by Beverly Long
He’d drunk almost all of it. Was it enough?
“You bitch,” he roared. He came at her, his fists swinging.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jed bolted out of the Sheriff’s office and bumped into a man walking toward the saloon. The stranger reached out to steady the two of them and Jed felt an almost overwhelming intensity surge through his body.
He looked at the man’s face. There was something so familiar. He looked . . . Christ, it wasn’t possible . . . but he had the look of Bella about him. His eyes. His forehead. His brown-black hair.
“Pardon me, Sheriff,” the man said. “Are you all right?”
Hell no. He was losing his mind. He was seeing Bella, or whatever her real name was, in the faces of strangers. He turned and ran toward the hotel. When he got to the door, he looked back. The stranger stood in the same spot, watching him.
More uneasy than ever, Jed whipped open the door of the hotel and saw Horace Tartin sleeping behind the desk. He crossed the room and rapped his knuckles against the wood. The man’s small eyes snapped open.
“I’m looking for Bella Wainwright,” Jed said.
The man pointed toward the stairs. “First door on your left. But I think she’s otherwise occupied.”
Jed was halfway up the stairs when he heard a crash and a scream. Bella’s scream.
He kicked open the door of the room just as Toomay swung his heavy arm toward Bella’s face. She ducked but not quite fast enough and he caught the side of her head. She fell backwards like a rag doll.
Jed charged him. His shoulder caught Toomay under the ribs. They crashed against the wall. Toomay swung, catching Jed’s ribs, knocking him back. Toomay came at him again but Jed got his own swing in, catching Toomay on the chin. The man’s head whipped back.
Jed threw his body at the man and the momentum carried the two men across the room. They hit the window, glass flew, and Jed reared back just in time to catch himself.
He watched as Toomay’s body plummeted from the second floor of the Mantosa Hotel onto the snow-covered street. He hit the ground head-first and lay there, face down, his legs spread, his neck at a 90-degree angle to his body.
Jed turned. Bella was pulling herself up, using the bedpost as leverage. “Oh Bella,” he said. “Are you hurt?”
“Don’t let him get away,” she pleaded. “Stop him.”
Jed looked down at the street. Bart had run from the Sheriff’s office and now stood next to the body. He looked up and met Jedidiah’s eye.
“He’s dead,” Bart yelled.
Jed turned to look at Bella again and saw her eyes roll back in her head. He caught her just before she hit the ground.
***
Bella woke up in Jed’s arms. He was sitting on the floor, his back propped against the wall, and she was in his lap. He had one arm wrapped around her back, holding her, and the other held a damp cloth to her forehead.
Rantaan Toomay was dead. The curse had never been made. Her family was free.
“Bella,” he said, his voice full of concern.
She heard a noise near the door. Bart and the desk clerk stood in the doorway. “Tell them to go,” she whispered.
Jed looked up. “Leave us,” he ordered. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
She heard the door shut. “My name isn’t Bella Wainwright,” she said.
He didn’t look at all surprised.
“It’s Bella Fantini. I’ve been pretending to be Freida Stroganhaufer’s niece.”
“Why?”
She couldn’t do this with him holding her like she was precious. She’d lied to him, many times over.
She moved so that she was no longer in his lap. She stood up and walked across the room. He stood as well but he stayed with his back against the wall.
He deserved to know the truth. But would it bring him any peace? “I’m a witch. I live a hundred and thirty years in the future and I came back in time to reverse a curse that was placed on my family by Rantaan Toomay.”
She heard him gulp for a breath of air. “Bella,” he said. “You’ve got a pretty good sized bump on your head. It’s causing you to talk nonsense.”
She wished it were that easy. “I know what I’m saying. Jed, I’m sorry. Rantaan Toomay was Bad Magic. The kind of magic that feeds off the pain and agony of others. On December fifth, in 1877, he played a game of cards at Hawkin’s Saloon with my father.”
“Your father,” Jed repeated. He was shaking his head, as if that would help him sort through the explanation.
“Yes. My father had come to Mantosa to deliver some cows.”
“What does your father look like?” he asked, surprising her.
“Like me, I guess. I always favored him more than my mother. Anyway, after the card game ended, Toomay followed Delilah up the stairs. He was beating Delilah up and my father tried to stop him. They were fighting and neither one of them saw Delilah pull a gun out from underneath her bed. She shot Toomay but not before he could curse my father and ultimately me.”
Jed was pale and she was pretty sure he’d fall down if he moved away from the wall. She needed to get this over with. “Anyway, I came back from my time to stop the curse from being uttered. I needed a reason to be in Mantosa and when I got the chance to pretend to be Freida’s niece, I took it. I’m sorry,” she said. “I lied to all of you and I’m sorry.”
