“Yes, ma'am!”
Tess nodded to Robbie and Molly Rose, and they each took one of Susannah's hands and let her lead them down the hall.
Mary finally turned and joined Tess and Claire.
“Tess,” she said, “this is my sister Molly.”
Sparkling eyes and a huge smile so very like Mary’s greeted her, along with a bulging waistline. “You married Cale, so now we're sisters,” Molly said.
Molly held her tight, and in that embrace, Tess felt a love and connection that she'd never before experienced. It was as if Molly, as if this entire household, needed her presence. It was odd and wholly unexpected.
“I’ve never had a sister,” Tess replied.
“Well, now you have a bunch,” Molly exclaimed.
The other sister beamed. “I'm Emma.”
Tess hugged her as well. “I've never been around so many women before.”
They all laughed, then settled onto the stuffed couch and chairs, talking and reminiscing. Tess lost track of time.
The children entered the room in a rush, Robbie and Molly Rose running to Mary. A Mexican cook, presumably the one and only Rosita, entered carrying Evelyn. “Are you the mother?” She looked at Tess, who shook her head.
She was struck by the longing that pierced her. She wanted to have a child of her own. With luck, she and Cale would soon.
Emma sat beside her. Delivering a sidelong glance at Tess, she leaned near and said, “I hope you don't mind me saying, but you're with child.”
“How do you know?” Tess asked, surprised. Her heart leapt. She hoped it was true.
Emma sighed. “Just a little gift I have. I'll explain it to you later, if you’d like to know.”
Intrigued, Tess nodded. “I’d like that.”
Rosita let out a hearty chuckle. “Miss Tess, right? You are Cale’s new wife? All these women are with child, so why not you too?”
Susannah frowned. “I'm not, Rosita. I'm much too old for that.”
Mary chimed in, “I'm fairly certain I'm not either. Evie keeps me quite busy for now. Are Emma and Claire expecting?”
The women nodded.
“Then I hope I catch what you all have,” Tess said.
Everyone laughed.
“I'd love to meet your children,” Molly said to Mary.
As Mary stood and took Evelyn from Rosita, she beckoned the other two forward. “This is Robert, and this is Molly Rose. Children, this is your Aunt Molly.”
“She has the same name as me,” little Molly Rose whispered.
“Sweetheart, you're named after her,” Mary replied.
Molly Rose shyly went to her Aunt Molly and allowed a hug.
“This was a moment I never dreamed would come to be,” Mary said.
Tess came and put an arm around her. “Why don't you go and tend to Evie.” The babe was beginning to fuss, and it was clear she needed a feeding. “I'll look after Robbie and Molly Rose.”
Mary agreed and followed Rosita to a quieter location to nurse the baby.
Jimmy urged Robbie to accompany him upstairs. He had toys in his room he was eager to share.
And so, with a fire blazing in the hearth, Tess sat with her newly-found family—Molly, Claire, and Emma. Molly Rose soon shed her shyness and reveled being the center of attention.
Much later, Tess lay with Cale, the bedsheets tangled around them. He smelled of tobacco and whiskey, and due to the late hour, they’d remained at the SR for the night. The intensity of his loving never ceased to amaze her, especially when the liquor should’ve made him drowsy.
His body partially covered hers, and a knee rested between her legs. His hand moved from breast to hip, and he burrowed his face into her neck.
Content, Tess closed her eyes as she recovered her breath from the vigorous romp, her arm wrapped around his neck.
“I think we’re going to have a baby,” she whispered.
He raised his head and braced himself on one arm, gazing down at her. “Does that make you happy?”
“Sí.”
His free hand rested on her abdomen. “Any panic?”
“No. Not in many weeks.” Perhaps her fears had abated. But if not, she was beginning to realize that within Cale’s love, she could weather them.
“Then my plan has worked.”
“And what was that?”
“To make love to you as much as possible so that you’d never think to be frightened again.”
“Well, I think you’ve succeeded. But I do have to say that I’m a bit tired,” she teased.
