by Zina Abbott
To give herself a few minutes away from the glare of lights and the crush of warm bodies, Kizzie turned to walk towards the back door of the Prescott home, confident that with the light shining through the window of the building next door where the festivities were being held she could follow the path without a lantern or candle.
“Kizzie. It’s me.”
Kizzie froze and jerked her head up. Her eyes searched the darkness in the direction from whence she had heard the familiar voice. As soon as she saw Leander step out in front of the tree he had been hiding behind, she picked up the skirt of her gown and rushed towards him as fast as she dared, hoping in the dark she wouldn’t trip over a tree root or a stone. “Leander. You’re still here.”
Leander wrapped his hands around her bare arms just below her sleeves to steady her as he pulled her towards him. “Of course I’m still here. I haven’t gotten my kiss I paid for.”
Kizzie stepped closer, smiling into his face. “You still want to kiss me?”
“I certainly do. That’s why I bought a ticket. But, since your uncle stopped us and made me work a little harder to claim it, it is going to cost you interest.”
“What do you mean, interest?”
Leander wrapped his arms around her back and pulled Kizzie tight to his chest. “My interest, Kizzie. You’ve held it for a long time. I expect more than a peck on the lips.”
Kizzie sucked in her breath. “You’re interested in me? Truly? I thought it was Sugarcone you found interesting.”
Leander chuckled low in his throat. “Kizzie, my interest has always been in you. Yes, I find Sugarcone interesting, but you are the one who has really held my interest all these years. Don’t you know yet how much I love you?” Leander leaned his head forward and pressed his lips against Kizzie’s. As she molded her lips to his, he turned his head and deepened the kiss. Unable to get enough of her, he pulled her even tighter to him.
Startled at first, Kizzie stiffened in his arms. Then she realized Leander’s kiss was so very different than any of the chaste kisses she had experienced earlier that night. There was no limp fish sensation with his kiss. His lips were warm and passionate. His kiss was intoxicating. Kissing him was addicting. So, this was what kissing was all about? She wrapped her arms around Leander’s neck even tighter and willingly leaned into him, hoping the kiss would never end.
But, it did. Breathless, the two pulled apart and wordlessly stared into each other’s eyes. After several seconds, something Leander said registered in Kizzie’s memory. “Leander, what did you say just before you kissed me?”
“About my interest in you?”
“No, after that.”
Leander offered Kizzie a slow lazy smile as he watched the anticipation dance in her eyes. “I said, I love you, Kizzie.”
“Oh, me too. I mean, I love you, Leander. How long have you known?”
Leander laughed as he pulled her towards him again and tucked her head under his chin. “I fell in love with you the day I met you. When you were on Sugarcone and leaned down to my face to tell me Sugarcone was your horse and no man was going to ride her just because they thought they should, I thought, there is a young woman with spirit. Then you told Charlie and me you were riding to get help for your family. With fire in your eyes, you ordered me to let you go. That is when I knew I loved you.”
“Really?” Kizzie looked off to the side and she considered the matter.
“Yes. Unfortunately, you refused to tell me your name, so I had to follow you to the fort to find out who you are and where I could find you again.”
Kizzie turned back to Leander with a wide smile. “I wasn’t very happy with you at first, but I certainly am happy now you didn’t give up on me. I don’t know when I started loving you. It kind of snuck up on me. I just know I got so all I thought about was you and wondering when I would see you next and how much I wanted to talk to you and be with you. And then earlier tonight, surrounded by all these handsome men in their uniforms, I realized I didn’t want to see or talk or dance with any of them. The only man I wished to see was you. And then you came. Oh, Leander, you have no idea how thrilled I felt when I looked across the room and saw you.”
Leander reached in his pocket and pulled something out and held it up, only it was too dark for Kizzie to see what it was. “It’s another ticket, Kizzie. I bought the tickets off the two soldiers waiting in line to kiss your cousin. I was hoping since you and she are family, you would honor her two kisses.”
“Oh, Leander.” Kizzie clutched his neck and pressed her ear against his shoulder. Then she looked up at him. “You don’t have to buy tickets to kiss me. All my kisses are for you, however many you want.”
“I’ll keep reminding you of that, sweetheart. Will you marry me? I know in a few weeks I have to make a trip down to Fort Union. But the reason I want to talk to your father is to ask him for your hand. I hope your mother is willing to plan a wedding for October right after I get back. But first I need to know…will you have me?”
“Yes, Leander. The answer has been yes for a long time although I didn’t realize it until tonight.”
Leander released Kizzie and eased her back so he could look at her. “You are so beautiful, Kizzie.”
Worry lines wrinkled Kizzie’s forehead “Leander, you do realize this isn’t the real me. I doubt I’ll ever wear anything this fancy again, not even on our wedding day.”
Leander threw back his head and laughed. “I know. This isn’t the real me either, although I may have to get used to wearing a suit more often. But, Kizzie, to me you are beautiful in anything you wear. You could get married in your favorite old trousers and that beat up slouch hat you like so well and I would think you the most beautiful bride in the world.”
