Della (Cowboys and Debutantes Book 2)

by Vivi Holt

  “I suppose you’re right.” She nodded and swished the pan back and forth. Her haunches were beginning to tire - she’d have to stand up soon or she’d cramp.

  “What would ya like to do? I always figgered we’d start a family … ya know, when yer ready. And that’ll sure keep ya busy.” He chuckled.

  She smiled wryly, tipping her head to one side and meeting his gaze. “I do want to have a family one day. But I want more than that. I want to do something … meaningful.”

  He grinned and winked. “Well, I got a few ideas …”

  She knew just what he was insinuating, the mischievous cad. Her cheeks colored and she slapped him playfully on the arm.

  He pretended to wince. “Ow! Yer stronger than ya look,” he teased.

  She glanced down at her pan, “Oh, Clem, look! Gold!”

  He stood and leaned over her shoulder to peer into her pan as well. “Well, how ‘bout that - sure looks like it all right. That’s what ya can do with yer life - be a gold miner. It’s meaningful, it’s fulfillin’ and it’ll make us rich!” He let his pan drop on the creek bank and held his sides while he laughed.

  She stood and set her pan carefully beside his, then reached into the creek, lifted some water in her hands and threw it at him. His eyes widened in surprise as the cold liquid soaked through his shirt, then leaped for her with a shout of glee. She turned and ran, sloshing along the water’s edge, her boots and stockings soon soaked completely through. The others stopped panning to watch, laugh and shout encouragement.

  It didn’t take him long to catch her and grab her around the waist, and she gasped and squealed as she lost her foothold and they both fell into the creek. She went under and tried to get her feet beneath her, but her boots could get no purchase on the smooth rocks lining the creek bed. He lifted her and set her right, and she found that the water only came up to her chest. She took a deep breath in relief, filling her hungry lungs with air.

  Clem stood in front of her, his arms still around her waist. He shook the water from his hair and his eyes sparkled as he grinned at her.

  She frowned and pushed against him with both hands. She’d have stomped her foot too, if it hadn’t been in three feet of freezing water. “Clement White, you scoundrel - you did that on purpose! Now I’m soaked to the bone.”

  He tipped back his head and guffawed. He was enjoying every moment of this, and that only made her madder. “This is not funny!” She enunciated each word to emphasize just how upset with him she was. But it only made him laugh harder.

  Then he pulled her close, their wet clothes smacking against each other. He lowered his head and kissed her passionately on the lips. Her eyes drifted closed, and she snuck her hands up around his neck and laced her fingers into his hair. His lips sought hers hungrily, wanting more, and she trembled from head to toe like ripples through the creek water.

  Suddenly, she became keenly aware of eyes on them. She pulled away and covered her mouth with her hand. “Er, Clem …”

  “Don’t stop on our account,” said Honey with a laugh. “You two are just about the cutest thing I’ve seen in a while.”

  Della felt her entire body flush with warmth, and she backed away from Clem with a smile. His eyes were still on hers - he hadn’t flinched away like she had. She could see his desire there, running deep and strong like the water surrounding them. She squeezed the damp from her hair as best she could, then waded back to shore. One thing was certain - Clem was not the dull, straight-laced banker she’d first believed him to be. Not by a long shot.

  The wagon ride home from the panning outing to the gold fields was jovial and full of good-humored teasing from everyone about their little romp in the creek. Clem laughed along with the rest. He’d been worried for a few moments that Della might stay mad at him about being dunked like that, but the kiss seemed to soften her up pretty well. He grinned at the memory of his lips on hers and the way her wet hair clung to her face. She leaned against him now, her arm looped through his, her head on his shoulder. He liked the feeling.

  He’d finally begun to believe that sending away for a bride wasn’t such a bad idea after all. In fact, it might turn out to be the best idea he ever had at this rate. He lifted a hand to caress her now-dry hair and felt his heart soar. He’d hoped to find someone to share his life with, perhaps have a family with. He never imagined she’d make him so happy. But happy he was, almost giddy. Now he was anxious to get her home - he’d arranged a surprise for her with the help of their friends and her Bible study group. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face.

