He flexed his shoulders and strained up his chin, running a finger inside the shirt’s collar. “Still getting used to these stiff collars and tighter jackets.” Leaning forward, he brushed a kiss on her forehead. “Your gown shows off your hair to great advantage.” He squinted at her neck. “Where did you get the jewels?”
Thora lifted a hand to the diamond choker. “Missus Beauregard insisted I borrow this piece for the dinner tonight. She’s a lovely woman, and I’m having such fun learning about her past before she and Leon struck it rich in the gold fields.”
Harte moved to the low table in the sitting area and picked up the dime novel. Frowning, he scanned the cover. “Does this issue contain your story?”
Excited that the issues finally arrived, she danced to his side. “I will always think of this one as our story because of all your input.” She turned aside the cover to display the table of contents and pointed to the top entry, feeling goose flesh run along her skin. “The Marshal Ransom Saga…” She swallowed against the pride tightening her throat.”Gold town saved from bankruptcy by Twyla Lynn Ashworth.”
“I’m proud of you, Thora.” He slipped his arms around her shoulders and eased her close. “You worked hard, and this is your reward.”
“No, darling Harte. You are my reward.” She nestled her cheek against his chest and smiled when his arms encircled her back. Within his embrace, she’d discovered such joy and security.
“What’s our next scenario?”
“I haven’t yet decided but rest assured, the tale will be an adventure.” She tilted up her chin to gaze into his loving dark eyes.
Smiling, he kissed the tip of her nose. “Where you’re involved, my love, I have no doubt.”
DEAR READER,
When I was offered the opportunity to participate in Debra Holland’s Montana Sky Kindle World, I was flattered and excited. I’ve been a part of this special fictional world, behind the scenes as an editor, since 2012. I’ve grown to love these characters as if they are my own family members.
So, I wanted to find a story that would bring new characters into the world that hopefully readers wanted to meet and would come to care for. I also wanted to have Debra’s beloved characters cross paths with mine in interesting situations. That was a given.
In my first story, Laced By Love, I created sisters who had to rely on one another after they were orphaned as young teens. That story features the younger sister, Cinnia, and her search for a home and love.
The second story, An Unlikely Marriage, featured the older sister, Nola York, who is on a quest that she hopes will lead her one step closer to her dream. After all these years of relying on one another, the sisters made choices that will put them at opposite ends of Montana Territory.
For the third story, Dance Toward the Light, I starred the third member of the set of vaudeville troupe friends, Dorrie Sullivan, and put her on a path to determine what came next in her life. Because vaudeville has filled her life for many years, she capitalizes on those skills.
In the fourth story, Baling Wire Promises, I set the last Andrusha brother, bounty hunter Pete, traveling to reconnect with his brother, Nicolai. All does not go as planned, and Pete finds himself in a situation he could never have predicted.
For the fifth story, Hearts in Rhythm, I featured an injured ballet dancer who has to find a new profession. She receives help from an unexpected ally in horse trainer Estefan del Vado.
In the sixth story, In His Corner, the hero was a boxer struggling to get into the championship circuit. I matched him with a woman possessing knowledge of herbal remedies to heal his wounds.
For Love’s Target, I used Trent, a secondary character in Hearts in Rhythm, as the hero because I wanted the characters to remain in Morgan’s Crossing at the end. I took my inspiration for Vanora’s sharpshooting abilities from Annie Oakley, who was widely known for her abilities at this time.
For this story, I wanted to explore the popularity among the American culture of dime novels, which would be analogous to television of our day. Some stories continued in a serialized format on a weekly basis for fifty years! The issues contained stories of interest for all ages and appealed to families.
Thora Alviss, a wide-eyed dreamer, is convinced she needs to interview a particular United States Marshal to gain the information that will make her stories more compelling. Because of a tragedy, former U.S. Marshal wants nothing to do with his past and resents the nosy writer for pestering him.
