Winter Magic

by Cheryl Pierson

  An even exchange—she trusted him with everything in her—and, no doubt about it, after the day’s events, she did feel the beginnings of love for him. There could never be any going back.

  Now, they had to figure out how to move forward. Lying in the strong shelter of his arms, she knew it was going to be possible. She smiled to herself. This day had turned out to be a wonderful day to get married, and she had to agree with Doctor Lattimer—she had gotten the better man.

  “Nick?”

  “Hmm?” He stroked her hair gently.

  “What will we do now?” She felt his grin against her hair.

  “I can think of some things.”

  She smiled at his teasing. “I’m—not talking about tonight. I’m talking about tomorrow…and the day after that…How’re we going to live—and where?” She was quiet a moment, then said, “My father was robbed by Carleton Ridgeway, you know…if what Carlton said is true.”

  “About the double dowry, you mean?”

  She nodded against him, wordlessly. Embarrassment didn’t happen often for her, but today, she’d gotten a lifetime of it, and to learn that Papa had paid Carlton double…well, it was mortifying. She’d actually believed Carlton had had some affection for her. Now, the entire town knew differently, and they believed she and Nick had already engaged in an illicit dalliance…

  “Libby, I never expected a dowry. I’m still not even sure what happened.”

  She looked up at him. “Well, Mr. Diamond, you had a plan and it worked. Maybe better than you expected?” Gently she turned toward him, arching an eyebrow. “You know what?”

  “Hmm.”

  “If I’d known what making love with you was like, I might have been a bit more…convincing…at the church.”

  “Ah, Libby, if I’d known what it was like with you before, it might have just been I wouldn’t’ve had to lie. I’d’ve seduced you long before this, just like I let everyone believe.”

  Libby’s heart warmed at his words. But she still needed reassurance. “What about…tomorrow?”

  “And the next day?” He seemed to understand her uncertainty.

  She nodded.

  He ran a thumb lightly over her eyebrow, as if committing her features to memory in the dim light. “I reckon we’ll still be together—at least, if you don’t decide to leave me. I’m plannin’ on every one of those things we talked about at dinner, Mrs. Diamond.”

  The unvarnished need and longing in his voice stole her breath, and her hand roamed lower, boldly. “We better get back to starting our family then,” she said throatily. “You’re not hurting, are you?” Her lips brushed the top of the bandage at his side.

  He gave a short laugh. “Just a little.” His eyes gleamed with devilment. “Want to learn to do it a different way?”

  Libby gasped. “Is there—I mean—”

  He pulled her to him and kissed her long, and hot, and hard.

  “We’re just gettin’ started, Liberty Dawn. Tonight’s only the beginning—for everything.”

  ****

  In the early hours of the morning, Libby came awake with a start. The sound of a bell…the church bell…clanged loudly in the dark, cold night.

  Fire!

  Nick rolled away, reluctantly releasing her. He stood quickly and began to pull on his clothing. “Wonder what’s burnin’?”

  Libby followed him from the bed and began to dress. “I wish I had my clothing from home.”

  He turned to face her. “Hey, you’re not goin’ anywhere. You stay here—”

  “I most certainly will not! I’m coming with you.”

  “Libby—”

  “Believe it or not, there are many things a woman can do to be useful. There’s nothing that says a man is the only creature who can haul a bucket of water to fight fire.” She hurriedly buttoned her blouse and sat on the bed to pull on her leather slippers.

  “Besides that, I’ve already seen enough from you to know you’ll do too much and pull those stitches if someone’s not there to stop you.” She glanced at him as she stood up. There was a glimmer of laughter in his eyes as he fastened his gunbelt on with practiced movement.

  “You’re startin’ to sound like a regular wife.” Before she could reply, he said, “You stay close to me, you hear?”

  He opened the door for her, then locked it behind them as she passed through.

  “Why?”

  “I’m not about to let harm come to you, now that you’re mine.”

