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Chapter One
“Thank you, Abi,” Silas said with a smile as he stood up from the kitchen table and went to the door. “It was delicious, as always.”
“You are most welcome,” Abi replied, returning his smile, causing her dimples to deepen.
She looked so much like her mother. Knowing that he would always have a part of his wife with him warmed Silas’s heart. Though she had passed years earlier, her memory lived on in their daughter.
Abi walked over and gave him a quick hug. “Don’t work too hard, Pa.”
Silas chuckled. He really needed to take her advice. “I’ll try.”
Abi shook her head disapprovingly, but her eyes sparkled with happiness. “I’ll have dinner ready by seven. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t,” Silas assured her as he stepped outside, leaving his daughter to tend to the house.
He was walking to the barn when a familiar voice called his name.
“Silas! Hold up. I want to talk to you.”
Taking a deep breath, Silas turned around and waited for Jasper Kane to catch up with him.
“Silas, how are you?” Jasper asked when he reached him.
“Very well, thank you,” Silas replied. “What brings you to my ranch?
“Your daughter,” Jasper replied. “You know I’m interested in her.”
Silas was well aware of this fact. Jasper had made his intentions clear, and no matter how many times Silas turned him down, he simply didn’t give up.
“I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again. You’re not the right man for Abigail.” Silas didn’t trust Jasper at all. He was a gambler by profession and had a bad reputation. Everybody with a sliver of self-preservation knew not to get involved with him.
“You haven’t even given me a chance,” Jasper pointed out. “Let me take her to the barn dance. You’ll see that you’re wrong about me. Abigail will love being with me.”
Silas didn’t want to make an enemy of Jasper, but being nice and respectful wasn’t getting him anywhere. The man simply didn’t know when to give up.
“No,” Silas said, his voice firm. “I will never allow you to court my daughter. Now leave, and stay away from my family.”
Jasper’s face contorted with anger, his pale skin turning a dark shade of red. He looked furious.
***
Jasper couldn’t believe that Silas had rejected his interest in Abigail yet again. Abigail was by far the most beautiful young woman in town. She would look amazing on his arm and her inheritance would set him up for life.
“You’re going to regret this,” he hissed, trying to contain his anger as he turned away from Silas and rushed toward his horse, which he had left tied to a hitching post at the front of the house.
He was tired of Silas embarrassing him and turning down his advances. He deserved to have Abigail by his side, and he was running out of patience. He wanted a wife and children and wouldn’t settle for anybody but her.
Frustrated, he mounted his horse and rode into town. How dare Silas be so rude? It had taken all of his restraint to not punch the old man in the face. He managed to control himself, though, and for that he was proud. He was going to get Abigail one way or another—even if he had to resort to violence.
Jasper made his way to the saloon and walked straight to the bar. He needed a drink to let off some steam. The saloon was busy, which wasn’t unusual for that time of the day. Many men came to eat lunch and then decided to stay for drinks.
“Whiskey,” he ordered, ignoring the other men at the bar.
The barkeep nodded. “Sure thing.”
He didn’t have to wait long and as soon as the barkeep handed him his drink, he headed over to the poker tables. He needed a win, and in Red Hollow, there was nobody better at poker than him.
***
Wyatt sat at the bar, sipping on his drink while watching the people around him. He was new to town and didn’t know anybody. In his experience, it was much easier to get to know people by observing and listening when they didn’t know they were being watched than believing what they said about themselves.
He needed a job. He was running low on money and had to pay for a room and food. He had just gotten to Red Hollow, though, and would start his search the next day. There was always somebody who needed a gun for hire.
“Move!” the man who had just ordered a drink demanded.
Wyatt turned in his seat and watched. He was a pretty good judge of character, and there was nothing to like about the man. He wore a cheap suit and reeked of arrogance. Without even having spoken to him, it was clear that the man thought himself more important than he was.
Wyatt didn’t say anything or interfere. He wasn’t looking for a fight unless somebody was willing to pay him for it.
The crowd gave way as the man made his way to the poker tables. Wyatt wasn’t sure whether they were afraid of the man or simply avoiding a fight. It was interesting behavior, nonetheless.
“Jasper,” an older man sitting at one of the poker tables greeted. “Come to steal all our money?”
So, his name was Jasper.
“It’s not stealing if you’re willingly betting it,” Jasper replied, taking a seat. “You know I’ll beat you every time.”
“That’s true,” another man stated, getting up. “And for that reason, I’m out.”
The man walked away but another quickly took his place at the table. Wyatt was good at poker, but he disliked the game. No matter how much money he had or how desperate he was, he would never gamble.
“I thought you’d be here for lunch,” the gray-haired man pointed out.
Jasper shook his head. “I had more important things to do.”
The older man raised a brow. “Harassing Silas again?”
“Not harassing, simply being persistent.” Jasper took a sip of his drink. “Abigail will be my wife, and the Montgomery ranch will be mine.”
“You sound awfully sure about that.”
“I am,” Jasper said with a shrug. “Now let’s get on with the game.
Wyatt turned back in his seat and focused his eyes on his drink. His ears remained on the men at the poker table’s conversation, though.
There was something off about Jasper. He was bound to make trouble, and when that time came, Wyatt would be there to provide his services to whoever needed them.
Chapter Two
Abigail pulled the brush through her long almost-white hair. It was her favorite feature, and she smiled as she took in her appearance in the full-length mirror. She loved that she looked so much like her mother.
