Saturday Snippet- This Ain't No Trip For a Lady

Today's Saturday Snippet is taken from

Sue

Prairie Roses Collection, Book 55

by Zina Abbott 

 

          Susan breathed a sigh of relief as Robbie pushed his way to the front of the group waiting to board the stagecoach. She felt like, after fighting a long, hard campaign for over two months, she had finally won the war. She was headed to Omaha, Nebraska, with Robbie, Michael Stanwyck, and Arnold Traylor.

          “You lads need to give way. We have a lady traveling with us. I intend for her to sit in the middle with me on one side and another man in our party on the other.” As she watched him swell his chest and stretch to his full height, Susan was once more impressed with how imposing the big man of Scots-Irish descent could be.

           “This ain’t no trip for a lady. If she ain’t up to finding her own spot wherever one is open, maybe she should stay home and stick to her knitting,” A fellow traveler groused. “Small thing like her would fit just right on that middle bench, I say.”

          Upon hearing the undertone of grumbling, Susan dropped her chin and studied the ground. She suddenly wished she had worn the fabric sunbonnet she brought. They were used by women who traveled in wagon trains. The wide brims were designed to protect their faces from the sun. For this trip, Lucy had given her a narrow-brimmed straw hat with a ribbon band decorated with a small cluster of flowers on the side. Instead of fastening the wide ribbon ties to frame her face, as was the style, Lucy—who decided that much fabric on Susan’s face would be too warm and sticky much of the trip—fashioned the side ribbons into a bow at the back so the tails draped over the back of the brim and down Susan’s back. A pair of long pins held the hat in place.

          “Not how it’s going to work, lads. We’ll take the rear-facing seats with the lady and leave the rest of you to fight over the forward-facing bench or the one in the middle. The lass is my niece, and I won’t tolerate anyone—and I mean anyone—insulting her, using foul language, being disrespectful, or touching her. Mind your manners, or you’ll deal with me.” Using his fist, Robbie thumped his chest.

          Robbie’s niece. As Robbie introduced himself as her uncle, Susan could not help but smile as she mused about the transition in their relationship. It had been established during one of the earlier planning meetings for this trip…

My most recent book in the Prairie Roses Collection, Sue, is now available for sale as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, 

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Saturday Snippet - She Told Him She Is Coming

Today's Saturday Snippet is taken from

Hal's Lucky Escape

Rejected Mail-Order Grooms, Book 9

by Zina Abbott 

… Back to Kurt’s situation. Even though I cannot go, you, on the other hand, will be off a stage route for over a month while that arm heals. I’m sure, once I send Kurt a telegram explaining you will go in my place, he trusts you enough to—”

          “Whoa, whoa!” Hal threw up his hand, palm toward Ash. “Go in your place where? He trusts me enough to escort his cousin—two of them—by wagon train or steamboat where?” He rubbed his temples with his fingers and thumb of his right hand. “You know neither one of those options appeal to me.”

          “Hal, do I have your word you will not discuss this with anyone?” Ash sighed. “No one at the stage company. Not your landlady or the other boarders—no one?”

          “You have my word. But no matter what I decide, I will not commit to anything unless I know what I might be getting myself into.”

          “Think of it as doing security work—about the same thing you do for the stagecoach company. Only, this will include an all-expenses paid, three-week steamboat cruise up the river.”

          “Steamboat?” His mouth hanging open, Hal dropped his right hand to his side. “Where did Kurt move that it takes three weeks on a steamboat to get there? And what do you mean by up the river?”

          “I’m getting there. That’s three weeks after you travel by train, stagecoach, or riverboat—your choice—to get to the point of departure. Kurt already sent round-trip tickets for Cheyenne to Omaha and back, so I’d choose train, if I were you. Not only that, he sent a third-class ticket for passage on the Far West.”

          “Far West…” His gaze unfocused as he stared across the room, Hal slowly muttered the words. “Isn’t that the riverboat we boarded that took us to Fort Leavenworth to get discharged?”

          “The same.” Ash slowly nodded. “I don’t think it’s contracted to transport men and supplies for the Army anymore. I think the boat was sold to another company last year, and it has a new captain.”

          “It’s still the Far West. I have no love for that particular vessel.”

          “I know, but everyone says it’s one of the fastest steamboats on the river. Kurt sent a draft, which I will get cashed. You can use the money for food, ammunition, extra supplies, and to get yourself from Omaha up to Sioux City.”

          “And why would we be leaving from Sioux City?” His brow furrowed, Hal again faced Ash. “The only place I know the Far West steams to is along the mountain route of the Missouri River. Ash, you know I hated the time we were stationed at Cantonment Tongue River. And that winter campaign against the Northern Cheyenne and Sioux just before they finally issued our discharge papers…? I never was so cold in my life.” Staring straight ahead, he shivered. “When we left two years ago, I swore I’d never go back.” His face scrunched into a scowl.

          “I know. My thoughts exactly.” His eyelids half-closed, Ash sucked in a breath and nodded. “But, that’s where this lady and her daughter are going.”

          “How far up the river?”

          “Final port of call.”

          “Are you joking? Way up there?”  His mouth hanging open, Hal stared at Ash.

          “Way up there. They will still have a two-day stagecoach ride from there. You know as well as I do, it would not be safe for two females to travel alone in that country.”

          “Kurt should have known better than to invite her to live there.”

          “I don’t think he invited. I think she told him she’s coming.”

          “Oh.” One of those women. Hal groaned as he leaned his head back and rolled his eyes. Then he straightened and met Ash’s gaze. “Are you serious?”

Hal's Lucky Escape is now available for sale as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, 

please CLICK HERE

 

 

My most recent book in the Prairie Roses Collection, Sue, is now available for sale as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, 

please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

My book, The Mine Owner's Rescue,  Book 7 in The Rich Man Takes a Bride series is also available for sale as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, 

please CLICK HERE

Coming in August is my book, Mail Order Barber,  the final book in the Hopeful Husband's series. It is currently on pre-order. To find the book description and purchase options, 

please CLICK HERE