UNDER A MULBERRY MOON anthology offers Adventure! Mystery! Romance! Nine award-winning and bestselling authors present sweet
western historical stories to ignite your imagination and feed your passion for reading. Let us sweep you away from your daily cares and entertain you with our sigh-worthy novellas set between 1865 and 1900. What a line-up we have for you!
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Titles of individual sweet western historical romances are:
A Family For Merry – Caroline Clemmons
A Family For Polly – Jacquie Rogers
Ada and the Texas Cavalryman – Carra Copelin
Comes A Specter – Keta Diablo
Matthew’s Freedom – Cissie Patterson
Millwright’s Daughter – Zina Abbott
The Lady Lassoes An Outlaw – Charlene Raddon
The Widow Buys A Groom – P.A. Estelle
Worth the Wait – Patricia PacJac Carroll
A FAMILY FOR POLLY by Jacquie Rogers
Children’s Aid Society authorities don’t exactly know Polly Friday Bird and Merry Murphy Bird are single and neither woman is going to volunteer the information. Polly hated the life she and her sister led after they were adopted by a surly Nebraska farm couple who really wanted free drudges. She would never treat the two children she’s adopted so harshly. In fact, she believes the large boarding house she and Merry purchased is an ideal place to raise children, with a large yard, numerous rooms, and a good school nearby. Still, Polly needs a husband so she convinces Ford (Manford) Daily to marry her and be on his way. The problem is, he won’t go.
Excerpt
“I sent Steve and Ford to the florist shop,” Bea said as they walked down the path that led to the street. “There won’t be much of a selection but at least you’ll have a bridal bouquet.”
“Thanks, flowers are nice—but not really necessary. We’ll be saying our vows in private, signing the papers, and that’s that. No one will know other than Mr. Ecclestone and Ford’s grandfather. Once my children are truly mine, and Ford’s grandfather signs the deed over, then we’ll get an annulment and we’ll both be free to marry whomever we please.”
They turned onto Main Street. As they walked in front of the mercantile, Jane Dorchester greeted them.
“Shopping today?” she asked.
“No,” Bea said. “Polly’s getting married.”
Polly could’ve stuffed her reticule in Bea’s mouth.
Jane put down the tools she’d been arranging and smiled. “Married? Oh my, this is quite sudden.” She gazed at Polly’s midriff.
Lavinia Zimmerman, wife of the bank teller, and her son came out of the mercantile, each holding a parcel. “Polly, did I hear right? You’re getting married?”
“Yes, but…”
“How wonderful—congratulations!” Lavinia grabbed her newly adopted son’s hand. “I can hardly wait to tell Dennis. We’ll see you at the church.”
“But…” There was no use for Polly to say anything else because Lavinia had already headed down the street toward the bank.
“Looks like you’ll be having a few guests,” Bea said.
Polly groaned and picked up the pace. “We have to get to the church before they do. I don’t want Ford thinking I invited half the town to a wedding that unites us in name only.”
“Four people isn’t half the town. But then you know how it is in Mockingbird Flats—any excuse for a party.”
“We’re not having a party.” The last thing Polly wanted was for anyone to make a commotion about this wedding, especially when the marriage would be over in a few short weeks if all went well. In fact, she was hoping to keep the whole arrangement quiet, for a big wedding to-do would make explaining why she wasn’t married after a short while all that much harder. “The whole ceremony will be over in fifteen minutes and after that I have work to do—I haven’t even done my morning chores yet.”
“Fifteen minutes? I bet it’ll take you fifteen minutes to get through the front door. And another hour after for visiting if you’re lucky,” Bea said, huffing to keep up with Polly’s brisk pace. “You know very well that the ladies will be excited to have something new to talk about, and every single one of them will want to meet Ford.”
Bea was right, but Polly still had hopes of keeping the wedding as quiet as possible. “I don’t want any of them to meet Ford.”
As they passed by the fire station, Fiona Bushnell, the fire chief’s wife, followed behind them saying, “I was in the florist shop a while ago and heard that you’re getting married so I was on my way to the church. With such short notice, I didn’t have a chance to make you a nice gift, but I ordered some apple turnovers from the bakery to be delivered.”
Polly stopped and Bea had to take a few steps back to stay with her. Her throat tightened but she managed to say, “Thank you, Fiona. That was a lovely thing to do.”
“Oh, and I invited Jessica. I hope you don’t mind.”
Polly certainly did mind but since Polly hadn’t invited Fiona either, she could hardly say that she objected to Fiona inviting her sister-in-law, the town doctor’s wife. “Of course not. That was very neighborly of you.” She nearly choked on her words.
Jessica Bushnell hailed them with a wave. “I’m so happy for you, Polly!” She held up a basket. “Baby things. I’ve been saving them for our town’s next wedding. First baby can come anytime—the other ones take nine months.” She giggled. “We won’t mention how many first babies in this town were premature.”
“Thank you, but I’m not in a family way.”
The matronly lady winked. “You will be shortly, then.”
Polly tugged on Bea’s arm. “We best be on our way.” She set off for the church once again, this time with several ladies and a few gentlemen following. So much for her secret marriage.
Meet the author!
Jacquie Rogers is a former software designer, campaign manager, photographer, deli clerk, and cow milker. She was a Golden Heart Finalist. Her 2007 release, FAERY SPECIAL ROMANCES, won the Fall NOR Award for Best Print Sci-fi/Fantasy Romance. She has donated all royalties from this collection to the Children’s Tumor Foundation, helping to end neurofibromatosis through research.
She has contributed to several anthologies and series. In addition to numerous other awards, her Hearts of Owyhee Series has won acclaim as well as a Laramie Award Grand Prize. Her first two Honey Beaulieu novels, HOT WORK IN FRY PAN GULCH and SIDETRACKED IN SILVER CITY, won four Will Rogers Gold Medallion Awards in 2017. Jacquie teaches several workshops both online and in person.
Website http://www.jacquierogers.com
Blogs: http://jacquierogers.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/groups/JacquieRogers/ (her Facebook group)
https://www.facebook.com/JacquieRogersAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jacquierogers
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