Fitz turned and cocked an eyebrow. “Most important is you need to give your husband a holiday kiss.” He opened his arms and smiled.
With a skip in her step, she slipped into his embrace and lost herself in the sensations of warm lips and tender caresses. Love for this special man filled her heart as she leaned into his solid frame. The man who she counted on to be her rock for many years into the future.
~**~
Hours later, the noise level around the dining table registered slightly below chaotic. Fitz couldn’t help smiling at the antics of his ranch hands as each of the hardened cowboys made silly faces or funny sounds to see who could get the biggest laugh from Angela. In the middle of the table, a platter held the decimated carcass of the hefty wild turkey Ned shot yesterday. Fitz rested a hand on the full stomach that stretched his trouser waistband. Bowls held scant remains of the fluffy mashed potatoes, rich gravy, buttered turnips, cranberry sauce, and steamed greens they’d all been enjoying for the past twenty minutes. His plate had only half of the knot-shaped roll he couldn’t finish. Tavia had been so proud to set the heaping basket of individual breads onto the table.
Tavia laid a hand over his resting on the table. “I thought we’d serve pie and coffee after the gifts are opened.”
“Gifts?” The word made him stiffen. She’d gone against his wishes about the holiday celebration. To his way of thinking, the big meal had been his concession. He ought to be more upset, but a feeling of well-being with the resolution of the custody matter with Angela’s relatives and last night’s marital consummation kept him calm.
Her blue-gray eyes flashed, and she leaned close. “I know what you said weeks ago about not celebrating, but so much has changed. I’m part of this household, too, and I want to start making holiday memories for our family.”
Tavia’s claims settled over him, but mostly, the urgency in her voice resonated. She did have a right to her own views and wishes. He doubted a child as young as Angela retained such memories, but he would always have the image of her wide-open eyes and slack mouth when he’d placed a wad of snow in her palm. And her delighted laugh when she licked at the frozen ball. He glanced at the child sitting on Tavia’s lap, and his throat tightened. The baby’s appearance that first night had shocked him. If he was honest with himself, he’d have to admit to being irritated. Now, he couldn’t imagine this house without the sound of her hesitant little steps or her babbling noises.
“Everyone, please join Mister Saunders and me in the den to continue the festivities.”
Fitz added the scrape of his chair against the floor to that of the others and slipped an arm over Tavia’s shoulders. The rest of the group hurried along the hallway. On the threshold, he scanned his sanctuary and noted how it had been transformed with evergreen garlands across the mantel and on the window sills. A pine tree stood in one corner swagged with strings of popcorn. Underneath, stacked in lopsided piles were lumpy wrapped packages. Red ribbon bows decorated the tips of the branches, and cut-paper gold stars rested among the green needles.
He brushed a kiss to Tavia’s temple and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. Later, he’d show her how much he appreciated her efforts in making him see the value of family and making memories. “Thank you, my sweet, for turning my house into a loving home.”
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Other HISTORICAL TITLES By LINDA CARROLL-BRADD
Montana Sky: Laced By Love
A vaudeville troupe arrives in Morgan’s Crossing late in the traveling season. When an event occurs that shakes up the troupe, seamstress Cinnia decides to say no to older sister Nola who has made the sisters’ decisions since being orphaned a decade earlier. Leather worker Nicolai Andrusha is lying low and using an alias until the patent is approved on his family’s leather tanning formula. But he finds the auburn-haired poetess irresistible. Will Nicolai oppose his family obligation to help the stranded beauty who has caught his eye?
~o0o~
Montana Sky: An Unlikely Marriage
Helping injured cowboy Torin Quaid drive mustangs north seems like a good way for vaudevillian Nola York to earn a train ticket east—and get one step closer to her goal of auditioning for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West stage production. Easy-going Torin liked the pretty brunette the first night he saw her performing on stage, and he admires her determination to complete the drive.
The temporary marriage is solely for propriety’s sake to avoid scandal on the week-long overland ride to Meadowlark. Until disaster strikes, and the two must rely on each other—emotionally and physically—to safely reach Torin’s ranch. Will a marriage of convenience turn into more on a trail drive through Montana Territory?
~o0o~
Montana Sky: Dance Toward the Light
Ex-vaudevillian Dorrie Sullivan decides Morgan’s Crossing, Montana Territory needs a community dance. From the first night, things have a way of not going as planned, but Dorrie vows to persevere. Even when a mysterious stranger in town drives her to distraction.
Haunted by the past winter, trapper Valerik Andrusha is seeking refuge with his brother. Instead, Valerik meets vivacious Dorrie who has a knack for drawing him from his depression. Living in adjoining shops, the pair draws close over the summer but do their futures lay on the same path?
~o0o~
Montana Sky: Baling Wire Promises
Healer Fantine Pomeroy and five children, aged five to eleven years, are the only survivors of an orphanage fire. She vows to transport them safely to another orphanage, and then she can return to her music studies. But she soon discovers the task may be more than she can handle.
Bounty hunter Pete Andrews is beaten after delivering his last bounty. Unsure if robbery or retaliation is the motive, he sets out to lay low and make a visit to his brother in Morgan’s Crossing. Unable to leave them on their own, he promises to get the woman and children safely to the next town. When he suspects his old life has followed him and threatens the group who has become dear, he vows to protect them. But will that be enough?
