ROMANCE: Badass Boss (Billionaire Alpha Bad Boy Romance) (Western Mail Order Bride Calendar Contemporary)

by Susan Fleming

  “I noticed. We had our share of men like him in Tennessee too. Well, if you need me, you know where to find me.”

  Lena smiled. “Yes, thank you again, Jack. See you tomorrow.”

  Jack touched the brim of his hat and walked out of the store.

  Lena felt her chest grow warm. He was a rare find in Wyoming. Most decent men who arrived in Pine Bluffs were already married. Jack seemed to be just the kind of man she was waiting for.

  Chapter 4

  “Blessed Be The Ties That Bind”

  Lena woke on Sunday morning and walked straight out to the barn. She knew her father had been keeping watch at night for Raymond’s gang, but she also suspected he was letting whiskey keep him company.

  “Papa?” she called out. “Are you comin’ to church this morning?”

  She heard him stomping around in the loft. “Oh, uh, yeah, I’ll be ready in a minute.”

  Lena hitched up a team of horses to the wagon and waited for him. He stumbled out of the barn and sat with her.

  “I thought we could stop by Mama’s grave on the way to church this morning.”

  Albert took his daughter’s hand and held it. “We lost her twenty years ago today.”

  Lena blinked. “I know, Papa. I know how much you miss her.”

  “Your mother would have loved raising you, Lena. She adored you from the moment you kicked inside her belly.”

  Lena laughed. “I would have liked to have known her.”

  They pulled up to the gravesite on the top of this hill on their property. Laura Lynn Hollenbeck was the only grave there so far. They stood silently together and bowed their heads. Lena walked back to the wagon when she saw her father start to get emotional. She gave him a little time alone with his memory.

  As much as Lena wanted to get married and have her own children someday, she wondered if she would ever be able to leave her father. He was so distraught after losing her mother, he relied on her to care for the horses and manage the household. She wasn’t sure he could make it without her.

  They arrived at church as others were mingling. Lena was greeted by several women who also doted over her father. She left them to continue doting and walked toward Jack who was standing all alone.

  “Otto wasn’t able to join you today?”

  “He wasn’t feeling up to it,” Jack answered.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m glad you are here.”

  As the service began, thirty, or so, members of Pine Bluff’s Community Church sat on the short pews facing the Reverend. Lena invited Jack to sit with her and her father.

  Reverend Whitley looked toward Jack. “I see we have a new face here today.”

  Lena stood up and jerked on his arm until he stood up next to her. “This is Jack Nolan, Otto’s nephew. He is also a blacksmith and is here helping Otto with his business.”

  The church members nodded and verbally responded with acceptance.

  “Ah, we’re happy to have you with us, Jack. We pray for your uncle as well.”

  Jack nodded. “Thank you. He sends his best to you all.”

  The members sang a few hymns. Lena was captivated by Jack’s baritone voice and his passion for singing. She grew more fondly of him every minute.

  The reverend shared a sermon, though Lena hardly heard a word since she could not stop thinking about how nice it was to have Jack sitting next to her.

  After the service, Lena invited Jack to stay for the picnic lunch.

  “I wasn’t aware I was supposed to bring food,” Jack said.

  “You weren’t. You are a guest. I brought enough for you to share with my father and me,” Lena said.

  “I’m honored.”

  The adults sat on blankets on the grass surrounding the church while the children played games. Sunday was a time to build strong relationships and take a rest from hard work. Lena had never enjoyed it more than this day with Jack.

  “Lena and Jack,” Reverend Whitley said as he approached them. “Would you like to join in the three-legged race? We could use more contestants.”

  Jack looked at Lena. “Sure! I’m up for it if you are.”

  Lena smiled. “Let’s do it!”

  Jack helped her up. They stood side by side and tied cloths around their two legs next to each other.

  Jack looked at the other racers, all much younger than they. “We can take these kids.”

  Lena laughed. “I hope so, or we’ll never hear the end of it. Now, start with the inside leg so we stay together, okay?”

  “Got it.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “Hold on tight!”

  She felt tingles at his touch. She wrapped her arm around his back.

  The reverend raised his hand. “On your mark, get set, go!” He lowered his hand.

  The racers took off. Some fell right away. Jack and Lena worked well together. A couple of twelve year olds were gaining on them.

  “Come on, Lena, big strides, you can do it!” Jack coached.

  Lena started laughing as she took as wide of strides as she could. “Remember you are a lot taller than I am.”

  “Almost there!” Jack yelled.

  Lena started to trip, but she felt Jack lift her up ‘til her feet were solid again. They crossed the finish line in victory. The reverend proclaimed them as the winners.

  “Whoo-hoo!” Jack hollered, He hugged Lena and she hugged him back.

