An Obsessive Bride

by Elliee Atkinson

  Having no answer, Gabe just gave her a wide grin. He looked down at the cup he’d been using earlier and shook his head. “I cannot believe I left this here. Now I really know I was here before.”

  Claire laughed. “Did you really need proof?”

  Gabe shrugged. “You never know.”

  Claire just shook her head. She picked up the cup of lemonade she’d been drinking and took a few sips. “I like it cooled. It’s nice that you leave it in the icebox. That’s what my momma does with her tea.”

  “I’m going to try that. I bet it would be delicious.”

  “I read in the post that there is a new drink called Coca-Cola. You can get it on the train sometimes. And in the bigger cities.”

  “Not in Wickenburg.” Elizabeth grinned at them. “But I bet you we could convince Sam to order some. I wonder what it tastes like?”

  “I read it is very bubbly in your mouth.”

  “Like bubbles in your mouth?” Elizabeth frowned, trying to imagine such a feeling. “Well, I’m anxious now. I’m gonna have to ask him myself.”

  “It was your idea,” Gabe said. “Run with it. Besides, I don’t know Sam.”

  “You don’t know Sam? I thought you lived here before. I’ve only been here a year and Claire, it’s been several weeks. How is it that I know him better than you?”

  “I grew up here, as I said. However, I haven’t been back in two decades. That’s a long time to have to remember someone, don’t you think?”

  Claire shrugged. “I don’t think anyone could forget you, Gabe. I guess that’s just my problem.”

  Gabe laughed. “It’s not a problem, and thank you for the compliment.” He turned his eyes to Elizabeth, who was staring up at the ceiling. “Are you all right?”

  Elizabeth looked at them excitedly. “Will you two please mind this place while I run to the Horse N Saddle really quickly? You don’t really have to do anything. I just need someone to mind the place while I ask him to order the Coca-Cola.”

  Gabe and Claire looked at each other in surprise. They both turned questioning eyes to Elizabeth. She shook her head. “I am more than certain I can trust both of you and, Claire, you already know everyone. You’ve been here long enough. I won’t be long. I promise I won’t be long.”

  Claire shared another look with Gabe before shrugging. “I don’t mind if you don’t, Gabe.”

  He looked up at Elizabeth. “We’ll watch the place for you, Beth. Just don’t be long. Other guests might not take kindly to the fact that you’ve left the place to us.”

  “Oh, thank you! I will be quick!”

  Elizabeth dashed out the door.

  Gabe turned his eyes to Claire. “I think that girl is going to have some business problems if she always leaves her hotel to the guests to run.”

  “She knows she can trust me. And I think she knows she can trust you.”

  Gabe nodded. “She’s a sweet girl. I would hate to see someone take advantage of her or her family.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  MR. HARRY AXTON MAKES AN APPEARANCE

  MR. HARRY AXTON MAKES AN APPEARANCE

  Claire and Gabe decided it would be better to sit in the lobby, so they would know who was coming and going. They sat on the couch side by side and looked through the window and the people passing on the street.

  “So you’ve been here how long?” Gabe asked.

  “I guess I probably arrived almost a month ago. Nearly four weeks, I reckon.”

  “Are you planning to stay here indefinitely?”

  “I haven’t decided. And you, you will be staying?”

  Gabe moved his eyes from her face to the coffee table in front of them. “I plan to stay for the rest of my life, yes.”

  “You don’t have a wife or children to care for?”

  He shook his head dejectedly. “None, I’m afraid.”

  “It doesn’t sound like that’s something you are happy with,” Claire said softly, looking at his handsome face. She admired his good looks and his sensibility. He was polite, even when there was aggression toward him. He was smart and funny. He had everything a woman could want in a man.

  Claire also sensed that there was something lying under the surface that he was afraid to uncover. Some truth that might hurt everyone around him. She hoped someday they would be able to talk freely about it. In the meantime, she was going to continue doing what she was doing. She saw no reason to change.

