by Kate Sheperd
“You never do take that hat off do?” Cole asked. The question had been on his mind for a very long time.
“It was my grandmothers.” Cole smiled as he learned one more little detail about his wife. He felt like he finally getting to know her.
*****
After their morning ride, Cole and Claudia made their way to the saloon. Cole was craving a cold beer and smiled as he walked with his wife into the saloon. This was the first time she had walked arm in arm with her husband and somehow it felt natural.
As Cole entered the saloon, everyone stared at him. He looked around to see countless eyes looking at him and staring him. Their looks were filled with malice and Cole wondered what was going on.
“You have the decency to show your face around here sheriff? Why don’t you stop lounging around and start working for once?” A man called out. Cole looked at him curiously and then picked up a newspaper lying on a nearby table. He quickly scanned the stories and clenched his jaw. He looked around and felt the disappointment bubbling up inside of him.
Some of the other patrons started to antagonize Cole. He could feel their words stab him as all of their accusations crashed into him. Feeling angry, Cole rushed out of the saloon, leaving his wife behind in his rage of emotion.
“Typical… he runs away when things get rough.”
“He should just leave and let someone else find those criminals!”
“Inadequate.”
The men continued to insult the sheriff as the doors of the saloon swung behind him. Claudia looked at them and shot them a defiant look. It seemed like she was defending the valor of her husband. She glared at the men before leaving to follow after him. She could sense that he was upset. She needed to do something about it.
Chapter 5
Cole sat at home with his head in his hands. Was he failing the town? He had taken off his badge and laid it on the table. The badge stared at Cole as if to accuse him as well. He didn’t know what to do. Should he come clean or should he continue to try and find leads on the criminals? He didn’t know what to do. He felt lost and alone.
Everyone was turning against him. Even his own family was shying away from him. It seemed like everything was falling apart around him and he didn’t know what to do. Cole got up and paced around his home as he took off his hat and ran his fingers through his thick hair. He did this a few times before he heard the door open and heard Claudia step inside.
He hadn’t expected Claudia to follow him home and yet there she was. She looked at him as she stood in the doorway. There seemed to be something like understanding in her eyes and the two of them shared a moment together.
As Claudia looked at him, she could tell there was something upsetting him more than just the men at the saloon. There was something deeper inside of him that was making him upset. She didn’t know what it was, but she felt it too. Maybe he was more like her after all. Maybe he had his own secrets he would never dare to tell.
She looked at the kitchen table to find his badge next to a shot of whiskey. She sighed before moving toward the table and picking up his badge. She sat down and gently pinned it back onto his jacket.
“A sheriff should always wear his badge,” she said as she stood close to him, looking at him with her captivatingly dark eyes. He looked up at her and couldn’t help but smile a little. At the beginning of their marriage, Cole barely knew this woman. She had felt so cold and unapproachable, but now as she stood before him he felt like he could trust her. He wanted to trust her. He wanted to tell her everything that was on his mind. But he couldn’t.
“Claudia… I don’t deserve that badge.” Cole finally said sulkily. It was true, for all that he did, and all that he didn’t do he did not deserve that badge. He didn’t deserve her.
“Nonsense. Those criminals are experienced and will be hard for anyone to catch. Don’t cut yourself short. You are a great sheriff. You have been keeping this town safe for years. Just because you are facing some heat now you want to quit? Well, I won’t allow it.” Cole thought back to the first time he saw Claudia’s picture.
She had looked ready to take on the world and as she said those words that same personality reemerged. She was right. The town needed him. He couldn’t afford to run away and hide just because times were getting tough. No, the town needed him to stay on his feet. They needed him to catch the people terrorizing the town.
Cole smiled at his wife before gently cupping her cheeks in his hands. Over the last couple of months, she was feeling like more of a wife to him and he really enjoyed her company now. She was looking at him with a look of compassion on her face. As Cole looked at her he knew that he wouldn’t want anyone else by his side comforting him. Even though they were an odd couple who still slept in separate beds despite being married almost a year, in a strange way Cole felt like he loved her.
He looked down at her and smiled as her dark eyes seemed to open up the world. She seemed to be holding her breath, waiting for something. Slowly, she moved closer, their faces now inches apart. Cole couldn’t help himself. He leaned in and kissed her lips for the first time. His hands were gently caressing her cheeks as he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her with all the pent-up emotion he had been holding in for so long.
To his amazement, Claudia started to kiss back and she even wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him and Cole smiled as he felt love in her sweet lips. He smiled into the kiss and hugged her tightly to his chest. He held her close and the kiss continued until they were both out of breath.
When Claudia finally broke away her face was flushed and she looked a little embarrassed. Even though they stood quietly it was apparent that this was a critical moment in their relationship. They had finally admitted their love for each other.
*****
Later that night, the kiss shifted into real affection. As Cole was making his way to his bedroom Claudia looked at him. She didn’t say a word, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted him to join her in bed that night.
