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Independence, Missouri, June 1st, 1884
“I don’t know how you did it,” Abigail groaned, massaging her large, pregnant belly as she placed her feet on the chair in front of her.
Evie was busy cutting vegetables for a large lunch. Agnes and a few others would be joining them on the ranch later to enjoy the afternoon and spend some time together while Lilian watched over the children at the orphanage. She kept glancing at the clock. Samuel was supposed to be back from his rounds already, but he was late.
It was no reason to be anxious. Sometimes he met people along the way who needed his help or wanted to talk to him. As sheriff, he liked to be available for the people so that they knew they could always come to him. It was one of the things she admired most about him.
“What do you mean?” Evie asked, glancing over her shoulder at Abigail.
“Survived pregnancy!” Abigail said. “I know it’s my last month, but this child is getting heavier with each passing second. I don’t think I can get any bigger. Yesterday, Ben had to scratch my toe because I couldn’t reach it.”
Evie chuckled as she glanced over at baby Daisy who was sleeping soundly in her cot. Even though Evie knew she was biased, she was certain that Daisy was the prettiest baby in the world. She had a mop of fair hair, and bright blue eyes surrounded by thick, black lashes and a dear little rosebud mouth.
Once she was born, Samuel and Evie had been at a loss as to what to name the new child. They’d agreed that if the baby was a boy, they would name him Henry to honor his father. Somehow, Evie had convinced herself that she would have a son. She’d hoped that it would be a way to show respect to Henry for years to come.
However, when Daisy was born, Evie had been utterly entranced. She thought she knew what motherhood entailed since she was Oliver’s adoptive mother, but having a baby changed everything. She realized that just because she had experience with Oliver, didn’t mean that she’d automatically know how to mother a newborn.
Oliver had taken one look at her and declared that she was as pretty as a daisy. It was a beautiful name, and Evie had warmed up to it at once. And so, Daisy was named. While she would still teach Daisy about Henry, Evie also realized that children weren’t an extension of their deceased parents. Daisy would know who her real father was, and Evie would speak highly of him, but Daisy wasn’t Henry’s legacy. Daisy was her own person, and she would make her own decisions.
It was deeply sad that Daisy would never know Henry, but Daisy would have a full, wonderful life. And someday, she would tell her children about Henry too. In that way, Henry would live on. He would always be known as the kind man who had given Evie a helping hand when she needed a place to go.
“It’s all worth it when you hold your baby,” Evie assured Abigail. “I don’t remember all the bad parts…”
“You don’t?” Abigail asked incredulously.
“All right,” Evie said slowly, “I choose not to think about them. Besides, I’m already thinking that it might be nice for Oliver and Daisy to have a brother or a sister.”
“Good heavens,” Abigail said, shaking her head as she looked down at her stomach. “I think three children is as much as I can handle.”
As if on cue, Lucy and Nathan ran past the open door while Oliver chased them, brandishing a stick that was either a sword or a pistol. Evie leaned out the door to watch them run, her heart filling with pride. Oliver was almost a foot taller than he had been the previous year, and he kept growing.
Sometimes it seemed to her that he might never stop growing.
“How are you ladies doing?” Ben asked, walking into the kitchen.
He took the hat off his head and kissed Abigail’s cheek.
“Hot and annoyed,” Abigail said with a huff.
“You have every right to feel that way,” Ben said diplomatically.
“Goodness, you certainly know how to handle Abigail,” Evie chuckled.
“She’s carrying my baby,” Ben pointed out. “She’s allowed to do whatever she wants. My whole kingdom belongs to her.”
Abigail smiled as she squeezed Ben’s hand. It seemed that her earlier frustration had melted away.
“I was worried that I was late,” Ben admitted, glancing over at the clock.
After Samuel accepted the job as local sheriff, they had struggled to find someone reliable to take care of Oliver’s ranch. Thankfully, Ben had offered his services. While he still worked on his smallholding, which made a decent profit, he relished the challenge of running a ranch as large as Oliver’s.
He did a great job keeping the ranch profitable, and they didn’t have to worry that he was stealing from them. Ben was as committed to protecting Oliver’s inheritance as they were. Evie couldn’t believe that they were fortunate enough to have such wonderful friends who were determined to help Oliver succeed.
“You’re right on time to help me with some vegetables,” Evie said. “The roast is almost done, then the dessert will go into the oven. Do you think we have enough food?” She gestured at the assortment of dishes on the table including bread, pie, corn, and sausage.
“I think we could feed an army if we wanted to,” Ben chuckled, grabbing a piece of bread.
“We just haven’t seen Eliza in so long, I want to make sure that everything is perfect.” Evie looked around, wringing her hands anxiously.
“She’s going to love it,” Abigail assured her. “Besides, you know she’d be happy to see you even if you only gave her bread and butter to eat.”
“Eliza is wonderful, isn’t she?” Evie said, smiling fondly.
Ben and Abigail agreed. Together, they worked to finish the rest of the food. Thankfully, it was the perfect day to have lunch outdoors. The sun was shining merrily, but it wasn’t sweltering hot. A slight breeze drifted through the air, cooling their skin and preventing them from getting too warm. It wasn’t long before they were setting all the food outside. First, Agnes and Lilian came with some of the children from the orphanage.
Before long, Eliza and George also came down the road.
“Eliza!” Oliver cried, running over to them with his arms outstretched.
