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by Cheryl St. John


  “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.

  Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.”

  She’d never heard so many men singing at once, and their enthusiasm was overwhelming. Tears formed in her eyes, preventing her from seeing the page. But she knew the words to the ancient song by heart, so she continued.

  “...on earth is not his equal.

  Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.

  Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.

  Dost ask who that may be?

  Christ Jesus, it is He...”

  Leah sensed something beyond the power of the moving words and let her gaze wander across the sea of men standing on the other side of the aisle. There she found Daniel looking back at her as he sang, a secret smile on his face. He looked handsome in his Sunday finery, his shoulders broad in the gray coat. A new sense of joy rose up and overwhelmed her. She’d made the right choice by coming here. She was going to be fine and her baby would be well taken care of—and loved, she prayed. She couldn’t ask for more than this new beginning. After the service ended, Will walked to the front with a barely discernible limp. “Ladies and gentlemen. Please stay and join us on the lawn for refreshments and to meet the newest residents of Cowboy Creek. But bear with me for just a moment before we move outdoors. Mrs. Swann, will you come forward, please?” He extended his arm in her direction.

  Daniel stood and joined him. He and Will changed positions, and Daniel watched her approach with a determined smile.

  Leah’s heart pounded. She’d known this was the day he planned to make the announcement, but she hadn’t known where or how. Her fingers trembled on her skirt as she raised the hem away from her feet and edged her way to the end of the pew and into the aisle. She looked forward, and the kindness in Daniel’s expression allayed her qualms as she reached him. He took her hand and tucked it familiarly into the crook of his arm, where the rough fabric was warm. He smelled good, like cedar and saving soap.

  “This will come as a disappointment to many of you, but I do hope you will rejoice with us. Mrs. Swann and I knew each other years ago. We grew up together in Pennsylvania.” He glanced at his friend, standing to the side. “Along with Will, we were close. We’d lost touch for a long while, so it was a surprise to see her on the platform the day the train arrived.”

  Leah observed the faces of the townsfolk as well as those of her fellow travelers. All were smiling.

  “I’ve asked Mrs. Swann to be my wife, and she has agreed. We are officially engaged.”

  Silence hummed for a minute, and then a dozen groans attested to the expected disappointment that one bride prospect had been removed from the already inadequate list.

  “I know, I know,” Daniel said, commiserating.

  And then applause broke out, softly at first, but quickly gaining enthusiasm. Shouts and whistles accompanied the outpouring of congratulations.

  Leah looked toward Daniel, and when he smiled gallantly down at her, she sighed with relief. He gave her a quick hug and declared, “Now let’s go eat!”

  Chapter Six

  Leah had already told her fellow traveling companions about her engagement, and they’d been happy for her. One by one they formally congratulated her.

  Daniel took her hand. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

  He led her across the grass to where a muscular-looking fellow dressed in clean trousers and a plain shirt stood a distance from the gathering. He had blond hair, and when he turned wary blue eyes her way, she noted scars on his cheek.

  “Leah, this is my good friend Noah Burgess. He’s a farmer and rancher. He and Will and I joined up in ’62.” He glanced at his friend. “Noah, this is Leah Swann. She used to be Leah Robinson. Will and I have known her since we were children.”

  Noah nodded. “Mrs. Swann. My companions speak highly of you.”

  She extended her gloved hand, and he touched it briefly before releasing her fingers. “Daniel says he and Will came here to see you after the war and decided to stay. You founded Cowboy Creek.”

  “Well, I was here, buying horses and planting crops. Once they’d come and bought even more land, the railroad scouted the area.” His smooth southern accent defined his heritage. “They thought it would be a good idea to sell and invest and build. So we did. And that’s how Cowboy Creek got on the map.”

  “I will be happy to introduce you to my friends,” Leah offered. “I might be able to secure you a private conversation with one of the ladies and give you an edge above the others.”

  “No,” he said brusquely. “I have to get back and do chores.” With that, he settled his hat on his head and turned away, heading toward the lot where horses and buggies were waiting.

  Leah cast Will a nervous glance. “I guess I said the wrong thing.”

  “Don’t fret yourself. He’s not a social person.”

  “Or he doesn’t much like me. What does he know about me exactly?”

  “It’s not you, Leah,” Daniel reassured her. “In fact, Noah’s the one who encouraged me to ask you to marry me.”

  “He did?”

  “Yes, he did. He rarely comes to town. We pressured him to be here this morning.”

  “How did he get those scars? Is he self-conscious?”

  “His gun backfired in a battle,” he answered in a low tone. “The burns were down his chest and arm, too. I think the scars still pain him, but he won’t talk about it. He was an exceptional soldier and was discharged because of his injuries.”

  “And a southerner, obviously.”

  “So he thought he had to fight harder than anyone else,” Daniel said with a nod.

  “He’s fortunate to have you as his friend.”

  “The three of us got used to looking out for each other.”

  “I hope I will have friends like you do.”