And so Cole, although a little embarrassed, padded into her bedroom and laid by her side for the second time. Unlike the first time, he did not get up in a matter of five minutes. Instead, he stayed by his wife’s side for the entire night.
Of course, it was a little awkward at first, but soon enough Cole found himself wrapping his arm around his wife and pulling her close. He looked into her beautiful eyes and smiled. He was glad that this woman was finally his wife. He leaned into her and gently kissed the top of her head as he ran his fingers through her soft hair.
As the wind rattled the windows and the room got colder Claudia found herself moving closer to her husband. She pressed herself against him and smiled. She never expected herself to be affectionate with this man and yet here she was.
“I love you,” Cole whispered into her ear before they both drifted off into sleep.
Chapter 6
“I can’t do this anymore.” There was silence after Cole’s comment. He looked at his father angrily.
After his night with Claudia he knew he had to stop. He couldn’t go on the way that he was. He had a wife to support and love and that meant stopping.
“Did you hear me? I am not doing it anymore.” His father finally turned around and looked at Cole. His father was an old, but strong man who liked his alcohol even stronger. He looked at his son with a disappointed look on his face.
“You know you can’t do that.” The father said with a serious look. He didn’t seem like he was up for the idea of negotiating.
“Like hell, I can!” Cole yelled back and got closer to his father. “I am not doing it anymore. You have my word.” Cole said determined as he crossed his arms and looked at his father.
“Oh is that so?” There was a sinister look on his father’s face. Cole looked at him, unamused. He didn’t like his father’s tone of voice and felt like something was amiss.
“It’s not worth the money or the trouble.”
“But isn’t it worth the
safety of your sister?” The father asked before he poured himself a shot of whiskey. Cole’s eyes grew in surprise.
“Liv? What have you done to her!?” His voice was angry.
“Nothing… yet.” Cole clenched his jaw as he looked at his father. He didn’t think anyone was capable of being so cruel. “But if you stop, then I will be forced to take certain… precautions so that you continue again. Now you wouldn’t want me to destroy your sister’s pretty face now would you?” Cole could feel his anger growing, but he kept it in check. He couldn’t let his sister get hurt just because he couldn’t control himself. He looked at the monster before him and barred his teeth.
“Now you know, as well as I do, that this service you provide me is a very important one. It brings in a lot of revenue and we need it for the business to survive.” Cole looked at him quietly. There was no point in responding to a man without a heart.
“Besides… if you do anything to upset me then I have means of getting to that pretty wife of yours. I hear you two are finally acting like a married couple.” Cole’s veins throbbed in his neck as he heard the mention of Claudia. He felt sick to his stomach.
“I swear if you touch a hair on her head, then I will be the death of you old man.” His father chuckled as if amused with his son’s threats. He then looked in his drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to his son who grabbed it angrily. He looked at it and shoved it in his pocket before leaving. It seemed like he couldn’t escape the lifestyle he had come to adopt.
*****
“I can’t do this anymore.” Claudia’s voice was emotional as she looked at her sister. They were together in Evelena’s home. Evelena’s husband was off working at the railroads for the rest of the day and they had the house to themselves.
“What do you mean Claudia? We can’t just stop!” Claudia’s sister looked at her.
“I… I just can’t… I want to go back to living an honest life. I don’t want to live like this anymore!” Claudia’s eyes burned as she held back tears. Her hat shook as she started to tremble. Her mind wandered back to Cole. She couldn’t spoil the relationship she had just created with him. She cherished it too much to ruin it.
“Please… Claudia… think of mother.” Claudia’s face dropped. She thought back to her mother in Boston and shuddered.
“I know… you think I don’t know? I think about her every day… but I don’t know if I can keep doing this…” She sounded like she was about to cry. “I don’t know if it’s worth it anymore.”
“How can you say that Claudia… this is mother we are talking about… if we don’t do this for her… then who will? You know father is too old to provide for her now and it is our job to do it.” Claudia looked at her sister. She knew she was right but still her skin crawled thinking about everything she had done.
“We will just do it one more time.” Claudia looked at her sister before getting up. She walked outside. She felt faint and needed the fresh air. She couldn’t go on living like this but what choice did she have? Her family depended on her. She never meant for things to be like this, but at this point they were in too deep to back out now.
She looked at the town and Evelena walked up behind her gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Claudia.” Still Claudia kept quiet as her confident manner faltered a bit at that moment. Would she be able to do go through with it one more time? As Claudia looked at her sister, Evelena presented her with a letter. Claudia saw it was from their mother.
She looked down at the messy handwriting and took her time reading the almost illegible words. By the end of the letter, she found herself in tears. She wiped them away quickly before looking at her sister.
“Okay. One more time but that’s it.” Evelena nodded.
“One more time, and then we can go back to Boston for good.” Claudia looked at her sister as she felt a knot form in her throat. Claudia knew this had been the plan from the start but now that she felt closer to Cole, would she be able to leave?
