Brides of Grasshopper Creek Read online

  He heard the thunder of horse’s hooves shortly after checking on the food for the fourth time—he was worried it would be cold before she got there. Edward dropped the fork he was holding, and it clattered against the wooden floor, sounding unbelievably loud in the mostly silent house. She’s here! He felt like he was floating as he walked across the living room and opened the door to the front yard. The sun was lower in the sky, and the light had a soft, golden quality that threw the huge carriage at the foot of his driveway into gentle relief. He could see Vincent stooping to pick up two trunks, and he even heard the man’s grunt as he lifted both trunks from the ground and started up the yard. A woman followed behind, carrying a hatbox tied to another smaller trunk in her arms.

  She was taller than she looked in photos, but her limbs carried all the grace and elegance they conveyed while captured in a still image. Her dress was simple, a soft grayish-blue that was nearly identical in shade to the cloudless winter sky. Edward could hear the firm click of her heeled boots against his paved driveway, and the gentle waves of her honey-blonde hair bounced and swayed as she walked. She had a cape of sorts draped over her shoulders, heather gray and slightly damp from her travels, and it floated around her as she glided up the walkway. As she came closer, he had to fight the urge to let his mouth drop open in awe, and could only stand still and watch as her slim face finally revealed itself to him. She was like a living work of art; her eyes lit up when they landed on him, and her full lips spread apart to reveal a dazzling smile that no camera had been able to fully capture. Her step quickened, and so did his heartbeat. When she was twenty feet away, he finally succeeded in willing his body to move and descended the short flight of stairs, spreading his arms automatically as she dropped her bags to the ground and hurried forward into his embrace.

  “Finally,” Eliza murmured happily. Edward caught the scent of cinnamon as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her as tightly as his muscles would allow. They settled into the embrace as easily as two old friends; when she pulled back from him, she gazed up at him and gave him the full force of her blue-green eyes—bright and sparkling like sea glass, or a pane in a stained-glass window.

  “Finally,” Edward repeated, and he felt a goofy grin spread across his face. Her smile widened, and he felt his heart skip a beat in response. Is she real? he wondered; this has to be a dream. From the way her eyes were darting around the features of his face, he could tell Eliza was thinking the same.

  “Ahem.”

  They both jumped and whirled around, startled by the sudden noise from Vincent, who had set her bags just inside the door while they were grinning at each other like fools. He was wearing the same knowing smile he’d worn after Edward ran into him, and he caught the ex-Sheriff’s eye and winked. Edward’s cheeks blushed a deep red as he laughed and hurried forward to shake the man’s hand.

  “I see why you were in such a hurry,” he said under his breath, and Edward pushed two coins into his leathery hand. Then he spoke again, raising his voice so that Eliza could hear. “I didn’t know you were expecting a real live princess! Would have worn my fancy dress.” He winked, and Eliza let out a high-pitched, musical giggle.

  “Oh, stop,” she said, but the blush on her cheeks deepened.

  Vincent tipped his hat toward her and nodded to Edward before walking back down the paved walkway to his carriage. Eliza turned to Edward again, and she smiled bashfully as he took her hand and led her up the stairs and into the house, his mind oddly blank except for a single, joyous thought: She’s finally here. His body felt alive with electricity, and he was keenly aware of every movement she made as he closed the door behind him—the rise of her arms as she slipped her cape over a hook next to the fire; her fingers pulling through her loose curls to straighten away the frizz; the slight bounce in her step as she made her way over to the plush armchairs he kept by the hearth. He couldn’t stop noticing her movements, in fact, so he gazed at her silently for a moment after they each sat in a chair on either side of his coffee table. For the first time, they let the quiet rest between them, but it felt so natural that it didn’t need to be interrupted.

  “You’re much more handsome than your photograph portrayed,” she said at last, clasping her hands together in front of her for emphasis. Her tone was light and without a trace of irony, and it warmed his heart to know that she spoke as earnestly as she wrote.

