E.E. Burke's Best of the West with Author Kit Morgan

Handsome triplets and mail-order brides? Oh my! Meet the second Dalton brother in The Cowboy's Mail-Order Bride by Kit Morgan.

Available on Amazon

Libby Blue lived in the shadow of her sister’s accomplishments. Bonnie, the oldest, excelled at all things domestic, and could take care of a household like nobody’s business. Gwen, the middle sister, excelled at … well, Gwen was beautiful, so she didn’t have to excel at much else to get what she wanted. Libby tried as hard as she could to live up to both, but always seemed to fall short. But when Gwen is caught up in a major scandal, their father decides to marry Libby and her sisters off to the most un-eligible bachelors in Beckham to save the family’s reputation. Bonnie quickly devises a plan to escape their father’s wrath and sets it in motion. Libby might yet have a chance to prove herself! As a Mail-Order Bride!

Walton Dalton had a dream to build an empire. Or in this case, a ranch where he and his two brothers could work hard and love hard. Determined to see his dream come true, he sends for his brothers and they soon join him in Texas to claim the land and begin building. That took care of the ‘work’ part. But Walton fails to tell his brothers that he already sent for mail-order brides in order to take care of the ‘loving’ part.  Will Nate Dalton become Libby’s road to happiness? Or a slow path to misery because she still can’t measure up?

Excerpt

     Nate took care of the horses, fed the chickens, and was heading back to the house when he stopped dead in his tracks. What would happen now? She couldn’t cook, was frightened, and, as far as he knew, didn’t like this whole arrangement. He stood, fists on hips and stared at the soft lantern light coming from the windows. Maybe she was upset because she was so ill-prepared to be a wife. How would he feel if he was in her shoes? But then, what woman becomes a wife and doesn’t learn how to cook? What else would she be inept at? What if she couldn’t so much as mend a shirt, or wash it for that matter? He couldn’t exactly send her back. But then, what if that’s exactly what she wanted him to do?

      Nate rubbed his chin with his hand. How to handle her… that was the question. Should he be patient, or tell her to get with it? Maybe a little of both? Yet, what right did he have to be so hard on her their first day as husband and wife? She did just travel over a thousand miles to get there and must be plumb tuckered out. If he was any kind of a gentleman, he’d get a tub ready for her, let her have her privacy, then after she felt better, he could see where she really stood. Yes, that’s what he’d do. He wouldn’t be surprised if he found her passed out from exhaustion.

      Sure enough, when he entered the house, she was curled up at one end of the settee, eyes closed, breathing steady and even. He studied her in the lantern light. How was he going to turn this delicate flower into someone capable of defending herself and their land if need be? This was still rough country, and he and his brothers could be gone long hours during the day. She’d be alone all that time, as would her sisters. They might have to do whatever was necessary to defend themselves. Could she shoot a gun? Could she, would she, shoot a man if she had to? 
     He crossed to the stove and pushed the thought aside. He’d worry about teaching her how to shoot later. Right now he figured he’d help make things more comfortable for her. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. He got a fire in the cook stove going, fetched the tub he used for bathing and set it up in the bedroom. He then went out to the pump, got a couple buckets of water, and poured them into the tub. He then filled the buckets again, and put them on the stove to heat.

     While he waited he sat at the kitchen table and stared at the back of the settee. He tried to imagine the two of them sitting there in the evenings after supper in front of the fire. He’d read a book, she’d knit or something. After awhile, they’d maybe get sleepy, then again, maybe not. Nate swallowed hard and stood. He took a few steps in her direction, and gazed at the back of her head resting on the one pillow he had for the living area. Her dark hair was coming loose from its pins, and a long tendril escaped, spilling over the arm of the settee. He went to her, reached down, and touched the silken lock. His body reacted, and he let go, sucking in a breath as he did. Libby didn’t stir, and he sighed in relief.

      Once again, he had to concede to her beauty. But how was she going to survive while he was gone all day? He didn’t talk much during the ride home, but he listened. Her sister Bonnie asked him if the land around Bart’s home would support a vegetable garden come spring. He told her yes, and knew she wanted to have one so there’d be enough food to get them through next winter. She knew how to cook and preserve food, a good thing in these parts. Bart was one lucky son of a …

      Libby moaned in her sleep. Nate froze. He sucked in another breath, and slowly backed away. He should wake her now, get her something to eat, then leave her to bathe.

