Daring to Start Again: An Inspirational Historical Romance Book

by Grace Clemens

  “I’ll help you learn,” Sarah volunteered, keeping her tone as respectful as possible. “I had to learn on my own, mostly, though Mrs. Downtree up the street helped me get past the basics. I’m still not sure about some words but I’d be glad to learn those with you, if you want.”

  Danny’s smile made Sarah’s heart warm. “I don’t know. Can I really learn anything from my baby sister?”

  Sarah gasped, narrowing her eyes and saying in a teasing voice, “Oh, you can learn a lot from me, Danny. Quite a lot, in fact.”

  Danny just stared at her for a moment before grunting and turning his eyes to the saloon. “I could really go for a drink. It’s gonna be awhile before I can see Bart, I’m bettin’. I think we should all go have a beer.”

  “Now that sounds like a good idea, Danny.” Bobby sounded all for it. He turned his eyes to his wife. Sarah was looking up at him, amused. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in a saloon. Bobby gave her a questioning look. “You do want to go for a beer, don’t you? I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”

  Sarah grinned. “Yeah, I do want one. I don’t know when I was last in a saloon.”

  Danny snorted. “Don’t be a silly girl,” he said. “You ain’t never been in a saloon. Unless you’ve gone in this one. Not in New York. Not even in a pub or a restaurant. Pa never took you there.”

  Sarah lifted her eyebrows. “Did he ever take you there?”

  The look on her brother’s face was reluctant. “Yeah. We’ve been to many. Unfortunately. Especially since we got on the road to come find you, my wayward sister.”

  Two hours later, the three of them were sitting in the waiting room of the clinic. Kay, the nurse, had come to fetch them from the saloon to tell them they were wanted. Whether it was Bruce or Bart didn’t matter—Sarah found she wanted to see her brother and check on her father’s welfare despite herself.

  Kay came out from one of the rooms and gestured to them. “Come on back. Bart is waiting for you. I don’t reckon any of you want to see Mr. Donner?”

  Sarah was amused by Danny’s snort. Kay glanced at him, pulling back the corners of her lips. “That’s what I thought. Come on back and see Bart, then.”

  The three of them followed the nurse through the door she’d just come from.

  Bart was sitting up in the bed with no shirt. A bandage was wrapped around his stomach. Blood has seeped through just a bit, making a quarter-sized circle in the vast whiteness of the bandage.

  “Howdy,” he said, his voice somewhat groggy.

  Sarah went to his bedside. “Bart. Are you okay?”

  Bart’s eyes flipped to Kay, who was still standing at the door. She smiled at him. “Nurse says I’m gonna be all right. Bullet didn’t hit anything I can’t live without, I guess.”

  “He’ll be all right,” Kay said. “I’ll let y’all have some time with him.” She backed out, pulling the door closed behind her.

  “Thank you,” Danny said before the door closed.

  Bobby looked at the three of them. “Do you want some family time?” he asked, jerking one thumb over his shoulder. “I can go out, if you do.”

  Danny grunted, slapping one hand on Bobby’s shoulder. “You’re family, too, brother-in-law. You can stay.”

  Bobby looked at Bart, who nodded.

  Sarah felt a warmth flood her body, looking at her brothers and husband. In a million years, she never would have expected such a good outcome. She had hoped for it. But she hadn’t expected it.

  The three of them stayed in Bart’s room for an hour, talking and, another surprise to Sarah, laughing. The brothers told Bobby stories of their misadventures, stories that made all four of them laugh at the foolishness of the two.

  After the hour, when Danny and Bart started a conversation that had little to do with Bobby and Sarah, Bobby took Sarah’s arm and pulled on her gently. He gestured toward the door with his head.

  Sarah smiled and looked at her brothers.

  “We’re gonna step outside for a bit, boys,” she said. “Will you be okay without me?” She meant it as a joke and was grateful and pleased when they took it as one, laughing and nodding.

  “I think we can survive,” Danny replied. He looked at his brother. “Right, Bart?”

  “Yep. That’s right.”

  Sarah giggled. Bobby took her hand and led her to the door, opening it and letting her through first.

  They passed through the lobby together and went out on the porch. The sun was getting ready to rest behind the mountains. They could already see the moon, across the sky from the setting sun.

  At first, they were both quiet. Bobby sighed, turning to Sarah and gathering her in his arms, pressing one hand against the side of her head so her ear was against his chest.

  She could hear his heart pounding hard, could feel the warmth coming from his body.

