by Merry Farmer
“Oh?” Estelle finished a stitch, then smiled at Tim as he read the primer Olivia had found for him.
“How would you feel about helping me start a stud farm once we reach the end of the trail?” Graham asked.
Estelle raised her brow, sitting straighter. “Didn’t you say you were raised on a horse farm?”
“I was.” Graham smiled and patted the flank of the horse he was working with. “We’ve had a lot of offers for jobs at the end of the trail, but I think we can build something of our own. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and I think that once we make it to the end of the trail, we should head back to Denver City, to my sister’s, and see about making a life there.”
“It’ll be hard to say goodbye to our friends,” Estelle answered. The fact that she had friends—more of them than she ever could have imagined—was a wonderful thing to begin with.
Graham nodded. “True, but the way the railroad is growing, I think we’ll be able to visit far more easily than we could have just a couple of years ago. Besides,” he went on. “Denver City is closer to Howard Haskell’s ranch in Wyoming than Oregon City. Lucy and Gideon would be close.”
A warm smile spread across Estelle’s face. There was no doubt in her mind that wherever Lucy settled, Gideon would settle too. “I think that sounds like a fine idea.”
Anything that would keep good friends near each other was a fine idea, as far as Estelle was concerned. In fact, it was Gideon’s wedding present that made Estelle decide she and Graham needed to keep Gideon and Lucy in their lives. Time gave inventive souls like Gideon a chance to outdo themselves, and there was plenty of time on the trail.
“If it still isn’t right, you can always write to me and I’ll see if I can suggest improvements,” Gideon said, handing a long box to Graham as they decorated a corner of Ft. Bridger for the wedding.
“You’re not going all the way to Oregon City?” Graham asked, taking the box.
Gideon smiled and glanced to Lucy, who stood by his side, beaming from ear to ear.
“Gideon is leaving the train to come see my father’s ranch,” she said. “He has an important question to ask my father.”
Estelle grinned and squeezed Lucy’s arm, but she wasn’t surprised by the announcement.
“It’s about time,” Charlie muttered, reflecting her own thoughts. Olivia arched a brow at him, then took his hand to stop him from fidgeting with the buttons of his fine coat. Gideon and Lucy may have been happy, but Charlie had been anxious since his ‘friend’ joined the train at Ft. Laramie. Estelle had been so wrapped up in her own highs and lows that she’d hardly noticed the dramas playing out in other people’s lives. She’d pay more attention from there on out.
“All right, let’s see what the gift is,” Josephine spoke what everyone else was likely thinking.
Graham sent Estelle a quick smile, then opened the lid of the box. There, nestled inside, was the most complex and fascinating wooden leg Estelle had ever seen. It had joints and springs, a padded hollow at the top, and buckles to keep it in place.
“If my calculations are right, this should be as good as the real thing,” Gideon said. He paused, tipped his head to the side, and said, “Well, almost.”
Graham let out a breath and lifted the leg from the box. He turned it around, studying it, then said, “All right, let’s see how it goes. Tim?”
Tim jumped forward from his place by Graham’s side, a place he rarely left nowadays. Graham sat on the closest barrel and Tim helped him untie the knot at the bottom of his pants leg. The two of them made quick work of it, rolling the fabric to expose Graham’s stump. Gideon joined their busy group, showing Graham how to fasten the new leg.
“Well, it’s different, but it’s not uncomfortable,” he announced. “Let’s give it a whirl.”
Estelle held her breath as Graham put two feet on the ground and tested his weight. He scooted to the edge of the barrel and pushed himself to stand. All around, their friends looked on with hope and encouragement. Each one of them looked ready to rush in to help Graham the second he needed it.
Only Graham didn’t need help. Eyes wide with surprise, he took a step with his new leg, resting his weight on his right side. The real test came when he took another step, relying on Gideon’s invention to support all of his weight. He let out a breath as he completed the step and stood straighter.
“Well, I’ll be,” he said, mouth staying open.
