Sons of Honor Box Set Read online

  

  Series

  Six Books

  Box Set

  Copyright

  © Lynn Donovan 2020

  Cover Copyright © 2020 Virginia McKevitt

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Copyright

  Acknowledgements

  Adam

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Seth

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Personal Note From the Author

  Jonah

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Personal Note From the Author

  Jacob

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Personal Note From the Author

  Reuben

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Personal Note From the Author

  Benjamin

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Personal Note From the Author

  About the Author

  Newsletter and a Free Gift for You

  Humble Request

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to everybody in my life who has contributed in one way or another to the writing of this book. My husband, my children, my children-in-law, and my grandchildren. You all are my unconditional fans. My BETA reader and grammar guru who make me look gooder than I am. [Bad grammar intended.] My fellow author friends who chat with me daily to exchange ideas, encourage, maintain sanity, and keep me from being a total recluse/hermit.

  Mostly I thank God for the talent he has given me. I hope to hear you say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” when I cross the Jordan and run into your arms—Many, many years from now. :)

  Adam

  Book 1

  

  

  ISBN: 9798666608067

  Prologue

  Lantern, Texas - 1879

  “Woman! I said NO!” Langston Barns spun from his wife and stormed out of the churchyard. Mercy covered her cheek with a slender hand and gathered her two daughters against her skirts. They hurried after her husband.

  Adam Featherstone pulled his gaze from the gut-wrenching scene he witnessed through the church doors. His attention had been, as always, on his second cousin, Mercy Coffey Barns and her family. Although they were on the other side of a huge cottonwood tree, Adam knew that good-for-nothing Langston had slapped Mercy, again, and in public!

  Adam stopped, along with everyone else, just inside the church to shake his great uncle Harrison Lantern’s hand before walking out.

  “Will we see you at the Founders’ Day Dinner, Adam?” The pastor shook Adam’s hand longer than necessary waiting for an answer. Great Aunt Gloria stood at her husband’s side with a practiced warm smile. She looked tired. Knowing her, she had probably been up before dawn preparing dishes for today’s potluck dinner. Adam glanced toward Mercy one more time, then looked his great uncle square in the eyes. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  Adam smiled at Aunt Gloria and gave the pastor one more handshake before he let go and walked into the sunlight and down the steps of the church he had helped build when he was a child.

  Had anyone in the churchyard noticed the commotion Langston caused? Or was their attention focused on making their way up the hill to Pastor Harrison’s sprawling two-acre homestead for the annual community dinner. Everybody in Lantern, Texas knew about Mercy’s troubled marriage but turned their heads with the social standard of minding one’s own business.

  Those God-fearing Christians made broad speculations that she had left his marriage bed after their second daughter was born seven years ago. Otherwise, she would have borne him more children. If she’d kept trying, he might have been more pleased with her once a son was born.

  Gossip was an evil addiction, and yet a powerful draw to those who relished others’ troubles. Disguised as concern, the gossip-mongers asked for prayers for those precious two daughters whom Barns rejected because they were not male heirs. It was nothing more than justification for spreading their vicious rumors.

  The more bawdy woolgatherers speculated it was because of Langston’s violent approach to his husbandly rights. And since he shared his favors with one or two saloon hall gals, those speculations were considered to be straight from the horse’s mouth.

  Adam’s heart ached at the thought of Mercy’s twelve years of misery. He loathed the sharp tongues that wagged about her. If Adam had been five years older when Langston set his courtshipping-eye on her, Adam would have married her himself. But alas, the five year difference prevented her from taking his heart-felt interests seriously. Adam was fourteen when Mercy and Langston married. There was little Adam could do to persuade her to wait four years for him.

  Out of respect for her choice, Adam had kept his distance, for the most part. But Mercy’s troubled marriage had remained in Adam’s notice. He knew it was wrong, but when he turned seventeen, he had gone to her when Langston wasn’t home and begged her to leave him. A bruise on her cheek proved at least some of the rumors were true, and Adam couldn’t stand the idea that Barns wasn’t appreciating the precious jewel that Mercy was. She told him she couldn’t face the social stigma of being a divorcée. Adam assured her she didn’t have to be divorced for long. She had hung her head shamefully and told him, “Adam, I’ve made my bed and I must lie in it.”

  Those words rang through his heart over and over. He had to honor her decision, but he didn’t have to like it. He closed his eyes against the anguish Langston’s outburst caused today.

  He, like most of the residence in Lantern, was related to the pastor and would be attending the huge family reunion they called the Founders’ Day Dinner, because, in truth, everyone in Lantern was invited.

