by Vivi Holt
Dan stamped his mud-covered boots on the ground, then wiped them on a tussock of grass before climbing the rickety stairs to the cottage. He took his boots off by the door and rapped on the door frame. “Anyone at home?” There was no response. It was odd – he could see Dolly’s boots by the door, so she must be in. Perhaps the baby was taking a nap. He knocked again, more gently.
In a few moments, the door inched open and Dolly’s face appeared in the opening. She didn’t pull it wide, only stared through the narrow crack. “Hello, Dan,” she whispered.
“What’s going on, Dolly?” Dan’s eyes narrowed. “Why won’t you open the door?”
Her own eyes were wide and darted from side to side as though looking out for something. “I … nothing. It’s just that Emily is sleeping and …”
The door opened wide, and a man stood there, dressed in dark clothes and a black Stetson. His chaps looked dull in the low light, and his vest over a long-sleeved woolen shirt was worn and stained. He had dark eyes and his long mustache drooped into a full black beard. He glared at Dan, then forced a cheery smile onto his face.
Dan frowned. “Who’s this?”
“I’m Angus O’Leary. And ya are?”
“Dan Graham, cow boss over at Paradise Ranch. What’s going on here?” He stepped inside and stood protectively beside Dolly. He was taller than Angus and used it to his advantage, towering over the man.
Angus sneered, revealing two missing teeth. “Ah, Paradise Ranch, I know it. I was just havin’ a conversation with Miss Hampton here, but we’re done and I was on my way out.” He tipped his hat to Dolly, his eyes flashing. “Miss Hampton. Be seein’ ya later.” She blanched and stared at the floor as he stomped out, leaving a mud trail in his wake. When he was gone, she exhaled loudly and clutched her hands to her chest.
“Who was that?” asked Dan. “What did he want?”
She smiled weakly. “I’m so glad you’re here. That man told me I have to leave.”
“Leave?”
“This house. He said they’re building a gold mine just upstream and they’d need this land as well. They’re willing to pay me to leave, but only twenty dollars. It hardly seems fair – this is my home.” She frowned and went to the crib, where soft mewling sounds indicated Emily was waking up.
“He can’t make you leave. You own this cottage fair and square.”
“But he seemed so … certain. He scared me.”
“Well, I’m here now. Everything’s gonna be all right. And if he comes by here again, you lemme know, and we’ll go talk to the sheriff in Bozeman about it.”
She nodded and scooped Emily into her arms. “There, there, my darling. I hope you enjoyed your nap, but be grateful you certainly missed out on all the excitement.”
Dan rubbed his beard and watched Dolly fuss over Emily. He’d been more troubled by Angus O’Leary’s visit than he was letting on. The man looked like he wasn’t accustomed to taking no for an answer, and the scars on his face and hands made it clear he’d been in a few scuffles in his time. He’d have to think how to make sure Dolly and Emily were safe. In fact, maybe he should ride into Bozeman right now and speak with the sheriff. It didn’t make sense to wait.
He observed Dolly with Emily and sighed, the tension leaving his body. It was probably nothing. The mining company couldn’t just make her leave. He stepped closer and chucked Emily beneath her chubby chin. “Aren’t you just filling out nicely?” he said with a chuckle.
Emily giggled and her arms reached out for him. “Look, she wants you!” said Dolly with a grin.
Dan held out his arms. “Well hand her over then.”
Dolly gave him the child and he walked over to one of the chairs so he could bounce her on his knee while he told her a story. She loved to hear his stories.
“She’ll be a year old next month,” said Dolly, setting a coffeepot on the stove top.
“We should have a party.” Dan set Emily’s feet on the floor. She stood for a second, then plopped onto her rear with a gurgle.
“We?” asked Dolly, one eyebrow arched as she studied Dan’s face.
He felt his cheeks color. “I mean you – you should have a party for her. Maybe even at the ranch, if you like. I could ask Genny – I’m sure she’d be delighted. That way Emily would at least have some other children at her party.”
Dolly shrugged. “That sounds grand. As long as Genny doesn’t mind.”
He smiled. “She’ll love it.”
Dolly turned back to the coffee pot and Dan watched her, his thoughts wandering. He’d feel better with Dolly and Emily at the ranch. But he knew what that would mean, and his heart pounded at the thought.
Epilogue
Lotte glanced out the window at the falling snow, blanketing the ground in white and obscuring her view of the yard and the mountains. She took a quick breath, grateful Rev. Langston had arrived two days earlier after conducting a Sunday service at the Presbyterian church in Bozeman. The wedding would go ahead today.
Even though she knew Genny would’ve loved to have more people attend, it didn’t matter much to her. It was Antonio who knew the folks from the surrounding ranches and farms. She had met a few at the wake, but otherwise didn’t know anyone outside of the ranch. The ones who really mattered to her, Antonio and Aurora, were there, as was Adam. He’d taken to life at the ranch with gusto, and Tom seemed to see potential in the boy, letting him follow along whenever he had a task to attend to.
