by Jill Maguire
“Don’t be frightened. I’m not a dangerous man, despite what you may have heard about me,” Cody explained. As he came to Miranda’s side, he was careful to keep his distance. “I wanted to apologize for rushing to your aid back there. You are obviously quite capable of taking care of yourself. I have a bruise on my shin to prove it.” Cody smiled shyly at the young woman, but she didn’t reciprocate.
Miranda spun around, her dress twisting into a bunch at her feet. As she glared at him, Cody noticed the dampness of evening had flattened her hair a little and a few loose strands now hung around her face. It didn’t matter; she was still a picture of perfection.
“Who are you anyway? You said you’re not a dangerous man.” Miranda pounded her cane into the dirt. “In my experience, if people feel the need to explain what they’re not, they usually are. So, are you actually a dangerous man?”
“I suppose it depends who you ask.”
“Well, I’m asking you,” Miranda squinted. “There isn’t anyone else around here to ask – not that I would trust their opinion anyway.”
Cody wanted to nod his head and agree with her completely. Many of the townspeople in Little Cherry Springs could not be trusted. But instead, he tucked his hands in his pocket and shrugged slightly. “My name is Cody Hyde and I am a wanted man in these parts.”
“Wanted for murder I hear?”
Cody felt like laughing out loud at Miranda’s unwavering boldness and almost cheeky confidence. What kind of a woman stands in the middle of a dark road with a man who just admitted he is wanted by the law, and doesn’t even flinch? She was definitely his kind of woman.
“That’s what the poster says.” Cody waited, expecting Miranda to finally show fear. But she sized him up and down and grunted.
“Then I hope they hang you in the street,” she snapped. “I have no tolerance for those who disobey the law. Goodnight, Mr. Hyde.”
As he watched her walk away, Cody wrestled with the undeniable urge to follow her home. But this time, he let her go. And for good this time. Miranda Shaw was obviously not the kind of woman that needed protection, nor was she the type that would offer forgiveness or understanding for the mistakes he had made.
“Goodnight, Miss Shaw,” he whispered.
Chapter Five
Miranda stared at the oversized box wrapped neatly in brown paper. She glided her fingers over the words Miss Eva Benson written on the front and imagined the purple satin dress folded delicately inside. It was finally here, the dress that Eva had been waiting for.
On a tiny piece of paper, Miranda scribbled a short note: Eva, your parcel has arrived at the post. She would give it to the first person who came in today and ask that they pass it on to the rancher’s daughter. Then she’d try to ignore the cumbersome package and the thoughts of Eva marrying a wealthy doctor in Sunrise, Montana.
Miranda busied herself for many of the morning hours, but by noon, boredom was beginning to set in. Wednesdays were always the slowest day and it was quite late before the first person came to collect their letters. Mr. Gregory, with hair as white as snow and a noticeable hunch in his back, offered a friendly hello and asked if there was a note from his sister on the east coast. Miranda happily obliged and handed him his envelope. After chatting briefly about the weather and Mr. Gregory’s worsening eyesight, the elderly man said he should be going.
As he turned to leave, he smiled inquisitively at Miranda and said, “Thank you for the letter dear,” his voice raspy and deep. He paused a minute as he steadied himself. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Of course, Mr. Gregory. What can I help you with?”
“No, no, I don’t need help. I just wanted to ask if everything was alright. I sense sadness in your voice, child.”
Miranda’s first reaction was to dismiss his concern, but his question struck a chord with her. She did admittedly feel a twinge of sadness but wasn’t sure why. Was it the argument with her father? Was it her repulsion of Morris McGinn and his suggestions of marriage? Or was it more a sense of entrapment living here in Little Cherry Springs?
“Things are just a little stale for me right now, Mr. Gregory. Before my parents died, I was always encouraged to explore the world, experience new places and have adventures. I just haven’t done any of that since their death. But I dream about it all the time.” Miranda let a grin creep across her cheeks. Just the thought of her family made her smile. “Maybe someday,” she winked.
