Cody's Montana Sweetheart: A New Montana Brides Ebook (The New Montana Brides) (7 page)
Read Cody's Montana Sweetheart: A New Montana Brides Ebook (The New Montana Brides) Online
Authors: Susan Leigh Carlton
Annabel’s father had claimed his land as a homestead; one-hundred-sixty acres for himself and the same for Annabel. Cody filed increasing them a holding of 640 acres. In 1877, the desert Land Act was passed allowing settlers to purchase up to 640 acres at 25¢ per acre. They took advantage of this opportunity.
Within five years, through these actions, and purchases, the Thompson Simms Ranch (Brand TbarS) holdings had grown to 2500 acres and they had established a small herd. Cody hired Chinese labor to reroute one of the stream running through the property in order to have available water for the growing herd.
Cody and Jeremy regularly panned for gold around the curves of streams. They were doing this when Jeremy saw color in his pan. They found a few ounces of gold, but no sizeable nuggets. They did find sapphires, of sufficient quality to be gemstones, and contracted with the Tiffany Company for the purchase of the gemstones.
Annabel and Cody decided to build a new, larger house to accommodate the additional family they wanted. Jeremy and Cody cut timber from their land and paid a sawmill to cut it into lumber for the new building. The neighboring ranchers came together to help with the walls and roof. Jeremy and Cody finished the interior. Cody hired a tradesman from Helena to install a water pumping system and a bathtub. The house was ready for occupancy six months before Annabel gave birth to their daughter, Bethany.
Jeremy had asked if his sister could be named after his mother and both parents agreed. Bethany inherited the beauty of her mother, and enjoyed the love of a happy family.
Two months after the wedding, Cody and Annabel petitioned the court in Helena for the legal adoption of Jeremy by Annabel, and to have Cody’s name added as father.
“Now you have a mother and a father,” she told him, her eyes glistening with the tears she frequently shed when she was happy.
Jeremy attended a one room school near the TBarS and would later graduate with honors from Montana State University in Bozeman. Two years after graduation, he would marry the girl with whom he had fallen in love while in college. They would make their home in the log cabin formerly occupied by his parents.
On their fifth anniversary, Cody took Annabel to San Francisco, a trip that included a visit to the Trinidad Cemetery where her sister was buried. Jeremy was in college and did not accompany them.
There was no couple more devoted to each other. They
seemed to read each other’s minds and anticipated the other’s needs. They touched as they passed, and unabashedly held hands wherever they walked, Last Chance Gulch or the Christian Church.
Though he attempted to find his parents, Cody never made a connection with them. He could find no trace of them after their farm had been foreclosed.
If you enjoyed “My Montana Sweetheart”, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. You can pay no higher compliment to an author than leaving a favorable review.
Susan lives in a gated community just outside Tomball, a small Texas town, 26 miles northwest of Houston, with her husband, two toy poodles, Bobby and Charlie, and Lissie, the cat.
“My Montana Sweetheart” is her latest book to be published by Amazon. She says, “The Montana Doctor’s Bride kicked off a new series, called New Brides of Montana, then came The Montana Rancher’s Bride, Charlotte’s Montana Husband, The Montana Widow’s Husband, and now “My Montana Sweetheart,” the series numbers five.
In the time setting for these books, Montana has just become a territory and is in the midst of a gold rush. In addition, the Indians have grown tired of the miners and settlers moving onto their lands and fight back. It is the time of what is known as The Great Sioux War.
Susan passed through Helena many years ago, but memories fade. She says if she had a bucket list, another visit would be near the top, and in particular, the area of Yellowstone. (Author’s Note: 3% of Yellowstone National Park is in Montana.)
She continues to monitor all of the reviews and comments. A real treasure comes from the emails from readers. She says “I revise my writing process and style accordingly. This is a learning process for me and I love every minute of it.”
The names of all her books are on the pages following this one.
She says, “My thanks to you readers. I appreciate your taking the time to read them. As an avid reader myself, I will read several books during the time I am writing. Our kids love to read, as does my husband. He takes his iPad with him everywhere, and reads during waits for the doctor. He would take it when we go out to eat, but he knows I would do him bodily harm.”
“I would like to thank those of you who cared enough to email me about the plots and the style. For someone to have the interest and take the time to email… well it makes my day. I had an email from a gentleman who lives in the area I used as the setting for “In Search Of Love”. Since I research the geographical setting of all my books, the names of the trails, creeks and towns were familiar to him.
Another reader emailed me a picture of her great-great grandfather after she read “The Widow Finds Love” which is based in part on my great-great-great grandmother and her 1888 trek from South Carolina to Utah.”
“Thanks again. Now I can begin research on my next effort. If you have suggestions for additional books, I would love to hear them. Email them to me or enter them as comments on the website.”
Susan
Charlotte's Mail Order Husband
The Widow's Mail Order Husband
Tainted Mail Order Bride
***Amazon Best Seller Book***
Jedadiah's Mail Order Bride
***Amazon Best Seller Book***
