A Widow’s Deceived Heart (Preview)

Chapter One

Lauren quickened her pace down the main road of town. It was hard to ignore the stares on good days, but that morning had been particularly difficult. Her stomach twisted in indignation. It was hard to move to a new town alone. No husband, no brother or father. It wasn’t normal. 

Peak’s Cove, Colorado may have been a large town, close to the gold mining settlements and with plenty of families and people arriving and leaving every day, but there were some people who stuck around—and they paid attention. They knew what to look out for. They seemed to notice everything, especially a woman like her. 

The women didn’t like her, maybe thinking she might be a bad influence on their husbands or brothers in case she decided to go after them. The men looked at her with disapproval in their eyes, as if they were worried her independent habits might rub off on the women in their lives. 

She squared her shoulders and pushed herself to walk up the steps of the mercantile and into the little store. She needed a few things to last her through the week. Once she got a bit more settled, she intended to make a little garden behind the schoolhouse, and perhaps get a goat and a couple of chickens. The idea of fresh milk and eggs made her stomach rumble. 

Determined to get only what she needed, Lauren approached the counter of the mercantile. She had enough money to be quite liberal with her spending, but she always held herself back. She got enough unwanted attention as it was. 

Mrs. Cartwright came to the counter with the normal self-righteous smile on her face as she looked Lauren up and down, likely trying to come up with whatever comment she thought would be the most offensive. 

“Good afternoon.” Lauren forced a polite smile. She thought back to Wichita, where they had looked forward to her coming to the mercantile. The lady there would always strike up pleasant conversation and ask Lauren how her day was. There, she’d been greeted up and down the street with pleasant nods and little waves as she passed. 

She almost missed those days, despite what she’d had to put up with at home. 

“What will you be needing today, Miss Parker?” 

The tone was anything but friendly, though Lauren had a feeling the worst was yet to come. She slid a little piece of paper across the counter. She’d written everything she needed down, to avoid any confusion. She’d made that mistake in the past. 

Mrs. Cartwright didn’t take long to put some eggs, rice, sugar, tea, and a few other things into her basket. When she was done, she made a big show of counting up what Lauren owed.

“That will be three dollars and fifteen cents. You do know we don’t give credit.” 

“Yes, I know.” Lauren forced a smile. She dug around her handbag, pulling out exactly three dollars and fifteen cents, placing the money on the counter in a decisive manner. 

“Where do you get money, may I ask? I haven’t seen you doing any work around here, especially nothing that would be proper for a young lady.” Mrs. Cartwright pinched the dollars as if they were filthy, making her point clear. 

Lauren’s cheeks heated. She might not be a perfect person and had certainly done things she was ashamed of, but she would never do anything like what Mrs. Cartwright was insinuating. Her reputation was as intact as any other young woman, despite having been married and now technically being a widow. 

“I assure you, my money is earned fair and square, and not by indecent means.” That was the truth, to a certain degree.

“That is good to hear. Come by any time.” She waved at Lauren, most artificially. 

Lauren did her best not to react in the way she wished she could. Instead, she held her basket of things close and hurried down the street. She remembered when she had been married, when she thought she knew what her life was about, despite being so unhappy. She let her mind drift back to those days, knowing that even though she had many regrets, she wouldn’t ever want to return to that life.

Lauren paced back and forth in the parlor. Adam was late. It was her nineteenth birthday and he was late for supper. He’d promised that he wouldn’t be. She wrung her hands, staring at the dark sky through the window. 

Of all the days he could have been late, it had to be when she’d prepared a special dinner, when she’d made food for the two of them and had intended to have a special and happy evening. 

The sound of the door knob turning made her tense. He was home. He stepped through the door, shaking off his coat. 

“You’re back!” She rushed to him, taking his hat and kissing his cheek. His smile was tense and her heart plummeted. Perhaps if she pretended she hadn’t noticed. “How was your day?”

“It was all right. What’s for supper?”

“Steak and roast vegetables. I even made a cake.” 

“Cake?” His eyebrows raised with a hint of a real smile on his lips. That was a good sign. His mood could still be saved. 

“Yes, it’s my birthday.” 

“Ah, yes, I remember. I’m sorry I was late, darling. I had a long day at work.” He worked as a cattle rustler, sometimes being gone for days at a time. She missed him terribly when he went, but it wasn’t to be helped. That was how he supported them. 

“It’s okay. Let’s have supper.” She led the way proudly into the kitchen, pulling the supper from the oven. She dished it up onto two plates and took it to the table. 

