Madeline laughed as Caleb literally ran into her. The sound of her laughter was like music to his ears and pulled a boyish grin from him.
The sight of that grin nearly took Madeline’s breath away. She had found Caleb handsome the moment she laid eyes on him, but that grin transformed his face. “Someone needs to watch where they’re walking,” she teased.
“Sorry, ma’am,” Caleb instinctively replied, though a slow blush crept up his face. He wondered if she knew that he had been admiring the view, though he could have sworn she had been doing much the same thing just the other day.
Madeline smiled broadly. “I realized I was leading the way, but I have no idea where we’re headed.”
Caleb grinned and offered her his arm. She took it gladly and they set off for the fence line near the creek, arm in arm.
When they arrived at his pre-chosen location, she saw he had targets already set up across the creek and along the fence. Some were merely clumps of dirt, while others were broken bottles and jars.
“This is where my pa taught both my brother and me. Figured it’s a family tradition now,” he told her with a wink.
Madeline smiled. “I’m honored to be part of that tradition. Did your pa teach your ma to shoot, too?”
Caleb shook his head. “Ma already knew how before they met. Her pa had taught her. Now, let’s see what you remember about loading the pistol and how to hold it,” Caleb told her as he pulled his gun from his holster. He reached into his pocket and held out some bullets for her to use.
Madeline took the gun and carefully held it pointed toward the ground, away from Caleb. She slowly popped the cylinder open, loaded the bullets, and cautiously closed the cylinder. She looked up at Caleb when she had finished, eager to see if she had managed to load it properly.
Caleb smiled, pleased that she remembered to leave one chamber empty and that she had made sure that was the chamber at the top when she closed the cylinder. His pa always said it was wise to keep one chamber empty when carrying your pistol or you might accidentally shoot yourself in the foot or worse, if the hammer got caught on something.
He pointed to the first clump of dirt on the fence post to their left. “All right, now carefully take aim at your target. Don’t pull back on the hammer and fire yet, just take aim.”
Madeline carefully did as he instructed and held the pistol up the way he had taught her back at the house.
Caleb watched his wife raise the pistol up and sight her target, but saw that she needed some correction as to how she was holding it. He moved in close behind her and corrected her posture a bit, happy to use this as an excuse to stand close to her.
Madeline smiled, pleased that her ploy to have her husband get closer to her had worked. He smelled of leather and horse and man. The combination was intoxicating, and she had to focus extra hard on her lessons.
“That’s it,” Caleb whispered in her ear, pleased that she was following instructions so well. He inhaled deeply and was distracted by her scent. She smelled of soap and bread and woman. It took him a moment to compose himself. “Now pull back the hammer and fire when you’re ready.”
She pulled back the hammer, adjusted her aim, took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and fired. She thought she was prepared for the recoil of the gun and the loud noise of the shot, but she still jumped when it went off. Clumps of dirt flew as her bullet found its mark.
She jumped back and nearly knocked Caleb over. He laughed and caught her around the middle, pleased to see that she had actually hit the target. “Very good, Maddy!”
Madeline’s stomach flipped a bit at hearing her husband use her nickname for the first time. She smiled broadly, pleased she managed to hit on her first try. “I did it!” She turned to face him and found herself a mere inch from his nose. She looked up into his deep green eyes and her heart began to beat faster. Her gaze traveled from his eyes to his mouth and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She didn’t wonder for long.
Never one to waste a moment when it presented itself, Caleb pulled his wife tight against him and stared into her deep blue eyes for a moment. When her eyes traveled to his lips, he took it as an invitation, leaned in, and began to kiss her properly for the first time.
The moment their lips met, the world around them melted away. The kiss started out slow and gentle, but quickly grew more heated. Other than the quick, chaste kiss he had given Madeline at their wedding ceremony, Caleb had only ever kissed his mother on the cheek. He had dreamed about kissing a woman like a lover would, but this kiss exceeded all his expectations. He took his time, lost in the sensations her kiss was stirring in him.
Madeline was more experienced in the ways between a man and a woman, but her first husband’s kisses had never excited her like this. When their lips first met, Madeline had felt a fire begin deep inside. She took the lead and the fire quickly spread through her veins like a raging wildfire.
When the kiss finally ended, they were both breathing heavy. They stood for a moment, forehead to forehead, and took deep breaths of the cool air in an attempt to slow their hearts.
Madeline’s lips tingled and her blood sang in a way it never had before. She hoped it was a sign that all would be well with this marriage, a sign that she was finally with the man she was meant to be with. She smiled at the thought, which brought a smile to Caleb’s lips as well.
Caleb stood still as he tried to regain his composure. He tried to think of something to say, something sweet, but nothing came to mind. His heart was pounding so hard, he could barely think. His hand moved from behind her neck to caress her cheek lovingly as his eyes caressed her lips.
“If I get a kiss like that every time I hit a target, I think I might give Annie Oakley a run for her money!” Madeline exclaimed with a laugh.
Caleb laughed with her. “Darlin’, you keep kissing me like that and you won’t be shooting at any more targets today,” he teased her.
