Instant Daddy
An abandoned baby is the last thing town founder Will Canfield expects on his doorstep. Heâs not the fatherâand the motherâs unknown. But the precious little girl needs a protector. And Will never backs down from a challenge, even if it means caring for a newborn...or dealing with spitfire cattle driver Tomasina Stone.
With her father gone, Tomasinaâs trail life has ended. Yet becoming a polished city lady feels far out of her reach. All she wants is a place where sheâll be appreciated, respected...maybe loved. And the more time she spends helping Will care for the baby, the more she wonders if sheâs found it. Sheâs never wanted to settle down...but Cowboy Creekâby Willâs sideâmight finally give her heart a lasting home.
Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown
âWell, if it isnât Daddy Canfield. Taking your baby for a walk again, I see.â
There was something awfully endearing about a man strolling through the stockyards with a babe in his arms. Sheâd seen little softness from the men in her life. Sheâd always had to work harder, ride longer and take more licks than the men. A woman in a manâs job always had something to prove.
He jabbed her poster with the tip of his cane. âThis Texas Tom person cannot stage a rodeo show in town,â he declared. âThose posters will have to be removed immediately.â
âI donât know who put a burr under your saddle, Daddy Canfield, but you sure are a cranky fellow. Maybe fatherhood doesnât suit you.â
âFatherhood suits me fine.â He shook his head. âI told you before, Iâm not a father. This isnât my baby.â
âWhatever you say, Mr. Canfield. But you sure are getting comfortable with that babe in your arms.â
âIâll speak with Texas Tom myself. When you see your boss, tell him Iâm looking for him.â
âI might be able to save you some time,â Tomasina declared with a wink. âIâm Texas Tom.â
* * *
Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.
Want Ad WeddingâCheryl St.John, April 2016
Special Delivery BabyâSherri Shackelford, May 2016 Bride by ArrangementâKaren Kirst, June 2016
SHERRI SHACKELFORD is an award-winning author of inspirational books featuring ordinary people discovering extraordinary love. A reformed pessimist, Sherri has a passion for storytelling. Her books are fast-paced and heartfelt with a generous dose of humor. She loves to hear from readers at [email protected]. Visit her website at sherrishackelford.com.
He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone,
He hath made my paths crooked.
âLamentations 3:9
To my fellow authors in the series, Cheryl St.John and Karen Kirst, for making this continuity series such a wonderful experience. I hope we can revisit Cowboy Creek in the future!
Chapter One
Kansas, May 1868
Four thousand head of longhorn cattle parading through the center of town kicked up quite a ruckus. Three stories below, countless hooves rumbled over Eden Street, shaking the foundation of the Cattleman Hotel. Above Will Canfieldâs desk the chandelier swayed, the dangling crystals striking a discordant rhythm. The quaking sent a rippling bullâs-eye over his coffee.
A knot settled in the pit of Willâs stomach. The cattle drive filled him with a mixture of jubilation and dread. Jubilation because tomorrow the town would reap the financial benefits of thriving stockyards. Dread because cowboys fresh off the trail were known for their carousing and brawling. After four years serving in the Union Army, Willâs instincts had propelled him to the rank of captain. The war might be over, but heâd learned to trust his gut. Trouble was coming with this bunch. The drovers were two weeks late, which meant those boys would be chomping at the bit.
The sheriff would have his hands full keeping the peace tonight.
A thin keening sound filtered through the commotion; a mournful squalling like the bleating of a baby goat. Will cocked his head toward the door, hearing only the muted roar of the funeral-slow procession below. His ledger vibrated, and the sharp steel nib of his fountain pen jumped. With a sound of frustration he capped his inkwell. Heâd finish the accounts later.
By now most of the town had lined the streets for the astounding spectacle. A new band of drovers meant an infusion of cash, and merchants treated their arrival as a celebration. Earlier, Will had caught the fading refrain of a cowboy band playing âSweet Nightingaleâ on dulcimer and fiddle.