Windfall (Love's Crossing 1)

By Nora Neal

Diana Wright, Beth Chaney, and Libby Tate are three strangers who meet on a long stagecoach ride. Through tragic circumstances, they inherit a saloon in Love’s Crossing. Although the windfall isn’t what they expect to secure their future, the three women are determined to make the town their new home as they struggle with secrets from the past and threats in the present while forging friendships and finding romance along the way. Sweet, clean western romance adventure, a novelette of about 16,000 words. This is a complete story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nora Neal
• Release date: Dec 11, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311645241

Nora Neal

Nora Neal writes sweet romances, mainly historical westerns. Love's Crossing is her first historical western series.

Book preview

Love’s Crossing 1: Windfall

by Nora Neal

Sweet, clean western romance adventure, a novelette of about 16,000 words. Each episode is a complete story by itself.

Diana Wright, Beth Chaney, and Libby Tate are three strangers who meet on a long stagecoach ride. Through tragic circumstances, they inherit a saloon in Love’s Crossing. Although the windfall isn’t what they expect to secure their future, the three women are determined to make the town their new home as they struggle with secrets from the past and threats in the present while forging friendships and finding romance along the way.

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Copyright 2013 Nora Neal All rights reserved.

The characters, locations, and situations in this ebook are fictitious, or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. This ebook is a work of fiction and is a product of the author’s imagination.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes - All rights reserved. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

About Love’s Crossing 2

Contact Nora Neal

CHAPTER ONE

Inside the jostling stagecoach, Diana Wright’s head rested against the hard, narrow space between the window and the back of the seat. Lost in the moving shadows between wakefulness and sleep, she dreamed of a place she’d never see again—home. When the stagecoach lurched forward, picking up speed, the driver’s unintelligible shout brought her out of her reverie. She bolted upright, her straw hat falling into her lap and her eyes opening wide.

The two women seated across from her, both about her own age of twenty, stared out their respective windows, their reactions to the abrupt change as different as night and day. The one on the left, who had introduced herself as Libby Tate, sat up straight, her long blond hair a tumble of unruly curls over her shoulders. Her broad-brimmed felt hat, trimmed in dark feathers across the front, had long been relegated to the seat beside her. The other woman, Beth Chaney, her russet brown hair still neatly pinned into place beneath a plain muslin bonnet, hunched down as if trying to disappear into the seat.

What is it? Diana asked. When neither answered, she looked out her window to find out what was happening, but couldn’t see anything amiss.

Turning around to face the others again, she saw Mr. Joseph Castle, the fourth and last passenger, pull out a pistol from beneath his suit coat. Until that moment, Mr. Castle had reminded her of a kindly grandfather with his thinning gray hair and bushy mustaches and sideburns, his face wrinkled and weathered but pleasant. Now, he looked formidable, leaning forward, his gun held steady and straight in front of him but aimed at none of them.

Ladies, he said gently, his brow furrowing, it appears we are about to be robbed.

Beth gasped and snapped the shade down. Her brown eyes grew wider with fright, and she tried to withdraw farther into the corner, gathering her shawl closer around her. Libby leaned out the window then pulled back in quickly when the loud reports of gunfire rent the air.

Three, maybe four, Libby announced more calmly than Diana thought she would be if she tried to speak right then. Libby drew the shade down over the window next to her. They’re gaining on us.

Several bullets plinked and plunked off various metal and wood parts of the stagecoach. Beth gave a little cry and slipped to the floor.

It might be wise if you two ladies did the same, Mr. Castle instructed. Miss Wright, please pull down your shade.

With a shaky hand, Diana did as he instructed, holding tightly to her hat and reticule. The skirts of her best calico and petticoats bunched around her. She tapped Libby on the knee. Y-You’ll be safer down here.

I suppose. Libby’s ice-blue eyes turned hard, as if she wanted to confront the bandits who dared attack this stagecoach and interfere with her life. She slung her hair over her shoulder, grabbed her hat, and joined them on the floor.

The space between the seats became a sea of ruffles and lace with barely enough room for Mr. Castle’s booted feet.

By this time, the man riding shotgun