The Rancher’s Christmas Wish (Brides 0f Inspiration Book 8) Read online

  THE RANCHER'S CHRISTMAS WISH

  Brides of Inspiration

  Book 8

  MAYA STIRLING

  1880

  Christmas At The Buchanan Family Ranch

  Disappointed by a romantic betrayal, Chloe Forsyth journeys from Utah to her aunt and uncle's Buchanan ranch near the little town of Inspiration. She's been coming to the ranch these past two years to celebrate Christmas and help in her own unique way to make it special for all her Buchanan relatives. This year, she's looking to renew her life through devotion to family and to God.

  However, this year there is trouble at the ranch. Chloe finds herself caught in the middle of a feud between a newly arrived ranch family and her Buchanan cousins. And, just to complicate matters, at the center of that feud is just about the most handsome rancher she's ever seen.

  Ethan Armstrong never thought he'd fall for a Buchanan woman. But, that's what happens when the beautiful Chloe Forsyth arrives at Christmas in the middle of the biggest family feud Ethan has ever known. In spite of the fact that she's a Buchanan, Ethan decides the only way he can win Chloe's heart is to work with her to make this Christmas truly special. For both families.

  There's only one problem. The feisty Buchanan niece seems determined to keep Ethan at arms length. He'll have to pull out all the stops if he is to heal his own family and claim the heart of this Buchanan beauty.

  The Rancher's Christmas Wish is a standalone FULL LENGTH NOVEL in the Brides of Inspiration series. It can be read on its own and as part of the series. It is a clean and wholesome historical Christian romance with inspirational themes of faith, family and love. And it has a guaranteed heart-warming happy ending.

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  © 2018 Maya Stirling

  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

  Romans 11:33

  CHAPTER ONE

  Inspiration, Montana

  December 1880

  The tall stranger standing on the train station platform looked dangerous, Chloe Forsyth told herself as the train juddered, slowing easily into the station. The man ran his dark gaze along the length of the carriages. By the steadiness of his gaze, Chloe was sure he was seeking someone. He was dressed in jeans, mud-covered boots, navy blue plaid shirt over which he had on a heavy woolen jacket. His Stetson was tipped casually up from his forehead revealing ruggedly handsome features. Compellingly handsome, in fact, Chloe told herself. Dark eyes and equally dark brows. Even features which contained a hint of disdain and eyes that flashed with impatience. He stood tall, his muscular looking arms folded across his broad chest. The man's gaze met Chloe's. She gasped quietly and dragged her gaze away from the man who she guessed was in his late twenties, a few years older than herself.

  She'd reached her destination. Chloe stood, pulled down the door window and leaned her head out of the carriage. The winter air was crisp and cold. Chloe could see the familiar sight of Main Street beyond the end of the station platform. She could see people milling around up and down both sides of the boardwalk. Buckboards rolled sedately up Main Street. It was early afternoon and all the signs of everyday life were on full display. A warm sensation flared into life inside her. A familiar feeling which made her almost sigh with relief. A happiness she hadn't felt in a long time. She was back in Inspiration. It had been a year since her last visit. So much had happened since then. But she wasn't going to dwell on any of that, for the moment. Christmas with her Buchanan cousins would wash away all the hurt.

  Lord, help me to rediscover happiness, she prayed silently. It has been too long since I felt true joy.

  Chloe glanced at the man again. Her fingers curled around the top edge of the lowered window. Any pleasant sensation she felt was instantly tempered by the anxiety she sensed about the way the stranger was once again regarding her. Chloe's pulse quickened and indignation fluttered briefly into life. Didn't the man know it was rude to stare at a young woman like that? He looked like a cowboy. Or even a rancher, she told herself. He had sun-darkened skin. He clearly wasn't someone who worked behind a desk. Maybe that explained his bad manners.

  The train now stationary, Chloe pushed open the carriage door of the train. Carrying her large solitary carpetbag, she stepped gingerly down onto the platform. Her booted feet settled upon the wooden surface of the station's platform. Glancing up and down the length of the train carriages, Chloe saw she was the only passenger getting off. She'd arrived in Inspiration. She was back for another Christmas visit. The Buchanan ranch awaited her. Puzzled none of her cousins were waiting to greet her, Chloe heaved her carpetbag, feeling the weight of enough belongings to last a month at her aunt's ranch. Chloe started to make her way slowly along the platform.

  Her head whipped around and she saw that, inexplicably, the man was following her. Not just walking behind her, though. He was watching her with obvious interest. His steps were slow, even languid. Chloe frowned. A sudden burst of steam from beneath the train's engine made Chloe squeal abruptly. Steps faltering, her bag slipped from her hand, landing with a thud on the platform. Chloe reached down, eager to pick up the bag and be on her way. Still wondering where her cousins Zane and Gideon could be, she curled her fingers around the bag's handle. A deep voice echoed from behind her. The stranger. Chloe straightened quickly and turned to the man.