  “Sarah,” Bobby said softly, “I’m so glad you came here. I don’t want you to think that all of this has done anything to our relationship except make it stronger. I won’t let you go now. I will protect you for the rest of your life, I promise you that.”

  “I love you, Bobby,” Sarah whispered, hoping he could hear her. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too, Sarah,” he responded. “I love you with all my heart. I always will.”

  They remained locked together for what felt like a long time but was probably only a few minutes. When they finally parted, he held her out in front of him, gazing lovingly into her eyes.

  “You are such a strong woman. I admire that about you. There is so much to admire about you. After all you’ve been through.”

  He hugged her again, but she couldn’t help giggling. He sounded so desperate and afraid. It made her feel good, but it was a little funny at the same time.

  “Bobby, you don’t have to worry about me feeling bad,” she said. “I feel fine now. I really do. You are my rock. I’m so glad God blessed me with you. I don’t know what I would have done… where I would be right now if it wasn’t for your ad in that paper.”

  “I would be bored and alone, just like before,” Bobby said, pulling away once more. “And you would still be doing whatever it was your father ordered you to do. But no more. You hear me, Sarah? No more. You are free. And you even have your brothers back as a bonus.”

  Sarah didn’t know how to feel about her brothers. She was, on one hand, a little afraid of them. Afraid to trust them. But they seemed so normal now and showed her love like they never had before. Even the look in their eyes was different than before.

  “Sarah,” Bobby whispered, leaning in to kiss her. “Are you happy?”

  She grinned. “I’m happy, Bobby.”

  “Good.” He pressed his lips against hers. Passion filled her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

  Epilogue

  Clara and Sarah watched as Billy and Sammy ran down the hillside to the barn. Bart had recovered at Bobby’s ranch, and they were celebrating the new barn Danny had helped Bobby and the rest of the men build. The barn was full of happy Comstock friends.

  There were many improvements made over those two weeks and Bart was anxious to get to something so he could say he helped rebuild the ranch, too. It was a running joke between him, Bobby, Sarah, and Danny, because all three teased him that he would be useless and have to depend on a woman to do everything for him.

  Many times, he stood to the sidelines, watching as the men worked, giving them direction. Sarah would remember the time as being fun and happy, a time of bonding between her and her brothers that never would have happened if her father hadn’t lost his mind.

  Four days after the incident, the sheriff showed up to tell them Bruce had been charged with several crimes having nothing to do with Comstock and would be transferred back to New York as soon as he was physically able. It would take him another week or two to recover enough for that.

  Sarah was sure he was gone now. The sheriff would inform them when he got to the celebration.

&n
bsp; "What are you thinking about, Sarah?" Clara asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

  Sarah glanced at her. “Oh, I was just remembering when the sheriff came and told us Bruce would be moved to New York. He hasn’t died, because Doc or Kay would let me know. But I expect he’s either on his way out or has already left for New York. He’s got to pay for his crimes.”

  Clara nodded. “Speaking of the sheriff, there he is. Let’s go see what he has to say.”

  Sarah agreed and the two women crossed the courtyard green to the sheriff. He’d just pulled up on his horse and was leaving it where everyone else did. Bobby had erected a single horizontal fencepost neatly slid through a vertical post with a large hole in the top. Sarah thought it was ingenious, since the fence never had a reason to be open anywhere other than the gate. It kept in domestic animals and kept out wild animals.

  “Howdy, Sheriff,” Clara spoke up first, lifting one hand in greeting.

  The sheriff landed with both feet in the dirt, creating a small puff of dust around each boot. He lifted one hand and tipped his hat toward them.

  “Howdy, ladies.” He turned his eyes to Sarah. “Just the woman I wanted to see. Wanted to let you know your pa has been sent back to New York this morning. He is gonna recover. He won’t be a strong man again, not that he was very strong to begin with.”

  Sarah shook her head. “He wasn’t.”

  The sheriff shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like it. Didn’t stop him from taking lives, though.”

  “No. No, unfortunately not.”

  The sheriff was giving her a strange look, and it made Sarah a little uncomfortable. She stared at him for a moment, hoping he would realize what he was doing. When he did, he blinked rapidly and cleared his throat.

  “I did want to tell you something that… that might change your mind about him.”

  Sarah doubted very seriously anything he had to say would change how she felt about the horrible scum she was the offspring of. She didn’t respond with more than lifting her eyebrows.

  “He… he kept asking about you. He asked about you constantly. Not really about you, I guess he was more calling out to you, wishing you were there, wishing you’d come to see him.”

