by Jenna Brandt
Becca’s Lost Love
Border Brides, Book 6
Jenna Brandt
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Locale and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or actual locations is purely coincidental. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email [email protected].
Text copyright © Jenna Brandt 2019 and 2020.
Cover photos from depositphotos.com and designed by Jenna Brandt
Contents
Recap: the back history of Garrett Casner, Jonathan Bosley, and Becca Bennett
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Sneak Peak of Discreetly Matched
Sneak Peak of Mail Order Misfit
A Note from the Author
Also by Jenna Brandt
Join My Mailing List and Reader’s Groups
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Praise for Jenna Brandt
Jenna Brandt knows what her readers like and delivers it.
Lenda Burns, Longtime Reader
I am always excited when I see a new book by Jenna Brandt.
Lori Dykes, Amazon Customer
Jenna Brandt is, in my estimation, the most gifted author of Christian fiction in this generation!
Paula Rose Michelson, Fellow Author
Ms. Brandt writes from the heart and you can feel it in every page turned.
Sandra Sewell White, Longtime Reader
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To my family.
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Recap: the back history of Garrett Casner, Jonathan Bosley, and Becca Bennett
Jonathan Bosley’s father was involved in one of the largest scandals in all of the West. He pursued a married woman, who was a daughter of a Little Ridge rancher. The woman’s husband died under suspicious circumstances and the woman disappeared with her infant son. Jonathan’s father married the sister of the dead husband, claiming her and her inheritance for himself. Shortly after having their first and only child, Jonathan, they went on a trip to Europe, and died over there. Jonathan’s cousin took care of his affairs and shipped him off to boarding schools until he turned twenty-one, at which point he returned to Little Ridge.
Garrett Casner is the son of the woman who was stalked and terrorized by Jonathan’s father. He is the rightful heir to the ranch since his father was named as the first heir in the will, and his children if he should die before inheriting. Garrett and Jonathan despise each other because of this and it is compounded by the fact that they both love the same woman, Becca Bennett.
Chapter One
Late September 1883
Little Ridge, Arizona
The voices buzzed around Becca Bennett as she pushed the food back and forth on her plate. Her family was talking about the latest concentration of copper ore found at their mine, the largest one in all of Arizona. Though her brother helped her uncle handle the day-to-day affairs of the mine, the profits from it impacted her as much as anyone else at the dining room table. Since she was a minor when their parents died, her brother had inherited their father’s half of the mine. Not only did Mark decide to take care of her, but had been generous enough to set up a permanent income for her from part of the mine’s profits.
The problem was that the mine was now a constant reminder of her immense loss. Becca resented it, knowing that her fiancé had been overseeing the delivery of one of the copper deposits to Yuma when he disappeared without a trace. It had taken her nearly a month to accept the truth that Garrett had run off with the copper deposit, jilting her in the process. Not only did Garrett turn out to be a liar and a thief, he ended up being a murderer, too. He had killed the men who had been with him on the delivery. Even though she knew she shouldn’t care about him after what he had done, part of her heart still ached to be with the man she thought he had been. Though she had managed to put on a brave face for her family and friends, the wound he left behind in her heart hadn’t healed yet.
“Becca, we have an important matter to discuss,” her Aunt Claire announced, drawing everyone’s attention towards her, including Becca’s. “It’s far time we find you a suitable husband. You’ve had plenty of time to get over that rotten scoundrel, Garrett Casner. What a relief he showed his true colors before you married him. What a disaster that would have been.”
“I’m not ready to be matched with anyone, Aunt Claire,” Becca said, shifting in her seat as everyone focused on her.
“Nonsense, Becca, I’m an expert in the matter, which means I know what’s best. You should count yourself lucky that your aunt is the premier matchmaker in all of the West. In little time at all, I can have a dozen options for you to pick from.”
“I have no interest in marrying a man I’ve never met,” Becca protested, hating the idea of a husband that thought he had the right to make every decision for her. Garrett had never been like that. He’d liked the fact that she had a mind of her own, and treated her as an equal. Of course, now she wondered if all of that had been a façade to trick her. No, she was better off remaining single than to trust another man. “Besides, the income Mark set up for me takes care of me just fine.”
