Trail of Aces (Hot on the Trail Book 8) Read online

  “No more wagering,” Olivia laughed. “Look what happened the last time.”

  “The last time, I ended up with a gem of a wife and the family I’ve always wanted.” He emphasized his point by resting a hand on her stomach.

  A second later, he pulled back. “That reminds me.” He thrust his hand into the pocket of his jacket. “Speaking of gems, there was one that I just couldn’t part with.”

  He pulled the diamond and sapphire necklace Olivia had worn to supper on the trail out of his pocket. Olivia gasped as he held it up, then moved to drape it around her neck and close the clasp.

  “Charlie, you shouldn’t have. I don’t need jewels,” Olivia protested.

  “Of course you do,” he laughed. “If we’re to keep up with the likes of Howard Haskell and his fortune, then we’ll need to look the part. Though I don’t know that many school teachers who go around wearing diamonds.”

  She twisted to face him, laying her hands on his chest. “So you want to take Lucy up on her offer and move to Wyoming?”

  Charlie grinned like a cat, then leaned forward to kiss her. “Sweet Pea, I want to do whatever makes you happy and nothing more.”

  “Then—” She held her breath for a moment before going on. “Then let’s do it. Let’s move to Wyoming. We can be with all of our friends.”

  “What a wonderful thing that will be,” Charlie said. He slipped his arms around her, tugging her close. “Although I don’t give a fig about anyone but you. I love you, Olivia Garrett, and I will until the day I die and beyond.”

  “I love you too, Charlie. So much. You are my winning hand.”

  She kissed him, and all was right with the world.

  * * *

  I hope you’ve enjoyed Trail of Aces. Interested in reading more about all of the characters in the Hot on the Trail series and, yes, their children? Keep an eye out for an all-new series coming soon: The Brides of Paradise Ranch. The new series begins with His Perfect Bride (or Corva: The Perfect Bride in the sweet version which will be released simultaneously with the spicy version). And who is the groom? None other than Franklin Haskell, Lucy’s bratty little brother. Only, Franklin has changed quite a bit in the ten years since the foolish accident that led to his legs being broken. Aunt Virginia and Josephine are worried about him, and so they concoct a perfect scheme to send away for a mail-order bride to make his life easier….

  About the Author

  I hope you have enjoyed Trail of Aces. If you’d like to be the first to learn about when the new series comes out and more, please sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/RQ-KX And remember, Read it, Review it, Share it!

  Merry Farmer is an award-winning novelist who lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Butterfly and Torpedo. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn't have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always have something to write about. Her books have topped the Amazon and iBooks charts and have been named finalists in the prestigious RONE and Rom Com Reader’s Crown awards.

  You can email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @merryfarmer20.

  Merry also has a blog, http://merryfarmer.net,

  and a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/merryfarmerauthor

  Acknowledgements

  I would never be able to do what I do without the help of some fabulous people. I’d like to thank my amazing beta-readers, Margaret Brashears and Jolene Stewart, for their suggestions and advice. A SUPER big thanks to Susan Leigh Carlton for reading this book after the fact and emailing me with all the typos that slipped past me and my editor and all the other beta-readers! Special thanks to Eve Bell from the Pioneer Hearts gang for winning the contest to name Olivia! And a big, big thanks to my editor, Cissie Patterson, for doing an outstanding job, as always, and for leaving hilarious comments throughout the manuscript. Also, a big round of applause and heart-felt welcome to my new marketing and promo team, Sara Benedict and Jessica Valliere.

  And a special thank you to the Pioneer Hearts group! Do you love Western Historical Romance? Wanna come play with us? Become a member at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pioneerhearts/

  Other Works by Merry Farmer

  The Noble Hearts Trilogy

  (Medieval Romance)

  The Loyal Heart, The Faithful Heart, The Courageous Heart

  Montana Romance

  (Historical Western Romance – 1890s)

  Our Little Secrets, Fool for Love, Sarah Sunshine,

  In Your Arms, The Indomitable Eve, Seeks For Her

  Somebody to Love

  Hot on the Trail

  (Oregon Trail Romance – 1860s)

  Trail of Kisses, Trail of Hope, Trail of Longing,

  Trail of Dreams, Trail of Destiny,

  Trail of Redemption, Trail of Passion,

  Trail of Aces, Trail of Chances (coming soon)

  Trail Blaze – a prequel novella

  Willow: Bride of Pennsylvania (Part of the American Mail-Order Brides series)

  Second Chances

  (contemporary romance)

  Summer with a Star

  One Night with a Star

  Catch a Falling Star

  Shooting Star (coming soon)

  The Advisor (Part of The Fabulous Dalton Boys trilogy)

  New Church Inspiration

  More Precious Than Gold

  Deeper Than the Sea (coming soon)

  Grace’s Moon

  (Science Fiction)

  Saving Grace, Fallen From Grace