Dancing With the Preacherman (Book Two of the Red River Valley Brides) Read online

  Dancing with the Preacher Man

  Rita Hestand

  Dancing With the

  Preacherman

  (Book Two of the Red River Valley Brides)

  By Rita Hestand

  copyright© 2016 by Rita Hestand

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN# 978-1310712296

  Cover by Sheri McGathy

  Smashwords Edition

  Licensed Note

  This book Dancing With the Preacherman is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. Please purchase an additional copy for each person you share with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it. For it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  Books in this Series

  Heart of a Lady

  Dancing With the Preacherman

  Last Bride, Last Man

  Winning the Lady

  Maggie's Dreams

  ~Dedication~

  Sometimes we think preachers aren't human but have celestial qualities rather than human. We put them on a pedestal and expect them to live a life that is pure fantasy. Here's to all the women that stands strong beside their preacher husband and knows for a fact that they are very human, and yet they still love them. God bless them.

  Rita Hestand

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  About the Author

  Rita's Other Books

  Vada, Texas 1881

  Chapter One

  An irresistible jolt of desire made her float toward him, as his eyes took her in with one swoop of his lashes. Here she was standing under a beautiful waterfall, with nothing on, her arms outstretched to receive her lover, as he came closer. A sensuous smile lit his lips. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She trembled as he reached to hold her. Her hand flicked his hat away, as he bent his head to hers. The kiss was at first warm and feather-light, brushing her lips as though she were a painting he wanted to remember. She gasped and he smothered her with another hot melting kiss that sent her spiraling into some beautiful void where only they existed. He picked her up in his arms and began carrying her off to the dark privacy of the cave beneath the falls. Sarah moaned aloud, slipping further down into the pew.

  Jo Ella jabbed her in the ribs, waking her from the dream she was still partaking in. Her cheeks flushed as people stared at her for interrupting the beautiful song that Maggie was singing.

  Maggie was undeterred.

  Sarah squirmed restlessly, wishing she could fade into the pew.

  It took a minute to climb down off that mountain of a dream she carried with her everywhere. However, today she was in church and the object of that dream was glaring at her for interrupting the service.

  Oh dear God, she'd done it again. When was she going to snap out of this mesmerizing hollow that swallowed her better judgement?

  Scrunching down in the pew once more, she tried to make herself less conspicuous, but it was too late. She'd lost herself for those few climatic moments in time.

  Sarah frowned and listened to the solo that Maggie sang to perfection and closed her eyes. The song lulled her senses…She could see herself on a grassy knoll, watching the clouds form different shapes, and Luke Miller next to her, watching with her. He would lean over and kiss her and she would lose her breath as his lips feather touched hers. An audible sigh escaped her. Lost in a world of her own, Jo Ella nudged her once more, this time a little harder. Her eyes flew open and she sat up straighter as she made a jolting eye contact with the young preacher.

  She hadn't missed a thing except Maggie's song. She should have paid attention. Lately she'd been escaping into her own world. She had to escape, her real life was so boring, and she was stifled with the mundane of it.

  She'd come here with the intentions of finding a husband, but so far, the only man she'd been interested in didn't know she was alive, and her attempts to change that were going nowhere.

  As always, Sarah's eyes connected with the preacher man, Joseph Miller. Every word he uttered caressed her senses, but Luke didn't know she existed. She was one of his regular congregation, but he never acted as though he saw her. And if he did on occasion pay attention to her, it was only to bring her out of those wonderful dreams she had.

  She'd stayed late to help put up the bibles and hymnals away, but that hadn't impressed him. She'd volunteered to help with celebrations in the town, but Luke treated her very impartially and she wondered what she could be doing wrong. She never used to have a bit or trouble enticing a man. What was wrong here?

  "What a beautiful song, thank you so much for sharing it with us, Miss Hilton," Luke was saying. He practically gushed when he spoke of Maggie's talents. Sarah wished it were her up there singing and receiving that famous shy grin from Luke. Only problem was, she couldn't carry a tune.

  She had to face it; she did nothing to impress the preacherman.

  When the sermon was over and the singing ended, Sarah sighed heavily as she marched out of the church with her friends.

  Jo Ella glanced at her. "I'll swear Sarah, when are you going to snap out of these doldrums you are in?" Sarah looked hurt. "I'm sorry honey. Don't be so disappointed. He's bound to notice you at the church social."

  "What's the use? He never notices me. It's all so useless. Why do I always fall for the cowboys that could care less?" Sarah wailed miserably on their way home in the wagon. "I'm not sure he knows I exist. At the rate I'm going, I might as well go back to Al's now."

  "Give it time, Sarah, he seems like a shy man and perhaps he doesn't want to appear too forward. After all, he's a preacher." Jo Ella exclaimed.

  "He's coming to supper tonight, Ma invited him." Maggie chuckled and glanced at Sarah as she found her seat next to them.

