How did a man live down what he’d done, not only putting the burr under Gypsy’s saddle but striking out at Garrick with his crop while they were racing along the back streets? Garrick still bore a slight scar on his cheek from the injury. If he’d hit Garrick’s eye, he could have blinded him. Later, everyone saw Tolley trip Garrick with a lariat while the Englishman danced with Rosamond, knocking him out for several minutes. When Garrick awoke, he’d marched over to Tolley and struck him. When Tolley returned the blow, Garrick knocked him down again, to the applause of bystanders. Even back then, a stranger to the town received more approval than Tolley. They all seemed to think he had it coming. That night the Colonel ordered him out of town. And he had only himself to blame. But after two years, wasn’t there anything he could do to live it down?
Independence Day arrived, and hundreds of people poured into town. To stir up excitement early in the day and to wear out the active little ones, the committee always started with the children’s three-legged race. Tolley’s oldest brother, Nate, brought his family, and both Lizzie and Natty participated with friends. Neither won in their age group, but from their giggles and hopping around, neither seemed to mind. Lizzie did remind Tolley they were due for another riding lesson. Unable to speak, he answered her with a hug.
Next came the formal opening of the celebration, with Mayor Edgar Jones’s brief introduction and Reverend Thomas’s invocation. Then came the reading of the Declaration of Independence by various and varied members of the community, everyone from Mrs. Winsted to former slave Bert to laundry owner Mr. Chen to rancher Rafael Trujillo. After the reading, Laurie accompanied the children, who sang “America,” with Molly Starling singing a solo on the first verse. My, the little girl had a pretty voice, almost as pretty as Laurie’s. When the song ended, the crowd burst into boisterous applause. All around him, Tolley heard generous praise whispered for Adam’s little sister.
One woman said, “How we love that sweet little girl.”
Another said, “We’re so blessed when our little songbird sings for us.”
The mayor quieted the throng and made a few more remarks, at last announcing the celebration open.
Tolley wandered among the booths, idly viewing the various items for sale. He bought a shirt from Mrs. Starling and paid her extra so Adam would deliver it to the boardinghouse. Next he paused at Bert’s table. The blacksmith, who’d originally followed the Colonel out to Colorado and who’d worked at Four Stones Ranch for years, now owned his own blacksmith business next door to the livery stable. He took care of any ironwork folks needed and also made spurs and silver items. When Tolley was a child, Bert taught him a few things about metalwork, enough for him to appreciate that it wasn’t easy.
“Howdy, Tolley.” The blacksmith reached out a large, callused black hand.
Tolley gladly shook it, appreciating the man’s friendly acceptance. Perhaps, like him, Bert endured cold shoulders from some people in town. “Howdy, Bert. You sure do have some fine things for sale.” He picked up a long silver filigree necklace with a turquoise jewel at its center. Would Laurie like it? An impulse seized him. “I’ll take this.”
“Yessir.” Bert named the price and, while Tolley counted out the money, placed the necklace in a small satin-lined box. “Thank you, sir.”
“Thank you.” Tolley stuck it in his pocket. Now, when should he give it to Laurie? And what excuse would he offer for giving such an expensive present to a gal he wasn’t courting?
“Time for the single ladies’ egg race!” Mrs. Winsted called from the bandstand.
An idea entered Tolley’s mind. Two years ago, Laurie won second place in the contest for unmarried young women. If she entered this time, he’d give her the necklace as a prize whether or not she won. He strode across the park to the grassy area where lines for the race course were chalked. Seeing some disapproving looks, he stood at the back of the crowd. Tall enough to see over most heads, he did his best to ignore the all-too-familiar hurt.
Laurie stood in line with the other young ladies. Unexpected emotion rose up in his throat, and Tolley swallowed hard. She was by far the prettiest one there, and he loved seeing the competitive glint in her eyes. How well he knew that feeling. How sad he couldn’t allow himself to enter any of the events.
