Reverse Cowgirl on the Billionaire Cowboy
© Erin Walsh2016 – All rights reserved
Published by Steamy Reads4U
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to the seller and purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Warning
This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+ years old.
If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with adult content, please close this book now.
Chapter One
Nothing in life had been the same since Ruth had become a widow. The crops had mostly died, the animals had gotten ill and fallen one by one, and the emptiness of her heart and home had been overwhelmingly devastating. When William had passed away, Ruth was left with a young baby boy and the increasing debt from her late husband’s creditors. Losing him had been hard, surviving without him had been harder.
If it hadn’t been for her brother, Dave, she would have most certainly lost everything by now. Dave moved in with her in an attempt to save the farm. Although he managed to keep the banks and creditors away for over a year, he had only gained Ruth some time and now that time was up.
“I am sick of eating eggs and tomatoes.” Dave dropped his fork to the table as he griped.
“Shh.” Ruth picked up his fork and spoke softly. “I just got Billy to sleep, you better not wake him. Besides, we are lucky to have food on the table, even if it is only eggs and tomatoes to fill out bellies.”
“Sister, I did not mean to offend you, times have just been rough and my spirit is low.” He took the fork from her hand and began easting the eggs. “You are right. I am lucky to have food to eat.”
“It will get better.” She told him. “Maybe the farm will sell soon.”
“Perhaps.” He took a bite of the sliced tomatoes.
They both knew that nobody was going to buy the farm anytime soon, at least not with the price they were asking. The price had to cover the bank loans and debt Ruth was responsible for. There had been a drought in the area and everyone was suffering. Hardly anyone had money to pay their own bills, let alone by her farm. On top of that, her farm did not have much to offer except a house that needed work, a barn with a leaking roof, and a field that was in a dire need of rain and labor.
“I saw something in the newspaper the other day that may be an option.” Dave looked up at her with his blue eyes, so much like hers.
“What is it? Employment nearby? Are they beginning the railroad?” Ruth knew that her brother was not much of a laborer, but she hoped he would step up to help them out.
“No, the railroad project will not be starting until spring, but this was something you are qualified for.” He reached in his pocket to pull out the ad.
Ruth and Dave had not grown up in a farm. Their parents had owned a small grocery shop in town. The shop did not make them rich, but it allowed them the comfort of a nice childhood without the worried her own son would surely know. Still, the two siblings had not learned much skill to gain employment elsewhere. They could stock shelves or use a cash register, but all the shops in town employed their own relatives or friends.
“Is it a job opening at one of the shops? Is Ms. Jameson hiring now that her daughter is getting married?” Ruth started to get excited at the thought of having a job that could bring in money to her home.
“No, it is nothing of that sort.” He sat the newspaper ad on the table and slid it across the table to her.
She picked up the ad and looked it over. It had been torn from the paper, a small ripped out square, and then folded to fit in her brother’s pocket. Unfolding the paper, she looked down at the ad and read the printed words.
SEEKING WIFE
Young, able, and rich rancher seeking young bride to join him on his ranch in Texas. Rancher is a widower looking to find happiness again. Bride must possess good moral character and be attractive. The rancher will entertain all offers and potential women.
Ruth dropped the ad and stood up quickly from the table.
“How could you even think I would be some stranger’s mail order bride?” She was angry with her brother for even suggesting it.
“Sister, calm down and here me out.” He pointed to her empty seat. “Just sit down and listen.”
“No!” Her voice got louder. “How dare you?”
“Ruth, lower your voice before you wake up Billy.” Dave picked up the ad and held it up to her. “The rancher is a very successful and very rich man. He is a widower and needs a bride. His ranch is in Texas and is nothing like this ran down small farm.”
“How do you know all this?” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at her plotting brother. “The advertisement did not mention all of that information.”
“I wrote to him.” He admitted.
“You what?” Her voice echoed through the house as she grew furious with her brother. “You wrote him behind my back?”
“What choice did I have? We are sinking here. The farm will be taken from us soon, we are broke, and neither of us have found work. Where will you and your son go? How will you feed him? What will you do when the bank seizes this home from us?”
“I will figure it out.” She shook her head. “I do not need to move to another state with a man I do not know. He will expect me to marry him, cook, clean, and bed him.”
The thought of sleeping with a stranger overwhelmed her. William was the only man she had ever known in bed. How could she ever know another man like that?
“Sister.” Dave stood up and cupped her cheeks with his hands. “You must consider this as your last choice. The rancher has accepted your hand in marriage and willing to take your son in as well. He sent tickets for you both. This is our last chance.”
