Then she saw him coming toward her, resplendent in the cutaway suit he'd had made for this special day. A grin stretched across his face, widening as he took in her blue bustle dress and tulle veil. For several moments he simply drank her in, until the audience began to chuckle, and Priscilla's cheeks flamed.
Mr. Tweedie took up his fiddle and a sweet, lilting melody filled the air.
The minister who'd traveled there from Curdy's Crossing to perform the ceremony stood beside the cascading pools. Braxton joined him, then watched Priscilla approach with Hester at her side. Thalia walked ahead of them, dropping wildflowers for the bride to walk over.
When they reached Braxton and the minister, Priscilla handed her bouquet to Thalia and Braxton took her hands.
"Who gives this woman to this man?" the minister asked.
"I do," Hester said and stepped back.
Braxton smiled down at Priscilla and she felt the odd sensation of them being totally isolated from the guests, as if on their own little island. She had expected her heart to race and her nerves to quiver. Instead, a calming peace surrounded her, and she knew she had been meant to be here — in this spot, on this day, to marry this man.
Only the sounds of birds and the gurgle of water penetrated her private sanctuary — hers and Braxton's. The minister's voice droning on about vows and responsibilities faded away. Her skin tingled at the touch of her fiancée's hands on hers and his expression flooded her soul with joy.
He loved her. This marvelous, handsome man loved her — Priscilla Heartsel.
Braxton began to speak his vows and at first, her pounding heartbeat in her ears drowned out the words. But she heard them in her heart.
When her turn came, she managed to speak with audible clarity, hiding the flood of emotion threatening to overwhelm her.
For the remainder of her life, she would share her world, her home, her bed, her heart, with the man standing before her, a tender smile on his face, while he caressed the backs of her hands.
Then the minister pronounced them man and wife, and a firework display of emotions, hopes, dreams, joy and love burst inside her.
The kiss they shared lasted long enough to draw hoots and whistles, applause and laughter.
"I love you, Mrs. Gamble," Braxton whispered.
"And I love you, Mr. Gamble."
Their faces wearing matching grins, they turned to face their guests who received them with hoorahs and a shower of flower seeds, a clever idea Priscilla adored. Next spring, those flowers would grow and blossom in the Gamble's front yard right here at Angel Springs.
"Priscilla," Thalia cried, rushing to hug her. "I'm so happy for you."
They parted, and Priscilla clutched her friend's hands, almost crushing the bouquet. "Not nearly as happy as I am."
"I know." Thalia's gaze went to Braxton. "You're so lucky."
Priscilla grinned. "I can't argue with that."
Braxton — surrounded by the entire male population of Wildcat Ridge, all twenty of them — turned at that moment and winked at her.
"Oh," Thalia enthused, "isn’t he sweet?"
"Yes." Priscilla squeezed Thalia's hands. "I'm so happy. I'm terrified something will happen to ruin it all, like Mortimer carrying out his threat to take the springs away from us. And the new Arrastra Mine."
"Nonsense." Thalia moved to stand next to Priscilla, gesturing at the cheerful crowd. "You have the world at your feet. All these friends, plus a new home in the prettiest spot on the mountain and a gold mine — if we are ever allowed to begin working it."
"The court will decide in your favor," Owen said, joining them. "And Mortimer Crane can go jump in the Black Bear River. Preferably above the rapids and waterfall."
"I hope so." Priscilla turned toward the new home Braxton and other men from town had built for them in record time. "More than anything, I want to live in our new home."
Many in the crowd turned too and admired the log house tucked against the mountainside above the springs. A porch ran the full width of the structure with a matching balcony on the second floor. Chimneys rose on each side of the house. He'd promised to take Priscilla to Salt Lake City to pick out any furnishings she wanted in addition to those of her parents.
"Isn't it spectacular?" Priscilla asked.
"Not nearly as spectacular as my wife," Braxton said, hugging her against him as he joined the ladies.
"Braxton," Thalia said. "You are too good to be real. When are you going to disappear and leave Priscilla kissing a frog?"
He grinned down at his wife. "Never. She couldn't get rid of me if she tried."
"That, I will never do," she vowed.
About the Author
Charlene Raddon’s first serious attempt at writing fiction came in 1980 when a vivid dream drove her to drag out a typewriter and begin writing. Because of her love of romance novels and the Wild West, her primary genre is historical romance. Kensington Books originally published five of her novels. These were later released as eBooks by Tirgearr Publishing. Currently, Charlene is an Indie author. She also designs book covers, specializing in western historical.
Visit Charlene on Social Media
Website
https://charleneraddon.com
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/charleneb.b.raddon
Amazon
viewAuthor.at/CharleneRaddon
Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/
author/show/1232154.Charlene_Raddon
Author’s Note
Writing is rarely a solo event. Authors have friends, family, and critique groups to help them perfect their work. For me it's the Wasatch Mountain Fiction Writers. But for Priscilla and The Widows of Wildcat Ridge, I had nine other fantastic authors to support, critique and encourage me. I love them all.
This series has been a sort of rite of passage for me, my first attempt at such a daunting task. I've learned a lot about myself, people and writing, but mostly sharing and cooperation. I could not have picked a better bunch of talented authors to work with.
The Widows of Wildcat Ridge is set in a rugged mountain range in Utah, wild and primitive, especially in 1884, when our stories take place. To use this setting, I have taken some liberties. The town of Wildcat Ridge lives only in the imaginations of the nine authors of this series. The same goes for Curdy's Crossing, Wildcat Mountain and Moose Mountain. Clear Creek does exist. In fact, I think there's more than one. But not where our town lies. All characters in this series are imaginary, as are the stories.
I hope you can forgive us for any errors we've made and that you enjoyed each book of The Widows of Wildcat Ridge. If you did, it would be greatly appreciated if you would leave a review.
Upcoming Releases
The following are the books of The Widows of Wildcat Ridge in order of their release:
Book 1 Priscilla, by Charlene Raddon
Book 2 Blessing, by Caroline Clemmons
Book 3 Nissa, by Zina Abbott
Book 4 Gwyneth by Christine Sterling
Book 5 Dulcina, by Linda Carroll-Bradd
Book 6 Josephine, by Kit Morgan
Book 7 Thalia, by Charlene Raddon
Book 8 Eleanora, by Pam Crooks
Book 9 Garnet, by Caroline Clemmons
Book 10 Grace, by Tracy Garrett
Book 11 Rosemary, by Kristy McCaffrey
Book 12 Clair, by Kit Morgan
Book 13 Cordelia, by Charlene Raddon
Book 14 Diantha, by Zina Abbott
Book 15 Hazelann, by Linda Carroll-Bradd
Book 16 Melanie by Margaret Tanner
Book 17 Ophelia, by Charlene Raddon
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Priscilla (The Widows of Wildcat Ridge Series Book 1) Page 17