Each girl held a wooden spoon with an uncooked egg in its bowl. Deputy Gareau, clearly enjoying the festivities, made sure every entrant’s foot was behind the line before he shot his Colt Peacemaker into the air. At the gun’s loud report, the girls scurried across the grass, some losing their eggs right away. Shattered shells and gooey yolks slid down their skirts. Only Laurie, her sister Georgia, Anna Means, and two girls Tolley didn’t know managed to make it to the finish line without dropping theirs, with Laurie stepping over the chalk finish line a half second before Georgia. Cheers and congratulations went up from the onlookers.
Laurie carried her egg back to the judges. They cracked it into a bowl, proving it to be raw, and proclaimed her the winner. More cheers and applause erupted. Across the lawn, Tolley caught her eye, and she beckoned to him with one slender index finger.
Then he remembered. The winner of the race won a blue ribbon and a china bowl, but she also got a kiss from the gentleman of her choice. Was she summoning him for that purpose? He quickly closed the distance between them, elbowing his way through several cowboys vying for her attention with “Kiss me, Miss Laurie,” or “You’re the prize I’d like to win.” Tolley had never thought about other possible suitors. A gal as pretty and sweet as Laurie could have her pick of men.
“Yes, ma’am? You summoned me?” He gave her a teasing grin.
“I did.” She glanced around at the expectant crowd and whispered, “You’re the only one I trust not to misunderstand this.” She stood on tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a quick kiss on his lips.
In fact, too quick for Tolley. Without thinking, he wrapped his own arms around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her soft, rosy-pink lips and holding on to her for all he was worth. He’d never really kissed a girl, had no idea how powerfully the gesture would affect him. His knees went weak. His mind went numb. He could only feel something wonderful surging through his chest. Best of all, Laurie didn’t pull away but seemed to enjoy the kiss every bit as much as he did.
At last they separated. Well, their lips separated. Then they stood staring at each other while hoots and hollers from the cowboys made their way into Tolley’s consciousness, along with some less-than-kind remarks from some of the older ladies. Laurie looked a bit dazed, exactly the way Tolley felt.
“Um, thanks?” she murmured.
“No. Thank you.” What else could he say? How could he react so strongly to a girl he cared for only as a friend? How could a girl who’d rejected his courtship kiss him with such obvious feeling? With very little experience with women, he had no idea how to figure it out.
* * *
Laurie had no idea what just happened. She recalled thinking she could kiss Tolley without him misunderstanding her intentions, but she seemed to be the one who hadn’t understood what it would mean to her to kiss him. Never in her life had she ever felt so connected to another person, so at one with him. Why? They were just friends.
“Laurie!” Pa’s sharp voice and firm hand on her upper arm yanked her out of her kiss-induced stupor. “What do you think you’re doing? And you!” He moved Laurie to his side and faced Tolley with an angry expression such as she’d never seen on her good-natured father. “I told you to stay away from my daughter. What’s the idea of making a public spectacle of her?”
“But—”
“Pa!” Laurie couldn’t bear the stricken look on Tolley’s face. “I kissed him. You know, part of the egg race?”
“What?” Pa frowned down at her.
Before she could explain, Tolley said, “Never mind, Laurie.”
He strode away, his shoulders slumped. Across the yard, two men accosted him briefly. She couldn’t hear what they said, but his shoulders dropped even lower as he walked toward the edge of the park grounds, probably heading back to the boardinghouse. Tears scalded Laurie’s eyes as she turned on Pa.
“Now see what you’ve done?”
“Me? I’m trying to salvage your reputation.”
“George, that’s nonsense, and you know it.” Ma appeared at Pa’s side, a stern look on her usually smiling face. “Tolley’s still trying to find himself. We gotta give the boy a chance.”
“He can find himself someplace else as far as I’m concerned.”
“George!” Ma repeated.
He muttered a response.
Laurie didn’t try to make out his words. She marched away to help with the cakewalk. Maybe Tolley would come back later. She’d save some dinner for him. Or maybe take it to the boardinghouse. She’d promised to bring Mrs. Foster over for a spell, so she’d have an excuse for carrying a plate to Tolley.