  Della sighed and lifted her head from Clem’s shoulder reluctantly. They were home after the most delightful day, with the most delightful friends - and the most delightful kiss. She didn’t even mind that the gold she’d discovered had turned out to be worthless pyrite - “fool’s gold,” Hans had called it.

  Clem climbed from the wagon and offered her his hand, and she stepped down behind him. Her dress had dried on the long ride home, and even though she knew she likely looked a fright, at least she was no longer dripping. They waved goodbye to the rest of the group and climbed the stairs wearily to their apartment. She was looking forward to bathing, changing and settling on the love seat to read a book. An evening at home with her husband was just what she needed after the long day. The thought surprised her - back home, she’d always been eager to find the next gathering, party or lavish affair. She grinned at the realization of how much she’d changed since moving to Livingston.

  The apartment was warm and cozy when they arrived, though dark. It was almost sunset and the rooms lay in shadow. She hurried to light a couple of lanterns, then carried one to the bedroom to freshen up

  A gentle knock at the door startled her, and she quickly pulled her bodice back up where she’d unbuttoned it. “Yes?”

  Clem poked his head in and grinned. “I got a surprise for ya.”

  “What kind of surprise?”

  “Well, ya’ll just hafta wait and see. But how ‘bout ya slip into one of yer party dresses for me and fix ya hair? ‘Cause I’m takin’ ya out.”

  She gasped. “Truly?”

  “Yes indeed, Mrs. White.” He ducked out, pulling the door closed.

  Della regarded her reflection in the looking glass. They were going out! Other than her weekly Bible study, she hadn’t been out at night since arriving in town. She’d assumed Clem was a confirmed homebody, but it seemed he was making her question all her assumptions about him today. But what could they do in Livingston on a Saturday night? She certainly didn’t want to join the rowdies at the saloons or the crowds at the dance halls.

  She washed up quickly and chose a cornflower blue dress with a demure neckline and a shawl to match. She brushed out her long dark hair in slow, even strokes until it shone, then fixed it up in great loops on either side of her face and pinned the rest into a bun at the back of her head. A necklace and earrings completed the ensemble. Satisfied, she grabbed her reticule and hurried out to the kitchen. Clem, already washed and dressed in a black frock coat and striped trousers, took her arm and they were on their way. A wagon was waiting for them downstairs, a stable boy held the horse’s reins with a shy smile. Clem handed him a coin and he ran, no doubt back home to where his mother awaited him with a warm supper.

  Clem climbed into the wagon beside her and slapped the reins on the horse’s back. They rode down the street and through the center of town beneath a canopy of sparkling stars, past the drunks already falling out of doorways and the saloon girls leaning out their windows calling to passers-by.

  Before long, the white steeple of the little church rose against the dark horizon and Della spied a string of twinkling lights lining the pasture beside it. She turned to Clem with a quizzical look. “What’s that?”

  He laughed, but didn’t say a word.

  Now she saw the lines of wagons and hobbled horses grazing nearby. And there was a band - fiddles, harmonicas and even a piano accordion. She clapped her hands and her eyes sh
one. “Is it a dance, Clem?”

  “Yep, sure is. I just figgered ya’d gone without so much. At least I could put on a dance for ya.”

  She flung her arms around his neck with a shout and kissed him resoundingly on the cheek.

  The wagon stopped beside the others, and she could barely wait for him to help her down. She could already see Honey, Abella and Francisca waiting for her with grins on their faces. The rest of the Bible study group was there too, along with most of the church congregation from what she could tell. She waved to them all and waited while Clem hobbled the horse. Then with her arm nestled in his, they strode over to greet everyone. The band began to play and couples lined a dance floor freshly cut into the churchyard grass. Others sat around on picnic rugs, eating finger foods, drinking punch and conversing. Lanterns hung from trees all around them, making it a twinkling wonderland. Della held her breath as she took it all in. It was marvelous.

