“Ready?” Michael asked.
“Ready,” Lillian said. They rode side by side to a little field that was not far from the main road but was secluded from the hustle and bustle of the town. This had become their favorite spot to sit together in peace and quiet. After they had tied the horses near the shade of a tree, Lillian put down the picnic blanket, and they sat down, closely together.
“How is Samuel doing?” Michael asked. Lillian had been going over to the Hammond farm—who had decided to allow Samuel to stay with them—every chance she got.
“Oh, you should see him, Michael,” Lillian replied happily, “His bruises are so much better, and the wound on his hand is healing nicely.”
“I’m glad to hear,” Michael said, absentmindedly stroking over the front pocket of his jacket.
“Is Benjamin still overworking himself?” Lillian asked, beginning to pick up the food she had brought them.
“He sure is,” Michael said, “I don’t know what I should do, to be honest.”
“Perhaps this is something that he feels he must do,” Lillian suggested.
“Maybe,” Michael said hesitantly, “It hit him especially hard to find out that Jacob was behind everything.”
Benjamin had told Michael, only the day before, that he had realized what Jacob’s plan had been all along. He was going to slowly plant the idea that Michael had been the one behind the kidnapping of Lillian, making the townsfolk doubt the new Sheriff and his intentions. Jacob said that it had been suspicious that the fine man Vincent Hays had been arrested after Michael begin showing Lillian interest.
Benjamin had been speaking to people, and after tracing various rumors and stories, they all originated with Jacob. He had even begun to make people think that Benjamin would be a much better candidate to be the Sheriff. Seeing Jacob in the jail cell had made Benjamin so mad that he was unable to speak for an entire afternoon. He had demanded to personally walk Jacob to the prisoner wagon that Rex and the rest of the bounty hunters had brought.
“Just give him time,” Lillian said, “We all need time.”
“That’s true,” Michael said, taking her hand in his own, “This is nice.”
“It really is.” She laid her head on his shoulder, “I wish we could be here forever.”
“Lillian,” Michael said after a while of them enjoying sitting together in the warm sunlight, eating the delicious pie Dorothy had made and chatting about anything they could think about.
“Mhmm,” Lillian hummed.
“I know we have not known each other very long,” Michael began, and Lillian sat a little straighter so she could look him in the eyes, “But I feel as if I have been waiting for something my whole life. I traveled from town to town, never really knowing what I was looking for. That is until I met you. Lillian, I love you, with all my heart, body, and soul.”
“Oh, Michael,” Lillian whispered.
“Every morning, I need to take a moment to remind myself that you are safe,” Michael said thoughtfully, intertwining their fingers.
“I never thought I could feel the way I do when I am around you,” Lillian said. “You believed in me from the moment we met, and I had to keep my feelings hidden. I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t really in love, that I was only being silly, but my heart knew long before my mind did. I think I might have loved you from the moment you walked toward me, all that time ago, across the dance floor.”
Michael pulled her toward him, and they shared a sweet kiss that was filled with hope and the promise of a thousand more kisses.
“Lillian, I have wanted to ask you this since I first saw your radiant smile,” Michael reached into his front pocket, “Lillian Walter, will you do me the honor of making me the luckiest man under this sun, by becoming my wife?” He handed her a beautiful gold band.
It had been his mother’s, and he had found it in a small box when he went through his father’s belongings. It had a note inside the box, addressed to Michael, stating: When you finally find the one who makes you want to remain still.
“Oh, my,” Lillian gasped, looking at the ring and back at Michael, “Nothing would make me happier than becoming your wife.”
Michael grinned widely and put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. Michael grabbed her into his arms and kissed her with a passion that left her feeling giddy. They lay together, basking in the glow of their love, holding hands. Finally, they sat up, and Lillian put away the remainder of the food into the basket, and Michael untied the horses. Soon they were riding back, side by side, ready to begin their life—together.
The End?
Extended Epilogue
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A sweet treat from the Wild West…
Turn on to the next page to read the preview of The Cowboy’s Stolen Bride, a sweet and clean Western historical romance with a happily-ever-after!
Preview: The Cowboy’s Stolen Bride
Prologue
“It ain’t gonna help with you wiggling like that!” the stranger yelled at Jessie.
Jessie’s hands had been tightly tied together around a pole in the dilapidated barn. She had been struggling with the rope, by twisting her wrists.The stranger had his back to her, while he was sharpening a knife. She did not know how he could see her struggling, but she did not quit when he yelled at her. She gave all the strength she had, eyeing a large board within reach that she knew she could hit him over the head with, if she could just get her wrists untied.
“Girly, you gonna make me real mad!” he screamed, as he turned around, with the sharpened knife pointed in her direction.
Jessie gave up the struggle, and began to cry, “Why are you doing this? I have done nothing to you! My father is a prominent banker here in Frailburg. I am sure he will pay you anything you want, if you would just let me go!”