  She stopped and looked up at him. He grazed her lips with a swift kiss. “We’ve got a future to look toward now, you and me. I’m not gonna let anything take that away from us.”

  ****

  The entire town of Hollow Springs headed southward. In his heart, Nick knew the Double D was what was going up in flames. Though his old home place was situated three miles south of town, the orange glow lit the summer sky above them with an eerie light, as firelight mingled with the traces of early dawn.

  There had been no one at the livery, their first stop, where Nick quickly saddled his horse. He gave Libby a glance, then put his hand out to help her up. She threw a leg over the horse, scandalously riding astride in front of him, reveling in the solid warmth at her back.

  Nick chuckled softly in her ear. “You’re full of surprises, Liberty.”

  “I’m sorr—”

  “Don’t. Don’t be sorry. I happen to like your kind of surprises, wife.”

  She smiled to herself. Those words were almost as sweet as—

  She stiffened against him. Love. Could she dare hope for that from this unlikely union? What had started as vengeance for Nick Diamond had become unwitting salvation for her. But what about him?

  She couldn’t pretend she’d ever cared one whit for Carlton Ridgeway. Already, she felt more for Nick—but, was it love? Could that have happened to her already? Or…was it a reaction to the circumstances she’d found herself placed in? She’d given herself to him in the marriage bed, but he’d been so warm, so giving and tender…and caring. Still…she couldn’t call it love—not yet, for either of them, but it was, at least, a start.

  Hope took flight in her chest, that there would be a future for them—but now, they rode toward the past—and the home her husband had been forced from so long ago.

  ****

  The fire had spread quickly, but the wave of townspeople rushed forward toward the inferno and began a bucket brigade, madly hauling water from the half-frozen creek that flowed behind the ranch house.

  Nick tied the horse back away from the flames, across the dirt road.

  “Lib, you stay here. You’ll need to get Amos away to safety if we can’t get the fire contained.”

  “But, I want to be with you! I can help!”

  “I don’t have time to argue. I know it’s not in your nature, put please stay here and take care of Amos. This horse and I have been through a lot together.” He pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss, then pinned her with a look that demanded her compliance.

  She nodded reluctantly. “Yes. All right. Just—take care, will you?”

  “Count on it.” He took off at a lope, down the road and then across it, and through the grass toward the front of the house. The fire had spread to engulf most of the back of the stately structure.

  He sprinted up the steps of the front porch—the porch where he’d spent many long hours as a young boy, reading, playing, daydreaming…

  He touched the doorknob. It wasn’t hot, so he turned it, then kicked the door open, letting the smoke billow out before he went inside.

  He held a sleeved arm over his face, trying to filter out some of the smoke.

  “Ridgeway!” He started for the bedrooms at the back of the house, calling as he went.

  By the time he got to the hallway, he could see nothing through the smoky air. He could go no farther. Though he knew the layout of the house like the back of his hand, the smoke was too thick for him to breathe. If Carlton Ridgeway was back there—

  He tu
rned to head back toward the door. His foot hit something solid—a body. Quickly, he reached down and yanked sharply on the heavy form at his feet, the stitches pulling taut in his side. He pulled again, and cleared the smokiest part of the space where he’d stood.

  In the next instant, Jake was there beside him.

  “Damn fool. Why’re you riskin’ your neck over this piece of shit, Nick?” Jake hauled the body up and hoisted it over his shoulder with a groan. “Let’s get outta here.”

  Coughing, they started for the door. Once outside, Jake lowered his burden to the ground, safely away from the burning structure of the house. He staggered away a few feet and sank to his knees beside Nick on the frost-covered sod.

  Ridgeway lay lifeless, smoke still wafting from his elegant clothing.

  Nick’s eyes burned and his throat stung. He crawled to Ridgeway and turned him over so that he lay face up.

  “You all right?” Jake asked, panting.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. You?”

  Jake gave a short laugh. “I’m okay. Rough way to spend your wedding night, big brother. Saving the ex-fiancé of your new wife…and our old home burns down around us.”