She stared at her reflection in the looking glass and smiled. Her golden hair was drawn back into a chignon. Her dress, a forest-green damask with gold filigree around a low neckline and a cinched waist, accentuated her curves and brought a glow to her face. Or maybe that was just the excitement. She grinned and pinched her pink cheeks, then rubbed her lips together.
She’d been married before, and never imagined it would happen again. She’d married for life when she said I do to Marcus. But here she was, only a few years later, ready to say the same words to Antonio, committing to spend her life with him. Even though it wasn’t what she’d planned, she couldn’t be happier about it. And she knew Marcus would approve as well – he’d want her to be happy, not have her spend the rest of her life alone.
She pulled the pocket watch from between her breasts and held it in her hands, lovingly gazing at its shining face. Then she set it down on the dresser in front of her. Time for a new beginning.
The door to her bedroom opened and Aurora ran in, a grin on her pretty face. The girl wore a simple cream woolen dress with thin blue and gold stripes running through it. Her hair had been pulled back in a half ponytail, the rest of it hanging in long, dark curls down her back. “Miss Lotte, you look beautiful!” she gushed.
Lotte chuckled. “Thank you, Aurora. You know, if you would like you can call me Mama. But only if you feel like it,” she added nervously.
Aurora blushed and ducked her head. “Thank you, Mama, I will. I know my mama wouldn’t mind it.”
Lotte’s throat tightened, and she drew Aurora to her side and kissed her on top of her head. “Thank you. You look lovely yourself. Are you ready? I think it is time to go.”
Aurora nodded. “Everyone’s waiting for you in the den.”
“It is a shame it had to snow so hard. I know the Drothertons and some others had hoped to be here. But at least all the Paradise Ranch people are here.”
Aurora smiled. “I hope to have so many people at my wedding one day.”
Lotte patted the girl’s thin arm. “Oh, my darling, you will and more.”
Aurora’s face fairly shone under Lotte’s encouragement. Lotte had noticed that since they’d arrived at Paradise Ranch, the girl had begun to blossom into a beautiful young woman. She’d filled out with all the good food, softening the sharp angles of her face. Her skin had a healthy glow, her hair shone, and with the new wardrobe Lotte had sewn for her with fabrics brought home by Antonio from Bozeman, she looked like a new child.
She seemed happy as well, which was quite a step after all sh
e’d been through. Lotte constantly marveled at Aurora’s resilience. Every now then she caught her with a pinched or sad look on her face and she knew what she must be pondering. She understood the feelings well enough, but hoped one day those looks would disappear entirely.
Lotte stood, smoothed her skirts with both hands, pulled on a pair of white kid gloves and took one last deep breath before heading for the door. The walk down the hall made her nerves jitter. Aurora looped her arm through Lotte’s, and she could feel the girl trembling as well. She only hoped they could make it down the few stairs to the den without stumbling.
They reached the top of the stairs and Lotte stared out over the small crowd in front of her. They stood and smiled at her as Dusty’s fiddle broke into song.
She searched the group until she spotted Antonio, and her breath caught at the sight of a tremble in his chin. She almost couldn’t recognize him but for his eyes – they remained the same deep brown they’d always been. But his black suit was new, as was his shirt and tie, and the ever present ten-gallon hat was missing. His hair was freshly trimmed and slicked down on both sides of a part. His mustache was trimmed as well, and his skin shone a golden brown in the flickering lamplight.
She grinned at him and he smiled. Then, with another glance at Aurora, she rested her hand on the girl’s arm and they walked down the stairs. The group parted for them, to the hearth where Antonio stood. She bent to kiss Aurora on the cheek, then put her hands into Antonio’s and stood before him, with the reverend beside them both.
As Rev. Langston said the vows and they each recited them after him, she felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. She knew with a greater understanding what each vow represented now – how meaningful they were and how much sacrifice they involved. And the certainty that even in the midst of difficulty there was so much beauty in putting another before oneself when true love brought two people together.
And she did love him, so very much. After everything they’d tackled together from Texas to Montana Territory, she knew she’d always be happiest with Antonio by her side. She knew how much she meant to him and how well he’d take care of her – he’d been doing it already for months. And the way he’d accepted Aurora into their lives made her heart swell with gratitude.
When the reverend finally pronounced them man and wife, Antonio leaned forward and cupped her cheeks in his work-roughened palms. He gazed into her eyes, studying her. And satisfied with what he’d found there, he let his eyes drift shut as his mouth met hers in a kiss that whispered a thousand words of love. She kissed him back, desperate for more of him, more of everything the future promised them. She wanted badly to hold onto this moment forever and never forget how she felt and how much she loved him.
When she opened her eyes, she found him watching her with a hint of laughter and a depth of love that made her heart leap. And as the crowd in the room applauded and whistled, he put his lips to her ear. “I am so blessed to have you in my life, mi amor,” he whispered.
She smiled. “We are a family now, the three of us, mijn geliefde.”
Antonio pulled on his boots and began to button his shirt where he sat on the edge of the bed. He glanced up at the window, where summer sunshine glared against the sill, and sighed with satisfaction. Running his own ranch had proven more work than even he’d imagined, but he’d never been so content in his life. The herd had grown, the new house he’d built in the spring still shone with the color of raw timber, and the barn was beginning to take shape. He’d have it done before winter with Dusty, Tom and Dan’s help.
