The Bride’s Secret_A Western Romance Story Page 19

  Jim chuckled, continuing on toward his station. He gestured for several men to come with him in case he needed help with Max.

  Sam looked down at Emily, taking her in his arms and pulling her close to him.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Emily’s voice was soft. He looked down at her.

  “So am I. You didn’t really think he was going to shoot me, did you?”

  Emily giggled. “With the way that man shot? No. It’s no wonder he used a knife in that other killing.”

  Sam thought that was funny. He was so glad to have Emily safe and sound, he couldn’t believe it. It was the best feeling in the world. One of them, anyway.

  “Let’s go inside,” Sam said. “I think I need a drink.”

  “You’ll get a better drink at your saloon, Sam,” Ryan said. “I think we all deserve a good stiff drink. I’ll tell you what…” He lifted his hands and used a booming voice to speak. “We’re all going to the Horse N Saddle. Drinks are on me!”

  “No, Ryan,” Sam said. Ryan looked at him in confusion. “I own that saloon. The drinks will be on me. You keep your hard-earned money.”

  Ryan stepped over to him and looked up at him. “Sam, I apologize for how I treated you before. You’re a good man. I’m glad Emily found you.”

  Sam stared at him solemnly for a moment, making Ryan wonder if he was going to punch him or hug him. He did neither. He smiled instead. “I’m glad, too. Apology accepted.”

  Ryan lifted one hand and wiped the back of it across his forehead as if relieved. “Whew,” he breathed. “That was a close one.”

  The group of men followed Sam, Ryan and Emily to the Horse N Saddle. They all filed in while Sam stood to the side with Emily. They watched men going in, talking, and laughing. Soon, Sam’s tables were filled with card-playing, hard-drinking men.

  Sam looked down at her. “Is it hard to work in a place where you’re the only woman?”

  “I’m not the only woman,” Emily said. “Some of these men are married. I’m just the only female performer.”

  Sam gave her a confused look. “I haven’t seen any other women except your mother.”

  Emily smiled up at him. “They like to shop.”

  “You don’t like to shop?” He sounded amazed.

  She shrugged. “I guess it’s not my thing. Unless you have a store that sells women’s breeches. If you have that, maybe I’ll go shopping. And I like to go see what new pistols are available. Bigger guns shoot differently, you know. It’s all in the technique.”

  Sam laughed. “I think I love you.”

  Emily was overcome with emotion. Her body filled with warmth as her heart pounded in her chest. He turned to face her, pulling her to him into a warm embrace. She couldn’t believe this is what she would be feeling for the rest of her life. Sam’s warm arms around her.

  “You do realize that there are about 150 men working at the rodeo and they’re probably all gonna come in for drinks, right?”

  Sam shook his head. “Sorry, the free drinks only extend to the men who were actually here during this today.”

  Emily giggled. “I know some men who are going to be very disappointed by that.”

  “Well, if you rodeo people decide you want to stay in Wickenburg and be our permanent entertainment, we are willing to consider it. We’ll give you the place you’re at now. We’ll build another celebration spot. Maybe in that clearing you crossed to get to my sister’s house.”

  Emily looked thoughtful. “That sounds good.” He was holding her against him, looking down at her face. She wanted him to kiss her so badly, she was shaking. “Shouldn’t we go inside? I’m sure they’re all wondering…”

  Sam laughed. “They aren’t wondering anything. They’re drinking and having fun. They don’t need us in there.”

  “Should we be out here by ourselves?”

  Sam looked around. “The street is populated with people. Do you just want to go inside?”

  She lowered her face and rested her forehead on his chest. She mumbled something he didn’t hear.

  “Didn’t hear that.” He reached down and lifted her chin so she was looking at him. Her eyes were brimming with tears. He drew his eyebrows together in concern. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “These are happy tears, Sam. I… I can’t believe my life has changed so much in two days. I… I think I might faint.”

  Sam shook his head. “Don’t faint, my love. That would be less time we get to spend together.”

  She looked at him affectionately. “Oh, Sam.”

  One side of his lips lifted in a half-grin. “That’s what I like to hear. Say it again.”

  She grinned. She reached up and touched him on the end of his nose. “Oh, Sam.”

  “I like it. I like it.” He turned her around and gently urged her toward the door. He kept his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go on in.”

  He reached out and pushed the door with one hand and the two of them walked through together. As soon as he was inside, the place erupted with cheers and clinking glasses. Someone started clapping, which started everyone else clapping and yelling out.

  Sam stopped just inside his saloon, looking around at all the faces. So many he recognized – Adam, Mark, Ryan. Some he didn’t recognize from the rodeo. They were all going to be his family in no time. He was sure they would want to stay. After so many years on the road, it was only natural to want to stay in one spot for the second half of your life. If anyone wanted to continue on, he figured they could find another rodeo to perform with.

  Sam knew exactly what he would do with the rodeo, since Max was going away and Jack had died. He was going to have Ryan take over. As much as it wasn’t up to him, Sam knew they would take his suggestion to heart. They were his friends and he had only their best interests at heart.

  He looked down at his future bride. He was proud to stand next to her. She looked so happy as she scanned the crowd. She looked up at him, as if sensing he was looking at her. “Don’t you want a drink?”

  “Well, yeah, I guess that’s what we came in for.” The two of them walked to the bar and sat in two open stools. “I was thinking, Em. Maybe Ryan can run the rodeo from now on. If he wants to.”

  Emily tilted her head. “He might.”

  “I think it should be called the Jack Levine Rodeo of Wickenburg.”

  Emily gave him a sad smile. “That’s perfect, Sam. Perfect.”

