The Stafford Collection, Historical Western Romances

by Hubbard, Lynn

  Amelia perked up as her eyes started searching the horizon for the majestic yellow house. She was so excited when they started down the long driveway she could barely sit in her seat. The horses, sensing they were close to home as well, picked up speed. She almost toppled off the horse and was scolded by Warren for not paying attention.

  Ignoring her cousin, Amelia was off even before the horse stopped completely. Discounting Warren’s curses, she ran up the stairs and into the parlor.

  A scream of sheer terror rent the air and Amelia collapsed on the floor in shock and disbelief as she stared up at the closed casket. Chase was by her side in an instant. He scooped her up and carried her outside. Sitting on the steps, he grabbed her face in his hands forcing her to look at him as she cried.

  “Amelia! It’s not Riley. It’s not Riley.”

  He repeated the mantra as Warren and the others joined in the confusion. Brock took Warren aside and explained the grim details of the corral incident as Chase tried to calm Amelia.

  “It’s not Riley?” Amelia asked hesitantly as her blue eyes filled with tears as she looked hopefully into his dark ones.

  “Riley is resting. They did surgery to help him heal faster.”

  “Well then who is that?”

  “They suffered two losses while we were away. The funeral is tomorrow.”

  Amelia was torn between the joy that Riley was alive and the sorrow that two men she knew had passed. Emotionally spent, she buried her face in Chase’s shoulder and cried. He held her until her body stopped shaking.

  The wind blew softly almost caressing her as she sat on the porch in Chase’s arms. She felt content. It was an odd awareness, as if she would not be able to support herself if he was not there. It was as if he was a part of her now. She felt a hand on her shoulder and reluctantly pulled away. She found Sabrina at her side.

  “Riley is doing well. He is sleeping.”

  “Thanks to Chase,” Amelia said, returning her attention to the large man still holding her quite close.

  “If you thank him anymore you might wanna go to the barn.”

  Amelia blushed but stood up and wiped her face off on her sleeve. She grabbed Chase’s hand and they went inside.

  Sabrina joined the grim-looking group outside. They were going through the pile of bags the hands unloaded before taking their horses for care.

  “How was your trip?” Sabrina asked her brother as he located his carpetbag.

  “It was reprehensible.”

  They both heard a soft gasp as Sally grabbed her bag and ran up the steps. Sabrina would have dismissed her dramatics if it was not for the way that Warren followed her every move and stared even after she was out of sight.

  “Am I missing something? First Amelia and Chase and now you and Sally?”

  Warren grunted, “I need to check on Roger and Samuel.”

  She watched as a weary-looking Thomas led Jaelyn into the house as well. Sabrina frowned as she was left standing alone. Well, they were all back safe and that was enough for her. Lifting up her skirt, she climbed the stairs and headed to the kitchen. Peeling potatoes seemed as good a way as any to clear her mind.

  ***

  Dinner was a somber affair. Tom was the only one with a hearty appetite. Amelia and Chase chose to eat in Riley’s room, and he had awoken enough earlier to sip some chicken broth and drink some water. The others were exhausted from the trip or lost in their own thoughts as they picked at their food.

  After dinner, Thomas and Jaelyn went to spell Jonathan and Anna who were tending to Roger. Sabrina and Brock went to watch Riley. The others returned to their rooms to rest. The funerals were tomorrow. It would be another long day.

  Kissing Riley’s forehead, Amelia followed Chase outside. Darkness was falling and she marveled at the colors of the sky.

  “How are you feeling?” Chase asked as they sat and rocked on the porch.

  “Sad, happy, horrified, and relieved all at the same time. Why do such bad things have to happen?”

  “It’s a part of life. If there was no sorrow how would you know what joy felt like?”

  “I feel joy when I’m around you,” Amelia whispered leaning over to kiss him. Their lips touched briefly before Chase pulled away.

  “We can’t.”

  “Why not?” Amelia pouted.

  “Because you need your sleep and the windows are open. I’m sure Sabrina is hanging on every word.”

