The Brides of Evergreen Box Set

by Heather Blanton

  Pastor Wills stood and walked over to Dent. “Bear in mind, God sees us as who we can become, not who we are now. And, apparently, most of us were worth dying for. You are precious to Him, Dent.” He grinned, lightening the mood. “And to Amy. You won’t go wrong by putting a ring on her finger.”

  Embarrassed, Dent tucked the ring back into his pocket and stood, absently tapping the star on his vest. “You heard that part, too.”

  “Mmm-hmmm.”

  “I was thinking about making the request official this afternoon.”

  “One knee and all that?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Pastor slapped him on the shoulder. “I hope I helped to make it easier...and anytime you want to talk about God’s love, my door is open.”

  Dent shook the pastor’s hand. “Thank you.” As he walked back to the church entrance, one thing Pastor said stayed with him.

  He sees us as who we can become, not who we are now.

  Dent found a tremendous amount of hope in the idea.

  2

  For an instant, Amy couldn’t place the pale green eyes, curly caramel hair, and devastating smile. But then the memory of a gun firing into the air brought it all back in biting clarity.

  The attack. The pawing, clutching hands, her dress tearing, exposing her shoulder...and the deafening crack of a .38 fired overhead. Her attackers had run away and Jeremy, her savior, had lifted her to her feet.

  Flooded with joy at the sight of the man who had saved her and become a dear friend, she jumped into his arms, holding in her injured wing. “Oh, my goodness! Jeremy!”

  He wrapped her up tightly and spun her with equal enthusiasm. “Amy!”

  Laughing, he twirled her around like a doll. She squeezed his neck, thrilled to see him. “Oh, how wonderful! What a surprise.”

  He kissed her on the forehead and set her down, but held on to her waist. “You are a sight for sore eyes.”

  “Oh, so are you. So are you.” She caressed his cheek. “I can’t believe you’re here.” The smile fell from her face as she stepped back. “What are you doing here?”

  His dark eyebrows crashed in confusion. “Your father didn’t mention me?”

  “Mention you?”

  “Yes. In the telegram about the books.”

  Amy was lost. “The last telegram I got from Father said they’d like to know more about Dent and how big our library is.”

  Disdain crossed his face, but he passed it in a flash. “You should have gotten a telegram about the books and that I would be arriving to help you set up the new library. You don’t know anything about that?”

  “Father and I have been asking for donations, but I had no idea anything had been collected.”

  “Hmmm.” Jeremy rested his hands on his hips. “Well, I hate to tell you, young lady, but we have rounded up over five thousand books for this town’s new library.”

  “Five thousand?” Amy was bowled over by the number. Evergreen finally had the inventory for a real, substantial library? Squealing like a fourth grader, she jumped up and hugged Jeremy again. He returned the hug—with relish, she thought—and kissed the top of her head, lingering this time.

  Amy froze. Her familiarity and intimacy with her friend had crossed the line. She swallowed and stepped back, lifted his hands from her hips, but he instead clasped her fingers. His gentle gaze spoke volumes and her heart broke for him, but she had truth to speak. “Jeremy, I met someone here in Evergreen. My parents should have told you.”

  He ran his thumb over her fingers and nodded. “I know. They did tell me. They told me of your close call, as well.” He glanced at her injury. “And maybe I shouldn’t be here, but we were, I thought, close back in Ohio. You left in such a hurry, though—”

  “I know. It was sudden. I’m sorry. But I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t think.” Amy turned away and hugged herself. “I was scared all the time, and you were confusing me. I was so grateful to you for saving me. I simply wasn’t sure it was more than that. I needed to get away to think. To heal.”

  “It was never my intention to confuse you, Amy. I’m here now just as a friend.”

  “A friend?” She turned back to him. “Long way to come just to see a friend.”

  He shrugged and slid his hands into his pockets. “Truthfully? I was injured in the line of duty a month ago—”

  “Oh, no, are you all right?”

  “Fine. A concussion, but I’m on temporary leave. Your father asked me to escort your shipment. He’s paying me for the security work.”

  “My books need a bodyguard?”

