Caleb

by Christine Sterling

  Caleb couldn’t sleep at all. He tossed and turned on his bedroll under the wagon. The pups protested, and whined, but were soon asleep again. One of the hardest things he had ever done was walking Lydia back to the wagon. He bid her goodnight and quickly left, pretending he didn’t hear her cries as he walked away.

  It was no use; he was going to go cool off. He noticed the fire was still going, burning low to the ground. Tot probably left it so he wouldn’t have to rebuild it in the morning, Caleb thought.

  He walked back down to the pond and stripped, diving naked into the water. It was ice cold and took every breath from his body. It served him right. He deserved to be punished. Cold water was a good punishment, he thought. He spied the soap on the rock and grabbed it.

  The scent of roses was strong. He knew that the men would ridicule him if they knew, but he scrubbed himself anyway and washed his hair. Once he was done with his bath, he put his union suit on and walked back towards the wagon. He carried his boots, dirt sticking to his feet.

  “Caleb,” a voice called from next to the wagon. Caleb nearly jumped out of his skin. He could see Tot sitting on one of the barrels, with his back against the wagon. Caleb moved closer. Tot was sipping coffee and staring vacantly into the fire.

  “You are up late, Tot,” Caleb said. Normally Tot was one of the first ones to sleep as he had to get up early in the morning, but it looked as though he hadn’t gone to bed. The sound of crickets and light snores filled the air.

  “Yep.”

  “Something on your mind?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’m headed to bed then.” Caleb made his way down to where the medical wagon was parked.

  “Did you figure it out?” Tot called after him.

  “Figure what out?” Caleb grabbed some dry pants and pulled them over his legs.

  “What you are going to do?”

  Caleb returned to the fire. He didn’t want his voice to wake anyone up. Especially, Lydia. “I don’t know. She knows I’m not her husband. She doesn’t realize anyone is after her. I’ve not had a chance to speak to the Marshal.”

  “There’s a woman with no belongings. Sold everything. What does she have? And for some reason she loves you.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I see the way she looks at you. It was the same way Ver… never mind.” Tot tossed his coffee on the fire. The liquid hissed as it hit the burning wood.

  “You said there was one that was of value.”

  “Exactly.”

  “All she had was her horse and wagon. And her trunk. It did belong to her.” Caleb saw Tot lift his eyebrow. “What else does she have?” Suddenly it hit him. “Her son?”

  Her son.

  How could he be so stupid. The men weren’t after Lydia. They were after Hart. But why would three outlaws be looking for a little boy? It didn’t make sense. He needed to see Lydia immediately.

  “I always thought you were the smart one,” Tot said as Caleb walked towards Lydia’s wagon. “But don’t tell your brothers.

  Caleb walked to Lydia’s wagon and knocked on the backboard. “Lydia,” he called.

  “Go away.” He heard her sniffle.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you right now, Caleb Chapman.”

  “Lydia, honey…”

  The canvas whipped open so fast; Caleb was sure he would have a burn on his skin come the morning.

  “Don’t you call me, honey.”

  “Fine. I need to know about Hart.”

  “Hart?” Lydia wrinkled her brow. “What about him?”

  “You said you found something in your trunk. I need to know who his mother is.”

  “I’m his mother.”

  “The woman who gave birth to him. Lydia, please. It’s important.” Lydia disappeared back in the wagon. Caleb climbed in and sat on a small crate. There were stacks of letters and a leather Bible strewn around the wagon. “Are you reading these?”

  “Yes. I remember more now.”

  “What about Hart. Do you remember the night he was born?”

  “I don’t remember much, just that it was storming. Her name was Vangie.” She picked up a framed picture and handed it Caleb. There was something familiar about her, but Caleb couldn’t place it. Hart resembled the woman with dark hair.

  “Hart said this was his aunt.”

  “It was easier to say we were sisters, but she was actually my cousin. She was in labor. Said she had been looking for me. I had never met her before that night.”

  “Why was she looking for you.”

