LOVE’S SWEET SURRENDER
Sandy Sullivan
ROMANCE
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A SIREN-BOOKSTRAND TITLE
IMPRINT: Romance
LOVE’S SWEET SURRENDER
Copyright © 2010 by Sandy Sullivan
E-book ISBN: 1-60601-671-7
First E-book Publication: January 2010
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2010 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
I want to say thank you to a few people for making this novel come alive:
Cathy Gehret - You've been the drive behind my success, and I love you dearly. We did it!
Becky Hollada - My youngest child. Thanks for your hard work on the proofing for the original version of this novel. I love you, and you'll make a great editor one day.
Tracy Conne - Thanks for your feedback on this book. You helped tremendously.
LOVE’S SWEET SURRENDER
SANDY SULLIVAN
Copyright © 2010
Chapter One
My whole life has been a lie. Her heart twisted in her chest. Why hadn’t they told her? Her parents had kept it a secret for twenty-two years, and if she hadn’t found that all-informative piece of paper, she might never have known. Tears of betrayal sparkled on her lashes as she stared out the window.
The green trees, brown bushes and small towns flew by. Day in and day out she traveled further and further west, but the scenery never changed. First it was by train, with the black smoke billowing from its stack, trudging along, putting more and more miles between her and the pain in her heart. Then came the stage with the dust, horse manure and threat of robberies, and now back on the train again.
When she had set out on this journey, she hadn’t really thought about the landscape, the weather or the rough people she might encounter when she reached her destination. All she wanted was to get away from the memories and leave behind the man who no longer wanted her. She understood Edward and Kathleen's reasons behind their decision, but it hadn't made it any easier to accept, and when her fiancé called off the wedding, she couldn't bear the looks of pity she got from former friends.
The scenes out her window began to blur, and tears clouded her vision until she angrily brushed them away. It wouldn’t do any good to continue to cry over what might have been. She would have to live with the fact that she could no longer call Edward and Kathleen her parents. Now she would have to make it on her own. And make it I will. I will use everything I have to live my own life, and damn anyone who stands in my way.
She pulled the crumpled piece of paper from the satchel at her feet and thought of the events that had brought her to the train headed west. Smoothing the paper out on her lap, she bit her lip and read the words again.
Teacher wanted. Parkville, Texas. House and monthly stipend
for one year commitment. Must be unmarried or widowed, and
of good character.
Two days after Arthur had called off the wedding, she'd found the advertisement in the paper lying on her father's desk. The small town of Parkville's advertisement for a teacher spoke to her, and her heart raced at the prospect of starting over somewhere else. She quickly wrote a letter to the mayor, outlined her qualifications and put it immediately in the post.
Then she waited. She checked the mail every day, but nothing. Two months after sending her letter, she finally received an offer for the job.
Edward and Kathleen were upset, but she had made up her mind. Now she sat on the train chugging west to start her new life in a small Texas town she knew nothing about.
“Ma’am?” The conductor approached her seat. “Are you all right?”
“What?” Caught by surprise, Lily jumped when the man spoke. “I’m sorry. Yes, I’m fine. Just tired, I guess.”
“You’ve been traveling a long time then?”
“Yes, I’m afraid I have.” Lily relaxed against the seat back. “More than a week, but I’m almost there.”
“You let me know if you need anything, ma’am. I’ll come to check on you from time to time.” He tipped his conductor’s hat and moved on down the aisle.
“Thank you.” She turned around in her seat to watch him leave. “What a nice man.”
As the conductor disappeared through the sliding door between the cars, Lily's gaze moved to a figure resting against the back wall. Several times over the last couple of hours, she had found herself peeking at the man, and curiosity rushed through her with each passing glance.
He had come aboard in Houston with several other passengers, and he had stood out amongst those boarding. His eyes swept the car before he poured his lithe frame into the seat as the chair groaned in protest. He pulled his hat low across his brow and rested his back against the wall. Lily's eyes were riveted to the chambray material stretched over his rippling muscles for several moments while he settled down and appeared to go to sleep.
When she realized she was staring, she spun around and quickly sat in her own seat.
The landscape flew by her window in a blur of color as she settled herself for the remainder of her trip to Parkville. After a moment, she cocked her head as the noise of thundering hooves reached her ear. Shifting slightly in her seat, she peered outside just in time to see a rider grab the bar protruding from the side of the rail car before he swung aboard the speeding train.