     He went back to the kitchen. He had some cold bacon from his breakfast left, and a few biscuits. They would have to do for supper. He cut a biscuit in half, slapped a couple pieces of bacon on it, then went to wake his sleeping wife.

     He gave her shoulder a shake, and almost jumped when she popped up with a yelp. “Whoa, there,” he said in a soft voice. “I didn’t mean to scare ya.”

      She stared at him, her mouth half-open. “Wha… what?” She glanced around the cabin. “What happened?”

      “You dozed off. Here, I rustled us up something to eat,” he said and handed her the biscuit.

      She looked at it, then at him. “What is it?”

      “Just eat, you’ll need something in your belly or you’ll be worthless in the morning.”

      “Worthless?” she whispered. “I see.” She took the biscuit from him, studied it, and took a small bite.

      “I done fixed you a bath. You can get cleaned up before you turn in. I don’t imagine you’d want to sleep in a clean bed unless you’re the same.”

      She raised her eyes to his. “Understood,” she said through gritted teeth.

      Good grief! What was ailing her now? “I’ll be out in the barn.” He went to the stove, checked the water, then using a couple of dishrags, plucked the buckets off and added them to the tub in the bedroom. Maybe after she got cleaned up she wouldn’t be so… well, whatever it was she was being! All he knew was he didn’t care for it. If she was going to be the kind of woman that was hard to please, then this arrangement wasn’t going to be to his liking. At least not until she learned what was what. “I’m going to the barn. I’ll be back in an hour.” He didn’t mean to slam the door on his way out, but he did. Some wedding night this was turning out to be.

Meet Kit

Kit Morgan has been writing for fun all her life. After her raising her kids, she decided to get a little more serious. Besides, what other job allows you the fun of traveling to far away places, spending time with interesting characters, experience different time periods, and all without leaving your home? Currently Kit resides in the Pacific Northwest where she was born and raised.

E.E.: What turns you off like nothing else?

Kit: Folks pretending to be something they are not. Phony people.

E.E.: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

Kit: BOTH! Gads, I write fractured fairy-tale-action-adventure! Oh, and romance.

E.E.: What sound or noise do you love?

Kit: There is a bird here in Oregon that makes a simple, long whistle sound. We love the little guy because when he shows up in the spring, it means the rain will lessen. The weather change is upon us!

E.E.: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

Kit: The same kind I write. A fun romance with action adventure, a great hero, and a heroine whose heart is in need of rescuing. Doesn't necessarily mean she needs rescuing in general…

E.E.: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

Kit: Depends on what I'm working on, but a good portion of my books have been written to music. My alter ego, (Geralyn Beauchamp) writes everything to music!  What music depends on what kind of scene I'm writing. Action scene, action music and so on.

E.E.: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?

Kit: I am a certified Life and Relationship Coach aside from being a writer. I'd just do that.

E.E.: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

Kit: Go to the movies!

E.E.: Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?

Kit: Mrs. Irene Dunnigan, because that hatchet/ladle wielding woman scares me just like she does every body else!

E.E.: Which already filmed movie represents your writing style?

Kit: The Princess Bride, because I'm goofy like that.

E.E.: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

Kit: To me they are synonymous.  I talk and write much the same way when telling a story.

Find Kit here:

Website: www.authorkitmorgan.com

Twitter: @AuthorKitMorgan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kit-Morgan/278159182224204?ref=hl

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6977795.Kit_Morgan

Blog: www.authorkitmorgan.blogspot.com

His Mail-Order Valentine (Holiday Mail Order Brides, Book Ten)

Other books in the series:

The Christmas Mail Order Bride

The New Year's Bride

His Forever Valentine

Her Irish Surrender

The Springtime Mail Order Bride

Love in Independence

Love at Harvest Moon

The Thanksgiving Mail Order Bride

The Holiday Mail Order Bride

Kit is giving away a print copy of The Cowboy's Mail-Order Bride to one lucky commenter.
Just comment and enter the raffle.

If you were a 19th century woman, would you consider being a mail-order bride? Why or why not?

a Rafflecopter giveaway