  Edward laughed and leaned forward in his chair, entranced by the twinkle in her green eyes. “That means a lot coming from you.”

  “From me?” she repeated, and she arched one blonde eyebrow dramatically. “The Plainest Face in Philadelphia? I wouldn’t let it go to your head.”

  “I don’t think you’ve held that title since grade school, if I remember your letters correctly,” Edward teased. “And to be honest, I have trouble believing you held it at all. What child would be that cruel to you?”

  “Any child with eyes,” she countered, but her lips were twitching at the corners. “Didn’t you mistake a large tabby for a mountain cat just last year, Eagle Eyes?”

  “I was a little distracted by the bullets flying at me!” He pressed one hand to his chest in an imitation of shock. “And I’m still not sure it wasn’t a mountain lion, mind you. I saw it afterward and tried to corner it, but it took a swing at me and slipped away. We never caught it.”

  Eliza widened her eyes and let out a theatrical gasp. “You mean…he’s still out there? You didn’t even wound him?” She leaned over the arm of her chair and lowered her voice, causing Edward to move in even further. “What if he…comes back for you?”

  His gaze darted to her lips, which were still struggling to stay neutral. “I guess I’ll just have to show him why he should be glad there’s a new Sheriff in town.”

  She giggled, but Edward noticed that it was distracted, and her breath was coming faster than before. He looked at her lips again, and the laughter faded from her features, replaced by a slow realization that seemed to thaw something inside her, and suddenly he could take it no more. Edward stood and pulled her up, grabbing her by her slim shoulders as he pressed his lips to hers. Eliza let out a soft noise between surprise and indulgent joy, and his heart set off racing like a pack of wild horses thundering toward home. Her lips had the dusky taste of cinnamon, and it was new and familiar all at the same time; when she pulled away, he knew it was the only thing he ever wanted to taste again.

  “Wow,” she chuckled. “Is that what I get for laughing at your jokes?”

  “That’s what you get for being the love of my life,” he murmured fondly, and pressed his lips to the top of her head. He felt another goofy smile start to spread out over his face, but he stopped it in its tracks when he saw that her look was one of pure surprise.

  “What?” he asked, suddenly ill at ease.

  She shook her head slowly, then pressed one hand to her lips as she tried to find the right words. “Nothing! It’s just…you’re the love of my life. And I’m yours. It’s not something I think I’ll ever get used to—or tire of—hearing.”

  Relief swept over him at her explanation. “Good, because it’s not something I’ll get tired of saying.” He clapped his hands together. “Now, where are my manners? Shall I give you a tour of the house?”

  “Actually…is that a roast I smell? I haven’t eaten all day,” she admitted.

  Edward kicked himself mentally. “Of course! My good friend Bonnie helped me out with the spread while I was at my retirement party. Well,” he said as her eyes widened in response to the all the silver covers on the table, “she went all out, really.”

  “May I?” Eliza asked, pointing to the table. Edward nodded and watched her peek under the dishes to see the mounds of potatoes, green, meats and desserts the old baker laid out for them. “Blueberry pie! Oh, my favorite!” She smiled wryly. “Do I have our local gourmand to thank as well, or is this your doing?”

  “A little of both,” he said as he pulled out a chair for her. “I told her it was your fav
orite, but I’d never trust myself to make this for you.” He started to uncover some of the dishes, and they each began to spoon food onto their plates.

  “Too afraid of another incident like the clam stew?”

  Edward groaned. “If I had known you would never let me live that down, I would have never told you.”

  “How could I have fallen for you without knowing you don’t know how to tell good clams from bad?” Eliza lifted a bite of the roast to her mouth and closed her eyes as she chewed, her expression a picture of perfect bliss. “This is divine. I have to get this recipe!”

  “Good luck with that,” Edward warned. “Bonnie guards her culinary secrets with her life. She won’t share a recipe unless you’ve earned it; her own daughter doesn’t know what she puts in her crust.”

