An Obsessive Bride
Family of Love Series
Elliee Atkinson
GREENHOUSE PUBLISHING CO.
Contents
Copyright
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A Personal Note From Ellie Atkinson
Dedication
About The Author
AN OBSESSIVE BRIDE
PROLOGUE
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CHAPTER ONE
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CHAPTER TWO
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CHAPTER THREE
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CHAPTER FOUR
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CHAPTER FIVE
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CHAPTER SIX
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CHAPTER SEVEN
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CHAPTER EIGHT
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CHAPTER NINE
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CHAPTER TEN
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
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CHAPTER TWELVE
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
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CHAPTER NINETEEN
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CHAPTER TWENTY
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
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EPILOGUE
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Also By Elliee Atkinson
Acknowledgement
If You Have Enjoyed This Book…
Publisher’s Notes
Copyright © 2016 - 2018 by ELLIEE ATKINSON & GREEN HOUSE PUBLISHING CO.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real or dead people, places, or events are not intentional and are the result of coincidence. The characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author/publisher. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Cover designed by Ms Melody Simmons. Author has the copyrights to this cover.
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A PERSONAL NOTE
FROM ELLIEE ATKINSON
To My Dearest Lovely Readers,
Those female characters within my stories are women who displayed strong faith of love, knowing what they want to pursue in the Wild West.
They are constantly seeking and believe the true love really exists as they are often being looked upon as an inferior gender. Because of these social stigma, it motivates them to overcome challenges they may face while waiting for the man of their dreams to appear.
Will these insecurities and stigma encourages them in believing true love despite the differences and challenges in social standing that they will face during this Wild West period?
Read on to find out the answers!
Thank you very much for your strong support to my writing journey!
With Hugs, Kisses and Love…
DEDICATION
“I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart.”
Alice Walker
This Story Is Specially Dedicated To You, My Dearest Reader!
It is with gratefulness and gratitude that I am writing to you this personal dedication.
Thank you once again for giving me this opportunity to share with you my creative side of me.
I hope you will enjoy reading this story as much I have enjoyed writing it!
It is with such great support from you that keep us authors writing and writing, presenting to you with great and interesting stories.
Have you checked out my other western historical romance books series?
Click the link below to get started
*** AMAZON USA ***
Do you like what you have read?
I would want to hear from you!
Please do get in touch with me:
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[email protected]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elliee Atkinson is the author of many mail order brides stories and her alternate name is Rosie Attwood. Using Elliee Atkinson as her new pen-name, she spins out American historical western romance stories for readers that appreciate the romance that happened in the Old Wild West.
Elliee loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance “Wild Montana Sky” by Debra Holland was inspired by the story perseverance and determination of the women from the wild west and how they overcome adversaries, fight for the love they deserved and desired.
Many of her stories are based on her knowledge of the old west, although all the names, events, and places that may resemble or are similar to living people are only coincidental and fiction, of course.
Elliee credits her wonderfully supportive partner and friend, Steven and her advance review reviewers for helping her to fine-tune her writing skills and allowing her creativity to explode.
AN OBSESSIVE BRIDE
A WESTERN ROMANCE STORY
by
ELLIEE ATKINSON
and
Green House Publishing Co.
PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE
Mark Anderson rode up to the Horse N Saddle saloon, anxious to tell his friend, Adam, his exciting news. Out of all the people in Wickenburg, Adam was his closest ally. They were both well-known in the town as two prominent, helpful citizens. He was proud of that. The news he had for Adam would delight his friend, he was sure of it.
He went in the saloon after tying his horse to the post, pushing the doors open with both hands and looking around for Adam. He spotted his friend at the bar and made such quick steps across the wooden floor, his boots thundered with every step. The aggressive sound made every man’s eye turn to look at him. He cast a smile at them, which they returned.
Adam spun around on the stool, ready for confrontation. When he saw Mark, his face relaxed. “I should have known,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “Nothing ever happens in Wickenburg.”
