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!
Months later, in the heart of Tombstone, Jake, with the memory of Sammy, ever-present in his heart, stepped into the shimmering world of a jewelry store, its windows aglow with the promise of new beginnings.
“Can I help you, sir?” the jeweler, an elderly man with eyes like polished agate, asked from behind a counter that sparkled with the brilliance of a thousand stars.
Jake, his gaze wandering over the display of rings, each a testament to a love story yet to be told, replied, “I’m here to find something special… for someone special.”
The jeweler, with a knowing smile, guided Jake to a display that seemed to hold within it the very essence of devotion. “Every ring here has a story,” he began. “But it’s the story it will share with you and your beloved that truly gives it meaning.”
As Jake’s fingers hovered over the collection, his touch seemed to beckon to a ring that shone with an understated elegance, its diamond whispering tales of enduring love in the soft glow of the shop’s light. “This one,” Jake said, his voice a mixture of certainty and awe. “It speaks to me.”
“An excellent choice,” the jeweler approved, lifting the ring for a closer inspection. “It’s a piece that speaks of timeless love. Much like the pendant you’re wearing, I presume?”
Jake, taken aback, touched the pendant at his throat—a simple, yet deeply significant piece he’d worn for as long as he could remember. “It’s from my mother,” he said, his words a bridge to a past filled with shadows and light.
The jeweler leaned closer, his interest piqued. “May I?” At Jake’s nod, he examined the pendant, his eyes lighting up with recognition. “I thought as much. I sold this piece many years ago. There’s a signature mark on the back, you see? It confirms it came from this very shop.”
Jake, his heart caught in a web of sudden emotion, handed the pendant to the jeweler, who turned it over to reveal the mark—a silent testament to a connection Jake never knew existed.
The realization that his mother had once stood in this very shop, perhaps pondering a decision as significant as his own, filled Jake with a sense of continuity he hadn’t known he craved. He could not shake off the sensation that fate had guided his steps to this very spot. The threads of his past, present, and future seemed to weave together in the dim light of the jeweler’s store, binding him to a family history that had felt fragmented at best.
“Thank you,” Jake managed, the weight of the moment pressing down upon him. “I had no idea… I never knew she was here, in Tombstone.”
The jeweler, returning the pendant with a gentle reverence, offered a smile that seemed to understand the myriad emotions playing across Jake’s face. “It’s a small world, isn’t it? Sometimes, we find connections in the most unexpected places.”
As Jake placed the pendant back around his neck, the weight of it felt different—like a beacon guiding him home.
The jeweler, carefully boxing the engagement ring, glanced up at Jake, his eyes reflecting a mixture of curiosity and wisdom. “That pendant… if you don’t mind me saying, it was quite special to your mother. She had it custom-made, wanted something unique. Said it was a gift for someone very dear to her heart.”
Jake felt a lump form in his throat, the connection to his mother suddenly as tangible as the pendant resting against his skin. “She… she never got the chance to tell me about it. About any of this.”
The jeweler nodded, understanding coloring his tone. “She was very proud of it. Insisted on the signature mark. Said it was important that it came from here, from Tombstone.”
The revelation that his mother had specifically chosen this town, this shop, for such a significant piece of jewelry stirred something deep within Jake. The threads of his family’s past, previously obscured and tangled, began to weave a clearer picture, connecting him to Tombstone in ways he had never anticipated.
“Why here? Why Tombstone?” Jake asked, the question more to himself than to the jeweler.
The old man shrugged, a gesture that spoke of the mysteries of human hearts and choices. “Sometimes, places choose us, just as much as we choose them. Your mother found something here, a peace or a promise, perhaps. It’s not for me to say. But she left a piece of her story here, with this pendant.”
Jake held the boxed ring in one hand, the pendant in the other, feeling as though he stood at the crossroads of his own story. The jeweler’s words echoed in his mind, a gentle reminder that every choice, every step taken, was a stitch in the fabric of his life’s tapestry.
“Thank you,” Jake said, his voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions within him. “For everything. This… this connection to my mother, to my family, it means more than I can say.”
The jeweler offered a smile, both kind and sad. “It’s been my honor. Remember, every piece of jewelry tells a story. And now, this ring,” he gestured to the boxed engagement ring, “is a part of your story. May it bring you and your beloved every happiness.”
As Jake stepped out of the shop, the pendant around his neck and the engagement ring secure in his pocket, he felt a profound sense of belonging. Tombstone, once just a name on a map, had become a part of his soul, a place where the echoes of his family’s past met the promise of his future.
Walking through the streets of Tombstone with the weight of his newfound connections heavy in his heart, Jake couldn’t help but feel as if the very ground beneath his feet whispered stories of his ancestors. The revelation in the jeweler’s shop had not just linked him to this town through a piece of jewelry; it had unearthed a sense of belonging that Jake had longed for without knowing.
