THE RANCHER'S BRIDE BLESSING
Brides of Inspiration Book 5
By
MAYA STIRLING
1878
After tragedy hit Abigail Buchanan's family, her mother and two siblings moved to live close to their Buchanan ranching relatives. Ranch life near the little town of Inspiration has given Abigail and her whole family the chance to build a new life. Things were going perfectly.
Until the newcomer arrived.
Turning his back on a wounded past, wealthy Easterner, Noah MacKendrick has come to the frontier town of Inspiration and bought himself a ranch. Trouble is, he doesn't know a thing about being a rancher.
Luckily, a beautiful and feisty stranger from a neighboring ranch offers to help Noah in any way she can. Is Abigail the answer to his prayers? And how come she's being so helpful to a newcomer like him?
But, there's a problem. Does the pretty Montana woman now think Noah is courting her? The last thing Noah needs is a bride. Not while he's battling to find salvation on the frontier.
However, the promise of love and family is beginning to prove irresistible.
The Rancher's Bride Blessing is a standalone FULL LENGTH NOVEL in the Brides of Inspiration series. It can be read on its own and as part of the series. It is a clean and wholesome historical romance with inspirational themes of faith, family and love. And it has a guaranteed happy ending.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
© 2018 Maya Stirling
A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Proverbs 29:23
Dear Reader
This is the beginning of the story of two sisters and one brother, Abigail, Grace and Jake Buchanan. They are cousins to the Buchanan family of the earlier books. In this story Abigail meets Noah MacKendrick, a wealthy Easterner who has come in search of a new beginning for himself. But Noah has wounds which can only be healed by love. It takes place three years after the events of the previous books. I hope you enjoy this novel. Grace and Jake's stories will be told in forthcoming novels.
Love
Maya
CHAPTER ONE
Montana
1878
"Excuse me, ma'am," a deep, masculine voice said carefully from behind Abigail Buchanan. "Can I ask you what you're doing on my land? On my ranch?" His voice echoed across the yard in front of the empty ranch house.
Abigail's body tensed as she whirled around on the porch and gazed at the tall figure gazing steadily at her. She squinted in the bright afternoon sun, feeling heat race across her cheeks.
She'd been caught. Abigail frowned. His land? She drew in a sharp breath. That could only mean one thing.
Her mouth opened, a ready reply hovering on the tip of her tongue. Shock rippled through her. Silenced her.
The tall, dark-haired, broad-shouldered man, almost thirty years of age, she guessed, was elegantly dressed in a gray suit and waistcoat more suited to the Philadelphia society she knew he was used to frequenting. His wide-brimmed hat sat at an odd angle, as if he wasn't used to wearing one. He looked strangely out of place standing here in front of the ranch house.
She'd heard some things about this man. Most of them probably conjecture. The gossip at the Inspiration Ladies Benevolent Society had been uncontrollable in recent weeks, ever since the ranch had been sold to the out-of-towner. But no-one had mentioned how he looked. How surprisingly and shockingly handsome he was.
This was Mr Noah MacKendrick?
"I was passing and I thought I'd look in," she offered hesitantly, realizing how improbable the words sounded.
The man lifted a dark, skeptical brow, his even features still fixed in an unflinching expression of disbelief. "So you were just passing," he echoed slowly. It wasn't a question, more like an accusation. He nodded slowly. Clearly, he didn't believe a word she was saying.
Abigail stepped off the porch grasping her brown skirt and lifting it slightly as she advanced across the dusty yard toward the man. "You must be Mr Noah MacKendrick," she said brightly. Abigail extended a hand, but he simply glanced disinterestedly down at it, his hands held stubbornly behind his back. His gray eyes were unblinking. Impassive.
"And you are?" he asked lifting his chin with the barest hint of haughtiness.
"Abigail Buchanan," she announced brightly. She tried to smile, but found her face muscles wouldn't cooperate. Her heart was pounding. Her mind racing. This had been a bad idea. Her sister, Grace had tried to change dissuade her but, as usual Abigail had been firm in her determination to see the ranch before the new owner arrived. This wasn't the first time she'd trespassed. But it would most certainly be the last.
The man sighed and lowered his head. Dark brows furrowed. Now he looked annoyed, she told herself. He lifted his head and settled his penetrating gaze upon her.