“Our?” She pushed his hands away. “It is me that is sacrificing everything, not you!”
Her son’s cry interrupted their heated conversation. The three-year-old cried from his bed for her.
“Go to your son.” Dave told her. “And please think about this.”
“Goodnight brother.” She nodded before leaving the kitchen.
A thousand thoughts were going through her head as she laid down next to her young son and comforted him back to sleep. How could she ever marry another man, yet how could she go on without one? Times would only get tougher and she was about to throw in the towel and give up the fight. Perhaps her brother was right; the Texas rancher was their only realistic option. As she closed her eyes and thought of her late husband’s face, she knew love had already been lost, now she would marry for money to save her son’s future.
Chapter Two
“I will do it.” Ruth stared out the window of her kitchen and overlooked the farm she would be letting go. Only memories of her husband and the life they never had existed in the dirt and dried up fields now. “I will go to Texas and marry the rancher, as long as he will accept me upon my arrival.”
“That is great news!” Dave embraced her with excitement and then kissed her forehead. “I am glad you came around. This will change your life, your son’s life. This will change things for all of us.”
Nothing was ever selfless for her dear brother. His moves were always calculated to benefit himself as well, but he did care about her son and wanted to make sure
she was taken care of, so she knew that he thought about them as a whole.
“You will leave in two days.” Dave smiled at her.
“Two days?” She felt sick to her stomach as she imagined leaving so soon. “That is not much time to get ready. I need to talk to the banks and let my friends know where I am going. How will I pack everything in that small amount of time?”
“You only need a small luggage with some clothes for you and Billy. The rancher has agreed to pay all expenses and any items you may need to start a new life with him.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “You do not need any of these inexpensive materials or cheap belongings. Let him buy you luscious new dresses and blankets made from the finest European clothes. He can afford it.”
“It does not seem fair to do that when I have perfectly good attire.” She suddenly felt self-conscious about her dress that had been made by her mother before she Ruth had even married William. The old dress always seemed to fit just right and have a special meaning to her. It was the last dress her mother had made her before her death. “It feels like I am using him.”
“Just let the man spend his money on you. He has plenty, and being used for his money will not break him.”
Ruth knew that tone in her brother’s voice. It was like Dave was resentful of the rancher. He was holding something back.
“Brother.” Ruth looked into his eyes to read his reaction. “Is there something you are not telling me?”
“No, I have told you everything. Now, I will help you pack some clothes for Billy while he plays with his toys.” He was lying. She knew her brother too well for him to deceive her. But she also knew that he would never put her in harm’s way or have his nephew go into a dangerous situation, so she ignored his strange behavior and followed him to begin packing.
“Do you think this man will be anything like my William was?” Ruth sighed as she watched her brother dig the only suitcase they owned out from under her bed.
“We can only hope so.” Dave threw the suitcase on the bed and opened it up. “William was a good man.”
That much was true. William and Ruth had met when she was only a girl. They had been teenage sweethearts and married at not long after she had turned eighteen. Her father had always told her that he wanted more for her than a struggling farmer or an overworked and underpaid man like himself, but Ruth did not care. She loved William and nothing would stop them from being together. Even when her father set up arrangements for her to meet young men with education from high society families, it did not matter, she turned them all away. Love would be enough to live a life of happiness; love would get them through anything. That might have been true, if William had never had fell off of his horse and not survived.
“Do you believe love only comes once in a lifetime?” She asked Dave.
“Ruth.” He shook his head and exhaled loudly. “You do not have to love this man. You don’t even have to like him. Just go to him, marry him, and make a better life for your son.”
“You make it sound so easy. My son and I know nothing of a life outside of this town.” She sat down on the bed and looked up at her brother. “I don’t think I can be a good wife to another man. William will always have my heart.”
“Sister, your heart is still with him.” He smiled, but it did nothing to comfort her. “This man is our way out, nothing but that. You do not have to give him your heart, just wed him and entertain the man, only for a little while. After that you can live the rest of your life without ever having to rely on anyone but yourself.”
“What does that mean?” Ruth knew he had more up his sleeve. “Tell me what you are planning.”
Billy dropped his toys and came rushing up to tug on her leg.
“Your son is hungry and needs a nap. Go take care of him.” He shut the suitcase and started to leave the room. “I have some business to take care of. I may not be back until tomorrow or the next day.”
“But I leave in two days.”
“I will be back in time to take you to the train station. Gather your things and be ready for my return.” He nodded. “The future is promising. We will only rise from here on.”
Her brother was gone before she could pester him more on the issue, but she knew that he had a scheme brewing in his head. As she picked up her son and held him close, it was only his future that she cared about, and if whatever her brother had in store for them ensured Billy’s future was good, she would go through with it. Billy was all that was left of her heart.
