by Rita Hestand
"I thought men didn't talk much," she jabbed him in the rib.
He chuckled. "We got our roles switched. You don't talk much."
"I was a green eyed monster when you went with Kate. She was everything I wasn't, beautiful, big busted, like a dressed up doll, and utterly sexy." She admitted. "And you were right, I thought about you and Rebecca and thought you were falling for her beauty and charm, not what was inside of her."
"That's understandable."
"I wanted to kill you, slap you, make love to you so you wouldn't want her any more…but nothing…nothing you could ever do would stop me from loving you. You taught me that."
Hearing her admission, he rolled her over and stared down into her face.
"Sweetheart I'd love to make love with you, but I'm not going to treat you that way. And I know it sounds kind of backwards. It's because you are my woman, my love, and after you walk down that aisle with me and marry me, we'll spend a week or so in the bed, but not until. Because above everything else, I respect you more than anyone except maybe Noah…"
"You've forgiven Hank?"
"Yes, I have."
"You don't love Kate?"
"Never did."
"You really love me?"
"More than anything in this world."
"You really want me?" She asked.
"Oh God, more than you'll ever know."
She fell on her back and stared up at the sky with such a happy sigh. "Then I guess I'm the happiest woman in the world."
"You want me to shave for our wedding?"
"No."
"Cut my hair?"
"No," she giggled.
"Put my guns away?"
She paused, "Not unless you want to. Guns are important in many ways. I just don't want you to hate. That's all."
He leaned over her again, "You're certainly easy to please."
"I like this, asking each other important questions. Sharing our feelings, our thoughts, our love." She chuckled.
"Do you believe in God Chance?"
"Yep!"
"So do I." She replied happily.
"If it weren't for him I'd have already been in a few scrapes."
How many children do you want?" She teased him with a dandelion.
"Oh I don't know, three or four." He blew on the dandelion and fuzz went everywhere.
"That's reasonable." She smiled. "Is there anything you'd like to change about me?"
"Yes…"
"What?" She twisted her head.
"Your last name…" he grabbed her and kissed her so thoroughly he had to pull away to keep his promise about not touching her.
"Oh Jace…when will we marry?"
"It'll have to be soon."
"Why?"
"Because I want to make you mine. I want to make you a happy woman, a satisfied woman, my woman."
"I already am…your woman." She said wistfully.
"Now that's what I like to hear…" He chuckled and reached for her, but she got up and ran. He followed her and it was a race. He caught up to her about the time Noah showed up.
"You two take care of business?" Noah asked.
"Yep, as soon as we sell those next bunch of horses we're going to get married, Noah…"
"'Bout time!" He chuckled while they piled into the wagon with him.
Jen got up on the seat with him and kissed his cheek. "I love you Noah."
"You're supposed to say that to him?" He pointed to Jace.
"Oh…I already did." She chuckled.
Chapter Eighteen
Headed for town now with a string of horses, Noah decided he'd take the horses out to Hardin and if he didn't want them on to the Nelson place to see if they could use them while Jace and Jen made wedding arrangements.
But when Noah showed up at the Hardin ranch no one was about. It was rather unusual and Noah felt a bit uneasy about it.
Finally, the foreman met him and took the string of horses on into barn for him. Noah stared after him for he hardly spoke. But it didn't take long to find out why.
"She died, Noah." The foreman told him in a choked voice.
"Oh God, I wasn't expecting that. How is Hank taking it?"
"She died this morning and Hank was a mess at first, but somehow things have changed. I think he's going to be all right now. After the shock of it wore off, he seemed to change, for the better. You see, she died in his arms. And the first thing he said, that I could understand was that their life had been so good together."
"Where is everyone?" Noah glanced around the place and didn't see a cowboy one.
"I sent most of them out to the north pasture to finish the branding and castrating. Most of the men knew her pretty well and were shook up too by her death. I mean, you expect it to happen, but when it does. After the funeral we'll be taking the cattle to market."
"Would it be alright if I left the horses here and went up to see them for a bit?"
"Sure, go on. I'll take care of them. Nice looking bunch."
Noah waved at him and headed for the house. He hated to hear about Elizabeth. She was such a good woman and had been so good for Hank. Now Noah worried about his friend. How would he take this? Would he go back to being mean and inconsiderate of everyone, or would he remember her and keep going as he had been.
He knocked, no one answered. So he went inside.
"Hank, you in here?" Noah called.
Directly Hank came out of the downstairs bedroom. He looked haggard, his clothes were rumpled, his hair was astray, but there was something in his eyes that Noah hadn't expected.
His shoulders were bunched, his eyes red, but despite all that, he reached to shake Noah's hand and gave him a sad smile. "I lost her Noah…" Hank said, the sound of his voice echoing his sorrow.
"I heard, Hank. I'm so very sorry." He held his hand a little longer, to show his support.
The house was dark, with the shades drawn and no sunshine peering in. It was a beautiful house but way too dark, Noah thought.
"She was the best part of me, Noah."
Noah nodded. "I hope you remember that Hank. She'd want you to. She'd want you to keep going, keep doing well."