  “I guess her husband’s family found out she was with child and they threatened to kill her and take the child. She came to us to give us the baby for safe keeping. John and I took the child and raised him as our own. Vangie would disappear. I never knew where she was going, and I didn’t ask. After John died, she stayed at the ranch.”

  “What changed?”

  “The marshal got word that her brother-in-law was being released from prison and vowed to find the child. He knew she had left the child with us. Vangie left the next day.”

  “Why didn’t she take the boy with her.”

  “I think she was hoping that they would follow her and leave us alone. By the time they realized it, we would be safely hidden away.” She took back the picture and held it on her lap. “I started selling off everything. Sam helped me.”

  “Sam?”

  “The marshal. He got me a wagon full of supplies and we headed north two days later.”

  “That’s why those were all your horses and cattle at the auction.”

  She nodded. “He told me that someone had purchased all of them.”

  Caleb rubbed his eyes. “That was my Pa.”

  “Do you know where you were headed?”

  “I don’t remember. Only that we were going North to find Vangie’s family.”

  “Do you remember what her full name was?”

  Lydia shook her head.

  “What about her mother? You said she was your cousin. That means your parents were related.”

  “No. I don’t recall. They left before I was ever born. My mother never talked about her.”

  “Alright. I’ll take you to my house until we can figure everything out.”

  “Thank you. I know you’ll keep us safe.”

  “I don’t know what or who I’m keeping you safe from, but they will have to get through me and my men to get to you.”

  Caleb leaned forward and pressed a hard kiss against Lydia’s lips. He then brushed her forehead with a kiss and leaned back. “What’s this?” he asked, picking up the leather Bible sitting next to Lydia’s feet.

  “That’s was the Bible my mother gave me when I came west.” Caleb started flipping through it. “What are you doing?”

  “In most Bibles there is a record of marriages and births. I’m looking to see what this one says.” Caleb flipped through the pages until he came to one made from thicker paper. It was decorated in red and blue designs with black lettering. “Marriage. Lydia Brown married John Whitcomb, 1862. Birth. Hartman Owen Whitcomb, 1865.”

  Caleb nearly dropped the Bible. It was too much of a coincidence.

  Hart was Duke Richards’ son.

  Chapter 13

  Caleb watched Lydia crawl out of her wagon and walk towards the chuckwagon. She looked beautiful. Her hair was coiled tightly against her head and she wore a blue skirt with a linen blouse.

  “Good morning,” Lydia said softly. She walked over to the fire and poured a cup of coffee. “Sorry I slept so late.”

  It was daylight and the herd was already an hour ahead. Tot was finishing up the dishes and placing them in the wooden crate. “I need to finish up,” Tot said, placing the crate in the wagon. “I saved you some corn cakes. Already put the syrup away.”

  “That sounds fine, Tot. Thank you.”

  Lydia walked by Caleb. He reached his arm around her and pulled her close to him, careful not to spill th
e coffee. Burying his nose in her hair he kissed her ear. “Are you ready?”

  Lydia nodded. “I guess so.” She looked around. “Where’s Hart?”

  “He’s riding point with Goodie today. Tot will pick him up when the wagons go past.”

  “Let me finish my coffee, and we can head into town.”

  The wagon would be in Owl Creek by noon. Tot was going to camp just outside of town as there was another aquifer where the livestock could drink.

  “Come on pups,” Tot called. Three of the pups came running. The rest, plus Scout, were working on their herding skills. Tot lifted the pups into the buckboard floor. One jumped on the seat, ready to ride to the next stop. “You done with the coffee?” Tot asked.

  Lydia nodded. “Do you want me to run to the pond to wash it?”

  “Nah,” Tot said, dumping the coffee grounds on the fire. He kicked dirt over the hissing embers. “I’ll wash it when we get to Owl Canyon.”

  Caleb nudged Lydia to stand and then he put the two empty barrels in the wagon. Tot gave a wave and slapped the oxen, moving them forward. Caleb took Lydia’s hand and gave it a kiss before releasing it to grab Blaze’s reins.

  “Aren’t we taking the wagon?” she asked as the other two wagons rolled by.

