Melinda and the Wild West

by Linda Weaver Clarke

  She turned around and looked at Gilbert sitting peacefully on the bank. He had pulled his knees up and was resting his arms against them, watching her with great interest.

  She smiled and said, “Every evening this week is taken. I’ll be checking homework or practicing but after the recital I’ll be free, no more commitments.”

  Gilbert nodded, but inside himself he groaned. He had finally made up his mind to court Melinda and now she was constantly busy. Had she cooled off towards him? Was she making up excuses? Had Henry finally won her heart after all before Gilbert had a chance to win it? Had he dragged his feet too long, simply because of his concerns?

  For the past week, Gilbert had heard gossip in town about Henry and Melinda from Henry’s friends and family. Henry’s brother said, “Henry told me that he’s going to ask Melinda to marry him right after her recital, that very night. They’ve been dating for four months now. He’s ready to settle down.”

  Gilbert remembered how his face had reddened with a mixture of jealousy and disgust that stirred within him. Without saying a word, he had walked out of the barbershop and headed for home. He was beside himself with worry. Why had he waited so long to realize that he wanted to have Melinda in his life? Was it too late? Would she accept Henry’s proposal on Saturday?

  Gilbert had not taken the time to court her and he did not count Sunday dinners and walks—with Jenny tagging along—as a courtship. To him, when a man went courting, he would take her to someplace special and then end the evening with a romantic kiss. The only time he had kissed Melinda was at the terminal and that did not constitute a legal goodnight kiss, even though it was one of the most romantic kisses he had ever felt in his life. That kiss had stirred feelings within him that he thought were dormant and it made him begin to think about his future.

  After Jenny and Melinda hopped out of the stream, they sat down on the bank. Melinda dried their feet with her petticoats before slipping on their stockings and shoes. Then Jenny hopped up and ran toward the house to tell Aunt Martha about the fun they had had. As Gilbert watched her run off, he breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he could now have a little private time with Melinda after all. He stood and held his hand out to Melinda and helped her to her feet.

  Holding her hand in his and caressing it lovingly, he asked, “Why did you take my dare?”

  Melinda smiled. “I don’t know.”

  Gilbert grinned at her. “Come on. Why did you?”

  “Well, I love wading, as you well know.”

  “No, why did you take my dare? I saw you hesitating when I asked if you wanted to go wading. And you knew I was teasing you.”

  She looked down at the ground. “As I think about it, I believe it was because of Jenny. When I saw her taking off her shoes, I guess I wanted to be close to her. I guess that I wanted to do something fun with her.” She looked up into his eyes. “You know, I’d like a relationship beyond the classroom, where I didn’t represent her teacher. I don’t know if I make any sense or not.”

  Gilbert nodded. “Why was that important to you?”

  Melinda looked surprised. As she looked into his piercing dark eyes, she smiled. “Because I love her.”

  This answer warmed his soul. No other teacher had ever shown this kind of love for Jenny before. He brought her hand to his lips and gave it a tender, but lingering kiss. Then he asked, “Why do you love her, Melinda?”

  She sighed. Gilbert’s tenderness had its effect on Melinda as she breathlessly answered, “She’s easy to love, Gilbert.”

  He smiled in agreement, not saying a word.

  His eyes looked deeply into hers, searching them and wondering what her true feelings were for him. Then he took her firmly by the shoulders and pulled her close to him, kissing her tenderly upon the lips, lingering longer than he expected. He had never been so impulsive before, but with Melinda, he seemed like a different person. As he deepened their kiss and wrapped his arms around her, his love for her grew by leaps and bounds.

  The love he felt for this woman was undeniable. For the first time in eight years, he was truly in love. The happiness he felt when he was around her was indescribable. This woman had changed his life for the better and she did not even know it.

  But what surprised him the most about her was when she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her toes, and kissed him right back with a passion he had not expected. Her kiss sent a tingle down his spine. She never ceased to amaze him. She was never one to hide her feelings and it made his heart race with even greater love for this amazingly affectionate woman. Did she know the effects she was having on him?

