Kit's Mine

By Ann Bridges

Enter the world of 1870 California and read beyond the tales of the male '49ers who flooded the state from the established east seeking their fortune in gold. Chinese women are still bought and sold as slaves on the streets of San Francisco, and the original Mexican landowners fight for legal ownership of their property at every turn in a prejudicial world of land politics and dishonest lawyers.

*To win her freedom, she jeopardizes her plans.

Kit Lee never had the knack of controlling her own fate. Her mixed Irish-Chinese ancestry makes her a target for enslavement, and her gender makes her a laughingstock for dreaming of working her family's gold mine. She only has one week to meet Papa at Kit's Mine, so if bartering her knowledge of Gold Country trails for Michael Rivers’ protection on their journey is her only choice, she’ll grab it.

*To win her mine, she risks her heart.

She just didn’t expect to find Michael irresistible after he proves his compassion for her plight and respect for her dreams. Then one look at Michael’s map reveals her precious mine may be on his inherited property, which his nefarious stepfather Diego Salazar covets to the point of siccing hired thugs on them. Praying she’s mistaken, gambling she can keep her mine’s location a secret until they reach his new home, she discovers too late that love is fleeting without trust.

*To win her love, she compromises her dreams.

But Michael still has to battle Diego against a corrupt legal system for clear title to his land. He may not want her help, but he needs it. He needs her. And for once in her unorthodox life, she has a chance to beat the odds and change her future. Will she fight for what she deserves one last time, or accept the fate society expects of her?

Excerpt:

Kit's straw hat fell sideways, bathing her black hair in sunlight, soft and tempting. Michael brushed his lips over a bared lock, inhaling her unique scent. What should he do? Leave her on her own, an open invitation to another attack? Or protect her and hope she knew the trails?

Sighing, he released her and yanked on his gloves, nudging Midnight into an easy walk. “Kit, I am truly sorry that happened to you. But...how does that prove you know the way to your property, let alone mine?”

"You’re following a map of some sort, right?”

"Of course. I’m not wandering around to stake a claim--it was my father’s.”

"If you can get us to the outskirts of Gold Country, I promise I can get us the rest of the way. I memorized Papa’s map.” She twisted towards him, her reddened eyes determined and sparkling like Mother’s emerald ring. “I’m meeting Papa there in one week, with or without you. Do you want a guide or not?”

Respect and a tinge of awe swept through him. Just like him, fire ran in her blood. She carved her own path--even as a woman, overcoming her Chinese heritage, too. She had no guarantee her father would meet her. If he didn’t, what would she do then? Michael wouldn’t rest easy until he made sure she was safe, praying her father hadn’t met with disaster. California politicians made it harder on Chinese than Californios.

"All right. On one condition.”

A huge smile brightened her face. “What’s that?”

"We get you a decent mount and clothes to wear. Midnight can’t do double duty for the long trek, and the way you look....” He shook his head. “Strangers will assume you’re either my slave or my--what did you call it?--fancy lady. I won’t stand for either reputation in my new home.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ann Bridges
• Release date: Jun 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311086082

Ann Bridges

Ann Bridges is a nurse, author, clinical hypnotherapist, reiki master, doula, and mother of two. Having found solutions to birthing for herself, she now teaches the secrets she learned. Bridges uses the best of modern, traditional, and ancient wisdom to create an easy, practical framework to birthing naturally. Visit her online at www.gentlebirting.com.au.