Daisies Are For Lovers

By William Howard

In this novelette, a young woman is saved by a handsome, but aloof, sheriff in the American West. She falls in love with him but a wealthy and beautiful rival has claimed him as her own. The handsome sheriff is preoccupied with his past as he investigates a series of local murders. Will the young woman win the sheriff's heart or will the rival win the competition for him? Find out by reading "Daisies Are For Lovers".

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Howard
• Release date: Feb 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311069122

William Howard

William Howard was born and raised in Colorado. He has been on faculty at Western Michigan University and Northern Michigan University. He holds a Doctorate in Special Education and worked in public education for 26 years. He travels often to Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona.

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Daisies Are for Lovers

A Novel by

William Howard

Copyright 2016 by William Howard

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from William Howard, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

Northwest Wyoming Territory—Spring, 1880

Terrified, Elizabeth screamed.

Shut up, you dumb bitch, cooperate or I'll kill you! shouted the outlaw, slapping her face hard.

The blow sent Elizabeth falling back onto the makeshift bed. Nervously, she bit her lip. The outlaw smelled like whiskey. He grinned, displaying no front teeth. Some brownish chew dripped from the corner of his mouth. Obviously, he wasn't clean and seldom used soap and water. The evil outlaw spit some tobacco juice on the floor in front of the bed.

Reaching down to Elizabeth the grisly-looking man tore the front of her red dress and chemise, exposing her white skin and both breasts. His eyes burned with lust. Bending down he brought his lips to her mouth. Both fear and anger knotted her body.

I'm going to be raped, she thought to herself repeatedly. Elizabeth's worst nightmare was about to happen.

The outlaw's hand cupped her left breast, squeezing it tightly. She bent her head down and bit his wrist, drawing blood.

Ouch! he yelled. If you want to make it hard on yourself that's okay with me, lady. I'll make you suffer.

Reaching over to his leather belt he pulled out a large knife. Panic like she'd never known before raced through Elizabeth's mind and body.

Now spread your legs, the evil outlaw ordered.

Elizabeth froze and icy fear twisted around her heart. When the outlaw saw she wasn't opening her legs, he brought down the point of the knife within a quarter of an inch near her chest.

One last time bitch, said the outlaw bluntly holding the menacing knife up against bare skin. Open up or you're dead meat.

Suddenly, the sod cabin door burst open. The other bandit said in a tense voice, Come quick, Jeb, there's a lone rider approaching from the north.

Jeb slipped the knife back into the leather sheath and told Elizabeth, I'll deal with you later. We'll have a party.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, relieved that she was temporarily spared from the horrible outlaw. Jeb pulled out his six-shooter and rushed out the door with his brother. She heard the outlaws yelling at the approaching rider to halt. Then Elizabeth heard them swearing and the sound of several gunshots. A stray bullet broke through a cabin window, shattering glass into the air and ricocheting off the cast iron stove, barely missing Elizabeth. She threw herself under the bed as more gunshots could be heard, then silence.

Elizabeth felt a terrible tenseness in her body as she waited for the outlaws to come back into the cabin. In a few moments the door burst open, and standing at the entrance was a tall man wearing a black full length duster. He wore a matching Stetson cowboy hat and held a Colt .45 in his right hand. A pair of leather saddlebags were over his left shoulder. Elizabeth felt too scared to come out from under the bed.

Seeing the young woman hiding the stranger said, Come on out of there. I won't hurt you.

Rolling out from under the bed, Elizabeth stood up and faced the man stand across the cabin. A cold knot formed in her stomach. She had a quick thought he might another bad outlaw.

Are you Elizabeth Vivian? he asked.

Yes, I am, she said, her voice trembling. How did he know my name? Elizabeth asked herself.

He continued, saying, I'm Monty Hawthorne, the Shoshone Sheriff.

You're a sheriff? asked Elizabeth, thinking she was quite lucky he had arrived to save her.

Sheriff Hawthorne unbuttoned his duster with his free left hand and put his Colt .45 back in the holster with the other hand.

What about those terrible outlaws? asked Elizabeth.

They're both dead. I saved the county the trouble of hanging them for killing the stagecoach guard during the holdup this morning, he explained.

Thank God, my prayers have been answered, exclaimed Elizabeth. She continued to hold the front of her torn dress and rushed across the cabin floor, pressing herself against his chest. She noticed he was stronger than most men and his body felt like solid muscles.

Calm down, Miss Vivian, he told her pulling away and acting aloof. Take my duster and cover yourself up.

The sheriff took of his coat and handed it to Elizabeth. She could see the silver star pinned on his tan shirt. It reminded her of a star on the American flag.