After waiting for Adam to say grace, she took a bite. It was a bit cold, not as hot and nice as it had been two hours ago, but still, it tasted nice. 

“It’s cold.” Adam didn’t seem to share the sentiment that it was still tasty. 

“I’m sorry, the oven must have grown cold. It was done a couple of hours ago.” She clasped her hands in her lap, no longer so proud of her dinner or the fact it was her birthday. 

“A couple of hours ago? No wonder it’s tough and tasteless. You know how I feel about cold food. You should have kept it hot.” 

“I… didn’t know when you’d be home.” She didn’t dare bring up that he’d said he would be home on time. Adam was a kind man when he had his way, but when he was corrected, things could quickly turn bad. 

“Now you’re saying it is my fault?” He stood up, his fist coming down on the table, making her jump. He’d never laid a hand on her, not in anger, and yet, every time he had a fit of rage, it felt as if he were terribly close to it. 

“Of course not. These things happen.” 

“I’ve been out working, all day long, long into the night, and to come home to a cold supper, an ungrateful wife who puts the blame on me, and nagging on top of that? Tell me why I don’t come home earlier.” 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. What was she sorry for? She wasn’t quite sure, but perhaps for not keeping the oven running, or for not making dinner a little later in case he came home late. Though if he’d come home on time to an unfinished supper, a similar conversation would have played out. 

“I don’t need to deal with this now.” Adam stood up, making her jump yet again. “I’ll be back later.” 

She sat in her seat, unmoving while he stormed across the room and out the door with a slam, leaving her alone with tears that were doing their best to escape. 

It was a long while of silence before she was certain that Adam was gone. Only then did she stand up and clean the kitchen of their unfinished supper. When she got to the birthday cake, she sliced it into pieces and put two on a plate, taking them with her to her bedroom. Adam wouldn’t be home until the next day. She was going to eat some cake, even though she felt as if any joy from the day had been sucked straight out of her. 

Lauren shook away the memory with a frown. Her time with Adam had slowly turned more bitter as the years passed. Little by little, the man she’d fallen in love with had disappeared. He’d become a shadow of himself, someone she didn’t truly know, someone angry and selfish. 

She hurried her pace to the schoolhouse that was her home. It wasn’t the current schoolhouse for the town, but an old one that had been abandoned after some damage from a storm, and a rather wealthy donor from a neighboring town had stepped forward to build a new one across town much closer to the chapel. 

She’d done some of the repair work on it herself, but even so, only two of the rooms were livable. It didn’t matter. That was all she needed until she got a little more stable and was able to fix the rest of it. She let herself into the building and walked into her makeshift kitchen. She put away everything she’d purchased, then sat at the table where she had two chairs, one of them missing part of its fourth leg. 

For a moment, a wave of sadness washed over her. Being all alone, only having herself to depend on, it wasn’t always fun. In fact, most of the time she found it difficult. She missed having someone who cared about her, even if it was someone who didn’t always treat her right. The life she had wasn’t what she’d expected for when she turned twenty-six. 

She put a smile on her face and got to work on her supper. She had a lot to be grateful for. Remembering the past with bitterness and lamenting something that couldn’t be helped was no good to anyone, especially herself. 

 

Chapter Two

Ryan paused a moment to appreciate the fact that he’d finally arrived in Peak’s Cove, Colorado. For everything that Nate had said about it, he had expected more. The place wasn’t small by any stretch of the imagination, but it also wasn’t nearly as intimidating as it was made out to be. 

He nudged his horse forward, taking his time to survey everything he could see. There was a main street with businesses up and down both sides of it: the feed store, the mercantile, and several others. Sprinkled here and there behind the business were homes. Some looked like they had been built with plenty of time and money. Others looked as if they had simply been put up by necessity to keep the weather out. 

Towns like these were perfect to live in. With so many people coming and going, it would be easy to slip under everyone’s nose. No one would notice if a stranger was in their midst. He only hoped the place was small enough for him to find the woman he was looking for, Lauren Parker. 

He didn’t want to find Lauren. Honestly, he wanted nothing to do with her, but he had no choice. Finding her had to be his priority, and he’d make sure his mission was done. He clenched his jaw hard. He’d done a lot of things in his life that he wasn’t proud of, but the job he’d gotten himself involved in now might have been one of the worst. 

He’d tried to turn it down, but in the end, he’d accepted it. Maybe he knew he would accept it all along. He pressed his horse forward, slowly progressing. If he simply stopped in the middle of the street and stared, he was sure to draw attention. He decided to circle back to the mercantile. After all, the mercantile was more of a hub for a town like this than most people thought. The mercantile would know its customers, who bought what and why. Lauren had visited it at least once, he was certain, if Nate was right about her being in Peak’s Cove. 

