Anna (Angel Creek Christmas Brides Book 5)

by Everly West

  "Onto the next one, Bacon," he said out loud to the dog who had been his companion since his parents died five years ago, leaving him and his brother. Though at the time, Zach was already married. Still, the loneliness ate at his soul, especially during the long winter. How could he keep his hands off his wife until she left for Charleston?

  Around lunch time, he noticed the clouds gathering in the western sky, but he wasn't ready to return to the house and Anna. He still had cattle to feed. Riding out to the edge of his acreage, he fed the last group.

  The sky had darkened and snow was beginning to fall. He knew by the time he reached the house, the snow would be so heavy, he wouldn’t be able to see, but there was a line shack not far away. A little place where he and Bacon could hole up and wait out this storm.

  Maybe the time spent in the cabin would be good for him. Let him come to the realization that he would lose his wife come spring. Let him accept that once again he would be alone, and married, with no chance of having the life he so desperately wanted.

  As he rode toward the shack, all he knew was that even if she left and returned to Charleston, this Christmas he would do everything in his power to give her the best holiday ever. A wonderful birthday, a holiday celebration that not only had meaning, but also would leave a lasting impression on how to make the day joyous.

  The wind spewed stinging snow pellets in his face and he ducked his head down in his collar. Anna had ridden out a blizzard before, hopefully, she would still be there when the storm ended and he came home to tell her his plan.

  No matter what happened, he wanted to heal her of hating Christmas.

  Anna paced the floor. Early this morning, Levi left her a note saying he'd be gone most of the day feeding the cattle. This afternoon a snowstorm rolled in and no sign of her husband.

  Since she read the letter to him, he'd been quiet and withdrawn. And she'd been restless, unsure of what she wanted. Why did it feel like her place was here, yet her heart longed to return home, start up her father's business and...

  But the destruction of the war had been massive. Here, she didn't have to try to find food and water and worry about looters. Here, she didn't have to depend on the enemy army to defend her honor. Here, she had a man, who would never have been the type of person she would have married in Charleston, but he was better. His purpose was to create a loving family home and wasn't that why she'd come here?

  So why the urge to return to a city that would hinder her in every way possible with the newspaper—between the lack of people to run the printing presses, to the lack of food and the need to protect herself.

  Would the paper have the necessary paper to print on or the ink? Or had the Union used all the resources and now were willing to give her back the newspaper without a chance of it surviving.

  Yet her grandfather had started the paper. Could she let it die? Or did she return home to start the presses rolling once again.

  She sighed as she paced the floor, stopping to look out the window and wonder where her husband could be. Should she go out searching for him? The light had faded, but darkness would soon be upon the land. Opening the door, she screamed his name, thinking maybe he was hurt somewhere close.

  "Levi," she yelled.

  Only the sound of the wind whispering through the trees responded. Snowflakes swirled around her and she could barely see through them. Shivering, she went back into the house, praying Levi was safe.

  The image of her tall handsome husband came to mind and she ran her hand down her stomach. How could she return to Charleston if she was expecting? How could she go off and leave the man behind?

  Praying he would walk in the door, she continued to pace the floor, waiting, watching as darkness descended into night. How could he find his way home? Light. She went through the house, lighting the lanterns, hoping it might help if he was trying to find his way home. The lights in the window would shine through the snow and guide him to her.

  Tired, she finally sat for a moment. Never had she witnessed the love a man and woman had for one another. What if something happened to her man? What if he froze to death trying to reach her? What if she never had the chance to tell him how much he'd changed her life?

  And he had. Though as much as she wanted to return to Charleston, mainly for the paper, she knew it would never work. Not only would the men in town never give her the respect, but a woman just didn't have that kind of power.

  But the bigger reason, the one she was slowly coming to realize on this dark, cold night, was she'd fallen for Levi Jackson. She wanted to start a family with him. She wanted to wake in his arms each morning, spend her life here in Montana learning to be his wife.

  For she knew this southern belle had a lot to learn on how to run a household, and with his help, she realized she could become a rancher's wife.

