Darby: Bride of Oregon (American Mail-Order Bride 33) Read online

  ~THE END~

  Stick around for an excerpt from the

  Brides of Diamond Springs Ranch series!

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  Excerpt from Bride School: Gen

  Book 1

  (Brides of Diamond Springs Ranch)

  Gen tried to get everyone’s attention again, to get to the next thing on the list, but failed. Eventually, she had little choice but to reach into her lavishly beaded bag that hung from her wrist on a cord and pull out her little Queen Anne gun. She slid the flint into place, pointed it up, and fired.

  She wasn’t sure if the sheriff fell off the steps or jumped. But if she hadn’t been pointing her gun at the sky, most might have thought she’d shot the man. At the very least, she had everyone’s attention. They all waited, patient and bug-eyed, for her to blow a little heat off the gun and replace it in her reticule.

  “Thank you, gentlemen,” she gave her most practiced, sweetest smile. “A whistle might have sufficed, but not at all ladylike.” She took a deep breath and started again. “Of course, once the ladies start arriving, Anderson’s store may need a bit of expanding. We’ll need a large section for fabrics and notions alone.”

  Another gasp. “Ladies?” An older woman croaked. “Just what sort of ladies?”

  The crowd hushed and leaned forward. The other women who hadn’t yet heard her plans for Sage River were preparing to object. Their bonnets nodded, conferred with other bonnets, then nodded in unison. The men, on the other hand, were a bit too hopeful, even the ones standing next to their wives. A few got an elbow in the ribs for the looks on their faces.

  “Forgive me,” Gen said innocently. “I’ve gotten ahead of myself.”

  She cleared her throat and forced herself not to look his way again, determined to wait until the right moment.

  “In my good fortune, I have found a way to aid the ranchers of the Wyoming territory especially, by starting up a finishing school, of sorts, for the perfect western bride. I’ll be using my first late husband’s ranch, of course. Diamond Springs.”

  Don’t look yet.

  “Fine young women will come here to be schooled in our rather unique way of living, and men who can afford such brides will be coming from all over the West.”

  She took a deep breath and aimed a smile at him, briefly, then looked back to her people. Because they were her people. She was bringing a flood of good women and rich men to their little town and that meant progress. And progress meant money for everyone. She’d bought their loyalty as surely as if she’d thrown gold coins from her carriage as she drove through town. But she was also buying their continued prosperity. For how could a wealthy woman like her live in a place filled with poverty and suffering?

  A familiar laugh from the past came from the right. He and his men had moved forward, finally concerned enough to participate in the conversation.

  “I only see one thing wrong with my former sister-in-law’s plans,” he said.

  His smile devastated her at such close range, but she took a deep breath and let the pinch of her corset keep her from doing anything so foolish as to swoon. His dark eyes flickered over her briefly, then he addressed the crowd as well.

  The audience sobered.

  “She doesn’t own my late brother’s ranch.” Devlin shrugged. “I do.”

  Gen kept her smile. The crowd turned to her in unison, holding on to a thread of hope, waiting for her to deliver a solution.

  “Well, Devlin,” she said, trying not to choke on the name. “I’ve always been told that possession is nine-tenths of the law.” She turned to the sheriff who had regained his station at the top of the steps.

  He grinned. “Yes, ma’am. I’m afraid to say, in this territory, it’s closer to ten tenths of the law.”

  She allowed her face to drop. The crowd sighed.

  She took a few deep breaths, then looked up, raising the brim of her hat as she did so, revealing a genuine smile she’d been practicing for that very instant. For two years, the length of her forced period of mourning, she’d been imagining that moment. She’d imagined Devlin’s confused face, though not nearly as handsome as he was. And the reality of it nearly lived up to her imagination. If he could have looked just a little more heartbroken, it would have been perfect.

  He’d called her his former sister-in-law. Former. So he’d tried to wipe away any memory of her, she realized. He had no relative by the name of Genevieve Zollinger? Of course he had. She’d just added the name of Carnegie to the end, that was all.

  But his dismissal of their relationship was fine by her. After all, she’d come to Sage River to ruin him, not for a family reunion.

  She savored the widening of his eyes when he saw her satisfied smile. The folks encircling Devlin Zollinger held their breaths along with him, and she drew the moment out like a piece of salt water taffy, waiting for that instant when the rope of taffy might break, and fall, and stick to everything around.

  Then she scooped it up and shoved it down his throat.

  “That’s wonderful news, Sheriff Toller. Because, as of...” She reached into her reticule and dug out a pocket watch. She peered closely at it, then frowned at the sheriff, who came forward to compare his watch with hers. Both watches read a quarter past ten.

  “Because, as of ten o’clock this morning, Diamond Springs Ranch...shall we say...fell into my possession.”