“That’s a small price to pay.” He kissed her.
“If it’s a girl, can we name her after mi abuela?”
“Sí,” Cale replied. His lips moved along her cheek, then her neck, distracting Tess.
He settled more fully over her, and said, “But I think I’ll just call her Blackbird.”
O blackbird! sing me something well.
Happiness blossomed in Tess’s heart, and she felt, for the first time, she wasn’t telling the story—she was the story.
THE END
I'm so pleased you chose to read The Blackbird, and it's my sincere hope that you enjoyed the story. I would appreciate if you'd consider posting a review. This can help an author tremendously in obtaining a readership. My many thanks. ~ Kristy
Author’s Note
When writing a fictional tale wrapped around historical events, an author will sometimes take liberties. Here are mine.
Captain Reed Fitzgerald and his wife Kitty are fictional. The commander of Camp Bowie at the time of the story was First Lieutenant William M. Wallace, Sixth U.S. Cavalry. Officer wives living with their husbands in remote outposts wasn’t unprecedented. Martha Summerhayes’ well-known account of military life in Arizona was documented in her book Vanishing Arizona. I’d like to acknowledge Rita Edwards, who was the recipient of a giveaway at the Pioneer Hearts Facebook Group, a dedicated hangout for readers and writers of historical western romances. She earned naming rights for Reed’s wife and chose Kitty Louise in honor of her grandmother.
The Medal of Honor, created during the Civil War, is the highest military decoration awarded by the U.S. government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must distinguish themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. The Medal of Honor awarded for the Campaign of the Rocky Mesa in the Chiricahua Mountains (October 1869) was given to thirty-two men of Company G, 1st and 8th U.S. Cavalry. In the story, Cale was among approximately fifty men of Company D, 32nd Infantry. So, I fudged a bit by giving Cale the medal, but there’s no reason he wouldn’t have fought during that battle against Cochise and the Apache.
My depiction of the Apache was gleaned from many sources, but, while the Nednai existed, Mohan’s band was fictional. If there are any discrepancies in my representation of the Indians, I apologize. But in researching the time period, it is clear that ambivalence and treachery existed among both the white and Hispanic people, as well as the Apache. By the same token, there were also good, decent men on both sides of that fence. It was my desire to show the individual morality of each character, whether they were Apache or not.
THE BLUEBIRD
Wings of the West: Book Five
Coming Spring 2016
Colorado 1893
Eager for adventure, Molly Rose Simms departs the Arizona Territory and travels to Colorado to visit her brother, Robert. Three years earlier, he’d gone to make his fortune in the booming silver town of Creede, and now Molly Rose hopes to convince him to accompany her to San Francisco or New York City, or, perhaps, even Europe. But upon her arrival, Robert is nowhere to be found, and Molly Rose finds herself in the company of a mysterious man known as The Jackal.
Jake McKenna has traveled the bustling streets of Buenos Aires to the jungles of China to exotic ports in Egypt, earning the moniker of Jackal with his cunning and wily ways. Never content to stay in one place for long, his desire to exp
lore has been the one constant in his life. With a panic in the silver market about to engulf the United States, Jake’s desire to aid Robert Simms and his business ventures has led to an unlikely partnership with the man’s sister. He doesn’t need the complication of a woman in his life, but Molly Rose Simms is about to change his mind in every conceivable way.
About The Author
As a child, Kristy McCaffrey frequently narrated to herself. It soon became apparent that she had an affinity for this writing thing. Raised on a steady diet of sci-fi/fantasy and tales of King Arthur, she transferred this love of mythic storytelling to penning western romances once she decided, at long last, to pay attention to her natural inclinations. Educated as an engineer, she swiftly gave that up to be a stay-at-home mom and aspiring author. She and her husband live in the Arizona desert, where their four children are in varying stages of flying the nest. A great love of travel frequently ends up on her blog, along with attempts at humor. This is often at the expense of her kids, which has led them to proclaim, "We will no longer read your blog, Mom." They also refuse to follow her on Twitter. Kristy believes life should be lived with curiosity, compassion, and gratitude, and one should never be far from the enthusiasm of a dog. She also likes sleeping-in, eating Mexican food, and doing yoga at home in her pajamas.