  For a moment, Lena felt as though the world stopped turning. She was caught up in his embrace, his touch, his smell, his protective arms around her. It felt so right.

  They started walking again, and tripped right over their own tied up legs. They both fell to the ground and started laughing. As they lay on their backs, Jack lifted his leg, which also lifted hers and he untied the cloth.

  “There. Now we can walk without falling,” Jack announced.

  Lena kept laughing and rolled over on her stomach. Something caught her eye. She stopped laughing immediately.

  “Jack, is that smoke coming from the Blacksmith shop?”

  Chapter 5

  Pay Back

  Jack ran toward the Blacksmith shop and Lena followed him.

  “Jack, is that a fire?” the reverend yelled out.

  Jack couldn’t stop. All he could think of was Uncle Otto. He yelled back while he continued running. “I don’t know!”

  Jack arrived at the shop and saw that the shop was on fire. He turned to see the whole church congregation on their way to help, and Lena was right behind him.

  “Tell them to get water and pails. I’m going upstairs to get Otto,” Jack said to Lena. She nodded and he heard her give directions to the people as they arrived.

  The fire had not yet reached the stairs. Jack put a bandana around his mouth and nose to protect him from breathing in too much smoke, and he ran up the stairs.

  He saw Otto lying on the bed. He tried to wake him.

  “Uncle Otto!” There was no response. Jack shook him and slapped his face. There was still no response, though he could see that he was breathing.

  Jack lifted Otto until he was in a seated position. Then he lifted him like he would a wounded lamb. He placed Otto’s arms over his shoulder and lifted. His legs drooped down Jack’s torso and counterbalanced with his arms dangling down Jack’s back. Jack balanced him the best he could and made his way to the stairs. The stairs were now on fire. He went back through the apartment to the balcony overlooking the street. He called out until several men gathered beneath him, then he lowered Otto down to them as far as he could and then dropped him. Then men caught him.

  Jack yelled out, “He needs a doctor.”

  Then men nodded.

  Albert offered his wagon. The men waited with Otto until Jack arrived, then they loaded him in the wagon. “I’ll take him to Doc’s, Jack. Don’t worry!”

  Jack waved at Albert. When everyone was a safe distance away, he jumped off of the balcony and rolled on the ground beneath him.

  “Jack! Are you alright?” Lena ran to his side
.

  “Yes.” He limped over to the water trough, filled a pail and joined the others in trying to squelch the fire.

  After thirty terrifying minutes of the town crowd drenching the shop with water, their work finally killed the fire.

  Jack thanked everyone as they left. He and Lena sat down on the wooden planks in front of the shop.

  “I’ll go with you to Doc’s so you can see your uncle,” Lena said.

  Jack hung his head. “In a minute. I just want to catch my breath.”

  He held Lena’s hand. Just having her next to him was a great comfort and gave him hope and motivation to move forward.

  “I haven’t the heart to go look at the damage quite yet.”

  Lena squeezed his hand. “When you are ready, we’ll look together.”

  Jack looked at Lena. Her curly blonde hair that was so perfectly groomed this morning at church was now covered in ash and flat. Yet, she still looked profoundly beautiful.

  Lena sat quietly with him for a few minutes. “My father and your uncle were friends in the war. Did you know that?”

  “No, I had no idea.”

  Lena nodded. “They were in the same platoon from Tennessee. When the war was over, my father married my mother and convinced Otto to move west with them, and they ended up here in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. My mother died giving birth to me five years later.”

  “So your father raised you all alone?”

  Lena shrugged. “He tried. He bought our place just south of town about ten years ago. It is a nice, two-story house with several pastures and a ten-stall barn. A former military captain built it just after the war, but died before he could really enjoy it.”

  “Sounds like a nice home. I’d like to see it some time.”

  “I’d like that, too. Anyway, my father has never gotten over my mother’s death. Your uncle helped me a lot, especially whenever my father tried to drown his sorrows in whiskey – usually right around this time of year near her birthday. Otto would check in on me when he knew I was alone at the house.”

  “You turned into a beautiful, proper lady despite your challenges,” Jack said.

  “The ladies at the church helped with that. They have been my family.”

  “They seem like great people.” He looked around. “They saved the shop from burning to the ground.”

  “You ready to take a look inside?” Lena asked.

  Jack breathed in deeply. “Yeah, let’s do it.” He got up and noticed Raymond, Bert and Chester watching him from across the street in the saloon. Raymond caught his eye and lifted his drink to him and laughed before he drank it. Jack scowled. He’d deal with him later. He turned his attention back to Lena and helped her up.

  They walked inside. The walls were charred and the floor was saturated. The stairs were crumbling but the support beam was still intact. The ceiling showed some weak areas with bowing, but it had not fallen down.

