Never Kiss an Exile: Exile Love Biker MC Series Book 1

by Kara Summers

  “Dakota.”

  Chapter Nine

  Rebecca was looking in the same direction as me, her own eyes wide. “Dyani?”

  I did not hesitate. I picked up the hem of my dress and I ran to meet Dakota and his warriors at the entrance of the field. As I ran forward I was surprised to see just how many people had showed up. The whole town really was here. In any other situation, I might be happy about it, but right now I was terrified. Men from the town had already stood and had a firm grip on their guns.

  “Dakota!” I gasped, holding my hands up to stop them.

  Johnathan wasn’t far behind me and when he was close enough he reached out and grabbed me, pulling me close. “Who are these people?!” he asked quickly, his eyes shifting back and forth.

  As I looked closer I noticed that my mother was with Dakota. My heart sank as he jumped down from his horse, looking around for a moment before his eyes fell on me.

  “We’re here to bring you home, Dyani,” he said firmly.

  My eyes widened and I shook my head. “This is my home!” I shouted.

  He reached out to grab my wrist but Johnathan pulled his pistol out and aimed it right at Dakota, his eyes narrowed. “If you touch her, I won’t hesitate to pull this trigger.”

  Dakota’s warriors raised their bows, arrows trained on Johnathan. My heart was beating out of my chest as the situation escalated. I had to do something or Dakota and Johnathan were going to destroy each other.

  “Wait! Lower your weapons!” I begged, my eyes wild with fear. “This isn’t going to solve anything! You need to lower your weapons! Both of you!”

  Johnathan glanced at me a moment but slowly lowered his gun first as a sign of good faith. When the gun lowered I could breathe again. I offered Dakota a sharp look and frowned deeply. Finally, he had his men lower their bows. I took a deep breath and looked to Dakota.

  “This is my home now. I’m marrying this man because I love him,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I wanted you and everyone else to be here, but you told me never to return. You told me that once I left the tribe, I was no longer a part of it. What was I supposed to think, Dakota?” I whispered in my native tongue.

  His brows furrowed. “This isn’t where you belong. You’ve just convinced yourself of it.”

  “I have family here. I have people who love me here Dakota!”

  “You left people who loved you behind!” he said angrily.

  “I did not leave to spite you or anyone else! When we were children the elders told us to follow our hearts and told us to follow the wind! I did! I followed my path and it led me here, Dakota! If you can’t accept that it’s your problem! The only way I’m leaving here is wrapped in a funeral blanket!” I spit.”

  Dakota’s eyes narrowed. “You are choosing these people over your family again?”

  “I never chose them over you! They never asked me to stay away from my family. It was you who told me I was no longer welcome! I did not turn my back on you! It was you who turned your backs on me!” I said, my anger rising by the minute.

  The rest of the tribe tensed at the words and Dakota opened his mouth to speak, but my mother came forward, her eyes full of joy. She reached out and touched my cheeks.

  “My daughter.”

  “Mother,” I whispered breathlessly.

  She looked past me at Johnathan. “Does this man make you happy?”

  I nodded slowly, tears in my eyes. “He’s everything I ever wanted.”

  “You’ve had enough time among the settlers to know where your true home is. Are you happy here?”

  I nodded again and wiped my eyes as she pulled me into her arms. “If you are happy, then I am happy.”

  Dakota seemed shocked but stayed silent when my mother leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I leaned into her, realizing how much I had missed the warmth of her touch.

  “I don’t want to choose, mother. I never wanted to choose,” I told her.

  She shook her head slowly. “The time for choosing is over. Our people have held onto this belief that we cannot live in peace with the settlers. We believed that we were different species with different goals, but if your journey has taught us anything, it’s that we are all one in the same,” she said simply, nodding her head. “I’m sorry we forced you away. It wasn’t the right thing to do. I can’t speak for everyone here, but I want my daughter back in my life. I’ve missed you so terribly,” she whispered, tears in her eyes.