  “No, I’m not happy about it. To be honest, I came to Wickenburg with the hope of finding a woman.”

  “Why in heaven’s name would you count on Wickenburg for that?” Claire laughed.

  “I didn’t come here for that reason specifically. It’s just one of the things I was hoping for now that I’m here.” Gabe was suddenly nervous about where the conversation was going. He was talking to a beautiful woman, who immediately struck him as desirable, about his personal love life. He couldn’t think of anything worse. He supposed he walked into it himself. What had possessed him to say he was looking for a woman in the first place?

  He hid his inner anguish from Claire, who continued chatting quietly as if there wasn’t the huge elephant in the room that Gabe saw. “I have thought about it myself, Gabe. What it would be like to be with a man every day, the same man. I have not been in a relationship with a man like that.”

  “You haven’t?” Gabe was surprised. Claire was a beautiful woman. He couldn’t imagine the men avoiding a relationship with her unless there was another problem that caused them to stay away. He scanned her, imagining her angry. He had a hard time doing it. She seemed too docile and content. So sweet and gentle.

  She wasn’t perfect though and sooner or later, her flaws would be revealed. He hoped there would be nothing to stop a relationship from blossoming.

  “Why did you choose to move back here now?” Claire asked. He looked at her. She didn’t realize what a loaded question that was. Gabe thought about it for a moment, trying to come up with an easy explanation.

  “It was time,” he finally replied. “There were things happening in life that, well, that I took as signs that I needed to leave. That it was really time for a big change. I woke up one morning – maybe I dreamed about this place and that caused it – but I woke up one morning with the idea of coming back here in my head and it never left. I thought about it all the time for months on end. I sent letters to my cousin Mark and we discussed how I should proceed. He gave me some helpful information, told me about this hotel here and here I am.”

  “Why don’t you stay with him? Wouldn’t it be cheaper?”

  “Money doesn’t matter to me.” The words were out before he could snatch them back. He dreaded the look on her face. She just raised one eyebrow.

  “That’s very noble. And spoken like a man who is independently wealthy. No man I’ve ever met who has worked hard for his money has ever said such a thing.”

  “I received an inheritance some years ago that I used to start my business and buy a ranch in Kentucky,” Gabe explained. She shook her head.

  “You certainly don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’m certain you are not the first man to fib about himself. And you didn’t fib. You just didn’t tell me you had money. Has that become a problem for you? Is that why you hide it?”

  Gabe nodded. “It can cause a lot of problems, yes. And I don’t need everyone knowing my business, so I tend to keep it to myself.”

  “Understood. I won’t breathe a word to anyone, I swear.”

  “I appreciate that,” Gabe said softly.

  Claire sat forward and put her hand up beside her mouth. “I’ll definitely keep it from Ms. Ainsworth.”

  Gabe shuddered, thinking about the aggressive Miss Agatha Ainsworth. He’d dealt with young women who had a hard time controlling their desires. It looked like Agatha was going to be one of those women.

  Stop it, Gabe, he chided himself gently. Maybe it will be different this time.

  However, deep inside, he knew it wasn’t going to
be different.

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “What a woman,” was all he could say.

  “Indeed,” Claire responded. “She makes quite an impression, doesn’t she? So tell me, Gabe, tell me about your ranch in Kentucky. You sold it? To move back here? Or did you leave it to friends or other family members?”

  Gabe hesitated. He wasn’t a very open man. He didn’t like a lot of people knowing his business. Yet he felt a pull toward Claire, as if he had known her for a long time. She still gave him that feeling, like sooner or later and out of the blue, he would realize where he knew her from.

  Strands of her auburn hair had come loose from the barrette at the back of her neck. They swirled around her face in wild abandon. She didn’t seem to notice them. He wanted to smooth them down, to tame her curls, to touch the side of her face and feel her skin. However, he held back. If anyone were to see them in any type of embrace, they would both be destroyed. He may have a past with the little town, but that wouldn’t keep scandal away from him. His good intentions had never made a difference in Kentucky. He didn’t see why they would here in Wickenburg.

