Will wrapped his arms around her and crushed her in a loving kiss. Her heart beat so hard she thought it might burst. She kissed him back with everything she had in her. When she pulled back, she realized the envelope she held had crinkled in her hand. “Do I still get to keep the engagement gift?”
His smile filled his face, and his eyes shone with merriment. “As long as you are engaged to me, you may have anything that’s in my power to give you.”
She nodded. “I’d like that, but…” She tilted her head. “I have some rules to discuss with you about riding.”
“I’m sure we can come up with some kind of agreement.” He paused, then stared across the pasture for a moment before fixing his gaze on her. “Or perhaps a wager?”
She laughed. “So I can keep Perseus?”
“Yes,” he said. “Consider it your wedding gift.”
She opened the envelope and pulled out the piece of parchment. It was a bill of sale with her name at the top. She was listed as the owner of Perseus.
“Thank you, but we’ll need to change my last name on this because it will be Sutton.”
He pulled her into his arms and swung her around in a circle. Georgia had everything she could ever possibly need or want. A family, a horse, and a man she loved who loved her back. She wasn’t alone in a strange land any longer.
Epilogue
Arabella held little Maggie in her arms. She stood in her bedroom, by the window looking out at the front driveway, with her husband standing beside her. They were spying on Georgia and Will, but she didn’t care. “I told you.”
“You were absolutely right, my love. How could I have ever doubted you?”
“My brother matched me with you, but I matched him with Georgia—whether he knows it or not. I’m just so happy you were willing to listen to my counsel.”
“I certainly didn’t know I married into a family with such a brilliant knack for matchmaking,” Oliver replied.
“Being laid up in bed didn’t help my cause, but you handled things splendidly. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Oliver kissed his daughter’s forehead, then he kissed his wife.
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Acknowledgments
A book is never written alone and The Earl’s Wager is no different. Without the positive feedback I received from readers after they read The Earl’s Christmas Colt, I certainly wouldn’t have been inspired to continue the series and write Will’s story.
My editor, Robin Haseltine, deserves so much credit. Without her enthusiasm, support, and encouragement to write another historical, I don’t think The Earl’s Wager would have been written. When I submitted the proposal and she responded within hours saying: Sooooo…LOVE THIS! I was thrilled.
While some story ideas pop into your head almost instantaneously, Will’s story took a while to percolate. I had several starts and stops until Georgia became rooted in my brain. A spunky American woman was the perfect match for Will’s practical sensibilities.
Thank you Tina Canon for reading scenes as I wrote them and sending me emails saying, I can’t wait to read more! You have no idea how those emails kept me going.
Thank you Melinda Pierce for reading and giving me feedback on the entire first draft in its infancy. I know it’s not easy, but I will always appreciate your candid and loving critiques. I could never write without you virtually by my side. Or maybe I could, but it wouldn’t be near as fun.
About the Author
Rebecca Thomas enjoys a love-hate relationship with Alaska. She lives there with her husband and two sons where she appreciates all the unique things the last frontier has to offer. When she isn’t reading, writing, or playing board games, she is taking her dogs on walks in the woods.
A reluctant reader as a child, she didn’t become interested in books until her teen years when she discovered historical romance. Now she loves all sub-genres of romance and can’t decide which one is her favorite.
Rebecca earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Alaska and was employed in the airline industry for several years before working in her current position as a program manager in higher education.
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