The Rancher's Bride

By Ruth Ann Nordin

Sometimes the right person comes at the worst possible time...

Having suffered through the horrors of the Civil War, ex-doctor Thayne Jackson believes he’s the worst possible candidate for marriage. He has chosen, instead, to live a quiet and peaceful life raising his orphaned niece. But when a beautiful young woman with a two-year-old boy shows up injured in his barn, everything changes.

Abby Gray has one mission: to get Lloyd back to his father. She must not get distracted by the fact that Thayne is kind and honorable, and she must certainly not dwell on her growing attraction toward him. Once she’s healed, she has to leave. She can’t stay at this ranch and make a life with him and his niece. There’s no “ifs, ands, or buts” about it.

Except there’s a ten-year-old matchmaker in their midst who is determined to get the two of them together. And she’ll come up with an assortment of creative ways to do it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruth Ann Nordin
• Release date: Jun 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463126752

Ruth Ann Nordin

Ruth Ann Nordin has written seventy romances, ranging from Regencies to historical westerns to contemporaries. She plays with other genres from time to time, but her first love is romance. She has been happily married for eighteen years to a sweet and funny guy, and they have four sons, who are all taller than Ruth now that they're 12, 13, 14, and 16. The good thing is she doesn't need a ladder, and there's always someone to take care of a mouse that squeezes its way into her Montana home. She considers herself very lucky to have led such a charmed life. Being able to play with characters and create stories is just icing on the cake. Hopefully, she'll get to keep doing this many years to come.

Book preview

Wyoming Series: Book 2

The

Rancher’s

Bride

Ruth Ann Nordin

This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and also represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher.

The Rancher’s Bride

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2020 Ruth Ann Nordin

Cover image of background and interior cover image Dreamstime. www.dreamstime.com. All rights reserved – used with permission.

Cover image of couple from Period images - https://www.periodimages.com. All rights reserved – used with permission.

Cover made by Stephannie Beman

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without expressed written consent of the publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

http://www.ruthannnordin.com

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Coming Next: The Fugitive’s Bride

Complete List of Ruth’s Books

Where to Find Books

Chapter One

(Author’s Note: This scene takes place on the night Abby, Mic, Wade, and Jeremiah rescued two-year-old Lloyd from Charles in The Outlaw’s Bride.)

End of August 1868

South of Laramie, Wyoming

Abby Gray grunted as the horse landed after its jump over the fence. In her arm, her two-year-old nephew cried. She renewed her hold on him. She used the reins with her free hand to lead the horse further north on an unfamiliar ranch.

As soon as she’d realized one of Charles’ men was pursuing her, she abandoned her plan to go to Mic’s cabin and went in the opposite direction. She needed to protect her nephew, but she also had to protect Mic, Wade, and Jeremiah. Under no circumstance could she let Charles find their hideouts.

A gunshot rang through the air, and she felt a bullet graze her left arm.

That was too close.

She veered sharply to the right, making sure Lloyd didn’t fall out of her lap. A cow looked over in her direction as she approached. She veered to the left and narrowly avoided running into it.

Her horse neighed but obeyed her commands as she continued guiding him through the pasture. She heard another shot from behind her, but this time, the bullet didn’t come close to her. She found another section of the fence that would take her off the rancher’s land.

Hold on, she told Lloyd and braced herself for the impact of another jump.

The horse took them over the fence and through the air. Once again, they landed hard on the ground, but she didn’t grunt this time. She led the horse away from the house. The last thing she needed was to get innocent people involved in this mess.

It’ll be over soon, she told the crying boy, hoping her words might offer him some comfort.

The poor thing was so scared. And who could blame him? He’d been Charles’ prisoner for a year. He didn’t remember her. All he knew was that he’d woken up from a peaceful sleep when she carried him out of the house. For all he knew, she was taking him into a dangerous situation instead of rescuing him from it.

The man behind her shot at her again, but she managed to narrowly avoid being hit.

She raced along the field. There was nothing before her except open land. No trees. No fences. No houses. She didn’t know where she was going. If she could take a moment to look at the sky, she’d find the north star and get an idea of which direction she was heading, but there was no time for looking up.

She glanced back and saw that the man was closing in on her.

Muttering a word she’d heard Wade use once, she used the horse to dodge another bullet as he shot at her.

This wasn’t working. He was going to catch up to her. And when he did, he was going to succeed in shooting her, and then he would get Lloyd and take him right back to Charles. Then the sacrifices she and her family made would be in vain.

She let go of the reins of the horse, brought her other arm around Lloyd, whispered a prayer, and let herself fall off the horse. She sailed through the air and crashed into the ground hard on her left side. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she and Lloyd went rolling on the ground like ragdolls. She held Lloyd tightly to her in an attempt to buffer him from the effects of the impact.

When they came to a stop, she allowed herself a couple of seconds to regain her equilibrium before she let go of Lloyd. Stay here, she told him.

She hurried to remove the knife at her side and looked for Charles’ man. She had taken him by surprise. He was still on his horse, and he had passed her and Lloyd.

Good. The fall might have bought her and the boy the few extra seconds they needed. She glanced at the boy. Lloyd was curled up into a ball and sobbing.

