“He’s not himself,” Alice said. “He would never have behaved this way before.”
Adam nodded. “I know.” He looked back to the men as they lead the horse carrying Nathan out of the wooded area and back toward town. He didn’t truly wish to go back. He would have given anything to have Holly still alive and well. Thinking of her made his heart ache. However, having Alice in his arms felt right, whether he liked it or not. It was the way his life would be from now on. He had to accept it.
The family rode slowly back toward town. Alice and Riley were on one horse while Adam and Max were on another. They were headed to the Wesley’s, where they knew Caroline would be waiting anxiously for news.
Alice tried not to think about the bump on her head and the burning on her inner thighs. It sent a bolt of pain through her every time one of them rubbed against the saddle. She wanted to sit to the side but couldn’t do so with Riley on the saddle in front of her.
She felt a massive sense of relief flood through her when she saw her house approaching. There were many horses gathered out front, so many that some were tethered to the fence posts out front.
Adam and Max dismounted quickly and Adam was at her side to help her and Riley down. She had to walk slowly, knowing she must look awkward but not caring. She needed salve for her thighs and a cold compress for her head. Adam put his arm around her waist and helped her walk.
“Are you all right, Alice?”
“Yes,” Alice nodded. “I will be all right, Adam. Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
“There is never a need to thank me, my dear. I am blessed to be a part of your family, even if Nathan did lose his mind for a short time.”
“It’s the drink that did it. I just know it.”
“People deal with death in their own way, Alice. I’m sure he thought it would help him get through.”
“I don’t know why he had to blame you, though. I’m so sorry.”
Adam stopped her, putting two fingers to her lips. “I don’t want to ever hear you say you are sorry about this again. None of this was your fault and you have nothing to apologize for. Is that clear?” His voice was so gentle, she could feel only love sweeping through her, the pain she was feeling abated for a few moments. He noticed her pain, reached down, and gathered her up in his arms so that she no longer had to walk. She rested her head against his shoulder, sighing deeply.
Max opened the gate for him and he walked quickly to the front door. Riley ran up the steps and held the door open so he could carry Alice through.
“Alice! Oh, Alice, what has happened to you, my girl!” Caroline jumped to her feet and ran to them.
“She’s all right, Caroline,” Adam assured his mother-in-law. “She just needs to lie down.”
“I need some salve, Mama,” Alice said weakly. The strain of the day had taken all of her energy and she felt as weak as a leaf blowing in the wind.
“Take her into her room, Adam,” Caroline instructed. “I will get what she needs. Take her in there and lay her down on the bed.”
Adam nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He didn’t tell her that had been his intention all along.
When he lowered Alice to the bed, he grunted in pain. Alice looked up at him in alarm. “Oh Adam! You must be broken up inside. Did he hurt you terribly?”
Adam sat on the edge of the bed and took one her hands in both of his, bringing it to his lips and kissing her soft skin. “No, Alice, he didn’t hurt me that much. But I’m probably pretty bruised up. It’s gonna take some time for both of us to heal from this ordeal.”
Her eyes were soft and loving as she looked at him. “If I have to suffer with anyone, I’m glad it’s you, Adam.”
He couldn’t help chuckling at the remark. “I would rather not suffer at all. In addition, I would rather you never suffer. Over anything.”
“I must tell you something, Adam. If you will let me.”
Adam squeezed her hand. “Of course, my dear.”
“I have always… I have always thought Holly was so lucky, so blessed to have found a man like you. She loved you so much. I was envious but there was no way I would ever have wanted to deprive her of the happiness you gave her. Thank you for loving her, Adam. Thank you so much.”
He smiled gently. “I couldn’t help it. Your parents had amazing daughters. I was the one who was blessed, coming all the way from Wisconsin to find a family as wonderful as yours.”
“Even after what Nathan did?”
“I would never trade the wonderful years I had with Holly for the past few days of pain and sorrow, Ally. I have two beautiful children because of her. And I hope… I do hope that I will have many more years of happiness with your family.”
Alice smiled at him biting her bottom lip. “What do you think will happen to Nathan?”
He thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. “I don’t know. However, I do know that we will have some say in it. We can ask for leniency.”
“He’s going to go to jail, isn’t he?”
“He probably will for a time.” Adam reached up, pushed her soft hair from her forehead, and tucked the long strand behind her ear. “But it won’t be for too long, I’m sure. No one was killed. No one was seriously injured. Families…” he chuckled. “Families fight sometimes.”
“Oh, Adam,” Alice shook her head. “You are such an amazing man.”
“And you are an amazing woman.”
“Never leave me, Adam. Please never leave me.”
“I promise you I won’t,” he responded. He leaned forward and placed a firm kiss on her forehead. When he pulled away he looked into her eyes, knowing he would be gazing at them for many years to come.
“I… I love you, Adam.” Alice said.
“I love you, too, Alice.”
EPILOGUE
EPILOGUE
Adam knelt down and adjusted Max’s vest. “You look like the most handsome young man I’ve ever seen.” He said, smiling.
“Thank you, Papa,” Max responded. “But that’s what you have to say. You’re my papa.”
