by Jolene Faye
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Cole lowered the brim of his hat as the early morning sun spilled through the thickness of the tightly clumped trees. The weight of time sat heavily on his shoulders as he sighed deeply and raised his gaze to the wagon and the old man. He hadn't wanted to stop last night, but the crackling of the old man's bones and the deep groans of pain swayed his decision. They hadn't been far from the farm and several times during his restless night, he'd thought of pushing on, making his way home and to her. The exhaustion of the past three days ached in his body with each step of his stallions pace. How could he have been so dumb? He knew what he had to do but without thinking over the way he'd left things, had he destroyed everything already? It seemed like the right thing to do when he'd finally put it all together. He had told her that he loved her, how could she think otherwise? How could she think that he could love her and still plan to steal his own child?
Cole groaned with the anguish of his thoughts. For so long he'd felt like he had nothing left in this world for him, but when he'd run into Jed a few days ago and heard the story he had to tell, the darkest sadness swept over him. Not only did he risk losing his only child again, but he was going to lose the woman he loved. It all seemed so impossible, so surreal. The more time he had spent with Rose, he knew without a doubt she had been the daughter he'd hidden away in the small burrow that cold dark and stormy night. Instantly he'd recalled the horror of his long year away from the child he'd learned of and lost in a small stretch of days, but everyday he'd spent with her lately, he'd seen both Cecilia and himself in the little girl. Cole had thought it a blessing, or a gift from God, that not only had his daughter been saved, but she had been saved by the very woman whom he knew he was destined to be with. Why didn't he just ask her then? Cole cursed himself as the thoughts rambled in his mind. If he had only asked her to marry him that afternoon by the riverside, none of this would be happening. She had been so beautiful that day. Lying there in the afternoon sun in the small clearing near the riverbank, not only had Sybil stolen his heart but her pure beauty had enticed him. Every fiber of his being needed her, wanted her and when she'd kissed him so softly, he'd forgotten his important question and made love to her for the first time. When she had told him that he was her first, it had only been the true sign he needed that she was meant to be his. If only he hadn't gotten so caught up in her beauty and in his desires, she would have known he meant to marry her and raise their child together.
Their child, the words haunted him now. When she'd brought him to the burrow, he knew instantly what he had to do. After he'd found Cecilia's parents and however more witnesses he'd needed, Cole had proof of Rose's paternity and planned to give it to Sybil. She'd have known then how much he truly loved her and Rose by making sure it was legal and known that they were Rose's parents. Sybil had adopted her legally, his name would be listed as her father legally, it would all be permanent. Cole glanced up from his blank thought filled stare at the back of his stallion's neck and recognized where they were. He'd started to call out for Jed to head on to the farm when he looked up to find the old man was already out of sight. Pulling lightly on the reins, he led the stallion into the thick grove of trees north of the path. As he approached the place that his life had turned upside down so many times, Cole felt the heat of tears warming his cheeks. Sliding out of the saddle, he knelt before the burrow and scanned his eyes over the small scrawny bush. "That wasn't there before," he muttered softly as he leaned forward breaking a small branch of the shrub and inhaling softly. The softness of a smile creased the corners of his lips. It was a rose bush. It had been all he needed to renew his energy to return to her and fight for her if needed.
"They're not here," the old man's voice trembled as his rough palms scrubbed over the confused and exhausted wrinkles of his face. As Cole's horse trotted to a stop, Jed stood in front of the porch with a look of worry. "Maybe they went into town," he thought loudly as he slipped from the horse's saddle and headed toward the cabin. "No," the old man started again toward the cabin as Cole pushed open the front door, "they are just gone." Turning from Jed, Cole stepped inside the cabin slowly. It was all different. It was clean, empty. Rose's toys were gone from the old firewood crate. Sybil's materials and mending were gone from the table near the fireplace. The spare bed laid neatly made, countertop clean and dishes lined up on the shelves as if no one had been there in years. Darkness squeezed his heart as he rushed through the cabin and pushed the bedroom door open. Sybil's bed sat naked in the shadows of her room. As he swallowed hard against the tightness in his throat, Cole opened the next door slowly. His heart stopped for a long moment as tears began to stream down his face. When Jed pushed past him into the room and stood in its emptiness, Cole didn't even have the strength to mutter the words himself. "They're gone," the old man sniffled once again as he stood in the empty spot that once held the child's crib.
The two men were numb as they sat drinking their coffee, barely feeling the warmth it offered as they wondered if Sybil had taken Rose back to her father's ranch. Jed had never known exactly where it was, but he assured Cole they could find it. As they talked over plans for the trip, figured how long it would take them to get there and when they should leave, heavy footsteps echoed from the porch pulling them from their plans. "Jed, that you home," the familiar strong accent of White Eagle brought their attention to the door as he opened it slow with rifle at the ready. "White Eagle," Jed almost jumped up from the chair as the stout Indian walked into the cabin, "Where are the girls? What happened? Did they go to Sybil's childhood ranch?" The Kiowa narrowed his eyes as he stared coldly at Cole who'd joined Jed, standing by his side as the old man rattled off questions. Shaking his head slowly, willing himself not to just shoot the stranger and put an end to all the mess he'd cause, White Eagle sighed lowering his rifle and placed a hand on Jed's old weary shoulder. Jed had been as much a father to him as his own and was part of his family. White Eagle frowned at the sadness weighing down his oldest friend from the loss of the girls who had brought life back to the small farm after the death of Jed's wife. Keeping a cold, knowing glare trained on Cole, White Eagle spoke softer toward the old man, "No. They live in town with Robert. Little One, Sybil, agreed to marry your son so they could raise her daughter together." "Over my dead body," Cole blurted out as he turned his gaze from the old man to the Indian, taking a step back as his eyes looked squarely down the barrel of the rifle. The coldness oozed out of White Eagle's mouth as he drew a deep breath and cocked the rifle with a cold, tight grin, "That can be arranged."