“Little lady, you are not goin’ nowhere!” he retorted. He came toward her with the knife, and she tensed every muscle in her body, ready to feel its sharpness pierce her skin. But he pulled out a piece of paper and jabbed it with the knife, so it would stick into the wooden pole, right above her head.
Jessie could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks, and sniffled her nose. She did not know where the man had brought her. All she could remember was coming out of the tavern where she had just finished her shift, and feeling a rope lasso around her neck. He pulled her up on his black horse, held a knife to her throat, and threatened her that if she were to scream, he would slit her throat. She must have fainted at that point because the next memory she could recall was waking up, tied to this pole in this old, worn down barn. The roof was caving in, and she could see a large open section of it above her, which gave her access to see the sky. It was now a light orange, so she knew that the sun must be setting soon. Frailburg, Arizona, was known for having some of the most beautiful sunsets. She bowed her head, and prayed that this would not be the last one she would see.
When she lifted her head, the stranger was nowhere to be seen. He’s gone somewhere! Maybe I can get these restraints loose now! Jessie began to try to use her hands to loosen the ropes that bound them, but the man had tied them too tightly. She could feel blood start to trickle down her thin hands, as she continued frantically to try to get free.
The stranger led his horse into the barn. He glanced at her struggling again, “Boy, you sure are a fighter, missy!” He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a revolver; slowly he pointed it in Jessie’s direction.
“Why are you doing this to me?” Jessie begged.
“Because this is who I am, and this is what I do!” he yelled back at her, moving closer, closin
g one eye, and taking aim.
“Please, please, no! I won’t tell anyone if you let me go! I promise!” she pleaded.
“I have to do this girly because now I have one more reason to! And I left my mark, so they would know who did this to ya,” the stranger stepped forward, even closer to her now, pointing the revolver at the paper above her head. “They know me by now! Soooo-eeee,” he yelled.
Jessie looked up at the sky through the open roof, watching a flock of birds fly by. Then, the sound of a gunshot could be heard, as the sun sank deep into the red horizon.
Chapter One
The sunrise was Adeline’s favorite part of the day, the time that she was able to take Nellie out for a ride, and watch the world around her wake up. She had always been an early riser, even when she was a young girl. That is how she became such an avid reader. Her mother would allow her to read herself to sleep, and she always fell asleep early, with the book next to her.
Waking early had benefited her when she was in school. Her parents trusted her to start going for morning rides when she was twelve. By then, she had learned to shoot well, and her father had talked her mother into letting her go before school started. However, Edgar always demanded that she take her gun with her every morning. Her parents were a bit overprotective of her, and hired a private tutor when she entered her advanced years in school.
That was when things changed at home; her mother became ill. Her father hired as many doctors as he could to try and remedy Agnes’ symptoms, but there was no doctor who could relieve her of them all. A change came over her father then. He became even more protective of Adeline, and stayed by Agnes’ side day and night, hiring in three extra housemaids, and two more stable boys to help out. So, now her morning rides became a type of escape from the daily reality of her mother’s illness, and possible pending death.
Adeline shook her brown hair in disagreement with these morbid thoughts, and brushed her hand through Nellie’s plush mane, “Okay, girl, let’s go up one more hill where we can get a full view of this morning!” She nudged Nellie with her leather riding boots, and they trotted up the dusty hill. Frailburg, Arizona, was not the best terrain to ride a horse. Often times, Nellie would lose grip on the desert sand beneath her, but never did Adeline lose her balance. She was too skilled on horseback for that.
The sky was turning from a light pinkish grey to a light blue, the same color of her eyes. In the far distance, she could see lizards coming out to bask for the day. Her favorite part of the desert was the cacti plants, which bloomed the most beautiful flower she had ever seen.
There were tall cacti, with their arms reaching above her height, and there were small, round cacti, that would injure if one were to be so unlucky as to fall on them. That was what she liked about the desert. It was wild, with risks and unusual animals and plants. She identified with these traits; she had always stuck out like a sore thumb among the other elite girls in town. They were all too frail, skinny, too…feminine. She liked a physical challenge, riding horses and shooting her gun. And the eligible bachelors of Frailburg were stiff, and a bore.
When will I find the love of my life?
She shook the thought out of her head, and pulled on the reins to signal Nellie that it was time to return home. Too much thinking! I have too much time to think on these rides! Nellie descended the hill, and they trotted back to the Baxter Estate.
* * *
As she entered the double doors to the kitchen, she saw her father in his usual place, at the table drinking coffee and reading the early edition of the small newspaper Frailburg had to offer.
“Good Morning, Father,” she greeted him, as she placed her riding hat on the table next to him. “How is Mother this morning?”
“Oh, she is up and about,” Edgar answered, lifting his bright blue eyes from the top of the paper, peering at her. “And I see you are too, this morning, as usual! How was your ride?”
