The Scarlet Wedding Read online

  The Scarlet Wedding

  A Sage Creek Saga book

  Lorana Hoopes

  Copyright © 2018 by Lorana Hoopes

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Dedication

  Dedication Page:

  To my family who allows me to sacrifice time with them to write these stories.

  To my friends who inspire me even when you don’t know it.

  To my wonderful readers who kept asking for a historical. I never thought I’d write one, but now I’m glad I do!

  To Natasha Rivera-LaButhie who won my title contest and has always supported me as an author.

  Contents

  Note from the Author

  A look back at Lawfully Justified

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  12. Author’s Note

  13. Not ready to say Goodbye yet?

  14. Lawfully Redeemed preview

  15. A Free Story For You

  16. The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet Preview

  The Story Doesn’t End!

  About The Author

  Note from the Author

  Thank you so much for picking up this book. I hope you enjoy the story and the characters as they are dear to my heart. If you do, please leave a review at your retailer. It really does make a difference because it lets people make an informed decision about books. Below are the other books in this series. I would love for you to check them out. I’d also like to offer you a sample of my newest book. Free Sample!

  Sign up for Lorana Hoopes’s newsletter and get her book, The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet, as a welcome gift. Get Started Now!

  A look back at Lawfully Justified

  William Cook was a bounty hunter who was injured while trying to bring in a bounty. He was taken to Doc Moore’s clinic to recover, but when Doc Moore is called to a neighboring town, looking after William falls on Emma Stewart. Emma is Doc Moore’s oldest daughter, who was recently widowed when her husband was killed in a Texas Ranger mission. Feelings develop as Emma cares for William, but can he leave his bounty hunter profession? Or will it be the secret William holds that keeps Emma away? Now here’s the exciting conclusion of William and Emma’s story.

  * * *

  A look back at Lawfully Justified:

  * * *

  As his arms circled her, William thought again how perfect a fit she was in them. He had never expected to fall in love with another woman after Catherine, but as he twirled the beautiful blond woman around, he knew he had done just that. Yet he wasn’t scared. In fact, he was exhilarated. The thought of a life with her filled him with excitement each day.

  “You’re not a bad dancer,” Emma teased up at him.

  “I’m actually a very good dancer,” he responded. “It just takes me a minute to warm up.”

  “By the end of the night, I expect to be amazed then.”

  He tightened his grip on her and pulled her closer. “I’m amazed every day I spend with you,” he whispered down at her.

  A rosy pink color flooded her cheeks, and she shook her head. “Flattery will get you nowhere Mr. Cook.”

  “Well, then how about this?” Though the music played on, he stopped moving and dropped to one knee. “Emma Stewart, you have reopened my heart to God and to love and for that I am truly thankful. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  A silence fell as the crowd around them realized what was happening. Even the music stopped. Emma glanced around before returning her gaze to him. “Of course I’ll marry you, William.”

  Clapping and cheers erupted around them, but William barely heard them. He stood, scooping the woman he loved up and twirled her around. Though he had not thought it possible, he had finally found his way home.

  Chapter 1

  Summer 1883, Sage Creek, Texas

  * * *

  “You’re so lucky,” Carrie sighed brushing her long blond hair as the girls got ready for bed that night. “That proposal was so romantic.”

  “I’m sure yours will come soon.” Emma smiled at her younger sister as she took her own hair down. “I saw you dancing with Phillip Alder, and he had stars in his eyes.”

  “What about me?” Jennie asked.

  Emma laughed and tousled her youngest sister’s brown hair. “You have a few years yet, Jennie Bean, but there’s a man out there for you as well. You just have to be patient.”

  Jennie’s lower lip fell out in an adorable pout. “I want to be older now. I want to be kissed like you were, Emma. It looked so romantic.” She put her little hand on her forehead and fell onto the bed.

  “Oh, dear. We have our work cut out for us with this one.” Emma slipped her dress off and her nightgown on and climbed into bed beside six-year-old Jennie. Carrie followed suit and climbed in on the other side of Jennie.

  “Have you thought about the wedding yet?” Carrie asked.

  “He only proposed tonight.” Emma’s tone was dismissive as if she had thought of no such thing. The truth was she had already been thinking about the wedding. She wanted it in the church of course. Carrie would be a bridesmaid and Jennie the flower girl. Emma wondered if William would ask Samuel, her brother, to be his best man. The two had been spending a lot of time together building William’s homestead, but there was also Jesse Jennings, who William had become close with.

  Emma had also become good friends with Kate Jennings. The two were close in age and became friends when William began courting Emma. Once to twice a week, they would get together and trade secrets and recipes. They also spoke often of their desire to have children.

