by Sara Orwig
“Thank God!” he exclaimed even as doubts assailed him. “Come inside,” he said, curbing the urge to grab the man and rush him upstairs to Crystal.
“How is the patient?” Sam Mason asked, shedding a snowy hat and coat.
“She’s upstairs in labor.”
“Well, I’ll go see about her. No complications, so far?”
“No,” said Travis, wondering if Crystal would let him know if there were complications. “I’ll show you where she is. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
“I believe there was a mild threat to my well-being if I didn’t,” Mason commented dryly.
Travis didn’t care what the man thought. He raced up the stairs. Crystal’s eyes were closed, her lower lip caught in her teeth.
“Crystal,” he whispered, rushing to the bed.
She looked at him and then relaxed. He wiped her perspiring forehead as Dr. Mason entered the room and closed the door.
“You boil water, Travis,” the doctor ordered.
“I’ll be right back.”
“You can wait in the other room,” the physician remarked dryly. “I think fathers merely cause trouble.”
“I—”
“I’ll call you the minute the baby is here.”
Crystal caught his hand, kissed it, and smiled at him. “Go on.”
He stared at her, looking at how calm she was, yet she had just started her labor. He brushed her lips with a kiss and left, going downstairs to put on a pot of water for coffee and a pan of water for the doctor. He got out the whiskey bottle and tipped it up to have a long drink, suspecting it would do little to calm his nerves.
He paced the floor, moving back upstairs. There was not a sound from their bedroom. He poured another large drink of whiskey and threw it down, feeling it burn.
The upstairs door opened. “Mr. Black Eagle,” the doctor said, and Travis’s heart and breath stopped.
Twenty-five
Travis couldn’t move, but stared at the smiling doctor.
“You have another son. You may come in now. I’ll wait downstairs.”
Travis stormed into the room. Crystal was still propped against the pillows, her hair spread behind her head and over her shoulders. She held a baby in her arms and she was smiling at him.
Travis couldn’t move. Worries of the past year left him unable to put one foot in front of the other. Worries and shock. She had already had their baby. She looked radiant, her green eyes sparkling, her rosy mouth curved in a triumphant smile.
“Travis,” she said, patting the bed.
Stunned by her ease at delivering the baby, he crossed the room, and then the dam of control inside him broke. “Oh, Crystal!”
He sat down, knowing he should be careful with her, but unable to resist holding her in his arms. “You’re safe! I love you … love you,” he whispered, burying his face against her throat, unable to control the tears of relief and joy that fell over his cheeks. “You’re safe.”
“I’m very safe,” she said. She stroked his head. “I’m fine and our baby is fine.”
Travis held her, trying to gain control of his emotions and wanting to reassure himself that she was all right. “I can’t believe you’ve had this baby. I’ve worried for so long, and in minutes, the baby is here and you’re smiling.” He raised his face and wiped his eyes as he looked at her.
Crystal’s heart thudded with joy. She had never dreamed it possible for this strong, powerful man to love her to such an extent to turn him to tears and into a quivering wreck. Yet she loved him that much in return. She smiled at Travis, wiping his cheeks, feeling the rough stubble that was wet with his tears. She looked down at the baby in her arms. “Look at him. Perhaps we should name him Brett after your brother.”
“Or Ellery after yours,” Travis said, touching the baby’s cheek. “Look at all his red hair. Ellery Black Eagle is fine with me.” His hand wound in her hair. “I can’t believe it was this simple.”
“Maybe I’m meant for childbirth,” she said with a mischievous grin, confident that never again would he be as worried.
“You’re meant for love,” Travis said, pulling her into his arms, careful of the baby. “What a surprise for Jake in the morning.” He leaned down to kiss her.
Crystal wound her arm around his neck, joyous with the love she had found in his strong arms, thrilled with the family they would have together. Love filled her; her joy was complete.
Dear Reader:
The independent spirit of the prairie women of the early West is a fascinating topic to me. This novel was fun to write because of the historical background of the unique women’s suffrage in Wyoming Territory that almost cost Wyoming its statehood. I enjoyed writing this novel and would love to hear from you if you enjoyed reading it.
My next novel will be Comanche Passion, moving the setting south to Texas where a Comanche scout for the army crosses paths with a beautiful Confederate smuggler.
Please send any correspondence with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Sara Orwig, P.O. Box 780258, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73178-0258.
