Brighter than Gold (Western Rebels Book 1) (50 page)
Read Brighter than Gold (Western Rebels Book 1) Online
Authors: Cynthia Wright
“I love the way you smell,” she murmured.
“I’m glad.” Jack laughed, caressing the curve of her belly.” How are you feeling?”
“Wonderful. Happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.” Katie turned her face up to him, and it shone with love and serenity. “I can’t wait to have our baby.”
“Are you ready to open your gift from me?”
“You shouldn’t buy me things! All I ever want or need is your love.”
“Indulge me, Kathleen.”
“Well, all right,” she teased. “Just this once.”
They went up the wide stairway to their sun-washed bedroom, and Katie obediently sat down on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes. Jack disappeared into his dressing room, then returned with a small velvet box which he placed in her hands. When he pushed a tiny button, the lid sprang open.
“You can look now.”
Slowly, Katie opened her eyes and beheld an exquisite locket on a thin golden chain. The locket was oval, also made of gold, and edged with tiny diamonds. In the middle were the linked initials KMW.
“Oh, Jack,” Katie whispered.
“Turn it over, darling.”
She did so and found the inscription: “I love you—Jack. June 21, 1865.”
“It’s so beautiful. I adore it.” Her eyes glistened with tears.
“There’s room inside for two pictures. I thought you might want to save a place for the baby.”
Katie reached out to touch his face and shining hair, and then she kissed his mouth. The feel and taste of him were as familiar to her as her own body, yet she never tired of him. Each embrace seemed sweeter than the last. Gazing down, Katie gently ran her thumb over the surface of the locket, glimpsing a reflection of herself.
“It’s a perfect present, because it’s a symbol,” she declared as Jack fastened the chain around her neck. “Gold may be more precious to some people than anything else in life, but we have something that’s much brighter than gold.” She held the locket against her heart. “It’s in here.”
Jack pressed the middle of his own chest. “And here. I love you, Kathleen.”
“I love you, Jack.”
He kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears, and felt the baby move against him. “Happy birthday.”
THE END
~
Thank You ~
Thank you so much for reading BRIGHTER THAN GOLD! I am honored that you have chosen my book and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.
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You have just read Book 1 of the
Western Rebels
set which includes:
(formerly FIREBLOSSOM)
(formerly WILDBLOSSOM)
If you haven’t read my all-time bestseller, SILVER STORM (
Rakes & Rebels
, Book 1), I hope you’ll
download your free copy
and begin the unforgettable tale of André and Devon Raveneau. It’s set in 1781, during the Revolutionary War, and many readers tell me that alpha-hero Raveneau is their all-time favorite rogue!
Just ahead, after the Author’s Note, you’ll find an excerpt from
IN A RENEGADE’S EMBRACE,
which takes place in 1876 in the rollicking goldrush town of Deadwood, South Dakota. It features Fox Matthews, a recent survivor of Little Bighorn. He’s in no mood for love, but when he meets proper Madeleine Avery, passion kindles in spite of the obstacles between them.
IN A RENEGADE’S EMBRACE is a tale of cultures colliding and the bittersweet, tender journey of Fox and Maddie as they discover the secrets of their own hearts.
Once again, my heartfelt thanks for your support, encouragement, and interest in my books. I welcome your comments and suggestions, and I hope that you’ll write to me at
[email protected]
. I promise to reply!
Warmest wishes,
~ Cynthia
~ Author’s Note ~
When I was a little girl living in southern California, my father loved to take us on trips to the “goldrush towns” of the Sierra foothills, and Columbia was always my favorite stop. The town had become a state park in 1945 and was perfectly preserved. Walking down the streets was (and still is!) a time-travel experience. I never forgot the brick Wells Fargo building with its 1850’s interior and brass scales or the charming little frame houses. It was wonderful to go back years later to research BRIGHTER THAN GOLD. If you are ever near Sacramento, a side trip southwest to Columbia is well worth your time!
I also wanted to mention that Samuel Clemens, like all the historical characters who appear in my novels, really was in the locations (on the same dates) where I placed him in BRIGHTER THAN GOLD. At that time, he divided his time between working as a reporter in San Francisco and adventuring and prospecting in Calaveras County. His famous story about the Jumping Frog “was published late in 1865 and the next year he embarked on a lecture tour.