  EPILOGUE

  EPILOGUE

  Emily couldn’t believe her reflection in the mirror. She looked so pretty. She was so happy.

  “Oh my goodness, look at you!” Rachel came around the door and passed through, looking at her with wide eyes. “Oh my goodness. What a beautiful dress. My brother is going to be so proud. Not that he isn’t already. You’ve really got his heart, Emily.”

  The two women smiled at each other.

  “I know you’re going to take good care of him,” Rachel said as she came close to Emily and kissed her cheek. “You are a lovely woman and I’m glad to be your sister. I’ve never had a sister.”

  “Isn’t that strange!” Emily said with a smile. “I only have one brother and you only have one brother. If you weren’t already married…”

  They laughed again.

  “Well, I am, so that’s not going to happen. Are you ready? I think they are waiting for you out there.”

  Emily pulled in a deep breath. “I’m ready. Walk me out?”

  “Of course, that’s what I’m here for.” Rachel offered her arm to the younger woman.

  The two women left the room, Emily in her white wedding gown. It wasn’t lavish. It didn’t have lace, frills, and a train. It was a pretty white dress her mother made for her. She loved it and she knew she looked good in it. It made her feel beautiful. Today was the best day for that.

  She was getting married.

  Sam watched the two women come out from the back. When his eyes fell on Emily, he almost lost his breath. She looked absolutely gorg
eous. His heart thumped in his chest.

  Adam tapped him on the chest with two fingers. Sam looked at him. His smile stretched from ear to ear.

  “Your bride is stunning, Sam,” Adam said in a low voice. “Proud of you.”

  “I’m proud of her,” Sam replied, awe in his voice. His eyes moved quickly back to his bride as she approached.

  The wedding was to be a casual one. Dr. Campbell would perform the ceremony as he was also an ordained minister.

  He waited as Rachel came up to him first, turning to stand beside him on his other side. She was beaming up at him. He smiled back but was feeling a bit queasy. He hadn’t been in front of a crowd that large in his life. He was sure he would do just fine. However, he was still nervous.

  Emily came through the flowered archway. Her heart was pounding so hard, she could barely breathe. Sam looked so handsome in his suit, standing at the altar, waiting for her to come be his bride. This was the moment she’d waited all her life for. All of her pain, the torture of the rodeo schedule, the slavery Max had them under. This made it all worth it. If she hadn’t gone through all of that, she would never have made it here. She might have spent the rest of her life in the rodeo circuit, never falling in love, never having children. However, that was not to be her life. Her life was with the man she loved, the big Irishman from Wickenburg. The saloon owner. She grinned wide.

  He smiled back at her. He waited anxiously for her to reach him. He wanted to hold her hand. He wanted to gaze in her eyes. It seemed unbelievable to him that after all those years of working, not even realizing what he was missing out on, he was about to start a brand new life with a lovely young lady. They would have a family. He would finally have a family of his own.

  She reached him and he held out his hand to her. She took it and stepped up next to him, gazing up into his eyes with love in her heart.

  “Are you nervous?” she whispered.

  He chuckled under his breath. “Yeah. Terribly.”

  She nodded slightly so no one else could see. “Me, too. I hope I don’t trip when I leave here.”

  He tried not to laugh. “I’ll catch you if you do. You know I will.”

  “I’m ready to be your wife, Sam. I’ve been ready since the first day I met you three months ago. I knew the moment I looked at you there was something different about you.”

  “I know. You almost dropped your gun looking at me. I kinda liked that. I hope you never stop doing that.”

  Emily giggled. “I love you, Sam O’Connell.”

  The warm feeling that spread through his body made Sam feel weak in the knees. He pulled in a deep breath. “I love you, Emily Whittaker soon-to-be O’Connell. I love you more than I could ever express in words. We are going to have a happy life together. I will make sure you are happy. If you are ever unhappy, tell me. I’ll change whatever I can; I’ll do whatever I can. To make you happy. I promise you I will.”

  She giggled again. “You don’t have to worry about me telling you. I will. I’m kind of an open person. I don’t keep anything back.”

  He nodded. “I noticed that about you.”

  Before he knew it, Sam was turning around in front of the crowd of people. He was about to walk between the rows of seats with his bride.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Dr. Campbell said loudly. “I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel O’Connell.”

  Everyone stood up from their seats and cheered.

  Sam looked out at them, standing in front of their seats. The rows went all the way back to the end of the celebration place. Everyone in town had shown up for his wedding. Not too many in Wickenburg could boast such a claim. He spotted faces he recognized from years past, as well as those who had stayed on when the rodeo decided to make its home there.

  This was his town. These were his people.

  He loved his town of Wickenburg.

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  ALSO BY ELLIEE ATKINSON

  The Rileys of the Misty Creek

  Book 1 Link -> Love’s Battle Won

  Family of Love Series

  Book 1 Link -> Handsome Widower’s Second Chance

  Book 2 Link -> An Uncivilized Romance

  Book 3 Link -> Saved By An Angel

  Book 4 Link -> Snatching the Bride

  Book 5 Link -> The Pursuit

  Book 6 Link -> An Unexpected Dilemma Bride

  Book 7 Link -> The Cripple’s Bride

  Book 8 Link -> An Obsessive Bride

  Book 9 Link -> The Bride’s Secret (End of Series)

  Acknowledgement

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  Publisher’s Notes

  This book is copyright © 2016 - 2018 by ELLIEE ATKINSON & GREEN HOUSE PUBLISHING CO.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real or dead people, places, or events are not intentional and are the result of coincidence. The characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. All rights reserved.

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