“Um…I don’t think I can talk my mother into that for my wedding outfit. But, maybe I can get a new pair of trousers to wear afterwards. And the hat comes with me to our new home.” Kizzie hesitated. “Where will we live, anyway? When we are not on the trail, that is. Charlie’s wife may be fine with being left with her people while he is gone for months on end, but I’m not. I can ride a horse and shoot a rifle as good as any man. I won’t be left behind.”
“I figured you would go with me next year. I’m sure somewhere in my father’s store we can even find a nice kitchen knife like your mother’s for you to keep in your boot. Maybe by the time we have children we will be more settled and can stay in one place.”
“Until then, when we aren’t on the trail, where do you plan on us living?”
“I hope you will be satisfied with us starting out in the little house where I grew up behind my father’s store. I have money saved to buy us a house with some property for horses, but not here. Like I said earlier, we will probably be shipping a lot of our freight to the Denver area in Colorado by railroad soon. My father and I have talked about me being on the other end to handle the business while Lyman takes over hauling freight by ox team to Fort Union once he musters out of the Army. That is where I want to take you eventually, Kizzie, to Denver. Will you go with me that far away?”
Kizzie tightened her arms around Leander’s neck once more. “If the train will take us to Denver, it will travel back this way so we can visit family when we want. Of course I’ll go to Denver with you, Leander. Well, as long as Sugarcone comes with me.”
“Naturally. You don’t think I’d leave Thunder behind, do you?”
Kizzie giggled and shook her head. “No. Now, tell me, Mr. Jones. Am I going to have to buy one of those tickets to convince you to kiss me again?”
Leander leaned forward, his voice husky with want. “No, my sweet Kizzie. I will gladly kiss you again right now. The day will come when I will give you all the kisses you can handle.”
The two embraced in a deep kiss that lasted until they heard the irritated voice of Jefferson Atwell calling for his niece.
Epilogue
SALINA, KANSAS—SEPTEMBER, 1865
As the women of her family gathered in Grandma Mary’
s kitchen to organize the luncheon food they would all partake off in a few hours, Kizzie stood by the quilt frame in the living area and inspected the quilt top Grandma Mary had pieced together. Her grandmother had taken the three fabric designs Kizzie had brought her and worked them into the four-patch squares. In a matter of minutes, the others would gather there where they all would thread their needles and begin stitching on Kizzie’s quilt. But, for now, Kizzie wanted a few moments to run her fingers over the familiar fabrics that held such precious memories for her.
Kizzie smiled at the memory of the day Grandma Mary revealed what she really intended the quilt to be. Somehow, she knew before Kizzie did how much she was in love with Leander Jones and it was only a matter of time until the two married. This quilt was for them both. Kizzie realized it was so appropriate. After all, one of the fabrics came from Leander’s shirt.
Soon the women found their chairs and stools and gathered around the quilt frame. The chattering continued non-stop as each woman and girl—yes, even Meredith and their Atwell cousin, Magpie, were helping too, although Kizzie suspected Magpie would spend most of the day under the quilt playing with her doll.
Hannah leaned towards Kizzie. “Are you excited about the wedding next month, Kizzie?”
“You know I am. Don’t be such a tease, Hannah.”
“Hopefully the weather will stay nice so it will be warm and dry.” Hannah sighed dreamily. “I personally think a wedding in May or June would be perfect, but I can understand you not wanting to wait until then.”
“No, I sure do not. We expect Leander any day now since it is about time for the freight wagons to return. Then we need to make sure our new home is ready for us. He assures me is it livable, but I want to make sure for myself. Besides, in May and June we will be on the trail to Fort Union with the next freight train.”
“Meredith shuddered. I can’t imagine you wanting to do that, Kizzie. It is so primitive.”
“Meredith, you know I don’t fit the usual female mold. That is why Leander and I are so perfect for each other.”
“Does this house you and Leander will be living in have a nice fireplace, Kizzie?”
Kizzie turned to her grandmother, wondering what prompted the question. “Leander hasn’t said so, but I suspect it does, Grandma Mary. It is where he and his brothers grew up. Back then, everyone pretty much cooked in a fireplace since not many people had wood burning stoves. A lot of people still don’t.”
Grandma Mary continued her train of thought. “I’ve always thought a late fall wedding is just perfect. The harvest is in by then. I know your Leander is not a farmer, my dear, but he is back from his travels in the autumn. It is a time when everything gets prepared for the coming winter. If you’ve prepared well, there’s not a lot of work during those months when the nights are long. There’s plenty of time for a new husband and wife to spend time in front of a nice blazing fireplace where they can get to know each other better.”
“Is that how it was when you and Grandpa Palmer were married?”
Mary turned to Meredith who had asked the question. “No, dear. Your Grandpa Palmer and I were older when we married. We both had children to take care of. We bonded our love in other ways. But, when I married Ezra Benton, your mother’s father, we were young and it was just the two of us. We wed after harvest and spent many cozy nights in front of a toasty fireplace the first months of our marriage. That’s why I think autumn is the perfect time for a young couple to get married.”