I was living in Sacramento when I wrote BRIGHTER THAN GOLD, so the opportunity to write about the early history of that city was a treat for me. I also was intrigued by the history of the Chinese in the gold towns. I found many obscure books on that subject and tried to impart a bit of their bittersweet story through the Chinese characters in BRIGHTER THAN GOLD.
If you’d like to know more about the real people and places in BRIGHER THAN GOLD, take a look at the
Pinterest board
I have created!
On the following page, you’ll find an excerpt from
IN A RENEGADE’S EMBRACE
, Book 2 in my Western Rebels series! It is set in 1876, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and is filled with fascinating history – and one of my most complex and charismatic heroes, Daniel “Fox” Matthews, who struggles with survivor’s guilt after the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Sending you my sincere appreciation for your friendship and support of my books.
I write for them for you! I hope you’ll join me soon for more romance, history, and adventure.
Until then, happy reading!
~ Cynthia
Cynthia Wright says
: If you enjoyed BRIGHTER THAN GOLD, I know you’ll love IN A RENEGADE’S EMBRACE, set in Deadwood, SD during the summer of 1876. It’s filled with colorful history, real people, and—of course—a romance you’ll never forget! Please enjoy this excerpt:
Excerpt from
IN A RENEGADE’S EMBRACE
The Western Novels, Book 2
“An Eden in the clouds—
how shall I describe it!
As well try to paint the flavor of a peach
or the odor of a rose.”
– Samuel Barrows
reporter and member of Black Hills Expedition of 1874.
Chapter 1
June 26, 1876
Deadwood, Dakota Territory
The long journey from Philadelphia to Deadwood had sorely tried Madeleine Avery’s sense of decorum, but now she, her brother, and her grandmother were nearly to their new home. Their wagon jounced up a precipitous road carved out of the mountains, and everyone in the wagon train said that Deadwood lay on the other side.
Out West, people spoke the word
Deadwood
in the same tone reserved for
Paradise.
Everyone Maddie and her family had met during their days aboard trains, steamboat, and finally prairie schooner had been envious when the Averys had revealed their destination.
“Remember that man in Sioux City, Maddie?” Benjamin Avery, wide-eyed and grimy at nine years of age, scrambled back into the wagon to stare first at his sister and then at his grandmother. “He said that there’s so much gold in Deadwood, the streets are covered with it! I’ll bet that when we reach the top of this mountain and look down, we’ll be able to see the town shining in the trees!”
“Well, it’s a lovely thought but I rather doubt that will be the case,” Maddie replied with a weary smile.
The Black Hills themselves were a wooded wonderland, lush with wildflowers and washed by cool streams. The sun-spangled air was pungent with the scent of pine. It wasn’t difficult to imagine the Hills’ most famous town boasting streets of gold. Summoning a bright tone for Benjamin’s sake, Maddie continued, “I’ll own that I’m excited to arrive, too. I can hardly wait to see the house Father has built for us. These past months have been so
difficult...”
She paused, tears welling in her eyes as she looked to her grandmother. “I dearly long to fix up our new home, to plant a garden, and take care of everyone.”
Susan Hampshire O’Hara gave her granddaughter a tender smile. She, too, was still grieving the recent death of her daughter, Colleen, Maddie’s mother. “Dearest, have you not noticed? This isn’t Philadelphia. Unless I miss my guess, Deadwood will be even more uncivilized than the towns we’ve passed through on the plains. Gold towns create an atmosphere that is hardly conducive to gentle pastimes like raising flowers and baking cream puffs.”
Her brow furrowing slightly, Madeleine braced herself as the wagon dropped suddenly into a deep rut. Her gaze traveled back to one of the several trunks she’d brought—in spite of letters from her father admonishing her to pack lightly. It had been much too difficult to abandon her favorite books, many of which bore the faint inscription “Colleen O’Hara Avery.” They would comfort her in strange surroundings, as would the various keepsakes she had chosen from their home.
The most astonishing adjunct to the Avery entourage had been added at the last minute: Susan O’Hara herself. The eighty-three-year-old matron would never have believed that she could leave Philadelphia, where she had been born to privilege and lived most of her life, to come to a godforsaken place like Deadwood. However, when it came time to bid Maddie and Benjamin good-bye, she’d been unable to remain behind. It was as if she could hear her daughter’s voice, speaking to her from heaven. Colleen had loved Stephen Avery but she had played both parents’ roles much of the time while he chased around the country during gold or silver booms. There was no telling what kind of father or home life awaited the Avery children in Deadwood. At the last moment, Susan had felt compelled to go with them.