He wandered, aimlessly at first, through the town, each step echoing against the cobblestones like beats in a long-forgotten melody. The air, cooling as the desert sun began its descent, carried with it the tales of miners, cowboys, and settlers—spirits of the past that had shaped the rugged landscape of Arizona.
As Jake meandered through the town, the weight of the day’s revelations settled upon him like a cloak woven from threads of the past. He found himself drawn to the outskirts of Tombstone, where the town’s history bled into the untouched desert, a place where the boundaries between then and now blurred. Here, among the whispering sands and the long shadows cast by the setting sun, Jake felt a profound connection not only to the land but to the lineage that linked him to this place.
In this liminal space, Jake realized the full measure of what he had discovered today. It wasn’t just his own roots that he had unearthed in the jeweler’s shop; it was a shared history, a collective memory that bound him and Sammy to this town. Despite Sammy’s absence, Jake felt closer to him than ever, their stories forever entwined in the legacy of their parents’ pasts.
Sammy, with his own journey of discovery cut tragically short, had found a semblance of closure in the knowledge of his origins, of the love that had named him and the circumstances that had shaped his destiny. Now, Jake, too, had found a piece of his puzzle in the most unexpected of places—a pendant, a simple piece of jewelry that bridged gaps in his understanding of who he was and where he came from.
As the stars began to pierce the twilight, Jake’s thoughts turned to Clara, to the future they were about to embark upon together. The ring, a symbol of their love, now carried with it a deeper significance—a promise not only of commitment but of shared histories and intertwined destinies.
He realized that, in finding out about their parents, both he and Sammy had uncovered something far greater than the sum of their individual quests. They had found a sense of belonging, a tether to the past.
The realization filled Jake with a sense of peace and purpose, as well as heartache for his lost friend. As he turned back toward the heart of the town, the engagement ring in his pocket felt heavier, imbued with the significance of his journey. Jake knew that when he would ask Clara to share his life, he would be offering her more than a future together; he would be inviting her into a story that spanned generations, a story that would continue to unfold with their union.
Jake’s steps quickened as the realization dawned on him. The night, with its blanket of stars, seemed to urge him on, whispering that the right time is often the moment we choose to seize. His heart, buoyed by the day’s discoveries and the weight of the ring against his side, pulsed with a clarity that brooked no delay. Why wait for tomorrow when today held all the promise he needed?
Tombstone, bathed in moonlight, felt alive with the possibility of new beginnings as Jake navigated its streets, now familiar yet imbued with a sense of magic. The very air seemed charged with anticipation, carrying him forward until he stood before Clara’s door, his resolve as firm as the ground beneath his feet.
He knocked, heart in his throat, every beat a drumroll to the moment that would define their futures. The door opened, and there she was, Clara, her face a question in the soft lamplight. Her surprise at seeing him at this late hour mirrored in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a depth of emotion he’d come to know and cherish.
“Jake? What’s… Is everything okay?” Her voice, rich with concern, broke the stillness of the night.
“Everything’s more than okay,” Jake began, his voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions. “Clara, I realized something tonight, something I can’t wait even another moment to share with you.”
He took a step closer, the distance between them disappearing as he reached into his pocket, feeling the ring there—a tangible symbol of his love and commitment. The moonlight spilled over them, casting their shadows as one on the ground beneath their feet.
“I don’t want to wait for tomorrow or any other day. I want you to know now, how much you mean to me, how much I love you.” Jake’s words were a torrent, rushing forth with the force of his realization. “I want to ask you, under this night sky, in this town that’s become a part of our story, Clara, will you marry me?”
He knelt, the ring between them now, glinting in the night like a beacon of their shared future. Clara’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, reflecting the myriad stars above.
“Jake, I…” Her voice trailed off, caught in the emotion of the moment, but then she knelt before him, erasing any space that remained between them. “Yes. Yes, of course I will marry you.”
The simplicity of her acceptance was like a key turning in a lock, opening a future filled with promise and possibility. They embraced, the night wrapping around them in a celebratory embrace, as if the very heavens approved of their union.
As they stood, hand in hand, looking into each other’s eyes, Jake knew that this moment, this decision, wasn’t just the culmination of their individual journeys. It was the beginning of a new chapter, one they would write together, a story of love now ready to unfold into a future bright with hope and filled with the certainty that, no matter what came their way, they would face it together.
The night air, once cool, now seemed imbued with warmth as they made their way back through the streets of Tombstone, the town that had seen the merging of their pasts and would now be a witness to their future.
Readers who read this book also liked
 |
 |
 |
 |
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 liked my new western adventure story and the extended epilogue! I would be very glad to read your comments below.
