Melinda and the Wild West

by Linda Weaver Clarke

  Gilbert watched the tears fall down Jenny’s face. He wrapped his arm around her and held her tight and wiped her tears away with his handkerchief. When she looked up at him with questioning eyes, she touched his hand gently.

  That was it! Gilbert could not resist those blue eyes. He looked into the bucket and stared at his catch. Then he grabbed the fish and threw it back into the water.

  Jenny wrapped her arms around her father’s waist and gave him a hug. “Thanks, Pa. Thank you so much.”

  “It’s the biggest fish I’ve ever caught in this here lake. All I ever seem to catch are those blasted scrawny Cisco fish.” He sighed. “But it’s all right. I wasn’t in the mood of fish, anyway. By the way, did you know that God made fish for us to eat?”

  “Yes, I know, Pa. But I just couldn’t stand watching him suffer so.”

  “I understand.” He wiped a tear from her cheek and said, “Let’s go back home and have some cookies instead.”

  “All right, Pa.” Jenny leaped up excitedly with a smile. “I’m sorry for ruining your fun.”

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’re more important to me than the biggest fish I’ve ever caught in Bear Lake.”

  Jenny swatted a mosquito that landed on her arm, and then another one on her neck. She quickly became annoyed by their persistence to have her for supper.

  Gilbert noticed the pesky mosquitoes and said, “Maybe it’s time to go home, anyway. The mosquitoes must think you’re delicious.”

  The following day, Gilbert decided to go to the school and confront the situation and do as Jenny had suggested—fight for Melinda’s love. So, he climbed into his saddle and rode to the schoolhouse. As he rode along, he tried to memorize a speech that would sound convincing, educated, and not emotional. After arriving, he found that Melinda was not there and had dismissed school early that day.

  “She left about an hour ago, Gilbert,” said Henry with a smug look on his face. “Besides, if you need to talk to her about your child, you don’t come during school hours. You make an appointment. Got it?”

  He was firm and abrupt with his answer. It was clear that Henry wasn’t happy to see Gilbert there.

  Gilbert took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool, and asked, “Where did she go? Is she home?”

  “That’s none of your business, Gilbert.”

  Gilbert took another deep breath and tried again. “I know you don’t like me, Henry. But Melinda has a right to choose whether or not she wants to speak to me.”

  Henry slammed his hand on the desk for emphasis. “She wants nothing to do with you, Gilbert. Leave her alone.”

  Henry was trying Gilbert’s patience to the very limits and Gilbert was having a tough time enduring his unfriendly attitude.

  Henry glared at Gilbert as he said, “And if you want to make an appointment with her to speak about Jenny, I’ll be glad to do that for you.”

  Gilbert turned to leave. He had had enough of this man’s ornery attitude. Just as he got to the entrance, he turned and asked, “So when’s the date?”

  “What date?”

  “Of your marriage.”

  Henry grinned. “That’s none of your business.” He walked up to Gilbert and stood up close to his face, as if daring him to challenge him. “Remember, Melinda’s my girl, not yours.” Then with a haughty attitude, he gave Gilbert a firm shove out the door.

  That was it. Gilbert had kept his cool long enough. Without another word, he stepped forward and took a swing at Henry that landed right on his nose. Henry stumbled backwards, landing on a student’s desk with a surprised look on his face as he held his bleeding nose with his hand.

  Then Gilbert turned and abruptly walked away. This was not what he had planned. He had planned a perfect speech to convince her of his love and now he had just battered the man she was going to marry. Why had he lost his temper? She would never see him again after this fiasco. Why hadn’t he just gone to her home instead of confronting Henry? After hearing about this incident, she would be ashamed to speak to him.

  Gilbert stomped off toward his horse, hopped on, and rode out of town, feeling completely defeated.

  Chapter 26

  A MISUNDERSTANDING

  Two and a half weeks passed since Melinda’s recital and she still heard no word from Gilbert. She had invited him to call on her after the recital and he had not done so, and it appeared that he never would. Melinda’s emotions were on the edge and she wanted to cry. Gilbert seemed to be avoiding her.