  A sob escaped her throat as panic overwhelmed her. "Levi, please come home to me. I’m such a fool and should have told you I love you long before now. Please, come home."

  The wind rattled the panes of the house and she put her hands in her face and cried. Her husband was out in this wild weather. He had to come home.

  Last night staying alone in the cold, in the cabin, Levi made some decisions. If she loved him, she wouldn't return to Charleston, but if she did, he would let her go. But before she left, the woman would have the best Christmas of her life. Then if she still wanted to leave, maybe it was for the best. Though his heart would shatter into little pieces.

  Before they returned to the house, Levi walked into the woods with the ax he found hanging in the line shack and cut down a pine tree. Every Christmas celebration needed a tree and this one was beautiful. Wrapping the tree in a piece of burlap from the shack, he tied it with rope to the back of his horse, then turned the animal toward home.

  This morning, the skies had cleared enough that only a few sprinkles of snow fell, but the brisk wind had him hunkered down in his jacket. He hoped Anna had not done anything foolish last night, like try to find him.

  It was midmorning by the time he pulled the horse up in front of the house. As he untied the tree, he heard the front door open and Bacon gave a bark of hello.

  "Levi Jackson, I've been worried sick," she said, running outside in her coat.

  He smiled and glanced at her heavy boots and coat. "You planning on going somewhere?"

  "Yes, I was going after you. I've been so afraid. I feared you were lying out in the snow, frozen to death or hurt or bleeding or walking trying to get home. I imagined those coyotes getting you, a bear, or maybe even your own wife, ready to take a piece of lumber to your stubborn head. Where were you?"

  His wife wasn't acting like a woman who didn't care about him and that had his heart filling with love for his crazy southern belle.

  "Yesterday afternoon, when the storm blew up, I took shelter in the line shack. I knew I would never make it back home before dark. Wandering around in a blizzard is not how I want my life to end. Or even being attacked by coyotes or a bear. As for my wife taking a piece of lumber to me..." he grinned. "Now that could be interesting. My sweet southern belle trying to show me how angry I made her."

  Her sapphire eyes flashed with fury. "Last night, I walked the floor all night long, worrying about you."

  He took her in his arms, thinking she'd never felt so good and how hard it would be to let her go. "And I slept very little worrying about you."

  She cocked her head sideways and stared at him.

  "That letter returning the newspaper, well...that had me in quite a tailspin." He lifted his chin and gazed into her worry-filled eyes. "If you want to return to Charleston in the spring and stay there to run your family newspaper, I understand. But you're my wife, Anna, and in the weeks we've been together, I've fallen for you. I love you, Anna, with all my heart."

  Tears swam in her eyes and she reached up and cradled his cheek in her hand. "No, Levi, I'm not returning to Charleston. While I am sad my family newspaper is coming to an end, I realized here in Ange
l Creek, Montana, I have a wonderful husband who I've fallen in love with and cannot bear the thought of leaving.

  “So you are stuck with a Southern Belle who has no idea how to run a ranch home, but will soon learn. Levi, in the weeks we've been married, you've shown me such love and kindness and I'm so glad you chose me to marry. I love you, Levi."

  Reaching down, his lips covered hers and he kissed her like she'd never been kissed before. Finally shivering in the cold air, they came apart.

  "Thank God, you're not leaving me. There's only one problem in our marriage."

  "What's that?" she asked, gazing at him in surprise.

  "You hating Christmas. So this year, I'm going to give you the best Christmas of your life. We will honor the dead, but our celebration is about the birth of Jesus and we're going to celebrate. See, I brought home our first Christmas tree."

  She smiled and gazed up at her husband. "We have a lot to be thankful for and to celebrate. Our love and our marriage. Thank you, Levi. I'll do my best to learn to love Christmas like you do."

  He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Come on, let's go decorate our tree."

  Laughing, she led the way as Bacon danced excitedly around them.

  The children all sat, staring at her, her heart overflowing with so much love.

  "Did you learn to like Christmas?" one of the great-grandchildren asked her.

  She smiled thinking of that first Christmas and how much she loved her nieces and nephews and the joy they had on their faces that day. But most of all, she loved the time she spent in Levi's arms that night at home in front of their own tree. Her very first Christmas tree.

