Chapter One
Las Platas Nuevas, Arizona Territory
January 1885
“Hey, Sheriff!”
With one hand hovering over his pistol and the other raised in a defensive pose, Sheriff Abe Kruger wheeled around, ready for anything. He squinted into the sunlight that arched over the roofline of the nearby Double-Down Saloon, making it so he could only see the silhouette of the man who was yelling at him and waving his hands frantically in the air. The tall white hat Abe wore did little to help him, so he lifted his hand and used it as a shield from the garish sunshine. “Deputy Nordle? That you?”
“Sure is,” Patrick replied as he loped right down the center of the boardwalk, skipped out onto the dirt roadway, and came to stand at Abe’s side.
“You know you can’t go yelling at me like that when I’m out on one of my walkabouts. I might’ve swung around and fired without thinking,” Abe said, and a light rebuke colored his tone.
“Sorry, Boss,” the happy-go-lucky deputy apologized easily as he fell into step with Abe. “I just wanted to catch up with ya so we could do the rounds together today.” Patrick was almost a full six inches shorter than Abe. He wore a tall brown leather hat, with a broad brim that shaded nearly all his features, except for his relaxed, cat-like smile, which spread across his whole face. The dimple in his chin showed prominently, and the freckles on his cheeks and nose gave him a boyish air.
“But you been on this job long enough to know better,” Abe continued in a reproachful manner. “You can’t just sneak up on me and expect me not to turn around and fire at ya.”
Patrick snorted as if something Abe said amused him. “I wasn’t sneaking, Boss. Just tryin’ to get your attention.”
“Alright,” Abe conceded, deciding it was best to let the matter drop between them. He swept his hat off his head and ran a hand through his closely cropped lemonade colored blonde hair. His fingertips snagged in the curly, matted mess, and the thought flicked through his mind that it was time for a haircut, but he didn’t say anything, because he had other matters he wished to discuss with his deputy. “But if you’re here, helping me do my rounds, who’s back at the office?”
Patrick made a confused face by screwing up his lips at the corners of his mouth. “Did I need to leave somebody at the office?”
Abe sighed impatiently. “This is Las Platas Nuevas. You know we’ve always got to have someone on duty.”
“But we’re both on duty,” Patrick argued, “right now. Ain’t we out here protecting the folks?”“It’s not that simple,” Abe said quietly as he sought for the right words to help him explain. They reached the spot where Main Street intersected with Connors Avenue and he nodded, indicating they should veer to the right. “You know we’ve had a string of robberies around here lately, and I just don’t feel right not having somebody around the office. If the folks in town need a lawman, they ought to be able to find one.”
“Sure, boss,” Patrick agreed as he bobbed his head thoughtfully. “But won’t anybody who needs us be able to look right out their windows and spot us walking down the street?”
Abe grumbled something incoherent under his breath, then he added in a harsh whisper, “Is there any arguing with you?”
“Nope,” the deputy returned, as his smile tugged at the corners of his lips once more. “Besides, it’s a fine morning here in Las Platas Nuevas. The sun’s shining, but it’s not too hot, and if you listen closely, you can’t hear nary a peep, except for ‘em birds chirping off in the distance.”
“Chirping?” Abe scoffed. “That sounds more like the cawing of ravens or…” He paused as he looked upward at the stark blue sky that was completely cloud-free. A flock of birds, maybe turkey buzzards or maybe something else, revolved around a couple of colossal concentric circles before they squawked loudly and swooped toward their prey. “Looks like ‘em scavengers have found their next meal.”
“Then, I’d say, everybody’s a winner,” Patrick replied cheerfully.
“Not the animal that’s having its carcass picked clean,” Abe commented quietly, while Patrick made a disgusted face.
“Come on, Boss,” Patrick said in a cajoling way, “Lighten up a little. You know, I didn’t just follow ya out on your walk this morning ‘cause I was trying to get under your skin.”
“No?” Abe challenged.
Patrick shook his head. “You remember my wife’s cousin, Miriam?”
“Sure,” Abe answered nonchalantly. “Doesn’t she write to Sue all the time?”
The deputy snickered. “She’s a faithful correspondent, if that’s what you mean.”
