Canceled-Order Bride (Sons Of A Gun Book 1) Read online

  CANCELED-ORDER BRIDE

  SONS OF A GUN SERIES

  BOOK 1

  Brenda Sinclair

  Kindle Edition

  ISBN 978-1-926474-21-2

  Copyright 2020 by Brenda Sinclair

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Except for use in any review, the reproduction of this work in whole or in part in any form now known or hereafter invented is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names.

  Lily Watson arranges to become the mail-order bride of a successful cattle rancher. She’s elated to escape marriage to a conniving man forty years her senior, but minutes before boarding the train, she receives a telegram stating the groom has changed his mind. That will never do! Using money her late mother left her, Lily travels to Montana Territory anyway.

  Jackson McLennon enjoys a laugh when he learns his sister corresponded on his father’s behalf with an aging mail-order bride. When Lily Watson shows up at the family ranch despite the canceled proposal, both Lily and his father are in for a shock. Jackson has never set eyes on such a beautiful young woman, and now that his father has met Lily, Jackson worries his pa might regret withdrawing the proposal.

  Lily’s determined to make Montana her home. Or will her past follow Lily out West and jeopardize her hopes for a happy future?

  DEDICATION

  To the memory of all the young ladies of yesteryear

  who braved the wild frontier and traveled west to become,

  from necessity or by choice,

  a mail-order bride.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Title

  Story Blurb

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Next in the Series

  Acknowledgements

  Books by Brenda Sinclair

  About the Author

  Find Brenda At

  Chapter 1

  Milestone, Montana Territory

  April 1885

  Lily Watson’s life had never moved further left of normal.

  She gazed out the small window as the stagecoach rumbled down Milestone’s rutted streets leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The conveyance had jostled her to within an inch of her life since they left Butte, and she couldn’t wait for the moment when the driver opened the coach door and she could escape this torture.

  Lily craned her neck for a better view of the town which appeared larger than she’d expected. Perhaps she wasn’t arriving in no man’s land after all. She lost count of the number of storefronts they passed along Main Street which seemed endless in length. Everything from a livery to a law office, a feed store to a hardware, a hotel and a cooperage. Two ladies stood laughing outside the Milestone Hotel, both clasping a child’s hand and holding a baby in her arm. The women looked so happy. Could Lily ever hope for an equally content life for herself?

  The coach’s passage disturbed the horses tied to hitching rails on either side of the street, making them shuffle their feet and swish their tails. The longest hitching rail with the most horses occupied a spot close to the boardwalk outside the Copper Nugget Saloon. She imagined the riders inside becoming more and more inebriated, downing the beer and spirits as if they were the last they’d ever drink. The sound of her father stumbling into their Boston home and their heated arguments concerning his drinking echoed in her mind, but she blocked the unpleasant memories from her consciousness.

  The stagecoach jolted to a halt outside the Milestone General Store. Lily quickly covered the window with the cloth curtain to prevent the enveloping cloud of dust from entering. Her traveling companions collected their belongings in anticipation of disembarking while she tightly clasped her reticule to her chest. She’d waited so long for this moment, and now she silently questioned her wisdom. Had she done the right thing coming to Montana?

  In a short time, she would meet in person the cattle rancher she still hoped would become her future husband, despite the troubling telegraph informing her that the owner of the Double M Ranch, Mr. A. J. McLennon, had changed his mind and was withdrawing his offer of marriage.

  That would never do!

  Not after what her father had done. What had he been thinking? Of course, Harold Watson had seldom seen a sober day since her mother passed from influenza three months ago. Lily’s eyes filled with tears and she blinked furiously to keep them from falling. The pain of losing her beloved mother so suddenly kept her emotions raw. And her father’s unthinking decision while living under the control of a liquor bottle only added to her loss. She would never forgive him for putting her in such a reprehensible situation.

  “You’re next, miss.” The stooped old driver offered his thin, wrinkled hand.

  Lily stood and he helped her down the slightly wobbly step onto the wooden boardwalk outside the store. “Thank you, sir.” She shook out her skirts and heaved a sigh. “Finally,” she added in a whisper.

  “The convenience is around the left side of the store, miss.”

  Lily nodded in appreciation. She definitely required the use of the facilities before doing another thing, and she headed off in the direction he’d indicated.

  A few minutes later, Lily returned to the storefront. Her two trunks and three wooden boxes of belongings had been stacked on the sidewalk, but the stagecoach was nowhere in sight. She entered the store, and after a few moments, her eyes adjusted to the dim interior. She gazed at the floor to ceiling shelves filled to overflowing with everything from kitchen staples to sewing supplies, from clothing to harness. My goodness, if the owner didn’t stock it, it probably wasn’t needed!