"I am Noah MacKendrick," he admitted solemnly. The way he pronounced his name made it sound somehow grand. Maybe that was because he was so used to high society back East.
Well, at least he'd given her that confirmation, she told herself. She glanced behind him at the carriage and two horses. She'd been at the back of the ranch house just before he'd arrived, so caught up in her own curiosity, she hadn't heard his arrival.
As always, Abigail, she chided herself. Lost in your own world. Thinking about everything except where you are. Wanting to be anywhere except where God placed you. She pushed that rebellious thought out of her mind as she saw Noah MacKendrick run his gaze along the front of the ranch.
His ranch. The one upon which she was currently trespassing. She saw an appreciative expression light up his features.
"So, this is it," he murmured. His eyes narrowed as he turned and inspected the empty corral, the stable, the barn, the bunkhouse. "Quite a collection of buildings," he added in a calm, careful voice. It was as if he was appraising the place, she told herself. Taking in the sight of what he'd bought. What he owned.
He turned quickly back to her. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here. And what gives you the right to be trespassing?" Lifting a brow he added: "That is what you're doing, isn't it?"
She felt indignation sweep through her. "We're neighbors," she snapped.
He frowned. "Neighbors?" he replied incredulously. He swept his gaze across the wide empty spaces of the rolling rangeland which stretched out beyond the array of buildings circling the ranch house.
Abigail nodded and jerked a thumb in a northerly direction. "My family own the spread which adjoins yours. It's a small spread," she added. "We've only been here a year or so."
Her explanation clearly confused him even more, because his dark brows furrowed into an even deeper ridge. She debated whether she should explain further, but concluded it might be wise to keep it for later. If there ever was going to be a later. Which, judging by how this meeting was going, she doubted would ever happen.
"Someone mentioned the Buchanans to me as I was coming here on the train," he said. "But, I got the impression that family is big around these parts. That they've been here a long while. Since around the time this little town got established."
Abigail tilted her head. "That's my uncle's family you're talking about. My father's brother, Caleb, has a ranch out to the north of town." She rolled her eyes. "It's a
much bigger spread than ours, though."
He nodded slowly. "Lots of Buchanans around Inspiration, then," he suggested.
Abigail hesitated, realizing he was trying to prompt her for a more detailed explanation. But she wasn't about to give him one. It was all too complicated. Too sad. She felt a familiar pain tug at her insides.
"Still waiting," he muttered and lifted a brow.
"Oh," she gasped. She searched her mind for anything that could justify her presence on his land. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect you here so soon," she added.
He nodded slowly. "And that means you thought it would be acceptable to come on by and spend some time on my property."
"Strictly speaking, you only just took possession," she suggested, knowing that it didn't sound entirely convincing.
"I did only arrive," he admitted. "But I signed the title deeds weeks ago." He took a step forward and leaned closer to her. "So you are trespassing." He tilted his head. "Aren't you?"
Abigail swallowed and forced herself to gaze defiantly up into his dark eyes. "What do you plan to do about it?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.
He paused for a long moment. "I could involve the sheriff."
She smiled. "Sheriff Nathan Cameron is a close friend of our family."
"And that gives you the right to act outside the law?" He frowned.
She shook her head. "That's not what I think."
"But you implied it."
Abigail took a step toward him. "What are you, a lawyer?"
"No," he replied firmly, shaking his head. "But I do know my rights. Now I own this ranch."
"Not every ranch owner forbids visitors," she countered. She twisted her mouth disapprovingly. "Most folks around here are pretty friendly and welcoming. But then, you're new to ranching, aren't you? New to Inspiration. Folks here make an effort to be welcoming. You'll find that out, soon enough."
"Who said I'm not friendly? People haven't even had a chance to get to know me," he complained. For a brief moment, she thought he sounded genuinely hurt by the idea he wouldn't be the subject of universal approval.
Noah loomed over her. She felt his presence keenly. His scent, a mixture of cologne and mint-scented breath, hovered around her. "You'll find it helps to think the best of the folks around here," she stated. "Especially since you're going to need all the ranch hands you can get. If you're going to make this a going concern."
He scoffed. "I've already made inquiries. I believe I'll be able to employ enough men to make this a going concern, as you describe it," he said. The last few words had been uttered with a decidedly sarcastic tone of voice.
