“I hope you’re right.”
“Why do you hope that?”
“Because I defied my uncle when I ran away from Richmond to find you.”
“Oh?”
“I had to, Wyatt. They were going to take Adam away from me and give him to a couple who didn’t have children.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” He decided to push her to get the rest of the story before he confronted her about what Reeson had told him about her.
“I didn’t want you to keep us here because you felt sorry for me or Adam. I wanted you to love us as much as you did the day we were married in Richmond.”
“Tell me now, Edwina.”
“After we were married and you left, he and Aunt Callie started in on me to have our marriage annulled. I refused to do it because I knew you would come back for me someday. Then I learned I was going to have a baby. Uncle Hezekiah was livid and Aunt Callie cried for a week. I was thrilled because even if you weren’t there with me, I had a part of you.”
Wyatt pulled her closer to him and put his chin on the top of her head. “Go on, honey. I want to hear it all.”
“Uncle then brought the Clarks into our lives. They couldn’t have children and wanted one. After praying and reading his Bible for a week, Uncle Hezekiah said God had given him one of his visions. He said since you were gone, I had to divorce you, but I wouldn’t do it. He then told me that God said my child was meant to be the child for the Clarks. I didn’t understand and he went on to tell me that I was the vessel. He said I was like Hagar in the Bible. I was to have a child for the Clarks like Hagar had one for Abraham and Sarah since she couldn’t give him a child.”
Wyatt was becoming angrier and angrier, but he continued to listen without comment.
“For some reason they decided Adam would stay with me until he was about eighteen months old. I think it was because the Clarks wanted him to be out of his diapers and to be able to walk and talk a little. That was the only reason I could come up with.”
She paused and sniffed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to cry, but when I think I could’ve lost my baby, I get upset.”
“I can understand that.” He slid his hand up and down her arm. “When did you decide you had to come to New Mexico to find me?”
“I had it in the back of my mind for a long time, but I didn’t have enough money. Then Adam began to get older and the Clarks wanted to visit him and get to know him. I didn’t like that, so I saved every penny I could get my hands on. My mother left me a trust fund from which I got a monthly allowance. Of course most of it went to feed and clothe Adam and me and to pay my Aunt and Uncle for our board. Uncle Hezekiah had always refused to pay for anything I needed and he did the same thing for Adam.”
“You mean you had to buy your own food and clothes?”
“Yes. I did plant a garden so I had some things in the summer time. Winter was harder. I’m ashamed to say, I would sometimes slip into the kitchen at night and steal a biscuit or some jelly out of a jar. I don’t think they ever found out.”
“That’s horrible.”
“I know it was stealing, but there were times I was hungry.”
“I didn’t mean it was horrible about you taking food when you needed it. I think it was mean of them not to feed you and Adam.”
“Aunt Callie did slip us a little food occasionally until Uncle Hezekiah caught her.”
“Oh?”
“He beat her until I thought she was going to die. She didn’t bring us anything after that. I didn’t mind going without, but I never let Adam go without anything. I’d even take him to the neighbor’s house because I knew she’d always offer us something to eat.”
“How did you get away from them, honey?”
“Uncle Hezekiah was invited to preach in the mountain area. As soon as I found out he and Aunt Callie were going to be gone for two weeks, I began making plans to leave. I knew you were somewhere in New Mexico, so I left the same evening after they left in the morning.” She took a deep breath. “You know the story from there. I found out where you lived and I came to your door. Thank the Lord, you didn’t turn us away.”
“I wouldn’t have ever done that.” He remembered how he’d thought of ways to get rid of her. Though he now felt guilty about it, there was no way he’d ever tell her she wasn’t wanted.
“I never told you, but I was afraid you’d divorced me and married somebody else. I’m so thankful you didn’t.”
“I’ll never divorce you, Edwina. You and Adam are where you belong forever.”
“I love you, Wyatt. I’ve loved you the day we said I do, but I think I’ve grown up a lot since then. Now I love you more than ever.”