~o0o~
Montana Sky: Hearts in Rhythm
Ballerina Savina Lombard’s recuperates on her cousin’s Montana Territory ranch from an injury preventing her from returning to the stage. Now her eye is set on Buffalo Bill’s Wild West exhibition. Estefan del Vado arrives at the ranch for his annual visit for breeding and training Appaloosas. Collaborating on an act involving her dance skills and his horses draws them together. Ultimately, they’re faced with chasing their separate goals or finding a path they both can walk.
~o0o~
Montana Sky: In His Corner
Viktor Andrusha spent the past decade muscling his way from bare-knuckle street brawler to heavyweight boxing champion. A brutal battle two years earlier left him with impaired vision and his opponent dead. At the urging of his manager, Viktor settles for bouts in smaller venues farther west until he can land the opportunity for one last big match to restore honor to the family name.
Thwarted from attending medical college, nurse Odette Hildebrand leaves her father’s clinic to help her relatives relocate to Montana Territory. In the woods near Sweetwater Springs, she is drawn by the sound of sweet music and meets a shy man, Viktor Andrusha, with a battered face. They make a pact: he’ll agree to receive her treatments while she studies the effects of different herbs, hoping to create a marketable remedy. Her skill heals his wounded exterior, but can she live with the fact he’ll receive more, or worse, injuries in the upcoming exhibition fight?
~o0o~
Wandering Home, Book 1 of Dorado, Texas series
Widow Vevina Bernhard sees mysterious lights at night and believes her Texas ranch Shady Oaks is haunted. She needs protection for herself and her 4-year old son but the town’s sheriff offers no help. On hiatus from his Texas Ranger duties, Kell Hawkse
n hires on as a farrier at the ranch while keeping an eye out for clues to a stagecoach robber in hopes of collecting the bounty. On Samhain, fire erupts and Vevina and Kell battle both the danger and the depth of their feelings.
~o0o~
Storybook Hero, Book 2 of Dorado, Texas series
Relocating to Texas has lessened Clari Rochester’s health problems, and she yearns for adventure. And she spots it outside her family’s mercantile when a quiet, but compelling, cowboy rescues a small child. Trevor Driscoll is the type of hero she’s come to admire through her love of books, and the type of man she secretly pens in her dime novels. But they’ve never had a real conversation. Trevor knows the logging accident that left him with only eight fingers limits his options, but he’s learned to manage. Until he rescues a fine lady from a runaway horse, spends the afternoon transporting her to safety, and gets a glimpse of what he’s always wanted. How will he respond to the unique present this special woman bestows?
~o0o~
My Heart Knew, Book 3 of Dorado, Texas series
From the moment tomboy Maisie Treadwell meets cowboy Dylan MacInnes, the sparks and words fly. To rectify causing his ankle sprain, Maisie is at the mercy of meeting Dylan’s demands. A shared interest in adventure stories draws them closer. Soon, Maisie can’t wait to spend time reading aloud to the recuperating virile man. Until the afternoon she overhears him explaining that his demands were meant to teach her a lesson. Can Dylan find a way to again win her trust?
~o0o~
Sparked by Fire, Book 4 of Dorado, Texas series
Ivey Treadwell, cook at her family’s boarding house, wants to accomplish something big. For now, she satisfies herself with improving on the traditional recipes for the boarders by adding gathered herbs and spices. An incident with a broken pot causes her to see Berg Spengler, the town’s blacksmith, in a new light.
Stigmatized for his huge size and blamed for his brother’s injury, Berg has discovered being alone is safer for his heart. But when he sees interest spark in Ivey’s eyes, he decides to take a chance and approach her. The pair discovers an attraction that heats up each time they are alone together. Will Ivey convince Berg his wandering days are over and his home is here with her in Dorado?
~o0o~
A Year of Romance, Books 1-4 of Dorado, Texas series
Wandering Home: Will a justice-seeking wanderer find solace on a ranch with a stubborn widow determined to protect what is hers?
Storybook Hero: Can a starry-eyed dreamer’s search for adventure overcome a taciturn man’s belief he has nothing to offer?
My Heart Knew: Will falling in love with a strong-willed cowboy be the adventure a tomboy maid has been seeking?
Sparked By Fire: Can a wounded soul find solace in the attentions from a cook who nurtures through her culinary creations?
(in print)
~o0o~
Ione’s Dilemma, Book 6 of Dorado, Texas
When Ione Forrester calls off her wedding, she becomes the social pariah of Des Moines. Much to her society parents’ chagrin. To escape the gossip, Ione accepts a teaching job in Dorado, Texas, vowing to avoid scandal at all costs. Relocating from a doctor’s household with cook and maids to a room in a boarding house is quite an adjustment. Then she has to face her biggest challenge—a schoolhouse full of students.