  "Please, ma'am. Let me help you with that bag," he suggested extending an arm toward her bag.

  Chloe held up a hand and shook her head. "That won't be necessary, thank you," she replied.

  The man hesitated, peering steadily at Chloe. He lowered his arm to his side. Up close, the man looked even more dangerously handsome, Chloe admitted to herself. Chloe could sense the power contained in his physique. He was a head taller than her. His dark brown eyes possessed an assurance about them. Confidence and certainty filled his gaze. The corner of his full lips curled sardonically. A brow lifted and his eyes brightened. "It sure looks heavy," he said. "You planning on staying in Inspiration for a while?"

  "I don't believe that is any of your business," she retorted. Chloe noted that his voice had an attractive quality to it. Deep and vibrant. He spoke carefully and precisely. But there was something presumptuous about his attitude which put her on the defensive. She knew she shouldn't even be speaking with this stranger. "Thank you for your kind offer. I'll bid you a good day," she said firmly. Turning, she lifted the bag and heaved it up against her side. She resumed her steady pace along the platform.

  When she glanced at him again, she saw he was continuing to follow her. She groaned and halted, turning to him. "Can I ask why you are following me, sir?" she demanded.

  When the man smiled, Chloe felt her heart quicken treacherously. "I wasn't aware I was doing that, ma'am," he said mischievously. He gazed along the length of the platform. "I figured this is a public place." He smiled. "At least it was, the last time I checked."

  "But you are following me," she reiterated, planting a hand on her hip and fixing him with a stern look. She saw the man's gaze drift down the length of her green gown. Aware that heat had raced to her cheeks, she peered a
t him sternly. "Who are you?" she asked.

  He tilted his head to one side and regarded her carefully for a moment. "I was about to ask you that same question. By way of confirmation, you understand," he said.

  There was something almost insincere about the way he'd said those words, Chloe told herself. She frowned. His words had puzzled her. "What do you mean, confirmation?" Chloe glanced toward the far end of the platform. Where were her cousins? In her aunt Eugenie's most recent letter, she had told Chloe that Zane and Gideon would most likely come to meet her on arrival.

  "Expecting someone?" the man asked. When his brows lifted, she had the distinct impression he was beginning to tease her.

  Chloe scowled. "My cousins," she declared hesitantly and lifted her chin defiantly. Once again, she glanced in the direction of Main Street. "They were supposed to come to collect me."

  "Looks like they're busy doing something else," the man said. "Maybe got some work on the ranch."

  Worry twisted a sudden hard knot in her middle. How did he know that her cousins lived on a ranch? This time Chloe glared at the man. "You seem to be unusually well informed."

  The man tipped the brim of his Stetson. "Maybe I should introduce myself, ma'am. My name is Ethan Armstrong."

  Armstrong. The name sounded familiar to Chloe. But, right now, all she could think of was how she was going to find her way to the Buchanan ranch. Only something serious would have stopped her relatives from coming to greet her. She would just have to wait at the station until someone arrived. Worry hardened as she peered at Ethan Armstrong. She felt as if he was examining her every move. Her every gesture.

  "Who might I have the pleasure of addressing, ma'am?" he asked gently, with just a hint of courtesy in his voice.

  Chloe glanced in the direction of the train's engine and saw the driver leaning against the cabin's opening, watching her and Mr Armstrong. At least she wasn't entirely alone at the moment, she consoled herself. She sighed, seeing that Armstrong was gazing expectantly at her. "Miss Chloe Forsyth," she announced in her proudest voice.

  He lowered his head slightly. "Glad to make your acquaintance, Miss Forsyth." He smiled at her. "You can call me Ethan. If you like."

  She shook her head. "I certainly will not be so familiar, Mr Armstrong." Chloe shrugged her shoulders indignantly and turned away from him. Maybe she'd misjudged him, she told herself. Now that she considered it more carefully, there was something coarse and unsophisticated about his ways. She was seized by the desire to put some distance between herself and the impudently inquisitive stranger.

  Carrying her bag, Chloe strode over to a long bench set against the wood-paneled wall of the station's small building. Dropping down heavily onto the seat, Chloe was dismayed to see that Ethan Armstrong had followed her over to the bench. When he made as if to sit down alongside her, Chloe fixed him with the sternest look she could muster. He hesitated and then remained standing. Chloe told herself that, if no-one turned up to greet her soon, she would just have to find her own way to the Buchanan ranch.

  As if reading her mind, Ethan Armstrong peered down at her. "Do you need some assistance getting where you need to go, ma'am?" he asked.

  Chloe gasped, taken aback by the man's boldness. "If I did, I can assure you there's no way I'd accept such an offer from a rude stranger like yourself, Mr Armstrong."

  "Rude?" the man exclaimed lifting his brows disbelievingly.