  Devlin’s men laughed and slapped him on the back, but he stood stiffly in spite of the crooked smile on his face. Gen had the distinct feeling he was still holding his breath, afraid to imagine it might be true.

  She grinned wide, staring into his lovely, frightened eyes, and nodded. Her hat bobbed dramatically. Once.

  The people of Sage River gossiped in hushed tones amongst themselves. The sheriff took an unsteady step away from her as if she might be touched in the head. He tripped over a large stump that looked to have been placed on the scaffolding a very long time ago. For multiple hangings, no doubt.

  “If you have Zollinger’s ranch,” a woman stepped forward, “then what is the town hall for?”

  Gen winked at the woman for her impeccable timing. “Well, with all those brides, and all those potential grooms coming to court them, we’ll need a place for them to dance, don’t you think? After all, men are no longer allowed to set foot on Diamond Springs, so they’ll need somewhere to do their courtin’.”

  The crowd cheered, their hope restored. But Gen expected them to be true believers in a minute or two.

  She looked at her watch again. Those in the crowd who owned watches, pulled them out as well, though they had no idea what all the waiting was for.

  It got quiet.

  Devlin stood alone; his men had no doubt gone to check on the ranch. But Gen was sure someone would be coming…

  Horses. Lots of them. Headed through town. Not slowing.

  The noise grew louder and Gen feared that perhaps the beasts would come around the corner with no riders at all. But that proved not to be the case. A small army of cowboys finally brought their mounts to a halt at the back of the crowd. A man at the head stood in his stirrups and searched the crowd while Devlin made his way to him. Dev’s other men returned still on foot. They’d hadn’t had a chance to get to their horses.

  “We were attacked!” The mounted man said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “Attacked?” Gen hollered doubtfully. “Are you certain?”

  He looked at the scaffolding and his mouth popped open and shut like a fish.

  “Well?” The sheriff stepped forward to the edge of the platform. “Were you attacked or not?”

  Finally, the man shrugged and hung his head. He mumbled something to Devlin.

  “What did he say?” The crowd wanted to know. “What was that?”

  Someone nearer the horses stood on his toes and addressed the rest. “He said, we lost the ranch—to a bunch of women!”

  I~ ~ ~

  Read more about
Gen and Devlin here.

  OTHER BOOKS BY BELLA BOWEN*

  *Western Romance

  BRIDE SCHOOL Series

  Book One: GEN

  Book Two: LIZZY

  Book Three: MOLLY

  Book Four: MARY

  Book Five: NADIA (coming soon)

  The Infamous Mrs. Wiggs Series

  PICKLESFORK

  American Mail-Order Brides Series

  (50 books by various authors)

  DARBY: Bride of Oregon

  ***If you enjoyed reading this book,

  there are 49 more in the series!

  Find out about the rest of the

  American Mail-Order Brides here

  MORE BOOKS (Under the pen name L.L. Muir}

  * The Ghosts of Culloden Moor

  1. The Gathering

  2. Lachlan

  3. Jamie

  4. Payton

  5. Gareth (Diane Darby)

  6. Fraser

  7. Rabby

  8. Duncan (Jo Jones)

  9. Aiden (Diane Darby)

  10. Macbeth

  11. Adam (Cathie MacRae)

  12. Dougal

  13. Kennedy

  14. Liam—coming soon (Diane Darby)

  *Scottish Time Travel Romance

  Going Back for Romeo

  Not Without Juliet

  Collecting Isobelle

  What About Wickham

  The Curse of Clan Ross Series (bundle of 3)

  Christmas Kiss

  Kiss This

  *Scottish Historical Romance

  Kilt Trip: Part 1

  Kilt Trip: Part 2

  Kilt Trip: Part 3

  Kilt Trip: Part 4

  Kilt Trip: Part 5

  Kilt Trip: Part 6

  Kilt Trip Complete

  Under the Kissing Tree

  *Regency Historical Romance

  Blood for Ink

  Bones for Bread

  Lord Fool to the Rescue

  *Romantic Suspense

  Gone Duck

  *Young Adult Paranormal Romance

  Somewhere Over the Freaking Rainbow

  Freaking Off the Grid

  *Middle Grade Children’s Books

  Where to Pee on a Pirate Ship

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  EPILOGUE

  Excerpt from Bride School: Gen

  OTHER BOOKS BY BELLA BOWEN*

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  About the Author

  About the Author

  Bella lives just outside Ketchum, Idaho and shares her woods with her cowboy boot-wearing husband, two dogs, a mean cat that deserves no mention, and the ghost of Earnest Hemingway. Every now and then, at ungodly hours of the morning, Hemmy whispers inspiration through the dusty screen on her bedroom window. And she has the distinct impression he would have written romances if he would have suspected there might be money in it.