“Ugh, I feel so crumby.” I said for the sixth time that day. I had been feeling a little sick for the past week now and I didn’t understand why. I thought maybe I had gotten food poisoning from some shrimp I ate with Justin the other night, but this sick feeling has been going on for far too long. I made an appointment to see my doctor for today so hopefully she’d give me something to help me get rid of this bug.
“See you later mom,” I shouted and took her car keys off of the table. It was very rare that my mother allowed me to drive her car, but she didn’t feel like taking me to the doctor. I drove in silence and my mind constantly went to Justin. I wondered what he was doing at that very moment. Was he thinking about me like crazy too? When I pulled up at the office and entered the building, I was surprised to see my doctor, Dr. Rochelle Lucas, speaking to the receptionist. “Hi Dr. Lucas,” I said cheerfully. She smiled at me happily.
“Leah, it’s good to see you.” Dr. Lucas has been my doctor since I was seven years old and I saw her as another mother to me. “Sign in and come on back” I was grateful that I didn’t have to wait long. I signed my name on the sign in sheet and rushed over to her side. “So how have you been? How’s your mother?” Dr. Lucas and my mother went to school with each other and my mom saw Dr. Lucas as one of her closest friends.
“We’re both fine,” I said and Dr. Lucas ushered me into a room.
“So you’ve been experiencing stomach pains?” Dr. Lucas said going straight to business.
“Yes, I think I got food poisoning from some shrimp I ate a few days ago.” Dr. Lucas began writing things down on her notepad.
“When was the last time you had your period?” I thought about that for a minute. I really couldn’t remember.
“I’m not sure, maybe the beginning of last month.”
“Are you sexually active?” I blushed at the question as I remembered the numerous of times Justin and I had sex.
“Yes,” I said embarrassed.
“Are you using protection?”
“Of course,” After the first two times, Justin and I have used protection each and every time.
“Okay, well I want you to give me a urine sample. I want to try to eliminate all possibilities so we can find out what’s wrong with you.” I nodded my head and took the cup out of her hand. I went into the bathroom, handled my business, and went back into the room and placed the sample on a tray. “I’ll be right back.” I waited in the cold room for Dr. Lucas to come back and prescribe me some medicine, but when she came back, she shut the door and looked at me with a concern expression.
“What’s wrong?” I asked concerned.
“Leah,” she said in a way that almost sounded disappointed. “You’re pregnant.” All of the color washed out of my face.
“What did you say?” I said not wanting to believe what I just heard.
“I said that you are pregnant. Have you always used protection?” She asked me seriously.
“There was two times that I didn’t, but my boyfriend pulled out!” I couldn’t be pregnant. This was not happening. I started hyperventilating and Dr. Lucas gave me a bottle of water that she kept in the room.
“Sweetheart, that doesn’t always work.”
“You can’t tell my mom,” I said disregarding what she had just said. Dr. Lucas looked at me intensely.
“Your mother is a good friend of mine, but I respect my patient’s privacy and you are technically an adult.” I couldn’t be in that office in second longer. I got up and ran out of the office, not turning back when I heard Dr. Lucas calling my name. I got into the car and drove almost an hour out of the city to the park that Justin took me to. I parked my car and called him.
* * * * *
“Pregnant,” Justin repeated once he had gotten to the park and I told him the news. I thought he’d be mad, but his face was calm and apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he said looking me in the eyes. “I shouldn’t have made love to you raw.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest as I sobbed. I thought he was going to leave me, but he held me tightly. “I’m okay with any decision that you make. If you want to keep the baby, I’ll take care of you and it. If not, I’ll pay for the abortion.” I didn’t agree with having an abortion, I felt that it wasn’t the baby’s fought that its parents’ slipped up.
“I can’t kill it,” I said wiping my tear streaked face. “But how am I supposed to tell my mom this? She’ll kill me.” Justin sighed and looked at me seriously.
“It’s time to tell your mom about us, Leah. I’m really serious about you and now that we have a baby coming,” I shivered at the word “baby”. “She needs to know about me. Everyone makes mistakes and this is ours. Let’s put a stop to the lies.” The way that Justin spoke to me showed me how much more mature he was compared to guys my age. Boys my age would have abandoned me, but Justin was willing to go the full nine yards with me.
“I love you,” I said with fresh new tears falling down my cheeks.
“I love you too,” Justin said and brought his lips to mine. I knew that this man was so much more different than the criminals my mother pegged people like him to be. He had a troubled past, but he was working on improving himself a little bit with each day that passed. I didn’t know what the future had to give me, but I knew if this man was by my side I’d be able to overcome any obstacle thrown at me. I knew that he’d be able to take me away from all of my pain by driving us far away on his motorcycle.
