Mail Order Christine
Page 7
“Stay here. I’ll saddle my horse and go after him. With this storm, I should be able to follow his trail. I’ll bring Seth back with me.”
Christine nodded, holding her hanky to her lip.
Everett ran outside and saw Dusty riding into the yard.
The foreman slid to the ground. “Everything all right here? Margaret thought she saw a twister.”
Everett shook his head. “Let me have your horse. Marvin took Seth.” Everett grabbed his gun and mounted Dusty’s horse. “I’ll look for a trail. You saddle my horse and go on toward San Antonio. Fire a shot if you see him. Make sure he doesn’t hurt the baby. I don’t think he will, but just in case.”
Everett went around to the back of the house and followed Marvin’s footprints to the big tree north of the house. There he saw the hoofprints and followed the man’s trail.
It didn’t take Everett long to see him. The man had made the mistake of following Jasper Creek. Usually, it was dry, but after a rain, it became a churning torrent with no place to cross. Everett fired his gun.
Marvin stopped and turned toward him. Desperate, he whirled his horse toward the creek.
“Don’t try it,” Everett yelled at the man. Fearful for the child, he kicked his horse to intercept Marvin, but the man was already pushing his horse into the raging waters.
Everett kicked his horse and aimed the charging animal at Marvin.
Too late, Marvin’s horse stumbled, throwing Marvin and the child into the swirling water. Marvin looked at him, let Seth go, and swam for the opposite bank.
Everett leaped from his horse and dove into the water. In seconds, he had Seth, held him out of the water, and tried for the bank. With one arm, he pushed at debris and water to try and reach the side.
Seth was crying, and Everett was relieved the child was alive. But the current was strong, and Everett wasn’t sure how long he could hold the child up and try to reach the bank. He was tiring, and the arm holding Seth ached from the toddler’s weight. Still, he struggled against the current.
Then he heard Dusty yelling.
Everett waved his arm to get his attention.
In less than a minute, Dusty threw a rope to him.
With his free arm, Everett grabbed the rope and hung on as Dusty hauled him to the bank of the river. Taking the baby, Dusty pulled on the line with his other hand, and soon Everett was standing on the bank.
Everett sank to his knees and thanked the Lord. He looked at Dusty. “You came at the right time.” He took the child from Dusty. “How are you, boy? You all right?”
Dusty nodded. “He looks all right. Just wet.” He took off his jacket and put it around the child.”
“You see my horse?”
“No. We can ride double back to the ranch. I’m sure Seth’s mama is worried sick.”
Everett nodded.
Soon, they rode into the yard. Holding Seth, Everett slid from the horse. “Thanks, Dusty. I didn’t see where Marvin got out.”
Dusty frowned. “He didn’t. Just before I threw you the rope, I saw him. He didn’t make it.”
Everett winced. “He wasn’t a good man, but I hate to see him dead.”
Dusty nodded and then rode back to his own house.
The moon and the stars were out now. The air clean and cold from the storm. Everett held Seth close to him. “Let’s go see your mother.”
He opened the door. “Christine, we’re home.”
Epilogue
Everett walked into the house, and in an instant, the little boy grabbed him by the knees and looked up at him.
“Papa, go ride.” Seth grinned at him.
Picking up his son, Everett whirled him around. “Have you been a good boy?”
Nodding, the little toddler squealed with delight.
It was their daily ritual. The moment Everett came in the door, Seth met him and asked to go for a ride. “Ask your mama.” He set Seth down, and the two-and-a-half-year-old ran to his mother in the kitchen.
Everett grinned when he heard Seth. “Papa ride. Now, Mama.”
Christine came out of the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready in an hour.”
Everett met her halfway and held her close. “I’ll be glad when you can ride again. Freedom’s Call misses you.”
“I went out to feed her a carrot today. She told me she missed me too.” Christine kissed him. “Dusty said she’d foal within the month.”
Everett patted Christine’s round belly. “You two will be in a race. My money is on you and this little beauty inside you. A girl. Definitely a little Christine.”
Christine laughed. “No, we’re not having a Christine Jr. I was thinking about Cassandra.”
“I like that. I can’t wait to meet her. Or him.”
Seth tugged on his trousers. “Ride, Papa.”
With a smile, Everett picked the boy up. “I better take this boy for a ride. He’ll be running this ranch before I know it.” Everett gazed at Christine. “Seth and his brothers and sisters.”
She laughed. “I love you.”
Everett caught her hand and kissed her fingers. “I know. It’s your love that awakened my heart. I knew it on our wedding day.”
She shook her head. “Well, you could have told me then.”
“I didn’t want to admit it. The Lord had some work to do on me, and He used you to crack the wall I’d put around my heart.” He kissed her. “I better take my son for a ride.”
He walked out of the house to his horse and put Seth on the saddle and then mounted behind him. Everett put his arm around Seth and hung onto him as they loped out of the yard.
***
Christine watched her husband and son ride into the sunset. The yellow sun glowed around them, and she tucked the memory deep in her heart. She loved to see her son and husband together.
They were so close no one would know that Seth wasn’t his child. What a miracle the Lord had done on their little family. Everett no longer had the nightmares of his own childhood. He was happy.
Margaret laughed when she and Dusty came to visit. Taking her aside one day, Margaret mentioned how Everett had never looked happier. That her prayers had been answered.
Christine knew that was true. Oh, she knew that things may not always go as they wanted, but she was sure that she and Everett would work things out together. She loved him more than she thought herself capable.
And Everett loved her in such a sweet, tender way.
But it was the way he’d taken Seth into his heart that had been the greatest miracle. She watched them ride and thanked the Lord for what He had done. What had looked so impossible a year ago was now a living miracle.
Everett turned back toward home, and he waved to her.
And she fell in love with him all over again.
~~~
Patricia PacJac Carroll Author’s Note – I love people and telling stories about people. Everett was a hard case who struggled with the fear of becoming what he hated. Fear is a hard task master and cripples many.
Christine was put in a hard situation. Caught between two hard men, she had to trust the Lord to work things out.
I hope you enjoyed Christine and Everett’s story. It was a little different for me, but I like the way it worked out, and how Everett had to learn that he could trust the Lord and love Christine and her son.
And you know, I always like happy endings.
You can find all my books on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited > Patricia PacJac Carroll
Mail Order Christine is a part of the Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies Series. I have another book that will release July 31st. Watch for Mail Order Lila
You can find all the books in the series on the Amazon page > Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies.
v style = " -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); -moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share