Mail Order Bride: Captured Hearts: a Clean Western Historical Romance (Mail Order Brides of Gold Creek Book 6) Read Online Free PDF Page B

bandits pummeling each other, though the former were clearly the stronger.
    “I’m gonna blow it!” one of the bandits hollered again.
    “No!” said another bandit. “Are you crazy?”
    “Dynamite!” said one of the Arikara.
    There was an immediate stampede to the stairs and Ira hauled Huyana over his shoulder and held Mollie’s hand as they raced down the staircase and out of the front door. They ran as far as the bushes, panting and terrified, and watched the Arinkara pour out of the door after them.
    When they saw that the bandits had reached the front door too, they ducked through the bushes. The last thing they saw was two bandits arguing on the threshold, then there was a colossal explosion and the entire building burst into flames.

Chapter 9
     
    While the rest of the Arikara celebrated in cheering and joyful song, Huyana immediately ran to Antinanco and he swept her up into his arms. They clutched each other and she buried her head into his strong shoulder.
    Mollie watched them, so glad that they were reunited. Her heart overflowed with gratitude toward these beautiful people and her first instinct was to go and thank them, but they were clearly so wrapped up in each other that she had not the heart to interrupt them.
    And there he was. Ira. The man who she had never met before but was somehow the exclusive owner of her heart. They regarded each other for a long, intense moment. He breathed out deeply.
    “Hello,” he said.
    “Hello,” she replied, suddenly self-conscious and looking down at her feet.
    He reached under her chin gently and brought it up to look at him.
    “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said. “Maybe for my whole life.”
    “I’m here,” she said.
    “Thank you,” he whispered.
    With that, he leaned in and kissed her. It was just the lightest brush of his lips against hers at first, but within moments they melted into one another, their souls intertwining as they lost themselves in a deep, passionate kiss. It felt as if the world disappeared around them as they were carried away to the new wondrous realms their union created, soaring high above Gold Creek and its wide plains, above the vast blue sky and the clouds, above everything that either of them had ever known existed.
    ***
    The next time they kissed was the day that Mollie had so long anticipated. She pulled away from Ira with a big smile and he ran his finger down one of her dark braids that Huyana’s mother had done for her. To honor his bravery in saving Huyana (though he always claimed that actually Huyana had saved him), Ira had been given a magnificent feathered headdress made for him by Antinanco and his warriors. He wore it with pride atop of his regular shirt and trousers, and gazed at Mollie with blissful admiration.
    The Chief of the Arikara stood tall before them, Antinanco standing just behind his left shoulder.
    The Chief spoke in his language and held out his hands toward them.
    Antinanco draped Mollie’s shoulders with a blue blanket, then Ira’s. He then translated what the Chief said.
    “We give thanks to the Great Spirit for bringing us all together to fight the forces that destroy our world and our people. We stand together as allies and the tribe of Arikara offers you our support in this most holy of marriages.”
    Mollie’s heart melted as Ira smiled at her. There was no doubt in her heart that she was doing the right thing.
    “Huyana,” Antinanco said.
    Huyana approached Ira, carrying a small bag. She offered it to him and he took a gold ring from inside it.
    “Mollie,” he said. “Will you bestow upon me the honor of being your husband?”
    “Of course!” she said.
    Antinanco laughed and translated for the crowd, who laughed along. Mollie and Ira laughed with them.
    “I love you, Ira,” she said.
    Ira looked into her eyes with a sincerity so deep that it touched her very soul.
    “And I love you, Mollie,” he replied.
    He slipped the gold ring onto her wedding finger and she thought