The Cowboy Abducts A Bride,
A Western Historical Romance
By: Erin Walsh
The Cowboy Abducts a Bride
A Western Historical Romance
© Erin Walsh, 2015 – All rights reserved
Published by Steamy Reads4U
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to the seller and purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work
Warning
This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+ years old.
If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with adult content, please close this book now.
About SteamyReads4U Publishing
SteamyReads4U publishes steamy romance ebooks in the Alien, Mail Order Bride / Western, Biker, Step, Paranormal/Shifter, Urban and Medical genres.
Our current writers include:
Destini Bryant – Urban
Amy Collins - Alien
Emily Cummings - Step
Patricia Heat – Step
Kareisha Houston – Urban
Emily Lovell - Biker
Naughty Nicole - Medical
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Emily Sharpe – Mail Order Bride / Western
Olivia Silver - Biker
Evelyn Stone – Mail Order Bride / Western
Erin Walsh – Mail Order Bride / Western
Emily Wolfe – Mail Order Bride / Western
Chapter One
The Madame clapped her hands together to assemble the women into a line once again. It happened every other day or so, when a new man would come to their little town of Harrington looking for a wife. Emma and Ellen always hated that part of the day where they had to line up and show off their good looks to their possible husband.
Emma hated it because she
didn’t have any good looks to show off. She had been too adventurous as a child and slipped off a fall cliff, scaring her face for life. The rest of her was pretty enough though; she was five foot four and had long chocolate locks that always lay braided on each side of her face. Her eyes were a bright pale green with tiny blue flecks, her lips were luscious and pale pink, and her skin was fair with the softest touch of sun. Her chest wasn’t large, but enough for a man to get a handful, and her body was slender with an hourglass shape.
Sadly no man had ever been able to look past the large scar that ran from the corner of her right eye down to her jaw. That is why Emma’s sister, Ellen, hated being in the line-up with all the other women, not because her own looks, but the hopeless look it created on her sisters face when the men would look at her with disgust, and not bother learning her other skills.
Ellen was what everyone considered the perfect beauty. She was the same height as Emma, had flawlessly tanned skin, dusty blond curls that tangled themselves happily down to her tail bone. Her eyes were a deep Topaz that complimented her pale red lips perfectly. Ellen’s body was also a sight to be seen. It curved in every right place, gifting her with a luscious chest and the perfect figure.
All of the women in the house had more than just their beauty; the whole point of living in the home instead of with their families was to learn the skills a man would desire a wife to have. Emma had learned so many skills, and had also promised to put away her childish and adventurous nature, in order to find a husband.
Ellen, on the other hand, knew she didn’t need any of the skills the house mother taught them, her looks alone guaranteed her any man she desired, but she was the only one that had not given up on Emma finding a husband. Even their parents had lost hope in anyone ever looking past Emma’s scared face and seeing the girl beneath, which is why they condemned her to the women’s house in the first place. It was Ellen’s choice to go against their parents’ wishes and join Emma at the house; because she never wanted her sister to feel abandoned or betrayed by her, they always put each other first. At least that is what Ellen had thought before she watched the unknown man walk into the room where all the women were lined up.
He was six feet tall, wore his light brown hair cut extremely short, almost shaved. His clothes were tightly wrapped around his muscles, showing off his incredible body, and when he walked passed Ellen she could see the deep emerald color of his eyes.
“Hello there.”
The unknown man greeted Ellen, causing her to blush and hide her face. The stranger only grinned as he continued to walk down along the line of women. He stopped in front of Emma and reached out his hand. Emma was frozen still as his calloused had caressed along her scar, and then along her jaw.
“Hello there.”
“Hello…”
Emma couldn’t believe that the unknown man was talking to her, or touching her scar. She had never even been acknowledged by a man before, the new experience causing her heart to pound hard against her chest.
“I’m Isaac.”
“Emma.”
“Pleasure to meet you Emma.”
Isaac nodded his head towards Emma and continued his walk down to the end of the line of women. When he was finished seeing them all, Isaac spun on his spurred heel and faced the house Madame. He smiled and nodded towards her before making his way back up the line, giving Ellen one more glance before heading out the door into the waiting area. Ellen licked her lips as she watched him go, wanting to follow him and command that he chose her.
Emma watched in shock as Isaac left the room, curious as to why he had caressed her scar with such care, and wondered if there was even the smallest bit of hope that he might chose her despite her face.
Chapter Two
Back in their shared rooms, all of the women gossiped and chatted about Isaac. Emma and Ellen huddled together in their private corner and talked amongst themselves, knowing that none of the women stood a chance if Ellen was interested.
“I hope he chooses soon and goes away.”
