Lawfully Wanted
Page 1
Lawfully Wanted
Jenna Brandt
Contents
Copyright
Introduction to The Lawkeepers Series
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
It’s not quite the end!
Preview – Next Book in Series
Also by Jenna Brandt
Join My Mailing List and Reader’s Group
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Locale and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or actual locations is purely coincidental. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email jenna@jennabrandt.com.
Text copyright © Jenna Brandt 2018, 2019.
The Lawkeepers Series © Jenna Brandt 2018, 2019.
Original cover design by Josephine Blake with photo copyright by Period Images and 123rf.com
Introduction to The Lawkeepers Series
There’s just something fascinating about a man wearing an emblem of authority. The way the light gleams off that shiny star on his badge makes us stare with respect. Couple that with a uniform hugging his body in just the right way, confidence, and mission to save and protect, it’s no wonder we want to know what lies underneath.
Yes, what echoes deep inside those beating hearts is inspiring. Certainly appealing. Definitely enticing. Although those ripped muscles and strong shoulders can make a woman’s heart skip a beat—or two—it takes a strong, confident person to choose to love someone who risks it all every day. Anyone willing to become part of a lawkeeper’s world might have a story of their own to tell.
The undeniable charisma lawmen possess make all of us pause and take note. It’s probably why there are so many movies and TV shows themed around the justice system. We’re enthralled by their ability to save babies, help strangers, and rescue damsels in distress. We’re captivated by their ability to protect and save, defend the innocent, risk their lives, and face danger without hesitation. Of course, we expect our heroes to stay solid when we’re in a mess. We count on them for safety, security, and peace of mind. From yesterday to today, that truth remains constant.
Their valor inspires us, their integrity comforts, and their courage melts our hearts—irresistibly. But there’s far more to them than their courageous efforts. How do they deal with the difficulties they face? Can they balance work and life? And how do they find time for love outside their life of service?
We want to invite you on a journey—come with us as we explore the complex lives of the men and women who serve and protect us every day. Join us in a fast-paced world of adventure. Walk into our tight-knit world of close friendships, extended family, and danger—as our super heroes navigate the most treacherous path of all—the road to love.
The Lawkeepers. Historical and modern-day super heroes; men and women of bravery and valor, taking love and law seriously. A multi-author series, sure to lock up your attention and take your heart into custody.
Visit The Lawkeepers on Facebook
Join our mailing list
The Lawkeepers is a multi-author series alternating between historical westerns and contemporary westerns featuring law enforcement heroes that span multiple agencies and generations. Join bestselling authors Jenna Brandt, Lorana Hoopes, Elle E. Kay, Patricia PacJac Caroll, Evangeline Kelly, Ginny Sterling and Barb Goss as they weave captivating, sweet, and inspirational stories of romance and suspense between the lawkeepers — and the women who love them.
The Lawkeepers is a world like no other; a world where lawkeepers and heroes are honored with unforgettable stories, characters, and love.
** Note: Each book in The Lawkeepers series is a standalone book, and part of a mini-series of sorts, and you can read them in any order.
Dedicated to
my husband, Dustin, Badge #5654,
who inspired me to create this series.
You’re not only my heart and soul,
but my own personal lawkeeper.
One
Summer of 1888
Rockwood Springs, Texas
Fatigue was evident on Levi Emerson from his long ride in from Abilene. The wound he still sported from his previous bounty job was flaring up. The usual dull ache in his chest was turning into a deep throbbing sensation, forcing Levi to concentrate hard to block out the pain.
He glanced over at his partner, Clyde Forester, hoping he was ready for a rest. Levi generally took his cues from the senior bounty hunter, knowing that Clyde had been at this job since Levi was sucking his thumb.
When Levi decided he no longer could be a soldier in the United States Cavalry, he left and found work as a cowhand. One day after work, he was at the local saloon and a fight broke out. Levi stopped the argument and gained the attention of Clyde who was working undercover as a barkeep to get information on a bounty. He offered to take Levi on as a partner and show him how to be a bounty hunter. Levi was intrigued by the offer and accepted on the spot.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Clyde observed, “I can see you fidgeting over there, Levi. What’s got you all stirred up?”
“It’s nothin’, Clyde,” Levi stated with his thick southern accent. “I’m all right.”
“Your constant rubbing of that wound tells me otherwise. Do we need to make camp instead of pushing on?”