  Jack breathed out. “This will take some work, but I think I can repair it without starting all over.”

  “Your new church family will help you, Jack.”

  Jack put his arms around Lena and held her close. “With you by my side, I think I can handle anything.”

  Lena buried her head in his chest. “Do you think Raymond did this because you defended me yesterday?”

  Jack gently stroked her back. “Yes, I think so. But don’t worry, he’ll get what’s coming to him somehow and someday.”

  “I hope so,” Lena said.

  Jack and Lena held each other for several minutes. He didn’t want to let go. He already knew she was the woman meant for him.

  Chapter 6

  The Plan

  After several hours at the doctor’s place, there was no change in Otto’s condition. The doctor said they just had to wait and see what would happen. Albert said he would take Lena home.

  “He’s tough, Jack. Otto will make it through this. We’ve been through worse together, God knows,” Albert said.

  Jack nodded. He said goodnight to Lena and thanked Albert for his help.

  He stayed by Otto’s side and fell asleep in the chair next to his bed.

  Jack woke when the doctor was jostling him. “Jack?”

  “Yes, doctor, what is it?”

  The doctor put his hand on his shoulder. “He’s gone. Slipped away in his sleep.”

  Jack stood and rushed to Otto’s side. He could see there was no more life in him. No more suffering or pain, either. Jack shed a few tears and said goodbye.

  On his way home, Jack noticed Albert walk into the saloon across the street. Why was he leaving Lena alone? The thought bothered him, but as long as Raymond was in the saloon too, he figured Lena would be alright, and he could hear Raymond’s loud, obnoxious voice from the street.

  Jack walked into his shop and started sopping up the water on floor with cloths as best as he could. As he cleaned up, he noticed the guns that Raymond and his men left with him to clean and repair. He now saw this as a good opportunity to make sure Raymond couldn’t hurt anyone with his gun.

  Jack fixed the triggers on each of their guns to misfire. If they tried to use it, it would only backfire on them. That was just what they deserved.

  Jack heard some raucous on the street and looked out his front window. Raymond, Bert and Chester were staggering out and talking loudly.

  “That drunk old man in there was the horse trader. Now’s the time to make our move,” Raymond said to his boys.

  Jack ducked to make sure they didn’t see him, but he kept listening.

  “You mean steel the horses, Raymond?” one of the men asked.

  “You two get the horses, I’m gonna get me some of that feisty virgin daughter.”

  Jack’s blood began to boil. He wanted to blast all three of them away, but needed to come up with a plan.

  “We need our guns if we’re gonna leave town, Raymond,” the other man said.

  “Right,” Raymond agreed. “Looks like the blacksmith shop is abandoned.”

  “I heard they took the old man to doc’s and the nephew is with him.”

  “Perfect,” Raymond said. “Let’s go get our guns and then get out of this boring town.”

  Jack sneaked out the back door and ran around the back when Raymond and the men entered the shop. He grabbed a few small stones and quietly ran across the street to their horses. He gently talked to Raymond’s horse until he was comfortable with him. Then he glided his hand down the horse’s leg down to his hoof. He tapped on the hoof and the horse lifted his leg. Jack put a couple of stones on the bottom of his hoof. It would stop him from running fast and probably make him stop. Jack hoped it would buy him some time.

  He spotted Albert’s horse and jumped on him. He took off toward south of town toward Lena’s house. He hoped he could find it with the vague directions he knew. He had to get there before Raymond did.

  Chapter 7

  The Plan Backfires

  Lena got out of the wash tub and put on clean clothes. It felt good to be clean and wash out the smell of smoke from the fire. She thought about Jack and how she felt with his arms around her. Though it was tragic to see his uncle’s shop in flames, and to know his uncle was in very bad condition, she was also grateful that Jack was there, and was pleased to see how he handled crisis. He was a real hero. The bravery he showed when he ran in after Otto and carried him to safety. It made her even more certain that he was the man God intended for her.

  As she combed through her thick, snarly hair, she prayed for Otto and asked that God bring him healing whether it be in this life or on the other side. Peace came over her as she remembered Otto’s watchful, loving eye over her all of these years.

  Lena jumped out of her seat when she suddenly heard banging on her front door. Who could that be? Was it that awful Raymond? Her father was gone. She was all alone.

  She ran down the stairs and pulled the shotgun off of the wall. She needed to protect herself.

  She stood in front of the door and heard the banging again.


  “Who is it?” she yelled sternly.

  “Lena, it’s me, Jack. Let me in! You are in trouble!”

  “Jack?” She quickly lowered her weapon and opened the door. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s Raymond and his men. I heard them talking. They are on their way here and they are up to no good.”