The Cowboy's Mail Order Bride (The Dalton Brides, Book 3)

by Kit Morgan

  “I don’t know what Deacon Smith paid you to bring us back, but I’m not going.”

  “Put the gun down, Bonnie,” Hank said, his voice low. “Let’s talk about this. We can’t go back empty-handed.”

  “Why not?” she asked, and pointed the shotgun at him.

  “Because …”

  “Quiet!” snapped Percy. “Let’s just take her and go.”

  “You’re not taking my wife anywhere,” hissed Bart. “Bonnie, give me that gun.”

  “No.”

  Everyone stared at her in shock. “What?” asked Bart.

  “I said, no. These are our brothers, Bart, and they wouldn’t be acting so desperate without a good reason.”

  “I’ll not let them take you …”

  “You don’t have to. I can’t go, either.”

  Bart took a step toward her. “Bonnie …”

  “…because I’m expecting, too.”

  “What?” Gwen and Libby cried in unison. “Bonnie!”

  “Bonnie?” Bart echoed, his face pale.

  “So you see, my dear brothers, you’ve failed, as far as taking us back. Now the only question I have for you is, what are you really doing here?”

  * * *

  “We have a hole in the roof,” Libby stated as she and Nate lay in bed later that night. They were both wide-awake, the “dinner incident” still fresh in their minds.

  “I’ll mend it tomorrow, first thing.” He turned to his side and stroked her hair. “Libby, I don’t care if they’re your brothers. They bust in here again like that, I’m gonna hurt somebody.”

  “But Nate …”

  “Darlin’,” he interrupted. “They almost hurt you and your sisters.”

  He had a point, and Libby had to concede. She turned to face him. “I still don’t understand what happened. They left so suddenly, before any of us can ask.”

  “They left because you did ask, remember?”

  “Oh, yes …” Libby said, her voice trailing off. After things settled down, and Bonnie started asking their brothers questions, the three lit out of there, refusing to answer. Walt was less than friendly at that moment, and threatened Benedict, Hank, and Percy with dire consequences should they ever set foot on Dalton property again. But where did they go? What will they do now? Hank said something about not being able to go back to Beckham empty-handed. What was that supposed to mean? Just what had been happening back home while Libby and her sisters had been in Texas?

  “Libby, my little Libby …” Nate whispered against her hair. “How long have you known?”

  “Known?”

  “About the baby, sweetheart.”

  Libby smiled. “I wasn’t sure until today.”

  Nate smiled against her lips, and kissed her. “I think that’s the second best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten.”

  Libby touched his cheek. “The second? What was the first?”

  He kissed her again. “You.”

  “But I didn’t come on Christmas.”

  “No, you just came early, is all. Merry Christmas, darlin’.”

  Libby smiled. “Merry Christmas, Nate.” She kissed him again, and then gave to him everything she had.

  The End

  About the Author:

  A consistent Top 100 bestseller, Kit Morgan, aka Geralyn Beauchamp, has been writing for fun all of her life. When writing as Geralyn Beauchamp, her books are epic, adventurous, romantic fantasy at its best. When writing as Kit Morgan they are whimsical, fun, inspirational sweet stories that depict a strong sense of family and community. Kit's 'His Prairie Princess', is the first of the Prairie Brides books and the first in the series of a long line of stories about Clear Creek, Oregon. One of the wackiest little towns in the old west! Get to know the townsfolk in Clear Creek and come sit a spell! Connect with her at

  www.AuthorKitMorgan.com

  If you enjoy historical western romances, join us in the Pioneer Hearts Facebook group, a place where historical western romance authors and readers discuss their favorite stories, recipes and photos. Click Here to join!

  Read the Excerpts and learn more about The Rancher’s Mail-Order Bride, and The Drifter’s Mail-Order Bride, available now!

  What's Next?

  THE RANCHER’S MAIL ORDER BRIDE

  by

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Through no fault of her own, Gwen Blue found herself embroiled in a scandal that would set Beckham, Massachusetts on its ear, and get her locked in her room for two months. When she found herself betrothed to a man she found loathsome, she wanted nothing more than to disappear. When her sisters liberated her from her room and proposed a journey to Texas to visit an old school friend, she didn't have to be asked twice.

