Wild Western Women Ride Again: Western Historical Romance Boxed Set

by Kirsten Osbourne

  Finally, the woman picked up her basket and started toward the door. “Hi, Mayor. I’ve wanted to talk to you about the spring roundup event the ladies auxiliary is planning.”

  “Okay,” he said. “Why don’t we plan on meeting sometime next week after the city council meeting? I’ll have some free time then.”

  “Oh, it won’t take but just a minute,” she said and went off into a long convoluted spill about what the ladies had planned. All he could think about was getting to Abigail before she disappeared into the back and sent Bella to talk to him. He had so much to say to her and now this woman was interrupting his thoughts and making him forget everything he wanted to tell Abigail.

  “That sounds lovely, Mrs. Fitzgerald. You ladies have always done an outstanding job in the past, so I know you will this year as well. I hate to rush you, but I’m in a hurry and need to speak to Abigail.”

  The woman turned and glanced at Abigail, a suspicious smile on her face. “I’m sorry, Mayor. But we’ll talk again, real soon.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Fitzgerald, we will. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he said and hurried toward the counter where Abigail stood waiting.

  Dressed in that blue dress he loved so much, she looked absolutely ravishing, yet there was a coldness about her he’d never seen before. She was busying herself at the counter, restocking the candy, and she didn’t even stop when he walked up.

  “Abigail,” he said softly, “we need to talk.”

  “There’s nothing left to say, Jack. You aren’t capable of accepting my terms. I’m not willing to give up on my dreams, so there can be nothing between us.”

  “Abigail, I don’t know what love feels like. I care about you. I want the best for you, and I’d always protect you, but I can’t promise you love,” he said, feeling his chest wrench with a pain he’d never felt before.

  She didn’t even pause in putting more peppermint sticks into the case. “Those are wonderful sentiments, but unless you can promise me love, we’re done. I need the fairytale, and you don’t believe in happily ever after. I’m not willing to accept anything less.” Standing upright, she barely even looked at him. “What’s left to say?”

  Shocked at the frosty tone of her voice, he stood staring at her. There had been so much more, but he’d expected his Abigail, not this frigid creature who refused to even give him the benefit of a glance. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever asked to marry me. The only woman I’ve even considered setting up house with, and just because I can’t say those three little words, you refuse to marry me?”

  She stopped and turned an icy sapphire gaze on him. “I feel honored you asked me to marry you, but I’m not a woman who must have a husband. When I marry, I want the man I spend eternity with to cherish and honor and love me with all his being, just like I will him. I don’t feel you’re capable of that emotion. And while I was growing to love you, you couldn’t return that love, so we’re done.”

  “But…”

  “Good day, Jack,” she said and walked back into the living quarters, leaving him standing at the counter, staring after her.

  He felt the urge to hit something, to knock it to the floor and smash it to pieces, but he knew that would never gain him her favor.

  So instead, he slunk out the door, wishing with all his heart he’d never asked her to marry him, and that his Abigail was once again smiling at him, teasing him, and challenging his way of thinking.

  ***

  Jack wiped down the bar again. It was way early, and there were very few clients in the hall so far today, but he couldn’t sit still. He couldn’t sit and think about how he’d taken a leap of faith without thinking everything through, including the fact that she wanted the fairytale.

  Hearts and flowers, cupids and arrows, rings and cake, and probably a white gown as well. This woman wanted him to care about her, and sometime soon, she was going to realize there was no such thing as a fairytale romance. That was something they’d created in order to get people to tie the knot. His brother was the closest person to having a happy marriage that he knew.

  His brother. It had been months since Jack had seen Luke. He threw down the rag, calling back over his shoulder to his bartender. “Take care of things. I’ll be back.”

  Within an hour, he was sitting across the table from his brother, while his sister-in-law fixed them lunch. “I need you to be honest with me.”

  “What?” his brother asked. “You come riding in here like there was something wrong. I was afraid the town had turned against you. I’ve been hearing rumors of you having problems with a mercantile owner.”

  Jack shook his head, not ready to talk about the case with his brother. Instead, he wanted to know if Luke was in love. “When you met your Sarah, how did you know you were in love with her?”

  Luke glanced toward the kitchen, where his wife was cooking, a smile coming over his face. “She wouldn’t see me any longer. Told me she had decided not to see me because I was not serious in pursuing her.”

  “Were you chasing her?”

  “I wanted Sarah, but her family was difficult, and I didn’t want to provide her father with financial proof I was a good man for his daughter,” he said matter-of-factly like there were no emotions involved. This was Jack’s younger brother, the cool efficient man who rarely smiled and seldom laughed.

  “He required you show you had money to marry his daughter?”

  “Yes, the old man said his daughter would not be a pauper or that any man she married would take advantage of her. Her old man was protective of Sarah, and I can’t blame him.”

  Running his hand through his hair, Jack tried once again to learn the answer to his question. “But how did you know you loved her?”

  Luke smiled and shook his head, his eyes clouding over like he was stepping back in time. “She saw my hesitation at providing what her father wanted and told me that if I couldn’t do what her father asked, then I didn’t want her. Then she told me never to come around again. We were done.”