The last event before dinner was the horse race. When Laurie saw Thor lined up with the rest of them, her heart skipped. It skipped again when she saw Adam atop the stallion. But he wouldn’t ride the animal if Tolley hadn’t given permission. Surely they would win. How she’d love to carry news of Thor’s win to Tolley along with his dinner. A new excitement filled her as she joined the onlookers lining the boardwalks of Main Street.
Sheriff Lawson described the course, a mile run through the streets of town and circling back to the starting point. He warned riders against cheating because there were watchers along the way. That was how everyone knew Tolley struck Garrick two years ago. Laurie sighed. She mustn’t dwell on the past. As Tolley’s friend, she must be the first one to forget his past mistakes and wrongdoings and urge others to do the same.
After Fred Brody took a photograph of the riders for the Esperanza Journal, the sheriff fired his gun, and the horses took off heading west, crowding each other for the inside position as they rounded the corner onto Foster Street. Hooves pounded on the dry road, throwing up dust as the horses followed red flags marking the course, while onlookers cheered for their favorites. Soon the sounds of galloping horses resonated from several blocks to the south, and then to the east. In less than five minutes, Thor emerged from Kirkland on the east end of town, far ahead of the pack of quarter horses doing their best to catch him. No one was surprised when Tolley’s Thoroughbred thundered across the finish line under the Independence Day banner.
While the noisy cheering continued and many people filled the streets to congratulate Adam, Laurie wiped tears from her cheeks. She hurried back to the park where the churchwomen waited to serve dinner from long tables laden with their best cooking. Filling a plate with cold chicken, Ma’s potato salad, baked beans and several other tasty-looking dishes, she covered it all with a napkin and headed toward the boardinghouse. Before she could reach the edge of the park, Pa accosted her.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her.
“To see Mrs. Foster.” Not a lie. “She wanted to come over for a while.”
He studied the plate, suspicion filling his expression. Then he waved her away. “Don’t take too long.”
“Yessir.” She hurried away before he could say more.
* * *
Tolley had a lot of experience in sulking. He’d spent a good deal of his youth doing it whenever he got into trouble. But was it sulking to lie on his bed and ruminate on the unbearable mess his life had become?
He wasn’t even sure of the names of the two men who’d stopped him as he left the park. They were local ranchers with small spreads, but they spoke as though they were important pillars of the community. Both proclaimed they’d volunteer for the jury when Purvis’s trial came up. Both also promised to vote for hanging, no matter what evidence Tolley produced. They almost made it sound like Tolley was guilty for defending the outlaw. If other people in town felt the same way, no wonder they were standoffish.
Feeling sorry for himself wouldn’t help. He sat up on the side of the bed. Sounds from beyond his closed door drew him into the hallway.
To his surprise, Laurie approached with a covered plate. “You forgot to eat before you left.” Her sweet smile dispelled the ache in his chest.
“Wow, thanks, Laurie.” He took the plate and peeked under the checkered napkin. “I suppose I should eat this in the dining room.”
“If you like.” She giggled, suddenly shy. “I would’ve left it down there, but I didn’t want anyone else—” she tilted her head toward Mrs. Runyan’s door “—to think it was meant for them.” Her cheeks grew pink. “That wasn’t kind. Forget I said it.”
He gave a mirthless laugh. “I make too many mistakes to judge you.” Heading toward the stairway, he added, “Are you coming?”
“I can’t. I promised Mrs. Foster I’d take her over to enjoy the festivities.” She took a step toward him, clapping her hands together. “Thor and Adam won the horse race.”
Tolley emitted a whoop, almost tipping his plate in his excitement. “That’s wonderful!” He slid the cold chicken back to safety and then licked his fingers. “Mmm. Makes me hungry.”
