by Natalie Dean
Clara decided to take a step back from her emotions, and let her feelings work themselves out. She found it increasingly difficult to know how she felt when she was around Noah. Part of her knew she was falling in love – it was a feeling she had felt at another time in her life.
But, part of her thought she would never be capable of fully loving again. At least, that is what her heart cried every time she thought she felt a hint of love between them. So, Clara did her best to keep the house running and to be polite and charming toward Noah, in spite of all the turmoil she was feeling.
“I was going to make a trip into town today, did you want to come along?” Noah asked her at breakfast one morning. Clara had grown used to spending more time with Noah, and she always appreciated it when he asked her if she wished to join him. With a smile, she agreed, then hurried back to her room to change into something that was more suitable for town.
Since moving to the country, she had found that her dresses were harder to keep clean, and she had to spend more time mending them, but she didn’t mind. As the weeks passed, she was becoming more accustomed to the farm, and she felt she was of greater help to Noah now than she was when she first arrived.
When she was ready, she gave herself a final look in the mirror to ensure every hair was in its proper place, then she hurried outside. Noah had already hitched up the team and was driving the wagon to the door to pick her up, although he didn’t allow her to climb into the seat herself. Instead, he jumped down from his place on the bench and hurried around to offer her his hand.
Clara thanked him and climbed up into the wagon. She settled in as gracefully as possible, taking care to tuck her skirts in on either side of her legs to prevent them catching on a loose nail or wire. Within seconds, Noah was once again seated beside her and gathering up the reins, then he slapped them on the backs of the horses to get them started.
The couple chatted away as friends on their way into town, and Clara couldn’t believe how much she and Noah had in common. They were separated by hundreds of miles and two entirely different lives, but she felt that she had a connection to him that was entirely unique. It wasn’t the same feeling she had in relation to Cody, but it was enough to amaze her.
When they got to town, Noah stopped just outside the general store and put the brakes on the wagon. “I won’t be but a minute, though you are welcome to come inside with me if you wish.”
Clara shook her head. It was difficult getting in and out of the wagon, and she didn’t want to risk tearing the skirt of her nice dress. “You go ahead, I’ll wait here. I mostly came along for the ride.”
Noah smacked the rump of one of the horses then turned and walked up the stairs. Clara watched him go and smiled to herself. Though she still had mixed feelings in her chest, there was something natural about their companionship now, and it felt good to spend time with Noah. The gnawing pain of missing Cody still crept into her chest from time to time, but with Noah, it happened less often. God gave her a feeling of peace that told her everything was going to be ok.
Noah reappeared quickly and practically skipped down the steps with his package tucked under his arm. Clara asked him if he’d gotten all he needed, and he confirmed that he had, though there was an odd look on his face as he climbed up into the wagon.
“What is it?” she asked with concern, and he handed her a letter. It was addressed to her on the front of the letter, but there was no indication who it was from. Clara held the it for a moment, confusion clearly written across her face.
“Do you know who it’s from?” she asked, glancing up at Noah. He shook his head, an equally confused look in his own eyes.
“I figured it must be from one of your family members or someone from back home,” he said as he gathered the reins. But, Clara had told him that she had no family from back home – and the fact was, she didn’t.
“Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she said with a smile and slid her finger under the seal. Her eyes skimmed the words on the paper, but with each passing line, her heart sank. It read:
Mrs. Swanson,
It has taken quite some time for me to track you down – at least, quite some time if you go by my usual standards. Of course, your late husband was always the one in charge of tracking down those who have fled the area.
You may find it surprising to receive such a letter from me, I know you pity my education. However, pay no mind to that, as connections have proven to be a valuable asset in my life.
I stopped by your house shortly after receiving word that you went to Judge Travis about me being there, and I must say, I was incredibly disappointed to find that you weren’t there. I waited for you for a few days, but alas, you never did show your face. It was then that I began to suspect that you had done something – foolish.
How could you think that you would be able to hide from someone like me? It’s my job to hunt people down and bring them to justice. And, my Dear, you now deserve justice. Attempting to expose what I did – and marring my name in the process – is something that I cannot and will not forgive. Not to mention you have a great deal of money I should like to get my hands on.
Oh, and don’t think of going to the sheriff with this. I have wired ahead and informed him that I am after an outlaw who has claimed to be married to a deceased man here, and run off with all his money. I’ve told him of a letter I send you to prepare you for my arrival as well, so should you wish to use this letter as evidence against me, you will once again find that your efforts are futile.
I look forward to seeing you again, Mrs. Swanson, I’m sure you’ve missed me.
Sincerely Yours,
John Hanks
“Is something wrong?” Noah’s voice broke into her thoughts, and Clara quickly set the letter down on the bench beside her.
She smiled and shook her head, trying her best to act as normal as possible. He looked at her for a moment, clearly trying to decide if she was telling the truth, then he turned his attention back to the road in front of them. Clara breathed a sigh of relief when he let it go, but she couldn’t fight the sick feeling that was gathering in her stomach.
