The Widow of Papina Read online

  Table of Contents

  THE WIDOW OF PAPINA

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  Table of Contents

  THE WIDOW OF PAPINA

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  THE WIDOW OF PAPINA

  Contemporary Romance Mystery

  KATIE HAMSTEAD

  SOUL MATE PUBLISHING

  New York

  THE WIDOW OF PAPINA

  Copyright©2017

  KATIE HAMSTEAD

  Cover Design by Wren Taylor

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

  Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Published in the United States of America by

  Soul Mate Publishing

  P.O. Box 24

  Macedon, New York, 14502

  ISBN: 978-1-68291-573-8

  www.SoulMatePublishing.com

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  For My Husband,

  my own Native American love of my life.

  Acknowledgements

  I’d love to make a special thanks to my husband. His work with tribes and the struggles I see through him and his extended family helped inspire portions of this book. Theirs is a quiet struggle, unsung by media, and I hope I shined a light on what they go through even just a little.

  Next, I’d like to thank the Soul Mate Publishing team. This is my fourth novel with Soul Mate, and I am so glad Debby took a chance on me with Branded several years ago. Thank you also to Janet for taking the time to love this book and clean it up with me so that others can love it too.

  And thank you, the reader, for continuing following my works, or for reading one of my books for the first time. I write because I love it, I publish for you.

  Chapter 1

  I didn’t care what anyone said, I had the most handsome husband in the world. Forrest adjusted his yellow tie, grinning at me in the mirror. I loved that grin; pearly whites contrasted to his smooth brown skin, and mischief always twinkled in his dark brown eyes.

  I smoothed the front of my yellow and white maternity dress and slipped on my white flats. “Does my hair look okay?”

  He stepped over and ran his hand down my braid that took a long shower and plenty of hairspray to control the curls enough to do. “You look beautiful.”

  A contraction kicked me in the gut, but I gritted my teeth so it didn’t show, and Forrest wouldn’t demand I stay home to rest. “I feel like a beached whale.”

  “A very attractive beached whale.”

  I slapped his chest.

  He checked his dark, thick, cropped hair and offered me his arm. “Let’s go meet the town and stir up some trouble.”

  I took his arm, loving how my pale skin contrasted to his darker skin, and let him lead me out to the car.

  We had arrived the day before, and already the tiny mountain town welcomed us with open arms. We drove the short distance from our new home, down the short main street to the Town Hall where the townspeople had organized our welcoming party.

  We turned onto the main street and I smiled at the rustic shops running alongside the short street; with an old church building on one end, a town hall in the middle, and a relatively large hotel on the other end, the “main” street was all of three blocks long.

  Town Hall was packed with people, each one of them making it a point to greet us. Deputy Clark, who wore a hideous cowboy hat over his scruffy brown hair, ushered us past the crowd to meet his wife, Megan. I’d met him earlier when he helped us move in, and he was eager for me to meet her. Still in her second trimester, her brown eyes sparkled as she gushed about all the ups and downs of pregnancy.

  “It’s so nice to have someone to talk to about this,” she said, flicking her auburn hair over her shoulder. “Clint doesn’t understand, everyone our age is single, and the older ladies are intent on giving me advice.”

  “That’s one of the woes of living in a small town,” I responded with a shrug.

  Her eyes widened as she leaned forward. “Exactly! I grew up in Bearville, just south of here, and I always thought it was small. But, when I married Clint and moved out here . . .” She shook her head. “I learned what small is.”

  “I’ve always lived in a city,” I said. “I’m from Las Vegas, so this is very peaceful.”

  “Las Vegas,” she whispered, her eyes so wide they looked like they would pop right out.

  Forrest placed a plate in front of me. “I hope this is okay?”

  I nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Do you mind if I—?”

  “Go play.”

  He grinned and rushed over to the sheriff and deputy, both of whom dressed in plaid shirts and jeans, with their guns strapped to their hips, despite being off duty. It’s good to know “tidy casual” meant gun holsters and cowboy gear.

  Forrest, on the other hand, looked fan
tastic in his white shirt and black dress pants. At least he looked progressive.

  “Where did you get your dress?” Megan interrupted me as I undressed my husband in my head.