Kizzie smiled as she thought about her Grandma Mary’s words. She focused on the block before her as she worked several stitches through one of the small pieces made from fabric that had come from Leander’s shirt. As she pulled the thread taut, she smoothed her hand over the four colors of the larger square.
She knew with time this quilt would become even more special to her. Some of its fabrics already held memories of her time with Leander. Soon the two of them would snuggle under this quilt as they made new memories, memories that would last a lifetime and be passed down to their children.
Yes, autumn, along with a warm quilt to wrap up in and cover their bed, was a perfect time to get married.
Thank you for reading Kizzie’s Kisses!
Enjoy the romances of Grandma Mary’s grandchildren.
Every title is a Clean, Sweet Western Historical Romance.
All 12 titles released in January, 2017
You may find them all by searching for Grandma’s Wedding Quilts on Amazon.
If you enjoyed this book, please help other readers find it by leaving a review. Just a few words will do. Reviews make all the difference!
Amazon Review
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Goodreads
Sweet Americana - Grandma’s Wedding Quilts Series
To learn more about our series and the individual books, visit SweetAmericanaClub.com.
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Grandma's Wedding Quilt Series on Amazon:
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1. Grandma’s Wedding Quilts –The Prequel by Kate Cambridge, 01-01-17
The greatest inspiration is often born of desperation.
One year ago Hannah Quinn scored her dream job, and now the fate of the museum she loves will rise or fall on her next exhibit. But wait... there's a problem. She doesn't have a clue what her next exhibit will be!
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When a trunk with two quilts is donated to the museum, Hannah's boss thinks she's wasting her time chasing down the history of the quilts, regardless of their beauty; but Hannah persists. She knows there's something special about these quilts, and a story that demands to be told.
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Little does Hannah know, her friend Callum, a researcher and consultant, plays an unexpected a role in her investigation that leads to questions and discoveries that threaten the foundation of all she holds most dear.
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Will her desperation to discover the story of the quilts cause her to lose the very thing she loves the most - or will the secrets she uncover lead her to more than she ever dreamed?
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2. Kizzie's Kisses by Zina Abbott, 01-09-17
Running from hostile Indians attacking Salina, Kansas in 1862, feisty Kizzie Atwell runs into freighter Leander Jones traveling the Smoky Hill Trail. He is as interested in her as his stallion is in her mare. The two join forces to prevent the Fort Riley Army captain from requisitioning their beloved horses for the cavalry. Will the bargain they make to save their horses lead to a more romantic bargain sealed with a kiss?
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3. Jesse's Bargain by Kay P. Dawson, 01-10-17
Thanks to a gunfight, Cora now needs to get to Kansas, and Jesse needs a new trail cook. Left with no other choice, she joins the cattle drive headed north, with a man who isn’t happy to have her along. They have miles of trail ahead of them - and a lot that can go wrong along the way.
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4. Meredith's Mistake by Amelia C. Adams, 01-11-17
The summer Meredith turned sixteen was filled with romance and laughter - two young men sought her hand, and she chose the one she thought would make her the happiest. He certainly was the most handsome, and the wealthiest, and could offer her the most pleasant life. But that turned out to be a mistake . . . one she would regret for a very long time.
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In a strange twist of fate, now she's being given a chance to set things right. Will she be able to live down her past, or will her foolishness keep coming back to haunt her and keep her from ever being happy with the man she loves?
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5. Monica's Mystery by Kate Cambridge, 01-12-17
Monica has to leave home, fast. Her parents are planning to marry her off and although all her friends are marrying, that is definitely not what she wants. She’s seventeen, an amateur sleuth, and sees no reason why she can’t join the ranks of the local lawman, or even become a Texas Ranger, should she choose! What will happen when she visits her best friend in Texas,
only to find herself face-to-face with a handsome Texas Ranger, and knee-deep in territory she has no idea how to navigate?
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6. Pleasance's First Love by Kristin Holt, 01-13-17
His worst mistake was letting her go.
His second-worst mistake? Bringing her home.
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No one will ever know how badly Pleasance Benton’s abandonment threw Jacob Gideon. He landed hard, hard enough he didn’t care to find a replacement. Now that he needs a woman, he figures the safest way is to order one from a catalog.
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Pleasance is back to reclaim her rightful place at Jacob’s side. One way or another she’ll remind him theirs is a match made in heaven…once the shock wears off. The teensy-weensy problem? Jacob doesn’t know that she—his first love—is his catalog bride.
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7. Zebulon's Bride by Patricia PacJac Carroll, 01-14-17
He’s vowed not to marry until he reaches Montana. Then he meets her, but she has other ideas.
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Zebulon Benton dreams of going to Montana, but he’s the only son and his mother doesn’t want him to go and his father needs help with the family store. Unknown to Zeb, his mother sends off for a mail order bride. After all, if Zeb marries and settles down, he won’t want to leave.
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Enter Amy Gordon from New York. She appears to be the perfect bride for Zeb. Except she also wants to go to Montana and nothing is going to stop her especially her love for Zeb.