  A tradition in Lantern since Adam could remember, every year around July 4, an enormous outdoor potluck dinner was held at the pastor’s home, with two open spits filled with rotisserie meats and numerous side dishes. One table alone was dedicated to desserts. Barrels of lemonade and spring water would be kept in the cool shade of the cottonwood trees. r />
  Harrison’s house was one of the originals built when Lantern was first established and still was a favorite gathering place for events such as this. While it was called Founder’s Day, to Adam, it was just a huge family gathering for dinner.

  From the looks of Langston’s outburst, Mercy and her family would not be attending. The idea of Langston not enjoying the community gatherings and forcing his wife and children to not attend, soured Adam’s stomach. Anger roiled in his gut. Just about the time he made up his mind to go tell Langston what he thought, his next younger brother, Seth, grabbed his arm and stopped him from marching toward Langston Barns.

  “Whoa, there, brother.” Seth frowned. “None of your business.”

  Seth’s wife of five years, Purity Coffey Featherstone, grimaced a compassionate smile. “I’ve tried to talk to my sister, but she says it’s just easier to do what he says than to try to convince him to let her come to our dinners.” Purity shrugged. “Ma’s tried talking to her, too. You know how stubborn and proud Mercy can be.”

  “Yeah.” Adam growled. “And I know what an idiot Barns is, too.”

  Seth patted Adam’s shoulder. “None of our business, brother.”

  Adam couldn’t help but notice the distance that his brother and sister-in-law stood apart from one another. They weren’t nearly as affectionate with one another as they were when they first got married. With Mercy’s deteriorated marriage, Adam wondered if Seth’s marriage had lost its affection, too. Did all marriages end this way? Momma and Monty didn’t seem to be so neutral toward each other. Perhaps only some marriages lacked luster after a time.

  Adam focused his mind on Mercy’s dilemma and glared toward Langston even though the man marched down the boardwalk toward the saloon and had no idea Adam gave him the stink-eye. Mercy and her daughters crossed Main Street, separating from Langston, to go to their home behind the livery. Everyone in town knew Langston did more than drink at the saloon. Adam sighed.

  His twin brothers came up behind Seth and Purity. Jonah had the daughter of the Second Chance Ranch, Charlene Chance, on his arm and Jacob escorted Theodora Farmington, the diner owner’s daughter. “We’ll see ya later, right?” Jonah turned to look over his shoulder. “Momma and Poppa Monty said they’d be along soon. Momma had some patients she needed to check on first.”

  Adam nodded. “Where’s Reuben and Ben?”

  Jonah spun around and scanned the churchyard. “Somewhere.” He shrugged. “I don’t know.” The two youngest brothers were always off doing something different from the rest of the sons.

  “Well, I’m sure we’ll all end up at Great Uncle Harrison’s.” Adam kissed his sister-in-law, Purity’s, cheek before she and Seth walked toward the hill. Everyone except Mercy and her little family, Adam thought. She used to be so outgoing and happy. She was a lot of fun to be around. Now she looked older than her 30 years and just… sad.

  Adam looked toward the heavens and whispered. “Why do you let her suffer like this? I would have been good to her. He doesn’t deserve her, Lord.” He lowered his gaze to the livery at the end of Main Street. “He’s a worthless cheat and wife beater. Only thing he deserves is a good kick in the head by one of those livery horses. It would suit him right to die in a stall, laid out in horse manure and his own blood. Nobody’d find him ’til morning, and it’d be too late to save his raunchy hide.”

  Adam glanced at the church building. It was empty now and Uncle Harrison had closed the doors. Everyone was making their way toward the Lantern Homestead. Except Momma. She’s be along soon.

  Adam sighed. If only he could do or say something to shame Langston Barns into treating Mercy as she deserved— as Adam would have treated her. But even if Uncle Harrison as pastor of Lantern publicly called Barns out for his ill-treatment of his wife, it would only be Mercy who would suffer even more humiliation.

  No, Adam had to keep his feelings locked deep inside. For Mercy’s sake and her girls’. Lord knew how much he wanted to sock Langston in the nose, but with a mother named Honor, he had a huge role to fill. Honoring his second cousin’s marriage wasn’t easy, but as a son of Honor O’Mallory, he couldn’t tread on social decorum. All he could rightfully do was let the Good Lord sort it out.

  Chapter One

  Lantern, Texas - 1881

  “Adam!” Cole Bivens whispered loudly. “Adam! Wake up! You gotta come, quick!”

  Adam leapt out of bed and yanked on his britches. His friend Cole Bivens never came around Hope Ranch’s bunkhouse this late at night unless something was terribly wrong.

  “What is it?” He whispered loudly back so as not to wake the other ranch hands. The other men snored and jerked in their beds, but didn’t seem to wake up. Adam pulled his boots on and grabbed his shirt off his footlocker. “I’m coming,” he hissed.

  Tucking his shirt in, he rushed out the door into the moonlit yard. His hawk-like eyes searched for Cole. “Where are you, man?”