Jumping down from his horse, he draped the reins around the hitching post and took the steps two at a time. The mercantile was smaller than some he was used to, especially the ones back in Wichita, but it was also much bigger than what he’d expected for Peak’s Cove. An older woman stood behind the counter with a gaze like two daggers, staring him up and down, full of suspicion. 

“Good afternoon, how can I help you?” she asked. Her friendly words didn’t match her tone at all. He shook away his dislike and met her gaze. 

“Howdy, I’m here for a box of matches.” 

“Oh?” The woman turned to the wall, pulling a small box of matches from one of the baskets there. 

“Well, and a bit of information.” Ryan leaned against the counter, putting on his best friendly smile. He was known for being able to get anyone to talk, and without any sort of torture except for being overly friendly. In fact, it was a quality several people disliked quite a bit about him. “I figured such a respectable establishment would know everything I would need to know about anyone in this town.” 

The woman tucked a bit of hair behind her ear, a smug smile taking over her face. “Well, if I do say so myself, our store is one of the most frequented businesses in town. If anyone knows anything about anything, it would be us.” 

“That is very good to hear.” Ryan searched his brain, trying to figure out the best approach. He had a feeling that from what he knew of Lauren, she wouldn’t get along with the woman behind the counter. He hoped he was right because if not, he would quickly turn a potential informant into an enemy. 

“See, I’m here looking for a woman, a very specific woman.” 

“Oh?” The woman raised her eyebrows—with interest, but also as if she wanted every detail so she could repeat it all over town. He was going to have to make sure that didn’t happen. 

“I’m from Witchita, Kansas.” He watched the woman’s reaction. Just as he’d hoped, her face lit up with both hope and admiration. 

“Wichita? You should have said so. I’m also from Kansas. You know, Kansas folk, they have to help each other, stick together, especially in towns like these.” 

“Of course. Exactly. See, I work with the law out there, and they wanted me to check in on a certain woman who is new in town here. Her last name is Parker.” 

“Parker?” The woman leaned in ever so slightly. “What did she do?”

“Oh, I can’t say. It’s very confidential. In fact, I’m risking a lot by talking to you in the first place, but seeing as you’re from Kansas, I’m sure you can keep a secret, right?”

The woman nodded. “Of course, I can. My name is Mrs. Cartwright, but you call me Harriett.” 

“Harriett. Such a sophisticated name.” Ryan brightened his smile, instead of showing his true emotions on his face. He couldn’t wait until the day he could stop pretending, lying to everyone, and manipulating people. Even though he was certain Harriett Cartwright most likely wasn’t the nicest kind of person, he hated that he had to lie to her. He wished he could be honest and be himself. 

“Mr…” Harriett stopped, a look of realization coming over her face as she remembered that she didn’t know what his name was. 

“Just call me Ryan.” He met her gaze, holding that smile in place. He couldn’t lose her trust now. “As I was saying, any help you could give me in locating Miss Parker would be ever so helpful.” 

“Of course. She purchased the old schoolhouse, just back there.” Harriett pointed toward the town’s entrance. “Turn right at the fork. It’s a way into the woods. Strange woman, living all on her own, barely talking to anyone. Not the sort of person a body wants for a neighbor, you know?”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Ryan nearly choked on his words. He had only heard good things about Lauren. He’d never met her in person, but he had no reason to believe she was involved with anything bad. He hated to tarnish her reputation in this town, even if it was necessary to find her quickly. He didn’t want to run into her by accident. Every single aspect of their interactions had to be contrived and planned. She had to believe that he was her friend, or he’d never get what he’d come for. 

“I’m sure you know, but I have to ask that you not tell anyone that I asked about her. I’m only supposed to watch her and report some things back to my superiors. If anyone were to find out that we spoke…” 

“Of course not!” Harriett looked indignant. “I would never say a word. If you need anything else, you know where to find me.” 

Ryan nodded. He placed twenty-five cents on the counter, which he knew was much too much for the matches, but he didn’t care. The more Harriett believed he was wealthy with money to spare, the more she would believe the story he’d given her. Soon enough, she’d be occupied with different gossip and would hopefully forget the whole ordeal.

He left the mercantile and mounted his horse, heading back the way he came. The sooner he found out something about Lauren, the better. He had no intention of staying in Peak’s Cove any longer than necessary. He wanted to do what he’d come to do and leave as quickly as he could. 