Sign up for Kristy’s newsletter to receive updates on new releases, visit her website to learn more about her work, and read her blog. She’s also on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
If you’d love to connect with readers and authors in the western historical romance genre, please consider joining the Pioneer Hearts Facebook Group. Lively discussions, author interactions, and members-only giveaways are guaranteed.
Don’t miss THE WREN
Wings of the West: Book One
The Wren
Ten years have passed since her ranch was attacked, her folks murdered and Molly Hart was abducted. Now, at nineteen, she’s finally returning home to north Texas after spending the remainder of her childhood with a tribe of Kwahadi Comanche. What she finds is a deserted home coated with dust and the passage of time, the chilling discovery of her own gravesite, and the presence of a man she thought never to see again.
Matt Ryan is pushed by a restless wind to the broken-down remains of the Hart ranch. Recently recovered from an imprisonment that nearly ended his life, the drive for truth and fairness has all but abandoned him. For ten years he faithfully served the U.S. Army and the Texas Rangers, seeking justice for the brutal murder of a little girl, only to find closure and healing beyond his grasp. Returning to the place where it all began, he’s surprised to stumble across a woman with the same blue eyes as the child he can’t put out of his mind.
The Dove
Wings of the West: Book Two
The Dove
Disappointment hits ex-deputy Logan Ryan hard when he finds Claire Waters in the midst of a bustling Santa Fe Trail town. The woman he remembers is gone—in her place is a working girl with enticing curves and a load of trouble. As a web of deceit entangles them with men both desperate and dangerous, Logan tries to protect Claire, unaware his own past poses the greatest threat.
Plagued by shame all her life, Claire is stunned when Logan catches her on the doorstep of The White Dove Saloon dressed as a prostitute. She lets him believe the worst, but with her mama missing and the fancy girls deserting the place, she's hard-pressed to refuse his offer of help. As she embarks on a journey that will unravel the fabric of her life, one thing becomes clear—opening her heart may be the most dangerous proposition of all.
The Sparrow
Wings of the West: Book Three
The Sparrow
In 1877, Emma Hart comes to Grand Canyon—a wild, rugged, and, until recently, undiscovered area. Plagued by visions and gifted with a second sight, she searches for answers about the tragedy of her past, the betrayal of her present, and an elusive future that echoes through her very soul. Joined by her power animal Sparrow, she ventures into the depths of Hopi folklore, forced to confront an evil that has lived through the ages.
Texas Ranger Nathan Blackmore tracks Emma Hart to the Colorado River, stunned by her determination to ride a wooden dory along its course. But in a place where the ripples of time run deep, he’ll be faced with a choice. He must accept the unseen realm, the world beside this world, that he turned away from years ago, or risk losing the woman he has come to love more than life itself.
Stand-Alone Novel
Into The Land Of Shadows
Kate Kinsella has no choice but to go after Charley Barstow and talk some sense into him. After all, he's skipped town, leaving a string of broken hearts and his pregnant fiancée, Agnes McPherson. But Kate didn't count on being kidnapped by a band of criminals along the way.
Ethan Barstow is hot on his younger brother's trail, too. He rescues Kate, believing her to be Charley's fiancée, and suggests they try to find him together. Kate's reluctance has him baffled.
All hell breaks loose when they discover Charley in search of a copper mine—not wishing to be found by anyone; certainly not Kate! But, then, Kate was always trouble—and now she's brought it to his doorstep, with tales of a pregnant fiancée and his brother Ethan, who he hasn't seen in five years.
Can Ethan and Kate ever find their own love and happiness with one another through the dark deception and hurt? Or will they both return INTO THE LAND OF SHADOWS...
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