Jason's Angel Read online

  “You worry you might not be good enough or not know the right thing to say or do at every turn. You always have to set an example. You can never just be a man and make mistakes—live your life for the enjoyment of it.”

  Jason’s fingers clenched. His leg throbbed painfully, but he kept his expression impassive. If she felt this way…could she possibly ever love him?

  “Am I that bad?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “No! Not that ‘bad,’ Jason, You could never be bad. I—I say all this to tell you that—” She stopped herself, and Jason could see she struggled to find the words. Her pulse raced at her throat, and her breathing was shallow.

  “Tell me…what?” He reached for her again, his hand once more straying to the spun-gold of her hair.

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as if gathering all her determination. “That I love you, Jason McCain. Yankee, Cherokee, Georgian—I don’t care. I only know I love you—the man you are.”

  Silence lay between them, punctuated by Sabrina’s quick breathing. She opened her eyes very slowly, as if she were afraid of what she might see.

  “I love you,” she whispered softly. “And I always will.”

  ****

  Dear. Sweet. Jesus.

  Now, she had ruined it for sure! Whatever chance she might have had at winning Jason’s love was most surely and wretchedly gone. But what else could she have done? Jason was looking at her as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. And he probably couldn’t!

  Sabrina wanted to cry. She hadn’t handled this the way she’d planned at all. She’d made a muddled mess of it.

  She looked down at her hands. “I’m—”

  “Don’t say you’re sorry.”

  “But I never—”

  “Shhh.” He put a gentle finger to her lips, then pulled her to him and kissed her. “You don’t—no, you can’t know what that means to me.”

  “Jason, you probably think—”

  “I think I should never have put a genteel Southern woman in such a predicament. Your Aunt Emmaline will have my hide if she ever finds out I let you break Rule Number One.”

  “And what would that be?”

  Jason gave her a wink. “The gentleman always declares his love first.” He became serious once more. “I’m sorry I forced you into that. I should’ve been…more forthcoming myself.”

  “You didn’t force me.”

  “Yes, I did. I should have told you I loved you the moment I knew it.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  His smile was grim. “It was as you said. All of it. Including the fact that…maybe I put my own happiness behind everything else. Telling you I loved you was an indulgence—a weakness— I was afraid of. Maybe I still am.”

  “How can you be? When you know—”

  “That you love me in return? Because I know how harsh love can be, Sabrina. I know there is nothing more wonderful, but there’s pain, too. I promise I will never hurt you. But it’s your sad misfortune to have fallen in love with a Union soldier in a Confederate world. A half-Cherokee Indian in a land of broken treaties and disrespect and even hatred for all things Indian. The pain will come from seeing the effects of that world on our children.”

  Sabrina shook her head. “We found each other, didn’t we, Jason? Through incredible odds—I think the world has got to be better as time passes, and maybe—maybe our children will help make it that way.”

  Jason’s expression was grim. “Not here, sweetheart. The South will never be as it was.”

  Sabrina’s heart plummeted. He was leaving. She could see it in his face he was done with his life here—and who could blame him?

  She’d cast her pride to the wind already. Earlier, he’d spoken of going west. Arkansas. Indian Territory and beyond. Maybe even California. As if he sensed that she was going to break Rule Number Two—divesting herself completely of any dignity she might have remaining—he spoke her name.

  “Sabrina—if the world was like it used to be, we’d never have this conversation at all. So, I can’t be completely at odds with the way Fate has played out.” He came up on his elbow to face her. “I have nothing to offer you. No land or fancy house.”

  “I don’t care. It’s you that matters—not what you have. We’ll make our own way together.”

  “I don’t have a name that carries any weight. No title.”

  The sincerity in his eyes arrowed straight to Sabrina’s heart. “It’s not anything I’m missing now. Our family has never had any of those things. This house doesn’t even belong to Aunt Emma, but to her brother. It’s a home because love lives here. That’s one thing we’re rich in. We don’t have much—but it’s all I ever wanted. I’m not so used to finery.”

  He laughed and moved up to kiss her on the forehead. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, then, Sabrina? For it seems that nothing else is going to do for either of us. You are my guardian angel, you know—I knew that the first time I heard your voice in the hospital. That duty may prove your undoing.” He tapped her nose. “You may be able to do without the finery, but there’s no way I can go west without you. I hope you’re prepared.”

  Sabrina giggled and leaned forward to kiss him. Just before their lips met she whispered, “Oh, my love. What do I need with finery when I have the best angel wings any woman could ever hope for? Just love me with all your heart, Jason. It’s all I’ll ever ask.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Cheryl was born in Duncan, OK, and grew up in Seminole, OK. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma, and holds a B.A. in English. Cheryl lives with her husband in Oklahoma City, OK, where she has been for the past 29 years. She has two grown children, ages 24 and 27, and a Great Pyrenees "granddog", Embry.

  Website: www.cherylpiersonbooks.com

  Writing is so much a part of her life that recently, she and long-time friend Livia Reasoner, decided to open a publishing house for western and historical stories.

  PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS http://prairierosepublications.yolasite.com/ furthers the western-themed writing offerings of women.

  As if that weren’t enough, there were so many requests for a publishing house for young people interested in the west that they decided to open the unique imprint, PAINTED PONY BOOKS http://paintedponybooks.yolasite.com/. This line will be open to all authors, male and female, who have submissions for Middle Grade readers, Young Adult, and New Adult.

  The contemporary/futuristic imprint for these age groups is TORNADO ALLEY PUBLICATIONS http://tornadoalleypublications.yolasite.com/, and for adult contemporary/futuristic, check out their imprint FIRE STAR PRESS http://firestarpress.yolasite.com/.

  All imprints are open and accepting submissions.

  Cheryl's latest novel is a western historical romance, GABRIEL'S LAW. Her upcoming release, THE HALF-BREED'S WOMAN, will be available in February, 2014, through Prairie Rose Publications. To see all of Cheryl’s work, click here: https://www.amazon.com/author/cherylpierson

  You can e-mail her at [email protected]