The ride back home seemed to last forever. At the half way point, I was sure that we were going in the wrong direction.
“John?” I asked.
“Hmm?” He said.
“Why are you turning yourself in?” I hear him laugh. “What’s so funny?”
“You. You ask too many questions. You as why I’m turning myself in. Why does it matter? If I’m doing it, why does it matter why? You get what you wanted, don’t you?” He asks derisively. I nod my head silently.
“I was just…wondering, I suppose.” I loosen my grip around his waist, barely wanting to touch him at all now. How can he be so detached? It’s almost as though he’s not even human.
“Wonderin’ about things never gets you anywhere.” He says.
It’s already dark as the town appears over the horizon. I can make out the bright lights still on in Main Street. I point out ahead.
“It’s just up there. That’s Main Street. At the end of the street, that’s where the jail is. That’s where Jim is.” I say. John nods his head.
Chapter 9
“Sheriff!” John brings our horse to a halt outside the jail. “Sheriff, I’m callin’ you out!”
I want to get down from the horse, to run for cover, but I daren’t. I remain seated behind John, my hands still wrapped loosely around his waist.
“Sheriff, do ya hear me?” John shouts again. This time I hear footsteps coming to the door of the jail. I peek around John’s broad shoulders and catch a glimpse of my father’s boots.
“Who’s callin’ me out?” He shouts back.
“Well you better come on out and see, I reckon’!” John says.
My father pushes open the door and steps out on to the front step of the jail. When he sees me on the horse along with a man who looks just like Jim, his face turns pale.
“Father! I found Jim’s brother!” I shout triumphantly. But my father’s face remains pale and drawn and then I notice it. John is holding a revolver in his hand. It’s pointed straight at my father.
“Now, sheriff…you’re gonna let my brother go ‘cause he didn’t do any bank robbin’. Do you understand me?” John pulls back the hammer and squints one eye as he aims the revolver at my father. My father stares at me and I can feel him willing me to get off the horse, to save myself. But I can’t. I can’t move. My legs are frozen with fear and I couldn’t even throw myself from the horse if I tried.
“You let my daughter down off that horse first.” My father demands. John cocks his head.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re in any place to be making demands, sheriff.” John says. “You let my brother go and then we’ll talk about your daughter here.” I watch my father nod his head submissively and step back in to the jail. Moments later he reappears with Jim who is staring at the whole scene in disbelief.
“Here’s your brother. He’s free to go when you release my daughter.” My father is holding Jim’s hands behind his back. Keeping him there. For a second I can’t help but wonder, if it came to me or John, which one of us would Jim choose?
“Get off the horse.” John says to me without turning around. I release my shaking hands from around his waist. I try gracefully to slide off the massive creature, but fall slightly sideways and land in a pool on the floor. Jim pulls free from my father’s grasp and runs to my side.
“Sara-May! Are you alright?!” He lifts me to my feet and taking my face in his hand he looks in to my eyes with a smile. “Are you okay, my love?” I nod sleepily.
“I think so.” I say. My father takes a step towards us, but John reminds him of the gun by retraining it on him.
“You stay right where you are sheriff. I got no plans of coming with you, guilty or not. I know what your folk do to outlaws in these parts, and I don’t intend on spending my eternity hangin’ from my neck by a noose.” I see my father’s face fall at the turn of events. “Just you remember, you can’t win ‘em all.” John nudges the horse forward and turns around, his gun still trained on my father.
“John!” Jim shouts. “John, do the right thing!” But John shakes his head.
“Sorry little brother. You’re the good one, remember? Me? Well, I got my own life to live and I prefer the rough ridin’ running from the law kind of life I lead.” He nudges his horse forward and with a jerk of his heels he races off down Main Street.
“Sara-May? Are you alright?” My father comes rushing to my side.
“I’m fine, father, really.” I say. Upon seeing that I mean it, he steps back and hardens his expression.
“You could have been seriously hurt, young lady! Do you have any idea what men like that are capable of?” He says. I want to tell him yes, that I had seen exactly what John Carson was capable of. Instead, I nodded obediently.
“Sorry, father. I was only trying to help. I didn’t know how else to clear Jim’s name. I knew it couldn’t have been him and…” My father holds up his hand.
“About that…” He looks at Jim. “I’m very sorry for the misunderstanding. I do hope that under the circumstances…” Jim nods.
“Of course.” He says. I can’t help but bite my tongue because almost all of the things I’d like to say would get me much more than a look of disapproval.
“Right…well, with that settled, shall we try to get things back to normal around here?” My father says.
“I don’t know if that’s possible.” I tell him. He gives me a look of concern and I smirk back at him. “John stole your horse.”
Falling Into Bed With A Billionaire Cowboy
By: Karen Summers
Falling Into Bed With A Billionaire Cowboy
© Karen Summers, 2015 – All rights reserved
Published by Steamy Reads4U
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to the seller and purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Warning
This book contains explicit content intended for readers 18+ years old.
