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    A Widow's Justice
    A Widow's Justice
    A Widow's Justice
    Ebook94 pages1 hour

    A Widow's Justice

    By SD Grady

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    About this ebook

    Gold Rush fever in the High Plains of Montana! Except Mrs. Abigail Scotts didn't marry to get rich, she only wanted to escape the painful memories in Ohio. Now her husband is dead, and she's left alone to put the splinters of her small farm back together.

    Dusty Johannsen, a hired gun for the Virginia City Gold Company, comes across Abigail trying to untangle a lamb from a scrub oak. When he discovers she is alone on her homestead far from town, every protective instinct comes alive. Together they unearth Mr. Scotts' guns and an unknown horde of gold.

    It isn't long before bandits are knocking on Mrs. Scotts' front door demanding nuggets and anything else they can take.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSD Grady
    Release dateJan 13, 2012
    ISBN9781466003729
    A Widow's Justice
    Author

    SD Grady

    S.D. Grady is a lover of many things: men, movies, music, and fast machines. An award winning author, she shares her life with her college sweetheart and two cats. They live in the house on the hill and often vacation at NASCAR tracks in their RV. Visit S.D. Grady on the web at http://sdgrady.info

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      Book preview

      A Widow's Justice - SD Grady

      A Widow's Justice

      By

      S.D. Grady

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright S.D. Grady 2011

      Coverart by Dawne Dominique

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Dedicated to

      Dawn, Traci and Carol

      I could have never done it all without you!

      Table of Contents

      Title Page

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Epilogue

      About the Author

      Chapter One

      Madison River Valley, Montana 1864

      Abigail Scotts stared at the towering mountains, unblinking and heedless of the stiff hot wind that plastered her gown to her skin. Sighing, she turned back towards the log cabin she called home. With the barn blown down, the fencing flat and the small flock of sheep missing, there wasn’t much else to do but try to put it all back together.

      Blackie, her sheepdog, wagged his tail and danced, begging for release. She stopped just before the door to rub his ears. The bit of rope tied about his neck and anchored to the hitching post prevented the animal from running off after the sheep and disappearing into the endless rolling landscape of the valley. Just like Henry.

      Come, Blackie. Grabbing his scruff, she loosened the knot, drew the dog inside and closed the door on the morning’s disaster. Leaning against the heavy door, she pushed the sweaty strands of brown hair from her cheek and pulled the latchstring in.

      Henry, her husband of three years, was gone. Just up and left. He said he was heading to Ennis to place the orders for winter supplies and catch up on any news. That was three weeks ago. With the sheep, chickens and garden demanding attention and no neighbors within five miles, Abigail continued to complete her chores and waited. A heavy sense of foreboding told her it was futile. Any number of things may have happened to Henry. The most obvious conclusion lingered just out of her conscious mind, waiting for Abigail to garner the courage to face the depressing fact.

      The welling of tears pressed up in her chest. Before she sank down into a useless puddle, she sniffed and set about making breakfast. Her well-stocked larder provided all she needed—salt pork, eggs and yesterday’s Johnnycake. Blackie whimpered as she cooked and ate. The dog received a portion. He would be earning his keep today. She counted on him to find the flock.

      Last night, the unending wind of the high country rose in pitch until Abigail crawled beneath the bed and covered her ears against the shrieking tempest. She feared the planking of the roof would fly away, while the door and shutters rattled against their latches. The rooster looked a bit funny strutting about the yard without his fine tail feathers. Some of the chickens survived. Apparently, they cowered behind the bales of hay in the small barn. The sheep had no such protection. Living in the four corrals Henry built of split rails, they bleated in terror while the killing wind tossed them about the yard. Blood and bits of fleece floated on the morning’s wind.

      While she wiped down her plate, Abigail decided that if she found the sheep, she would have to make some decisions. She would have to admit…not yet. She couldn’t say it yet. That would mean she would be facing the harvest season alone, winter alone…her whole life! No, she wouldn’t let that happen.

      She heaved another sigh, the edges of her corset biting into her skin. She eyed the dingy blouse she wore over it. Her mother’s voice warned of dire consequences, even as her fingers began unbuttoning the fabric and unhooking the beastly device. If she was going to be hiking over hot, windy hills under the July sun, she would not be doing it with a vice strapped around her middle. She flung the corset against the wall and dug in her clothing chest. Finding the thin worn blouse she sought, she buttoned herself back up. Her dark calico skirts still clung to her legs. The petticoat shortly covered the corset on the floor. Much relieved, she grabbed her dull yellow sunbonnet that hung on a nail by the door and whistled for Blackie.

      Heat rose in waves from the dry grass and baked earth surrounding the small farm. Last night’s wind brought no rain with it. The leaves on the beanstalks that grew along the sunny side of the house lay crinkled and brittle. Hopefully, the immature beans would survive another day without water. The well still provided water, but Abigail needed it for the sheep when they returned tonight. The decision to let the beanstalks stand dry battered at her confidence. If the garden failed there would be no money for winter supplies.

      The sheep… Blackie! she called before putting her fingers to her mouth and sent the dog out with a piercing whistle. Ignoring the hot weather, the dog ran up the nearest hill, barking in glee. Abigail grimaced. Apparently, the flock headed towards the river about a mile away. Cresting the low rise, she paused and took a deep breath. Yes, even she could scent the moisture over the dusty grassland. She watched the distant branches of the willows that bordered Madison River waver in the mirages. She would have to hustle if Blackie was to get the flock back home before the noon sun cooked them all.

      Determined to keep her spirits up, Abigail strode down the hill humming a song.

      ***

      A cloud of dirt rose up from the hooves of the trotting horses. Dusty Johannsen kept a sharp eye out on the distant trees that lined the river. That’s where the bandits would be hiding. The load of gold in the saddlebags of the three packhorses at the middle of the formation represented the last two months of mining over at Virginia City. A fortune twice over, Dusty held the responsibility of seeing the load safely to the vault in the bank at Ennis. The group of heavily armed men wasn’t typical for such transport, but with all the problems recently, the citizens of Virginia City thought it best to hire some insurance for their gold.

      He held up his mount when he

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