Expressly Yours, Samantha (Cotillion Ball Saga Book 7)

by Becky Lower

  “So this uncle of yours followed you and Valerian to Atchison? How did he know which route you were taking?” Ginger picked up Elizabeth and cradled her in her arms, as if protecting her from Jack as well.

  “It wasn’t far from where my parents had a homestead and where their graves are. We made a slight detour, and I visited the site and my parents’ final resting place for the first time. That’s where Jack found me. One stupid, impulsive act on my part put both Valerian and me in danger.”

  “So how did you get away from your uncle?”

  “Val had a shotgun and stuck it in Uncle Jack’s face. Uncle Jack dropped his gun, and Val prodded him over to a hitching post, where we tied him up and left him. We kept his horse and his gun, too.”

  Ginger grinned at the image of a defenseless man tied to a hitching post. “Seems as though Jack got what was due him. Good for you. Then what happened?”

  “The sheriff Uncle Jack had brought from St. Joe was waiting back in Seneca for me, so I made Valerian stop the wagon for a spell. While he rested, I jumped on Uncle Jack’s horse and made a run for it.”

  “And you came here? To us?” Ginger’s words were soft and sweet.

  “No. Maybe. Not intentionally. All I wanted to do was to get away, to blend in somewhere. To let my hair grow out. To become a woman again. I don’t know how or why I ended up in St. Louis or here at the roadhouse. I just did.”

  “Inendaagozi,” Joseph intoned again.

  Ginger placed her hand over Joseph’s. “What does that word mean?”

  Joseph directed his response toward Samantha. “It means destiny. I told Valerian when you first met him there was a reason you two crossed paths.”

  “Is the child Valerian’s then?” Ginger’s gaze dropped to Samantha’s slightly protruding belly. “You are carrying my next niece or nephew?”

  Samantha’s face became heated, but she held her head up proudly. “Yes, he’s known for a few months I’m not a boy. We’ve kept it a secret from the others on the Pony Express. But it wasn’t until our trip to Atchison that we were able to spend any time together.”

  Ginger tugged on Joseph’s hand. “You must head to St. Joe and get word to Valerian that he’s about to become a father!”

  “No!” Samantha’s panicked cry pierced the air. “Please don’t tell him. Uncle Jack is still searching for me. He probably always will be. And the longer it takes for him to find me, the madder he’ll get. I can take whatever punishment he dishes out, but if Uncle Jack were to wound or kill Valerian, my heart would break. I was terrified for Valerian that day at my parents’ home. It’s best to keep him out of Uncle Jack’s line of fire.”

  Joseph turned from his wife to Samantha and took her hand. “You now have the protection of the Lafontaine family. And you have a child to consider. You are no longer alone. We will deal with your uncle should he bother you again.”

  Samantha’s chest heaved. “I appreciate you saying so, Joseph, but it’s the same with you as it is for Valerian. If anything should happen to you or your brothers while trying to protect me, I wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt. It’s best I go about my life alone.”

  Ginger wrapped an arm around Samantha’s shoulder. “Ah, but by next spring, you won’t be alone. You’ll have a little one to care for. And trust me, you will welcome help then. If you don’t want us to tell Valerian yet, we will honor your wish. But you are now family, and we will take care of you. You’ll move into our spare bedroom.”

  “But I couldn’t! I’m fine here.”

  “Are you still taking care of the horses in the barn?” Joseph’s eyes wandered again to her face. She could feel the heat rising again to her cheeks.

  “Yes, but I no longer sleep in the barn. I have a room here.”

  Letty poked her head out from the kitchen and began walking toward the group.

  Samantha rose from the table. “And I need to get back to work.”

  Letty moved alongside Samantha and ran a hand down her arm. Her comments, though, were directed at Ginger. “I thought the two of you would get along. I love this young’un as if she were my own. She’s a good, hard worker who’s had a difficult time of things.”

