Ilsa: Read online

  Lars kept his face void of any expression as the man looked him over. When he finished, Lars turned a questioning gaze to Kade. “What’s his story?”

  Surprised when Kade laughed, Lars gave his full attention to the deputy. “If stupid had a face and name, you’re looking at it.”

  The prisoner glared at Kade but remained silent.

  “You don’t say?” Lars waited for Kade to continue.

  “Wilburs, here, took a notion to rob the train. Apparently, he’d been involved in a few train robberies and decided he could make more money striking out on his own. A couple of kids noticed him jump on the train and before the porter could stop them, a group of men trussed him up like a Thanksgiving turkey and threw him off the train. We received a telegram from their next stop letting us know where to pick him up. He was still all tangled up in the brush, poked full of thistles and crying like a baby when we got there.”

  “A real devoted criminal.” Lars attempted to keep a straight face as he picked up the basket Caterina left for him while Kade removed the shackles around the man’s ankles.

  “Did you have to tell ‘im everythin’, deputy?” the man asked, hanging his head in shame.

  “Yeah, I did. Maybe by the time you get out of prison, you’ll have wised up a little.”

  “Maybe,” the man said as Kade led him out the door.

  The two lawmen were silent as they escorted the prisoner to the depot and situated him in a seat at the back of the last passenger car on the train. Kade shackled his ankles, making sure the chain wrapped around the leg of the seat while Lars attached a chain to the man’s hands, securing it to his ankle chain. Even if something happened to Lars, the possibility of the man being able to move unassisted was slim.

  Lars set the basket from Caterina beneath his seat then took a few steps away, far enough the prisoner couldn’t hear them speak. Genuinely liking the man, Lars reached out to the deputy and shook his hand.

  “Please tell your lovely wife I appreciate the food. I haven’t been this well fed for a long time.”

  “You’re welcome. She lives to make people happy through her cooking,” Kade said, smiling as he backed toward the door. “I’ll let her know you enjoyed it. Have a safe trip.”

  “Thanks, Kade. Enjoy that nice little family of yours.” Lars touched the brim of his hat respectfully.

  “I do, every day.” Kade hurried out the door.

  Lars watched him speak with people as he made his way across the platform. The deputy seemed like a man who was content with life and himself.

  Maybe someday Lars would know how that felt…

  Find Marnie and other Shanna Hatfield books on Amazon.

  Aundy (Book 1) – One stubborn mail-order bride finds the courage to carry on when she’s widowed before ever truly becoming a wife, but opening her heart to love again may be more than she can bear.

  Caterina (Book 2) – Frantic to escape a man intent on marrying her, Caterina starts a new life in Pendleton, completely unprepared for the passionate feelings stirred by the town’s deputy sheriff.

  Ilsa (Book 3) – Tired of relying on others to guide and protect her, Ilsa finally finds the strength and courage to take control of her life. Unfortunately, her independence drives a wedge between her and the man she’s come to love.

  Marnie (Book 4) – After giving up on her dreams for a future, Marnie finds her hope rekindled by one caring, compassionate man and the orphans who need her.

  Lacy (Book 5) - Will the bonds of love by stronger than the bonds of tradition?

  Crumpets and Cowpies (Baker City Brides, Book 1) - Rancher Thane Jordan reluctantly travels to England to settle his brother’s estate only to find he’s inherited much more than he could possibly have imagined.

  Lady Jemma Bryan has no desire to spend a single minute in Thane Jordan’s insufferable presence much less live under the same roof with the handsome, arrogant American. Forced to choose between poverty or marriage to the man, she finds herself traveling across an ocean and America to reach his ranch in Oregon.

  Thimbles and Thistles (Baker City Brides, Book 2) - Maggie Dalton has no need for a man in her life. Widowed more than ten years, she’s built a successful business and managed quite well on her own in the bustling town of Baker City, Oregon.

  Aggravated by her inability to block thoughts of the handsome lumber mill owner from her mind, she renews her determination to resist his attempts at friendship.

  Full of Scottish charm and mischief, Ian MacGregor could claim any single woman in Baker City as his own, except the enchanting dress shop owner who continues to ignore him. Not one to give up on what he wants, Ian vows to win Maggie’s heart or leave the town he’s come to love.

  The Women of Tenacity Series

  Welcome to Tenacity!

  Tenacious, sassy women tangle with the wild, rugged men who love them in this contemporary western romance series.

  The paperback version offers a short story introduction, A Prelude, followed by the three full-length novels set in the fictional town of Tenacity, Oregon.

