Wild Western Women Spring Into Love: A Western Historical Romance Box Set Read online

  Sarah soothed her mother. “I know you believe that, Mim, but our lives are more important than a house or land. Papa would expect us to do everything we can to stay alive.”

  “We’d be defenseless back there, Mim,” Katie explained.

  “So you say, but if our home is burned, I’d as soon die with it.” But she sounded less convinced.

  The heart-breaking sounds of war drew closer by the minute.

  Sarah turned and looked back at her mother. “Don’t say that, Mim, and surely you don’t want your daughters to die as well. Houses can be rebuilt. People can start over. We’ll do what we have to until the war is over. Papa will come home then we can return to our old lives.”

  Did Sarah realize she lied? Parmelia doubted life would ever be the same. But it was up to them to remain alive. Thank goodness she and Rob had reached the Hardemans in time. “Until this war is over, we’ll make do with whatever we can. At least we have a house to shelter us. Think of all those poor souls who’ve lost everything.”

  Sarah still looked at her mother. “When the war’s finished, Papa will come home to you, and Matt will come to me. No matter how things stand with our houses, as long as Matt and I are together, life will be grand. Papa will feel the same way, you’ll see.”

  In the distance, an unmistakable cannon’s boom shook the ground. Rifle shots were constant now and grew louder, sounding closer. Dear heavens, were they escaping or was the battle catching up to them?

  Soon they left the sounds of war behind. Before they reached Witherspoon, Parmelia slowed the horses. The poor dears had done well to pull this load.

  Rob craned his head around. “Reckon we’ll be stopped?”

  “Probably.” Parmelia dreaded the risk of a guard recognizing her and asking how she’d found horses. She left the main road toward Witherspoon and headed to a less traveled side of town. Driving the team across uneven ground took all her concentration. Head high, she might look as if she dared anyone to confront her, but she was frightened half to death.

  She straightened her bonnet with one hand and prayed they’d get through the blockade with no trouble.

  At the town’s edge, they approached the roadblock. Two guards waited.

  “Halt.” One guard stepped toward them with hand raised.

  The second man kept his rifle aimed at them. She didn’t recognize either of the soldiers at the checkpoint. Thank goodness, they wouldn’t know she’d stolen Lady and Beauty.

  The first Yankee approached Parmelia. “What business do you have in Witherspoon?”

  “We’re going to stay with relatives.”

  “Who?” He appeared to assess her and the others in the buggy.

  “The Baileys on Peach Street.”

  “You have weapons?” He helped himself, pawing through the clothes and quilts.

  “We have no guns, just a few clothes and some bedding.” Parmelia hoped Sarah hadn’t packed a pistol.

  Apparently satisfied, the soldier stepped back and signaled his companion before he motioned to Parmelia. “Proceed. You’ll have to surrender your horses in town.”

  “Yes, sir.” She clicked the reins to get the buggy moving away from the soldiers before they reconsidered.

  In hindsight, perhaps she shouldn’t have taken the mares. If only she’d known another way to rescue Sarah and her family. Now she’d have to get home and unhitch the horses, then let them loose.

  Maybe she’d do better to lead them near the camp and release them.

  Maybe the Yankees would think the horses had just wandered back to their former home.

  Maybe hell would freeze over.

  At last, she turned into her grandparents’ drive and pulled around to the back. With a huge sigh, she stopped at the carriage house. Surely a week had passed since she’d caught her horses and began her ride to the Hardeman home. All she wanted now was to crawl in bed and sleep for days, pretend the war never happened. She couldn’t relax yet, not until the horses were back with those Yankee scoundrels.

  “Sarah, let’s see your mother and sisters inside. After that, Rob and I will deal with the chickens and cow.” Parmelia’s hands shook as she climbed out of the buggy. Fatigue, relief, and fear turned her limbs to jam.

  She walked Sarah and her family to the back door where Grammy and Mama took over.

  Parmelia returned to the carriage house. “Rob, help me unhitch the horses and put their bridles on so I can take them back.”