While he ate in the dining room, Laurie prepared Mrs. Foster for the afternoon. With Laurie’s help and using her late husband’s cane, the older lady made her way toward the park four blocks away. As Tolley watched them leave, he stamped out the depression again trying to claim him. Instead, he remembered the kiss he’d shared with Laurie. They avoided the subject when she came home, but very soon they’d discuss it. He’d make sure of it. In the meantime, he could privately bask in borrowed glory, knowing he’d helped Adam win the horse race. The blue ribbon would give Adam bragging rights, though Adam never bragged. More important, that ten-dollar gold coin would help the Starling family. Pride over the event would cause Tolley trouble, but he’d permit himself the satisfaction of a deed well-done by suggesting Adam should ride.
In the evening, when music from the bandstand wafted on the breeze to the boardinghouse, he had another sad moment. He’d sure like to dance with Laurie. Would some of those cowboys who’d lined up after the egg race in hopes of a kiss hold her in their arms for a waltz or swing her around in the Virginia reel? He’d ask her when she came home. That’d give him a good opening for talking about their kiss.
Later, seated in a rocking chair on the front porch, he watched the colorful fireworks exploding over the distant park. Before the fiery display ended, Laurie walked out of the darkness toward the house. She’d brought Mrs. Foster home hours ago, along with supper for Tolley, and returned to the festivities. Now she bounded up the steps like the cowgirl she used to be.
“Hey, Tolley.” Even in the dim lamplight shining through the parlor window, he could see her sweet smile and maybe a hint of weariness after a long day. She dropped into the rocking chair beside him. “Nice fireworks, don’t you think?”
The perfect opening. “I liked the fireworks this morning a whole lot better.” He waggled his eyebrows, which usually brought a laugh or at least a smile.
Instead, she dropped her jaw and stared at him for a moment. “Don’t bring that up. Pa was unfair to blame you.” She closed her eyes and shook her head.
“I prefer to think about the first part. You know, the part where you kissed me, and then I kissed you, and then we both kissed each other.” When she slid him a shy look, he took the encouragement to go on. “Seems like two people who share a kiss like that are a bit more than friends and might ought to consider courting. What do you think?” He shouldn’t have said that. Now if she rejected him, after a day filled with rejections, it would be unbearable.
A warm expression blossomed over her face like one of Mother’s blooming roses. “Oh, Tolley...”
“What’s going on here?” Mrs. Ru
nyan marched up the steps, Mr. Parsley right behind her, both looking loaded for bear. “What are you two doing?” She stood over Laurie and wagged a finger in her face. “I saw your father scolding you, young lady. And here you are keeping company with this...this person against his explicit orders.”
“Shameful, shameful.” Mr. Parsley, never one to be outdone, fisted his hands at his waist. “Explain yourselves, or I shall report what I’ve seen to Mr. Eberly.”
Poor, sweet Laurie looked about to cry. Tolley ground his teeth and prayed for patience. He rose to his six-foot-three-inch height and mirrored Mr. Parsley’s threatening pose. To offset the effect, or perhaps balance it, he smiled like Reverend Thomas, all free and easy. “Exactly what did you see, Mr. Parsley?”
“Why, why...” The little man dropped his fists and stepped back about three feet. “The two of you sitting here alone in the dark.”
Laurie snickered. As they were wont to do, the two boarders glared at her and gasped in unison. Before Tolley could stop himself, he burst into laughter, further outraging his elders. Both sputtered out further indignation.
“Come on, Laurie.” He grasped her hand. “Let’s finish our conversation in the parlor. Tell me all about the dance. Did you have a good time?”
“Tolley! Laurie!” Mrs. Starling ran toward the house, her face stricken. “Have you seen Molly?”
Chapter Thirteen
Laurie opened her arms to the distraught mother and held her tight. “No, ma’am. I haven’t seen Molly since the opening ceremonies this morning.” She questioned Tolley with a glance.
“No, I haven’t seen her since then, either.” He looked at the boarders. “Did you see her?”
Cowboy Homecoming Page 16