Wild Western Women Ride Again: Western Historical Romance Boxed Set Read online

  Wild Western Women Ride Again

  Wild Western Women Ride Again

  An Anthology

  by

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Callie Hutton

  Sylvia McDaniel

  Caroline Clemmons

  Merry Farmer

  Amazon Edition

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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

  Mail Order Mischief © Kirsten Osbourne

  Daniel’s Desire © Callie Hutton

  Abigail © Sylvia McDaniel

  Tabitha’s Journey © Caroline Clemmons

  Trail Blaze © Merry Farmer

  Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill (the miracle-worker)

  Table of Contents

  Mail Order Mischief

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  More From Kirsten Osbourne

  Daniel’s Desire

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Author’s Notes

  About the Author

  Other Books by Callie Hutton

  A Run for Love, Oklahoma Lovers Series Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Abigail

  Author’s Note

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Eight

  Thank You For Reading!

  More Books By Sylvia McDaniel

  Tabitha’s Journey

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  More from Caroline Clemmons

  TRAIL BLAZE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  About the Author

  Other Works by Merry Farmer

  Mail Order Mischief

  Brides of Beckham Book 16

  By

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Chapter One

  Elizabeth Miller read through the requirements of yet another man seeking a bride. Her desk was littered with letters from men from all over the country. She was intrigued as she read it, thinking that maybe soon she'd take the plunge and become a mail order bride herself. Anything was better than spending the rest of her life in the midst of unrequited love.

  "Miss Miller? Do you need anything this afternoon?" Bernard Tandy asked from the doorway of her office.

  Elizabeth shook her head. "No, thank you," she responded, her heart fluttering as it did every time she saw him. Bernard had worked for her for almost ten years now, and every day her feelings for him became stronger and more intense. She wasn't certain how much longer she could hide them.

  As he turned away, she called out to him. "Wait!"

  He turned back and gazed at her, his face formal. She didn't remember ever hearing him laugh. He worked so hard at maintaining their formal relationship. He was her butler and bodyguard. Nothing more. "Yes?"

  "Would you sit down for a moment? I want to show you something."

  Bernard walked into the room and sat down on the sofa across from her. He took the letter she offered him and read it, his face intense as it always was when he was reading a missive from a potential groom. "Do you want me to investigate this Robert Weist, Miss Miller?"

  "Eventually, of course, but first I want to know if you think he would be suitable for me." She watched his face carefully for any sign that he didn't want her marrying another man. Surely he had some emotions under his formal exterior.

  Bernard's eyes widened, showing his surprise at her words. "For you? What do you mean?"

  "Exactly what you think I mean. I—I think it's time I marry and have children. I never meant to be a businesswoman for the rest of my life." Elizabeth shrugged, watching Bernard closely. "Mr. Weist lives in Fort Worth, Texas. I'd be close to Susan."

  Bernard knew immediately she was talking about her older sister who had gone to Texas as a mail order bride more than ten years before. "That's not enough reason to marry a stranger. Miss Miller—Elizabeth, I don't want to see you married to someone simply because you're looking for a potential husband. Let me investigate him." He'd find something derogatory in the man's background. He had to!

  Elizabeth nodded. "Do you think you'll go to Fort Worth to do it?" She knew he could call on their contacts in that part of the country, but felt strongly he'd want to investigate himself.

  At his nod, Elizabeth smiled softly. "How would you feel if I went with you and visited Susan and her family? I'd like to get to know my nieces and nephews." Susan had married a rancher just outside Forth Worth, who had four young sons. She had two daughters now that Elizabeth had yet to meet, and a newborn son. Well, he was a few months old, but that was close enough to newborn for Elizabeth. Despite the fact that she sent women to marry men all over the country, she'd never stepped foot outside Massachusetts. While travel sounded nice, she longed for a family of her own. Maybe spending the extra time with Bernard would make her realize he wasn't as perfect as she wanted him to be. Maybe it was time for her to see a new place.

  Bernard frowned. She'd never asked to go with him on a business trip before, and while he wasn't opposed to the idea, he wasn't for it either. How could he spend that much time in her company? "I'm not certain that's a good idea, Miss Miller." Using her formal name helped him to rebuild the wall between them in his mind.

  "You called me Elizabeth just a minute ago. Why is it back to Miss Miller? I'm going to Fort Worth to see my sister, and I can go alone, or you can go with me." She knew he would insist she couldn't go alone as an unmarried woman. She looked forward to the extra time spent with him. How could she not? Maybe, just maybe, if she was under his thumb for the long journey, he would realize she was the woman that would complete him.