  I wrapped my arms around her and sniffled, holding her close. “Oh mother, please stay?” I begged.

  “Of course.”

  I turned to look at Dakota, but before I could say anything, he frowned and turned, walking away from the ceremony. A few of his warriors followed, but most of the tribe stayed. I turned to Rebecca.

  “Do we have enough room for everyone?”

  Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Of course we do,” she said, opening her arms.

  Johnathan watched Dakota go and looked down at me. “It’s all alright?”

  “Yes, my love. This is my mother,” I said, taking both their hands and joining them.

  Johnathan smiled and bowed his head politely and my mother smiled in return. Those smiles brought me peace. Of course I had no guarantee that everything was going to be okay, but I did not need one. This was good enough for me. This was hope and that’s all I’d ever really wanted or needed. Asking for a guarantee was just too much.

  I approached the altar and the preacher with my hands in Johnathan’s and I stared into his eyes as the preacher began to read from the Bible. When I glanced out at the crowd I was pleased to see that the tribe members had mingled in with the settlers and while they seemed a bit uncomfortable, everyone was trying to make it work.

  This was going to be a day that went down in Billing’s history books. This was the day that we brought people from two very different worlds together. I was proud that my wedding could be such a bridge to gap the differences.

  The ceremony proceeded and everyone looked on us as we gazed lovingly at one another and repeated our vows.

  “You may kiss the bride,” the preacher said when the ceremony was ended.

  Johnathan grinned and pulled me close, offering me a deep, loving kiss that took my breath away. Everyone in the crowd stood and cheered and when I pulled away and looked into his eyes I knew that this was the beginning of the rest of my life. Together we’d overcome everything the world had thrown at us. No one expected us to come out of this strong, but here we were, wrapped in each other’s arms and grinning while the world cheered us on.

  “Is it everything you’d ever dreamed it would be?” I whispered.

  He shook his head slowly and my face fell. Finally, he grinned and kissed me again. “It’s better than I could have ever imagined.”

  Chapter Ten

  Dakota never came back and my mother stayed. She eventually moved into the house that Johnathan and I bought soon after our wedding. The flat above the shop was just too small for three people and we were planning on having children as soon as possible.

  The wedding seemed to strike a chord with everyone. My people and the settlers began making more of an effort to interact on a regular basis and the results were astounding. I was starting to see my culture in everyday places around town. A young woman from my village had even opened up a local restaurant where people could eat traditional native food. To say that I was pleased would be an understatement.

  The world around us was growing and flourishing and so were we. I continued to work for Rebecca, going to her house and doing chores. She’d often want me to have tea with her and tell her about everything. She was just as thrilled as I was to see that the settlers were accepting the natives more and more as each day passed. Rebecca had even taken and interest in my native tongue, which I was more than happy to teach her and her daughter.

  My people started coming to Johnathan’s blacksmith shop to get their horses shoed. It wasn’t something my people had always done,
but when they saw the settler’s horses and realized it made the horses faster and healthier, they were happy to have it done. The cultural exchange that was happening was palatable and I couldn’t even begin to explain how thrilled I was to be seeing people from my childhood every day.

  When winter came around I started having severe cramps and getting sick in the morning. It worried Johnathan to death until my mother pointed out that I was probably pregnant. With her little hint in mind, we went to the local doctor and he confirmed my pregnancy.

  Heather was born in midsummer and she was everything I could have ever wanted in a child. She had beautiful, honey colored skin, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was an absolute beauty and so happy. She rarely cried and always had a smile on her face.

  Johnathan was more than nervous about fatherhood, but the second he held that child in his arms, all of his worries went away. It was going to be a new adventure and a new challenge to be a father, but he was ready to meet it head on.

  I hummed as I walked out to the porch, rocking Heather in my arms. She’d just finished eating and was fast asleep, her dainty little mouth hanging open. I chuckled and wiped away the small drop of milk that had spilled on her chin and looked up toward the path that Johnathan always took home.

