An Unconventional Bride For The Rancher (Historical Western Romance)

by Cassidy Hanton

  "At all?" Beatrice was appalled.

  "Only a small amount, so not to stand out," Elaine was resolute.

  Even though Beatrice understood the logic behind it, it still didn't sit well with her.

  "What about jewelry?"

  Elaine looked at her funny. "Same thing."

  "What if I sew them in our garments?" Beatrice challenged and Elaine smiled, petting her cheek.

  "You were always a clever girl," she complimented. "I will go and buy us tickets for the first train ride available while you prepare us for the journey."

  And then something occurred to Beatrice. "You still haven't told me, where are we to go?"

  "To your uncle's ranch."

  And Beatrice was very much surprised to hear that. That was the last place on her mind, yet that was precisely the point.

  That is brilliant.

  Uncle Tom Foster lived in a remote place, on his ranch, near a small town called Helena. Most people didn't know, and the rest forgot Benjamin Foster had an older brother since uncle Tom led such a quiet life. Elaine was a genius.

  "So be it."

  It was a mystery what new troubles could be waiting for her there, but Beatrice wasn't about to fret on it this early. Whatever fate waited for her in Helena, she would face it head high, as always.

  Chapter Four

  Helena, Texas, 1886

  "The sun has no mercy on us plain folks, this mornin'," Josef complained, while helping Nathan fix the part of the fence that broke down after the last big storm they had.

  "It's the same as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that," Nathan replied calmly as if the heat didn't bother him. Because truth be told, it never did.

  He was born and raised in these parts; the sun was a part of him as much as everything else in Helena was. Which was a bit ironic, considering his fair complexion and fiery red hair.

  His family came from Ireland to settle here and never left anywhere else. His grandfather decided to relocate his family after a great famine. It was a crazy, dangerous journey, yet from what Nathan heard from his father, that was Granddad Shamus in the flesh. At the end his daring decision saved the Walsh family.

  They roamed about for a bit but Shamus Walsh fell in love with the Rocky Mountains at first glance, and that was how they stayed in Helena. So, this land was all Nathan knew and was comfortable with since they connected him with his family.

  "Did you hear what I just said?" Josef prompted.

  "Pardon me, what?" Nathan replied, frowning.

  "I said we need more nails and lumber if you want us to fix everything before bringing back the herd." Nathan let his herd roam freely most of the time, but there were some troubles as of late, and he wanted to bring them all down, closer to home, but only if he could keep them in the first place.

  Discovering his right-hand man was correct, Nathan's frown deepened. Usually, he was more on top of things, yet as of late felt a bit distracted. And he couldn't quite fathom why.

  Josef never missed the opportunity to poke fun at him about having the spring love ailment. But that's ridiculous, and certainly was not the case. Nathan was simply overworked, not that he minded.

  "You are right," Nathan said eventually. "Let's hop to town and get some more supplies."

  "Why not send Jimmy?" Josef wanted to know.

  "No need to trouble the lad, we can do it," Nathan replied instantly.

  Josef grimaced. "Why, oh why, did I even say anything!" he whined. Nathan could barely keep a straight face.

  He loved Josef deeply, considered him a brother. Yet, he was highly entertaining when he got like this.

  "I am so very happy to have more work on top of my actual work."

  Nathan chuckled, then turned so Josef wouldn't see the grin on his face. Despite his constant complaints, Josef was one of Nathan's best workers on the Old Oak Ranch, and certainly one of his best friends.

  Life on the ranch was never easy, so Nathan was fortunate enough he had him by his side. Because Josef loved the land and the farm life as much as Nathan did. It was a dandy bonus he could easily taunt him.

  "Then I am very much happy to oblige," Nathan countered, barely keeping a straight face while Josef scowled at him.

  "Last one, old man," Nathan announced, picking up the supportive beam they needed to pound into the ground. Luckily, they already had the holes ready from before. He loved heckling Josef despite the fact they were almost the same age.

  "And then we rest until tomorrow?" Josef countered, faking cheerfulness. But Nathan knew that was all for show.

  "No, then we are going to town to visit Mr. O'Connor, but if you stop wasting that mouth of yours. maybe I can buy you a drink before we head back."

  That instantly cheered him up. Just as Nathan knew it would. Josef started to say something in return, then thought better of it, and simply nodded before returning to his task in silence. And then, Nathan simply couldn't handle himself and started laughing out loud.

  Once the job was done, or as much done as was possible without additional supplies, the two men picked up their tools and took Nathan's one-horse carriage to the nearby Helena, a small town near the Rocky Mountains.

  It was a rather picturesque, delicate place, settled in a plain surrounded by blue mountains, which was in complete contrast to the hardness of its people. Nathan was not to imply the townspeople were bad in any way. It was just that hard life in the west made hard people. It was a badge of strong character if you asked him, and he admired that the most.

  As he said before, Helena was home and that meant everything to him.