  “If I’m asking too many questions, I do apologize,” Claire said, noticing the hesitation. He shook his head.

  “It’s all right. I have been alone for much too long. I need to open up to someone.” He braced himself for an onslaught of personal questions, like all the women he’d encountered previously. Claire leaned forward, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest comfortably. She crossed her legs and looked at him sideways.

  “Oh Gabe. You don’t need to tell me anything about yourself if you don’t want to. My goodness, we’ve known each other all of an hour? Relax. We have time to get to know each other.”

  Gabe was almost confused by her behavior. He gave her a strange look just as the door opened and a bookish young man came in. He was dressed like a gentleman, in a suit with a neat bow tie at his neck. He removed his hat when he stepped in the door to reveal a lot of bushy blond hair. His eyes betrayed a restless spirit, despite the proper attire. He grinned at them both.

  “Hello!”

  “Hello, Harry,” Claire said. “This is Gabe Stapleton. He just arrived today.”

  Harry nodded at Gabe. “Nice to meet you.” He seemed to be in a hurry passing through the lobby in only a few steps. He stopped at the bottom of the steps, however, and looked at the two of them. “You in the market for some new ties? Suspenders? I got some men’s clothes I’m selling, too. Would you like to see my stock?”

  “I would,” Gabe nodded. “But not right now. I’ve just arrived and I’m relaxing for a while before a big dinner tonight.”

  “Big dinner, huh? What’s it for?”

  “Because Elizabeth got two new guests today.”

  Harry’s eyebrows shot up. “There’s another new guest?”

  “Yes, a lady named Agatha Ainsworth. A very kind and friendly woman,” Claire said, ignoring the look Gabe was giving her. He bit his lips together so he wouldn’t smile. “You’ll meet her tonight, I’m sure. And she’s in five. So don’t disturb her.”

  “I won’t disturb her.” Harry sounded annoyed. “I’ll get some of my things together to show you later, Gabe, if you don’t mind.”

  “No, not at all. I’d be glad to take a look.”

  “Thanks, buddy.” Without another word, Harry went up the stairs. They heard his door close a few moments later.

  Claire looked over at Gabe. “He’s an interesting character. A man of his own thoughts, that is for sure.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “He’s a bit eccentric. If you talk to him long enough, you’ll understand. He has some very odd thoughts.”

  Gabe looked at her with confused eyes.

  She laughed and shook her head. “It really is something you’ll have to experience for yourself. I do know that he’s good at his job. He can sell anything to anyone simply by talking to them. He’s good with people, talks to everyone with respect… what you saw there, I don’t know why he was in a hurry but it’s a bit surprising. He must have found a customer and…”

  They heard thumping of feet on the stairs and Harry passed by again, holding a large fabric bag. He nodded at them and disappeared through the front door.

  Claire and Gabe shared a look and then laughed.

  “I think you hit that nail on the head, my dear,” Gabe said. “How long has he been here?”

  “He arrived a few days after me, so about three weeks. He gets so excited whenever he makes a sale. He goes to great lengths to tell us all about it every time he does. We don’t always have dinner together but when we do, he just gushes.”

  “I suppose he’s very proud of himself.”

  “He is. He’s not arrogant, though. I don’t want you to think that. You have to meet him and really talk to him. I don’t want to gossip.”

  “Well, I won’t know anything about anyone if I don’t ask questions,” Gabe said.

  “That’s true.” She sat for a moment before saying abruptly. “So what would you like to know about the others here?”

  He chuckled. “Only what I need to know, I reckon. Don’t need to know birthdays and the like. Probably not gonna give them a cake or anything.”

  Claire’s smile spread up to her eyes, making Gabe’s heart thump hard for a few beats. She was a beautiful woman. “You are a funny man,” Claire said. “Are you thirsty? We should get some lemonade or coffee.”