  "Little good that will do me. He raves over your singing, Ma's cooking, he talks to Jo Ella about everything, but he doesn't know I exist." Sarah cried. "It's no use, I should forget him…The man is simply not interested, at least not in me. It's just that…when he does happen to smile at me, I go to mush, pure mush. I should know better than that, but I can't seem to help it."

  "Maybe you're being too demure." Maggie suggested.

  "Well, what am I supposed to do? This courtship that isn't a courtship at all could take years the way we are going at it. If only I could be as bold as I am in my dreams, then he'd notice. I'm sure of it." Sarah complained. "I didn't have this much trouble getting a man to bed me. Going back to Al's might be the only thing I can do. And that's the l
ast thing I want to do. I want to be married, just like Jo Ella. I want to be happy, have children, and I want Luke for a husband. Is it so wrong to pick him out like this? I mean when we were rescued, he's the one that put me on the back of his horse. I thought he liked me. Obviously, I was wrong. I'm not reading him right."

  "Why don't you find another cowboy?" Trish suggested.

  "Because I've invested too much time in this one. Besides, he's the one I want. We are so suited to each other, he just doesn't see it."

  "Then do something about it. Make him notice you. Anyone can gather bibles and hymnals. And for heaven sakes, don't gush so much over him. Play hard to get. Maybe even act interested in another man." Maggie suggested. "Sometimes it takes that kind of plan to make it all come together."

  "I will not. I want him to come to me. I want him to make the first move. I want…"

  "Exactly, you want. What does he want? That's the real question. You went from being a whore to being a lady. Surely, you can do this. He's shy. He isn't going to come to you unless you invite him to." Maggie laughed. "And you know how to do that. As I remember, you were one of the best."

  "He's a preacher Maggie, not some saddle tramp. Besides, the only reason I was the most popular girl in Al's is that I was younger, and shorter. Men usually have a weakness for shorter girls. Have you ever noticed that? They think because you are short, you can't do anything. It makes them want to take care of you."

  Jo Ella nodded, "Granted, you were the youngest and they like them young, but this is different. You are playing for something much more fulfilling than a romp in bed. Besides, your problem is you are letting his profession get in the way of the man he is. Don't think of him as a preacher, think of him as a man. He's a rancher too. Maybe you should look at him from that angle. And whatever you do, don't melt when he smiles your way, Sarah. Act like you don't even notice."

  "I know all of that, Jo Ella. I know he's a man. Especially when he's talking to the three of you. Even Nadine seems to interest him. But I'm not sure he does look my way. Nor smile at me. I mean, he doesn't court any girl. It's like he's one of those monks I've read about."

  "Maybe you should seduce him…" Nadine burst out.

  "But he's a preacher. How do I go about attracting a preacher?" Sarah frowned at Maggie who had a lot of ideas, ideas Sarah wasn't going to use.

  "You start by seducing the man in him, not the preacher, not the rancher, but the man. He's human, just like any other man, Sarah. You've got this picture of him as some sort of God. He's a man. He can be influenced by any woman."

  "I know Maggie seduces him with her songs. I've seen the way he looks at her. I think he's got a crush on her." Sarah glanced at Maggie. "Maybe that's the problem. He wants Maggie."

  "I'm not interested in your preacher man, Sarah. If I were, I'd be all over him." Maggie chuckled again. "But I think he knows a lot more people come to church when they know I'm going to sing."

  "I don't have a voice, or any talents that would impress him." She hung her head. "I’m the plainest of us all. I have no outstanding features. I'm just a girl, who is in love with Luke Miller."

  "Then give up. Don't fight for what you want in life, Sarah. Let it pass you by, and you'll be back at Al's." Jo Ella's words were like a sharp slap, her eyes piercing Sarah.

  Sarah felt the bite of her words, and tears sprang, but she pushed them back, determined not to look weak with her friends.

  "I won't give up, but I just feel it's useless." Sarah shook her head. "Maybe I should settle for someone who at least pays some attention, though. Like Horace Cain, or Adam Loomis."

  "Surely you can do better than those two. Horace is nearly two feet taller than you, and Adam is a Mama's boy. He can't go anywhere without her. You wouldn't want that. There are any numbers of young men who admire you Sarah. Why don't you try giving them a chance?" Jo Ella encouraged.

  "Anything worth having is worth fighting for, Sarah." Ma chimed in.

  Sarah nodded slowly. "That's the first thing any of you have said, that makes sense to me."

  "Good!" Jo Ella smiled.

  When they got home, Sarah ran upstairs to put on her everyday dress and sat on the edge of her bed a long while thinking. What could she do that might interest him?

  That angle had been explored. She came up empty. What makes a man want a woman?