  He took her hand and touched her cheek with his fingertips. “You will.” His green eyes showed sincere kindness. “Until then, you have me.”

  His thoughtfulness blessed her. The sun glinted off his thick chestnut hair. “You make me want to be a better person, Daniel.”

  “You’re perfect just the way you are.”

  She smiled. “I will let you think that.”

  He tucked her hand in his and they joined the gathering.

  Pippa, dressed in a striking jade green dress with crisscrossing layers of ruffles across the voluminous skirt and decorative buttons from shoulder to cuff on each sleeve, was the center of attention. The color set off her vibrant ginger-gold hair and hazel eyes. Every male’s attention was riveted on the petite beauty’s dazzling smile.

  “Leah, have you heard? There’s an opera house under construction! The gentlemen were just telling me of it. Why, we can hold plays and concerts and enjoy the arts just like back east.” She looked to Daniel for confirmation. “When do you expect it will be finished, Mr. Gardner?”

  Daniel’s gaze darted to Will and back to Pippa. “I’m afraid construction is temporarily delayed. The load of lumber designated for the opera house has been reassigned to another project with a pressing deadline. The council decided the houses take priority over the opera house. But only until a new order can be supplied.”

  “Some of you might have heard about a shipment being stolen from the rail yard,” Quincy Davis supplied. “The lumber for the west side houses was hauled out of town and burned. The load that arrives tomorrow will need to replace that for now.”

  “But we’ve put in an order for more to replace the lumber for the opera house,” Daniel assured Pippa and the bystanders.

  Amos Godwin furrowed his brow. “Do you have any idea who would do something like that?”

  “We don’t,” Daniel answered honestly. “
And it’s worrisome. But we’ve hired additional guards for the rail yard, so it won’t happen again.”

  “On a positive note,” Will interjected, “the first drive of the year is in the holding pens and will be shipping out this week.”

  “You didn’t have t’ tell us that,” Old Horace said with a cackle. “We’ve smelled the money since yesterday!”

  The crowd shared a laugh.

  A while later, after they’d visited with other churchgoers, accepted congratulations and eaten lunch, Daniel suggested they slip away to make plans.

  Even though they’d eaten, he escorted her to the hotel restaurant for tea.

  D.B. Burrows spotted them and stood beside their table. “I didn’t have a chance to congratulate you. When will the nuptials be?”

  “We’re here to talk about that,” Daniel answered.

  “I plan to do a piece on your engagement in The Herald. Since you’re the first and your decision was so hasty, it will be of interest.”

  Leah didn’t care for his word choice. “We’ve known each other for a long time. It’s not as though we’re strangers.”

  “It seems Mr. Gardner had an advantage over the other men in town. You were acquainted before the war?”

  “Our families were close...” she replied.

  “So your parents were friendly, as well. But you were previously married to another?”

  “D.B., I’ll come place our wedding announcement in the paper,” Daniel said in a clipped tone. “Until then, I ask you to respect our privacy.”

  The black-haired man pursed his lips and straightened. “Do enjoy your afternoon.”

  Leah watched him go. When she turned her gaze back to Daniel, he was studying her. “Why do I get the feeling he’s not as interested in our engagement as in our past history?”

  “Probably what makes him good at his job,” Daniel answered grudgingly. “Doesn’t win him any friends, though.”

  “What’s his story?”

  “He’s mentioned he’s originally from Missouri. He and his brother came to Kansas and ran a paper in a town called Harper. The town did pretty well until the Union Pacific chose Cowboy Creek for the terminus. After that the town folded. I heard D.B.’s brother died, so D.B. came here to start up a new paper.”

  “He’s part of the town council?”

  “He is. Do you have any ideas about how and when we marry? People will know you were already expecting before long, so we should probably do it as quickly as possible.”

  “You’re right. It won’t be a secret. But we don’t want secrets, do we?”

  He shook his head. “Not at all. Reverend Taggart will accommodate any date we choose. You do want to get married in the church?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “And a reception? I’ll speak with Mr. Rumsford, who runs this hotel. Perhaps we can hold the reception in the ballroom. It’s only a room with nice flooring and a few chandeliers. Nothing extravagant, mind you, but—”

  “It doesn’t have to be fancy.”

  “We will be celebrating,” he pointed out. “And as the first couple married in Cowboy Creek and the first wedding resulting from the bride train, it will be a festive occasion. Everyone will turn out.”

  She absorbed the idea. “Would it be outrageous to plan the reception outdoors, but have the hotel reserved in case of rain? I’d like to keep it as simple as possible.”

  “I am agreeable to anything that makes you comfortable,” he said with a nod.

  “I think I’d be more comfortable if it’s less formal.”

  They discussed a few more details. “Would you like to order a dress?” Daniel asked.

  “Hannah is an excellent seamstress and has brought trunks of fabrics, lace and trims in hopes of operating her own shop. If I help her, I believe we can make a suitable dress in time.”

  “Don’t spare expense and assure her she will earn more than a fare wage for her efforts.”

