Outlaw's Bride by Lori Copeland

was a convicted felon. How did these strange feelings she was having make sense? Emotions tugged at her heart, and yet she felt a sense of restraint.
    She was surprised how often she had to remind herself of that, and at fourteen Jo was much more impressionable. Johnny McAllister could easily steal a young woman’s heart.
    Best she remember that fact, and often.

Chapter Fifteen

    T he sounds of hammers and saws filled the air on Saturday morning. The town had assembled in full force to work on restoring the church. Johnny, Ragan, and Judge McMann arrived a little nine o’clock.
    “It will be nice to have Sunday services again.” Ragan shaded her eyes from the sun to watch the activity. Men crawled around on the rooftop, assessing the damage.
    “Indeed it will. Before the day’s over, the church will be a fitting place of worship.” The judge twisted in his wheelchair to address Johnny. “Don’t you agree, son?”
    Johnny shrugged. Ragan smothered a spark of irritation. She’d like to shake the indifference out of him. But it wasn’t his town, and it wasn’t his problem. She had grudgingly conceded that point. If circumstances were reversed, and she was the detained and he the keeper, she would be feeling a bit constricted.
    “We could use a hand over here!” Austin Plummer called from the roof. He and two of his older boys were already soaked with perspiration.
    “I’ll be glad to help!” Judge McMann called back.
    Plummer grinned good-naturedly. “Come on up!”
    Proctor swiveled his chair to join the effort, but a large, iron hand reached out to block him.
    Johnny shook his head solemnly. “Maybe you ought to hand up nails.”
    The judge’s face fell. “Oh, fiddle-faddle.” He feigned disappointment, but still, Ragan thought Proctor seemed downright smug over what he’d just accomplished. He’d gotten Johnny McAllister to respond in a positive manner.
    The judge sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”
    Johnny rolled the chair to rest in the shade of the building. As he handed the judge a fistful of nails, Ragan overheard him say, “Your Miss Ramsey gets upset easily. Let’s not ruffle her feathers by having you climb up and down those ladders.”
    Judge McMann chuckled. “You’ve noticed she flies off the handle once in a while, have you?”
    The very idea! Ragan felt her cheeks grow hot. Procky would be climbing up and down ladders and all over the roof if he had his way. Then, if he didn’t kill himself by falling, she’d have to listen to him moan and groan for a week about his joints.
    “Hey, McAllister!”
    Johnny straightened to look up when Austin shouted his name.
    The sun-browned Swede with twinkling blue eyes grinned. “Got enough work for everyone!”
    Ragan joined the other women setting up long rows of food tables, but her eyes refused to leave Johnny as he scaled the ladder. The slight breeze ruffled his hair and made him look boyish. Her gaze fastened to the back of his sweat-soaked shirt, stretched over powerful shoulders. She swallowed hard. Had Johnny McAllister ever needed anyone?
    On top of the roof the men gathered, hands on hips, and took stock of the damage. It was a mess, all right. It would take more than a day to repair this kind of destruction.
    “The last fire took most of the old roof,” Rudolf Miller said. “The gangs have about finished it off.” He tested a section with his foot, kicking aside some broken shingles.
    Miller’s fourteen-year-old son, Clayton, frowned. “Not much sense fixin’ the old thing if it’s only gonna be shot up again, Pa.”
    “Well, the reverend thinks it bears fixin’, son, so we’ll repair it. Could be it’ll hold until we can afford a new one. Besides, Mercer is going to rid us of the problem.” He glanced at Johnny. “Ever hear of Lars, McAllister?”
    “I’ve heard of him.”
    “What do you think? Can he do the job?”
    “His reputation says he can, if killing is what you’re looking for.”
    “Don’t hold with