  “Good afternoon.” A skinny gentleman wearing a clean storekeeper’s apron greeted her from beside a shelf stacked with canned goods near the front counter. A pair of brown eyes peered over his wire-rimmed eyeglasses and a broad smile appeared on his face. “I’m Ray Cochrane. Welcome to Milestone! Can I help you with something?”

  “Delighted to meet you, Mr. Cochrane.” She approached him, smiling. “I’m Miss Lily Watson, newly arrived from Boston. Could you please direct me to a reputable hotel? And I’ll require a hired buggy and driver to take me to the Double M Ranch tomorrow.”

  “The Double M?”

  “Yes, please. I have somethin
g to discuss with the owner.”

  “There’s someone here from the Double M right now. He’ll be heading back in a few minutes. I’ll ask him to take you along with him.” Ray strode toward the back of the store.

  “No! I’d prefer a night’s rest and…” Lily waved one hand hoping to slow Mr. Cochrane’s retreat, but he disappeared from sight. She sighed, shoulders slumping. So much for resting up and preparing her mind for the inevitable encounter with Mr. McLennon who’d relegated her to the position of canceled-order bride.

  Lily wandered the aisles, too nervous to linger in one spot. A sandy brown dog sprawled on a braided rag rug next to an unlit woodstove. Someone had hand-painted his name, Buster, on the metal dish next to him. The hound’s eyes followed her progress through the establishment. Did the beast alert the shopkeeper if someone attempted to leave with an item of merchandise without paying?

  “Hello, Buster,” she muttered, having no intention of challenging the animal’s surveillance skills. Although his alert eyes never left her, the dog’s tail wagged. Perhaps an indication she’d passed the canine’s test of her honesty.

  She returned to the front counter to wait for Mr. Cochrane’s return, intending to explain she wasn’t ready to travel to the ranch. She required a bath and a good night’s rest before presenting herself and pleading her case. Looking as dusty and bedraggled as an alley cat, she wouldn’t create a good impression in anyone’s mind. And foremost in her plans, she must convince Mr. McLennon to reconsider the canceled proposal. She was never returning to Boston.

  Minutes later, the storekeeper returned. “I’ve arranged a ride for you, miss. I mentioned that you’ve come all the way from Boston.”

  Lily turned at the sound of the shopkeeper’s voice. “That really wasn’t necessary until tomorrow.”

  “No time like the present.” The tall tanned gentleman who spoke towered over Mr. Cochrane, and his piercing blue eyes met hers. The man whom she assumed was a Double M ranch hand wore surprisingly clean woolen trousers and a like-new white shirt beneath his vest. His well-worn boots would be attributed to hard work. Collar length brown hair peeked out from under a black Stetson.

  Lily stood speechless, recalling the collection of pasty-faced dandies her father had introduced her to as potential suitors in Boston. Staring at this fellow, she’d never encountered a man who better exemplified tall and handsome. Goodness, surely all Montana ranch hands didn’t resemble this magnificent specimen of manhood. She felt herself blushing, fearing the fellow might have realized where her thoughts had wandered.

  “We best be going now, miss.” All businesslike, the ranch hand turned toward the back of the store and motioned for her to precede him. “Ray told me your trunks and boxes are out front. We’ll bring the rig around, load your belongings, and then we can leave.”

  Lily dutifully accompanied him through the store, around a maze of storage room aisles, and then out the back door. At least while they traveled, she could silently practice the words she hoped would convince the rancher they could still share a future together.

  Moments later, she stood contemplating how she’d clamber onto the supply wagon’s seat. Before she realized what was happening, the ranch employee’s tanned hands clasped her around her middle, and then he lifted her onto the wagon. He appeared completely unaffected by the personal contact. “Take a seat, miss. Won’t take more than a couple minutes to load your things.”

  In contrast, Lily’s heart had almost stopped when he touched her so unexpectedly. She shook out her skirts and seated herself before her knees buckled. The handsome ranch hand climbed up, took the reins, and then drove the rig around to the front of the store where he loaded her possessions in no time at all. She sat in silence, completely befuddled.

  “Hang on, miss. We’re on the way.” He flicked the reins and waved to Ray standing on the sidewalk.

  Considering it the polite thing to do, Lily waved also, although uncertain the shopkeeper wasn’t condemning her to a horrible end at the hands of a total stranger. She heaved a sigh, recalling the mail-order bride agency owner had warned her that rules of decorum were less strict on the frontier than in the city. The appropriateness of a single woman traveling alone with a total stranger in a wagon must fall within these looser proprietary guidelines. Neither Mr. Cochrane nor the ranch hand had blinked an eye at the notion. Adjusting to life in Montana Territory might take some time, and she blamed her tired mind for considering the unlikely possibility the two men were working in collusion to plot her demise. She definitely required sleep.

