Brides of Brookdale-Box book 1-2

By Kent Hamilton

The Sheriffs Bride Summary

Sarah Johnson was beginning a new life.

She arrived in Brookdale, with the promise of marriage to the local Sheriff all the while desperately hoping that no one, especially her fiance, would discover who she truly was. She was born Sarah Clayborn. The daughter of an alcoholic and outlaw who ran a safe house in Oklahoma for the infamous

Mackenzie gang. When Sarah's father promised her in marriage to the gang's violent leader, Bruce Mackenzie, Sarah knew she had to get out. That was what had inspired her to answer James Rhodes' request for correspondence in the brochure. That was

also her reason for agreeing to marry the man after only five letters. She knew that she had to leave and could not afford to wait for romantic notions of love or belonging. It was enough that James Rhodes seemed like a decent man. And, the fact that he was a

lawman certainly helped. But, when she arrives in Brookdale, California and meets her new husband, she finds herself instantly attracted to the good looking but very shy and soft spoken man. Indeed, as days wear on, she finds herself falling in love with her

future husband. But, when she discovers a connection between the sheriff and her own past, it threatens to undo the life she has begun to build. Will Sarah be able to tell James the truth about who she is? Will James be able to keep Sarah safe from those who would see her harmed? And, most importantly, will James and Sarah be able to make a life together despite the forces conspiring to keep them a part?

The Inn Keeper's Daughter and the Mysterious Cowman-2

Pauline Wickerson longs for a life of adventure.

Working in her mother's boarding house in the small,sleepy town of Brookdale, California, excitement and adventure seem to be

in very short supply.That is why Pauline is thrilled when a mysterious stranger arrives to attend a wedding between James Rhodes and his Fiance, Sarah. Sam Derby, a friend of

the sheriff's from Texas, is a cowman who has spent nearly his entire life drifting from one place to the next. He also has a mysterious past as well as dozens of exciting

stories that Pauline can not seem to get enough of. When Sam takes a temporary job in Brookdale, Pauline does everything she can to get closer to him. Even though Sam

seems drawn to Pauline as well, he is clearly holding back from her. Something is keeping him from expressing his true feelings. Can it be that Mrs. Wickerson, Pauline's

mother, has made it clear that she will not allow her daughter to marry a penniless cow man? Or, is something darker from Sam's past pulling the two apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Heirs Publishing Company
• Release date: Oct 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386745648

Kent Hamilton

Author Kent Hamilton has always had a natural flair for writing, right from his school years. A student of Columbia University, he has over 15 years of writing experience and is an avid reader of clean romance, dramatic fiction and the classics. Kent passion for evoking raw emotion and his honest representation of the human experience makes his work relatable to his readers. He enjoys drawing on the experiences of his surroundings, observing the behaviors of others and combining this with a healthy dose of imagination. He is a keen communicator with an eye for detail and this is reflected in his writing. Having written short stories since he was a teenager, Kent also contributes to online blogs and enjoys reviewing novels from new and established authors. He is constantly open to learning new things and thrives on reading fiction that evokes emotion and stimulated the senses. Prior to writing his clean romance novel Without a Hitch, Kent spent several years traveling around Australia where he met his current partner. He lives with her and their one year old daughter and his other passions include cooking, photography and film. Without a Hitch is a novel that questions the notion of true, lasting love and draws the reader into the hearts of its protagonists. Kent has recently started another romance story which he hopes to publish next year.

Book preview

Brides of Brookdale

Box Series, Books 1-2

Table of Contents:

Book 1-The Sheriffs Bride

Book 2-The InnKeeper’s Daughter

The Sheriff's Bride

Book one

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter One

Sarah Clayborn sat in the stiff, wooden seat on the train, trying to forget who she was.

Your name is Sarah Johnson, she told herself silently. You were born in the little town of Coldbarrow, Kentucky. Your parents died in a house fire two years ago. You’ve been living with your Aunt and Uncle ever since.

Sarah had been over the invented story a million times. She thought she could recite these details in her sleep. Even so, a cold shiver ran down her spine at the thought of having to repeat them to her new fiancé. Writing something down in letters was one thing. Telling someone about herself in person; someone who might ask details about her life; details she might not yet have considered; was a different matter entirely.

Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the cool varnish of the train wall. She told herself not to think about her past. It was best not even to think about what she would say if it was mentioned.

She told herself instead, to think about James Rhodes. A picture of the man slowly moved to the front of her mind. Sarah smiled as she recalled the details in the photo he had sent her alongside his second letter.

He was tall. Very tall. She could tell from the way he stood near the fence post where he was posed. His dark hair flopped into his eyes even under the hat he wore. And, though she did not know the color of them, she knew his eyes shone with a kind of steady determination.

His eyes looked at her from that picture the same way his words had spoken to her through his letters. Steady, dependable, unmoving. That was how she saw him. And, that was exactly what Sarah needed.

After years spent moving about the West from one ramshackle home to another; years having to serve her father’s drunken friends; having to keep her mouth shut about the unspeakable things she saw them do; she wanted a simple, uncomplicated life with a steady, dependable man.

––––––––

It had not hurt at all that this particular man was a sheriff. Truth be told, that was what had drawn her to him when she saw his advertisement requesting correspondence with a young lady ‘with an eye towards matrimony.’ It was also what had caused her to accept his very first proposal. They had exchanged no more than five letters. His manner had been short and businesslike in each. Perhaps because of this, his proposal in the fifth came as something of a surprise to Sarah. But, it was a surprise that she was more than happy to accept.

She had no romantic illusions about her attachment to James Rhodes. She thought it fairly clear from the manner of his letters that he was not looking for love. But, nor was she. After the years spent with her father, there was only one thing she desired above all else. Safety. That was all she wanted from James Rhodes.

Next stop, Brookdale station!

The porter’s voice called out loud and clear. Sarah opened her eyes. She sat up and looked out the window at her new surroundings. Brookdale, California was a small mining town in the west of the state. Aside from the river which ran from the mountains to its north down from the town’s valley, the area around it was dry and almost desolate.

Only a small handful of trees grouped around the railroad tracks.

The rest of the passing landscape was filled with nothing but brush and crabgrass.

Finally, the train began to slow. They came to a stop beside the only building Sarah had seen through miles of travel.

It was a small wooden building, as plain and sturdy as she hoped to find the town itself. She needed a place where the life was slow, people were kind and there was no fear.

The porter helped her with her bag and she stepped off the train and onto the platform. As she looked around the small arrival platform, she began to feel waves of anxiety fill her. Not only because of the lies she had told James Rhodes about her past. She was beginning to worry about the meeting in general.

What if James Rhodes took one look at her and decided the entire thing had been a mistake? What if he sent her back to Kentucky? She couldn’t go back to her father. If she did not marry Mr. Rhodes, she would have nowhere left to go.

Sarah took a deep breath and told herself how very unlikely this was. She had sent the sheriff a picture of herself after all. He had declared her a very handsome woman. And, she knew that her looks were better in person than they came across in a photograph.

A black and white photograph could not convey the bright blue in her eyes or the shining curls of her blonde hair. Though the nicely formed curves of her body could be appreciated regardless.

Sarah had always known that she was attractive. Her mother used to tell her so constantly before she died. Her father used to parade her before his drunken friends, half jokingly promising to sell her off to whoever could buy him the largest whiskey.

She shuddered to think that he had eventually made good on his threat. The memory forced her back to her search for James Rhodes. Finally, she saw him moving towards her from the back of the station.

He was impossible to miss. Mr. Rhodes stood as tall as a church steeple and certainly taller than most men she knew. The lone curl of his black hair came down over his right eye, exactly as it had in his photograph. As he moved closer, his eyes met hers and she nearly gasped in surprise.

His dark, brown eyes were not at all what she had expected. Oh, they looked steady, sure and unmoving. Just as she had imagined. But, there was a spark behind them. The kind of spark she’d seen before in restless adventurers.

Sarah realized, suddenly, that a man who would take a position as a sheriff must have at least some taste for adventure. Most men in law enforcement did. The anxious tumult in her stomach grew when she realized that this arrangement may not have been all that she had expected.

Miss Johnson? James asked as he neared her. His voice was deep and steady. It caused Sarah’s fears to ease a bit.

Mr. Rhodes, she replied as coolly as she could. It is a pleasure to meet you at last.

You as well, Ma’am, he said. His eyes caught hers but, as soon as they did, he forced his gaze to his feet. She could see