by Kit Morgan
Summer fought against the guilt rising like bile in her throat. Poor Mrs. Riley, did the woman think she had run away? But no, Mrs. Riley had to have seen her with Charlotte as they left the farm.
Oh what was she to think? Well, other than the obvious …
Clayton didn’t come for her after reading the note because he had decided not to marry her. Summer’s heart sank with the thought. Oh Lord! No! Help me to show him I love him! Help me get back to the farm first thing in the morning!
But what good would it do? If he’d wanted her back at the farm she’d be there. He surely would have come for her after reading the note and taken her home.
Home …
Where would her home be now? What was she to do? She’d been so angry that afternoon, so confident in her spur of the moment plan to go to Doc and Milly’s and stay there a few days until she decided what to do.
“I have no money …” she whispered to herself as tears began to stream down her face and on to the pillow. “I have no family … no place to go and no one to see.”
The numbness came out of nowhere. It encircled her heart and mind with a force so powerful, so deadly, that in the past it would have alarmed her. But not this time, this time she welcomed it. This time she hoped it would give her the strength to do what she knew she had to.
Leave.
Fourteen
Clayton stood in shock as he watched the stagecoach driver fold his arms over his chest and spit. “I’m tellin’ ya Sheriff, there ain’t no woman on this stage by the name of Summer James. There aint’ no women period. Them's all men asleep in there!”
He’d ridden through the dark with nothing but the bright moonlight shining upon the snow covered ground and arrived at the Gunderson’s stage stop well after midnight. He immediately found the driver and woke him up. Of course at that point he probably woke up the entire establishment but didn’t care. He had to find Summer!
“You mean there wasn’t a woman on this stage at all?” Clayton asked in disbelief.
“No sir. Just three men. Maybe she planned on taking the morning stage.”
“Morning stage!”
“Yep, ten o’clock.”
“Good God!” Clayton tried to collect himself as he calculated what time he’d seen Summer the day before. “No, it’s not possible, she couldn’t have left on the ten o’clock stage.”
“Have to agree with ya there.”
Clayton stared at the driver. He was tired, he was hungry, and he wasn’t sure he heard him right. “What did you say? How could you know she didn’t take the ten o’clock stage?”
“Because it ain’t left yet. This here’s the two o’clock stage, there’s a ten o’clock stage leavin’ Nowhere in the morning.”
“Today?”
The driver spit again. “Yep.” He scratched at his long underwear. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to get me some shut eye. Dawn comes mighty early ya know.”
Clayton stood with his mouth hanging open like some dote and stared at the wall. She hadn’t left, she couldn’t have. But if she didn’t leave Nowhere then where did she go?
He rubbed his tired eyes with his hands. He’d be a fool to try to ride back now. Spencer’s horse needed food and rest and so did he. He’d have to get at least a few hours sleep before heading out again.
He went outside, led the horse to the barn and took care of him. He then returned to the house, found the food Mrs. Gunderson set out for him, ate, and then after finding the blanket she left, bedded himself down in the parlor. But sleep didn’t come so easy to Clayton for there were too many unanswered questions, one in particular.
Who did Summer leave the farm with?
Clayton suddenly groaned when he realized it could only be one person, or in this case four. The Davis family. Who else would have her and not let any of his family know about it? “Lord have mercy!” Clayton spoke to the dark. “Charlotte, you scheming little minx, what are you trying to pull now?”
* * *
“I’m so sorry none of it worked out for you, but I’m sure you’ll find a job in Clear Creek. Why that little town has the prettiest hotel in Oregon. Big too. I’ll be sure to send a telegraph to Mr. Van Cleet the hotel owner. I’ve had dealings with him a time or two. Nice fella.” Mr. Davis told her as he helped her climb into the morning stage.