  “Oh, ah, back down in Vegas.”

  Her eyes grew wider with envy. “Can I raid your wardrobe? I’d love to get the dressmaker to throw together some fashionable clothes for me.”

  “Sure.” I smiled.

  I turned my focus back to Forrest, but he had vanished. I scanned the crowd, locating him on the far side of the room walking toward the stage with the sheriff and deputy flanking him. “What’s he doing?”

  “A speech, most likely,” Megan said.

  “Oh, good heavens.” If someone gave Forrest a mic, I knew exactly what he would say.

  Sure enough, a mic was handed to Forrest and I covered my face. Here we go . . . .

  “Hello, town of Papina. I have been asked to introduce myself and my wife to you all.” He gestured across the room at me, and I waved sheepishly. “There she is, folks, my beautiful wife, Braydon. And, I’m Forrest Miller. You probably know we moved here so I can work on the Res with the minors as a counselor. This is our dream.”

  He puffs his chest out as he grins at me. “Anyway, so you can get a feel for who we are, let me tell you about the moment I knew I needed to marry this beautiful woman.”

  Oh, here he goes . . . .

  “We’d been dating for six months, and I was in complete awe that she still wanted to keep me around. We were both in our final year of our degrees, and we were making plans for the future, so my mind was set in that direction.

  “After a wonderful dinner date with friends, we returned to my apartment and sat down to watch a movie. We didn’t watch any of it though because we were too busy talking the whole time.

  “After I took her home, I realized something. I’d always seen her as this gorgeous girl, way above me, and I was lucky to have her around, but the truth was, she’d become my best friend. I realized I loved her, not because she is attractive and charming, but because I could talk to her and we shared the same values and beliefs. She understood my dreams and passions and I understood hers. It was more than just a love affair, it was a deep connection. Our hearts are bonded; we are one spirit separated by two bodies.

  “I knew then I had to marry her, or lose the best thing that ever happened to me. I would lose my best friend and the love of my life.”

  Everyone awed and clapped. His speech was romantic . . . the first couple of times I’d heard the story. He’d given the same speech to my family when he’d asked permission to marry me, then again when we announced it to our friends, at our engagement party, at the reception, and to just about anyone else who would listen.

  “I love you, Bray.”

  Everyone awed again, and I blushed, hurrying to respond. “I love you too, Forrest.”

  A contraction hit me, but I held back my grimace until everyone looked away. I needed to walk it off.

  I excused myself from Megan, and stepped out into the quiet street. The air smelled of pines with a cool, moist feel. I breathed in deeply, letting the crisp night air flow through me so the cramping would subside.

  “Are you all right?”

  I jumped at the voice. The sheriff stepped out, his gaze fixed on me with concern. His pale blue eyes contrasted drastically to his dark hair as he removed his cowboy hat.

  “It’s just a contraction. It will pass in a minute,” I respond.

  “Should I let Forrest know?” He raised a thick, dark brow.

  I shook my head. “No, he’ll panic and drag us home. I’ll be fine.”

  I leaned against the wall as the cramping intensified, and whimpered.

  “Are you going into labor?”

  I looked up at him and smiled. “No. It’s getting close, so I’ve been expecting this.”

  He grasped my arm, probably because he thought I might collapse. “Maybe I can distract you.”

  “Go ahead. Are you a standup comedian on the side?”

  His nose twitched. “No, standup comedy is smut.”

  “Wholesome country boy, huh? Well, where I grew up, every other person thought they could do standup of some kind.” I took a deep breath. “Everyone seemed to be trying to either get out of town, or break into show business. In the meantime, they all did construction.”

  “I went to a city once,” he muttered. “It was so busy and noisy. I like it out here. You can do things at your own pace and everyone’s friendly. The only real crime fighting I ever had to do was in training, and sometimes, I have to remove drugs from the boarding school.” He motioned toward the large building that loomed on the hillside over the town.

  “My biggest job around here is helping people. Changing a tire, moving a couch, getting cats out of trees.” He paused. “Oh, I do have to make sure all the pet dogs are licensed and vaccinated, and every winter I shoot at least one wolf or coyote.”

  “Tough life.”

