Calico Christmas at Dry Creek

Calico Christmas at Dry Creek
Janet Tronstad

“It wouldn’t need to be a real marriage. It can just be a piece of paper between us. All I need is someone for the baby.”

Jake made his words even clearer. “You’ll be able to get it annulled in the spring if you want.”

He’d do whatever she wanted in that regard.

Elizabeth stood there looking sad. “I just buried my husband. I don’t need another one.”

“I can make you a marker for that grave if you agree to help me. We can get a good-sized piece of granite sent down from Fort Benton. It’ll last forever.”

Elizabeth was looking at him now.

“I could carve your daughter’s name on it for you.”

Elizabeth just stood there, blinking. “Don’t cry,” Jake said.

“I never cry,” Elizabeth whispered and then took a deep breath. “You have yourself a deal.”

Now it was Jake’s turn to be surprised into silence. Being married, even temporarily, to a woman with eyes like that couldn’t be all bad. He’d just have to think of ways to keep her happy until she decided to leave.

JANET TRONSTAD

grew up on a small farm in central Montana. One of her favorite things to do was to visit her grandfather’s bookshelves, where he had a large collection of Zane Grey novels. She’s always loved a good story. Today Janet lives in Pasadena, California, where she is a full-time writer.

Calico Christmas at Dry Creek

Janet Tronstad

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

In the beginning of time, it was said that

“…God created man in his own image,

in the image of God created he him…”

This was written in the Holy Bible,

the book of Genesis,

the second chapter, and the twenty-seventh verse.

And then, many generations later,

it was also said that

“God made me an Indian.”

This was spoken by

Chief Sitting Bull

Lakota Medicine Man

1831–1890

This book is dedicated with love to my grandfather,

Harold Norris, who loved nothing better than

a good western novel. I wish he were alive to read

this book.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen