Sarah’s enthusiasm dropped at the mention of Wesley Bell’s father. Everyone knew Wes served as the foreman and would take over for his father one day. She hated the thought of Caleb working around him. She wouldn’t, however, pass her concerns onto Caleb. He needed work and no one in the area paid better than the Bells.
“She’s right, Caleb. The Bells always need good men and pay well. And it’s not too far a ride from town.”
“Sounds good. Tell me where it is and I’ll ride out there tomorrow.”
“We can do better than that. My husband and I are going out there tomorrow anyway. You can follow us.” Bessie pushed from the table, picking up plates, waving off Sarah’s offer to help. “Why don’t you two young people take a walk? Sarah, you can show Caleb our town. Maybe he’ll decide to make River City his home.”
Chapter Six
Mindell, California
“You understand, I cannot promise you anything. We are a small congregation with few people and little money to feed three more mouths. Our children are gone, so my wife and I will take care of them until you return. If families haven’t been found for the girls by then, they’ll have to go back with you.”
Tightening his grip on the brim of his hat, Colin cast a quick glance at his cousins, who flanked Coral, Opal, and Pearl. They’d convinced the girls to clean up as best they could, even though little could be done with their soiled clothes.
“Whatever you can do would be appreciated, Reverend. We won’t be back through here for at least two months. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes, young man, as long as you promise to return. There’s only so much I can do for them.” He looked at his wife, who eyed the girls with the same wariness Colin had felt when he first saw them. The reverend turned toward her, indicating with a nod for her to show the girls inside.
“Come, girls.” Without waiting, the older woman started inside, not noticing the three didn’t follow.
“Go on with you, lassies.” Quinn settled a hand on Coral’s back, encouraging her to follow the woman.
“No. We’re not staying.” Coral moved away, crossing her arms, her face set. “We don’t need their help.”
Wrapping a hand around her arm, Quinn pulled her toward the house. “Sorry about that, ma’am. She’s a little upset about us riding off.” He glared down at Coral, daring her to speak.
“I quite understand.” Stepping forward, she wrapped her arm around Coral’s shoulder, directing her inside. “Come, dear. You other girls follow us and don’t give these poor men any more trouble.” This time, the woman’s stern gaze moved the younger girls to action and they rushed to catch up.
Rummaging in a pocket, Colin pulled out money, holding it out to the reverend. “It’s all I can spare.”
“It’ll be enough. You have a safe journey. Rest assured, we’ll take good care of them.”
Swinging up on Chieftain, a sense of unease filled Colin. The reverend and his wife appeared to be good people and were willing to take the girls in until their return from Oregon. In his mind, the worst situation would be they’d have to take the girls to Circle M Ranch and find homes in Conviction or nearby ranches.
Reining his horse around, Colin glanced over his shoulder, seeing Coral watching him out of a grime covered window. Spotting his gaze, she dropped the curtain. Something about the look in her eyes bothered him in a way he couldn’t define.
“Let’s go, lads. We’ve miles ahead of us.” Brodie held Hunter steady next to Chieftain as Quinn joined them.
Shaking off the apprehension, Colin nodded. “On to Oregon, lads.”
River City, Oregon
Bessie dropped the towel next to the sink, mumbling at the pounding on the door at such a late hour. Her husband had left hours before to be with a family whose father’s illness had taken a bad turn. The doctor didn’t expect the man to live through the night. She hoped whoever came calling didn’t need her husband’s help.
“Coming.” Pulling the door open, she schooled her surprise at who stood outside. “Dougal MacGregor. What brings you here at such a late hour?” She didn’t step aside, preferring he state his business, then leave.
“I’ve come for my daughter.”
“Oh, you have, have you? Well, she’s long in bed and I won’t wake her. You should return at a decent hour so the two of you can talk.” She crossed her arms, not budging.
“Step aside, Mrs. Olford. She’s my daughter and I’ll take her with me now.”
