Linda Castle (31 page)
Authors: The Return of Chase Cordell
“What?” She still found it hard to believe that her sweet old companion was as sane and lucid as she was. She held out her hand. He dropped he wedding ring and her cameo into her open palm. “Oh, Captain. How did you ever?”
“Nobody ever told that Confederate soldier it isn’t smart to play poker with a crazy man.”
Linese’s throaty laughter sluiced over Chase and he knew that he was finally home—finally free.
Chase took her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. He had come full circle and met himself in the bargain.
He realized now that the man he had been was not as imperfect as he had once feared, and yet he knew he was a better man now. Linese’s tears of happiness soaked into his shirt and he made himself a promise. No matter how many
causes, or how great the question of his honor, he would never, ever leave her side again.
As if God heard his vow and agreed with it, the rain stopped and a bright shaft of sunlight blazed through the windows of the courthouse.
Chase and Linese were free—free of the past—free of any curse, real or imagined—free to love each other for the rest of their lives.
* * * * *
Three separate ideas are responsible for
The Return of Chase Cordell.
Two movies,
Regarding Henry
and
Sommersby.
I hated one and loved the other. The third ingredient in the mix was a piece of family history. My great-greatgrandfather, Benjamin Everett Caudill, returned to his home in Kentucky from the Civil War, so badly scarred from smallpox, his wife did not know him. From these seemingly unrelated things sprang Linese and Chase.
Mainfield and its citizens are totally fictional, but I have endeavored to keep all dates relating to the Civil War intact. If I have failed along the way, I pray you will forgive me.
eISBN 978-14592-6785-5
THE RETURN OF CHASE CORDELL
Copyright © 1997 by Linda L. Crockett
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks Indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Printed in U.S.A.