“Look at you!” Eliza said in delight. “You’re getting so big. Why, the last time I saw you, you must have been half this size.”
“That’s not true,” Oliver scoffed, but he looked mighty proud of himself.
Eliza and Evie hugged each other tightly. Eliza was around six months pregnant, and she looked radiant.
“Where’s my niece?” Eliza asked eagerly. “I swear, she’s growing too quickly. I feel like I’m missing everything.”
Daisy had since woken up and was perched on Abigail’s hip. When she spotted Eliza, she reached out, making excited babbling sounds. At eight months old, Daisy was already trying to speak, but her words weren’t fully formed yet.
Evie couldn’t wait until Daisy could talk so that she could hear all her daughter’s thoughts. It was a thrilling prospect. Evie was enchanted by every aspect of her children’s development. Having a family was the most exciting thing she’d ever done, and she committed herself to making sure that they were always properly cared for.
The party went to go sit at the table. Since there was no way of knowing how long it would take for Samuel to return, they started eating. Evie kept glancing over her shoulder, hoping for a glimpse of Samuel.
Finally, she spotted Samuel riding over the hill. She immediately got up and went toward him.
“She loves Samuel more than anything,” Eliza said proudly. “I couldn’t have asked for a better wife for my dear brother.”
Pride swept through Evie and she quickened her pace. When Samuel got close enough, he slid off Bullet’s saddle. He wrapped his arms around Evie and swept her off her feet as he turned her around.
“I missed you,” she said, beaming up at him.
People always said that eventually they’d start getting used to each other, but Evie was certain she’d never get used to the way he made butterflies take flight in her stomach.
“I’m sorry, love,” he said gently. “I ran into some old friends.”
He turned toward the road where a couple rode up toward them. Evie squinted at them, and when she recognized the people, a smile crossed her face.
“Eleanor?” Evie asked in surprise. ‘Caleb?”
“Hello,” Eleanor said shyly when they came to a stop.
“Howdy,” Caleb said, tipping his hat toward them.
“I can’t believe it!” Evie said happily.
After Edwin had been arrested, Eleanor had written to Evie to apologize for the way they ended things. It had taken Evie some time, but she’d forgiven Eleanor. After all, she couldn’t blame Eleanor for reacting negatively to everything that happened. They’d written to each other regularly since then and had formed a tentative friendship. Their last letter, detailing their marriage, had arrived in January. It took months for correspondence to arrive, so Evie had resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn’t hear from them for a long time. Seeing them in person was so much better.
“Welcome!” Evie hugged Eleanor and shook Caleb’s hand. “What are y’all doing here?”
Caleb and Eleanor exchanged glances.
“Well, we decided to strike out on our own,” Eleanor explained. “Caleb got a job with a logging company near here. I’m going to miss my father, but it was always his dream to live with the religious community in Oregon. It took us a while to realize that it wasn’t our dream.”
“I’m saving up to buy a farm,” Caleb said, looking down at Eleanor fondly. “We figured since y’all are so happy farming here, we’d give it a shot too.”
“I’m so glad you decided to come,” Evie said genuinely.
“And I’ve got more good news,” Samuel said. “Come, let’s tell the others.”
They made their way over to the lunch table. Once all the greetings and introductions were over, Evie went to stand with Samuel, looking up at him expectantly.
“I received word from the Pinkertons,” Samuel said, looking around at all of them. “They’ve been working with the state police to prosecute Edwin and the others. Thanks to their hard work and the abundance of evidence on the farm, they were able to charge Edwin with multiple felonies. Unfortunately, it seems that some of the gangs that Edwin worked with ended up killing people during a few robberies. Since Edwin was involved with the planning and aftermath, he was also guilty of the murders. The judge sentenced him to twenty years in prison. He also stated that due to the special nature of Edwin’s crimes and his connection to Independence, he’s been banned from ever coming back here again.”
“Can he do that?” Evie asked in shock.
“He’s a judge,” Samuel pointed out. “And I’m the sheriff of this town. I can make sure that he never steps foot here again.”
“And what about Maggie?” Evie asked.
“Well, she got five years for her crimes. Apparently, she’s also been banned. I’ll make sure that she doesn’t come back either.”
“Yes!” Oliver cheered loudly, pumping his fist in the air.
Daisy gurgled happily at Oliver’s excitement, waving her hands at him. He reached out to him and cuddled his baby sister in his arms. Warmth spread through Evie’s chest and she turned to Samuel, throwing her arms around his neck. She kissed him quickly before pulling back and smiling broadly.
Finally, they could put that chapter behind them for good.
“I promised I’d always take care of you,” Samuel said, kissing her forehead.
“I never doubted you for a second,” Evie promised.
She cuddled to his side, watching as their family ate and laughed. It wouldn’t be long before they forgot about Edwin and Maggie altogether. After all, they had so many other things to focus on.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Western Brides and True Loves", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Greetings, dear readers! I trust you relished the blissful conclusion of Evelyn and Samuel’s love story. Let’s reminisce together—what was the most heartwarming moment in their romantic journey? Share your thoughts with me, for I cherish your input! ♥️📚
I loved this book that was full of adventure and twists and turns. I love thhe extended epilogue were the were back in Independence again with Samuel as the Sherife and their friends helping Out. The ranch
Thank you so much, Frances, I’m so glad you loved the story and the twists! I’m really happy you enjoyed the extended epilogue and seeing everyone back in Independence.