He kicked the door closed behind them and then instead of putting her down he lowered his head to hers and kissed her. Again, there was more passion to this kiss than there had been to the one at the church or any kiss he had given her before. She felt herself melting into that kiss wanting more. When she thought she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen he finally gentled the kiss and set her feet on the ground. “That’s how I wanted to kiss you when the pastor said you can kiss your bride, but I knew it wasn’t appropriate for a kiss inside the church.”
Dorthy looked up into his eyes as she blushed. “Both kisses were very nice. I like you kissing me.”
Sam smiled at her and stroked her cheek. “I like kissing you too. Why don’t you change into something comfortable and then we can talk for a bit?”
Dorthy nodded and went to her trunks and grabbed a nightgown and her dressing gown. Then she started for the dressing screen in the corner when she realized she was going to have trouble. Cindy had helped her button up the dress she was wearing, as well as tied her corset for her before the wedding. She knew there was no way she could reach all the buttons nor the string. She was going to have to ask her new husband for help. “Umm… Sam, I need some help please.”
Sam looked up from where he’d been laying his suit coat and vest over the back of a chair. “What is it, Dorthy?”
“I umm…” She looked down and blushed. “I can’t reach all the buttons on my dress. Cindy had to help me get them buttoned.”
Now it was his turn to blush. “Do you want me to go get her?”
Dorthy thought about it and then shook her head. “No, we are married, can you just undo them for me? I’ll need your help with my corset strings too.”
She could see him swallow and lick his lips like his mouth had gone dry. She was glad he was as nervous about her request as she was. He slowly walked over to her and she turned around. “There’s a lot of buttons.”
His voice sounded different, deeper, charged with some emotion she couldn’t describe. “I can see that.” His hands fumbled with the first few and slowly he worked his way down. He didn’t stop at the buttons she couldn’t reach. He kept methodically working each button loose until there were none left. Dorthy was holding the front of her dress up to her bosom to keep it from slipping off. He cleared his throat. “All done, love.”
She nodded and felt him start to move off. “I need you to untie my corset too, please. Normally I don’t tie it so tight and I can turn it to undo it, but for today Cindy thought tighter might be better.”
Dorthy didn’t think she was supposed to hear him but his whispered voice carried. “I just bet she did. I’m gonna kill that girl.”
He reached up to the laces and worked at the knot until suddenly Dorthy could feel the strings release. Sam leaned forward and kissed the right side of her neck where it was exposed now that the dress was unbuttoned. She leaned back into his large chest and tilted her head, giving him better access. He kissed her again and then cleared his throat. “You’re killing me here, Dorthy. Get changed so we can talk while I’m still trying to be a gentleman.”
She nodded and walked back behind the screen trying to get control of the tingling sensation that felt like he’d seared her neck where he’d kissed her. What was going on with her? This man seemed to make her want things she’d never thought about before. Yes she’d thought in general terms of a family, children, but Sam Ryder made her want his family, his children. His touch, his kisses were exciting and she wanted more of them.
She quickly changed and pulled her dressing gown on and tied it over her nightgown. As she came out from behind the screen she saw Samuel waiting in the sitting area, his head in his hands, rubbing his face. He seemed as tense and nervous as she felt. Before she’d left, Wiggie had sat her down and explained to her what a husband would expect from his wife. While she had told Dorthy that with love the experience would be quite pleasurable, she also let her know that a husband might not be willing to wait for those feelings to develop. That it was different for men than for women. Maybe that’s what he wanted to talk about: letting her know he was expecting a wedding night. If so, she would do her best to give him what he needed from her.
He looked up and smiled and patted the divan beside him. “Come sit, love. We need to talk. I want to get to know you better and we need to talk about how we’re going to proceed in this marriage. Don’t you think?”
Dorthy nodded and slowly walked over to him, sitting beside him. He turned to face her and she faced him as well. He smiled and laid his palm on the side of her face. She leaned into it. Every touch made her feel special. Every caress made her fall just a little more for this man.
“I want you to know Dorthy, that I’m so glad you agreed to marry me. We both know that something special is happening with us. I can’t understand it but I know that it’s happening. I could feel you outside the church before I could see you. I can almost feel what you’re feeling. It’s strange and yet it’s not at the same time.”
Dorthy nodded. “I know what you are saying; as a teacher of science I know it’s not supposed to be real and yet I can’t deny what I’m feeling.”
Sam nodded. “Let’s talk about us first. I am not going to ask for anything from you besides that you and I sleep in the same bed and that you allow me to kiss you whenever I want. Not until we get to know each other better and we are both sure that we are ready to be husband and wife in every way. So you can stop worrying about that. We will make that choice together when the time is right.”
She leaned forward and kissed him, scooting closer. “Thank you, I want to be able to kiss you when I want to. I like kissing you.”
He pulled her even closer and leaned his forehead against hers. “I like kissing you too.”
