Butch glanced back at Caroline. "Once I get out, I'll be looking for you."
"Come on. Next time, I won't be merciful. Next time, my lipstick will be on my lead bullet aimed at your heart."
Caroline turned and face the town and the throng of people broke out clapping and cheering. At first, she didn't understand, but then she realized, they were applauding her. After the night of chaos this gang caused the town, it was their way of saying thank you.
The mayor rushed over and shook her hand. "Miss McKenzie. The citizens of Zenith are grateful to you for capturing those animals."
Spoken like a true politician. "You're welcome."
As the people began to disperse, several of the men and women came up and thanked her, telling her they could sleep again at night. Warmth filled her, making her smile at their acceptance.
Wasn't that all she wanted? To be acknowledged and thought of as a member of society who could take care of herself? And not be married off to the first man who asked for her hand. Why couldn't women choose their own path in life that might be more than just wife and mother.
Of course, she wanted that eventually, but first she needed to be more than a brood mare for some man she didn't love.
When the people walked away, she turned to find Trent staring at her. His arms crossed over his chest, his emerald gaze twinkling with desire and some emotion she'd never seen.
"Thank you," he said. "What I did hurt you, and though I never meant to cause you any harm, you were such a vibrant, interesting character I couldn't resist writing about you."
"You made me appear to be a fool."
"You're right. After I read your comments, I agreed everything you said was true. I went back and rewrote the entire story. Would you please give me a second chance? Would you read the story? Please understand I want to support rather than hinder anything you ever want to accomplish."
His words surprised her and she didn't know how to respond. He had rewritten the story? Had he made her look better?
"What we have is special. Don't give up on me."
After everything, he needed to grovel a little more and she needed to hear him say he loved her. More than anything she needed to know Trent believed and accepted her.
"Where is the story?"
Pulling the pages out of his coat pocket he handed them to her.
"I'll read them tonight and let you know in the morning."
With that, she turned and walked away, hurrying toward Meg's store, wanting to sit and read his story.
Meg was crouching, pinning up a woman's dress to just the right length when Caroline burst into the store.
"Did you see? I brought in three bounties. The very men who tried to destroy our town."
Rising from her kneeling position, Meg came over and hugged Caroline. "I'm so proud of you. You carried on the tradition of the Lipstick and Lead girls in an honorable way. We're so glad you came home successful and safe."
Leaning back, Caroline stared at her. "Really?"
"Of course," Meg said.
"You always had the capabilities of being a strong, intelligent woman. We've been waiting for you to realize you could do this and find the strength within yourself to do well. And you did."
Tears welled up in Caroline's eyes. "Thank you, Meg. For years, I've thought everyone didn't think I could be anything more than some man's wife. You've helped me find my confidence."
Caroline wanted to pinch herself. So much had happened in the last forty-eight hours and even Trent seemed different. Everyone was accepting her and she wondered about her mother.
"Honey, I didn't help you find your courage. You did that all on your own."
"Do you think it would be okay for me to quit now? While I like making my own way and I never want to give up complete control to anyone, I don't think I like chasing outlaws. Maybe I'm more of a woman than I realized. Sleeping on the hard ground, eating cold tack for dinner and being out in the weather was not exactly the kind of life I dream of having."
Laughter erupted from Meg and she patted Caroline on the back. "It's not an easy life."
"Time is on my side. For the next few months, I don't have to do anything. My mother understands I'm not going to marry any man unless I love him. Even then, I won't accept not being treated with respect."
She glanced out the window and stared at Trent who was entering the hotel. "He has one more chance to get it right and if I don't feel respected, then we're done."
Meg followed her gaze, staring through the repaired pane of glass. "Are you talking about Trent?"
Ruby and Annabelle walked in the door. "We got here as quickly as we could."
A tear ran down Caroline's cheek. "What am I going to do? During the time we rode together, I fell in love with him and he put me in his story."
Everything from the last few days seem to catch up with Caroline and she stood, crying like a calf separated from its momma unable to stop the emotions from overwhelming her.
The women surrounded her and wrapped their arms around her.
"Caroline, you avenged the town. You did such a great job," Ruby said.
"Love is never simple. Sometimes it hurts. If he's the right man for you, he'll come around," Annabelle told her.
The women she cared about were being so supportive, but that just made her cry more. What did she do now?
"Did he take advantage of you," Meg asked. "Sometimes things happen out on the trail."
Caroline cried harder. "No, I took advantage of him. I was the one who wanted to know what I was missing. But he wrote a story about me and called it the Bumbling Bounty Hunter."
Glancing at each other, they appeared stunned. "What are we going to do?" Ruby asked.
"Maybe a good hog tying is in order," Meg said.
"Wait, ladies," Annabelle said. "What do you want us to do, Caroline."
Sniffling, she felt comforted by the way her cousins were standing up for her. Never before had she been so accepted, and while they had always been close, today she was even closer to these women. Oh, how she wished she could tell them she wanted them to go over and give him the ultimate ultimatum, but that would be useless.
