ROMANCE: Lion Protector (Paranormal Shifter BBW Military Romance) (Shapeshifter Alpha Male Short Stories Book 2) (71 page)

Chapter 10

              We survived the cold of the holiday season and spent a great deal of time with Mrs. Goodman. In fact, we welcomed 1875 at her home. Prudence and Robert had the night off and had gone to a party with a few other service workers. We did not expect them to return and decided to stay the night at Mrs. Goodman’s.

              At midnight, she kissed each of our cheeks and insisted we dance while she played piano. It was quite a time for only three people. She went to bed around one o’clock.

              Jacob and I sat up together a little longer and watch the fire die out. Then, he walked me to the room I first stayed in when I arrived to Colorado. He kissed my forehead and went down the hall to rest on the couch in the study.

              I looked forward to the New Year.

              There were little touches of my own throughout our house now and Jacob and I had a routine that could have been enviable to any marriage. We had breakfast and dinner together every day. Sometimes I would ride to the site he was working and we would share a picnic lunch. Mrs. Goodman and I would visit town together once a week. The three of us always had Saturday lunch at our house and Sunday dinner at hers.

              I rode so often that new trails were taking shape around our property and the Goodman house. There were all sorts of interesting things to collect and I painted pictures of things that were too large to keep. I could not ask for more.

              Jacob had even begun seeing results in one of the new caverns he was exploring. He came home regularly with a few grams to an ounce of silver.

              We made it through spring with a nice garden, new animals, and letters of good progress on my sister’s pregnancy. She was due at the end of June and Jacob had arranged for me to spend six weeks to help her recover and care for the baby.

              Our niece, Gillian, was born July 20
th
and healthy active baby from her first breath. I enjoyed my time with my sister’s family and the new little one, but I had the strangest aching feeling the entire time I was gone.

Chapter 11

              As I rode the Kansas pacific one more time from Kansas City, Missouri to Denver the ache gave way to excitement. I realized I missed my husband. In fact, I longed for him. In his absence, I learned that I had fallen in love with him, but fate’s cruel hand was at work again. It was late July and summer rains were heavy. All commuters to Denver were put off the train one stop early in Strasburg. Cherry Creek had risen and the train could not reach Denver.

              I paid a carriage driver extra to see me to Denver to find that Jacob was not home when I arrived the evening of the 25
th
. I readied my horse and rode the mile or so to Mrs. Goodman’s.

              She was pleased to see me, but we were both concerned about Jacob. Cherry Creek was not far from where he was mining silver when I left. I told her I would check in on her during the day.

              I rode fiercely under moonlight peeking through rain to find that Jacob had moved on to a new site in the month I was away. I continued, calling his name between breaks of thunder until I came upon his horse and work cart.

I could see the horse was distressed. I dismounted and tied my horse near his and gave a quick pat to his haunches to soothe him and reassure him he was safe. I was there.

Jacob was nowhere in sight and I couldn’t see light from the cave for him to be sheltered there. I ran to the mouth of the cavern and shouted his name once more. I was drowned out by the thunder, I moved in a little further and shouted once more with all the volume I could manage.

I waited and listened. Nothing.

I couldn’t give up. I moved in further following the marks that Jacob had made for the path he was taking. I was trudging through nearly a foot of water that seemed to be getting deeper as I moved into the cave. I caught myself just before a drop off of about a dozen feet.

Jacob laid on a large rock, soaked and unconscious.

“Jacob!” I screamed.

Tears were coming now. I was sure he was dead. I sunk to my knees sobbing and wailing loudly.

“Lillian? Lillian is that you, can you hear me?” Jacob called.

“Yes,” I yelled wiping tears away.

“Lillian, my leg is broken. The storm isn’t stopping. You need to get out of here and go home where it is safe,” he called.

“Not without you,” I replied.

He insisted, but I told him there was no time for this back and forth.

“You promised me what I want and I want you! Now how do I get you out of here?” I asked desperately.

“I have rope here, but it’s no good. There should be more with my horse. If you can lead the horses into the cave I can tie myself with the new rope and they can raise me out.

“Okay, I’ll get the horses and come right back,” I said.

I ran to the horses, but they pulled against me as I tried to lead them into the cave. I pulled their bridals so they could both really look at me. Without another word or whinny, they followed me in. they hesitated only a moment when a rush of water came in making it rise around our legs. We heard Jacob call and all felt a surge of purpose.

I tied the rope to one saddle, sent it down to Jacob for him to rig support as best as he could then he sent back the other end to be tied to the second horse. Once he was back to the higher ground I did my best to care for his leg and bind it.

The horses were calmer having Jacob back and we all passed the night in the entrance of the cave. In the morning, the rain had stopped, but the area had taken significant damage. Luckily, Jacob’s leg was the worst of what we encountered.