  Kate would reach that milestone first. She was already with child and nearing her fifth month. Though Emma enjoyed seeing her friend grow, she couldn’t help feeling jealous, and so she hoped William would be okay with a fairly short engagement. She wanted to start a family with him.

  “I know he just proposed tonight,” Carrie continued, “but I bet you’ve been thinking about the wedding since the first day he kissed you.”

  Emma was glad the light from the lantern was low so her sisters wouldn’t see her blush. She had been thinking about the wedding since that day. Well, not the wedding itself, but the marriage.

  She had already had one wedding, having been married to Joseph Stewart before a Texas Ranger mission cut his life short. So, even though weddings were enjoyable and beautiful, that wasn’t her focus. Her focus was on being a wife and mother. Something she had hoped for with her first marriage, but it had ended so quickly it was almost nonexistent.

  As much as Emma loved her family, she wanted to be a wife again, to run her own homestead, cook for her husband, and enjoy quiet times in front of the fire. And, eventually she hoped to fill the house with children, but that was at least a year away.

  “Get some sleep,” Emma said in answer. “We can talk more about the wedding tomorrow.”

  “Do I get to throw the flowers again?” Jennie’s voice was heavy with sleep.

  “Yes, Jennie Bean, you can throw the flowers. Now, go to sleep.”

  Carrie and Jennie obliged and soon were breathing softly beside her, but it was Emma’s own mind that refused to shut down. When it wasn’t reliving the wonderful night and the proposal, it was thinking forward to what had to be done
for a wedding. She would need to make the cake, get flowers, and see if she could alter her old wedding dress a little. Emma couldn’t afford a new one, and it would have been a frivolous waste of money anyway.

  William left Emma’s house after walking the girls home with a smile on his lips. Though he had been nearly certain she would say yes, there was always the small chance of a negative reply.

  However, with the positive response, he could now relax and focus all his energy on finishing the homestead. It was nearly complete as he had spent the last few months on it, but he needed to finish daubing and acquire the rest of the furniture.

  That would require a trip into a larger town though. Sage Creek was growing, and he could get tables and chairs there, but he wanted at least one special piece for Emma. Perhaps he could do that in the next few days.

  “You’re a hard man to track down.”

  William stiffened at the sound of the voice and reached for his gun. Retired or not, he still liked having it attached to his side and rarely went anywhere without it.

  “Easy now,” the voice said, and a moment later William relaxed as the man stepped out of the shadows. Though it had been awhile, William would have recognized that mustache anywhere.

  “What are you doing here, Jack? I’m retired.” William walked past the man who had convinced him to become a bounty hunter and up the few steps to his porch.

  “Yeah, I heard that. Didn’t really believe it though. Wild Bill Cook no longer hunting? It doesn’t seem right.”

  “Well, it is. I’ve been out of the game for months. This is my life now.” William motioned to the house.

  “Are you really ready to settle down?”

  “I settled down once before if you remember.” William leaned against the side of the house and crossed his arms.

  Jack’s fingers traced his mustache. “That’s right. You were married before. What was her name?”

  “Catherine. After her death, I wasn’t sure I would ever marry again, but I love Emma and I am ready.” William’s eyes dropped to the porch and he sighed. “Even if I weren’t, this here keeps me from getting back into bounty collecting.” He pointed to the scar on his neck. “Got wounded on the bounty that landed me here. Emma nursed me back to health, but I wasn’t ready to settle down. Took another job, but landed in the wrong place at the wrong time and took a punch to the neck. The bullet fragments shifted, and I ended up having to have a tracheotomy. The doctors in Dallas told me I should give up the hunting life. So, I’ll ask you again, Jack, what are you doing here?”

  “It’s Holden.”

  William froze at the mention of the name. John Holden, his first job as a Bounty Hunter and the job that had gotten Emma’s late husband, Joseph, killed. “What about him?”

  “Can we talk inside?” Jack motioned to the front door.

  William debated for a moment before nodding. He led the way through the mostly empty living room into the kitchen area where the table and chairs he had recently finished sat. He pointed to one and pulled out a second one for himself.

  “So, what about Holden?”

  Jack took a deep breath and ran his right hand over his mustache again and down his chin. “After we picked up Holden, he was being held in the Dallas jail until his trial. About a week ago, he managed to disarm a guard and escape.”

  The thought turned William’s stomach over. John Holden had been notoriously evil before he was arrested and having him out again was an unsettling thought, but it was no longer William’s fight. “I’m sorry to hear that, but you have great men. I’m sure you’ll be able to capture him again.”

  “There’s more, Bill.”

  “It’s William, now.”

  Jack nodded and then dropped his eyes to the tabletop. His index finger tapped a few times on the wood, and William bit the inside of his lip to keep from snapping at the man to spit it out.

  “You remember how connected he was?” Jack raised his eyes to meet William’s once again.