  Jeremy chuckled and scratched his nose. “Your parents sent all your jewelry, as well. I understand your collection is quite valuable. Your mother also shipped some furniture. They filled an entire car for you.”

  Amy frowned. Things. Her parents could always be counted on to send things, but they had not agreed to come if there was to be a wedding. Regardless ...

  She ambled back over to Jeremy and smiled. “I am doubly-blessed then. To receive such a wonderful shipment watched over by someone I adore.”

  He touched her cheek. “Honestly, I had forgotten how pretty you are.”

  A man clearing his voice at the door startled Amy and she jumped away from Jeremy. Dent stood in the door—her tall, handsome, rugged sheriff—and her heart raced at the sight of him. The troubled, disapproving crease in his forehead said he had some serious questions about the scene before him.

  Dent never knew what he might wander into when he stopped by the school. A little girl practicing her part as the Statue of Liberty. A little boy being admonished to not ever bring snakes to class again. A teenage girl sobbing into Amy’s shoulder, lamenting a break-up.

  He was not prepared for the sight of a strange young man in a tailored suit caressing her cheek. It sent him reeling. As he dragged his hat from his head, a sick feeling exploded in his gut. He knew he wouldn’t be dragging the ring out today. Worse, he became aware of his worn vest, scuffed boots, and shaggy, black hair in need of a trim.

  “Dent, perfect timing.” Amy hurried over to him and took his hand. “I need you to meet Jeremy.” She dragged him back to her friend. “He is the off-duty policeman who came to my rescue when I—” even now she still stumbled when speaking of it— “when I was attacked. He chased the men away.”

  The sick feeling waned, but didn’t disappear altogether. Still, relief was there and Dent focused on it, offering the tall stranger his hand. “I don’t have the words to tell you how grateful I am. Thank you.” They shook, but this old friend broke the grip rather quickly, Dent noted.

  “It was my pleasure,” Jeremy said with a nod to Amy. “And I would certainly do it again.”

  Yes, yes, he would, Dent agreed, watching Jeremy’s eyes soften as he gazed at Amy. The knife of jealousy twisting again, he tried to force it away and think like a lawman. “So what brings you to Evergreen?”

  “Oh, that’s the best part, Dent.” Amy beamed as she clutched his arm. “He escorted a shipment of books here for the library.”

  “That’s good news. The town’s wanted a library forever.”

  “Guess how many books?” Amy quivered with excitement. “Guess.”

  Dent hated guessing games. “A thousand.”

  “Five. Five thousand new books.”

  “That’s a mighty big lot. Must be pretty valuable to need security.”

  “I was just telling Amy, her parents also sent her collection of jewelry. It’s quite valuable. But honestly,” he shrugged a shoulder, “Amy’s father was just trying to help out a low-paid police officer who’s on medical leave.”

  “Medical leave, huh?”

  “Mild concussion. Nothing serious. Department regulations. But I’m off for a month.”

  Dent tried to keep the relaxed look on his face, but felt the sneer fighting for freedom. “A whole month.”

  “Oh, Dent isn’t it too good to be true? We’ll have a fine library established almost overnight.” She spun back to
Jeremy and clutched his arm. “I can’t wait to get started. Join Dent and me for dinner tonight and we can talk about it.”

  “I’d love to. Sheriff, I borrowed the hotel owner’s surrey to get out here and need to return it. Would you mind giving me a lift to dinner, since I don’t know my way around town yet?”

  The sick feeling, mixed with a heavy dose of annoyance, churned in Dent’s stomach. “My pleasure.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll see you about ...?”

  “Six,” Amy said.

  “Six,” Jeremy repeated to Dent. “You’ll pick me up a few minutes before, Sheriff?”

  Not sure he could hide his sour mood, Dent merely nodded. Jeremy excused himself and slipped back outside. When the door closed, a delicate, warm hand slipped into Dent’s. Trying to recover his good mood, he dropped his hat onto her head. “Funny how it always looks better on you.”

