"She doesn't. And you are right. I'll study on it a while. I do love her. More than anyone I've ever known, but…Dolby has been a sore in my side for some time now and I want to rid that sore before I marry so I don't bring anything bad between us." Cale explained.
"But you will because you will either die, or go to jail. Think about that!" Mark insisted and walked back toward the house.
Hodge and Mark joined the women on the porch and were laughing and cutting up with them. Cale listened and it warmed his heart to hear their laughter. Was he wrong? Had he been wrong all along?
Mark and Hodge were right. Killing Dolby was a bad idea. It wouldn't bring his folks back. But how did he rid himself of this feeling that overcame him every time he looked toward the cemetery? How?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Days passed and Mark had already started on repairs for the barn. He was fitting right in and his drinking had come to a cold stop. Amelia seemed very happy about that too.
Hodge glanced at Mark who was on top the roof of the barn making repairs. "He's a good worker."
"Yes, he is. And I'm glad."
"We have family now…" Hodge smiled.
"I guess we do."
"Sarah is going to have baby!" Hodge announced.
"You are joking, right?" Cale glanced at him.
"No…five months. Dr. said."
"You took her to the doctor? So that's what you were doing the other day when you borrowed the buggy. I thought you were just going for a romantic ride or something."
"Dr. say she is healthy and we have baby in five months."
"But you've only been married two months." Cale calculated.
Hodge stared at him and frowned.
"I thought I was too old to marry Sarah. I thought I could not make her happy. But I loved her. And I went to see her when you went to Ft. Worth that time. I did not know I made her with child. When they were ready to leave for the reservation, she told me of the child. That it was my child. I could not leave her. I loved her too much."
"You ole rascal you." Cale laughed.
When Hodge just grunted he patted him on the back.
"Oh…alright. Let's celebrate with a cookout then tonight."
"Good. Sarah very happy."
"And you?"
"Have a cigar!" Hodge laughed.
Rarely did Hodge ever laugh. This was an occasion.
Cale put everything out of his mind and concentrated on making it a real celebration.
When he told Amelia, she was ecstatic.
"This is wonderful. Sarah never said a word."
"They are very happy. But it was his place to tell, not hers, as he saw it."
"Oh Cale…" She grabbed him and kissed him.
Before they knew it, they were wrapped up in each other, panting and heavy into the kiss.
When they pulled apart, Amelia's face was red. "I shouldn't have done that…"
"Why not?" He asked innocently.
"It was a little forward of me…" She said shyly.
"No it wasn't. I wanted it as much as you did. Amelia…there are some things we need to talk about. I brought you here without telling you what I had planned for you. I want to marry you Amelia. If you'll have me..." He said, looking around to see if anyone was watching. When he was sure they weren't, he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the barn and set her down in the hay. He leaned into her and kissed her again.
"Well?"
"Why'd you wait so long to ask me? Having doubts about the things you said?"
"Is that what you thought? No, I have no doubts, except whether you will have a plain old farmer."
"Yes Cale…I'll marry you. I love you so much!"
He sighed and looked into her eyes. "I got something I gotta do first. But then, we'll be married. I promise. And I gotta get you a ring."
"Oh Cale…if you can't afford it, I'll understand."
"Nonsense. You need a ring. I want everyone to know you are mine."
"I was afraid you changed your mind." She whispered just before he kissed her again.
This kiss was passionate and heart stopping. It went on an on and they both came up needing air. Only to gasp and kiss again.
It was a long time before they stopped. Cale knew he wanted more than kisses but he wanted to do things right too. He wouldn't compromise her, but he would kiss her every chance he got.
They were both red-faced when they came out of the barn.
The celebration began with a big barbecue and a few neighbors that stopped by. Hodge told everyone about the baby, and Amelia told Sarah about the proposal.
"I am so happy for you…" Sarah hugged her.
"And you…a baby. I can't wait."
"Me either!" Sarah giggled.
