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Dreaming Of A Western Christmas: His Christmas Belle / The Cowboy of Christmas Past / Snowbound with the Cowboy
Lynna Banning
Carol Arens
Kelly Boyce
May All Your Cowboy Dreams Come True This Christmas With These Three Festive StoriesHis Christmas Belle by Lynna BanningActing as nursemaid to a spoiled Southern belle isn’t the way loner Brand Wyler imagined spending Christmas. But beautiful Suzannah’s intrepid spirit makes him feel less empty inside... The Cowboy of Christmas Past by Kelly BoyceAda has left her dreams of cowboy Levi MacAllistair behind. Until one Christmas he arrives injured on her doorstep! Maybe it’s time for Ada to reveal the truth about their son... Snowbound with the Cowboy by Carol ArensMary Blair’s Christmas wishes come true when Joe Landon seeks shelter from the snow. The handsome cowboy wants to adopt the orphans in her care. There’s just one catch: he needs a wife!
Acclaim for the authors of Dreaming of a Western Christmas (#u005d9c57-2f19-52bf-9178-57376df1386d)
LYNNA BANNING
‘Banning pens another delightful… heartwarming read.’
—RT Book ReviewsonSmoke River Bride
KELLY BOYCE
‘Boyce captures the spirit of the American West.’
—RT Book ReviewsonSalvation in the Sheriff’s Kiss
CAROL ARENS
‘One exhilarating read… Take a deep breath and enjoy!’
—RT Book ReviewsonRebel with a Cause
LYNNA BANNING combines her lifelong love of history and literature in a satisfying career as a writer. Born in Oregon, she graduated from Scripps College and embarked on a career as an editor and technical writer, and later as a high school English teacher. She enjoys hearing from her readers. You may write to her directly at PO Box 324, Felton, CA 95018, USA, email her at carowoolston@att.net (mailto:carowoolston@att.net) or visit Lynna’s website at lynnabanning.net.
A life-long Nova Scotian, KELLY BOYCE lives near the Atlantic Ocean with her husband (who is likely wondering what he got himself into by marrying a writer) and a golden retriever who is convinced he is the king of the castle. A long-time history buff, Kelly loves writing in a variety of time periods, creating damaged characters and giving them a second chance at life and love.
CAROL ARENS delights in tossing fictional characters into hot water, watching them steam, and then giving them a happily-ever-after. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, beach camping or lounging about a mountain cabin. At home, she enjoys playing with her grandchildren and gardening. During rare spare moments you will find her snuggled up with a good book. Carol enjoys hearing from readers at carolarens@yahoo.com (mailto:carolarens@yahoo.com) or on Facebook.
Dreaming of a Western Christmas
His Christmas Belle
Lynna Banning
The Cowboy of Christmas Past
Kelly Boyce
Snowbound with the Cowboy
Carol Arens
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Table of Contents
Cover (#ua40be7c7-d8eb-52f5-bc88-06e2692ee27b)
Praise
About the Authors (#u790813e3-2b73-5bf0-a7ce-b13f5c63ac2e)
Title Page (#ucbbc51bf-7051-5ca5-b19a-4ad4d67adaea)
His Christmas Belle (#u11c265c2-cfc3-5d07-90a4-db70e57d6935)
Dedication (#u75a28aad-d047-591c-ad7e-e0ff744143bb)
Author Note
Chapter One (#u0e810e97-2d0a-5628-87b2-73cd622b0f17)
Chapter Two (#ud947f300-7206-54ea-b81c-f663e83dc126)
Chapter Three (#u2d9c3f12-13eb-5aa4-887d-38b5b8e07b06)
Chapter Four (#u78fe7430-e81f-5664-b872-23194fe91cdb)
Chapter Five (#ud3e30770-6db6-5e2a-baa0-d0dac07b7efa)
Chapter Six (#u722ad54f-c644-5f06-8043-044ee4287482)
Chapter Seven (#u961d7660-eb4a-5a68-954e-84c39b486146)
Chapter Eight (#u1c1d8ff4-12e7-58bd-a003-a23292443763)
Chapter Nine (#ue5908d73-5508-50c5-b2d4-776277e9ff4e)
Chapter Ten (#u126b00a6-3a44-52f3-a052-03a9a22b9085)
Chapter Eleven (#u64f38607-c587-5288-931e-ee6f090ff870)
Chapter Twelve (#u4195870e-5bcf-5e56-af73-179409f646fc)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
The Cowboy of Christmas Past (#litres_trial_promo)
Dedication (#litres_trial_promo)
Author Note
Chapter One (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Snowbound with the Cowboy (#litres_trial_promo)
Author Note
Chapter One (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
His Christmas Belle (#ulink_3b4ec405-d8ce-5f59-b677-945805126999)
Lynna Banning
For my niece, Leslie Yarnes Sugai, and my great-niece, Lauryn Akimi Sugai
Author Note (#u005d9c57-2f19-52bf-9178-57376df1386d)
I always think of Christmas as a time of hope—a time for recognising and accepting our differences and reaching out to our fellow human beings. It was no different on the frontier of the Old West, when people from so many different backgrounds came together and learned to appreciate each other.
For my niece, Leslie Yarnes Sugai,
and my great-niece, Lauryn Akimi Sugai
Look for Lynna Banning’s
Smoke River Family
Coming November 2015
Chapter One (#ulink_1c136057-b2b0-542f-9005-d42aa287dfde)
Fort Hall, 1868
Smoke? Smoke was the last thing he wanted to see. The very last thing. The puff of black dust rose higher, and Brand’s heart sank. What now? A Sioux raid on a wagon train? A pine tree struck by lightning exploding into flames and starting a fire?
He reined in the black gelding and sat studying the sky. Hell’s bells, another puff of smoke. Dead west. Not the direction he was riding this morning. Not the direction he wanted on any crisp December morning, not after the telegram about Marcy.
Back in Oregon his sister had loaded her pockets with rocks and waded into Lake Coulter. What Brand didn’t know was why. Why would his sweet, beautiful little sister take her own life? Maybe he’d never know why. But he sure as hell didn’t want to head west, back to Oregon. Made his gut shrivel just to think about it.
Another puff of smoke climbed into the cloudless blue sky and he groaned aloud. What the...? Those were smoke signals! And he knew exactly where they were coming from.
He leaned out of the saddle to spit onto the hard brown earth of eastern Idaho and reined the black around.
* * *
Fort Hall looked just as run-down and dingy as it had a year ago. He rode in past the bored-looking sentry and headed straight for the sutler’s squat stucco building. As he tied up his mount, two disheveled cavalry soldiers clumped down the wooden steps. One snapped a salute.
“Major.”
Brand gritted his teeth. He’d mustered out a year ago and now served as Colonel Clarke’s scout, but every so often someone forgot he no longer needed to salute him. He tramped up the rickety board steps, his rowels chinging in the hot, still air, and pushed through the open door.
