by Everly West
The portly man laughed. "I'm sure there are more than a few stories to be told. Next time you are in town, let's get together at Levi's game room over cards. Maybe talk a little more about that ranch of yours."
"That sounds good." Caleb shook the man’s hand and left the bank with Levi. They walked down Main Street together.
"Did your wife and little girl get to town safely? I saw you at the train station, but I was called away before I could say hello to you."
Caleb didn't know what to say to his friend about his wifeless plight, so he changed the subject. "Were you meeting someone at the train station?"
"Yes. Eva's cousin is here and the two of them have been almost inseparable. As soon as your wife settles in, let me know. We'd love to have you all over. I just know our wives are going to get along like a house on fire."
Caleb knew that wasn't the case. Perhaps he should tell Levi the truth now. "I'm not sure that's going to happen, Levi. My wife—Victoria——didn't make it to Laramie."
"Oh, Caleb. I'm so sorry to hear that. What happened? Was she ill?"
"No, she wasn't ill. She—"
Levi interrupted him. "Where on earth are my manners? I apologize for keeping you standing on the sidewalk. This is not the place to be talking about your poor wife, Caleb. Come with me. Let's go to my house and we can get comfortable, then you can tell me all about what happened."
His friend slapped him on the back and guided him down the street. Caleb went along without protest. He needed the time to figure out exactly what he was going to say. He hated lying. It went against everything he believed in, but he was in a hard spot. If he didn’t get the help he needed for Melody, he would have to pack up and move back to St. Louis. The thought made him sick at his stomach.
Besides, it was embarrassing to have to admit he couldn't hold on to his wife, but then he didn't think lying about the matter would gain him much respect either. Perhaps if he explained the entire situation to Levi, but asked him to keep the matter private, Caleb could keep his pride intact and get the help he needed.
"Caleb, do you mind if we stop in the hotel for a few minutes? I have some business to attend to and there's someone I'd like you to meet."
"Not at all. Lead the way." Caleb and Levi walked the three blocks to the hotel. They passed several business owners along the way and stopped to chat. Levi always took the time to introduce Caleb and to include him in their conversations. Caleb appreciated his friend's inclusion. He was going to need all the help he could get if he had any hope of making his dreams a reality for him and Melody.
Half an hour later, Levi led the way into his Grand Union Hotel. It was the pride of Laramie and it was a sight to see. The grand lobby was impressive and there was a separate gentlemen's club where men could gather together, smoke cigars, and play a little harmless game of cards without incurring the wrath of wives. That was because he didn’t allow his female staff to dress in scanty outfits or offer their services to his customers.
Levi was adamant that he didn't make his money off the backs of others. His strict policies were some of the reasons why the dedicated members of The Ladies Club of Laramie placed their stamp of approval on the hotel. Any fraternization between employees was frowned upon as well.
His friend ran a strict, but fair, establishment. At least, that's what Eva Copper had assured him when speaking about the possibility of his own wife's objections to the place. He almost laughed at the thought that Victoria would object to where he went and who he went there with. She didn’t give a damn—
"Follow me to my office, Caleb. I want you to meet a friend of mine." Levi's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He followed Levi down one hall and then another to a closed door. Levi opened the door and ushered him in.
A man stood and greeted them. "There you are. I thought I had mixed up our meeting time." The man grinned at Levi and extended his hand in greeting to Caleb. "And you are?"
Levi made the introductions. "Caleb, meet my friend Will. Will, meet Caleb Montgomery. He just took over his uncle's horse ranch west of town."
"Good to meet you, Caleb." He watched the man frown. "Montgomery did you say? Is your uncle Zack Montgomery?"
"Yes, he is. Well, he was. My uncle passed away this last winter and I inherited his ranch." Caleb felt the same twinge of sadness he always felt when he was reminded his beloved uncle was no longer alive.
"I remember. The Bar M Horse ranch. That is quite a handsome spread you have there."
"Yes it is," Caleb spoke with pride. "I used to visit my uncle when I was a kid. That is until my parents shipped me off to boarding school and then college. After that, they insisted I go back to St. Louis and work in my father's bank." Caleb cringed at the memory.
"And what do you do now?" The man questioned him.
"I am working on a two-year plan to breed the best working cow horses in the territory. And what do you do, if you don't mind me asking?" Caleb directed his question to Levi's friend.
Levi grinned and slapped the man on the back. "Will here is a federal judge. Meet the Honorable William E. Baker."
Caleb was impressed with the man's credentials. "A federal judge, huh? That sounds interesting."
"Nah, not really. It's a lot of traveling, but for a single guy, it has its benefits."
"One of those benefits being a girl in every town pining away for our man here," Levi joked. "He's a confirmed bachelor. And as far as I know, he's never even considered taking a wife."
Caleb watched Levi stop short. "Oh, Caleb. I'm so sorry. That was very inappropriate of me to make a joke like that when your wife is—"
Will leaned in closer. "When your wife is what? What did I miss?"
Levi answered his friend’s question. "Caleb's wife is deceased, Will. She didn’t make the trip to Laramie.”
Caleb’s guilt mocked him. Now there were three people who believed Victoria to be dead. What was he going to do now? What could he do?