  He smirked, scratching the dark stubble on his jaw. “Not that I couldn’t do crime fighting. I did very well in training; topped my classes. I just prefer this.”

  The contraction subsided and I let out a puff of air. “It is nice here.”

  He looked down at me with a slight squint, tilting his head. “Are you okay now?”

  “I think so, yes.”

  “Did I succeed in distracting you?”

  I chuckled. “Yes, you did.”

  “Good. Even off duty, I’m serving my community.”

  I chuckled again, but cut off when I almost peed myself. Stupid compressed bladder. “Let’s go back inside now.”

  He held my elbow as he guided me back inside. The second we stepped through the door, Forrest’s gaze locked on me. He rushed over, his body tense. “What happened?”

  “I’m fine.” I smiled, grasping his elbow. “I just needed some air.”

  His brows furrowed together as he looked to the sheriff. “Paul? I know she’s covering so I don’t worry. What happened?”

  The sheriff cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck.

  “Forrest,” I said. “Don’t put him in that position. I just had some Braxton Hicks contractions, okay? It’s not a big deal.”

  Forrest’s brows knitted together. “Contractions?” He rested his hands on my belly. “Maybe we should head over to the hospital.”

  “No, Forrest.” I grabbed his hands. “It’s fine. It’s not labor, I swear. Look at me, I’m totally fine.”

  “I just—”

  “No.”

  “But—”

  “No.”

  He slumped, looking to the sheriff. “You see? Stubborn little thing.”

  “You’ve been talking about me?” I grinned.

  “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  I giggled.

  Forrest wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “To be safe, I’m staying with you the rest of the night. I don’t want anything to happen to you or our baby.” He reached over and shook the sheriff’s hand. “Thanks, Paul.”

  “Anytime. It’s my duty to serve the community,” he replied with a curt tilt of his head.

  Forrest grinned. “And, it’s much appreciated.”

  Later, when I’d finally gotten Forrest to leave me alone long enough to visit the bathroom, Megan found me, cutting my brief reprieve short.

  “So, you want to know all the town gossip?” she asked as I bent over to wash my hands.

  “Ah . . . sure.” I had to admit, knowing things like that would keep me from sticking my foot in my mouth.

  “Well, let’s see. There isn’t much, really, because most people are older and married, but the Wilsons don’t talk to the Macks . . .” She went on and on while I listened, before she finally
got to some interesting stuff. “So, the handful of single women, which you just met, all want to get into Sheriff Davis’ pants.”

  I turned to her. “Really?”

  Her grin widened at my piqued interest. “Yeah. Come on, he’s gorgeous. He’s built like a prize bull at a rodeo, and those eyes . . .”

  I chuckled. “If you go for that whole cowboy thing.”

  She pressed her hands against her hips, smirking. “Well I do, and so does every single girl within a hundred-mile radius. Not to mention he’s just a really good guy. Sarah, in particular, has been hung up on him for years. Clint says she’s been smitten since they were all in high school together. But, she was a freshman when he was a senior, so he doesn’t really see her as anything other than a sister.”

  Sarah had organized the party, and I’d met her when we first arrived and briefly that night. “Wow, has she never left this town?”

  Megan shrugged. “She likes it here. It’s safe and it’s home. You’ll understand one day.”

  I could see the appeal of being a town gossip in a place like this, as I craved for more. “So, what would happen if he brought some woman back here?”

  Her eyes widened but a smile curled her lips. “I think she’d be devastated. Paul dated a woman when he and Clint were in training, and Sarah just about lost it. He brought her back once, and Sarah was awful to her. But, the woman ended up breaking his heart and he hasn’t dated since.”

  “She broke his heart?”

  “Yeah. He asked her to marry him and, according to Clint, she laughed in his face and said she couldn’t believe he thought they were in a serious relationship.”

  “That’s terrible.” I scowled. If something like that happened with Forrest, I would have been crushed.

  “I know.”

  “Megan?”

  She spun to the door. “Clint?”

  “Oh, there you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I should have known you’d be off gossiping somewhere.”

  She rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand to lead me out the door. Her husband smiled at me as we stepped out, but I was unable to return the gesture as another contraction hit me. I moaned and grabbed my belly.