Hi friends! So, a couple years back I set to work at a story, which at the time was purposed to be a sequel to Mrs. Susan K. Marlow's book, Courageous Love. This story features the return of some of the villains from Courageous Love (as these bandits had been able to escape from Andi's rescuers) and it is about 13,890 words in length. I plan to post one chapter of this story a day (unless, of course, the chapter is super short - then I'll share two on one day). There are 17 chapters total, so that equals over two weeks' worth of posts. :-)
Now, with no further ado, I present to you:
Andrea Carter Prescott and the Return of the Outlaws
CHAPTER 1
Andrea Carter Prescott added another handful of
flour to the bread dough that she’d just dumped in a clump on the countertop.
Viciously she attacked the dough with both hands, kneading, punching, pulling,
and rolling, until its sweet scent filled the kitchen and every air bubble had
exploded.
Then,
speedily, she began to break off lumps and shape them and place them in bread
pans. Andi rolled out the last hunk and lathered on butter in a thick layer and
covered it with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Andi’s
mother, Elizabeth Carter, had given Andi this recipe a long time ago. After
making it for Riley one day and seeing his delight in eating it, Andi was sure
to make a loaf of “cinnamon bread” every time she made regular bread. It was
great for a snack or breakfast.
Andi
twisted the cinnamon bread into a loaf and tucked it into the last bread pan,
her fingers patting in extra brown sugar on the top. Her mouth watered to think
of a warm, gooey slice with a glass of milk.
It
wasn’t long before three loaves of bread were cooking. Andi washed the dishes,
scrubbed the flour from the counter, and removed her apron; then she flopped
into the nearest chair and let out a breath.
How could I ever have thought that being an
expectant mother would be easy? she berated herself. At eight months
pregnant, Andi was as worn out as could be. She had to force herself to stay
awake while she cooked and cleaned.
But soon—soon!—I’ll have energy. Andi
smiled. When I do, I’ll make heaps of
flapjacks for Riley’s breakfast, and I’ll race Shasta again.
She had been
able to lope Shasta around the yard once or twice since the start of her
pregnancy, but she couldn’t call that much of a ride. She wanted to run, run,
run. She wanted to gallop her chocolate-colored horse far, far, far away. She
wanted to race him against her husband’s appaloosa, Dakota.
Andi
chuckled softly and looked down at her bulging stomach. “Not now I can’t, but
soon,” she whispered.
She
glanced out the window and continued thinking of future plans. Maybe I’ll take the baby with me on a ride.
Maybe—
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The
sudden pounds on the door startled Andi. Staggering up from her seat, Andi
groped for the door and opened it.
There,
on the porch, stood several ranch hands—Alfredo, Billy, Samson, Amos, and Charles,
to be exact—and, for once, they were not grinning. Their faces were pallid and
worried.
“Why,
boys, whatever is wrong?” Andi demanded anxiously.
“It’s
your husband, ma’am,” said Alfredo, ducking his head and speaking brokenly as
if loathe to tell her.
“What
about him?” Andi’s heart began to pound. Something was very, very
wrong—obviously—and if it had anything to do with Riley, she thought she ought
to know.
“He
had an accident, ma’am,” whispered Amos. “He’s hurt really bad and we don’t
dare move him. Frank already went for the doctor and we came to take you to Mr.
Prescott.”
“Let’s
go right away,” Andi urged.
Her voice trembled, and
her clear blue eyes flashed their anxiety as she followed them to the barn.
“I’ll
get the buggy—”
“You’ll
do no such thing, Billy,” Andi interrupted him firmly. “If Riley is out on the
range, the buggy will take too long to get to him. I’ll ride horseback. Saddle
my horse for me, please. At once.”
“But,”
Billy protested, “in your condition—”
“Nonsense!”
Andi snorted. How come these ranch hands
are taking their time? I need to get to Riley now. “Just do as I asked.”
Billy
shrugged and brought out an old mare, saddled and bridled and ready to go.
“Where’s
my horse, Shasta?” Andi wanted to know. “This old horse is as slow as molasses.
We have to get to Riley quickly, you know.”
“Sorry,
ma’am. You know I haven’t been around long, so I have no idea who your horse
is. Would you like me to—?”
“No, no, this’ll have to do.”
Andi wrapped her fingers around the saddle horn, slipped a foot in the stirrup,
and, huffing and puffing, pulled herself onto the saddle. “We haven’t much
time, and old Molasses is already saddled up. It’ll take too long to saddle
another horse.”
“Yes,
ma’am.”
They
all mounted their horses and galloped off. As they rode, Andi questioned the
hands.
“What
happened to Riley? How bad off is he? When did you send for a doctor?”
At
each question, the hands only shrugged or shook their heads, so Andi took it as
a sign that they were either too worried to care or they’d been rushed off
without even seeing the accident. Sensing their reluctance to tell her, and
seeing how useless it would be to question them further, Andi fell silent.
Oh, God, she prayed, help Riley. Help us to get to him soon.
So deep was she
in thought that Andi didn’t even realize what was happening…until it was too
late.
What do you think happens next? Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments below!
