The Rancher's Second-Chance Bride

By Anna St. James

Two childhood sweethearts torn apart . . .

After school one day, Josh Stone and Emma Carter pledge their love to one another beneath the old kissing tree. Then Josh's life takes a drastic turn when his father dies. He must work night and day to save his ranch and has no time for courtship. Emma's father sends her to Atlanta to live with her grandmother so she can forget about Josh . . . but she can't.

True love reunited . . .

After five long years, Emma finally returns to Cactus Gap. When she meets Josh again, their time apart fades away, and their love still burns strong. Can they take up where they left off? Will they be able to overcome the obstacles of pride and prejudice to find their happy-ever-after?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna St. James
• Release date: Sep 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311528858

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 SECOND-CHANCE BRIDE

A Brides of Cactus Gap Short Story

by Anna St. James

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Two childhood sweethearts torn apart . . .

After school one day, Josh Stone and Emma Carter pledge their love to one another beneath the old kissing tree. Then Josh's life takes a drastic turn when his father dies. He must work night and day to save his ranch and has no time for courtship. Emma's father sends her to Atlanta to live with her grandmother so she can forget about Josh . . . but she can't.

True love reunited . . .

After five long years, Emma finally returns to Cactus Gap. When she meets Josh again, their time apart fades away, and their love still burns strong. Can they take up where they left off? Will they be able to overcome the obstacles of pride and prejudice to find their happy-ever-after?

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The Rancher's Second-Chance Bride

Copyright © 2015 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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The Rancher's Second-Chance Bride

A Short Story

Texas Panhandle, 1875

Joshua Stone was a driven man.

His mama said he was obsessed or possessed; she wasn't sure which. Josh couldn't help it. He woke up each morning before dawn and didn't stop working until after dark. He'd been working his tail off ever since the day his pa had died.

He'd only been seventeen when his father passed away, barely a grown man. But on that tragic day, a man's responsibilities had been thrust onto Josh's young shoulders, and he'd had no choice but to accept the man-sized challenge. It was either work like a dog or lose the ranch. And he couldn't let his pa down like that. Or his ma.

No, he couldn't lose the ranch.

He'd worked hard and sacrificed and worked some more. He'd saved the ranch from foreclosure through sheer determination and grit. Josh was proud of what he'd accomplished in the past five years. The ranch was thriving, the cattle herd was growing, and his horses were the envy of every rancher in a hundred-mile radius of Cactus Gap, Texas.

But lately, his mama had been pestering him to slow down and enjoy life a little. The ranch was stable and in the black. She said it was high time for Josh to look around for a wife and helpmate.

Agnes Stone wanted grandchildren. Not to mention, she was getting married herself, after