“Why do you say that? Don’t you like him Ellen?”
“He seems nice enough, but you are still here.”
“Doesn’t matter, I’m always going to be here. You should be happy.”
“I’m happy just being here with my sister, I don’t need that cowboy.”
Emma and Ellen giggled while they remembered the spurs on his boots, jingling across the floor of the house.
“You should at least talk with him. Perhaps he is your perfect husband Ellen.”
“Perhaps. But it would take a very impressive man to take me away from my sister.”
Ellen didn’t want Emma to feel betrayed, but she had already planned on pursuing Isaac and offering herself to him as his wife. She knew she didn’t have many skills, but he had spoken to her first, and that meant everything when it came to men.
“If only I had been like you when we were younger. Sat with mother and drank tea instead of…”
“Shhh, hush Emma. You are wonderful just the way you are.”
“But I’m not pretty.”
“You don’t have to be, you are the smartest girl I know.”
Emma smiled and hugged her sister. She knew Ellen was just trying to be nice, that everything she was saying wasn’t true. Emma wasn’t very smart; she just picked up useful skills a little quicker than most of the other women, but women were never truly picked for their skills. Emma sighed and squeezed her sister one more time before pulling away and giving her a reassuring smile.
“Tomorrow he meets whatever girls he wants, and then he’ll be gone.”
“Exactly, and then we can carry on with our lives and work on finding a husband for my sister.”
Ellen smiled sweetly and caressed her sister’s face as she spoke, wishing she could undo the tragedy of her scar.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to find a husband. I’ll probably just become an old spinster like the Madame.”
“Don’t talk like that. You’ll find someone, someone very special.”
Ellen smiled at Emma and patted her knee. Ellen rose to her feet and looked around the room at all the gossiping women, hearing their little comments about how sexy and strong Isaac seemed. Ellen agreed with all of them, and knew that she could easily convince him to marry her, even if it meant giving up some of her morality to do it.
“What are you thinking?”
Emma was staring up at her sister when she asked her question.
“Hmm, nothing. Just wondering which girl it shall be this time.”
“You are up to something.”
“How can you tell?”
“You have that naughty Ellen expression on your face. You always bite your lip and grin when you are thinking of doing something bad.”
“I do not!”
“You do too! The last time you did it was right before you convinced Lilly to put itching powder in the Madame’s bloomers.”
Ellen couldn’t stop herself from snickering when she remembered that incident. Lily had been punished for that while Ellen stood back and enjoyed the Madame itching for weeks.
“I had no part in that.”
“You can’t lie to me, I’m your sister. I know everything.”
Emma grinned up at Ellen before rising to her own feet and bumping her shoulder against Ellen’s.
“So what are you thinking?”
“Wondering if I can help the girls out in anyway.”
“You mean turn one into Isaac’s perfect wife?”
“Exactly.”
Emma giggled and rested her head on her sister’s shoulder, sighing as she gazed at the women in different areas of the room.
“I wonder if the other rooms are filled with this much chatter.”
“Let’s find out.”
Ellen laced her fingers within Emma’s and pulled her towards the door to their room. Ellen stuck her head out to ensure their coast was clear before dragging Emma out of their room and rushing down the hall to one of t
he other rooms. Ellen and Emma stood right by the door inside the room next to theirs, and listened to the women chattering away. It seemed that Isaac was the talk of the house, and every single girl wished to go home with him, despite not knowing anything about him.
“Seems as if everyone woman in the house wants him.”
Emma sighed as she spoke, knowing that she was the only one in the entire house that didn’t stand a chance, not with all the girls competing for his affections.
“Tomorrow we’ll see who’s caught his eye, for now we should get back to our rooms as sleep.
Emma nodded to agree with Ellen. They linked hands back together and glided through the hallway back to their own room. All the women had crawled into their beds, but still whispering to each other about Isaac and the possibilities of tomorrow.
“What will you do when he asks for you?”
“What do you mean Emma?”
“We all know he’ll ask for you, will you refuse or will you go meet with him privately?”
“I will meet him, but only to turn him down.”
Ellen tried to fake a reassuring smile for her sister; she didn’t want Emma to know she was lying until she had succeeded in winning Isaac for herself.
“Get some sleep Emma, man or no man in this house; we still have shores in the morning.”
Emma nodded and curled up with her pillow and blanket, a small tear drop sliding down her cheek as she tried to sleep. She wished from the deepest part of her heart for a chance to beloved and not be seen as only a scared girl, and then fell into a soft sleep.
Chapter Three
The next morning all of the women took turns having hot baths and primping themselves in front of the few mirrors in the house. They were all getting ready just in case Isaac asked to have some private time alone with them. That was how it worked.
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