“What about her?” Abe prompted.
“Well, normally her letters are the bright spot in Sue’s week. She depends on ‘em coming regularly, telling her all about the people and places we left behind when we moved away from Bailey’s Plantation back in Wade.”
“Yeah.” Abe nodded. “I remember. You used to work on the plantation with Sue and her cousins.”
“Yes, indeedy,” Patrick agreed, “anyway, when I rolled out of bed this morning, Sue was crying to beat the band. She had tears rolling down her face and at first, I wasn’t sure what to make of the situation.”
“Is she alright?” Abe stopped walking and turned to look at his deputy. They’d known each other these past three years and while Abe liked to keep a professional distance from his deputies, Patrick had worn him down slowly. Now, he not only thought of Deputy Nordle as his right-hand man, but he also considered him his closest friend. More than that, Abe cared for Patrick’s wife, Sue. She was a sweet gal who supported her husband in all his endeavors and often invited Abe to join them for supper. She had a kind-heart, and he hated to think of her sobbing first thing in the morning for any reason.
Patrick kicked at a clod of dirt that was mounded in the roadway in front of them. “I imagine she’ll be okay after she does a little mourning.”
Abe’s breath caught in his throat. “Did something happen to Miriam?”
“I think Miriam and her sister, Lauren, are just fine,” Patrick returned as he made a chagrined face. “Or they will be… once they’ve had time to process their loss.” Abe was just about to press his friend for further information when Patrick sighed heavily before continuing with his explanation. “Seems that last week there was a flood out in Hampton County. The fields and shacks were swamped and Miriam and Lauren’s parents… they got… well, they perished as a result.”
Abe whispered, “That’s terrible.”
“Lauren and Miriam were up at the plantation owner’s big house at the time, serving cocktails to some of Mr. Bailey’s fancy friends. They knew it was raining but had no idea how bad it was ‘til they went to return home that evening and found the entire lower lands engulfed in water.”
“But what are they gonna do?” Abe questioned.
Patrick shook his head. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He kicked the toe of his boot at a green weed that had popped up in the dirt. He wheedled the weed out of its home and it laid there with its white roots exposed. “My first instinct this morning was to tell Sue to write Miriam a return letter lickety-split. She ought to tell Miriam and Lauren to come on out here and live with us. You know we got plenty of room, and I don’t like the idea of ‘em two girls trying to make it on their own back in South Carolina.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Abe stated flatly. He knew all too well how difficult it was to try to live life all alone. He’d never known his mother. She died shortly after giving birth to him, and as for his father, well… he’d lost him when he was just a young whipper-snapper, too. He’d spent almost all his days by his lonesome, trying to find his way in this world, and he didn’t wish that same fate on anyone, especially not two young ladies.
“But that’s just the thing,” Patrick said, and now his expression darkened a little. “I’m not sure if we ought to bring Miriam and Lauren out to Las Platas Nuevas. This isn’t exactly the safest place in the world, and I don’t want to take the sisters away from everything they know, just to set ‘em up in a land where if the rattlesnakes don’t get ya, the outlaws might.”
“That ain’t like you,” Abe whispered as he looked skeptically at his friend. “You’re supposed to be the optimistic one and I’m meant to be the naysayer.”
Patrick guffawed as he kicked at the turned over weed. “I can’t help it, Sheriff. I want to make things better for the Garrison girls—not worse. So, that’s why I need your opinion. Do you think I ought to have Sue invite them out, or would it be better if they just stayed on where they are?”
Abe rubbed a hand across his clean-shaven jawline while he pondered the matter. “Well, what do they want?”
“I dunno.” Patrick shrugged. “Sue just got the letter from Miriam this morning.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be so keen on trying to fix up the situation,” Abe recommended. “Let the sisters do their mourning. Maybe present them with some options, but don’t set anything in stone just yet. Have your wife float the idea of coming out to visit or maybe stay for a while.” He paused and snorted. “You know, even if you feel a real affection for the two of ‘em, it ain’t no small feat filling your house full of women. Won’t you feel a little outnumbered at three to one?”
