by Sable Hunter
Madeline could see that Hugh Beaumont was obsessed by the idea of the pirate Jean Lafitte. Her explaining to him how unlikely that buried treasure could be found on Windswept property was like spitting into the wind. “How do you intend to find it?” She dreaded hearing this part.
“No one will really know I’m looking.” He waved his hand around. “We’ll tear down this structure, then we’ll dig out the whole area in order to lay the sturdy foundation of a building that can endure a category 5 hurricane. While we’re excavating and digging holes deep enough for the anchor pillars, we’ll be hunting treasure. Heavy equipment will prove to be very helpful.”
Madeline was horrified. The idea that Beaumont intended to dig up this whole section of beach, disturb the dunes and dislodge the very sands of history turned her stomach. “You’ll do all of that and you’ll find nothing. No one knows if there ever was treasure. Many think Lafitte was broke by the time he died. Many also think the treasure he referred to was the coffin where he buried the love of his life, Madeline Regaud.” Madeline always remembered Lafitte’s wife’s name because it was her own.
“There was treasure.” He cut across the air with his hand, trying to effectively make his point.
Realizing she was dealing with someone who had a couple of screws loose, she tried to play the ghost angle. “Aren’t you afraid to dig? Many say you can hear Madeline crying on dark nights. Many also say that if you try to disturb the treasure, one of Lafitte’s black hellhounds will find you.” Although his eyes widened, he could not be deterred.
“You must sell. You must sign the papers. I have worked a lifetime to amass the knowledge to achieve this one goal. I will not be denied this opportunity. Whatever it takes, however much it takes, I will succeed.” As he spoke, his voice rose until he was almost shouting.
Madeline stood. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to continue this meeting without me. I don’t intend to sign anything until I have exhausted every alternative.”
Juliana, who’d been silent up until this point, chimed in. “Madeline, I know you feel like you are protecting your father’s legacy. But Windswept’s time is over. All good things finally come to an end. Preserving the past is not always the best thing. Mr. Beaumont is willing to compensate us grandly. Spare yourself useless headaches and sign now.”
“No, Juliana, I’m sorry. I cannot give you my answer today.”
She marched out, leaving them angry and frustrated. Too bad. She wasn’t in that good of a mood herself. More than anything, Maddie needed West.
Chapter Nine
West rubbed his eyes. His vision was blurry. He’d been researching Windswept all night, gathering evidence and printing out old newspaper articles. After talking to Maddie, he’d brainstormed with Dallas until they came up with a plan. Hitting enter, he sent the last document to the printer. Now, all he had to do was get with Dallas and see if he could get an injunction to stop Maddie’s family from selling her home to be destroyed.
Looking at the evidence before him, Weston smiled. Sometimes it paid to have a legal-eagle brain for a brother. Gathering up the papers, he stuffed them into his briefcase and took off. He knew he was working on a grand gesture. West wanted nothing more than to save the day for Maddie. The thought of her people running over her infuriated him. And they wouldn’t get the chance if he had anything to do about it.
Over at Windswept…
Maddie wanted to walk back into the closet. Sometimes there was just nowhere else that seemed to do. She’d talked to the lawyer and the banker and all doors were shut. She might as well start packing. Her only recourse was to sell. During the last three hours, she’d cried a river. Calling West was what she longed to do, but he was coming for dinner, there was no use worrying him now. So, to relieve her tension and to just kick sand in the face of fate, Madeline was planting roses. All of those bright red Knockout roses were going to be planted in Windswept’s east garden.
One shovel of dirt after another. Maddie lost herself in the monotony of labor. If she could just plant all the roses, their combined roots reaching down into the ground would anchor Windswept and nothing could harm her. Tears blinded her to the fact that her task was for naught.
Even though she had the answer, even though she knew the fate, Madeline refused to make it easy for Juliana and Morgana. She might have to sell, but she didn’t have to sell to Hugh Beaumont. As fifty-one percent interest holder, Madeline intended to try and find another buyer, one who could make the necessary improvements and preserve Windswept as it was. About an hour ago, she had informed them of her intentions and to say they took the news poorly was an understatement.
Even though she knew it wasn’t logical, Maddie wanted to be like those homesteaders who refused to leave their homes when rivers would be damned and farms would succumb to the rising waters. She wanted to be like those tree-huggers who sat up in the branches of an oak and refused to leave until the lumberjacks felled it with a chainsaw. In her mind, she could just see them having to drag her kicking and screaming from Windswept when the dozers came to push it down.
She would not do this easily.
Throwing down the shovel, Madeline returned to the storage house to get some fertilizer tablets to put in the holes. Flipping on the light, she walked into the back room to find the plastic blue bucket where she stored the pellets. One moment she’d been stooped over, the next she was slammed back against the wall.
A cry died on her lips when a hand covered her scream.
“You will sell me this property.” Beaumont was enraged. He jerked Madeline by the arm and pushed her against the wall. There were hooks and tools hanging on the wall, so something hard and sharp was pressing into her back. Panicking, she struggled. He was old, but Maddie was little. His strength was more than she could fight.