  Aunt Martha had invited him over twice for Sunday dinner, and he had refused both times, saying he was too busy. It was not like Gilbert to refuse a meal. What was wrong? If Gilbert was not avoiding her, then what was his real excuse for not coming to dinner? When Melinda asked Jenny about her father’s absence, her answer came as quite a surprise.

  “We weren’t busy, Miss Gamble. We didn’t do a thing but sit around and read. He didn’t even tell me that we were invited over to your house for dinner.” Jenny lowered her head in despair and continued, “Also, Pa said we wouldn’t be visiting you any longer and I’m not sure why. He’s so moody lately.”

  The following day, Melinda excused class early so she could help Aunt Martha take Uncle William to the doctor in Montpelier. When she went back later to get some tests she had forgotten to grade, she met Henry. His nose was red and swollen and he had stuffed a handkerchief up one nostril. He was quite a sight.

  When she inquired about what happened to his nose, he said in a most innocent manner, “You want to know what happened? I’ll tell ya what happened. Your boyfriend confronted me. He just walked in here and picked a fight with me. And I didn’t do a thing to provoke him. He punched me for no reason whatsoever. He’s not the man for you, Melinda. He’s got a violent temper. When I told him to leave, he just up and slugged me. You wouldn’t be happy with such a fellow. You need someone that’ll be gentle with you.” He hesitated for a moment and then said, “Like me.”

  Melinda was shocked. This was not the Gilbert she had gotten to know. He was not violent. She was very confused by the idea of him punching Henry without provocation.

  Melinda decided to take a walk and think. She had only one month left of school and then she would return to Boston for the summer and not see Gilbert for three months. And when she returned, would he still avoid her? Were his concerns that he expressed to her still bothering him? If he still felt the same way, her heart would break and she could not bear to see him while he felt indifferent towards her. The memory of his kiss lingered within her and she could not get it out of her mind. The way she felt that day was indescribable.

  Melinda’s heart was aching inside and her chest was tight and full of emotion. Maybe walking would help her feel better. If she did not feel better after this walk, then she would write a letter of resignation to the school board and she would not return in the fall.

  One thing continued to bother her most of all. Gilbert had not told Melinda whether or not he had enjoyed her recital. The recital meant a lot to her. She had worked hard, and he had not gone out of his way to tell her what he thought about it. Were they not friends, at least? She resolved not to think about it any longer and knew if she walked among nature, she would feel better. In fact, she could not wait to return to Boston after all.

  As Melinda walked through the thick grove of quaking aspens and pines, she noticed a squirrel scampering toward a tree and climbing as fast as its little feet could go. Melinda was amused as she came over the hill and around a bend, her eyes still glued on the scampering squirrel. Not looking where she was going, she bumped into an object. It was not an inanimate object, though. This object happened to be human. She had stumbled right into Gilbert and he caught her by the shoulders as they collided.

  With a look of shock and surprise on his face, he exclaimed, “Melinda!” Catching his breath, he saw that he had startled her as well. “Are you all right?”

  After getting her breath back, Melinda abruptly pulled herself away from his grasp. She f
elt hurt, angry, and saddened, and with all of this meshed into one emotion, she snapped at him.

  “No, I’m not.”

  Gilbert was surprised by her attitude and his eyes widened in disbelief. “What’s wrong, Melinda?” he asked as he saw her stiffen. He noticed that her eyes were unreadable and her attitude was cool.

  “You don’t know?” Melinda answered with impatience.

  “Are you angry because of what happened between me and Henry?” he asked with caution.

  “Of course not. That has nothing to do with me. That’s between you and Henry.”

  “Then why are you ornery with me? Have I done something wrong?”

  “Have you done something wrong? Now that’s an understatement. Yes, you have. I thought we were friends.” When Melinda’s eyes moistened against her will, she turned her head so Gilbert would not notice.

