by Jenna Brandt
Levi gathered her into his arms and sealed his proposal with a kiss.
Twenty-Six
As the doors opened and Abigail entered the Rockwood Springs church, Levi couldn’t contain his joy. A large grin spread across his face as tears formed in his eyes as he watched his bride float down the aisle to him.
Abigail wore a simple, sky blue dress with her hair half pinned back. Though they didn't plan a fancy wedding, she looked breathtaking.
Tabitha stood beside Levi, holding the rings in her tiny hand. She didn’t quite understand what was going on, but she knew it was a happy occasion which she got to be a part of. Pastor Gable was on Levi’s other side, along with Paul, Judy, Jake, and Rebecca sitting in the front pew as joyful witnesses.
Levi extended his hand as Abigail reached the end of the aisle. Abigail turned to face him with tears of joy in her own eyes.
“We are gathered here today because Levi Emerson and Abigail Larsen have decided to be married. I’m honored to preside over this wonderful union, where two unlikely souls chose to become one.” He looked at them with a smile and added, “You mentioned you both have your own vows you wish to share. Not surprising, as unorthodox as you both are.”
Everyone in the room laughed, knowing Pastor Gable’s statement to be true.
Levi brushed a stray strand of Abigail’s hair behind her ear as he smiled at her. “I should have told you this when I first realized it; I love you. I have loved you since the first time we spoke. In the beginning, I didn’t think I should say it, then I wasn't sure how to say it. Now, I need you to know how true it is; I love you, Abigail Larsen. I promise to honor you in all I do, involve you in every decision I make, and treat you as my equal partner for the rest of my life.”
Abigail squeezed both of Levi’s hands. “I didn’t know what to make of you when I met you, Levi Emerson. I came home to find my life had been planned out for me. When I met you, I realized I couldn’t be with anyone else, not when I felt the way I did about you. You understand me and love me for who I am, something I never thought possible in a husband. I promise to honor you as my partner, to include you in all my decisions, and to love you all the days of my life.”
“Do you have the rings?” Pastor Gable asked.
“I do,” Tabitha chirped up from the side, handing the pastor the rings.
“Repeat after me after placing the ring on each other's fingers. With this ring, I thee wed.”
Each of them did as directed.
“Now, by the power vested in me by God, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Levi leaned over and placed a tender kiss upon his wife’s lips as their friends clapped and cheered around them.
Never would he have thought that chasing a wanted outlaw would lead him to find the woman he wanted to marry. God used his final bounty to bring him the woman of his dreams.
It’s not quite the end!
Did you enjoy — Lawfully Wanted? You won’t want to miss the rest of the books in the series from — Ginny Sterling, Elle E. Kay, Evangeline Kelly, and various other authors.
Turn the page for a sneak peek of the next K-9 stand alone book, Lawfully Wild, by Ginny Sterling!
Still want more historical? Lawfully Forgiven is available now and is the last book in the Rockwood Springs trilogy. Don’t miss the epic story of when a Texas Ranger fall for a suspected train robber.
Preview – Next Book in Series
Ginny Sterling’s Lawfully Wild
Melanie Strow was supposed to be returning from the trip of a lifetime. It was a girl’s outing. A last fling before school started back in session and the three teachers dedicated themselves once again to caring for others. It was supposed to be a purely selfish trip, one that was to be full of entertainment and adventure. Bahamas, Nassau, Curacao, Brazil… a hopper cruise, going from port to port with excursions at every stop. She’d never done anything like this before in her life and they’d teased her into it. Her nickname among the other teachers was ‘old woman’. At twenty-five, she was far from being old, even if she loved the timelessness of another era. She couldn’t help it. Melanie loved the peace that came with reading, baking, cleaning, crocheting and quilting. She loved creating with her hands and using her mind to make something from nothing.
Maybe it was the trip of a lifetime for the other girls, but for Melanie? It was physically exhausting and not what she would have chosen. She felt lost and out of her routine, agreeing to leave her books and stitching at home. She craved them as a crutch when the first bout of sickness hit her.
She’d never been so ill in all her life, so quickly.
The first night she’d emptied her body of all contaminants and the sweating began. Dehydrated, dizzy, nauseated on the cruise, she managed to limp her way to the infirmary only to find out that the nurse on the ship had left for the land excursions just like everyone else. Crawling onto the gurney in the empty room, she fell asleep waiting for them to return much later. After several bags of IV fluid and potassium, she was able to stop the bodily cramps and just exist through the fever that wracked her.
The fever that lasted the rest of the trip.
Cruises were something that she’d never chance again without some promise of nausea medicine, antibiotics or a strict guarantee of a refund due to incident. All of which was not happening on this trip,she thought dejectedly as she stood in line at customs. It had seemed like a great idea to escape for a bit, but now she realized that she was stuck in the middle of nowhere feeling awful. She wanted to sleep in her own bed.