  Feeling heat rush to her cheeks, Chloe nodded firmly. "Yes, sir. Rude," she repeated.

  Instead of being offended, Armstrong merely shrugged. "Just trying to be friendly."

  Chloe glowered at Armstrong. "What brings you to the station today, sir?"

  "I heard there was a visitor arriving today. On their way to the Buchanan family," he replied. "I figured I'd come introduce myself. And get a chance to talk with one or two of your relatives." He gazed along the length of the platform. "But, they seem to have abandoned you, this afternoon."

  Chloe's mouth dropped open and the breath eased out of her. She stood and faced the stranger. "What possible interest could you have in my relatives?"

  Armstrong tilted his head. He tipped his Stetson up from his forehead. "Your relatives and my family are neighbors, Miss Forsyth."

  Chloe frowned at Armstrong. "And that gives you the right to come to the train station and intrude upon my privacy?" she demanded. Her heart was beating faster now. The effrontery of the man had triggered a wave of indignation inside her.

  Now it was his turn to appear perturbed. "It wasn't my intention to cause you to feel bad, ma'am," he said awkwardly. "I was really hoping to speak with Zane Buchanan. Him being the oldest of the Buchanan brothers. He and I have some business to talk about."

  "What kind of business?" Chloe asked sharply.

  Armstrong sighed. "I figure that ain't your concern, ma'am," he said. "I've already troubled you enough."

  Suddenly, the indignation which had been growing, burst loose. "You've caused me considerable trouble, sir," she exclaimed, her voice echoing along the platform. She saw the train driver glance concernedly toward her. Before she had a chance to say anything else, Chloe heard a female voice call out her name.

  "Chloe, my dear. What's the matter?" Chloe turned and saw her aunt Eugenie Buchanan making her way toward her from the far end of the platform. Behind aunt Eugenie strode the tall figure of her son, Zane Buchanan. Chloe turned and faced Ethan Armstrong. His features had become instantly stern as he watched the two advancing figures.

  Aunt Eugenie was dressed in a dark blue gown and matching bonnet. Zane was outfitted in his best rancher gear. Jeans, boots and heavy jacket. He wore a broad-brimmed Stetson on his head. His gaze was filled with obvious disapproval. Chloe wondered what was between Zane and Ethan Armstrong. It looked like she was about to find out.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Ethan groaned inwardly as he watched the advancing figures of Eugenie and Zane Buchanan. Judging by their expressions, mother and son looked as if Ethan was the last person they wanted to see here on the platform of Inspiration's train station. Ethan glanced at Chloe Forsyth. The red color which had flushed her pretty features a few moments before was now beginning to fade. He wondered if he had misjudged the way he'd spoken to the attractive newcomer. When he had overheard someone at the mercantile saying that a Buchanan relative was coming into town this afternoon, and that she was being met by the Buchanans, Ethan had figured it would be a good idea to use this opportunity to talk with Zane Buchanan. The rancher had been avoiding Ethan these past few weeks, in spite of the trouble which had been taking place between the two families. But, Ethan knew he'd gotten off on the wrong foot with Chloe Forsyth. He knew he wasn't exactly clever with words, he reflected. Nor was he famous for being diplomatic. Something his sister, Gretchen and mother, Lilian never failed to criticize him for.

  "Is anything wrong, Chloe?" Eugenie asked as she reached out and hugged Chloe. "Welcome back to Inspiration, my dear," Ethan heard Eugenie murmur into Chloe's ear.

  "Aunt Eugenie!" Chloe exclaimed, holding onto Eugenie tightly. "How wonderful to see you again." Ethan felt his heart quicken when he saw the brightness in Chloe's eyes. It was a startling contrast to how she had been looking at him moments before. Ethan had to admit quietly to himself that Miss Chloe Forsyth was beautiful. Especially when she smiled like that. Her green dress and bonnet matched her shimmering eyes. Upon seeing her stepping down onto the platform, Ethan's breath had been taken away by the sight of Chloe's lovely features. Wide cheekbones, a petite nose and bow-shaped lips were perfectly framed by carefully arranged locks of blonde hair.

  Turning from Chloe, Eugenie peered harshly at Ethan. "Mr Armstrong. I hope you haven't been troubling my niece. We've had enough bother with you and your family these past few months." Ethan shifted awkwardly. When the mother to the Buchanan clan wanted to appear intimidating, it was a fearsome thing to behold.

  Ethan saw Zane take a step closer. "My ma is right, Ethan," Zane muttered menacingly. "What are y
ou doing here, anyway?"

  Ethan glanced at Chloe. "I heard you were coming to meet your cousin, Zane." Ethan smiled at Chloe, thinking to give her a compliment, but she merely scowled back at him. Seemed like he'd made a bad first impression, Ethan told himself. Ethan met Zane's steady gaze. "Figured I'd take a chance to have a word with you about what's been going on up at the ranch. You've been hard to get hold of these past few weeks."