Charlotte and Abbey awoke before dawn to Summer’s soft weeping and both sisters did their best to console her. Charlotte even told Summer she should wait and talk to Clayton before she left but Summer wouldn’t hear it. She was determined to leave and was now convinced the girl was only trying to help her. After all, if Charlotte wanted to truly get rid of her she’d have all but shoved her onto the afternoon stage the day before, but she didn’t. Instead she took her home to have tea and biscuits with her sister. Now she was trying to get her to wait until Clayton showed up to speak with him. But as the morning waned on, it became quite apparent that Clayton Riley wasn’t going to be showing up any time soon.
“Thank you Mr. Davis. I’ll repay you just as soon as I can,” Summer told him. At breakfast Abbey sweet-talked her father into lending the stage fare. As she didn’t have enough money to go back to New Orleans, and wasn’t about to ask Mr. Davis for the money to do so, Summer took Charlotte’s suggestion to head south and accepted fare to Clear Creek. The best thing about it was she wouldn’t have to face Clayton. Wouldn’t have to hear him tell her he no longer wanted to marry her. Didn’t have to suffer the humiliation of hearing him say it in front of his brother and Mrs. Riley. Maybe she was being a coward but she didn’t care. She didn’t even care that she was leaving with nothing but the clothes on her back. She just wanted to get out of town as soon as possible!
The ten o’clock stage lurched forward. She waved numbly to the Davis family as they huddled in a little group to stay warm. Even Mrs. Davis came along and sadly waved her goodbyes to the sound of jangling harness and the slap of leather reins.
As the stage headed down Nowhere's main street Summer turned from the window, faced forward and took a deep breath. Did she feel guilty for leaving without a word? No. No because she didn’t feel anything. Nothing but the numbing effects of her weeping the night before and the cold hard fact that hit her then and hit her even now.
Clayton hadn’t come for her.
Maybe Charlotte was right. Maybe she should have talked with him. But didn’t she wait until the last possible minute before it came time to leave and still he hadn't come.
Summer, the only passenger on the stage, took advantage of the dark solitude of the empty coach and for the first time that morning, bitterly wept.
* * *
Clayton left at dawn. He was furious as he rode out and if he hurried he figured he would come upon the stage not more than an hour or so after it left town. But as the morning wore on and the closer to Nowhere Clayton got, he suddenly realized he didn’t see any sign of the ten o’clock stage. Could it be running late or perhaps had some trouble along the way? A wave of panic suddenly gripped him as he thought of Red Ned and his gang who’d been terrorizing the area for months. But then, he just as suddenly breathed easier when he remembered that Ned, in all probability, was heading south to Clear Creek. The outlaw would now become his uncle's problem. As soon as he had Summer safely back home he’d try to remember to wire Uncle Harlan and warn him that Red Ned was heading his way.
But first he had to find her.
Clayton reached Nowhere and went straight to his office. He burst through the door to find Billy leaned back in his chair with his feet propped on the desk talking with Doc. “Doc! Have ya been out to the farm? Is Spencer all right?”
“Whoa there son. Yep, already been out there and back this morning. He’ll be fine. Nasty bump he got but he’ll pull through and be ready for Christmas morning! Sorry I couldn’t make it out last night but I was back at the Colson farm again. Poor Mrs. Colson’s got herself a new bouncing baby boy. That makes six youngins! My but that poor woman has her hands full!”
/> Clayton nodded in acknowledgement then pushed his hat off his forehead. “Were either of you here when the stage left this morning?”
“I was still out at your place,” Doc told him. “In fact I just got back into town.”
Billy took his feet off the desk, pushed the chair back and stood. “I was down at the livery stable. My horse done threw a shoe this morning.”
“Did either of you see Charlotte in town with Summer?” Clayton asked.
“I didn’t,” Billy said as Doc shook his head.
Clayton closed his eyes a moment in frustration. He then opened them and looked at Billy. “I need your horse.”
“My horse? What for?”
“I gotta catch that stage.”
“But boss, you don’t even know if she’s on it.”