Her savings was gone and nothing to show for it other than she’d lost twelve pounds of water weight in the last four days. She couldn’t even say that she’d gained camaraderie with the other girls, as she’d not really hung out with them much. They’d texted, she’d texted back saying that she was dying from some rogue intestinal parasite that she’d named Stan. They’d laughed, but she’d been serious. Maybe she’d write a children’s novel and develop Stan as a character, she mused silently. She was certain he had elongated canines that chewed on her large intestine. Perhaps Stan the Parasite had bristles on his skin to scratch his way down through her dredges of her guts.
Smiling wanly at herself and her macabre humor, she waved to Melissa and Joan as they cleared through customs inspection. They’d been ahead of her in line because she had to visit the porcelain throne yet again. She’d promise to meet up with them at a later date to share colored corrugated paper borders, construction paper and supplies necessary for the decoration of their classrooms. The ladies had been assigned rooms near each other and thankfully they got along fairly well, even if they called her an old woman. It helped tremendously on her wallet, especially when she had to go buy stuff to decorate her classroom on her own.
“Those your friends?” she heard a deep voice behind her. Nodding tiredly, she smiled politely. He seemed very nice, nothing overly aggressive or suave. The man looked the part of a middle age dad, complete with a receding hairline and rounded tummy. His nose was sunburned and starting to peel, indicating that he’d also been travelling to a sunny location. Melanie was far from sunburnt. Her normally fair skin had a sallow look to it. She was extremely pale as she’d not seen the light of day for the last several days.
“Yes.”
“How come they are up there and you are back here?”
“I’ve been sick,” she admitted watching the custom’s officers walk the length of the airport slowly. They were extremely intimidating. Tall, quite robust and armed to the teeth. Even the dogs with them on tethers looked like they could do some serious damage. One of them was the size of a small bear that she’d seen at the zoo last fall. The man looked quite handsome but ambivalent to the people around him. Instead, he was focused on walking the dog near the line and standing close by. The other officer was farther down the customs line, doing the exact same thing.
“Are you contagious?” he man said in alarm and stepped back away from her. She noticed
the diaper bag on his shoulder and instantly felt guilty. Last thing she wanted to do was get anyone’s child sick.
“No, I think I ate something that didn’t agree with me honestly. You’ll be fine. Where’s your baby?” she asked, pointing at the diaper bag with a smile. She’d not seen a carrier, but then again? She’d not paid attention to much other than getting through the next few hours until she got home.
“Oh, my wife and baby are in the restroom.”
“A little boy or a girl?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s a boy,” he said quickly with a fake smile. Instantly, Melanie felt something was off. Her internal radar was going off but being drowned out by the pain in her stomach. Usually parents were quick to whip out photos on their cell phone or something. This guy looked like he honestly did know what kind of child he had or where it was. He looked distracted and almost as uncomfortable as she felt.
“What’s his name?”
“George.”
“That’s a nice name,” she said idly, making small talk. She could feel her stomach clench again as it cramped painfully. She hated to get out of line once more. She wanted to get home, curl up in a ball and go to bed. Maybe her stomach could wait a bit? She had five people ahead of her now and was almost through customs. So very close!
“I think I need to go see what’s taking my wife so long,” the man behind her told her suddenly just as Melanie was feeling herself break out in a cold sweat again. Oh no!Her body was not going to allow her to wait. Her stomach was now cramping hard making her legs ache and tremble. She heard people around her, but it all sounded foggy as she focused on trying to calm her raging intestines.
“Oh, my word, this is awful.”
“Miss? You okay?” someone asked from far away. The voice sounded so warm and welcoming, she found herself blindly responding to the spicy timbre that called to her. She turned and met the officer’s stony face, feeling herself weave with nausea.
“Not really,” she admitted weakly. “I’m going to be ill again.” Grabbing the handle of her roll-around bag, she started to get out of line. It would not be long before she was ill publicly. Her mouth was salivating, her body aching, heart pounding. She needed privacy and a place to hide while her body emptied itself further from any remnants of whatever virus she’d picked up.
“Miss? You forgot your bag,” he barked out, stopping her immediately in her tracks with that authoritative voice. There was a command in it that brooked no argument from her.
“I have my things, officer,” she told him faintly and looked back to where she’d once been standing. The diaper bag had been left on the floor as a marker of where she’d once been. The man had left it there? He and his wife would be looking for it, wouldn’t they?
Horrified, she stared at the bag as she suddenly realized that it had been left on purpose. People backed away from the abandoned back, staring at her in abject fear. Melanie began backing away involuntarily as dread and nausea washed over her. The large dog that looked like a bear was tugging at his leash bodily and growling at the bag. The other officer quickly joined them from further down the line, yelling for people to calm down as panic began to ensue. Everyone had seen the news and feared the worst. A panicked crowd was a dangerous crowd -and they looked to her as the culprit. She only wanted a bathroom!