  “I told you, ma chere, he is a good man,” Abella whispered in her ear before swinging away on her husband’s arm to join the others on the dance floor.

  “You did all this for me?” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

  “Sure did. Would ya care to dance?” Clem bowed gallantly before her with a sparkle in his eye.

  “Why, yes, I would - thank you, kind sir.” She offered an exaggerated curtsy of her own.

  He laughed and pulled her into his arms, pressing her hard against his wide chest. He smiled and kissed her first on the nose, then softly on the lips, before pulling her behind him. She laughed and before long they were two-stepping to the beat of the music as it soared over the dusty little town. For this one evening, everything was perfect.

  When they returned home late that night, Della felt as though she could barely stand a moment longer. Her feet ached, her legs throbbed and her head spun. Music still resounded in her ears and she hummed along to it, making Clem glance at her every now and then with a smile.

  She climbed the stairs on her own while he settled the horse in the stable. After washing up for bed, she crawled into a nightgown and brushed her hair again so it hung long and shining down her back. She yawned wide and lifted her arms over her head in satisfaction.

  The bedroom door swung open and Clem staggered in, wheezing from the climb up the staircase. “Did you run up the stairs?” asked Della with a chuckle.

  “Um … yep. I did.”

  “Why …?”

  He reached her in three long strides and lifted her into his arms, cradling her like a child. She gasped in surprise, but couldn’t speak a word when she saw the look in his eyes. He laid her gently on the bed, then kissed her long and slow, his lips devouring hers.

  “Clem?” she asked, her throat tight.

  “Yes, my darling?”

  “Thank you for tonight, it was wonderful.”

  He smiled. “You’re welcome my love. And it’s not over yet.”

  Her eyes widened, and she leaned up to kiss him again.

  Chapter 9

  Della stood in the middle of the post office and held the letter between trembling hands. It was from Father in New York, and she hadn’t the nerve to open it yet. What if it was further bad news? She didn’t think she could take hearing anything worse from home, especially when she was so far away and could do nothing to help.

  Instead, she tucked it into her reticule and headed for the bank. She’d agreed to let Clem show her around today. He was so excited to show off his business to her, even offering to train her how to be a teller. She’d suggested that he might need her if one of the other tellers decided to leave or was out sick. She liked the idea of counting money and chatting with customers. It could be fun. His only concern was that he was hoping they’d have a baby before too long.

  That thought made her nerves flutter like a pack of butterflies. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a family, but sometimes she still felt like a child herself, and didn’t know the first thing about raising a baby. It was the kind of thing a woman needed her mother close by to help with, but she knew that wasn’t possible, and the thought made her her throat tighten.

  And now there was a letter from home, a letter she couldn’t bring herself to read.

  She pushed through the bank’s front door and waved to Tobias the guard. He nodded and smiled, tugging the bill of his cap. She walked to Clem’s office, rapped on the door, then opened it with a half-smile. “Well, here I am, boss - ready to learn.”

  He stood to wrap his arms around her, kissed her hard on the mouth and ran a hand up her back, twisting his fingers into her loose hair.

  “Now, now, Mr. White,” she chastised him, extricating herself. “This is really not the time nor the place.”

  He groaned and rolled his eyes, running his fingers through his hair. “All business today, huh? Well, let’s get started then.”

  A few hours later, after Clem had shown her how everything worked, she walked out of the bank, stopping to chat with customers as she went, and headed across the street to check on Honey and Abella. Honey’s business had expanded so rapidly she’d rented a space across the street and hired Abella as her assistant. “Honey’s” was now an honest-to-goodness restaurant, and Della smiled up at the large sign hanging above the door. She pushed it open, setting a bell ringing above her head.

  Honey glanced up from where she stood in the kitchen, her hair in a net, a clean white apron wrapped around her shapely waist. “Good day to you, Della!”

