Banner O'Brien

#1
New York Times
bestselling author Linda Lael Miller has a “unique way of tempering sensuality with tenderness that makes her characters walk right off the pages and into your heart,” said
Rendezvous
. This classic tale of passion, love, and danger in a newly tamed wilderness shows how she won that reputation.

In 1886, lovely Banner O’Brien overcame every obstacle and gained her coveted medical diploma, but she still fears the brutal man who left her with a legacy of nightmares. She flees west to the Washington Territory, hoping to find peace.

Hired to temporarily replace an injured doctor in little Port Hastings, Banner soon discovers how unlikely peace is. The other doctor in town—Adam Corbin—is a brilliant physician . . . and a handsome, arrogant, moody man. While he is surprisingly willing to respect Banner’s professional skills, their personal relationship is fiery and impassioned from the moment they meet.

Banner and Adam cannot keep their hands off each other, or their mouths from seeking sweet surrender, but both hide a shadowed past. How can they dream of a future together—when they continue to conceal the truth?

“A wonderful, sensitive love story that will remain in your heart. . . .”
—Romantic Times

© SIGRID ESTRADA

Linda Lael Mille
R

is the
New York Times
bestselling author of more than one hundred novels, including
Banner O’Brien
and
Willow,
as well as the much-loved McKettrick series. Ms. Miller also writes extremely popular romantic suspense, including
Don’t Look Now, Never Look Back,
and
One Last Look,
all available from Pocket Books. She resides in Spokane, Washington, and you can visit her website at
www.lindalaelmiller.com.

MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
SimonandSchuster.com
THE SOURCE FOR READING GROUPS

Also visit
Romance.SimonandSchuster.com

Don’t miss any of these classic historical romances from acclaimed storyteller

Linda Lael Mille
R

THE M
C
KETTRICK COWBOYS

Three brothers who founded a dynasty on the Western frontier

HIGH COUNTRY BRIDE

featuring rafe McKettrick

SHOTGUN BRIDE

featuring Kade McKettrick

SECONDHAND BRIDE

featuring Jeb McKettrick

And look for this marvelous story set in the Montana Territory, now newly expanded

WILLOW

Available from Pocket Books

A Cold Draft Suddenly Filled the Room . . .

Banner looked up to see a tall, dark-haired man, probably in his mid-thirties, whose indigo gaze swiftly assessed her and came to rest on her face.

She was so overwhelmed by the effrontery of this man’s unannounced entrance and by the impact of his presence that she couldn’t speak. The tall man was unperturbed by this; his teeth flashed in a pearlescent smile and he bowed slightly. “Dr. Adam Corbin,” he said, in crisp introduction.

Banner stood, knowing that her response would unbalance this man and relishing the fact for some reason that was quite beyond her. “Dr. Banner O’Brien,” she said, with a corresponding nod.

The rakishly handsome brute paled slightly, his eyes scraped her, and his jaw hardened. “What?”

“You came here to intimidate the new doctor, didn’t you?” Banner retorted. “Well, Dr. Corbin, here I am!”

Also by Linda Lael Miller

Banner O’Brien

Corbin’s Fancy

Memory’s Embrace

My Darling Melissa

Angelfire

Desire and Destiny

Fletcher’s Woman

Lauralee

Moonfire

Wanton Angel

Willow

Princess Annie

The Legacy

Taming Charlotte

Yankee Wife

Daniel’s Bride

Lily and the Major

Emma and the Outlaw

Caroline and the Raider

Pirates

Knights

My Outlaw

The Vow

Two Brothers

Springwater

Springwater Seasons series:

Rachel

Savannah

Miranda

Jessica

A Springwater Christmas

One Wish

The Women of Primrose

Creek series:

Bridget

Christy

Skye

Megan

Courting Susannah

Springwater Wedding

Thank you for purchasing this Pocket Books eBook.

Sign up for our newsletter and receive special offers, access to bonus content, and info on the latest new releases and other great eBooks from Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster.

or visit us online to sign up at
eBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com

This book is a work of historical fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents relating to nonhistorical figures are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance of such nonhistorical incidents, places or figures to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

An
Original
Publication of POCKET BOOKS

POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright © 1984 by Linda Lael Miller

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

ISBN: 0-671-73766-X
ISBN: 978-0-6717-3766-5 (print)
ISBN: 978-1-4767-1068-6 (eBook)

First Tapestry Books printing July 1984

First Pocket Books printing March 1990

POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

For Kate Duffy and Linda Marrow, who swung open a door when I knocked.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Author’s Note

Chapter One

Washington Territory
December 15,
1886

T
HE LIGHTS OF
P
ORT
H
ASTINGS WINKED AND SPARKLED
through a veil of snow as the steamboat drew alongside a long, wooden wharf and was made fast to the pilings. Hurdy-gurdy music swelled out of the darkness, raucous and merry, and Banner O’Brien bent forward at the ice-crusted railing, trying to discern its source.

At her side, Mr. Temple Royce gestured toward shore and muttered, “Here it is—Little Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Banner’s chin lifted. Little Sodom and Gomorrah, was it? And why had Mr. Royce spoken of this town in only the most glowing terms until now, when it was too late to retreat?