Weeks later, Jacob was still on bed rest as his leg healed. I brought breakfast to his room and opened his curtains.

I was happy to be starting a new day with my husband. I loved the life I had chosen.

Epilogue

After a few months, Jacob was fully recovered and our bond had grown stronger than ever. We made the decision to have a child of our own and six months later, I had become pregnant.

As my stomach grew in size, I often pondered that day when I first set out to come West. Although it was my hope, I only half-heartedly expected to find true love and a new family. I still do miss seeing my sister and Michael on a daily basis, but I firmly believe that responding to that ad was the greatest decision I have ever made.

THE END

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The Unwelcome Bride: Chapter 1

              The sun was at its highest point as Adam Richards sat down to rest. He was drenched in sweat. He leaned against an ancient tree as he pulled the rim of his hat over his eyes, preparing himself for a quick nap.

              He had worked hard all morning, but now all the horses were fed, their water was fresh, and their pen was clean. It was hard work breeding horses for a living, but Adam loved it. Recently, he had moved to Texas from Pennsylvania to follow his dream. Adam had loved horses for as long as he could remember. They were his favorite animal and having his own herd of horses was like a dream come true. Now he was known for the best-tamed broncos in the state.

              This reputation, however, only came with hard work. It was not easy taming broncos. They were dangerous animals capable of killing a man in an instant with their powerful legs. Still, Adam didn’t mind the risk. He loved working with the beautiful beasts, and that’s all that mattered to him. In all honesty, Adam adored his work and he treasured the rush of adrenaline he felt whenever he approached a wild bronco.

              Most of all, Adam loved the satisfaction he got whenever he succeeded in climbing onto a bronco’s back, the culmination of achievement for a bronco tamer. Adam would feel a surge of pride course through his body when this happened. The feeling was like none other. It was what he lived for.

              But today he would dance with death. He had a new bronco to tame. This horse was beautiful, with a silky brown and white coat, but with  a wild look in his eyes. This beast would be a challenge. But Adam had never failed at taming a horse before.

              Eventually, Adam woke up and stretched. His nap had been short, but it was all he needed to rest his body. As he stretched he looked at his horses. There was a larger pen where he kept his tamed horses and to the side, separate from all the other horses, was the bronco. The horse looked regal as he pranced around his pen. Adam watched as the horse kept his head held high, displaying a strong spirit. That spirit would be hard to break, but Adam was ready for the challenge.

              With an air of confidence, Adam approached the horse. The bronco snorted angrily and pawed at the ground when Adam entered the pen. The bronco felt threatened by Adam’s presence. The horse was defending its territory and Adam needed to proceed with caution.

              Adam moved further into the pen. He hugged the fence, knowing that the horse could charge at any moment. However, as he circled around the perimeter the bronco never attacked him. Instead, the horse eyed him suspiciously, keeping his eyes locked on the intruder. Adam took this to be a good sign.

              He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sugar cube before reaching out his hand and offering it to the horse. Adam watched as the horse’s nostrils moved, sniffing the air, smelling the sugar. The horse took a tentative step toward Adam. The beast’s muscles rippled under his skin with his movement and Adam knew he had to be careful. If the horse decided to attack, then Adam would be in trouble. One kick to the chest was all it would take to kill him.

              As Adam continued to reach out his hand, the horse took another step. Adam smiled, thinking maybe the horse would be easier to tame than he originally thought. Feeling confident, Adam took a step forward. Suddenly, however, the horse reacted,  charging forward, ramming Adam into the fence. Luckily Adam was able to jump over the fence and escape before the horse could do any serious damage.

              Adam sighed as he looked at the horse who was now trotting to the other side of the enclosure. This would be a hard one.

              And, in fact, he was. For the rest of the day, Adam worked at the bronco, trying to get closer to the horse, to no avail. As dusk approached, Adam had made no progress. The only thing he had managed to do was name the horse Charger.

              As Adam began to prepare to go home he spotted someone approaching. He wondered who it was and waited for the silhouette to come into focus. Adam smiled as he recognized his best friend, Filip, waving. There was a letter in his hand.

              His friend looked excited and Adam wondered what was going on.

              “Adam! I thought I would find you out here. How are you getting off?” Filip asked as he looked at his friend. Adam’s clothes were dirty and ripped in various places. It looked like Adam had gotten in a fight with someone and Filip wondered what had happened.

              “Eh, hard day. Trying to tame this here bronco, but he is a truly wild one. Won’t let me take one step toward him without charging at me.” Filip chuckled before handing Adam the envelope he had been holding.

              “Here. This might cheer you up, chap.” Adam looked at the letter curiously.

              “Who’s it from? There’s no return address.” Adam commented as he looked at the envelope closely. His name and address were printed on the middle of the envelope but nothing else. The handwriting looked feminine. Maybe it was another response to his ad.

