Ruby: A Western Historical Romance (Old Western Mail Order Bride Series Book 2) Read online

  Ruby

  Book Two in the Bernstein Sisters Series

  Amy Field

  Copyright © 2017 by Amy Field

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author and publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  About Amy Field

  Join the Amy Field mailing list!

  Books in the Bernstein Historical Wester Series Amy Field

  About the Bernstein Family Romance Series

  Ruby

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  A SELECTION OF STORIES FROM THE ROMANCE READING ROOM LIBRARY

  Regency Romances

  I. The Duchess Runaway

  II. The Secretive Duchess

  Historic Western Romances

  I. Grace

  II. The Outlaw Takes a Bride

  Amish Romances

  I. The Amish Widow’s Lover

  II. The Rumspringa Secret

  Secret Baby Romances

  I. The Billionaire’s Secret Baby

  II. His Special Secret Baby

  III. The Basketball Baby

  For you to discover!

  I. Fallen

  II. The Billionaire’s Chef

  III. The Quarterback’s Rush

  IV. Prisoner of Passion

  The Supershifter Trilogy (Sci-Fi)

  About Amy Field

  I’ve been writing stories about love for more than 25 years, so I consider myself something of an expert on the topic! Through the years I’ve honed my writing and storytelling skills, so by now I know what it is about romantic stories that makes them entertaining and fun to read. I love to write stories that inspire and entertain, and that take the reader on a journey into a wonderful make-believe world filled world with characters that live and live just like us. When I’m not writing, I love cooking and taking my two dogs, Jasper and Monty for walks in the woods behind my home in Vermont.

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  Books in the Bernstein Historical Wester Series Amy Field

  Charity

  Faith

  Ruby

  Grace

  The Outlaw Takes A Bride

  Click here to go to Amy Field’s Amazon author page for links to these books.

  About the Bernstein Family Romance Series

  Shortly after the Civil War ended a young man named Seth Bernstein rode west and settled just outside of Cheyenne. He built a ranch, the Bar S, one of the finest horse ranches in the area. He married a young girl named Charity, and they had three daughters – Ruby, Faith, and the youngest, Grace.

  The Bernstein Series starts off with the story of Charity, her upbringing, how she got to meet Seth, and how he saved her life before they got married. It then follows on with the story of each daughter, and how their unique personalities, from the quiet, reserved Faith to the brilliant Ruby, and tomboy Grace all found their loves. The series ends with the story of the outlaw stepbrother Robert, the one who Charity forgave, but couldn’t forget.

  Ruby

  Book Two in the Bernstein Sisters Series

  Chapter 1

  Ruby

  Ruby looked over at the man beside her. He smiled at her, which made her blush a little. Edward was a handsome guy and one of her best friends, but that was as far as her feelings went. She knew he was in love with her, and she knew that she had to find a way to let him down gently. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.

  “Lets get some lunch, Ruby.”

  “I’m sorry Edward, but I can’t. I think Dr. Ross is waiting on me. I really should go.”

  “Ok. Well, will I see you later then?”

  “I don’t know. Bye.”

  She waved as she walked away down the dusty road. Her feet hurried her steps closer and closer to the doctor’s office. She quickly stepped through the doors and looked around. That was when she heard something in the back.

  “Dr. Ross?” She yelled out loud.

  “I’m back here, Ruby. Come on around the back.”

  Stepping around the counter, she made her way towards the back of the building. The doctor stood in the room with a puppy laying on the table. The dog didn’t move.

  “Ah, Ruby! You are right on time. I need a set of extra hands. It seems Sable here got something stuck in her leg, and I need to remove it. Can you help me?”

  “Of course.”

  Ruby dropped the bag she was carrying and came around to the other side of the table. She looked down at the direction his gaze was leading and almost gasped. There, protruding from the small puppy’s leg was a piece of metal. Along the leg was a barbed wire that they would have to remove. Ruby looked up at the doctor.

  “What would you like me to do, doctor?”

  “If you could just hold his leg up and keep an eye on him waking up that would be a great help. I gave him some sedatives, and it should keep him asleep, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I think the first thing is getting this wire from around his hurt leg.” He stepped over to the side and picked up a pair of metal pliers. As he began to pull the metal wire away from the puppies leg, she held it up until it was gone. Everything looked fine for a minute and then it began to bleed out and she watched as he pressed the white pads against it to stop the bleeding. “I think maybe I should remove this metal from his paw and then we will work on cleaning everything and bandaging him up.”

