Caleb's Bride: Runaway Mail-Order Bride

The cowboy doctor has enough charm to make a nun weak in the knees. But he’s also her boss at the saloon, and she doesn’t want him to know her secret … until they share a kiss.

Nicole Blake is on the run, desperate to keep her whereabouts in the rugged town of Stumptown a secret. Disguised as a saloon worker alongside her cousin, she’s determined to lay low and avoid trouble, but danger finds her when her cousin is brutally murdered, leaving Nicole alone and vulnerable in a small town full of suspicious eyes. The only person she can turn to is her employer, the brooding and enigmatic Caleb West, a cowboy with a past as shadowed as her own. But trusting him means risking everything—especially when their simmering attraction ignites into a passionate kiss that complicates her already fragile situation. With her heart entangled and her secret teetering on the brink of exposure, Nicole knows that one wrong move could shatter everything she’s fought to protect.

Can she keep her wits and stay strong, or will the sexy cowboy win?

Dive into this sweet and wholesome Historical Romance, where tender passion is delicately woven, leaving the rest to your imagination.

Montana 1877

Nicole Blake tightened the shawl around her shoulders as she quickened her footsteps toward the saloon. Heavy, thick clouds made the evening darker than normal, and the fierce wind created noises she didn’t normally hear while walking outside. Then again, this was her first time in Stumptown. Everything made her jittery, but she needed to control that. She was far away from Billings, and nobody would even think about looking for her in a logging town.

A scraping noise stopped her, making her swing around to see who was behind her. The wind blew into her face, making her squint. “Who is there?” She paused, waiting for someone to answer, but all she heard was the wind. “Brenda? Is that you?”

Growling under her breath, Nicole proceeded toward the saloon. The Silver Dollar Saloon was the only one in Stumptown, and for Nicole, it was where she would start work today. Her cousin, Brenda Garby, arranged for Nicole to work with her as a saloon girl.

Nicole blew out a frustrated breath, thinking about her new profession. Of all occupations to have, why did she have to choose a saloon? Yet, nobody in Billings would think to look for her in that kind of place. Not when her father was a minister.

She quickened her steps, hating that she still felt as though she had to always look over her shoulder. The tinkling of the piano from inside the saloon was heard before laughing voices met her ears. It sounded as if the saloon was in full swing. She had hoped to have arrived sooner, but since the stagecoach had dropped her off very early this morning after traveling in the dirty vehicle for a few days, and then getting set up at the hotel, she was plum tuckered out and needed a rest. It irritated her that Brenda hadn’t come to greet her yet. Nicole didn’t want to enter the saloon without her cousin, but waiting for the absentee girl wasn’t an option, either.

She stopped at the front door. In Billings, the saloon had swinging doors. Not this one. If not for the large sign above the building, Nicole wouldn’t have even known what kind of establishment this place was.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked in. The boisterous laughter that she’d heard only moments ago, had died way down, and the longer people inside turned to look at her, the more the place quieted. Eventually, even the piano player stopped his talented fingers on the keys to turn and look her way.
Inwardly, she groaned. She was going to kill her cousin for doing this to her!

Nicole swallowed hard and moved toward the bar. A tall man who appeared to be in his early thirties, stood behind the circular counter, cleaning mugs. The handsome man’s hands had stilled as he looked at her with wide eyes. She was sure her hair was a mess, thanks to the wind outside, so she ever-so-casually, lifted her hand to pat her coiled hair. Immediately, she felt the several loose strands that came out due to the wind.
She stopped at the bar and met his stare. “Pardon me, sir, but I’m looking for Brenda Garby. I’m her cousin.”
The bartender’s gaze moved over her slowly, from the top of her wind-blown hair, down over her hooped flowered dress with lavender sleeves and hem, all the way to her black heeled boots. The man’s expression held a touch of confusion, and when he lifted his gaze to her, he arched an eyebrow. “You are Nicole Blake?”
Relieved that Brenda had at least told someone that Nicole was coming, she sighed and nodded. “Yes, I am.”

The handsome bartender placed the mug and cloth in his hands on a table behind the bar and walked around the large counter, coming toward her. Slowly, the chatter in the room picked up, and the pianist started playing again.

“I’m Caleb West. I own this place.”

She held out her hand in greeting, and he shook it. “Nice to meet you, Mr. West. I must apologize for not being with my cousin, but for some reason, she never came to greet me at the stagecoach.”

Concern laced his face. “Brenda didn’t arrive for work today. I had just supposed she was with you.”
Nicole’s chest tightened. “Oh, dear. That’s not good at all.”