She gave Noah another reassuring smile, but then she turned her attention to the other direction, looking out across the prairie. Her mind was spinning so fast she didn’t know which train of thought to follow.
John Hanks was coming after her, and she had already seen what the man was capable of.
A Way Out
Clara sighed as she dipped her hands into the washbasin. She took her time doing the dishes, doing her best not to think about the letter she had received. Part of her knew that she should tell Noah about it, but another part of her felt that if she did, he would be furious with her. After all, she’d never mentioned her previous marriage nor her fortune to him in the past, and she didn’t know how he would take it if he found out.
At the same time, she knew her time was running out – Hanks was on the way, and she couldn’t let her second husband face the same fate as her first. There had to be a way for her to stop him. But, although she had run from Hanks the first time, she didn’t know if she had the strength to stand up to him now.
A knock at the door caught her attention, and Clara looked up in surprise. Noah had been gone to town for the afternoon, leaving her home alone. Her heart began to pound, and she had the urge to turn and run back to her room, slam the door and hide from whoever it was looking for her. She leaned forward and glanced out the window, ready to turn and flee in an instant.
Relief flooded over her as she recognized Barbara standing outside the door with a pie in her hands. Clara hurried over and threw it open, eagerly welcoming her new friend inside.
“Did I interrupt your work? I do apologize, I just never know when the right time to pay a visit is these days,” Barbara said woefully as she saw the dishes in the basin. Clara quickly shook her head and dried her hands on a towel before grabbing a couple of plates for the pie.
“Not at all, I am glad fo
r the interruption. I was – actually hoping that I might see you, I need your advice,” Clara said timidly. Barbara looked at her with surprise written on her face, and Clara continued, “I got a letter. You know, from the man I believe is responsible for my husband’s death. In fact, I know he is now.”
Clara revealed the letter, and Barbara looked it over with worry in her eyes. She didn’t say anything for a while, then she asked, “Does Noah know about this?”
Clara shook her head and looked down at her hands without saying a word. Barbara sighed as she handed the letter back. “I think you ought to tell him, I know it’s hard, but you have to trust me on this. When you married Noah, you chose to be a team, even if you didn’t want to. You can’t hide this from him, and it’s only going to get worse if you don’t say anything.”
“I can’t say anything! He’ll know that I lied to him! I never said anything to him before about being married back in Buffalo or that my husband was murdered, and I certainly never said anything about the inheritance money – which I know he would find quite odd indeed!” her voice was high, and there was fear in her tone. But, Barbara was adamant about what she said.
“I’m telling you, you have to work together. I did the same thing when I moved here, and I thought there would be no way at all for my husband to still love me after he found out the truth, but let me tell you, that man came through for me in a way that I never thought anyone would. Remember, God is in control of everything, and He is going to make sure everything works out. Trust Him – and me!” She winked at Clara as she added the last part, and Clara shook her head, still feeling uncertain about her friend’s advice.
“Well, I really must be going, but thank you for sharing a slice of pie with me, and remember what I said!” Barbara waved her hand behind her as she walked out the door, leaving Clara alone with her thoughts. Clara didn’t know if she felt better or worse having talked to Barbara about the letter. It felt good knowing that there was someone else out there that knew her problem, but it didn’t make her any more excited to tell Noah.
“Noah? Do you have a moment?” Clara asked as she stepped into the barn. It was a rare thing for her to be out in the barn after dinner, and Noah looked up at her in surprise. He was tending to one of the horse’s shoes and hadn’t expected to see her. Wiping his hands on the back of his trousers, he hurried over.
“Of course! I always have time for you,” he said with a grin. She smiled, but she didn’t blush as she normally would. She held out the letter.
“I know I said this was nothing, but I’m afraid that wasn’t entirely true,” she said. Noah looked at her for a moment, then glanced down at the letter. Reluctantly, he took it and skimmed the contents for himself. Clara leaned against one of the beams and watched him, her eyes searching his face. She wished she could know what he was thinking, but there was no expression in his eyes at all.
Finally, he looked up. “Clara? What is this?”
“I haven’t been entirely honest with you, and I am very sorry. I thought that if you were to know the truth about me, then you wouldn’t want to marry me, and I would be left to fend for myself. I know I should have told you about this before, from the very beginning, but I- I”- she tried to continue, but the words wouldn’t come out.
He still held the letter in his hand, but Noah stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his wife, holding her while she cried. He ran his fingers over the back of her hair, starting at the top of her head and reaching all the way down the middle of her back.
“It’s going to be alright, I promise, it’s going to be alright,” he whispered as he continued to stroke her hair. Clara looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She shook her head as the wet stains ran down her cheeks.
“He’ll stop at nothing until he gets the money. It doesn’t matter what we do – he shot my husband – his own partner – for the money. We’re doomed!” she leaned in once more and sobbed against his shirt, and Noah held her close. He did his best to comfort her in spite of her sobs, though he didn’t know what else to say.