More from Sara Orwig
The Comanche Series
Comanche Temptation
Honor Roth has spent her life dreaming of only one man, a handsome cowboy named Luke McCloud. But her childish illusions become a harsh reality when, on her father’s deathbed, his final plea to save the family ranch means wedding his daughter to Luke. Honor finds herself trapped in a marriage that is nothing more than a bittersweet pretense, with a man who will only love her in her fantasies.
Luke McCloud is on the run for a crime he is innocent of, and wants nothing more than to pay his debt to Honor Roth’s father and be gone again. But first he must survive poachers and bounty hunters that are hot on his trail and the blazing yearning for Honor that is hot in his heart.
Comanche Eagle
When Travis Black Eagle loses his wife in childbirth, he storms the doctor’s home and demands justice. Crystal Spencer, the small town’s Justice of the Peace, knows she can’t be forced to marry Travis because of the doctor—her brother’s—mistake. But her own integrity won’t allow her to let an innocent child go motherless, nor can her heart deny the intense feelings she has for Travis.
What begins as a marriage of convenience soon grows into a consuming love and a tormenting conflict. Travis has seen far too many injustices to have faith in the law—the very law that is Crystal’s responsibility to uphold.
Comanche Passion
Savannah Ravenwood is traveling to Texas when she is captured by the handsome, dark-haired Red Hawk, a powerful, half-Comanche warrior. Red Hawk needs Savannah’s help to rescue his orphaned nephew, but as they set on the mission that can cost them their lives, they find themselves surrendering their hearts—to one another.
But Savannah knows a future with a man whose only desire is to return to his Comanche people would mean abandoning her own life. Not even true love can bridge the gap between their two very different worlds. But when tragedy strikes, they discover that the only future worth fighting for is their future together.
Sweet Desire
When Comanches threaten Caroline Brandon, a spirited young orphan fleeing the ruins of life post-Civil War, handsome army scout Sawyer Day agrees to accompany her to her uncle’s Texas ranch. But as they brave the dangers of the wilderness, an undeniable attraction tempts them both, and soon they find themselves surrendering to one another’s embrace.
Suddenly awakened to the heat of desire, they promise their hearts to each other. Even when Sawyer leaves to reclaim his stolen fortune, Caroline vows to wait. But can their love survive the test of time, or will it fade into the vast distance between them?
Texas Passion
Rachel Kearney expected a heartfelt reunion when her father returned home from the War Between the States, but instead, she was greeted by a man on the run from the law. Now, Rachel and her family must flee, leaving behind the only home they’ve ever known.
Dan Overton is pursu
ing an elusive killer when he stumbles upon the spirited beauty who calls herself the Widow Kearny. From the moment he sees her, he knows he will do anything in his power to protect her and her brood from the dangers of the rugged post-war frontier.
But something more than a shared passion connects them, and it may be the very thing that tears them apart.
Tides of Passion
She knew who he was. Captain Joshua Raven, rebel aristocrat and fierce pirate, ravaging his way through the Spanish main. But he had no way of knowing that the beautiful girl disguised as a maid was Lianna Melton, a high-born British damsel, fleeing a loveless marriage.
Desperate to return to her secret beloved, Lianna seeks passage aboard Joshua’s ship. But even amid the struggle and intrigue of the new world Joshua has introduced her to, Lianna cannot deny the pleasure she finds in his company.
Before long, she finds herself melting beneath the heat of his caress, and soon passion sweeps her away like the rising tide, toward the golden shores of love.
Warrior Moon
Vanessa’s father controls a railroad, and can summon the military with a single word, yet he cannot control his fierce and beautiful daughter. When Vanessa stumbles across a wounded Kiowa brave, she knows at first glance that this powerful warrior is a man she will fear, then heal, then love.
Lone Wolf’s land was ravished and his people were murdered by outsiders, leaving him with a searing hatred and insatiable appetite for revenge. But the moment he beholds Vanessa, he falls drawn to her captivating beauty and willful spirit. But is his love for her strong enough to snuff out the fire of loathing he harbors for her people?
The Southwestern Saga
San Antonio
Luke Dabney grew up in Texas, the land of peril and promise. It is there that the hardened lawman vows to exact revenge on Domingo Pietra, the man who destroyed Luke’s family.
Catalina is the beautiful daughter of the powerful and ruthless Domingo Pietra, but not even her father can control the desire that blazes inside her for Luke Dabney.
Will the strength of her love be enough to pierce Luke's determined heart, a heart set on vengeance?
Albuquerque
Albuquerque is the boomtown of the New Mexico territory, where ambition and greed make even the boldest of dreams come true. It is where April Dabney resides, singing in church by day and serenading the patrons of a local saloon by night.