It was a wonderful night, filled with dreams; Amelia sighed as Cale kissed her goodnight and went to bed in the living room with Mark, Hodge, and Sarah.
Days passed and Cale tried to put Dolby into perspective. He considered what Mark and Hodge thought about it and began to see their point. Amelia was all he ever wanted in a woman and he couldn't chance losing her.
However, his first trip into town woke him up quickly. Mrs. Summers sounded glad to see him but also very curious.
"So, did you take that girl to her folks?" She asked as though she had every right to know.
"Yes ma'am I did." Cale smiled.
"Good. Did everything work out alright, then?"
"I brought her back with me. Her fiancé had married her cousin, and spent all Amelia's money to boot. So I brought her and her cousin back with me."
"Her cousin?"
"Yes, Mark Harrison."
"And where are they living?"
"With me and Hodge and Sarah." Cale said offhandedly as he checked his list of supplies. They were eating a lot more now and his bill was going to reflect it.
"She's out there…with you!"
"Well sure she is. Where did you expect me to take her?" Cale asked not even bothering to look up at Mrs. Summers.
"You can't do this Cale. That woman has been living with the Indians. But you are no Indian. And her reputation will suffer if she stays out there. Why…she's unmarried."
Cale glanced up in surprise. "Well…yeah, but right now she has no where to go. Besides, I already asked her to marry me, and she said yes."
"You're getting married. Well, why didn't you say something, that's wonderful son. I'm so happy for you."
"Yeah, it's hard to believe she'd marry someone like me, you know."
"There's not a thing wrong with you, Cale Matthews. You are a wonderful young man. Oh, I'm so happy for you" Mrs. Summers grabbed a hankie and started to cry.
Cale stood standing there in the middle of the room flabbergasted.
~*~
"Me find out about Cale." Hodge was telling Amelia that morning after Cale rode into town.
"Oh good. What did you find out?" Amelia asked, sitting down in the chair at the table and picking beans.
"He want to kill Dolby before you marry." Hodge told her.
"Dolby? Oh dear God. He still can't get it through his head. He can't prove a thing. Doesn't he realize either way of a showdown he's the loser. He'll either be killed or go to jail. Oh I've got to stop him…"
"Not good. Can't stop him. Dolby is guilty. I saw. But never told Cale."
"You saw it?" Amelia's eyes widened.
"Yes. I was in the woods hunting and I saw the men riding toward the farm. I followed just to see what they wanted. I knew Cale and his brothers and father were gone. And I see. Dolby was one of them. I saw him coming out of the barn, after he had hurt the little girl."
"Oh my God…and you never told him?" Amelia cried out.
"I could not tell him. He would have tried to kill them and they would have killed him. Cale good. Dolby no good. But Dolby is guilty. I thought maybe in time Cale might prove it and have Dolby arrested. When I saw he could find no proof, I thought it best not to ever tell him. I didn't want to see him dead."
Amelia casts her eyes to the floor, as tears fell down her cheeks. "I suppose you did right. But couldn't you have helped them…"
"No, I didn't know what had happened, I only saw him coming out of the barn with a rifle in his hand. He and one other headed for the main house, and a shot was fired. I am Indian, had I gone there, they would think I did it."
"Yes, of course, you are right."
"It was later, when Cale and I became good friends that he told me what they had done. My blood boiled hot. I felt the same anger as Cale. But it was too late. And Cale…does not need to die. The big white God will see to Dolby." Hodge explained.
Amelia stared into Hodge's face. "Of course, you are right. But I must go to him now, and stop him."
"Cale has sworn to find their killers and he aims to do it."
"I must go to him. We won't have a life together if I don't." Amelia cried.
Sarah came into the room wondering what the noise was about. When she saw Amelia crying she came to her side. "What is wrong?"
"Cale…he wants to kill Dolby."
Sarah's eyes rounded on Hodge and Hodge nodded. "It is true. Cale will not listen to me, but maybe to her…"
"I've got to get into town, I've got to stop him." She cried aloud.
