Stacey Joy Netzel Boxed Set by Stacey Joy Netzel Read Free Book Online

possessed the refinement of the women back
home, yet she had a wild streak that I found so exciting. I thought
I’d found the woman of my dreams…until that day at the bank.”
    “She was very beautiful,” Melanie
murmured.
    “Yes,” he agreed without emotion. “And
cunning. She rode into town with her father that morning and we’d
arranged to meet at the bank so I could take her to lunch. When I
stepped into Jacob’s office, Tucker grabbed Lorena and held her at
gunpoint as Jacob emptied the safe. When he was done, Tucker shoved
the bags at me, told me to ride the hell out of town and meet him
at Rockledge Pass where he’d exchange Lorena for the money. She
looked so frightened, pleading with her eyes for me to save
her.”
    “She was a good actress.”
    Andrew continued as if he hadn’t heard her.
“Jacob must’ve had second thoughts. Or he was making it real, I
don’t know, but he drew his gun on Tucker.”
    “And you seized your opportunity.”
    “Yes, I—” Andrew spun around to stare at
her, his gray eyes stormy with confusion. “I…what? What did I do,
Melanie?”
    “You hit him. Hard. Knocked him on his ass.
The gun went off, Lorena screamed. You were terrified she’d been
shot, but had to make sure Tucker was down.”
    “How…?”
    “When you knocked Tucker out, Lorena grabbed
the money and ran. Shocked and betrayed, you went after her. You’d
almost caught her when the little girl fell into the river. As you
kicked free of the stirrups, the bullet hit you, piercing your
right lung. You used the last of your strength to save her, but no
one saved you. Not one single person would reach out to help
you.”
    A deep breath restored her depleted oxygen
after the torrent of words.
    Andrew sank onto his knees in front of her,
anguish in his eyes. “You dreamt all that?”
    She swallowed hard and wiped the tears she
just now realized streaked down her cheeks. “I lived every moment.
I felt your anger. Your desperation. Your pain.”
    Andrew lifted his hand toward her, then
hesitated and dropped it back to his thigh. “I am so sorry,
Melanie. I do not understand this connection—why you would be made
to experience such a terrible thing. I would never want to cause
you pain.”
    One more tear slid down her cheek as she
gave a tremulous smile. “My great-great-great-grandmother’s name
was Vanessa Brisbane.”
    His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. His
nostrils flared as his chest expanded.
    “She married in 1870 and moved from
Lindeman’s Crossing to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.”
    “You are Vanessa’s granddaughter?” he
breathed in wonder.
    “Third generation, yes.”
    He sat back on his heels. “I watched her
grow up—looked forward to every time she came to town with those
wild, red curls framing her beautiful little face and those amazing
green eyes.”
    His gaze traveled over Melanie’s face.
    “Just like yours. I see the resemblance now.
I missed her so much when she left. She was the one bright spot in
those first years when my soul was so dark.”
    Melanie ached to touch him, but twice now
he’d shied away from her, so she kept her hands in her lap. “I
think I was meant to feel what you went through to save her, what
you sacrificed. And now I also know what I need to do. I’m going to
tell the world what really happened.”
    He looked away, across the field again.“The
world isn’t going to care what happened to me.”
    “I’ll make sure they care. John and I
already spoke yesterday—he plans to investigate what happened to
Jacob, see if he can find any proof of his involvement. Anyone who
learns the history of this town will know the truth of what you
did.”
    He shifted around to sit with his back
against the tree. “John’s a good man—distant relative,
actually.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes.”
    Melanie sensed a change in him. If she had
to define it, she’d say he seemed relieved. She frowned. No, not
the right word.
    Drawing up one leg, he rested his forearm on
his