Wyatt took her chin in his hand and pulled her face up so he could kiss her passionately. He whispered, “In case I haven’t told you, I love you, Edwina Singleton. You are my wife, my friend, the mother of my son and one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met. I feel like the luckiest man in the world.”
“Oh, Wyatt.” She put her arms around his neck.
In minutes they were lost in their love for each other, but somewhere in the back of his mind Wyatt was thinking of how he’d make sure Thourgood Reeson would pay for the lies he was spreading about Edwina.
* * * *
“Calm down and eat your breakfast, Cora Sue,” Thourgood said to his daughter. “I wouldn’t have opened your letter, but I knew it had something to do with that little tramp who’s trying to pass herself off as Singleton’s wife.”
“It could’ve been about something else. Maybe a gentleman asking for my hand or something.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, child. You’ve never been to Richmond so I knew no man there would be writing to ask for your hand.”
“Thourgood, Cora Sue does have a right to have her privacy when it comes to her mail.”
“Shut up, Mildred. I’m her daddy. I’ll open any of her damn mail I want to.”
“You know I seldom say anything, but this time I have to. You have no right to talk to me that way, Thourgood Reeson. I’m your wife, not one of those rough cowboys you deal with on the range.”
He looked sheepish. “I didn’t mean to sound so rough, Mildred. You know how Cora Sue can make my dander rise.”
“You’re going to have to learn how to control yourself.” Mildred snapped her napkin and spread it on her lap. “Now I want both of you to stop this arguing and eat your breakfast.”
Cora Sue dropped her head and picked up her napkin. She didn’t meet her mother’s eyes. Like everyone else in the household, she knew her mother seldom said anything or argued with any of them, but when Mildred Reeson did speak up, everyone listened. If they didn’t, they always regretted it.
“Now, Thourgood, tell Cora Sue what was in that letter she got from Virginia.”
He nodded. “It was from a Reverend Hezekiah Thorn. He said the bank you wrote contacted him. He was pleased you had written and he said he would tell you all about Edwina Thorn.”
Cora Sue’s face changed from an angry one to an interested one as her father talked.
Thourgood went on. “He said Edwina was born to his brother and the evil woman he married. He said the pair was killed when they went off to start a very inappropriate business. At the time Edwina was a little girl and he felt it his Christian duty to take the child and raise her in the Christian way. Unfortunately she had too much of her mother’s blood in her. She grew up willful and headstrong. Though he said he and Mrs. Thorn tried, there was no way they could break her evil will.”
“What has that got to do with anything? I know the woman is—”
“Let me finish, Cora Sue. The Reverend said when she was seventeen, he caught her and Wyatt Singleton doing things they shouldn’t in a park in Richmond. He insisted they marry. After the wedding, Wyatt took off and left her. She was silly enough to believe he was coming back, but Reverend Thorn knew better. He said after a year, he had the marriage declared illegal.”
“So she and Wyat
t aren’t married?” Cora Sue’s eyes got big.
“No, they’re not.” Thourgood took a drink of coffee. “As for the baby, it doesn’t belong to her. She was taking care of it for another couple, but when she thought they were coming to claim it, she took off. Now she’s trying to pass the child off as Wyatt’s son.”
“That bitch!”
Mildred shot her daughter a hard look. “Cora Sue, I’ll not have that kind of language come out of your mouth.”
“Sorry, Mother, but I’m shocked a woman would do such a thing.”
“Before you believe things like this, I think you should check it out. Maybe the Reverend isn’t telling the whole truth.”
“Of course he is, Mildred. Why would he lie? He’s a preacher, after all.” Thourgood picked up a forkful of egg. “Now, there’s nothing to prevent our daughter from marrying Wyatt Singleton. After that, things will be fine around here.”
Cora Sue looked a little skeptical. “What if he won’t marry me, Daddy?”
