He watched as she ran over to the horse and yanked the rope from the saddle horn. As she dropped next to him in the grass, he saw she was still crying. “Ellie, I need to tie him up now,” he breathed as he felt his strength waning. He would never leave her unprotected. Struggling, he turned the man over and pulled his arms backwards tying them tightly. He then tied his ankles together and laced the two ropes tightly, effectively hog tying the man.
Elias dropped to his knees with a sudden exhaustion that was overwhelming. He blinked ever so slowly and found himself suddenly lying in the grass. Ellie was crying over him and shaking him. “I’m fine.”
“You aren’t fine!” she cried, sobbing and hiccupping.
“Ellie darling,” he started with a smile. “Forgive me, I lied to you.”
“About what?”
“Remember how I told you my fears? It’s not drowning.”
“What is it?”
“I’m afraid I will never be the man you want or need.” He placed a hand on her pale cheek and wiped away her tears, frowning as it left a crimson streak on her face that looked like war paint.
“I have done so many things wrong and I feel like I have done you a disservice. I was goading the judge trying to make you look bad because I wanted to be the man picked to take care of you. Like Emily and Cade. I am sorry for it. I will make sure that I spend the rest of my life making sure that you know,” his breath hitched as she cried harder. The devastation on her face was palpable. Her blue eyes glistened as the tears spilled over her spiky lashes. “I want you to know that marrying me was not a mistake. I want to always make you smile, Ellie, not cry.”
“You have to be okay,” she reminded him, clutching his hand. “We are supposed to practice making babies together, remember?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Wife.”
“Then save your energy until I can get some help for you.” She looked up as several men suddenly entered the forest around them. “He’s shot and needs a doctor.”
“Miss, we heard the gunshot and came as fast as we could.”
“Can you get him into camp?” she pleaded, her voice tearing at Elias’ soul at the hurt in it.
As the men tried to help Elias up, the pain in his shoulder suddenly surged and caused his body to sag as he lost consciousness. He didn’t remember anything else other than Ellie’s blood-curdling scream.
8
Elias awoke to a warmth draped over him and a searing pain in his left shoulder. It hurt to breathe much less move. He’d been shot. Where was Ellie? He tried sitting up and wasn’t able to, the weight on his right side was too much. Cracking open a bleary eyelid, he saw nothing but blackness. His eyes were so scratchy and raw.
“Ellie?” he called out. “Ellie, are you there?”
“Eli!” she cried out and suddenly the darkness lifted as she pulled her hair out of his face. “I am so sorry about that! Did I hurt you?”
He stared at her disheveled appearance and instantly felt guilty. His poor Ellie had great big rings under her eyes because, obviously, she’d not slept. Her hair had fallen from her braid, thus causing it to cover part of his face. Under her eyes were streaks of grime from where she’d cried and then a trail of blood. His blood.
“No, you didn’t hurt me.”
“Thank goodness,” she breathed. “They said you’d be sore when you awoke, but it’s been a while now and I was beginning to get concerned that…” Her eyes instantly grew glassy as she sniffled. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t wake up.”
“I will always be here for you. How long have I been out?”
“Four days with a fever.”
“Four days?”
“Yes, I was afraid to leave your side. I hope I didn’t hurt you by lying next to you.”
“No, that is where you should always be.”
“I should have known Mahoney was nearby. I should have seen the signs.”
“Stop it, Ellie. There was no way you could have known. I failed you by not watching your back, just like I failed my sister. I can’t apologize enough for that mistake and I am the wrong man for the job.”
“You are the right man, and don’t you say otherwise!”
“You are too good for me,” he told her.
“You’re right, I am. But you are perfect for me.”
“We aren’t a mistake. We can’t be,” he breathed tenderly. He raised his right arm to gently wipe away her tears. “You are the better part of us, the better half. I look at you and see perfection in a way I never imagined. You complement me in a way that could only have been designed in the heavens. I was only half a man until you found me. And the first time I looked in your eyes, I was lost.”
Her tremulous smile tore at him. Then she did something she’d never done before: she leaned down and kissed him. It was simple, innocent and perfect in so many ways. She grabbed his hand and held it against her face, kissing his palm.
“Ellen Holladay Jessup, I love you like no other woman in the world. I swear the sun in my world rises and sets in those beautiful, blue eyes.”
“I love you, too,” she breathed softly, her eyes mischievous and loving. Elias smiled as she leaned down. “You better get healed up because I think I have a hankering for a bit more practice, my love.”
Epilogue
Dallas 1886
“Emily Singleton, you get down here, Wife!” Cade said in a voice that brooked no argument. Elias watched dumbfounded as his sister climbed down from the tree almost seven months pregnant. She and Cade were to be blessed with their fourth child soon. Peals of laughter rang out as Cade climbed up and retrieved his oldest child.