***

Ryan watched through the trees, guilt winding around his heart every second he did so. Lauren was beautiful. He hadn’t expected her to be ugly, but she was the type of woman who often slipped under the notice of those around her. At the same time, she was the most beautiful thing in the room if a person took a moment to look. 

Long brown hair cascaded down her back, held in place by a simple braid done around the middle of her head. Her slim form moved gracefully as she worked behind what looked like a run-down schoolhouse. She held an ax in her hand and wielded it as well as any man, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, showing just how hard she was willing to work. 

Sweat glistened on her brow, but she showed no signs of stopping. Instead, she chopped at a large fallen tree, taking each piece and making a pile, which he was sure she intended to use later to burn. 

As she worked, a soft smile played on her lips, as if she were thinking of something amusing she had yet to share with anyone. Ryan shook his head. He couldn’t afford to start thinking of Lauren as someone that he sympathized with. He had to think of Aimee and of what he’d been sent to Peak’s Cove to do. 

If he wanted to get out of the gang, if he wanted to leave crime behind, he had to do this one last job. Then he could go home, and he could be free.

“What time will you be home?” Aimee flurried around the room, setting things straight, washing dishes, and chopping vegetables. She’d always been a flighty child, never sitting still for more than a few moments at a time. He admired that about her. She might be young, and he had to bring the money home for the both of them, but she shouldered her fair share of the work. 

“I’m not sure. It could be after supper.” He frowned. He had no idea why Nate was asking to meet with him. Everything with the gang had been up in the air since Adam died. They’d been getting used to the restructuring that Nate had brought about. 

Now that he thought about it, Ryan wasn’t sure anyone had chosen Nate to be the next leader of the Tumbleweed Gang, but he’d sort of taken over in the role and seemed suited to it, so no one questioned him. 

“I’ll try to get back as soon as I can, but you know what to do if I can’t get back today, right?”

Aimee nodded, but a shadow of worry crossed her features. “I stay here, keep doing what I do, and don’t worry. There’s money in the cellar.” 

“That’s right. I’ll always come back for you, Aimee, no matter what happens.” 

“You’re starting to scare me.” 

Ryan chuckled. “Nonsense. I’ll be back before you know it.” He stood up and gave his sister a half-hug. Since their parents died, they were all each other had, and he’d dedicated his life to making sure they continued to have one another. 

“See you tonight, then,” she said to him, as he turned and left the house. 

The trek out into the woods to the camp didn’t feel as if it took any time at all, he was so lost in thought, mulling over what it could be that was so urgent Nate couldn’t have waited until their normal weekly meeting. When he arrived at camp, nothing seemed amiss. Nate was sitting with the others around the campfire. 

Ryan’s stomach turned. He remembered when he used to think the campfires were friendly, a place where people spent time with their friends. That was when he was naïve, when he didn’t realize he was getting involved with a criminal gang. Nate knew how to play people, and he’d played Ryan well—so well he had been trapped by the time he’d realized the truth. 

As Ryan approached the campfire, Nate waved his hand for the others to leave. The only one who remained was Jesse, one of the only men in the group Ryan thought had a shred of decency in him. 

“Ryan, it’s good to see you.” Nate’s grin was false, all show, and no real emotion tied to it whatsoever. Ryan wasn’t fooled. He knew he was only a means to an end for Nate. There was no use in pretending otherwise. 

“Nate, what is it you need?” 

“So hostile. Here I was telling Jesse I have the perfect job for you, considering what it is you want.” 

Ryan’s shoulders tensed. Nate had told him under no uncertain terms that if he left the Tumbleweed Gang, he’d be hunted down as a traitor. 

“What is it?” He looked between Jesse and Nate. 

“You remember good old Adam?”

“Of course.” Ryan was tempted to also say he liked Adam ten times better than Nate because while he had been a criminal, he had also seemed to be a better leader than Nate and cared about more than just himself. 

“Then I’ll have you know he had a trove, a treasure if you will, from his early days. Whenever he’d get drunk, he’d brag about it.” 

Ryan nodded. Even he had heard stories about the great trove of treasure, the one Adam had said he would dig up when he was old and unable to continue his lifestyle so that he could live like a king until the day he died. 

“What do I have to do with that?”

“You have very much to do with it. I want to find it, and it turns out that he left a map to it.” 

“Then follow the map.” His sister, only days before, had been begging him to be home more often, to tell her what was bothering him so much lately. He hated being a part of any of this and had no interest in doing Nate any personal favors. 