  Caleb put a foot in the stirrup and lifted his leg over the saddle. He then reached down for Lydia’s hand. “Nope. I thought it would be faster to ride.” Lydia put her foot in the stirrup and jumped. Caleb’s strong hands pulled her on his lap. “Besides, I get to hold you this way.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this, Caleb?”

  “I promised I’d protect you and Hart. We discussed that by changing your name, it would be harder for the Richards Gang to find you. They are looking for Lydia and Hart Whitcomb, not Lydia and Hart Chapman.” Caleb saw her close her eyes. “You aren’t upset, are you?”

  Lydia shook her head. “I wanted to pretend I didn’t remember so I could still believe I was married to you.”

  Caleb kissed the side of her forehead. “Honey, you are really going to be married to me in about an hour.”

  Lydia nodded and held tight to his arm as he snapped the reins and Blaze took off in a gallop. They passed the chuckwagon and Tot waved. When they approached the herd, Caleb watched Lydia stretch her neck looking for Hart. The boy was riding point with Goodie. Caleb gave a whistle and Hart’s head snapped up. He gave a grin and waved to them as they rode past.

  It took about an hour to get to Owl Canyon. The town was small compared to Denver, but it was larger than Flat River. The ride was over too soon, and Caleb reluctantly released Lydia when they reached the hitching post in town.

  The first order of business was to send a telegram to his father letting him know that the Richards Gang might appear in Flat River. If they even thought that Lydia was taking Hart to Flat River, that is where Brodie would go. Caleb purposefully didn’t tell them about Lydia or the boy.

  Once that was complete, he escorted Lydia to the small church in town. Five dollars later, she had a simple band on her finger and was writing in the register. Lydia Chapman. Caleb scrawled his signature underneath hers.

  “Do you want to stay in the hotel?”

  Lydia shook her head. “No. I want to go back and see Hart. I want to tell him he has a new Pa.”

  Caleb kissed his wife before climbing back on Blaze.

  It took just over twenty minutes to ride back to the chuckwagon as Caleb didn’t rush. They found Tot next to the large aquifer ladling water into his Dutch oven. Tot’s rifle leaned up against the rock.

  “You guys hitched?”

  Lydia laughed. “Yes, we are.”

  “You’ll be happy together. I feel it in my bones.”

  Lydia slid down from the horse. “Did you pick up Hart?” she asked, looking around.

  “He’s right over there,” Tot said, pointing a ladle towards some bushes. “He was right there…”

  “Where did he go?”

  “Hart!” Lydia called. Tot and Caleb’s voices joined in.

  The puppies came running from behind a bush. Lydia walked over and looked behind the brush. “He’s not here.”

  “Hart!” Caleb called once more. Suddenly the air was filled with a sound that Caleb never wanted to hear. A series of short bursts filled the air. Caleb recognized it as Hart’s whistle. He was telling them they were in danger.

  Caleb jumped back on Blaze and took off around the bush. He could see Hart being held tightly by a man dressed in black with silver embellishments. Caleb recognized him as the man they saw out of the hotel window.

  Hart was struggling against the man. “You let me go,” he cried, and whistled again.

  A shot rang out and the horse reared in the air. Caleb didn’t have time to grab Blaze’s mane before the horse toppled backwards taking Caleb with him. He screamed as he felt his bone break under the weight of the horse. Blaze quickly rolled off and disappeared behind the bushes.

  “Hart,” Caleb called. Pain ripped through Caleb’s leg. He ran his finger down his broken leg. The bone hadn’t broken through the skin. He rolled over to face the man. Caleb was staring into deep bottomless pits that had no soul.

  Caleb reached for his gun, but the man held his gun to Hart’s head. “No, no, no. Don’t reach for that.”

  The man looked at Caleb and his mouth opened in a big grin. He spat tobacco juice on the dirt and pulled back the hammer on his six-shooter. He pointed it again at Caleb. “I don’t know who you are, but nothing is going to stop me from keeping the boy.” Hart struggled again. “Stop it now, boy,” the man said, yanking Hart by the arm and dropping him to the ground. He held tight to Hart as he looked at Caleb.