He took a deep breath. “I haven’t said anything about my job or life. I’m sheriff only because Redemption needed someone to take over after the old sheriff retired. Our town, when I was a child, went through something very bad and the town folks don’t trust a lot of people. My Grandfather founded the town and so it’s kind of become my family’s responsibility to see to its safety and security. However, money is not something you ever will have to worry about again. When we get home I’ll add you to the bank account and our accounts at all the shops. I guess you could say we’re rich, but I don’t think about it. I didn’t earn it so I don’t feel special because of it.”
This was what Cindy had told her earlier but hearing it from him was better. “Does that mean I’ll be able to have a garden and start a school? Those were two things that Mister Saunders understood I needed when I answered his advertisement.”
Sam smiled. “Darlin’ we live on the second largest ranch in the area. My brother-in-law runs our cattle. I’m in charge of the farm side and mostly I just make sure our tenant farmers have what they need, but I can give you as big or as small a garden as you could ever want.
“As for starting a school, Redemption has a school but the teacher was about to have a baby so I’m sure we can get you in a classroom right away. I’ll talk to my brother and father when we get back to Redemption. They and the school board will probably want to meet with you, but I had heard that there was some talk about expanding the school anyway. So I don’t see why we can’t get you teaching as soon as the school year starts.”
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him with all the excitement in her heart. Finally her luck seemed to be changing. She realized that besides almost tripping on the stairs she’d not had any disasters today. Maybe, just maybe, she’d shed her bad luck. She would remain optimistic until she was sure.
Sam pulled back after a few minutes of increasingly intense kisses. “There is one other thing I have to tell you. My family, we’re special.”
Her brow wrinkled. “What do you mean?”
“Have you heard much about my grandfather? Nugget Nate?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I know he was famous, that’s about it.”
He hugged her and kissed her forehead. “The men in our family all have a special gift. My grandfather called it his Callin’. We all have the ability to know when trouble is going to happen that we can help with. Danger or something like it. We know when and where and if we act as soon as we know, we usually can stop it. We don’t talk about it outside the family much. Well my brother, father and I don’t. My grandfather talked about it all the time.”
“You know when and where danger is going to strike?”
He nodded. “Not all the time but when we can do something about it. It’s why Nathan is still a U.S. Marshal after all this time as a preacher too. It’s part of the reason I’m sheriff. We just end up where someone is trying to hurt others anyway so being able to legally protect people makes it easier. But some people are scared of what we can do. I just need you to understand if I ask you to do something and it makes no sense it may be because I’m getting a Calling that I need to protect you against.”
Dorthy’s heart raced. “I’m your wife, Samuel, if you tell me to do something I’ll do it. I may ask for an explanation but I will do it.”
He nodded. “The explanation may be that it’s a Calling but I’ll always be willing to give you one. It just might not be any more detailed than that. Sometimes I know specifics, most times I don’t.”
She bit her lip; she should tell him her secret too. He looked at her. “What is it, Dorthy?”
She sighed and looked down at her hands wringing each other in her lap. “I need to tell you something too, and if you don’t want to be married to me afterwards I’ll understand.”
He put his hands on either side of her face and made her look in her eyes. “There is nothing you can tell me that will make me not want to be married to you; we are made for each other, Dorthy. This connection between us proves that.”
A tear leaked out of her eye and ran down her cheek. “I’m a pariah.”
His whole face drew up in confusion. “What? What does that even mean?”
“I’m bad luck, a Jonah, an albatross. Bad things happen when I’m around. I can’t seem to stop them from happening and I don’t know why. Unless I’m in the classroom or garden, things go wrong around me all the time.”
“What in the world makes you think that?”
“You’ll see; things break, people get hurt, bad things happen all around me all the time.”
Sam shook his head. “I don’t know why you think that, but it isn’t true. I’ve been around you for three days now and so has Cindy, nothing has happened to us yet. The doctor and nurse for a lot longer, they looked okay too.”
She shook her head. “You’ll see. I just need you to know I’m sorry before things start happening.”
He pulled her right onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “Oh honey. I don’t know why you think that, but you don’t make bad things happen. Bad things just happen. They happen to everyone. It’s not you, so I want you to stop thinking like that. Besides, maybe that’s why God gave you to me. With my Calling’s, I’ll stop your bad things from happening.”
She hadn’t thought about that when he’d mentioned his unusual gift but maybe that was why God put them together, so Sam could protect people from her. She’d have to think about that a while.
Soon Sam declared it was time for them to get some sleep, and she was carried to the bed where he tucked her in before turning out the lights and climbing in beside her. It took a while for her to get comfortable with a man in her bed but soon she found herself falling asleep with her head on Sam’s chest, listening to his heart beat in time with hers.
Chapter Six
Sam sat beside his wife on the divan in the seating area of their Pullman car. They’d left Independence the day before and were well on their way home. They would arrive in Redemption around four the next afternoon and that feeling of trouble had sharpened. He felt a serious sharp tug and looked over at the chair where his niece sat. “Cindy, you and Dorthy get in the chairs over by the corner. We’ve got trouble.”
