“Is that sweet little song for me?” Elias asked sarcastically watching Beth carefully. “Where is that charlatan that has attempted to take my place? I don’t take kindly to people stealing my things and that includes my bride-to-be,” he warned, pulling his gun lightly from its holster. My intended had avoided me twice now, there would not be a third time, he thought grimly as he watched her eyes dart around him looking for an outlet of escape.
Beth could not believe he was here, at her home, of all places! Had he followed them from the picnic? How had he found their home? Beth could feel her heart hammering against her chest and wondered if Cole was okay or if Elias had entered the house first. How could she have not heard him walk up or seen him? Her gun was in the pocket of her skirt, but right now her hands were shaking so badly at being surprised, she wasn’t sure she could fire it steadily yet!
“What are you doing here? How did you find me again?” she asked before she could stop herself. She didn’t care how, but she did want to know what gave away her location because she would run again if she had to! There was no way she would let this man find her again if he had hurt Cole. If Elias had hurt him, she would make sure he would never hurt another man again.
“I’m here to escort my fiancée back to Chicago where she belongs,” Elias said and then laughed lightly. “Well… now you aren’t a fiancée are you? A fiancée is an untouched woman that is promised to someone. You’ve been touched, haven’t you?” he sneered.
“You’ve probably been touched a lot and enjoyed it, didn’t you, whore? You’re not my fiancée, are you? No, you are my chattel that is returning with me as my wife until I can get rid of you and marry again. I have no plans on marrying you, you are used goods. You will never speak otherwise, though, if you are smart,” he explained as he pointed the gun towards her, the threat unspoken.
“The money that your father gave me for you is gone and I require a bit more funds to live comfortably. Women love widowers, so you are going to attract me a nice sum of money once you die after your coming out in society in Chicago. I can see it now across the headlines: ‘Beloved doctor loses his bride in a tragic accident’. Those rich bitches will be knocking down my door to comfort me in my time of grief,” Elias explained with disgust evident on his pale face.
“You’ve nothing left here and nothing left to lose.” Seeing Beth’s eyes glance away from his, he barked out a laugh. “You think I would seriously come for you without taking care of him first? I’m not stupid. I’m a doctor, remember?” he said confidently.
“Now, get moving,” he ordered and gestured once again towards the road where she could see his horse off in the lane that led up towards the house.
Beth felt like she was going to be ill. Was Cole dead? Had she been so very preoccupied that she didn’t hear anything going on? Had her kiss goodnight before his nap been the last time his tender, warm eyes would look at her?
He could not be dead!
Beth felt her legs collapse underneath her as she could no longer hold back the despair beating at her. Had he struggled? Did he cry out for her? Could she have helped him at all? Hearing a keening wail, Beth did not realize it was her own cry until she felt a sharp sting across her face.
“Shut up! Get moving and let’s go!” Elias screamed at her and shook the gun in her face. “Get up now and quit that caterwauling for him. You are to be my wife. Now act like the gentile lady you were raised to be,” he railed and grabbed her arm roughly.
Nausea overwhelmed her and tears threatened to choke as she felt such hate rolling over her. She would not go willingly and Cole’s death would not be in vain! She would shoot him and make sure no one would ever suffer at his hands again.
Beth pushed the despair down inside of her and grasped at the anger that was spilling forth. Oh, she would shoot him and make sure he suffered greatly. Looking down, she could not meet his eyes because she was afraid he would see the resolution in her face. Her gun was in her right pocket, just at her thigh and within reach. Nodding, she heard him praise her like a dog with a sickening “good girl” as he pulled at her left arm.
Beth moved with him, allowing him to aid her to her feet for her retribution! He would die on this land but she would be damned if she would bury him on the Hale property! Beth smothered a laugh at the thought of dragging him to the trail for someone to find. I’m losing it, she thought, I’m losing my mind or it’s completely gone. She was plotting his death and heartily ready to commit murder as justice for her husband’s life.
Standing, she shook her skirts of the dust but, in fact, she wanted to make sure she could get her hand in the pocket of it easily. Her gun was a heavy weight against her leg and ready to spring free at a moment’s notice. Beth looked at Elias through her red-rimmed eyes and smiled coldly. She didn’t think she had it in her to kill but seeing his face cemented it in her mind.
“Get moving, stupid. Don’t just stand there smiling at me,” Elias barked, giving her arm a harsh shove in front of him.
Beth took a deep breath, her hand in her pocket. She could feel her pulse in her finger that gently rested on the cool trigger. Turning towards him, her right arm moved fluidly in one movement pulling the small gun free of the folds.
Raising it, she smiled ever so sweetly and fired it towards him. Feeling the recoil burn through her upper arm, she expected to see him drop in front of her and could practically picture him bleeding on the ground. Instead, Beth heard him scream and she was flung bodily to the ground.
