Cactus Flower

Jim Slade has his hands full. Not only does he own one of the largest ranches in the fledgling Republic of Texas, but he is a long-time secret agent for President Sam Houston. To further complicate matters, he begins to suspect his aristocratic fiancée is a spy for the Mexican government eager to reconquer the Republic. Slade does not need any more trouble…but he gets it when Chastity Charlene McAllister crashes into his life.

 

“Gone-to-Texas” in search of her ner-do-well brother, Charlee is not much larger than her scrofulous tomcat, Hellfire. The pint-sized Missouri hill girl turns life on Bluebonnet Ranch upside down, gets tangled up with a British agent playing his own version of “Texas Hold’em,” finds herself kidnapped by a vicious comanchero, and drives an enraged Slade to distraction. He alternately wants to strangle her or make love to her, and cannot decide which until his prickly Cactus Flower tempts him once too often.

 

Charlee’s fate, as well as that of the Republic is on the line, and a man has to do what a man has to do.