Adam laughed. “I suppose you are right, my son.”
“I’m glad we get to celebrate my birthday at Grandpa and Grandma's.”
Adam nodded. “Me, too, son. Me too.”
“Is Riley ready? I want to go.”
“I don’t know, let’s go find out.”
The two left the room. Adam had built an extra room onto the house, aware that his son and daughter now needed their own space. They were getting too old to share the loft with each other.
“How’s it going up there?” Adam called from the bottom of the ladder.
Alice looked over the edge with a smile. “She is almost ready. She wants her hair in a special braid and my fingers are just not as nimble as they should be for such a complex task.”
Adam heard Riley laughing behind Alice. “Oh, it’s not that hard, Aunt Alice! We’ll be done in a minute, Daddy!” The little girl called out.
Adam laughed. “The boy and I will be waiting in the carriage. Don’t be too much longer, it’s hot out there, you know.”
“Yes, Daddy!” Riley called out.
Adam and Max went through the front door, stepping out onto the porch.
“Papa, we should wait here in the shade of the porch. If we go out there and wait, we could be waiting a long time. Girls never do anything fast!”
Adam laughed. “You’re learning early, son. All right, we’ll wait here.”
He and Max sat on the porch chairs. Adam pulled his pipe from his pocket and pressed his thumb into the bowl to see if there was a good amount of herbs left in it. When he saw there was, he lit the pipe and breathed the sweet taste into his mouth.
“Can I have some of that, Papa?”
Adam raised his eyebrows, clenching the pipe between his teeth. “Not yet, son. When you’re older.”
“Aww,” Max pouted but in a good-natured way and looked out over the horizon with a soft smile. Adam scanned the boy’s face. He was handsome and looked
more like a darker version of his mother every day. He had her eyes, her chin, and her nose. He’d gotten his dark hair and tanned skin from Adam. Everything else reminded Adam of Holly.
He thought back to the year before, to the events that had brought him and Alice so much closer together. They were planning to be married in the fall, which was two months away and had the blessing of her parents. He thought with some sadness about their uncle Nathan, who was sitting in a prison cell, where he would be for the next few years. Since Nathan hadn’t harmed anyone, he was arrested by Sheriff Copper and convicted by the magistrate of aggravated kidnapping and assault. They had specifically asked for a lighter sentence because of the mental strain his sister’s sudden death had put on him. They were grateful the judge complied and didn’t give him a harsher sentence.
After his arrest, the cowboys he’d been running with disbanded and left town, never to be seen again. At least, that was what Adam hoped. He hadn’t seen any of them, except Matt, who had stayed in town and fixed up his ranch house, since the day of the arrest.
The door opened. Riley and Alice came through, both looking as beautiful as the Arizona sunset. Adam and Max stood up. Adam pressed his thumb down into the bowl of the pipe to put out the herbs.
“Don’t my girls look absolutely stunning?” He said. “Max, Riley, go on to the carriage. I want to talk to your aunt for a minute.”
Max rolled his eyes and sighed. “Don’t be long, Papa. I don’t want to start sweating in my nice outfit. I want to look good for Grandma and Grandpa.”
Alice and Adam both laughed. Adam shooed the children down the stairs. Then he turned to look into Alice’s eyes. She gazed up at him and he could see the love in her eyes.
“I’m so glad we decided to take a chance and do this, Alice. Thank you for coming over and helping me get the children ready. It seems funny to me because we are going back to where you just came from.”
“I look forward to the day when I will be living here and won’t need to leave in the evenings.”
“Do you think… do you ever regret what has happened between us?” Adam asked.
Alice immediately shook her head. “No, darling. How can I? It may seem strange to others but it doesn’t seem strange to me. Not anymore. I… I truly think Holly would be happy for us. She would be happy that I get to have the privilege of helping you raise her children.”
“Do you really think so?”
Alice laughed, putting her arms around Adam’s neck, plunging her slender fingers into his dark hair. He relished the sensation of her touch. “Of course. Adam, you knew her as an adult better than I did. Don’t you think if she wanted you to be happy with anyone, it would be someone that she loved, too?”
Adam smiled. “You’re right. She would feel that way, wouldn’t she? I’m not just telling myself that because I… because I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Alice shook her head. “You aren’t just telling yourself that. Before we even knew it, others did. I… I must admit I wanted to fight it for a time. But you… you are an irresistible man. I am proud to be your woman. I am proud that you are my man. You make me proud every day. I liked you before. However, I love you now. I truly do.”
“I love you, too, Ally. You are a beautiful, smart, loving woman. It seems God blessed me twice.”
Alice smiled, biting her bottom lip. Her cheeks blushed red and she fluttered her eyelashes at him. He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. Love flooded Alice’s body, filling her from her head to her toes.
“Come on, Papa!” Max called from the carriage. “It’s hot!”
THANK YOU
for reading my book and
I hope you have enjoyed this story as well.
“ LOVE’S BATTLE WON” is a standalone story.
If you have enjoyed reading this book, “Handsome Widower’s Second Chance” so far, I believe you will be interested in checking out “Love’s Battle Won (A Novella)”.