  “I’m sure it’s worth the time!” she said passionately. “Wouldn’t you like for me to make this roast for you sometime?”

  Edward smiled. “Yes, I suppose I would.”

  She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, and her hair swung forward to frame the side of her face. “What’s that dreamy expression all about? It’s right in front of you!”

  Edward laughed and shook his head as he cut a piece from the roast in front of him. “I guess I’m a little more impressed with you than with the roast.” He reached across the table and took one of her hands in his, stroking her soft skin with one roughened thumb.

  “That’s because you were probably stuffed with sweets at the party,” she said, squeezing his hand. “How was it, by the way?”

  “I’m sure it’s still happening,” he said, and he was only half joking. “There were a lot of kind words said, and I was happy to be able to thank everyone for standing by me over the years.” He hesitated, then decided to leave it at that—but Eliza picked up on his pause immediately.

  “But?” she asked.

  Edward sighed, finally letting his worries to the surface. “Jeremy Leonard and his nephew Franklin are the new Sheriff and Deputy. Jeremy is great—moved over from Duckett Falls, almost as much experience as me—and Eddie is capable, I know he is.”

  “But,” Eliza pressed.

  “But,” Edward continued. “I can’t shake the feeling that something is gonna happen with them. The whole time I was vetting them, something felt a little off, but I put it down to rattled nerves after nearly dying. I worked hard on finding my replacements, and these really are the best men…” he sighed again and pressed a hand to his forehead. “I’m just afraid that I’ve been laying tons of brick for the walls of this special house, and it’s gonna turn out I’ve been building a cage this whole time.” He sat back in his chair, stunned by his own words now that they were out in the open. He looked at Eliza in panic, afraid that he’d made her upset, but her face was thoughtful and open, appearing as kind as she’d ever been.

  “So you’re afraid that they’re going to fail in some way?” she said then. “And you’ll be drawn back out of retirement? Or that they’ll trap you somehow, and force you into coming back?”

  Edward squeezed his love’s hand gratefully. “I’m glad you understood. That’s the jist of it. Do you think I’m being foolish?” As soon as he asked, he wished he hadn’t; he was suddenly afraid of the answer.

  He had no cause for fear, it turned out, because she answered immediately. “No. I think that you’re an excellent lawman whose senses are very in tune with his surroundings and who pays attention to people more closely than they watch themselves. If there’s a reason to be uneasy, I’m sure it isn’t at all unfounded.”

  He smiled impishly. “But?”

  Eliza laughed heartily, and the warmth of her expression made his stomach turn a flip. She set down her fork before answering. “But, I think you’re also anxious that your successors won’t perform well enough for you, or that they’ll allow harm to come to your people, and it will be your fault. I also think you’re still not completely happy about giving up your position. Being a Sheriff is who you are, and you are going to be finding out who you are outside of that role. You very well may already be in a cage of your own making—a cage of expectations and responsibilities that it’s time you move past.” She blushed vermillion, and seemed afraid that she’d said too much.

  Edward gaped at her, then let out a startled laugh. “You’re absolutely right. I think you may have just saved me years of torment.”

  “Good,” Eliza said cheerily as she picked up her fork again. “Pleasure is much more than torment. That’s really my specialty, anyhow.” She winked, and Edward laughed again, amazed and elated at how very comfortable this bright, brassy woman was after less than an hour in his presence. Could this day get any better?

  A sharp knock sounded from the front of the house, and they both looked up in alarm. “Perhaps I forgot something in the carriage,” Eliza said, and stood from her seat. When she saw Edward rising, she shoved him back down. “No, no, you sit! You’ve been called on quite enough. Let me do some greeting.”

  A cloud of warm joy was growing and spreading through Edward’s body, He turned and watched Eliza glide toward the door with the same bounce in her stride as before. Is that just the way she walks? Everything about her is music and grace.

