A Mail-Order Escape Page 10
Sadie’s brows furrowed. “Then we can. You can stay here. We can keep you away from Larry.”
Shaking her head, Eliza gave her a small smile. “That’s a very generous offer, but I’d never forgive myself if something happened to any of you. Larry is being held until the sheriff decides what to do. As for me, I’ll be leaving on the train tomorrow to go stay with my parents. I’ve wired them about what happened, and they agree that I should get away from Larry before anything worse happens.”
Sadie’s heart clenched. She wished she’d had someone looking out for her back then like that. “You’re lucky to have such support.”
“I know.” Eliza paused, as if not knowing what else to do. “But you have that too. In Owen. He’s the type of man who would never hurt you. I’ve been here and have known Owen for years. I also know when a woman has been through what I have.” She gave Sadie a knowing look, and a sad smile. “Don’t be afraid. Not everyone is like Larry and whoever hurt you in your past.”
Sadie didn’t know what else to say, so she nodded. She’d been thinking the same thing.
“I must get going.” Eliza moved toward the door. “Thank you for seeing me.”
Sadie followed her out. “My offer stands if you change your mind. We’d be willing to take the risk to have you here.”
“I’ll remember that.” Eliza left with another wave, and Sadie walked back into the house.
Thoughts flooded her mind, overwhelming her. She thought of Owen, of what they’d been through, of the time they’d had together. She thought about when he’d cared for Jack so she could sleep, and their ride, and the hundreds of other moments they’d shared. She’d never had a true reason to doubt him. He’d never done anything to hurt her or anyone else, except Larry, who apparently, had deserved it. In fact, he’d always gone out of his way to assist others, to make sure they were all right.
That was the kind of man she wanted. A man who would stand up for her and Jack, who would protect them, who would value her as his partner and see her as someone strong, someone capable.
That’s what he’d done that day. He’d protected her, had stood up for Eliza, and had protected himself.
She squeezed her eyes tight. She’d made a terrible mistake. Just thinking of all the times he’d shown up at the house, all the times he’d asked to see her, and she’d turned him away, made her stomach turn. Not only had he defended her, but he’d come here begging for her to hear him out.
She was ashamed. Ashamed she’d let fear cloud what she knew to be true. She loved Owen, and more important, she trusted him. She knew who he was.
She’d been so quick to accuse him, so quick to judge, when all he’d needed was her trust.
She’d messed up, and needed to apologize to him, whether he forgave her or not.
She jumped out of the chair and raced out the door, knowing Juliette would care for Jack while she was away.
She readied her horse, then took off in a canter, praying Owen, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, could forgive her.
Chapter 12
Owen hefted the ax up over his shoulder, then swung it forward, burying it in the log with a satisfying crack. The log split down the middle, and Owen stacked the two smaller logs of wood against the house, before starting the process all over again.
It was brisk outside, but he’d worked up a light sheen of sweat during his labor. He didn’t know how long he’d been outside, and he didn’t particularly care.
Sadie wouldn’t see him.
He brought the ax down hard at the thought. He hadn’t been able to see her or Jack, and had never been able to explain what had happened. He knew there was no excuse for his behavior either, so he couldn’t blame her.
He should have thought of another way to hold off Larry. He wasn’t proud of what he’d done, but he also didn’t regret that he might’ve possibly stopped Larry from hurting Sadie and Eliza in the future. Although, he wasn’t naive enough to think Larry would suddenly change his ways. There was sure to be another woman who would fall into Larry’s path, but so help him, Owen would always look out for whoever it was and try to warn them beforehand if he could.
He pulled in a few deep breaths, and while it soothed some of the tension inside him, it couldn’t fully take away the ache he felt. At first, he thought Sadie might need some time to process what had happened, and to calm down before she was ready to see him again. But as the days passed, and she still continually turned him away, he began to realize she might never talk to him again.
He’d lost her. His temper, his rage at thinking of her hurt, had done that.
Another log cracked down the middle.
I’m just as bad as her husband, he thought with disgust. He’d never lay a hand on Sadie, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still hurt her. Because he had. He’d seen it on her face that day, and he’d never forgive himself for it.
He’d been trying to protect her, but all he ended up doing was hurting her even more. Maybe it would be better if he let her go. She was safe in Ivan’s house, safe with the other brides. Maybe it was better that way. But even as he thought it, his heart ached. He didn’t want to live the rest of his life without her and Jack.
That was selfish though. It wasn’t about what he wanted or needed. It was about what they needed, and by all that was good, he would do what was best for them. Sadie and Jack were what mattered. He’d been alone before, and somehow, he would keep going. Not having them in his life would leave a hole in his heart, but he was glad to pay that price if it helped Jack and Sadie in any way.
He set the ax against the tree stump and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had more than enough wood, but he wasn’t ready to stop. With the chores all done for the day, he had no desire to sit in the house, remembering the times Sadie had been there.
