A Mail-Order Heart (Miners to Millionaires Book 1) Read online

  Truth be told, the minute she was back home, she would glut herself on it. But first things first.

  "Don't try anything stupid," he warned.

  She bowed her head in a show of subservience, and she hoped it masked the flare of rage firing her eyes.

  She would kill this man. If she ever got the chance, she would.

  "Go on. Be quick about it."

  She took a few steps into the trees. Then a few more when he didn't argue. He must feel confident that they were far enough away from civilization that she wouldn't try to escape. In his mind, he probably thought women couldn't survive alone in the wilderness.

  She wouldn't argue with that. She wasn't sure she could survive. She'd never had to take care of herself in that way.

  But if she had the choice between going at it alone or sticking with him, she would run toward the trees with as much speed as possible.

  She squatted down, hands sifting through pine needles for a stick, branch, rock, or anything else she could use as a weapon.

  Even though he'd allowed her the distance, she knew he listened to her every move. If she ran, she wouldn't get far. She had to hurt him. Take him down long enough to put some distance between them.

  And then hide.

  She closed her eyes in gratitude when her fingers closed around a thick branch. If she aimed right, hitting him in the head, this could do enough damage.

  She rose slowly, kicking the needles around as if to cover a mess and hid the branch in her skirt folds. It was dark enough that she just might get away with it.

  She walked slowly back to camp, hoping her steps sounded heavy and dejected. She didn't want him to realize what her plan was until it was too late.

  But with every step she took closer to him, her pulse jumped and doubt crept in.

  If she swung and missed, if she didn't hit him hard enough, he'd make her pay. She had to be sure, absolutely sure that she could do this, or she was signing her death warrant.

  But what was the alternative? If she didn't do this, if she didn't try to escape, he would force her down the Trail to the next town with a preacher and marry her.

  She would not be bound to this man. She'd rather die.

  And she might.

  "Come here," he ordered, and she dragged her feet over to him.

  "Could you leave the bindings off? Just for tonight? I'd sleep better and have more energy for the trip tomorrow."

  He spit. "Do as you’re told, woman."

  Her cheeks heated. He would never speak to her like that again.

  She stepped forward, and the second he looked down at her hands, she lifted the branch and struck.

  As she'd hoped, he hadn't expected it.

  The impact to his head vibrated the branch all the way up her arm and forced the wood out of her hands.

  But she didn't wait to see how much damage she'd done. When he went down, she ran.

  Chapter 16

  When night fell, Sawyer was ready to tear off someone's head. Asher’s was convenient. "We can't stop yet. We have to be close."

  "If we keep going, one of our mounts will break a leg. It's too dark to continue."

  Sawyer's fists clenched. "It's a chance I'm willing to take."

  Sawyer tried to brush past him, but Asher held a hand to his chest. "I'm not. Not only will we injure the horses, but we can’t see any tracks. We could miss something and be farther away from them when light hits. They would've stopped for the night. They aren't going anywhere tonight."

  Asher waited until Sawyer nodded before dropping his hand. Understanding lit in the mountain man's eyes. Sawyer knew Asher had been here before, knew what he was going through. How could he remain so calm?

  "Having a hot head will only put her in more danger," Asher said, answering a question Sawyer hadn't realized he’d asked.

  It made sense, but he couldn't just wait. He couldn't go to sleep when Clara could be injured, scared—or worse. Every fiber of his being screamed that he needed to find her, to keep her safe.

  Until he held her once more, he'd find no rest, no peace.

  Is this what love always felt like? He'd known the excitement and joy of loving Clara, but he hadn’t realized that this constant fear of losing her could break him. He'd give anything to find her.

  Asher tossed some jerky at Sawyer. "Try and get some rest."

  Easier said than done. "Thank you for helping me."

  Asher grunted, but didn't say more.

  Sawyer didn't know the man well. Honestly, he hadn't even seen him more than a handful of times. He hadn't been around when Asher's woman was taken, but he'd heard the stories.

  Everyone had.