It is also where Noah McCloud comes to build a promising future from the remains of a broken past.
It is where these star crossed lovers find one another amidst bitter enemies and the undeniable pull of desire.
Denver
When Tigre Castillo is wrongfully accused of murder, he flees to Denver, leaving behind his outlaw past and his name. In Denver, he becomes Dan Castle, a man with dreams of a better future, and a fierce determination to have the woman his heart has always longed for.
Mary O'Malley has learned how to survive, using wits and guile in a tough city, one ruled by men. When Dan and Mary’s paths collide, she finds herself surrendering—body and soul—to the only man with the power to destroy her.
The Civil War Saga
New Orleans
The start of a sweeping historical trilogy, the search for romance begins as the threat of civil war looms. From USA Today bestselling romance author Sara Orwig.
As rumblings of succession begin in the south, New Orleans heiress Chantal Theirrie is looking for a husband. Obligation drives her towards Lazare Galliard, the man who has it all, including wealth, power and passion. But Rafferty O’Brien, an Irish immigrant who has come to New Orleans to seek his fortune, has an impossible-to-resist drive, and is determined to get what he wants, including the beautiful but out of reach Chantal.
As a war brews between the states, Chantal will be fighting her own war between what her heart and her mind wants.
Memphis
In the second book of the sweeping historical trilogy, a woman defies expectations to hold onto her land, and her heart. From USA Today bestselling romance author Sara Orwig.
Spirited Sophia Merrick is left to run the family farm after her father and brothers go off to fight for the South in the ongoing civil war. Scorning the limitations imposed on her because she’s a woman, Sophia vows to protect her family’s land from invaders. What she doesn’t anticipate are the stirrings of passion dredged up by cavalryman Caleb O’Brien, the immigrant who has vowed to fight for the South just as his forefathers fought to protect Ireland. Her resistance to his charms makes Sophia all the more alluring to Caleb, and he’s just as determined to bring her womanly passion to the surface as he is to protect her from the dangers of war.
Atlanta
The conclusion to the sweeping historical trilogy, as both the South and its people have been transformed by war, unexpected passions are ignited. From USA Today bestselling romance author Sara Orwig.
The Northern soldiers ravaged Atlanta during the Civil War. Now as the city attempts to recover, all Claire Dryden has left is the little boy she has adopted and sworn to protect with her life. When the handsome Yankee colonel Fortune O’Brien storms into town, demanding to reclaim the boy he claims is his stolen son, Claire’s vow is put to the test. For she loves the boy more than life itself, but the passion O’Brien ignites in her threatens to weaken her resolve.
Heat Wave
As the temperature rises, passions are ignited during the hottest summer in Kansas yet. From USA Today bestselling romance author Sara Orwig.
Marilee O’Neil isn’t one to turn down a challenge, not even when it’s to pilot a friend’s hot air balloon in a race. But when she’s forced to change course and make an unexpected landing on a wheat farm, Marilee’s overconfidence gets the better of her, and she ends up in the middle of a swimming pool, giving the handsome sunbathing farmer quite a shock! But Cole Chandler takes surprise in stride, gallantly rescuing Marilee from her soggy landing, and instantly setting her body afire. Though Marilee tries to resist their growing attraction, she can’t deny that it isn’t just the summer heat that has her on the edge.
Oregon Brown
Fantasy clashes with reality as a woman’s passions are torn between two impossible options. From USA Today bestselling romance author Sara Orwig.
Charity Jane Webster spends her evenings listening to the sexy voice of DJ Rory Runyon flowing across the airwaves. Filling her nights with love songs and whispered endearments, he’s the perfect fantasy lover—unlike her distractingly handsome neighbor. Oregon Brown drives Charity crazy, somehow knowing all of her deepest secrets while being impossibly seductive. Charity will have to choose between the voice that haunts her dreams, and the man who can hold her in his arms.
The Goodies Case
The search for the perfect man ends in a sweet surrender. From USA Today bestselling romance author Sara Orwig.
Crystal has dedicated her life to caring for her nutty but loving family. She’s determined to bring order and reason into her life, and the next goal on her list is to settle down with an ordinary man. But Pug Moffitt is determined to throw Crystal’s plans off course. The owner of a gourmet food shop where Crystal is reluctantly taking cooking lessons, Pug seduces her with sweet confections, appealing to her sweet tooth, as well as the passions she’s been trying to keep at bay.
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