by Paige Powers
Love Changes
(Leap of Love Series, Book 3)
Paige Powers
Global Village Publications
Love Changes
(Leap of Love Series, Book 3)
Copyright 2015 Paige Powers, Global Village Publications
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Thank You
Booklist
Chapter 1
If one had asked Bryan Abbott a few months ago if he would be living in Owen's Bluff, Texas, he would have laughed. South Carolina had been his home. It was the place where he was born and raised, the place where his family lived. It was the place he knew best.
Travel was far from his mind when he enlisted as a soldier. At that point, he was doing his duty to his country, for his Confederacy. In his mind, he had not gotten the proper chance to show his pride in his country. Bryan had left home a young boy and returned a mature young man.
His time at war was only about six months. A few skirmishes had given way to a battle, and during that battle he found himself a prisoner of war. He was one of three in his company that survived an attack. The entire experience was still a blur. Held captive behind enemy lines, Bryan thought of nothing but returning to his family a hero. He was determined not to die in that cesspool of a camp.
Bryan had no clue how long he endured. By the time the prisoners were rescued by their own troops, Bryan was practically emaciated. Starvation and unsanitary conditions took a toll on him, but he was grateful to have made it out alive.
Once in the comfort of his own home, Bryan learned that his family had declared him dead. The army had sent word that his entire camp was dead. The Abbott clan had a funeral for him and they were prepared to move on with life thinking that one of their sons had died in the Great War. Imagine their surprise to see a coach carrying their beloved son. The ride down the dirt road that led to the house seemed like forever.
It took everyone a while to readjust to the fact that he was not dead – that he was still among the living. Bryan was ecstatic to be surrounded by his family. One of ten boys, the Abbott clan was known for being a bit rowdy, very overzealous, and never the type to back down from a fight.
Bryan secretly wanted more out of life, but was not sure how to get it. Where would he go? What would he do?
The answer came to him as he traveled to attend his brother's wedding. His older brother Brent was now settled in Owen's Bluff, Texas. It was a small town, just enough growth and hustle and bustle to combat boredom on a scorching hot day. Brent was working as a Texas Ranger and recently had married the woman of his dreams. The marriage was his second. Brent already had a son from his previous marriage. His first wife died in childbirth and their family had been waiting for him to find a beautiful wife to spend the rest of his life with.
When Bryan met Lily, he knew immediately why Brent fell in love with her. He admired the way Brent and Lily looked at one another. The look in their eyes was a true sign of love. It was the same look he remembered his parents having. When their eyes met, it was as if they would melt into each other's worlds. Unfortunately, he did not get that feeling for his own fiancée. She certainly did not look at Bryan with admiration or a sense of longing.
Lizbeth Wilkes was petulant, spoiled, and damn near impossible most of the time. Her family came from old money. She was used to a certain standard of living, and Bryan did all he could to give her whatever she wanted. No matter what he did, it never seemed to be enough – she always wanted more. More dresses, more desserts, more shoes, more jewellery. She had her eye on one of the biggest homes in the area, and Bryan was doing all he could do to make her understand that at the moment, it was out of their price range.
That was one concept she did not understand. Lizbeth had rarely heard the word “no” in her childhood, and she certainly was not prepared to start hearing it now. She would encourage him to go to her father for the additional funding for whatever she had dreamed up, but Bryan's ego would not let it happen. If she was his wife-to-be, it was his responsibility to provide for her. As a man, it was belittling to think that he had to go to her father to ask for a loan for anything they wanted in life.
It was a conversation he had with his fiancée once and he never wanted to have it again. He made an honest living helping his family farm their land and when he went into the army, he knew it was a risk to their relationship. Bryan was not sure if Lizbeth would remain true to him. He made the decision to become a soldier because he had no other choice but to fight for his country.
It was a comfort to come home and see her big brown eyes. Once word was sent to her that he had returned home, her carriage carried her to his home immediately. She could not step out of the coach fast enough, almost falling in a puddle of mud as she ran for him.
That embrace was one of the few times that he saw the Lizbeth that he’d fallen in love with. The carefree, headstrong woman who made him laugh. When they first met, the cat and mouse chase between the two of them made him giddy with excitement. She was the rich man's daughter who was, to most men in the county, unattainable. Lizbeth was used to men falling at her feet. Bryan knew that fact. Instead, he kept her at a distance just because of it.
That distance was partly because of the number of rich and affluent suitors whose visits she had regularly accepted. That was only a part of it. Mostly it was because Bryan was not sure what to say to her. The last thing he wanted to do was appear unintelligent before the woman that left him speechless.