  The bastards that took her were never found, but Asher found her remains after she'd been mauled by a bear.

  After that, he kept to himself in the mountains.

  Sawyer felt bad for the guy, but a part of him, a part that he wasn't proud of, was grateful for the man's experience. Because if Asher hadn't lost his woman, he would've never secluded himself in the mountains. He would've never garnered the skills needed to find Clara—

  A shot ran in the woods.

  Sawyer jumped to his feet. "That was close."

  Asher nodded, grabbing his gun before standing. "They're not far off."

  Sawyer didn't care how much Asher argued. "I'm going after her."

  "I'm coming with you."

  Sawyer didn't need any more assurance. He ran into the trees, gun in hand as his arms and legs pumped in time with his breaths. "Clara!"

  Another shot rang out, this time closer, and he went even faster, imagining the worst. "Clara!"

  A scream filled the air.

  Running blindly through the trees, Clara didn't feel the tiny slices across her skin. She didn’t look back at the crashing sounds behind her as Bracken closed in.

  She hadn't hit him hard enough.

  The first bullet grazed her right arm and planted in the tree next to her. But she didn't stop as pine needles hanging from branches lapped up the blood oozing from her wound.

  "Get back here, you whore!"

  She sucked in a breath of terror and almost screamed when another bullet flew past her.

  She wasn't going to make it home.

  He was going to kill her.

  "Clara!"

  She heard her name called but thought she was imagining it. When it was yelled a second time, she knew it was real. "Sawyer!"

  Panic filled her. She wanted to run to him, to be safe once again, but that would lead Bracken to him.

  She would never forgive herself, not in this life or the next, if something happened to him.

  Her legs sagged from running. Breath burned in her lungs. And with one misstep, she tripped on a rock and crashed to the ground, screaming.

  Pain blazed through her in waves until she saw stars.

  She had to get up. She had to run.

  She crawled a foot before a body slammed on top of hers.

  She kicked and screamed, lashing out blindly as she fought off her kidnapper.

  He smacked her, and a coppery taste filled her mouth. She moaned, flailing with waning energy.

  "That was real stupid," he spat, easily holding her down. "Real stupid." He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up. "You're going to pay for that."

  She screamed as he pulled her along by her hair.

  "Let her go."

  Sawyer.

  She closed her eyes. She wanted to cry with happiness now that he was here.

  The mayor pulled her painfully tight in front of him, and a muffled cry escaped her lips when he squeezed her cut arm.

  As the pain ebbed, she glanced around but couldn't see him.

  "Stay back, Sheriff. If you want to keep the woman alive, I suggest you turn around and head back to town," the mayor called out to the trees, his head whipping around trying to find a target.

  He cocked the gun behind her, and her eyes flew open. "He has a gun!"

  He twisted her arm in retaliation.


  Sawyer stepped from the trees, his gun aimed straight for them. "If you hurt her again, I'm going to shoot your brains out instead of arresting you."

  Bracken ducked behind her, using her as a shield. "You'll have to shoot her before you get to me."

  "True." Sawyer's head nodded behind them. "But he won't."

  Before she could react, Bracken swung them around. A fierce, bearded man glared down at them with the lightest blue eyes she'd ever seen before hitting Bracken in the head with the butt of his rifle.

  He collapsed to the ground like a felled deer, and two seconds later, Sawyer scooped her in his arms. "It's over. You're safe."

  She tried to nod, but only succeeded in shivering. "Is he…"

  "Dead?"

  Still holding her tightly against him, he tucked her head into his chest and looked past her to the body on the ground. "No. He's alive."

  She shuddered and wrapped her arms around him.

  "I'll just give you two a minute," the other man said before dragging the mayor toward the trees.

  Sawyer nodded his thanks before turning his full attention back to her. His hands ran up and down her body, both soothing and stimulating.

  He made her feel safe and alive all in the same moment.

  And she had almost lost that. Either one of them could've died. This could've ended so differently.

