She put Bridey down, slipped off the pack, and sat on the ground. She unbuttoned her top and allowed Bridey to nurse. Amis watched, his eyes glittering with interest, and Veronica tensed up. Closing her eyes, she thought of Max and finally she calmed enough for her milk to flow.
“Does he always take this long?” Amis was grouchy.
“He’s only about halfway done. I need to switch him to the other breast.”
“Get to it. I don’t have time to sit here all day.” He licked his lips. “Greedy little thing, isn’t he?”
“It’ll make him big and strong,” she said as steadily as she could.
“I know you didn’t name him Amis. What do you call him?”
His question rattled her. “Br-Bradly. It’s a good strong name.”
“We could call him Junior. Amis Junior has a nice ring to it. His name is AJ for Amis Junior.” Amis cocked his left brow as though he was expecting her to protest.
“AJ is fine.” How many times would she have to give in to him and say it was fine? Was anyone looking for her yet? Grabbing a blanket she lay Bridey down. “I need to repack this. It’s heavier on one side then the other.”
Amis grunted and scratched himself in a place that sickened her. Veronica unpacked the cans of food and all the cooking supplies including a bag of coffee beans. Maybe she could leave a trail of coffee beans? It couldn’t hurt. She scooped some out of the bag and filled her pockets. After she repacked the bag, she strapped it on her back again and picked up Bridey and the blanket. The blanket would serve to keep them both warm.
If no one found her, she’d probably be dead before she got to Louisiana. Neither she nor Bridey had warm clothes on. As they continued to hike, Veronica dropped a coffee bean every so often. Tomorrow, she’d figure some way to make a sling for Bridey to lie in. It would help the pain in her arms.
On and on they went. Amis refused to stop when Bridey’s diaper became wet. Now it was sopping and so was Veronica. Finally, Veronica took the diaper off and left it on the ground. A wet diaper wasn’t good for a baby.
They came to a clearing late in the day and Amis took off his pack and sat down. “You’ll need wood for a fire and you’ll also need to fetch water. I’ll hold my son.”
A shiver went down Veronica’s spine. “Let me just put a diaper on the baby.”
“What happened to the one he was wearin’?”
“I had to take it off. It was so wet I was afraid of a rash.” She set Bridey down on the blanket and used her baby gown as a cover so Amis would not get a clear view as she fished a diaper out of the pack. Quickly Veronica put the diaper on, relieved she had done so without revealing that Bridey was a girl.
“Where is it?”
She knew that tone of voice. She stood, leaving Bridey on the blanket, and took a few steps away so she wouldn’t be hurt. Veronica braced herself but nothing could help against the strong slap he gave her. Gingerly, she touched her cheek, but he wasn’t done. He back handed her on the other side of her face.
“I’d forgotten how dim witted you are. Someone could find the diaper and then try to track us.” He hit her again knocking her to the ground.
She tried to stay quiet, but she screamed at the last slap. Tears filled her eyes. He was just warming up.
“If I’m too hurt, I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.”
“You’ll walk when I tell you to walk.” He kicked her lower back and stomped away, muttering about having to get the wood.
Veronica went to Bridey’s side and stroked her cheek. If she could, she’d grab her and make a run for it but she wouldn’t get very far. The pain in her back was beyond anything she’d felt before. She’d need the night to rest it. She was in trouble, real trouble.
Chapter Twelve
Max rode the horse back to the corral and immediately spotted the closed shutters. He was on the ground running before the horse came to a stop. His gut clenched as he opened the door to his house and found it empty with signs of a struggle near the bedroom door.
Running back out, he yelled to Sandler and Willis. “Where’s Green? Veronica and my daughter are gone!”
“I’ll check Parker’s house,” Sandler shouted as he ran.
“I’ll check the bunkhouse and other out buildings,” Willis yelled over his shoulder.
Max stood in the middle of the yard with his fists clenched. He needed to check if anything was gone from the house. He went in and looked around. The bedroom door had been destroyed and the wardrobe had been moved. Veronica’s coat still hung on a hook. He opened the shutters and all he could see was the clothes she had hung out to dry, blowing in the wind.
Amis had taken her. There was no other explanation, and he was going to wring that man’s neck when he caught him!
Max went out to the porch and started looking for signs, trampled grass, footprints, something dropped. There was a path of broken grass headed toward the forest. He waved to Sandler who nodded. Then he saw Willis helping Green walk toward Parker’s house. He didn’t look to have any bullet or knife wounds, no obvious visible bleeding, but it was hard to tell from the distance between them.
Sandler spoke to Willis for a brief moment before he hurried toward Max. “He clobbered Green over the head and left him behind your house. I see you found their trail. Looks to me like it was just a man—probably Amis—and Veronica; he didn’t bother to bring help.” Sandler turned toward Parker’s house and signaled that there was one man.
“They’ll bring supplies. Let’s get going.” Max didn’t want to delay any longer. He and Sandler kept their eyes on the ground as they walked further into the woods. Max signaled for them to stop.
“Look here. He must have had his supplies here,” Max said as he studied the area.
