Christmas at Dove Creek

by Scarlett Dunn

  He’d never been as angry in his life as he was that day when his foreman walked into the church and told him Evelyn had left town with the Englishman staying at the Tremayne ranch. The fact that she’d chosen not to marry him wasn’t the issue, but her dishonesty was what enraged him. It wasn’t until the day after the wedding was to have taken place that he learned the reason Evelyn left with Ainsworth. The doc paid him a visit at the ranch and told him what he tried to tell him on his wedding day. Evelyn was with child. The doctor had seen Evelyn three weeks before the wedding. She’d seen the doctor the very day she’d shared Thorpe’s bed. The doc said he thought she was about three months along and Thorpe knew it couldn’t be his child. It was obvious she’d been with Ainsworth from the time he arrived on their ranch. At least, he figured it was Ainsworth’s child. Evelyn had played the role of the innocent very well when she was with him that night. Her performance had certainly fooled him. Now that he had time to reflect, he had no one to blame but himself. He didn’t want to recognize the signs of an experienced woman. He’d been so caught up in the moment that he had betrayed his own sense of right and wrong, and failed to control his desires. What he couldn’t figure out was why she insisted on the wedding when she had been intimate with Ainsworth and was carrying his baby. Why hadn’t she insisted Ainsworth marry her? Thorpe wanted an answer to that question. He told himself it would be a waste of his time to find her and ask his questions; he doubted she would tell him the truth. After all, she’d lied to him for months. But other thoughts filtered through his anger. Thoughts like Ainsworth may have forced himself on her and she could have been afraid to tell him what happened. If that was the case, he would kill Ainsworth.

  Thorpe knew he would never put this situation behind him until he knew the truth. Four days after he was supposed to be a married man, he left the ranch in the care of Curtis. He rode away, intending to track Evelyn down and get his answers.

  Away from the pressures of the ranch, Thorpe had plenty of time on the trail to think about how his relationship with Evelyn had evolved. Facing his own shortcomings wasn’t an easy thing to do. He’d spent most of his time building the ranch and had given little time trying to figure out what he wanted in a permanent relationship, not to mention a partner for life. It hadn’t been fair to Evelyn not to settle those issues before their engagement. When he agreed to marry, he’d told himself it was time because he wanted children. Most men his age were married and already had two or three kids. Even though he was angry Evelyn had left him standing at the altar, part of him felt a huge sense of relief.

  By the time he arrived in Kansas City, he’d come to realize he’d never been in love. Not with Evelyn, not with anyone. He cared about Evelyn’s welfare, and he would have protected her with his life had they married, but it wasn’t love. He would have been faithful to their vows, but deep inside he knew there was something missing in their relationship. The experience left him a wiser man, though he doubted marriage would be in his near future. It would ease his mind to know Evelyn had not been forced by Ainsworth. He could go on with his life and learn from the experience. If she had been forced, he would do what he needed to do.

  After he settled his horses at the livery, he asked the owner to direct him to the finest hotel. The man directed him to a grand hotel and his guess paid off. The hotel clerk confirmed Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth had registered a few hours earlier. Instead of going to their room, Thorpe took a seat in the lobby and waited. It didn’t take long before he spotted Evelyn walking down the staircase alone. When her gaze drifted around the large lobby and landed on him, she stopped dead in her tracks.

  Thorpe stood, ready to chase her down if need be. He could see her eyes darting around the room, looking for Ainsworth, or a way to escape; he didn’t know. She slowly made her way toward him.

  “What are you doing here?” she snapped.

  “I want to talk to you. I think you owe me an explanation.”

  She turned and led him to an alcove out of view of the people entering the hotel. Thorpe figured she expected Ainsworth to appear. “I’m not going back to Wyoming.”

  “I’m not here to take you back.” He’d told her the truth. That was the last thing he wanted. “I have one question for you.”

  She looked around to make sure they were out of earshot of other patrons. “What’s that?”

  “I want to know why you wanted to be with me when you knew you were carrying another man’s baby.”