A hand grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back on the bed with a laugh. “Come now, esposa,” he objected. “I have a lot of work to do.”
Lotte chuckled and kissed his neck softly until the skin goose-pimpled beneath her touch. “The work will still be there in an hour. Come back to bed, echtgenoot.”
He laughed and turned over, slipping his hands around her and kissing her hard on the mouth. She sighed with satisfaction and ran her hands up his back. When he pulled away again, she pouted. “I promise to finish work earlier today,” he said, resuming buttoning his shirt with a smile. “If I had my way, we would stay in here and never venture out. But I have to get the barn done before winter, or the herd will find it tough.”
She nodded. “I know. But you have been working so hard I barely see you.”
He cupped her cheek with one hand. “Tonight, I promise, I will come in for supper, then stay in. We can spend the evening together as a family.”
She smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”
Antonio heard footsteps in the big room beside theirs. “It sounds like Aurora is awake,” he said, then stood and tucked his shirt into his pants.
“She is so excited about the new school opening in town in the fall. She reads whenever she has a spare moment to make sure she is ready.” Lotte chuckled and stood, hurrying over to Antonio and hugging him around the waist.
He sighed. “I will never leave here at this rate,” he whispered against her hair.
She laughed. “My plan is working.”
“Do you have a plan for breakfast?”
Her face seemed to turn green. “Ugh.”
Antonio frowned. “What is wrong?”
She rubbed her stomach. “I cannot think about food.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you ill?”
She gazed into his eyes with a look of mischievous delight. “No, no. But there is something I have wanted to tell you, only you are so rarely in the house when I am awake that I do not get the chance.”
He studied her face, lines forming on his forehead. “Well, now you have my attention. What is wrong?”
Her eyes lit up. “You will soon be a father.”
Antonio grinned and wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her to his chest. He kissed her hair, then laughed. “That is the best news I could ask for.” He released her, whooped loudly and slapped his thigh. “You had me worried for a moment. I am so happy, mi amor.”
Aurora poked her head through the doorway, her eyebrows arched high. “What’s going on in here? Why are you making all that noise?”
Antonio swooped over to her, picked her up and spun her around. She giggled with delight, and he set her down again and kissed her on the cheek. “We are having a baby!” he cried.
She squealed and ran to Lotte, running her hands over Lotte’s stomach. “I’m gonna have a little sister?”
Lotte smiled. “Or maybe a little brother.”
Aurora embraced Lotte, then looked solemn. “Hmmm … well, that means I’ll have to try again to learn to ride a horse.”
Lotte frowned. She didn’t follow Aurora’s train of thought, but that happened often. “What do you mean?”
“Well, if I’m gonna teach my sister to ride, I’d better learn first myself. Don’t you think? Papa, will you teach me?”
Antonio smiled. “I will, my sweet. How about after lunch you come out with me and I will let you sit on Elmo a while?”
Aurora’s eyes widened. “Elmo? But he’s so big! And the last time I rode him …”
“When we fall down, the best thing we can do is get right back up again,” said Antonio.
Lotte chuckled and tugged Aurora onto her lap on the bed. “He is as gentle as a lamb. He did not intend to throw you.” She kissed the girl’s hair and wrapped her arms around her. “And I think that is a wonderful plan. Perhaps we can look into finding you a pony sometime, but for now Elmo will have to do. Now run along and start breakfast. I have to talk to your father about something.”
“About what?” asked Aurora, her brow furrowed.
“Never you mind,” replied Lotte. “Now go.” She closed the door behind Aurora and advanced on Antonio. “So, husband, where were we?”
THE END
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CHEYENNE RECKONING
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If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review where you bought it. Reviews help other readers discover my books, which in turn enables me to write another. Thank you! - Vivi Holt
SERIES READING ORDER
Paradise Valley
Of Peaks and Prairies
Winds of Paradise
Lost in Laredo
Cheyenne Reckoning
Forgotten Trails
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Excerpt: Cheyenne Reckoning (Paradise Valley)
June 1862
Chapter One
Claudine Hopkins clutched her baby daughter Gracie to her chest and peered frantically to the right, then the left. Second Street in Memphis was packed with folks going about their everyday business, but to her this was a day like no other. From this day forward, everything about her life would change – for better or worse.
Gracie squawked, likely in protest over how tightly her mother held her to her heaving bosom. Claudine shushed the child and loosened her grip just enough to give the baby some comfort. “There, there, chile. Not long now.” She hustled down the street, willing her face to portray the calm she didn’t feel inside. It wouldn’t do to give herself away, not when she was so close to the Burkle house – or “Slavehaven,” as it had become known.
Her heart pounded and she swallowed hard, her breath coming in shallow gasps. What was she doing? It was too dangerous. Any moment Mr. or Mrs. Williams could come around the corner and see her, she just knew it couldn’t last — this moment of freedom. She tucked the babe closer to her chest. The girl quickly complained, and she clucked her tongue gently as she rocked her. “Shhh … shhhh …”