“You bitch! How dare you shoot me?” Elias roared angrily. Elizabeth had shot at him and grazed his side. Even now, he could see the blood staining his pressed shirt from under his jacket. He paid good money for the fitting of the coat and now some careless chit had put a hole through it and would leave him scarred? “Perhaps my ‘bride’ will have died tragically on our travels, instead,” he snarled and cocked his gun towards her.
Beth lay there in the dirt path where Elias had thrown her down. She wanted to roll over and curl up in remorse but, instead, was stunned that she had missed. She failed and there would be no recompense for Cole’s death. No one to mourn him once she was dead. Her family would never meet him and his own was long since gone. There would be no children with his warm brown eyes or smile. Her arm still stung from the recoil of the gun, but that was all right because, soon, nothing would hurt anymore… not even her broken heart. She would miss Cole’s smiles and his teasing but above all, she would miss the way he held her and loved her.
Isn’t this done, yet? I don’t want to live without him, she thought sadly and put her hands on her torso as if to help the crushing feeling in her chest. She stared up at the sky above her and let the tears roll down her face into her hair. Silence was all around her as she waited for the telltale shot to end her pain.
Cole awoke to the loud pop of gunshot and a man’s voice screaming. Leaping out of the bed and cursing his need for sleep, he felt ashamed that he had even taken the nap and should have just fought through the exhaustion that had been beating at his body. He was certain, with as nervous as Beth had been, that they would both just stay hidden indoors. Him sleeping, her lying low.
He knew she was independent but surely she would have the foresight to stay inside and not leave the premises. She knew to fire only if in danger and if it was a kill shot because her gun only held one bullet. Cursing and flying out of the house, he held his rifle at his side and saw the scene in front of him. His Beth lay on the ground with a hand over her heart and Elias Barney stood over her angrily pointing his gun towards his wife.
“BETH!” Cole screamed in disbelief and fear at the scene in front of him. Was the shot he heard Elias Barney’s gun and not hers? Was she dead? Enraged, Cole yanked up the rifle in a swift, practiced movement and let out his breath in a rush when he saw her look at him in shock.
“Cole? Oh, my Lord! Cole, he told me you were dead!” she said attempting to scramble to her feet in the bulky, pleated skirt. Her heart beating furiously at seeing
him, she dashed the tears off her face happily as she forgot Elias Barney beside her.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Elias said frustrated. “You could not leave well enough alone, could you Elizabeth? We could have left peacefully…and you?” He gestured towards Cole standing on the front porch with the rifle trained on him.
“You could not just stay put. You are always getting in the way. Took my fiancée. Took her innocence and it all belonged to me. Well, I will be the one to take it all, not you,” he spat, taking aim at Beth on the ground.
“She is mine and, as her husband, it will cement my stake in society. I don’t need her but I won’t let you have her, either. I’m better off a widower, instead. That way I can pick someone whose appearance I find pleasing and will obey me,” Elias said, hatefully, staring at her figure on the ground preparing to stand.
“Beth, stay down!” Cole barked and was glad to see her obey him quickly as she flattened immediately on the ground. “Buckshot sprays everywhere and I don’t want you hurt, wife,” he said deliberately as he stared down the barrel with a vicious smile.
“You’re trespassing and attempting abduction of my wife. Did you not see the sign when you rode up my drive?” he asked calmly. Cole continued on with his sight trained down the long gun and stepped forward with smooth, deadly accuracy like a snake moving into position for the strike.
“You are on private property and you have about two seconds to get off of it before I shoot.” At seeing Elias start to open his mouth to speak, Cole cut him off once again from speaking.
“…and if I allow you to live, you will never return here. Do we understand each other?” he asked, carefully watching Elias for any indication that he would harm Elizabeth.
Seeing no movement or any agreement with the offer made to him, Cole stepped forward again. Elias was within an easy shot and it would be deadly accurate at this range if he made any move towards Beth. Cole could not look at his wife on the ground, it was too great a distraction and Barney was too dangerous. He wanted to race over to Beth and check her over carefully but dared not move.
“Do I need to repeat myself?” he asked with a calmness that belied the fear in his stomach. A shot from the revolver from Elias Barney at this range could be deadly to Beth and he could not get her to a doctor fast enough.
Time seemed to tick on forever and Cole did not realize he was holding his breath until he saw Elias pull back the hammer and put his hands up in surrender. Cole watched the man raise his hands and saw blood on the shirt as his jacket coat gaped.
Good, she shot him.
Smart girl was trying to protect herself, he thought, but I cannot allow him to come back and try again.
“Thank you. Normally, I would have you drop your gun on the ground but I’m thinking that shooting an unarmed man is considered cruel,” Cole mocked. “Now, you will never return here again and that is because you know you will have gotten away this time with trespassing. Next time, you will die here,” he said coldly and pulled the trigger.
