Check Mate

By Doreen Milstead

The Crippled Woman & The Thin California Avocado Farmer - A woman crippled in a buggy accident, which killed her parents, becomes a mail order bride to an avocado farmer in California. Little did she know when she first met him how everything would turn out with the help of two broken, but mending, hearts.

The Homely Woman From Atlanta With No Cooking Skills & The Twin Cowboy Cattle Rustler In Texas - A homely woman from Atlanta without any culinary skills whatsoever, decides to get out of the clutches of her crabby sister, so she corresponds with then agrees to marry a cowboy rancher in Texas. She thinks that cattle and horse are stinky and wants nothing to do with them, however, the man has a twin brother who hasn’t quite given up the cravings to rustle cattle and it’s this fact a little later on, that gets everyone in a whole heap of trouble.

Challenged To Turn The Other Cheek To Her Cowboy’s Sister - A woman corresponds with a cowboy rancher and decides to become his fiancé and live in the Wyoming territory. However, as soon as she arrives his sister who treats her like a servant, makes her life miserable. Almost at her wits end, she summons up her courage and decides to face the challenge head on.

The Bishop & His Haunting Love For The Lady - This historical romance set in the Middle Ages is about a young bishop who finds himself yearning for a nurse’s aide that he meets at a hospital where he goes for help with his migraine headaches. The woman is mysterious and reputed to be a Bourbon, yet he cannot find her after their tryst and continues to search Italy, then France, for months after the brief affair. It’s years later that the mystery of her disappearance is finally solved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Hart
• Release date: Dec 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370094585

Book preview

Check Mate

By

Doreen Milstead

Copyright 2016 Susan Hart

The Crippled Woman & The Thin California Avocado Farmer

The Homely Woman From Atlanta With No Cooking Skills & The Twin Cowboy Cattle Rustler In Texas

Challenged To Turn The Other Cheek To Her Cowboy’s Sister

The Bishop & His Haunting Love For The Lady

The Crippled Woman & The Thin California Avocado Farmer

Synopsis: The Crippled Woman & The Thin California Avocado Farmer - A woman crippled in a buggy accident, which killed her parents, becomes a mail order bride to an avocado farmer in California. Little did she know when she first met him how everything would turn out with the help of two broken, but mending, hearts.

What did we get to eat on our picnic, a happy little five-year-old girl asked looking at her father, who was sitting on the right side of her.

Someone isn’t hungry, are they, her mother asked her. Sarah looked to her left and leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder. Michelle wrapped her arm around her blonde baby girl. Larry looked over at his wife and daughter and smiled.

You two do know that this rain has washed away our favorite picnic spot, right, he asked the both of them.

Sarah rolled her eyes as if her father didn’t understand anything. Daddy, a picnic doesn’t mean a spot. A picnic is all about who you are with. As long as I’ve got you, she paused to reach over and grab hold of her father’s arm. And you, mommy, she reached over and grabbed Michelle’s arm as well.

The smile on her face couldn’t get any bigger if she tried.

Hold on tight you guys. The road is getting slippery, Larry said, suddenly looking worried as he watched the road and his horses.

The next part of her memory was sketchy. Sometimes she remembered it, yet other times it was all foggy, like the evening they were riding.

Once a month the three of them would go out together and venture on a picnic. They would pack a lunch, go to a place that nobody knew about, sit together, and talk. Nobody else was ever allowed and no matter how busy they were, they’d always find time for their family time.

This was a bad night for a picnic. Rain and fog while being pulled by horses up narrow roads were asking for disaster, she thought to herself. She didn’t want to go back to the memory of her mother and father on that fateful night, but she couldn’t help where her mind went when she was thirteen.

She was eight years old now. Three years ago wasn’t long, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Her eyes were so heavy, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She closed her eyes and drifted off into dreamland.

Michelle, hold on to Sarah. Something is spooking the horses, cried Larry. Sarah didn’t like what she heard in her father’s voice. At the time, she didn’t know what it was because she had never heard it before. Now, she knew. What she heard in her father’s voice that night was fear.

