The Runaway Bride: Western Destinies, #3

By Blythe Carver

Alistair's life is almost completely perfect. He's got the ideal job, in the ideal town. He's only missing one thing. A wife. That would complete his life and make it perfect.  He reaches out to his friends Luke and Dylan who have a magazine and they help him compose an advertisement for a bride. Lo and behold, he's pleasantly surprised when a lady from Virginia responds. He's even more surprised when she appears—practically on his doorstep—ahead of schedule and darned near with no notice.

 

Lydia's got a problem. A huge one that has a heavy hand and a short temper. So what's she to do? She leaves town and heads toward the man she's been corresponding with. A man who's captured her heart with his words. She didn't plan to arrive early and without much notice, but with her life at stake, what else can a woman do? Now what's she going to do when Alistair starts to ask the hard questions? The ones she is loath to answer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BCP
• Release date: Apr 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201710781

Book preview

1

Alistair Brinkman pulled back on the lines, eyeing the town he was about to pull into. It was bigger than he’d been anticipating, but there was nothing wrong with that. He wasn’t looking for a one-horse town to keep law and order. There was a main road going straight through the middle of the town, and that’s the one he rode in on. The first building he saw was the hotel, but only because it was the tallest of them all. It was a four-story building while most were just one with a scattering of two and three from the beginning of the town to the end of it.

When Alistair had still been close to Bighorn, Texas, where he was going to take over the sheriff’s position from the old gentleman who previously had the role, he’d stopped at the edge of a cliff overlooking the entire town. He was amazed by the simple beauty of it.

That was a picture he would have in his head for the rest of his life. He was sure of that. It had been the perfect time of day to stop and gaze upon the Texas landscape as the sun rose over the distant mountains and cast gentle rays of orange and yellow across the rolling green. The beauty of it all was not interrupted by the sudden emergence of buildings, people, and animals where the town stood. It only added to it.

He was satisfied overall with the size of the town. He was already aware he had five deputies. That was a good amount for a town with only about sixteen avenues and fourteen streets other than the main road.

Alistair was impressed as he rode into town slowly, scanning the passersby, women corralling their children, their children corralling their dogs and cats and younger siblings.

He got some looks as he rode toward the jailhouse at the end of the main road on the left, right before First Avenue block. They were looks, not of disdain, fear, or distrust. He was relieved to see friendliness and welcoming in the eyes, and the smiles of the strangers who he hoped someday would be friends he rode past.

He tipped his hat several times, nodding at some of the ladies. They gave him the typical grin and giggle, hiding whatever they had to say about him behind gloved hands. Alistair wasn’t insecure. He was tall, had wavy, dark hair, and deep brown eyes that women never hesitated to compliment him on. His shoulders were broad, and he had enough muscle to be confident he could win in a fist fight should he ever get in one. He’d won every fight he’d ever been in, meaning he got the other fellow to either back down or he simply knocked his opponent out.

Alistair Brinkman wasn’t a physical lawman, though. He didn’t enjoy fighting. But if he had to do it, he wouldn’t back down.

He reached the jailhouse unscathed, dismounted, and threw the reins over the hitching rail that ran along the front of the wide porch area.

Be back in a minute, he murmured to Arturus, his favorite animal on the planet. He patted the horse’s neck before hopping up the steps. He denied to himself that he was nervous. What did he have to be nervous about? He knew he was welcome in Bighorn. The last sheriff had recommended him, as he was a friend of Alistair’s father when they were young men. And that sheriff had been a very popular man in the town of Bighorn.

So Alistair was welcome as he was seen as a replacement for a great man. A man who had given the majority of his life keeping his neighbors and fellow Bighorn residents safe from thieves, murderers, outlaws, and Indians for the first forty years of Bighorn’s existence.

He didn’t expect much resistance and got none.

The door was opened before he got to it. Alistair was greeted by a shorter, thinner man with a shock of blond hair on his head and piercing blue eyes. The man was wearing a deputy’s outfit. He held out one hand, which Alistair noticed was at the end of quite a long arm.

Sheriff Brinkman? Alistair Brinkman? the man asked enthusiastically.

That’d be me, Alistair responded, grinning wide and taking the man’s hand. They shook, and the deputy stepped back to let him pass in front of him.

Deputy Max Cranwell, the man said, introducing himself. The other four deputies had shown up that morning, Alistair noticed with satisfaction. It meant something to him when his deputies went out of their way by coming in when they were not scheduled to show support and meet their new boss. Max swept his arm from one to the other, naming them off when he was indicating them. Deputies Rob Duncan, Fred Manners, Johnny Lancaster, and Brian Banderson at your service, sir. We are all glad to have you here. We haven’t been organized a day since Sheriff Franklin retired and went to work on his garden instead of the town troublemakers.

Alistair grunted out a chuckle. He stepped forward to meet each of the deputies and shake their hands individually.

I’m real glad to be here, he said, nodding at each as he made his way from first to last. I hear good things about Bighorn. A little bigger than I was expecting, but I’m sure Sheriff Franklin had things running smoothly, so there’s not a whole lot I’ll need to change, that right?