He got another piece of wood and picked up his ax when he heard someone banging on the front door. Owen frowned as he placed the log and ax back on the ground, then jogged around to the front of the house. He skidded to a halt when he saw Sadie standing on his porch. “Sadie?” He said her name quietly, almost a whisper, but she still heard him.
She turned toward him, and he saw relief—and something else he couldn’t name—cross her face before she stepped off the porch and walked toward him. “Owen, I wasn’t sure you’d be here.”
“Chores are done, but I’m chopping extra wood.” He looked her over, quickly assessing if she was hurt or needed help, but she appeared to be fine. “I’m happy to see you.”
“Are you?” She held her breath a moment. “I wasn’t sure you would be.”
He wanted to reach out and take her hand, but didn’t dare. He didn’t deserve to touch her. “Of course. You’re always welcome here. Look.” He raked a dirty hand through his hair and glanced at the ground, uncertain what he should say. “Before you say anything, I just want to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for our conversation about Eliza. I realized soon after you left that I was way out of line. Please know I only behaved that way because I was concerned for your safety. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you. I had no right to speak to you like that, and it’ll never happen again.”
“It’s all right. I decided later I was being too sensitive. I knew your intentions were good. That’s actually why I came to see you…the day after that. I wanted to say I was sorry.”
He winced when she brought up the day of the fight. He didn’t know what to say about it, or how to get past it. His gut twisted, having her this close and knowing he’d blown everything that had been developing between them. “About that day, Sadie, I’m so sorry. I wish there was—”
She shook her head, stepped forward, and placed her warm fingers over his lips. He closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her, knowing it was probably the last time he’d ever feel her touch.
“You don’t need to apologize,” she said softly, removing her fingers, but she didn’t step away.
His eyes found hers and held onto them. He tried to underst
and what she meant by that, what she was saying, but couldn’t. “I do. I was out of line. There’s no excuse for what you saw. I just wish you knew that I would never harm you or Jack.”
She drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes a minute, as if she needed a moment to prepare for what she was about to say. “I know. I do know that. Eliza paid me a visit today.”
That surprised him. “I thought she was leaving town.”
“Tomorrow.”
He didn’t know how to respond. “Is she all right?”
She smiled. “She is. It’s wonderful she has people who love her and will support her leaving Larry.” She took another small step toward him. “Owen, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I kept turning you away, never giving you the chance to explain what happened.”
He shook his head quickly. “You don’t need to apologize. You did nothing wrong. I did. I can’t even imagine how you felt.”
She nodded slowly. “It scared me.”
Shame washed over him, and he looked at the ground. “I know.”
“It made me question everything,” she said quickly, as if needing to get it out. “I thought if you could do that to someone else, you could do it to me.”
“Never. I would never lay a hand on you. Not a finger. And I’d never let any other person hurt you either.”
She watched him, and slowly, a smile bloomed on her face. “I know that now. I’ve always known, deep down. Eliza explained what had happened, how Larry attacked you for visiting her. She also told me what he said about her and me.”
His lips tightened. “I snapped.”
“I would have done the same thing.”
His eyes searched her, and she nodded forcefully. “I would have. If someone had threatened someone I love, I would have done the same.”
He couldn’t hold back what was inside him any longer. “I love you, Sadie. When he said he was going to hurt you, I could hardly breath. All I could think about was stopping him from ever touching you. But I would never hurt you. You’re everything to me. You and Jack.”
She placed her hand on his cheek, her eyes filling with tears. “You’re everything to me. I love you, Owen. I realized that after our fight about me visiting Eliza. You’ve been so patient, so kind, and I don’t deserve it at all. I’ve given you the hardest time. I’ve faltered, and I can only hope you can forgive me.”
Hope rose within him. “Forgive you? There’s nothing to forgive you for. I’m the one who broke your trust.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You’ve never broken my trust. You were protecting me. He attacked you, and he wasn’t going to stop. I don’t expect you to let someone beat you and not defend yourself.”
“I’d do it if it helped gain your trust.”
“But I do trust you. And I don’t want you to not defend yourself.”
Relief flooded him, and as he reached to take her into his arms, she stepped into them willingly.
“I love you so much. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life showing you that,” he told her.
She brought her nose to his. “I want the same. I want a life together—you, me, Jack, and if you’re willing, more children.”
He closed his eyes, the joy rushing through him almost too much. “The rocking chair needs to be used a lot more, in my opinion.”
She smiled, and the tears that had been welling in her eyes brimmed over.
He held her close and whispered, “I want to love and care for you forever. I want to build a life with you. I don’t ever want to live without you. Will you marry me, Sadie?”
She nodded. “Yes—”
Almost before she could finish, his lips found hers, his chest heaving from joy and excitement. She chuckled in between the kisses and slid her hands up into his hair, answering every kiss with one of her own.