  Bernard sighed. "You can't go alone. You never know what kind of scoundrel will prey on a young lady traveli
ng alone." He shook his head. How could she even consider going alone after the fiasco with the deacons?

  She shrugged. "We send mail order brides out West alone all the time. I really don't see what the difference is."

  "The difference is that the mail order brides are not under my care, and you are. When do you want to leave?" He knew it was a mistake to travel with her. How could he hide his feelings if they were constantly around each other? At least in Beckham he could go home to his small house every evening, and he had a real job directing the servants. On a train, he'd have nothing to do but spend time with her.

  She mentally calculated how long it would take to pack. Her younger sister, Mary, sometimes helped her with the business, so she could easily take her place for the time she was gone. "I'd like to leave in two weeks." She turned back to her desk pulling a sheet of paper to her. "I trust that will work for you?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder.

  Bernard nodded once. He didn't really have a choice. "Yes, miss. I'll investigate him while we're there. How long do you expect you'll want to stay?"

  Elizabeth shrugged. "A week or two probably."

  He got to his feet. "I'll be ready. I'll start my preliminary investigation of Mr. Weist in the meantime." He paused just before he reached the door. "Don't be too hasty, Miss Miller. I don't want to see you make a mistake."

  "I'll be careful."

  Elizabeth quickly penned a note to her sister, Susan. Soon, she would be in Fort Worth. She couldn't wait to play doting auntie. Seeing Susan would be nice as well, she supposed, but really? She couldn't wait to get her hands on her sister's newest baby.

  *****

  Elizabeth was surprised Bernard hadn't tried to talk her out of going to Fort Worth. She packed her bag carefully, taking only the necessities as she thought about the man. She knew him, but she didn't. He'd been hired by Harriett Long, the former owner of the mail order bride agency she now ran.

  Harriett had moved to Seattle as a mail order bride herself, and she'd carefully groomed Elizabeth to take her place. Elizabeth went into her office one last time before leaving, checking on her younger sister, Mary. Mary was married with a daughter of her own, but she was always happy to help out when Elizabeth needed her. It was amazing how well most of the demon horde had grown up, despite their lack of discipline when they were younger.

  "Are you sure you can handle things while I'm gone?" Elizabeth asked as she took little Agatha from her mother, bouncing her in her arms. She loved being an aunt. If she couldn't be a mother, she could at least shower her siblings' babies with love.

  Mary nodded. "I've worked with you enough over the years that I'm sure I'll be fine. It'll be nice to take a break from being a farm wife for a while and step into your shoes."

  Elizabeth frowned. Her life was a lot less dangerous now that the deacons had been caught, but that didn't mean it was perfectly safe in Beckham now either. "Just remember to use the telephone to reach the police if you need to. I don't want anything to happen to you or Agatha."

  Mary laughed. "Nothing is going to happen to us. I promise." She picked up a letter from Elizabeth's desk and handed it to her sister.

  Just as she started to read the letter again, she heard a throat being cleared from the doorway of her office. "It's time for us to leave, Miss Miller."

  Elizabeth got to her feet. "My carpet bag is on my bed, Bernard. Would you mind getting it for me?" She walked to her sister, bending down to hug her quickly and placing a quick kiss on Agatha's chubby cheek. "I'll be back in about three weeks."

  Mary smiled, leaning back in her chair. "Give my love to Susan."

  "I will." Elizabeth did a mental check to make certain she had everything she needed, and had given her sister all the information she needed to make it possible for her to carry on. "Be safe."

  *****

  Bernard inhaled deeply as he stepped into Elizabeth's bedroom. It smelled like her, the same as it always did. He'd only crossed the threshold into her bedroom a few times, but it carried the scent of her lemon scented soap. He loved the smell of lemons, because to him? They meant Elizabeth.

  He picked up her bag from her bed and headed toward the door, pleased she was going with him, even as he worried about her presence on the train. Her activities with helping women escape from men who wanted to force them into slavery had made her unpopular with some. He worried for her safety. There had been no danger since the deacons had been caught a few months before, but he still worried every day. Surely it couldn't be that simple. The danger would come back, wouldn't it? When it did, he'd be at Elizabeth's side.

  Stopping back at Elizabeth's office, he smiled at her. She was small, too small to his way of thinking. Why she was barely five feet two inches tall compared to his six feet three inches. They both had blond hair, but his eyes were blue and hers were green. He held both of their bags in one hand as he held his arm out to her. Maybe it would look odd to others for a beautiful woman to be walking along on the arm of her butler, but he didn't really care. The pistol in his pocket was there for her safety, and he'd keep her close to him at all times.