Arielle made the short walk to her cousin's house in minutes. She stepped inside the cool interior of the stunning spacious home her cousin's husband had bought for her, and just for a moment—a tiny moment—Arielle felt envy for Eva.
Her cousin was a very lucky woman to have found a man who loved her so selflessly. He loved her despite her father's demeaning and incessant harassment of him. And he loved her with unconditional love. She wanted to find a man like that, but she feared her cousin may have landed the last one.
Levi said he had known Eva was the one for him years ago. She would have to ask him sometime how he knew Eva was the one for him.
"Arielle, I'm surprised to see you. I thought you would be at the school until late this afternoon. Would you like some tea? Eva walked across the room carrying two vases of fresh cut flowers from her beautiful garden in the back of the house.
"I had something I wanted to talk to you about. Do you have a moment?" Arielle kissed her cousin on one cheek and then the other taking one of the vases from her.
"Of course. Set that one on that table over there by the window." Eva directed her and Arielle did as instructed. Eva placed hers on the table near the front door.
When both vases were in place, Eva led her to the pair of high-backed floral chairs by the front window. Sitting here had the added benefit of looking out onto Eva's gorgeous garden at the side of the house. It also afforded them privacy, as the garden was protected from public view by a large boxwood hedge growing tall against the wrought iron fence.
"Now, tell me. What is going on? What is it you wished to talk about?" Eva asked.
"Do you remember when I first arrived, I told you about the man at the train station?"
"The one you nearly tripped over getting off the train?" Eva teased.
"I didn't trip over him, but I did almost fall, and he was kind enough to catch me before I was seriously injured."
Eva smiled at her as if to say there was more to the story than she let on, but she encouraged Arielle to continue.
"I saw h
im today. He came to the school."
"The school? My nursery school? What on earth did he want?"
"He wants a housekeeper, cook and caretaker for his young daughter."
"His daughter? Where is the man's wife?" Eva asked.
"That's exactly what I wanted to know," Arielle assured her cousin. “I asked him that very question.”
"And what did he say?"
"He said she was no longer with them. Eva, the poor man is a widower with a young daughter to care for and a ranch to run. He needs help."
"Does he now? And he asked for your help in finding him someone?"
"Yes, he did. Well, actually he asked me if I would be willing to help him,” Arielle admitted.
"And why would he assume you would even entertain the idea of working for a man you barely know."
"He saw me helping the children and since I was covered in paint, he assumed that I—"
"He assumed you were one of the school's employees. And you didn't correct that assumption? I have to ask why, Arielle."
"No, I didn't correct him. And to be honest, I'm not certain why I didn't tell him the truth. Maybe because he seemed so lost and in desperate need of help for his little girl."
"Or maybe because you are quite smitten with this mysterious cowboy. Did you happen to catch his name? I would prefer if Levi asked around town about this man before you agreed to help him. I would never forgive myself if I allowed any harm to come to you under my care. And I’m certain your parents and sister wouldn’t forgive me either," Eva declared with confidence.
"First, I am not under your care. I'm only under your roof until my visit comes to an end this fall. Second, I am fully capable of asking Levi to find out all he can about this man and his daughter. And third, yes, I will admit I'm quite taken with him. Perhaps the lure is because he doesn't know who I really am or what my net worth is. His only concern is finding a suitable caretaker for his daughter.
“I'm so tired of trying to gauge whether a man's interest in me is because he likes me for myself or for my bank account."
Eva laughed at her comment. "Anyone that truly knows you, dear cousin, would be a fool not to love you for yourself. You are the kindest, most caring person I know. How could they not love you?"
Arielle wished she had an answer for her cousin, but the truth was most men sought a wife to further their career, expand their social standing, and have children to pass their wealth and name on to. After that, they returned to their mistresses. It was one of the many reasons Arielle refrained from committing herself to marriage.
It was an institution designed by men for their own benefit and the best a woman could hope for was to be cared for financially for the rest of her life by a man who was kind to her. Since Arielle had her own fortune, she had no reason to want a husband—except for love—and the doubt her money created was always in her mind, confusing the two.
"Men only love themselves, Eva. Well, I will qualify that statement since your husband shows himself to be the exception to that rule. But I have yet to find a man who thinks marriage is a partnership, therefore I have no need for one."
"And what about this widower with his small daughter? Does he interest you?"
"Perhaps, but does it matter? I promised my parents I would return to Boston in September and choose a husband. I hardly think they would approve of me living in Laramie on a ranch married to a cowboy.”
Arielle laughed at the notion, but a twinge of regret pinched her heart. She truly wouldn't care where she lived as long as she found someone who loved her for herself.
"Well, I should be going. I promised the man I would give him an answer within the hour, and I need to find Levi to make certain he can vouch for the man's integrity.
"Vouch for who's integrity?" A familiar male voice spoke from the doorway.
Arielle and Eva turned to see Levi standing in the doorway. And he wasn't alone. Standing beside him was the cowboy who wanted her help.
"Oh, Levi. Um, Caleb," Eva exclaimed and rushed to greet her husband. Embarrassment heated Arielle's cheeks with the knowledge that she had been caught gossiping.