              Adam was single, like many men in the Wild West. There weren’t many women in the New Frontier, which made marriage a difficult thing to accomplish. Adam, however, had posted an ad in the Pennsylvania Post, telling women a little about himself, his interests, his likes and dislikes, and a few other things. If women were interested in potentially marrying him, they could contact him. Recently, he had received numerous responses but none of them had piqued his interest.

              He wondered if this letter would be different.

Chapter 2

              Adam walked home with the letter in his hand. For some reason, there was a feeling of hope coursing through his veins. He felt like maybe this was the one.

              But Adam refrained from opening the letter until he got home. Once he did, he sat down at the kitchen table. He pulled out his pocket knife and slowly opened up the envelope, careful not to rip whatever was inside. With calloused fingers, he pulled out the neatly folded piece of paper. As he did, a photo fluttered to the ground.

              Adam bent down and picked it up. He turned it over and looked at it. As he did, his heart sped up in his chest. Depicted in the photo was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Her eyes were dark and intelligent and her skin looked fair. However, her most attractive feature was her hair. It was as black as a crow’s feather and shone with a healthy glow as it flowed down her body and rested at her waist. Adam wanted to run his hands through her hair as he looked down at her picture.

              He smiled to himself before placing the photo on the kitchen table. He then shifted his attention to the letter. He finished unfolding it and looked down at the neat handwriting filling the page. He read the letter and smiled. His heart was beating fast, filling his chest with an unknown emotion. Was this love at first sight?

              Excited, Adam sat down and penned a response.

             
Dear Katherine Summers,

Let me start by saying that you are a very beautiful young woman. Your Native American heritage gives you a beauty I have never seen in any other woman. I especially love your hair. I hope you don’t find these comments too blunt. Please don’t think me rude for saying these things. I just speak the truth. You are a beautiful woman.

Also, I want to tell you that I am interested in communicating with you in the long term. I wish to learn more about you. What do you like to do? What are some of your talents? Do you have any siblings? What of your parents? What are their thoughts about you responding to my ad? I would love to learn anything you want to share with me. Do not feel obliged to respond, but I would be honored if you did. I hope to hear from you soon.

              With Love,

              Adam Richards

              Adam looked over his letter. He ended up revising it heavily. He felt like he was being too forward with her. Adam didn’t want to scare her away and eventually rewrote the whole letter. His new letter took on a polite and formal tone.

              After Adam sent off his response, he and Katherine stayed in contact for over a year. Once the holiday season approached Adam felt ready to make the big move. He didn’t want to spend another Christmas alone, and so he decided to ask for Katherine’s hand in marriage.

              Adam was very nervous as he penned his proposal, but after many failed attempts he managed to write something he felt proud of. He looked over the letter one more time, checking for any mistakes that could make him look like a fool. Satisfied that there were none to be found he folded up the letter and placed it inside an envelope. He sealed it off as if sealing off his own fate. He wondered how Katherine would respond to the proposal. In his heart, he knew he wanted her to say yes, but in his mind he still harbored doubts. Why would a beautiful, sophisticated woman like Katherine settle for a rowdy cowboy like himself?

              Adam thought about things as he made his way to the post. After a brisk walk, he arrived his destination. He opened the door to find Filip at the counter, dealing with another citizen of the town. Adam patiently waited for his turn, shaking with excitement.

              As the older woman left the post, Filip smiled at his friend. “How may I help you, old chap?” he asked, noting Adam’s eager state.

              Adam handed Filip the envelope. Filip looked down at it and smirked, seeing Katherine Summers’ address on the middle of the envelope.

              “Are you finally asking for her hand in marriage?” Filip asked, teasingly. Adam nodded, a smile painted on his face. Filip’s eyes grew wide. He didn’t think his friend would say yes.

              “That there is my proposal letter.” Adam pointed to the envelope. Filip looked genuinely surprised as he looked from the letter to his friend and back to the letter. Filip slowly picked up the envelope, looking at it closely, as if trying to find something.

              “Are you sure you want to do that? Isn’t she one of those redskins?” Filip asked, putting it down.

              “She is, but why does that matter? She has a white father.” Adam answered, concern in his voice.

              “But she looks like a redskin and you know how people around these parts can be. They might treat her cruelly, y’know?” Adam thought about his friend’s words before shaking his head.

              “I am marrying her during the Christmas season. They’ll be more accepting then,” Adam said, trying to convince himself. Filip shrugged.

              “If you say so, chap. But don’t come complaining to me if she scalps you in your sleep!” Adam glared at Filip, who just laughed. “I’ll get it to her as soon as I can,” Filip finally said, taking the envelope and putting it in a bin. Adam looked at it, knowing it would be in Pennsylvania soon enough.