  Book 1 – Heart of Clay

  Book 2 – Country Boy vs. City Girl

  Book 3 – Not His Type

  Grass Valley Cowboys Series

  Meet the Thompson family of the Triple T Ranch in Grass Valley, Oregon.

  Three handsome brothers, their rowdy friends, and the women who fall for them are at the heart of this contemporary western romance series.

  Book 1 – The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan

  Book 2 – The Cowboy’s Spring Romance

  Book 3 – The Cowboy’s Summer Love

  Book 4 – The Cowboy’s Autumn Fall

  Book 5 – The Cowboy’s New Heart

  Learnin’ The Ropes - Mechanic Ty Lewis is out of options. Homeless and desperate to find work, he accepts a job in the tiny community of Riley, Oregon. Resolved to embrace a new adventure with an elusive boss, he leaves behind everything he’s ever known in Portland to live in the middle of nowhere.

  Lexi Ryan, known to her ranch hands and neighbors as Lex Jr., abandons her corporate career to keep the Rockin’ R Ranch running smoothly after the untimely death of her father. It doesn’t take long to discover her father did many crazy things during the last few months before he died, like hiding half a million dollars that Lexi can’t find.

  Ty and Lexi are both in for a few surprises as he arrives at the ranch and begins learnin’ the ropes.

  Love at the 20-Yard Line - Haven Haggarty is woefully inept when it comes to men and matters of the heart. Successful in her job as an image consultant with an up-and-coming company, she wishes she could enjoy as much triumph in her dating efforts. When she falls hard for a handsome wide receiver, Haven realizes she needs to tackle her fears or miss the opportunity to experience once-in-a-lifetime love.

  Brody Jackson lives and breathes football. As a wide receiver for a popular arena team, he’s determined to make it back to the NFL. Cocky and confident, he doesn’t have the time or energy to be bothered with a serious relationship until he’s blindsided by a sweet, naive girl who breaks through his defenses. He has to decide if he’ll let go of his dreams or fumble his chance to win Haven’s heart.

  The QR Code Killer - Murder. Mayhem. Suspense. Romance.

  Zeus is a crazed killer who uses QR Codes to taunt the cop hot on his trail.

  Mad Dog Weber, a tough-as-nails member of the Seattle police force, is willing to do whatever it takes to bring Zeus down. Despite her best intentions, Maddie (Mad Dog) falls in love with her dad's hired hand, putting them both in danger.

  Erik Moore is running from his past and trying to avoid the future when he finds himself falling in love with his employer’s daughter. Unknowingly, he puts himself right in the path of the QR Code Killer as he struggles to keep Maddie safe.

  From the waterfront of Seattle to the rolling hills of wheat and vineyards of the Walla Walla Valley, suspense and romance fly around every twist and turn.

  The Coffee Girl - Form
er barista Brenna Smith dreams of opening a bistro where she can bake her specialty pastries and serve delicious coffee. While she envisions a rich life full of savory moments, she instead lives at home with her parents and commutes to work for a boss who doesn’t know beans about his job. If it wasn’t for the hunky construction guy she sees each morning at the coffee shop, her bland existence would be unbearable.

  Smart, charming, and good-looking, Brock McCrae is a man comfortable in his own skin. When he takes over ownership of a successful construction company, he decides to move to the small town where his business is located and immerse himself in the community. Brock doesn’t count on his new client being the cute and quirky woman he knows only as the Coffee Girl from his daily stop for java.

  The Christmas Cowboy (Rodeo Romance, Book 1)- Flying from city to city in her job as a busy corporate trainer for a successful direct sales company, Kenzie Beckett doesn’t have time for a man. And most certainly not for the handsome cowboy she keeps running into at the airport. Burned twice, she doesn’t trust anyone wearing boots and Wranglers, especially someone as charming and handsome as Tate Morgan.

  Among the top saddle bronc riders in the rodeo circuit, easy-going Tate Morgan can handle the toughest horse out there, but trying to handle the beautiful Kenzie Beckett is a completely different story. As the holiday season approaches, this Christmas Cowboy is going to need more than a little mistletoe to win her heart.

  Wrestlin’ Christmas (Rodeo Romance, Book 2) - Sidelined with a major injury, steer wrestler Cort McGraw struggles to come to terms with the end of his career. Shanghaied by his sister and best friend, he finds himself on a run-down ranch with a worrisome, albeit gorgeous widow, and her silent, solemn son.

  Five minutes after Cort McGraw lands on her doorstep, K.C. Peters fights to keep a promise she made to herself to stay away from single, eligible men. When her neighbor said he knew just the person to help work her ranch for the winter, she never expected the handsome, brawny former rodeo star to fill the position.

