The Blessed Bride
Page 17
“What about security? I can’t mind the town and the mines.”
“Well, I trust you to hire someone who can do the job,” Atherton replied easily.
“I suppose Brandon would do an admirable job of it,” Pete supplied.
After a moment of pregnant silence, Millie clapped. “Well, that’s that. Congratulations, Sheriff Jones. Now, get out of my house and spend some time with that lovely woman of yours.” Millie shooed them, and Pati and Pete left the house, laughing and grinning.
Lord, but her cheeks hurt from all the glee, but she wouldn’t change the good kind of pain for anything in the world. As she and Pete made their way into town, their arms looped together, they greeted familiar faces, and called out hello to new ones. Patience O’Connor didn’t think she’d ever get over just how incredible her life had been—from Cork to Philadelphia, finally finding her way to a tiny gold mining town in the mountains.
More than a year after leaving everything she knew to find her da, she’d found everything…a home, a love, and a heart overflowing with Blessings.
“I s’ppose you’re proud of yourself,” Millie said, coming up beside Atherton as he stood on the front porch of Winslet House peering out over the town they had built from nothing in three years. The church was nearly done and, even now, the men they’d hired to build it were pounding nails into the last hand-hewn roof shingles. It wasn’t a large church, just big enough for twenty people, but that was plenty of people for the coming wedding. The very first wedding in Blessings, but certainly not the last—not if he had anything to do with it!
“Why shouldn’t I be proud of myself? This town sure has grown since that first night we gave the land a purpose,” Atherton replied, tipping his tin cup to his lips to drink the last of the coffee Millie had made with supper.
Millie put her arm around Atherton and laid her head against his chest, sighing. Atherton loved the feeling of his wife against him, his rock, his angel, the very blood in his heart.
“So, I s’pose you’ll be fixin’ up Ben next, gettin’ him hitched to the next girl that comes into town?”
Atherton cackled, loving Millie’s teasing. “’Course not. Ben can get his own woman. Pete needed help—a lot of help. I just did what needed doin’.”
Millie tsked. “Is that so? Winnie, you’re gonna get yourself in trouble.”
Atherton Winslet smiled to himself, knowing full well what he was getting himself in to, and loving every moment of it.
“I think I’ll like bein’ a matchmaker. Look at this place,” he said, raising his arm and slowly waving it over the bustling Blessings below. “Who wouldn’t want to fall in love here?”
Keeping reading for an exclusive sneak peek at Kari Trumbo’s book, Blessed Beyond Measure, book #2 of the Brides of Blessings Series, coming January 24th, 2018.
About the Author
Lynn Winchester is the pseudonym of a hardworking California-born conservative, now living in the wilds of Northeast Pennsylvania. Lynn has been writing fiction since the 5th grade, and enjoys creating worlds, characters, and stories for her readers.
Lynn writes charming, romantic romance that focuses on the growth of the relationship and the power of true love.
When Lynn isn't writing, she is running a successful editing business, reading whatever she can get her hands on, raising her four children, making sure her husband is happy, and binge watching shows on Netflix.
Connect with Lynn online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Also by Lynn Winchester
Dry Bayou Brides Series
The Shepherd’s Daughter
The Seamstress
The Widow
The Rogue’s Bride
The Rake’s Bride
The Gentleman’s Heart
The Gambler’s Prize
Dry Bayou Legacy Series
Legacy
Heartsong
Exclusive sneak peek at Blessed Beyond Measure…
Father never called the whole family into drawing room. The late-spring sun crawled across the floor as her mother sat, fidgeting with her sleeves. Her dark hair had streaks of silver Lenora had never noticed before. Lenora’s brother, Geoff, stood leaning against the mantle as tension coiled within the room.
Her father, Mr. Farnsworth entered, followed by two men. The first was a man in a sharp suit and tie, his bowler hat sat at a jaunty angle, and he took in the room with one sweeping glance. The man with him looked to have walked straight out of what she imagined the West looked like. His tanned leather jacket hung loosely around shoulders slightly wider than his dapper companion.
These men were not her father’s regular associates, and coupled with the fact that the meeting was strange to begin with, Lenora was on edge. As was her brother, as he drummed his fingers against the mantle. Her father cleared his throat, though he already had the attention of the room.
“I would like to introduce you to two new acquaintances of mine. This is Mr. Victor Abernathy and his friend—”
The wild man interrupted, “Cort. Just call me Cort.”
Her father stopped and stared for a moment as she and everyone in the room held a silent breath. Father was used to everyone treating him with the utmost respect; he owned one of the oldest law practices in Boston. “Yes, Mr. Cort.”
While everyone was distracted with Mr. Cort’s behavior, Mr. Abernathy took the opportunity and turned to her, taking her hand. His eyes were the greenest she’d ever seen, like a verdant field.
“Miss Farnsworth, I’ll do my best to make certain that nothing happens to you on the journey.” He raised her hand and kissed her knuckles lightly. Though she’d been a party to that action more times than she could count, the way Mr. Abernathy looked deep in her eyes left a quivering vulnerability within her that she couldn’t account for.
Her father turned and addressed Mother, ripping her attention from the dashing Englishman. “Dear, we will be doing some traveling very soon and these men are here to make sure we all make it to our destination safely.”
Mother smiled softly. “Are we going to England, then?”
Father sighed and rubbed the tension spot between his eyes, an action he seemed to do more and more of late. “I’ve heard from an old acquaintance. Mr. Winslet. He requests that we join him immediately, in California.”
Mother’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she fainted dead away.
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