Levi found himself uncomfortable with the fact he did the action without noticing. He preferred not to show weakness around Clyde. Not that Levi's partner would out rightly comment on it, but he would definitely remember it and think Levi less of a man.
“It’s not much further. I can make it just fine,” Levi insisted.
Though the wound bothered him, the fatigue from the bounty hunter lifestyle in general was getting to Levi. In his youth, straight out of the military, there was a massive appeal to the constant moving, the chase, and the money. Now, as he reached his mid-twenties, he realized this lifestyle was catching up to him. Not simply on a physical level, but on a mental and spiritual one as well.
He nearly died on their last bounty hunt when a bank robber caught him by surprise stabbing him with a knife. He had the mark in his chest to prove how close his life came to ending, and found himself in church the following Sunday.
There wasn't a single moment in that service he could point to and say it was then he knew he needed to start living for God. It was all the moments together. When the pastor asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord, his hand shot up without a second thought. He felt his past bad choices lift away, and a freedom unlike anything he had ever known cascaded over him.
Though his decision gave him peace, it caused strife in his relationship with Clyde. The senior bounty hunter didn’t have a religious bone in his body. He had been less than keen on the idea that Levi became a God-fearing man. Clyde was quick to point out that having morals and rules in their line of work made getting the job done significantly more difficult. Yet, Levi couldn’t bring himself to conduct business the way he did before his conversion.
Levi's current target was proving the most demanding of his career requiring months of undercover investigation at various ranches and saloons. Morris Jeffers, the ring leader of the largest cattle rustling group in Texas, was a hard man to track. If it hadn't been for the size of the reward, Levi would've tried to persuade his partner to let this one go. The local cattle barons, however, had gathered up funds to place a bounty on the outlaw's head, and it was significant enough to make it worth it. Once they collected and split the money, Levi planned to quit for good.
“I can see the lights of Rockwood Springs up ahead. That little town sure has grown ever since Deputy Sheriff Jake 'Bullseye' Bolton took up residence after leaving Abilene. I heard he made it his mission to clean up the place and help bring in businesses.”
“What caused him to do that?” Levi inquired with curiosity.
“Apparently, he fell hard for one of the local gals,” Clyde explained. “She not only convinced him to settle down with her, but also got him to stand up as the protector of the town.”
Levi wondered what it would mean to love someone enough to do that. He'd been with his fair share of ladies, but never once had it made it past more than one night. Maybe once he collected his final bounty, he could find a good woman of his own.
For now, he was glad their months of pursuit finally panned out.
Once, they located a former member of the rustling group. They paid him handsomely to tell them where the rest of the thieves planned to hit next. The ex-rustler also divulged—for an extra ten dollars—that Jeffers always had a man working at the targeted ranch explaining his success with each heist.
As soon as they arrived in town, the plan was for Levi to pose as a cowboy looking for work at the Larsen Ranch. He needed to find out which of the Larsen’s hired hands happened to be a cattle thief in disguise.
“You ready to finish this one, Levi?”
“You better believe it, Clyde. Nothin’ I want more.”
Two
After a quick glance at the clock on the corner of her vanity, Abigail Larsen finished pinning up the last of her curls as quickly as possible. She couldn’t be late for the morning meal. Her father, Bradford Larsen, insisted on punctuality without excuse.
His rigid schedule only got worse after her mother passed away from cholera three years prior. It was in that same year her father sent Abigail to a finishing school in Boston. He claimed he wanted to prepare her for marriage as there was no longer a woman in the house to do so. Abigail was certain it had more to do with her similar features to her mother. From her strawberry blonde hair to her seafoam green eyes, she was a mirror image.
Abigail made sure her appearance was prim and proper the way her father liked. She grabbed her cream shawl which complemented the soft yellow blouse and brown skirt she wore. With a final glance in the mirror, she headed downstairs.
She stiffened reflexively as she rounded the corner to the dining room. Her new sister-in-law, Ada Larsen, was inspecting the place settings at the table and did not appear pleased. Wilma Jones, one of the family’s servants, was standing just a couple of feet away with her eyes downcast.
“What's going on in that head of yours? The silverware still has spots which means you did not polish them before setting them out.”
“I'm sorry Mrs. Larsen” —Abigail flinched hearing her sister-in-law addressed by her mother’s former title— “I polished 'em but I must've missed a few places.”
“You need to pay more attention to detail or your position in this household will end,” Ada threatened.