  He glanced toward the kitchen. “I was crazy about Sarah, but that made me angry, so I decided to give her up.” He laughed. “Within two days, I’d brought her father everything he’d asked for and was back in front of her on bended knee asking for her forgiveness and her hand in marriage. Thank God, she said yes. It’s been the best decision I ever made. Those two days were the worst days of my life. I realized I’d lost her forever. ”

  Jack shook his head. “It’s just that after Mom and Dad’s marriage I don’t know if I ever want to get married.”

  “Our marriage is nothing like theirs. I don’t think Sarah would put up with some of the stunts that Papa pulled. I’d find myself coming home to my things thrown out in the yard and her telling me to get on down the road. And I’m glad because it shows me how much she respects herself and what she wants from me,” he said, smiling at Jack.

  “So, when you couldn’t see Sarah, you knew you loved her?”

  “I thought things were over between us, and I was miserable. The thought of never seeing her again, of never being able to hold her and kiss her was enough to make me realize I was a better man with her in my life. I knew I loved her.”

  Jack sat back. Hadn’t Abigail made him a better man? Wasn’t he miserable without her?

  “So, what’s going on with you, brother? You look like you did when you were a boy and ate too many cookies. You look miserable.”

  “Abigail made me see things differently. She’s shown me new points of view and made me rethink some of my outlooks about life. And, Luke, I am absolutely miserable. I asked her to marry me, and when I couldn’t tell her I loved her, she said no.”

  Luke gazed at his brother. “Sounds like a smart woman. We don’t think love is important until we don’t have it, and then we realize just how much we need that loving touch that smile from a woman and the feel of her arms around us. Sarah is a wonderful woman who makes me see my world in a different light. I don’t think I’d be happy without her.”

  J
ack sat there, his heart breaking. He was such a stupid fool. Abigail had caused him to regret making a vow to never fall in love with her. And then he’d ruined everything when he’d asked her to marry him, but couldn’t confess his love. One way or another he had to make this right.

  “Thanks, Luke. You’ve given me some insight, and I think I know what I’ve got to do. Somehow, I’ve got to show her I love her, and I think I know how.”

  Chapter Eight

  Abigail, Bella, and Mr. Thurston, the lawyer from Mineral Wells, slipped into the back of the city council meeting, hoping they wouldn’t be noticed. The place was packed with men from the town. Of course, several heads turned in their direction, but what would they do? Stop the meeting and ask them to leave?

  They were late because they’d had to first go through at least twenty-five women who were standing outside shouting, “Repeal the bill.”

  Every woman had stopped Abigail and wished her luck, told her to be strong and not to back down. Tears had streamed down Abigail’s cheeks at the support these ladies had shown her.

  But now she had to face the worst, the decision making process of the New Hope city council.

  Tim Barton was talking. “Gentlemen, the founder of our great city, my great-grandfather specially had the law drawn to exclude women from owning a business, having a bank account, owning property, or being able to vote. Women are to follow their husband, do his bidding, and not strike out on their own. When a woman comes of age, a father should find a suitable husband for his daughter, and if he has business interests, he should leave them to her husband. As much as I liked Walter Vanderhooten, he should have planned accordingly for his daughter. I recommend we continue with our current laws and take Miss Vanderhooten’s business from her and send her out of town.”

  Some men in the crowd clapped.

  George Potter stood up and took the floor. “How many women have we had in this town who’ve had their husband die and leave them destitute or with children who needed raising? I can think of at least four women in my lifetime, but how many since old man Barton founded the town? Not everyone has a family they can fall back on, and these women were hard workers who just wanted to support their families. I think it’s time we rescinded these laws and made it possible for women to earn a living.”

  Abigail’s heart warmed toward the man who had so elegantly defended her position. Not all men wanted this silly law. Just the ones who felt threatened by women and change.

  After several more men stood up and spoke, Jack rose before everyone and took a deep breath. “A month ago, I would have laughed and probably written the order to close the business and have Miss Vanderhooten run out of town, even though I admired her father and the business he built.” He paused and paced the floor in front of the room. “I know for a fact Miss Vanderhooten has obtained a lawyer and is ready to fight this battle to the highest court in the land. In her words, the law is archaic, outdated, and she just wants to retain her birthright.”

  There was a murmur in the crowd as the men realized there would be a lengthy, costly court battle.

  Abigail kept looking down at her hands clenched in her lap. Her heart was breaking as she watched Jack up there talking about her as if they meant nothing to each other. She loved this foolish man who wouldn’t recognize an emotion if it were a rattler and bit him.

  “As your mayor, I like to look at all of my options. We could stand firm and try to keep women from owning a business, but how much is that lengthy court battle going to cost the citizens and are we prepared for such a bitter fight?” He paused and let his words sink in.

  He was a really good orator and had the men in the room listening to his every word.

  “Are our town folk willing to pay more to live in this city while we combat this fight?” He walked along the front of the room. “So, I went to the surrounding towns to see how they handle women-owned businesses. I visited three towns, and all three had no laws against women owning a business. I found at least five businesswomen. I spoke to the mayors at length about what problems the town has encountered because of these female entrepreneurs. They laughed at me and said they were some of the best businesses in town.”