If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with adult content, please close this book now.
Chapter 1
I stood at the window and watched as children raced their bikes up and down the quiet, gravel road. It was almost four o’clock, and the school bus had just let the last of the kids off at the top of the hill. I smiled, wondering what they were all going to do if snowed tomorrow like the weather forecast was predicting. It was one of the few highlights of my day- watching the children as they raced off the bus. The rest of my time was usually spent under the covers, wallowing in my sorrow.
“Alyssa, you can’t just stay in bed all day.” My sister, Rebecca, had come over after work a few minutes after I watched the last of the kids make their way over the hill. “You really need to get out and try to move through this.” She handed me a cup of tea and then walked quietly out of the living room. I could hear her chopping vegetables in the kitchen and I knew that she was making me something for dinner. She knew that I wouldn’t eat, otherwise. My despair had taken way any interest that I once had on food.
“I’m going to pick up Cherry at seven, but I have two hours to spend with you until then.” She called out but I remained motionless, standing like a frozen statue, listening to the last echoes of the children as they faded over the mound in the dis
tance. I knew she was worried about me. I’d overheard her telling her husband, Manfred, that she thought I should get counseling. I didn’t take offense to it. She was probably right.
“Thanks, Rebecca.” I moved like a tortoise into the kitchen, my hands plunging deep into the cotton pockets of my robe. “I appreciate all that you’re doing for me. I really do.” I pulled my long hair away from my face and realized that it had been days since I’d showered. I watched as Rebecca chopped an onion and then a pepper. She slid her hand down the cutting board and I watched as the vegetables made their way into the pot.
“You know, Alyssa.” Rebecca set her knife down and then poured a cup of broth into the pot. “There are ways out of this.” She gave me a wry smile and then reached for a few potatoes. I was grateful for her culinary leanings because there was no doubt in my mind that all of my groceries would have rotted by now if it weren’t for her coming in and making use of them.
“I just can’t believe it happened, Rebecca. I just can’t accept that he’s really gone.” I pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sat down at the table. A small mason jar with daisies beamed at me as I buried my head in my hands. I was amazed that there were still tears left because I thought I had cried them all out. Rebecca stood quietly as I sobbed, then she sat down across from me at the table.
“Alyssa, I’m here for you. I know I can’t make you feel better, and I know that it hurts, but I don’t want to see you fall…” Her voice trailed off and she frowned. “I don’t want to see you fall into a depression that you never get out of.” She nodded her head and then got up. I could hear her stirring the pot and I lifted my head. The aroma of her home-cooked goodness seeped through the walls of the kitchen, then drifted above the curtains and up toward the ceiling.
“It’s just going to take time.” I gave her a wry smile and then reached across the table for a tissue. She sat back down and smiled.
“You know, the day that I bought you those daisies, there was a man standing in line at the register. I was over at Remi’s Supply.” Rebecca looked fondly at the flowers. “He turned around when he saw me holding them and said ‘My wife used to grow daises in our yard. It was the one thing that kept her going while she battled cancer.’ I didn’t want to pry, but I asked him how long they were married, and he said sixty-five years. He said she passed away last year, and that he buys daisies every week in her memory.” Rebecca nodded slowly and then sighed.
“That’s a nice story.” I forced out a weak smile and then blew my nose.
“You know, I told you that for perspective. They were married sixty-five years, and he’s still out there, getting through life.” Rebecca shrugged. “I don’t know, Alyssa. I wish I had a way to fix it all for you, to make the pain go away.” She shook her head and then watched as I crumpled up my tissue and gazed out the window.
“What would I do without you?” I got up and threw my arms around Rebecca. Of all my siblings, she was the one I appreciated the most. Her generous, kind nature always amazed me and she had always been there when I needed someone. When Joey was killed in a construction accident only two months earlier, Rebecca had come to my aid. She was the truest friend in every sense of the word.
“Let’s eat some of this food before I have to rush off and get Cherry.” Rebecca took out two bowls and a ladle. She served us both bowls of piping hot soup, then sat down and smiled. “You’re going to be okay, Alyssa. It’s just going to be…” She spooned a mouthful of soup in her mouth. “Different.” She nodded her head and then swallowed. What I didn’t know, right then and there, was just how different it was really going to be.
Chapter 2
The next morning, I woke up feeling nauseous. I assumed that it was just from lack of sleep and emotional turmoil. I sat on the edge of the bed and glanced out the window. The sky had an ominous sort of glow to it, and I could sense that a hard snow was about to fall. The winters in Bozeman could get pretty rough and I didn’t even want to think about how I’d brave through this one without Joey.
I trudged into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, then sat back down on the edge of the bed. Rebecca had told me that she’d come by in the morning for breakfast, and sure enough I heard her rapping on the door at exactly eight o’clock. I fumbled around for a pair of sweatpants and threw my hair into a pony-tail. Then I squeezed into a pair of slippers and walked down the hall.
