The Bounty Hunter's Christmas Mail Order Bride

By Cia Leah

Bounty Hunter, Slate Dalton, returned home when his brother Steve's mail order bride wrote him and told him of his brother's death. Slate knew that Doug Harden killed his brother, but he wasn't going to get away with it. His Nephew, Allen, needed him and so did Steve's mail order bride. He was going to make sure they were taken care of like his brother would want. He just hoped that Clarissa Michaels would marry him so that Allen could have a ma the boy needed to help raise him. Christmas was a time of miracles, and he prayed that God would grant him one.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cia Leah
• Release date: Dec 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781386630029

Cia Leah

Cia Leah is a multi-published author written in a variety of genres. Her favorite genre to read and write are westerns and historical romances. She successfully completed the Writer's Digest Short Story Course and a creative writing course. She is a member of Romance Divas and highly recommends it and the wealth of knowledge provided on the site for readers and writers. Semi-retired, she writes as time allows due to real life and thanks her readers for their support. At present time, she is writing western short stories, novelettes, and novellas.

Book preview

DEDICATION

Dedicated to my dearly departed, beloved husband and son. Christmas will never be the same again, but I find peace in knowing you are together in heaven on Jesus' birthday. I love and miss you both so much.

Also dedicated to my readers. God bless you and your family. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, New Years. Love you all and thank you.

CHAPTER 1

Slate Dalton turned up the collar of his coat and pulled his hat lower over his forehead. Fat flakes of snow fell like goose feathers from the cloudy sky. It would be dark in a bit, but he didn't have to worry about light since the snow brightened the way. Besides, he knew the way to his brother's place in the mountains by heart, day or night, wind, rain, snow, or whatever Mother Nature could throw at him.

Bounty hunting was his life and had been for the past fifteen years. How in the world was he going to settle down in one spot for the rest of his life? He had to though. Little Allen’s well being depended on him and he would see to it that his brother's last wishes were carried out.

When Clarissa Michaels wrote to him, he wrote back and said he would be there as soon as he could. He'd enclosed some money in the envelope to make sure Clarissa could provide for herself and Allen until he got there.

He missed his brother, and wasn't looking forward to walking into the cabin with Steve no longer there. No, it was going to be hard to deal with. One of the worst things he'd been through was hearing of his twin brother's death. Slate wasn't sure it was an accident that killed Steve. He was going to find out though as soon as he wed his brother's mail order bride.

Clarissa arrived at Mountain's Corner the day Steve died. Folks knew Steve had sent for her, so they'd given her Allen to take care of, and buried Steve. Slate didn't have a choice. Allen needed a ma and pa, and he was the only one that could take his brother's place.

Even though he hadn't discussed with Clarissa about marrying her, he didn't think she'd object. In his travels, he'd seen many men with mail order brides. Most of the women had no home left due to their ma and pa passing away and leaving them alone, or leaving an orphanage when they were too old to stay any longer. He hoped that Clarissa would agree to marry him and that it would be best for all three of them. She didn't have to love him or him her, but hopefully they would like each other enough to get along with each other.

He raised his head to the clearing sky, and saw the lights from the cabin a few feet up the hill. He loved it here and visited his brother many times when he wanted to get away from hunting bounty. The cabin overlooked the valley, which had a meandering stream running through it. It provided enough drinking water for the cattle Steve raised, the chickens, and the horses.

The town of Low Valley Haven was off in the distance. It was a well-established town and most of the folks were nice people, except for Doug Harden. Slate frowned as he rode up to the house. One thing about Steve was that he documented everything that happened in town that concerned Harden. He couldn’t wait to get Steve’s metal box out and read though the papers.

Slate dismounted, tied his horse to the hitching post, and stepped up on the first step of the porch when the door swung open and a woman stood there with a shotgun pointed straight at him.

Slate held back the chuckle that rose up in his throat. Heck, the gun looked bigger than she was, but