Her Wild Journey
Seeing Ranch series
Florence Linnington
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organisations, places, events and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Text copyright © 2017 Florence Linnington
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Easy Publishing
United States of America
Book cover design by:
Melody Simmons :: https://bookcoverscre8tive.com
Contents
Also by Florence Linnington
About the Author
Newsletter for new book release
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
1. Cadence
Chapter one
Chapter 2
2. Beau
Chapter two
Chapter 3
3. Cadence
Chapter three
Chapter 4
4. Beau
Chapter four
Chapter 5
5. Cadence
Chapter five
Chapter 6
6. Beau
Chapter six
Chapter 7
7. Cadence
Chapter seven
Chapter 8
8. Beau
Chapter eight
Chapter 9
9. Cadence
Chapter nine
Chapter 10
10. Beau
Chapter ten
Chapter 11
11. Cadence
Chapter eleven
Chapter 12
12. Beau
Chapter twelve
Chapter 13
13. Cadence
Chapter thirteen
Chapter 14
14. Beau
Chapter fourteen
Chapter 15
15. Cadence
Chapter fifteen
Chapter 16
16. Beau
Chapter sixteen
Chapter 17
17. Cadence
Chapter seventeen
Chapter 18
18. Beau
Chapter eighteen
Chapter 19
19. Cadence
Chapter nineteen
Chapter 20
20. Beau
Chapter twenty
Chapter 21
21. Cadence
Chapter twenty-one
Chapter 22
22. Beau
Chapter twenty-two
Chapter 23
23. Cadence
Chapter twenty-three
Chapter 24
24. Beau
Chapter twenty-four
Chapter 25
25. Cadence
Chapter twenty-five
Chapter 26
26. Beau
Chapter twenty-six
Chapter 27
27. Cadence
Chapter twenty-seven
Chapter 28
28. Beau
Chapter twenty-eight
Chapter 29
29. Cadence
Chapter twenty-nine
Chapter 30
30. Beau
Chapter thirty
Chapter 31
31. Cadence
Chapter thirty-one
Chapter 32
32. Beau
Chapter thirty-two
Chapter 33
33. Cadence
Chapter thirty-three
Epilogue
Epilogue. Beau
Epilogue
Preview of next book…
Preview: Chapter 1
Preview: Chapter 2
The story goes on…
Newsletter for new book release
Also by Florence Linnington
Seeing Ranch series: Mail Order Brides
FEEL FREE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER WESTERN HISTORICAL ROMANCE BOOK SERIES
Click the link below
Amazon Author Bio
Book 1 - Her Winding Path
Book 2 - Her Western Heart
Book 3 - Her Wild Journey
Book 4 - Her Rocky Trail
Book 5 - Her Unexpected Destiny
Book 6 - Her Silent Burden
Book 7 - Her Fearless Love
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Michelle and Chayce
About the Author
Hello to all my Readers, I hope you will enjoy reading my books. I truly derive joy and peace from my creative writings, and I hope my works can make my Readers happy.
Feel free to get in touch with me and share with me your thoughts on my writings. I would love to hear from you!
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florencelinnington@gmail.com
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Acknowledgments
I would like to express my gratitude to Joy Christi and her team for all the valuable advice.
Chapter One
1. Cadence
Chapter one
Cadence stared into the darkness behind her lids, feeling as if the gaze of the whole tiny, western town was on her. It wasn’t, of course.
Opening her eyes, she saw that she was still alone, standing at the base of the hotel in Shallow Springs, Wyoming Territory. The stagecoach driver had left. The other travelers had left. It was just her once more.
Taking a long breath, she gathered all her strength and tugged at her one bag. It bumped up the steps, making a satisfying noise.
“Let me help you there.”
The voice made her jerk. She turned to see a broad-shouldered man standing next to the steps, hat brim covering the top half of his face.
“There we go.” Without asking, he took Cadence’s bag, lifted it easily, and deposited it on the hotel’s porch.
“Thank you.” She smiled.
He nodded, the glimmer of a smile on his own lips. “You just got into town?”
“Yes, sir. From Baltimore.”
He nodded once more and she took the time to quickly size him up. With a firm jaw, hazel eyes, and a strong body, he was very handsome, indeed. Not that Cadence had traveled all the way to Wyoming to appreciate the men there.
The man didn’t say anything, but continued to stand around. Cadence made her way up the steps. As she did so, she felt his eyes on her right leg, taking note of the situation there.
Everyone noticed the limp. It was the first thing they judged her on, assuming she was weak, ill, or—for some reason—generally not worth their time. She was used to it.
But that did not mean the unwanted attention still did not hurt. Especially when it was from a man who might have given her the opposite kind of attention were she fully able to walk properly.
“You traveled all by yourself from Baltimore?” he asked. “Is this your final destination?”
Cadence turned to look at him. Even with her on the porch and him still on the ground, she barely cleared his height by a few inches. Goodness, he was… nice looking.
But aggravating as well.
“I did just fine on my own,” she curtly told him.
His lips drew tight. “I just meant it’s
dangerous out there. Especially when...”
She allowed him to trail off, refusing to acknowledge what he did not want to say. She may have been disabled, but that did not mean she was not capable. How many times did she have to have these interactions with people?
“Have a good day.” Taking her bag, she turned for the hotel’s door, her face burning.
It had been six years since the doctor told her she would likely always walk with a limp. It never became easier, not when each step reminded her of that day her whole world shattered.