He took a few more steps, then a few more. Then he walked faster.
“Hmm,” Gideon said, rubbing his chin as though he was watching Graham test a simple hinge on a gate he’d just fixed. “Looks like those calculations were right after all.”
Graham turned, trying out that motion. He hopped, then jumped up. His landing wasn’t perfect and he had to check his balance at the end. Tim rushed to his side to catch him if he stumbled, but he didn’t.
“Well, Tim,” Graham said, beaming down at the boy with so much affection that Estelle’s heart thrummed with it. “What do you think?”
Tim smiled up at him. “Good as new.”
Graham laughed. “Well, almost.” He bent down and scooped Tim up into his arms. More than that, he lifted the boy up over his head so that he could sit, tall and proud, on Graham’s shoulders. The confidence, the relief in Graham’s eyes, was enough to make Estelle fall in love all over again. Graham strode toward her as if nothing in the world was wrong, as if they’d just had living proof that any obstacle life threw at them could be overcome.
“And now, Miss Estelle Ripley,” he said, taking Estelle’s hands as Tim giggled and steadied himself by grabbing Graham’s head. “I do believe we’re ready to get married.”
Estelle laughed, leaning in to kiss him as her friends hummed and murmured their approval all around.
“More than that,” she said. “We’re ready to build a wonderful life together.”
* * *
I hope you’ve enjoyed Trail of Redemption. But this is just the start of a whole new journey. What exactly was going on with Gideon and Lucy that whole time? Were they… you know, getting into mischief? Of course they were. Read all about it later this summer in Trail of Passion. And what about Olivia and Charlie? Why did she have to marry him so suddenly? And what’s making Charlie so nervous all of a sudden? Find out after Trail of Passion with Trail of Aces.
About the Author
I hope you have enjoyed Trail of Redemption. If you’d like to be the first to learn about when the next books in the series come out and more, please sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/RQ-KX And remember, Read it, Review it, Share it!
Merry Farmer is an award-winning novelist who lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Butterfly and Torpedo. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn't have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always have something to write about. Her books have topped the Amazon and iBooks charts and finalled in the prestigious RONE and Rom Com Reader’s Crown awards.
You can email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @merryfarmer20.
Merry also has a blog, http://merryfarmer.net,
and a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/merryfarmerauthor
Acknowledgements
I would never be able to do what I do without the help of some fabulous people. I’d like to thank my amazing beta-readers, Keira Montclair and Margaret Brashears for their amazing suggestions and advice. No, seriously! This time they outdid themselves. I have to thank my fabulous editor, Aven Rose, once again for helping me go beyond what I thought I was capable of. And finally, where would I be without the Mistress of Badass herself, my publicist Anne Chaconas, and the whole Badass Marketing team.
And a special thank you to the Pioneer Hearts group! Do you love Western Historical Romance? Wanna come play with us? Become a member at https:/
/www.facebook.com/groups/pioneerhearts/
Other Works by Merry Farmer
The Noble Hearts Trilogy
(Medieval Romance)
The Loyal Heart, The Faithful Heart, The Courageous Heart
Montana Romance
(Historical Western Romance – 1890s)
Our Little Secrets, Fool for Love, Sarah Sunshine,
In Your Arms, The Indomitable Eve, Seeks For Her
Somebody to Love
Hot on the Trail
(Oregon Trail Romance – 1860s)
Trail of Kisses, Trail of Hope, Trail of Longing,
Trail of Dreams, Trail of Destiny,
Trail of Redemption, Trail of Passion,
Trail of Aces (coming soon)
Trail of Chances (coming soon)
Trail Blaze – a prequel novella
Second Chances
(contemporary romance)
Summer with a Star
One Night with a Star
Catch a Falling Star (coming soon)
The Advisor (Part of The Fabulous Dalton Boys trilogy)
New Church Inspiration
More Precious Than Gold
Deeper Than the Sea (coming soon)
Grace’s Moon
(Science Fiction)
Saving Grace, Fallen From Grace