“Looks like they stopped here for a bit,” Sandler remarked. “The baby was laid there,” he pointed to an imprint on the ground.”
Max pointed in a westerly direction. “They went that way, and look how much deeper Veronica’s steps are. She must be carrying supplies. That should slow them down a bit.”
Both men turned when they heard Parker and Green join them.
“You all right, Green? You can sit this one out,” Max said as he looked at the lump on the side of Green’s head.
“I’m fine. Let’s get your girls back.” Green offered a shaky smile. “I get to hit Amis first.”
Parker and Green had supplies with them and both Max and Sandler eased Green of the burden of carrying anything. They followed the path until they got to the dirty diaper.
“We know we’re trailing the right people,” Parker said.
“It’s a good sign. Both Veronica and Bridey must be fine. Amis wouldn’t have changed the diaper,” Green said.
“Good point.” Max kept following the trail. He bent over wondering what the brown beans were. And then he smiled. His wife was good, very good. He nodded at the trail. “Coffee beans leading us to them.”
“Good on Veronica. She’s keeping her head during all this.” Sandler nodded.
They followed the beans, and Max signaled for them to stop. Amis was sitting against a tree holding the baby while Veronica was starting a fire. She turned her head and he saw the marks on her face. Rage coursed through him. Amis had better not have forced himself on her. After a moment, Max set the thought aside. He needed a cool head if the rescue was to go as they needed it to.
Parker looked the situation over and signaled their plan to them. Each man got into position. They were basically surrounding Amis.
They waited a long while. They wanted Amis, but not while he had Bridey in his arms. Veronica got the fire started and put a pot over it. Amis held Bridey out to her, and she grabbed a clean diaper before she took her. She walked a bit away from Amis before she put Bridey down to change her.
At the sound of Parker’s bird call, they all closed in with their guns drawn.
With a startled cry, Amis struggled to stand, his eyes darting frantically about the clearing.
Rage threatened to overtake Max again, and he had to hold himself back. He wanted to pound Amis good. But Parker was able to tie the disgusting piece of filth up without incident.
Max turned and looked at his wife and daughter. His heart hurt for Veronica, and he immediately went to her side.
“I’m fine and so is Bridey. It was frightening, but I knew you’d come for us.” Tears trailed down her cheek. Her very red cheek.
Max held them both to him, rocking back and forth, and then he drew away slightly and cupped his hand under Veronica’s chin. He turned her head one way and then the other. Dark bruises were forming, but he squashed his anger. “Did he… Did he—?”
Veronica tried to smile but ended up wincing instead. “He didn’t get a chance. I’m so glad you’re here. He took Bridey while I was hanging the laundry, and then I ran into the house. He was there.”
“It looked like you put up a good fight with the wardrobe. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see the shutters closed.” Guilt invaded him.
“There’s no use going back over things you can’t change. He still doesn’t know that Bridey is a girl. I was afraid he’d throw her away or hurt her or…”
Max put his arm around Veronica and walked closer to Amis. Then he kissed Veronica’s forehead and took Bridey into his arms. Bridey smiled at him.
“If you ever come near my wife and daughter again you’ll be sorry.”
Amis’ eyes opened wide. “What do you mean daughter?”
Veronica crossed her arms and took a step forward. “Yes, a daughter. Her name is Bridey. I do not owe it to you to be your wife because my sister died. You forced yourself on me time and again. I didn’t want you and you knew that. This is my daughter! She belongs to my husband and me. You are nothing to us and you never will be. You are nothing but a drunken fool.” She stepped back and leaned on Max’s arm.”
“So you like to force women, do you?” Parker asked. “Max, why don’t you take your family home. We’ll deal with Amis here. Don’t worry, he won’t bother you again.”
Max held Bridey in one arm and took Veronica’s hand. They walked to the path and kept walking until they came to his horse.
* * *
Georgie was sitting on their front porch. “Oh, thank goodness. I was so worried. I have water heating for a bath and I have herbs.” She blushed and lowered her voice. “I have herbs for if he abused you.”
“Come on inside,” Max invited.
He led Veronica to the sofa and put Bridey into her arms. He glanced at Veronica and then at Georgie. “I’ll give you ladies time to talk.”
As soon as he left, Georgie sat by her side. “Did he force you? Oh, my, your face will be black and blue by morning. It must hurt something awful. I have willow bark tea ready for you.”
Veronica patted her friend’s hand. “He slapped me around a bit, but thank God he didn’t get a chance to do more harm. I’d love some of the tea. My face and back hurt.”
Georgie got up and poured the tea. Despite the pain, Veronica was happy. She was grateful. She had a friend; a real friend. It felt amazing to know that she was liked by another woman. It warmed her heart and made her feel worthy somehow.
She hugged her daughter, and when Max walked back in, her heart was near to overflowing. She had a family and friends. Thank you Lord, for hearing my plea and thank you for your many blessings.
Chapter Thirteen
Max came up behind her while she was cooking and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed the side of her neck, and she shivered.
“You’re face looks lovely,” he whispered.
“The bruising is gone, finally.”
“Did you notice that Bridey doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night anymore?”
