Sarah Sunshine: A Montana Romance Novella (13 page)

“From Philadelphia.”

“Philadelphia?”  A twinge of bittersweet longing pierced his gut.  “That’s a long way.”

“Yes.”  She made light of the distance.  “But I’m here now and I intend to start over, starting now.”  She glanced over her shoulder at the train.

“You do?”  It was just a coincidence, he told himself.  Anyone could be from Philadelphia.  “Why in God’s name would you want to stay here?”

She shrugged.  “Who wouldn’t want to build a new life in a town as homey and picturesque as this?”

Her question was followed by a gunshot from the heart of the town’s main street and a round of screaming from the silly girls disbursing off the platform.  Charlie whipped her head around to find where the danger had come from, hugging her carpetbag.

“Cowboys,” Michael explained with a shrug.  “Someone is probably drunk.”

“But it’s eleven in the morning, at least it is if that clock is right.”  She nodded to the large clock built into the thick stone edifice of the bank.

“They’ve had a late start today,” he replied with a straight face, a twinkle in his eye.

She pinned him with a dubious glance.  Her anxiety melted and a chuckle bubbled up from her slender throat.  She raised a hand to her mouth.  “Oh dear.”

Michael’s long-suppressed desire to be charming flared to life.  He made a half-hearted attempt to squash it.  She was just another newcomer.  A beautiful, intelligent newcomer with winsome eyes and a figure a man would have to be dead not to notice.  Instinct couldn’t have chosen a more inconvenient time to flare.  Then again, a devilish part of him argued, if she had come to town to find a husband….

“Miss Baldwin.  Charlie,” he found himself asking against his better judgment, “Could I buy you lunch?”

“As long as you have enough dimes,” she grinned.

Clever.

Dammit. 

“I’m sure I could find some,” he replied.  “Let me just get Oliver situated and I’ll show you the town.” 

This was either his lucky day or the beginning of pure disaster.

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Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank Jakki Leatherberry so much for editing this book.  She came along right when I needed her and was a joy to work with.

Special thanks to my friends Kristine Farmer, Samantha Warren, Felicity Young, and Cheryl Kidron for listening to my ideas—good and bad—and for putting up with me through this entire process.  And a HUGE thank you to my RWA Hearts Through History chapter-mates for their unfailing love and support.  Thanks also to my Facebook fans, who were with me every step of the way when I accidentally deleted 2/3rds of the book the moment I finished it and had to rewrite 20,000 words.  You’re the best!

Works by Merry Farmer

The Noble Hearts Trilogy

The Loyal Heart

The Faithful Heart

The Courageous Heart

Montana Romance

Our Little Secrets

Fool for Love

In Your Arms (coming November 2013)

Somebody to Love (coming 2014)

Sarah Sunshine – A Montana Romance Novella

The Indomitable Eve – A Montana Romance Novella

(coming 2014)