Smiling, Elias waved as Ellie tried to make her way to the picnic table. Her stomach was only starting to distend from their child, but she walked like she was as large as Emily. He’d never tell her that, of course. He was just amazed each night that Ellie loved him.
They would lie in bed and listen to their three children talk to each other, struggling to stay awake against their parents’ wishes. Cups of water were granted, as were bedtime stories. But each evening when the kids finally went down to sleep, that is when he had his time alone with Ellie. There was nothing more that Elias loved than laying his head on her lap and touching their baby as it danced in her stomach. It was as if he knew that he was already loved, and they waited patiently for a safe arrival.
“I swear, you look more and more beautiful every day, Mrs. Jessup,” he breathed, kissing that sensitive spot behind her ear. Ellie giggled and tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. Instead, he took the bowls she held and watched as she headed back inside.
“You know, Cade? You could help carry something,” he announced sarcastically and watched the man that he’d become friends with over the years move quickly into the house to help out. Elias knew it was a dirty trick to play. But he also knew that if they didn’t help, both Emily and Ellie would wear themselves out before they ever started their picnic.
It was Ellie’s idea to have family over every Sunday after church and it had become tradition. His sweet wife had been alone for so long that she insisted on making up for lost time. It suited him fine because before Ellie and the kids, all he had was Emily. After her marriage to Cade, he thought he’d lost that connection with his sibling for a while. But instead, they were closer than ever.
Both had given up theft long ago and Emily had dedicated herself to taking in those in need. It was part of what the judge had requested, but Elias knew that she wanted to help others and felt compelled to make Cade proud of her. The thing was, if she only realized how Cade looked at her, she’d know just how much he cherished her.
Elias picked up the nearest child and whirled them around in the air, kissing the brown curls affectionately. Instantly, the clamoring of other children wanting to be picked up surrounded him. It was a good feeling to have a home and family with his Ellie. He picked up his niece and twirled her about, watching the door to the house for Ellie.
“Let me g
o check on your mama and I will be right back,” he promised his little Rebecca, named for Ellie’s mother. He stood quickly and headed to the house, only to find Ellie absent from the kitchen. “Ellie?” he called out and found her beaming face peering around the door jamb of their bedroom. “What are you doing in here alone?”
“Waiting for you,” she breathed lovingly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Have I told you that I love you today, Husband?”
“No, ma’am. I think you’ve been a bit slack of that lately,” he whispered, dropping a kiss on the tip of her freckled nose.
“Shame on me,” she whispered against his lips. “I love you to the stars and back.”
“And I will love you longer than the moon will hang in the sky,” he vowed, cradling his precious wife in his arms. “Dearest Ellie, what would I have ever done if you hadn’t put a shotgun in my face that day?” he asked, smiling at the absurdity of it. Who would have thought that his wife would brandish a gun and steal his heart? The odds of him coming across the love of his life at a moment that he needed her were slim. She’d been placed in his path at the time he needed to love her.
“You would have probably planned to marry some other woman,” she said evasively, toying with the shaggy hair that had grown past the nape of his collar. “And I’d have to have shot her.”
Laughing, he picked her up and twirled her around. That had been her answer to everything over the years, but she had yet to pull a gun in anger. He was pretty sure that she couldn’t hurt a fly for all the false bravado she exuded. His tough little wife had collapsed when he’d been shot years ago, and he couldn’t imagine her taking a life. That incident had led their lives in a different direction.
Elias had volunteered for sheriff instead of bounty hunter. That meant that the town had a lawman at any time that was needed. Cade had passed up the opportunity and Eli had grabbed it with both hands. It would be steady pay and Ellie would never have to search for an outlaw again. This meant they could settle down and raise a family together. This also meant he could be close by in case Emily needed something when Cade was gone.
“They’re here!” Emily called out from the front door, making the hair on Elias neck stand on end. Ellie’s eyes lit up eagerly as she kissed him again, walking out of the bedroom and leaving him behind.
“I’m coming!” she called out to Emily.
“Who’s here, Ellie?” The duo was up to no good! Last time they had put their heads together it involved he and Cade digging a new well for the house. When she got something in her mind, there was no dissuading her.
“Ellie? I am not digging another well or building anything today. It’s the Lord’s day and we are supposed to…” Elias came through the front door and stopped in his tracks. His father stood next to Ellie’s shining face and Cade was helping his mother down from a wagon. Time had not changed his father or his mother. “What is going on?”
Ellie waddled quickly to him and put a hand on his chest. “Remember when you said that you wouldn’t be welcomed home? Well, we are going to welcome them to our home instead. You aren’t a thief. You are the sheriff and my beloved husband. You are a man to be reckoned with, not some young, defiant boy running from his father. Stand tall and be proud, my love. Let him be proud of the man you have become on your own.”