  Waves of long, pretty, auburn hair tumbled down her shoulders. Behind her spectacles, her mesmerizing blue eyes glowed with a hypnotic warmth. Dent fell under their spell, letting this sick feeling drown under a wave of desire. She looked at him sometimes like he was the greatest thing since sunlight.

  “You handled that well.” A half-grin playing on her lips, she reached up and straightened the hat.

  “What?”

  “Oh, goodness, Dent, if your face was any stiffer, it would shatter.” Opening up the grin, she leaned into him. “You don’t have a thing to worry about.” She rose on her tiptoes, lifted her face to him, and closed her eyes.

  If she wasn’t the cutest thing...he kissed her, followed her for another when she started to pull away. Laughing, she changed direction and wrapped her arm around his neck. He gave her another innocent peck, but somehow it transformed into a long, deep kiss. He lost himself in the heat of her mouth, the feel of her curves against him, the sound of her breathing. His hands slid from her ribs to her back, to the curve of her waist.

  “Never fails to amaze me what you do to me,” he whispered against her throat. She yielded to him, setting fires in his muscles. He nibbled on her ear lobe. “Amy, save me from myself.” He dragged his lips down her jaw to her mouth. “The water is gettin’ deep.”

  She took a deep breath and slid her fingers up, covering his mouth. Capping the bottle. Eyes closed, he rested his forehead on hers and let sanity seep back into him. They were both breathing as if they’d run a mile.

  She shook her head. “You keep kissing me like that, we might both drown.”

  “Promise?”

  She took another deep breath, as if for strength, and stepped out of his arms. “There are particular things that should be in place first.” Her eyes flashed him a challenge.

  Like a proposal. And, boy, wasn’t the idea tempting? The ring beckoned to him, but the appearance of Jeremy had him off-balance. Dent plucked his hat from her, and dropped it on his own head. “There certainly are.” He took her hand in his. “Long as that Jeremy fella doesn’t cause any problems, maybe I’ll get around to those particulars.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Then you’d better start planning.”

  3

  Because a good woman had raised him right, Dent had allowed himself to be hornswoggled into giving this Jeremy a ride to Amy’s.

  Nobody said it had to be a comfortable ride.

  Dent rode up to the front of the hotel astride his sorrel Ginger. He held the reins to a swaybacked piebald gelding who didn’t leave the pasture much. Consequently, the activity on Evergreen’s main street—not to mention the strange surroundings—had the horse, known as Baldy, two-stepping at the slightest noise.

  The gelding would calm down quick, but Jeremy would have an interesting few minutes in the saddle. If he could stay in the saddle. Dent guessed most police officers from Swanton weren’t too familiar with horseback riding.

  He was about to dismount when Jeremy walked out on to the hotel’s porch, a new derby in his hand. “You don’t have a buggy?”

  Dent settled his rear end back into the saddle. “I do, but it’s out at my ranch. I take it you don’t ride?”

  “No, I ride.” He double-timed down the steps. “It’s just this boy looks like he’s on his last leg.” He took the reins from Dent and ran a hand over Baldy, causing the horse to neigh and side-step away from the touch. Jeremy calmed him with some soft words and swung up.

  As Dent had predicted, Baldy’s eyes rolled back, he tossed his head about, grumbling in protest, and danced at the hitching post like snakes were slithering at his feet. Hiding his amusement behind a gloved fist, Dent leaned forward and rested an elbow on his saddle horn. “Pretty energetic for his last leg.”

  Jeremy pulled the horse’s left rein in tight, working him into a circle. The horse whirled several times, but finally started calming. “Whoa, boy, whoa,” he commanded in a firm, but soothing tone. After a moment, the gelding came to a standstill and he loosened the reins.

  Jeremy had brought the old boy under control with skill and confidence. Dent would give credit where credit was due. “You can ride.”

  Jeremy didn’t look at him. Instead, he responded by backing Baldy out to the street. “I’m ready if you are.”

  Dent didn’t miss the abrupt tone. He nudged Ginger away from the post and the two horses fell into step down the street.

  “Is that how you treat all your visitors in Evergreen? Put them on unruly horses too old to ride?”

  Dent didn’t bite at the acidic comment. “Baldy’s a good horse. Once he’s calm.”