  She sobbed into his chest, and he just held her, caressing her as she broke. "You're safe. You're all right. I'm here."

  She held onto his words like an anchor during a storm. He was her compass, her map. He was everything to her.

  Life was too short for anything but honesty. If something had happened to them, she would've never forgiven herself if she hadn't told him how she truly felt. "I love you, Sawyer." She arched away from him and met his eyes. "I love you."

  His lips crushed down on hers, and she realized he'd been holding back. He'd been calm and soothing because that was what she'd needed. But now he needed.

  She soothed him with her lips, with whispered words, and with tender hands, letting the storm of his emotions flood her, fill her. She wanted this, wanted him, wanted it all.

  She kissed as wildly as he, lingering and deepening the connection with each sweeping pass.

  He finally broke away from her, and his whole body shook as he gathered her close in his arms. "If anything ever happens to you—"

  "It won't," she hurried to soothe. "I'll always be here."

  He ripped her away from him, but kept his hands gentle. "Damn right you will. You're marrying me tomorrow and never leaving my side."

  "All right," she said easily, her heart filling with joy.

  "I mean it, Clara. We're getting married tomorrow," he said again, clearly not believing her.

  "And I said all right."

  The tension in his body slowly eased as his eyes softened. "You'll marry me?"

  "It doesn't sound like I have much choice, does it?" she teased.

  A laugh huffed from his chest. "You always have a choice. I love you. I want you to be my wife, but I'll never force it on you. No matter how much I need you. What you need comes first."

  She cupped his cheek. "I need you. Just you, Sawyer."

  And in the moonless night, her lips met his again.

  She might have been alone when she'd come to Promise Creek, but she'd never be on her own again.

  She'd found the other half of her heart.

  Epilogue

  Clara wiped the flour off her hands onto her apron. The pie she'd been cooking was one of Sawyer's favorites.

  She glanced out the kitchen window of her recently built house and marveled at the view as she caressed her swelling belly. They’d picked out the land together shortly after they married, and she couldn't be happier. It was just outside of town, which allowed Sawyer to perform his duties as sheriff, but also provided them with some privacy. At least as much privacy as they could scrounge between visits from Ivan’s eight other brides.

  She rubbed her belly. "Your father will be home any minute. Do you think he'll like his surprise?"

  She jumped when Sawyer's arms wove around her, his hands linking with hers over the baby. "I love any surprise from you."

  He slowly turned her around.

  Clara's eyes twinkled with moisture. It had to be the babe. She was so much more emotional now that she was carrying a child.

  Sawyer's finger traced the moisture, but didn't say anything. He had to be used to it by now, but he didn't complain. If anything, he loved her even more. And that love was quite a lot considering all he’d taken on with Ivan’s mail-order brides since they’d married.

  "You're beautiful," he said, placing a kiss on her lips.

  She laughed through a sniff. "I'm huge."

  "Beautiful," he stressed.

  She didn't argue. She was too happy to do anything but relax in his arms.

  Six months ago, they'd both been alone. Sure, she’d had the other women, and as far as she was concerned, she always would. All of Ivan's brides were bound together forever.

  Even Violet. Clara snickered.

  But that wasn’t the same thing as having the other half of your soul. Sawyer and she were bound to each other. Now and forever.

  Sawyer turned her in his arms with a questioning brow. "What is it?" he asked, always in tune with her.

  "Just thinking about life. How it doesn't turn out how we think it will."

  "And are you happy with the way things have turned out?"

  He knew how much she loved him, but she reached out and soothed him anyway. "Blissful everyday."

  His eyes narrowed playfully and she laughed. "I mean it. I couldn't imagine my life any other way."

  He brushed a kiss across her lips. "I love you."

  "I love you too," she said, sighing into another kiss. Life couldn't get any better, indeed.

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  Titles by Janelle Daniels

  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)

  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)

  Single Title Romance

  Sunkissed

  My Only Wish

  Collaborations

  Kitty: Bride of Hawaii (American Mail-Order Brides)

  Discover other titles by Janelle Daniels

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