He didn’t want it to end, he wanted to kiss her forever. He dipped her low in his arms, wanting to hold more of her.
She didn’t object, but held onto him tightly, trusting, giving, and sharing everything with him.
She was everything he’d always wanted, and forever would never be enough.
Epilogue
“Jack, be careful!” Sadie called out the back door as she watched her son rope his first cow. He was in the corral, and the cow was docile, but Sadie was still his mother. She’d always worry about him.
“I want to do that too, Mama!” Annabelle exclaimed.
The rest of Sadie’s children, except the baby, watched their older brother with awe, before they each turned to her and expressed the same wish.
She laughed, catching Owen’s eye as he walked toward them. “Someday your father will teach you all. This is the Judd ranch, and you’re all Judds, so you’re going to have to learn how to do it all.”
“And we’ll do a good job too!” Luke, her five-year-old son said with confidence.
Owen reached his family and kissed his wife deeply, lingering a moment to give her a heated stare, which gave her an idea of what he had on his mind. She felt her cheeks blush, which was silly, especially since they’d been married for twelve years and already had six children, five of which were made together. But none of that seemed to matter. She wanted Owen just as much as she did not long after Jack had been born.
He finally broke their gaze and crouched down to give the kids his attention. “What are you all doing out here? Chasing the chickens again?” He gave them a mock frown.
“No, Father! We promised we wouldn’t do that again. We like eggs,” Lizzie, their eight-year-old said.
“I like eggs too, so I’m glad to hear it.”
Annabelle stepped forward, and Sadie thought about how close to womanhood her daughter was, and how much she looked like her father. Her heart warmed.
“We were watching Jack rope cattle. Will you teach me to do it? I can ride as well as Jack.”
“Of course. We need all the help we can get around here.” Owen looked at Sadie. “As long as your mama agrees. We wouldn’t want to get on her bad side.”
Sadie rolled her eyes and laughed. “I think you could talk me into anything.”
“I’ve made it my life’s mission to coax you into things. Orders don’t work.”
That was an understatement, but it surprised her how quickly Owen had taken to persuading her into things. It never took much work on his part. “You’ve excelled.” She turned her attention to the kids. “When you’re old enough, Papa will teach you all how to do it.”
“And in the meantime,” Owen said, interrupting the whoops of excitement, “you can all practice your lassoing technique. Go fetch ropes from the barn.”
The kids squealed, racing toward the structure to practice lassoing saddles.
When they were out of sight, Owen swept Sadie off the ground and into his arms, surprising a gasp from her.
“And now I have you right where I want you.”
Sadie laughed at his antics. “And where is that?”
“In my arms.” He lowered his voice and brought his mouth to her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine. “And soon to be in my bed.”
Her body heated and her heart kicked up in anticipation of his words. “I wish we didn’t have to wait until tonight.”
He grinned and stepped toward the house. “Who said we were waiting?”
Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes darted toward the barn. “But the children—”
“Are busy lassoing. And my guess is they’ll be doing that for at least a half hour.”
She bit her lip, glancing between the house and the barn. “Run,” she said, and squealed as he took off with her still nestled in his arms.
She burrowed in closer to his chest, tucked safely in the arms of the man she loved, the man she trusted, the one who’d kept her safe, who’d made life every day happy and worth living. He was everything she’d ever hoped for, and she looked forward to continuously showing him how much she loved him.
Life was truly wonderful indeed.
Titles by Janelle Daniels
Miners to Millionaires
A Mail-Order Heart (Miners to Millionaires - Book 1)
A Mail-Order Wish (Miners to Millionaires – Book 2)
A Mail-Order Hope (Miners to Millionaires – Book 3)
A Mail-Order Dream (Miners to Millionaires – Book 4)
A Mail-Order Chance (Miners to Millionaires – Book 5)
A Mail-Order Dawn (Miners to Millionaires – Book 6)
A Mail-Order Escape (Miners to Millionaires – Book 7)
A Mail-Order Illusion (Miners to Millionaires – Book 8)
Scandals & Secrets
Scandal of Love (Scandals & Secrets - Book 1)
Masquerade Secrets (Scandals & Secrets - Book 2)
Secrets in Mourning (Scandals & Secrets - Book 3)
A Kiss with Scandal (Scandals & Secrets - Book 4)
A Christmas Secret (Scandals & Secrets – Book 4.5)
Single Title Romance
Sunkissed
My Only Wish
Collaborations
Kitty: Bride of Hawaii (American Mail-Order Brides)
Falling for a Duke (Timeless Regency Collection)
The Witches of Redwood Falls
The Witching Moon (The Witches of Redwood Falls - Book 1)
The Witches Craft (The Witches of Redwood Falls - Book 2)
Discover other titles by Janelle Daniels
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A MAIL-ORDER ESCAPE
Dream Cache Publishing