The Outrider (Redbourne Series #5 - Will's Story) Read Online Free PDF

scorched bosom.
    “We’ve never actually met, but I saw him fight
many times while he was at school.”
    “England?”
    Elizabeth nodded.
    “Will speaks fondly of his time overseas. I’m
sure he will be thrilled to meet you.”
    “I’m not so sure of that. Maybe you can drive me
into town in the morning. I’d just assume that Mr. Redbourne not know about me.”
    “Nonsense,” Grace said with a shake of her head.
“Will might be a fighter on the outside, but he’s got a heart of gold.”
    Elizabeth didn’t respond, skeptical of the
woman’s optimism. Grace didn’t understand the history Will had with the Archer
family. It would be best if she just kept to herself and never looked back.
    “Did you know that one cubic foot of gold weighs
a half of a ton.” Elizabeth’s hand flew to her mouth. She would have to work
harder to keep her words in check. “I’m sorry. I cannot seem to help myself.”
    Grace narrowed her eyes with a pursed-lip smile.
“I guess he has a very heavy heart.”
    They looked at each other. Elizabeth held her
breath, her eyes wide, then suddenly the humor of Grace’s statement bubbled
over and they both laughed.
    “Don’t you worry. He’s out of town right now,”
Grace continued, “but I am sure he will be back by the end of the coming week.”
She nodded, then reached out, taking hold of Elizabeth’s hand, and squeezed. “It’ll
all work out. You’ll see.”
    From your lips to God’s ears.
    As long as Will Redbourne didn’t find out she was
Sterling Archer’s daughter, there might just be a chance that everything would
work out fine. But, if she stayed in Stone Creek, it would only be a matter of
time before he discovered the truth of her heritage. No, she couldn’t risk it.
Not if she wanted any chance of living a life outside of her father’s devious
shadow. It seemed the time had come, more quickly than she’d expected, to move
on. To find another place to call home.
    The question was, where would she go?

CHAPTER THREE

     
    Colorado
City, Colorado
     
    “I’m done,” Will told Sven as they rode into town
and stopped in front of the General Store. He only had a few weeks left before
he would be returning to England and he wanted to spend as much time with his
family as he could before he left. Taking on another job, no matter how small,
would be a distraction he could ill afford.
    He’d already been working as an outrider for the
stagecoach company for longer than he’d planned and he was anxious to get home.
There were a lot of preparations to be made, and with the money from this ride,
he’d have enough to finally purchase the ship waiting for him in Boston.
    His friend’s brows knit together.
    “I have been offered a position at the University
of London to teach for the next few years and I have a lot to get done before I
leave,” he explained as they both climbed down off their horses.
    “London?” Sven asked with a raised brow. “Does
your mother know?”
    Will hadn’t been able to muster enough courage to
tell his family about his new position in England. His mother loved having her
children close to home, but with Rafe and Levi travelling all the time, he
figured it wouldn’t be much different, he’d just be riding the ocean waves
instead of a horse. The job included the opportunity to assemble a crew for his
ship and to explore.
    “I didn’t think so,” Sven mocked. “Come on, Will.
It’s just one more run to Kansas City. You wouldn’t even have to take the train
with them to Denver. Good money,” the Norwegian man coaxed as he strapped his
horse to the short wooden railing. “Twice as much as this one and less than a
quarter of the distance.”
    “You know I don’t care about that.” Truth was, ever
since his brothers, Levi and Ethan, had both found that finding love agreed
with them, Will had started thinking more about settling down himself, getting
married and having a gaggle of children of his own, but there were a few things
he