Carpenter Morgan Shipley’s business is doing well and now he’s looking for companionship. An ad for a mail-order bride brings a deluge of letters, which prove more than he can handle. To his surprise, an intriguing woman from a big city arrives in his small Texas town. Correspondence is nothing like interacting with a flesh-and-blood woman every day. But gossip-leery Ione wants nothing to do with Morgan’s attempts at courting, which makes him try even harder.
~o0o~
Tending Troubles, Book 7 in Dorado, Texas series and Book 6 in Lockets & Lace series
Traveling west to become a mail-order bride is the most adventurous act Bostonian Imogene Franklin ever did. Unfortunately, the groom chose another so she must tables in the Dorado café.
Guilt hangs heavy over Reggie Othmann, who thinks his childhood illness caused both his parents’ lives. His goal of becoming a doctor is met, but he’s unsure of his abilities with patients. When illness descends on the town, Reggie and Imogene tend the townspeople, but is their emotional tie born of the closeness of the ordeal or perhaps something more?
Perfectly Mismatched
Book 1 of Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs series
Shame over her father’s arrest sends socialite Aurelia Northcliffe running for a new home and a new name. After she makes sure her younger sister is secure, she travels west to become a mail-order bride in Jubilee Springs, CO. Not only is she shocked at the size of the tiny mining town, the men she’s matched with make her second guess her decision. One potential groom is much too unsophisticated and the other much too discerning--even if he’s the one who makes her feel safe.
Mine Manager Declan MacNeill prides himself on following rules to the letter. Initially resistant to the upcoming bride event, he remembers his short marriage in Ireland and realizes what he’s been missing. His first sight of his potential bride sets his protective instincts on high alert. Everything about her behavior indicates she’s keeping secrets. And Declan is determined on finding out why.
~o0o~
Perfectly Unscripted
Book 9 of Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs
Rilleta Northcliffe’s world has already been turned upside-down with her father’s arrest. While traveling to Colorado as a mail-order bride, she is traumatized by a gang of thieves. Only the steady green gaze of a stranger keeps her sane. Dairy farmer Wit Vanderveer wished he could have done more to prevent the blonde’s involvement with the gang. Safely in Jubilee Springs, neither can stop thinking of the other. Is the shared danger the lure between these individuals, or did Rilleta and Wit discover they have much more to offer one another?
~o0o~
Perfectly Unacceptable
Book 13 of Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs
Jared Manning was left wanting on two prior marriage attempts, and this time he commits to a correspondence courtship with only one potential mail-order bride. He knows just how he wants his picture-perfect married life to be and assumes he’s found the exact woman to fulfill the role.
Gossip about her behavior forces Dina Valdis to head west to meet the man she’s been corresponding with--a miner with similar intellectual interests. Soon, she must decide if the attraction she feels for Jared is stronger than her passion for teaching.
~o0o~
The Ring That Binds
Widow Celina Innes, a dress shop owner in the small 1886 mining town of Aspen, Colorado, struggles to run her shop and live down her late husband’s bad choices for the sake of her four-year old daughter, Keena. She made the mistake of following after one man’s dream of striking it rich and has sworn not to do it again. Co-owner of Toussaint’s General Store, Mikel, watches this proud woman run a successful business but wishes he could make her life a little easier. He has to be contented by slipping treats to the child in hopes of pleasing her mama. When illness strikes the child, Celina turns to Mikel for help and they work together all night to get past the crisis, deepening their friendship. But when the crisis is over, Mikel disappears from Aspen and Celina learns he is seeking to increase his stores. How could she have been so wrong about the man? Can a woman sworn to put down roots and a man looking for more riches find happiness?
~o0o~
Silent Signals
After losing half his herd in the Great Blizzard of 1886, rancher Konrad Werner needs to safeguard his cattle. Tomboy Anora Huxley trains the Australian Shepherds and Kelpies that run the family’s sheep herd. Although cattlemen and shepherds are at odds, the pair discovers common interests. A threat is overheard, and Konrad rides out to Anora’s ranch to protect her. The tense situation reveals their true feelings. Will Anora be swayed by family loyalty, or will she listen to her heart that respo
nds to Konrad’s silent signals?
~o0o~
Dreams of Gold
Easterner Ciara Morrissey travels west to honor a sacred promise to her mother and locate her fortune-seeking father. Three years of acting as caretaker to her grandparents and mother until their deaths has created a thirst in Ciara to see what the wide world has to offer.
Sheriff Quinn Riley has been tracking the Irish charlatan who swindled half the population of Bull City, Wyoming. He’s determined to stick close to the opinionated woman who arrived on the runaway stagecoach. Within only a few hours, easterner Ciara Morrissey upsets the townspeople by making inquires about his prime suspect. He’s duty-bound to keep her safe, even when being close to the green-eyed beauty sets off a stampede in his heart.
~o0o~
ANTHOLOGIES
Wishes on a Star in Sweetwater Springs Christmas, edited by Debra Holland (14 stories)
Free-spirit Richelle Quaid is outspoken, confident and a little bit spoiled. She sets tongues wagging with her bloomers and bicycle but also catches the eye of visiting rancher Landon Howard. An incident with her bicycle causes his prize colt to bolt into the cold Montana night. As Richelle and Landon track the animal together, they can’t fight their growing attraction. Will a wish made on a star foretell their future?
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