  Nick shot Jake a quick glance. There was no regret in his brother’s tone at the loss of their former home. Before he could dwell too long on that revelation, he turned his attention back to Ridgeway, who rolled to his side and came to with a spate of coughing.

  Jake smiled wryly at Nick. “Now, just see what you’ve done?”

  “You’re the one who dragged him out here.”

  “Couldn’t let you pull those stitches loose, now, could I?”

  “Y-You saved me?” Ridgeway rose up on his elbow, giving Nick a bleary-eyed stare.

  Just then, Nick felt Libby beside him. He glanced up at her as she knelt, Amos’s reins clutched in her fingers tightly. The big horse moved restively.

  “I know you said to stay away, but—oh, Nick, when I saw you come out of that house, I—Are you all right, darling?” She reached to touch his cheek gently, and there was an emotion in her eyes that Nick realized he’d longed to see from the moment they’d said their vows. It was an open declaration to the world that she loved him, even though she hadn’t said it.

  “I’m all right, Libby D.” He grasped her fingers in his and kissed them. His gaze held hers briefly, then he reached to take the reins from her that she clutched so tightly.

  “Must’ve left a lantern lit…or too much fire in the fireplace,” Ridgeway muttered groggily to himself. He rose to his knees, watching the frantic activity around him as it began to slow with the containment of the fire. It was obvious, now, the house couldn’t be saved.

  He gave Nick a dazed look. “Why did you save me, Diamond? Thought you—you hated me.”

  Nick shook his head. “I—thought so, too. But—” He stood, then helped Libby to her feet. “I discovered something. All that time I spent hating you and your father was wasted. I have what I want now—for the first time ever. And I’m not about to let it go.” He put a possessive arm around Libby’s waist.

  His gaze settled on Libby’s face, and she gave him an uncertain smile. “Me?”

  He laughed softly. “Always you, Liberty Dawn. I don’t ever intend to be without you again. Let’s go home.”

  ****

  As they rode toward town, Libby relaxed back into him. It felt so good to have a warm wall of strong muscle at her back, protecting her; a reassuring arm around her waist.

  “‘Home’, you said,” she murmured. “Nick, where is our home?”

  “Patience.” He kissed the top of her head. “I had planned to show you today a little later on, but we’ll go right now, if you want to.”

  “If I want to?” She twisted to look up at him, his dark eyes gleaming with a teasing light. “You devil. Of course I want to!”

  “All right, here’s our road.” He turned west off the main path, heading toward a branch of Blue River. “It’s just a couple of miles—”

  “The Old Jefferson Place?” She turned to look up at him again, nearly losing her balance. Nick made a quick grab to steady her in the saddle.

  Could it be? She’d always loved that old house. Framed by a tall tree line with the river at the back, the house had fallen into disrepair when Mr. And Mrs. Jefferson had passed on. It had sat vacant, and Libby had always wondered who might move into town and take it over eventually. It was a stately two-story home, one the Jeffersons had taken great pride in, and most importantly–one that had been well-loved.

  As the house came into view, Libby’s heart tripped, her breath catching. It was the most beautiful sight she could imagine, with the early light of the gray winter morning kissing the gabled roof, the wide porch opening its banistered arms along the steps in welcome.

  “Oh, Nick…stop a minute…”

  He pulled up on the reins, and she could feel his heartbeat pick up speed against her.

  “I guess…maybe I should’ve waited,” he said uncertainly. “I’ve always loved this place, though. And when I found out it was for sale, I couldn’t let it pass.”

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Libby’s voice was a hushed whisper. “I’ve always loved it, too.”

  He gave a short chuckle. “You don’t know what a relief it is to hear you say that. Been wonderin’ how you’d take it—what you’d think.”

  Libby slid down from her seat. “Come walk with me,” she implored. “Let’s see what it feels like to walk up the lane together to our new home.”

  He smiled, and she saw he not only meant to indulge her, but was glad she’d asked. He dismounted and took her hand. Slowly, in the early winter morning, they started up the narrow path together.