Mark laughed, sliding onto the stool next to him and nodding at Sam, the owner of the saloon and also the bartender. Sam nodded back and reached for a glass. “Sorry about that, buddy. I’ve got some news to tell ya. You remember my second cousin, Gabe?”
Adam lifted his glass to his mouth, nodding. “Sure do.”
“Well, he’s comin’ back to town.” Mark said it with such pride; Adam had to smile for him.
“That’s great news, friend! When is he coming back?”
“He’l
l be here in about a week, I reckon. Last post I got from him said around the middle of May and that’s now.”
Adam’s grin widened. “It sure is. Well now, that really is some fine news, Mark. What’s he done with his life?”
“Who’s this you’re talkin’ about?” Sam set a glass of beer down in front of Mark. “Somebody comin’ back to Wickenburg? Gotta be someone I know, right?”
Mark looked up at him, wrapping his hand around the glass. “Thanks. I don’t think you know Gabe. He didn’t come in here much. I might have talked about him. But he’s been gone for a good… what…” He looked at Adam, who shook his head.
“I’d say it’s gotta be twenty years. He left when he was a youngster. Late teens, I think.”
“You seem awful proud of him, Mark. He’s a good kid?”
Mark laughed. “He’s not a kid. Not anymore. He’s the same age as me. A couple years older, I think. Never been married, that I know of. No kids. I’ve kept up with him over the years. He moved to Kentucky. Started a ranch out there. He’s coming here to do that. Sold his ranch in Kentucky.”
“Do you know why?” Adam asked.
“I think it had something to do with a woman. Major changes like that usually do.”
Adam nodded. “Yeah, that’s true.”
“So why did he pick Wickenburg? He’s already been here.” Sam used a cloth to wipe up a soapy ring on the other side of the counter. “Don’t he know there are better places to live?”
Mark and Adam gave Sam hard stares. “You got somethin’ against Wickenburg?” Adam asked, menacingly, narrowing his eyes. Sam tried not to laugh.
“Oh no. Not at all. I love this blessed little town. But if he went to Kentucky and made it big, buyin’ himself a ranch and all, well, why would he want to come back here?”
“He didn’t live in a big city,” Mark replied. “His ranch was on the outer part of a town probably not much bigger than this. He only went to Kentucky because he was offered a job with the railroad and that’s where they put him. But a relative of ours passed on and left him an inheritance. So he bought the ranch and now he’s sold it and he’s coming back here. I’m gonna be glad to see him. I’m real proud of the things he’s accomplished.”
“I look forward to seeing him again,” Adam said, lifting his glass and finishing off the rest of his beer. “He was always there to help out when it was needed. Didn’t matter what was asked of him, if it was beneficial to someone else, he’d jump on it.”
“Sounds like someone I’ll like. You think he’ll come in here when he gets here?”
“I’ll bring him in to meet ya, Sam, don’t worry.”
“He gonna stay with you?”
“He’s staying at the hotel. The doc bought that hotel, did you know that? He’s gonna let his son Tom and Elizabeth Samuels run the place for him.”
“I heard.” Adam nodded.
“I think that’s the perfect wedding present for them. Doc Campbell couldn’t be prouder.”
“Yeah, he does talk about that a lot, don’t he?” Sam laughed. “He’s got four beautiful kids, a beautiful wife, that big house, now a hotel he can give to his son as a wedding present. The man has it made.”
“He’s blessed, for sure.” Adam pushed his empty glass toward Sam.
“You want another?”
Adam nodded. “Might as well. Don’t have to be home early tonight. Alice and the kids are with her mom.”
When Sam gave him a new glass, he lifted it in the air in front of Mark. “Here’s to new beginnings for Gabe. I hope he’s really happy here.”
Mark lifted his glass and clinked it against Adam’s. “I’ll drink to that.”
CHAPTER ONE
MAKING NEW FRIENDS
MAKING NEW FRIENDS
Gabe looked to his left at the huge horse shoe sitting atop the Horse N Saddle Saloon. He remembered the saloon from years ago. It didn’t look any different than it had then. The owner has to be diligent, Gabe thought, to keep the place from falling to pieces. He’d done some repairs and solidified the outer walls, he noticed.