  “What do you want?”

  The man grinned again. “Brodie is paying one hundred dollars to anyone who can bring the boy to him.”

  “I’ll give you one hundred dollars if that is what you want.”

  “I’d much rather see you die,” the man said pointing the gun back at Caleb. “I didn’t think it was going to be this easy. I’ve been following you for weeks. All it took was some meat for the dogs and they came with the boy right behind.”

  Caleb closed his eyes and then looked at Hart.

  This is not how it was supposed to end. He had plans. He wanted to take over his father’s cattle business. He didn’t want to die next to a muddy bank.

  “Spike!”

  Caleb turned to see Lydia at the edge of the bushes.

  The man quickly turned his gun, as Lydia pulled the trigger on old Nellie and let Spike have it with two barrels. Hart screamed and pulled his arm free, running over to Caleb.

  Caleb put his arms around Hart. “It’s alright.” He patted the boy’s hair. “It’s alright.”

  Sawyer, Slim and a cowboy named Bones burst through the bushes, guns drawn. “I heard the danger signal.”

  Caleb looked at his men. They were more than just cowboys. They were his family. “That was Hart.”

  “Slim taught me really good,” Hart said running to hug Lydia.

  “Real good,” Caleb agreed. He fell backwards onto the ground. Lydia ran to his side. “How did you know his name?”

  “I remember him from the day we left. He was at the mercantile. I heard someone call him that.”

  Caleb reached up to cup her face. “I love you, honey.”

  “I love you too.” She bent down to kiss his forehead. Caleb winced as she touched him. “What’s wrong, Caleb?” she asked, running her fingers over his face.

  The adrenaline was starting to wear off and Caleb felt the fire roar through his leg. “It’s broken.”

  “Go get the medical wagon,” Sawyer said, sliding from his horse. He pointed to Slim. “Get to town and find the doctor.” He holstered his gun and ran to Caleb. “Can you move your leg?”

  Caleb shook his head. “I heard it snap.”

  “It’s alright, boss. We’ll get you taken care of. Just hang in there.” He stood and walked over to the man in black who was gurgling.r />
  Lydia moved closer. “I was so scared,” she said placing a kiss against Caleb’s forehead. Caleb slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her down for a kiss.

  “Me too, honey, me too.” He gently kissed her. “I have never seen you look more beautiful as you did just now, holding that gun.”

  “I love you Caleb,” she whispered, tears rolling from her cheeks onto his face.

  Caleb leaned back in the dirt. “I love you too, honey.” He looked up at the sky. He heard the shouts of his men as they rode closer.

  Everything was going to be alright.

  Epilogue

  Late October 1872, Flat River, Nebraska

  Caleb watched as the farmhouse came into view. It had been six weeks since he broke his leg. It looked like he would make a full recovery.

  Lydia and Hart stayed with him the entire time. Lydia was an excellent nurse, feeding Caleb broth, bathing him, and giving him little kisses, when he did what the doctor ordered.

  There was no way he could finish the drive, so a telegram was sent, and Weston Chapman showed up two days later.

  Caleb didn’t want to know how fast his father must have ridden to get there that quickly. His father didn’t say anything about Caleb getting married and promised not to breathe a word until Caleb could get back home and share the news himself. Goodie stayed behind to make sure that the Richards Gang didn’t try to kidnap Hart again.

  Caleb wasn’t sure how he was going to tell the Hartmans about Sarah, or little Hart.

  Sarah, he learned from Lydia, started using her Christian name when Duke went to prison. She didn’t want to be known as Sarah Richards. She was called Evangeline and shortened it to Vangie after Duke was hung.

  Blaze made a full recovery, the bullet simply grazing his leg. Caleb looked out the small window at the rear of the coach. Goodie was riding behind, leading Blaze by his reins.

  Money had its benefits.

  Caleb was able to pay extra to have the coach driver take them to the house instead of just dropping them in town. His leg was still in the splint and he promised the doctor in Owl Canyon that he would follow up with the doctor once he arrived home.