by Etta Foster
He had always wanted to live in a small town, ever since he learned about the western movement where many people chose to move west for a new life.
He read many books and newspaper articles, anything he could get his hands on, about life in the west. When he was about twelve years old, he knew what he wanted to be, a sheriff of a small western town. This, of course, infuriated his father.
“You are a Wilcox and with that, you have a responsibility to fulfill your duties. Being a sheriff of a hick town isn’t one of them,” he remembered his father saying with scorn when Kent first confided to his father about his dreams.
He had kept his thoughts to himself after that conversation, but his desire had never gone away. When he finished college, his father had begun to put a lot of pressure on him to take over running the family business.
Instead, Kent had answered a newspaper ad to be a deputy in Ragford. He had left in the middle of the night in order to keep his father from stopping him.
A few years later, when the sheriff had retired, Kent had taken over his job. He never regretted his choice of leaving his family business behind, but in the process, he had essentially been disowned from his family by his father.
“If you leave and take that deputy job, you are never welcome in our home again. You will be no son of mine,” his father had raged at him when Kent had first hinted to him of his plans. “You will not receive your inheritance, and I will do whatever I can to stop you.”
Kent knew that his father had said those words to try to sway him to not give up all the money he would receive at his father’s death, including some money that had been set aside for him by his grandfather. But the words had had the opposite effect on him.
He hadn’t cared about the money. In fact, it was one of the reasons why he had chosen to move to Ragford. He had never liked how money seemed to rule all the decisions his parents had ever made.
They only associated with those who were as well off as they were. Even his younger sister, Helen, wouldn’t have any choice as to whom she married.
Their parents had already had someone in mind for her when she was only ten years old. Helen was now in her early twenties, and he often wondered if she was now married to the man they’d chosen for her.
He had tried to stay in contact with her right after he arrived in Ragford. Helen had eagerly answered his letters, but then they had stopped coming, and he knew that his father had put a stop to their communication.
He didn’t have any regrets about how he had handled the problems with his family, but he did wish he knew how Helen was doing.
Forcing his thoughts away from the family that he would never see again, he touched his shirt pocket, feeling the crinkling of paper.
It was the last letter Anna had sent him. He had begun the habit of keeping her latest letter with him all the time. He rarely pulled it out to be read again, but he used it as a reminder of his desire for a family in this life that he had chosen.
He also knew that he was a bit worried that she would take one look at him, or at Ragford, and return to Kansas. Another woman had done that very thing, a woman that he didn’t ever want to think about again.
As Kent rode, he could see a puff of dust in the distance and knew that the stagecoach was heading his way. He slowed his horse down and pulled out his pocket watch again, frowning at it. The stagecoach was arriving early.
Urging his horse into a fast trot, he began to ride to meet the vehicle. Suddenly he heard two loud gunshots and he groaned. Those shots were a sign that the outlaws were attacking. He also heard a woman screaming.
Kent’s heart began to beat quickly in his chest. He galloped as fast as he could along the uneven dirt road. He hoped that he would be able to get to the stagecoach before anyone was killed.
He hoped that the gunshots were just a warning.
He could see Jamie riding towards the stagecoach a few paces ahead of him along the hills. Kent also hoped that this time, they would be able to make some arrests to stop these needless attacks.
Are you aching to see how the story continues? Click here to find out!
http://ettafoster.com/AmB009
About Etta Foster
Etta Foster grew up in Maine and has studied Conservation Biology at the Boston University.
Her studies and adventurous spirit led her to meet the love of her life in Lovelock, Nevada.
She currently lives there with her rancher husband and their two teen daughters. She delights in writing about women who came also a century before her to find love in the West.
She got her first idea of a story while taking care of the horses with her loving husband. He was the one to push her not only in the actual riding, but in the exciting ride of writing as well.
Except writing, she enjoys making wooden handicraft artifacts with the help of her two daughters who, by the way, exceed her.
Right now her daughters are teaching her how to connect with her readers!
A Thank You to My Reader & Starfall Publications
Dear Reader,
First of all, I would like to Thank You for taking some of your precious time to read my book.
It is such an honor to be able to share my stories with you.
Continuing, I would like to thank Starfall Publications for taking the risk and giving me the chance of working with them.
As quality is their primary goal, it gives me a great feeling of security and pleasure to know that my books are in the right hands.
With their help, I will be able to provide Better Books for you, my dear reader.
So Thank You My Reader & Thank You Starfall Publications for making this possible for me!
With Gratitude,
Etta.
Also by Etta Foster
Book 1: A Tormented Bride for the Courageous Cowboy
Book 2: The Stubborn Sheriff and his Feisty Bride
Book 3: A Mail Order Bride to Heal his Heart
Book 4: A Sheriff to Harness Her Heart
Book 5: A Mail Order Bride he would Never Forget
Book 6: Finding Love under the Western Sun
Book 7: Love and Retribution in the West
Book 8: A Western Love for an Unexpected Bride
Book 9: A Mail Order Bride for his Montana Heart