  She watched, fascinated, as he worked pulling the piece of metal this way and that, making sure he didn’t hit any main parts of the veins for him to bleed out. She knew since the moment that she saw the baby foal being born that this was what she wanted to do. This is what she was meant for. She thought back to that time with a smile. She had only been 8 when her father’s horse had started making a bunch of noise in the barn. It was early one morning, and most of the house wasn’t up yet, but there was Pa on his way to the barn. Curious as most little girls were at that age, she had followed him into the barn to see the large pregnant horse laying on the ground and making a bunch of noises.

  Ruby was terrified after seeing all of the blood everywhere, but soon she knew what was going on. She knew about the birds and the bees. Momma had taught them all how babies were born and where they came from, but seeing it up close was a whole other story. Her eyes widened when her Pa went to the side of the mare and petted her head slowly. It seemed to calm her a little.

  “Come help keep her calm, Ruby. I need to help the foal out.”

  She had jumped then, unaware that he even knew she was there. She hurried over to do the bidding of her father and sat down beside the mare to gently pet her head and talk to her softly. Before long she was singing to the mare which seemed to calm her even more.

  “Watch her teeth. This is gonna hurt, and she may lash out. Go on and move back a little.”

  She watched in wide eyes f
ascination as her Pa grabbed to legs and seemed to pull the foal out of its mother. The little horse shuddered and then she laughed as it wobbled up on four legs. It took it a couple of tries, but the horse was finally standing on all four feet and moving around to its mother who was also now standing. The little horse was very unstable, but he was walking. She thought of that little horse and how she had grown into a fine horse. River was a beautiful horse, and she was grateful for her. Her Pa had told her that it just seemed fair that she kept her, since she helped to deliver her. They were all confused about the name she had given her until she showed them River’s right side. There along the side of her coat and down to her back left leg was one long white line that seemed to go in a pattern. It looked like a winding river. She smiled when they all commented on her name and from that day she knew that River would forever be marked.

  She came back to the present just as the doctor was patching up the puppy’s leg where he had removed the foreign object. She smiled at the doctor when he thanked her and then soothingly she laid the puppy into the small cage to rest until its owner came to get him. She knew the doctor would want to check him again before they took the puppy home.

  Dr. Ross looked at her intently.

  “So, my dear, have you thought of what you are going to do this summer when school is over? You know there will be no more school for you next year. You are becoming a bright young woman.”

  “I have not, doctor, but I have the summer to think about it.”

  “Yes, you do. Now come along, I have some books for you to take home and read. It will help you learn more about herbs.”

  Chapter 2

  A Dream Come True

  Ruby made her way to her home a few hours later. Her arms were full of books. What she thought was one or two books from the doctor soon turned into eight or nine. She shook her head when her younger sister looked up her strangely.

  “Don’t say it, Grace. It is not for school. It is for my career.”

  “You still on that kick about being a doctor? I mean you think people are gonna like you taking care of them or their pets? You’re a woman.”

  And what does that have to do with it? You know Grace; you should be on my side. You are a woman after all. I would think that you would want to see me happy.”

  “Oh, I want you to be happy. That’s why I’m saying it. You’re gonna be disappointed when they turn their backs on you.”

  “They won’t.”

  “Ok.”

  “We’ll see.” She said with a huff as her nose lifted into the air. As she walked by she didn’t say a word, making her way to the set of beds she shared with Grace.

  “That’s what I’m afraid, sister. That’s what I’m afraid.” Grace whispered it slowly and softly but as she met her mother’s eyes she knew she had heard her. Her mother held a tender smile for her. Grace could fool all the others in the house that she was some wild child. She could make them all believe that she didn’t care about anything but catching frogs and playing in the river. Everyone except Momma. She looked at her with knowledge that Grace couldn’t hide from. Her Momma knew her heart and how important her family was to Grace. Shrugging she hopped from the chair and made her way outside. She didn’t like the gushy stuff and didn’t want nothing from anyone.

  Grace didn’t mention it anymore that day, which Ruby was grateful for. They were excited when they received a letter from Faith, their oldest sister and her husband. They had some news that they wanted to share with Ruby and asked that they all come out to their homestead for a day or two. The next day the family worked together hard to tidy up the farm so that everything would be fine for a few days. Pa had even enlisted some friends to come out and check on the place in the next day or so. Although they were going for Ruby, they were all excited about the trip. It was an adventure for the whole family. Something that didn’t happen very often.