She could see his jaw twitch as a red tone crept up his face. Neither dissuaded her. “She may be your daughter, but Sarah is also a grown woman, able to make her own decisions. You may not like it, but that is the way of it.”
“I’ll speak to your husband,” he demanded, taking a menacing step forward.
“He’s not at home, but he’ll tell you the same. You may have a chance to change her mind if you return when you’re both rested. It’s all I can offer tonight, Mr. MacGregor.”
“You’re making a terrible mistake. Sarah doesn’t know her own mind. Her place is with her family, not staying in town as if she has nowhere else to go.”
Bessie hid her amusement at the extent to which MacGregor fooled himself. Her opinion of the man had changed over his years in River City. At first, she thought him to be simply arrogant and rude. Those impressions had turned. Now she believed his need to control every decision and action by those in his family was unnatural, coloring his judgment.
“Despite your objections, she is welcome here as long as it suits her. You, however, need to return at a respectable hour. Now, I have chores to finish. Goodnight to you, Mr. MacGregor.” She closed the door before he could utter another word, although his cursing could be heard all the way into the kitchen.
“Thank you, Mrs. Olford. I’m sorry you had to deal with him.” Sarah came down the stairs, a wrapper secured around her.
“Nonsense. The man is used to getting his way with bluster and bullying. Well, I’ll have none of it. He can return tomorrow or another day, which is what any other person would do.” She walked over to a settee, taking a seat on one end, patting the space next to her. “Now, tell me about Caleb Stewart.”
Sarah smiled, taking a seat. “You already know he’s working for Fergus Bell at the ranch. What else would you like to know?”
“What you think of him, of course. He’s handsome, strong, and has a good brain. And I believe he may have an interest in you.”
Sarah put a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. “Caleb is all you say, except he has no interest in me.” Her humor died when she thought of what he’d told her. “I learned the true reason he left his family, and it had nothing to do with me.”
“A rift with his father then?”
Even though Caleb hadn’t asked her to keep his reason quiet, she felt a slight unease at sharing his sorrow. “All I’ll say is he loved another and it didn’t work out.”
“Ah, the poor man. He left to forget.” Taking Sarah’s hand, she squeezed before letting go. “Sometimes distance is the best cure for aches of the heart.”
Sarah lifted her gaze to Bessie, wondering if her words held more than one meaning. Licking her dry lips, she thought a moment before speaking.
“You don’t believe Colin will come for me, do you?”
Bessie had never met the man and didn’t want to judge his actions, yet five years seemed a long time to hold off coming for the woman you loved.
“You’re asking me a question I have no answer for, dear. I know you pray for him each day, and I pray for you. If our prayers are answered, then yes, I do believe your young man will come someday.”
Sarah let out an audible breath. The same question greeted her when she awoke each day. Most mornings, she answered with a resounding yes, Colin would come for her. Other days, her optimism faltered.
“So, tell me, are you ready to start school?”
Sarah’s meeting with the town council had gone well. She’d walked away with a job and a place to live, as soon
as the house received needed repairs. The wage would allow her to be independent, and if she were careful, the means to start saving for her wedding to Colin.
“Next week. I’ve met with the previous teacher and looked at the books she used. Although there aren’t many supplies, I’ll manage.” Sighing, she thought of all her books at home and what she could do if they were with her.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. I just wondered how I could get my books from home without Da knowing.”
Bessie’s mouth quirked up at the corners. She liked nothing more than a challenge. “Let me think about it a few days, dear. I’m certain we’ll figure out a way.”
“Deal me out, Wes. Your luck is too strong tonight.” The ranch hand tossed down his cards and stood, providing an opening for Caleb to sit down.
He’d been at the Bell Ranch a few days. It hadn’t taken him long to form opinions on many of the men, including Wes Bell. Within a day of being at the ranch, Caleb had heard about the betrothal announcement and how Sarah had turned it down. Although Wes didn’t speak of it, Caleb knew the rejection must have stung.
