The Cowboy Gets Hitched!
Wrangling fifty brides and fifty grooms is not rancher Cord Shawâs idea of fun. But somehow heâs in charge of the Worldâs Largest Old-Tyme Wedding in Jasper Gulch, Montana. Thankfully good-natured bridesmaid Katie Archer has agreed to help him with the details. Twice burned, Cord has vowed never to lose his heart again. And yet, picturing sweet Katie in vintage silk and lace makes him wonderâ¦. When a couple suddenly pulls out of the festivities, Cord and Katie are roped in to tie the knot! Itâs all for show, of course, but Cord begins to wish his make-believe bride could be his for real.
In Honor of The Jasper Gulch Centennial, You Are Cordially Invited to Attend the Worldâs Largest Old-Tyme Wedding
One hundred brides and grooms to celebrate
one hundred years of history! Folks are coming from all over to see this romantic spectacle. Everyone seems happyâexcept perhaps perpetual bridesmaid Katie Archer. Sheâs starting to regret her decision to come to Jasper Gulch to watch her sister wedâ¦.
For better or worse, sheâs agreed to help Cord Shaw, the mayorâs son, pull off the perfect wedding ceremony. But we suspect that Katie is harboring her own secret wish involving a tuxedo and a long white gown. Things are about to get very complicatedâand youâve got the best seat in the house to watch it all unfold. Something old, something new, something borrowedâ¦and you! Stay tuned for an Old West wedding you will never forget!
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Big Sky Centennial:
A small town rich in historyâ¦and love.
His Montana Bride by Brenda MintonâOctober 2014
BRENDA MINTON
started creating stories to entertain herself during hour-long rides on the school bus. In high school she wrote romance novels to entertain her friends. The dream grew and so did her aspirations to become an author. She started with notebooks, handwritten manuscripts and characters who refused to go away until their stories were told. Eventually she put away the pen and paper and got down to business with the computer. The journey took a few years, with some encouragement and rejection along the wayâas well as a lot of stubbornness on her part. In 2006 her dream to write for Love Inspired Books came true. Brenda lives in the rural Ozarks with her husband, three kids and an abundance of cats and dogs. She enjoys a chaotic life that she wouldnât trade for anythingâexcept, on occasion, a beach house in Texas. You can stop by and visit at her website, www.brendaminton.net.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
âMatthew 7:7
To the wonderful ladies who made working on
this continuity such a pleasure: Valerie Hansen, Carolyne Aarsen, Ruth Logan Herne, Jenna Mindel and Arlene James. Your support and prayers have meant so much to me. And to our editor, Shana Asaro, for making it a great project to work on.
Chapter One
Jasper Gulch Welcomes You To the Worldâs Largest Old Tyme Wedding. The banner was stretched across one wall of the Jasper Gulch, Montana, festival hall at the fairgrounds. The town was celebrating its centennial and for some reason, a hundred years meant a hundred brides and grooms. Or at least that was someoneâs opinion. Katie Archer wasnât one of the brides. Instead, she stood on the sidelines, the sister of a bride, as well as a potential bridesmaid. It was the place where she felt comfortable and where sheâd spent most of her lifeâstanding in the shadow of her older sister, Gwen.
Gwen was beautiful, intelligent, gifted and so many other positive adjectives, but she was also unfailingly kind. And Katie was loyal. When Gwen had asked her to make this trip, Katie hadnât been able to refuse, even though she knew Gwen would have to leave at times. Katie had taken vacation from her job in Missoula, packed a bag and climbed into the backseat of Jeffreyâs Land Rover, Jeffrey behind the wheel, Gwen in the passenger seat. Jeffrey Parker, the groom, was an orthopedic surgeon originally from Denver but now practicing in Missoula. The two had met when Gwen started her residency.
They had arrived in the small town of Jasper Gulch, Montana, earlier in the day. There had been time to take a tour of the town, find the Shaw ranch where they would be staying during the month of October while they prepared for the wedding, and then theyâd headed for the fairgrounds where the engaged couples would be treated to a prewedding reception.
Since arriving at the cavernous, slightly drafty building, Katie had watched as Gwen and her fiancé, better known as Dr. Jeff, got the royal treatment. Even from a distance Katie could see that her sister and Jeff were in love. And they looked beautiful together, like the power couple they were. Gwen looked stunning with her dark hair in a jeweled clip, a shimmering red dress that suited her slim frame and her makeup applied perfectly.