  When they finally arrived at Faith’s they were pleasantly surprised by the good food she had waiting for them. They all missed her cooking.

  They all sat at the table when Faith looked at her younger sister.

  “Ruby, me and Elijah have a proposition for you. I know that you are done with school now and that you are looking for somewhere to go and something to do. I also know your love for medicine.”

  “Yes. That is true Faith.” Ruby looked at her sister strangely then. What was she talking about now?

  “Well, as you know Elijah is from the east. He has a brother who is still in Virginia. Elijah contacted him, and it seems that there is an animal doctor there who is looking to retire. He is looking for a protégé to train and would love for you to come out there.”

  “What?” Ruby felt her eyes go large as she looked at her older sister.

  “Yep. He has an office already set up, and he is trained in all the new technology and such. What do you think? I mean do you want to go? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

  “Oh, I would love to go Faith. Thank you. That is if Ma and Pa don’t care.” She looked over at her parents who were standing there smiling, and she knew that Faith had spoken to them before she even said anything to her younger sister.

  “You knew didn’t you?”

  Her mother stepped forward to take her hands into her own. “Yes, we did my dear.”

  “I don’t have to go momma. I can stay and help on the ranch.”

  “Oh, my dear sweet girl.” Her mother pushed a stray strand of dark brown hair from her face. “I know you would stay, but we both know that this is not where you are meant to be. You are a woman now. It is time you go out into the world and live your dream. Respectively that is. Elijah has told me that his brother Steven is very good friends with the sheriff in town and that he will make sure that no harm comes to you. Steven is also an attorney, and we have had it set up that you will have a small house next to his. They will start building when you leave here.”

  “How were you so sure I would want to go?”

  Her father stepped forward at her question. “Because you are a Bernstein my dear and you go after what you want. We have all known that you would never stay in this little town. Your dreams are much larger than this. Go my dear. Go and be happy. Find your passion in life and be what you want to be. We will always be right here if you ever need us. I knew the moment your eyes lit up seeing River born that you would one day be leaving us.”

  “Oh, Pa. I just don’t know what to say.” Tears were in her eyes as she thought of the adventure she was going to go on. The next couple days were spent as a family in whole and Ruby went home with her parents and sisters to pack. She knew she didn’t have room to take everything, so she picked her most prized possessions. She didn’t’ know when she would ever be back to see her family.

  Chapter 3

  Leaving Home

  Ruby looked at her mother and smiled as she wiped a tear away. Her father stood next to her squeezing her hand, willing her to be strong for ruby’s sake. Ruby knew that her mother would take it the hardest, her leaving. Hope and her husband Robert came next. Kneeling in front of her sister she wiped a tear when she realized that she wouldn’t be there when the baby came. She laid her hand on the rounded belly of her older sister to whisper.

  “Alright, little one. It is on you now to take care of your momma and daddy. I will send my love in letters, and I will see you one day. You are going to make us all proud.” As she stood, she saw the tears flow from her sister’s eyes as she held out her arms to her. Although Ruby was leaving, Hope was the older sister. She was also the smallest of all four of them.

  Ruby turned then to her youngest sister. Grace stood proudly, refusing to cry or show any emotion.

  “You knock em’ on their butts, big sis.”

  “I will, but I wanted to know if you would do something for me?”

  “What is that? Don’t say read your books cause that ain’t my style.” Her arms crossed in front of her chest then as she gave her a skeptical look.

  “On the contrary. I want
to know if you would take River.”

  “What?” Her sister’s eyes widened then as she realized what her sister was saying. She was giving her the most prized possession she owned, her horse. “But. Don’t you want him with you?”

  “A city is no place for River. She deserves to run free and be out here where she was born with her momma.”

  “And you want me to have her?” Grace’s eyes grew wide. At 19, she still had a lot to learn about life.

  “I can’t think of anyone better, can you? I know you’ll take good care of her.”

  “You bet I will. I will take extra care of her I promise.”

  Ruby turned to make her way to the stage coach. It was time to go. As she turned around to wave goodbye, she felt someone rush her. Her arms wrapped around her youngest sister as she held her tight.

  “Be careful Ruby. I’ll miss you.”

  Leaning back, she looked down at her with a smile. “Don’t worry little sister. I will be okay. I can handle myself. I will see you soon.”