Adam Brady is on the run. The gunfighter and gambler would like to live more respectably, but the first order of business is avoiding the eye—and firearm—of sadistic lawmaker Marshal Spurlock. When Adam and his horse, Barnaby, stumble into Desolation, Colorado, things get complicated quickly. First, Adam recognizes the tiny town’s sheriff as Gray “Quick Shot” Woodson, who nurses an old grievance against Adam. Second, while trying to hide from Sheriff Woodson, Adam butts heads with the formidable Nora Schumacher…in the middle of what turns out to be a group wedding ceremony. Because Desolation is filled with ne’er-do-wells, the sheriff has instituted a new rule: Marry and get a job within 30 days, or get out and take your trouble with you. Nora’s not eager to get hitched, but she’s not opposed to it either. The daughter of the town drunk is fighting to save her beloved home before her father gambles it away, but as a woman under the age of 30, Nora can’t have the deed in her own name. If she has a husband, however….As Adam and Nora navigate a new marriage that may or may not be legal, their verbal barbs evolve into words of love. But what will happen if the law comes calling? This is the second novel in McLean’s Gunslingers series, with alternating perspectives from Adam and Nora, who are equally stubborn, resourceful, and hardhearted. Adam’s attempts to get a job result in hilarious mishaps involving bent nails and burned apple pies. A goat named Lucille who loves raiding Nora’s garden provides genuine comic relief. Nora is a formidable hero—a Renaissance woman who grows herbs, makes dresses, and builds furniture, supporting herself and her father and respected by everyone in Desolation—but is hesitant to ask for help until Adam teases out her vulnerabilities.
