by Alden, Dana
“Who?”
Rob pulled back. “You been living under a rock, Cal?”
Cal took a deep breath. “I told you; I’ve been out of circulation for a bit. Now hurry up and fill me in.”
Rob gave a look of exasperated disappointment that reminded Cal of his old schoolteacher.
“Billy—he’s Ned’s cousin. A young fellow. He showed up a few months back, and rumor has it he was trying to push Big Em out. Blood is thicker than water, and all that.”
“So Samuel shot him on purpose,” Cal asked.
“Big Em killed him on purpose,” Rob whispered, emphasis on the killed. “That’s what Ned Bart thinks anyway. He’s gunning for Big Em, has all his men gunning for Big Em, and rumor says Big Em is hit and dying.”
Rob grabbed another glass to wipe. Cal tried to wrap his mind around this man Big Em, a far cry from the man Amanda thought she knew.
“But why’s he after Samuel’s sister, then?”
“Ned is making an example of Samuel. An eye for an eye. A sister for a cousin.”
Cal gripped the edge of the bar with both hands. “This guy’s an animal! Where’s the law?”
“Well, you’re not wrong. The law’s been tightening things up in Virginia City and the other mining towns, the ones that have law nearby that is, so Ned’s rumored to be avoiding those areas and staying in the wilds. He strikes like a rattlesnake and then disappears back under his rock. So rumor has it.”
Cal turned around to look out the door. It was bright outside, a stark contrast to the dim room. What was he going to do? He had Amanda’s stories about Samuel, and he had Rob’s stories about Samuel. None of this told him how to help her.
“What else is happening?”
“Smitty arrived yesterday. They set up camp south of town, except Richard. He’s staying with the Beals so Mrs. Beal can attend to his shot leg. Smitty told about that gunfight. He’s got a preacher with him. That fellow’s wandering around looking for a flock. I told him to keep looking… in Virginia City.” Rob laughed at his own joke. “And they were all asking if I’d seen you and this young woman, though they weren’t calling her your fiancée.” Rob gave a sly smile. “And, as I mentioned, rumor has it there’s a pretty young woman in Gallatin City who says she’s your fiancée, too.”
Cal wished he could back up a couple of days, to when he had no fiancées and life was a great deal simpler.
Cal waved his glass at the barkeep. He’d have one more drink before he had to go tell Amanda how dire the situation was.
Chapter 14
Cal knocked on the door to Amanda’s room. She asked, “Who is it?” before opening it and giving him a sweet smile. Her hair was still wet, smooth against her head and tied in a loose braid in the back. She wore a dress he hadn’t seen yet, a fresh and clean light green with little yellow flowers dotted all over it. Nothing about her situation had changed, but she looked happier.
“That must have been quite a bath. You look like a new person.”
Amanda blushed, her hand resting against the doorframe. “I feel like a new person. You should try it.”
“Well, I don’t know if I should be offended by that.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
He laughed and, after an awkward moment, she laughed with him.
“Did you find any information? Do you know what’s going on with Samuel?”
“I have some information. If you’re not uncomfortable, I could come in there so we can speak privately.”
Amanda nodded her head and then stepped back to let Cal into the room. They sat on the edge of her bed. He rested his forearms on his thighs, staring at the floor. He did not want to be the bearer of this bad news.
“Cal?” She lightly touched his arm for an instant.
He turned to look her in the eyes.
“Samuel is not who you thought he was.” He proceeded to share what he had learned, from Samuel’s business failure to his descent into a life of crime, from a swaggering outlaw to an injured, dying man hiding in the wilds. “After he shot Ned’s cousin, accidental or not, he knew Ned wouldn’t forget it. So he snatched several bags of gold and took off.”
“Is that when he got shot?”
“I believe so, though the story is a little unclear. All I know is he’s badly hurt and in hiding, because Ned wants his gold and his revenge.”
He watched as the new light shining out of Amanda dimmed. Her shoulders slumped and he only wished he could make her feel better.
“He might be, he… I’m not… What should… I don’t know…” she said.
Cal leaned back and over to wrap his arm around Amanda’s shoulders.
“You’re not alone. I’ll help you figure this out.”
She tipped her head into his shoulder, eyes glassy with barely-restrained tears. “Thank you, Cal. You are… thank you.”
He decided to address the question that had been nagging him. “Unfortunately, Ned’s revenge includes you. I’d sure like to know how they found you on the Bozeman Trail.”
Amanda shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I may be at fault. I wrote a letter to Samuel and posted it from Fort Laramie, telling him about my change in plans.”
Cal patted her arm, a there there gesture. “When did you send it?”
“Only the day before we left. There were ten days from Geraldine’s death until Smitty was ready to travel. The soldiers wouldn’t let us leave until they knew there weren’t too many Sioux nearby. It made me nervous, so I decided at the last moment to write… in case I was killed by Indians along the way. I wanted someone to know what happened to me,” Amanda said. She looked at Cal with her damp eyes. He hated the thought that her life could have been snuffed out before he’d ever met her.