“Deal me in.” Caleb sat across from Wes, giving him a good view of the man’s expressions and how he reacted to his cards.
They’d played several hands before one of the men mentioned the betrothal. “She is quite the beauty, Wes. Heard she’s living in town, going to be the new school teacher.”
Wes looked up, his eyes slits. “No wife of mine will work.”
“You may have forgotten, but she turned you down in front of a roomful of witnesses.”
“Given the way MacGregor handled it, any woman would have. The man’s a fool. Once I’m able to speak with her in private, it won’t be long before she accepts my proposal.” Wes tossed his cards on the table, pinning the man with a hard stare. “Sarah MacGregor will be mine, and any man who says different will deal with me.”
Caleb listened to the exchange, saw the doubt on several of the men’s faces. Sarah had already confessed to him her love for Colin, showing him the brooch. He’d let her talk, already knowing of the incident on the journey west. It had almost escalated into a brawl between the MacGregors and MacLarens until Angus MacLaren pulled Colin away. Caleb had stood not twenty feet from them with many of the other settlers, watching the altercation and feeling sympathy for two young people who were close to his age. It seemed Dougal hadn’t changed in all these years.
The man sitting next to Wes leaned toward him. “And your pa’s wife? What will you do about her?”
Although spoken in a whisper, Caleb had clearly heard.
Without warning, Wes stood, tipping over the table, and lunged at the man he’d known for years, grown up with, and called a friend. Grabbing Walt by the throat and wrestling him to the ground, Wes pounded his fists into his face, not letting up until being pulled away.
“What the hell are you doing, Wes? You’ll kill him.” One of the older men shoved him against a wall.
“Let go of me,” Wes growled, pushing away. He pointed to Walt who stood several feet away, his face swollen and bloody. “You and I will talk outside.” Propelling him out the door, he turned to the others. “We’re doing this alone.”
Stumbling outside, Walt used an old bandanna to wipe the blood from his face. “What was that about? No one heard me ‘cept you.” He gingerly touched his face. “I think you broke my nose.”
Wes paced back and forth, hands on his hips, cursing as he walked. “What were you thinking, saying something like that? Anyone could have heard you.”
“Hell, it’s no secret about you and your stepma going behind your pa’s back. If you’re gonna be such a damn fool, you’d better hide your actions better.”
Wes whirled on Walt. “What do you mean?”
Taking a few steps backward, Walt braced himself. “I heard a couple of the men talking about seeing you with her the night Fergus rode to Slade.”
“Other than us having supper, they couldn’t have seen anything.” Wes crossed his arms, thinking back. He had gone into her room hours after eating, knowing his pa wouldn’t return for two days. No one could possibly have seen him.
“You certain about that? From what I heard, they saw more than two people sharing a meal.”
“They’re trying to stir up trouble. Who are they?” Wes demanded. He’d make certain they never spoke of it again.
“It don’t matter. I already told ‘em you’d be furious hearing their lies and to keep their mouths shut. They got the message. I’m telling you, you’re playing a fool’s game.”
Two years older than Wes, Rhoda had caught Fergus’s attention, snaring him into marriage. Fergus got a young wife, while she got access to his fortune—as well as his son, a fact Wes’s pa knew nothing about.
“I’ll live my life the way I want with no interference from you. Fact is, she’s mine whenever I want her, and there’s nothing Pa can do about it.”
“You sure about that?” Walt shot back. “Seems to me he can cut you off anytime he wants, leaving it all to her. He could also kill you. You better think long and hard about what you’re doing.” Turning his back to Wes, he pulled a cheroot from his pocket, lighting it as he walked away.
Watching Walt leave, he thought of the warning, knowing his friend was right. His father had a temper matched by few men. He’d seen him give orders for men to hang, shot his fair share, and treated people with a brutality hard to comprehend. Wes knew if Fergus ever found out about the time spent with his young wife, he wouldn’t just cut him out of his will. Son or not, he’d kill him.