  "Beauty!" She cried aloud. "I'm always surrounded by prettier women. Why would he look at me?" However, if it was a beauty he wanted he would have already chosen one of the other girls. Sarah was the most ordinary of the five. She had no outstanding features. She was slim and fit her clothes nicely, but her hair was a mousy blond, and she rarely dressed up. Her eyes were an ordinary brown. Her hair she wore down most of the time, and she thought she looked dowdy. If beauty enticed, she was out of luck. Maggie could snare him easily, or Trish, they were both gorgeous beyond belief. Jo Ella had an exotic thing about her. Nadine was sexy as all get out, but she…she was dowdy.

  What could she do that no one else could? She could sew, in fact, she was splendid at sewing, but how often did a man need a seamstress? She could fix hair too; she was very good at making the others look beautiful. Maybe she should try some new styles on herself. That would be one thing. She had to admit that since she came to Vada she hadn't paid as much attention to herself. She was always clean and sweet smelling. She always managed to do her hair, but not taking any real pains with it.

  She thought about that. At Al's Jo Ella had taught her that she needed to play herself up, wear heels and lipstick and fix her hair. Since she'd been here, she seldom wore her hair up.

  Still she didn't think talent or looks would sway Luke Miller.

  She was going to have to think about it long and hard before she figured it out.

  Depressed she went downstairs and helped Ma prepare supper.

  "Ma…could you teach me to make some of those wonderful pies you make?" Sarah asked as she peeled potatoes for dinner.

  "Sure. You get up early in the morning, and we'll work on some together." Ma encouraged her. "And I happen to know that Luke Miller likes peach cobbler better than anything."

  "Peach cobbler!" Sarah repeated. "Could we make it?"

  "Sure darlin' we can make up a bunch of stuff. I'll have you cooking like a café cook in no time." Ma smiled at her.

  Sarah perked up.

  "You know he's coming for supper, don't you?" Ma asked.

  "Who?" Sarah pretended innocence.

  "Why Luke, of course. Who else we talking about?" She teased her.

  "Am I that transparent?"

  "Only to another woman. Men are dense sometimes. It's their occupation that distracts them so. Men are funny that way."

  "You don't think he deliberately ignores me?"

  "No darlin' I don't. Not Luke, he's not that way." Ma explained. "But he is preoccupied. He hasn't been preaching all that long and I'm sure he wants to make the community like him and respect him as their pastor. Sometimes, he gets caught up in that."

  "It's a crucial job." Sarah defended him.

  "Of course it is. But he doesn't need to worry about it so much. We don't have many preachers up this way. The people that have religion will like him. The people that don't, won't." Ma said quietly as though anyone should know that.

  That evening, Luke showed up on time. He was asking Maggie about singing the next Sunday again. Maggie agreed.

  Sarah came into the kitchen and greeted him, he hardly noticed. She sent Maggie a face and went over to help Ma.

  She poured herself a cup of coffee, trying her best not to show how disappointed she was.

  She set the table and poured Maggie and Luke a cup of coffee. They had their heads together about what she might sing, so he paid no attention at all to her.

  When everyone came to the table, Luke said grace.

  Again, the dreams haunted her making her squirm at the table, they were so enticingly sexy. However, when Jo Ella nudged her under the table with her knee, Sarah could o
nly blush.

  "Luke that was an excellent sermon you preached on this morning," Sarah said aloud, trying to look attentive.

  "Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it." He barely gave Sarah a glance.

  The other girls noticed.

  Conversation floated about the table, but Sarah heard nothing more than the rejection she felt. Lost in another world, she didn't hear Ma's question.

  "I'm sorry, what did you say Ma?" Sarah mumbled.

  "I was just wondering if you'll be working on the quilt this afternoon?" Ma frowned at her.

  "Oh yes, I love working on it, you know that." Sarah muttered.

  "Good, I'll help you." Ma nudged her in the rib. "This quilt is for Abigail North, she's new in the community and I thought it might be a nice welcoming gesture."

  "I'm sure she will appreciate it, Ma." Sarah nodded and wiped her mouth. "Excuse me…" She got up to leave the table.

  She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She ran upstairs trying to calm herself.

  It was useless. Luke Miller didn't know she was alive. However, she didn't hear Ma's next words. "Maybe you and Sarah could take it to her, next weekend, I think we'll have it finished by then."

  "Of course, remind me, will you. I forget easily." Luke smiled at her.

  "Of course. Sarah's done most of the work on it and it's beautiful. Since we've been quilting, she's really become a great seamstress." Ma was saying.

  "She's very quiet about her accomplishments, isn't she?" Luke glanced up the stairs.

  "I think it comes from the fact that her parents paid little attention to her until she was nearly grown…" Ma added.

  Maggie and Jo Ella glanced at each other. Sarah didn't talk about her home life to others.

  Still, it was for a good cause.

  Chapter Two

  "Miss Sarah, we wanted to know if you'd go fishing with us this afternoon." Brady Crawford was at the door. He had been a friend of Sarah's ever since she came to Vada and he caught her at the pond with a pole in her hand. He was too young to consider a suitor, but he was her friend.