The man did not follow her and she was grateful for that. This day was about new beginnings. Of course, the irony of her new home being less than thirty miles away from the very spot where she had sustained her leg injury was not lost on her. But she was choosing not to see that as a bad omen. Instead, this move was still her opportunity to begin afresh, a reminder that even pain had the chance to be turned into hope.
The hotel was clean and new-looking, with a staircase leading up from the front hall and a restaurant off to the right. Cadence slowly entered the dining area, looking around it all apprehensively.
A man sat at a table in the middle of the room, hat clutched in his hands. Harold Dunst. It had to be him, for there was no one else in the space.
“Miss Hurley?”
Cadence smiled. He had a nice voice—deep and gentle. Hearing that made his gray hairs and age—fifty—not matter so much.
He hurried forward, taking her bag. “How was your trip?”
“Bumpy.”
They both laughed and he nervously twisted his hand in his hand. “Come have a seat. Are you hungry?”
“Most likely. But I must admit, I think I am probably too nervous to eat so much as one bite.”
“I understand that.” Mr. Dunst chuckled.
They took seats at the table he had been at. He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes on the floor. Behind him, through the window, a wagon rolled down the street. Cadence saw no sign of the man who had sought to lecture her.
“Is your farm far from here?” she asked, turning back to Mr. Dunst. Never mind the man she had talked to outside. Her future was right in front of her. She had come to find happiness and opportunity—and she was determined to do just that!
He licked his lips. “It’s, uh, just a few miles north. It’s a real nice ride.”
“Lovely. I cannot wait to see it.”
“It’s nice.” His smile was weak, flickering like a dying candle.
Something was wrong. Cadence’s chest squeezed tight.
He is disappointed in me after all.
Of course. How foolish of her. She should have been prepared for this. When she posted her ad in the mail-order bride paper months before, she had been very upfront about her condition, writing that she had a moderate limp. Though it prohibited some actions, she wrote, it generally meant it only took her a bit longer to complete regular housework. She was still strong—or as strong as she could be. She had experience working as a maid and in the streets, selling flowers. What strength Cadence Hurley did have, she knew how to cull.
But reading about a deformity and seeing it in action were two very different things. She understood how a prospective husband could be disappointed.
Her face growing warm, Cadence worked to keep her voice calm. “Mr. Dunst, I understand it must be a bit shocking to see my… condition… in person, but I assure you I am still strong. I am a hard worker and I have no problem completing the everyday tasks needed from a farmer’s wife.”
His eyes grew round. “No, that’s not it! I don’t mind your limp at all. Don’t think that now.”
It had to be a lie, but Cadence kept quiet. She wasn’t going to beg for his acceptance.
For his marriage, yes, perhaps. But she would check herself until it came time for that.
Mr. Dunst shifted in his seat. “It’s something else, Miss Hurley, and it’s right hard to say. It’s… the farm hasn’t been doing so well this year. You see, a lot of things are changing around here.”
Cadence froze, listening intently. Time seemed to be slowing down, each of Mr. Hurley’s words more lethargic than the last. There was a somber tone to his voice. Wherever this was headed, it was not to a pleasant place.
“The corn didn’t do well last year. Or this one. And the animals...” He sighed heavily. “That’s a whole ‘nother matter. All the grass is overgrazed and there just isn’t as much available land as there used to be.”
Cadence painfully swallowed. “Is the farm… all right?”
He wouldn’t look at her, his sad eyes on the wall instead. “I’m gon’ have to declare bankruptcy.”
Bankruptcy. The word was a stabbing icicle in her heart.
“I’m real sorry, Miss Hurley, but I can’t marry you after all. I got nothing to give a wife. And I wish I’d known about this sooner, but I didn’t realize how bad it was till just a couple weeks ago. By then, it was too late to write you, to stop you from coming here. I hope you understand. I just… I figured I would find a way to make everything come together, even with the bad crops and all. But I can’t. It’s time I plumb gave up.”
Now, Cadence was the one who could not make eye contact. She stared at the ground, her eyes swimming with hot tears, and nodded. How foolish she had been to think that her luck could so suddenly turn around.
“I’ll pay for your tickets back to Baltimore, of course. The stagecoach and the train.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. Blinking back the tears, she looked up.
“And you can stay at my farm till the next stagecoach out of town.”
His farm… the place that she thought would be her new home. She had never laid eyes on it. Now, she wanted to ensure that she never would.
“The hotel is fine,” she quietly replied. “I imagine they have room here. And do not worry about paying for a room, Mr. Dunst. I will take care of that myself.”
He nodded, his shoulders slumped. The relentless hat twisting had abated and he now looked like a man who didn’t have a lick of fight left in him. Cadence knew how that felt.
“Again, I’m sorry,” he said. “Let me know if you need anything while you’re here.”
He stood, the conversation over. In a few more seconds, she would be on her own once more. It wasn’t fair. She needed help and guidance. But she wasn’t a beggar.
“Have a good day, Mr. Dunst.”
“You, too, Miss Hurley.”
He left, his footsteps echoing in the large dining room.
Cadence stayed where she was, her body feeling ten times heavier than usual. At some point, she would have to get up and inquire about a room, but at that moment, she could not move a finger.
The newest chapter of her life had ended just as soon as it had begun. It was back to Baltimore for her. But back to what? She could not stay with her one living relative, for she had not seen her cousin in years. It was too late to repair the damage that had been done between them. Besides, what Cadence wanted in that situation did not matter.
No, it would be back to where she was before. Life as a maid. Or life in a factory.
Or, if she could not procure work right away, back to the streets.
A shiver ran through Cadence. No. Things had to be different. She would make them different.
Or she would go to her grave trying.
Chapter Two