“I don’t have it. His widow does.” 

“Widow?” Ryan vaguely remembered Adam talking about a wife, but he’d never introduced them to her or brought her to the camp at all. He had always assumed she had no idea of Adam’s dirty dealings. 

“Yes, his widow, Lauren Parker. She’s moved back to Colorado, which is fitting since that’s where the treasure is, somewhere. At least, that’s what I think. I’ll tell you what. You befriend the widow, get her to give you her husband’s things, and bring me that map. Then you can go free.” 

“Free?” The word sounded foreign on his tongue. Surely Nate didn’t mean it. 

“Yes, free. I’m making a one-time exception for you, Ryan, seeing as you’re so unhappy here. You bring me that map, and everything is behind us. You walk away, and on top of that, I’ll give you some of the treasure to start a new life with your sister. See? I do have a shred of generosity in me.” 

“I…” 

He thought about it, walking himself through what he’d have to do to get the papers that Nate wanted. Lauren, Adam’s widow, was innocent in this mess. Could he really convince her that he was her friend, only to stab her in the back by stealing what was her husband’s?

He wanted out of the gang, but he wanted to get out fair and square. 

“I can’t do that, Nate. It wouldn’t be right. She doesn’t know anything about it, I’m sure.” 

“I thought you might say that.” Nate’s smile grew. “See, I need it to be you. Out of everyone in this rag-tag group, you’re the best at what you do, getting people to trust you. There’s a reason Adam didn’t want to let you go. You know how to get people on your side. I need someone to charm the information out of Lauren. It’s the only way I’ll know I have the real thing.” 

The idea repulsed him. He couldn’t lie to a man’s widow just to make his life easier. He couldn’t do it. 

“I won’t.” 

“Your sister, Aimee… she was expecting you home for dinner, wasn’t she? Too bad she isn’t home.”

Ryan stood up, his hands forming fists. 

“What did you do, Nate? You leave my sister out of this.”

“Well, our families are always tied into what we do, Ryan. You should have known that. I didn’t want your sister to be lonely while you’re gone, so I’ve moved her somewhere safe where I can keep an eye on her. You have two months to follow through. Here’s everything you need to know.” 

Nate held out a sheet of paper, and after staring at it for a long moment, Ryan snatched it up. He had no choice. Nate had what mattered most to him, and he’d do anything to get it back. 

Ryan’s heart hurt thinking of Aimee. Chances were she was perfectly fine. If Nate cared so much about the treasure that Adam had left behind, he would keep his word and make sure Aimee was unharmed, at least for the two months he’d allotted. 

He felt no better about what he was doing than when the plan had been presented to him. This young woman didn’t deserve such deceit. 

He shook his head. He had to do it. He had no choice. 

He took an imaginary crate in his mind and pulled together all of his doubts and worries, shoving them in one by one before slamming the lid and nailing it down. He couldn’t afford to think with his heart. He had to think out of a necessity to survive, a necessity to get his sister back. He was going to get Lauren to trust him, no matter what he had to do. Once he had her trust, he’d take what he’d come for, and he’d never have to see her again. Hopefully, she’d be able to find forgiveness in her heart. 

He needed to be close to keep an eye on Lauren. The next day, he’d make sure they met. 

---

“A Widow’s Deceived Heart” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

Lauren Parker lost everything when her husband died, including her reputation. Determined to leave her painful past behind, she heads out west, with her heart hardened and suspicious. Yet, when a violent storm leaves her homestead in need of repairs, she reluctantly accepts a newcomer’s help, in exchange for reading lessons and a few home-cooked meals. Despite her best efforts to keep her distance, Lauren soon finds herself drawn to the handsome stranger and her heart slowly thaws in his presence.

If only she knew that her love blooms under a web of lies…

Ryan Clark arrives in town with a singular purpose: to find Lauren Parker and complete one last job to secure his sister’s safety from a ruthless gang. Despite his reluctance, he enters Lauren’s life under pretenses, seeking her late husband’s hidden treasure. As he works alongside her though, his guilt grows, and so do his feelings for the resilient widow. Ryan’s deception weighs heavily on him, and he struggles to reconcile his actions with the budding love he feels for Lauren.

Meanwhile, his troubled past isn’t far behind…

While a heartfelt connection sparks between Ryan and Lauren, the criminal gang coercing him discovers his growing affection for the widow. Will their burgeoning love give them the strength to overcome the treachery that surrounds them, or will lies and mistrust tear them apart forever?

“A Widow’s Deceived Heart” is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Get your copy from Amazon!