Cole's Montana Bride (Sweet,clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series Book 7) Read Free

of Ruby and Marcus, he'd known trouble had come back to Billings. And he'd been right.
    He gazed around at the rolling fields, taking in the splendor of the land he loved so much. This was his place, the country that filled his soul, that made him feel complete. He'd just left his ranch in the safe keeping of his trusted foreman, Lou. There was nothing that he should feel concerned about. The ranch would run quite nicely without his presence. That was the way he'd organized things these past few years. The same years he'd spent thinking about Victoria Carr almost every single day.
    And now, she was back.
    The horse beneath him tossed it's head from side to side as if sensing the tension of it's rider. Cole tugged at the reins and peered ahead. He'd be in town in a short time and he still hadn't figured out what he was going to say to Victoria. The meeting had been set up in a neutral place, and that was probably just as well. The restaurant was a public place and there were too many private things that needed to be kept well and truly in check. Chief amongst them was the question that was burning a hole in Cole's mind.
    Why had Victoria asked him to come and see her?
    Surely she didn't want to go back to the past. The painful past which Cole had spent so much effort trying to keep under wraps. The advantage of a man owning a prosperous and growing ranch was that it served many purposes. It put food on the table and kept a roof over his head.
    But it also let a man forget. And Cole MacAllan wanted to forget. He needed to continue the forward momentum he'd spent so much effort establishing for himself. Hard work had seen to his memories, had buried them beneath exhaustion. He'd truly believed that he'd forgotten her. Whether that was a good thing or not, he wasn't sure. But he'd tried.
    And now, she had come back to Billings. Why?
    When he'd seen her at the wedding he'd hardly believed his eyes. It had been four years since he'd seen her. Four long years of hard days and harder nights. A guest had told him that Ruby and Marcus had found each other thanks to Victoria and her business.
    She was a matchmaker! That was ironic. Cole smiled as he thought about Victoria assessing couples for their compatibility. What a pity she hadn't applied those skills when Cole had been sweet on Victoria. What a shame that Victoria hadn't been able to fathom just how wrong she and Cole had been for each other. Maybe then a whole lot of heartache might have been avoided. For both of them.
    Cole took in a deep breath savoring the sweet clean Montana air. It was a beautiful April morning. Spring was in the air. He usually felt unusually alive at this time of the year, looking forward to the good months, when work would be hard but rewarding and profits would set him up for the coming winter. The seasons had a comforting rhythm. They always had done since Victoria had left him.
    His throat tightened as he recalled the day she'd left, telling him that she was going to live in Helena, that there were things she had to do, that everything between her and Cole was moving too fast, that she needed to figure out what her future might be.
    And Cole had really believed she would be back before the winter. Back in his arms with the scent of her hair in his nostrils and the warmth of her presence next to him.
    But she hadn't come back.
    Instead there had been a letter. A simple letter that stated in plain terms that she was striking out on her own, that she'd decided on a future as a matchmaker because she'd discovered that she loved to make people happy, loved to bring love into the world.
    Cole frowned, as he did every time he thought about that letter. His lips drew into a thin, tight line at the memory of how that letter had affected him.
    So, Victoria had become a matchmaker, bringing happiness into the lives of others, a happiness that Cole felt he'd been cheated of by her simple act of leaving.
    And now she wanted to meet with him.
    He'd bolted from that