  Walton Dalton always had a plan for his life. He'd spent years learning everything he needed to know about ranching, and he had a large parcel of land adjacent to his two brothers' land. Between the three of them, they were going to build a Texas ranching empire. For his empire, he needed a bride.

  Without his brothers’ knowledge, Walt sends off for three mail order brides from a matchmaker in Beckham. He knows from the moment he sees ‘Gorgeous Gwen’ that she's meant to be his. Will she agree to the marriage? If she does, will she be able to get over her self-centered attitude and be a good wife?

  EXCERPT

  Gwen rushed off the train and immediately started looking around for the stagecoach. Bonnie caught up to her, putting her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Don't run off now!"

  "I'm looking for the stagecoach. It's only another three hours, and we'll be there. I can't wait to see Anna." Really, it wasn't so much seeing Anna that she cared about. She needed to be in one place for a while. The journey had been much too long for her.

  "You didn't even like Anna," Bonnie argued.

  "Well, I love her today, because she's going to let me sleep in a bed that doesn't move!" Gwen looked at Bonnie. "The bed won't move will it? She doesn't live on a boat or something silly like that?"

  Bonnie laughed. "No, I don't think the bed will move." She led the way to the platform. "We need to wait for our trunk to be unloaded."

  Gwen laughed. "I was so excited to be on the stagecoach, I forgot all about my trunk. That was silly of me, wasn't it?"

  Libby and Bonnie exchanged looks. "Our trunk, Gwenny. We could only pack one trunk for the three of us or Mama and Papa would have gotten suspicious."

  "Are you serious? You'd better have packed my cornflower blue dress. It's my favorite." Gwen looked between her sisters.

  Bonnie sighed. "We couldn't. We didn't have access to your clothes at all, because you were locked in your room, remember? We brought some of Libby's dresses for you."

  Gwen made a face. "Libby's dresses? But Libby and I don't look good in the same colors. I'm blond, and Libby's a brunette." Besides, she wanted her own clothes. Clothes that had been made just for her.

  "I'll make you a new cornflower blue dress, Gwen. I promise. Just...don't make a fuss."

  Gwen looked at her sister, surprised by her words. "A fuss? Why would I make a fuss?" She could see by Bonnie's face something was still wrong. "What were you going to tell me?"

  Bonnie sighed. "Well, we're not exactly here to see Anna."

  Gwen raised an eyebrow, more than a little annoyed her sisters had lied to her. "Why are we here then?"

  “I…” Bonnie avoided Gwen's gaze, something she'd never done.

  It must be bad, Gwen thought. If Bonnie can't tell me what's going on, she's done something terrible.

  At that moment two men, who were obviously twin brothers, stepped between them. "Are you ladies the Blue sisters?" one of them asked. He had brown eyes and black hair. His shoulders were the broadest she'd ever seen. She wouldn't mind stepping out with him at all.

  Gwen nodded slowly. "Who are you?" She'd never seen these men in her life. Why were they looking for them? Were they there to drive them to their new home, wherever it may be? She still didn't know why they were in Texas.

 
; The man who'd asked the question grinned. "I'm Walton Dalton, and I pick you." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms before she had a chance to reply. His mouth covered hers and he kissed her, right there in the middle of the train station.

  Gwen stomped on his foot, enjoying the kiss, but she knew it wasn't proper to kiss a man she'd just met. "Unhand me!" She wiped her hand across her mouth, trying to stop the tingling that had started as soon as his lips had met hers.

  Walt smiled down at Gwen. "I'll unhand you for now. Preacher's standing by." He kept his arm firmly around his little fiancé's shoulders. "Which sister are you?"

  "I'm Gwendolyn. Why do you persist in touching me? I don't know you!" She struggled against him, but realized it was futile. He was much stronger than she would ever be.

  Bonnie smiled at Walt. "I'm Bonnie. I'm the oldest sister. I believe I'm the one you're supposed to marry."