Before anyone could reason with her, she was out the door and saddling a horse.
She rode like the wind, her tears nearly blinding her.
She couldn't let Cale ruin their lives with this.
~*~
Cale walked out of the store that morning, stunned. He couldn't figure women. They always cried at good news?
He had Amelia on his mind all morning. She was all he could think about. He couldn't believe she agreed to marry him. Not only agreed, but also wanted to. She loved him. He'd never been in love before and it left him on some kind of strange cloud. It gave him new purpose, new meaning to life.
That is until Dolby showed up in the middle of the street, with his gun hand at the ready.
"Cale, I think it's time we settled our differences. What do you think."
Cale automatically tensed. His shoulders bunched, his lip firmed and his hand eased down toward his gun.
"I think your right. You gonna admit it was you and your friends that killed my mother and sisters?"
"Why should I? I had nothing to do with that at all. Oh, I'll admit, I knew about it. It was my buddies that did it. But I wasn't there, and you can't prove I was."
"You're a liar, Dolby. And you'll go to hell for it."
"Well sonny, you think you can send me there?"
"Yeah, I do. If I have to."
"Well then let's get on with it. I'm tired of messing with you. Tired of the insinuations you've made all over town about me. I'm a well respected rancher around here."
"Dolby, I was gonna let this go…but you are forcing my hand…"
Mrs. Summers came out and saw what was going on. She put her hand on her chest and called her husband out.
"You gotta choice. You can walk away, or you can stand up like a man." Dolby offered.
"Walk away…" Amelia cried as she reined her horse in and ran toward Cale side. "Don't do this Cale. I love you. I want to be your wife. But you’ve got to let the law handle this."
"Honey, I have to do it." Cale glanced at her a moment. His hand inched toward his gun, as he looked back at Dolby.
"No you don't. You can just walk away from this, now. It takes a real man to walk away."
"I can't walk away!" Cale nearly screamed. "You don't understand and I don't have the time to explain it to you."
"Yes you can walk away…because I love you, and I want you to live….I want to be your wife Cale. I want to have your babies. Don't do this…please!"
"Listen to her son!" Mr. Summers came off the boardwalk toward him.
"You don't understand…he killed my Ma and sisters!" Cale nearly screamed for all to hear.
"Prove it!" Dolby challenged.
"Don't listen to him…don't…" She cried taking his arm. "I survived the Comanche's but I can't survive this."
"Honey…"
"It's a good day to die Cale…" Dolby hollered.
He looked down at her and her hand on his arm. "Alright Amelia…you win."
"I can't let you walk away Cale. You've muddied my name around here long enough. Get your woman out of the way…" Dolby shouted.
"Cale…." Amelia pleaded.
Dolby drew his gun and fired, Amelia saw it and rushed to protect Cale.
The bullet found it's mark, in Amelia left shoulder.
The smoke curled the air, the acrid smell stunned Cale into immobility as he realized Amelia had been hit instead of him.
Cale saw the blood, and his concern for Amelia had him bending down to pick her up.
About to turn and draw on Dolby, the Sheriff came toward them.
He walked up to Dolby and shook his head. "Well Dolby, you done it now. Let's go. Cale couldn't prove it about his folks, but we all saw this…Ain't no way you'll get out of this one. I saw it too. you shot a woman Dolby."
"She got in front of my bullet. I was aiming at Cale…" Dolby argued.
"You might have been aiming it at him, but you shot her. Now let's go."
"But…." Dolby looked from the Sheriff to Cale and Amelia. "I guess I got him better than I thought, didn't I."
"I wouldn't be bragging about that, if I were you."
Amelia struggled to stay conscious. Cale picked her up and carried her to the doctor's office, with Mrs. Summers following close behind. Mr. Summers followed the Sheriff.
Amelia hugged the solid wall of Cale's chest as he carried her inside the doctor's office.