Patrick chuckled. “Maybe at first, it’ll be trying, but you’re only sayin’ that ‘cause you’ve never seen Miriam and Lauren. They’re just as pretty as my Sue and I reckon that if we bring ‘em out here, they’ll catch somebody’s eye sooner rather than later.” He shook his head as he continued to chortle. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they lived with us just a couple of weeks before they made some men real happy by becoming their wives.” His smile stretched wide once more. “Who knows, Sheriff? Maybe one of ‘em will even catch your eye.”
“I doubt that very much,” Abe grunted, and he started to add something else when a whisper of breezy air floated by them. It struck him so that all her senses ignited, and his spine tingled. “Something’s wrong,” he breathed as he pivoted slowly on the spot. He swiveled his head from one side to the other, and his right hand went straight to the pistol in its holster.
“What is it?” Patrick asked as he jerked his head quickly from side-to-side.
“I can’t tell, but I know something’s going on,” Abe whispered. “Can’t you feel it? The wind shifted and—” He stopped and lifted his head, sniffing the morning air. “There… something smells metallic… almost… ” But then his eyes alighted on the Copper Mining Office. “Come on!”
“Where’re we going?” Patrick shouted because Abe was already off and running.
“There’s trouble,” he called over his shoulder. And that was the way of things in Las Platas Nuevas. Even before Abe and Patrick could solve the problem of what to do with the Garrison sisters, they were confronted with another. As Abe ran toward the site, praying that he’d be able to handle swiftly whatever commotion was happening inside that office. It occurred to him that maybe Lauren and Miriam had better not come out here.
The devils out here hide in plain sight. Just a minute ago, everything was peaceful, tranquil even, but now…
Maybe those sisters are safer in Wade, where they already know what they’re up against.
Chapter Two
Wade, South Carolina
January 1885
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam…” Miriam couldn’t speak another word as she was overcome by her tears.
She sat in the corner of her family’s hovel with the heavy Bible in her lap. Somehow, perhaps because it had been stationed in its usual spot on the top shelf, this keepsake was the one thing that survived the damaging flood two weeks prior. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and she let them spill forward. The large, fat droplets rolled off her chin and dribbled onto the thin pages. She tutted in dismay as she hastily wiped at the book.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” For Miriam, these last two weeks had been the worst of her life. While she and Lauren had lost their brothers years ago to Yellow Fever, they had still been young then and grief had only grazed her heart. But now she felt as if the fingers of sorrow had wrapped themselves around her entire body and were squeezing until she was wrung dry. “Ma…” she whimpered. “Pa.”
The room felt empty without her family members in it. Miriam glared at the floor, which was still speckled with spots of mud from where the flood waters had washed through the cracks.
I must find my way through this. I must continue to keep the faith.
She tried to revert her attention to the soothing proverb she’d just been reading, but her eyelashes were still too thick with tears. She couldn’t make out the words that had been printed in miniscule typeface. So, instead of relying on the good book, Miriam tucked her chin into her chest and prayed.
Heavenly Father, tell me what I’m supposed to do. Lead me through this… this period of suffering. Help me find my way because I can’t do it on my own.
It was then that Miriam wondered what had become of her sister, Lauren. Ever since they’d come back to the shack that night and found that not only their parents, but many of their neighbors had perished; Lauren had spent as little time in the family’s shanty as possible. Miriam wanted to stay and pray and try to forge their way through this struggle together. She wanted her sister by her side, but Lauren had taken off… unable to do little more than sleep here. Miriam continued her prayers, mentioning her sister to God, hoping that Lauren would come home soon because, for Miriam, there was just too much grief. She couldn’t paddle her way through it on her own.
“Help me,” Miriam pleaded with her savior as she rifled through her pockets, searching for a tissue. “Show me what to do next. Teach me how I can pull Lauren back to my side.” She dabbed at her tears and was just about to return to her reading when she heard approaching footsteps.
A half-second later, the door to the shack was flung open, and no sooner did Lauren appear than she dashed inside and slammed the door right behind herself. “Lock it,” she huffed. “Barricade it! Do it, Miriam. Do it now!” Lauren was a petite young woman, but the way she was bent forward now with her head tucked between her knees while she sucked in large gulps of air made her look even smaller. She panted and as she lifted her head, Miriam thought she looked downright wild with terror. Her long brown hair had come out of its braid and half of it swung free as thick strands fell into her face. Her light brown eyes were wide as saucers and even her nostrils were flaring.