They sat in silence for a few moments. Cal was bothered by the question still. “I don’t see how that letter could have beat you to the area. The Bozeman Trail is the newest, shortest route. And there are no telegraphs in the area. But perhaps if someone had sent a letter not long after Geraldine’s death, as soon as you made the decision… perhaps it could have made it in time.”
Time was hanging over Cal’s head. How did Ned’s men find Amanda on the trail without time for sending messages? How much time would pass until they found her again? And besides Amanda and her troubles, Cal had his own ticking clock. He knew he couldn’t leave Delia waiting for him indefinitely.
He leaned slightly into Amanda’s shoulder.
“I have to go to Gallatin City. It’s the closest big town before Virginia City and since rumor has it Ned’s been hanging out in the valley, it’s the place most likely to have information about him or Samuel… Plus,” he took a deep breath, “there’s a woman there asking for me and I need to take care of that situation.”
He felt Amanda stiffen. “Your fiancée?”
“Yes.”
“When do we leave?”
“I think you’ll be safer here. Fewer people to see you. Plus, if Ned thinks there’s only one fiancée, he’ll be less likely to suspect you’re really Samuel’s sister than if he realizes there’s another gal over in Gallatin City claiming that title.”
Amanda pulled away from him and raised an eyebrow. “Claiming the title, eh?”
Now he repeated her words back to her: “I didn’t mean it that way!”
They both laughed. It was the sad laughter of desperation, but it helped to cut the tension anyway. Cal stood up to leave, but first, he had something to ask Amanda.
“I’ve asked Rumor Rob to make us up a supper if you’re interested. We can eat down in the parlor.” Her face stilled, and Cal didn’t know if she liked his idea. He added in a scramble, “If you don’t want to, I can have your supper brought up here. For you. Not me.” He twisted the brim of his hat and wished he was standing somewhere else.
Amanda smiled and Cal felt the tension leaving his hands. She dipped her head as she said, “No. I mean… I’d like that.”
He took two big steps to the door and opened it for her. He
held it wide as she walked by him, the bottom of her skirt brushing the tops of his boots. In the hall, he offered his arm, which she took, and together they walked downstairs.
In the dining parlor, which was also the bar, hotel reception and the best place to arrange for any livery services, there was a table set for two. Cal had asked Rob to put them away from the window and door; it made Cal feel a little safer knowing he could spot someone coming in. He didn’t normally carry his gun to dinner, but given the circumstances, felt it necessary.
Away from the sunlight that filtered in, it was dim, and feeling a bit intimate. Cal felt like he was courting Amanda, and told himself that since they were claiming to be engaged, it was the right thing to do. Act normal… even though he was technically—sort of—engaged to another woman. He didn’t want to think about that.
He slid the wooden chair out from the edge of the table.
Amanda sat down in the chair, looking so calm and ladylike. Her blond hair was lightening as it dried and framed her sun-pinked face and blue eyes. He couldn’t help being in awe of her.
“I can hardly believe,” he said, “that you were shot in the side just the other day. You look like a fancy lady.”
Amanda blushed and smiled reluctantly.
“That’s a compliment, you know,” he said.
She smiled again. “I know. It’s just… well, it’s not one I ever expected to receive: You look pretty good for having been shot.”
He laughed and then sobered. “In fact, I think you look lovely, regardless of whether you’ve been shot.” He reached out and put his hand on hers. “Is that any better? I admire your fortitude and bravery, and particularly like how they’re wrapped up in such a pretty package.”
He loved watching her blush. It made her eyes seem a little bluer even.
“You don’t look like a mountain man anymore,” Amanda said. He noticed she was redirecting the conversation but had left her hand resting under his.
“You noticed?” He waggled his eyebrows at her and realized he couldn’t stop himself from flirting. “Have you been watching me, Miss Amanda?”
She was saved from answering his teasing question by the arrival of their food. They pulled their hands apart as Rob placed a bowl of deer stew in front of each of them.
“Will you still… be a mountain man? You know, now that you’re homesteading?” Amanda asked as she picked up a spoon.
“I’m not a mountain man, not really. I trap some in the winter, but it’s not a way to make a life. Even ten years ago the real mountain men, the trappers, were saying the beaver and other critters were getting over-trapped. Plus, the market isn’t there for it anymore. I hear men back East are wearing different hats now, made of some fabric... I don’t recall what kind.”
“Silk, I think.”
Cal gave a little frown. “That doesn’t seem very useful to me, but what do I know? Anyway, I learned to trap in the mountains from an old fellow named Jim. When gold was discovered, we both headed down to see what could be seen.”
“And what did you see?”
“Well, Jim saw a pack of crazy men and hightailed it back into the hills. I saw opportunity. I met a fellow who’d filed a claim that looked really good, but he got robbed of all his money before he could buy the equipment. So I invested some of my trapping money with him. When I’m in the Virginia City area I go and work the mine with J.B.—that’s his name—but mostly, he does it.”
“And this works for you both?”
“Yup. I trust him with my life, never mind my mine. Mind my mine… ha! That’s a tongue twister.
“But what I really want, is to work my own land. With the mountains nearby, in this beautiful valley.”