Chapter Three
“If we are late it will be your fault.” Ruth scolded her older brother. “The train station is two hours from our house and you disappeared for two days.”
“We are almost there.” He made a silly face at her son and acted as though the situation was not serious. “You will make it on time.”
“Where were you? Why did you not return until last minute?” She tried not to sound angry as her son listened to their conversation.
“I sold the animals and some of the tools in the barn.” Dave told her. “I also have a few people stopping by tomorrow to look at the farm. It will have to be sold cheap, and barely cover the debt your husband left behind, but since you no longer need the house, we can get rid of it for a lower price.”
“How much did you sell the animals for? Do you have money to send with me?”
“No, you do not need the money. I told you that the rancher is wealthy and will take care of anything you should need.” He steadied the horse to slow the carriage down as they got closer to the station. “I need the money to survive while you are gone.”
“Did you gamble while you were gone?” Her brother had already lost so much of their money to the saloons and card tables.
“Sister, no need to worry. I told you that we are good now.” He stopped the carriage and got out to the dirt below. “Now, come, you have a train to catch.”
Ruth took her brother’s hand and stepped out of the carriage. Before she turned to get her son out, she stopped Dave and pulled him aside.
“I need to know what you have going on up your sleeve.” She talked low so that her young son would not hear. “You need to level with me. This is my life, my son, that you are sending to live with a stranger. Level with me, tell me the truth.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He started to walk away, but she pulled him back.
“You are my brother and I know you more than you even know yourself.” She looked directly into his eyes. “Tell me the truth.”
“The truth is…” He took a moment to speak. “The truth is I sold our belongings so I could join you in Texas. I just don’t think I can live alone, not after having you and Billy in my life so long. I am selling everything so I have enough money to get on a train to Texas and rent a hotel near the ranch until I can find a job and a place of my own.”
Ruth felt sorrow for her brother. She had never considered how lonesome life had been for him as well.
“I am sorry, brother.” She put her hand on his arm. “I will wait for you in Texas, perhaps my new husband may have room for you on the ranch.”
“Maybe.” He sighed. “Now, let’s get you and my nephew to Texas.”
The boy giggled as Dave grabbed him from the carriage and swung him playfully in the air. This would be hard to take away from her brother, she knew that now. It would be nice if he could join them in their new life.
“Sell everything you can and join us in Texas.” Ruth kissed her brother’s cheek. “I will write you as soon as I get there. Now, Billy, give your Uncle Dave a hug goodbye.”
She watched as her young son squeezed her brother in an embrace. The two had bonded lately and she knew the boy would miss him as much as her when they parted.
“This will work out.” Dave told his sister. “I promise you that everything will get better.”
“I hope you are correct.” She stepped onto the train before turning back one last time. “Never goodbye.”
Ruth crossed her heart with her f
ingers.
“Never goodbye.” He crossed his heart the same as she had. It was something they had done since they were kids, whenever they had parted ways. Now, as adults separating to be states apart seemed much more emotional.
Never saying goodbye would not mean never parting, and she knew that crossing her heart would not mean keep it from breaking.
Chapter Four
It took three days for the train to get from Kansas to Texas. Each hour felt like an eternity to Ruth. The ride was bumpy and rough, making her long to reach her new unknown home.
“He has been such a good boy this whole trip.” The woman next to her, who had introduced herself as Mary Grant, tucked a small knitted blanket around Billy. “It shouldn’t be too much longer.
The two women had talked about a lot since boarding the train three days before. Mary was from the same town that Ruth was heading to and had told her all about the area. It turned out that Mary had been recently been married to a man she was deeply in love with. She had talked about him for most of the ride. Ruth didn’t mind, it helped the time past, and the woman had a way with words that kept one intrigued. Mary had traveled recently to an aunt’s house in another state to help with a sick relative. Now, she couldn’t wait to get home to see her devoted husband.
When the woman had asked Ruth why she was moving to Texas, Ruth only said to start a new life. She did not mention details. After hearing about Mary’s wonderful marriage, she could not speak about her own upcoming wedding to the Texas man. Mary hadn’t pressed for more information, people kept to themselves in those times, and the woman loved to talk about her own life instead.
“Did you leave the boy’s father behind?” Mary asked as Billy slept.
“My husband passed away last fall.” Ruth told her.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Mary smiled at her with pity. “I just assumed that you had left him and that’s why you didn’t talk much about your life. Some woman like to leave the past in the past for good reason.”
Romance: Yes, Stepbrother! Page 31