  Her eyes widened. She obviously thought her secret was safe. “What difference does it make? I didn’t marry you, did I?”

  No denial, no crying, no hysteria, no apology. He already had one answer. She hadn’t been forced by Ainsworth to do something she didn’t want to do. “I want to know, and if I have to stay here to talk to Ainsworth, I will.” It wasn’t an empty threat. He thought he might feel some satisfaction confronting Ainsworth.

  That comment gained her full attention, and for the first time she looked into his eyes. “He hadn’t asked me to go back to England with him until the night before the wedding.”

  “Does Ainsworth know you were in my bed?”

  The look she gave him clearly stated she thought he was mad. “Do you really think I would tell him about that?”

  No, he didn’t credit her with that much integrity considering how dishonest she’d been with him. It was too much to expect her to be more forthcoming with Ainsworth. She’d even kept her own father in the dark about her relationship with Ainsworth. Mr. Tremayne came to Thorpe’s ranch the night the wedding was to take place to apologize for his daughter. He wasn’t aware of her plans to leave with Ainsworth. He’d been as surprised as Thorpe and he felt equally betrayed.

  “Does he know this is his baby, or does he think it could be mine?”

  Evelyn looked away, and Thorpe could see she was nervous about something. When he thought she wasn’t going to answer, he said, “Don’t test me. I swear to you I’ll ask Ainsworth.”

  She knew Thorpe well enough to know he wasn’t bluffing. “He doesn’t know about the baby yet. I’ll tell him after we are married. I don’t want him to think I’m trapping him into marriage.”

  That explanation rang hollow to Thorpe’s ears. “Did he force himself on you?”

  “Why would you think that? Don’t you understand? I’m marrying a duke. I won’t be living on a dusty ranch in the middle of nowhere. I’ll be living in a castle, I will have servants, attend socials, and travel the world. I’ll have everything I want. We will marry before we sail.”

  Thorpe stared at her, and for the first time he knew he was seeing the true Evelyn. All of his questions had been answered in her response. Yes, she was a renowned beauty, but she was empty on the inside. He didn’t know her at all. He was dumb enough to think she’d already married Ainsworth because they registered as a married couple and were sharing a room. In his estimation she’d best hurry and get married. Even with her clothes on he could see she was gaining weight around the middle. He glanced at her stomach. “How do you hide it from him?”

  “Women have their ways, Thorpe.” She wasn’t about to admit it was becoming more and more difficult to conceal her condition from Ainsworth. She was worried that if he knew about the baby he may not agree to marry her. Each time she broached the subject of marriage, he found an excuse to change the conversation. “You aren’t going to ruin this for me, are you?”

  “You didn’t mind trapping me, but you don’t want to trap him. Or do you think he wouldn’t want you if you’re with child? Perhaps he wouldn’t believe he is the father.” By her expression, Thorpe knew he’d guessed the truth.

  That was exactly what she’d been thinking. Ainsworth hadn’t been her first indiscretion, and she’d done everything in her power to hide the truth from him.

  Thorpe gave her a hard look. He almost pitied her. “You were planning on having me raise another man’s baby if Ainsworth didn’t ask you to marry. Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”

  She
didn’t answer, but he had his answer. “Good-bye, Evelyn.”

  Thorpe left the hotel and walked to the livery. After he loaded the supplies he’d purchased from the mercantile, he was ready to go home to Dove Creek. Evelyn might not like living on a ranch in Wyoming, but he couldn’t think of a better life. That day in the church he’d had his mother’s emerald wedding ring in his pocket. It was his mother’s most treasured piece of jewelry and he’d been ready to place it on Evelyn’s hand. He hadn’t told her about the ring and he was thankful he hadn’t given it to her before their wedding day. For the first time in months, he breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been spared a lot of heartache with a woman that couldn’t appreciate having a home like Dove Creek Ranch.

