Forget Me Not (The Heart's Spring)

by Amber Stokes

  “I won’t forget.” She giggled at her own joke.

  He smiled. “Good. Race you back to my house!”

  In the thrill of the game, the flowers were forgotten, dropped somewhere in the fields.

  But David was comforted to realize that the memory remained.

  ***

  Elizabeth helped David pack up their bedrolls. He was so quiet, lost in something she wasn’t privy to. At least he grew calmer with every moment that passed. She had been worried that the tense look on his face as she talked about her neighbors would lead to another fight between them. Why he should get so upset about talk of her family and friends didn’t make sense to her…well, maybe it did. He had to be lonely living by himself in the mountains. He probably just hated dwelling on the things he missed.

  As her heart constricted, her mind went flying off with an idea. Maybe David and her brother would become friends. Maybe God had brought her into David’s life to give him a family, of sorts.

  Thoughts of God made her bow her head as she patted dirt over the ashes of their fire. Forgive me. Guide me. Please. I know I went about this all wrong… But I am grateful for David, confusing emotions and all. I’m just so sorry for hurting Sarah Anne.

  If Sarah Anne even cared that Elizabeth was gone.

  Elizabeth shuddered and stood, leaving the buried ashes behind as she hurried over to David and Liberty.

  “Are you ready to leave?” he asked.

  She nodded. More than ready.

  He lifted her onto the saddle and swung on behind her. As he urged Liberty onward, she asked on a whim, “Are you ready?”

  “It seems a little late to be asking that.”

  She chuckled, almost feeling his smile hovering above her head.

  “No, I mean, are you ready to get to Wyoming Territory, to Cheyenne?”

  His arms seemed to tighten around her, and she found she didn’t mind the sensation.

  “I think I will be, when we’re there.”

  Another chuckle bubbled up her throat, but didn’t find release. There was a seriousness in his tone that begged for her understanding. She squirmed, waiting.

  He continued, “I’ve never left Colorado. Never left these mountains. In a way, I relish the thought of seeing what else is out there, but this is still home.”

  She started to agree, just as he added, “And I—”

  They both stopped, silent. She bumped his arm. “Go ahead.”

  “I was just going to say that I don’t mind this.”

  “This?”

  “I’m in no hurry to end our adventures. I haven’t had so much fun since I was a boy.” Teasing laced his tone.

  She grinned as she was rocked side to side in the saddle, Liberty’s movements sure and steady. “Who said our adventures will come to an end when we get to Cheyenne?”

  A blush followed her words. Amos would lecture her good for being so bold with a man. Although she had a feeling he would get along well with David if they ever met.

  David’s laughter set her at ease. “True. And we still have time before we get to Cheyenne anyway.”

  Leaning back against David, riding Liberty, she decided she wouldn’t mind if it took a very long time to get to Cheyenne.

  Chapter 5

  They arrived in Cheyenne much sooner than David would have liked. He wondered if he was ready for what awaited him, as Elizabeth had asked him several days ago.

  Earlier in the day, after he had made sure Elizabeth was settled in her own room in the hotel, he didn’t think he’d been ready to face selling Liberty. But he’d done it. While turning his four-legged companion’s reins over to the livery owner had torn out a chunk of his heart, the thought of his childhood companion waiting for him, depending on him, helped fill in the gaping hole.

  Now he walked down the hall to her room, hesitating at the door.

  One knock. Then two. Just as his heart started racing in concern, she pulled the door open wide and gave him a smile that pushed his heart over a cliff and then gave it wings to fly.

  “Elizabeth, you look beautiful.” She wore a new green and gold calico dress he’d purchased for her. The colors made her eyes glow and the reddish tint in her brown hair shine. Everything about her radiated light and joy, rendering him helpless to turn away.

  When they were little, she had been sweet and fun, but also a nuisance at times. He never could have imagined back then that he would be the one desiring her attention. It was as if they had only taken a short break from the games of chase they used to play, and now he was back to following after her.