  “We are, Melinda.”

  Gilbert’s eyes searched her face for an answer. If she was not upset about the little fiasco he had had with Henry, then why did she sound so upset? Her attitude definitely confused him.

  “Well, friends don’t forget one another, especially during a special event in their lives.”

  Gilbert’s heart throbbed with pain. He was in agony. Didn’t she understand how deep his feelings were for her? The turmoil of the last couple of weeks had been difficult for him.

  Trying to hide his feelings from her, he said solemnly, “Oh, yes. Congratulations. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I haven’t gone into town for a couple weeks.”

  “Congratulations? For what? I was talking about my recital. You didn’t come by to see me and tell me what you thought about it. That was a special time for me because I hadn’t sung here before and I was excited to do so. I worked very hard and it was important to me, but you didn’t even care to say a word about it. Right after the recital you disappeared and I haven’t seen you since.”

  Gilbert’s heart was aching and his features were laced with pain. Standing in front of Melinda like this was very hard. All he wanted to do was enfold her in his arms one more time. She was so achingly beautiful. But he listened as she spoke.

  “And another thing, why didn’t you come over for Sunday dinner? You never refuse a meal. Are you avoiding me?”

  Melinda’s frustration was obvious. Her eyes continued to moisten and that frustrated her even more. She did not want Gilbert to see her become emotional. She blinked back the tears and waited for an answer.

  “Yes, I was avoiding you.”

  Melinda was so hurt by his answer. She quickly turned her head and looked toward the mountains, trying very hard to blink back the tears that stung her eyes. Her hands trembled with anxiety and the pain in her heart intensified.

  “Melinda, I didn’t accept the dinner invitation because I figured Henry wouldn’t like it.”

  Her head jerked back and she faced him with confusion. “What does Henry have to do with this?”

  Gilbert took a deep breath, trying to muster up the courage to tell her how he felt. “Melinda, if you were my fiancée, I would not like it at all if you had dinner with Henry. In fact, I wouldn’t even like it if I knew you two met in the woods like this.” He paused. “If he knew what was in my heart, Melinda, he wouldn’t like it.”

  Gilbert knew exactly what was in his own heart. Could Henry possibly feel as deeply for a woman as he did for Melinda? How he loved this woman standing in front of him! If she only knew how it broke his heart to stand before her like this, longing to hold her in his arms once again.

  “Fiancée?” Melinda burst out with emotion. Her frustration elevated and she was confused, not to mention perturbed by his statement. Her throat became constricted as she spoke. “Did you say fiancée? I couldn’t marry Henry. I’m not in love with him.” She shook her head in exasperation. “How could I marry Henry when I’m in love with another? You are such a fool, Gilbert.”

  Then she turned on her heels and quickly marched away with tears trickling down her cheeks. Her hands were trembling and her heart pounded furiously. She wiped the tears away with her sleeve but they persisted to form beyond her control.

  As Gilbert watched her take off, he was at a loss for words, leaving him with his mouth wide open in surprise. What did she mean that she was in love with another? He watched her as she walked away with long and quick strides, the distance widening between them. He shook his head in confustion and quickly ran after her. Just as she was heading down the slope, he caught up to her and grabbed her firmly around the arm to stop her.

  Looking into her eyes, he asked, “Did you say you weren’t engaged to Henry?”

  “Yes, Gilbert. I did. Now let go of me and leave me alone.”

  Her voice had an edge to it and Gilbert could see that she was not in the mood to talk anymore. Melinda struggled to pull herself away from his firm grasp but he would not let her go. He could see that her frustration began to leave and was replaced with sorrow.

  As she struggled to pull away, he held her tightly by the arm and asked in a tender voice, “Who are you in love with, Melinda?”

  She turned to face him and answered impatiently, “Are you so oblivious of my feelings, Gilbert? Don’t you know? Can’t you tell how I feel about you?”