“You will submit to me. Women like you need to know their place. A decision as important as this should never be in your hands.” He brought a knee up and put it into her stomach at the same time he jerked her top at the neck, ripping it down so that her front was exposed. Maddie screamed and writhed. Was he going to rape her?
With a rush of adrenaline, Maddie twisted and jerked from his grasp. “You’re crazy. Raping me isn’t going to convince me to sell, you pervert!”
Hugh caught her by the hair of the head. “I don’t intend to rape you. I intend to kill you and bury you here with Lafitte’s treasure. This property will be mine.”
Fear rose in Madeline like a tidal wave. Was this how it would end? Would she never see West again? “No! Help!” she screamed. Hugh pulled a crowbar from the wall, raising it over her head…
* * *
“She’s outside planting roses on the north side of the pool, Mr. Rogers.” Tilly informed him with a sad smile. “Our Maddie is brokenhearted. She just got out of a meeting with her family. There is no recourse but to sell. The improvements have to be made by law and no bank will loan her the money to do them without her family signing off. Her lawyer told her that she doesn’t have to sell to Beaumont, she can find another buyer. When Madeline informed her mother and the others of her intention, there was an ugly scene. She just needed a minute to herself, but I know Maddie would welcome seeing you.”
West held up some papers. “I think I have the answer, Tilly. I think I can give Maddie what she needs.”
As he walked off, Tilly murmured, eyeing his sexy backside, “I don’t doubt that for a minute.”
Exiting from the side door, West headed toward the pool. He could see where she had dug dozens of holes and the five gallon buckets of roses sat by each one. But where was Maddie?
And then he heard the scream. “Maddie!” West threw the folder to the ground and ran. When he pushed open the storage house door and saw Hugh Beaumont about to strike Maddie across the head with a crowbar, he launched himself at the old man, knocking him down. “You psycho! How dare you try and hurt my Maddie?”
Maddie crawled to one side, her breath coming in hard jerks. “West, you came,” she whisp
ered. She watched him struggle with Beaumont, but the old man was no match for Weston. In a few moments, he had him subdued. The noise had attracted a couple of guests who had called the police. A couple of men had come to help West, leading the culprit out to await the arrival of the authorities.
West ran to Maddie. “Are you all right?” He helped her up and ran his hands over her. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, he didn’t, he just scared me.” She went into his arms where he cradled her next to him, his hands stroking her back and her hair. The relief of being in his arms made Maggie sag, giving herself over to his care. “I’m so tired. I’ve lost, West. I’ve lost everything.”
He pulled her back a few inches so he could look into her face. “No, you haven’t. You haven’t lost anything.” West smiled and kissed her. “You have me and I have good news.” When hope dawned on her face, he whispered, “Windswept is yours. Dallas has an injunction ready for your signature. We can delay the code work and the sale long enough to have Windswept declared a historical landmark. This place is more than a hotel, it’s more than a house—it’s sacred ground. History was made here. Windswept will be preserved so generations can come to see a grand old lady of the sea who has ridden out the storms of life. Once the designation has been awarded, you can get grants to bring and keep Windswept safe from the elements.”
Madeline looked at West in wonder. “You saved me.” She threw her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. “Thank you. I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“I’d do anything for you, Maddie-mine. From the moment I saw you and you launched yourself into my arms, I knew I wouldn’t ever be willing to let you go.”
“So, I can keep Windswept?” She was having a hard time digesting the fact that her dreams were intact, she wouldn’t be forced to leave her home.
“Yes, Windswept is safe.”
As she was sheltered in the arms of the man she loved—and yes, Maddie loved him—she knew keeping Windswept wasn’t the only dream of hers that was coming true. Maddie wasn’t alone any longer. She mattered to someone. She had someone to watch over her, to care for her. She was someone’s treasure.
“Come on, let’s go in and celebrate. I’ll call Dallas and you can sign these papers and know that your future and the future of Windswept is secure.”
Windswept stood guard. Facing the roiling waves of the Gulf of Mexico, she stood as a reminder that there are some things in this world worth preserving, worth fighting for. Galveston is such a place. The sea winds may blow, the tides may rise, but the indomitable will of those who love it will survive.
Epilogue
“I love you, Weston Rogers.” Maddie held up her glass of champagne, smiling into the face of the man she loved.
“I love you, Maddie.” His answering smile was so beautiful Maddie was afraid her heart would beat out of her chest.
Weston and his brothers had stepped up and helped her save Windswept. The improvement had been made, the seal of approval had been given, and Maddie was free to continue offering an escape to those who came to Galveston seeking peace, contentment or love. A marker hung by the front door, declaring Windswept to be of national significance, a locale of historical importance, a national treasure. This pleased Maddie.
But the greatest treasure she possessed was no longer Windswept.
Weston Rogers loved her. Of all women in the world, she was blessed.
Laying her head on his shoulder, she confessed, “The morning of the day I met you, I stood on the widow’s walk and looked out at the sea. I knew then that I needed a hero. I needed someone to ride in on their white horse and save the day. And even though I recognized that I couldn’t and didn’t want to face life alone, without happiness and love…” She lifted her eyes and gazed into his beloved face. “I never expected for you to walk into my life.”
