Brought Together by a Baby
Bounty hunter Thomas Beaufort has no problem handling outlaws, but when heâs left with a criminalâs baby to care for, heâs in over his head. And the only person he can think of to ask for help is Esther Jensen, the woman whose heart he broke when he left town. But can he convince her to put aside the past until he tracks down the babyâs outlaw father?
Esther is ready to run Thomas off her Texas ranchâuntil she spies the abandoned newborn in his arms. Soon, working together to care for the precious babe stirs old hopes of a family. With trouble heading to their door, they could overcome it togetherâif sheâll entrust her wary heart to this sweet, second-chance family...
Owning a place, putting down roots. Finding someone to spend the rest of your life with.
That life had never been for him in the past. Could it ever be? Probably not, but Thomas could enjoy the here and now and take the memories away with him when he had to leave.
âWhen I was in town, I noticed posters for the Founders Day Celebration. I think you and I should go. Take Johnny. What do you say?â
âI havenât been to that in years.â
âThen you ought to go. You need a break, something fun.â
Esther was already shaking her head, but he reached over and put his hand over hers on her saddle horn. âPlease. I want to take the baby to town to have him looked over by the doctor, and Iâd like you to go with me. While weâre there, we might as well take in the sights.â
âSo what youâre saying is, this is for the baby?â
Grateful that she hadnât pulled away from his touch, he grinned. âYeah, itâs for the baby.â
âThen I guess I canât say no.â She gifted him with a smile and placed her other hand on Johnnyâs small back. For a moment, the three of them were linked by touch, and he had to remind himself that it couldnât last.
Dear Reader,
I have so much admiration for our forefathers...and mothers! While researching for The Bounty Hunterâs Baby, I learned about all it took just to get a load of laundry done in pioneer times, and I was humbled. In these days when doing laundry involves pouring a little detergent into a cup and pushing a few buttons, the thought of carrying and heating water, using a scrub board, wringing by hand, hanging garments on the clothesline, and pressing clothes with sad irons is daunting, to say the least. I wouldâve perished!
But Esther, my heroine, is made of sterner stuff than I. She is resilient, and she is determined to make the best of her situation. And Thomas is a good fit for her, capable and dependable. And who can resist a man who brings you a darling newborn and a loyal, brave dog?
I hope you enjoy reading The Bounty Hunterâs Baby. And if youâre like me, youâll spend a bit of time being grateful for those who settled this country...and that some things, like doing laundry, have changed, and that the important things, like family, faithfulness and love have remained the same.
Sincerely,
Erica Vetsch
ERICA VETSCH is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and romance and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical romances. Whenever sheâs not immersed in fictional worlds, sheâs the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul mate, and an avid museum patron.
And they that know thy name
will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
âPsalms 9:10 (KJV)
Thank you to Carmen Hyde and Roxane Walker after their help with all things dairy goat. This book is dedicated to my mom, Esther, for whom the heroine of this story is named. And to Peter, as always.
Chapter One
South-Central Texas
June 3, 1888
Folks said Thomas Beaufort could track a housefly through a hurricane, and though he admitted that might be a slight exaggeration, he felt it wasnât too far off. His reputation as a bounty hunter was unmatched, and he intended to keep it that way. The only blot on his otherwise excellent record was about to be erased.
âWell, Rip,â he whispered to his half Catahoula cur, half mystery mutt, âlooks like somebodyâs home. Weâve got him this time.â
He and the dogânamed after famous Texas Ranger Rip Fordâlay side by side on a sandy ridge in the heart of Texas brush country, looking down on a weathered shanty forty yards away. A thin wisp of smoke leaked from the stovepipe, and a pair of horses stood in the weak shade of a mesquite inside a pole and brush corral, the only signs of occupancy.
Thomas swiped with his shoulder at the sweat trickling down his temple. Jase Swindell had led him on a wild chase since escaping from the prison up in Huntsville almost a year ago. Thomas had been tracking him off and on for months, taking quicker jobs when they were offered, but never forgetting about his main objective. Every time he got close to making an arrest, Jase slipped away. But not this time. Thomas had him now.