Madeline’s breath caught in her throat as she realized that she had completely forgotten the pistol in her hand. She looked down and was amazed to see that not only was it still in her hand, she had managed to keep it pointed down towards the ground the entire time.
Caleb’s eyes followed hers to the pistol and he grinned. “See? You’re a natural. Now, let’s get back to it,” he said reluctantly. He would have liked nothing more than to stand there and kiss his wife all day, or better yet, take her home and make love to her, but Hank had taken special care to be on the opposite end of the ranch for the next few hours with the men and little George was back at home, wide awake. No, it was best to focus on the lessons and just dream about the day he would make her his wife in more than name only.
They slowly stepped apart and Madeline resumed her lessons. Caleb was pleased that Madeline’s first shot had been more than just beginner’s luck--she truly had natural marksmanship in those lovely, slender hands of hers. While she didn’t hit with every shot, she hit more often than not, whether she was using the pistol or the rifle. Annie Oakley had better hope his wife never got a chance to audition for Buffalo Bill or she might just be out of a job!
*****
After they had finished for the day, they walked back to the house hand in hand. Being with Caleb made Madeline feel like a school girl again, and by the bounce in his step, she was pretty certain her husband felt about ten years younger as well.
Caleb wished he could spend more time with Madeline, but he knew he needed to get back to work. He was still amazed that his wife was such a good shot, but now he felt better leaving her at the house during the day. He still planned on leaving a guard nearby until his brother’s murderer had been caught, but just knowing she could grab the rifle and defend herself and little George did his heart good.
When they got back to the house, George was racing around the table in the kitchen making whooping noises while poor Walter sat on the bench with a rope loosely wrapped around him. He looked very relieved to see Madeline walk through the door.
G
eorge’s war cries turned to shrieks of joy when he saw Madeline and Caleb walk back into the house. He launched himself at Madeline’s skirts before she could even hang her cape back up on its peg.
“Ready to go?” Caleb asked Walter as he pulled George off Madeline.
“Am I ever!” came Walter’s eager reply, as he easily removed the rope from around his waist. He loved playing with little George, but today the boy was in rare form.
Caleb grinned at Madeline as he waited for Walter to grab his coat. He held the door open for Walter and then turned and kissed Madeline on the cheek before he followed him outside.
Madeline watched him leave with a smile plastered across her face. It took her a moment to realize that George was tugging at her skirt, trying to get her attention. “Yes, George?” she asked absentmindedly, still staring at the closed door.
“Why did Uncle ‘Leb kiss Auntie Maddy?” he asked her, his face scrunched up as if deep in thought.
“Hmmm?” Madeline turned her attention to her nephew by marriage. “Well, we are married.”
George appeared to think about that for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. “Pa kissed Ma lots and lots,” he said quietly, then started to cry.
Madeline scooped him up and held his sweaty little body close. She knew he was overtired and it was well past his usual naptime. “Ssh, now. It’s all right.” She comforted him as she walked slowly upstairs to his room. He wrapped his arms around her neck and held on for dear life. Madeline’s heart ached for all the pain little George was dealing with. She knew that she would never replace his mother, but she was determined to do her best by him and be the best mother she could be for him.
Chapter 7
Sunday afternoon found Caleb and Madeline with some alone time together. Hank knew the newlyweds needed some time alone, so he and Walter took George for the afternoon.
Once Madeline had put away the dishes they had used during brunch, she joined Caleb in the parlor. She was about to take her usual seat in the rocking chair when he held out his hand to her. She smiled and took his hand, pleased when he pulled her onto his lap.
He cradled his wife tenderly, rested her head on his shoulder, and sighed deeply. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to sit here and hold you like this?” he murmured softly.
Madeline shook her head without lifting it to look at him. She loved being close to him like this, loved the sound of his deep voice, and loved the feeling of being protected. The last time she had felt safe like this was back when she was just a small child and her father had held her.
Caleb smiled into her hair. “Years, darlin’. I waited years for you.”
At hearing that, Madeline lifted her head just enough to look into his eyes. “I wish I’d waited for you,” she confessed. A day didn’t go by that she didn’t regret her first choice in a husband. She was alone, young, and desperate to have a roof above her head and food to eat after her parents died when Roland had approached her with an offer of marriage. She accepted out of need, not out of love.
Roland was much older than Madeline, nearly her father’s age, and had been married before. He told Madeline that his first wife had died without giving him any children, so he wanted a younger wife this time around. He and her father had worked together in the factory, so Madeline thought he was a secure match. She thought he would treat her right, like her father had treated her mother. She had been so wrong.
Caleb’s heart ached as he saw the pained emotions rolling in his wife’s eyes. He brushed her lips tenderly with his thumb. “Ssh. Everything that happened to you before brought you here to me, now. Let the past stay in the past.”
“But…if only I had…”
He cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her to stop her protest. The kiss started off slow and gentle, but it didn’t take long for passion to take over.
This is what was missing in my first marriage, Madeline thought as she rode the wave of passion that burst forth the moment their lips touched. She hadn’t really known either man before she married them, but Caleb was kind and gentle where her first husband wasn’t. She prayed his kindness and their shared passion would last all the days of their lives together as she broke off the kiss and led him upstairs to their bed.