“Ellie, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew you were hurt and I think our babies should meet their grandparents at least one time in their lives. Regret is a awful thing and I want there to be no regrets for you. Nothing but love, happiness and peace for us.”
“And what if he hasn’t forgiven me?”
“Will you be mad if I shoot him?” she asked with amusement.
“Ellie,” he said laughing, feeling a surge of fierceness for her. “I love you so darn much!” He grabbed her hand, his anchor in this life, and walked towards where his father stood silently. His mother stood off to the side, hugging Emily and weeping as Cade looked distinctly uncomfortable at his wife’s tears. Eli felt Ellie squeeze his hand encouragingly.
“Pa? It’s good to see you, sir. This is my wife, Ellen and our children. Rebecca, Peter, and Mary.” He felt a sinking sensation in his stomach as his father looked down at their innocent eyes and then back up at him.
“Good Christian names. Are they as much of a rascal as you were?”
“Probably just as hard-headed.”
“I hear it’s a family trait,” Ellie chimed in and stepped forward. “I am so happy to meet you both and you are welcome in our home.”
“Elias, is that true? Am I welcome here?”
“Sir, if my wife invited you, then you are welcome in our home. I don’t dare cross her,” he said with an easy smile as he met Ellie’s shining blue eyes.
“You hear that?” his father said quickly to where Eli’s mother stood. “The boy actually does listen. Bout time, too.” Eli felt his eyes mist as his father pulled him into his arms and hugged him. “Bout darn time you got it all out of your system, young’un. I had a wild streak in me, too. It just didn’t last as long as yours did. Your mother put a kibosh on it when I met her. Never told you because I didn’t want you to make my mistakes. ‘Put it behind you and teach them consequences’, that is what your mother always said, and I never listened. Don’t make my mistakes, Son.”
“Oh, I listen to Ellie, Pa. She won’t let me misbehave,” he pledged and hugged his father again. “It’s good to see you and Mother both. Come sit down. We are fixing to eat.” Elias walked over to where Ellie stood, her hands clasped together on her chest and her eyes brimming with tears.
“You are too good a woman for me, Ellen Holladay Jessup.”
“I am the only woman for you,” she said tenderly, wiping her eyes.
“I love you, Wife.”
“And I love you. Now, go talk with your parents and I will gather up the kids,” she exclaimed, shooing him off. Elias watched her walk away with a loving expression on his face and said a silent prayer of thanks that Ellie had married him. Perhaps he’d send Judge Ryan a gift for trusting him with her.
Afterword
Thank you for taking the time to read Lawfully Mine. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Doesn’t have to be much, just a simple rating and a few kind words work wonders - Your thoughts, opinions and feedback are much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ginny
Lawfully Yours - Emily’s Story
Emily and Elias Jessup left their home in southern Texas, tired of living a life of poverty. They soon find out that life is no better alone on their own. With not a penny to their name and no job prospects, the siblings turn to stealing from the rich to survive. Constantly on the run from the law, the two know their days are numbered before the law catches up to them.
Cade Singleton heard stories of the Jessup siblings preying on the rich. When the bounty is increased high enough to entice him into pursuing them, he wants nothing better than to make them see justice.
When he finally catches up to them in a rural area just south of Dallas, Cade captures Emily and decides to use her for bait to apprehend her brother. Can this bounty hunter find it in his heart to see past Emily's lawless ways and be able to see the kind-hearted woman that lies beneath? Can Emily start over and be freed from her past through loving Cade? And will the Jessup siblings finally find redemption?
Lawfully Challenged - a K-9 Lawkeeper Romance
Officer Cindy Lance had waited eagerly for a K-9 position to open up in the small town of Mayhew, Texas. Her career choices were driven by personal tragedy that shaped her life. She vowed to make a difference in the community. She accepted the challenge that becoming a K-9 officer would bring but that hadn't been the tough part: It was dealing with the arrogant instructor!
'Mad-dog' Enoch Wesson had no intention of taking it easy on the pretty blonde officer that was selected to attend K-9 training class. Her career was full of promise, yet she had the nerve to challenge hi
m at every turn in front of the others. He wanted nothing more than to make sure she knew who was the boss at the training facility.
Cindy strived hard to gain the respect of her handsome instructor and worked diligently with her dog, Duchess. She was ready to resume her career with the force but when an assignment hits too close to home; she finds herself bonding with the one person she thought hated her the most. Only to discover that maybe they aren't so different after all. Can she find the strength to perform a job that could break her heart and crush her soul? Could he overcome his own personal nightmares and be the man she needs?
About the Author
Ginny Sterling is a Texas transplant living in Kentucky. She spends her free time (Ha!) writing, quilting, and spending time with her husband and two children. Ginny can be reached on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or via email at [email protected]
Lawfully Mine, Copyright © 2018 by Ginny Sterling
These books are works of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of these books may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without express written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Thank you for supporting the author’s rights.
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