  Ginger stood alongside Samantha and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Yes, Letty, and I appreciate all you’ve done for her. But she’s a part of my family now, since the father of her child is my brother, Valerian, and she needs to be with us. She needn’t work so hard, especially with a little one coming. Let us take her to her rightful home.”

  Her home. Ginger’s words brought tears to Samantha’s eyes, and she blinked them away.

  “I’ll be fine right here. And, Letty, I still want to work here. You’ve been a godsend to me.” She turned again to Ginger. “But I’d love to visit with you in the next few months so you can explain what to expect when it comes time to deliver my baby. My mother died when I was only fifteen, and we never discussed childbirth. Letty’s told me a bit, but I have a feeling the more information I have, the better it will be.”

  “And I need to talk to you and find out what made you fall in love with my rascal of a little brother. He was always so wild as a youngster, and when he came out here last year, all he wanted to do was ride horses from dawn till dusk. Evidently, he found some other things to keep himself busy, though.” Ginger raised an eyebrow in the direction of Samantha’s belly and Samantha could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. But she returned Ginger’s grin.

  Samantha spent the remainder of the day cleaning the roadhouse from top to bottom, wrapped in the cocoon of the cozy rooms and feeling the warmth of family around her for the first time in years. But she still had three months and twenty-seven days to go.

  Chapter 25

  By late October, Johnny’s leg had healed well enough for him to begin riding again. Valerian was more than happy to let him take on extra runs to make up for his lost wages. However, extra downtime only gave him more time to think, which was not a good thing.

  But today, Valerian was working, galloping across the Kansas landscape in a driving snowstorm, which followed him from Seneca to Marysville. Several inches had fallen already, clogging the trail as drifts began to form in the face of the driving winds that howled across the endless prairie. Val had his hands full just trying to keep his horse upright as the wind tore at him, and to keep his seat on top of the mochila.

  He pulled into the relay station at Ash Point and jumped off his weary horse. A hot mug of coffee was forced into his frozen hands, and his fingers wound around the mug, seeking the small amount of warmth it exuded.

  “Rough night for a ride, eh?” the grizzly relay manager yelled at him over the screaming wind.

  “Yep. Anything going on I should know about?”

  “Even the Indians won’t be out tonight. So I’d say if you can beat down the storm, you should be in good shape. You’re only a bit behind schedule.”

  “All right, then. Maybe I can shave off a couple minutes on this leg.” Valerian handed the empty mug to the manager, anchored the mochila over the saddle, pulled the scarf his mother had sent him up over his face, and jumped aboard his fresh horse. With a kick of his spurs into the sides of the horse, he rode off into the swirling snow, headed west.

  The farther west he went, the deeper the drifts became. And he was losing light as dusk fell. Soon, he’d be riding in total darkness, since no moon would penetrate the blinding snow. He’d trust his horse to follow the path of least resistance. The horse kept trying to turn back to Ash Point, where he could find food and shelter from the storm, but Valerian needed to keep him pointed west. He’d get himself and his mount to the Guittard station if it were the last thing he did. Val kept his head down and trusted his horse to find the trail. Once they got a few miles away from Ash Point, the horse realized he’d have to get to the next station if he wanted food, so he plodded along. Valerian didn’t prod him to run any harder, since finding the trail and keeping the horse’s feet under him were hard enough in this weather. Valerian’s dus
ter added one layer of warmth to his body, but it wasn’t enough. The wind bit right through the coat and his gauntlet gloves. He judged the temperature to be below zero. His face froze despite the warmth of his scarf, which was pulled over his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. Guittard couldn’t come into view soon enough. Valerian had been in the saddle in the freezing cold for hours.

  When he was a mile or so out from the station, he reached for the horn and put it to his mouth. But his features were so frozen, he couldn’t purse his lips long enough to blow into the horn. He rubbed his cheeks and tried again. This time, he was able to get the warning sound from the horn. But, oh, it was cold.

  He pulled up the straining horse when the station came into view. The station manager handed Valerian some jerky, which he stuffed into the pocket of his duster, and a mug of coffee, which he quickly downed, warming his insides for at least a few minutes. Valerian wiggled his fingers to gain some feeling back in them as he talked to the manager.