"Most of the ranch hands moved on when this place was sold. There's no shortage of work around these parts," she explained. "Especially for men who are willing to work hard."
"Are you saying I might not find workers?"
She shrugged. "That depends on a whole lot of things."
He lifted his chin. "I believe I will have no difficulty in finding suitable employees," he announced grandly.
Abigail couldn't contain the laughter that bubbled up inside her. When she giggled she saw his features darken. "What's so funny?"
"You got plenty to learn, Noah," she snapped.
He frowned. "Mr MacKendrick," he reminded her. "If you don't mind. We've only just become acquainted."
Abigail jammed her fists against her sides and lifted a brow. "So we're acquaintances, now. I thought you were planning on handing me over to the sheriff," she asserted playfully.
He turned away from her. "I don't think that will be necessary. Not for now, at least."
'That's mighty generous of you, Mr MacKendrick," she said trying to contain the mocking tone in her voice. She smiled broadly at him.
As if noticing she might be teasing him, he glanced quickly at her, appraising her with a look that was longer than it should have been. "Don't you have somewhere you need to be Miss Buchanan?" he asked.
"Are you ordering me off your land?" she snapped.
He sighed heavily and glanced back toward his carriage. "I've got things to unpack. And there are a great many affairs to which I need to attend."
Abigail thought his accent strangely appealing. His careful choice of words indicated a good education. His appearance and his bearing suggested a closeted upbringing. It was so very different from what she was used to. There was a soft quality to his manner. She found it vaguely appealing. In fact, Mr Noah MacKendrick was every bit as intriguing as she had been led to believe. Even more than she'd anticipated. None of the gossip had come close to the reality, she told herself. He had all the expected attributes of a rich Easterner. The haughty bearing; the assumed superiority; the instant command.
But, there was something else about him holding her attention. Noah MacKendrick possessed a distant quality, as if he was holding something back. There was a barrier in those gray eyes. As if there was something he was not prepared to reveal to her. Something that needed to be held back from her. From the world.
What would possess such a man to buy a ranch in the wilds of Montana and leave behind a privileged life?
"I'll be getting along," Abigail agreed. Her pinto was tied up to the hitching rail in front of the porch. She mounted the dappled brown and white horse and clutched the reins, peering down at Noah MacKendrick.
"That's a beautiful horse you have there," he admitted, running his gaze along the length of the animal.
Abigail patted the side of the pinto's neck. The horse snickered. "I've had Rebel since he was a foal."
"Rebel?" he asked. The corner of his mouth shifted slightly. He looked like he was about to laugh, but he managed to contain his amusement. "Appropriate name," he added with a shake of his head.
She squinted at him and tightened her lips, holding back an instant reply. Looked like she wasn't the only one who could make fun of strangers.
Abigail tugged on the reins, angling Rebel toward the trail leading away from the ranch house and back in the direction of her home. "Pleased to meet you, Mr MacKendrick," she stated.
He took a quick step toward her as the horse started to move off. "Noah," he announced quietly. His eyes narrowed. "Please call me Noah, Miss Buchanan," he added.
She nodded. "Then my name is Abigail," she replied.
He seemed pleased with her simple agreement. Noah stepped to one side and watched her as she rode off. As the pinto picked up speed, Abigail couldn't help thinking the new owner of the Double T ranch was a whole lot more intriguing than she could ever have expected.
CHAPTER TWO
"He's arrived," Abigail announced as she strode into the sitting room of her family's ranch house, expecting to find only her sister and mother there. Her boots thundered on the wooden floor and she prepared herself for the inevitable reaction to her news.
She halted abruptly, realizing there were visitors. All eyes turned to gaze at Abigail. Abigail's mother, Matilda, was seated on her usual chair in front of the fireplace. Grace, Abigail's younger sister was standing over by the window. But there were three other visitors to the Buchanan spread.
Her cousin, Micah Buchanan was seated on the long sofa in the middle of the room. He glanced up at Abigail and smiled. "The new owner of the Double T?" he asked.
An excited squeal filled the room. Sitting alongside him was Micah's wife, Rachel. Perched on Rachel's lap was the newest addition to the Buchanan family. Luke Buchanan, barely six months old, giggled as Rachel bounced him up and down on her knee. The baby was dressed in a delightful blue outfit and knitted boots.
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