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all four were inside and had had the chance to catch up on the goings on at the ranch, Carey looked to Amy and gestured for her to begin. “Well, guys, someone over here blabbed that I had some news to share.” Miranda practically bounced in her seat while Casey leaned forward expectantly. “So, I’ll let you guys be the first to know that I’ve decided to stay in Hale. The judge has appointed me to be the new sheriff!”

      Their faces frozen into forced glad smiles, Miranda and Casey alternated between looking at Carey and Amy, and looking at each other. Was this good news, or not? And what did she mean, staying in Hale? That was almost an hour away!

      “Um, that’s great, Amy!” Casey began, looking pointedly at Miranda to celebrate. She recovered herself and clapped her hands excitedly—maybe a little too excitedly to be believed—before jumping up and giving Amy a hug. “I mean, that is great, isn’t it? This is a good thing?”

      “Of course it’s a good thing!” Amy said with a laugh. “I think it’s going to be just the change of scenery I needed to get back into what I love doing. And with the DEA still uncovering how deep the drug ring in Hale goes, I figure I can also be needed around here.”

      Carey had been fairly quiet during their congratulations, smiling proudly but not saying much. Casey and Miranda exchanged a worried look, but didn’t let their nagging worry for the next Carson brother ruin the evening’s mood.

      While Miranda and Amy sat on the porch after dinner and enjoyed the pampering of the twins having cooked and now offering to clean up, Casey stole a moment to whisper to his brother.“So, you didn’t seem too excited about Amy taking that sheriff position.”

      “Was it that obvious? Damn, I’ve been working all day on my excited face,” Carey said back snarkily. “I mean, I can’t even tell you how glad I am that Amy’s staying around here, I just wish it was for a different reason than being the right cop to unearth a drug ring.”

      “Yeah, I get it,” Casey replied. “but are you sure that’s all it is, and not the fact that she’ll be taking the job all the way over in Hale?”

      “Well, there’s that, too. But we can always figure that out. It’s far, but it’s not like it’s across the country. It’s not even across the county!”

      “Then what’s the problem? You got her to stay in this part of the country, that was a huge decision right there,” Casey explained, trying to be sympathetic while getting his brother to see that a major battle—losing Amy as she returned to life up north—had already been won.

      “I just don’t like this whole business with Matthews and Crazy Mack, it’s just not sitting right with me that these things were happening right next door to us all this time, and we never knew about it.” Carey paused his pacing in the small kitchen and leaned back against this kitchen sink, running his hands through his hair. “And now, Amy’s going to get tangled up in all of it. I think she was right all along, this goes a lot deeper than just two local boys. I just can’t stand the thought of something happening to her, and she’s gonna go off and fight the bad guys!” Carey complained quietly, casting nervous glances to the front door to make sure they weren’t overheard.

      “Dude, it’s gonna be okay. If that girl can survive in Detroit, then I don’t think Hale, Texas is gonna be too be a leap for her!” Casey didn’t know that Amy almost didn’t survive Detroit, and that was a huge part of the reason she’d stayed, knowing there wasn’t much of a life to go back to in the city.

      Carey nodded begrudgingly, admitting there was some truth to what Casey said. “You’re right. Deep down, I know it but it’s still hard to think about.”

      Miranda called from the front porch for the brothers to join them, and the four of them sat together and visited under the stars. After their conversation dwindled down to a comfortable, thoughtful silence, Casey spoke.

      “Carey, now would you please put my wife out of her misery? She’s trying really hard to hold it together, but I don’t know how much longer she can take it,” he asked in an exasperated tone. It was Amy who giggled first, causing Carey to laugh along.

      “What are you talking about?” Miranda demanded, pretending to be angry and narrowing her eyes at Casey. She watched the three of them laugh good-naturedly at her expense before nearly losing her patience, making them laugh even louder. “I’m not playing, you guys! Someone tell me what’s going on, before I die from the suspense!”

      It was Amy who finally ended the torture as she extended her hand to Miranda, waggling the fingers on her left hand and letting the row of diamonds on her now-replaced ring catch the moonlight.

      “Carey asked me to marry him, and I said yes!”

      The End

      About Amelia Rose

      Amelia is a shameless romance addict with no intentions of ever kicking the habit. Growing up she dreamed of entertaining people and taking them on fantastical journeys with her acting abilities, until she came to the realization as a college sophomore that she had none to speak of. Another ten years would pass before she discovered a different means to accomplishing the same dream: writing stories of love and passion for addicts just like herself. Amelia has always loved romance stories and she tries to tie all the elements she likes about them into her writing.

      Carried

      Forward

      By Hope

      April – December 1865

      Book # 6 in The Bregdan Chronicles

      Sequel to The Last, Long Night

Ginny Dye

Chapter One

      April 15, 1865

      Carrie Borden fought to control the shudder that rippled through her body when she stepped out onto the porch. The polished boards gleamed in the early morning light filtered by the looming magnolia tree, and a soft fragrance from the milky white blooms perfumed the air. Cardinals offered a splash of brilliant red, but they couldn’t distract from the starkness that permeated the still, somber air.

      Abigail Stratton and Rose Samuels moved out onto the porch beside her. Carrie reached down to grab hold of their hands as they stared down at Richmond’s charred remains, brushing absently at the long, ebony waves she had not thought to put up in a bun. A gentle breeze tossed soft strands around her face as her bright green eyes clouded with tears. “Can you feel it?” she whispered, somehow not able to make her voice sound normal. On a day like today, surely it was necessary to speak differently.

      Aunt Abby nodded her head as she gripped Carrie’s hand more tightly. “I can feel it,” she replied heavily; her soft, gray eyes misting as she took deep breaths.

      “There is trouble in the air,” Carrie said, her voice still a strained whisper. “What is going to happen?”