A moment later, gunshots pinged against metal in the car in front of her as women screamed and men shouted. Lily clutched her purse to her chest and trembled as the noise got closer.
The door flew open, and several men burst into the car with masks over their faces and guns clutched in their hands. They shouted at the passengers to hand over their purses and wallets, ripping them from their hands when they didn't comply.
One of the bandits approached her and demanded, “The purse, lady.”
“I’ll do no such thing.” Her heart slammed against her ribs when his eyes narrowed over the top of his mask.
“Give me the purse, lady, and I won’t hurt you,” he snarled, pointing the revolver directly at her face.
> No longer feeling so bold, Lily held the bag out, and the man grabbed it from her hands. The eyes that were mere slits before twinkled as the gunman tipped his hat and moved on to the other passengers.
All the patrons handed over their possessions to the robbers—all except one.
The man against the back wall was now alert and watching the scene around him, his crystal blue eyes weighing and assessing the situation. The muscles in his arms bunched and rolled, flexing against the long sleeves of his shirt, and a nerve in his jaw jumped, giving away the tension in his body. Briefly, his gaze swung to Lily, and his frown deepened. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment when his gaze raked over her before returning to the bandits.
Two of the robbers approached him and demanded, “Hand over the wallet, mister, and no one will get hurt.”
“I don’t think so,” the stranger growled. “You’d best leave with what you’ve collected, and you might just make it out of this car with your life.”
The masked man laughed a full, hearty laugh and turned to his companion. “Do you believe this cowboy? He says we should just leave before we get hurt.” His partner snickered for a moment before turning his attention back to the cowboy. “You’re funny, mister. Now give me the wallet, and I won’t shoot you where you sit.”
In a split second, the cowboy uncoiled from his seat, pulled his gun and fired two shots. Both bandits, their eyes fixed in the blank stare of death, fell to the floor in a rapidly growing pool of blood.
Lily, her jaw slack with astonishment, dropped into her seat with a dull thud as the stranger holstered his gun and approached the two lying on the floor. He grabbed their guns from their hands and relinquished them to a male passenger nearby.
The train came to a shuddering halt on the track causing him to rock back on his heels before he moved toward her.
He paused briefly next to her, and their eyes met for a split second. The pain in his gaze was so deep that her heart ached for him. She blinked, and the look was gone as he tipped his hat and disappeared into the next car.
Indecision rippled through her for a moment as the terror of the last several minutes raced through her mind. Unable to sit in her seat a second longer, she shakily rose and approached the door.
Her hand on the steel handle, she was poised to open it when she heard the ping of more bullets over the screams and curses of the passengers. Not wanting to startle anyone, she peered through the glass and watched the cowboy hold two more men at gunpoint while another male passenger bound their hands.
Before she could slide the door, a strong arm snaked around her waist and pulled her tight against the solid chest behind her. Cutting off any chance of a scream, a hand clamped down hard over her mouth.
As she struggled against the man behind her, a gravelly voice whispered in her ear, “Don’t fight me, or I'll break you in half. Open the door and we will join the party.”
While she did as she was told, the man holding her slowly walked her into the next car. She held her breath in anticipation of her rescuer finding her in this newest predicament.
“Drop the gun, mister, or this lady will meet her maker,” the man behind her growled.
Her heart thumped, and her throat went dry. She held her voice in check while the scene unfolded in front of her.
The cowboy slowly turned around but didn’t drop his gun. The gunman pushed the barrel of his firearm into her side even further, and she gasped.
“I said drop it.”
The eyes that now stared at her from the handsome man’s face were cold and clear as a glacier she once saw in a book. The deadly stare sent shivers down her spine as the robber behind her pulled her tighter against him.
“Do you really think I care what happens to her?”
He spoke to the armed man behind her, but his eyes said something else. She knew instinctively he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
“Just put the gun down, cowboy, and we’ll all walk out of here with our lives.” The gunman holding her seemed to be trying to bargain with the cowboy. His grip on her waist tightened.
“I can’t do that.” The stranger addressed the gunman with a tolerant smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re trying to take what doesn’t belong to you, and I won’t allow it.”
With his last statement, the gun in his hand barked in response to the pressure of his finger on the trigger. Lily screamed when she was thrown to the floor. More shots rang out before she saw the robber disappear out the door behind him.