  Melinda’s influence had made him want to become a better person. Each day he felt greater happiness than he had ever felt before, and it was all because of her. Had he done something right, after all, for God to reward him with such a treasure?

  Chapter 24

  THE RECITAL

  April rains were warming the ground and a few flowers began to pop out of the earth. Spring was on its way. The ground was like a beautiful green carpet of grass and weeds. Leaves were budding and gently moving with the breeze.

  On the evening of the recital, it seemed that everyone was excited about the event. Friends and neighbors showed up, along with many strangers from neighboring towns such as Montpelier. Henry sat in the front row and Gilbert sat in the middle section with Jenny.

  Melinda was wearing a mauve silk dress with a lovely train that trailed after her as she walked. Her hair was placed loosely upon her head with ringlets cascading over the combs in the back, and a white flower was pinned in her hair. Around her slender neck she wore simple pearls.

  Melinda opened her recital with a lively Spanish song that created a cheerful mood for the evening. Her voice was rich and beautiful. Each note and word that she sang delighted and lifted the spirits of everyone there. It was as if she were singing from the depths of her heart.

  Gilbert relaxed as he listened to each melodic note she sang and his heart swelled within him as she came upon the climax of each song. When she finally sang a love song, he noticed that she glanced at him quite often and he felt as if she were singing to him. His pulse picked up speed as he listened to each word she sang, and he wondered if she really was singing to him.

  The evening came to a close with a melancholy Irish song that touched the hearts of the audience and brought tears to many. The mellow sound of her voice expressed a message of love. When she gave a bow, the applause was heartfelt and Melinda smiled to the audience.

  After the recital, Gilbert noticed a long line of people waiting to shake Melinda’s hand and thank her for the lovely evening. He also noticed Henry standing at the end of the line with a broad smile on his face and a bunch of flowers in his hand. Gilbert knew that he would ask Melinda to marry him after the recital.

  What would Melinda’s answer be? They had been dating for some time and she probably would like to settle down. She was past the age that women usually married, so why wouldn’t she accept such an offer? Henry had a good, secure job and the townsfolk seemed to think that she would accept his offer. There would be no reason to refuse.

  Gilbert’s heart felt heavy and he could not approach her. If he shook her hand, he knew his heart would skip a beat and then what would he do? He had not even had a chance to court her and now she was receiving an offer of marriage that very night. Sadness overtook him and he felt heartsick. Gilbert’s chest tightened as he took Jenny’s hand, and they walked out of the building without a word.

  When Melinda saw Gilbert and Jenny leave, she wondered why they did not stand in line to talk to her. Perhaps they had something pressing afterwards. What else could it be? Maybe he would stop off at the house later and tell her what he thought.

  When the Tabernacle had been cleared of people, Henry took Melinda aside and proposed to her. Melinda was expecting it because she, like everyone else, had heard the gossip in town.

  When Henry gave her the flowers and proposed, she smiled warmly a
nd said with kindness, “Henry, you’re a very sweet person and I like you a lot. But we’ve already talked about this before, remember? We’re friends and that’s all it can be. The fact is that you would be a perfect match for me. You believe in education for women. You have stated the fact that I could continue teaching after marriage, and you definitely believe in equality for women. You’re not opinionated or stubborn like most men I’ve met. In fact, you’re everything a woman would want, but…”

  When Henry noticed her hesitation, he asked, “But what, Melinda? Tell me.”

  “I’m sorry, Henry, but when I marry it will be for love. That’s important to me.”

  With disappointment, he asked, “Melinda, do you love someone else? Is that it?”

  Melinda hesitated for a moment, looking down at the floor and biting her lip. “Yes, I do.”

  Henry stood a while in thought, as if wondering how he could defeat his rival. “That’s all I wanted to know, Melinda, because if you didn’t love another, I wouldn’t give up. But I guess its time to bow out, isn’t it?” He gave a crooked smile and said quietly in a defeated manner, “Good luck, Melinda. I hope he loves you, too.”