Looking down to the floor of the cabin, Sheriff Hawthorne saw a green Wells Fargo strongbox with metal bands around it. The lock had been busted open but the bags of money were still inside the strongbox.

It took the outlaws a long time to open it, explained Elizabeth.

Wells Fargo will be happy their money has been recovered, said Sheriff Hawthorne.

Using his saddlebags he placed the money into the two pockets. Miss Vivian, is this your handbag? he asked, pointing to a purse inside the bottom of the strongbox.

"Yes, my inheritance is inside. It's all I have in the world. I thought I would never see it again.

Sheriff Hawthorne reached inside and grabbed the stuffed handbag and gave it to Elizabeth, who said thank you.

The sheriff said, Let's make tracks to Shoshone so your aunt and uncle find out your safe.

Okay, agreed Elizabeth.

They both walked out of the cabin. Elizabeth could hear his spurs jingle. There were two dead outlaws on the ground, both shot by the sheriff. Elizabeth didn't want to look at their contorted faces.

I'll send out the undertaker to pick up the bodies, the sheriff told her calmly.

Approaching his own horse, Sheriff Hawthorne tied the saddlebags. Next he picked up Elizabeth by the waist and put her on one of the outlaws' horses. He gave her the reins and said, We will go on the trail about five miles to get to Shoshone. Your aunt and uncle will be waiting there for you to go out to the Red River Ranch.

Good, said Elizabeth. You have a beautiful black horse.

His name is Midnight, Sheriff Hawthorne said with a nod of his head. Taking the reins of the third riderless horse, the sheriff mounted Midnight Shadow.

A sense of urgency drove them along the trail at a gallop. An intense heat flared through Elizabeth's body. She found the mysterious sheriff to be quite attractive, but there was a loneliness about him. Something was wrong. Still, he stirred something in her she had never felt before. Elizabeth reminded herself to be careful of those feelings.

The sheriff tied the saddlebags in place and then mounted his horse. Gripping the reins tightly, he held onto the other outlaw's horse's reins. He dug his heels onto Midnight's flanks and the powerful horse snorted loudly. A sense of urgency drove them down the trail. Something intense flowed through Elizabeth's body. She found the sheriff to be quite attractive. She followed silently behind Midnight and Sheriff Hawthorne going along the trail quickly in a gallop.

When they arrived at Shoshone the sheriff and Elizabeth rode down Main Street. There was an assortment of buildings and stores on both sides of the street. Elizabeth saw the stagecoach with six horses up ahead with a large crowd of people standing around it. They halted their horses nearby the crowd of people. The news of the stagecoach robbery and kidnapping had spread like wildfire around the town and resulted in sounds of anger.

Elizabeth recognized a gray-haired lady as her Aunt Jane.

Oh, Elizabeth! shouted the Aunt Jane loudly. Are you hurt?

No, answered Elizabeth, I survived the ordeal.

Hearing she was not hurt the crowd erupted with joy and clapped their hands.

Sheriff Hawthorne dismounted his horse and helped Elizabeth down. He tied all three to a hitching post. Uncle George, a distinguished looking gentleman with a white moustache, ran up to Elizabeth and gave her a big hug.

We were worried about you, dear, he said, looking concerned. Why are you wearing a duster?

One of the outlaws tore my best dress, Elizabeth answered her uncle. He would have raped me if the sheriff hadn't come along and killed both of them.

Oh, how horrible, said Aunt Jane, upset. I will mend your dress once we get back to the ranch.

I also lost my bonnet, explained Elizabeth, brushing back her reddish-brown hair with both hands.

We will get you another one, promised Uncle George.

Elizabeth, said her Aunt Jane, you've grown since I saw you two years ago in Cheyenne. Now you're taller than me.

Elizabeth nodded yes. Thank you for noticing my height. When the outlaws kidnapped me Pastor Stillson tried to fight them off. One hit him on his head with the barrel of a gun. Is he okay?

Pastor Stillson is hurt but he'll be okay. His wife took him over to Doc Water's office to get a bandage on his head, said Uncle George.

Good, said Elizabeth. I was worried about him. He tried to help me. He's a brave man.

The crowd became even larger with the good news that Elizabeth Vivian had been successfully rescued. Sheriff Hawthorne explained to the crowd of onlookers how he had tracked the outlaws from the stagecoach robbery site and killed them in a gun battle. He gave the undertaker, who was standing near him, directions to find the guard's and outlaws' bodies.

Aunt Jane led Elizabeth over to their black buggy. Uncle George placed her two carpetbags full of clothes behind the buggy's seat. Climbing up on the buggy, Elizabeth was joined by her aunt. Her uncle untied the horse's reins from the hitching post and got up