Michelle turned to her right to hold her only daughter, but the next thing Sarah knew it looked like her mother was standing up next to her. She wasn’t standing on purpose though. She was actually flying through the air. Before Sarah could even hug her mother one last time, the entire carriage began to teeter back and forth.

Sarah baby, hang on, Larry cried out. Sarah quickly looked around quickly looking for something to hang onto. In the few seconds that she had to search, she didn’t see anything at all to hang onto, except her father. She grabbed ahold of him tightly.

Before he could say anything else everything happened so quickly that she didn’t have a chance to even think. The next thing she knew, she was lying next to her father on the cold, hard ground. She looked to her left, but only saw a blur. Something was in her eyes. When looking to her right, she saw…

Sarah, it’s time for school honey, Sarah sat straight up in bed gasping for air. Marie ran into the room. Are you okay? Did you have another one of those dreams. She walked up to the bed, and sat down. She held her arms out for Sarah, who eagerly climbed up into them.

Sarah, you’re shaking all over, Marie exclaimed as she smoothed her hair back gently and kissed her forehead.

I’m okay. I have to get ready for school mom. Is Angel ready. Marie smiled widely. Both of my girls are getting so big. I can’t believe it’s Angel’s last year of school already, Marie said, her eyes getting watery.

Sarah looked down sadly. She hoped beyond all hope that at least Angel would stay home and not leave them. She didn’t know what she would do without her sister. Marie left the room to allow Sarah to get dressed. Her thoughts again went to Angel. Even though she wasn’t her real sister she still felt just as close to her as if she was her real sister.

Marie wasn’t even her real mother. She was just a nurse, but looking in on the family you’d never know how broken, yet completely whole they really were. They had been through so much together in such a short period of time. She had been stuck in a hospital bed for almost a full year.

They had to do extensive surgeries on her legs. The wagon had crushed them… She couldn’t see out of her left eye at all because of something warm trickling down into it. She thought at first she was blind, but later realized she had suffered a laceration on her forehead and was bleeding into her eye.

When they cleaned her up at the hospital she realized that she, in fact, was not blind which made her more than happy. Since she couldn’t see out of her left side, she turned her head to the right and saw her father lying there looking into her eyes. Daddy, she began to cry out to her father. He couldn’t even reach forward to touch her or comfort her.

His entire chest had been pressed underneath the heavy buggy. He knew for some reason that he was going to die as soon as they released it. What do you say to your only daughter when you knew you only had minutes, possible moments to live?

He chose, instead of spending the time teaching her life lessons for her future, to spend what little time they had kept her calm, and making sure that she had a future to look forward to. If she suffered from shock, she might not make it out of this alive, and that was definitely something he wanted for her.

She had a long life ahead of her. Listen to me Sarah, he tried to say to her, but it came out more like a whisper. Sarah, I need you to focus. Stop wiggling like that and listen to me, he said to her, more sternly this time. He hated to be stern with her, especially in a time like this, but if he didn’t they could lose her.

My leg hurts, she whimpered. Where’s mommy? I want mommy, she began to cry.

Listen to me Sarah. Look at me, right now. Look at daddy, he got louder yet, and finally she stopped wiggling and whining and looked at him. I need you to focus on me right now. Don’t think about your leg, and as for mommy... he paused, looking over himself at her broken body.

What do you tell a five-year-old who wants her mommy, but her mommy has gone on to Heaven? Mommy is waiting for us right now in a very special place, he tried telling her.

I saw mommy stand up in the buggy before we tipped over, she argued.

Yes, she stood up so that she could go to that special place. You’ll go there soon and be with her. Not now though Sarah, and that’s why I need you to focus on me. For almost fifteen minutes he kept her attention and kept her from going into shock. Finally, he heard the crunching of gravel and knew that someone had pulled up and was going to help.

He heard the shouts of men yelling for other men to come and help them. Oh my God, they are trapped underneath. You men go over there and pull them out. Bob, you and I are going to lift this up once they get over there and get ready to pull them out, okay, he shouted to his buddy.

Hey, hey, come here. Please, Larry yelled out. He wanted it to be much louder than it really was.