Thanks for reading Chasing Adventure.
Linda Carroll-Bradd
~**~
Acknowledgements
Thanks to:
Tamra Westberry for the creation of my cover, and my author daughter, Shenoa of Lustreediting.com, for her keen eye to typos and story insight.
~**~
Other HISTORICAL TITLES By LINDA CARROLL-BRADD
Laced By Love
Book 1, Entertainers of the West
A vaudeville troupe arrives in Morgan’s Crossing late in the traveling season. When an event occurs that shakes up the troupe, seamstress Cinnia decides to say no to older sister Nola who has made the sisters’ decisions since being orphaned a decade earlier. Leather worker Nicolai Andrusha is lying low and using an alias until the patent is approved on his family’s leather tanning formula. But he finds the auburn-haired poetess irresistible. Will Nicolai oppose his family obligation to help the stranded beauty who has caught his eye?
~o0o~
An Unlikely Marriage
Book 2, Entertainers of the West
Helping injured cowboy Torin Quaid drive mustangs north seems like a good way for vaudevillian Nola York to earn a train ticket east—and get one step closer to her goal of auditioning for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West stage production. Easy-going Torin liked the pretty brunette the first night he saw her performing on stage, and he admires her determination to complete the drive.
The temporary marriage is solely for propriety’s sake to avoid scandal on the week-long overland ride to Meadowlark. Until disaster strikes, and the two must rely on each other—emotionally and physically—to safely reach Torin’s ranch. Will a marriage of convenience turn into more on a trail drive through Montana Territory?
~o0o~
Dance Toward The Light
Book 3, Entertainers of the West
Ex-vaudevillian Dorrie Sullivan decides Morgan’s Crossing, Montana Territory needs a community dance. From the first night, things have a way of not going as planned, but Dorrie vows to persevere. Even when a mysterious stranger in town drives her to distraction.
Haunted by the past winter, trapper Valerik Andrusha is seeking refuge with his brother. Instead, Valerik meets vivacious Dorrie who has a knack for drawing him from his depression. Living in adjoining shops, the pair draws close over the summer but do their futures lay on the same path?
~o0o~
Baling Wire Promises
Book 4, Entertainers of the West
Healer Fantine Pomeroy and five children, aged five to eleven years, are the only survivors of an orphanage fire. She vows to transport them safely to another orphanage, and then she can return to her music studies. But she soon discovers the task may be more than she can handle.
Bounty hunter Pete Andrews is beaten after delivering his last bounty. Unsure if robbery or retaliation is the motive, he sets out to lay low and make a visit to his brother in Morgan’s Crossing. Unable to leave them on their own, he promises to get the woman and children safely to the next town. When he suspects his old life has followed him and threatens the group who has become dear, he vows to protect them. But will that be enough?
~o0o~
Hearts in Rhythm
Book 5, Entertainers of the West
Ballerina Savina Lombard’s recuperates on her cousin’s Montana Territory ranch from an injury preventing her from returning to the stage. Now her eye is set on Buffalo Bill’s Wild West exhibition. Estefan del Vado arrives at the ranch for his annual visit for breeding and training Appaloosas. Collabor
ating on an act involving her dance skills and his horses draws them together. Ultimately, they’re faced with chasing their separate goals or finding a path they both can walk.
~o0o~
In His Corner
Book 6, Entertainers of the West
Viktor Andrusha spent the past decade muscling his way from bare-knuckle street brawler to heavyweight boxing champion. A brutal battle two years earlier left him with impaired vision and his opponent dead. At the urging of his manager, Viktor settles for bouts in smaller venues farther west until he can land the opportunity for one last big match to restore honor to the family name.
Thwarted from attending medical college, nurse Odette Hildebrand leaves her father’s clinic to help her relatives relocate to Montana Territory. In the woods near Sweetwater Springs, she is drawn by the sound of sweet music and meets a shy man, Viktor Andrusha, with a battered face. They make a pact: he’ll agree to receive her treatments while she studies the effects of different herbs, hoping to create a marketable remedy. Her skill heals his wounded exterior, but can she live with the fact he’ll receive more, or worse, injuries in the upcoming exhibition fight?