  “Why don’t I do that?” With his hand on Rob’s shoulder, Darrick McDonald stepped from the shadows. He appeared calm, until she looked at his face.

  Parmelia was surprised sparks didn’t shoot from his dark eyes and ignite the entire carriage house. She clutched her throat, hoping a way out of this predicament would come to her. How had he known to come here, to wait for her?

  “D-Darrick, you—you gave me a fright.”

  He raised his eyebrows and moved away from Rob. “Did I? Perhaps you have a guilty conscience.” He freed one of the horses.

  “When did you come back?” She fought for an idea, but none came to her.

  “Late yesterday.” He walked back and forth beside Lady. “Funny thing, you having two horses after the Army confiscated all the livestock in town. Another coincidence, two Army horses went missing overnight.”

  She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “Did they?”

  He stopped and gave her a piercing look.

  With a huge sigh, she gave up. “I can explain.”

  “I’m listening.” His eyes were still dark with anger.

  “You remember Sarah Hardeman? She’s my brother Matt’s fiancée. I had to bring her and her family to town. I—I had no way to do that without a team.”

  Rob added, “These are our horses anyway. Low down, yellow-bellied Yankees stole them from us.”

  Oh, Lord. Leave it to her brother to make things worse.

  “Hush, Rob. Give me the bridles. Put the cow in the barn then come help me with these chickens.”

  He pouted and handed over the tack. “Oh, all right. I never get to hear anything good.” Rob untied the cow and stomped toward the barn.

  She forced herself to meet Darrick’s gaze. “So, you’re a Yankee officer now.”

  “Captain.” Darrick crossed his arms. “I’m waiting for an explanation, Parmelia.”

  Her temper conquered her good sense, and she stepped toward him. “You’ve got your nerve, coming here wearing that uniform, you... you traitor.”

  He stepped forward until they were almost touching. “Call me what you will, but you’re the one who stole two horses in a time of war.”

  She tilted her head to return his stare, refusing to retreat. “How can you accuse me of stealing, when you Yankees have taken over our town?”

  “Because you did steal them, and you weren’t even clever about it. I followed their tracks to your grandparents’ home. Do you realize that with a less sympathetic Colonel they could lose their home?”

  Dear heaven, she hadn’t considered her grandparents if she were caught.

  “No!” She took a step backward. “I was going to return them. Rob’s right, they are ours. They know me, so they were eager to come to me.”

  He pulled a small, withered apple from his pocket.

  Rats, she must have dropped it, one of the few from the fruit stored in the cellar.

  Darrick held the apple in front of her nose. “Looks to me as if you coaxed them away.”

  She sighed, “Maybe I did, but it was only to use them for a little while. Sarah and her family were in great peril.”

  He tossed the apple from one hand to the other, but stared at her face. “Are you crazy? You could have been killed.”

  She grabbed the apple from him. “Sarah, her mother, and sisters could have been murdered and their home burned. We barely got away in time as it is.”

  “If you had bothered to consult the Colonel, he would have sent soldiers for them. As it turns out, I would have taken my men and gone.�
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  “Now who’s crazy? You could have been killed.”

  Shocked at the concern in her voice and in her heart, she continued, “Um, I mean, they might not have recognized you and could have shot you. Or, that man that tried to take my horse could have killed you….”

  Oh, no, she hadn’t meant to tell that last part.

  He grew angrier and grabbed her arms. “What do you mean?

  She tried to twist away. “Nothing.”

  “Parmelia Bailey, who tried to take your horse?” He turned her to face him.

  Refusing to meet his gaze, she stammered, “There… um, there was a man in the woods, a ways north of the Mitchell’s house. He… um, he jumped at me and tried to take Beauty, but Rob and I got away.”

  Holding her arms, she thought he was going to shake her but he didn’t. “You are the stubbornest, orneriest woman I’ve ever known. Don’t you realize what could have happened to you?”

  “It crossed my mind,” she snapped and raised her face.

  “If you were mine, I’d, I’d...”