  Chapter Four

  Lily couldn’t sleep for the handsome Thorpe Turlow occupying her thoughts. She prayed he would decide to travel with them to Wyoming. Knowing that another man was with them, particularly a man who was as skilled as he was with a gun, would make her rest easier. It would be a blessing to have him along to share the responsibilities of protecting the others. Agreeing to travel this time of year wasn’t the smartest decision she’d ever made, but after the confrontation with the people on the wagon train she didn’t have a choice. Those people had professed to be Christian, yet they had little trouble passing judgment on Isabelle and Dora. Once they’d turned on Jedidiah, and she couldn’t persuade them to change their mind, she’d lost her temper and gave them all a piece of her mind. There were times when a person had to stand on principle, even if it meant staying behind with the unwelcome threesome.

  Isabelle and Dora told her they would be traveling to Wyoming with or without the wagon train, and she couldn’t have their deaths on her conscience. She’d tried to recruit some men to accompany them as guards, but they refused to leave until spring. As her grandfather always said, Sometimes you just have to have faith and do what God says: believe. She couldn’t help but think Thorpe Turlow was the answer to her prayers. Just as she believed Blue had been sent to help her, she also thought Thorpe was a godsend.

  After adding branches to the fire, she placed the coffeepot along with some biscuits on the rocks. She stood near the fire, soaking in the warmth. Even though they had good weather since they’d left Missouri, the nights were getting cooler and she wasn’t ready for the change. She wasn’t accustomed to this kind of climate; she preferred heat and humidity.

  * * *

  In the middle of the night Thorpe awoke and he wanted to get out of the wagon for a while. He lit the lantern and pulled a shirt from his saddlebag. By the time he managed to get it on, he was too exhausted to bother with the buttons. He carefully climbed out of the wagon with Blue right behind him. As soon as he hung the lantern on the outside of the wagon, he saw Smoke and Shadow standing as close as they could get to the wagon. They whinnied when they saw him. “You missed me, did you?” He couldn’t lift his injured arm, so they had to take turns getting stroked. “You boys did real good.”

  “You shouldn’t be moving around,” Lily said.

  Thorpe heard someone moving near the fire, but he thought it was Jedidiah. “I wanted to see them and put them at ease. Besides, I’d been in that wagon so long, my joints were getting stiff.”

  Lily moved beside him and stroked Shadow’s neck. Shadow hung his head down and sniffed her neck. “He’s such a smart horse. He was following the trail we took through the trees when I found him.”

  “I’m really grateful you found him. Smoke and Shadow are stablemates and they don’t like to be apart.”

  Lily understood what he meant. Her mule had to stay in the same stall with Blaze or she would raise a ruckus. “Blaze and Daisy are the same way.”

  “Who’s Daisy?”

  Just as Thorpe asked the question, a mule pushed between the horses and nudged Lily’s hand. “Daisy meet Thorpe, Smoke, and Shadow.”

  Thorpe scratched Daisy on the head. “A mule is a fine animal, intelligent and sure-footed.”

  Lily laughed when Daisy nudged Thorpe’s arm when he stopped scratching her ears. “And loves affection.”

  Thorpe laughed with her. He noticed what a pretty smile she had, but he also thought she looked tired. “Didn’t you get some rest?”

  “Jed will relieve me in a while.”

  “I can take the watch.”

  “You don’t need to be out here in this cool weather.”

  Thorpe saw her shiver and figured the cold was getting to her. “I’m used to the cold. Besides, this isn’t cold. When you get to Wyoming you’ll see cold. Do I smell coffee?”

  “Yes, I just made some.”

  “Why don’t we go sit by the fire and have a cup? That will keep both of us warm.” He didn’t want to go back in that wagon; he’d rather sleep outdoors.

  They walked to the fire and Lily grabbed some blankets for him. Once he was seated, she draped one of the blankets around his shoulders and noticed he still hadn’t buttoned his shirt.

  “Thanks.”

  “I don’t want you getting a fever.” She reached for a cup and poured some coffee.

  He took the cup from her and blew on the steaming liquid before he took a sip. “This is good.”