“I brought you your favorite. The red-cherry cheese Danish from McCormick’s.” Rebecca called up from the landing. I smiled. She was always right on time. The sun attempted to squeeze out from behind the clouds but was soon pushed back under the heavy cloud cover. I wondered how long it would be for the first snowflake to fall.
“Good morning. Sorry it took me forever to get down here. I’ve been feeling kind of sick to my stomach.” I frowned at Rebecca and she cocked her head to the side.
“See what happens when you don’t eat right? Your body gets all confused and starts acting up.” She gave me one of her motherly looks and then waltzed into the kitchen with the pastries and some coffees. I watched her get some napkins out and then sit down.
“I’m going to speak to Peter Bailey today.” I nodded my head and then sat down. “He always told me that he could help out with the outdoor work, and I think I’m going to need it. The fence is falling apart and the horse trough needs to be fixed. It’s a miracle that Lizzie is still surviving.” Lizzie was the horse that Joey had bought me for twenty-ninth birthday. One of the neighbors had volunteered to take care of her for me when Joey passed away, and I as much as it broke my heart to think about selling her, I sometimes wondered if that was the best choice.
“Well I’m glad to hear that you’ll be getting out of the house for a little.” Rebecca sat back and smiled. Then she took a sip of her coffee and looked out the window. “Maybe Peter can help you figure out how fix that gate out front, too.” She looked at me with a compassionate eye, then handed me my coffee. “You look kind of pale. You sure it’s just your stomach bothering you?” Rebecca had a puzzled look on her face.
“I’m not sure. I think I might go lay down for a little.” I got up without even sipping my coffee. Then I wandered down the hall and stood with my hand on top of my stomach. That’s when it hit me. I covered my mouth with my hand and realized that I wasn’t sick at all. I was pregnant. I stood motionless for what felt like an eternity.
“Are you okay, Alyssa?” Rebecca walked out to find me. She had a piece of her pastry in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. I turned slowly to face her and then bit my lower lip.
“Rebecca?” I stared straight ahead and then looked her in the eyes. “I’m pregnant.” The words rolled off my tongue with a mellifluous echo that lingered in the air. Rebecca just stared at me.
“Are you joking?” She chuckled and then a perplexed expression crept over her face. “I mean, Alyssa, are you serious?” She covered her mouth with her hand and then walked slowly toward me. I looked at her at then looked away.
“I was supposed to get my period like three weeks ago. And today I woke up feeling sick. This is crazy.” I looked at Rebecca and then a surprising jolt of excitement coursed through my veins. A baby? It was almost too much to process.
“Okay, girl. I’m going to the pharmacy and picking up a pregnancy test. Finish this Danish and wait for me to get back.” Rebecca shoved the pastry into my hand and before I could even protest, she was out the door. About a half hour later she returned, waving a small, rectangular box in my face and ushering me into the downstairs bathroom. “Let’s go. Pee on the stick.” She handed me the box, smiled and walked out.
“I don’t even need to do this.” I shook my head, knowing with a mother’s intuition that I was definitely pregnant. I took the stick out of the box, sat down on the toilet, and covered my head with my hands. I was still nauseas, and I wasn’t even ready to comprehend the magnitude of what was about to become my new reality. I leaned forward and a tiny stream of pee trickled onto the stick. I se
t it on the windowsill, then got up and left the bathroom.
“Well?” Rebecca stood outside the door, her hands on her hips.
“I didn’t look at it. I don’t need to look at it.” I swallowed hard and then stood motionless. “But I’ll double-check.” I spun around and peered at the windowsill, then inched closer and picked up the stick. It was as pink as a pig. I picked it up, held it out for Rebecca to see, then bit my lower lip.
“Congratulations!” Rebecca threw her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek. I smiled, and for the first time in two months, I felt like life was something worth living for. She backed up, her hands on my shoulders. “This is incredible. I’m so happy for you! I have to tell Manfred. He’ll be so excited.” Rebecca smiled and then nodded her head. “This is good, Alyssa. This is exactly what was needed.” I smiled back, knowing in my heart that she was right.
After she left to pick up Cherry from school, I sat alone on the couch and tried to get my head straight. I was pregnant, and I was alone. What was I going to do now? I had heard all kinds of stories about women who were single that went on to raise successful children, all on their own. I wanted to believe that I’d be able to handle the pressures that would come with being a single parent, but I didn’t know if I would really have what it took.
What if I couldn’t do it on my own? What if I failed miserably and my child went on to become some sort of dysfunctional member of society? I could feel my mind wandering with all sorts of imagined, negative outcomes. Then I heard a tiny voice inside, coming from the last corner of hopefulness in my heart, tell me that I could do it. I could have this baby and still make it. There was hope, if I only allowed myself to believe.
Romance: Luther's Property Page 16