"I know that Noah. I really do. Although I'll miss her for the rest of my life. At least I had her for a while." Hank nodded sadly. "My last days with her were heaven. Somehow I sensed it coming and I just took a few days off to be with her. We talked about everything, our life together, our love, our future. I'll treasure that forever, Noah. She died so peaceful right in my arms. And I must have cried for her a solid hour before someone came in to bring me out of my stupor."
"Well sir, I'm glad to hear you did that. Because it's a time when you needed each other. I'm sure she appreciated having you to herself for a while. When you gonna bury her?"
"She's got folks coming from Philadelphia, it'll be three or four days."
"I'll be here. Anything I can do for you, take care of for you?"
"No, but I thank you for asking. What are you doin' here now?" Hank asked, as though it just dawned on him that he had no idea.
"I brought some more horses."
"Good, have the boys take care of it for me. I'll take them all." Hank told him as though that was no longer important to him.
"All right." Noah sighed. "Can I see her?"
"Sure, come on…" Hank guided him into the bedroom where she was laid out in her church dress of pink and lavender.
"I put that dress on her myself and combed her hair. She always looked so pretty in it." Hank remembered.
"She sure did. She was a mighty good woman, Hank."
"The best. I've had the best Noah, and I can't complain."
They sat and talked forever, not saying really anything important, but being together and remembering old times. Directly Noah looked at Hank and smiled. "I'll bet she's in heaven lookin' down on us now Hank. She'd probably like to talk too, don't you reckon."
Hank smiled faintly, "Yeah, she would. She so loved your visits and worried about you all the time up ther
e in those hills, alone. And she was tickled you came in to see her last time you were here. When you get sick, people can be kind of standoffish."
"Well, Hank, I'm not alone anymore. Jace and Jen are with me. They are getting married."
"Married! Well, I'll be." Hank looked as though he had stepped out of the fog for a minute. "Little Jen is getting married."
"They are making arrangements right now." Noah told him.
"I'd like to be there when they do."
"Why shore, I'll let you know."
"Thanks. I guess you heard about Kate, huh?" Hank shook his head with disdain.
"Heard what?" Noah's face screwed up in a frown. "What's that woman up to now? I heard Sam was gonna send her back east to her folks."
"Well, he didn't manage that. Sam's dead."
"Dead!" Noah shot to his feet totally unprepared for this news. "What do you mean he's dead? We were just over there, not long ago."
"The Sheriff stopped by a few days ago to tell me all about it. I wondered why you weren't at the funeral. He…supposedly fell down the stairs and had a heart attack and died." Hank told him looking a bit surprised that Noah didn't know about it since they lived so close.
"You don't think he fell?" Noah's glance said it all.
"No, no one does. It's a real mess over there right now." Hank shook his head. "I got too much going on here to worry about that now, but I do feel for Doug."
"What do you mean? What kind of mess?"
Hank sighed and got comfortable. "He had a will. Left the place to Doug. Boy, you can imagine what Kate thought of that. She's still living there though, and what's worse, she's brought that horse wrangler into the house with her and they are living together." Hank told him.
"Nah…your joshin' me?"
"Fact, Noah."
"Bill, that was his name. He's livin' in the house with her?" Noah couldn't believe it. "But I thought that fella was married."
"Yeah, that's the talk. She says she's going to marry him, so I don't know what's going on." Hank told him. "I'm not sure I want to know."
"Good gosh amighty, that woman is pure evil."
"Sure looks that way. I sort of feel sorry for Doug havin' to put up with her. See, the law says she's got a right to live there as long as she wants, she just can't control anything now. The judge done told her that. The place isn't in her name; it's already been changed to Doug's."
"Knowing her, that didn't sit well." Noah chuckled.
"No…"
"You think Doug is in any danger?"
"I think she's too smart to pull much more for a while." Hank told him. "She'll wait, but he could be eventually. I wouldn't put anything past that woman."
"We've had some dealings with her lately and none of it good. Jace tried to get some proof that she's been supplying the Indians with guns. She admitted it to him, but he needed solid proof. Sam was wise to Jace and told him to go home, he'd handle her. He planned on sending her back to her folks. And she wouldn't like that, because according to Sam, her folks didn't like her."
"Giving guns to the Indians? Who'd have thought." Hank shook his head. "She's a bad one, and the sooner she's gone from the valley, the better."
"Well, we know she did it. But we can't prove it, just like no one could prove he "fell" down those stairs either, I'll betcha."
Hank seemed to study on it a minute. "She'll get her comeuppance sooner or later."
"I just hope it's sooner, and no one else is hurt. I'll have to go pay my respects to Sam though, he buried on the place?"
"Actually, I thought it strange, but no, they buried him in the city cemetery." Hank remembered.
"Town cemetery, that is strange. Whose idea was that?"
"Hers of course."
"Well, at least I can stop off and visit him without having to tangle with the likes of her. Did she play the grieving widow?"
"Oh yeah, quite a performance too."
"Was Bill by her side when she did it?"
"Actually, yes he was. Consoling her."
"She's got her claws in him then."
"'Fraid so."