*****
As they dressed in anticipation of George coming home for dinner, Madeline brought up a subject that she had been avoiding for days now. She knew that talking about his brother upset Caleb, but George needed her to speak up for him.
“Would it be all right if I went to your brother’s house to get a few things for George?” Madeline asked as she buttoned her blouse.
Caleb suddenly stopped tucking his shirt into his pants. “I brought all his clothes and a few of his toys over. What else does he need?”
Madeline smiled softly. “He needs a few things around him from home. He keeps talking about a quilt his mother made him, for instance.”
“I don’t want you going alone,” he admonished. He hated going to that house now. Whenever he went, all he could see were his brother and sister-in-law lying on the ground outside the house in a pool of blood.
“I thought maybe Hank could come with me, or Walter. You and George could have a little alone time together.”
Caleb finished tucking in his shirt while he thought about it. He kept his eyes averted, so his wife wouldn’t see how hard this was for him. “I suppose that’d be all right. When do you want to go?”
Madeline glanced at the clock. They still had a few hours until dinner would need to be ready, and she planned on merely reheating the leftover stew and a loaf of bread she had baked yesterday. “I’d like to go when they bring George back, if that’s all right.”
Caleb sighed. “I reckon it is. Want me to saddle up a horse for you?”
“I was thinking I would take the buggy. I…I’ve never ridden a horse before,” she confessed.
Caleb blinked, dumbfounded. “What do you mean, you’ve never ridden before?” He was stunned. Even his mother rode a horse from the time she was a little girl. Surely, Madeline must be joking.
“Well, I lived in an apartment in Lawrence my whole life, until now,” she said with a shrug. “We never had a horse, so I never learned how.”
“It’s never too late to learn,” he said with a smile. He was looking forward to spending even more time alone with her and it showed on his face.
Madeline forced a smile. Truth be told, she was terrified of getting on a horse. It wasn’t the horse itself—she thought they were magnificent creatures. Her husband and his men looked at home in the saddle, but to her, the thought of sitting so far off the ground on the back of an animal with a mind of its own was simply terrifying. Yet she didn’t want to disappoint Caleb.
Movement outside caught Caleb’s eye and he saw Hank heading back with George. “Let me go ask Hank and see if he’s free to go with you now. If he is, I’ll hitch up the buggy for you.” He quickly kissed Madeline on the cheek and headed out.
Madeline sat on the bed and began to lace up her shoes. She had promised Caleb in her letter that she would learn whatever she needed to learn about being a rancher’s wife. She just never expected that she would need to learn how to ride a horse. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
*****
When Madeline reached the kitchen, George burst through the door and launched himself at her.
“Auntie Maddy, Auntie Maddy! Look what I make!” he shouted as he hugged her leg with one arm. In his other hand, he held what looked like a small chunk of wood with four sticks tied to it with twine.
Madeline smiled at his exuberance. She crouched down to his level to get a better look at it. “Oh, my! That’s lovely!” She could not decide if it was a horse, or a cow, or a dog for that matter, but it didn’t really matter what it was. He was happy about it and that was all that mattered.
George beamed up at his uncle, who had followed him into the house. “See? It’s lovely!” he repeated back, proud as could be.
Madeli
ne stood up and sidled alongside Caleb as George sat at the table and began to play with his newly made toy. She leaned in and whispered quietly, “What is it?”
Caleb grinned and whispered back, “I was hoping you could tell me. I have no idea.” He pulled away a bit and spoke in a normal tone. “Wait inside here with George. I’ll go get the buggy ready for you. Hank said he’ll go along with you.”
“Thank you,” Madeline called after him as he left.
George stopped playing for a moment and looked up at her with a puzzled look on his face. “You goin’ to church again?” he asked innocently.
“No, sweetie. Just going to get a few things. I won’t be long.”
“Good. I hungry,” George said in all seriousness and then went back to playing.
Madeline watched him play for a moment and smiled when she realized that he had made a horse. She walked over to the cupboard, opened it, took a molasses cookie she had made earlier from a plate, and set it on the table next to George.
George looked down at the cookie and his face lit up with delight. “For me?” he asked incredulously.
Madeline nodded. “I know it’s early for dessert, but you have to wait a bit for dinner yet. It’ll be our secret,” she told him conspiratorially and winked for further emphasis.
George needed no more encouragement than that. He picked up the cookie and began to devour it.
Madeline looked out the window and saw Caleb pull the buggy out of the barn, all hitched up and ready to go. She gave George a kiss on the top of his head, then pulled her cape on. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised George, who watched her put her bonnet on and head outside.
When she walked up to the buggy, Caleb held his hand out to help her up. She took it, leaned in, and said in a stage whisper, “It’s a horse.”
They grinned at each other, then he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before helping her into the buggy. If Hank saw the kiss, he gave no indication as he climbed up and took the reins.
Caleb caught Madeline’s eye and winked. “Don’t be gone too long,” he teased.
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