Chapter 7
“I have to go back to Boston.” Claudia looked at her husband. She was trying to keep her emotions in check as she told him the news. “My mother is very sick and my sister and I want to go take care of her for a bit.” Cole looked at his wife a little surprised.
“Oh, I am sorry to hear that.” Cole said politely, as he mourned inside. He had just gotten closer to his wife and now she was leaving. Who knew how long she would be in Boston. He looked at her and tried to give her a reassuring look. “Everything is going to be okay. You go on to Boston, it’ll be alright.” He said softly before kissing the top of her head.
Claudia had to do everything she could to stay calm. She didn’t want to expose herself at such a critical moment. Cole had to believe that she was just going to Boston and nothing else. He couldn’t suspect her or it would all end badly. She gave him a small smile before kissing his lips and whispering, “I’ll miss you.”
Cole smiled and hugged her. It had taken a while for them to truly fall in love, but now that they did it felt amazing. He kissed her head again and said, “Have a safe trip, okay?” Claudia nodded before going to her room to pack. She didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t have any other choice. Her family depended on her.
They kissed one more time before she left. He watched her go. The house felt empty without her, but he knew he had no right to keep her from her sick mother. He would just have to live without her for a while. There was nothing he could do.
Sighing, Cole went to his room and got ready for another day at work. He had to take down the gold-train thief in order to get his good name back. So he got dressed and waited for the hour when the train would arrive. He would go to the train station and guard the train waiting for the criminal to arrive. He wasn’t sure if they would hit in broad daylight, but it was worth a shot. His reputation depended on it.
When it was one o’clock and Claudia was well on her way to Boston Cole made his way to the train station. When he got there the train was already stationed. It seemed like it was ahead of schedule. Cole made his way for the conductor.
However, when got close to the front cart he heard people speaking. There was a gruff male voice he does not recognize that he assumed belonged to the conductor but speaking with him was a soft feminine voice that he swore he knew.
Cole decided to get closer. As he did and as the conversation continued his eyes grew in surprise as he realized who the voice belonged to. Evelena. But shouldn’t Evelena and Claudia be well on their way to Boston by this point? Cole was confused as he moved closer to the conductor cart and took a peek inside. As he did he saw none other than his wife’s sister standing there with the conductor. But why would Evelena be talking to the conductor?
Suddenly, Cole realized what was going on and ran toward the carts holding the gold. He didn’t want to believe it, but it was the only thing that made any sense. As he ran down the length of the train he didn’t see anything and was confused. Maybe he was mistaken.
However, just when he was about to walk back to the conductor cart he heard the tell-tale sound of gold coins falling on the ground. He rushed toward the sound and realized that the criminal was on the other side of the train tracks. He quickly jumped from one side to the other and was met face to face with none other than his own wife.
“Claudia!” Cole yelled out as he approached her. There was anger in his face. How could his own wife do this? What would the town say when they figured out that the sheriff’s wife was the criminal stealing countless gold coins from the gold-trains?
He would be the ridicule of the town. He looked at his wife who was still bent down trying to pick up the gold coins she had dropped. He grabbed her arm harshly and forced her up.
“Cole… please… I can explain.” Cole looked down at her angrily. To think that he thought he loved this woman. He didn’t love anything short of a criminal. He could feel something like vile build up in his mouth. He was trying to contain his anger before he did someth
ing he regretted.
“I hope to hell you can or I am going to end up putting my own wife in prison!” His voice was full of malice as he looked down at her. He was in a state of shock.
He then roughly looked inside of her pockets and found countless gold coins.
“What the hell were you going to do with all this? Am I not good enough to provide for you? Why do you have to steal?” He asked harshly before emptying her pockets. Cole had never been this harsh with her before and for the first time in her marriage she felt a little afraid of her husband. What would he do to her now that he knew her secret?
She looked up at him without an answer and this just made him angrier. He clenched his jaw and tightened his grip around her arm even more. She flinched in pain before he started to pull her. He was going to bring her home and get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing he did.
Chapter 8
The couple finally got back home and Cole roughly pushed his wife into the couch. He would get answers out of her one way or another. Claudia looked up at her husband and could see the anger in his face. She didn’t want to upset him but, who wouldn’t be upset at a time like this? But she had to make him understand, one way or another.
“Claudia, you are going to tell me right now what the meaning of all this is.” His voice was cruel as he looked at his wife and paced around the room. He ran his fingers through his sweat soaked hair and stared at her.
“Well go on now. Or do you want to admit that you are a thief and that I am going to have to go out and tell the town that my wife is a criminal? How do you think that would make me look as the sheriff?” Cole seemed to be getting angrier by the minute and Claudia would have to do something if she had any hope of salvaging their marriage.
“I have a good reason.” Cole looked at her skeptically, but Claudia continued. “My mother, she is very sick. She has a rare disease and they want a lot of money for her treatment. My sister and I had to get the money somehow… we didn’t want to steal, but we didn’t have a choice.” Claudia suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to him. It was her mother’s letter.