She directed her attention back to Charles’ man. He had turned the horse around. His gaze went to her. Ignoring the pain in her left side, she renewed the grip on the knife in her right hand and ran away from Lloyd.

The man kicked his horse in the sides and headed for her. She heard him shoot the gun and swerved to the right. He missed her. Thank goodness he wasn’t that great of a shot. Otherwise, he would have gotten her. By now, he should have run out of bullets. She heard the click of his gun and knew she was right.

She breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he didn’t have time to reload the gun, she stood a better chance of getting out of this alive, and then she could take Lloyd to Wade.

She slowed her steps and looked back at him. He was running straight for her. She couldn’t outrun him. No matter how many times she’d tried, she could never outrun a man, and while that had often frustrated her, she’d learned to compensate for it.

She stopped and turned to face him. In the moonlight, she didn’t see him holding anything but the gun. And that gun was no longer a threat. By the looks of it, he planned to run right into her. She hid the knife behind her thigh and spread her legs far enough apart so that she had perfect balance.

She noted the grin on his face and knew what he was thinking. He was thinking that this was going to be easy. He was thinking that he had her exactly where he wanted her.

Good. Because of their brawn, men often made the mistake of assuming it was easy to go up against a woman. That gave her an advantage.

A second before he rammed into her, she swung the knife forward. His eyes widened in surprise and he came to a complete stop when her knife made contact with his stomach.

She removed the knife and slit his throat before he had time to react. Then she shoved him away before any of his blood got on her. He fell onto his back like a sack of rocks.

She put her hands on her knees and lowered her head. She focused on steadying her breathing. Even if she had been trained to fight, it took her a few moments to gather her composure once the combat was over.

It wasn’t until her heart and breathing slowed that she was able to make out where Lloyd was. She took a deep breath and straightened up. She saw that Lloyd hadn’t moved from his spot. She didn’t know if he’d watched her kill the man or not. It was hard to make out whether his face was turned toward her from this distance.

She took a step toward him and winced. Her left side, especially her ribs, hurt. But it’d been worth it. Lloyd was safe. He wouldn’t be going back to Charles.

As she made her way back to the boy, she saw her hat. She picked it up, set it on her head, and tucked her braid under it. In case someone saw them, she wanted them to think she was a young man. A man wasn’t vulnerable all alone in the open field with a young child like a woman was. She’d intentionally worn a large shirt and baggy jeans for this reason.

She reached Lloyd and knelt by him. Using her right arm, she brought Lloyd in for a hug. I’m sorry, she whispered. I had hoped for a safe and smooth rescue. God willing, you’re too young to remember this.

She didn’t want to traumatize the poor kid. Yes, life out in this territory could be rough, but no child should be subjected to the worst of humanity.

When Lloyd stopped crying, she tried to pick him up, but a sharp pain pierced her left side. She grimaced and put her right hand over her left side. She had to wait until the pain ebbed before she could focus on her nephew.

She released her breath then asked, Can you walk?

He hesitated but nodded.

Good, she said. I need you to walk with me.

She almost added that she was going to find some place safe for them, but she couldn’t guarantee that, and the last thing she wanted to do was lie to a little boy. It was bad enough she’d just scared him by taking him from the only home he’d ever known.

She scanned the land around them. Her horse and the man’s horse had run off. She and the boy were alone along the flat landscape. Her gaze went to the sky. She found the north star, and while that helped her get her bearings, she couldn’t make out the exact mountain she needed to go to. She let out a defeated sigh. In her attempt to keep Mic’s hideout safe, she’d ended up getting lost.

She needed rest. So much had happened. It was hard to think straight, especially when she had a helpless child to protect. Maybe once she and Lloyd had an hour or two to relax, she’d be able to think better.

But they couldn’t just sit out here. They needed shelter. That was the only way she could let her guard down. Otherwise, she had to worry about the wild animals. A dead body rotting in the field would end up attracting something like a wolf or coyote, and she didn’t want to be around when it did.

About two miles away was a ranch. The windows were all dark. No one was awake. The barn would make a good hiding place while she and Lloyd gathered their strength for the journey ahead.

She took the boy’s hand. You have nothing to worry about, she told him. I’m your aunt, and I’m going to take care of you.

Giving his hand a comforting squeeze, she led him toward the barn.

***

Thayne Jackson did his best to ignore gunshots in the distance as he helped another doctor bring a wounded soldier into the tent.

What are we doing so close to the battle? the doctor asked him.

We have to be close, Thayne said, breathing hard from the effort of carrying yet another man out of harm’s way. During the last battle, there had been so many men lying on the field dead that he vowed he wouldn’t stay as far back again. We can save more lives this way.

What good will that do us if we lose our own? another doctor asked. We can’t take care of anyone if we’re dead.

We took an oath to save lives, Thayne said. Sometimes that means taking risks.

They set the Confederate soldier on the blanket, and Thayne tore open the young man’s shirt. He had two bullets. One in his shoulder, and another high up in the chest.

