Godsend
Hell Yeah! Heritage
by Sable Hunter
a Historical Western Romance
Blurb
Godsend is the first novel in the Hell Yeah! Heritage series.
If you ever wondered where those
McCoy men came from…these historical novels will
take you to their beginnings. Deeply sensual stories of romance and adventure,
they will capture your imagination and your heart.
History is definitely worth repeating.
Thrust from his home, Austin McCoy travels west
to build a new life for himself in the wilds of Texas. Civilization has not yet
arrived to the wilderness where he settles and his nearest neighbor is more
than two days’ journey through Indian territory alive with bear, cougar and
wolves. While difficult, carving out an existence amidst these dangers is not
what weighs heavily on his heart. With nothing and no one to share his days,
Austin is lost. The answer to his prayers comes from a very unexpected source…
Jolie Dumas has also been torn from the only
home she has ever known. The beloved daughter of a plantation owner and his
quadroon mistress, she is horrified to be sold into slavery after the death of
her parents. Bought and paid for, she is chained and walked from New Orleans to
Texas. Before she can be delivered to her master, the slave trader is killed
and Jolie escapes. Alone and vulnerable, she seeks a safe place to hide, not
knowing the sanctuary she finds may end up being the one place she truly
belongs.
When Austin opens his heart and home to the
beautiful woman, he has no idea the future she faces. Knowing what awaits her
if anyone finds out the truth, Jolie hides her identity from him. Having been
betrayed before by those she trusted, she has no idea that in Austin’s eyes she
could not be more perfect.
She is his Godsend.
EXCERPT
“Come on, Sandy.
Time to lock the door and call it a night.” Austin McCoy urged his dog to join
him inside. “We’ve had a hard day. Time to rest.”
The big hound stepped over the threshold, making for the hearth and
flopping down in his usual spot.
“We made good headway today. I think we’ve cleared another acre, soon
we’ll have enough room for a few more cows.”
Sandy’s only response was to roll over.
“Are you hungry? I’ll hang this pot of stew over the fire to warm it.
Tomorrow, I think maybe we’ll put some corn in the coals to roast.”
Austin’s voice rang in the empty space. Taking off his hat, he chunked
it on the table. Yes, he was going crazy. The only live creature he had to talk
to was his dog and Sandy was a poor conversationalist. He sank down in a ladder
back chair with a cowhide bottom and let his gaze rove around the small log
cabin he’d built with his own two hands. “Home, sweet home.” The simple dogtrot
structure was made from pine logs he’d cut and stripped of their bark. After
he’d peeled them smooth, he’d notched the logs on the corners, then set them
together, filling the cracks with a mixture of red clay and pine straw. This
humble abode was nowhere near as fancy as the home he’d left in Tennessee, but
Austin was no longer welcome in his family home. After his mother died, his
father had remarried. When his young wife’s wandering eye had fallen on Austin,
his father quickly decided it was time for his only son to venture west and
make his own fortune. Stephen McCoy had given Austin his inheritance early,
wishing him well and sending him on his way.
The lure of adventure was strong and the prospect of his own land in the
rich territory of Texas had been some consolation for walking off and leaving
everything he’d ever known and held familiar. Now, six months since he’d broken
ground six miles south of the spot the Indians called Red Mound, he was fast
beginning to regret the decision. Hard work and the dangers he encountered
daily were not the cause of Austin’s deep depression. No, it was the isolation.
The loneliness. The complete and utter void that seemed to surround him, made
Austin want to throw his fists in the air and rail at the heavens. What he
wouldn’t give for someone to talk to, someone to hold at night–someone to love.
Austin longed for a wife.
How many nights had he lain alone in his bed and ached for release? He’d
not been with many women, but since becoming a man he’d not gone so long
without feeling the sweet relief that only a woman could give. And what scared
him more than anything, was that there was no end in sight to this exile.
Months and years of loneliness stretched before him. How would he endure it?
Where would he find a wife in this wilderness? He’d made the long journey to
Nacogdoches, only to find women as scarce a commodity as silk. And if there was
one, he was no prize. His mind returned to his home in Tennessee, the women
he’d courted, the plans he’d made. All of that was gone. What did he have to
offer a lady?
Only love, only to be cherished.
Running a frustrated hand through his long hair, he stood up in disgust.
“No use wishing for something I can’t have, is there boy?”
Feeling rested enough to feed his hunger pains, Austin hung the
cast-iron pot on the hook over the flames. While he was there, he stoked the
fire and added another log. Sandy raised up and cocked his ear. “Did you hear
something outside?” Austin grew still to listen also. He heard howling in the
distance, but nothing out of the ordinary. “Just that big old timber wolf and
his pack, nothing unusual.” Sandy lifted his nose to take a whiff, giving
Austin a long look from his limpid brown eyes.
“You want to check it out?”
Just voicing the question gave them both a jolt of energy. The dog and
man both rose to head for the door. Austin picked up his rifle, just to be on
the safe side. “Let’s go see what we can find.”
…In the small lean-to, full of tools, Jolie nestled down in the straw.
