The Marshal and The Madam

This is the story of a 45 year old lawman, Rio Henry, and the 25 year old owner of the local bawdy house, Connie Donovan, each of whom, since childhood, have had to overcome the worst that life could throw at them.
Before eventually winding up in the same town, they have separately traveled many different trails, mostly difficult and unpleasant. Their individual stories are told beginning at age 14, in alternating chapters, until their stories eventually merge after they are both established residents of Hidden Creek, Wyoming.
Despite their conflicting occupations, each develops respect, and beyond that, a level of affection for the other. Because of the barriers between them, the affection has gone unstated, and not acted upon by either one. When a gang of five outlaws comes to town intent on killing the marshal, the previous boundaries of their relationship, are out of necessity, torn down. Both Rio and Connie find themselves pushed by the urgency of the moment, to make decisions about where they want the rest of their lives to go.
Authors note: My inspiration for this story came from the old "Gunsmoke" television series. There was so much of the stories about Matt and Kitty that we never saw. What was their lives like before they ended up together in Dodge City? What events in their lives helped forged their character? Where did their relationship go after all those years in Dodge? Did they ever marry and live happily ever after, or, did time take its toll, and each moved on to find a life of their own?
So, I decided to write my own lawman and madam, and fill in the blanks, as I thought they could have been. I hope you like it. It's one of my personal favorites of the books I have written.