“Someday is a day that may never come. Why not make this day your someday?” Mr. Gregory nodded and hobbled toward the door.
“Mr. Gregory,” she called after him, pulling the handwritten note she had written for Eva Benson off the top of a pile of papers. “Would you mind……,” but stopped without finishing her request. She looked at the note and thought of Eva’s travels to Sunrise. “Nevermind. Enjoy your afternoon.”
Mr. Gregory shuffled out of the post office and Miranda watched as he carefully navigated the three wooden steps down to the road. She wondered if she should offer to help him get home but knew in her heart, that like her, he would be too proud to accept.
Miranda contemplated what the fair haired man had told her as she crumpled the note and shifted Eva’s box to the other end of the counter. She stared at it, shook it, and even tried to smell the crisp satin through the box. She thought about what the dress would feel like draped over her shoulders and cinched perfectly around her waist. About how soft it would feel between her fingers when she lifted the skirt to curtsey in the direction of a handsome man. And then, as she held the box in front of her, an awful, horrible, deliciously wonderful idea raised her lips into a devilish grin. She knew just the thing to help lift her spirits. And for the first time in her life, Miranda Shaw was going to completely break the rules.
****
The handwritten sign read Be Back Shortly and was tightly wedged into the corner of the post office door, the lock firmly twisted to the right. A wicked giggle escaped Miranda’s lips as she glanced over her shoulder like a crook escaping with a bag of stolen coins. She tucked the brown paper wrapped box under her arm and walked as quickly as she could without raising suspicion. The schoolhouse would be locked, but she knew where Miss Dill hid the key.
It was times like these that she wished her leg hadn’t been injured in the wagon accident. Just once, it would be nice to walk without the burden of a cane. Especially, when the thought of what she was about to do was enough to propel her to a full sprint. Just a few more yards through the woods.
****
The schoolhouse floor creaked underneath her and Miranda cringed, hoping no one would realize she had let herself in. She plopped Eva’s box down and viciously tore open the paper, exposing the beautiful dress – as purple as a plum. Holding it to her body, Miranda swung in a circle, the dress swirling around her like a warm hug. She could see why Eva was so anxious to wear it. It was magnificent.
Miranda waltzed unevenly around the room, dodging desks and laughing merrily to herself. “Why, yes sir…you may indeed have my hand in marriage. I’m so thankful that you picked me out of all the other contestants,” she giggled playfully. “Shall we ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after?”
As she twirled, Miranda imagined a handsome young suitor holding her by the hand and dancing her around the room. He was dashing and smart and didn’t care one bit about her disability.
A mirror resting in the corner of the room caught her reflection and Miranda stopped to admire the dress she was holding. Her fair porcelain skin looked radiant against the purple satin and the material made her eyes turn a sunset shade of blue.
She tilted her head from side to side as she studied herself in the mirror, her thoughts drifting to how beautiful Eva would look on her wedding day. She and her groom standing in front of the majestic Montana landscape, saying I do and kissing gently for the first time. She would offer him her hand and he would proudly parade her in front of all the people of Sunrise.
“Mi
randa Shaw! What in the world do you think you’re doing?”
Miranda froze, seeing Eva Benson’s appalled expression in the mirror. She had been caught red handed.
Chapter Six
The Harper place turned out to be a great place for Cody to spend the night. It was warm, dry and old Mrs. Harper was kind enough to leave the cupboards full of canned goods while she was away visiting her eldest son. Cody hoped she wouldn’t miss any of the food he had eaten.
Sitting at the small pine table in the corner of the kitchen, Cody wondered what it would be like to have a homestead of his own someday. He’d buy a big farm, with pigs and cattle, just like his boyhood days, and build a comfortable cabin with his own two hands. He’d marry a beautiful woman who would happily bear his children, and they would live happily ever after.
“Pffff…..” he grunted. “Only in fairytales.”
He raised a warm cup of coffee to his lips and stared out the window. The property was isolated and quiet, and Cody decided he felt safe enough to sit on the porch for a while. A bit of fresh air was just what he needed to clear his burning lungs.