Abigail didn’t like the way the other woman was talking to Wilma. The long-time servant was reliable and diligent in her work. She was uncomfortable watching Ada act as if the Larsen family estate and servants were hers to manage. By de facto with Abigail absent Ada had free rein to take over. All of that would change now that Abigail returned. She refused to let Ada treat her home and the people she cared about in such a manner.
In an effort to keep Ada from admonishing Wilma any further, Abigail stepped into the room. “Wilma, would you mind going and fetching me a cup of tea and the morning paper?”
Both women turned their attention to Abigail. The servant wore a grateful expression while her sister-in-law looked perturbed.
Ada took the seat at the right side of the head of the table—the spot Abigail's mother used to hold. She gestured for Abigail to join her in the seat beside her. As Abigail sat as directed, she noted Ada looked impeccable per usual; her brown hair pinned up pristinely with her violet day dress pressed to perfection.
“How are you adjusting to being back?” Ada asked. Her cold tone and uninterested eyes suggested she inquired out of obligation rather than a true concern.
“I never adjusted to the frigid winters and dry summers back east, not to mention the lack of friendliness from most people I met. I’m grateful to be back home where I belong.”
With a smug smile, Ada stated, “I wouldn’t get too used to it.”
Before Abigail could question Ada about her peculiar statement, Wilma re-entered the room. She carried a tray with a cup of tea along with rye toast and the paper. She placed the items in front of Abigail. “I remember you’re partial to rye toast, Miss Abigail.”
“Thank you, Wilma.” Abigail gave an appreciative smile before opening the paper to read the headlines.
“You know, it's not proper for a lady to read at the table, let alone a newspaper,” Ada chastised.
Abigail lowered the paper a smidge and peered at her sister-in-law over the edge. “I find I enjoy knowing what is going on in the world and formed the habit while away.”
“I highly doubt your finishing school instructors knew you were behaving in such a manner.”
“There are new views forming back east that women should be as well informed as men on social and political matters,” Abigail pointed out. “Some people even suggest that women gain the right to vote.”
Abigail's eyes had been opened to the new possibilities for her gender by a few of the girls from her finishing school. They had dragged her to a women’s suffrage meeting at a small cafe on the outskirts of Boston after a museum outing one day. Ada was indeed correct that the head mistress would never have allowed it, but she never found out.
The women were empowered at the meetings, and believed females deserved equal treatment under the law. Growing up in conservative central Texas, Abigail had never heard women talk about being treated like men, shocking her at first. Yet, even upon leaving, Abigail wanted to go back and learn more. One trip turned into two and two turned into a half a dozen. Soon, whenever she could get away, she became a regular at the meetings.
“As the daughter of a Texas cattle baron, you wield immeasurable influence,” Anna Sterling, the leader of the Boston suffrage group, pointed out.
“But you don’t understand how Texans are. They'll never take to a woman trying to exact equality with men.”
“When you return home, you can push for real changes with that influence. It may mean you have to ruffle a few feathers, but it will be worth it when our daughters are born with the right to vote, and can run for political office.”
“What a grand idea!” Abigail marveled. “I can’t even imagine a world like that.”
"You better not let your father hear you speak in such a way," Ada warned, jolting Abigail from her memories. "Yankees might allow such insidious thoughts, but it has no place here in Rockwood Springs."
“I think women should—” her father and brother, Charlie, cut short her point by entering the room.
“Good morning, ladies,” Bradford said as he took his seat at the head of the table. Briskly, he pulled the linen napkin from the top of his plate and placed it in his lap.
“Father, don’t forget to remove your hat at the breakfast table,” Ada cooed.
Abigail was taken aback at how quickly her sister-in-law could change her attitude and pour on the charm. It turned Abigail’s stomach to hear Ada drip honey from her lips. To make matters worse, Abigail had to listen to a near-stranger call him ‘Father.’
“Right, right,” Bradford mumbled under his breath as he took off his hat and held it out to the side.
Wilma scurried from the corner of the room and took the Stetson in hand, then asked, “Will you have your usual, Mr. Larsen?”
“Indeed.”
“And you, Mr. Charlie?” Wilma inquired as she made her way around the table.
Charlie barely acknowledged the woman with a slight nod of the head. Apparently, Ada had Abigail’s brother following her example. As the only son and heir to the ranch, Charlie had been spoiled from birth. Before Abigail left, he had at least been kind to the people who worked for them.
Wilma must have known she wouldn’t get a verbal acknowledgement because without hesitation, she disappeared through the door that lead to the kitchen.