He hadn’t frequented the Horse N Saddle, though his cousin, Mark, did. He thought about Mark with a smile. He was happy they had kept in touch. Their family was spread all through the country as their relatives tried to make their way to success. He couldn’t think of anyone in his family who wasn’t a hard worker in one way or another.
He passed the saloon slowly, allowing his horse to meander down the dirt road. He took in the buildings around him, raised his hat to several women he didn’t recognize, and breathed in the scent of his childhood home, feeling a calm contentment pass over him. He was hoping for peace, quiet, and some time to reflect on what he’d done in his life.
He felt a nervous twitch in his stomach when he thought of his main priority. He’d given it a lot of thought. He’d been thinking about it, as a matter of fact, for the past year. He was getting older. He had never married nor had children. He wanted to only once. When that fell to the wayside, he decided he would never allow his heart to be taken again. However, that was twenty years ago.
He wanted to feel the love of a woman, a woman who would stand by him for the rest of his years, trust in him to protect her, and have children with him. He was getting older. He still had his looks and he was a strong, healthy man. He had a lot to offer a woman.
So he’d come to the conclusion that he needed to find a wife to love for the rest of his days. He was going to tell Mark that but no one else. He didn’t want to appear desperate, though he felt like he was. He had become accustomed to giving an aloof appearance, mostly because women tended to fall for him quickly. It wasn’t his ego talking, it was a fact he couldn’t ignore. Something drew them to him and even in the face of utter rejection, they would still pursue him. He felt blessed and cursed at the same time.
He came up on a house that looked so familiar to him; he stopped his horse and sat staring at it. He couldn’t remember the significance of the house, which irritated him. He scanned it for a few minutes before urging his horse to move on. Mark’s farm was out past the Derby Lumber Mill. That’s what he would be doing, working at the lumber mill with his cousin until he decided what he wanted to do. He planned to buy a ranch or a farm somewhere near Wickenburg and spend the rest of his days where he grew up. He hoped there was a woman here for him. It was a small cowboy town with more men than women, but things had changed since he was here last and more women were populating the west coast.
Would he find a woman who loved him, who could truly love him, without reservation? He’d told Mark not to mention his money. It was bad enough already. He’d never rid himself of the women who would flock around him.
It embarrassed him to think that way, even though it was the truth. It annoyed him to never know the true intentions of a woman.
Here in Wickenburg, his cousin Mark, friend, Adam and other life-long residents all knew each other. There were no strangers in Wickenburg. Mark and Adam would know the character of a woman and would inform him if it was a bad match. He trusted them for the truth.
Before he got to the side street that would take him to Mark’s farm, Gabe spotted the Campbell Hotel. A brightly colored sign – obviously new – was placed above a new green awning. There were several large potted plants flanking the front door and three chairs nearby, one of them occupied.
He slowed even more and peered at the back of the person’s head, wondering if he knew who it was. He urged his horse to go to the hotel entrance and stopped to dismount, still looking at the man in the chair. So far, he did not recognize him.
The man turned his head and looked at him. He stood up and came closer, his hand extended. He was tall and thin and had a pipe clenched between his teeth.
“Greetings, stranger!” The man stepped down one of the three steps. Gabe took his hand.
“Hello, there,” Gabe replied. “I’m actually not a stranger, used to live around these parts when I was a youngster.”
“Oh?” Th
e man raised his eyebrows. Gabe got a friendly vibe from him and smiled.
“Yeah, my cousin Mark – well he’s my second cousin, Mark Anderson. He’s been around here all his life.”
“He certainly has,” the man nodded. “I’m George Campbell. I’m the new doctor around here. I don’t suppose Mark told you Henry stopped actively practicing.”
Gabe nodded. “Doc Brown was an older man when I was young twenty years ago. Mark didn’t tell me, but it doesn’t surprise me. He needs to relax in his golden years.”
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