He swallowed hard. “What…what were you doing in Toomay’s room tonight? Dressed like that?”
“I’d mixed medication in with the whiskey.” She pointed at the glass on the floor. “I thought if he drank the whole bottle, it would kill him. If it didn’t kill him but he simply passed out, I was going to put a pillow over his head and smother him. I meant to kill him and I would have done it. I know it’s hard to understand but he was evil, very evil.”
Jed shook his head. “I know he was evil. Don’t forget, I saw his face after Pete shot Lenny.”
Was it possible that he believed her? “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come, Jed. You saved my life. And you rid the world of a very bad thing. You’ve done more than you can possibly know.”
Jed looked her in the eye. “I’m glad he’s dead. When I opened that door and I saw him strike you, I…” Jed stopped. He crossed the room and stood before her. “I was so angry with you. Freida got a telegram today from the real Merribelle Wainwright and I knew that you were an imposter. But when I saw you fall, I knew that none of that mattered. I love you Bella. I can’t live without you. I want you to be my wife.”
What? She couldn’t stay. She couldn’t leave her time, her family, her magic.
She opened her mouth but no sound came out.
“Bella?” he said. He reached for her hand and rubbed his thumb across the top of her knuckles. “I love you Bella. Marry me.”
She felt sick and dizzy. She wanted him to know that she’d stay if she could, if it wasn’t such an impossible situation. “Jed, I just told you. I’m a witch. I live a hundred and thirty years in the future.”
“I don’t care.”
He made it sound so simple. Tears leaked from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. “I can’t,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
She could see his chest rise and fall, as if he was forcing air into his lungs.
She pulled her hands back, breaking the connection. “I have to go. My father will be waiting for me, to take me back home.”
“I love you,” he said again.
“I know. I love you too, Jed. Goodbye.”
She scooped up her clothes. She was at the door when Jed spoke again.
“Bella, I want you to have this.”
She turned.
He held out the music box that he’d purchased from Saul’s. “Take this,” he said. “I don’t understand why you have to go. But if you must, I want you to have this. When you listen to it, please remember me and know that I loved you very much.”
Oh, God. She reached for the music box. Their fingers brushed and she knew tha
t she would always remember his touch—the warmth, the strength, the passion. She ran from the room. Bart was standing at the end of the hall.
“Sweet Jesus, Bella. You can’t go outside dressed like that.”
She wasn’t stopping now. He must have sensed that because he shrugged off his own jacket. “Here. Take my coat.”
She did. She slipped it on and when it came to her knees, she dropped her other clothes and ran out the front door of the hotel. She held the music box tight in both hands. The street lanterns had been lit and she could see that someone had drug Toomay’s body to the side of the road. She looked at him, needing to assure herself that the man was really and truly dead.
People were staring at her but she paid them no attention. She walked toward the edge of town and wasn’t surprised when her father slipped out of the shadows. It was the father she left behind a week ago, not the one she’d seen earlier talking to Bart.
“Bella, darling,” he said. He opened his arms and she rushed into his comforting embrace. He held her tight and she started to cry.
He patted her back. “Now, now, Bella. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. You did the best you could do. Don’t cry.”
She pulled back her head. He thought she’d failed. “Toomay is dead, Daddy. He never uttered the curse.”
His father threw back his head in relief. “That’s my girl,” he said. “But why are you crying?”
Because I gained our freedom and lost my heart in the process. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “We should go. Averil will be worried.”
Her father put his hands on each side of her face and stared at her. “Tell me what’s going on, Bella.”
“No.”
He took a step back. “Will you at least tell what this is?” He pointed to the music box.
Fresh tears ran down Bella’s face. “Oh, Daddy. I was so stupid. I fell in love.”
He cocked his head. “Oh. With who?”
“With Jed.” She sniffed. “He’s the sheriff. Daddy, he’s sort of a tough guy until you get to know him. But he’s strong and brave and kind and I should have known better.”
“Does he know that you’re a witch?”
“He knows. I’m not sure he understands. But he says it doesn’t make a difference.”
Her father studied her. “He loves you?”
She nodded.
“And do you love him?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Her father smiled. “That’s not what I asked. Do you love him, Bella?”
“More than anything. I can’t imagine what my life is going to be like without him. I don’t know how I’m going to go on.”
Her father let out a big huff of air. “I guess I always knew this day would come. I just wasn’t thinking it would happen quite like this. What are you planning to do about this?”
Bella shook her head. Her father was acting as if there really was something she could do about it. “Daddy, what are you saying?”