  “Riders coming east say the storm breaks up a few miles outside of here, so the rest of the trip will be cold, but no snow.”

  “Thank God. Cold I can deal with. Not knowing where the trail is, I can’t.”

  Once again, the mochila went over the saddle before Valerian climbed aboard. He spurred his horse into the teeth of the storm.

  Just as the manager said, the storm began to lessen a few miles out. Valerian breathed a bit easier when he could once again see where he was headed. The dim light of the moon broke through the storm clouds, and he was able to make up for lost time by spurring his horse to a full gallop. Marysville was ahead, and that meant the comfort of a warm wood stove, hot food, and a cot to sleep on.

  He wondered if Samantha was caught out in this wicked weather somewhere, or if she had similar comforts. He hoped she had found safety and her uncle had left her alone. Three more months and she’d be eighteen. Reaching a legal age would protect her from the law, but nothing could protect her from her uncle if he really wanted to get to her. She’d live the rest of her life with one eye over her shoulder. Not a comfortable way to go.

  • • •

  It took the better part of the morning for Valerian to warm up. He dipped his fingers in cold water to thaw them out. He huddled around the stove, toasting his front and then his backside. When he finally got the feeling back in all his body parts, he pulled the cot as close to the stove as he could and climbed under the covers. His last conscious thought was of Samantha. He hoped she had shelter and safety.

  His dreams were of the last time they were together. Of lying beside her in the tall grass. Of kissing her cupid’s mouth. Of making sweet love to her.

  When he woke, his shaft was hard as a stone. With a groan, he realized it was all a dream. His chances of tracking her grew slimmer every day. Now that Johnny was back on the circuit, though, Valerian could give his notice and quit riding for the Express if he wanted to.

  He took care of his erection, then washed up and went to the inn’s dining hall for a hot meal. His thoughts were on his next course of action the whole time. All he had ever wanted to do was to ride horses. He should be happy to be with the Pony Express, to not have a care in the world.

  But there was Samantha. She’d been with him on this entire adventure, first as a buddy, then as a lover. Now that she was no longer at Seneca, some of the fun and the magic that had been the Pony Express had gone with her. And for the first time in Valerian’s life, his thoughts were not of himself, but of another.

  He might wait until she reached maturity, but he would go after her. He’d spend the rest of his life tracking her down if need be. Their relationship was inendaagozi, as Joseph said. It was meant to be. They were destined to meet and to fall in love. Valerian would find her again.

  One of the other riders slid in across the table from him. Val welcomed the diversion and stored his dark thoughts.

  “Hey, Fred.” Valerian lifted his coffee mug in the direction of the other man. “You just in from Ft. Kearney?”

  “Yep. Arrived a bit ago but needed food before sleep this time.”

  “How’s life at the fort?”

  “The usual. Indians always hanging around, wanting to trade whatever they have for food and alcohol.”

  “It’s getting harder and harder for the Indians to survive, for sure. And I don’t see any slowdown in the westward movement, so they’re fighting a losing battle.”

  “I agree. But as long as it works to my advantage, I’m all for it. Look what I got off an Indian at the fort. A’course, it took all my jerky supply, but it’s well worth the food.”

  He pulled a handgun from his duster pocket and handed it over for Valerian to inspect.

  Valerian’s breath caught in his throat. He was very familiar with this particular gun, even down to the initials, which had been carved into the handle. It was Jack’s gun. He ran his hands over the handle. The letter J with an S over the top of it showed in stark relief to the rest of the handle. The hairs on his arms stood up. He tried to tamp down his excitement.

  “You got it from an Indian?”

  “Yep. One of the Paiutes. They’ve been on the warpath all along the trail since some of their women got raped.”

  “As well they should be. I’m glad those two men from the relay station who did the deed are dead.”

  “Not happy about the way they died, but yeah. I’ve got sisters, too, and would hate for any man to come after them in such a manner.”