She reached into her saddle bags and pulled out the papers that would decide her fate.
"Here is the revised story. After I left my nasty comments on each page, telling him what a lousy lover he was, he felt how badly he hurt me. So he's rewritten the story and gave it to me to read. If I still look like the Bumbling Bounty Hunter, we're done. Or if he never tells me he loves me, we're done. It's up to him now if he wants to be in my life. As much as it will hurt, then he wasn't the man for me."
"Excellent," Annabelle replied. "Now we wait and we'll be with you when he's ready to meet."
“Read us the story," Ruby said excitedly. "I want to hear what he wrote."
Meg glanced at Caroline. "I'm concerned about something you said. Was he a lousy lover?"
Caroline blushed, her cheeks rosy and warm. "No, he was excellent, but I knew those hurtful words would help him understand my pain."
The women laughed and sighed. "Thank goodness," Meg said.
The woman on the raised platform cleared her throat.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Tennyson. In all the drama, I completely forgot you were standing there."
"Not a problem. This has been an interesting conversation. Now, I have a proposition. I'd like to enroll in your bounty hunting school. After almost ten years, I have a score to settle."
Trent saw Caroline standing in front of the sheriff's office looking at wanted posters. Yesterday, he gave her the revised story to read and he had been anxious ever since.
How long did it take her to finish the complete story? Funny, after he changed the story, the words flowed from his fingertips. Everything seemed to fall into place and not only was this his best story, but he liked it so much more.
Instead of the bumbling bounty hunter, it was now the beautiful bounty hunter. His editor would probably change the title because
many men wouldn't want to read a story with the word beautiful on the cover. Still, he was pleased with the results, yet nothing from Caroline.
Walking over to the jail, he stepped up behind her.
"Going out on another hunt?" he asked, his heart sinking. Sure, he knew she was capable, but he wanted her here with him, by his side, not out traipsing around the countryside.
She glanced at him. "No. I've proved my worth to myself and everyone around me. Maybe it's time for me to quit. I have enough money to live on for several years, so maybe I'll do some traveling, go see some cousins or you just don't know. Maybe I'll run off and join the circus."
Ecstatic she would no longer be bounty hunting, but worried about her plans, he couldn't keep the frown from his lips as he gazed at her.
"You wouldn't?"
"No guarantees." She raised her brows and he realized he really enjoyed this sassy Caroline.
"I read your story."
"What did you think?" he asked, butterflies migrating through him like a cold front chased them.
Taking a long, slow breath, she looked at him and he couldn't stand the suspense any longer.
"You hated it."
Despair filled him at the idea and he feared all his futuristic dreams of the last few days would soon vanish.
"No, I didn't hate it. In fact, I thought the story was so much better than before and I loved the ending."
That was a good sign.
"Caroline, you're killing me. Since the night that Butch took me, I promised myself that if I made it out alive, I would do everything I could to make amends with you. I've told you I thought you were wonderful and even thanked you for saving me, but what more do you want."
She smiled and for the first time, he had a small glimmer of hope.
"When we first met, I told you what I wanted and would accept nothing less. That hasn't changed. I'm holding out for what I deserve."
For a moment, his mind raced back trying to remember the conversation and then it smacked him in the face and he felt like the biggest fool. All this time, he'd been wrapped up in changing the story and even included what she wanted, but he hadn't said the words to her.
Dropping down on his good knee, he stared up at her.
"Right here in the middle of Zenith, Texas, in front of all these good people, I'm giving you my heart. Caroline McKenzie, will you please marry me, and make me the happiest man on earth. Will you move to New York with me, love me, bear my children, and spend the rest of your life by my side keeping me safe. You've given me hope and shot your way into my heart. I love you, Caroline. Please, marry me?"
A smile radiated on her face as she pulled him up and slipped her arms around him. "Trent Holmes, all you had to do was say the magic words and you were in. But I refused to say yes, until I heard that you loved me as much as I love you."
"I do, Caroline, when I thought those outlaws would kill me, all I could think of was you and how I'd missed my chance at happiness."
"Maybe we should thank Butch for bringing us together."
"Maybe - maybe not," he said holding her tightly, realizing how she had stormed into his life with an attempted arrest and how little he understood that day everything was about to transform for the better.
"Are you serious about returning to New York?"
"Yes, the time to go home is now. Take my new bride and show her off to my family."
"What are you going to tell them about me?"
He laughed. "I'll tell them that my wife is a retired bounty hunter that my books are based on."
Squeezing him, she said with a laugh. "Not a pig farmer, or an undertaker did I take for a husband, but a writer."
"Those men have no idea what they missed out on."
"Maybe not, but let's tell your family that I trained a really good sharp shooter," she said with a smile that let him know she knew he could wield a gun.