“What… what’s wrong?” Miriam asked as she closed the Bible quickly and jumped to her feet.
“He’s… he’s coming,” Lauren gasped as she continued trying to catch her breath.
“Who’s coming?”
Lauren waved her hand desperately in what looked like an attempt to dismiss Miriam’s question. “No time… bar the door… now!”
Just as another question was about to trip from Miriam’s lips, the door flew open a second time. Miriam had only two candles glowing in the cabin, but she could see there was a man standing in the doorway.
“Girl… I told you not to run from me,” he thundered as he barged through the open door and took an intimidating step toward Lauren. She scuttled as far away from him as she could get quickly, but the hut was small and there was no place to hide.
“Mr. Bailey,” Miriam said quietly, trying to get a handle on the situation, “is something wrong, sir?”
His cruel brown eyes flicked toward her for a moment and Miriam could feel the outrage as it was coming off him in waves. He was a short man, or at least shorter than most. He stood with his slender shoulders thrown back and his chest puffed out in a pompous way. He was wearing an immaculate black evening jacket with a red poppy tucked in his buttonhole. Except for the streak of mud on his breeches, Miriam would’ve guessed that he was hosting another one of his parties, but the spot made her think he’d been out racing in the fields instead.
“Your sister,” he snarled, “is tryin’ my last nerve.”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean to do… whatever she did,” Miriam speculated hurriedly. “If you’ll just give her a chance to explain her actions, I’m sure…”
But apparently, Mr. Marsh Bailey was not in the mood for listening. He was still struggling to catch his breath completely and was panting, just as Lauren was doing. In three agitated strides, he crossed the room and grabbed Lauren by the arm. He gave her a furious shake. “You know better than to run away from me.”
“I don’t know nothing of the sort,” Lauren returned through clenched teeth. She jerked away from him, or at least tried to, but he kept a tight grip on her forearm.
“That’s about enough,” he ordered, but she didn’t stop bucking. “I told you to cut it out.”
“I don’t have to listen to you,” Lauren sneered.
“Oh yes, you do,” Mr. Bailey thundered. “I’m your boss, and I’ve had just about enough of your sass-mouthing.”
“You can’t tell me what to think… how to feel. You can’t make me do anything!” With each word, Lauren’s voice became more shrill, so by the time she finished her thoughts, she was practically shrieking at him.
“Is that what you think?” Mr. Bailey retorted hotly as he squeezed her arm, and Lauren winced in response. “Do you know what I ought to do to you, girl? Do you know?”
“I told you…” she hissed. “You can’t do nothing.”
“Oh yes, I can,” he thundered. “You slapped me, Lauren. Don’t you know I’d be well within my rights to have you whipped right now?”
She shook her head vehemently. The way she was moving reminded Miriam of a wild beast when it was cornered. She didn’t shrink away from Mr. Bailey but kept right on twisting and turning her whole body, trying to get him to slacken his grip. “You know why I did what I did,” Lauren said as a look of disgust crossed her face. “I may work for you, Mr. Bailey, but you don’t get to tell me what to do. I only kiss who I want to kiss and…”
“You’d best mind your manners,” Mr. Bailey cautioned as he reached for her other wrist. She swung away from him, as much as she could, so he couldn’t get hold of that free hand, too. “You can’t go around laying hands on the master of the plantation.”
“And you can’t just try to kiss and cuddle with any person who works in your house,” Lauren countered. “You’ve got to ask a lady before you go trying that stuff with her.”
Mr. Bailey snorted. “You work for me, Lauren Garrison, and don’t you forget it.” Miriam didn’t know the master of the house very well. He wasn’t a whole lot older than she or her sister and she had always thought he seemed a bit spoiled, but the way he was treating Lauren now was like he was some sort of petulant child. He wanted Lauren to kiss him, and because she wouldn’t give him exactly what he desired, he intended to throw a fit until she acquiesced. Had Mr. Bailey been just about anyone else on the plantation, Miriam would’ve stepped in between the two of them and asked him to leave before she reported him, but since this was the owner of the plantation, she had no idea what she could possibly do to get him to let go of Lauren’s arm.