He rushed to her side, but instead of helping her to her feet like she thought he would, he stepped over her body and rushed to the door. She brushed the dirt from her skirts, after several other passengers helped her to her feet.
When he returned to her side, Lily lifted her chin to look into his face and realized her head only reached his shoulder. “Thank you.”
His gaze raked over her as if to ensure himself she wasn't hurt, before he tipped his hat without a word and moved toward the back of the train.
The trembling started at her toes and before long, her whole body shook, forcing her to take a seat. The thunder of horse's hooves echoed in her ears seconds ahead of a black streak zipping by the window. Her rescuer was riding hell-bent for leather in the same direction the robber had taken.
Within moments, the conductor moved down the aisle toward the group. “All right, everyone, please take your seats, and we’ll be on our way to the next station.”
An older gentleman stood guarding the two robbers hogtied at his feet. “What do you want to do with these two?”
“We’ll drop them in Parkville with the local sheriff when we get there. We’ll be there in about an hour.” The conductor approached Lily where she sat in stunned silence. “Ma’am, are you all right?”
“Yes,” she answered absently. “I’ll be fine. How long before we reach Parkville?”
“About an hour, ma’am. Is that your final destination?”
“Actually, yes it is.”
“Nice little town, Parkville is. Are you visiting family?”
“No. I left my family in Boston.”
“Ah, I see. Well, I’m sure you’ll find it a right nice place to settle down.”
“Thank you,” she whispered as he disappeared through the door. Parkville. What will I find when I get there? The conductor had called it a nice little town. Well, obviously the town jail will be home to the two robbers sharing our compartment.
In no time at all, her thoughts scattered when the train began to pull into the station. She was aghast at the large sign hanging over the center of town saying, “Welcome, Mrs. Backman.”
“Oh my,” she whispered, noticing the large crowd gathering to greet her when she stepped off the train.
The mayor stood on the platform looking around, apparently watching the passengers disembark. He appeared disappointed when he didn’t locate the person he sought.
“Ma’am, was there a middle-aged woman traveling alone on the train with you?”
“No, sir. I’m sorry there wasn’t. May I ask who you are looking for?”
“Our new schoolteacher, actually. She was to be on that train.”
“Mr. Mayor, I am your schoolteacher.” Heat crawled up her neck and splashed across her cheeks.
“You?” he bellowed. “That’s impossible. The letter gave me the impression the woman was older. You, my dear, couldn’t be more than twenty.” He looked behind her.
“Actually, sir, I’m twenty-two, and yes, I am your new schoolteacher.” She stuck out her hand in the hope that he would take it in greeting. “Lily Backman, at your service, Mr. Mayor.” He ignored her, turned on his heel and left her standing there alone hanging her head in rejection.
“This is going to be harder than I thought,” Lily sighed. When the weight of her situation became apparent, she trailed the grumbling crowd back toward town.
Feeling dejected, she walked to the center of town to look for somewhere to stay for the night. Not knowing if s
he could convince the mayor to allow her to stay, she needed to make plans. First things first. She needed a roof over her head, food in her stomach and her trunks out of the train station.
Noticing a young boy near the general store, she approached and asked if he would retrieve her trunks for her.
“Sure.” He squinted when he looked up. “Are you really the new schoolteacher?”
“Well, that depends on whether the mayor will allow me to be, but yes, that is my plan.” She smiled and bent down so she could look into his eyes. “What’s your name?”
“Johnny, Johnny Sanford. My pop has a place outside town.” He pushed his chest out with pride. “I’ll be right back with that trunk, ma’am.”
“Can you take it to the boarding house over there?” She pointed to a building on the corner.
“Yes, ma’am.” He broke into a run toward the train station, his small legs churning quickly as he disappeared around the bend.
Walking in the direction of the neat house with a sign on the front advertising rooms available, she smiled while she surveyed the little town around her. I think I'm going to like it here.
When she finally reached the boarding house, she opened the front door, and the little bell tinkled in response.
“May I help you?” An older woman looked over her wire-rimmed glasses from behind a small desk with ledgers piled so high that Lily almost couldn’t see her.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m looking for a room for a few days. My name is Lily Backman.”
“Ah! The new schoolteacher.” The woman stood, held out her hand and grasped Lily's. “Welcome, my dear. I’m sure I have a nice room available I could rent you for a few days, but I thought the town was giving you the old widow Allen’s house?”
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