She was scared and hungry, but at least she had shelter of a sort, enough to
give her a chance at a few hours of sleep. The scratches on her body made her
feel raw and achy. As she closed her eyes, the sorrow in her heart knew no
bounds. With no food, no money, and nowhere to go, Jolie didn’t think she would
make it. She’d tried to find some berries to eat, to no avail. The only
sustenance to be found was the raw turnip she held in her hands, which she
would attempt to eat as soon as she rested enough to have the energy. As she
laid her head against the rough wood, Jolie tried to reason with herself about
all that happened. What had she done to deserve this? Was she less than her
Aunt Lisette or Grandmother Dora? Was she not a human being like they were?
Jolie hugged herself and tried to reason the mystery of slavery. All
that her Grandmere and mother had told her, the whispers that she’d heard from
Eula and her papa, all the things that she’d seen while at Oak Hill came back
to her. The tiny cabins the workers had lived in, how they lined up for water
and food to be doled out to them, the men who guarded them on horseback with
dogs at their sides–all of the things that she’d chosen to ignore and not see.
If she didn’t acknowledge the injustice, it wasn’t real. Closing her weary
eyes, she knew there would be no more avoiding the travesty. The nightmare had
become her reality.
…Sandy took off ahead, his nose to the ground. Austin followed closely,
his rifle loaded and ready. Not too many days ago, he’d seen a panther. He had
no wish to kill the big black cat, but it could take down one of his oxen, not
to mention a full grown man. Austin cocked his ear toward the area where the
three head of cattle were penned. There was no unrest, so he didn’t think there
was a predator about. When they came even with the shed, Sandy veered over to
nose around. The closer he came, the faster he walked, tail in the air. “What
is it, boy?” Austin asked. “Something there?” He figured it was an armadillo or
a possum, hopefully not a skunk. The last run-in the mutt had with a skunk,
Austin had dipped him in the creek four times, scrubbing him with lye soap
until they both could tolerate the stench.
With only the light of the moon to guide him, Austin drew closer to the
shed where Sandy was now nosing his way past the door that had somehow been
left ajar. Hearing the dog’s whimper, his curiosity rose to a high level. His
animal wasn’t reacting the way he would expect if there was prey or some type of
threat. No, Austin was confused to see Sandy’s tail begin to wag. “What have
you found?”
Coming close, he pulled the door open a bit wider so the moon’s rays
could filter into the near darkness. “What?” he whispered. At first he thought
the intruder was a man. The hat pulled down over the face and the jacket
obscured his view, but the long hair and bare legs sticking out from what
appeared to be a dress of some kind convinced him otherwise. He blinked once or
twice. Were his eyes deceiving him? Perhaps this was some kind of cruel joke
that his mind was playing on him. This was a woman. Going to his knees, he
knelt by the small trespasser. “Ma’am? Are you all right?” He shook her
shoulder gently.
The touch jerked Jolie awake. All she could think was that Coffi or the
bear had her. A scream erupted from her lips before her eyes focused on the
face in front of her.
The sudden noise caused Sandy to bark. Austin sat back on his hills,
giving the girl a little space. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.”
Before, Jolie would never have thought to fight for herself, but after
what she’d been through, having been sold into slavery, defending herself had
become second nature. But without a weapon or light enough to see her
surroundings, all she could think about was running. Jumping to her feet, she
tried to figure out a way to get past the big man who blocked her way. “Please,
just let me go. I’ll leave. I promise.”
Leave? He took in her tattered clothing and bare feet. She was so small.
“You don’t have to leave. Come into the cabin where it’s safe. Aren’t you
hungry?”
The turnip she’d taken from his garden still lay at her feet. “Yes.”
Could she risk it? There was the possibility this man could hurt her, but what
choice did she have? “If you’ll let me rest for a little while, I’ll be on my
way soon.”
Austin didn’t know what to think. “Are you alone? Where did you come
from? Those questions and more were racing through his mind. He rose and
offered her his hand. “The ground’s rough. Do you want me to carry you?”
Jolie would’ve laughed if she’d felt more confident. “No. I’ll be fine.
I’ve walked a long way already.”
He couldn’t fathom what she was saying. Knowing what lay beyond his
small clearing, Austin was flabbergasted to find this tiny female seeming to be
at the mercy of the world. “Please, come in and let me check your feet and get
you something to eat. Sandy and I were just about to have supper. Somehow, he
knew you were out here.”
“He did?” Jolie laid her hand on the big dog’s head. “He’s soft.” The
memory of the vicious dogs used on the plantation to keep the slaves in line
caused her to jerk her hand back. “He won’t bite me?”
“No, he won’t bite.” Austin was anxious to get his guest inside. “We’re
glad to have some company, aren’t we, Sandy?”
His dog answered with a bark, which made Jolie smile. “Okay, for a
little while.”
As Austin led his guest back to the cabin, he tried to make her feel
more comfortable. “My name is Austin McCoy. What’s yours?”
“Jolie.” She answered automatically, then immediately regretted it.
Would her buyer look for her? Did he know her name? She really had no way of
knowing one way or the other.