  “Yours? You moved away and left me because you didn’t want me, remember? And now you’re a Yankee officer.” Lord, she shouldn’t have reminded him she’d loved him, had asked him to take her with him. Worse, she still loved him.

  She willed tears not to fall. Keep your anger up, don’t let him know how he hurt you.

  “You know why I left Witherspoon. You know I had no choice.”

  “There’s always a choice.” And she would have chosen to go with him, if only he’d allowed her to, even if she had been only sixteen.

  “Like you chose to steal these horses?”

  She shrugged away from his grasp. “Steal? Soldiers stole them from us. Do you understand the term ‘borrow’? That’s what I did.”

  “In times of war, the government has the power to confiscate items from civilians. Do you understand that?”

  “Call it what you wish, it’s still stealing when you take what’s not yours and keep it.”

  “Maybe we’re only ‘borrowing’ your horses.”

  She thought his mouth twitched to hide a smile. His humor only irked her more.

  “Like you Yankees borrowed from the stores in town so we can’t even buy supplies—that is, if we had money. Which we don’t.”

  He smiled. “I heard you had plenty of those Confederate dollars.”

  “Oh, you... you Yankees make me so mad. Take my horses and leave.” She threw the apple at him.

  He caught if and smiled at her.

  She turned and stomped toward the house.

  He called, “Aren’t you going to invite me in to say hello to the family? Maybe you could bake me an apple pie.”

  She slammed the kitchen door and leaned against it. His laughter floated around her.

  From the front of the house, she heard Mrs. Hardeman complaining and Mamma and Grammy’s soft, soothing answers. She wondered how much of Mrs. Hardeman’s grousing they’d have to endure. Apparently, nothing ever pleased that woman.

  Parmelia pushed away from the door, and then remembered those dratted chickens. Peeking through the curtains, she saw Darrick leading the horses away. His long, lean body looked better than good, his walk a confident swagger. Dark brown hair caught the sunlight. Lordy, he was even more handsome than he had been four years ago when he lived in Witherspoon.

  When he’d touched her just now, she’d sizzled. She’d wanted to throw herself in his arms and have him reassure her, kiss her, love her. How could he create these sensations inside her when he’d abandoned her four years ago? When now he sided with their enemies?

  She jumped when Sarah came up to her.

  “Parmelia, is something wrong?”

  “I—I just remembered the chickens is all. I’ll get Rob to help me get them down and into the chicken coop.”

  “Nonsense. My sisters and I will do it. You look all worn out. You must have ridden most of the night.”

  She shrugged. “I’m all right. We started for your place close to midnight.”

  Sarah’s dark eyes sparkled. “Did you really take those horses from the Yankees?”

  “Yes, but they’re on their way back to those thieves now. Darrick McDonald was waiting for them in Grammy’s barn.”

  “Darrick?” Sarah touched Parmelia’s arm. “Oh, Parmelia. Is he still as handsome?”

  She sighed, hating to admit the truth. “More so. And taller. He sure fills out his uniform, too, but it’s blue.”

  “Oh.” Sarah paused. “But he’s here, and you talked to him. That’s something, isn’t it?”

  Before Parmelia had to answer, Rob slammed inside the kitchen. “That old cow’s still upset. Am I supposed to milk her or what?”

  “I’ll get the pail for you.” Parmelia retrieved it from the screened in porch. “The stool’s still in the barn.” She clasped her hands. “Fresh milk. Oh, that will be wonderful. We’ve been without it for a month.”

  Rob called, “We got to have hay.”

  “Maybe she can eat the lawn tomorrow. I’ll try to barter some hay.” But who had any supplies except the Yankees? Sighing, she went back into the kitchen. She simply could not deal with another crisis today.

  “I took off my extra clothes, but my hair’s a mess.” Sarah stood at a small mirror over the washstand and smoothed curls of brown hair from her face. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think my teachers at Thorndike Academy of Young Women in Summerville would approve of my appearance.”