Twenty
The roar and smoke that flew from the long rifle alarmed Beth more than the discharge of her own gun had. There was a power to it that was unnerving and made her yelp. However, it made Elias Barney squeal like the despicable pig he was. Beth fought a grin as she scrambled to her feet and ran towards Cole standing on the porch, now holding his revolver pointed directly at the wailing man.
Beth was amazed at the ferocity of her husband as well as the kindness he displayed. She knew she had chosen wisely and had fallen into the arms of the man that was right for her! Cole could have ended Elias’ life and the look on her husband’s face was telling. He could have killed him with absolutely no regrets but, instead, was washing his hands clean of him and ensuring that he would not return. Or at least, she hoped Elias Barney would not return!
It was a kindness that Cole did not kill him and Beth believed it was for her sake alone. She had not been sure she could kill someone during their practice shootings and Cole had told her repeatedly that if she had to fire her gun, she had to be sure because death was swift and final. Beth did not want to kill anyone, but simply to be left alone and to be able to protect herself, if needed.
It was a mercy to Elias Barney that he was shot in the leg when he could have been shot in the face, or anywhere else with the buckshot that splattered from the gun. It would have disfigured his face and made him vengeful if he survived. This way, being shot in the leg, he would have a horrific limp as a remembrance of his time in Texas and the doctor could choose to spin his tale any which way he wanted. So long as it did not end with him coming back to their home.
Standing his ground, Cole stood stoically waiting for the yelping to subside. “If I were you, I would get up and hobble to your horse quickly. You will be needing a doctor for that, I believe. I doubt you should work on yourself,” he said with conviction.
“You think about that leg next time you try to accost my wife or step foot here. Next time you will die,” he promised. “You will never, ever return here. Do we understand each other completely?” Cole wanted to ensure the other man’s understand that the only reason he lived was to spare Beth’s dignity and them having to explain.
“I should make you apologize to Beth, but the best thing you could do would be to leave us in peace,” he finished and waved his gun, gesturing that Elias Barney needed to head away quickly.
Beth stood behind her husband and marveled at the depth of his character. He was a strong protector and would always take care of her. Cole had so many facets of his persona yet to discover and she hoped she could take her time finding them all over the years. She laid her hand on his strong shoulder and grinned to see his skin jump at her touch, knowing that it gave him the same heated pleasure she felt when he touched her bare skin. Beth loved knowing she could touch him and get this reaction, even with the floundering man on the ground in front of them.
Issuing several choice words towards them, Elias finally stood and hobbled towards the horse. She wanted to laugh at the undignified gait he presented and the fact that (it just dawned on her) they gave him a reason to use that silly cane, but she resisted.
It wasn’t funny that they had to shoot him to get him to leave them alone. She would have preferred that he left and never returned. Seeing him finally get on the horse and leave was enough to make her grin until she saw Cole whirl around and grab her in his arms once Elias Barney was out of sight.
“My God, Beth. I thought I’d lost you when I heard the shot and saw you on the ground. You scared the bejesus out of me, wife,” he said earnestly, kissing her brow and noting her bruised face. “He hit you? I should have killed his ass and just made it up to you later,” he whispered and kissed the tender spot.
“I’m glad you are okay. He told me you were dead and I have never felt such despair. I thought I had lost you!” Beth exclaimed in horror as the scene unfolded, once again, in her mind’s eye. “He told me that he had already been in the house and that you were gone. I kept picturing every way you could have died and thinking of everything I would miss,” she said, tears rushing forward.
“I don’t want to ever feel that way again,” she confessed breathlessly as she saw him lean down to kiss her gently on the lips this time.
He smiled in relief. “Does this mean you might just miss me if I was gone?” Cole teased, as he held his woman against him. He thanked the heavens above that she was all right and hoped that they would never have to endure something like this ever again.
“I think you might like me just a little bit, my Beth,” he said with a grin and swept her up into his arms.
Beth laughed delightedly and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think I might love you, husband of mine,” she retorted with a grin.
“You are simply the best adventure I could have ever dreamt of and can’t imagine choosing a different path than the one we will walk together,” she admitted with a light in her eyes.
Whooping with delight, he carried her over th
e threshold of their house. “I love you, my bride, and I plan on taking you to bed and creating another adventure for us to share. No more running, sweetheart. This is home,” he said with a smile that held such promise and such adoration.
Beth agreed wholeheartedly.
About the Author
Ginny Sterling is a Texas transplant living in Kentucky. She spends her free time (Ha!) Writing, quilting, spending time with her husband and two children. Ginny can be reached on Facebook or via email at [email protected].
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Also by Ginny Sterling
Thoroughbred Men Series
Sweet Heat Rising
Stolen Hearts
Redeemed Hearts
Copyright
Beloved Texas Bride, Copyright © 2016 by Ginny Sterling
These books are works of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of these books may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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