“I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t have come. I should go – that’s it, I’ll go far away from here, and we’ll forget that this ever happened.” Clara dried her eyes and turned to go, but Noah caught her arm.
“You will do no such thing!” he said, a little too harshly. Clara looked at him with wide eyes but shook her head as she smiled.
“I have to, he’s coming for me,” she said with a sad expression. Noah grabbed her hand and held it between his palms.
“If they are going to get to you, they are going to have to get through me first. I’ve got a plan.”
Setting the Trap
“How do you know this is going to work?” Clara asked with uncertainty in her voice. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her husband, but she did have her doubts about him setting a trap for a trained deputy.
“Because I wasn’t always a farmer,” he replied, carefully placing the money in the drawer of the vanity. Clara looked at him in surprise.
“You weren’t?” she asked. He shook his head.
“There was a time when I, too, wanted to join the officers. I had dreams of one day being a sheriff and bringing justice to the city I lived in, but it never happened for me,” he didn’t seem disappointed when he spoke, but Clara couldn’t help but look at him with compassion.
“I must say, I’m glad you chose to be a farmer instead,” she said quietly. She put her hand over his, and he smiled at her. He then stood and took a step back, pulling her along with him.
“Alright, it’s really rather simple, but it will be easy for us to do as he won’t suspect what’s coming. I would rather you weren’t anywhere near the house in the event he tries to attack you again, so if you don’t mind, slip out the window in your room and run to the barn when you see him coming. Stay there,” he gave her a warning look as he spoke, and she nodded.
“He’ll come in here, and naturally begin looking around, if you had the money in the vanity before, then it’s likely that’s where he’s going to look. However, he reaches into the bag, and he gets this dye all over his hands that won’t wash off. Meanwhile, I’ll be riding in with the sheriff, and the rest will be as easy as counting sheep.” Noah smiled at his bride as he spoke, and though she nodded, she felt a twinge of worry in her stomach.
She knew John Hanks would be arriving in town any day, and she was going to have to face the man who murdered her husband. She never wanted to see him again, but then, part of her hoped that this would put him in jail where he belonged.
Clara’s heart leapt to her throat. Noah had told her the day before that he had been told a man was looking for her in town, and she now suspected the person she saw riding up the road to be John. Noah was in the barn, but to stick with the plan he wouldn’t come out of it until she made it inside – then he would go for the sheriff.
Clara’s heart froze, however, when she suddenly realized he wasn’t alone. There were two other men riding alongside him, and though she, at first, hoped that she may be mistaken as to who it was, she soon realized it was, in fact, Hanks.
With a lump forming in her throat, she ran to her bedroom and slid open the window, slipping through it as quickly as she could. She crept around the side of the house and looked toward the doorway of the barn, but she soon realized she wouldn’t be able to make it – Hanks had left one man standing at the door and the other he’d sent over to the barn.
Noah was in the barn, and he wouldn’t be suspecting anything. At once, Clara realized what was going to happen, and she couldn’t bear the thought of it. Without giving a thought to herself, she ran for the barn, shouting for Noah to watch out. Both men turned and looked at her in surprise, then they started for her. Clara stopped as quickly as she could and turned to run the other way, but at that moment, Noah tackled the man closest to the barn.
Immediately, the other man turned and joined in the fight, and Clara could do nothing but shout at them to stop. She’d never witnessed viole
nce before in her life, and it was almost more than she could take. She feared she was going to faint from the dizziness that overtook her, and she didn’t want to think about what would happen to her husband.
Suddenly, one of the men yanked out a gun and took aim at Noah. Thinking quickly, Clara knew she couldn’t stand by and lose another husband. She ran up to the man from behind and shoved him as hard as she could. Surprised, the man lost his balance and dropped the gun.
Clara managed to grab the weapon, and not knowing exactly what to do, she whirled it around on the man.
“Freeze! The lot of you!” she shouted, holding the weapon as she had seen Cody hold it many times before. The three men stopped, and Noah quickly scrambled to his feet.
“Get on your knees!” she barked. The two men looked at each other and slowly moved to their knees. Suddenly, the sound of clapping was heard from the porch, and everyone turned in surprise.
“Bravo! Bravo!” John said. He, too, had his gun drawn and ready, and he now walked coolly over to the group. Clara turned the gun from the men on the ground to John, but she didn’t know what to do next.
“Clara, Darling, come on, this isn’t you – put that thing down,” John said with a condescending tone. Clara felt her grip tighten, and she rolled her shoulders back. John had blue ink on his hands and the front of his shirt, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Look, I’ve gotten what I came for. Well, almost. But, this isn’t worth further bloodshed. I’m going to take my men now and go, and you will never hear from me again – just put the gun down, okay?” he said, and Clara and Noah both exchanged a look.
“Lower yours and I’ll lower mine,” she said, her voice shaking. She didn’t want to lower her weapon, but she knew she would have no choice. It was just money that he had taken – both she and Noah were unharmed. John gave her a sidelong glance, then dropped the gun to his side.