  After leaving the town limits, Lily stared into the distance as the wagon meandered through connecting valleys each surrounded by the most majestic mountains. Some appeared snow-capped and covered with trees, while others were bare slabs of various colored rock. The wagon crossed grassy valleys generously peppered with sage and occasionally followed a trampled path running alongside a river. She considered the likelihood the river was spring fed from the mountains and the water would be icy cold. Hopefully, the ranch hand had honed his skills with the reins, ensuring they wouldn’t take a spill into its frigid depths.

  Seated on the supply wagon’s hard wooden seat, she wrung her hands and once again questioned the wisdom of her actions. Had she done the right thing? She needed to stop second-guessing herself; she hadn’t another choice. “I’m never returning to Boston.”

  “Did you say something, miss?” the ranch hand drawled.

  Lily grimaced, feeling her face redden. She must have audibly voiced her last thought. She stared at the brooding man. “Nothing important. Just thinking out loud.”

  He simply nodded and stared straight ahead. The dog at the general store had appeared more friendly.

  “Are there fish in the river?” she blurted before she could stop herself.

  “Trout mostly, I reckon,” he muttered.

  Had she been too eager to accept the fellow’s offer to transport her to the ranch? She must look a sight in her crumpled emerald traveling outfit, and her face and hair were gritty with dust. She’d planned to hire a driver at the livery in the morning, after indulging in a hot bath, a substantial meal, and a good night’s rest at a reputable hotel or rooming house. Well, that hadn’t happened. Now, here she was riding who knows where with a strange man. Well, he didn’t appear strange, but he was a stranger to her. The storekeeper seemed a good person, not prone to putting young ladies in danger’s path. Have faith, Lily, she encouraged herself.

  “I hope you won’t be in trouble for agreeing to bring me with you.” She had no idea how many miles from town the ranch was situated. Surely there wouldn’t be an overnight stay. Alone on the range. With this stranger. An involuntary shiver raced up her spine.

  “Not a problem, ma’am.”

  “If you’re certain.” She’d expected to pay him, but so far he hadn’t mentioned any required monetary compensation for his time and the use of the wagon to transport not only her, but also the trunks and boxes she’d brought. Knowing she’d never return to Boston, she’d packed everything she owned.

  “Is there payment required to bring me along?” Lily inquired, clasping her reticule. She’d tucked a few bills inside before hiding the rest of her funds in one of the trunks.

  “No charge, ma’am.”

  “Thank you. That’s very generous.” She sighed. “And my accompanying you to the Double M won’t be an inconvenience to anyone?”

  “Won’t be any trouble at all.” The ranch hand chuckled softly. “Leastwise, I don’t think so,” he added in a whisper.

  Why was he smiling? She shifted on the bench seat. Of the two of them, perhaps she would be the one in trouble. Was the annoying man anticipating a front-row seat when the ranch owner learned of her presence on his property? She could be the star attraction for a verbal go-around with Mr. McLennon concerning her arrival despite the broken engagement.

  Don’t be ridiculous, Lily. This ranch hand wouldn’t have the slightest inkling as to her purpose for coming to th
e ranch. She’d spent too long traveling, and her mind had become muddled beyond intelligent thought. First, spending days on a train. Lastly, jostling across the rangeland between Butte and Milestone. Now, she was enduring a spine-numbing, bottom-bruising jarring on the wooden seat of this confounded wagon.

  “How far is it to the ranch from Milestone?” A strong breeze lifted one side of her wide brim and she grabbed hold of it for fear the ribbons would loosen and her favorite hat fly across the valley.

  “About forty minutes northwest,” he muttered.

  Lily gasped. The stagecoach travelled south from Butte and might have passed by the ranch on the way to Milestone. Forty minutes! Every bone in her body ached; they must have been traveling longer than that already. “Are you taking a scenic route for my benefit?”

  He stared at her as if she’d asked a completely moronic question. “No, ma’am.”

  “But we’ve been traveling for ages.” She shifted on the bench seat as they passed under a towering DOUBLE M RANCH sign, the lettering burned into a weathered wooden crossbeam erected atop tall log posts. “How long until we reach the Double M?”

  “We’ve been crossing the southern corner of Double M land for the past twenty minutes, ma’am.” He touched the brim of his Stetson. “Won’t be more than another ten minutes or so until we reach home.”

  She slumped on the seat and stared ahead. Mountains, trees, grass, and sage; the surroundings hadn’t changed since leaving Milestone. The moment the wagon topped another hill, she gazed upon a sea of white-faced, red-coated cattle that covered the expansive grassland ahead. There had to be hundreds of the beasts leisurely grazing, a few of them lying in the sparse shade of the sprinkling of birch and evergreens. Miniature versions of the cattle frolicked at their mothers’ sides, kicking up their hooves in playful abandon.

  “Those baby cows are so cute,” she gushed.

  “Calves, ma’am. They’re called calves.”