Lawfully Played
Page 8
He was eager to help—driven to help, even, but part of Sully believed he’d be better off full-time at his sister’s farm. The man was simply accident prone, and for a man who’d chosen Texas, he hated being out in the heat. But then again, when his sister, Mary Trost, lost her husband, she’d needed help with the small farm they’d purchased. She never could have run it alone. Jim may not love the Texas heat, but he clearly loved his sister, and his business degree and savvy is probably what saved her from having to sell.
“We’ve only been riding for an hour, J—”
A shot rang out, echoing like thunder across the hills. Cider reared as Jim’s steed raced past them without his rider. Sully fought to spin Cider around, leaped off and raced toward his deputy—now prone on the ground, a red circle spreading on his chest. “Jim, Jim, can you hear me?” Fear tightened his chest as he reached his side.
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About Lawfully Loved from Jenna Brandt
Late Spring of 1887
Outskirts of Abilene, Texas
The sun was stretched low across the late-day sky as Deputy Sheriff Jake Bolton pushed his horse through the prairie flats. A herd of Texas longhorns grazed on the thick fields of golden grass along the road as Jake galloped past the livestock.
He heard the screeching sound of a bird above, causing him to raise his hand over his brow to scan the horizon for the creature. Just as he located the white-tailed hawk, it swooped down and snatched up a small creature from the ground. Such was the cycle of life in the rural Texas countryside.
In his head, Jake went over the details of the investigation he was working which brought him to the outlying small towns that dotted the northeast corner of Taylor County. The third general store in two weeks had been robbed by the infamous Grimes Brothers.
Jake was tasked with following up the newest lead after a local stagecoach company telegraphed the sheriff’s office. One of the drivers had seen two men fitting their descriptions on the road between Woody and Rockwood Springs. The brothers were armed and dangerous, and Jake wanted nothing more than to free the county of their threat.
In the distance, clouds were rolling into sight and the smell of rain was in the air. It wasn’t surprising since sporadic showers were common during this time of year. He needed to get to Woody before the sun set and he got caught in the downpour.
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About Lawfully Matched from Lorana Hoopes
Boston, Massachusetts 1883
Mary Katherine Whidby grabbed the local paper and strolled to a corner to read in private. While she hated to leave her beloved Boston, she was quickly approaching the spinster age, and all the surrounding men seemed intimidated by her brains or more likely her strong-willed spirit as her brother Robert liked to remind her.
Mary Katherine, or Kate as her family called her, had always held a grand notion of love, so agreeing to marry a complete stranger caused distaste in her mouth every time she thought about it, but her options had run out when her parents died.
She opened the paper and scanned the offerings:
‘Forty-year-old widowed rancher looking for wife who can be a mother to three kids.’
Three kids? Kate shook her head and drew a line through that one. While she wanted kids one day, she did not feel confident stepping into the role immediately.
‘Fifty-year-old Pastor seeks wife for companionship and to lead women's socials at local church.’
A pastor's wife wouldn't be too bad, but the age difference was more than Kate could stomach. After all, she was barely twenty-five, which would make this man twice her age, and wasn't the lifespan shorter in the west? Knowing her luck, he would die shortly after she arrived, and she’d be left all alone.
‘Thirty-year-old saloon owner seeks wife and possible waitress.’
While this one was closer in age, Kate had no desire, or skills for that matter, to work in a saloon.
The pickings were slim this month it seemed. Just one ad left.
‘Thirty-two-year-old farmer in search of brave woman to help on homestead.’
Well, she didn't know much about farming, but no one would say Kate wasn't brave. She had even taken shooting lessons with her brother and father.
Crossing her fingers this man would not be a con man or an abuser, she made her way to the counter.
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Also by Annie Boone
If you like stories like this one be sure to check out Annie’s other books.
Annie’s sweet historical romance stories will help you step back in time to simpler days. Escape the stress of every day life and live in the past for a while through more than fifty books to carry you away.
Annie is a bestselling author with books in series and stand alone stories. Each series is a set of books with a common thread, but stories don’t have cliff hangers and every couple finds their own path to lasting and true love.
Find all of Annie’s books on her Amazon Author Page.
Find the latest Cutter’s Creek story on Amazon.
* * *
Cutter’s Creek Series
A collaboration with Kit Morgan, Vivi Holt, and Kari Trumbo – Read about the fun and quirky people of Cutter’s Creek, Montana, a fictional town where the residents have lots of stories to tell.
Colorado Matchmaker Series
Find out how a tender hearted woman who couldn’t have children of her own talked her husband into helping women in need. In the process, she brought many couples together to find true love even when the odds were against them.
God Bless the Children Series
Children are often the heart of a home. Especially in the old west, children didn’t always join a family the typical way. Enjoy these heart warming stories of open hearts, open minds, and open arms as children enhance these sweet love stories.
Kansas Mail Order Brides Series
Set in Derby and Wichita, Kansas, these sweet stories tell of loss, tragedy, and disappointment and how the women and men triumphed over it all. Watching these couples find love in spite of difficulty will make you believe that love is worth the struggle.
The Parson’s Daughters Series
Be inspired as you come to love the three sisters who strike out to make their way in California after the Civil War. Though they’re different, these girls have a strong bond forged in faith and family. Go with them as they fall in love and make choices that will take them far away from their Georgia roots.
About Annie Boone
Bestselling author Annie Boone admits that sweet historical love stories are a passion for her. Writing about days gone by, the struggles and victories faced by people of an earlier era, and falling in love in spite of their circumstances, is a dream come true.
Annie has always had a quiet story teller hiding inside and now she has the time to put those stories on paper and share them. Her hope is that her stories will entertain readers and her words will inspire the ones who need it most. The Christian elements she includes often help remind her of her own faith as she writes.
Annie lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and the two most wonderful cats in the world. She loves to travel, cook for her family and friends, and watch as much sports as possible. She also loves to read – of course!
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