“I work for you but…”
“No more,” Mr. Bailey said reproachfully. “You’re going to apologize to me right now, Lauren Garrison. You’re going to tell me you’re sorry and give me a big old kiss to make amends.”
“Or what?” Lauren challenged.
“If you won’t kiss me, then you can say goodbye to your cozy life here on the plantation,” Mr. Bailey replied as a smug, self-satisfied smile floated onto his face. “You’ve got two choices, and I think we both know which one is in your best interest to take.” He leaned forward audaciously, and his lips were just starting to pucker when Lauren turned her head and spat on the ground, barely missing hitting the toe of his well-polished boots by a fraction of an inch.
“I’d rather eat dirt than kiss a pig like you,” she jeered.
“I can arrange that,” he shouted as he released his hold on her, only so he could give her a good hard shove to the ground. Lauren thumped against the hard wooden floors, and she sat there, staring back at him with loathing in her eyes. He took two menacing steps forward so that he loomed over the top of her. “I’m gonna give you one last chance to take it all back, Lauren. Apologize now.” He put both hands on his hips and glared down at her. “I want to hear you beg for my forgiveness.”
Lauren refused to cower or grovel before him. She met his stare with a heated one of her own. “I’ve got nothing else to say to you, Mr. Bailey.”
“Fine!” he roared. “You’ve made your choice, then.” He stomped back across the room, swung the door open, then turned to look directly at Miriam. “You and that ungrateful louse have until the morning to get out of this house and off my property. Don’t make me sic the dogs on you both.” With that, he slammed the door so hard it rattled on its hinges, and he disappeared into the inky black night.
“What… what just happened?” Miriam murmured. “Was that real… or am I dreaming?”
Lauren crawled across the room, muttering to herself darkly. “Stupid Bailey… can’t keep his hands to himself… thinks he can push me out of my home… well, I’ll show him.”
Miriam came to her senses quickly and dashed across the room before dropping down to Lauren’s side. “Did he hurt you?” she asked as she reached for her sister’s arm.
“I’m fine,” Lauren snapped as she jerked away from Miriam’s gentle touch. “I’ve just gotta come up with a plan. We need a way out of here.”
“Lauren,” Miriam questioned softly, “What did you do? What happened with Mr. Bailey?”
“You heard that swine,” Lauren said as she lifted the corner of her bedroll. A few weeks ago, Lauren and Miriam had been able to share a mattress, but with the flood waters ruining everything, they’d been forced to get rid of the mud-covered furniture and switch it out for these stiff and scratchy bedrolls. Lauren’s hand disappeared underneath the hunter green material and her little pink tongue popped out of her mouth as she concentrated on searching for something that was tucked underneath it. “He took his liberties with me for the last time, Miriam. I don’t have to stay here and suffer because of him.”
“Stay here?” Miriam echoed in an awestruck voice. “We don’t have the luxury of staying here anymore, Lauren. Whatever unfolded between the two of you tonight… I… I’m sorry for it. But did you have to act so rashly? Couldn’t you have come to me and talked things through before you slapped him and nearly spat on his boots?”
Lauren grunted, then a pleased smile lit up her features. She tugged an already packed knapsack out from underneath her bedroll and pulled it across the floor. “All that happened tonight… that was just the conclusion of a very long story. I’ve been waiting for the chance to run away from this place, and now seems like the perfect opportunity to go on and get.”
“What? You’re leaving?” Miriam asked incredulously.
Her sister nodded toward the door. “You heard old Marsh. He wasn’t playin’ this time. He wants us gone by morning.”
“But… but where are you gonna go?”
Lauren’s smile broadened. “Wherever I want.”
“No,” Miriam cried, “You’re not thinking this through clearly. You can’t just up and leave in the middle of the night.”
“Why not?” Lauren countered. “What do I got around here to make me want to stay?”
“Me!” Miriam exclaimed.
Her sister laughed lightheartedly as her smile turned into a sympathetic one. “You didn’t really think I was aiming to leave ya behind, did ya, Sis?”