~o0o~
Love’s Target
Book 7, Entertainers of the West
When a casino owner demands her hand in marriage to cancel her father’s outstanding debt, Vanora Deverell and her father go on the run. No matter what Vanora does, she’ll never do it as well as her late brother, even though she’s stepped in as her father’s apprentice. Having to dress as a boy to enter shooting contest grates on her nerves, but her shooting skill is their best chance to get out of debt.
Rancher Trent Melbyrne wants to be recognized as a horse breeder in his own right. In a Bozeman shooting contest, he’s chagrined when his accomplishments are bested by a boy…until he learns a secret about his opponent. By revealing the shooter’s secret, he sets off a string of events that lead to a showdown on his ranch in Morgan’s Crossing, Montana Territory. Can he atone for the danger he’s caused?
~o0o~
Wandering Home, Book 1 of Dorado, Texas series
Widow Vevina Bernhard sees mysterious lights at night and believes her Texas ranch Shady Oaks is haunted. She needs protection for herself and her 4-year old son but the town’s sheriff offers no help. On hiatus from his Texas Ranger duties, Kell Hawksen hires on as a farrier at the ranch while keeping an eye out for clues to a stagecoach robber in hopes of collecting the bounty. On Samhain, fire erupts and Vevina and Kell battle both the danger and the depth of their feelings.
~o0o~
Storybook Hero, Book 2 of Dorado, Texas series
Relocating to Texas has lessened Clari Rochester’s health problems, and she yearns for adventure. And she spots it outside her family’s mercantile when a quiet, but compelling, cowboy rescues a small child. Trevor Driscoll is the type of hero she’s come to admire through her love of books, and the type of man she secretly pens in her dime novels. But they’ve never had a real conversation. Trevor knows the logging accident that left him with only eight fingers limits his options, but he’s learned to manage. Until he rescues a fine lady from a runaway horse, spends the afternoon transporting her to safety, and gets a glimpse of what he’s always wanted. How will he respond to the unique present this special woman bestows?
~o0o~
My Heart Knew, Book 3 of Dorado, Texas series
From the moment tomboy Maisie Treadwell meets cowboy Dylan MacInnes, the sparks and words fly. To rectify causing his ankle sprain, Maisie is at the mercy of meeting Dylan’s demands. A shared interest in adventure stories draws them closer. Soon, Maisie can’t wait to spend time reading aloud to the recuperating virile man. Until the afternoon she overhears him explaining that his demands were meant to teach her a lesson. Can Dylan find a way to again win her trust?
~o0o~
Sparked by Fire, Book 4 of Dorado, Texas series
Ivey Treadwell, cook at her family’s boarding house, wants to accomplish something big. For now, she satisfies herself with improving on the traditional recipes for the boarders by adding gathered herbs and spices. An incident with a broken pot causes her to see Berg Spengler, the town’s blacksmith, in a new light.
Stigmatized for his huge size and blamed for his brother’s injury, Berg has discovered being alone is safer for his heart. But when he sees interest spark in Ivey’s eyes, he decides to take a chance and approach her. The pair discovers an attraction that heats up each time they are alone together. Will Ivey convince Berg his wandering days are over and his home is here with her in Dorado?
~o0o~
A Year of Romance, Books 1-4 of Dorado, Texas series
Wandering Home: Will a justice-seeking wanderer find solace on a ranch with a stubborn widow determined to protect what is hers?
Storybook Hero: Can a starry-eyed dreamer’s search for adventure overcome a taciturn man’s belief he has nothing to offer?
My Heart Knew: Will falling in love with a strong-willed cowboy be the adventure a tomboy maid has been seeking?