I think we can save him, Thayne said. He glanced over at the nurse who was giving one of the wounded men some water. Bianca, I need some clean cloths and fresh water. His attention went to the doctor across from him. Go on and bring that other soldier in, Lenny. His wounds aren’t as serious as this boy’s are.

Though Lenny didn’t look all that happy, he hurried to obey him. Thayne took a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead with his arm. When was this war going to end?

The soldier in front of him groaned and asked for his mother. Thayne took a good look at him. If he had to guess, the boy was fifteen, maybe sixteen. He shook his head in disgust. No one so young should be made to fight in a war.

He set his hand on the boy’s good shoulder. Son, he said.

The soldier opened his eyes and looked at him.

I’m going to take the bullets out, Thayne told him, but I have nothing to deaden the pain. He picked up the leather strap next to the blanket and showed it to him. I’m going to put this between your teeth. When the pain gets to be too much, you bite down on this. Understand?

The boy nodded and tears filled his eyes. Am I going to die?

No. You’re going to live. He set the leather strap into the boy’s mouth. You’ll see your mother soon. He patted his shoulder again. She’ll be glad to see you again.

Bianca set the washbowl and cloths next to him. I’ll get bandages, she said then left.

The other doctor set down a Union soldier on the nearby blanket, and another nurse hurried to help him.

Thayne washed his hands in the bowl of fresh water Bianca had brought over to him. He wiped his hands on the cloth then picked up a bottle of gin. He poured the alcohol over the instruments to sterilize them. The conditions weren’t ideal for operating on people. The place wasn’t nearly as clean as it should be, but they were forced to work with what they had.

Just as he was ready to operate, two Union soldiers broke into the tent.

One of the doctors stood up and ran over to them. Get out of here. We’re tending to the wounded.

They barged past him and headed straight for Thayne.

You can’t work on him, one of them said.

The boy’s eyes flew open, and Thayne saw his face grow white with fear.

Thayne rose to his feet, got between them and the boy, and faced them. I’m a doctor. My job is to help anyone who’s injured.

He’s the enemy, the Union soldier snapped.

He’s a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid who’s been dragged into a war he didn’t create, Thayne replied in irritation. It’d been a long twenty-six hours, and he’d only had a couple hours of sleep to cope with everything. Keep your fighting to the field.

Thayne turned back to the boy, but the Union soldier grabbed his arm and forced him to direct his attention back to him. My job is to kill the enemy. He directed his gun at Thayne. You’re on our side. I don’t want to kill you. Step aside and let me do my job.

Thayne pushed the Union soldier away from him, and a gunshot rang through the air.

With a gasp, Thayne woke up.

A nightmare. It was a dream. He wasn’t still in the war. He wasn’t still on the battlefield. He wasn’t still fighting to keep wounded soldiers—a couple as young as fourteen—alive.

It’s all in the past. It’s all behind me now.

But the tears going down his face told him otherwise. No matter how long he lived, he’d never leave the war. It would always be a part of him. All he could do was live through it. And at thirty-two, he felt as if he’d gone through several lifetimes.

He sat up in the bed. He’d slept too long on his right side. His leg was stiff.

He pushed the blankets aside. The scar from the Union soldier’s bullet was still there in his right thigh, but the bullet had come out, and he could still walk.

He took the cane from next to him and swung his legs over the side of the bed. There was a mild pain that ran from his leg up to his back, but it would work itself out as the day wore on. The cane, however, might still be needed through the rest of the day.

It was worth it. He never regretted the wound he’d gotten that day on the battlefield. The boy had lived. He’d gone back to see his mother. He’d never have to enter another battlefield again.

God willing, the country would never go into another war again. He put his forehead on the smooth edge of the cane and gave himself time to adjust to the present.

He was in the Wyoming territory. He was living on a peaceful ranch. He was taking care of his ten-year-old niece. Her parents were no longer alive. She only had him. He would get up today because of her.

Once his heart rate calmed to a normal pace, he stood up. He grimaced. The pain in his leg and back got worse. He would have to walk it off. It always got better after he walked.

Using the cane, he limped over to the pitcher on his dresser and poured water into it. He washed the streaks the tears had left on his face and took in a cleansing breath.

Soon, he’d start breakfast with his niece, Katie, and then he’d go to the barn to milk the cow. Then life would have a sense of normalcy to it. Some might look at a rancher’s life and consider it boring. Doing the same thing day after day, week after week, year after year…

He preferred it.

Feeling ready for the day ahead of him, he went to the dresser and pulled out his clothes for the day.

Chapter Two

Abby woke up to the sound of someone slowly walking across the floor of the barn. Her eyes flew open, and she sat straight up. Pain shot right up her left side and wrapped around her chest. She gritted her teeth so she wouldn’t cry out. The last thing she needed was to get caught.

Though she couldn’t see the doorway of the barn from where she and Lloyd were hiding in the corner behind a couple of large barrels, she could see that it was morning. She resisted the urge to mutter another word she’d heard Wade use from time to time. She couldn’t believe it. She’d overslept. She was only supposed to doze off for a couple of hours and then

Reviews for The Rancher's Bride

[sharon dean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Short and sweet little read. Enjoyed this book much better than the first book in the series. On to book three