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

Chapter 9.

We finally arrived back in town, and I was weary to the bones, even though Jordan held me close to him I was still tired. It felt good for once to be held by a handsome man again, I didn't have to feel so straight-laced, so stiff. Would love ever develop between us? Jordan got off the horse first then he reached up and placed his hands upon my waist and helped make it down to the ground. He didn't release me for the first few seconds but held me close. His hands, his warm hands stayed still on my waist, I moved my head upwards and gazed into his warm green eyes and allowed a secretive smile to grace my lips. He too was smiling at me, I hesitantly reached forward and brushed a wayward strand of hair that fell over his brow.

"So are we going to your home first?" He said nothing but shook his head. "Then what are we to do?" He sighed heavily then taking my hand he pulled me in the direction of the church. "Jordan? Why are we heading towards the church?" He looked down at me and laughed lightly, "you did come here to marry me did you not?" He asked. I nodded my head silently at him, "well then we are going to the church to be married."

"So soon?" I said.  "I thought we would give it at least a day or two before we did the deed,"  I said as I blushed when he stared back up at me. He stopped mid-stride, and pulled me close, and put his index finger under my chin and lifted my face so that he could look into my eyes, "Laura, I almost lost you, I almost never got the chance to have a life with you. I want this marriage to take place because then if anything Dier would ever happen to you I would be there to protect you." He said.

My face felt hot, I blushed furiously. "If that is how you feel Jordan, then I will gladly marry you today," I said as I slipped my hand into his hand and held firm to his arm as we walked towards the church together.

We're just crossing the street when I felt a tingling sensation at the base of my neck. All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end, I haven't felt that way since Henry. At the thought of his name, I cringed and shivered. When I looked over my shoulder I saw a man standing on the threshold of a saloon, I tapped Jordan on the arm to get his attention. "Who's that?" I asked him. Jordan looked across the street and saw who I was pointing at, then he frowned. "That my dear is the local Saloon owner Warren Westin."

"Westin? Jordan? Do you know if he has any relatives back East?"

"I don't know the explicit details of his life Laura, but I did hear that he had a cousin who lived in New York."

"Do you know his name?"

"I believe I overheard Warren say something that his cousin's name was Henry. Why do you ask?" I hesitated. Dear Lord, will I ever be free from that man? Not wanting Jordan to know what happened to Henry or what I did to him, I swallowed hard and smiled up at him, "no reason I said just curious." He looked at me for a few seconds and his brows turned inward, "are you absolutely sure about that Laura?" He asked. Again I swallowed hard, I know that we shouldn't start out this, marriage with lies, but I was too afraid to answer him.  "Yep positive," I said.

Before I knew it we were standing before the whitewashed walls of the Town Church.

I was still hesitant, was this a good idea? Was it a good idea to forget what happened in New York with Henry and move on with my life here with Jordan? The thought of having Henry discovered made me cringe. I wondered what my life would be like if the truth came out. My thoughts were then interrupted as the doors to church swung open and it is threshold stood Victoria and Landon. The look on her face was beautiful I guess she had time to change from her traveling clothes. She was dressed in a sky blue gown that was modest and allowed the silhouette to outline her figure. It complemented her, especially because the color of the gown matched the color of her eyes.