Left alone with a son to raise, Serena Snowdon knows trouble hunts her… A man who loves hard and fights harder, Jasper Riley knows when danger comes calling... But when threatened, both realize if they don’t make a stand the price may be more than either are willing to risk. Can Serena rebuild her life once and for all?
Will Love To Be The Price To Pay?
An Angel’s smile…A Devil’s eyes…Are dreams made to be broken?
Cheated out of her own ranch and left alone with a son to raise, Serena Snowdon can’t seem to keep ahead of the trouble that haunts her. With her only chance at a normal life hanging on the return of her husband, Serena knows she will just have to hold on until he comes back. But when she finds employment as a cook in the Riley household, she discovers that some things are worse than being out in the cold - like a dark-haired cowboy with the temptation of the devil himself.
Known to be a man who loves hard and fights harder, Jasper Riley has a knack for knowing when danger is nipping at his heels. Yet he seems blind to the perils of the irresistible attraction he feels for their new cook, even as he is coerced into a marriage with a woman he has no feelings for.
But when all Serena has left is being threatened, she and Jasper realize that if they don’t make a stand, then the worst that can happen is far more than either of them is willing to risk.
With their backs against the wall and Serena determined to reclaim what is rightfully hers, Jasper has no choice but to set his sights on the one thing he knows best - protecting what is his.
I have enclosed a preview of “Love’s Battle Won”.
Check it out below…
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CLICK HERE TO GET IT NOW
CHAPTER ONE
JASPER ARRIVES AT STEEPHILL RANCH
Misty Creek, Montana - 1825
Jasper rode back – the beloved sight of Steephill Ranch warming his heart. As he drew closer, however, he was seized by a momentary attack of panic at the thought of his youngest sister coming out. It seemed so ominous, somehow.
“Jasper!” the object of his thoughts cried happily as she came riding toward him – her auburn hair fanning out behind her.
“Petula!” Jasper replied as she trotted over toward him. “You shouldn’t be riding astride like that. You know how much Mother hates it.”
Petula gave her brother an impish smile. “There are only a few more days to go. before I have to forever behave like a simpering damsel, Jasper, so I fully intend to enjoy them before I give up my wild childhood.”
Jasper sighed. He loved his family, particularly Petula. She was impetuous and headstrong, but altogether adorable and completely sincere.
“Say something, Jasper,” Petula said, looked at him worriedly. “I don’t like your brooding silence.”
Jasper sighed again. “It’s nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re growing up and I feel change in the air.”
Petula laughed. “I know what you’re worried about, Jasper. Papa and Mama will be looking at every girl who comes to my Ball as a prospective bride for you.”
Jasper snorted impatiently, sounding almost equine. “They can look all they want, but I am determined to take my time.”
“You’re 28, Jasper,” Petula said, her voice concerned. “So there’s bound to be pressure on you to marry. And it’s not such a bad thing at all. I’m rather looking forward to being an aunt!”
“An aunt? I’m not even close to being married and you want to be an aunt?”
“Race you to the stables!” Petula laughed, galloping away and throwing her brother a challenging look over her shoulder.
Jasper shrugged and took off after her; allowing her to beat him to the stables.
“Generous to a fault!” Petula declared, jumping off her horse as Jasper cantered up and stopped.
“What do you mean?” Jasper asked, innocently, inclining his head.
“You let me win. You gave away the race. Why do you do that?”
“You won, fair and square,” Jasper insisted.
Petula shook her head indulgently. “Jasper, I love you, my brother, but you need to grow a tougher skin and not keep letting your heart rule your life.”
“Wipe your feet, you two!” Rebecca Riley instructed adamantly as Jasper and Petula walked in, Jasper wiping beads of perspiration from his brow. Riding the fences was hot work. He leaned down to peck his mother on the cheek and then straightened up and grinned in an amused way as she chastised him for not washing before coming in for lunch.
“How are the plans for the big banquet coming along, Mother?” he asked, skillfully turning the conversation to Rebecca’s favorite subject.
“Not as smoothly as I would have liked.” Rebecca replied, shaking her head. “We’ve just had another setback.”
“Setback?” Petula cried, jumping up from her chair. “We are going to have my coming out ball and banquet, aren’t we, Mama?”
Rebecca threw her youngest child an impatient look. “Of course we are, child!”
“What is the setback, then? I do hope nothing goes wrong. I want everyone to have a good time.”
Rebecca bustled over to the table and sat down. “Angelica has received word from her mother that her father has taken a turn for the worse and she has to hurry back home.” Their mother sighed. “I can’t prevent her from going…but I have found a replacement.”
Petula dropped her head into her hands. “A replacement? But nobody can cook like Angelica can! Nobody can handle a banquet with her flair! This is just too bad!”
“What’s too bad?” Petula’s brother Jeremiah asked, striding in and taking a chair.
“This isn’t something you or I can do anything about, Jeremy,” Jasper said. “Probably best you don’t ask for details. Women issues, you know.”
“Details about what?”
Handsome Widower’s Second Chance Page 19