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “We got word he’s gotten a few highly trained and ruthless men together and wants revenge on those who put him in prison.”

  William stiffened. He didn’t want Holden anywhere near this town, Emma, or her family.

  “The worst part is that he appears to be going after the men’s families. Most of us don’t have many left, but…”

  * * *

  “Mabel?” William hadn’t spoken the name in years, but she was his only family outside of Emma.

  Jack looked up. “Who?”

  “My half-sister.” William blinked away the old memories as they began to invade. “We haven’t spoken in years. How would Holden even know about her?”

  “He might not.” Jack sighed and tapped the tabletop. “But, William, you know how dangerous he is. Holden, at least from what I gather from witnesses, it was Holden, went after my brother. James was shot at the saloon two days ago. He didn’t make it. I didn’t know about your sister, but I came out here to warn you and to ask you to join me. My brother lived in Roseville, so we’ve dispatched the Rangers there. They’ll spread out from Roseville and update the local sheriffs. I’ve also rounded up as many bounty hunters as I can to track him, but I want to find him first and I want you with me. Not only are you a great shot, but your sister could be in danger.”

  William closed his eyes as he processed the information. Roseville wasn’t far from Barefoot Glen where he had grown up. Mabel probably still lived there though he hadn’t spoken with her since their mother died. However, if Holden were seeking revenge, he might go to Barefoot Glen in search of William which would put everyone in his hometown in danger, including Mabel.

  Emma wouldn’t want him to go though. In fact, if he were honest, he felt a small sliver of fear at the thought of going. What if he didn’t make it back to Emma? Or what if he received an injury that would cost him his throat and his voice? Would Emma still want to marry a man who couldn’t speak, who would be unable to tell her how beautiful she was?

  But it was Mabel, and while they hadn’t been close, she was still his sister. And what if Holden didn’t stop there? If Hardesty found him, Holden could too and then Emma and her family would be in danger as well.

  “Please, William, he was my brother.”

  William opened his eyes. “I need to talk with Emma.”

  “I understand.” Jack issued a curt nod. “I’ll be heading out tomorrow by noon. I can’t lose him. Does that give you enough time?”

  No, it didn’t give him enough time. He needed another few weeks to finish the house. He wanted to marry Emma first, to start a family, but he couldn’t say those things aloud. “I guess it will have to. And why don’t you stay here tonight? I’ve only got the one bed right now, but I have plenty of blankets.”

  “Thank you.” Jack pushed his hat back a little on his head. “That’s mighty nice of you.”

  William nodded, pushed back his chair, and led the way to the bedrooms. The house had three. One for Emma and himself and two for the children he hoped to have one day. As he set Jack up in one room, he couldn’t help wondering if his decision would keep that from ever happening.

  After readying for bed, William sank to his knees and looked up. “Lord, please show me the right decision. I don’t want to leave Emma, but I can’t let Holden kill any more families.” With his piece said, William closed his eyes and tried to quiet his spirit so he could hear God’s answer.

  Chapter 2

  Emma was just finishing making breakfast when a knock sounded at the door. Her eyes shot to her father who held up his hand, motioning her to wait, as he pushed back from the table and crossed to the front window.

  “It’s just William.” Doc Moore let the curtain fall back into place. He opened the door and stepped back, letting William step inside. “Good morning, William. What can we do for you this morning?”

  William’s eyes focused on the floor for a moment before lifting to find Emma’s. Before he had even said a word, Emma sense
d something was wrong. Her hands clenched tightly together in her lap, and her bottom lip folded under as she waited for the bad news.

  “Shall I leave you two alone?” Doc Moore asked as he looked from William to Emma.

  “Actually, Sir, I’d like you to stay. This concerns you as well.” William stepped into the kitchen, followed by Doc Moore, and sat at the table. “Emma, do you remember John Holden?”

  Emma sucked in her breath. She would never forget that name. It was the mission to capture him that got her Joseph killed. She nodded, at a loss for words.

  “I got a visit from Jack Hardesty last night, the man who convinced me to become a bounty hunter. He said Holden escaped from jail and is on the run.”

  “Is he coming here?” Emma wasn’t sure how Holden would know William was in Sage Creek, but it was the only conclusion she could reach that would explain William’s serious expression.

  “I can't say for sure, but Jack said he appeared to be targeting the men’s families. I’d like to think you are safe because Joseph died on the mission and wasn’t really responsible for bringing him in.”

  Emma flinched and shifted her eyes. She loved William, but being reminded of Joseph’s death still stung.

  William’s voice softened as he continued. “What I mean is, while Joseph was involved, his death kept his name out of the papers that sensationalized the story after we got Holden, so I don’t think Holden knows about you. But he knows about me. He’s already killed Hardesty’s brother, and…” William paused. “I need to check on and warn my sister.”