  When he appeared at the edge of the sunset, I smiled and waved and he waved back. I could already hear him humming and it made me chuckle. He was always humming and it was always off key. When he came to the edge of the porch, he pulled us both into his arms and kissed my forehead gently.

  “How was your day, my love?”

  “It was good. I suppose I can’t complain. Rebecca came over and dropped off a pie.”

  My work for Rebecca was limited at the moment, since I was still recovering from child birth. I was eager to get back to work, but she insisted that I stay home for a while. I had enough money saved up to live off of and Johnathan was still working, but I just got so restless. Having Johnathan home always made me feel better.

  He smiled and nodded, just staring down at me. I blushed a little and chuckled. “Yes?”

  “I’m just thinking about how lucky I am to have you two.”

  “You always say that.”

  He smiled and kissed me. “Because it’s true.”

  Even after all this time he still made my heart flutter. I had no doubts in my mind that this was where I was meant to be. Right here in Johnathan’s arms. No matter what anyone said, I knew I’d followed the right path.

  I’d listened to my heart and it led me to Johnathan.

  The End

  Return to the TOC for Bonus Content

  Mail Order Bride: Eden’s Devotion

  Chapter One

  Springtime had finally come to upstate New York. The maple trees were showing signs of life, and the crocus were popping out all around the flower beds. The gentle warm breeze carried the promise. The sun was beginning to rise as the sound of Mr. Duggan’s wagon was making its way up the street. Every Monday and Thursday, Mr. Duggan’s wagon would come up the street and deliver milk to the homes in the area. Mr. Duggan was a nice man, a widower for the past ten years. His wife Polly died tragically during the birth of their youngest son Michael. Luke and James were only boys themselves when she passed on, leaving Matthew Duggan the job of not only running his dairy farm, but of raising his sons. Every woman in town from twenty to forty had their eye on him, but Matthew only had eyes for my sister Rose.

  Sarah Rose O’Bannon was the oldest daughter of the O’Bannon children. She was a red-haired beauty with emerald eyes that spoke to her Celtic heritage. Rose was nearing her twenty-first birthday and papa liked the idea of her settling down soon. Papa equally liked the idea that Matthew Duggan would likely ask for her hand in marriage. There was no question that Matthew was taken by Rose, as every time he saw her his face lit up like a candle. Unfortunately, Rose didn’t feel the same way.

  Rose was fond enough of Matthew, but she did not look on him romantically. Rose wanted adventure and excitement, not the safe and stable life Matthew would offer. She wanted to travel the world and see all of the beauty the lands had to offer. One day she might like to settle down with a man of her own choosing, not one her father had picked out; certainly not one already saddled with three children. But our papa still held onto his old-fashioned ideas that he should be the one to say who was worthy of his daughters’ hands. Suddenly there was a light tapping at my door and I heard Rose’s voice.

  “Eden, Eden are you up?”

  I walked over to the door and opened it as Rose rushed in and plopped down on my bed. I took the chair across from her and raised my eyebrows.

  “What is so important that you had to see me before breakfast?” I asked.

  “Eden, do you know what the tenth of next month is?”

  “Of course, it’s your birthday. If you’re hinting at a gift Rose, I told you I’m not telling you what I’m getting you.”

  “Eden you don’t understand, papa is going to make me get engaged to Matthew. Oh Eden, I can’t go through with it. I don’t want to be forced into marrying an old man. I wasn’t meant for a dairy farm. This is not how I want to spend the rest of my life Eden,” she whined.

  “Well don’t you think you should tell papa?” I asked. “Maybe you can change his mind.”

  In truth, we both knew nothing would change papa’s mind, not even mama. I felt sorry for Rose, and for myself, as I knew that in two years’ time, I would face the same dilemma. Rose looked up at me, a strange smile on her face.