“Oh, love,” he caressed her cheek, “the day I came to Windswept was the luckiest day of my life. I didn’t know what was missing, what I needed, until you showed me. You’re my love song, the melody I can’t get out of my head and my heart. I’ll never tire of how you make me feel.”
Maddie closed her eyes and pressed her cheek to his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. Who would have thought? Madeline Cross was in love. Madeline Cross was loved.
Holding out for a hero is not an impossible dream.
Here are some sneak peeks!
A Brown Eyed
Handsome Man
Kane Saucier has chosen to walk away from a family fortune to wear a badge. As Sheriff of Kerrville County, he lives near his brother Zane and his friends, the McCoys of Tebow Ranch. His life is good, but something is missing. The Sheriff is lonely until love walks through the door of his office one day in the form of Lilibet Ladner. She’s not had an easy life, but from the moment they meet, the sparks fly. While everything is perfect in the bedroom, there is trouble in paradise – intrigue, danger and mystery turn their world upside down. Kane’s faith never wavers; his Little-bit is worth fighting for. And even when her darkest hour comes, Lilibet refuses to give up on her dreams or her Brown Eyed Handsome Man.
**Warning: This version of the book contains explicit content and details. For a less explicit version check out the Hell Yeah! Sweeter Versions also available on Amazon. Intended for Adult audiences 18+. Contains: graphical scenes and sexual content.
myBook.to/BrownEyedHandsome
True Love's Fire
While vacationing at a cabin in the Ozarks, Scott Walker - Austin neurobiologist, gets snowed-in and has to be rescued by local, Lia Houston. She brings him food, helps him fix his heat and tries to get his car on the road. A monster storm has paralyzed the mountain and as she’s trying to chain his car to her truck, a huge ice-covered limb falls, crushing the front of her pick-up and almost flattening Scott. If she hadn’t moved fast, he’d be a memory – but the brave action on her part comes with a price, she’s injured and stuck with Mr. Know-It-All until the weather abates. Scott doesn’t believe in love, much less love at First Sight. So when he meets Lia, he welcomes the attraction, but fights the tenderness with every breath in his body. Join Sable Hunter as she chronicles their journey from lust to love with a lot of fireworks in between. They meet at the dawn of the New Year, and by Valentine’s Day the fires of True Love are burning bright.
**Content Warning: Contains explicit scenes, details and language. Intended for 18+ Audience
myBook.to/TrueLovesFire
Rogue
A loner by choice and a renegade by nature.
Rogue is living up to his name. He’s lived life on his own terms, doing everything from team-roping in college, Texas Hold ‘em champion to founding his own company, Lone Wolf Oil.
Everything he’s accomplished has been in spite of Dusty Walker, a man who sired four sons by four women – none of them his wife. Rogue might be following in his father’s footsteps, but he is nothing like his father.
And he never will be if he can help it.
When he flies to Kansas for the reading of Dusty’s will, three brothers and a quarter interest in a half-billion dollar business aren’t all he finds…Rogue feels like he’s been hit by a tornado after he walks into a room and finds a woman in his bed. Not just any woman, either…
The last time he saw Kit Ross, she was racing off in her truck leaving him naked and hard by the side of the road. Of course, he deserved it; he’d hurt her. To say she wasn’t happy to see him was an understatement. And when he wins her ranch with a good poker hand, the game is on.
It’s not just poker that’s being played. They can’t keep their hands off one another. Rogue doesn’t know if he has room in his life for family and love. He doesn’t know if he can be trusted with people’s hearts and happiness. What if he’s more like Dusty Walker than he ever knew?
The Sons of Dusty Walker. Four brothers – one tainted legacy and a wild, wild ride.
myBook.to/Rogue
A Breath of Heaven
Cade and Abby have a history.
Years ago they were in love. Undeclared and unrequited, Cade waited until Abby was old enough for him to declare his love. Abby wanted nothing more than she wanted Cade.
But something happened.
Abby pushed Cade away and he never knew why. Since then, sparks fly when they’re together. Antagonizing one another has become their favorite sport. The only problem is… it’s all a front. They bicker because they both want the same thing – each other. A wedding brings them together and Cade is determined to learn Abby’s secret. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her love.
Meet the King Family of El Camino Real – five brothers, one sister and a legacy as big as Texas.
*18+ Contains Adult language and situations*
myBook.to/ABreathofHeaven
One Man's Treasure
Jet is a hero—Special Forces, an Equalizer, a motorcycle riding MMA fighter who is part pirate and all man. No one messes with Jet. He is formidable—the tall, dark, and deadly type.
In One Man’s Treasure, he’s on a quest for gold. Jet travels to Mexico to fight a challenger before he sails the Sirena to bring up a fortune from the sunken Spanish galleon, San Miguel. As usual, Jet is in control, master of his destiny. Until…
Jet meets Sami.
Sami waits tables at a club in Veracruz. Jet can’t help but notice the slight, shy bartender. It angers him when customers give Sami a hard time. Only problem—Jet assumes Sami is a boy. Sami is actually Samantha. She’s come to Mexico to find healing and the truth about what happened to her best friend. When she has to leave town fast, she stows away on Jet’s boat.
