Authors: Madeline Baker
ChasetheLightning (31 page)
Five years later
Amanda stood on the front porch, contentment washing through
her as she watched Trey put a young chestnut filly through its paces. Her
oldest son, Trey, Jr., nicknamed TJ, sat on the top rail of the corral, her
two-year old, Louis, leaned on the bottom rail. Both boys were the spitting
image of their father.
She glanced around the yard. There were four corrals now,
where before there had been only one. A dozen hens scratched in the dirt near
the barn. Two sheep, a nanny goat, a half dozen cattle, and a shaggy-haired
buffalo grazed in the pasture. Under the porch, a cat nursed four newborn
kittens. TJ’s dog was digging in the flower bed again. Even as she shook her
head in exasperation, she knew she wouldn’t change a thing.
The last five years had been the best, the happiest, the
most fulfilling of her whole life. She had a wonderful husband, two healthy
sons, and another baby on the way, a girl this time, the doctor said.
She had been truly blessed. Together, they had built the
ranch Trey had always dreamed of. There were a dozen mares in the barn, all in
foal. Horses sired by one of the Long Walker studs were in constant demand.
Their top stallion was the get of Relámpago out of a gray Arab mare. To her
dismay, Relámpago had disappeared shortly after the colt was born, never to be
seen again.
But Trey had taken the stallion’s disappearance
philosophically.
“I’m not in trouble anymore,” he had said, “and not likely
to be, here, with you and the kids. But somewhere out there…some time…some
place… Somebody is in big trouble. And ‘Pago will take care of that for them.
Just like he did for us.”
In the corral, Trey turned the filly loose. Slipping through
the bars, he plucked TJ off the top rail and set him on his right shoulder,
then scooped Louis up and settled him on his left. And then her men were coming
toward her, the two boys arguing over who would be the first to ride the filly.
She smiled into three pairs of dark eyes as Trey strode
toward her.
“We’re mighty hungry,” Trey said with a grin. “Is lunch
ready?”
“Ready and waiting. Boys, go in and wash up.”
“Cowboys don’t wash,” TJ said.
“Better do as she says, boys,” Trey said, swinging his sons
down from his shoulders. “She’s the boss.”
With a grimace, TJ took Louis by the hand and dragged him
into the house.
Trey put his arm around her and drew her into his arms. “Hi,
sweetheart.”
“Hi, cowboy.”
She gazed up into his eyes, warmed by the love she saw
there.
She had never been one to believe in dreams and happy-ever-after,
but all that had changed the day a handsome stranger on a big white stallion
rode into her life and made all her dreams come true.
The End
Madeline Baker started writing simply for the fun of it. Now
she is the award-winning author of more than thirty historical romances and one
of the most popular writers of Native American romance. She lives in
California, where she was born and raised.
Madeline welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website address on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.
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Madeline
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Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Chase the Lightning
ISBN 9781419920882
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Chase the Lightning Copyright © 2014 Madeline Baker
Cover design by Victoria Miller
Cover photography by DanielJGP_2499/Periodimages.com,Vladimirfloyd
- 56734526/fotolia.com
Adrian Costea - 8240552/fotolia.com
Electronic book publication May 2014
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