  She bit her lip and looked down at the floor, an adorable pink spreading through her cheeks. “Do you like it? The dress, I mean.” She performed a twirl for him and then peeked up at him, uncertainty in the angle of her face.

  If you could only see my thoughts, little Liz, you’d never have to worry. But he would. Perhaps it was best she couldn’t see the things that went on in his mind—his secrets, his fears, his unworthiness. If Elizabeth had been old enough to remember him, would she still have forgotten him, too?

  With a jolt he realized he had taken too long to respond to Elizabeth’s question. Her lower lip trembled in the low light of the lamps in the hall, confusion clouding her clear green gaze.

  Reaching out to cup her chin, he declared in a husky voice, “The dress is lovely. You are lovely.”

  The clouds in her eyes scudded away, and her smile returned in full glory. “Thank you for buying it for me.”

  He liked how she didn’t offer to repay him. She was a little girl who had been given a gift that made her happy, and her simplicity and innocence warmed him. He would see to it her sweetness remained protected.

  When he offered his elbow, she took it, beaming up at him. He escorted her down to the hotel’s restaurant, relishing her chatter about the train trip they would begin tomorrow and what her brother might be like. The more she talked about her brother, though, the more serious she became.

  After supper, he brought her outside and walked with her down the street. The wooden sidewalk creaked beneath their boots. Elizabeth had turned quiet, staring at the craggy gray mountains. David, on the other hand, couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  “What’s wrong? And don’t tell me ‘nothing.’”

  Her mouth closed as quickly as it had opened.

  “It has to do with your brother,” he declared. Noticing a board sticking out above the rest on the sidewalk, he gripped Elizabeth’s hand in the crook of his elbow and guided her around the tripping hazard. She didn’t seem to notice the detour, though, as she kept her gaze steady on the horizon.

  “You can tell me,” he urged.

  She shook her head. “You’ll be angry,” she finally whispered.

  His hold on her hand tightened. “Why?” A foreboding settled on his shoulders like the darkness of the descending night as he awaited her response.

  ***

  Would David stay with her if she told him? Elizabeth hadn’t meant for her worry to be so obvious to him, but it was like the guilt was dragging her features down and her thoughts far away. Guilt…

  “Oh my goodness! I was going to send my ma a telegram.” She glanced around wildly, looking for a telegraph office.

  David gently grabbed her arm and redirected her gaze to him. “You can send the telegram tomorrow before we leave. The office has to be closed by now, anyway. Tell me what’s bothering you about your brother.”

  She heaved a sigh. “Promise you won’t leave me?” She knew it wasn’t fair to ask that of him, but the thought of him abandoning her in Wyoming Territory and returning to his cabin in disgust and outrage made her eyes fill with tears.

  His brown eyes softened, and he caressed her arm with his thumb, creating a heat she could feel through her sleeve. “I won’t leave you.”

  Her heart lightened, and she confessed, “I don’t know for sure my brother is in Virginia City. Or Nevada, for that matter.”

  His eyebrows pinched, and he let her go
. She shivered at the loss of his touch.

  “What do you mean?” He crossed his arms, waiting. A man stepped between them on his way to the saloon behind them.

  “I mean that, when I was a baby, that’s where my brother went. To Virginia City. But I suppose he might not necessarily be living there anymore…” She trailed off. The heat had jumped from her arm to his eyes. Oh, dear.

  “So the last time anyone heard of his whereabouts was when you were a baby? Eighteen years ago?”

  She gave a hesitant nod.

  “Elizabeth! He could be anywhere by now. He could have left the country for all we know. The Bonanza strike has long since passed, and he most likely moved on.” He paced, and she followed his movements with her eyes. Despite his obvious frustration, she wasn’t afraid. He had promised her, and she trusted him to help.

  She brushed his sleeve with her fingers, causing his gaze to shoot to hers. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, David. But surely someone there would have known him. There are old-timers in every town, people who settle and know of the comings and goings. Someone has to know about my brother.”