  Cole ponied Adam’s horse along with him as he rode up to Adam. “Here, I tacked up your horse. You gotta come to town. It’s Mercy.” He swallowed. “Well, not so much her, as her husband.”

  “What’s happened?” Adam’s stomach tied into knots as he swung his leg over his hand-tooled saddle. He had made this saddle himself after moving to Hope Ranch to help Nick Garcia. The project kept him busy for over a year in his off hours and away from town… and Mercy. “Cole! What has Langston Barns done now?”

  “Just come on!” Cole turned his horse and kicked him into a canter toward Lantern, Texas. Adam did the same and passed Cole at the ranch’s gate. The moon hid behind a storm cloud that was building to the west, and the path to town became dark as a tar pit. Adam pushed his steed hard. He had no idea what Langston had done, but it had to be bad for Cole to ride all this way just to bring Adam back to town.

  Adam reined his horse to a halt at Coffey Livery and leapt to the ground. Cole’s wife, Scarlett, stood in the livery yard with Adam’s mother.

  Honor O’Mallory approached him with a stern expression. “Son. Now listen to me.”

  Adam pushed past her. He swallowed against an acrid throat. His fists balled at his sides. Had Langston hurt Mercy bad enough that his mother had to come take care of her in the middle of the night? “Where is she, Momma?”

  “She’s inside the house.”

  Adam stopped and turned his head to look over his shoulder at his mother.

  Honor watched him for a moment. “I gave her something to calm her nerves.”

  Adam tensed. “Calm her nerves? Why? What’s happened?”

  “It’s Langston.” Honor took her oldest son by the shoulders. “He’s dead.”

  “Dead?” Adam darted his eyes to Cole. “What do you mean, dead?”

  Cole stepped forward. “Adam, it was an accident. Well, nobody really knows what happened. Mercy said she was already in bed when—”

  Adam came nose to nose with Cole. “Langston was drinking at the saloon all night, wasn’t he?”

  Cole nodded and continued. “I-I heard a ruckus in the livery and came over to see if there was an opossum in the stalls. I found Barns. Trampled to death. I mean, what would cause a horse to go crazy like that?”

  Adam blinked. His mouth hung open. “My God,” he breathed. Just less than two years ago, he’d prayed to God for this very thing to happen to Langston. Surely this wasn’t God’s doing? It had to be a… coincidence. “Is he still in…”

  “Yes, son.” Honor stepped out of his way. “I’ve covered him with a sheet, but he’s still in the stall. Monty has gone to the clinic to get a gurney. He’ll be right ba—”

  “I’m here.” Monty O’Mallory spoke quietly. “Here’s the gurney.” He held up a canvas stretcher on poles, a war-time relic.

  Adam walked with Monty to the stall. “Here, Poppa Monty. Let me help.” They pulled the sheet off Langston’s body and Adam stiffened. “Geesh. This is bad.”

  Langston’s broken and bloody body lay in the dirty straw where Mercy’s horse, M
issy, was normally housed. Manure and blood saturated the bedding around Langston’s body. Just like Adam had wished not long ago. His gut sank to his knees. He swallowed hard and ran his hand through his hair. “My God,” he muttered.

  “He died from internal bleeding, I’d say.” Honor offered. “Mercy doesn’t want a post mortem, so we’re just going to go with that.”

  Adam helped Monty get the canvas under Langston’s stiffening body and re-wrapped him with the sheet. Bright red stains had seeped through the pristine white and Adam swallowed against the nausea that threatened his composure. Together they lifted the corpse and carried it the two blocks to the undertaker’s house.

  Luke Coffey, Mercy’s brother, waited on the undertaker’s porch. “I woke Rose. She’s just inside.”

  Rose Cleburne Willow met them in her parlor wrapped in a dressing gown, her hair pulled back in a long braided plat down her back. “Shh. I don’t want Bob to wake up. We can take Barns into the basement, it’s cool enough down there, and I’ll let my husband know in the morning.” Her eyes flickered from the wrapped body to Adam’s eyes. “Come on.” She led the way down the stairs.

  “I can remember when this would have made your knees weak, Missus Willow.” Adam mused.

  Rose chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve come a long way since the War Between the States, haven’t I?”

  “Yes ma’am.” Adam and Monty transferred Langston’s corpse off the gurney onto a marble table with raised sides, like a huge, human-sized bowl. Monty rolled up the canvas stretcher and tucked it under his arm. “I’ll just take this back to your mom’s clinic.”

  Adam nodded. “I’m gonna go back to the livery.”

  Monty frowned. “Sure, son. I know you want to be certain Mercy is all right, but—”

  Adam nodded and left the morgue before Monty could finish his warning. He meant no disrespect, he just didn’t need to hear what he already knew in his heart. Adam took long strides to get back to Mercy.

  “She in her bedroom or what?” he asked his mother as he entered Mercy’s family home.