Want Ad Wedding. Cheryl St.John

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Want Ad Wedding - Cheryl  St.John


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      Second Chance Bride

      When Daniel Gardner convinced the residents of his Kansas boomtown to advertise for mail-order brides, he never expected the woman he once loved to respond. But Leah Swann steps off the bride train...pregnant and widowed and in need of a husband. Drawn to protect his fragile childhood friend, Daniel proposes a marriage of convenience.

      Seeing her onetime best friend waiting to meet the bride train is a wonderful shock for Leah. After her first rocky marriage, a practical partnership with Daniel sounds perfect—as long as her heart doesn’t get involved. But when she starts to fall for her husband, will her plans of a fresh start be ruined...or is a real marriage to Daniel exactly what she needs?

      Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.

      “You’re one of the prospective brides?”

      Leah wanted to grab on to Daniel, but held her desperation in check to simply nod. “Yes. Yes, I’m a widow.”

      His expression changed, confusion turning to understanding. “I see. I’m so sorry.”

      You have no idea. I never want you to know. “Thank you.”

      “What about your family? Your father?”

      “They’re gone, too.” Gone seemed an insufficient explanation for her grief, but of course he would understand the pain behind those words. It was an all too common story. The war had stolen so much from all of them. “Nothing is as we remember it.”

      His eyes clouded with sympathy and something more. Regret. Anger. And then incredulity. He did understand. He extended a hand as though he wanted to touch her to see for himself if she was real, but he drew it back, self-consciously. He shook his head. “And after all that, here we are.”

      * * *

      CHERYL ST.JOHN’s love for reading started as a child. She wrote her own stories, designed covers and stapled them into books. She credits many hours of creating scenarios for her paper dolls and Barbies as the start of her fascination with fictional characters. Cheryl loves hearing from readers. Visit her website at cherylstjohn.net or email her at [email protected].

      Want Ad Wedding

      Cheryl St.John

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

      —2 Corinthians 9:8

      The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.

      Your mercies never come to an end;

      they are new every morning,

      new every morning:

      great is Your faithfulness, O Lord,

      great is Your faithfulness!

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       Introduction

       About the Author

       Title Page

       Bible Verse

       Dedication

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

       Chapter Eighteen

       Chapter Nineteen

       Chapter Twenty

       Chapter Twenty-One

       Chapter Twenty-Two

       Dear Reader

       Extract

       Copyright

       Chapter One

      Kansas, April 1868

      A plaintive train whistle shrieked in the distance, scattering dozens of heath hens that pecked along the tracks. Daniel Gardner experienced a sharp pang of anxiety. A murmur of excitement passed through the crowd on the station platform and among those waiting along Railroad Street, the road separating the tracks from the town. Indicative of the population of Cowboy Creek, only a few females stood among the motley gathering of drovers, cattlemen and shop owners who eagerly awaited the arrival of the first bride


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