  “Thanks. Jedidiah taught me to make it like he does. His was better than mine.” She handed him a warm biscuit and gave one to Blue.

  “Thank you. I really like these biscuits. Tell me, Miss Lily, besides making great coffee, who taught you to shoot and ride like you do?”

  “My grandfather.”

  Thorpe had rarely seen anyone but an Indian brave as agile on horseback. “Tell me about him.” He really liked to hear her talk; she had a soft angelic voice that was easy on the ears.

  “His family had a farm in Texas and when he was ten years old, they were attacked by Comanche and he was taken captive. He lived with the Comanche until he ran away at age fourteen. They taught him to ride and shoot like a brave.”

  “Comanche are known to be great horsemen.”

  “They taught him well. The Comanche called him Blue Wolf.”

  Her story piqued Thorpe’s curiosity. “Why Blue Wolf?”

  “My grandfather found a young wolf not long after he arrived at their village and they were inseparable. One of the elders in the village told my grandfather that he believed they were spiritual brothers. Wolves are revered by most tribes. They believe they are spiritual beings and have magical powers. Many believe that wolves will guide them to their spiritual world. My grandfather said the Comanche told him they learned the importance of family, and how to be such good hunters from wolves.”

  “Did the wolf come home with him?”

  “No, he’d left the village some months earlier and my grandfather never saw him again. The elder told him they would be spiritually connected forever. Like Blue, my grandfather’s wolf had blue eyes.”

  Thorpe looked at Blue. He wondered if she thought Blue was the wolf her grandfather had found years before. He wasn’t sure how long wolves lived, but he didn’t think it was over fifteen years. “Did the Comanche treat your grandfather well?”

  “Yes. They told him he’d fought like a brave warrior when he was captured. He wasn’t unhappy living with them, but he always wanted to return home and find out what happened to his family. When he left the Comanche, he learned his parents were killed in the raid, and his older brother had left Texas. He kept the farm going, married a few years later, and had a son . . . my father. It was a long time before he heard news of his brother, and by that time he had a family and couldn’t leave Texas to find him. When I was sixteen my grandmother died, and it wasn’t long after when my grandfather left the farm to find his brother.”

  Thorpe didn’t ask, but he would guess Lily was about twenty. “Did he find his brother?”

  “I don’t know. The last we heard from Grandfather he was in Independence and he wrote that was leaving for Wyoming. That was a couple of years ago.”

  “So that’s what you are doing out here . . . looking for your grandfathe
r?” Before he gave her a chance to answer, he asked another question. “What do your parents think about you taking off on such a journey?”

  “Our farm was raided by Comanche last year and they killed everyone but me. I was helping a sick neighbor that day. My grandfather is all the family I have left, so I decided I would try to find him. I think Blue was sent to help me.”

  “You think Blue was sent to guide you to your grandfather?” Thorpe noticed when he asked that question, Blue raised his head and stared directly into his eyes.

  “Maybe to guide me, or to keep me safe.” She shrugged as if she didn’t expect him to understand. “It probably doesn’t make sense to you, but I know Blue is here to help me. He always alerts me to danger. Let’s just say I think of him as my angel.” She didn’t add that she thought it was another sign that Blue obviously liked him, and she also thought he’d been sent for a reason. Right now, Blue was glued to his side and that was the main reason she was placing her trust in Thorpe Turlow.

  Either this woman had a lot of guts, or she was just plain loco to go on such a journey searching for a man she hadn’t seen in years. But he couldn’t say he wouldn’t be doing the same thing under the circumstances. Having lost his family, he knew the importance of having those you love near while they were living. He didn’t know what to think of her belief that the wolf was sent to help her. But then, during many difficult times on the ranch, he thought a guardian angel was watching out for him. He guessed it was possible she had a guardian wolf.

  Lily jumped up and said, “I’ll be right back.”

  Thorpe watched her climb into her wagon, and when she returned she was holding a large leather pouch. She sat next to him and emptied the contents on her lap. “My grandfather carved all of these.” Rifling through the wooden pieces, she held out a hand-carved wolf.