The Bear Hunter's Bride

By Ann Laurel

A clean wholesome western historical romance.

Nathan, a big brute bear hunter, seeks a mail order bride by placing an ad. Ashley, a Mississippi southern belle, answers the ad.

Nathan had confessed to his mother that he was falling madly in love with the girl because he had never seen another young lady as lovely as she or a soft or sweet smelling. Ashley Wayne had stolen his heart, and he had no idea how to let her know that he wanted her to keep it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Perfectly Plotted Books
• Release date: Jun 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370296156

Ann Laurel

Ann loves to write inspirational sweet romances. Her first series, The Cattlemen's Wives, are western historical mail-order brides. All of her books are guaranteed to make you feel good when you reach the end.Ann lives with her husband and children in the beautiful Ozark Mountains in the south. She enjoys raising Godly children, volunteering with her church, homemaking, and writing.

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The Bear Hunter’s Bride by Ann Laurel

Copyright © 2016, 2017 by Ann Laurel. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Ann Laurel & For Him Publishing. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher/author.

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Therefore, all characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance whatsoever to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition

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Chapter One

Ashley stared dreamily out the window as the children played during their recess. Gently closing the book about the cowboy in the West she sighed heavily feeling so boxed in with her neat little existence. Coming from a proper southern upbringing Ashley had the best of everything she ever wanted for her parents made sure their two daughters were well cared for. Ashley, being the oldest of the two girls, decided life would be too boring sitting around the house sipping iced tea all day. Ashley went to school to become a school marm two years earlier. While Ashley loved her job she had a secret desire to travel and to marry a cowboy. The only thing stopping her was that she didn't know any cowboys and didn't know what to do about it.

Ashley brought the children in and finished the lessons before dismissing them. The same thing she does every day, and once the last child is out the door, cleaned the schoolroom to prepare for another day tomorrow. The sun shone brightly on the spring afternoon as the new birds chirped their songs in the piney branches above. A butterfly fluttered by and as she looked longingly at it. Oh, little butterfly, may I fly away with you? Can you carry me to the west where I can meet a rugged cowboy who will sweep me off my feet? Ashley asked as the butterfly flew off without a care.

Ashley still lived with her parents and her sister, Abigail. Abigail had just turned eighteen and was keen on traveling south to meet her friend the fisherman. But Ashley didn't care for the stuffy heat in the South swamps. She longed to go to the places in the novels she had been reading to experience a life found only in her dreams. All of the books she read detailed the love stories about women who traveled west to marry ranchers and cowboys.

Ashley, dear, how was your day? Mother asked as she walked out of the kitchen arching her brow while carrying a glass of sweet iced tea. The graceful older woman sat down gathering her skirts about her and fanning herself from the stifling heat that already settled on Mississippi.

It was all right. I am looking forward to summer and a chance to stretch my legs and go exploring some, Ashley said as she stepped into the kitchen to pour a glass of tea for herself.

Mother pulled out her embroidery and begin stringing the periwinkle blue thread through her needle. I say, I think you should learn needlepoint and embroidery. You should spend your summer vacation wisely and not waste it away going exploring. A proper young lady doesn't need to work herself into a sweat, Mother said as she sewed the stitches on the white canvas sitting on her lap.

Ashley giggled knowing that Mother had no idea what this proper young lady actually did. It broke Mother and Father’s heart when she decided she wanted to become a school marm because Mother didn't think it was a proper thing to do. Ashley figured Mother would be horrified if she knew the things that Ashley dreamed about and read in some of those books.

We shall see, I think I'm going to go freshen up before supper and see what Abigail's up to, Ashley said as she set her glass of iced tea down and bent over to kiss Mother on the cheek. She didn't dare argue with Mother when the woman had pat ideas about what a proper young lady should do. And she would surely not like some of the things she and Abigail dared each other to do when no one was looking. Like swimming naked in Burns Creek. Or being dared to pick up a frog and kiss it on top of the head hoping it would indeed turn into