“There a problem?”
“Sheba’s got one,” the officer standing closest to her responded quickly, grabbing his handheld mic that was clipped to his uniform shirt, speaking quickly calling for backup.
“Miss? Miss!” he called out repeatedly, snapping at his fingers at her as she stared at the bag in stunned horror. The faces around her were filled with loathing directed towards her. “Is that your bag?”
“No. I am going to be sick.” Melanie put her hands over her face and wished for a cool glass of water to settle her stomach. The muffling of the sounds around her were symptomatic of her getting ready to collapse or faint. It had happened on the ship and she recognized it. She needed help, relief, simply anything to relieve her. She was flushed and beginning to sweat again just like on the cruise liner. Her legs clenched as she shook with fierce chills.
“You aren’t going anywhere. Rick, check the bag. I’ve got her.”
Unzipping it, he looked inside and nodded to the tall officer that was holding back the large dog. Her intestines gave another massive lurch and her body knew there was no waiting any longer. She was about to disgrace herself if she didn’t get in the restroom immediately.
“Look- can this wait five minutes?” she blurted out and darted into the family restroom, throwing the lock. She heard pounding on the door an intense yelling just on the other side of the door. Fists pounded like drums, echoing her rapid heartbeat, but she tuned them out as the room spun around her. The fluorescent lights were making her head hurt something fierce.
“I’m sick!” she called out again, blindly reaching for anything to keep her from collapsing. She grabbed the somewhat clean handicap bar uncaringly, thankful for the cool metal under her fingertips. “Go away!”
“You are under arrest for smuggling.”
“I didn’t do anythi-… ohhh gosh,” she breathed as it finally hit her. She became sick yet again. Her body was aching and cramping something fierce. Her stomach burned with rancid acid, gagging while her body tried desperately to rid itself of Stan the parasite. Virus. Amoeba. Tapeworm? She’d caught something terrible and was certain of it now. Food poisoning never lasted four days and he was ripping through her just as strongly now as he was on day one. She was dying…of embarrassment and from Stan. Flushing the toilet, she unlocked the door and barely glanced at the two handsome officers dressed in black waiting for her with guns drawn.
“I need a hospital,” she breathed and promptly fainted limply at their feet.
Also by Jenna Brandt
Most Books are Free in Kindle Unlimited too!
Billionaires of Manhattan Series
The billionaires that live in Manhattan and the women who love them. If you love epic dates, grand romantic gestures, and men in suits with hearts of gold, then these are books are perfect for you.
Waiting on the Billionaire
(Also on Audiobook)
Nanny for the Billionaire (coming May 2019)
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 author Jenna Brandt and many others 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. Jenna’s Lawkeeper books:
Historical
Lawfully Loved-Texas Sheriff
Lawfully Wanted-Bounty Hunter
Lawfully Forgiven-Texas Ranger
Lawfully Historical Box Set
Contemporary
Lawfully Adored-K-9
Lawfully Wedded-K-9
Lawfully Treasured-SWAT
Lawfully Dashing-Female Cop/Christmas
Lawfully Devoted-Billionaire Bodyguard/K-9
The Rockwood Springs Series-a spin-off series from Jenna Brandt’s historical lawkeeper books, centering around the fictional town of Rockwood Springs, Texas. The first two books take place during World War I and follow the love stories of two of the town’s families.
Promised to a Soldier
Courted by a Soldier
Second Chance with You Series is written by a group of sweet, clean contemporary romance authors connected by the idea that past loves, broken apart for a myriad of reasons, can be brought back together--some by chance, some by circumstance, some by choice. Jenna’s Second Chance book:
Rekindled
Match Made in Heaven Series-standalone stories that are sweet, clean romances designed to whisk you away. Not every man has six-pack abs, nor every woman the model of femini
nity, but everyone needs someone. We believe in building a world that begins at the very core of what makes romance stories work—faith, hope, and love. Now it’s your turn to find love. Set your imagination and heart free with us. The next happily-ever-after is at your fingertips, just waiting to be told…Jenna’s Matched books:
Royally Matched
Famously Matched (Summer 2019)
Silverpines Series-centered around the fictional town of Silverpines, Oregon, during the turn of the 20th century. When a disaster takes most of the men, the women are left to save the town by placing mail-order groom advertisements. Get to know the various lovable characters and their stories from some of todays bestselling historical authors.
Wanted: Tycoon
The Window to the Heart Saga is a recountal of the epic journey of Lady Margaret, a young English noblewoman, who through many trials, obstacles, and tragedies, discovers her own inner strength, the sustaining force of faith in God, and the power of family and friends. In this three-part series, experience new places and cultures as the heroine travels from England to France and completes her adventures in America. The series has compelling themes of love, loss, faith and hope with an exceptionally gratifying conclusion.
Trilogy
The English Proposal (Book 1)
The French Encounter (Book 2)
The American Conquest (Book 3)