The Rancher's Bad-Luck Bride

By Anna St. James

Bad luck follows Celia Thompson into Texas where she goes with her new husband to start a new life. A tragic misfortune leaves her stranded and alone in the middle of the rugged West Texas wilderness.

When Nate Walker sees buzzards circling in the distance, he rides out to investigate. He discovers a young widow, who is ill and in dire straights. He takes her to his ranch to rest and recuperate. In time, Celia recovers her health, but can her heart heal enough to accept and return Nate's love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna St. James
• Release date: Sep 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310365270

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 BAD-LUCK BRIDE

A Brides of Cactus Gap Short Story

by Anna St. James

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Bad luck follows Celia Thompson into Texas where she goes with her new husband to start a new life. A tragic misfortune leaves her stranded and alone in the middle of the rugged West Texas wilderness.

When Nate Walker sees buzzards circling in the distance, he rides out to investigate. He discovers a young widow, who is ill and in dire straights. He takes her to his ranch to rest and recuperate. In time, Celia recovers her health, but can her heart heal enough to accept and return Nate's love?

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The Rancher's Bad-Luck 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 Bad-Luck Bride

by Anna St. James

Dear Lord, please . . . please, help me.

Celia Thompson sat huddled beneath a pile of heavy quilts in the back of her covered wagon amidst all her worldly possessions. She swiped at a tear trailing down her cheek. What good were worldly possessions, when she'd lost her dear husband? The man who'd saved her from a fate worse than death?

The brisk West Texas air whipped through the mesquite trees, blowing the wagon tarp with a ferocity that was frightening. Celia adjusted the quilts more securely around her shoulders and legs.

Why, oh why, had she and Jimmy ever decided to move to Texas? Why couldn't they have stayed in Georgia where they'd at least had family and friends? Sure, they'd been dirt poor. Most everyone was ever since the war. Scratching out a living seemed like heaven compared to this hellish nightmare she'd been plunged into.

Celia snuggled deeper down into her nest made of quilts. She knew why they'd made the move. Jimmy had received a letter from his uncle inviting him to come live and work with him on his ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Even though the letter had been dirty and crumpled with a year-old postmark, it had seemed like a sign from God pointing them towards a better life. Lots of folks had gone to Texas after the war to start fresh. Land was cheap there, Jimmy had said. He could work for Uncle Wiley, and they could save towards buying their own ranch some day.

This is my chance, Celia. Might be my only chance.

Oh how she wished she and Jimmy had never left home.

They'd had nothing but bad luck since they'd crossed the state line into Texas over two weeks ago. Jimmy had been taken ill with fever and chills the day after they'd stopped in Waco for supplies. They'd pushed on, following the trail on the hand-drawn map Uncle Wiley had sent with his letter, watching for landmarks he'd noted down. It was rough going in the wagon, with scarcely a sign of human habitation as far as the eye could see. They passed no towns, no settlements.

When they'd made it to the Double Mountains, Celia had taken over the reins while Jimmy lay in the wagon bed getting sicker and weaker. By the time she'd forded Coyote Creek, Jimmy had been delirious with the fever, and one of the horses had gone dead lame.

She'd been forced to stop and make camp, but she'd been