It was Max who nodded in reply as the others turned their eyes to him. It was clear to Alistair immediately that they had relied on Max’s leadership skills to get them through in the interim between Sheriff Franklin leaving and Alistair arriving in Bighorn.

Alistair had no problem having a second in command. He gave the man a big grin and gestured to the office door that had the word Sheriff painted on the front.

That my office?

Max nodded, averting his eyes to the door for only a moment. Sure is, he replied.

Come on in, and let’s have a chat.

2

Two weeks had passed, and Alistair had settled in nicely. He felt he was ready to take the next step in his journey to the life he wanted and was determined to have. The first goal he’d wanted to achieve was to obtain the position of sheriff in a town that was well-maintained, occupied by friendly, helpful people, and men under his command that were loyal and dedicated.

This goal was accomplished the day he rode into Bighorn. That couldn’t be denied. Bighorn was his town, and he was already as in love with it as it seemed to be of him. Already he’d been nominated to act as King of the County in the upcoming May Day Parade. It was sure to be a short parade, as only nine wagons had entered so far, but with his arrival, Mayor Ben Anderson was sure more people would be joining in.

Now his goal was to find a woman to fall in love with and marry. He had high expectations that since Bighorn seemed to be bigger than he’d thought, he would have a better chance of finding a woman. Unfortunately, it appeared that nearly every woman in Bighorn was already taken, too old, or too young for him.

At first, Alistair had despaired, thinking he was destined to be a bachelor until an available woman just happened to stumble on Bighorn. And the chances of her falling in love with him when half the town was made up of available bachelors were probably fairly slim. Who wanted to be the wife of a man who had to chase bad men for a living? He could get shot at any time.

He wouldn’t. But he could.

He’d only despaired until he expressed his fear over a beer in the saloon with Deputy Max, who had quickly become his closest friend. Max looked surprised by Alistair’s dilemma. The sheriff waited for him to mention how shocking it was a man like Alistair couldn’t find a bride.

But that wasn’t what his deputy said.

You know, you could always go the route of a bunch of other men in town. They all sent off for their brides. Put ads in Luke’s magazine and were able to choose by women who were interested in their ad.

Alistair left his gaze on Max, not quite sure what his deputy was talking about.

Max noticed his confusion and clarified, I’m talking about the mail order bride magazine Bridal Bliss that we have published here in Bighorn. That magazine goes all over the country, all the way to New York and Virginia and South Carolina. Do you want a southern belle? Choose a woman from a Carolina. Do you want a northern woman? New York is the way to go. That’s where all the ladies are, y’know.

Is that so? Alistair had never heard of such a scheme. And he’d thought of himself as knowledgeable about things of the world.

That’s so, Max responded, nodding. He looked over his shoulder and ran his eyes over the other patrons in the room, stopping at a table with two men sitting at it, eating a meal. There he is right there. Luke. Luke!

Embarrassed, Alistair turned his head away from Max, slumping his shoulders.

You ain’t gotta be embarrassed, Max said, noticing Alistair’s reaction. Everybody accepts the ladies that are brought here through his magazine. You’d have a better chance of being accepted this way than if you went off and found somebody from a nearby town. He leaned closer and appeared to be hiding his words from women who weren’t in the room. The ladies here don’t like changes nearby towns bring when they send their people here.

Alistair lifted his eyebrows. Like Indian tribes, he said. Marking their territory.

We don’t get many Indians through here, Max responded, turning his eyes to Luke, who was approaching. None that aren’t friendly, anyway. Luke, ya didn’t have to come on over here and leave your meal behind like that. I was gonna come over there. I just wanted to introduce you to the new sheriff, Alistair Brinkman.

Sheriff or Alistair is fine, Alistair said, slapping his hand with a cloth napkin before holding it out for Luke to shake.

Luke Turner. Good to meet you. The tall man turned his eyes back to Max, a curious look on his face. There a reason you thought I should meet the new sheriff? he teased. You think I’m some kind of troublemaker?

Max snorted with laughter, shaking his head. Nah, not at all. The sheriff here is lookin’ for a bride. I thought you might know a way to help him with that.

I think some might call me an expert on that topic, Luke replied, pulling a third chair from the table and plunking down in it, his face suddenly interested. Alistair’s first thought was that the man was very serious about his job. And his job was matching people together, apparently. Alistair had never met a male matchmaker before.

His thoughts brought a pleased grin to his face.

So, how are you going to help me out? he asked, shifting in his seat and giving Luke an interested look.

Well, first of all, you gotta put an ad in my magazine, Luke instructed, but first, I can give you some pointers on how you might want to present yourself. What you want to say, information you want to give, things like that.

Alistair was intrigued and impressed by the magazine man. He was enthusiastic and complimentary, saying Alistair, with his looks and position in town, should have no trouble attracting the right kind of woman.

In my opinion, Luke said, speaking quickly, "your position as Sheriff will mean that only ladies who are willing to abide by the law will respond to you. Women who respect the