"I wondered when you were going to give me a hard time about lying to you. It was one way to steal a kiss," he said laughing.
"Then let's do it again," she said, leaning into him and kissing him.
Some Husbands Just Won’t Die
On the brink of losing everything, Dora Tennyson learns her dead husband is alive and well in Fort Worth. And married. Determined to capture the man who stole her inheritance, she becomes a bounty hunter. Only problem is three orphaned children and one gorgeous cowboy stand in her way.
Jesse Moore vows revenge on the man who fatally poisoned his sister—Leo Tennyson…her husband. Raising his sister’s three children, he’s shocked when a woman shows up claiming to be Leo’s legal wife.
Who will find Leo first, the betrayed bounty hunter or the enraged brother? Along the trail, sparks fly between Dora and Jesse, igniting an inferno. Will desire bind them together forever or will a secret Dora keeps tear them apart?
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Sylvia McDaniel
Published by Virtual Bookseller, LLC
All Rights Reserved
Cover Art by Lyndsey Llewellen
Edited by Tina Winograd
Release date: May 2019
ebook ISBN: 978-1-942608-99-8
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-950858-03-3
This book and parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author and publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.
O
Chapter 1
March 1889, Zenith, Texas
"Your dead husband is alive," Sheriff Zach Taylor said, sitting across from Dora Tennyson in her parlor. Through the open window, birds tweeted, calling to one another in the spring sunshine.
Dora jerked back like she'd been slapped. A low buzz built in her ears as all the blood in her body seemed to drain. Her vision slowly darkened, and she feared she would faint. Shaking her head, she stared at the sheriff, disbelief overwhelming her. How could Leo be alive?
"But the telegram from the Dodge City sheriff?" she said, staring at the lawman. "It said he was killed in a shootout."
"Someone might have forged the sheriff's name." With a sigh, Zach shook his head. "In Fort Worth, I was sure I saw him standing on the corner, selling a miracle cure-all drink. No doubt in my mind it was Leo. The moment he saw me, he packed up and left. I searched and couldn't find him."
Oh my, that sounded so like her sneaky husband. At the first sign of trouble, he would fold and run. In their marriage, in business, and evidently, even in card playing. "Why would he lie?"
"Didn't you say he cleaned out your bank account? Could there be another woman?"
Hysterical laughter exploded from Dora. What woman in their right mind would want Leo? She had been crazy to let her father convince her to marry him.
"Greed is his mistress," she said, thinking about the day she learned all their money was gone except a small amount. Right there in the middle of the bank, she fainted and dropped to the floor like a bullet hit her. Now, now, she would find that lousy, no-good thief. Now, she would...do what?
"You think he's living in Fort Worth?" she asked.
"Don't rightly know," he said. "Wouldn't hurt to look. Maybe he's still out on a street corner, selling over glorified tonic that's nothing more than flavored water."
A laugh escaped from her tight chest. Leo had found a new con game. What had he done with her inheritance?
Just when her finances forced her to take a husband, she learned she was no longer a widow, only broke.
A fire ignited inside her, spreading through her body like a wildfire out of control. Tired of being a victim of her husband and unwilling to accept his schemes any longer, she spoke aloud, "I'm going to find that cheating thief, and this time, this time, he will most definitely need an undertaker. This time, I'll damn sure be a widow. This time, he won't rise from t
he dead."
"Now, Dora, all you know is that he faked his death and stole your money. Maybe he had a reason for his actions," the sheriff said. She knew he was only trying to calm her. She would have none of it, because she was done being taken advantage of by her dead husband.
The sheriff continued, "I'm your friend, Dora, but also a lawman. Don't want to hear you threatening to kill him in front of me."
"What would you do in my situation?"
Conflicted, the sheriff sat in the best chair in her parlor without saying a word.
Too roused to heed her friend's warning, she said, "Oh, he's a dead man selling a miracle drink he's going to need." She stared into the sheriff's green eyes. "If he had a valid reason, he should have explained why to his wife. Instead, he lied, and for five long years, I believed I was a widow."
"Dora, you're in shock."
Maybe so, but that didn't matter.
After waiting years, she made the decision to find an older man of means to marry. Now, almost penniless, even that option was gone. The new dress she ordered that was to be her courting gown would be ready today.
A perfectly timed joke. Now, instead, the beautiful material would be her catch-her-dead-husband outfit.
"I'm going after him," she said, her resolve strengthening. "Leo Tennyson is going to give me my money back. Then I'm going to kill him."
Dora had lived in Zenith the last ten years, but until recently, she’d never met the McKenzie girls. Now standing in Meg's dress shop while she finished pinning up her skirt, she realized they were the answer to her dilemma. For the last half hour, she listened to the women congratulating Caroline for bringing in bounties.
Desperate for money, after listening to these strong ladies, she saw an opportunity to fix her cash flow. If she became a bounty hunter, she could apprehend her lying husband and possibly even collect a reward on the bastard.
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