He hadn’t sat for more than a minute when movement in the bushes caught his attention. He jumped to his feet and held his breath, fully expecting to see the Marshall pop out of the woods yelling for him to surrender. But what he saw was not at all what he expected. It was a woman, barrelling through the bushes, looking over her shoulder. Judging by her lopsided gait, Cody figured it could only be one person – Miranda Shaw.
But why was she running through the woods like a criminal on the run? The most likely reason hit him like a pound of bricks.
Cody let the tin cup of coffee fall to the ground and leapt from the porch in one bound. He had warned Morris McGinn not to touch her again and yet here she was, obviously frightened and on the run. This time, he wouldn’t be so friendly. This time, McGinn was going to get the message loud and clear.
Cody was careful to stay camouflaged amongst the bushes as he weaved from side to side across the flattened grass. As much as he wanted to help Miranda, he still couldn’t risk being caught. He could only hope that the Little Cherry Springs lawmen had given up on catching him and assumed he had gone into hiding. Which is exactly what he wanted them to believe.
“What is it about this woman?” Cody whispered to himself. “Why does she keep drawing me in?” He snapped a low slung tree branch that blocked his path and cursed Miranda Shaw under his breath. “Why don’t you just get out of this town, and away from Morris McGinn? You can’t keep hiding like this.”
Cody quickly realized that talking and running at the same time was not the best thing to keep his cough under control. The sting in his chest was mounting and he began to wheeze heavily, forcing him to stop to catch his breath. He spat and hacked until his lungs felt like fire. Maybe, he thought to himself, it was time to get out of Little Cherry Springs and find a doctor. A doctor that could help him get better.
****
By the time his coughing subsided, Cody had lost sight of Miranda in the woods but he had a hunch as to where she might be going. The old schoolhouse wasn’t far and it was the perfect hiding spot now that the children had gone home for the day. Once he found her, he vowed to try and convince her to leave this town for good.
There was no sign of Miranda at the schoolhouse, but he was sure he heard a woman’s voice coming from inside. Rather than bust in and risk frightening her again, Cody detoured to the side window and snuck a peek inside.
The sight of Miranda Shaw spinning around the room with a stunning purple dress held close to her body was certainly not what Cody expected. He was prepared to see her huddled in a corner cowering from the dreadful McGinn. Instead, her smile was so bright it almost lit the room. Cody secretly watched her from his perch outside the window pane. She looked so happy, so free and her limp was much less prominent when she danced.
And then the dancing stopped. Miranda froze, as still as an ice sculpture, her eyes widened at the sight of Eva Benson standing in the doorway of the schoolhouse. Cody hunched lower to avoid being seen by either of the women.
“I knew it!” he heard Eva yell. “I knew when I saw you sneaking out of the post office with that box that you were trying to steal my dress!” Eva’s face was bathed in red and anger seeped from between her clenched teeth.
“I didn’t steal it,” Miranda told her. “I was just borrowing it for a few moments.”
“You stole it! And we both know why. You’re jealous of me, of my dress…. and of my life for that matter. Everyone in town knows you idolize me, and this only proves them right. I will see to it that you are charged with theft Miranda Shaw!”
“Now, there’s no need to be foolish and spiteful Eva. I’ve never been jealous of you and I certainly don’t idolize you. I simply borrowed the dress to see if purple was my color,” she lied. Miranda was trying to stay calm but as Eva began walking toward her, her heart started to race and her hand uncontrollably balled itself into a fist. One more step and things might get ugly.
“Give me back my dress right now!” Eva lunged at Miranda and grabbed a handful of the purple satin, trying to yank it from Miranda’s grasp. But Miranda held tight. Not because she necessarily wanted to keep the dress for herself, she just didn’t want Eva to have it either.
The two women tugged and tussled around the tiny schoolhouse as Cody watched from the window in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing -- two beautiful woman, each with a fistful of the other’s hair, going toe-to-toe right in front of him. It was almost laughable.