  Gabe shook his head. “Lemonade sounds better than coffee at this moment. I’m going to my cousin, Mark’s, in a little while. I thought I’d stop in since I was here. I thought I saw someone I recognized but it turned out to be Dr. Campbell and I don’t know him.”

  “Do you think the people who knew you before will recognize you? How much have you changed since you left?”

  “Well, I look older and feel older but nothing much has changed. I figure they’ll recognize me before I’ll recognize them.”

  “Your cousin will recognize you though, won’t he?”

  “Mark? Yeah, I’m sure he will. We have the family eyes.”

  Claire lifted one eyebrow. “The family eyes?”

  Gabe opened his eyes wide and stared at her. “Family eyes. You know, they all look similar. Mark’s got the same shape eyes I’ve got.”

  Claire laughed. “Oh, I see what you mean.”

  “Was that pun intended?” Gabe asked, grinning.

  Claire understood the joke and laughed again. “Oh, Gabe. You are a wit. I like talking to you. You make me smile.”

  “I’m so glad.”

  “We never did talk about what Elizabeth would be making for dinner.”

  Gabe grunted. “We didn’t, did we? Well, I suppose that’s something Elizabeth and, what was it, Tom? They have to figure it out. And where is this mysterious Tom? I’d like to meet him. I’ve heard so much and never met him.”

  “I don’t know where he was today. He usually comes in a few times a day or it’s just him here and not Elizabeth. They only took over the hotel a short time ago, so they’re still learning, too. That’s why Dr. Campbell was here earlier.”

  “Checking in to make sure all is well.”

  “Exactly.”

  They both stopped talking and sat frozen when a thump was heard above them. Claire looked up and then at Gabe. “What was that?”

  Gabe shook his head. “I have no idea. Should we check and see? Maybe Agatha fell out of bed or something.”

  Claire snorted and then blushed furiously. “I am so sorry. That was not only unladylike but very mean.”

  Gabe couldn’t help but laugh. “You are so amusing. Let’s go make sure Miss Agatha is all right so our consciences will be clear.”

  They both stood up and went to the stairs.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  THE LOOK IN HER EYES

  THE LOOK IN HER EYES

  Gabe was the first one up the stairs. He looked at the number on each door until he saw number five. He looked back at Claire.


  “Well, that’s directly over where we were sitting in the lobby. I think she might have fallen or something. Should we just go in though?”

  She gave him a questioning look. “I think knocking first would be more appropriate. If she doesn’t answer, then we’ll knock again.”

  “How many times before we go in?”

  “Just the two.”

  Gabe nodded. “Okay.”

  He lifted his hand and rapped on the door. “Agatha? Miss Agatha, are you all right?” He called through the door. “We heard something. Are you all right?”

  There was no sound from the other side.

  “Miss Agatha?” Gabe knocked on the door again. When there was no answer, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. Claire came in behind him and both rushed to where Agatha was lying on the floor in front of her window. Claire dropped to her knees next to the woman and took her limp hand.

  “Agatha! Oh my goodness, are you all right? Agatha?”

  Gabe lowered to one knee and placed one hand in front of the unconscious woman’s lips. “She’s breathing. I think she may have fainted. Come on; let’s get her in the bed.”

  He put one arm under Agatha’s shoulders and the other under her knees. With a grunt, he stood up straight and carried her to the bed. As he laid her down, she came to, tossing her head back and forth.

  “Oh, oh…” she put both hands over her face. Claire went around the bed to the other side and sat on the edge, leaning over the frail woman.

  “Agatha. What happened? Are you all right?”

  Agatha opened her eyes, moving her hands down to look first at Claire and then Gabe. He was sitting on the side of the bed, looking down at her.

  “Agatha? Miss Ainsworth?”

  “I… I’m all right. What happened? Did I… did I faint?”

  “I think you must have,” Gabe replied. “But I’m not a doctor.”

  “Would you like me to get Doctor George?” Claire asked.

  “I… I don’t think so. I would like something to drink. Do you have water?”