  Again, the men murmured amongst themselves, and Jack waited for them to quiet before he continued. “I’m a single man. And during my investigative probing, I spent quite a bit of time with Miss Vanderhooten. We had dinner a couple of times. I went to her business; she came to mine.”

  He shook his head, and the men laughed. “We went to look at some property I’m considering buying, and I found her to be a quite charming young woman. She’s forward thinking, and in the future, I think all of our young women will be outspoken, determined, and wanting to feel like they don’t have to depend on a man to take care of them. It’s imminent, whether we like it or not.”

  Murmurs filled the room again. Jack waited and then finally held up his hand.

  “Why don’t you just marry her and solve the problem?” one of the men said out loud.

  Jack hung his head for a moment, and then he looked at the crowd. “I tried. I asked her to marry me. Not to solve the city’s problems, but because she’s a wonderful woman. But she said no.”

  “Let’s run her out of town then,” another man yelled.

  Holding up his hands, Jack said, “No. That’s what I’m here to tell you. If you want me to resign as your city mayor, I will, but I will never shut down this woman’s business or run her out of town. I realized too late, but I’ve fallen in love with Abigail Vanderhooten.”

  Abigail gasped, drawing Jack’s attention to her sitting in the very back of the room with her lawyer and Bella.

  He walked toward her, and the men’s heads turned to watch him. “As I stand before you now, don’t expect me to shut her down.”

  The room fell silent as he stopped in front of her. “I love you, Abigail. I didn’t know what that emotion felt like until you told me no. Since then, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, and all I can think about is the time we were together. I miss you.”

  He dropped to one knee, and she gasped again, placing her hand over her mouth as tears flooded her eyes. Her lungs seized, and her heart pounded rapidly in her chest. Jack, her Jack, was asking her to marry him.

  “I’m a better man because of you. I now know what it feels like to love. For the rest of my life, I will honor you, cherish you, and stand beside you, even when you march in defense of women. I’ll be there until I take my last breath. Will you marry me, Abigail Vanderhooten?”

  With a sob, she pulled him up to face her and threw her arms around him. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you and I just needed to hear you say those words.”

  “Thank God,” he said. “I missed you so much. I thought I’d lost you forever.”

  “But I’m not giving you my business,” she whispered against his shirt. “I’m still going to want my independence. I’m still going to march for women’s rights.”

  “Honey, I’d be disappointed in you if you didn’t continue your fight. I don’t want your store. I’m working on plans for the pharmacy,” he said softly to keep the others from hearing. “I’ll be busy enough with a wife and two businesses and maybe some babies.”

  She laughed and looked up at him in surprise. “Children? We never talked about children before.”

  “And we will later,” he promised.

  She stared at him, uneasiness suddenly coming over her. She bit her lip and then asked, “And what about my friends who are coming? Are you going to run them out of town?”

  He smiled and said quietly in her ear, “Oh, my little freedom fighter. You are definitely going to keep my life interesting. No, honey, I’m not going to run them out. I’m going to stand by your side and welcome them, but let’s not tell these men about the other women just yet. Let’s wait until the council accepts this new provision.”

  The men clapped as Jack and Abigail came apart, and several stepped up and gave them congratulations.

  Tim Barton ran to t
he front of the room. “It’s wonderful you’re getting married, but I’m calling for you to resign as mayor. This has been mishandled from the start, and that business should still be shut down.”

  Abigail resisted the urge to march up there and kick that man’s shins until they were bruised and bloody. She watched as her fiancé walked up to the man.

  Jack smiled and nodded at the troublemaker. “Tim, I know you hated losing to me as mayor. But why do you want to ruin Walter Vanderhooten’s business and give his daughter so much trouble? It’s his legacy. Why? Let’s do a vote right here in this room. How many want to take this fight to the Supreme Court and continue not to let women own a business?”

  Two hands went up. Tim Barton and Sam O’Brien. All of the rest of the city council remained silent.

  Jack smiled at Abigail. “On that motion, ordinance fifteen has been officially defeated. Women may now own businesses in the town of New Hope, and Miss Vanderhooten’s store will remain open.” He turned to look at Tim. “As her future husband, I will take offense to anyone who misaligns my wife. Good day, gentlemen.”

  Abigail waited as Jack walked through the crowd, shaking hands and accepting the congratulations of many of the men. She’d found her man. The husband she’d wanted, but never thought she’d have, and together the two of them in the upcoming months were going to change this little town into a mecca, where women would be welcomed with open arms. And hopefully her friends would also find men right here in town they could fall in love with.

  Jack reached her side and took her by the arm. “When can we get married?”

  She smiled at him. “I think a political leader like you needs a big event. And my friends will be here in just a couple of weeks. Can you wait that long?”

  “You’re testing me,” he said, pulling her into his side. “I love you, Abigail, and it feels so good to say those words.”

  She rubbed her hand along his cheek. “It feels good to hear them, Jack Turner, and I can’t wait to be your wife. Abigail Turner, women’s rights defender.”