  Della waved, took a seat at the counter, and Abella set a cup of coffee in front of her with a smile. “You want lunch, oui?” she asked, one hand on her thin hip.

  “Yes, please,” said Della, taking a sip of the steaming black liquid. “Lunch for two, to take home with me.”

  “Oh, so romantic! I am sure we can do that. What will you have?”

  “Can we please have chicken pot pie, mashed potatoes with gravy, and … for dessert I think we’ll have molasses stack cake.”

  Abella pursed her lips. “Ooh, good choices. Coming right away … no, no - up. Right up.” She delivered the order to Honey, came back and leaned her elbows on the counter, resting her chin in her hands. “So, how are things with Monsieur Clem?”

  Della blushed and lowered her gaze to the coffee cup. “Things are … wonderful.”

  “Ooh, wonderful is good,” mooned Abella, a dreamy look in her eyes. “You treat that man well - he is one of the best.”

  Della nodded just as Honey brought out her order wrapped in brown paper. “I don’t usually let people take my good pie pans home with them, but for you I’ll make an exception. Now be careful, it’s hot.” She winked at Della and patted her arm.

  “I’ll bring the dishes back as soon as I can,” said Della, taking the package from Honey with a smile. “Thank you - it smells divine.”

  “Well, you’re welcome. Are you coming to Bible study tonight?”

  “I certainly am - I’ll see you there,” called Della over her shoulder as she waltzed back out through the door, setting off the bell once again.

  She went up to the apartment, laid the food on the kitchen table and shook the kinks out of her arms. Her eyes fell on the envelope beside the stack of food, and she knew she couldn’t keep putting it off. Even if the news was bad, she had to know. She missed her family, and the letter might contain details about her sisters and cousins, where they were, how they were doing …

  With a sigh, she quickly tore it open and read the words scrawled in her father’s familiar hand.

  My dearest Della,

  I write to inform you that the scoundrel who ruined our family’s livelihood and reputation has been found out! He is being brought to justice and has admitted to the lies he told. I am in the process of restoring to our family everything we lost, along with our good name. You will be happy to know that I expect to rebuild my business, purchase a new home and retrieve the life we lost.

  I know this news may come too late for you, and I am sorry about that. Your sisters are well and settled wit
h their new husbands. I have enclosed details of their whereabouts.

  Your mother is well, also. She took ill after you all left and has spent a good deal of time in bed, though seems better now. She is happy about this news, but misses you all terribly, as do I. The boys miss you too, in their own way. Tommy turned fifteen last week, and Danny will be thirteen soon. They each work a paper route, but otherwise seem not to have been very much upset by the scandal.

  I hope this correspondence finds you well. Please reply and tell us how you fare. Let us know if you are able to return home; we will send funds to cover your travel expenses.

  Your ever loving father,

  Septimus Stout

  Della gasped and the letter fluttered to the floor. Everything would be worked out! Father was restoring their lost fortune and all was well. This was much better news than she could have hoped for. But … what did it mean for her?

  With a heavy heart, she glanced around the small apartment, taking in the chipped paint, simple furnishings and cheery fresh flowers. She’d embraced this place as her home, believing she would never return to New York. And now she was married. What should she do? What could she do? She couldn’t leave Clem, not now. She loved him, and knew without a doubt he loved her. Yet would she willingly stay here, knowing she could return to the life she once had if she chose to?

  A noise on the staircase startled her and she forced a smile onto her face. There was no need to worry Clem with the news just yet. She’d have to think about it and make a decision before she brought it to him. She wanted to stay with him - she was happy here - but could she bear never seeing her family again? She wasn’t sure she could face that now, knowing they wanted her home. Would Clem consider moving to New York? She hurried to set the table, then greeted Clem as he appeared at the top of the stairs.

  He grinned and stepped close to give her a kiss, wrapping her warmly in his arms. “Hello, darlin’ wife. What have we here?” He eyed the food she’d laid out.