  Henry turned to leave, but Melinda touched his arm and he turned and looked into her eyes.

  “Henry, I’ve loved the times we’ve spent together. Please, we’re still friends, aren’t we? I don’t want to lose you as a dear friend. We’ve had good times, you know. Very good times.”

  Henry smiled and nodded. “You’re right. We have.”

  “Henry, are you still going to bring your lunch to school so we can eat together, like usual?”

  He nodded and touched her cheek gently. Then it came to him. He would treat her like everything was all right, hoping he still had a chance to win her over. Surely an educated gentleman had a better chance than an uneducated cattle rancher. He would do whatever it took to defeat Gilbert.

  “I’d love to have lunch with you every day. This doesn’t change anything.”

  “Thank you, Henry. I still need a friend, you know.”

  “I know.”

  Melinda wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug before sending him on his way. After he left, she thought about what he had said: “I hope he loves you, too.”

  She truly didn’t know whether Gilbert loved her or not. He had never said. All she knew was that he was afraid of their differences and had told her so at the Valentine’s Dance. She knew that he liked her a lot, but she was certain he was afraid of commitment.

  She gathered her skirts and slowly walked toward the front door. She stopped on the step just outside the door and gazed thoughtfully into the night sky, noticing the brightness of the stars above. She gave a sigh as she thought of her quandary. This was the first time she had fallen in love and she had to fall for someone who was afraid to commit to a relationship. What a dilemma!

  Chapter 25

  FISHING

  Two weeks had passed since Melinda’s recital and Gilbert had continuously heard from Jenny how happy Melinda was. Jenny had told him how Henry would bring his lunch to school and they would sit and eat together in the classroom during lunchtime. Then she told him how she laughed at Henry’s jokes as they ate and how jovial they sounded together.

  Jenny hoped to spark something in her father by telling him this news so he would not dilly-dally any longer and start to court Melinda. She hoped that he would get a little jealous and then do something about it, like fight for the woman he loved. Her father was dragging his feet and she thought she could help him along.

  But unbeknownst to her, Jenny’s gossip created just the opposite effect. Gilbert assumed that the friendliness and joviality between Melinda and Henry indicated that she had actually accepted Henry’s proposal. After all, what man in his right mind would continue a relationship with a woman if he had been refused by her? And Gilbert knew, begrudgingly, that Melinda and Henry had so much in common. Defeated, Gilbert avoided going to town because he did not want to hear about their engagement. He kept busy on his ranch and Jenny worked beside him, as usual.

  Gilbert’s heart ached. How could he have lost someone as dear to him as she was? Why had he been so cautious and dimwitted? He was a fool. He knew he had lost his heart to her when he had picked her up at the terminal in January and yet he did not act upon it. She had responded to his tender kiss both times he kissed her, and she would have accepted his proposal. He knew that now. Was it too late? Would he still have a chance to win her over? Could he steal her away from Henry without the town looking down upon him? He had never felt such deep love for someone as he did for Melinda. No, he had to remove Melinda from his memory because he ached too deeply inside just knowing that he had lost her to another.

  Suddenly a loud noise came from the kitchen, jolting him out of his thoughts. Jenny had tied a couple of strings to two black pans and then tied them to her feet, clomping around the kitchen. Each pan came down with a loud thud until Gilbert demanded, “Enough! Enough! Cease and desist! No more noise, Jenny.”

  That ended the fun for Jenny and she put away the pans. She noticed that her father had been moping around the house lately and was extra grumpy. It did not take long for Jenny to see that she needed to do something about it.

  “Pa, I’m taking you out of this house. What do you want to do?”

  “Nothing. I’ll be all right soon. Don’t worry about me. I’ve just been working hard and I’m tired. That’s all.”

  “I know what to do. You promised to take me fishing for the longest time and you haven’t. You said you would teach me how to fish. How about it, Pa?”