That issue soon became a small thing to a giant. From the first day that he laid eyes on Lizbeth, he knew in his heart that she was to be his. He would just have to put in a bit of work. Anything worth having was worth working for. And he wanted Lizbeth. He had done way too much courting her to let their relationship fall by the wayside. Bryan saved a year of his wages to buy his wife-to-be the perfect ring.
In front of friends and family at a holiday dinner he asked for her hand in marriage; she gladly accepted. Her parents were not all too thrilled that she was marrying one of the Abbott boys. The Abbotts were not among the richest families in the county, but they were honest and hardworking so her parents tolerated him.
When they married, it would be a quiet church ceremony and a reception with friends and family. Lizbeth of course wanted it to be one of the social events of the year. She wanted sprawling arrays of flowers and decorations with silk and lace. Of course she wanted the finest in desserts and food, and her wedding dress was more expensive than Bryan wanted to pay for.
But he made sure there would be a balance and while his wife would be getting her wish with her expensive wedding dress, they would be frugal with the rest
of it. He knew that she wanted more, and he would give her all that he could possibly give.
That's why moving to Texas was so huge to them. It would be the new start they needed. Bryan told his wife-to-be that it would be a good idea for her to get away from life in South Carolina where she was so close to her parents. He wanted her to not depend on them so often and feel like she could depend on him. As her husband, he wanted to be the one she called on first when she needed something – when they needed something.
Texas seemed the perfect place to start over. They would at least have family there with his brother Brent and his wife and children. That way if they could not make it back and forth to South Carolina for family visits, they would have each other right there in Owen's Bluff.
It would be easy enough to find work. Brent was a Texas Ranger and he was able to score Bryan a job working odd jobs for the Sheriff and at the local hotel. With a limp left over from his war wounds, he would be happy to do some respectable work that would not be too physically demanding.
Now that he was here, settling in Texas, it was time to send for Lizbeth. She would not be open to living in Texas, this much he knew. She would probably fight it the entire way, he knew that much.
* * *
"When will Lizbeth arrive?"
Bryan sipped his coffee while standing on the porch with his brother. "I will leave tonight."
The early morning air was warm as the sun began to rise. There was a feeling of peace in the atmosphere.
"She should be here in the morning."
Brent gave him a sturdy pat on the back. "Don't worry. She will like Owen's Bluff. It's been a wonderful place to raise the kids. There is plenty of work here and it's nice to have a different pace in life."
"A different pace of life is what we need. I love South Carolina, but it's time for a change."
They both nodded and sipped their coffee.
"Daddy!"
Brent's son Adam came out onto the porch. Watching him jump up into his father's arms made Bryan's heart swell with joy.
"Good morning, gentlemen." Brent's wife Lily appeared holding a tiny baby. Smiling brightly, she came outside to join them.
Brent kissed his wife and son and then gave the baby a gentle rub on the head as she slept.
"I'm off to the market after I take Adam to school. I'll see you later."
Bryan watched the flirty banter between his brother and his wife. It was what he hoped for in his relationship with Lizbeth. Love and passion and the desire for one another – it was all he wanted in his marriage. For his wife to adore him and for the both of them to settle into a quiet life with children and a nice home.
"You seem so happy with your life," Bryan commented.
They watched as Lily and the children walked off toward town.
Brent smiled. "I am. I never thought that I would find love again. I thought that after Carolina died, I would never find anyone to love me the way she did. Lily is a breath of fresh air. She is so good with Adam and she is my whole life. And with a new baby, I have certainly gotten the fresh start I always envisioned. I think you can as well with your fiancée."
Bryan paced around the porch. "I believe so. I feel that when living back in South Carolina, I had to continue to relive the war. I don't want to do that anymore. I have enough demons haunting me from that."
"Being in the Great War...," Brent paused. "You are such a hero. I am so proud of you, brother."
A quiet moment passed between the siblings.
"Thank you. I don’t know if I can say anything other than that. It was not the kind of experience I would like to brag on."
"Understood."
As the sun rose, people began leaving their homes and carriages rode on the dirt road.
"I'd better get going over to the sheriff's office. I'll see you later. You do know your way to the hotel?"
"I do. And I will be going around trying to find the perfect home for me and my wife-to-be."
Brent tipped his hat and left for a day's work.
Bryan gathered his things and hitched his horse. He rode off to the hotel to meet his new employer.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. Bates owned the Owen's Bluff hotel. They were a nice enough couple and were friends of the sheriff. Bryan knew that he was offered the job due to Brent working for the sheriff. It was great that his brother had made such good connections in his time here in town. For once the Abbott name was not synonymous with being rowdy rebels.
