A cowboy who’s been jilted once before…
After gentleman rancher Jasper Stanley got stood up at the altar, he vowed never to be emotionally involved with a woman again. So when he arranges for a new bride to join him on the Golden C, he’s ready to engage in a productive, straightforward business deal.
Little does Jasper know that Rose Leigh Addison has adored him for years. But can he leave his broken heart behind long enough to see love on the horizon?
This sweet 24,000 word novella takes place right after Debra Holland’s BENEATH MONTANA’S SKY, after John Carter returns with his own new bride!
Excerpt from The Rancher's New Bride
She adjusted her straw hat, grabbed her belongings, then went to the exit. Steam hissed around her, bringing with it a humid, musty smell, and when the air cleared, she peered around the platform. At first, all she saw were porters unloading, but then…
Then there he was.
It was as if Rose Leigh were a child again, her heart catching in her throat at the sight of the tall man standing near the depot’s entrance. He was wearing a black hat and a matching coat and trousers, along with boots. Even from here she could see his dark eyes and a face brushed with whiskers—a face that had always been strong-featured and still was. At least he was still the same in that respect.
But the rest of him… Oh, the rest. Rose Leigh broke into a smile that she hoped this man of adventure and courage would recognize, even if he had only seen her a few times previous to leaving the city.
It was as if he looked right through her, and she actually peered behind her to see if someone else was there, capturing Jasper’s attention. Then she laughed at herself, her face heating as she wished her clothing and appearance were as lovely as Eleanor’s.
She almost wished she were Eleanor, but Rose Leigh knew that she was only here to take her cousin’s place. She wasn’t lacking a brain—she had known Uncle’s intentions—but even so, Rose Leigh had thought that perhaps…
What had she thought? That Jasper Stanley would quickly forget Eleanor and rush right up to her with open arms?
I’ll make him see that I can be just as good as my cousin. Yes, I will.
But as he made his way over to her, inspecting her every bit of the way, she nearly folded into herself, hiding as well as she could.
When he was mere feet away, he halted, his deep brown eyes assessing her even further. Her skin tingled, her lungs tight.
“Miss Addison?” he asked.
“Yes, Mr. Stanley.”
Was he thinking that, aside from her pale hair that was no doubt fixed into a sagging bun at the back of her hat, she was nothing like Eleanor? Where her cousin had a delicate face, with a classic nose and lips like a cupid’s bow, Rose Leigh had a nose that tilted up more than she would like, her bottom lip full, giving her a pouty look that didn’t fit her temperament. Certainly, Uncle had told her she was sullen most days, but Rose Leigh hadn’t felt that way, what, with all the books in the library that she could read when she didn’t have chores and all the recipes Cook taught her on a daily basis.
Jasper seemed to realize that the porter had unloaded Rose Leigh’s trunk, and he turned around to compensate him. Afterward, Rose Leigh attempted another smile at her future husband, and when he caught it, he nodded at her again, as if he didn’t quite know what to say.
She noticed that a cowboy and a woman dressed in a calico print had emerged from the depot. As the muscled man hefted the trunk onto a broad shoulder and began carrying it away, the blonde came forward to take Rose Leigh’s hands in hers.
“Welcome to Sweetwater Springs, Miss Addison. My name is Mrs. Bell—Lorena. I take care of the house with my sister Etta, who’s also looking forward to meeting you.”
Rose Leigh squeezed Lorena’s hands. “Please, call me Rose Leigh. It’s wonderful to meet you, too.”
Jasper had turned to the side, his tense posture indicating that he was eager to move along. “Was your trip pleasant, Miss Addison?”
She wished he would call her by her given name. After all, they were to be married soon. And she yearned to hear what her name might sound like coming from him.
Her name, not Eleanor’s.
“The journey was fine,” she said, not wishing to complain. That would be a horrible first impression. She wanted to be more like the letter she had sent: light, adaptable, showing much more confidence than she currently felt.
He nodded shortly. He hadn’t looked at her since he had greeted her, and it left a pit in her belly.
“The Reverend awaits us,” he said.
As he moved ahead, Rose Leigh caught Lorena’s narrowed gaze at him. Then the woman linked arms with her, as if making up for Jasper’s distance.
“You’ll be able to wash up in the parsonage and fill your belly, too,” she said. “Do you have a wedding gown?”
“A simple one.” A white dress without a bustle, made of cotton. Uncle had told her there wouldn’t be any call for silk or fineries out West.
Lorena rested a hand on Rose Leigh’s arm. “I’ll bet you’ll look beautiful in it. A June bride! I can help with your hair and the rest. Actually, I’ll be doing the same on the Golden C, so you might as well get used to it.”
Rose Leigh hadn’t thought she would have her own maid. The irony made her laugh. “I’m sure you’re busy enough without having to wait on me.”
“Oh, not at all.” Lorena raised her voice as they strolled over the platform. “Isn’t that so, Mr. Stanley? Your new wife will be treated like royalty!”
He sent them an absent smile and seemed about to say something else before turning forward again to walk on.
Rose Leigh didn’t remember him being this distant, at least not with…
Well, maybe he was in such a mood because Eleanor wasn’t here.
With every step Rose Leigh took toward her future, her stomach sank. Suddenly, it felt as if everything around her was out of place, foreign, and now she wanted to crawl back on the train before it departed.
But what did she have to return to? Nothing. Uncle had been kind enough to give her a hope chest and some money to act as a sad dowry, but he had told her Jasper didn’t need to marry in order to advance his situation. So why was she even here?
She already knew: Rose Leigh would mind his household and give him children, if he ever got close enough.
