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    Riding With Her Cowboy: Four Historical Romances
    Riding With Her Cowboy: Four Historical Romances
    Riding With Her Cowboy: Four Historical Romances
    Ebook167 pages2 hours

    Riding With Her Cowboy: Four Historical Romances

    By Vanessa Carvo

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    About this ebook

    The Woman With Furry Arms & The Kind Arkansas Rancher - A circus performer who is very short and has furry arms, escapes her servitude in a circus side show and becomes the mail order bride to a rancher.

    Overweight, Older & Unmarried - An overweight and older woman goes to Texas, expecting to be the wife of a cowboy whose picture she has never seen; and is shocked when she sees him, as he is a bitter reminder of a family tragedy.

    Banking On Love - An overweight woman, tired of her life and job at a bank in New York, spends weeks trying to find a mail order husband through a marriage broker and when she does, all of her fears about there being no love and a lot of work, surface.

    Big Enough For Love - Sick of the taunts from the inhabitants of her small town, above average weight Jocelyn had endured numerous insults since she was a small child.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLulu.com
    Release dateAug 19, 2016
    ISBN9781365339844
    Riding With Her Cowboy: Four Historical Romances

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      Book preview

      Riding With Her Cowboy - Vanessa Carvo

      Riding With Her Cowboy: Four Historical Romances

      Riding With Her Cowboy: Four Historical Romances

      By

      Vanessa Carvo

      Copyright 2016 Quietly Blessed & Loved Press

      The Woman With Furry Arms & The Kind Arkansas Rancher

      Synopsis: The Woman With Furry Arms & The Kind Arkansas Rancher - A circus performer who is very short and has furry arms, escapes her servitude in a circus side show and becomes the mail order bride to a rancher; all the while looking over her shoulder and fearing that the circus manager will hunt her down.

      Angie curled up in the wagon beneath the seat. She listened to the laughter outside. The sounds of the circus were comforting. Her portion of the night’s show was behind her once again. She blinked away the tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks. There was nothing she could do about her rush of feelings after a show. She knew that it was the only way she had of surviving, but it didn’t make being laughed at any easier.

      It never ceased to amaze Angie that people could be so heartless and willing to pay money to laugh at others. She guessed that in some ways it was a blessing in disguise that she could be a sideshow freak. After all, it kept food in her belly and gave her a place to live. But, just once, she’d like to be normal. Ordinary. Plain. And, not laughed at. Loved was a far too distant dream to even consider that possibility. She would settle for hidden away on a ranch without being laughed at.

      She couldn’t understand why she’d been born with hairy arms and the ability to bend her joints inside and out. She was told that her face and particularly her smile were pretty, but after being pointed at and laughed at far too often, it was just too much to believe. The show master had even decided to let people touch her furry arms. That was just too much for her heart to handle.

      She didn’t know how she was going to find a way out of the circus life, but if she could run away, she would. Being less than 5 feet tall, hairy, and double-jointed, Angie was the commodity that drew the circus crowds. She knew if she ran away, she would have to have a good plan because Sam would come looking for her. He felt like he owned her. After all, her pa had practically sold her to him when she was just 15 years old. She didn’t know how she’d kept it together this long but after a decade, it was just time to go.

      She daren’t hope that a man would, out of the crowd, pick her to ask for her hand in marriage. All of the men who paid to see the show were heartless and cruel; she was sure of it. Laughing, pointing, and pawing at her as if she were a prize bull instead of a real live woman. She had only seen one man who looked more concerned about what the others were doing, but he was back in Kansas, and she was… she didn’t rightly remember what town they were in this week. But, knowing that one man could look kindly upon her, gave her hope that not every man was like her Pa or Sam or that man who reeked of whiskey.

      Angie detested that last man’s touch more than all the others. He made her feel like a farm animal rather than a person. She had scrubbed in the basin as best she could before climbing in the wagon to hide for the rest of the night, but it still didn’t feel like the stench or feel of his touch washed away. She shivered as the tears began to fall. She began to pray. God, if you’re listening, would you show me the way out of here?

      Angie cried herself to sleep as the crowd continued to jeer at the others in the show. She dreamed of the cowboy who had been nice to her in Kansas. She saw him beckoning her with a wave of his hand. Angie slumbered on fitfully, tossing and tossing and turning beneath the wagon seat. A larger person would have had no room for all the wriggling Angie did while she was sleeping.

      The next morning, Angie woke up early. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes. She knew she wasn’t supposed to go to explore in a strange town alone, but she covered her arms with a long sleeved dress and pulled her hair into a braid. She hoped without all of the gaudy makeup and without her signature fur visible, so that others would not recognize her. She just craved blending in and being normal. She had almost forgotten what being normal was like, and it was today that she was going to grab life by the tail and live.

      She had existed, surviving and hiding. Those were very different from living, and she was determined to take action. The beckoning cowboy in Kansas from her dream was calling her out of her cocoon beneath the wagon.

      Angie stealthily left the circus camp outside town and followed the rising sun toward the town. She could see the outlines of the buildings on the horizon as she walked. There was nothing on the schedule for today. After the late night of a performance, Sam always let the crew have a day’s rest before traveling on.

      He wasn’t really an evil taskmaster, she supposed, but she didn’t have to like working for him. As she walked, the thought continued to nag at her that there had to be more to life than standing on a stage and being pawed like livestock.

      Angie walked into the General Store as the shopkeeper was opening it. She looked up into his kindly face. Hello, little lady.

      The shopkeeper greeted with a smile.

      Angie smiled in return. He didn’t mean any harm by his remark. She could see the kindness in his eyes. Good morning, she answered. Am I too early to look around a bit?

