Short-Straw Bride - Karen Witemeyer

This book was on my watch list and I was glad to be able to get it for $2.99.  In the past, I have been able to read To Win Her Heart and A Tailor-Made Bride.  This author is fast becoming one of my favorites.

Meridith is struggling with the prospect of marrying a man she doesn't really love.  In her mind, she has always had love in her heart for Travis Archer, a man who saved her from a trap when she was younger.  Now it's years later and their paths are going to cross again.  While on an outing with her prospective fiance, she overhears a plan to burn a family out and encourage them to sell.  The family just happens to be the Archer family.  Meridith tries to find someone to help, but in the end, it's up to her to ride out to the reclusive family's ranch and hope she doesn't get shot.

Travis and his brothers haven't left their ranch in many years.  He left only once in that time, and that was to take an injured girl back to town.  Now, she's back and he is wondering what to do with his feelings.  This brave young woman has come to warn his family and they do their best to save their barn.  Meridith ends up helping out more than he thought she could, only raising her higher in his esteem.  When the barn starts to collapse, she is hurt and ends up having to stay at the Archer home.

Her reputation in tatters, it's time for the Archer boys to step up and help her since she so willingly helped them.  Much to Travis' surprise, there is no lack of willing suitors to marry Meridith.  In the end, they decide that they need to draw straws for her.  Meridith walks in to find that Travis has the short straw, but she thinks that it's more that no one wanted her and they were drawing straws for the burden of her.

Not to be dissuaded, Meridith's old suitor isn't giving up on the land Meridith is set to inherit that easily, nor is he giving up on the Archer's land either.  As they fight through these obstacles, Travis decides that Meridith needs to be courted and acts the perfect gentleman.  Meridith quickly tires of this arrangement, but once she has the courage to tell him, circumstances get in the way.

As with the other two, I really enjoyed this book.  The characters are well developed and I liked the original story line.  I'm still tracking Head in the Clouds, hoping that one day it will drop in price as well.  Great author!  Good Book!