“Don’t worry, honey. Ain’t a man alive who can resist your beauty.”
Cora Sue giggled and Mildred simply shook her head and began eating her breakfast.
Chapter 19
Fidgeting, Cora Sue couldn’t believe Dena was late for their meeting. The woman was usually dependable. But it had given her time to start thinking about the situation she was in. She knew her daddy wanted her to marry Wyatt and she supposed she’d do it, but she wasn’t happy about the idea. Ever since Asia Walker had talked to her at the dance, she’d had daydreams about him. He was such a handsome man and he was just as rich as Wyatt. She wondered if there was some way she could talk her daddy into giving up on the idea of her marrying Wyatt. She shook her auburn curls and bit her lip. She sure wished she’d never sent that damn letter to Virginia. Besides all that, where was Asia? He said he was going to be here, but he wasn’t.
Glancing across the meadow, she saw Dena hurrying toward the meeting spot. She was pushing that ugly horse she rode as fast as she could. Cora Sue couldn’t help being irritated because she’d been kept waiting, but she guessed she would give the woman a chance to explain.
As soon as Dena pulled the old horse she rode up beside the buggy, Cora Sue snapped, “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for hours.”
“I couldn’t get away any sooner. Rosalinda insisted I finish changing all the beds and washing the sheets before I was allowed to leave.”
“Well, do you have anything for me?” Cora Sue began fanning rapidly with the lacy fan she’d bought on her last trip to Santa Fe.
“I know you wanted proof that they were sleeping together and now I know they are. Mrs. Singleton has moved into her husband’s room and they—”
Cora Sue interrupted. “She’s not really Mrs. Singleton. Her uncle wrote me and said she had divorced Wyatt.”
Dena raised an eyebrow. “Does he know that?”
Cora Sue shrugged. “He will when I tell him.”
“What I was going to say is, they put the baby in a nursery beside his room. You can get into it from their room or from the hall.”
“I assume Wyatt still thinks it’s his baby?”
“Of course. We have no reason to doubt that.”
Cora Sue laughed. “When I show Wyatt the letter Miss sneaky Edwina’s uncle wrote me, everyone will have reason to doubt everything she says.”
“What happened?”
“Never mind. The less you know the better.”
Dena shrugged. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything else to tell you, but I know I won’t be able to search Mr. Wyatt’s room.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Cora Sue waved at Dena. “Why don’t you go on back to your job? I’m going to rest here for a little while. I have some things to think about.”
When Dena rode away, Cora Sue got out of her buggy and walked over to a patch of wildflowers. She bent and began picking them.
“Those flowers compliment your beauty.”
Cora Sue jumped and whirled around.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Asia Walker tipped his hat.
“I didn’t hear you come up.” Cora Sue blushed. “I had my mind on the flowers.”
He dismounted. “May I join you?”
“If you wish.”
“Thank you. I’ve wanted to come out here on Tuesdays to visit with you for a while.”
She turned her head to the side. “I thought you said you’d be here when I met Dena today.”
“I don’t care a thing about seeing Dena. It was you I wanted to watch. You’re always so pretty sitting there looking like a princess in your buggy talking with her.”
“You’ve been watching me?”
“I have.” He moved closer to her.
“I don’t know if I like that.”
“Of course you do.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “You want every man around admiring your beauty.”
“I got a letter from the so-called Mrs. Singleton’s uncle in Virginia. He says she’s not married to Wyatt, so Daddy wants me to marry him.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
She stared at him. “Why not?”
“Because I’ve decided you’re going to be mine and I have no intention of sharing you with Wyatt Singleton.”
“But—”
Cora Sue didn’t have a chance to say anything further. Asia took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.
She tried to fight him off because she thought she should. He was strong, and though he wasn’t forcing her he kept teasing her with his kisses. It wasn’t long until she relaxed. She didn’t want to fight him any longer. Besides, she didn’t really want him to stop. His kisses were sending sensations through her body as no other man had ever been able to do. And she really liked the feeling.
