by Sabine Starr
And Vespera slipped back inside the dance hall, tail held high.
Chapter 43
In the Wildcat Hotel, Mercy shut and locked the bedroom door. He watched Belle as she walked toward the bathroom clutching her shoulder. What a brave, honorable, and beautiful lady. Nothing would make him happier than to spend the rest of his life with her. But she still hadn’t said yes.
He tossed Adella’s unopened package on the bed and a white lace dress spilled out, along with a folded piece of paper. Surprised, he opened the note and read Adella’s spidery handwriting. “A date has been set so do not be late. Tomorrow at noon please give us the pleasure of joining two lives in the Desperado Dance Hall. My brother will officiate. Anon, Adella.”
He laughed out loud at Adella’s audacity. But he was also glad. Now all he had to do was persuade Belle to make tomorrow her wedding day. He quickly replaced her bridal gown in the box and closed the lid.
“Belle, let me help you out of that outfit and we’ll clean your wound,” he said.
She glanced back. “You’d say about anything to get me undressed, wouldn’t you?”
“I doubt I’d have to say much.”
She chuckled and then sighed. “Oh, Mercy, I was terrified one of us was going to die or be badly injured. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”
“Say the word and you’ll never lose me.”
“I wish I hadn’t encouraged you to learn to shoot.”
“It was a little more than encouragement. And it was a good thing or we wouldn’t be standing here now.”
“True. Still—”
He tilted up her chin so he could look into her eyes. “We’ve both learned the hard lesson that we don’t live in a perfect world. There will always be people who want what we’ve got. It won’t matter how hard we’ve worked to build love or home or business. They’ll take it if they can get it. We must always be vigilant to protect not just what we’ve created in life but those we love, too.”
“It’s scary.”
“Why?”
“I loved and lost. I don’t think I could stand it again.”
He enveloped her in his arms, careful not to hurt her shoulder. “Would you prefer to be alone?”
She shook her head against his chest.
“Belle, take a chance with me. I’m not perfect. But I promise to love you with all my heart.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
“And?”
She put a fingertip to his lips. “Do you promise to buy me a frippery now and again?”
“Always.”
“Do you promise to teach me more about Free Love?”
“Absolutely.”
“Do you promise to build a life with me . . . right now?”
“Definitely.”
“In that case, I’d better say yes before you change your mind.”
He whooped, wrapped her in his arms, lifted her off her feet, and spun her round and round as she filled the room with laughter.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Most of the locations in Belle Gone Bad are real places. I enjoyed visiting and researching these wonderful historic sites.
Once known as one of the three toughest towns in the West, Delaware Bend, Texas, is now at the bottom of Lake Texoma. The Bend was named for a Delaware Nation village on a bend of the Red River. Today, you can visit Dexter, a nearby town.
Rock Town, aka Rock City, near Rock Town Road on Big Caney Mountain near Clayton, Oklahoma, is the inspiration for my town of Wildcat Falls. Rock Town is a natural formation of huge rocks that resemble a town. It is accessible primarily by horse, four-wheeler, and jeep.
The Choctaw Nation Capitol and Museum at Tushka Homma (Red Warrior), Oklahoma, completed in 1884, rises in majestic splendor above the Kiamichi River Valley. Visitors enjoy exhibits indoors and outdoors such as the World War I Choctaw Code-Talkers monument, the buffalo herds, and the historic village. For over sixty years, Choctaws have gathered for their Labor Day Festival on the Capitol Grounds to participate in games, music, dances, and the now annual Stickball Tournament. Stickball is the oldest athletic game in the United States and is a highly competitive sport. Historically, Choctaw decisions might be made and disputes settled on the outcome of a stickball event.
I hope you’ll fall in love with the Red River Borderland of Texas, the majestic splendor of Southeast Oklahoma, and the Indian Nations like I have while writing Belle Gone Bad.
Mama Lou’s Corn Fritters
This is an Oklahoma recipe of the time period for fried corn cakes with additional substitutions to suit modern tastes.
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon honey (or sugar/sugar substitute)
2 eggs, beaten
1 one-pound can creamed corn
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons lard (or butter/margarine)
Mix the first four (dry) ingredients in one bowl. Mix the last five (wet) ingredients in another bowl.
Add wet to dry and stir until moistened.
Pour ¼ cup at a time onto oiled, sizzling hot griddle or skillet, and brown on both sides, turning once.
Makes about 15 fritters.
Photo by Brenda Dennis Snow
SABINE STARR rides the trails of her ancestors by horseback, four-wheeler, and jeep when she explores Wild West myths, legends, and mysteries to locate authentic excitement for her novels. She lives near the Old Shawnee Trail in Texas and in the Kiamichi Mountains of Oklahoma where she writes about lawmen, outlaws, Indians, and honky-tonk gals with a penchant for fast guns, hot guys, and daring adventures.
PRAISE FOR LADY GONE BAD
“An exciting read!”
—New York Times bestselling author Bobbi Smith
“A fun read—Old West Style!”
—USA Today blog
“Starr writes a fun, vivid western romance with entertaining characters.”
—Publishers Weekly
“If you’re a fan of sexy cowboys, mysterious outlaws, historical settings, and HAWT romance—definitely grab this one up.”
—JenRen Reviews
“Readers will enjoy . . . Lady Gone Bad.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
“I like the plot, the characters and dialogue, the chemistry.”
—Diah’s review (goodreads.com)
“This is a good western story with a spicy romance.”
—The Book Faerie
“Lady Gone Bad is a hot romance with a touch of tenderness at its core.”
—Virginia Campbell (redroom.com)
“And I loved the spiritual aspect to it, someone watching over them and aiding in their journey.”
—Lady Godiva (goodreads.com)
“This book is perfect for a romance reader.”
—nocturnereads.com
“One of the best historicals of the year!”
—Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries and More
eKENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2014 Sabine Starr
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
eKENSINGTON is a trademark of the Kensington Publishing Corp.
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First electronic edition: March 2014
ISBN: 978-1-6018-3146-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-225-2
ISBN -10: 1-60183-225-7
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