  “Not necessarily.”

  She ignored his doubt. “He might even still be living there.” Letting the longing show in her eyes, she stared at him and added, “It’s the only place I know to check. The only way I can try and find him. Please forgive me for hiding the details. Please go with me.”

  Tears stung her eyes again as another man jostled her and gave the two of them a rough look before disappearing into the saloon. David’s arms fell to his sides, and he sighed before placing one hand at her back and leading her the way they had come, to the hotel.

  “Of course I’ll go with you.”

  She dabbed at her tears with her sleeve and smiled in relief. They would go to Virginia City together.

  ***

  The next morning David stood outside the telegraph office, listening to the faint but sweet sounds of Elizabeth’s voice as she talked with the operator. He glanced in the window and saw her bent over a small piece of paper, writing her message and laughing at something the man said. When she walked out a few minutes later, her shoulders seemed lower and her head higher.

  She came to his side and took his arm. “I know I should have sent word to Sarah Anne long before now. But it feels good to let her know our plans.”

  He squeezed her hand and gave her a smile as they made their way to the train station. Behind his smile, though, a battle between guilt and jealousy raged.

  They arrived at the train station, tickets in hand, a few minutes before their train was scheduled to depart. Boarding the train was like taking a final step away from all that was familiar—the family that had forgotten him, the cabin in the Rockies, and even his childhood memories of Elizabeth. Now was the time to let it go. To make some new memories.

  As the engineer gave a loud shout of “all aboard,” David took one last look at the town of Cheyenne through the window. The rocky peaks framing the town were intriguing, but not as intriguing as the idea of what lay ahead for them. While the future was still so mysterious, especially with the uncertainty of Jacob Lawson’s exact location, he knew one thing: he wasn’t going to just step out of Elizabeth’s life as soon as he handed her over to her brother.

  Soon the train rumbled to life again and continued its journey westward. They would take this train to Reno, Nevada, and then they would take the Virginia & Truckee to Virginia City, where they would hopefully find Elizabeth’s brother, or at least discover where he might be. Again, David found himself in no hurry for another leg of their journey to end.

  Sitting next to Elizabeth made his heart race nearly as fast as the train—if not faster. Her excitement spread to him, making his own knee bob in a display of nervousness. Reaching over, he held his palm out to her. Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his. His chest tightened at her tender touch, and a prayer rose in him. Thank you, God, for bringing us this far. Please continue to go with us.

  Part II: Transgressions

  “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.”

  Chapter 6

  David was going to buy a pistol and holster the first moment he could get away. He knew it would be a necessary expense—could sense it as soon as the train pulled into Virginia City. The clang of machinery, remnants of the mining equipment still being put to use, hardly covered the sounds of trouble roaming the streets: angry shouts, saloon music, and pounding hoofbeats. Even years after its heyday, Virginia City appeared to be full of life…and danger. Apparently, not everyone had given up hope that there was still silver yet to be discovered in the hills surrounding the town.

  “Here, let me give you a hand.”

  Turning swiftly, David saw another young man, with blond hair, blond beard, and tan skin, offering his hand to help Elizabeth down the steps of the train.

  “Thank you.” Elizabeth’s smile to this complete stranger made David’s blood boil hotter than what he had heard of the air at the bottom of the mines.

  “The name’s Joseph, ma’am. But you can just call me Joe.”

  Enough was enough. Who did this man think he was? Stepping down right after Elizabeth, David went to stand beside her, gripping her elbow firmly. “And why would the lady need to know your name?”

  Joe gave David a curious glance, but no malice filled his light brown eyes. In fact, David detected a glimmer of humor in them.

  “Can’t say as I blame you for askin’. If the lady was just any lovely lady stepping off the V&T, I would simply help her down and tip my hat. But I was just walkin’ past when I saw you both…and I just noticed somethin’ familiar about her.”

  David doubted that. More like Joe was walking past when he was struck by the sweet face of his innocent Elizabeth.