“Jolie.” Austin said it, savoring the way her name sounded on his lips.
“That’s a beautiful name. Where are your folks? Were you attacked by Indians?”
The thought of her just barely escaping with her life made his blood run cold.
“We were attacked. My parents are dead.” Both of those things were true,
albeit unrelated.
“I’m so sorry.”
When he opened the door to the cabin, the smell of food caused her to
sway. She hadn’t realized how weak she’d become.
Austin shot out a hand to stabilize her. “How long since you’ve eaten.”
“A couple of days.” She tried to remember. Coffi hadn’t really cared
whether the women had eaten or not.
As soon as he got Jolie inside, Austin began to do everything he could
do to make her welcome. “Here, sit here.” He gave her the more comfortable
chair, a rocker that sat next to the fireplace. “And water, let me get you some
water.” Moving to the bucket of well-water he kept on the small cabinet in what
passed for his kitchen, Austin ladled a cup full and carried it to her.
Taking the water, she gratefully took a drink. “Thank you.” It tasted so
good, she greedily drank it all.
“I’ll get you more.” He hastily refilled the cup, then found a bowl to
dip up some of the stew. “This is rabbit, but I’ve added some potatoes and
onions I raised in the garden. I think it’s edible.”
“You’re very kind.” Jolie sat the cup on the floor and raised her hands
to grasp the clay dish with the tin spoon.
“My pleasure,” Austin said and he meant it. Even by the light of the
kerosene lamp, he couldn’t make out her features. The hat cast a shadow over
her face, but from what he could see of her neck and arms they were covered
with mud and numerous scratches. “I think I’ve got an herb salve that might
make those sore places on your face and arms feel better.”
Jolie heard him, she just couldn’t stop eating long enough to answer.
Raised a lady, she managed not to shovel the food between her lips–just
barely.
It did Austin’s heart good to watch her eat, but he couldn’t stop
worrying about what would happen to her if she left again. “Where will you go?
Do you have relatives?”
Swallowing the last delicious bite, she licked her lips, then hung her
head. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” Just the thought of trying to find a
place to live, some way of making a living, was more than she could comprehend.
Austin wanted to offer help. He wanted to do something. Noticing again
her tattered clothing, he spoke quickly. “Do you have any other clothes?” He
hadn’t seen any type of satchel, but she might have left it at the lean-to.
Jolie glanced down at the rag she wore. “No, I must look a mess.” What
could she say? “I ran to get away.”
He nodded. “I’m sure you were terrified. Would you like to wash up and
change? I could pour up some water for you.”
Cleaning herself sounded like heaven. “Please, yes. But I have nothing
else to wear.”
“I’m sure I can find something.” He rose to find her anything of his
that would come close to fitting. “A shirt, I’ll find a shirt for you. As small
as you are, the length will be almost like a gown.”
As Jolie sat there by the fire, her belly full, with a dog at her feet,
she was transfixed by the big man with the long honey blond hair moving around
the room, doing his best to make her comfortable. As she waited, she trembled.
Residual shock from all she’d endured still echoed throughout her body.
“Jolie, you can come and clean up.” He snapped his finger. “Sandy, get
up. We shall wait outside. When you finish, we’ll return.”
He gave her a kind smile, then left her alone. As soon as he was gone,
she glanced around. After Oak Hill and even the bungalow, his home was simple
and barren. But for the first time in weeks, she felt safe. Taking the rag he’d
given her to use, she dipped it in the lukewarm water and began to clean the
mud and blood from her body.
Outside, Austin leaned against the side of his cabin, flummoxed by all
that had happened. How different this evening had turned out to be than the one
he’d envisioned. For a little while, he was no longer alone. When a smile
played upon his lips, his selfish feelings shamed Austin. How could he take
pleasure when this woman had suffered so much loss?
Standing in the darkness, he kept an eye on Sandy who explored a few
feet away. “Don’t go far, boy.” Austin was aware of the dangers that lurked in
the darkness. The knowledge that Jolie had been exposed to those same dangers
and soon would be again caused a shudder to rip through him. How could he let
her return to the wilderness? The very idea was intolerable. He’d have to
accompany her to a settlement, see that she was safely delivered to…his mind
clamored for answer. Perhaps the Spanish mission in Nacogdoches could offer her
sanctuary until she could find someone or…
“Mr. McCoy, Austin? You can come back in now.”
Her soft voice broke into his thoughts. “Very well.”
“Sandy.” He called his companion and they reentered the cabin. Aware she
had changed into his clothing, he cautiously let his gaze move up her body,
starting at her small feet, which were now clean from the mud that had been
caked on them. By the time his eyes climbed to her face, Austin was speechless.
He’d never seen a more beautiful woman. Her skin was the color of gardenias,
and her eyes were a purplish blue that reminded him of a delphinium flower that
had grown in his mother’s garden. The hat was gone and now he could see she had
dark hair which fell to the middle of her back in long, loose curls…and her
lips, her lips were the color of a pomegranate. Her beauty almost brought him
to his knees.