  Parmelia looked at herself over Sarah’s shoulder and then gasped. What must Darrick have thought of her? She told herself she didn’t care then admitted she did. She’d been so careful about her appearance when he’d called on her years ago.

  He must think she’d turned into a hoyden. Peering at her rough hands and broken nails, she thought maybe she had. Oh, what did it matter?

  Forcing back tears and regrets, she pulled at her men’s britches and curtsied to Sarah. “I don’t think anyone from Mrs. Carrington’s School for Young Ladies in Atlanta would even speak to me.”

  They broke into giggles and went in search of Katie and Nancy.

  Chapter 3

  Darrick McDonald smiled as he led the two horses back to the encampment. That Parmelia Bailey was something else. For some reason, as soon as he heard about the missing horses, he’d thought of her. Sure enough, their tracks led right to the Bailey’s.

  He chuckled, remembering the fire in her blue eyes when she defended herself. In men’s clothes with her dark red hair falling under that silly bonnet, she was still a beauty. She was even prettier than she had been when he and she were courting. Back when he was twenty and ready to get on with his life seemed a lot longer ago than four years.

  His smile faded. That had been a terrible time for him. First Da died a quick but painful death. But not before Darrick pledged to his father that he’d take over as man of the family and put the welfare of his mother and sisters first.

  Then came the shock when the family learned about his father’s debts. Huge debts they hadn’t a chance of paying. Why had Da fallen for speculators’ schemes? They’d lost their farm and all their equipment—even their home and furniture.

  His mother had insisted on moving back to her parents’ home in Iowa. She was so broken by the family’s tragedies that Darrick couldn’t desert her and his sisters. For a while, he feared his mother would die of shame and sorrow.

  Back then Darrick had nothing to offer Parmelia—no money, not even a home. He asked her to understand. They parted with Parmelia cursing him through her tears and him asking her to wait for him. Darrick had always planned to come back to marry Parmelia when he had enough to support them, but then the war had started. He enlisted and hoped he wouldn’t meet any of his Southern friends on the battlefield.

  If only his father hadn’t died in debt. If only Darrick hadn’t had to leave Witherspoon. If only Parmelia had understood. If only the war hadn’t started.

  His life was filled with “i
f only.”

  The guard saluted when he saw Darrick. “You found the missing mares, Captain.”

  “I had an idea where they might be.” He opened the gate and led the horses inside the corral.

  “Shall I put the bridles with ours, sir?”

  “No, I’ll take care of them.” Slipping the bridles off, Darrick carried them. Returning them would give him another chance to see Parmelia. In the meantime, he had to tell the Colonel about the man in the woods.

  Early the next morning Darrick and his men rode into the trees where Parmelia had described being accosted. Although he admired her bravery and creativity, possible outcomes of her actions terrified him. Each time he reviewed her story was a punch in the gut.

  If the man who’d tried to pull her off her horse had succeeded, she very likely would be dead from a horrible death. If the Colonel weren’t a fine officer, she could have caused her family to lose their home. If she and the Hardeman women had been even a few minutes later leaving, they would have been captured and subjected to who knew what terrors?

  He wanted to shake sense into her. No, he admitted what he’d really wanted was to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Protect her from harm. That’s what he was determined to do, keep Lawson and his men from reaching her.

  After Lawson was captured, he wanted to stay in Witherspoon and make a home with Parmelia. Would he be accepted back in his hometown now that he’d worn Union colors? Could he convince Parmelia he’d always loved her? He resolved to give it his best.

  They’d tracked the horses with no problem. She and her brother had been cautious to leave few tracks in town. Once into the trees, they’d grown careless, obviously choosing speed over preventing detection.

  His men spread out, riding with caution. They searched for tracks and clues to the man’s identity and location, if he was still there. With no horse, perhaps he had camped here in the trees.

  After a half hour Houle stopped and dismounted. “Here, Captain.”

  Darrick did the same, spotting the prone body of a man. The man lay sprawled on his back, his eyes wide and blank. Blood had poured from the slice on his throat but was not yet dried. It pooled beneath his neck on a layer of dried leaves pine needles.