She roused long enough to whisper…"You didn't kill him…thank God."
"Doc, she's been shot…" Cale cried, his face pale, his shoulders bunching.
The doctor was a young man and helped Cale lay her on the cot in his inner office. "I'll take care of her."
Cale went out to the front room again and let the doctor examine her.
Mrs. Summers was there.
"The Sheriff took Dolby in, Cale. It's alright now. We just need to take care of her."
Cale nodded woodenly. "Yeah..."
"If she dies, I'll kill him…"
"Now don't talk like that. She wouldn't want you to talk like that. She's strong, she'll make it." Mrs. Summers assured him. "I think God's got a better plan for her…" Mrs. Summers smiled and grabbed Cale's arm. "Now don't you fret."
Chapter Twenty-Three
The doctor came out and looked at Cale and Mrs. Summers. He seemed to study them a moment before he came fully into the room.
"How is she?" Cale asked his face screwed up into a knot. He held his hat in his hand as he waited for the doctor to tell them.
"The bullet is lodged near her heart. Are you her next of kin?"
"Well…no…that would be Mark her cousin…" Cale explained. "Why?"
"I have to try to get the bullet out, if it were to move, it would kill her instantly. I have to have permission to operate."
Cale's face hadn't relaxed he grew pale now. "What are you telling me doc?"
"She could die…"
Cale closed his eyes. "No…I won't allow it."
"I suggest you bring her cousin here. As quickly as possible." the doctor said, his already stern face looking gravely at Cale and Mrs. Summers.
"I'll go get him. You just keep her alive." Cale instructed.
"I can't promise…Cale." The doctor said and turned to go to Amelia.
Mrs. Summers was shaking her head and crying.
"Can I see her a minute…"
"Don't take too long…" The doctor told him.
He went inside the room and saw her lying on the bed, pale, weak and unconscious.
"Amelia, you've got to live, honey. We have a lot of plans to make…please…please live…" Cale pleaded as he took her hand in his.
She didn't stir.
Cale swallowed the lump that had lodged i
n his throat when he saw the blood coming from Amelia's shoulder. He felt he was hearing things in a well, as though what the doc said was not registering, but it was. And his heart nearly stopped when the doc said she might not live.
She had to live. They had a life to get on with. He wouldn't lose her too.
"I'll be here, Cale." Mrs. Summers told him as he headed out the door.
"Thanks…thanks a lot." Cale called over his shoulder.
He rode for the farm.
His heart was heavy, but he scolded himself. He was not going to let Amelia die. He hadn't brought her here to die. He loved her with all his heart and soul. He wouldn't accept anything but a full recovery.
All the while he told himself that, his heart ached in his chest. The real fear of losing another loved one scared him into action. But he was numb right now. And he'd stay numb until someone told him she'd be alright.
He reached the farm in record breaking time.
Hodge saw him coming and ran up to him immediately.
"What wrong?"
"Amelia…she's been shot. Where's Mark?"
"He's out back, he started on the house today." Hodge told him. "How?"
"Dolby!"
Hodge stopped. "Dolby?"
"Did you kill him?"
"No, the Sheriff arrested him." Cale said moving toward the back of the house as he spoke. Hodge followed.
"She be alright?" Hodge asked.
Cale stopped now, and looked into the eyes of his friend. "She's got to be."
Hodge nodded. "I get Sarah."
Cale nodded.
"Mark," Cale called when he spotted him measuring a plank of wood.
"Morning…" Mark smiled until he saw Cale's pale face and strange expression. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah…it's Amelia. She's been shot…" Cale said, his words echoing in his head as he tried his best to get a grip on his emotions. But he didn't realize his voice was torn from him.
"Shot? My God…where is she?"
"In town, at the doc's. The doc needs your permission to operate on her. It's serious…"
Mark's face drained of color. "Of course…let's go."
Cale nodded woodenly. Sarah came out, tears running down her face. "We go too."
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