  That was a lot for Sarah to handle. She sucked in her breath, frowning. “I don’t care,” she mumbled.

  She felt Clara rest a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay to care if you do, Sarah,” her friend said very softly. “And it’s perfectly fine for you not to care one bit, too.” The women exchanged taut smiles.

  Sarah didn’t really know how to feel. She wanted to be angry, bitter—she wanted to hate the man that had made her childhood so horrible.

  She shook her head. “I’m glad you didn’t tell me until after he left,” she murmured. “I don’t want to get sucked back into that life.”

  Clara snorted in an unladylike way, making both the sheriff and Sarah give her amused looks.

  “You couldn’t possibly. And you were never really in that life, were you? Be honest now. You were always a softie, weren’t you?”

  Sarah giggled. “Maybe I was, yes. I tried to please everyone.” She looked at the sheriff again. “Just keep me informed. If he ever gets out of jail alive, let me know. I may or may not want to see him.”

  The sheriff nodded, tipped his hat once more and stepped away from them into the crowd making its way to the new barn.

  Sarah and Clara turned around as he went passed them. Sarah froze in place when she saw Sammy standing directly behind them. There wasn’t nearly enough noise where she was at for someone not to be heard.

  “Oh, Sammy.”

  Sarah got on one knee and pulled the sad-looking girl into a deep hug.

  “Is the bad man gone now, Momma?”

  Sarah’s heart nearly melted. Sammy had just started calling her that, and every time she said it, it filled Sarah’s heart with love.

  She hugged her daughter. “Yes, honey. The bad man is gone now.”

  “He’s not coming back?”

  Sarah held the little girl out in front of her, shaking her head emphatically. “He will never be back—and if he does, we will take care of you and keep you safe. I love you, Sammy.”

  “I love you, too, S… Momma.”

  THE END

  Can't get enough of Sarah and Bobby? Then make sure to check out the Extended Epilogue to find out…

  How will life be for the married couple three years later?

  What is Sarah’s relationship with her two brothers, Danny and Bart?

  What will change Danny’s behavior drastically and transform him into a completely different person?

  Click the link or enter it into your browser

  http://graceclemens.com/mary

  (After reading the Extended Epilogue, turn the page to read the first chapters from “The Scars of a Pure Heart”, my Amazon Best-Selling novel!)

  The Scars of a Pure Heart

  Introduction

  Macie Sheldon tries to come to terms with her family’s death from smallpox, still confronting her face’s scars from the disease every day. Visiting their old homestead one more time seems to be the only way to deal with her loss and move forward. Her last hopes of finding peace before building a home for herself will be answered sooner than she expected when Blake Bradifield’s mail order bride advertisement will be her passageway back to Texas! But this seemingly simple plan will end up being a dangerous challenge. What are the secrets that will soon be revealed, mingling her in an unprecedented situation? Will she find closure and deal with her deep grief and insecurities?

  For Blake Bradfield, losing his grandfather feels like the whole world is falling apart, as he has been his hero since he was a boy. His family has never approved of his grandfather’s adventurous life and his choice to abandon their home to treasure hunt. However, Blake seems to be cut from the same cloth. When he discovers that his grandfather has left behind hints for one last treasure hunt his life turns upside down. What he doesn’t expect though is that his late hero has some hidden surprises for him that will change everything. Will he manage to comply with the will’s unexpected stipulations? Will Macie be eager to help him heal his own wounds? Will love ever be an option for them?

  Macie and Blake have experienced painful losses that have stigmatized their hearts and souls. However together they can get stronger and overcome any difficulty ahead. Will they set aside their dreams as they embrace something far bigger and sweeter than they could ever imagine? How could a treasure hunt bring their hearts together beyond any other ambition?

  Chapter 1

  Elmswood, Texas - December 1884

  The weather outside the simple clapboard church was appropriately cold and miserable on the day of Ewell Bradfield’s funeral. At least his grandson, Blake, found it appropriate. From his rough wooden pew, Blake wiggled his shoulders unconsciously, trying to find a bit of relief from his too-tight suit coat.

  Unfortunately, Blake had a feeling that he was the only one who was really in the right frame of mind for this solemn occasion. Up in the pulpit, Reverend Samuelson was droning on and on about the loss of a “beloved father” who “lived life to the fullest.”

  The glib comments could have been about anyone and hardly painted the vivid picture that was Ewell Bradfield. It took all of Blake’s self-control not to get up and walk out. But it wasn’t the parson’s fault that Granddad hadn’t been around much, and Blake didn’t want to be rude.