“I don’t know,” Miriam mumbled. “This is all happening so fast. I didn’t even know you already had your bag packed and were ready to go.” She paused and looked around the shack. “We don’t have much, but…”
“We don’t have anything but each other,” Lauren interjected. She pushed her knapsack to the side and reached out to lay a hand on Miriam’s knee. “You can either come with me now, Sis, or you can stay here and try to take your chances with Mr. Bailey.”
“I don’t want to stay here without you,” Miriam answered immediately.
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say,” Lauren replied as a gentle smirk lifted the corners of her lips.
“But where are we gonna go?” Miriam asked as she gazed at the pleased smile on her sister’s face.
“That’s the beauty of it,” Lauren said sweetly. “I have no idea.”
Miriam groaned. “So, you’re asking me to pack up everything and leave behind the only life we’ve ever known for… for what? What is it we’re gonna do outside these walls?”
Lauren patted Miriam’s knee one last time, grabbed her knapsack, and stood up all in one fluid motion. She slung the bag over her shoulder and gave Miriam a cool stare. “Are you coming or not?”
The dare hung in the air for just a moment because Miriam really didn’t need to think over her situation.
There’s no way I’m letting her walk out of the door without me. I’ve already lost too much. I can’t let Lauren go, too.
“Let me get my stuff,” Miriam said as she quickly got to her feet as well.
It took less than ten minutes for the sisters to corral and bag everything they owned that was worth any value to them. The Bible was their bulkiest treasure, but Miriam wasn’t about to leave it behind. She tucked it into a large carpetbag, along with the rest of her clothing and the extra day cap and bonnets she owned. She decided to wear her straw hat, even though it was the middle of the night, because she just couldn’t bear to part with it. Her ma had made it for her at the start of last summer and even having it on her head now gave her the sense that her mother was watching over them, helping them through this challenging departure. And just like that, after giving the shack one more final glance, Miriam and Lauren closed the door on their past and stepped boldly into their future.
“Where are we going now?” Lauren asked as the two sisters walked quickly away from the plantation.
Miriam startled. “I thought you were joshing me when you said you didn’t have that all worked out. I was sure, since you’d taken the time to pack your things, you had some idea of where you wanted to go.”
Lauren shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess we could go to the train station and see how far we can get on the money we have.” As they neared the end of the dirt road that led away from Bailey’s plantation, they took the gravel pathway leading toward the railway depot. Miriam pulled the carpet bag around to her front and started fiddling with the clasp. “What are you doing?”
“You said we needed money,” Miriam huffed as the old contraption gave her some issues before popping open. “I was gonna count our coins.” As she plunged her hand into the bag, her fingertips grazed across the stack of envelopes she’d brought with her. She hadn’t been able to pack all her letters because there just wasn’t enough space, but she had taken all her own writing implements. She loved to correspond with others, especially her cousin, Sue, and… “Wait,” she breathed as an idea occurred to her. “We could go stay with Sue.”
“Sue? Like our cousin who lives in the Arizona Territory?” Lauren asked, as her face scrunched, clearly showcasing her disapproval.
“Love’s Ethereal Glow” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!
When a flood destroys their hometown, Miriam Garrison and her reckless sister are left reeling from the loss of their parents. In search of a fresh start, the sisters travel west to a rough town in the Arizona Territory. Upon their arrival, they meet the sheriff, a man with no patience with lawbreakers. Even though Miriam’s unwavering optimism clashes with the his strict nature, the two find themselves hopelessly drawn to each other.
At his sight, her heart flickers…
From the moment Sheriff Abe Kruger meets Miriam, he is captivated by her quiet strength and beauty. As he watches her struggle to rebuild her life, he is touched by her unwavering faith and gentle spirit. However, her wild and unpredictable sister tests his commitment to the law and threatens to tear apart the fragile bond between him and Miriam.
Would he be able to sacrifice everything for her?
In the face of violence and uncertainty, Miriam and Abe must decide between heart and duty. Will they be able to overcome the challenges of western life and find true love? Or will their love be torn apart by the forces of the frontier? Find out in this epic tale of love, loss, and redemption!
“Love’s Ethereal Glow” is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Hello my dears, I hope you enjoyed the preview! I will be waiting for your comments here. Thank you 🙂