Sparked By Fire: Can a wounded soul find solace in the attentions from a cook who nurtures through her culinary creations?
(in print)
~o0o~
Mail-Order Haven, book 5 in Dorado, Texas series
Rancher Fitz Saunders is reminded that to receive his inheritance, he must be married by his thirtieth birthday. Less than a month away. A mail-order bride seems like the most practical solution.
Tavia Naughton seeks a haven from a childhood raised in Army forts and plunges into a mail-order marriage. Traveling to her new home involves a disaster, and she arrives with an orphaned baby in tow. Nothing is how Fitz envisioned, and Tavia is surprised at Fitz’s resistance to change. Both wonder if they’ve made the right decision.
(also in print)
~o0o~
Ione’s Dilemma, book 6 in Dorado, Texas series (and book 8 in Grandma’s Wedding Quilt series)
When Ione Forrester calls off her wedding, she becomes the social pariah of Des Moines. Much to her society parents’ chagrin. To escape the gossip, Ione accepts a teaching job in Dorado, Texas, vowing to avoid scandal at all costs. Relocating from a doctor’s household with cook and maids to a room in a boarding house is quite an adjustment. Then she has to face her biggest challenge—a schoolhouse full of students.
Carpenter Morgan Shipley’s business is doing well and now he’s looking for companionship. An ad for a mail-order bride brings a deluge of letters, which prove more than he can handle. To his surprise, an intriguing woman from a big city arrives in his small Texas town. Correspondence is nothing like interacting with a flesh-and-blood woman every day. But gossip-leery Ione wants nothing to do with Morgan’s attempts at courting, which makes him try even harder.
~o0o~
Tending Troubles, book 7 in Dorado, Texas series (also book 6 in Lockets & Lace series)
Traveling west to become a mail-order bride is the most adventurous act Bostonian Imogene Franklin ever did. Unfortunately, the groom chose another so she must tables in the Dorado café.
Guilt hangs heavy over Reggie Othmann, who thinks his childhood illness caused both his parents’ lives. His goal of becoming a doctor is met, but he’s unsure of his abilities with patients. When illness descends on the town, Reggie and Imogene tend the townspeople, but is their emotional tie born of the closeness of the ordeal or perhaps something more?
(also in print)
~o0o~
Perfectly Mismatched
Book 1 of Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs series
Shame over her father’s arrest sends socialite Aurelia Northcliffe running for a new home and a new name. After she makes sure her younger sister is secure, she travels west to become a mail-order bride in Jubilee Springs, CO. Not only is she shocked at the size of the tiny mining town, the men she’s matched with make her second guess her decision. One potential groom is much too unsophisticated and the other much too discerning--even if he’s the one who makes her feel saf
e.
Mine Manager Declan MacNeill prides himself on following rules to the letter. Initially resistant to the upcoming bride event, he remembers his short marriage in Ireland and realizes what he’s been missing. His first sight of his potential bride sets his protective instincts on high alert. Everything about her behavior indicates she’s keeping secrets. And Declan is determined on finding out why.
~o0o~
Perfectly Unscripted
Book 9 of Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs
Rilleta Northcliffe’s world has already been turned upside-down with her father’s arrest. While traveling to Colorado as a mail-order bride, she is traumatized by a gang of thieves. Only the steady green gaze of a stranger keeps her sane. Dairy farmer Wit Vanderveer wished he could have done more to prevent the blonde’s involvement with the gang. Safely in Jubilee Springs, neither can stop thinking of the other. Is the shared danger the lure between these individuals, or did Rilleta and Wit discover they have much more to offer one another?
~o0o~
Perfectly Unacceptable
Book 13 of Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs
Jared Manning was left wanting on two prior marriage attempts, and this time he commits to a correspondence courtship with only one potential mail-order bride. He knows just how he wants his picture-perfect married life to be and assumes he’s found the exact woman to fulfill the role.
Chasing Adventure Page 14