“No niece of mine is going to end up a spinster,” her Uncle Martin declared with a furrow of his brows. “I don’t have much time left, and I want to make sure my family is taken care of before I leave this world.” Becca didn’t like thinking about her uncle’s imminent death. He’d been living with his illness for years, but the disease had gotten worse over the past year. He was already living past the time frame the doctor predicted. “What about Jonathan Bosley? He continues to show you interest and has a sizable income. Why not give that young man a chance?”
“No, he has a horrible temper and a bad reputation on top of it,” Aunt Claire objected with a shake of her head, causing her blonde curls to bounce around her face. “He would be a horrible match for Becca.”
She couldn’t agree with her aunt more. Becca had been fooled by Jonathan, too. She’d been friends with him while attending Le Manoir finishing school. He was at Brilliantmont University, and their schools had socialized together, the men coming to the school’s dances so the ladies could refine their skills. She’d wanted it to become more, but it didn’t seem like he cared for her in the same way. When she returned home, she tried to forget about him, then she met Garrett. He made it clear that he was interested in her and she allowed him to court her. When Jonathan returned to Little Ridge to take over managing his inheritance, he told Becca he cared fo
r her. Garrett was furious, and claimed he was only saying that to get at Garrett due to their history. Part of her wondered if it were true, since Jonathan’s feelings only manifested upon his return. Garrett accused Jonathan of stealing his inheritance and had come to town in order to find a way to get it back. Several fights erupted between the two men until Garrett disappeared. Jonathan continued to tell her he wanted to be with her, but she couldn’t bring herself to open her heart again, let alone to someone who reminded her about her past with Garrett.
“I have someone even better in mind for her—Jared Hughes,” her aunt declared with a pleased smile.
“The mayor?” Becca gasped in disbelief, her blue eyes rounding with shock. “Does he know you’re trying to match him with me?”
Her aunt shrugged. “Let me worry about that, dear. You said you didn’t want to marry a stranger, and he’s only a couple of years older than you.”
“I don’t see why you are insisting in finding me a husband,” Becca protested, her cheeks warming with embarrassment as she averted her eyes. “Why can’t everyone just leave the matter alone?”
“Aunt Claire, I think you’re making Becca uncomfortable,” Julia, her cousin, spoke up from across the table. Next to her was her husband, Ed Clarke, who was giving her a sympathetic look that matched Julia’s. “Perhaps it’s best if we drop the matter.”
“I agree. My sister doesn’t need all of us trying to marry her off,” Mark added. “She’ll pick a husband when the time is right.”
“I don’t even think I need a husband,” Becca asserted. “I’m content to live my life as I am.”
“Why are all of you behaving like this? I successfully matched Julia and Ed, didn’t I?” their aunt countered with a huff. “I’m quite good at my job.”
“No one is arguing that, Aunt Claire, but Becca isn’t in the same situation I was,” Julia said, referring to the fact that a few months ago, she had to find a husband quickly due to the terms of her grandfather’s will. Their aunt had matched her with Ed, who needed a wife of financial means. Though their relationship had started out as a business arrangement, they had grown to love each other during their short courtship.
“Not everyone is lucky enough to find what you have, Julia. I’m happy for you, but I don’t think love is in the cards for me,” Becca confessed, blinking back the tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. Abruptly, she stood from her chair and placed her napkin on the table. “If you’ll excuse me; I feel a headache coming on.”
Without waiting to hear what anyone else had to say, Becca rushed from the room. The tears fell freely down her cheeks as she scurried up the stairs. By the time she made it to her room, her face was wet from the warm, salty streaks. Her head was pounding as she pulled the drapes closed, needing the darkness to drown out the pain she not only felt in her head, but her heart. She threw herself on her bed, her blonde hair coming loose from her French twist as she buried her face in her pillow, ready to cry herself to sleep. She had done so countless times since Garrett disappeared.
Chapter Two
“Mister, Mister, are you awake? Can you hear me?” a woman’s soft voice inquired, causing him to blink his eyes several times before he opened them and tried to focus on the brunette’s face that was hovering over him. “Can you tell me your name?”
“I don’t know,” he croaked out as he tried to sit up. It was a mistake, because immediately every inch of him pulsated with pain from the movement.
“You shouldn’t do that,” she warned in a soothing tone. “You were badly injured. The doctor did the best he could, but you need to rest in order to mend.”
“Wh-what happened to me?”
“I’m not sure, but I think you were robbed. A townsman found you on the street and brought you to the hospital nearly a week ago. You had several broken bones and bruises all over.”