  Walt looked back and forth between the sisters. "I don't care who's oldest. I'm marrying this one." He nodded at Nate. "That's my brother Nate. Bart should be here by now, but I'm sure he'll be along." He'd better be along. He'd promised Walt he'd be there by three. It was quarter after.

  Bonnie glared at Walt and turned to Nate, who was openly staring at Libby. "Libby's the youngest," she announced, seeming to think that would matter to the brothers.

  Nate looked back and forth between Walt and Bonnie. "I thought we were here to see a man about some cattle."

  Walt grinned at his brother. "Surprise! Since Bart isn't here, you get next pick. Which one do you want for your bride?" He didn't expect a lot of problems from Nate. Bart was the one who would protest the loudest.

  Nate blinked. "You sent off for brides for us? The cattle salesman was a lie?"

  Walt shrugged. "I didn't think you'd come if I told you why we were really here." He kissed the top of Gwen's head as if they'd been in love for years. "Pick one." He wasn't letting this little beauty go. He'd expected all three sisters to be homely. Gwen had been a fabulous surprise.

  Nate pointed at Libby. "I guess I'll take the youngest." He leaned close to Walt and whispered, "I'll take care of you later."

  Gwen gasped in shock. "You can't just pick me and say you'll marry me. No! What on earth is happening here. Bonnie? What have you done?" As grateful as Gwen was to her sister for rescuing her, she was furious about this arrangement. She had no desire to marry a stranger or anyone else for that matter.

  Bonnie blinked as if fighting tears. "Libby knew why we were here. We just didn't want you to be stubborn. We rescued you after all."

  THE DRIFTER’S MAIL ORDER BRIDE

  by

  Cassie Hayes

  Having grown up in the shadow of two beautiful sisters, ‘Scrawny Bonnie’ Blue knows she doesn’t stand a chance at landing a good man in Beckham, Massachusetts. The only way she’ll find a husband is by leaving her family behind to become a mail order bride. But when all three Blue sisters are swept up in a scandal, she has no choice to but to take ‘Gorgeous Gwen’ and ‘Lovely Libby’ with her…kicking and screaming, if she must.

  Bart Dalton would be happy riding the range forever, but his brothers need his help to start a ranch in north Texas. He figures he’ll last a year or so before his feet get itchy again, which his brothers understand. As triplets, they can almost read each others’ minds. Except when his oldest brother orders three brides for them all. It would have been nice to have a little warning about that!

  When Bart is late to meet the train carrying the Blue sisters, his brothers get first dibs, leaving Bonnie standing alone and dejected once again. It only gets worse when her ‘intended’ finally shows up and balks at the idea of marrying her. The only thing Bonnie has going for her are her wits, and she puts them to good use by proposing a business arrangement that Bart can’t refuse.

  Will Bart go back to his drifter ways, or is the elusive thing he’s been searching for all his life sleeping in the next room?

  EXCERPT

  The moment Bonnie and her sisters stepped off the train, she spotted two men who looked identical. The odds of there being a set of twins and a set of triplets meeting that particular train seemed low, so she assumed the third brother was simply out of sight.

  Raising a tentative hand to the men, she started across the platform with Libby and a clueless Gwen, who was prattling on about the stagecoach ride they were supposed to be taking into Wiggieville to see Anne. The men met them halfway.

  “Are you ladies the Blue sisters?” asked one of the men.

  “Who are you?” Gwen said, as rude as ever.

  “I’m Walton Dalton, and I pick you,” replied the man. Then he did the most amazing thing. He pulled Gwen into a kiss — right there on the platform in front of God and everyone!

  Gwen took care of him, though, by stomping on his foot, but he didn’t seem deterred. In fact, he seemed more determined than ever, going so far as to say the preacher was standing by. And poor Gwen had no idea what was going on.

  “Mr. Dalton,” Bonnie said, addressing Walton and trying to keep the panic from her voice, “I’m Bonnie. I’m the oldest sister.” He seemed completely nonplussed by this news so she elaborated further. “I believe I’m the one you’re supposed to marry.”

  “I don’t care who’s oldest,” he said, gazing down at Gwen. “I’m marrying this one.”