Both woman looked up and started moving. “What is it, Sam?”
“Train’s about to be robbed. We’ll put a stop to it, but I need Dorthy to be safe. She hasn’t learned to shoot yet.”
Cindy pointed to the arm chair on the left. “You take that one, Dorthy.”
Dorthy did as she asked. “Why this one?”
“Because there’s an army revolver attached to the table on this side if I need it.” Cindy told her.
Sam stood and pulled off his jacket and slipped the Colt Peacemaker out of his holster and pointed it at the door leading into the bedroom portion of the car. Sure enough, a couple of men came through the door with bandanas over the lower half of their faces. A revolver in both their hands. “Drop ‘em boys or I’ll plug ya both.”
Just then there came a gasp from Dorthy, followed by the crack of the Army revolver and a groan from behind Sam. Cindy had shot the man who came through the outside door trying to get the drop on Sam. The two outlaws facing Sam quickly dropped their guns. “Now hands on top of your heads fellas, and slowly move over to your wounded partner there.”
As they moved Sam walked over to a cabinet and pulled out three sets of restraints. He took them and locked one on the right hand and left leg of each outlaw. “Cindy, you and Dorthy go into the main bedroom and stay there until I get back. I’m going to take care of the rest of these outlaws. I’ll have the conductor and railroad detectives come collect these owl hoots.”
He looked at his niece. “You keep my wife safe, you hear me, Cindy Ryder?”
“You can count on me, Uncle Sam. Go do what we Ryders do best.”
He nodded as the women did what he told them, then grabbed up the three men’s revolvers and tucked two of them into his belt. He quickly pinned his badge to his shirt; no sense getting shot by an anxious railroad detective. Then started making his way forward. With a six-gun in each hand he entered the caboose and seeing no one, kept moving forward. The sense of danger was still sharp and he knew if he didn’t keep moving someone was going to get hurt or worse. Cindy was right. This was what Ryders did, they protected the innocent and captured the outlaws.
He carefully made his way into the next car keeping out of sight of the seating area. Sure enough, two more outlaws were in the aisle. “Everyone just put your wallets and jewelry in the sack and no one will get hurt. Gentlemen, any weapons go in the bag as well.” Sam took a deep breath. He hated this part. He stepped into the aisle and fired both guns, hitting each outlaw dead in the heart. Women screamed as the outlaws fell. “Will a couple of you men drag those two back into the caboose for me. I’m going to check on the rest of the train.”
Several men stood and followed him up the aisle. “You want some help, mister?”
“Just clean up that mess and maybe make your way back into the Pullman on the other side of the caboose. There’s three men in irons back in the sitting room. Don’t open the bedroom doors or you’ll end up shot.”
“Do you want some of us to come with you?”
Sam shook his head. “We’ll just get in each other’s way. If I run into any more, I’ll have men in those cars do the same thing as I’m asking you gentlemen to do.”
The man who’d been speaking nodded his head. “We can do that.”
Sam continued through the cars; in each one empty of outlaws he let the riders know what was going on. He made it to the sleeper cars where he ran into the conductor. “Your train’s got robbers on it. I shot three and chained two, all are in the caboose with some passengers watching over them. I think there might be at least one more with your engineer and fireman. You got a railroad detective on board?”
The
older man shook his head. “Not this run; he came down sick this morning.”
“All right, I’ll see what I can do for you then, if you want to take control of the ones in the caboose.”
The man nodded. “Thank you, sheriff. I appreciate the help. You’re one of the people in the Ryder’s Pullman, aren’t you?”
Sam nodded. “I am Sam Ryder. The Preacher’s my older brother.”
“Family of law men then.”
“We do what we can.”
The two men separated, and Sam continued through the rest of the train and sure enough, as he came out onto the platform between the last passenger car and the coal car, he could see a man holding a gun on the engineer and fireman. There was no easy way to sneak up on the man so he did the only thing he could and put one revolver into his belt, steadying his other in two hands. He should have grabbed a rifle from the cabinet but hadn’t thought of it. This would have to do. Saying a prayer, he aimed for the man’s middle and pulled the trigger. The man jolted and turned toward him, and Sam fired again as the outlaw fell off the side of the train directly under the wheels. That was the last of them on the train. He had a sense of one on horseback coming up fast and knelt low waiting for him to come into view. Just a few seconds and there he was. Sam fired at him but the man released the six horses he’d been leading and turned tail and raced away. As he did the danger sense left Sam but that small niggle of trouble stayed. So the immediate threat was over but something was still coming, not today, but it was still heading his way.
Sam went forward and checked on the engineer and fireman, both of whom were grateful for his help. Then he made his way back to the Pullman where he knocked on the bedroom door. “All’s clear Cindy, you and Dorthy can come out now.”
The door opened and Dorthy launched herself into his arms. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Dorthy's Disasters: A Ryders Legacy Historical Book (The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides 4) Page 5