Denver

by Sara Orwig

  “I’ve finally heard from all of them. Hattie and Javier will arrive a week before the wedding. Catalina wrote that along with Ta-ne-haddle and his family, she and Luke and the children will be here five days before. Here’s April’s letter, and they’re planning to come with Luke and his family. Tomorrow I want you to help me dress. I’m going to see Silas. I want Sheriff Borden to set him free. I won’t press charges and I won’t testify.”

  She nodded, agreeing with him.

  Six days later he could move around with ease, and she moved back home in spite of Dan trying to cajole her into staying longer. He let her go, knowing Mary deserved to be courted even the short time that was left before their wedding. He took her out at night, and came to call during the day. Work on the Waltham house slowed because of Dan’s injury, but because of the wedding, Michael delayed his plans to leave Denver and went to work for Dan so the house could be finished on schedule.

  As the wedding approached, Dan and Mary both became so busy they could see little of each other. She was sewing and tending to last-minute details about the boardinghouse, while Dan was putting in every hour possible on his work so he could take time off afterward.

  And then the wedding was only a week away. It was a hot Saturday in July, the sun shining brightly, trees and lawns green and flowers in bloom. Hattie and Javier were waiting for Dan when he came home from work. He saw the carriage in the yard and ran up the front steps into the house. Hattie stood in the kitchen at the sink, getting supper ready, and Javier was seated at the table reading a newspaper.

  It had been so long since Dan had seen his mother. He crossed the room in long strides to hug her tightly, his wound having healed enough that he didn’t have to favor it.

  “Ma, you’re as beautiful as ever!”

  “Oh, Dan, I’m so happy for you.” She leaned back. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “Mary’s special. You’ll like her.” He turned to hug Javier. “Pa, God I’m glad you’re here!” he exclaimed, his gaze sweeping over Javier, who had filled out somewhat since the last time Dan had seen him. He looked better, far happier than before.

  “We’re glad to be here. And we’re so happy for you, Dan. When do we get to meet her?”

  “Tonight. I asked her for supper, because I thought you would get here in time.”

  “Go wash up and get her so we can meet her,” Hattie said.

  “Sure, Ma,” he answered, needing no urging. An hour later he returned with Mary. Hattie hugged her, and Javier gravely acknowledged the introduction.

  Mary was always thankful later for that quiet evening to get to know them. She was astounded at Hattie’s beauty, seeing where Dan got his handsome looks. In another day the rest of his family came, and Mary was lost in a bewildering group of relatives that she tried to sort out.

  “Dan, the women in your family are gorgeous!” she said that night as she stood alone with him in back of the boardinghouse after a party with all their relatives.

  “That they are, and we’ll have another gorgeous one in two days.”

  “I don’t look like them. My word, Catalina is striking and April is so beautiful, it’s difficult to keep from staring. Lottie is beautiful. Even if she isn’t a blood relative, she might as well be. Your mother is exceptionally pretty.”

  He kissed her throat and ear. “None of them are half as beautiful as you, Mary,” he said solemnly.

  Happy and secure in his love, she hugged him. “You’re blind, Dan Castle, but I’m glad!”

  After a few minutes she pushed him away. “I should go inside.”

  He wrapped his arm around her waist to walk her to the door. “Honey, I heard today that Silas left town.”

  “I’m not surprised. He didn’t want to settle in Denver. He told me he wanted to go back east. He wants a big city.”

  “He took Dulcie with him.”

  “Dulcie?”

  “I heard he married her.”

  Mary thought about his news. “If they married, I wish them happiness.”

  “Dulcie could make him happy.”

  “I hope I don’t hear a forlorn note in your voice.”

  He hauled her around to kiss her passionately, bending over her until she had to cling to him. Finally he swung her up and released her. “Does that tell you how forlorn I feel?”

  “Sometimes you make me almost faint!”

  “I don’t want you to faint,” he said dryly.

