Hannah: Bride of Iowa (American Mail Order Bride 29) by P.A. Estelle Page A
Authors: P.A. Estelle
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Secret, Inspirational, Daughter, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, Iowa, widower, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, farmer, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Single Father, Three Year-Old, Cherish, partner, Twenty-Nineth In Series, Devastate Future
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cow is ready to burst as it is.” Maddie was jerked off balance when a loud grunt escaped from Samuel and he fell to the ground.
“Samuel!” He lay on the ground, blood gushing from a gash in his head. Behind him stood Chad Skinner holding his gun by the barrel. He was exactly as she remembered him. Filthy brown hair and evil radiating from his body.
Ignoring Chad, Maddie fell to her knees. “Samuel, please open your eyes.”
He didn’t move. Chad grabbed Maddie’s arm, pulling her to her feet. “Can’t do nothing for him, purty. You’re coming with me.”
She screamed, raking her nails across his face. For a second time, Chad used the grip of his gun and Maddie’s world went black.
Chapter FOURTEEN
Sam jerked awake to the concerned faces of his parents looking down on him. Bessie had gently tried to wipe the blood from his head wound, but it continued to ooze. He jumped to his feet and swayed with dizziness. “Where’s Maddie?”
“We don’t know. When we found you here, Bess ran into the house to look for Maddie, but it was empty. What the hell happened?”
“Don’t know. I was holding Maddie and the next thing I knew you were here.”
“Son,” Bessie said, “whoever did this must have taken Maddie.”
“It had to be the Skinners. What time is it?” Samuel asked, grabbing a saddle.
“It’s about one o’clock.” Gus grabbed his son’s arm. “You are in no shape to ride anywhere. Besides, it’s been snowing since we left Kate’s. Any tracks will be covered. Wait until we get some help and we’ll split up and cover more ground.”
His voice was deadly when he shook his father’s arm off. “Nothing is going to keep me from going after her.” He walked to the corralled horses.
Gus grabbed the second saddle and turned to his wife. “You take Lizzy back to Kate’s. Get Frank, Charles, the marshal and anyone else you can find and tell them to high-tail it out this way and look for our tracks.”
Samuel went into the house and grabbed an old shirt which he ripped it into a long strips and tied around his head, hoping to stem the bleeding. He also grabbed his rifle and froze when he saw Maddie’s gun on the upper shelf in the kitchen. It dawned on him then that she was wearing only her nightgown with a coat over it. Keep her safe, Lord. Please let me find her before…
Samuel slammed out of the house and hopped on his horse. Without a word, he galloped out of the yard with his father right behind.
* * * *
Maddie moaned every time she moved, pain pounding in her head. She touched her forehead and winced when she felt a huge knot. Her fingers came away bloody. She squinted, trying to see in the dark room. What happened? Where was she?
Wherever she was, the air smelled like rotting flesh. Something had, or was, dead in this place. She couldn’t see anything. Maddie tried to sit up but quickly realized she was tied down.
The door opened and Maddie saw Chad Skinner come in with some wood. Snow was falling outside and she knew that meant tracks would be covered. He kept the door opened so he could see enough to make a fire in a rusty wood burning stove. Maddie screamed when she saw Carl Skinner in the corner of the room with a hole in his head.
Chad chuckled when he noticed what she’d screamed at. “It was his own dang fault. He said I couldn’t just come and take you and I said I could. Then he said we was gonna have to share you and I wasn’t gonna share you with nobody.” He grinned a rotten-toothed smile. “You’re gonna be all mine.”
Bile rose in Maddie’s throat and she swallowed hard to keep it from coming up. The fire was blazing now and Chad shut the door. He plopped down on the cot she was tied to, grinning when Maddie did all she could to scoot away. He untied her hands and hauled her to her feet. Throwing the door open, he shoved her outside. “See this here snow? It’s gonna be around awhile. There ain’t no people for miles and you’ll freeze to
“Samuel!” He lay on the ground, blood gushing from a gash in his head. Behind him stood Chad Skinner holding his gun by the barrel. He was exactly as she remembered him. Filthy brown hair and evil radiating from his body.
Ignoring Chad, Maddie fell to her knees. “Samuel, please open your eyes.”
He didn’t move. Chad grabbed Maddie’s arm, pulling her to her feet. “Can’t do nothing for him, purty. You’re coming with me.”
She screamed, raking her nails across his face. For a second time, Chad used the grip of his gun and Maddie’s world went black.
Chapter FOURTEEN
Sam jerked awake to the concerned faces of his parents looking down on him. Bessie had gently tried to wipe the blood from his head wound, but it continued to ooze. He jumped to his feet and swayed with dizziness. “Where’s Maddie?”
“We don’t know. When we found you here, Bess ran into the house to look for Maddie, but it was empty. What the hell happened?”
“Don’t know. I was holding Maddie and the next thing I knew you were here.”
“Son,” Bessie said, “whoever did this must have taken Maddie.”
“It had to be the Skinners. What time is it?” Samuel asked, grabbing a saddle.
“It’s about one o’clock.” Gus grabbed his son’s arm. “You are in no shape to ride anywhere. Besides, it’s been snowing since we left Kate’s. Any tracks will be covered. Wait until we get some help and we’ll split up and cover more ground.”
His voice was deadly when he shook his father’s arm off. “Nothing is going to keep me from going after her.” He walked to the corralled horses.
Gus grabbed the second saddle and turned to his wife. “You take Lizzy back to Kate’s. Get Frank, Charles, the marshal and anyone else you can find and tell them to high-tail it out this way and look for our tracks.”
Samuel went into the house and grabbed an old shirt which he ripped it into a long strips and tied around his head, hoping to stem the bleeding. He also grabbed his rifle and froze when he saw Maddie’s gun on the upper shelf in the kitchen. It dawned on him then that she was wearing only her nightgown with a coat over it. Keep her safe, Lord. Please let me find her before…
Samuel slammed out of the house and hopped on his horse. Without a word, he galloped out of the yard with his father right behind.
* * * *
Maddie moaned every time she moved, pain pounding in her head. She touched her forehead and winced when she felt a huge knot. Her fingers came away bloody. She squinted, trying to see in the dark room. What happened? Where was she?
Wherever she was, the air smelled like rotting flesh. Something had, or was, dead in this place. She couldn’t see anything. Maddie tried to sit up but quickly realized she was tied down.
The door opened and Maddie saw Chad Skinner come in with some wood. Snow was falling outside and she knew that meant tracks would be covered. He kept the door opened so he could see enough to make a fire in a rusty wood burning stove. Maddie screamed when she saw Carl Skinner in the corner of the room with a hole in his head.
Chad chuckled when he noticed what she’d screamed at. “It was his own dang fault. He said I couldn’t just come and take you and I said I could. Then he said we was gonna have to share you and I wasn’t gonna share you with nobody.” He grinned a rotten-toothed smile. “You’re gonna be all mine.”
Bile rose in Maddie’s throat and she swallowed hard to keep it from coming up. The fire was blazing now and Chad shut the door. He plopped down on the cot she was tied to, grinning when Maddie did all she could to scoot away. He untied her hands and hauled her to her feet. Throwing the door open, he shoved her outside. “See this here snow? It’s gonna be around awhile. There ain’t no people for miles and you’ll freeze to
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