Mercy: Bride of Idaho (American Mail-Order Bride 43) (12 page)
Read Mercy: Bride of Idaho (American Mail-Order Bride 43) Online
Authors: Jacquie Rogers
Tags: #Historical, #Romance, #Fiction, #Forever Love, #Victorian Era, #Western, #Forty-Third In Series, #Saga, #Fifty-Books, #Forty-Five Authors, #Newspaper Ad, #Short Story, #American Mail-Order Bride, #Bachelor, #Single Woman, #Marriage Of Convenience, #Christian, #Religious, #Faith, #Inspirational, #Factory Burned, #Pioneer, #Idaho, #Family Life, #Rancher, #Owyhee County, #Seventy-Years-Old, #Groom, #Uncle, #Fireball, #Matchmaking, #Distrust, #Past Issues, #Mistaken, #Charade
Finally, the pastor said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
She’d been waiting for those words and his kiss, because in her heart, she couldn’t have been more married. The pronouncement and the kiss. Especially the kiss. Quill lifted her veil and gazed into her eyes.
“Are you ready?” he whispered.
“Very.”
And he kissed her until everyone in the room faded away and the clapping sounded like it was a mile away. She felt his lips and his arms holding her. Glorious. The happiest moment of her life.
When he broke off the kiss, he still held her tight and whispered, “Mercy, I love you.”
She changed her mind—
that
was the happiest moment in her life.
The End
If you enjoyed reading this book, there are 49 more in the series! Find out about the rest of the
American Mail-Order Brides
here:
http://www.newwesternromance.com/
.
To my daughter Mercedes Christesen, who is ever sunny and has more determination than anyone I ever met. She brings joy to the hearts of all who meet her.
And always dedicated to my hero in real life, Mark Rogers.
Special thanks to Kirsten Osbourne, Cindy Tahse, and Pamela Kelley for coming up with the crazy idea of a fifty book series, releasing one book each day. Also thanks to Caroline Clemmons who signed me up for this project, unbeknownst to me, while I was on a book tour.
This whole project, with the Sooper Seekrit build-up, has been a blast. I’ve enjoyed working with all the authors and am grateful to be included.
I also want to thank Mercedes Christesen for her encouragement and her positive attitude. Nothing gets that girl down—at least not for long.
This is book #43 in the American Mail-Order Brides series, but it is also part of the
Hearts of Owyhee
series, directly connected to
Much Ado About Mavericks
(book 4). The heroine is Jake O’Keefe, and she plays a strong secondary role in Mercy: Bride of Idaho.
Most of the character names in this book come from my old friends in Owyhee County—the musicians really were musicians. That’s one of the fun parts of being a writer because we get to revisit the past and make the good parts come alive again.
Henderson Flats is an early name for Marsing, Idaho, which is in Owyhee County. Owyhee is the original anglicized spelling of Hawaii and was named after fur trappers who were lost there in 1819. Owyhee is pronounced OH-wye-hee. I grew up on a dairy farm six miles from the fictional Circle ID.
I do a lot of research for every book I write. A scene might be only a few pages but take several hours of sleuthing to find just the right fact to fit the circumstance. In this case, I went looking for ferries. Here’s a photo of a ferry in the same location only eighteen years later. My guess is that Mercy wouldn’t have wanted to get on this rickety looking thing; hence, the ferry scene. Can you imagine a stagecoach, four to six horses, and a dozen people on this ferry? Makes me shudder to think about it!
Yes, that’s the real Henderson Flats on the other side of the Snake River.
And remember the series Mercy’s going to read,
Honey Beaulieu: Man Hunter
? You can read it, too! The first book,
Hot Work in Fry Pan Gulch
, will be published March, 2016.
The other thing I wanted to point out is that Mercy is the younger sister of Patience, Caroline Clemmon’s Patience: Bride of Washington, so if you haven’t read that book, please do. I loved it!
Thanks for coming along with Mercy for the whole ride! Be sure to check out my other books at
http://www.jacquierogers.com/books.html
.
Hearts of Owyhee
♥ series:
* A story this good can only come from the imagination of Jacquie Rogers
~ Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews
* A rollicking riot of a good read!
~Ann Charles, author of Nearly Departed in Deadwood
* A romantic trip to the Old West stamped with Jacquie Rogers' special brand of humor
~ Caroline Clemmons, author of Brazos Bride
* A Magical, Romantic Romp in the Old West!
~BookwormForever
Much Ado About Marshals
*** RttA Winner: Best Western Historical Romance ***
*** NOR Top Pick ***
Buy a copy and see for yourself what everyone is talking about. Once you read just one of Ms. Roger's books, I can assure you that you'll be a fan...
~Diana Coyle, NOR Reviewer
*** CTRR Award ***
Jacquie Rogers creates a witty, delightful, and downright amusing book with impressive charming players.
~Cherokee, Coffee Time Romance and More Reviewer
Much Ado About Miners
*** Laramie Award Winner: Best Western Humorous Romance ***
*** Easychair Bookshop Finalist!***
From Chanticleer Reviews: Rogers' delightful characters bring their own distinct flavor to Much Ado About Miners: the Shakespeare quoting sidekick, Phineas; a trouble-making scraggly yellow feline named "Duke;" dastardly despicable bad guys; and others. Her scenes had me laughing so hard at times, I was in tears! This entertaining tale will have you rooting for the good guys while hanging on for a wild and fun ride that starts on the first page and doesn't let up to the very end. And, trust me, you'll never think about biscuits in the same way again.
FIVE STARS! Jacquie Rogers writes some of the best Historical Romances on today's market. Not content to simply write a plot and toss in a lot of bed scenes and/or filler, this author adds in subplots, humor, action, suspense, and some endearing strays. ~Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews
When you read a Jacquie Rogers book, you know you're in for a fast, fun ride! ~BookwormForever
* I loved this book. The characters were very relatable and the story kept me wanting more. I couldn't put this book down! This book had everything; romance, intrigue, and a whole lot of meddling. I can't wait for more!!!
~~ J. Kennedy
Secret lives, hidden dreams, and forbidden sex in the Old West—what’s a woman of nobility to do when a handsome rancher tears through her world like an Owyhee dust devil?
Sleight of hand? or Sleight of Heart?
A Straight-Laced Spinster
Lexie Campbell, more comfortable with neat and tidy numbers than messy emotions, is determined find the sharper who ruined her little sister and make him marry her. When his lookalike brother Burke appears, she greets him with a rifle and forces him to help her. Can she resist his magic charm?
A Gambler With Magic Hands
To claim the family fortune, smooth-dealing Burke O'Shaughnessy has to find his brother Patrick, despite being saddled with an angry spinster. But when Lexie shows an astounding talent for counting cards and calculating odds, he figures she might be useful after all. Can he draw the queen of hearts?
"... a fun and fast paced read with a charming and sexy hero!" ~Jennifer Haddad
(with Caroline Clemmons)
Two Dickerson sisters, two Johanssen cousins, two great stories!
Mail-Order Promise by Caroline Clemmons
Mail-Order Ruckus by Jacquie Rogers
Novellas and Short Stories
For lots more novellas, go to Jacquie’s
novella page
!