Taking a wife, removing the lure of his stepma, had now become a priority. Wes had just one woman in mind and he’d find a way to win her hand, no matter her feelings for another man.
“Take your seats, children.” Sarah stood at the front of the class, watching as boys and girls scrambled to their seats. Within minutes, they sat silent, their hands clasped on top of each desk, staring at her with wide eyes. Touching the brooch for luck, she offered a warm smile to her students. “I’m Miss MacGregor, and I’m your new teacher.”
“Good morning, Miss MacGregor,” an older girl sitting near the back said, followed by a chorus of good mornings.
“It will take some time to get to know your names, so we’ll start now. I’d like each of you to stand, tell me your name and the names of your parents, and how old you are.”
The students were quick to do as she asked until one young boy at the back stood, his gaze focused on the desk in front of him. He didn’t speak a word, his face lifting, eyes wary and frightened.
Sarah saw the boy’s distress and walked up to him, crouching low, speaking in a soft voice. “And what is your name?”
“He’s new. He doesn’t have a name,” the child next to him said. “Doesn’t have parents, either.”
Her heart clenched. She knew children like him existed, but her life on the ranch separated her from the realities of much of town life.
“Is it true? You have no name?”
Shaking his head, he fidgeted, and Sarah could see he fought the urge to run.
“All right. Tell me what name you want to use and it will be so.”
Big, round eyes lifted to hers. “Jamie.” He whispered it so low, she almost missed it.
“Good.” She stood, looking at the rest of the students. “I’d like to introduce Jamie. Please say hello to him.”
She kept an eye on him all day, through his time outside and while he studied. Not once did she see him around other children, nor did he try to join in their games. While outside, he’d sit alone on a stump, watching. When the others opened their sacks for lunch, he sat in stoic silence, busying himself by fiddling with a small stick.
Opening her lunch, she pulled out an apple and walked forward. Talking to the children as she made her way to the back, she casually set the fruit on Jamie’s desk, making no issue of it, then returned to the front. Eating her lunch, she glanced up several times, letting out a breath when his han
d moved toward the apple and grasped it.
Finishing the lessons, she excused the students by midafternoon, watching until the last student, Jamie, looked up with a small smile, then dashed out the door. Grabbing her bonnet and reticule, she hurried after him, determined to find out where he lived. Pulling the door closed behind her, she turned and gasped. Wes Bell leaned against the side of the school, arms crossed.
“Good afternoon, Miss MacGregor. I heard you had taken the teaching position.” Giving her his most sincere smile, Wes straightened, offering her his hand as she took the few steps to the ground.
Nodding a greeting while ignoring his hand, she glanced around, trying to spot Jamie. He’d already disappeared.
“Are you headed to your new house?”
She winced, not wanting to engage in conversation, but having little choice.
“Yes, Mr. Bell, I am, and I have much to do. If you’ll excuse me…”
“Miss MacGregor…Sarah, please. Give me a moment of your time.”
Coming to a halt, she turned. It wouldn’t do to be rude to one of the most prominent men in town, even if he represented a day she wanted to forget.
“All right, Mr. Bell.”
“I want to apologize about what happened on your birthday. It hadn’t been planned to embarrass you.”
“Then what did you and my father plan it to be?” Skepticism laced her voice as she crossed her arms.
Taking a step forward, he leaned toward her. “A genuine proposal of marriage.”
“You don’t even know me. Why would you want to spend your life with a woman you’ve barely spoken with in five years, and one who doesn’t love you?”
“Ah, Miss MacGregor, had I gotten to know you better, I’d have noticed much more than your beauty. Believe me, I would have spent time getting to know you before offering for your hand. However, when your father approached me, his urgency was clear. I don’t know his reasons, but he’d made up his mind to find you a husband and he wouldn’t be dissuaded.” When she didn’t comment, Wes continued. “All I ask is a chance to plead my case. Have supper with me tonight.”
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