Read Risk & Triumph: COWBOY ROMANCE (Western Pregnancy Forbidden Gold Rush) for Free Online

Chapter 1:
     
    It was the 1860’s and by now word spread of the California Gold Rush. The rumor was that one could make money if he had the courage to cross the Rocky Mountains. Word reached Iowa that people were making six times what they were earning in the east. The Wild West wasn’t for the faint hearted. There was lawlessness, a dislike of outsiders and a lack of comforts.
    Ned Grippon saddled his horse and went to visit Theo Callaway at the neighboring homestead in Burk Iowa. They shared a fence and started working their land at the same time. The men and their families were close; their wives were best friends who even managed to have children at the same time. Clara Grippon had a girl first and Sally had a boy. After that, both gave birth to two boys and two girls each. There was not a move the Grippon family made without the Callaway’s following close behind. The younger kids from each family had a friend in the other family of the same age and sex. Things with Nora Grippon and Oliver (Ollie) Callaway were complicated.
    Nora and Oliver were thrown together as brother and sister yet they weren’t and they knew it better than most. When Nora and Oliver turned 13, they started to notice each other as more than pals. One would think that the two families would be thrilled about a union between the two but they made it clear that it should never happen. Clara and Sally, along with the men, decided the families were so close that it would be incestuous. Oliver and Nora were able to avoid one another until circumstances changed their lives forever.
    Ned hopped off his stallion and walked out to the barn to find Theo Callaway.
    “I see you’re taking stock of supplies.” Ned greeted Theo with a slap on the back. “How’s it looking?”
    “It seems as if we have enough to begin out journey west. The angle of the sun is just right and the days are getting longer so I say we’re ready for California.”
    “That’s the easy part Theo but we still have to let the children know that life as they have known it is getting ready to change. No more schoolhouse, no more town festivals or running through the cornfields. It will offer some relief that their best friends and neighbors will be joining in the adventure. We’re not getting any younger and crossing the mountains is no easy task for even a young man.”
    “The ones who will give us the most grief are Oliver and Nora because they’ve developed roots here. Ollie sees himself taking over this ranch someday and raising his own children here.”
    Ned joked. “We made sure he doesn’t expect his children to be those of Nora.”
    “No way. We nipped that budding romance before it had a chance to bloom. It’s a good thing we did because they’ll be near one another constantly when we caravan west. If the California Gold rush is what we expect, then they’ll both find mates with pockets lined in gold. I plan to sit down with the family tonight and tell em that we leave next week.”
    “I’ll do the same. Polk is ready to take both our parcels of land off our hands, which will give us enough cash until we reach California. We have enough time to work on our wagon wheels and make certain we have backups. I’ve heard we’ll need em. The little ones will have fun filling the barrels with water from the creek.”
    “Sally and I agree that it’s important that even the wee ones pitch in and realize that their help is necessary if this adventure is to work. Ollie might know what we’re planning and I think he’s hoping that it was a zany idea that will pass. The next couple of months are going to thrust him into manhood; he’ll be a boy no more.”
    “I’ll check back with ya daily until we leave, to be sure we’re on the same schedule.” Ned hopped back on his horse. “Pray that this weather holds as we cross the pass. Wouldn’t it be something if we made it to California without incident?”
    “It’d be a miracle. Keep your fingers crossed.” Theo