"Good morning, Mr. Bates. I'm Bryan Abbott."
The portly man behind the counter pushed his glasses up as they slid down his nose.
"Ah, Mr. Abbott, we've been expecting you."
With a friendly handshake, the two men began talking about Bryan's duties. His work would be simple enough. Mr. and Mrs. Bates owned the hotel and the schoolhouse. There would be more than enough work for him to do around town as the handy man.
He would earn a respectable wage and have free lunch and dinner at the hotel dining room when he pleased as a perk. Life seemed wonderful thus far.
"Have you found a house yet?"
"No Ma'am," he replied to Mrs. Bates.
She looked at her husband. "We do have a little something to offer. That is, if you are open to it."
"Well, tell me what you have."
"We do have a home that we own. My mother owned a home nearby; since she passed away, it has just been sitting there. It's yours if you want it."
Bryan was not sure what to say. Not only had he come to Owen's Bluff and been given a job, but now a home was being handed over to him.
"I cannot believe your generosity."
"Please don't say no. We would like to have someone living in that home. If it makes you feel better, we can work on you owning the home from us."
"Well now. We can definitely shake on that." The idea made Bryan feel better. He did not want to make a life based on handouts.
Mr. Bates handed over the keys to the home and after work, Bryan traveled to the home.
If he was honest, it came right on time. Lizbeth would arrive in the morning and instead of her coming there to live at his brother's home, they would now have their own place.
Things were coming together and Bryan could not be happier. He wanted to provide the life for his soon-to-be wife that they both envisioned. Owen's Bluff was going to be the perfect start for the two of them.
The home was charming. It was just enough room to get a family started: three bedrooms, a parlor, a kitchen with dining area, and a lovely front porch. The parlor had a massive brick fireplace and Bryan wondered why. With the scorching heat, it did not seem possible it would ever get be cold enough to use the fireplace.
There was not much by the way of furniture besides the beds and a few chests and a rocking chair before the fireplace.
Luckily, Bryan was good with his hands and he took inventory of what furniture they would need. He could fashion most of it himself.
When he went to bed that night, he was happy to rest his head on his own pillow in his own home.
He hoped that would make Lizbeth as happy as it made him.
Chapter 2
Riding a train west across the country was not Lizbeth's idea of stepping into a new life. She was perfectly fine right there back in South Carolina. But Bryan, her fiancé had some crazy idea that moving out West would be a good thing for them. She was only willing to pacify his fleeting interest in moving west for a momentary time.
As far as she was concerned, their life was fine where they were. She was not sure why there was a need to move or to pick up their entire life to go somewhere unknown. All she knew was that one of his brothers lived in the tiny town of Owen's Bluff in Texas and he had apparently found a beautiful wife and the life he wanted there.
Why on earth would Bryan choose to live somewhere so far from home? Lizbeth wanted him to know that there was no need to move so far away from home in order to prove a point. He was always going on and on about how he did not want he
r parents supporting their lifestyle. It was a ridiculous notion. Any one of her previous suitors would have been happy to marry her and her money. Not Bryan Abbott. While it was slightly appealing that he only wanted to be with her because he loved her, it was also mostly intimidating.
It was as if she had to live up to some kind of unrealistic standard he had set for her. Sometimes, it was a bit too much for her. She simply wanted to be Lizbeth Wilkes, southern girl and socialite and not worry about much else. Now Bryan wanted them to move to a new city, a new state, and all of a sudden be able to pick up the pieces and basically start life over.
To cushion the move, she decided to bring her best friend Cassie along. Cassie had always been her best friend and lady’s maid of sorts.
"I am so happy you agreed to come with me on this journey, Cassie. I just positively do not know what I would do without you." Lizbeth gently patted Cassie on the hands.
Cassie smiled. "Oh, it's my pleasure."
"It just warms my heart that you see fit to come out here and help me get settled in. I just..." She shook her head. "I just really don't know what Bryan expects me to do living out here in Texas." The way the word Texas rolled off her tongue was like she was spitting acid.
"Bryan is pretty smart. He has to have a plan if he is moving you out here. Isn't one of his brothers out here?"
"Yes, he is." Lizbeth looked over and was a bit irritated by the fact that Cassie's full attention was not on her. Cassie was reading a book of poetry.
"Your nose is always in a book. How can you pay attention to anything else?"
Lizbeth stared at Cassie until she put the book down.
"I always see what I need to see," Cassie commented.
Lizbeth rolled her eyes. "Anyway, like I was saying, Texas? I've never heard anything good about Texas. Have you?'
Cassie shook her head. "I have not heard good or bad. It should be interesting."
