Saturday Snippet- Does He Consider Us Friends?

Today's Saturday Snippet is taken from

Ellie

Runaway Brides of the West, Book 13

by Zina Abbott 

          As the train crossed over the Medicine Bow River, Ellie studied the ribbon of green beneath the bridge. The more she viewed the starkness of the land past the river, the more convinced she grew that the plan to stay out of sight and wait for Rand to venture into Medicine Bow was her best—and safest—course of action. Her option of last resort was use the tickets in her possession to board an eastbound train and return to Iowa City. I’m not ready to give up yet.

          After she left the train at Medicine Bow, Ellie, tightly clutching her carpetbag, waited on the platform for her crate to be unloaded. Once her crate landed on the platform, Ellie hooked her fingers at the cut-out Mr. Morgan fashioned at one end. Ignoring the too-curious looks directed toward her, she began dragging it toward the ticket office.

          “Ma’am, may we help you with that?”

          Ellie jerked her gaze up to find the two young men who boarded at Como now stood before her. Not speaking, she studied their faces. Although browned by the sun, neither looked weathered. However, it was their eyes she especially noted. Neither gaze held that lecherous look she had witnessed more than once on Murray Karcher’s face. The expression the blond man wore was one of sincerity. The hazel eyes of the other revealed interest, but nothing disrespectful. She cleared her throat. “Thank you, but I think I’ll be fine. My current plan is to leave it with the ticket agent until I get situated.”

          “There’s not much in Medicine Bow. You planning to work here, ma’am?” The question came from the dark-haired man with the hazel eyes.

           Ellie focused her gaze on the face he kept void of expression. Is he asking if I plan to work in one of the saloons? “No. I’m here to visit an acquaintance. However, rather than drag this all over town, I prefer to locate…my friend…first.” She hoped they would not guess her friend was a man. Does Rand consider us friends?

Ellie is one of two books featured in the Sweet Summertime Books joint author promotion listed farther down in this blog post. To find the book description and purchase options for Ellie, 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

 

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

Sweet Summertime Books

Includes my own ELLIE and ELEANOR

PLEASE CLICK HERE 

 

Watch for Anthelia Yosemite Bride, coming soon. 

No link yet.

Saturday Snippet: Took You Long Enough to Answer, Girl

The following snippet is taken from

 Ellie

Runaway Brides of the West, Book 13

by Zina Abbott 

Upon hearing her uncle’s voice calling from the back of the house, Ellie Benton stood where she was weeding squash in the family’s garden. After brushing a lock of her dark blonde hair from her forehead, she turned and began walking toward her uncle. Clearing the garden, she stepped around the laundry she earlier washed that now hung on the line. After coming within ten feet of the man, she met his gaze. “Yes, Uncle Delbert?”

           “Took you long enough to answer, girl. Follow me to the back shed. I have a matter we need to discuss.” Delbert Benton, Ellie’s late father’s older brother, turned his back on his niece and trod toward the shed.

          Ellie fought back the annoyance. First, he insisted on calling her girl. At the advanced age of twenty-five, she was far from being a girl. Second, instead of waiting for her to join him so they could walk together, he started in the direction he wished to go, assuming she would obediently obey. I strive to be agreeable and cooperative, and all it brings me is disrespect. The closer she came to the rendezvous point her uncle dictated, the more she began to fume. I am tired of being treated like a doormat.

          Having walked to the side of the shed—the side that could be seen from the back bedroom where he and his wife, Velma, slept—Delbert spun to face Ellie. “You still are not married. In spite of you writing to two gentlemen for almost a year, I have heard nothing about an offer.”

          “No, Uncle Delbert, there has been no offer of matrimony.” Ellie glanced toward the back of the house. From the way the curtain fluttered on the other side of the window, which was not open, she suspected Velma was watching the scene. She put Uncle up to this. “The one in Iowa is very congenial and shares about his life, but he has said nothing yet about a more permanent relationship between us.” Right now, his attention is focused on preparing for a dig somewhere in Wyoming Territory.

 

 

Ellie is currently available for purchase as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. It is featured this month on a joint author promotion, Sweet Summer Romance, which you may find by CLICKING HERE

 To go directly to the Amazon book page, please CLICK HERE

 

 

Sabrina, Book 19 in the Rescue Me (Mail-order Brides) series, is now available for sale as an ebook and on Kindle Unlimited at no additional cost. It now also available in paperback. To find the book description and link, please CLICK HERE 

 

 

 

Clara, Prairie Roses Collection, Book 25, is available as an ebook, both for sale and at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. It is also available as a paperback. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

New joint author promotion:

Sweet Summer Romance

Includes my own ELLIE from the Runaway Brides of the West series

Please CLICK HERE