  When Dan went back home he sat up late talking to his family. The children were already asleep, and in a short time Hattie and Javier went to bed. Then the wives left, so Dan sat with Ta-ne-haddle, Noah, and Luke. Ta-ne-haddle and Noah finally said good night, and when Luke stood up, Dan spoke to him. “Luke, wait a minute.”

  Luke sat back down, stretching out his long legs, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it open.

  “I had trouble with bounty hunters a short time ago.”

  “Oh, hell, I thought maybe that had ended forever.”

  “There’s a man here in town who knows my identity. There are wanted posters at the jail.”

  Luke’s green eyes met his. “And?”

  “I want to go back and stand trial, try to clear my name. I don’t want to go through life with this hanging over me. I’d like your help.”

  Luke thought about it, sitting in silence, and Dan waited. “What does Mary say about it?”

  “She agreed when I pointed out that we wouldn’t want it to come up later, when we have children.”

  “It’s a risk, Dan. They could hang you.”

  “I know, but you’re a good lawyer.”

  “I don’t know if I’d want to risk it,” Luke said thoughtfully. “Sentiment can change in a day. I can understand why you want to have it done with, but I can’t urge you to go back. I wouldn’t.”

  Dan sighed, staring at the hearth. “I’ll give it some more thought, but after the last time…I was just lucky Mary’s brothers came along. Those two would have killed me and taken my body back for the reward. I hate living with that hanging over me. And if we have children and it happened later…”

  “I understand completely, but the more time that passes, the less likely it is to happen. Unless you have someone who really hates you here in Denver.”

  Dan shrugged. “I have enemies. Silas for one, and also another man, Reuben Knelville. The problems between us have diminished. I took out the woman he plans to marry. They’ll be married in another two months. I don’t think I’ll ever bother him again, but I don’t know. Will you be available, say, in three or four months?”

  “I’ll be available whenever you want. Give it some thought, though. I think the risks are bad.”

  The day of the wedding came, a Saturday morning at Mary’s church. Dressed in ice-blue taffeta with white lace and white silk ribbons, Mary went down the aisle on Paddy’s arm, barely glancing at the rows of Dan’s family, her brothers, and friends watching. All she could see was Dan in his handsome new black suit. They repeated their vows and Dan kissed her briefly with a tight hug. Then they went back to the boardinghouse for a reception.

  Finally Mary and Dan left for the new depot to take the train. It was Mary’s first time on a train, but that excitement was overridden by the excitement of her wedding. The family and guests had piled into buggies and wagons to ride to the depot to see them off. Michael and Brian set off firecrackers, sending one of the horses into a run, but they soon had it back under control.

  Kissing Hattie good-bye, Dan picked up his bride to carry her aboard the train, and they waved at everyone. Dan had rented a private car and ordered champagne, and when the train pulled away, they sat at the open window waving to everyone until they were out of town on their way to a hotel in Cheyenne. As Denver slid past and out of sight, Dan turned Mary to face him. “You look beautiful,” he said, removing her veil to lay it aside. He pulled pins out of her hair, and long locks fell over her shoulders while he leaned forward to kiss her. “I want to take forever, love,” he whispered, as
more locks came down, the pins discarded on the floor. He framed her face with his hands. “I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy,” he said in a husky voice. He leaned forward again to brush her lips.

  His mouth was warm, tantalizing, and Mary felt love and desire fan through her with a white-hot blaze. She adored him and longed to have him love her the rest of the day and all night long. His mouth settled more firmly, his tongue playing over hers, demanding a response she gave eagerly. He stood up, balancing with the gentle sway of the train, and shed his coat, the dark cravat, and his fine linen shirt. She drew a deep breath, reaching for him, seeing his arousal strain against the soft woolen pants. He sat down beside her, taking her in his strong arms. Her hands played over his shoulders while he reached behind her to unfasten the long row of tiny buttons down her back.

