Taking A Chance on Love (Book 1 Of The Tombstone Brides)

Chapter 1

Tombstone Arizona, July 28th, 1886.

"Hey Jordan, look who I caught skipping school today!" My brother said is he held my son up by the collar of a shirt. I looked up from the Hearth where I was heating up some metals that I needed to repair for a vital piece for the plow head that my neighbor Jed King needed. Sighing heavily, I wiped my hands on my leather apron and faced my son.

"Why were you skipping school again Logan?" I said as I folded my arms across my chest. Logan rolled his eyes at his uncle when he saw Landon snicker. I frowned at him because he wasn't showing the proper respect that I thought I had instilled in him when he was younger.

"I don't need any schooling Pa! I'm big enough to help you here." I smiled and knelt down to my son's eye level and ruffled his white-blond hair he inherited from his late mother, Colleen. "I appreciate that you want to help me here in the blacksmith shop son, but I promised your mother that I would do my best to making sure that you continued your school learning."

He slumped his shoulders and hung his head, "but papa, what will sit in the classroom do for me anyway?"

Before I could reply to his question, I heard the light footsteps of my teenage niece walking into the shop and standing right behind us.

  "It will benefit you in the long run, Logan. It will teach you to read, write and solve problems. Plus it will also allow you to become anything you want oh, you don't have to become a blacksmith, no offence Uncle Jordan."

Hayden was a precocious 13-year-old who thought that she knew everything, and took great delight in torturing her younger cousin. I rolled my eyes and shrugged my shoulders, though I had to admit that her reasonings for correct. Logan didn't need to copy me and follow in the same profession. Logan looked over his shoulder when he saw her smirking at him.
"What makes you such a know-it-all Denny?"

He and I both knew that the nickname "Denny" always annoyed her when he called her that, which was evident from the look on her face. Logan smiled, but his grin soon disappeared right after I slapped in the back of his head. Logan rubbed the sore spot and scowled at Hayden when he saw her quietly laughing at him.

"Plenty."
Was her reply, when she teased back, "as I'm older than you by six years." Logan sighed and turned back to me and grabbing a hold of my leather apron he whined, "do I have to Papa?"

"I'm afraid so, son." I looked at Hayden and told her to escort Logan back to the schoolhouse, no doubt his teacher Miss Noonan was worried sick with his absence. "No problem, uncle Jordan." She said as she grabbed a hold of his arm and practically dragged him away.

From the look that remained on my brother's face, I sighed. "What am I to do with him, Landon? I said. Landon cleared his throat.

"Have you thought of marrying again? I know that it has been hard these last three years since Colleen's death, but I think it would benefit Logan in the long run if you considered it. Heck, I was just about to apply after I saw how happy and content Jed King is with his new bride that's it. Both you and I are single fathers and I'm sure you agree with me that Hayden's attitude exchange and she needs more than my guidance to help her turn into a respectful young lady."

I took off my apron and put out the fire in the hearth, then I turned to Landon, "I don't know. You're right, it's been hard since Colleen died, but the thought of marrying again stumps me. If I did consider marrying again how would Logan feel about it and how would he react? After Colleen died, my heart became empty, if I didn't have Logan with me I probably would have died from a broken heart. It's been hard these last three years and though I appreciate you moving your family here to Tombstone to help us out, I know you two have undergone some tough times as well, you know with losing Erica a year after Colleen died.

I see your point, Logan is getting older and unfortunately rowdier than what I can handle. Maybe he does need a mother, do you know how Jed began the process?"

Landon shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure I was going to ask him in the first place before I thought to tell you about it. Hayden needs one as well, and though I think that I'm doing a good job of being her mother and father, I believe she would benefit more if she had a woman's influence in her life."

I swallowed and thought long and hard before answering him. "You know what? Forget about asking him, I will do it myself, perhaps then you and I we'll have some luck in the ladies department." I laughed as I slapped Landon on the back and dragged him into the house.