“Billy’s right, Clayton. If you think your little gal was with Charlotte Davis, then she might still be there. Why don’t you go on out to the Davis place and check first before you go galloping after that stage.”
“Yeah, you might chase the stage down only to find Miss James ain’t on it,” Billy added.
Clayton groaned. “You’re both right. I guess I’m plumb tuckered out and not thinking straight at this point. Heck, I didn’t even see the stage when I was coming back from the Gundersons.”
“Well boss, that’s probably cause it wasn’t heading that way.”
“What do you mean? Where is it then?”
“The ten o’clock stage was going to Clear Creak.”
Clayton took his hat off, hit his leg with it, then slammed the desk with his fist. How could he have forgotten a detail like that?
Doc laughed. “Son, what you need is some marrying! Why don’t I go round up the preacher while you go round up your pretty little gal, then you can get down to business!”
“Yeah,” Billy agreed. “Won’t she make for a nice Christmas present?”
“Christmas?” Clayton barked.
“Well, yeah boss. Today’s Christmas eve.”
“What? Christmas eve!” Clayton couldn’t believe it! Where had the time gone? Had they been searching for that no good varmint Red Ned all month? Apparently they had and he was more tuckered out than he first thought. He didn’t even know what day it was! He hadn’t given a single thought as far as Christmas was concerned! He wasn’t even sure if there was a tree up in the house! Probably not as he and Spencer were the ones to usually go out and find one! Why hadn’t his mother said anything?
Because you haven’t been around to say anything to, you idiot!
Clayton slapped a hand against his forehead and let it slide down his face as he groaned.
No gifts.
No tree.
No preparation what so ever.
And no wife…
First things first, he suddenly thought. “I’m heading over to Charlotte’s. If Summer’s not there, then I’m going after that stage.”
“What do you want me to do, boss?”
Clayton looked at him, grateful for Billy’s help. “If you’ve got the time, get my mother a Christmas tree.”
“How can I help?” Doc asked.
“Clayton’s eyes flashed with determination as he looked to him. “Fetch the preacher. We’re gonna have us a wedding.”
And with that, Clayton Riley stormed out of the Sheriff’s office in search of his future bride.
He mounted Billy’s horse in case he needed to ride out of town in a hurry after the stage, and headed for the Davis’s house. Their place was at least a mile out of town in the opposite direction the stage would have gone and he seethed knowing Charlotte had been up to no good. But what if he was wrong? What if there was no ill intent involved? Hadn’t he best calm himself down lest he be tempted to break through the front door and storm into the house? What would Summer think of him then? On the other hand, maybe barreling into the Davis house, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying all the way to the preacher's house was what he needed to do! Prove to her he wasn’t messing around and that he meant business!
No, not business. Love.
Clayton slowed the horse down to a trot as he got closer to his destination. He didn’t want Summer to see him angry and decided the best thing to do would be to gather her up, get her home, and get ready for the upcoming holiday. They could be married that evening and wake up Christmas morning as husband and wife.
Clayton smiled at the thought. She might fuss a little over not having a wedding dress and all, but she could always wear his mother’s red dress and hat. She sure looked mighty pretty in it the day she had it on. In fact, the sight of her in that dress took his breath away. He knew why his mother kept it, knew the story behind the dress. His mother was wearing it when she met his father. Clayton’s smile broadened as he rode up to the Davis’s hitching post and dismounted. He was much calmer now and began to think of all the things he wanted to tell Summer as soon as the door opened and he caught sight of her.
Clayton went through the gate, marched up to the front door, took a deep breath and knocked.
Nellie Davis answered the door. “Why Clayton Riley, whatever brings you here?” She asked innocently.
“I’ve come for Summer. Where is she?”
“Summer? Oh, you mean that Miss James?”
“Of course that’s who I mean, where is she?”
“Well now don’t get upset, how should I know where she is?”
“You mean she’s not here?” Clayton barked.
“Certainly not! Why on Earth would she be?”