  Elizabeth took his arm, feeling a frisson of energy zing up her arm and into her heart. She had touched Bernard very few times over the years they'd worked together, and it struck her every time just how strong he was—and how handsome. "Have you purchased the train tickets?" she asked softly, trying to keep her voice even. It was hard for her to touch him and speak coherently at the same time. He turned her brain into oatmeal.

  "Yes, of course I have." Bernard looked at her with surprise as they walked toward the train station. He'd walked the streets of Beckham many times over the years, on his way to other places or doing errands for Elizabeth, but never with her. She knew he saw to every detail.

  She smiled. "I should have known better than to ask. You always take care of me, Bernard." And he did. She loved him for it too. She only wished she could find the courage to tell him. She resisted the urge to turn to him and plant a kiss on his shoulder. It was getting harder for her to resist those urges every day.

  They walked along in silence, commenting sometimes on the things they saw. They were comfortable enough with one another after working together for so long, they didn't need to speak. There was no one she felt more comfortable with than Bernard.

  They reached the station just minutes before their train was called, and they boarded the train together. "I got you a spot on the sleeping car," he told her.

  Elizabeth looked back over her shoulder. "And one for yourself?"

  He shook his head slowly. Often, he did get a room on the sleeping car for himself, but he didn't feel like he could be trusted to be that close to his employer. "No, I'll be in the main car."

  Elizabeth sniffled. "Some bodyguard you are!" She didn't need someone to watch over her, but if that was his purpose in going with her on her trip, then he wasn't going about it well.

  "It wouldn't be proper for me to sleep in your car with you," he explained. "You're a single lady with a reputation to worry about."

  "Why don't you sleep in the car beside mine then? You could still keep an eye on me that way."

  Bernard shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. The men's sleeping car is separate from the women's sleeping car. The closest I can be to you is in the main car."

  "So married couples wouldn't be able to travel together?"

  "No, a married couple could room together. We are not married. I won't ruin your reputation by staying in the same room with you." Bernard didn't look at her during his explanation. He was worried she would see his need to be with her in his eyes.

  Elizabeth frowned. Would now be a good time to tell him that he was the only man she wanted to marry? Or were the words better left unspoken? "I've never been on a train before. I'm nervous."

  "You'll do fine. We'll spend most of the day together, and at night you'll retire to your room. I can sleep in my seat."

  Elizabeth thought about all the brides she'd sent out on different
trains. They all had to deal with this as well. She'd never really thought about what happened to them between the time she put them on a train and they reached their new husbands. Now she would understand what her brides went through better. She wondered if she would be more empathetic toward them as a result.

  Bernard made certain she was settled in her sleeping car. "If you need me, have the porter come get me."

  Elizabeth laughed. "I may have been a child when we first began working together, but I'm twenty-six years old now, Bernard. I can take care of myself."

  Bernard smiled, losing the serious look he always wore in Beckham, surprising Elizabeth more than a little. "You can?" He did his best not to let his gaze travel up and down her as he would have years ago with any woman who had declared her age to him. He bit his tongue to keep from telling her she'd become a beautiful woman. He'd watched her over the years, and his feelings had grown.

  At first, she'd just been a young woman who needed help with a business, and he'd left his life as a Pinkerton agent to be that helper. As the years had passed, and they'd worked together, he'd seen her blossom into a truly lovely lady, one he was proud to call both employer and friend.

  "Yes, I can." Elizabeth pulled herself up to her full height, her chin going up in the air.

  Bernard leaned against the wall in her room. He knew this trip was his last chance to approach her as an equal, and he decided then and there, he'd make the most of it. He'd thought about just letting her go, helping her find the man that she deserved, and backing off from there, but he realized he couldn't do it. She had to see what was in his heart first. She had the right to make the choice.

  He carefully let his eyes roam from her beautiful face and down her body, finally reaching her feet before they traveled back up again. "May I say that you've grown up beautifully, Miss Miller? A woman who looks like you could steal the heart of any man she met." He touched his index finger to her cheek, stroking it softly. "You're precious. Never forget that." He turned and left her alone in her sleeping chamber, heading back toward the main car.

  Elizabeth stared after him, blinking rapidly. What had just happened? Her hand went to her cheek, and she ran her fingers over the area Bernard had just touched. Did he have feelings for her? Was it possible he was as attracted to her as she was to him?