stable door, using it to pull the whole thing open, and then she disappeared into the shelter of the building.

He walked into the stable and watched her as she opened the door of the stall at the far end and led the horse occupying it out into the open area in the middle of the stable.

He slid the stable door closed behind him, blocking out the weather, and then took in his surroundings. Two lanterns lit the high barn. They cast contrasting shadows that made strange patterns on the wooden walls. The air smelt damp, the heavy scent of wet horse making it hard to breathe at first.

He watched the girl as she pulled the saddle off the horse and placed it down next to the others. Not knowing what to do with himself, he took to looking around. He hoped that she'd realise she was being less than civil and point him in the direction of his bed.

He got the impression that she wasn't happy about him staying, and that she'd fought the decision every step of the way. She'd clearly wanted to keep him out in the cold until he caught his death. The moment she'd revealed herself, he'd seen in her eyes that he hadn't made a great first impression, and that he was going to have to work hard to get past it. There was something about her that spoke of anger and resentment, and he got the feeling that it wasn't all about him and his addressing her as a lad.

Jessie ignored him as he moved towards her. She kept her focus on brushing Ranger down and getting him ready for the night. He was soaked through and covered in mud, and she needed to get him as dry as possible so he didn't get sick.

Her eyes moved to rest on the man as he leant against one of the posts between the stalls and she realised that he was in as bad a state as her horse was. His clothes were soaked, along with the sack that he was carrying, and he probably didn't have anything dry to wear.

Placing the brush back with the rest of her tackle, she went to the empty stall at the end and grabbed one of the thick blankets off the pile in the corner. It smelt like horse, but it was dry, and it would help keep him warm through the night. Holding it out to him, she smiled as he gave her an appreciative look and took it from her.

"If you don't have nothing dry to wear, I can see what my pa has." She picked up the brush and began working on Ranger again as she avoided the man's eyes.

Colt looked down at his bag and considered asking her to do as she'd offered but decided against it. He'd always been able to make his own way in life, and that had included spending countless nights sleeping outside in the cold and wet. Tonight would just be another one.

"Few more blankets and I'll be just fine," he replied and let his eyes follow her movements as she took the bridle off the horse and hung it up beside the stall. He watched her as she gently ran her hand down the animal's neck and then patted its shoulders lightly. Something told him that she cared a lot about her horse, if nothing else. "He's a fine beast."

She smiled at her horse. "Finest there is. We've been through a lot, me and him, and he's always stuck by me."

He nodded. "Had me a mare just like him once."

She looked over her shoulder and gave him the smallest of smiles. "Then you'll know just what I mean."

He did know. He knew all too well. He'd once come to see his horse as his only friend, just like she saw hers.

She led her horse back to his stall and nodded towards the empty one opposite as she closed the door. "You can sleep in the end stall. It's empty. Not the best lodgings, but I'm sure ma will fix you up with something better soon enough."

"Much obliged." He made his way down to the stall she'd intimated and then looked back at her as she started to walk away.

"We rise early, with the sun." She didn't bother looking at him as she headed towards the door. "Pa will want to talk with you before you start work."

He watched the door slide shut, looked down at the blanket, and then into the stall. It wasn't much, and it was far from comfortable, but it beat sleeping out in the elements.

His eyes moved to the black horse opposite him and he smiled at the name that was carved roughly into the door.

Ranger.

He looked at the other stall doors nearby and noted that Ranger's was the only one with a name on it. Smiling as he stepped into his stall and stripped off his wet clothes, he found himself wondering just what kind of girl Jessie was. She seemed to sway between behaving like a woman and acting like a boy. He loosely hung his clothes out to dry over the stable wall and then wrapped the blanket around his cold body as he settled down on the hay-strewn floor to sleep.

Closing his eyes, he thought about what work Mr. Hayden would have in store for him tomorrow. By the looks of things, there wasn't another ranch hand around to help the old man apart from himself. A ranch this size would always have a lot of work that needed to be done.

Work that required an early start, just like Jessie had said it did.

Listening to the horses in the pens, he sighed out his breath and drifted off to sleep, waiting for the morning to come and trying to keep his mind off the girl.