      No, ma’am. I’m just opening up for the day. You are right on time, he said as he ushered her inside.

      Angie wandered up and down the aisles, fingering the brocade material, the prints, and the plaids. She had been taught how to sew. Her mother had made sure that she learned to make the dainty stitches. She could hear her now. You don’t want your husband to snag his toe on that stitch and tear your material someday, Sweet Pea.

      Angie shook the memory away. It’s doubtful there will ever be a husband to not snag his toe on my stitching. She decided to buy enough material for a new dress with long sleeves to cover her arms. She made up her mind to start making it a habit to visit the towns along the circus trail. There was no doubt about it. Angie was going to start living life, starting at that very moment.

      Angie pulled her favorite bolt of cloth off the shelf. With it firmly in hand, she hauled the bolt to the counter. She struggled to place it on top of the counter. That bolt was nearly as tall as she was and the shopkeeper quickly rushed over and lent her a hand. How many yards do you need?

      Angie hesitated at the question. She had never bought cloth for herself and she really didn’t know how much it would take to make a dress to fit. Her ma had always made a dress for herself and then made a smaller one out of the scrap material to fit Angie. The dressmaker for the circus handled their costumes and there wasn’t any need for Angie to be involved after her measurements were taken. So, Angie blushed furiously, unsure of her answer.

      The shopkeeper saw her flustered state and said, A yard and a half is about right for a dress. Do you plan to make more than one? Or, is it a quilt you have in mind?

      Angie looked down at the material once more. It would be very fine to have some quilting to do while they were traveling. She’d been bored more than once watching the wheels go round on the wagons. There was no place to haul books and things so she was often sitting with time on her hands. A quilt would be serviceable and give her fingers something to do while on the trail. She made up her mind in a flash. Enough for both is what I need.

      She remembered that quilts needed a contrasting colored material to make the star pattern. I’ll be right back with the contrast material. She dashed back down the aisle as if the hounds were chasing her back on the farm. She fingered the cotton materials until she found the perfect shade of gold to go with the emerald that she had already chosen. The star would definitely shine on her new quilt. She hefted the bolt and wrestled it onto the counter with the shopkeeper’s help.

      She knew that she needed the backing materials so she went back for that repeatedly. She had been keeping her stash of money and rarely buying anything since it was all provided for her within the confines of the circus. She gladly paid for her things and asked, May I leave these here for a few minutes? I would still like to look around.

      The shopkeeper nodded. Take your time, missy. He got out his feather duster to dust the counter as she browsed. He couldn’t help but notice that the young lady was a looker. He had worried when she came in that she would need a charge account since he had never seen her before, but after she opened her satchel, it was evident that she could pretty much buy anything that she wanted with cash on the barrelhead.

      He smiled and hoped she would spend a little more before leaving his establishment.

      After gathering up a needle and thread, she made another pass down the aisles. It was obvious that the storekeeper liked to supply his customers with newspapers. There was a variety stacked on a shelf. The Matrimonial News caught her eye. What kind of newspaper is that? she wondered aloud. She covered her mouth. Oops.

      Which one, Missy? the shopkeeper asked.

      The Matrimonial News, she replied, blushing again.

      Oh, that one is the one where men are looking for mail order brides. It just has ad after ad of lonely hearts looking for love. He shook his head. You’ll not be finding news in that one, Missy.

      Men are looking for wives, you say?

      Yes’m. They are. They moved out West thinking they could do without the touch of a woman, but after the new wears off of the Frontier, they find themselves aching for the companionship of a lady. His tone revealed volumes. She could tell that he believed they should have known better than to leave civilization in the first place.

      Well, I’d like to read it, I think. Angie said.

      The shopkeeper shook his head. You not be thinking of marrying a stranger, are ya, missy?

      No, sir, came her quick, knee jerk reply. She didn’t want to feel condemned by the kindly shopkeeper who she’d most likely never see again. She didn’t think marriage was in the cards, but she thought, I just might run away to a ranch and hide out as a housekeeper instead.

      You look like a smart one.

      The shopkeeper smiled. You’ll find a husband the old fashioned way, I’m sure of it.

      Angie raised her eyebrows. Really? You think so? She couldn’t keep the hope out of her voice.

      Ma’am. I may be old as the hills and long in the tooth, but I know a looker when I see one. I’m surprised you aren’t beating the men off with a stick.

      Angie sighed. If he only knew. I’m not, she said instead.

      You just might find a feller out at the circus if you go. I hear tell that the cowboys on the ranches are coming into town tomorrow night to see the show.

      She didn’t know that they were planning to do another show, but staying on in one place would give her time to get started on her new dress and give her some time to herself. She gathered up her purchases and walked slowly back to the circus’s wagons.

      She sat in her wagon with her materials and began to cut out her pattern for the quilt. The dress could wait. There was no one she wanted to dress up to impress anyway. The quilt would keep her busy and keep her company at night in her bed. Taking a break from her new project, she decided to read The Matrimonial News. She skimmed through the ads until one caught her eye.

      Lonely Kansas Rancher Seeks Bride to keep house, cook, and clean. Bride age 24 or older, brown hair and blue eyes. I’m looking for you.

      Angie knew that her hair was brown and her eyes were blue and she was 25 years old. She could keep house. She could cook and she could clean. She’d write to the lonely Kansas rancher. All he could do was say no. She knew that they would be headed to Philadelphia on the next leg of their circus tour.

      So, Angie picked up her pen.

      "Dear Lonely Kansas Rancher,

      My name is Angie Tharber. I am from everywhere. I travel with the circus. You should know that I’m one of the sideshow performers. I have been told I am a looker. I

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