  “You’ve got sisters?”

  “Yep. Three of ’em. Back home in Ohio.”

  “So where’d the gun come from? Not from the two who were killed. It’s not Express issue.” Valerian tried to keep his voice neutral, but he had to be sure.

  “Nope. The Indian told me the owner of this gun came riding right into the middle of a Paiute war party, saying he wanted a woman. They shot him between the eyes before he got off his horse. What an idiot.”

  “A fitting end, I’d say. Can I buy this gun from you?”

  “It’s a nice gun, isn’t it? But nothing I wouldn’t be opposed to parting with if the price is right. Especially if there’s a card game about to start up.”

  “Name your price.” Valerian’s heart rate rose as he waited for Fred’s response. He’d willingly give Fred his entire life’s savings if he had to, to gain possession of this gun. Now he had even more reason to find Samantha. To tell her Jack would never bother her again. He’d give Gus his notice as soon as he got back to Seneca. And then begin his search for the woman he loved.

  Chapter 26

  Samantha worked the morning shift, getting food ready for the crowds. She preferred mornings, since the smell of yeast hanging in the air was one of her all-time favorite scents. She cooked up mounds of bacon, had loaves of bread and rolls ready for baking, and served as waitress when needed, although she preferred the anonymity of the kitchen.

  Today though, shortly after the lunchtime crowd waned, Samantha climbed aboard her horse—Uncle Jack’s horse, really, although he didn’t resemble the ragamuffin horse Uncle Jack had ridden to Seneca and then to her parents’ homestead. After months of good care and tending, this horse, Savior, was now filled out, his coat shiny and healthy, and his eyes clear. He quivered beneath her legs, as eager for a run as she was.

  They rode down the dirt lane leading from the roadhouse to Joseph’s family compound, several miles south of St. Louis. She already had met Gaston and Etienne several months ago, but had never met Joseph’s parents or his other brother, Raoul, who was talked about in vague terms. And he had a younger sister, too. She’d been invited by Ginger to join the entire family for the noon meal, and eagerly anticipated both the breaking of bread and getting to know the people. Her people.

  First, Letty and Horace built a shield around her at the roadhouse. Now, Ginger, Joseph, and his entire family were welcoming her into their embrace. The knot that had taken up residence between her shoulders since her parents had died was gradually dissipating. She had family onc
e again who cared about her. And she only had a few more months before she would reach majority in the eyes of the law.

  Then, Uncle Jack would have no more legal claim to her, although he would still be a threat. A vague thought about running again flicked through her mind. She should not be involving these kind people in her world, yet she needed them to get her through the birth of her child. Perhaps after the baby came, she’d leave them. As the horse loped to its destination, she enjoyed the crisp air. Her hair was once again beyond shoulder length, and she enjoyed the feel of the wind whipping through it.

  Within minutes, she was at Joseph’s parents’ home. She climbed down from Savior and walked him into the yard. Etienne hurried out of the house and took the horse from her, leading it to the stables. Samantha ran her hands down her front, soothing her ruffled nerves as she smoothed out the coat. Ginger opened the door to the house and smiled at her.

  “Don’t stand out there in the cold, Samantha. It’s not good for the baby. Come on in. You’ll love Joseph’s parents, Mary and Emil, and you already know his brothers. Elise is dying to meet you, too. You’ll be fine.”

  Ginger helped Samantha off with her coat and hung it on a peg near the door. She placed her arm around Samantha’s shoulders and steered her to the room where the family was gathered. Samantha sat, and the conversation picked up where it had been obviously left off.

  “We were discussing plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You’ll join us, of course, for the holidays.” Ginger smiled in Samantha’s direction.

  “If I can get off work, I’ll be happy to.” Samantha sat with her hands folded together in front of her. She could feel the love in the room as if it were a warm blanket she had pulled over herself.

  “We must talk to Letty soon about your employment, as well. You can’t be working as hard as you have been when you’re so near your due date.”