“It sounds lovely. I grew up on a farm, but I’ve been—I had been—living in the city since I was seventeen. Don’t think I knew how much I missed the land until I got out of the city for more than a couple of days.”
“Seventeen? Is that when you went to work in the mill?”
“Yes. My mother passed when I was ten. My father remarried when I was twelve. My stepmother, that’s Samuel’s mother, she had some grand ideas that meant spending a lot of money. Then my father had an accident and broke both his legs.” Cal winced at that. His whole life could be ruined by two broken legs; or at least, all his plans could be derailed.
“If your father had enough money to loan some to Samuel, why did you keep working at the mills?”
Amanda’s brow furrowed as her eyes lost the focus, just as happens when a person delves into their memories. “Their circumstances improved, but… my stepmother was opening the envelopes that I sent and setting the money aside. She told my father she’d saved her pin money, and that was actually where they got some of the money for the loan. Once I learned that, well, I stopped sending them money.”
She woke from her memories and looked at Cal again. “I saved what I earned after that. So, when I had the opportunity to come here, how could I resist? After all, I helped fund his store. Or so I thought.”
“Considering that you didn’t wait to hear from Samuel, I’d say you made the opportunity.”
“Well, I did send the letter,” she bristled.
“No, you misunderstand,” said Cal. “People out here, if they’re going to succeed, or even survive, they can’t wait for opportunity to come to them. They have to make it happen.” He grabbed her hand. “You; you did that. You saw a chance and you grabbed it. You’re the kind of person that will survive. You’re the kind of woman that can help a man succeed, together. And you’re beautiful to boot.”
He finished up leaning forward and could hear the passion in his own voice. Here he was, with his fake fiancée, telling her how she was prime wife material. Perfect for him. And from the look on her face, she was warring with modesty and pride deep inside herself.
Cal sat back, taking his hand off hers. He liked Amanda. A lot. Much more than he should. He had no right to sweet-talk her when he was engaged to another woman. He wasn’t that kind of man. For a moment though, he wished he could be.
Just then a figure appeared in the doorway, a shadow outlined against those of twilight. Cal’s hand slid to his gun. The figure—the man—stepped forward. It was Smitty.
“Smitty!” Amanda whispered on a rush of breath. Cal realized she’d been holding it, scared it was one of Ned’s men.
Cal raised a hand in greeting and Smitty walked directly to them. He clapped Cal on the back. “You did it, Cal. You brought her in safely. And from the look of things, Miss Amanda,” Smitty said, admiring her clean and neat hair and dress, “you’re better off for it.”
Amanda gave Smitty a genuine, unreserved smile. She wasn’t holding a grudge. Cal felt a bit jealous. She said, “We only had one dangerous encounter with a human animal. How about you?”
Smitty’s smile dropped. “What’s this? No, we didn’t have any more troubles. But you did?” He dropped into the chair beside Cal. “So…?”
“So,” said Cal, “turns out Ned Bart is trying to get to Amanda. I’ll tell you what we know so far.”
“Not now,” Smitty cut him off. “There’s a group of men unsaddling their horses out at the corral just now. I don’t know them, but you don’t want to take a chance of them seeing you, Miss Amanda.”
Cal and Amanda rose as one. He grabbed her hand and led her back to the staircase.
Chapter 15
Amanda sat on the narrow bed of her hotel room. Being the only woman around, at least that she’d seen, meant no one was expecting her to share her room. It was interesting. She’d felt lonely, off and on, for the many months of her journey west, but she’d rarely been truly alone. Oh, sure, she’d had a few moments here and there to run off and tend to her personal needs—but that time hardly lent itself to contemplation.
A few times, on a rest day, she’d wandered off and found a private place to enjoy the scenery that was different from Massachusetts. But in the early days, there’d been a lot of people traveling and not much space unoc
cupied by anyone else.
By the time they’d traveled far enough West to allow for alone time, she was a little too nervous to venture far from the pack train. Wild animals. Wild Indians. She’d heard stories and that was enough for her.
But even in Lowell, she hadn’t had much alone time. She worked on the factory floor with dozens of women. She lived in a boarding house with sixteen others, three of whom had even shared her room.
Now, however, she was on her own. Truly. In a room, with a door. One of the few people she knew for hundreds or thousands of miles around was riding away. The people nearby were few and far between.
And, it seemed, she didn’t really want to be. There was an exception to her enjoyment of this strange occurrence. Cal. Calvin; she didn’t like being separated from him. It wasn’t just that he was aiding her in a time of trouble. It wasn’t just that he was terribly handsome. It wasn’t just his admirable character.
The night before, at dinner, when he’d talked about what a great homesteading wife she’d be… Well, she’d drunk it in like water to a woman wandering the desert. The idea of building a home and family with a man had never been so appealing. She hadn’t felt alone then but on the brink of a partnership. Cal was smart and hardworking, too.
And now, he was riding off to Gallatin City to meet his fiancée. His other fiancée. His real fiancée.
Amanda didn’t know what to think about this. What was he going to say to this woman, Delia? What if, upon seeing her, Cal felt a rush of emotion? What if, for whatever reason, he wanted to honor his engagement? And what did that say about her, Amanda, wishing a man would break off his engagement to another woman?