Relax sir, we’re going to get you out, the excited man shouted to him.

No, come here right now before you move this thing. That’s a good girl, Sarah. Keep focusing on me. I know you can do it, Larry looked away from Sarah for the first time since glancing over at Michelle’s body.

There’s a woman over here, one of the other men shouted. The first man whose voice they heard knelt down beside Larry. When you lift this carriage I am going to die, I know that he began.

No sir, we are going to get you out of here safely, the man interrupted.

Larry became angry, which was something he rarely did. "Did you hear me, young man? I said when you move this carriage I am joining my wife over there in Heaven. What I don’t want is my little girl over there to see it, or know about it until she absolutely has to.

Hopefully, from someone very sensitive, such as from the hospital, not here, not you. It took a lot out of him to say his piece, and now he was gasping for breath.

I understand sir, but I’m still going to do everything in my power to save you, he said, suddenly tearing up as he had totally assessed the entire situation and saw how dire it was.

Do what you wish, but take her away. Just give me another minute with her, please. I’ll tell you when I’m ready for you to move this thing, and take her away.

The man nodded at Larry in understanding. Sir, he barely was able to get the word out loudly enough for the man to hear, and bent back down. Yes sir, he said, bending back down so that they were eye to eye.

Thank you for your stubborn persistence. Please make sure she gets straight to a hospital. Her leg is badly broken and she’s going to need surgery immediately, he told him. The man smiled, as if he already knew this and didn’t need to be told.

Yes sir, she’s our first priority, he smiled at Larry.

Daddy, what’s going on? Sarah’s voice was getting weaker and he knew she didn’t have much time. The pain his little girl must be experiencing wasn’t anything anyone should ever endure, let alone a small girl of her age.

Baby, they are here to help us. When they lift this buggy, they are going to grab you and rush you to the hospital. Don’t be scared, princess. Do you hear me? I need you to be a very big girl. Be very strong and listen to these nice men who are helping us, and the doctors and nurses who are going to help you as well.

Larry felt the weight of the buggy increase on his chest and he knew his time was limited. He had to let her go, even though a part of him wanted to stay like this forever and never let this moment go.

I want you to remember one thing though as they take you away and you get all fixed up, okay, he asked her.

She started to whine because of all the men getting into their positions. There was a man directly behind her and another behind her daddy. She didn’t want them touching her and taking her away from her daddy.

I want you to remember that mommy and I are always with you. Even if you can’t see us sometimes, we’re going to be with you. Mommy’s already with you right now and daddy is right behind her. He couldn’t handle the moment and choked up.

I don’t understand, she cried out. You’re going to be there in the hospital, right?

He knew their time was limited and if she became too upset right now, she could slip right into shock and they’d lose her. Yes baby, we’ll be with you every step of the way. Okay men, let’s go, he called out to them.

I love you so much Sarah. Your mother does too. Don’t you ever forget that. His voice stopped suddenly as the buggy was lifted.

Unfortunately, Sarah was staring at her father as they lifted the buggy. She felt tremendous pain on her leg. What she was really focusing on was the light she saw and focused on for all of her life in her father’s eyes had just disappeared and had been replaced by a blank stare.

She didn’t know until she was older that just as he predicted, the moment they lifted the carriage, he’d died. She, on the other hand, had been pulled out and then rushed to the local hospital where teams of the best doctors in the country came to work and reconstruct her leg.

Through all of the doctors and nurses, Marie had been her absolute favorite. The kids piled in the schoolhouse. Angel had been right behind her. Where had she gone? Sarah wondered, turning all around.

She suddenly felt alone and lost again, just as she had as the men carried her away from her father’s lifeless body. They tried to shield her that day, but as she was carried, she looked over the man’s shoulder and saw the first man leaning down and listening for a breath, and then shaking his head to the other man. She remembered letting out a high pitched scream at that moment, and then things went black. She went into shock, and almost didn’t make it, but an angel had been looking over her.

Where was Angel now? Sarah pondered, as she walked into the schoolhouse. She didn’t want to get into any trouble because of what her sister had done, so she