  Ready to send him packing, her little boy has other plans.

  The Christmas Bargain (Hardman Holidays, Book 1) - As owner and manager of the Hardman bank, Luke Granger is a man of responsibility and integrity in the small 1890s Eastern Oregon town. Calling in a long overdue loan, Luke finds himself reluctantly accepting a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt.

  Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, Philamena is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to hold up her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, Philamena is prepared for the hard work ahead. What she isn’t prepared for is being forced to marry Luke as part of this crazy Christmas bargain.

  The Christmas Token (Hardman Holidays, Book 2) - Desperate to escape an unwelcome suitor, Ginny Granger flees to her brother’s home in Eastern Oregon for the holiday season. Returning to the community where she spent her childhood years, she plans to relax and enjoy a peaceful visit. Not expecting to encounter the boy she once loved, her exile is proving to be anything but restful.

  A talented carpenter, Blake Stratton enjoys a simple existence in the small western town of Hardman. With honest work and good friends, his life is nearly perfect, at least until the day Ginny Granger arrives, setting him on his ear and turning his world upside down. Infuriated by her meddling presence, he’s further exasperated to discover she kept a Christmas token he gave her along with his heart the day she left town many years ago.

  The Christmas Calamity ( Hardman Holidays, Book 3) - Dependable and solid, Arlan Guthry relishes his orderly life as a banker’s assistant in the small town of Hardman, Oregon. He has good friends, a great job, and the possibility of marriage to the town’s schoolteacher.

  His uncluttered world tilts off kilter when the beautiful and enigmatic prestidigitator Alexandra Janowski arrives in town, spinning magic and trouble in her wake as the holiday season approaches.

  Fifty Dates with Captain Cavedweller - When a hopeless romantic with a bit of a sarcastic attitude falls in love with an introvert who dreams of living in a man cave, they make plans for the future.

  Although they seek out a happily ever after, life seems to get in the way.

  One fateful day, they discover they’ve gone from perpetual honeymooners to a boring, predictable couple. Author Shanna Hatfield and her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller, set out on a yearlong adventure to add a little zing to their relationship.

  This G-rated journey through fifty of their dates provides an insightful, humorous look at the effort they made to infuse their marriage with laughter, love, and gratitude while reconnecting on a new, heartfelt level.

  Farm Girl - What happens when a farmer who’s been wishing for a boy ends up with a girlie-girl?

  Come along on the humorous and sometimes agonizing adventures from a childhood spent on a farm in the Eastern Oregon desert where one family raised hay, wheat, cattle and a farm girl.

  Savvy Entertaining Series

  Discover seasonal ideas for decorating, entertaining, party themes, home décor, recipes and more from Savvy Entertaining’s blogger!

  Books by Shanna Hatfield

  FICTION

  HISTORICAL

  Baker City Brides

  Crumpets and Cowpies

  Thimbles and Thistles

  Pendleton Petticoats

  Aundy

  Caterina

  Ilsa

  Marnie

  Lacy

  Hardman Holidays

  The Christmas Bargain

  The Christmas Token

  The Christmas Calamity

  CONTEMPORARY

  Love at the 20-Yard Line

  The Coffee Girl

  Learnin’ the Ropes

  QR Code Killer

  Rodeo Romance

  The Christmas Cowboy

  Wrestlin’ Christmas

  Grass Valley Cowboys

  The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan

  The Cowboy’s Spring Romance

  The Cowboy’s Summer Love

  The Cowboy’s Autumn Fall

  The Cowboy’s New Heart

  The Women of Tenacity

  A Prelude (Short Story)

  Heart of Clay

  Country Boy vs. City Girl

  Not His Type

  NON-FICTION

  Farm Girl

  Fifty Dates with Captain Cavedweller

  Savvy Entertaining Series

  Savvy Holiday Entertaining

  Savvy Spring Entertaining

  Savvy Summer Entertaining

  Savvy Autumn Entertaining

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  SHANNA HATFIELD spent ten years as a newspaper journalist before moving into the field of marketing and public relations. Self-publishing the romantic stories she dreams up in her head is a perfect outlet for her lifelong love of writing, reading, and creativity. She and her husband, lovingly referred to as Captain Cavedweller, reside in the Pacific Northwest.

  Shanna loves to hear from readers. Connect with her online:

  Blog: shannahatfield.com

  Facebook: Shanna Hatfield’s Page

  Pinterest: Shanna Hatfield

  Email: [email protected]

  If you’d like to know more about the characters in any of her books,

  visit the Book Characters page on her website

  or check out her Book Boards on Pinterest.

 

 

 
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