“Has anyone come looking for me?” he asked with hope.
The brunette woman, that he now could make out was a nurse, shook her head. “I’m sorry; no one has been here for you. This is the first time you’ve been awake since you arrived. I was hoping you might be able to tell us who you are.”
“I wish I could, but I can’t remember anything,” he confessed in a distraught tone. “Why can’t I remember?”
The woman glanced around, a concerned look on her face, before her eyes met his again. “I should let the doctor be the one to tell you this, but among your other injuries, you have a head wound. It could account for your lack of memory.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. How was he going to find his way back to his old life if he couldn’t remember who he was? Even though he couldn’t recall any details about his past, he had a feeling that there was something or someone important he had left behind. There was an urgency deep in his gut that made him determined to find his way home—wherever that might be. “When do you think my memories will return?”
“I wish I could tell you, Mister, but the truth is, only God knows that.”
A month had passed, and he was no closer to remembering who he was then he had been when he first woke up in the Yuma County Hospital. To make matters worse, his recovery was a long and slow process, riddled with painfully small victories, only to be marred by major setbacks shortly after.
“You’re doing good, Joe,” Cora, the nurse that had stayed by his side the entire time, encouraged. She was now using the name she had given him rather than continuing just to call him mister. “Just a few more steps and you’ll have gotten further than you’ve ever made it before.”
Joe took in a deep breath, then gritted his teeth, knowing the next couple of steps were going to be the hardest ones he’d ever taken. He lifted his foot and forced himself to push it forward. One. Two. Three. Four.
“Good, Joe, good,” she gushed from beside him. “You’ve got this.”
Five. Six. Seven. Eight. “That’s all I’ve got in me,” he said, sucking in a ragged breath before letting it out. He leaned against the nearby wall.
“That’s more than enough.” Cora said, placing his arm over her shoulder as she guided him back to his bed. “You’ll be up and running circles around this place in no time.”
Joe wasn’t sure about that. He could barely make it to the end of the hall and back without getting winded. How long was it going to take him to be able to live a normal life?
“Would you like me to stay and read to you?” Cora offered, as she reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “I know how you like it.”
He wanted to say yes, because she was right. It was comforting to hear her voice read the words of the Bible to him while he drifted off to sleep; however, he knew it wasn’t in the nurse’s best interest. From the way Cora had been looking at him lately, to the way she found reasons to touch him or spend extra time by his bedside, he could tell she was developing feelings for him. He couldn’t do anything to encourage that, considering he knew he had a beautiful blonde woman waiting for him back home—wherever that was. “That won’t be necessary. Do you mind handing me my locket?”
Cora pressed her lips together as a look of hurt crossed her face. She quickly masked it as she reached over and picked up the delicate gold chain from the nearby table. She handed it to him, then stood from the edge of the bed. “You know, you may never remember who you are, or who she is. You owe it to yourself to try to find a way to make a new life for yourself.”
Joe didn’t want to make a new life for himself. He wanted to find his way back to his old one. “Thank you for your help today. I appreciate it,” he said in a dismissive tone. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Joe.” She moved down a couple of beds to the next patient.
He opened the locket and stared at the picture of the young blonde woman inside. She had the most intense blue eyes set in the prettiest heart-shaped face he’d ever seen. He couldn’t remember a single detail about her, but in his heart, he knew she was important to him.
The doctor had given him the lock
et the first day he woke up. It had been the only thing on him when they had found him. Joe had looked at it every day, trying to force himself to remember who she was. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn’t make himself.
Frustration took hold of him. He slammed the locket down on the table. Without thinking, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand up. It was too much. Before he knew it, he was stumbling backwards. He couldn’t regain his balance, and suddenly, he was falling. The back of his head hit the ground hard. He saw stars for a few moments, then the blonde woman came floating into his mind just before the blackness took over.
“Joe, Joe, are you all right?” he heard Cora call to him.
“Garrett,” he whispered as he opened his eyes and looked at the brunette nurse. “My name is Garrett Casner.”
“You remember your name?” she asked, her voice mixed with both happiness and disappointment in equal measures.
“I do, and that’s not all. I remember everything—my whole life.”
Exhilarated giddiness came over him as memory after memory came rushing back into his mind. His childhood in New York, his time in the Army, and most importantly, his life in Little Ridge with Becca, the woman he had been set to marry until the incident that landed him in the hospital.