A Cowboy To The Rescue

By Josie Donovan

In the California Gold Rush days, Annabelle is a recent widow who is adamant about not getting married again. Still underage, she is thrown in to an orphanage and immediately becomes the target of some men who run a white slavery business. She runs away from the town, with a vague notion of where some distant relatives live. She arrives in the next town over and meets a cowboy who is looking for a mail order bride. He soon marries her for her own protection, but the white slavers have something else in mind for her. Can the two find love while escaping the clutches of evil.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trellis Publishing
• Release date: Jul 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201068387

Book preview

Chapter 1

California 1850

Annabelle Smith tiptoed to the door and placed her ear against it. A conversation floated to her. A conversation that made the hair on the back of her neck prickle.

She was married before coming here, Mrs. Miller said.

Well, the paying fools won’t know. Half of them couldn’t tell a maiden from a well-seasoned salon girl once in their cups.

Bile rose in her as her hand flew to her mouth. She should have known not to trust Miss Miller with her sweet offer of room and board at the orphanage. Should have known something was not right by the weary looks of the young girls she met or how they started disappearing. She needed to flee and she needed to flee soon.

She tiptoed back from the door and pushed a stray lock of her hair from her face. It had come loose from her chignon like it usually did.

I will go and collect her, Mrs. Miller’s said.

Annabelle gasped and stumbled back. She fell against the wall. They wanted to take her now. The door flew open, and a big burly man stepped out. A snarl accented the thick black and gray beard that covered his face and matched his sinister black eyes.

I see our bounty has already come to us, he said.

Annabelle tipped her nose in their air like the plantation mistress in her home state of N.C. Sir, I believe you’re mistaking. I already have plans.

A harsh chuckle escaped him. Yes, you do. But not the....

Annabelle yanked the candle off the wall scone and tossed it at the burly man. Flames engulfed his jacket as a curse slipped from him.

Annabelle raced to the door and flung it open as the sounds of pounding footsteps followed her. Perhaps,