Pamela Nissen - Brides of the West - Josie's Wedding Dress / Last Minute Bride / Her Ideal Husband

Reunion Western-Style

Josie’s Wedding Dress by Victoria Bylin

Desperate for someone to help her save her ranch, Josie Bright makes a deal with Ty Donner. Now the man who’d left her waiting at the altar is making her hope for things she had long stopped wishing for.

Last Minute Bride by Janet Dean

Elise Langley was stung to the quick when her would-be suitor suddenly left town. But when David Wellman returns and they are thrown together organizing their friends’ wedding, can she open her heart again?

Her Ideal Husband by Pamela Nissen

As a girl, Lydia Townsend hoped to marry Jebediah Gentry—until his rejection spoiled her dreams. When family duty brings her home, it’s Jeb’s chance to show Lydia that now is the time for her wedding dreams to come true.

Praise for Victoria Bylin

“The Bounty Hunter’s Bride is a sweet love story,

filled with hope, love, forgiveness and redemption. Victoria Bylin delivers on all levels.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Bounty Hunter’s Bride

“Wyoming Lawman is a tender,

charming love story filled with strong,

memorable characters. Don’t miss this talented author.”

—RT Book Reviews on Wyoming Lawman

Praise for Janet Dean

“Dean writes from her heart, and her characters

are deep and touching. This is a tender love story

with unconditional love for the reader.”

—RT Book Reviews on Courting the Doctor’s Daughter

“Janet Dean’s Courting Miss Adelaide

is a wonderfully sweet love story.”

—RT Book Reviews on Courting Miss Adelaide

Praise for Pamela Nissen

“Readers will adore the blossoming romance

between characters who demonstrate

their caring to everyone around them.”

—RT Book Reviews on Rocky Mountain Homecoming

“Nissen has written a beautiful love story with characters who are strong-minded, but refuse to

give up on their goals and who hold tight to their faith to help them through the tough times.”

—RT Book Reviews on Rocky Mountain Match

VICTORIA BYLIN

fell in love with God and her husband at the same time. It started with a ride on a big red motorcycle and a date to see a Star Trek movie. A recent graduate of UC Berkeley, Victoria had been seeking that elusive “something more” when Michael rode into her life. Neither knew it, but they were both reading the Bible.

Five months later, they got married and the blessings began. They have two sons and have lived in California and Virginia. Michael’s career allowed Victoria to be both a stay-at-home mom and a writer. She’s living a dream that started when she read her first book and thought “I want to tell stories.” For that gift, she will be forever grateful.

Feel free to drop Victoria an email at VictoriaBylin@aol.com or visit her website, www.victoriabylin.com.

JANET DEAN

grew up in a family that cherished the past and had a strong creative streak. Her father recounted wonderful stories, like his father before him. The tales they told instilled in Janet a love of history and the desire to write. She married her college sweetheart and taught first grade before leaving to rear two daughters. As her daughters grew, they watched Little House on the Prairie, reawakening Janet’s love of American history and the stories of strong men and women of faith who built this country. Janet eagerly turned to inspirational historical romance, and she loves spinning stories for the Love Inspired Books Love Inspired Historical line.

PAMELA NISSEN

loves creating. Whether it’s characters, cooking, scrapbooking or other artistic endeavors, she takes pleasure in putting things together for others to enjoy. Pamela lives in the woods in Iowa with her husband, daughter, two sons, a Newfoundland dog and cats. She loves watching her children pursue their dreams, and is known to yell on the sidelines at her boys’ games and being moved to tears as she watches her daughter perform. Having glimpsed the dark and light of life, she is passionate about writing “real” people with “real” issues and “real” responses.

Victoria Bylin

Janet Dean

Pamela Nissen

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Josie’s Wedding Dress

Victoria Bylin

For my daughters-in-law

Meredith Scheibel

and

Whitney Scheibel

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

—Colossians 3:12–14

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

Rock Creek, Wyoming

May 1889

A moment with Josie Bright…that’s all Ty Donner wanted as he rode into Rock Creek, Wyoming. After five years in the Wyoming Territorial Prison, he didn’t deserve the privilege. He didn’t deserve to breathe Josie’s name, but he hoped she’d forgive him. He hadn’t meant to leave her waiting at the altar. They’d planned the wedding for months. But instead of saying “I do” to the woman he loved, Ty had spent his wedding day in jail.

Today he had business to conduct before he went to the Bright ranch, and it wouldn’t be easy. Keeping the gelding to a walk, he approached the church where he and Josie should have spoken their vows. What a fool he’d been… The day before the wedding, the Scudder gang stole six of his best horses. Josie pleaded with him to let the law handle it, but Ty and her brother went after the thieves. A gunfight erupted and he shot and killed Brant Scudder. Ty didn’t know it, but the gang had cut the horses loose. With no evidence of their crime, he’d been convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison.

As the white church came into view, he thought of the wedding that hadn’t taken place. Josie had poured her heart into making her wedding dress. It kept her busy while Ty built up his ranch. The Brights weren’t wealthy, but they had enough. Ty had wanted Josie to have enough. Too late he realized what enough meant to her. A wedding would have been enough. He would have been enough. Instead she’d sat dry-eyed through the trial. When it was over, she’d come to his jail cell and spoken words he’d never forget.

I want to forgive you, Ty. But I can’t. You love that ranch more than you love me. You love your horses more than anything.

With her eyes misty, she’d walked out of the jail. Ty wrote to her begging forgiveness, but she never replied. His only contact with Rock Creek had been monthly letters from Reverend Hall, the minister of the Rock Creek Church. Ty had opened his letters with trepidation, expecting to learn Josie had married. She hadn’t, but there had been other news. Her father died four years ago of a heart ailment. Two years ago her brother perished in a hotel fire, leaving Ty to wonder how the Bright women were managing. Josie’s mother had been nearly blind when he went to prison, and Josie had two young sisters with ambitions of their own. Knowing Josie, she was carrying the load for everyone.

After a year in prison, Ty stopped writing to her. With time, his feelings for her faded into memories and he’d realized something. Just as prison had changed him, sorrow had likely changed Josie. He needed her forgiveness, but he had no illusions of picking up where they’d left off. The love they once shared had most likely withered and blown away like tumbleweeds.