  He kissed her with tenderness that changed to passion, and finally he leaned away, peeling off her dress. Taffeta rustled as he pushed it down around her waist. She felt her cheeks warm beneath his blatant perusal. Her lacy chemise hid little from his view, and he bent his head to kiss her through the material.

  Dan stood up again, bracing his leg against the seat and pulling Mary up. The dress slipped down and he lifted her out of it, carrying her to the bed. Sunlight from the open windows spilled over her, making her auburn hair look like flames as it spread over the pillows. He pushed away her chemise, drawing it down and dropping it aside, pulling down her underdrawers and discarding them. He felt as if he would burst with need as he stood and looked at her while he unbuckled his belt.

  Mary watched him through half-closed eyes, thinking he was handsome beyond belief and she could never tire of looking at him. His body was corded with muscles, the fresh scar on his shoulder still red, old scars white on his dark skin. His hips were narrow, his stomach rippled with muscle, his arousal throbbing and ready, yet he stretched out beside her to pull her against his long length and wrap his arms around her and kiss her. He pushed her back and knelt over her to shower her with kisses, moving down her body, his hands caressing her slender legs.

  “Dan, please,” she whispered, moving so he was between her thighs. He gazed at her with a burning hunger that made her heart pound wildly. “Please,” she said, reaching for him, and he came down to possess her, thrusting slowly into her softness. She thought she would faint from the sensations that assailed her. She wrapped her legs around him, moving with him, clinging to him while he whispered endearments.

  He said her name hoarsely, and she rose to meet him while passion burst in release. She cried out in ecstasy, her eyes squeezed shut as she held him, feeling his heart pounding with hers, feeling a union that was more than physical.

  Passion ebbed, and Dan’s weight came down on her. She held him close, relishing the feel of his strong body pressing so hard against hers. She traced her finger along his smooth-shaven jaw, thinking it had been the perfect wedding day, a promise for a glowing future.

  They stayed shut in their train car in seclusion all the way to Cheyenne. They dressed to go to the hotel, and as soon as they were in their suite, Dan undressed her, his hands moving with haste, dropping clothes as he led her toward the bed.

  “Dan, I barely saw the train and I didn’t see any of the towns we passed. I haven’t seen Cheyenne, and I haven’t seen the hotel, and I’m starving right now.”

  “The hotel is sending up food, love. I fed you on the train, but I can’t help it if you wouldn’t eat.”

  She giggled. “How could I eat, sitting naked on your lap?”

  He grinned, drawing his finger down her bare hip. “So you want to get out of bed and go somewhere?”

  “No!” She sat up, her red hair cascading over her pale shoulders as she looked down at him. He put his hands behind his head, gazing at her openly. Her voice was breathless as she tangled her fingers in the soft curls on his chest. “No. I don’t want to go anywhere. I was simply making an observation. We could have stayed home.”

  “No, we couldn’t have. Michael would have had a crisis, or one of my houses would have needed some attention, or Brian would need you, or Paddy would blow up the boardinghouse. No, I want you without interruptions or interference.”

  “Dan, is there any chance you might change your mind about going back to New Mexico Territory?”

  He sobered instantly and reached out to wind his hand in her hair. “Yes. If you don’t want me to go back, I won’t.”

  She looked down, running her fingers over him. “I couldn’t bear it if they found you guilty. On the other hand, I understand why you want to go.”

  “We don’t have to worry about it now. Mary, Reuben Knelville knows who I am.”

  “How do you know?”

  “A hunch, but I’d bet everything I’m right.”

  “Everything?” she asked, unable to keep her mind on problems or people or anything except Dan. Instantly worry left his expression as his gaze raked over her and his fingers drifted across her bare breasts.

  “No, not everything,” he said, letting his hand drift down across her, moving between her legs.

  She gasped and closed her eyes as he kissed her.

  They came home two weeks later. Michael had made them a table for their dining room as his wedding present, and they knew he was still working on the chairs. In Cheyenne they had ordered two new chairs for the parlor and a rocking chair for their bedroom. They settled into a routine, and Dan stopped work promptly at half-past five every afternoon, hurrying home to her.