  “I might have a better idea,” she said, grinning.

  She pulled an envelope from her pocket, took out a letter and handed it to me.

  “I’ve been writing to this gentleman in Colorado for the past six months now and he has sent me this letter. He has asked me to come out there and marry him.”

  I looked at the letter than back to Rose, astonished.

  “Marry you? Rose how? You know nothing of this man! Rose, what are you thinking?” I asked her.

  “Just read the letter Eden.”

  I looked down at the letter and began to read.

  My Dearest Sarah, I am sad to know that I will not be there to celebrate your birthday next month but I hope that you will soon be with me here in Colorado. I long to be with you and pray that soon you and I can be together. I anxiously wait for your response and joyfully make plans for your arrival. We shall be married soon after you arrive here. With love Jason.

  I looked at her, my eyes wide. “Rose,” I began. “How exactly did you come to write to this man? Who exactly is he? What does he do for a living? And how on Earth do you expect to get to Colorado without papa stopping you?” “One question at a time Eden. His name is Jason Saunders and he lives in Colorado Springs. He was a miner but now works for the railroad charting out the route of the trains that pass through the towns in Colorado. I saw his advertisement in this paper, and that’s how I began to write to him,” she said, pulling a paper out of her pocket. The paper was called Mrs. Stallman’s Mail Order Brides and the advertisements were lists of men who placed articles about wanting a wife and an address where to write.

  I look at Rose. “Rose you can’t be serious! How do you know he is telling you the truth?” I asked. “Yes I am serious Eden. His first letter told me all about himself. He’s twenty-eight years old. He was born in Wyoming and he went to Colorado where he worked in the silver mine until he decided that he would offer his expertise to the railroad since they needed someone who knew the mountains like he does. And I can’t tell you how, but I just know he is telling me the truth.”

  “Have you seen a photograph of this man? I mean to prove he’s not an eighty-five year old man looking for a young wife?”

  “Eden you are worse than papa,” Rose huffed.

  She took out a small photograph of a handsome young man from her pocket. Still, I had my doubts.

  “How do you plan on getting there?” I asked her.

  “Well I plan to leave on the last train o
ut the night that mama and papa have planned my birthday party,” she made it sound so simple.

  I looked at her in disbelief. “You have truly lost your mind Rose. There is no way you can get out of this house with the party mama and papa have planned for you.”

  “Oh but that’s where you come in Eden,” she winked conspiratorially.

  “Oh no, you’re not getting me into this Rose,” I told her firmly.

  “Oh Eden you have no idea what it’s like to have a man closer to my age who wants to marry me. Not an old man like Matthew who only wants me to be a mother to his children and help out on the farm. I wasn’t meant to be a farmer’s wife Eden. I was meant for something better than this life and I’m going to have it,” she said.

  “But Rose what about papa? Don’t you realize how badly your plan with hurt him?”

  Rose smiled and shrugged as if she didn’t care. She saw this as a way out of New York, and I realized the only thing for me to do was to help her.

  “What do you want me to do Rose?” I sighed.

  “Mama and papa have planned quite an event. There will be so much commotion here that no one will notice that I’ve slipped out until it’s too late,” she started.

  From the bottom of the stairs we heard mama’s voice calling up. “Rose! Eden! Come on girls it’s time to get up.”

  I opened the door and called down to her, “Be right down mama.”

  I looked at Rose. “We’d better get downstairs but we will talk about this again later.”

  As I headed out the door Rose grabbed my arm, “Not a word of this to anyone.”

  I pulled my arm from her grasp. “Who do you think I’m going to tell?”

  Chapter Two

  Downstairs in the kitchen, Matthew Duggan was having a cup of coffee with papa. As Rose came into the room he stood and Rose briefly acknowledged him.

  “Please sit Mr. Duggan, you don’t have to stand up whenever I walk into the room,” Rose said, with a hint of irritation.