“Because my home is here, my love. With you.”
“Don’t ever leave me again,” he said firmly. “Where you go, I go. Forever.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Riley said happily.
Afterword
Thank you for taking the time to read A Lifetime with You. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Doesn’t have to be much, just a simple rating and a few kind words work wonders <3 Your thoughts, opinions and feedback are much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ginny
Also by Ginny Sterling
A snippet from Outlaw Bride
Denver, 1877
“He did what?” Kaitlyn whispered, stunned. Finding a seat quickly, she sat staring at the solicitor and vaguely heard the commotion around her. She grasped the velvet-covered settee as she practically fell into it. Her legs gave out underneath her. She was stunned by the generous gift bequeathed upon her.
“You are the sole heir of your late uncle, Joseph McGraw. He has left you his property and house in Texas and you are to occupy it posthaste else it will be liquidated and given to the state. Do you understand what that means?” he asked gently, seeing her pale face.
“Yes. Yes, thank you,” Kaitlyn quietly replied. She honestly wasn’t sure she heard him accurately. Land, a home of her own and money. She was independent and free now, but to what price?
“You can’t go,” her stepfather said abruptly. His voice cut through her thoughts like a hot knife through butter. Kaitlyn was positive he was just as shocked as she was by the announcement. Her mother stood behind him, her face eerily pale with two splotches of red upon her cheeks - a telltale sign she was upset.
“I have no choice.” And you can’t tell me what to do anymore, she thought bitterly. There was no way Kaitlyn would ever pass up the chance to be on her own. She had acted and thought so differently from her stepfather and mother over the years, resulting in disciplinary action repeatedly. She swore that she had welts on her knuckles from the numerous times she had them struck. At least caning was frowned upon or she was certain she would have earned that, too! Kaitlyn couldn’t help it, she wanted to be free to make her own choices. Not live by the choices made for her.
“You do have a choice. We can fight this. I can take over the property and hold it for you until you are properly married. Women shouldn’t be able to own land anyhow,” her stepfather muttered under his breath.
“This woman will,” she said quietly, not looking up. Kaitlyn refused to take the bait. She would not let him take this opportunity from her!
“Sir, I understand you want to take care of your…” the solicitor interrupted quickly and Kaitlyn was thankful because she saw her stepfather move towards her. He would not bully her or make her feel like she didn’t deserve a chance. By God, she did deserve an opportunity just like anyone else… to heck with being a woman! Women could hold their own property now! He just wanted to take it from her, like he had taken everything else. Her home, her mother, their funds. Everything.
“…daughter,” her stepfather replied smoothly, laying a firm hand on her shoulder. Kaitlyn flinched at the pressure and the unspoken warning that went with it.
“Stepdaughter,” she corrected defiantly, not moving. She felt him give a hard squeeze that nearly brought tears to her eyes. Instead, it simply fortified her resolve. Kaitlyn looked up at the solicitor and met his eyes. Nodding, she saw he understood that she would take control of the property.
“A formality, I assure you,” her stepfather said smoothly, releasing her shoulder finally. He stepped forward beside his wife, pushing her behind him. “I always intended to adopt you when Ruby and I married. It’s just never been an issue before.”
“It isn’t one now, either,” Kaitlyn retorted under her breath. She didn’t even realize that she had uttered the words aloud until the sudden movement. Her stepfather jumped forward and slammed his fist upon the table next to the settee she was seated on, causing her to jump anxiously.
“It apparently is,” he argued angrily. This time, Kaitlyn met his eyes firmly. This would be the last time he ever tried to control her or tell her what to do. She wasn’t his chattel, she wasn’t his slave. Kaitlyn was a child that was supposed to be loved and revered by her family. Instead, she felt like an afterthought that was always in the wrong. That life was over! Standing slowly, she smoothed her dress deliberately as if to calm her heartbeat.
“No. It is not. When do I need to be in my new home?” she asked firmly, not looking away from the solicitor who was holding back a smile. Everything in her body demanded she back away from her stepfather, but her shaking legs would not carry her. Kaitlyn was certain that if she took a step, she would falter. She would not give him the benefit of seeing her scared or nervous.
“Within the next ninety days,” the solicitor announced simply.
She heard her mother gasp behind her and her stepfather’s growl. Kaitlyn stood firmly rooted to her spot, extending her hand and praying that the tiny man would take the hint. He did. The small man with the wiry moustache took her hand and shook it. She was positive he knew how much her hands were shaking, yet didn’t let on. Clearing her throat, she asked in a falsely confident tone, “Done. I assume I was left funds as well to get to my destination?”
“Absolutely, Miss. Your uncle provided quite well for you,” the solicitor said gently. Then, he leaned towards her, whispering, “If I might be so bold, we probably need to clear the room of the vultures.”
Nodding, she waited patiently as he asked everyone to leave. Kaitlyn stared at the solicitor as he had her family exit the room. Then she dropped gracefully back onto the settee, certain that every limb shook from nerves. She was never so thankful to have been sent to her room this morning without breakfast, simply because it would have come up again most indelicately.
She watched the solicitor shut the door to the office firmly. He gave an emphatic tug to the window dressing on the paneled door, with a sense of finality. This was obviously to be discussed between the two of them alone.
“There. Now that we are alone, let’s go over the details.”
Acknowledgments
Ginny Sterling is a Texas transplant living in Kentucky. She spends her free time (Ha!) writing, quilting, and spending time with her husband and two children. Ginny can be reached on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or via email at [email protected]
Cover Design by Emma Rider at AWT Cover Design
A Lifetime with You, Copyright © 2017 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 quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews
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