Mail Order Widow

By Ellie Lynn

Travelling across the country to marry a complete stranger is scary enough, but when a freak accident leaves Katie Cavanaugh widowed after only a few short weeks, her world shatters. She moved to Calico to make a new start, not to start over by herself. Forced to confront frontier life on her own, she faces challenges that make her question everything.

Travis Sutherland is the town veterinarian. After a rough first meeting, he has no intention of falling for the town's new widow, but she's got the prettiest eyes he's ever seen and they draw him in like a magnet. Forced to spend time with her after one of her animals becomes sick, he finds himself attracted to Katie after all. Can he convince her to give him a chance?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Deslise Publications
• Release date: Feb 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370071708

Ellie Lynn

Ellie Lynn always wanted to be a writer, and since every writer she'd ever met said to 'write what you know', she started out writing romantic comedy. The comedy part she had figured out--y'see, she's a bit of a smartass in real life anyway. The romance part, not so much. Ellie writes under her own name, but other pen names include Jennifer Lynn and Rebecca Deslisle. Ellie lives in rural Saskatchewan with her husband, two incredibly spoiled dogs and Horatio the salamander. Ellie loves to interract with readers on her blog at http://romancewithsass.blogspot.ca/ on Twitter @ellielynnbooks or via Facebook www.facebook.com/ellielynnbooks

Book preview

Deslisle Publications

Mail Order Widow

By

Ellie Lynn

CLIMAX, SK

CANADA

Other Books By Ellie Lynn

Courting Carlie

Rebel Heart

Getting Over It

Calico Bride

Under A Calico Moon

Wyoming Wild

Matters Of The Heart

One Man's Treasure

Writing As Jennifer Lynn

Signed, Sealed & Delivered

Melting Miss McCool

New Prints In Old Calico

Chapter 1

Life was never going to be the same. Katie sat on the porch, staring out into the yard. This was it, this was what she had to look forward to for the rest of her life. She shook her head. With no family of her own, she’d answered a mail order bride advertisement, came all the way west and married a handsome rancher. Things were supposed to be better now that she was married. He was attractive and witty, and they got along as well as two strangers could in those early days. They’d even talked about starting a family of their own straight away. She was pretty sure that wasn’t going to happen, since her time had come and gone in the few weeks they’d been together. Her entire world came crashing down when George took a horse’s kick to the head. He died without ever regaining consciousness.

She was still in shock, and now stuck all alone on a ranch in the middle of a dusty desert. The nearest town wasn’t that far away, but she didn’t know a single person in Calico. Heck, she hadn’t even known the town existed until she arrived to meet her new husband.

He’d wanted to give her a horse of her own as a wedding gift. He’d found a beautiful chocolate brown mare, but she’d never been ridden before. He said he had to break the horse, which wouldn’t be too hard, seeing how she was a little mare and all. George had tamed many horses on his ranch and wasn’t too concerned. He left Katie baking bread while he went out into the corral with the horse. Something must have gone wrong though, for when Katie realized she hadn’t seen George in hours, she went outside to look for him. She found him unconscious in the corral, with a severely bleeding head wound. She screamed, and one of the ranch hands came running. After helping get her husband into the house, he rode into town to fetch the doctor, but it was too late.

The horror of that day rushed through her mind over and over. What was she to do now?

She sighed and got up to go back inside.

* * *

O'Farrel's General Store was at the end of the street, near the hotel on the corner where she'd gotten off the stagecoach upon her arrival in Calico. She'd been there only a handful of times with George, but this would be her first time venturing into the store without him. This was the first time she'd ventured into town without him, period.

A brass bell clanged as she opened the door, alerting the shopkeeper to her presence. A male voice with a light Irish brogue called out from a back room, I’ll be with ye in a moment.

Katie browsed the items on the shelves, pausing over some brightly colored fabric. She glanced down at her black mourning dress and sighed. Would she ever be able to wear yellow again?

He came into the room and slammed two sacks of flour onto the counter, cheeks ruddy from the exertion. Sorry about that, just fetchin’ supplies from the cellar. He turned to look at the new arrival. Oh, Mrs. Cavanaugh, I was sorry ta hear of yer husband’s accident. What brings ye to town today?

Thank you, Katie bowed her head for a moment as fresh tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. She swallowed, then looked up, making eye contact with the shopkeeper for a few seconds before her gaze danced away. I need some kitchen supplies and can’t put it off any longer. I don’t know anything about George’s accounts with you, but…

Mr. O’Farrel pushed a red curl off his forehead, then smiled. Don’t be worryin’ about that. Yer husband had a very large credit account with me, so you’ll be just fine for a long while. Now, what can I get for you today?

I’m in real need of some flour, sugar, baking soda, and molasses. Probably a few other things that I can’t think of right now, she said, looking longingly at the cheerful yellow fabric.

I’ll take yer wagon round back and start loadin’ it up fer ye, he said with a nod. Go ahead and wander about. Perhaps ‘twill jog yer memory for what else ye’d like to take back with ye. And don’t forget to check at the Post Office for yer mail. Probably have a few pieces waitin’ for ye. Mr. Cavanaugh came into town once a week to check the post, ye’ll need to remember to do the same, or have someone do it for ye. He looked over his shoulder. Jenny! he called. C’mon out and help Mrs. Cavanaugh with the rest of her needs.

Katie listened as the shopkeeper spoke, adding his suggestion to come to town weekly to check the Post