Who Is Ivan Civanovich?

Ivan is loyal to Alexi Popov (from My Angel) he is Russian and has now immigrated to America where he is a gun for hire.

Beautiful Moriah McKeown has hired Ivan to protect her from a ruthless rancher.

Blurb:

Running from a marriage that lasted one night, Dr. Moriah McKeown discovers the land she has settled on is coveted by determined and lawless men. Yet the proud young woman who once vowed never to abandon her home has second thoughts when her adopted children are threatened. Her only recourse is to enlist the aid of a dark dangerous gun for hire.

Haunted by the past and a betrayal he will never forgive, Ivan Civanovich uses his fast gun and his reckless courage to forget the faithlessness of a woman in his past. He will trust no female--nor will he rest until the threat hovering over Moriah McKeown is put to rest.

Excerpt:

Ivan wondered how long the strained silence would last between them. He cleared his throat to speak then changed his mind.

Moriah pushed, making the swing move again, a slight breeze stirring the evening air. Her hands were folded in her lap, and her hair was pulled into a tight bun he’d thought only a spinster would wear. The disguise didn’t change the way he saw her or the desire that flared every time he looked at her.

"You hired me to protect you," Ivan reminded her.

She nodded and looked over the yard. He wondered what she saw and what she thought. Her garden was well tended. Beanpoles dotted the horizon, corn grew in neat rows and the tomato plants were huge and ripe with fruit. 

Off to the side there were other plants. Smaller plants he didn’t have one hell of a clue what they were.

"Herbs," Moriah told him, reading his mind. The sound of her voice was like music to his soul.

"Herbs?" Ivan repeated.

"I use them in my practice."

He didn’t know what to say. The wind-sounds filled the growing silence. The pungent scent of mint danced on the tentative breeze.

Ivan cleared his throat and said what was foremost on his mind. "If I’m going to protect you, I need to know every reason why you thought you needed to hire me. Your enemies. Your friends." He had sidestepped the issue at dinner because of the children. 

Her children.

She hadn’t told him the truth about the children and he wasn’t sure it was necessary. But there they were, Pedro, Lizzie, Sarah, and the baby Nan who looked to be about a year old. He’d bet his last dollar not one of the children were hers, not even the baby.

Pedro had spoken briefly about a baby that died. No one else had mentioned the child.

"Where to start?" She looked at him, her eyes sad and vulnerable. She’d wrapped her arms around herself as if she tried to hold the problems at bay. "You’re not going to like what I have to say, and I don’t know where to start." 

"The beginning is usually good," Ivan said, a gruff catch in his throat. That was the main problem in his line of business. The truth was seldom palatable.

He held out his hand and she accepted it. With his help, she rose from the swing. They walked from the house, followed a path down to a crooked stream that stitched a course through her property. 

Ivan had known this wouldn’t be easy for her, and he had given her time. She’d spent over an hour telling the children good night stories then tucking them to bed. 

Putting off the inevitable confrontation had been time consuming, yet easy for her. He’d been a patient man.

She didn’t have to tell him everything tonight--just the essentials.