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

Chapter 8.

Inside I was terrified, what was I to do? Was I brave enough to face this man? I mean sure I made the other man fall unconscious to the floor but that was just a moment of sheer insanity. I was worried for my friend and my daughter, I was worried about what these men would do to them if they got the chance to get me out of the way. I was a mother, a friend and a woman who was needed. So I took the chance and I hit the other man across the head with a spade I had in my hand. Successfully he dropped. Now I'm facing the other man and inside I'm scared. Victoria was giving me a look, it was like she was saying it was okay to be afraid, she was saying that I had the strength to overcome anything, and I guess this is what she meant.

So while the man was just looking at me with a leering stare, no doubt he was imagining something horrid. I, on the other hand, was planning something different. I had to defend myself. 

So I smiled back.

The man was dumbstruck, "what are you smiling about Missy?"

I said nothing, I just smiled even more. "Take one more step towards me sir, and I will render you unconscious like your buddy over there," I said with confidence. The man stared at me for a few seconds then he laughed out loud. "You don't have the strength to do anything to me. So before you even try anything I'll have this knife here in between your ribs." He said is he threatened me. I didn't give him the chance to retaliate, so I rushed towards him and swung behind him and before he was even able to stab me with his knife between my ribs as he said he would, I lifted the spade and hit him at the back of the head hoping that he would drop just like his friend. Unfortunately, this man was made from sterner stuff. He just rubbed his head and gave me an evil stare. Then he backhanded me across the face which made me stumble little. I was about to retaliate when I heard Katie wake up from her nap and started wailing. The men's gaze turned away from me and looked at my daughter, and I knew right then and there what he was intending to do. With my eyes, I signaled to Victoria that she had to do something. So while I had him distracted, Victoria picked up one of the wooden dining chairs and swung it towards him,  He was not going to expect this as I watched Victoria make her move. Victoria quietly made her way behind the man and swung with all her might and hit him across his upper back and shoulders, the pain must have been intense as he then collapsed to the ground.  "What a pair we make, Victoria! If either one of us is in any danger we let loose and fight will all our might, no matter the consequences." I said to her. She smiled at me and sighed, "of course we did. We can't always rely on a man to come to our rescue every time we run into some trouble! But do you think  we killed him?" Victoria said that she knelt beside me. I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know." I said. "At least I hope not." Just as we were about to bend down and see if we could feel a pulse from him we heard hoofbeats from outside of the building and the shouting that obviously was coming from the law.

"Who do you think that would be?" Victoria asked me. I shook my head, "maybe we should find out." I said. We walked away from both of the unconscious men, and I walked towards my daughter picked her up into my arms and proceeded to open up the front door.

"Don't shoot," I said, "we are unarmed! I swear it. We are very much a victim as you think that we are criminals." I said as I held up my one hand in the air as my other one was holding onto my daughter. The lawmen looked at me and smiled, "are you safe? Where are the men who captured you?" He shouted at us. I looked over my shoulder at Victoria and smiled. "You don't have to worry about them for the time being, my friend here knocked one out with a dining chair and the other, I knocked out. They will be easy for you to take them into custody because they will not be putting up a fight anytime soon." I said as we walked towards him.  He then gestured towards the two other men who rode up behind him. The Lawman got down from his horse and walked towards us, then he gestured out with his hand intending to greet us.

"What are your names ladies?" He asked. I stepped forward and shook his hand, "my name is Laura Blackthorn and this is my daughter Katie, and the other woman behind me is my best friend Victoria Haynes. We came out west to meet our prospective husbands, or at least they would be our husbands once we marry."

He regarded us with understanding when I mentioned that we were out west to marry. "So you two are mail order brides?" I nodded. "Yes, we are!"

"And who are you about to marry?" He asked.

I was unsure if it was right for me to tell whom I was going to marry, to this stranger even if he was a Lawman. I hesitated for a second. But before I could utter a sound, I was cut off by Victoria as she blurted it out that we are both to marry the Brother's Green.

At The Mention Of The Men's names, the Lawman smiled. He introduced himself as Wyatt Thorpe and then he gestured for the other two to come a little bit closer. "Hey, Landon, I believe I have found your bride and your brother's prospective bride-to-be," He said. The other two men got down from their horses and approached us. Was it true? Were the two men who followed the Lawman, could they be our prospective husbands?  I soon got my answer when the man in front of me gathered me into his arms and hugged me tightly. "We were so worried, we are expecting you to arrive last night, what happened?" He asked me.

I pulled away from him and looked deeply into his eyes and smiled. "Before I tell you, may I ask your name?" The man smiled. "No problem," he said. "My name is Jordan green, and the man over there is my brother Landon." When I heard that name, the same name I have been repeating over and over it as I read his letters filled me up with so much happiness. I blushed, "Really?" He nodded, and I smiled some more. "Do you think it would be okay to get away from this building before I tell you what happened?" He simply nodded at me and walked me back towards his horse, he got up and sat in the saddle then he held out his hand and gestured for me to grab ahold of it. I grabbed onto his hand and was surprised when he pulled me up in front of him. Thankfully Victoria held on to Katie.

As we're about to travel back to town he held me tighter to him. And inwards I was so happy, I felt like I could finally release the tension in my shoulders so I let myself relax as I laid closer to him. I breathed a deep sigh and smiled.

"Thank you," I said. He looked down at me for a second, "for what?" he asked, "for coming to our rescue." I said softly, as I burrowed deeper into his chest. He chuckled and laid a gentle kiss on my head, "you are most welcome Laura."