  “It’s still needing a lot of work,” Nick said.

  “It’s going to be wonderful.”

  “It won’t be ‘The Old Jefferson Place’ anymore,” Nick mused thoughtfully. “Seems like it needs a name—a new name for a new life…a new future.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “What say you, Mrs. Diamond?”

  “Nothing fancy, Nick.” She stopped and turned to face him.

  He took her in his arms. “What? My new bride doesn’t want ‘fancy’? I figured you wrong, I guess.” But his teasing smile said otherwise. He’d figured her just right.

  “I believe in a year’s time, people will be referring to our house as ‘The Diamond Place’—and that suits me just fine. But, if we need to name it, how about ‘Hearts and Diamonds’?”

  Nick leaned forward and kissed her, lingeringly. “Then, I don’t suppose I would be out of place to tell you that you’ve stolen my heart, Libby.”

  The serious tone behind the teasing took her breath away. She reached to touch his cheek.

  “Certainly not, my love. You have mine, as well, you know,” she breathed, noting the surprised pleasure in his expression at the endearment and her heartfelt confession. She put her arms around his neck. “Will you miss the Double D, Nick?”

  He kissed her forehead, and then they started up the front steps. “I thought—maybe I would. Especially seeing it going up in flames. But—” he pulled a key from his pocket and inserted it into the front door lock “—nothing compares with this, Libby. It’s ours, and we can make it into something grand and wonderful. Something we can build together—if that’s what you truly want.”

  The subdued excitement and promise in his voice ignited something warm and wonderful within her, setting her free to be herself, now and forever.

  “You, Nick. You are what I want. And all the years we have together.”

  She took his hand, and as the door swung wide, they stepped into their future.

  SPELLBOUND

  Can Brett and Angie overcome insurmountable evil to find the love that has left them Spellbound?

  Chapter 1

  If they weren’t holding his little brother hostage, Brett Diamond would’ve said to hell with the San Bois Mountain Gang and this job. But they had Jake—and they meant business.

  All these months of cl
ean living were going out the window, now that Brett was being forced to do what he did best one last time…crack a safe.

  He rode slowly across the flat land of Indian Territory toward the east. He had plenty of time to get to his destination…Ft. Smith, Arkansas. And plenty of time to think.

  “Crazy…” he muttered to himself. Hell, he was crazy for even considering this hare-brained idea seriously. Walking into a place the size of Ft. Smith, with an army presence as large as it was there, along with the newest innovations in bank protection…and Judge Isaac Parker, himself. A recipe for death; and if he didn’t comply with his old gang’s demands…the same outcome, only he’d have to live with his brother’s blood on his hands, forever.

  Brett gave a snort of self-derision. For two cents, he’d just keep on riding…but Jake’s life depended on Brett’s success at cracking the safe at The First National Bank of Ft. Smith—what had begun as a boyish prank had led to the middle Diamond son’s “talent”—and a lifetime of crime…and gotten him right here, where he was today.

  He’d spent many youthful days at the Double D Ranch where he’d grown up, learning to amuse himself with a keen ear and deft fingers, practicing on his father’s main safe and the other smaller ones the old man kept.

  When Dawson Ridgeway had cheated Brett’s father out of the ranch and his fortune, the old man had swallowed a gun, and left Brett and his two brothers, Nick and Jake, to fend for themselves.

  Nick, the oldest at sixteen, had done the best he could. But it soon became obvious that Nick’s gun could make a much better living for them than any honest day’s work.

  At fourteen, Brett hadn’t been much help, until someone had told King Avery, the leader of the first of many gangs, about his “hidden talent”. Once word got out, Brett had been sought after by several criminal gangs. It only remained to choose which one to join.

  And Jake? Brett wiped at the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, remembering Jake had been nearly twelve when it had all happened. Over half a lifetime ago, but Brett could still feel the guilt, see the clear brown eyes pleading with him not to go. The Cherokees had taken Jake in, and he looked forward to getting an education at the Moravian mission school.