She caught her cousin’s surprised glance before she greeted her husband with a kiss.
"Levi, darling. I wasn't expecting you home so soon. Caleb, please join us."
Arielle turned a surprised look to her cousin. “This is the man who is looking for a caretaker for his daughter.”
Caleb's curiosity hitched up several notches when he walked into Levi and Eva's home and saw the woman from the nursery school. He should have guessed she would check with her employer first before she gave him her answer.
"Would you like something to drink, Caleb?" Eva offered.
"No, I don't have much time. I need to collect Melody and get back to the ranch before feeding time, so..." his voice trailed off because he wasn't sure how to ask the question he needed to ask. It was at that moment Melody ran into the room.
"Papa, I'm so glad to see you. Look what I did? I helped the gardener pick some flowers for you. I would have given them to Momma. She would have loved them, don't you think?"
Caleb's heart punched his chest at his daughter's words. "Yes, she would have loved them." He was at a crossroads. He should tell Levi and Eva about his wife's betrayal and abandonment of both her husband and her daughter. The right thing to do was to tell them Victoria wasn't dead, but instead very much alive. And yet, he didn't want to give Miss Dufossé
any reason to doubt his word that her reputation would remain untarnished if she came to work for him. And a widower was a much safer employer than a jilted husband with a two-timing wife.
"I'm happy to see you here, Miss Dufossé since it will make it easier for you to give me your answer. Melody and I have to get back to the ranch soon and I don't want to leave town without a firm commitment from you. That is if your employers have no objections with my offer. I apologize to my friends for stealing you out from under their noses, but I'm in desperate need of help. I hope you can understand my dilemma."
Caleb directed that last comment to Levi and Eva. They had been nothing but good to him, and he didn't want to do anything that would make them think bad of him.
Levi spoke first. "You want to hire Arielle to come to your ranch? And do what, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I need someone to cook for Melody and me. Keep the house. Wash the clothes. And teach Melody her schoolwork. Along with all the things a young girl would normally learn from her—" Caleb stopped short. He didn't want to encourage more discussion about Victoria's current status of living, but absent. "I'm sure you can understand how much I need her help, Levi. Eva. It has been almost impossible to get any work done while making sure Melody stays safe."
"But Papa, I like the horses. I can help you ride them."
He looked down at his daughter's eager expression. "I know you can, sweetheart. You are the best helper any father could ever have, but breaking horses is dangerous work. Besides, I want you to learn how to be a proper young lady and Miss Arielle can teach you all about that sort of thing."
Caleb saw the look Levi gave Eva. Had he misjudged Arielle's importance to his friends? He thought she was simply another employee to them, but if they were reluctant to let her go, what could he do? He wouldn't undermine them by taking her without their blessings. He would just have to convince them to let her go.
"I realize this situation may put you in a temporary shortage of help, but I need Arielle. I'm desperate. Please understand I wouldn't insist if I wasn't.
"It isn't that we don't understand your plight, Caleb. We do. However, I'm not certain Arielle is the right person to fill your position," Eva voiced her objections.
"I think she's the perfect person. She's a single woman, so she doesn't have a husband or children to care for. And she's fully capable of teaching my daughter how to be a young lady. I saw her with the children today and she has a knack for talking with them. They genuinely like her. And Melody needs someone to fill the void of he
r mother's absence." He was careful to phrase his words just right so not to give too much away.
"Well, yes. I suppose that is true enough," Eva conceded. He saw her hesitate and look toward Arielle. "Arielle, I’m not certain this is the kind of position you should be considering. You have your reputation to consider."
Caleb stepped closer. "I understand your concerns, Eva. I know people might talk under other circumstances, but I can assure you both, and Levi, that I have no interest whatsoever in pursuing anything of a romantic nature. Her reputation will remain unblemished and without reproach. I plan to sleep in the barn and leave her and my daughter the use of the house."
Caleb watched Levi frown at his wife. "Caleb, how are you going to guarantee people won't talk. Unless you have a witness, there will be plenty of room for gossip that could ruin Arielle's reputation."
"I have a hired hand who is with me nearly twenty-four hours a day. He lives over the hay barn. He is a reputable young man and he will be able to swear what goes on at my ranch without reproach."
Levi appeared to be thinking about his proposal before he asked. "And who is this young man? Anyone I know?"
"Yes, it is Jeremy Wetzel."
"Buford Wetzel’s son?"
"Yes, Buford's son." Caleb drew in a deep breath at the understanding and satisfaction he saw on Levi's face.
Eva turned to her husband. "You know this family?"
"Yes, I know them well. Jeremy is a good boy from a good family."
Caleb watched Eva and Levi look at each other. Then Eva turned to him again. "Caleb, we appreciate your situation. We truly do. However, I do not think I can give you my blessing in this matter. After all, Arielle is from a family of both high morals and high deportment. I’m certain they would not approve of her accepting this position. Besides, she isn’t spending her summer here to earn money. She’s here to—”
Arielle interjected before Eva could answer. "I am here for the experience and since I have a mind of my own, I shall decide whether I accept or not."