The Rancher's Comanche Bride

By Anna St. James

While tracking and hunting game, Cal Jackson discovers a young Comanche woman hiding in his pasture. From the very first moment he sees her, a strong bond is forged between them. Cal has almost given up on finding someone he can love. Has fate brought him this Indian maiden to call his very own?

After her tribe is brutally massacred, Yanny runs for her life. Injured, weak and hungry, she welcomes a handsome stranger's offer of help. Accepted into the midst of the loving Jackson family, she slowly heals and recovers from the bloodbath she miraculously survived. But can she survive in the white man's world? Can she win the love of the man who saved her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna St. James
• Release date: Apr 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311166050

Anna St. James

Anna St. James grew up watching the classic westerns during the golden age of television. Rawhide, The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, The Wild, Wild West and Bonanza were just a few of her favorites.Later on she became a fan of Little House on the Prairie and Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman; and later still, The Love Comes Softly Series and Sarah Plain and Tall.Her love of Texas and history made writing historical western romances a natural choice. Married to her own special hero, Anna makes her home in the Lone Star State.Anna St. JamesClassic Romance: Short and SweetHistorical Western RomanceInspirational RomanceSign up to receive emails announcing Anna's new releases:http://www.annastjames.com

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THE RANCHER'S COMANCHE BRIDE

A Brides of Cactus Gap Short Story

by Anna St. James

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SMASHWORDS EDITION

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While tracking and hunting game, Cal Jackson discovers a young Comanche woman hiding in his pasture. From the very first moment he sees her, a strong bond is forged between them. Cal has almost given up on finding someone he can love. Has fate brought this Indian maiden for him to call his own?

After her tribe is brutally massacred, Yanny runs for her life. Injured, weak and hungry, she welcomes a handsome stranger's offer of help. Accepted into the midst of the loving Jackson family, she slowly heals and recovers from the bloodbath she miraculously survived. But can she survive in the white man's world? Can she win the love of the man who saved her?

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The Rancher's Comanche Bride

Copyright © 2014 by Anna St. James

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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Beginning

Middle

End

About the Author

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The Rancher's Comanche Bride

A short story

by Anna St. James

Texas Panhandle, 1875

Cal Jackson moved swiftly and quietly through the south pasture on his family's large West Texas ranch, carefully wending his way through the low-hanging branches of the mesquite trees and avoiding the massive stands of prickly pear cactus blocking the path. He carried his rifle over the crook of his arm, determinedly making his way toward his prey. Ma wanted a couple of young cottontails for supper, and Cal's taste buds watered at the thought of her crispy fried rabbit and thick cream gravy ladled over homemade biscuits, with a mess of mustard greens on the side.

As he neared the creek, something rustled in the sagebrush. Cal stopped in his tracks and listened intently. Another rustling of twigs and up came his gun, his senses on the alert, ready to shoot if need be. A doe or buck wouldn't make that kind of noise. Neither would a wild turkey or a coon. The creek was running fast after the downpour two days ago. Even though it was winter, the weather had been almost sultry for the past week. Back in December, it hadn't really felt like Christmas at all with it being seventy degrees outside, but that hadn't surprised anyone in this part of the country. The weather in West Texas could change in the blink of an eye.

A movement to his left caught Cal off guard and a quick gasp of surprise made him whirl around with his gun pointed straight ahead. He nearly dropped his rifle when a young Indian girl stood frozen ten feet away, her dark brown eyes wide with fright. Before he could say or do anything, her eyes flickered closed and she crumpled to the ground.

With heart racing, Cal ran the short distance, set his gun on the ground and knelt beside the girl. He placed two fingers against her smooth neck checking for a heartbeat. For one frantic moment, he couldn't feel anything. He moved his hand to her chest and listened. He had a hard time distinguishing between the heavy pounding of his own heart and the slight flutter of the girl's pulse. Finally, Cal detected the steady rhythmic beat beneath his calloused fingers and exhaled a deep sigh of relief.

He stared down at the smooth bronzed face with the high cheekbones and firm lips. The straight black hair was chopped off fairly short, and the traditional ornamental paint on her face had long since faded away, only faint traces of it were left around her eyes and ears.

Her blouse was made from the softest doeskin and fine intricate beadwork decorated the hem of her skirt. She wore high-topped moccasins with fringe on the sides. She was older than he'd first thought and looked to be around eighteen or twenty,