Satan's Refuge

By J.C. Hulsey

She was a prostitute until she gets fired and has to leave town. She becomes the mail-order bride of a Baptist Preacher in a small town in north central Texas. She tells the marriage broker about her past, but doesn't tell her husband to be.
As life deals its twists and turns, will the truth finally be found out. She's afraid to admit that she does have a past that wouldn't be prudent for a pastor's wife. This story will tell of the trials she will have to overcome to prove herself worthy of her new position in this small town. Will their love be strong enough to overcome the adversities the young couple will face?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Hulsey Books
• Release date: Apr 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224281060

J.C. Hulsey

I really can't explain how or why I write. It's like an explosion in my brain and the words come flowing out like a raging river and then other times like a frozen glazier. I wrote a twenty-eight page booklet of poetry over the course of two days and nights. I mention nights because as soon as my head hits the pillow, it's like a switch goes off in my brain and I have to write. J.C. Hulsey J.C. Hulsey has lived in Midlothian, Texas for thirty years. He's a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He has been married for 56 years. He enjoys Western movies and TV Shows, (especially the older ones) and reading about Mail-Order Brides. He is also the owner of six cats (all stray cats, showed up on the back porch) and one dog (rescue dog) He worked for 33 years at Bell Helicopter. He served in the USAF for five years, and the Air National Guard for four years. He has always wanted to be an author. He started writing songs in his early twenties. He recorded a couple of songs in the late 1960s. He started writing poetry in the 1970s to share with others. He self-published them on Amazon in 2013. He still felt the need to write something different. He tried writing a book in the 1970s, but it was never finished. In 2014, he felt the urge to write a western novel. However, he needed something different than what was on the market. What about a young Christian Gunfighter? He now has 44 books on Amazon.com

Book preview

THE PREACHER & THE PROSTITUTE

She was a prostitute until she gets fired and has to leave town. She becomes the mail-order bride of a Baptist Preacher in a small town in north central Texas. She tells the marriage broker about her past, but doesn’t tell her husband to be.

As life deals its twists and turns, will the truth finally be found out. She’s afraid to admit that she does have a past that wouldn’t be prudent for a pastor's wife. This story will tell of the trials she will have to overcome to prove herself worthy of her new position in this small town. Will their love be strong enough to overcome the adversities the young couple will face?

The town was named Satan's Refuge because at one time it had been a haven for every kind of outlaw that could be imagined. Killers, rustlers and robbers. It was this way until the mayor sent for a young gunfighter named Jed Jenkins, known as The Traveler. He had cleaned up many such vile towns and did so with this one. You might ask why, after cleaning up the town, they didn't change the name. It was considered very seriously, but it was decided unanimously to leave it as a reminder of how it used to be.

CHAPTER ONE

Boston - 1869

She had been married at seventeen, had a miscarriage at eighteen, and widowed almost immediately after she lost the baby. A week later she was approached by Frank McGregor, owner of the Mad Dog Saloon. Frank was a slick talking con man, who convinced her that this was the best thing for her. She would only have to do it for a short time and then with all the money she was going to make, she would be able to do anything she wanted.

******

Alexandria Marie Henderson had been born into a wealthy family. She was doted on, had maids and servants to make her life easy, then one day it all came crashing down. On her sixteenth birthday her mother and father were killed in an accident. She learned soon after the funeral her father had been deep in debt and the bank was foreclosing on the property. Now, alone for the first time in her life she was forced to live for a short time with an elderly uncle. It wasn’t long until he started making unwanted advances, so one day when she was in town a young farmer spied her and he did the most peculiar thing. He asked her to marry him. It seemed like an answer to her prayers and they were married that same day. He was perhaps the most understanding husband a wife could have. He understood her not knowing how to keep house or cook and he took it upon himself to do all that as he attempted to teach her. After he died unexpectedly and she lost the baby is when she was approached by Frank McGregor, owner of the Mad Dog Saloon.

Now at age twenty-eight she was still a very attractive woman with her blonde ringlets always falling across her forehead and her pouty ruby red lips painted with the new lip gloss. Her pewter colored eyes could shut a man up with just a look. Which was happening more often than Frank was satisfied with. He had warned her time and time again to ease up on the customers. She tried, but couldn't put up with the shenanigans of the rowdy miners that frequented the establishment. She had been a professional for almost ten years and she was tired of catering to the whims of these drunken bums. This last young whippersnapper was getting absolutely too rough. She didn't mind a little playfulness, but this was too much. When he grabbed her again, she slapped him so hard he fell over the rail of the second floor onto the saloon floor, breaking a table and two chairs when he hit.

Frank shouted, That's it. You're outta here. Pack your things and be gone by closing time.

She didn't try to argue. She'd had enough of this kind of life, but now what was she going to do? This was all she had ever done. She stomped into her room, slamming the door so hard it rattled the walls. She sat on the bed, and surveyed the room that had been her home for all these many years. 'Not much to look at, but at least it's been dry, when it wasn't raining.'

Frank stuck his head in the door. You be outta here by closing time.

I ain't got no place to go and you know it.

That ain't my problem, now is it? he said sarcastically.

I reached under the bed and pulled out my bag. It wasn't a very big bag, but what did I need a big bag for? I could carry everything I owned in both hands. I poked it all in the bag, slung my wrap around my shoulders and left down the back stairs.

I knew where I might be able to stay for at least one night, maybe two, if her husband didn't put up a fuss.

Ruth had been a working girl until Sam came along and fell head over heels in love with her. I had seen it happen many times to a lot of girls, but it had never happened to me.

I crossed over the tracks and wound up on the steps of a two-story house. It was a real nice place. Yeah, Ruth had done good. Real good.

I knocked on the door and a young Mexican woman opened it.

I'm here to see Ruth. I mean Mrs. Rogers. She stepped back and indicated I should come in. I stepped across the threshold into a different world. Shiny colored tile on the floor. Many beautiful pictures hanging on the walls.

I followed behind the woman listening to the way her heels clicked on that shiny tile. She turned into a room and I followed. An even different and more beautiful world was before me.

Please be seated. Mrs. Rogers will be with you momentarily.

Now how does a maid know a word like that? I can't even pronounce it. I sat in a large overstuffed chair feeling very much out of place. The cloth on the chair was very smooth.

******

Alex, my darling. How wonderful to see you, how are you doing? What brings you knocking on my door?

Frank kicked me out. I need a place to stay, just for a couple of days. Will you help me? Let me stay for a couple of days? 

Of course, I'll let you stay here. After all, what are friends for? 

What about Sam? What's he gonna say about a working girl staying here? 

You let me worry about Sam. I know just how to handle him. After all, you’re not a working girl right now, are you? Now, come upstairs and let's get you settled.

I followed her upstairs and into a large bedroom. The big bed had a canopy on it with curtains that could be closed.

Does that little bag have all your things in it? 

Yes, I don't have very much.