Her memories of her mother were slowly fading with time, but there were a few that she knew would never leave. Abigail’s mother died eight years ago, and she missed her every day.
It happened a couple of days after Abigail’s twelfth birthday. On her birthday, her mother had still been healthy. She’d made them a big meal and then later they had gone to ride their horses. It had been so much fun, and when they returned, she made them hot cocoa and they sang songs while sitting in front of the fireplace.
Two days after Abigail’s birthday, her mother had started feeling ill. She had a fever and a cough. Three days later, she passed away. Abigail had been devastated and although she still missed her mother, the sadness had faded, just like her memories. Now, it made her happy to think of her mother.
Abigail tied her hair into an intricate bun and straightened her light blue and white dress before heading out of her room. They had eaten breakfast, and she had done her morning chores.
The eggs had been collected, the dishes washed, the laundry folded, and the kitchen cleaned. She had taken over tending to the house after her mother passed and she loved it.
Singing cheerfully, she made her way down the stairs and to the backyard. She was going into town to buy groceries and needed to take the buggy.
She also wanted to check on her father before leaving. He worked too hard and needed to learn to take life a little easier. Their ranch was the most lucrative in the whole of Red Hollow. He could afford to hire more ranch hands and take some time off.
Abigail found her father tending to one of the calves. It had been born early and needed some extra care.
“Abi,” her father said, a huge smile forming on his face as soon as he saw her approaching.
“I’m done with my chores,” Abigail told him as she kneeled down to pet the little calf. “I’m going into town to buy groceries, but I’ll be back in time for lunch.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Her father beamed.
He had always been the most amazing father to her. Even without a mother, Abigail never felt unloved. He’d made sure she was well educated and had everything she needed to thrive.
Abigail gave the little calf one last pet before getting up and making her way to the corral. They had many horses, and she loved them all, but Cinnamon and Pancake were her favorites.
They were twins, one male and one female. It was rare for horses to have twins and even rarer still for both foals to survive. It had been touch and go for the first couple of weeks but now, five years later, they were strong, healthy and happy horses.
Her father had allowed her to name them and couldn’t believe she had chosen the names Cinnamon and Pancake. He still laughed at her because of it sometimes, but she loved their names.
Abigail led the two horses from the corral, ensuring the gate was properly closed behind her, and attached them to the four-seater buggy in the barn.
They didn’t live far from town, but she was looking forward to the ride and seeing some of the people working in town, whom she had come to care about over the years. She loved living on the ranch and helping to care for the animals, but seeing some friendly faces every now and then was nice too.
Her first stop was the hardware store. Her father had mentioned a few items that he needed to do repairs on the fence, and she decided to get them for him. Unlike Abigail, her father did not enjoy going to town.
Next, she stopped at the bakery and then she made her way to the general store, where she would get everything left on her list. She headed to the back of the store immediately and looked through the rolls of material on display. Her father always gave her extra money so she could not only buy the things they needed but also anything she wanted.
Abigail enjoyed sewing and made most of her and her father’s clothes. Her mother had taught her from a young age, and she’d gotten really good at it over the years.
Her father needed some new work shirts, so she selected three different types of thick and durable material. One white, one dark blue, and one gray. Next, she chose some material to make a dress for herself and then scanned the shelves for all the groceries they needed.
The general store was relatively busy and every now and then one of the locals greeted her. It was lovely living in a small town where everybody cared enough to ask how she was doing. They always asked about her father, too.
Abigail was standing at the counter when Jasper Kane entered the store. He had attempted to talk to her on many occasions, but she did her best to avoid him.
Looking down at her hands, Abigail pretended not to have seen him. Her father had told her about Jasper’s attempts to court her and she felt uneasy whenever he was near.
Something about him scared her a little. Maybe it was because he was so persistent about courting her, or maybe it was his reputation. Whichever it was, she didn’t want anything to do with him.
“Abigail,” Jasper greeted as he came to stand much too close to her. “It’s lovely to see you here.”
Abigail took a step back, putting some space between them. “Jasper, a pleasure as always.”
Jasper’s lips turned into a crooked smile as he stepped forward, closing the small space. “How have you been since last we spoke?”
A shiver ran down Abigail’s spine, but she stood her ground. They had only spoken a couple of times, but she could remember the last time clearly. Jasper had asked her father to court her while they were making their way home from church.
When her father had rejected his request, Jasper had turned to her and started a conversation. He hadn’t done anything outright wrong but the fact that he hadn’t given up after her father turned him down was unsettling.
“I’m doing well,” Abigail stated, not returning the question.
Jasper’s smile turned into a frown, but he quickly masked it. “I’m sure you know that the barn dance is coming up and I was hoping you would accompany me.”
Abigail’s stomach twisted. Why couldn’t he just give up and leave her alone? Maybe if she rejected him instead of her father doing it on her behalf he would finally realize that she had no interest in him.
“No, but thank you for the offer,” Abigail said, her heart speeding up in her chest.
A look of shock crossed Jasper’s face. “No?”
Abigail nodded. “No. I don’t want to go to the barn dance with you.”
Hushed murmurs filled the air around them as curious onlookers who had witnessed the encounter stopped to watch.
Jasper’s mouth opened as if to say something. Abigail waited in suspense, her stomach somersaulting as she waited for his backlash. It never came. Instead, he shook his head, took a deep breath, and stormed off.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Heroes of the Wild Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hey there, I really hope you enjoyed this sneak peek of my brand new story! I will be eagerly waiting for your comments below.