A bride without a groom
Mail-order bride Rebecca Ramsey arrives in the New Mexico territory full of dreamsâbut theyâre shattered when she discovers her intended husband has been killed. If it werenât for U.S. marshal Seth Billingsâs housekeeping job offer, sheâd have nowhere to go. Rebecca loves tending to Sethâs home, but the strong and silent lawman is harder to figure out. What secret is he hiding?
Caring for Jesse Coleâs would-be bride is the least Seth can do. If it werenât for him, the young man would still be alive. Seth had promised to look after Rebeccaâand to keep her safe from Jesseâs enemies. Now if only he can keep his heart safe, as well....
Seth felt closer to Rebecca than heâd ever felt to another woman.
But he knew that he wouldnât put any woman through the dangers and loss of being married to a lawman. It had cost Clare her life, and that was before theyâd even wed. Looking into Rebeccaâs eyes, Seth knew her love would be true and strong.
âYou are turning out to be a good friend, Seth,â Rebecca said.
Her gentle smile created a longing in him to take back her hand and never let it go. He told himself that this was a simple reaction from learning that Rebecca had suffered losses much like him.
He hated the thought that his actions had caused her even more loss. Jesse Cole would have been a good husband to her.
Once Rebecca learned the truth of the circumstances of Jesseâs death, would she still want to be friends with him?
RHONDA GIBSON
lives in New Mexico with her husband, James. She has two children and two beautiful grandchildren. Reading is something she has enjoyed her whole life, and writing stemmed from that love. When she isnât writing or reading, she enjoys gardening, beading and playing with her dog, Sheba. She speaks at conferences and local writing groups. You can visit her at www.rhondagibson.com, where she enjoys chatting with readers and friends online. Rhonda hopes her writing will entertain, encourage and bring others closer to God.
Books are never written aloneâfriends and family are always supporting the author in various ways. This book is for Kathryn Velarde Baharmi and Janet Lee Barton. Thank you both
for all that you do for me. You are true sistersâmaybe not blood, but definitely sisters.
James Gibsonâ
without you my idea well would surely run dry. I love you more than words can express.
And above all to my Lord and Savior.
Chapter One
Cottonwood Springs, New Mexico Territory, 1885
âPlease donât cry, Miss Rebecca.â
âIâm not crying,â Rebecca Ramsey said, brushing at the tears that had caught her by surprise. âIâ Iâve got something in my eye.â
Grace Millerâs young eyes chided her less-than-honest answer.
âYes, I am crying. I shouldnât have fibbed about it. Please forgive me?â At the childâs smile and nod, Rebecca continued, âItâs just that, I never expected Mr. Cole to be dead.â Sheâd never met the man sheâd been engaged to marry in person, so the tears were more for her and what sheâd lost than for Jesse Cole.
Rebecca tried to ignore the presence of U.S. Marshal Seth Billings, who stood beside the door. He had been the bearer of the bad news that her intended groom had been killed. Did he know sheâd answered a mail-order-bride ad? Probably not.
He held his hat in his hands, waiting for her reaction. His broad shoulders seemed slumped under the tan shirt and brown vest he wore. There was a U.S. Marshalâs star on his chest. Her gaze moved upward to where his sorrowful brown eyes bored into hers.
The rich texture of his voice drifted across the short space between them. âIâll be happy to pay your train ticket back toâ¦â He stopped and looked at her.
The question in his eyes prompted her to say, âMaryland?â
âMaryland.â He nodded his head.
What did she have to go back to Maryland for? Her stepmother had made it clear she was no longer needed or welcome in her fatherâs house. The only job available to her, a woman of twenty, was personal maid to the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Ellicott City.
Rebecca didnât like the job or the daughter. No, Rebecca Ramsey would not be returning to Maryland anytime soon. She squared her shoulders and stood. âThank you, Marshal, but that wonât be necessary.â
Seth Billings gritted his teeth; the muscles worked in his jaw. âWhat will you do, then?â His harsh words cut through her tattered emotions.