  * * *

  Nathan's family kept herds of sheep since the beginning, but a few years back Nathan decided to switch to cattle. So he sold every last one he had and bought some rather prime livestock. That was a move many considered not only risky but foolish. Yet, Nathan never listened to other people's advice over his own instinct. And his gut was telling him then how he made the right decision.

  And so far, it still didn't disappoint him.

  Yes, there were some rocky times, but the rewards were then so much sweeter.

  "Good day, Nathan," an old clerk greeted him once Nathan stepped inside the store.

  "Good day, Mr. O'Connor," Nathan greeted back.

  Josef stumbled in the shop after him. "It's not a good day," he simply had to jump in, wiping his sweaty forehead with his sleeve. "It's hotter outside than in devil's furnace."

  The old man O'Connor looked at him. "You don't know what hot is, boy. I was born in the Sonoran Desert. Now, that's hot. This is mild spring weather in comparison."

  And Nathan stiffened a laugh while Josef pouted.

  Similar types of conversations always transpired between those two. Josef would start to complain and then Mr. O'Connor would find a way to mention his unusual upbringing into it. Although his stories did change from time to time, the two of them still provided great entertainment for Nathan. And they could go back and forth for quite some time as well. But Nathan didn't have time for that today.

  "Mr. O'Connor, I will require some materials for building new fences at the ranch, if you please." He meddled before either man could say anything else.

  Truth be told, he didn't lack time, but patience. Yes, they were entertaining, but Nathan felt restless. He loved his life very much, had a few dear friends, did everything in his power to make the Old Oak Ranch prosperous too. After his parents' passing, he put all his efforts into that piece of land.

  But is that enough? came an unexpected thought.

  "Certainly, boy, I have everything you could possibly need in the back," O'Connor replied cheerfully.

  After paying, Josef and Nathan loaded everything to his cart. Josef handed him the last bag of nails. "That's it," he announced, and Nathan nodded. He started walking toward the front to get the reins but Josef skillfully got in his way.

  "Are you forgetting something?" He asked cryptically.

  Truth be told, Nathan hadn't. But it was
more fun to play dumb. He shrugged noncommittally and waited calmly until Josef cracked, just like Nathan knew he would.

  "You promised your brother a drink."

  "I am an only child," Nathan said inscrutably.

  "Fine, I'll go by myself," Josef replied getting waxed. "And then I'll walk home."

  And probably get eaten by a coyote, Nathan thought to himself. Because that was just his luck. He hugged Josef, to ease him. "Of course, I'll go with you."

  "You were irritating me on purpose, didn't you?" Josef accused him and Nathan simply simpered. "You are a rotten friend, but I still love you," Josef said, and Nathan had to laugh because he felt the same way.

  * * *

  Many cheered as they walked into the saloon. Unfortunately, Nathan Walsh was some kind of a local hero, and people liked to remind him of that fact constantly. And Nathan detested every second of it. Back then, he didn't act to gain glory, he simply did what was right, so he wished to be left alone in peace.

  Alas, he wouldn't be granted such luck. "Isn't it our local hero! Come, a drink is on the house," the barkeep announced.

  This is why I don't like drinking here, he reminded himself, while thanking the host. Two years ago, they had a serious problem with some local bandits. They moved in these parts running from the law back east and they started causing trouble for the town’s people. The sheriff and his deputies tried to stop the menace, but the gang still managed to elude the long arm of the law.

  At first, they started small, robbing some traveling caravans coming in or out of Helena. Next, they moved on to the bank and kidnapped the mayor's daughter. It appeared that their greed had no limits. "I say we gather all the men of age…" Josef fumed.

  "And then what?" Nathan challenged.

  "We hunt them for a change," Josef replied, making a face as if that was the most logical thing in the world. But Nathan disagreed. Besides, the sheriff already tried that, and it didn't work.

  "Hunt them? Where? They could be anywhere, hiding in the mountains," Nathan tried to reason with him.

  "So what? We search everywhere. It's better than doing nothing," he insisted like a petulant child. "Besides, somebody must know something."

  Nathan simply shook his head. They needed a better plan than that. And he already started working on one. They needed to be patient and wait for the bandits to become even more arrogant, confident they could actually get away with everything. Because then, they will make a mistake, Nathan mused.

  And as if God above heard his wish and decided to comply, that day arrived. Three local ranches were robbed blindly in one evening. It was during a festival so no one was around. Nathan included. They took every last cow he owned, and that enraged him.

  Naturally, once it got personal, Nathan was that much more motivated to put an end to this gang of miscreants and hunt them down to the end of the world.

  He wasn't that good of a tracker, truth be told, but he knew his herd. They were a stubborn bunch and they would go where they wanted and nowhere else. No force could ever change that, and then he was grateful. Because at that time, they actually had a way to track the bandits down.

  So, the ranch owners gathered up a search party and the hunt was on. It took them a fortnight, but they finally discovered them. Nathan killed half of them even before they realized they were surrounded. His father had taught him how to shoot straight and with time and practice he only honed that skill down. All the livestock was recovered but on their way back, really terrible weather fell upon them.

  "The cattle won't make it back in this heat, not without water," Josef announced and he was right.