  Jeremy chuckled, a bitter sound, then hit Dent with a baleful glare. “I know about you. This won’t be a cakewalk. I won’t just let her go. Especially with you.”

  Dent’s mouth just about fell open over the brazen comments, but anger surged ahead of the shock. He was sorely tempted to reach over and snatch Jeremy out of the saddle, but right here in the middle of Main Street wasn’t the place. He held his tongue, almost biting it off, till they had ridden past the busiest section of town.

  “Friend, you are dangerously close to exhausting my patience. Explain yourself.”

  Jeremy’s lip curled. “Dangerously close. Violence is your bailiwick. You got Ben Hayes killed and Amy shot. I’ve come to get her away from you before you get her killed.”

  Dent had never in his life beat anyone over a woman, but there was a first time for everything. “Mister—” It occurred to him he didn’t know the man’s last name and he did not want to be on a first-name basis with him.

  “Dillard.”

  “Well, Mr. Dillard,” Dent reined up, and turned in the saddle to look the swaggering fool right in the eye. “Whether Amy stays with me or goes with you will be her choice. Bear in mind, I won’t just let her go, either. We have an understanding at the moment, and I am going to ask her to marry me.”

  “Going to ask. You’re not engaged yet.”

  “I said we have an understanding.”

  “Which, as I said, is not engaged.”

  “It’s the same thing. And I can tell you her heart is steadfast.”

  “Maybe. I would argue she hasn’t had the right information to make the proper choices.”

  Well, this is a heck of a note.

  The man had all but slapped Dent in the face and said he was going to steal his girl. He had no experience for dealing with this type of situation so he drew on what he did know. Since violence did not seem the gentlemanly option, as it would prove the man’s point, he decided to issue a warning first—a warning he would be happy to act upon. “I am not in the habit of letting folks waltz into my life and take what is mine. Not without a fight.”

  Dillard smiled. An oily, dark thing that made Dent clench his fingers into a tight fist. “I won’t take her. She’ll come with me willingly.”

  4

  Dent and Amy ambled arm-in-arm down the street. Sunset was coming on quick, the bugs were buzzing around them, and the crickets started up their serenade for the spring evening. Dinner had been a long and painful affair. Dent had done his best n
ot to reveal a desire to snap Jeremy Dillard’s neck, but every time the man leaned into Amy and the two shared a private joke, his gut had twisted with jealousy.

  “You were awfully quiet during dinner tonight.” Amy said, plucking a June bug from his sleeve. “Is something wrong? Is it Jeremy?”

  Could he lose her? Was Dillard right? Had she chosen Dent out of a lack of...options? “You want to tell me about him?”

  “I told you not to worry about him. I have given you my heart. Don’t you believe that?”

  Did he? He slid an arm around her. She felt as natural beside him as the air in his lungs. Her lilac gown, fitted snuggly to her curves and cut just a little low, had about knocked him off his feet. To top it all off, she smelled like a bouquet of roses. Even that darn sling didn’t take the shine off her. “I guess I’m just a little...stunned that I have captured a girl as special as you.”

  She poked him playfully in the ribs. “I think you’re pretty special, too, Sheriff.” She shoved her glasses up on her nose and studied him, like she was trying to figure out the perfect thing to say. “I love you to death. Truly, madly, deeply. How can you doubt me?”

  He hung his head, pondering the question, then stopped walking. “He’s got a lot to offer you.” He turned to her and gently clutched her shoulders. “He makes more money than I do. He’s educated—”

  She pressed her hand to his lips. “Stop. Everything I want in a man is standing right in front of me. If Jeremy had been the man for me, I wouldn’t have left Swanton. God brought me to you.”

  “Why, Amy? Why do you love me?”

  “How much time do you have?”

  His felt his expression soften with the joke and he cupped her cheek.

  She covered his hand with hers. “You’re the bravest, most honorable man I’ve ever known. You’re wise, noble, humble. You make me feel safe and warm and loved. Need I go on?”

  “I was going to hang one of your students.”

  “No, you weren’t. That’s why you let him ride out. You gave Israel a second chance.”