  Gilbert smiled at his daughter. He realized he had not been in the best of spirits and he needed to change all that.

  “All right, darlin’. Get my fishing gear and let’s get movin’. First, we’ll dig us some worms.”

  “Thanks, Pa.”

  Jenny was not really interested in fishing, but she had to do something to get her father out of the house. He was working extra hard lately and he needed some free time from his chores and the ranch. She could not figure out what was bothering him. He had been extra moody ever since her teacher’s recital. She knew that he loved to fish and perhaps this would settle him down.

  After digging for worms, Gilbert and Jenny saddled their horses and took off toward Bear Lake. As they rode, they talked. When Jenny brought up school and Miss Gamble, she noticed that her father would quickly change the subject, which was unusual. He was always interested when she talked about her education.

  “Hey Pa, why don’t we go see Miss Gamble and invite her to go fishing with us?”

  Gilbert was taken aback by this suggestion and he quickly blurted out, “We’re not going to Martha’s home anymore, Jenny, and certainly not to see Miss Gamble.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because she’s busy with other matters at this time. No more discussion, all right? We’re going fishing and we’re going to have a good time. Got it?”

  “No, I don’t get it, Pa. Why can’t we see Miss Gamble any more?”

  “Because Henry wouldn’t like it.”

  “Heck with Henry, Pa. Why don’t you fight for her?”

  Gilbert looked over at her in surprise and asked, “What did you say?”

  “I said to fight for her,” she said as she swung a fist in the air with determination. “Tom and Sam fought for me and that made me realize who really cared. Sam wouldn’t let Tom tell him what to do, so he fought for me.”

  Gilbert stared at her with concern. “You had two boys fight over you?”

  “Sure, Pa. Don’t you think Miss Gamble is worth it?” She gave another punch in the air for emphasis while holding tight to the reins with her other hand.

  “It’s different in this situation, darlin’. Completely different.”

  “Well, at least think about it. All right, Pa?”

  Gilbert looked out toward the beautiful lake they were approaching, and said, “I’ll think about it.”

  When they
arrived at Bear Lake, Gilbert taught Jenny how to put a worm on her hook. Jenny cringed as she followed his instructions.

  When Gilbert saw Jenny wrinkle her nose as she shoved the worm on the hook, he grinned. This was exactly what he needed. He enjoyed fishing because it was so relaxing. Being with his daughter was the perfect therapy for what ailed him. She was the most important part of his life and he adored her beyond explanation.

  Gilbert noticed a few splashes in the water where the fish were lunging for flies and mosquitoes. The fish were biting. He taught Jenny how to throw her line into the water and then he threw in his hook. Jenny sat beside him on the bank, holding her rod. She sat still, but not one fish was interested in her bait. After a while, she became bored and wondered why her father loved this sport so much.

  He swished his pole from side to side to get their attention and it was not long until a fish grabbed the moving worm on his hook. When he felt the fish tug at the line, he slowly reeled it in. The fish struggled and struggled with all its might as Gilbert pulled on his line. He had to keep the line taut so this nimble little fish would not get away. After a while, he had it hanging in the air from his rod. Gilbert grabbed the line with his left hand and looked at the fish with a grin.

  “Now this is a fine fish!”

  Jenny watched with interest, wondering what her father was going to do next. She saw him carefully take the hook out of the fish’s mouth and put it in a small bucket. As she watched the fish wiggle, sadness overtook her. Before long, her eyes filled up with tears. Her heart pounded loudly as big drops of tears fell down her cheeks.

  Jenny looked up at her father and begged, “Pa, put him back in the water.”

  Gilbert was busy putting another fat worm on his hook when he heard her voice quiver. He turned to look at her and saw tears trickling down her cheeks. He was confused. Jenny was the one who had begged to go fishing in the first place.

  “Pa, the fish is suffering. See him wiggling and trying to fight for his life. He wants to go back to his family. How would you like it if someone took me away from you? Pa, he wants to live his life and be happy. See? He’s suffering. Please let him go.”