  "What did Great-grandpa give you for Christmas?" one of the children asked.

  She laughed. Someday they would understand and think they couldn't believe she said that to her great-grandchildren.

  "You. He gave me the family I dreamed of."

  Just then Sarah came in carrying a cake. "Time to celebrate, Anna. You know our tradition."

  The kids all stood and began to sing to her and she sat there basking in their love, remembering the southern belle who almost gave up all this for a newspaper. Thank goodness, she'd come to her senses and spent the best years of her life here with her husband, friends, and family.

  When the song ended, the children ran to hug her and she looked across the room to see Levi standing there watching the girl who hated Christmas. She mouthed the words Thank you, I love you, and he nodded.

  She no longer hated Christmas. She thanked God every day for the life he'd given her and the man who taught her about the wonders of Christmas.

  Coming Next from Everly West

  The Ladies Club of Laramie Book 1

  The Rebellious Bride

  Wyoming rancher’s daughter, Kelly Quincy, lives as comfortable a life as any young woman in the Old West, but she wants more than to be a prairie princess. She wants to be important and to help people. But her meddling mama, one of the members of The Ladies Club of Laramie, discovers that the territorial governor and his single, eligible son is coming to town, she plans a ball and plots ways to marry Kelly off.

  Brandon Masterson is a humble sheep rancher just outside of Laramie, and in a territory where cattle is king, he is a laughingstock. Brandon is responsible for his four younger sisters, though, and is determined to make his unusual ranch a success. If only the beautiful and mischievous Kelly would stop trying to give his family charity.

  When Kelly and Brandon meet, sparks fly, just in time for Valentine’s Day. But can Brandon open his heart to love? And will Kelly’s parents accept her rebellious choice for a suitor?

  Click Here to Learn More

  Scandal at the Valentine ball

  Much to her mother’s dismay, Cora O’Brian isn’t interested in rushing to the altar. At eighteen she has dreams that don’t include a husband. Even a rich man with prestige. But her mother has other plans and unfortunately, she falls right into her mothers scheme when she tries to flee the Valentine ball.

  August Moonlit’s father, the governor of Wyoming wants him to stop sowing his wild oats and settle down. With mothers shoving their eligible daughters at him, marriage is the least of his desires. Until a young woman falls into his arms with her skirt above her head and her distraught mother insists he marry the girl.

  With his feisty bride at his side, he’s determined to become his own man and not the rich aristocrat his father desires. Can two strangers overcome their anger and build a life together? Could the debutante and the spoiled rich boy be meant for one another?

  Click Here to Learn More

  Chapter 12

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for taking the time to read my debut novel. Also, I want to thank my good friend Hildie McQueen for inviting me into this fun project.

  My very first series is set to launch on February 1st, 2019. I can’t wait to introduce you to the Ladies Club of Laramie. A group of mommas who more or less run the social scene in the small mountain town by matching eligible daughters of Laramie to the right man.

  As a new author I would really appreciate your support by leaving a review, following me on BookBub, sign up for my newsletter and check out my Facebook page and website.

  Until next time,

  Everly West

  The Angel Creek Brides

  Charity by Sylvia McDaniel

  Julia by Lily Graison

  Ruby by Hildie McQueen

  Sarah by Peggy McKenzie

  Anna by Everly West

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  Sweet Western Historicals

  By Everly West

  The Angel Creek Christmas Brides

  Anna

  The Ladies Club of Laramie

  The Rebellious Bride — 2-1-2019

  The Obstinate Bride — 2-15-2019

  The Wagered Bride — 3-1-2019

  The Deceptive Bride — 3-22-2019

  The Eager Bride — 4-12-2019

  Everly Ann West grew up in a rodeo family in west Texas. The youngest child in a family of six kids, she developed a love of history at an early age. She started writing seriously while her kids were napping, and now that they're in school, she has time to write all the stories she's wanted to tell for years. She is supported by her own cowboy and the love of her life, who provides the inspiration for her heroes, as well as chocolate when needed.

  The End