And, as they made their way off the platform and onto the dirt street, she had the sinking feeling that he might stay as far away from her for as long as he could…
After gentleman rancher Jasper Stanley got stood up at the altar, he vowed never to be emotionally involved with a woman again. So when he arranges for a new bride to join him on the Golden C, he’s ready to engage in a productive, straightforward business deal.
Little does Jasper know that Rose Leigh Addison has adored him for years. But can he leave his broken heart behind long enough to see love on the horizon?
This sweet 24,000 word novella takes place right after Debra Holland’s BENEATH MONTANA’S SKY, after John Carter returns with his own new bride!
Excerpt from The Rancher's New Bride
She adjusted her straw hat, grabbed her belongings, then went to the exit. Steam hissed around her, bringing with it a humid, musty smell, and when the air cleared, she peered around the platform. At first, all she saw were porters unloading, but then…
Then there he was.
It was as if Rose Leigh were a child again, her heart catching in her throat at the sight of the tall man standing near the depot’s entrance. He was wearing a black hat and a matching coat and trousers, along with boots. Even from here she could see his dark eyes and a face brushed with whiskers—a face that had always been strong-featured and still was. At least he was still the same in that respect.
But the rest of him… Oh, the rest. Rose Leigh broke into a smile that she hoped this man of adventure and courage would recognize, even if he had only seen her a few times previous to leaving the city.
It was as if he looked right through her, and she actually peered behind her to see if someone else was there, capturing Jasper’s attention. Then she laughed at herself, her face heating as she wished her clothing and appearance were as lovely as Eleanor’s.
She almost wished she were Eleanor, but Rose Leigh knew that she was only here to take her cousin’s place. She wasn’t lacking a brain—she had known Uncle’s intentions—but even so, Rose Leigh had thought that perhaps…
What had she thought? That Jasper Stanley would quickly forget Eleanor and rush right up to her with open arms?
I’ll make him see that I can be just as good as my cousin. Yes, I will.
But as he made his way over to her, inspecting her every bit of the way, she nearly folded into herself, hiding as well as she could.
When he was mere feet away, he halted, his deep brown eyes assessing her even further. Her skin tingled, her lungs tight.
“Miss Addison?” he asked.
“Yes, Mr. Stanley.”
Was he thinking that, aside from her pale hair that was no doubt fixed into a sagging bun at the back of her hat, she was nothing like Eleanor? Where her cousin had a delicate face, with a classic nose and lips like a cupid’s bow, Rose Leigh had a nose that tilted up more than she would like, her bottom lip full, giving her a pouty look that didn’t fit her temperament. Certainly, Uncle had told her she was sullen most days, but Rose Leigh hadn’t felt that way, what, with all the books in the library that she could read when she didn’t have chores and all the recipes Cook taught her on a daily basis.
Jasper seemed to realize that the porter had unloaded Rose Leigh’s trunk, and he turned around to compensate him. Afterward, Rose Leigh attempted another smile at her future husband, and when he caught it, he nodded at her again, as if he didn’t quite know what to say.
She noticed that a cowboy and a woman dressed in a calico print had emerged from the depot. As the muscled man hefted the trunk onto a broad shoulder and began carrying it away, the blonde came forward to take Rose Leigh’s hands in hers.
“Welcome to Sweetwater Springs, Miss Addison. My name is Mrs. Bell—Lorena. I take care of the house with my sister Etta, who’s also looking forward to meeting you.”
Rose Leigh squeezed Lorena’s hands. “Please, call me Rose Leigh. It’s wonderful to meet you, too.”
Jasper had turned to the side, his tense posture indicating that he was eager to move along. “Was your trip pleasant, Miss Addison?”
She wished he would call her by her given name. After all, they were to be married soon. And she yearned to hear what her name might sound like coming from him.
Her name, not Eleanor’s.
“The journey was fine,” she said, not wishing to complain. That would be a horrible first impression. She wanted to be more like the letter she had sent: light, adaptable, showing much more confidence than she currently felt.
He nodded shortly. He hadn’t looked at her since he had greeted her, and it left a pit in her belly.
“The Reverend awaits us,” he said.
As he moved ahead, Rose Leigh caught Lorena’s narrowed gaze at him. Then the woman linked arms with her, as if making up for Jasper’s distance.
“You’ll be able to wash up in the parsonage and fill your belly, too,” she said. “Do you have a wedding gown?”
“A simple one.” A white dress without a bustle, made of cotton. Uncle had told her there wouldn’t be any call for silk or fineries out West.
Lorena rested a hand on Rose Leigh’s arm. “I’ll bet you’ll look beautiful in it. A June bride! I can help with your hair and the rest. Actually, I’ll be doing the same on the Golden C, so you might as well get used to it.”
Rose Leigh hadn’t thought she would have her own maid. The irony made her laugh. “I’m sure you’re busy enough without having to wait on me.”
“Oh, not at all.” Lorena raised her voice as they strolled over the platform. “Isn’t that so, Mr. Stanley? Your new wife will be treated like royalty!”
He sent them an absent smile and seemed about to say something else before turning forward again to walk on.
Rose Leigh didn’t remember him being this distant, at least not with…
Well, maybe he was in such a mood because Eleanor wasn’t here.
With every step Rose Leigh took toward her future, her stomach sank. Suddenly, it felt as if everything around her was out of place, foreign, and now she wanted to crawl back on the train before it departed.
But what did she have to return to? Nothing. Uncle had been kind enough to give her a hope chest and some money to act as a sad dowry, but he had told her Jasper didn’t need to marry in order to advance his situation. So why was she even here?
She already knew: Rose Leigh would mind his household and give him children, if he ever got close enough.
And, as they made their way off the platform and onto the dirt street, she had the sinking feeling that he might stay as far away from her for as long as he could…
