Cheryl St.John - Badlands Bride

Hallie raised a brow in question. Hallie raised a brow in question. “Come.” Cooper gestured and led her outside the door with one hand on her upper arm. “There are the other men, Hallie. Once they know you’re alone at night... ” She saw the picture. Remembering the way they’d ogled her at the trading post with lecherous eyes, she didn’t need any more convincing. “I’ll take a few things and stay with Chumani.” The warmth of his hand burned through her sleeve. “Thank you,” she said. “You always think of my safety.” His eyes dropped to her mouth, and she caught her breath at the heat she read in their depths. His other hand raised her face to his. Hallie’s heart set up a flutter. “What—?” “You could talk a man blind, Hallie.” Her eyes widened and his face lowered. “I don’t think—” “I don’t care if you think or not. Just don’t talk....” Letter to Reader Dear Reader, Since her outstanding debut in our 1994 March Madness promotion of brand-new authors, Cheryl StJohn has been delighting readers with her unique brand of historical romance. This month’s story, Badlands Bride, is about a newspaper reporter who goes west pretending to be a mail-order bride, only to find herself stranded in the Dakotas for one long cold winter. We hope you enjoy it. Margaret Moore’s new medieval novel, The Baron’s Quest, is the captivating story of a rough-edged Saxon who falls in love with the refined gentlewoman whom he has inherited as part of his new holdings. Pearl, from Ruth Langan, is the next in her new Western series, THE JEWELS OF TEXAS, featuring four sisters who are brought together by their father’s murder. Liz Ireland rounds out the list with Millie and the Fugitive, a lighthearted Western about a spoiled rich girl and an innocent man on the run. We hope you’ll keep a lookout for all four titles wherever Harlequin Historicals are sold. Sincerely, Tracy Farrell Senior Editor Please address questions and book requests to: Harlequin Reader Service U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269 Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3 Title Page Badlands Bride Cheryl St.John www.millsandboon.co.uk About the Author CHERYL ST.JOHN is the pseudonym for Nebraska author Cheryl Ludwigs. Cheryl’s first book, Rain Shadow, 1994, received award nominations from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur and Romance Writers of America for their RITA. She has been program director and vice president of her Heartland RWA chapter, and is currently a liaison for Published Authors’ Network and a conference committee chairman. Married mother of five, grandmother of three, Cheryl enjoys her family. In her “spare” time she corresponds with dozens of writer friends from Canada to Texas, and treasures their letters. She would love to hear from you. Send a SASE to: Cheryl St.John P.O. Box 12142 Florence Station Omaha, NE 68112-0142 Dedication This book is dedicated with appreciation and recognition to the distributors and booksellers who promote romance and romance authors, especially: Nelson News, Omaha/read all about it! bookstores: Kim Huebner, Terri Foster, Rosie Christensen, everyone in the book room and all the drivers; read all about it! bookstores, Nebraska and Iowa: Karen Lafler, Jennie Mathisen, Clay Nottleman, Robbi Pozzi, Matt Rohde, Laura Tadlock, Linda Theile, Sue Turner, Kirk Utley, Pam Williamson and the staff at each store. Debi Jo Miner, 3 R’s, Omaha Linda Mullet, Waldenbooks, Sioux City Terry Showalter, Lee Books, Lincoln Sherry Siwinski, Waldenbooks, Grand Island Penny Spoerry, Waldenbooks, Des Moines Kathy Uttecht, The Book Center, Norfolk Jo Lent, Waldenbooks, Mall of the Bluffs my friends at Baker Place, Omaha Donita Lawrence, Bell, Book & Candle, Del City, OK To all of you who order my books and recommend them to the readers, keep my backlist in stock and host signings, this doesn’t begin to cover it, but here it is: Thank You 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 Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Epilogue Copyright

Hallie raised a brow in question.

“Come.” Cooper gestured and led her outside the door with one hand on her upper arm. “There are the other men, Hallie. Once they know you’re alone at night... ”

She saw the picture. Remembering the way they’d ogled her at the trading post with lecherous eyes, she didn’t need any more convincing. “I’ll take a few things and stay with Chumani.” The warmth of his hand burned through her sleeve. “Thank you,” she said. “You always think of my safety.”

His eyes dropped to her mouth, and she caught her breath at the heat she read in their depths. His other hand raised her face to his.

Hallie’s heart set up a flutter. “What—?”

“You could talk a man blind, Hallie.”

Her eyes widened and his face lowered.

“I don’t think—”

“I don’t care if you think or not. Just don’t talk....”

Dear Reader,

Since her outstanding debut in our 1994 March Madness promotion of brand-new authors, Cheryl StJohn has been delighting readers with her unique brand of historical romance. This month’s story, Badlands Bride, is about a newspaper reporter who goes west pretending to be a mail-order bride, only to find herself stranded in the Dakotas for one long cold winter. We hope you enjoy it.

Margaret Moore’s new medieval novel, The Baron’s Quest, is the captivating story of a rough-edged Saxon who falls in love with the refined gentlewoman whom he has inherited as part of his new holdings. Pearl, from Ruth Langan, is the next in her new Western series, THE JEWELS OF TEXAS, featuring four sisters who are brought together by their father’s murder.

Liz Ireland rounds out the list with Millie and the Fugitive, a lighthearted Western about a spoiled rich girl and an innocent man on the run.

We hope you’ll keep a lookout for all four titles wherever Harlequin Historicals are sold.

Sincerely,

Tracy Farrell

Senior Editor

Please address questions and book requests to:

Harlequin Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

Badlands Bride

Cheryl St.John

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHERYL ST.JOHN

is the pseudonym for Nebraska author Cheryl Ludwigs. Cheryl’s first book, Rain Shadow, 1994, received award nominations from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur and Romance Writers of America for their RITA.

She has been program director and vice president of her Heartland RWA chapter, and is currently a liaison for Published Authors’ Network and a conference committee chairman.

Married mother of five, grandmother of three, Cheryl enjoys her family. In her “spare” time she corresponds with dozens of writer friends from Canada to Texas, and treasures their letters. She would love to hear from you.

Send a SASE to:

Cheryl St.John

P.O. Box 12142

Florence Station

Omaha, NE 68112-0142

This book is dedicated with appreciation and

recognition to the distributors and booksellers who

promote romance and romance authors, especially:

Nelson News, Omaha/read all about it! bookstores:

Kim Huebner, Terri Foster, Rosie Christensen,

everyone in the book room and all the drivers;

read all about it! bookstores, Nebraska and Iowa:

Karen Lafler, Jennie Mathisen, Clay Nottleman,