  He might just as well have punched Bonnie in the stomach. She’d come all this way expecting to marry the eldest brother and who had he gone for? Gwen, of course. She shouldn’t have been surprised, really, but it still stung.

  “I believe your letter said there would be three of you,” she managed to squeak out.

  “That’s my brother Nate,” Walton said, nodding at his brother before flicking his eyes around the platform. “Bart should be here by now but I’m sure he’ll be along.”

  Bonnie didn’t really care about the inconsiderate brother Bart, who couldn’t be bothered to keep an appointment. She had higher expectations from her future husband.

  She turned to look at Nate but he couldn’t seem to rip his gaze away from Libby, who was blushing furiously and peeking up at him from behind her dark lashes. This wouldn’t do at all. She refused to be the consolation prize for the one who didn’t show up on time.

  “Libby’s the youngest!” she fairly shouted, drawing surprised looks from everyone. Surely he would do the right thing and choose Bonnie over her baby sister. But of course Nate had been just as surprised as Gwen at the situation he’d found himself in and he simply looked confused.

  To his credit, he adapted much more quickly than Gwen did, as soon as Walton explained, but Bonnie once again found herself ignored and rejected in favor of her prettier sisters. Bitterness settled over her heart at the realization her life would be no different outside of Beckham.

  And now…now she was leftovers. The discarded garbage the other two brothers didn’t want. She was table scraps! It was all she could do to choke back the tears as they waited for the tardy youngest brother.

  What had she been thinking, bringing her sisters along? She’d registered with Elizabeth’s mail order bride agency to leave Beckham — including her family — behind. With nothing to compare her to, her future husband might have been pleased with her. She was extremely skilled at homemaking and, when not standing next to her beautiful sisters, she wasn’t altogether homely.

  She’d ruined her entire life by putting the welfare of her sisters ahead of her own, just as she’d always done. Never once growing up had they shown her the same courtesy, so why did she feel so responsible for them? They certainly didn’t refuse the advances of Walt and Nate, even though Bonnie made it very clear she expected to be the first chosen.

  For five full minutes, she sat on that bench and hated her sisters. She wished and prayed for a runaway train to jump the tracks and barrel across the platform, taking them all with it. She would be the lone survivor, and the only person to turn up at the group funeral. Of course, she would be draped in black but behind her dar
k veil, she would be smiling. Maybe even laughing.

  Then Libby reached over and squeezed her hand. The poor child was trembling. Bonnie’s frozen heart melted, and she gave her youngest sister an encouraging smile. She couldn’t begrudge either sister happiness, nor would she wish misery on them. And marrying those lecherous old deacons would have been a life sentence of misery.

  Well, if she couldn’t have love, she would at least do everything in her power to make sure her sisters were happy and cared for. If these two men, who were so entranced by their beauty, didn’t do right by them, they’d have Bonnie to answer to.

  As for her, she had little choice but to accept the errant Dalton as her husband. What little money they had left after the train journey wouldn’t be enough for her to buy a meal, much less a ticket back home. The question was, would he accept her?

  It looked like she was about to find out. Walton was striding across the platform to meet with a third man who looked just like him. As late as Bart was meeting them, Bonnie would have thought he’d have a little giddy-up in his get-along, but in fact he seemed quite unperturbed. Clearly the man was unreliable, inconsiderate and untrustworthy.

  Wonderful.

  Bonnie was just thinking that maybe marrying Deacon Smith would have been preferable to a layabout ne’er-do-well when Walt led his brother over to make introductions. Swallowing her pride — what was left of it, anyway — she stood and did her best to not glare at the man. Alienating him before he even found out they were to be married wouldn’t help matters.

  But the moment Bart’s deeply tanned and calloused hand enveloped hers, the second his rich brown eyes met her own, all the words — every word she’d ever learned — flew right out of her head. A strange drumming roared in her ears, and she was surprised to discover it was her heart beating wildly. The palm he was holding so gently in his strong hand was suddenly wet with perspiration. Bonnie had never been left speechless in her life, and she didn’t understand her strange reaction to this man.