Clayton stared at her as the first traces of panic began to grip him. “You mean to tell me she’s not here at all, didn’t come here yesterday?”
Mrs. Davis pursed her lips together before she spoke. “No. Why would she?”
Clayton’s hands balled into fists. Now where was he to look? What could have happened to her?
“Who’s that at the door, mother?” a voice called.
“It’s Clayton, he’s come looking for that Miss James.”
Charlotte pushed past her mother as she wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. “Why Clayton, what a surprise!” She quickly turned to her mother. “Why don’t you go back inside and close the door. The house will get cold with it hanging wide open like this!”
Mrs. Davis smiled sweetly and nodded in agreement. “You two have yourselves a nice little visit. Come by again soon, Clayton. Christmas maybe?”
“Don’t count on it,” he said as he glared down at her.
Mrs. Davis’s face took on its usual pinched expression as she forced a smile and closed the door.
“Where’s Summer?” He asked through clenched teeth as he turned his attention to Charlotte.
“Summer? Why, I have no idea. Isn’t she at home … oh dear …”
“Oh dear, what?” Clayton asked, his jaw tight.
“Oh, well … you see ... there was talk that she left. I thought I was hearing things, you know how rumors get started.”
“What talk?” he demanded.
“Well, down at the mercantile, Mrs. Quinn might have mentioned that she heard Miss James had had enough of this town, and was going to leave. In fact, she was so desperate to leave she … well … she…”
“She what?” Clayton spat.
“She didn’t even wait for the stage, she rode out with some stranger.”
Clayton’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Is that the truth, Charlotte?”
“Oh now Clayton, I got the story second hand, how should I know if there’s any truth to it? And who knows who Mrs. Quinn heard it from.”
It was all Clayton could do to keep from growling at the woman standing before him. Who in Sam blazes would have taken Summer and ridden out of town with her? She had to have taken the stage! Clayton finally did let go a frustrated growl as he turned on his boot heel to leave.
Charlotte reached out and grabbed his coat. “Clayton!”
He spun to her, his face covered in barely controlled rage.
Charlotte took a deep breath as she
took in his expression. “It never would have worked between you. What are you so angry about it? I think it’s a blessing in disguise she’s gone.”
“A blessing for who Charlotte? For you? Are you thinking that just because Summers gone, if indeed she really is gone, that I’ll marry you now?”
Her mouth fell open in shock. “Clayton Riley, how could you say such a thing?”
“Easy enough! I know you too well.”
“Oh now Clayton, you’ll get over her. She wasn’t good enough for you anyway. Why, the girl was dull and ugly. I’ll never understand why you even considered marrying her! Besides, you said so yourself you weren’t the one that sent away for her in the first place!”
Clayton’s eyes narrowed to slits. “What have you done with her?”
Charlotte backed up a step at his tone. “Why, nothing. What makes you think I had anything to do with her leaving town?”
“If there were any strangers in town Billy would have told me about it.”
Charlotte swallowed hard and pulled the shawl more tightly about her. “I think I better go inside before I catch my death of cold!”
Clayton took a step toward her. “Where is she?”
“Now Clayton, I really do have to be getting inside.”
Clayton reached out, grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her to him. Her expression immediately changed to dreamy adoration. “Why Clayton Riley, you’re holding me in a most improper way. Why, if my daddy saw us like this he’d get out the shot gun and insist we marry.”
Her tone was sugary sweet, almost sickening and Clayton knew. Knew Charlotte had done something to Summer. “Tell me what you did with her Charlotte. Tell me now.”
Charlotte put her arms around him and pulled her body against his. “Don’t you see, Clayton? She was never meant for you! She left because she knew you didn’t want her! Knew it the moment you didn’t come for her! That’s why she left!” Tears formed in her eyes and she held him ever tighter. “Kiss me Clayton! Kiss me and tell me we’ll be married now! I don’t want anybody else! I’ll die if I have to marry anyone except you!”