  Nathan was ignoring the sighs but if they wanted to bring all the animals back home, they needed a solution, and fast. "We have to go through the mountains, then. There's no other way." Nathan told the group of men.

  "Are you mad?" Josef snapped, fully realizing the implications of Nathan's statement.

  "Quite possible," Nathan replied calmly. "But I am also right."

  "We will all die then. Because that cross is impossible," Josef wasn't trying to be theatrical but he often was.

  "I know a way," Nathan replied.

  "Are you sure, Nathan?" Mr. Tom Foster, one of the other ranchers, inquired.

  "Yes, sir," Nathan replied instantly, with conviction. "I will get everyone safely back home," he promised.

  "Very well," Tom Foster answered for them all. "We will entrust ourselves into your hands."

  The journey back was tiring, difficult, and not to mention dangerous. A narrow mountain road so steep at times they had to form a single line, and with hundreds of cattle with them, it simply took them forever to pass.

  Eventually, Nathan returned everyone to Helena safe. And the townspeople never forgot who was responsible for bringing the last man and the last animal back. He didn't appreciate the attention after all this time though. Besides, there was always one drunken fool who liked to tell him the story as if he wasn't there himself.

  * * *

  The beer they drank wasn't that good, but it still felt good to wet his throat.

  "Can we go now?" Nathan urged, drinking his whole glass in one big gulp.

  Josef looked at him in exasperation, doing the same with his drink.

  "You really don't know how to enjoy life, do you?" Josef asked rhetorically. "I pity you."

  Nathan ignored the jibe. In fact, he did enjoy life. It was just that he preferred different things. He liked to stay at his ranch when in leisure and read a book or two. Or if it was particularly nice weather to ride away to the mountains, find a nice clearing on the cliffs and fall asleep under the stars.

  Josef whistled under his breath once they left the saloon. Nathan followed his gaze and wanted to groan. He was looking at Susannah Wilkinson, the teacher's daughter, who was walking by with her basket full of groceries.

  "Maybe you should finally get a wife, marry, settle down," Josef started conversationally. "Maybe a young bride can turn you around and fix that constant sour mood of yours."

  I'm not sour, he wanted to rebel. Am I? No, he concluded. It was just that Josef had no real sense of humor. So he decided not to comment on it.

  "I bet Susannah could turn you around," Josef persisted, wiggling his eyebrows like the fiend he really was.

  Nathan felt the need to roll his eyes. The notion was that ridiculous to him. "I am not scalding my tongue with another man's porridge. Thank you very much," he replied in all seriousness.

  Josef looked at him questioningly. Not as if he was questioning his sanity, simply his meaning. "Miss Susannah is engaged to Peter Flanagan," he explained patiently. He was quite surprised Josef didn't already know that. He usually knew everything.

  "The blacksmith's son?" Josef exclaimed, grimacing. "As of when?" He demanded to know.

  Nathan shrugged. "Apparently, since they were children."

  Josef scoffed. "Such a waste." He didn't like Peter one bit. Peter bullied Josef while they were in school together and Josef never let go of that grudge.

  "Still, that is of no importance," he announced, his mood brightening again. "Engaged is not wed," he declared, winking.

  Nathan simply shook his head. "Why do I even bother?" he murmured underneath his breath in exasperation. Yet Josef heard him.

  Still, Nathan didn't give him an opportunity to say something even more ridiculous. "Besides, I will recognize my future wife the moment I see her."

  "As in providence? Nathan, I didn't know you to be such a romantic," Josef poked fun at him. "It's quite uncharacteristic of you to believe in destiny."

  Nathan smiled. "Not destiny, my friend. Just good old fashioned Irish luck. "

  Want to know how the story ends? Tap on the link below to read the rest of the story.

  http://www.cassidyhanton.com/u706

  Thank you very much!

  Also by Cassidy Hanton

  Thank you for reading An Unconventional Bride for the Rancher!

  I really hope you liked reading it, as
much as I enjoyed writing it ♥

  If you did, may I ask you to please write a review HERE? It would mean the world to me. Reviews are very important and allow me to keep writing the books that you love to read! ♥

  Some other best sellers of mine:

  Finding the Broken Cowboy

  Also, if you liked this book, you can also check out my full Amazon Book Catalogue HERE.

  Thank you for being part of my journey!

  Cassidy

  About the Author

  Born overlooking the Jefferson river in Montana, Cassidy Hanton has always been attracted to the nature of the West. As the only girl of six siblings, her mother used to tell her stories that she later on discovered they came from her favorite romance novels.

  With a double major in Philosophy and Creative Writing, Cassidy started writing contemporary romances, only to realize that the American Frontier Era was her favourite. That was back in 2008. Now, she writes overlooking another Montana river and a beautiful ranch that she shares with her husband and three children.

  Cassidy delved into the Western Frontier history and the local native stories only to provide her readers with the intrigue and authenticity of the era. She hopes her stories satisfy their thirst for love and adventure and inspire them to live every day with a smile.