As he began fumbling with the buttons on her dress, she realized this was the man she wanted. Not Wyatt Singleton. Let the little crook from Virginia have him. Asia Walker was going to be her man, no matter what her daddy said.
* * * *
After dinner, Wyatt kissed Edwina goodbye and decided he needed to check the northern range. They had diverted the cattle to the eastern pastures where the grass was more plentiful earlier in the spring. It was about time to change again and he wanted to be sure the northern range would support them.
As he entered the section, he was pleased to see how the grass had replenished itself. He went a little further and looked toward the section that divided his place from Reeson’s. A frown crossed his brow. There shouldn’t be smoke in the area. No cowboy who was familiar with the west would be foolish enough to build a campfire in the middle of this dry grass. He’d move to the north to the edge of the ravine or even go into the foothills.
Wyatt pressed his heels into his horse’s side and headed toward the smoke. As he came closer, his frown deepened. There was a wagon filled with logs parked beside the creek and the fire burned in a cleared section. A big black cook pot hung over it and a woman in a long gray dress was stirring in it with a long-handled wooden spoon. Two boys who looked to be under the age of ten were helping a man drag the logs from the wagon and stack them near another cleared space.
They all paused their work as Wyatt rode up and the man said, “Howdy, stranger. What can I do for you?”
Wyatt reined in his temper and said, “It looks like you’re setting up a homestead.”
“We sure are. Came all the way from Kentucky to settle here.” He removed his battered hat and wiped his brow with his shirt sleeve. “Name’s Kerr. Terrence Kerr. This here’s my wife Naomi and my two sons, Zach and Sam.”
“Well, Mr. Kerr, my name’s Wyatt Singleton and I happen to own the land you’re on.”
The man frowned. “I was told someone might come around claiming they own this place, but I have a deed of sale to prove it belongs to me.”
“I don’t care what you have. This is the north pasture of my ranch and I’m getting ready to turn about a thousand head of cattle on it. If you don’
t want to get your family trampled, you’d better move on.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” The man looked at his rifle which was propped against the side of the wagon. “I answered an ad in the paper, sent the man my life savings and came out west to build on my land.”
Wyatt kept his eye on the rifle, but he didn’t draw his gun. He wanted to settle this peacefully if he could. “Who did you pay for this land, Kerr?”
“It was the Cool Wood Land Company.”
“I’ve never heard of such a company in Cool Wood and I’ve lived here all my life. I think somebody has cheated you, Mr. Kerr.”
“Oh, Terrence, is this true? Have we come out here for nothing?”
“Calm down, Naomi. I’m sure this can all be settled.” He looked at Wyatt. “I have my bill of sale in the wagon. Would you like to see it?”
“Yes, I would.” When Terrence reached for his gun, Wyatt added, “Leave that rifle be. I don’t want any gun play around your family.”
Kerr nodded and disappeared in the wagon without his gun.
“Mister,” Naomi Kerr said, “we’ve been here over a week. Why are you just now coming to tell us you own this land?”
Wyatt decided the confused-looking woman needed an explanation. “I haven’t been out on this part of my range for months. Neither have any of my cowhands. We don’t move the cows back here until summer, so there’s no need to check until we get ready to use the land again.”
Her husband came out the back of the wagon with some papers in his hand. He walked up beside Wyatt’s horse and handed them to him.
Wyatt studied the papers. Kerr was right. Somebody had sold the man eighty acres of his grazing land.
“Mr. Kerr, I don’t have any idea who did this, but whoever sold you this land had no legal right to do so. They don’t own it. I do and I certainly didn’t sell any of it. In fact, my herd is getting so big, I was looking to buy more land myself.”
Anger crossed Terrence Kerr’s face. “I bought this land in good faith and I intend to build a cabin and raise my family here.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Now pack up your family and move along before I have someone out here to run you off.”
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