  Joe turned to Elizabeth. “Have you ever been to Nevada before?” His grin was a mile wide, and David felt a growl rising in his throat. Why did he ever go along with Elizabeth’s foolish scheme? He should have kept her far away from places like this, where men like this preyed upon gullible ladies.

  Elizabeth’s smile hadn’t dimmed. “No, I’ve never been out this way before. My brother has, though. His name is Jacob Lawson.”

  Joe stepped back in apparent surprise, his mouth opened slightly and the hat he had swept from his head earlier crushed against his heart. “Jacob Lawson?”

  Elizabeth nodded, eagerness causing her to bounce a little on her toes. “You know him?”

  If Joe’s smile grew any bigger, it would reach his ears. “I work for him! He owns the general store on C Street. He never spoke of a sister, though.”

  Elizabeth’s expression fell a little. “That’s because he never knew of me. I was born after he left home.”

  “I see.” Joe offered Elizabeth a wink, and then—finally—glanced at David. “I’ll be happy to take the young lady to Annabelle. That’s Jacob’s wife,” he added for clarification.

  David’s face burned, most likely redder than a freshly painted stagecoach, by the feel of it. Can Elizabeth truly be falling for this? A glimpse at the joy lighting her gaze answered that question.

  Before he could give a response to the no-good woman-stealer, Elizabeth declared, “I’d love to go meet my brother’s wife, but I’d prefer that David come with us.” She blushed, but continued, “David made sure I arrived here safely. I’m sure my brother would consider him an honored guest.”

  David stood taller as he stared hard at Joe. Perhaps the man would hear what Elizabeth wasn’t saying: the two of them were inseparable. And no friend of her brother, no matter how friendly he seemed, was going to swoop in and change that. If Joe was even telling the truth, which was very unlikely.

  Joe simply maintained his smile and said, “Of course.”

  A whistle and a rush of air caused David to turn in time to watch the train roll through a tunnel on its way to the rail yard. When he spun back around and caught Joe staring unabashedly at Elizabeth, he couldn’t help but wonder if his own l
ife was headed for a dark, consuming hole.

  ***

  Elizabeth was intrigued by the sights and sounds of her brother’s town, glancing all around as she and David followed Joe up the hill from the train station. Virginia City was a busy place, consisting of people who were still trying to strike it rich. Whether that wealth came from within the surrounding hills or from others with both needs and vices, it didn’t seem to matter. And while Elizabeth didn’t really feel the pull of money, she did thrill to the excitement in the air, desiring possibilities she had never dreamed of before. If ever there was a place for a new start and new opportunities, Virginia City was it.

  But the surroundings weren’t all that intrigued Elizabeth. Joseph—“Joe”—was like no one else she had ever met. She guessed him to be young, certainly not much older than David. But he had a certain agelessness to him, enhanced by the beard and his rather long hair. His words were gentle, but his demeanor exuded both humor and a hidden knowing. If her brother was anything like Joe, she was even more eager to meet him.

  Letting her gaze swing upward, Elizabeth was stunned at the steepness of the mountain they climbed. The lure of silver must have made these people stick like burrs to the hillside, refusing to tumble down into a valley of poverty and failure. If it wasn’t so exhilarating, Elizabeth might have thought it to be utter foolishness. As it was, she found it thrilling to walk up the steep streets. Surely there was no other town like this in the world.

  “Jacob lives on A Street, but he spends most of his time in town,” Joe said over his shoulder as he led the way up the partial alphabet of streets. Shaking his head, he added, “I don’t know how Annabelle can stand being alone in that house so much. She’ll be glad to have another woman around fer company.” Joe offered her a smile that warmed her. But the warmth quickly died away when she saw the scowl on David’s face as he walked beside her. There had been something different about him ever since they had stepped off the train, and Elizabeth didn’t like it. Why wasn’t he affected by the excitement of this town? She had seen him angry, hurt, sad, confused…but now he was just plain grumpy.