I enjoyed your book emencley,The story was so good I had to read the book in one go.The only thing missing was in the Epilogue .I would have liked to see how the impending trial turned out and what sentence did she get,instead of just going straight to the happy ever after ending…
I hate extended stories. Finish it or don’t write it. Sorry but that’s the way I feel. You are a wonderful writer, full of good characters, believable conversation and darn good plots. The story was good but as I said, please don’t leave a great work half done. End it. Thank you for writing stories. I stand with Nila Adam’s comments.
I really enjoyed the book, it struck me odd that this 76 year old cowboy was brought to tears by it. Reminds one that no matter how tuff life is others may have suffered more things in life and only the truly wicked cannot make changes in life.
I liked it, but I could really due without the F bomb. I don’t think they would have used that word back then.
I enjoyed the story very much,only sorry that Sammy wasn’t a part of it. It was a good book and, I recommed it to readers of westerns and, other readers as well.Helen
Thank you very much for your kind words, Helen! I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
Good story but what happened to her jail sentence???? Left out of the epilogue…..
Like eating an icecream cone through a screen door…….
I read the earlier comment from Mr Coleman and agree with him . I would really like to know more of the story of Jake and Clara
I would have liked to have known what happened with Clara and her uncle as far as the law was concerned.
Good point, Jerry! I’ll let you know.
This was a good story. A true western but less gunplay. Really enjoyed reading it..suitable for any age
You may not appreciate some of my comments but to start with it was a good story. Did not like all the “you guys” which I do not believe that was a phrase back in those days. You led Jake to a jewelry store where his mother was remembered by the jeweler yet he did not ask one question about her or his dad. The man never mentioned it either. Very strange. Nothing was written about what happened to Clara fro the time he left her at the jail to when he went to her house where she opened the door. It seemed she was in Tombstone not the town where her house was before. I am so confused and unfulfilled as an avid reader. Are you going to finish this story or what?
my exact words….. just like eating an icecream cone through a screen door.
At first I wasn’t sure about the book, but as I kept reading, it got better and better. I would have rather found out more about Jake’s parentage but at least he found out where the pendant was purchased. We could have used a few more details about what they did to Clara as a result of her being in the crime game. I didn’t find any typos with the exception the Clara was called Clare by her uncle for about 3 pages. It was also sad that Sammy didn’t live long enough to get to know his parents, but glad that he did get to meet them.
This story begs for a sequel. We need to watch as Jake and Clara forge a life together. Also, it would be nice to touch upon what penalty Clara had to serve for her crimes. My sense of things, is that Jake is going to become a pillar of society that will be involved in the tough times of shaping a town and a new state into a civilized entity.
I see Clara as a strong, quiet matriarch helping Jake ferret through many difficult life situations, but always building a cadre of new friends with each venture he survives.
How about it? Get to busy on that sequel. Thanks.
Too many loose end and storyline gaps. At least, the absence of an immense number of linguistic and spelling errors was very surprising considering. A vast majority of the ebooks I have read confuse and/or slow the reader with such errors. I say, “Well done editorially!”
Seldom do I tear up over a story but you accomplished it. The epilogue was a little light on closing details. How did Jake support himself, did Clara serve time in prison? Did the couple return to visit the Orphanage? You are an excellent writer…thank you for making reading fun.
I did very much enjoy this tale. Two young lads becoming best of friends in the worst of circumstances. Being orphans they were bound to failure yet these two young men forged a life worth living so cruelly and abruptly ended by a cruel and deluded man. Justice was served though to an extent. I’m surprised despite coercion from her uncle Clara was allowed to get away with the crimes she committed, she clearly had a good lawyer along with the love of a good man. What was the connection to Toombstone? in the first instance. You left many questions unanswered. I often feel the authors role is to entertain and make us think for ourselves about the why or when or what ifs so thanks for stimulating my imagination to fill in the blanks
The story was a great one. We all need a story that lets us know that things work out right for people.. It was good to read about arizona. I miss it terribly.
I really enjoyed the book. The story kept me reading, not wanting to put the book down.
However, I am disappointed in the epilogue. It left many untold stories. Most important as to how they got to Tombstone and Clare was obviously not found guilty? Also, Jake now finding some
Information about his family.
I hope there is a second book resolving these issues.
I’m surprised that people were saying no typos, because there were more than a few.
Also how did that necklace change from jet to jade?
Like the others said, there are just too many gaps.
The extended epilogue was absolutely incredible, the story was absolutely wonderful ofcourse, but there are still some things that need answers too! Please write a second book to please everyone who has read the book and the extended epilogue! BMA 🌬📚🤠😉💙🐝🎶
First and foremost I enjoyed the book, while it started slow it built the characters nicely. So few typos errors was also noted so well done there too. However one last bit of praise has to be mentioned; it left me wanting more. The difference between a book read and a memorable work is wanting more. Hence the sequel can be considered, while alluring, I think sometimes leaving those items out allows the reader imagining and wondering. That makes it most memorable when done this wrll. Thanks!