  Brock’s rich laughter floated out to them and Amelia was glad it was dark outside to hide her red face.

  “Good night, Amelia.”

  “Night, Chase.”

  Chapter 26

  The next morning seemed to reflect everyone’s mood. The clouds were thick and heavy with rain. Sabrina pulled her shawl closer as she oversaw the digging of the graves. All of the able-bodied men lent a hand making the work less tedious, physically anyway. Emotionally, all were a little more aware, remembering how fragile life is.

  Warren shoveled the rocky soil till he practically collapsed. Sabrina wondered what thoughts he was trying to put to rest. He had been avoiding most everyone since his return, especially Sally.

  A trip to Amelia’s room last night brought her up to date on the goings-on in Biloxi. However, Amelia was more reserved about sharing her own story than Sally’s indiscretion. Sabrina was not so surprised to hear about Warren’s poor judgment. After all, look at what turmoil he had caused in her life previously. Of course if Warren was not such an arrogant bastard she would never have run away and met Brock.

  Looking up at the sky, she hoped that the rain would hold off until the preacher left. She wasn’t aware of anyone else attending from town but Alma was working on a feast to feed an army. Sabrina figured most of it was to keep everyone busy and his or her mind off the sorrow. She had checked on Roger this morning; he was allowed to sit up and had drunk two cups of broth. He was bound and determined to be at the funeral—to say goodbye to his friends.

  Riley was still bed-bound, much to his chagrin. He would not be attending and Chase volunteered to stay with him to make sure it was so. He just could not risk reopening the wound. Luck only went so far.

  She felt a hand on her back and looked up at Brock who was watching her closely.

  “It is done.”

  Her attention returned to the hollowed-out ground and she nodded her approval. She went to thank the men for their labor, some of which she had known as a child. They moved off to get ready for the ceremony and Brock guided Sabrina into the house and out of the rain that had started to fall.

  Stepping into the kitchen, she was immersed in luscious smells. Brock excused himself to clean up and she wandered over to look into the giant pot of chicken boiling for dumplings. Her stomach rumbled in hunger. The last couple of days she was so distraught with grief and worry she had eaten very little. Alma honed in on the sound and thrust a plate of bacon, eggs, and grits into her hand.

  Sabrina thanked her and went to sit at the large table alone. It was somewhat odd being alone in a house full of so many people. She took a bite of the thick bacon and chewed. It was crunchy just as she liked it. With the food renewing her energy, she ate heartily.

  She looked up as the chair next to her was pulled out noisily. The legs rumbled against the slats on the wooden floor and Amelia plopped into it with a slight groan.

  “Tired?”

  “I ache in places I didn’t even know that could ache.”

  “Yeah, horseback riding takes a while to get used to. I heard you have some lessons planned?”

  Amelia’s face turned slightly pink. “I don’t know about that. I don’t even want to see a horse again!”

  “That’s gonna be hard to do since we have to go into town for fittings soon,” Sally replied sitting gingerly in her own seat.

  “We don’t have to go. Just Jaelyn and Sabrina.”

  “Yes, you do. If I have to suffer, you have to suffer,” Sabrina replied.

  “Oh hush up and eat your food,” Amelia said
standing up slowly and stiffly walking out.

  ***

  Sally left as well, and in her haste to scurry past the bodies laid out in the parlor she collided into someone. Her hand instinctively went up to cushion the impact and collided with a firm chest. She looked up and her apology stuck in her throat as her eyes met Warren’s green ones. She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm pulling her close.

  “We need to talk.”

  “I have nothing to say.”

  “Then you can listen,” he replied, pulling her into his office and shutting the door.

  “I did not mean to offend you the other evening.”

  “When you called me a whore?”

  “I didn’t call you that.”

  “Well you sure as hell insinuated it,” Sally spat out, crossing her arms across her chest as if to shield her heart from further pain.

  “I know, I did say that. I’m an idiot. Men’s minds don’t always work properly in certain situations. I would give anything to go back to that moment and say what I should have said.”

  Sally turned her back to him as he continued speaking. Tears were forming in her eyes and she didn’t want him to see.

  “You said you would listen.”

  “My ears aren’t turned off. Speak your peace.”

  “Sally, I have been enamored by you since you first arrived. You have such poise and spirit. I took advantage of that and I do apologize. I do not regret our night together; I do regret my poor choice of words. More so, I regret I did not come to you immediately and beg my forgiveness. Sabrina called me a heartless bastard once. I suppose she was right.”

  “Only once?” Sally asked as she turned again to face him. A smile tugged at her lips as she thought of Sabrina’s harsh vocabulary and bad temper.

  “Well perhaps it was a dozen or so times. Looking back, I must say I deserved most of them.”

  Warren stood stock-still waiting for Sally’s response. He could feel his heart beating franticly in his chest. Sally took a step forward and tilted her head up to meet his lips as they descended. It was a soft kiss. A first kiss, as if both wanted to start over, to try again. Warren crushed her in his arms as they encircled around her, pulling her to his chest.

  ***

  Sabrina stood next to Warren as they all gathered in the parlor. Due to the poor weather, Pastor Brown decided to recite his eulogy inside to minimize the exposure to the elements. It was hard for Sabrina to concentrate on the words as she looked around at the somber crowd. Roger was given a seat in front watched closely by Tom to make sure he did not overdo it. Samuel stood back a ways as did Brock and their other guests. She wished she could hide in the back with the others but Warren insisted she must be up front with him, to show their support for the family and friends of the fallen. A tear slipped down Sabrina’s cheek as Pastor Brown finished and one by one, their friends spoke up, saying their peace. Warren spoke of the men’s love for the land and skill with animals.

  The room was getting a bit stuffy from the body heat and humidity from the rain. She felt a bit dizzy and wrapped her arm around Warren’s as she closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. Pastor Brown said a prayer for their souls as he finished. Without a word, men came forward lifting the pine boxes with ease and making their way out front and into the rain.

  It was as if God himself was crying and Sabrina pulled the black wrap that Sally insisted she wear closely around her. Her black bonnet struggled to keep the rain off her face as they followed the slow procession to the gravesite.

  She felt an arm slide around her and she dropped Warren’s to find warmth and comfort in Brock’s embrace. The caskets were lowered and the sound of the shovels brought back sad memories of her parents and Lydia’s funeral. Amelia stepped forward and her sweet voice blocked out the sound as she sung “Amazing Grace.” She kept singing until the last shovel stopped. The silence was deafening and Warren thanked everyone for turning out. He invited everyone to attend dinner which would be served soon.

  Sabrina was exhausted as she finally returned to her bedroom. She removed her damp clothing and dried off with a towel. She had just put on a clean slip as Brock arrived, his hands laden with food.

  “I thought we could eat up here.”

  “Perfect,” Sabrina said gratefully as she helped him lay out the dishes on top of the quilt. She ate her fill and Brock cleared away the rest. She went to dress again to go down and mingle with their guests but Brock stopped her. He gently pulled her down onto the bed and tucked her into the covers.

  “You need to rest.”

  “I’m fine,” she said trying to stifle a yawn.

  “Shh,” Brock whispered as he smoothed her hair until she fell asleep.

  ***

  The now dry Amelia appeared at Riley’s door with dinner for all of them as well. Chase grabbed the heavy tray from her arms as she went to hug her brother.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “I would feel a bit better if I didn’t have to piss in a can.”

  Amelia’s reply never left her lips as Jonathan stuck his head in to reply. “Well, son, that’s a hell of a lot better than having to piss while standing on one leg! Just follow Doc’s orders and you’ll be just fine.”

  They all laughed as he left to join Anna for dinner. “How was the funeral? Did you sing?” Riley asked in between bites.

  “Yes. It was all very sad.”

  “You sing?” Chase asked looking curious.

  “Sometimes. I have to be in the right mindset.”