  Daniel drummed his fingers on the tabletop, uncertain how to politely discuss the other details. “And afterward you will move from the boardinghouse to my home—our home.”

  She nodded, but the way she swallowed and drew a fortifying breath indicated her trepidation at the thought of sharing a home. “Of course.”

  He opened his jacket, took a key from an inner pocket and slid it across the white linen surface. “Please visit as often as you like. Assess whatever furniture and items are needed. I’ll help if you want my help. Let me know when you need a buggy and I’ll have a driver at your disposal.” Still holding her gaze, he went on. “Booker & Son across from the jail has a large selection, even mirrors and dinnerware. Abram Booker has catalogs and can order anything you don’t find locally. Three blocks south of our house on the boulevard is Remmy Hagermann’s mercantile. There’s a furniture maker on First and Grant. Mr. Irving has pieces in stock or will build to order.”

  “It all sounds so expensive,” she said, hesitation in her voice.

  “Selling land and cattle has made me comfortable, Leah. I’d have nothing without someone to share it with. And we’ll be hosting parties and guests, so don’t spare anything to make our home welcoming and to represent us as citizens.”

  “All right.” She smiled.

  He reached for her hand and squeezed gently. Her skin was warm, her fingers delicate and slim. “There is one room I’d like you to save for us to do together.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’d like to select everything for the baby together.”

  Her blue eyes reflected her surprise at his request. She turned her hand to grasp his fingers and brought her other hand up to lie over the top. He’d hoped to reassure her of his investment in this union, and in her child. For a moment he struggled with thinking he’d said the wrong thing. Her lips trembled almost imperceptibly before she said, “I’d like that very much.”

  “Are you sure, Leah?”

  Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Yes. I’m surprised is all. Pleasantly surprised. Men don’t usually show so much interest in infant affairs.”

  He wondered momentarily about her husband, about his participation or lack thereof. “Well, I’m interested. I want you to be at ease, Leah. In our home. With me.”

  Her blue eyes studied his expression with uncertainty. She was putting a lot of trust in him. He wanted to be worthy of her confidence.

  “Take as much time as you need to think about things, to plan, to furnish the house. If you’d like your own room, you’re free to make it a haven. All I want is for you to feel safe.”

  A tiny crease formed between her eyes. “Thank you for that.”

  “We’re friends, Leah. I won’t let anything change that. Friends get things out in the open.”

  He understood the parameters of their relationship. He planned to do everything he could to make her life easy, and see that she and the child were cared for. A home, clothing, all the necessities were easy to share with her. They were still the best of friends. Theirs would not be a bond of love. He was prepared to live with that.

  But time could change many things.

  * * *

  Daniel was busy at the stockyards the next few days as Theo Pierce’s cattle were shipped out and a local shorthorn herd was driven in. He stayed for the counting as those cows were led into the pens.

  On Thursday evening, he took Leah to dinner at the hotel. “A new family arrived today,” she said excitedly. “I was outside the mercantile with Pippa when they pulled up.”

  “Settlers looking for land or a business?” he asked.

  “German settlers.” Her blue eyes sparkled as she relayed the news. “They speak fine English though. They had three children, and the missus is expecting a new one. They are camped a ways out right now and looking to farm.”

  �
�Students for the new school.” Her infectious excitement pleased him immeasurably. Having a special someone to share his dream made the reality all the more rewarding.

  “And a mother to look after,” Leah added. “Of course I introduced myself and offered my services.”

  “I know she was pleased to see you.” He reached to tuck a strand of silky hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing her cheek. Her lashes swept down momentarily, and then she locked her gaze on his. The impulsive gesture left them both a bit flustered. He enjoyed their time together too much for someone who was supposed to be on his guard.

  Upon returning Leah to the boardinghouse, his stockyard foreman rode in, kicking up dust.

  “Glad I found you, Mr. Gardner. We’ve got a problem.”

  “Go ahead,” Leah said. “Handle business. Thank you for dinner.”

  Had she seemed eager to put some distance between them or was he only imagining that?

  Israel Kinney led him to the stockyards east of town and then to a pen well away from the holding pens and chutes, where Neville Quick and another man stood. Both wore grim expressions.

  “This here’s Roscoe Early,” Israel said by way of introduction. “Got him first, seein’ as these are his cows.”

  “Roscoe,” Daniel said.

  “They all got the fever,” Neville informed him. “Their bellies are bloated.”

  Several of the cattle in this pen lay on their sides, breathing hard. Flies swarmed around the cattle and the bloody urine in the mud.

  Daniel experienced a moment of panic before thinking the situation through. “How long have they been sick?” he asked.

  “A day now probably,” Neville answered.

  “They were fine when I brought ’em here.” Roscoe’s tone stopped just short of accusatory. “They’re scheduled to ship out tomorrow. The longhorns were just here, weren’t they? That’s it. My cows got Texas fever from those longhorns.”

  “Let’s not jump to any conclusions,” Daniel said quickly.

 

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