“Yes, I noticed.” At one time, she would have been afraid of where the conversation was going, but Max’s love made her feel different.
“I want to ask you something, my love, but I want you to know that if you’re not—.”
“Yes!” She turned in his arms and faced him. “I want to make this marriage real. I want to be in your arms. I want to be with you tonight.” She felt his body shiver against hers.
“I love you with all my heart, Veronica. Both you and Bridey. I’m the luckiest man I know. I think it was more than just chance that you saw my ad in the newspaper. I like to think that God had a hand in our union.”
“I love you too, Max, so very much. I used to pray to be away from Amis, and nothing happened. But God answered my prayers just in His own time.” She trembled. “And if He had taken me away from Amis earlier, then Bridey—” Emotion choked her, and she couldn’t finish her thought.
“I love you.” Max kissed her so tenderly she thought she’d cry from the beauty of it. “I’ll meet you in bed a little after dark.”
She laughed. “We meet there anyway.”
He grinned and gave her a wink. “Don’t be late.” He let her go and went back to work.
Veronica couldn’t stop smiling. Her husband was funny and charming and handsome and best of all he loved both her and Bridey. Max had healed her heart and her shattered trust. She wasn’t afraid to go to her husband now. She felt both serene and filled with anticipation. The fear was gone.
She never thought she’d ever completely trust another man again. Up until she arrived at the town of Spring Water she never really knew an honorable man. Knowing that there was no help for her made it worse. How can the law think of a wife as the husband’s property to do what he wishes? How could whole communities turn a blind eye because the considered it a family matter? Surviving the War Between the States had been hard enough but to have the extra burden of being abused by Amis had almost been her undoing. She had grown strong and she had grown wise. She’d never allow another to hit her again. Veronica smiled. With Max she wouldn’t even have to worry about it.
She took a deep breath. She was part of a wonderful community that was growing and she couldn’t wait to see the changes. Hopefully they could build a church and a school and she couldn’t wait for the freedmen to move their families onto the ranch. It was time for rebuilding lives, not cutting them short. It was through the grace of God that she saw Max’s advertisement in the newspaper.
Her eyes misted. God hadn’t forgotten her after all. He was waiting for the right man for her. She had faith she would be blessed with Max’s children. Somehow she knew both she and Max would still be around to see their children’s children.
She hoped Max’s friends Sandler and Willis eventually found wives of their own. The bet had hurt but now she was glad. It had led her to her loving and tender husband. God sure worked miracles.
Writer’s Note
I know you want to know what happens next to Veronica and Max. I’m sure it will be good things but I haven’t written it yet so I don’t know how many children they eventually have. No this is not a teaser it’s a series. Of course they will live happily ever after- it is a romance. They jumped over so many hurdles to be together. The next book is called Glory’s Groom and that will be Kent Sandler’s story. Glory’s Groom will also be part of the spectacular Alphabet Mail Order Bride Series. My letter is G. That series will start in January 2019. It has some of the best authors in the industry writing the series.
I also wanted to mention that the Bible quotes that I put into my books are from the King James Version of the bible. Yes I am Catholic. I didn’t start writing Christian romance but little by little a guiding hand nudged me along into it. When God whispers it’s best to listen.
Thank you for taking the time to read my books.
Kathleen Ball
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Love Before Midnight
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Cinder’s Bride
Shannon McMurphy jolted awake as the stagecoach came to an abrupt sto
p.
“Asherville, Texas folks!” The driver yelled.
“This is it, Asherville, Texas,” the brown-toothed man sitting across from her announced. He spit once again on the stagecoach floor and leered at her. “Are ya sure ya want to get hitched to Ole John Hardy? I can be your husband if ya like.” He leaned toward her and she quickly turned her head from the fetid smell of his rotting teeth. She wished he wouldn’t speak.
Shannon shuddered, trying not to glance at him. He’d made her uncomfortable with his stare the whole last leg of her trip. Until then there had been other passengers and he’d behaved himself, but now she never wanted to be in his company again. Opening the shade, she looked out the coach window. The bright sun made her eyes squint from the glare.
It didn’t look to be much of a town but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and in this situation, she was definitely the beggar.
The driver opened the door, and Shannon expected to get off first, but the nasty passenger pushed past her and left. Maybe this is what manners are in the West.
The driver extended his hand. She took it and carefully stepped out of the stagecoach. Taking a deep breath, she released his hand and glanced around. Where was Mr. Hardy? He promised to meet the stage, but she saw no one else on the wooden walkway. He was probably delayed at his ranch. Being a successful rancher must be hard work.
The driver put her bag down next to her and she smiled her thanks. “You wouldn’t know—”
“I usually drive straight through Asherville. I have a schedule to keep and can’t stand around jawing. Never had time to meet the folks.” He stroked his black mustache and shrugged. “Someone will be by to pick you up. A man would have to be crazy to leave a pretty gal like you standing out here alone and unescorted.” He climbed back on the coach, grabbed the reins and yelled. “Haw!”
Shattered Trust: Mail Order Brides of Spring Water Book Two Page 12