  “I would love to hear you sing.”

  “Well, maybe I’ll sing for you sometime.” Their eyes met and locked.

  “I’m still here, you know!” Riley retorted breaking the spell. Amelia would be glad when he could walk again. He was getting mighty grumpy being bed-bound.

  Chapter 27

  Amelia awoke early the next morning. The humidity was making her hair unbearable so she decided to wear it up in a ponytail. It was proving to be a beautiful day. She could hear the rooster crowing close by, and she marveled at how normal things seemed when they just had a funeral yesterday. You still woke up, you still ate, and you still went on.

  Sabrina was still in a somber mood and pushed off their trip to town until the next day. That was fine with Amelia; she wasn’t quite as sore as she was the day before and hopefully by tomorrow she would be back to her old self.

  Sally was the opposite. She was practically glowing and from the looks she and Warren kept exchanging, it was not hard to guess why. It was good to see her friend happy again.

  ***

  Since Amelia helped cook, she left the others to clean as she went outside to enjoy the cool breeze of the morning air. Spotting Chase by the corral, she headed his way.

  “You missed breakfast.”

  “Good morning to you too. I was working on something so I just ate in the bunkhouse with the hands.”

  “What are you working on?”

  “It’s a secret,” he replied.

  “I won’t tell.”

  Chase tilted his head as if he was contemplating her answer. “Well I suppose I could show you. You can’t say a word though.”

  “Of course not! It wouldn’t be a secret then, would it?”

  Chase led her to the barn where he slept and she felt the butterflies in her stomach as her heart started pounding faster. He stopped by the ladder leading up into the loft. She hesitated as he motioned for her to go up the ladder first.

  “Are you serious? I’m not going up first. It isn’t proper showing off my bloomers to a man,” Amelia said with a pretend air.

  Chase’s eyes darkened as he took a step closer to her. “If you don’t want me seeing your bloomers perhaps you should take them off.”

  His mouth met hers and she placed her hands on his wide shoulders to support herself. Moments later, she was forced to pull away to catch her breath.

  “Do you really have a secret?” She asked, not caring about the answer.

  “Of cour
se.”

  “Then I think you should climb up the ladder first.”

  Chase winked at her before moving to nimbly climb the sturdy rungs. Once at the top, he leaned over to offer her assistance if need be.

  Amelia paused to consider the consequences of climbing into Chase’s lair. The worst thing that could happen was she could fall off and die. The best? Well, she hoped her face was not as red as it felt! With a shaky breath, she put her pointy black boot on the rung and stepped up.

  “Only eight more to go.”

  “Hush! I’m trying not to break my neck.”

  “That would be a loss,” Chase said, his voice turning deep and sending shivers through her soul.

  As she shakily reached the top, Chase grasped her arm and guided her onto the loft. She held his arm tightly as she looked down to the hard dirt floor below. It made her toes curl and she carefully backed away.

  “Scared?”

  “No, I just don’t like heights. What’s the surprise?” she asked looking around the large area.

  Chase motioned her over to a corner where a large object was covered with a sheet. He pulled it away revealing an almost finished cradle.

  Speechless, Amelia came forward and ran her hand over the decorative edge and hand carved spindles of the side. He had even carved out beautiful etchings of forest animals and trees on the footboard. She could easily make out a beaver and a bear as well as others. The headboard was decorated with two beautiful eagles in flight. So detailed you could feel individual feathers.

  “It is amazing. I had no idea you were so talented.”

  Chase shrugged away the praise. “It’s my gift for the wedding. I just have to finish the rockers up tonight.”

  “What does the eagle represent?”

  “Eagle Wind is Brock’s Comanche name, and I’m sure Sabrina would probably be a wolverine, but I thought two eagles would look better.”

  Amelia laughed aloud. She so enjoyed her time with Chase, and her heart ached thinking that it was ticking away. “What is your Indian name?”

  “I’m sure you heard Brock spouting it since our arrival. My given name is Little Beaver.”