“It was a bit chilly this morning before the sun came up, but I had to take off my riding jacket on the way back home. I am afraid it will be another hot day in Frailburg!” Adeline nervously chuckled, as her mother entered the room.
“Good to see you up this morning,” Adeline sweetly spoke to her mother, as she gently kissed her on her frail cheek. Her mother had lost so much weight this last year. She ate like a bird, and no matter how much she was encouraged, she would mostly just stare at her plate, until Adeline or Edgar would take it away.
“Yes, I am feeling a bit better this morning,” Agnes replied, as she stroked Adeline’s arm. “But I am not too hungry.”
The room fell silent as Agnes called the housemaid to pour her a cup of coffee. Edgar stood up from the table, folded the paper neatly, and set it down firmly, “Agnes, the doctor has told you not to drink coffee. Let us make you some tea, and why don’t you get back in bed to rest for a while? You can join us for lunch out on the patio. How does that sound?”
“It sounds like you are patronizing me again, Edgar, and trying to keep me locked up in that bedroom! I just want some fresh air sometimes.” Agnes pulled at her brownish-grey bun, “Carol made this too tight for me this morning. I have a stark headache from it.” Carol, the head housemaid, had been with the Baxter family for twenty years. She assisted Agnes every morning in her dressing routine.
“Now, there, Mother, is that better? Father is right. You need to get some more rest this morning, and I will have a nice lunch prepared for us this afternoon. How about your favorite, lamb?”
Agnes smiled at the suggestion of lamb. She relaxed her clinched fists, and replied delicately, “So, I guess with both of you telling me to go back to bed, I suppose I must. You two are my dears, you know that?”
Edgar gently held Agnes by the arm, and led her into the large master bedroom, “Adeline,” he motioned to the kettle on the stove, “why don’t you make your mother a nice cup of tea, and we will let her get some rest? Be an angel?”
Adeline smiled at her father, and began to fill the kettle with fresh water from the pitcher. She selected a mint tea for her mother, knowing that would calm her nerves. Agnes’ illness had progressed to cause her to have tense moments, even mood swings, and sometimes hand tremors. Adeline sighed, as she sat down at the oak kitchen table to wait for the water to boil.
* * *
“Agnes, he has killed four young ladies so far, and they still have not caught him! Right here in Frailburg, we have a murderer! I read about it in this morning’s paper, but could not finish the article because Adeline came back from her ride earlier than usual,” Edgar exclaimed. He did not want to upset his sick wife, but this was an emergency in his point of view. They had to make sure Adeline was safe. “He chooses young ladies, between 20 to 25 years old, and she just turned 23! He leaves his name, ‘Wild Hog,’ near the dead girl’s body in order to entice the police even more to catch him.” His face was red now, which contrasted heavily with his silver hair. “What are we to do, Agnes?” he pleaded.
Adeline stood motionless behind the half open door of her parent’s bedroom. The cup of tea shook on the china saucer in her hand, as she listened to her father’s news.
A murderer? Why, I would just shoot him dead if he were to trouble me!
Agnes sat upright in bed, while Edgar placed another down pillow behind her back. She winced as the pillow touched her bed sores. “Go, Edgar, go and take Adeline away somewhere! I will be fine here. We have plenty of help here to take care of me, and the premises. I don’t want her anywhere near here until that beast is caught!”
Edgar leaned over and kissed his wife’s head, “Dear, I would never leave you in this condition. We have to find a way to get Adeline out of state until this monster is caught!” Their discussion was interrupted when Adeline entered the room.
Adeline pushed the heavy door open with her free hand, and faked a smile, “Here you are, Mother, your tea!”
* * *
Edgar handed the newspaper to Adeline, and pointed to the article on the front page, “Rea
d this, dear, we have something we need to discuss.”
Adeline had especially enjoyed lunch with her parents today. Her mother seemed more chipper than usual, and her father made them both laugh with his jokes and antics. However, now, she could see a dark mood had come over him, and she knew exactly what he was about to say to her. She sat down and read the article, word for word, acting as if this were the first news she was receiving of the terrible murders happening in Frailburg.
She placed the newspaper on the kitchen table.This was where all of her father’s serious talks with her had occurred over her lifetime. She could recall the first one was when she was around eight or nine, and the subject of that lecture had been, “how to act like a young lady because she represented the Baxter family.” Adeline cleared her throat. She knew her father’s concern about this “Wild Hog” fiend was sincere, but she truly felt she could defend herself with her gun, if needed. She always carried her gun when she went out riding. Her father had enforced that in her habits.
“So?” Edgar leaned over her shoulder, as she sat up straight as a board, ready for the demands.
“So, I believe, Father, that I can defend myself from this gruesome man, and any other man who would try to harm me. I always carry my gun, and you know what a good shot I am!” Her tone rose on the last word.
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