  He waited for a month, and then one night as they lay in bed, he tightened his arm around her. “Mary, I’ve thought about it constantly. I want to go back to New Mexico and I’ve written Luke. I go in October. He’ll meet me at the border and go with me.”

  “I want to go.”

  “No.”

  She sat up and gazed down at him in the moonlight. “You have to let me,” she said quietly.

  Dan heard the determination in her voice and knew he had married a strong woman. Mary would be a comfort. He nodded. “I don’t think it’s wise, and I’d like to protect you, but if you want—”

  “Thank you,” she said in satisfaction, lying back down beside him. She stared into the dark, thinking about Dan on trial for murder, and suddenly she was afraid. She turned to him to wrap her arms around him and cling to him tightly.

  He felt her tears on his bare chest. “Hey! Mary, honey, if you cry, I won’t go.”

  “Yes, you should go. You have to win, Dan. You just have to!”

  Mary went out the next morning, hunting down Michael. “Michael, I need to talk to you alone. I didn’t want Dan to know I was coming.”

  Michael scowled and turned to stare at her. He stood beside the horses, feeding them. “Isn’t he good to you?”

  She laughed, for a moment forgetting the problem. “Of course. He’s wonderful!” She sobered, dreading what lay ahead. “He’s going to give himself up in New Mexico Territory and stand trial.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it will always hang over him. If you and Brian hadn’t come along that night, he would have been killed.” She carefully explained, and finally Michael nodded.

  “I guess I understand why, but damned if I’d want to go back.”

  “That’s what I want to talk to you about. If they find him guilty and they try to hang him, I want someone to get him out of jail and safely away.”

  Michael stared at her. She faced him squarely. “I know it would mean putting yourself in jeopardy, so if you want to say no, I’ll understand. There are others I can ask. Brian is too young, but Dan has a brother, and a brother-in-law, and Ta-ne-haddle.”

  “Forget them, Mary. I’ll go and I’ll do it, but Brian isn’t too young. We can do better together.”

  She bit her lip. “If something happened to either one of you, I don’t think I could live.”

  He grinned. “We’ll be okay. And don’t you worry. We’ll get him out.”

  “Michael, don’t sound so happy over it.”
<
br />   “Leave it to us and forget it. When does he go?”

  “We go—”

  “You’re going?”

  “Yes, and you can’t keep me from it, Michael. Dan has already agreed.”

  “All right. When?”

  “In two weeks,” she said woodenly, the future suddenly becoming a giant unknown. Her gaze ran over her brother’s solid shoulders and chest and she felt a little better. “Michael, Dan may have to shoot his way out. He’s been practicing again, and he’s a good shot. He doesn’t know I’ve asked you to do this.”

  Michael grinned. “I heard about his shooting in camp from Jethro when he came through here. And I’ve seen Dan shoot. I know he can. Better than anyone else I’ve seen.”

  “He says his brother Luke is as quick.”

  “Don’t worry, Mary. I promise we won’t let him hang,” he said, but she knew Michael was young and an optimist, and he couldn’t keep such a promise with certainty. She went back home, dreading each day and clinging to Dan and loving him at night with desperation, praying that Luke Danby was as good a lawyer as Dan claimed he was.

  27

  Catalina paced the floor of the bedroom, waving a letter in the air. “You have to stop him! Madre de Dios!”

  “He’s a grown man, Catalina. I can’t stop him.”

  “If you won’t defend him, he won’t do this!”

  “How can I refuse to defend my brother?”

  She threw up her hands and whirled around to put her chin on her hand, her elbow resting on the chiffonier. Smiling, Luke crossed the room to face her. “He’s doing what he wants, so calm down.”

  “He just got married. He will hurt his sweet little wife. She’s a baby.”

  “No, she’s not,” Luke said gently. “She’s as strong as you are, and probably as feisty. He told me a little about her. Mary has run a boardinghouse for years.”