Historical Romance: Sky of Wind

By Kathleen Hope

In 1885, Lavender Belle Fields lives with her parents and four sisters on Thunder Ranch in the Arizona Territory, right outside the gates of Fort Huachuca – the regimental headquarters of the U.S. Army Fourth Cavalry.

Though she is past twenty, Lavender is something of a tomboy and a wild child, liking nothing better than to gallop her horse bareback into a creek filled with swimming soldiers and treating love and romance as nothing more than harmless amusement.

Yet Lavender is quite the beauty when she takes the time to put on a silk dress and smooth her hair, and she has caught the eye of the strong and serious Lt. Ethan West. 

When Lavender's father decides to ride north in search of mustang mares for his Thoroughbred stallions, intending to raise the very finest remounts for the U.S. Army Cavalry, both Ethan and Lavender go with him – and Ethan hopes that she might learn what love really means as they undertake their long and difficult journey together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kathleen Hope
• Release date: Apr 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386787341

Book preview

A WILD RIDE THROUGH THE CREEK

Fort Huachuca, Arizona Territory

September, 1885

"Oh, Lavender – please tell me you're not going like that!"

Like what, Violet? How else would I go to take my horse in swimming with the soldiers?

Lavender Belle Fields and her younger sister, Violet Anne Fields, jogged their two big bay horses down the dirt road leading from Thunder Ranch to the grounds of Fort Huachuca. Violet wore a long muslin summer dress and rode Mountaineer with a bridle and saddle, but Lavender was dressed in boy's work pants and shirt and her horse, Snowdrop, wore only a rope halter with makeshift reins and no saddle at all.

"So, you're really going to take him in swimming in the creek? Where the soldiers are?" 

Of course! It'll be great fun. Wait until you see the looks on their faces!

I'd be more afraid of seeing the look on Father's face!

Well, he won't know unless you tell him. You're not going to do that, are you, Violet?

Her younger sister just grinned. Not me! After all the work and formality of getting through Daisy's wedding, I'm just as ready for a little fun as you are. But I'd never be bold enough to ride a horse bareback in a creek full of soldiers!

On a hot day like this, it sounds perfect. I think Mountaineer would enjoy a swim, too. You ought to take him in.

Violet squealed a little. Not with this saddle on him, and not when I'm wearing a dress! And I'm not about to wear boys' clothes. Didn't we learn anything from Daisy doing that?

Oh, I suppose we did. It's true that Captain Andrews complained about her dressing like a boy and riding against him in the race. But then he turned around and married her!

"He did! And I have to admit, Lavender, that even dressed like that nobody would ever think you are a boy."

Lavender smiled to herself. Not only had she tied the tails of the oversized shirt tightly around her waist to emphasize her figure, she'd left her long blonde hair hanging loose nearly to her waist and her slim feet were bare against the horse's sides. I hope not.

Well, then, if you're going like that we'd better get out of here before anyone sees you! And the two girls kicked their horses into a gallop and began tearing down the road in the direction of Fort Huachuca and Soldier Creek.

It didn't take them long to reach the creek. It was well outside the boundaries of the fort, and actually ran across the road at one point where there was a shallow ford. Violet slowed Mountaineer to a walk as they approached and Lavender eased up, too.

Farther down the creek, in the direction of the fort, the creek widened and had a few spots deep enough for little swimming holes. Sitting around at the edges of the water, or lazily splashing around in it, were perhaps twenty of the soldiers.

How did you know they'd be here? said Violet.

I didn't, Lavender answered. But it was a pretty safe guess. It's a hot day and they're allowed to slip out and go for a swim now and then, especially in the morning once their horses are cared for. And here they are!

But – Lavender – what if – Violet was giggling so much that she could hardly speak.

"What if – what?"

"What if they're not dressed?"

Both of them giggled