  He busied himself with a few more bites of his food while Eliza answered the door, but after three bites of potatoes and a helping of greens, Edward stopped to listen to the low stream of voices issuing from the front door. He frowned and twisted in his seat to see who Eliza was talking to, but as soon as he did, she came hurrying back toward him, her face as white as a sheet.

  Edward stood up, the happiness dissipating like clouds in a gust of wind. His heart hammered against his ribcage, and his chair went clattering against the floor. “What is it?”

  Eliza swallowed, and her voice was tremulous. “Sheriff Lee is at the door. The Deputy has been shot, and Trigger Mike is coming for you.”

  Chapter 2

  They were pacing the rug in the living room, their food forgotten. Jeremy Lee was spinning his hat between his fingers and looking between the two of them with an expression of pure panic. After explaining the break out to them, he’d sunk onto the sofa, mute and immobilized from shock. His nephew was going to be ok, he said; thankfully, it had just been a flesh wound.

  “Just let me help,” Eliza repeated desperately. “You don’t have to do this alone—”

  “I did this myself,” Edward spat, running his hands through his short red hair in frustration. “I have to fix it. I put him in that Duchess county prison. I wanted him far, not safe. And now he’s out, people are in danger and it’s my fault!” He stopped pacing, and his expression was suddenly crazed. “I put you in danger. You need to get out of here.”

  He turned to Jeremy. “He’ll be coming for me. Where can you take her?”

  “Excuse me?” Eliza said angrily.

  “I-I don’t know where he is,” Jeremy stuttered. “He could be anywhere. I can’t move her without risking drawing him toward us.”

  “You’re not moving anyone,” Eliza interjected.

  “There aren’t any other men with guns whose houses you can take her to?”

  Eliza bristled. “What?”

  “You want us to get picked off before we get there?” Jeremy asked, annoyed. “I did think about this, you know. He’s looking for her, too; he said he was waiting to hit you where it hurt: ‘your fancy bride’.”

  Edward shuddered. “We won’t give him the chance. We gotta keep her safe. What about High Hill? Maybe if we can get up there and keep Eliza—”

  A shrill whistle blasted his ear drums, and Jeremy yelped and looked around to see where the noise had come from. His eyes finally fell on Eliza, who had stuck two fingers in her mouth to produce the shrill sound. She was red in the face and fuming, but she looked far calmer than either of them.

  “I’m quite capable of speaking for myself,” she said slowly, though her voice was still laced with rage. “And I don’t want to move. In fact, I’ll be of much better use to you here
, don’t you think? Especially if you turn out to need another gun. I didn’t do those competitions just for fun.”

  “Competitions?” Jeremy asked blankly.

  A wave of shame washed over him. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “It’s just that we’re finally together, and now all of this is in jeopardy. Trigger Mike wants me to lose you. He’ll kill you to watch me suffer, and then make me live without you. That’s the kind of vengeful man he is. I don’t want him anywhere near you.”

  Eliza nodded and sniffed. “I understand that, but you’re my husband now. A marriage is a joint effort. This is our life to protect now. Let me help.” Her blue-green eyes were huge and shining with hope and determination. It was a look that he was growing more and more fond of, even though it terrified him.

  “Okay,” he said at last. “But how do you want to help?”

  Eliza smiled, but it was bloodthirsty instead of warm, and it gave Edward a chill. “My father did his share of hunting, and he told me to get into the mind of an animal if I needed to find it. This Trigger Mike doesn’t sound like a man to me; he sounds like a beast. And how do you catch a beast?”

  “You lay a trap,” Jeremy answered automatically. He blushed when both of them looked toward his place on the sofa. “Did a lot of hunting with my dad, too.”

  “Then maybe you can help us lay the trap,” Eliza said kindly. Jeremy’s face lit up in delight, and Edward wanted to laugh at how boyish he looked.

  “I’d love to,” he said.

  Eliza nodded, satisfied, and turned back to Edward. “Tell me about him, as quickly as you can. And show me your guns; we don’t have much time.”

  Chapter 3