  She struggled out of his grasp, as he stood motionless with surprise written all over his face. This was not what he had expected at all. She had come right to the point and said what she felt and his heart swelled within him.

  Gilbert noticed that Melinda was walking at a very fast pace and he ran to catch up to her. As he dashed in front of her, she came to a stop. Then he took her by the shoulders with both hands and said, “Don’t be so stubborn, Melinda. Listen to me. Please listen. Give me a chance to explain. All right?”

  Melinda averted her eyes so he could not see the pain inside them. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel pity for her.

  Gilbert had already seen the sorrow within them. She could not hide it sufficiently from one who knew her so well. It pained him deeply to see her feel this way and he groaned inside himself. He needed to finally tell her how he felt about her. There was no time to wait for a proper courtship. She needed to know right now without any hesitation.

  “Melinda, listen to me.” When he saw that she was avoiding eye contact, he decided to go a different direction. “So, I guess I slugged an innocent man all for nothing, didn’t I?”

  That got her attention right away, and she turned to face him. “What?”

  “Melinda, I didn’t talk to you the night of the recital because I knew Henry was proposing to you that night. You had been dating for some time and I thought you might accept. I couldn’t face you, knowing this.”

  “Why not, Gilbert?” Melinda looked up into his eyes with intensity, waiting for an answer, the right answer.

  “Because of my feelings for you, Melinda. For the longest time I’ve tried to deny my deep love for you. Then when I realized that I needed you in my life, I thought it was too late. When I thought I’d lost you to another, I couldn’t bear it. I ached inside just thinking that you belonged to Henry. That’s when Jenny opened my eyes and told me that I needed to fight for you. So, I went to the school yesterday and confronted Henry. But I guess I hit an innocent man, didn’t I?”

  When he saw the surprised look in her eyes, he smiled. “Melinda, my heart is filled with so much love. There is no other woman in this world for me but you.”

  Gilbert saw her eyes widen and her mouth open slightly. He smiled with amusement. “Did you hear me, Melinda? I have fallen in love with you. The day I saw you wading in that stream and heard you laughing so delightfully, I knew I was going to lose my heart. But I tried to guard it so carefully and I shouldn’t have.”

  Melinda’s features softened as she looked into his eyes and asked, “You actually fought for me, Gilbert?”

  “Uh-huh. But I’m afraid it didn’t go well at all. I didn’t mean to hurt him. I was afraid you were mad at me for what happened.”

  �
�You fought for me?” she asked once again in disbelief.

  Gilbert grinned as he took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed the wetness from her cheeks. “Melinda, I fell for your charm, your honesty, your determination, and your independence. I fell for your frankness and boldness to say what was on your mind. And yes, I even fell in love with your stubbornness and your strong self-will. There isn’t a thing about you that I’m not in love with. I even love the way we argue together.”

  Melinda’s eyes began to glow with each word, more so from the tone of his voice than from the words he said.

  He put his handkerchief back in his pocket and chuckled softly as he watched a smile playing at the corners of her lips. He slid his hands around her waist and embraced her in his arms. Gilbert held her for the longest time while she leaned her head against his shoulder. As he squeezed her tightly against his chest, he felt her respond to his touch and melt into his arms with a soft sigh.

  Gilbert snuggled his cheek next to hers and he whispered into her ear, “Besides, Melinda, I just love the way you melt into my arms and respond to my hugs. It makes me want to hold you forever. When we’re apart, it seems as if my life isn’t complete. All I do is think about you and how much I love you.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Will you marry me, Melinda?”

  Melinda’s heart fluttered and her pulse raced as she listened to every word he said. His warm breath against her ear sent tingles down her spine. Her spirits soared and she did not want to come back down to earth again. She could not imagine being happier than she was at this very moment. Just hearing his voice telling her of his love was all she needed to send her spirits soaring. The touch of his hands against her back made her heart sing. His arms were strong and warm and protective. Happiness flooded through her and she wondered if this was a dream, if this was what fairy tales were like.