THE LAWKEEPERS HISTORICAL ROMANCE SERIES · BOOK 4
Lawfully Vindicated — eBook
A Marshal haunted by duty. A bride running for her life. After killing a man in the line of duty, US Marshal David Neagle just wants peace. Instead, he gets Kitty Bryan—a runaway heiress who traps him into a marriage of convenience on the train to Tombstone. Bound by honor and a hastily sworn vow, David must protect his new bride from her past while learning that true vindication comes not from the law, but from the Lord.
He was vindicated by the law, but can he be healed by love?
US Marshal David Neagle is a man under siege. After shooting and killing former Chief Justice David Terry to protect a Supreme Court Justice in a crowded railway station, David is thrust into a political firestorm. Arrested for murder and dragged through the courts, he is finally released, but the weight of taking a life sits heavy on his soul. Desperate for the quiet anonymity of the Arizona Territory, he boards a train home—only to find trouble waiting for him in the second car.
Katherine “Kitty” Bryan witnessed the shooting, but she has her own demons to fight. Fleeing a depraved fiancé and a controlling father, she has stowed away on David’s train with a desperate plan. She needs a protector, and the grumpy Marshal is the only man honorable enough to trust. She corners him with an outrageous ultimatum: marry her, or she faces ruin. To save her life, David agrees to a marriage of convenience. But as they navigate the lawless streets of Tombstone and the threats of Kitty’s powerful father, David discovers that the woman he vowed to protect might be the only one who can save him from his own darkness.
Explore the full Lawkeepers series — six lawmen, six stories of faith, danger, and second chances.
Tropes
Marriage of Convenience, Bodyguard Romance, Runaway Bride, Forced Proximity, Grumpy Sunshine, Real Historical Event
Tone
Inspirational, Protective, Turbulent, Historical, Redemptive
Setting
1889, Lathrop Station, CA to Tombstone, Arizona Territory
Comparable Titles
The Marshal's Ready-Made Family by Sherri Shackelford, The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy, Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer
Main Characters
David Neagle
MMC
Katherine "Kitty" Bryan
MFC
Order Lawfully Vindicated — eBook
Description
He was vindicated by the law, but can he be healed by love?
US Marshal David Neagle is a man under siege. After shooting and killing former Chief Justice David Terry to protect a Supreme Court Justice in a crowded railway station, David is thrust into a political firestorm. Arrested for murder and dragged through the courts, he is finally released, but the weight of taking a life sits heavy on his soul. Desperate for the quiet anonymity of the Arizona Territory, he boards a train home—only to find trouble waiting for him in the second car.
Katherine “Kitty” Bryan witnessed the shooting, but she has her own demons to fight. Fleeing a depraved fiancé and a controlling father, she has stowed away on David’s train with a desperate plan. She needs a protector, and the grumpy Marshal is the only man honorable enough to trust. She corners him with an outrageous ultimatum: marry her, or she faces ruin. To save her life, David agrees to a marriage of convenience. But as they navigate the lawless streets of Tombstone and the threats of Kitty’s powerful father, David discovers that the woman he vowed to protect might be the only one who can save him from his own darkness.
Explore the full Lawkeepers series — six lawmen, six stories of faith, danger, and second chances.
Director’s Commentary
This story cleverly weaves the fictional romance of Kitty Bryan into the very real historical case of In re Neagle. By starting with the violent death of David Terry, the narrative immediately establishes Neagle's weariness and high moral stakes, making his reluctance to marry—and his eventual surrender to duty and love—far more poignant.