They were silent a moment, Noah reflecting on all Hank had told him. Noah stood up and went to stand over Elizabeth.
Noah stared at Elizabeth's body, she did look beautiful in her dress.
"Too bad it wasn't Kate that had that tumor." Noah told him.
"Funny how that works sometime, isn't it Noah. My thinking is that God needs more good people in heaven."
"I reckon that's right, Hank. Tell me something. The truth. Are you going to be all right now?" Noah looked straight at him past the swollen eyes and into his heart.
"Noah, if I hadn't taken those last few days with her, it probably wouldn't have turned out the same. But we shared so much of ourselves. We talked about everything Noah. And somehow, she has given me a peace I didn't know I could have. Bein' with her those few days was like a short life-time. We talked, kissed, we held hands, we remembered the good times, and the bad. It wasn't like anything I know. But she showed me a little bit of heaven and believe it or not, it was enough."
Noah stared at him and a slow smile broke over his face. "That's sounds like her, spreading a joy."
"She did. It was pure joy, Noah."
Noah nodded, "I believe it."
"She told me something too, that changed things for me. She said God loved me, and that someday I'd join her in heaven. And I truly believe I will…"
"You are gonna be all right, aren't you?" Noah smiled.
"Yes, I believe I am." Hank finally smiled, really smiled.
Noah looked up with a little twinkle in his eyes, "I think she knows that too, Hank. And I'm so glad."
Noah stood up, went over to kiss Elizabeth on the forehead and smiled down at her body. "Goodbye sweet lady, until we meet again." And he walked out of the room, his throat full of tears, and a strange peaceful happiness too. Even in her death Elizabeth could spread joy to people. And strangely when he looked at her, he saw a smile on her lips. That was comforting.
Chapter Nineteen
"I think we should contact the preacher first and let him tell us what we need to do." Jace told her.
"All right." Jen agreed, her heart pounding.
This was all so new to her and she was shy of it. "Are you sure, Jace…I mean about us…"
He bent to stroke her cheek, "Very sure."
He kissed her on the forehead and they were off to the small church at the end of town.
"Are you gonna tell them your real name?"
"Have to, want it legal."
She smiled.
Maxwell Cartwright was the preacher's name. He'd been here for many years and Jen had met him when she came to church here. He was middle aged, dark haired with very blue eyes. He watched them walk down the aisle of the church and smiled when he recognized her.
"Jen, how nice to see you again." The preacher came toward them.
"Reverend Cartwright." She smiled and shook hands. "This is Chance Montgomery, we want to get married soon and need to find out what we have to do?"
The Reverend smiled and nodded to Chance. "Wonderful. I recognize that name; do you live around here sir?"
"No, I used to a long time ago. But I moved off and have just recently come back." Chance explained.
Jen glanced around the church, she hadn't been here in a while now and she knew the Reverend was probably wondering about that.
"Well, it's customary to post a notice that you want to get married. I can do that for you, I'll need both your full names and ages and date you want to marry." He instructed them. "I'll fill out a marriage license for you and record it with the country clerk."
"My name is Chance Harrison Montgomery." Chance told him.
"And mine is Jenny Mae Carter." She smiled shyly.
The Reverend reached for a quill and paper and wrote it down.
"I'll need your dates of birth."
They gave him all the information and he nodded, "Good. Now then, before I mar
ry a couple, I like to at least get a confirmation on feelings.
Chance thought on it, "Well, we'd like to marry as soon as is convenient for you to do so."
"I see. How long have you two known each other?" He asked.
Chance studied the preacher a minute, "We knew each other years ago."
The Reverend stared at them. "There's something I need to address before we go any further." He glanced at Jen now and he took her hands in his. "It's not a pleasant discussion, but one I must ask of. You do realize that Miss Carter has been working in a saloon for the past eight years, do you not?"
Chance grimaced, obviously displeased with the question. Still he saw the parson's reason for it. But he firmed his lips and went on. "I fully realize that, sir. But she's no longer working there. She's been a cook for Noah Hawkes for the past three months. I've known her most of her life. I knew her first as a friend, a child, then when I came back, it was as though the ten years I'd been gone were erased. I still know her as well. You see, I know what is inside her, and it's more beautiful than a setting sun or a rainbow after the rain."
The parson looked at him in surprise. "You do know her then."
"I've never touched her the way a man touches his woman, but I know her as well as a man can know another."
Jen blushed.
"So you're a cook now?" He glanced at Jen again. "I didn't know. No wonder I haven't seen you in a while."
"That's right." She smiled.
"And you still want to marry her knowing her past?" The Reverend asked.
Jen's mouth hung open but she didn't say a word.
Chance came up to the Reverend, and stared him down. "Look preacher. I know everything I need to know. I love her dearly. And if you won't marry us, we'll go somewhere else and be married. I have a past too you see, and she's accepted me, just as I accept her. We want to be married and these questions are no longer necessary."
The preacher swallowed hard and backed up when Chance frowned into his face. "It was an unpleasant question, but I had to ask it. Very well, I'll marry the two of you, post your notice now all we need is a date."