“I’m not sure what I’m saying. I must be crazy to be trying to talk you into this because it means that you won’t be my little girl any longer. But what I know, Bella, is that true love doesn’t happen for most people. It happened for me. That’s what I had with your mother. I loved her and she loved me. It’s what I want for you. It’s what she would have wanted for you.”
She started to sob.
“What, Bella?” Her father looked unsure.
Could she do it? Could she tell him the truth after all this time?
“Daddy, I need to tell you something. Something I should have told you a long time ago.”
“What’s that, Bella?”
“On the day that mom died, she was really angry with me. I wanted to stay all night at a friend’s house and she’d said no—that I’d been gone a lot and I needed to catch up on my sleep. I told her that she was ruining my life. I said horrible things to her before I ran to my room and locked the door. She knocked on my door but I wouldn’t answer her. Then later, I heard the car start and I knew she was leaving to go pick up Averil. I still didn’t come out.”
“Oh, Bella.”
“She died, Daddy. Before I could ever tell her that I was sorry. She always hated it when we fought. She was distracted when she was driving and that’s why she got in the accident. It’s my fault that Averil lost her mother, that you lost your wife, the love of your life. It’s all my fault.”
He gathered her in his arms. “Bella, Bella. It’s not your fault. It wasn’t my fault. It was the fault of the man who was driving drunk. Your mother loved you. Very much.”
She let him hold her and rock her back and forth. When she felt that she could speak again, she lifted her head. “I’m scared, Daddy.”
“Why?”
“If I stay, I have to give up my magic. It’s the one thing that I’m really good at.”
Her father smiled. “Bella, you’ve under-estimated yourself for a long time. And maybe tonight, I’ve finally realized why. I wish I’d known the burden that you carried.” He brushed tears off her cheeks. “You are beautiful and smart and so full of life. None of that has anything to do with you being a witch. But you’re right. You’ve a choice to make. I can’t help you make it.”
Love or magic. It wasn’t really a difficult choice after all. She kissed her father soundly on the mouth. “Thank you. I don’t want to lose you and Averil.”
“You won’t. You may have lost your magic but we’ve still got ours. Go,” he said. “Go find that man of yours and tell him that you love him. Tell him that you’re staying.”
Bella was halfway back to the Sheriff’s Office when she saw Jed leave the hotel and start to cross the street. His head was down and his hands were in his coat pockets. He walked slowly, as if he was an old man.
“Jed,” she whispered.
He could not have heard her.
“Jed,” she yelled.
His head snapped up and he put his hand to his chest. He didn’t move for several seconds. Then he spread his arms wide and turned in a circle. “I. Love. Bella.”
The men who were loading Toomay’s body into a wagon turned and stared.
He kept turning. “That’s right,” he yelled. “I love Bella. I love her.”
People drifted out of the saloon. There was just enough light that she could see that most of the men were slapping each other on the backs and Delilah had a big grin on her face.
Yancy stood off to the side, shaking his head. “So, what are you going to do about it, Jedidiah McNeil?” he asked.
“I’m going to marry her if she’ll have me.”
He was risking everything. Her heart swelled in her chest and she wondered if it really could burst with love.
“Come on, Bella,” Delilah yelled. “Make an honest man out of him.”
Bella ran to him and he swept her up in his arms. “You crazy guy, what were you thinking?” she demanded.
He kissed her. Soundly. Bella heard clapping. “I don’t know,” he whispered. He smiled at her, as if he was a young boy. “When I saw you and realized you weren’t gone and that maybe there was still a chance for us, I wanted the world to know that I can’t live without you. I didn’t care if they all thought I was a fool.”
She rested her cheek against his chest. “You’re my fool.”
He kissed her again. “Nobody else’s, darling.”
THE END
About the Author
Like many writers, my love affair with books began at an early age. I was a frequent visitor to the library in my little town and while I read many types of books, I was drawn to those featuring feisty heroines in dangerous situations.
While I was content to borrow some books, there were others that were worthy of my hard-earned allowance money. Trixie Belden. Nancy Drew. I couldn’t wait to see what kind of trouble those girls were getting into and how they were going to solve the mystery.
A few years later, when I was in high school, I discovered romance novels and I was hooked.
&n
bsp; For a few years, my pleasure reading was curtailed as I got married, raised two daughters, worked full time, and finished graduate school.
Now, I’m thrilled to be writing my own stories that have exciting characters, complex situations, and satisfying endings! I hope you enjoy!
Connect with Me Online:
Web Site: http://www.BeverlyLong.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/BeverlyLong.Romance
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/beverlylong
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
About the Author