Cody gasped out loud when Miranda shoved Eva to the ground, gathered the purple dress under her arm and ran out the schoolhouse door. Eva scampered to her feet and followed, only to find Miranda had locked her inside.
“Let me out of here,” Eva screamed at the top of her lungs. “You’ll pay for this Miranda Shaw!”
Chapter Seven
Miranda flung the key into the woods and huffed. “How’s that for adoration! I hope you rot in there,” she growled at Eva through the locked door. She staggered down the steps suddenly realizing that she had left her cane behind. “Of course,” she muttered, stomping quickly into the cover of the woods.
“Going somewhere?” Miranda slammed into Cody Hyde’s chest as he stepped out from behind a tree and blocked her path. She spit and sputtered and held her hand to her face.
“You made me bite my tongue,” she winced.
“You seem like you’re in a rush.” Cody didn’t let on that he had witnessed what happened at the schoolhouse. “And I notice you don’t have your cane.”
“I decided I didn’t need it today,” Miranda whispered, wiping a dot of blood from her lip.
“You must not be going far?”
“That is no business of yours,” she told him.
“Or maybe you are, with a beautiful dress like that. Maybe to a fancy ball? Or a pageant perhaps?”
Pageant? Why did he say that? Did he know about the Bride Pageant? Did he know about Eva Benson? Did he know what she had done? Miranda tried to play it cool. “Again, what I may or may not be doing is none of your concern. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Wouldn’t be a bad idea you know.”
“And what is that?” Miranda glared at the filthy stranger.
“To go somewhere far away. It may be the only way to get away from that man who wants you to be his wife.”
“And why do you care so much about what man wants me as his wife?”
“A man who touches a woman with anything less than a soft caress, doesn’t deserve to be touching a woman at all.” Cody blushed slightly at his own comment and let his eyes fall to his feet.
Miranda felt her knees weaken at his words. How could this unshaven, unpolished and ungracious stranger have spoken such romantic words? “So you’re suggesting I just disappear?”
“Why not? It’s a sure way to prevent having to marry that snollyguster McGinn.”
Miranda wasn’t sure why, but
deep in the pit of her stomach, she felt an odd sense of trust for the man standing in front of her. She knew he was a wanted man, and dangerous for all she knew, but something in her heart was telling her to believe him.
“And if I was willing to pay you handsomely, would you be the one to escort me out of this dreadful town?”
“There’s a horse behind the old Harper place. We could leave at sundown,” he smiled.
Miranda felt a shiver weave its way down her spine. Maybe this was her chance. Her chance to get out of the town she loathed and get to the one place she had always wanted to be -- the place that felt like home even though she had never been. Perhaps this man was her ticket, her one and only way to escape, to explore and to experience a new life. Maybe today was her someday.
The wheels starting turning and Miranda felt the hatchling of a plan beginning to take shape. “Then we’ll leave at sundown. But only if you’ll agree to take me all the way to Sunrise, Montana.”
“That’s a two day ride. Are you sure you want to go all that way?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”
“Then sundown it is. We should probably make sure that pony is well-fed and ready to ride.” Cody ducked into the woods and Miranda followed behind, the purple dress still stuffed under her arm.
Chapter Eight
As the town limits disappeared into the distance, Miranda wrapped her arms a little tighter around Cody’s waist. She could feel the warmth of his body through his filthy jacket but the smell of it prevented her from huddling any closer to him on the back of the horse. This was going to be a long ride.
“I know we’ve only just started riding, but do you think we could stop soon? I’m a little weary and cold.”
“Just a bit further,” Cody called over his shoulder as they bounced in unison to the horse’s gallop. “I know a place we can set up camp for the night.”
The cool night air made Miranda’s eyes water as she studied the shadows passing by. The rugged Colorado Mountains looked ominous in the dark and the trees provided a gnarly canopy as they traveled through the woods. She glanced down and saw a sliver of purple fabric sticking out of the leather bag strapped to the horse. If everything went according to plan, within a few days, she’d be chosen in the pageant and be well on her way to living a long and happy life in Sunrise.