Brides of the West: Josie's Wedding DressLast Minute BrideHer Ideal Husband

by Victoria Bylin

  “I wouldn’t mind.”

  “It’s easy to say, harder to do.”

  She bit her lip, then lifted her chin. “There’s more to life than working. If you lose the Maze, I say we sell everything and go to Denver. We’ll take Mama. I could sell my wedding dress—”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I want to see you in it.”

  She hadn’t exactly proposed with that mention of Denver. Neither had he proposed with the mention of seeing her in the dress, but the question hung between them. “Let’s not talk about it,” Ty said. “I’m going to win that race, so this is foolishness.”

  “I hope so,” Josie answered. “Because I love you.”

  “Ah, Josie—”

  “You don’t have to say the words back.” She touched his cheek. “But think about it. I don’t need you to win, Ty. I just need you.”

  He needed her, too. But he also needed to be a man. That meant providing for her. He couldn’t tell Josie that he loved her, but he had said the words in the past. She knew how he felt, but she wanted the commitment he couldn’t give. Not yet.

  She turned abruptly and stared at the stars. Ty did the same until his neck hurt. Finally he said, “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking about kissing you again.”

  He cocked a brow. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  They turned at the same time, looking at each other with their eyes alive with love, thinking and hoping and dreaming. Finally Josie said, “I’m done thinking.” Ty kissed her just like before…just like he’d do again when he won the Maze.

  Chapter Seven

  The day before the race, Ty rode Smoke to Rock Creek with Josie’s words ringing in his ears. They’d had breakfast together, and she’d made her position clear. I mean it, Ty. The only thing that matters is that you keep your word to me, and that means running in the race. It doesn’t mean winning.

  Ty appreciated her sacrifice, but he couldn’t stand the notion of proposing marriage with just ten dollars to his name. After today, when he bought food and paid for a hotel room, he’d have even less. He wanted Smoke to be rested for the race, so he arrived midday at the livery. As he swung out of the saddle, Wayne greeted him with a handshake. “Smoke’s looking strong.”

  “I’ve worked him hard,” Ty acknowledged.

  Wayne’s brow furrowed. “You’re going to have some competition, that’s for sure.”

  “Anyone new enter the race?”

  “No, but Obie Jones is riding for Susan Lee Hawkins. Do you remember her?”

  “Yeah.” But he wished he didn’t. Susan Lee Hawkins was Brant Scudder’s great-aunt. She sat in the front row during the trial, clearly wishing Ty dead.

  “There’s talk in town that Obie told her that you were running in the race. She’s a sour thing, if you ask me. Anyhow, she’s supplying Obie with a horse for the Maze. If I had to guess, I’d say Obie’ll be riding a sorrel with some Arabian blood.”

  “Arabians are fast.” They also had stamina.

  Wayne gave Smoke another look. “He’s in good shape, Ty. Older, of course. But more sure-footed than the sorrel.”

  Ty turned to Smoke. “What do you say, fella? Are you going to let Obie beat us?”

  Smoke nosed Ty’s chest. He probably just wanted a carrot, but Ty imagined the horse was telling him not to worry. Even so, he had a bad feeling about Obie. Ty wouldn’t put anything past him—not lying, cheating or even stealing. He turned to Wayne. “Mind if I bed down in your barn?”

  Wayne shrugged. “Suit yourself, but you’re welcome at my place.”

  Ty had been hoping for an invitation, but now he couldn’t accept. Leaving his horse alone was out of the question. “Thanks, Wayne. But I want to keep an eye on Smoke.”

  “I understand.” Wayne led the way into the barn. The back stalls were full of wagon parts, so Ty put Smoke in one in the middle of the barn. Wayne indicated the stall across the aisle from Smoke. “There’s a cot in the back. You can haul it up here if you want.”

  “I’ll do that.” Ty’s belly growled. He needed to eat. “Are you going to be around for a while? I’ve got a few things to do.”

  “Sure,” Wayne answered. “Take your time.”

  Ty finished tending to Smoke, then he went to the saloon, not to drink but to listen to the talk about the race. He ordered coffee and kept to himself as he listened to men placing wagers. He’d didn’t recognize all the names, but those he did know were the finest riders around. So were the horses. They were younger than Smoke with fine bloodlines. Aside from Obie, the biggest challenger would be Grant Harper on one of his Arabians. Ty heard his own name two times, but the few men who remembered him didn’t take Smoke seriously. Good, he thought. He’d enjoy surprising them.

  He left the saloon as quietly as he’d come in, bought a box supper from a restaurant and went back to the livery. At dusk Wayne went home, leaving Ty with a long night ahead of him. He bedded down near Smoke, but he couldn’t sleep. Instead he thought about Josie and the life he wanted to give her. He recalled the years he spent behind bars and nights like this one where sleep didn’t come. When it finally did come, it arrived just before dawn and hit hard.

  That’s what happened now… After hours of tossing, he fell into an exhausted slumber, one filled with dreams of the race, then pictures of Josie in a cloud of a dress. In his dream he heard a piano playing a wedding march, then the creak of a door and finally a snort and the muted clop of hooves. It didn’t make sense, not even in a dream.

  Ty shot to his feet just in time to see someone leading Smoke out the barn door. “Hey!”

  The thief rammed the door shut behind him. Ty charged after him barefoot, wishing he’d slept in his boots and glad he’d worn his trousers over his long johns. As he swung the door open, he saw Obie mount a waiting horse with Smoke tied behind him. Ty charged after him. He got a grip on Obie’s leg, but not before Obie raised a knife. The blade flashed silver in the moonlight, then sliced into Ty’s biceps. As he stumbled back, Obie kicked his horse into a run and took off with Smoke.

  Ty fell to his knees. With the smell of blood filling his nose, he ripped the wet sleeve off his arm and looked at the gash. The cut was six inches long and deep enough to scare him. He used the sleeve to wrap it, then stared into the empty night. Without Smoke, he didn’t have a chance at winning the race. But if he went after Obie, he risked doing the one thing that would hurt Josie. He might miss the race altogether, when all she asked was that he show up. Behind him he had a barn full of horses. He could saddle one and go after Obie, or he could do what Josie would want him to do. He could go to the law.

  He went into the barn and lit a lantern. As the light flared, he breathed a prayer and he knew what he had to do. He’d go to the law, but he’d also run in the race. Wayne had a dozen horses on hand, and Ty figured he could borrow the fastest one. He wouldn’t be riding Smoke and he’d be a long shot to win, but he wouldn’t let Josie down. As for marrying her, he needed more than ten dollars in his pocket before he could ask the question, but she’d know she could trust him.

  He put on his boots but didn’t waste a shirt on his bloody arm. With the sky turning pink, he hurried three blocks to the sheriff’s office. With all the activity in town, he figured a deputy would be on duty. When he pushed through the door, he saw Deputy Seth Jenkins, a man who Ty remembered as fair and having no ties to the Scudders.

  Deputy Jenkins saw Ty’s arm and lumbered to his feet. “I take it there’s a bar fight I need to handle.”

  “No, sir. Obie Jones just stole my horse.”

  “That fool.” Jenkins went to the gun cabinet and took out a rifle. “He’s been flapping his jaw for three days now. Which way did he go?”

 
“West. Maybe to the Hawkins place.” Ty told Jenkins everything he knew about Obie, including the fight at the Bar JB. “You probably remember about me and Brant Scudder.”

  “I sure do.” Seth’s jaw hardened. “The Scudders were thieves, plain and simple. They stole from my brother about a month after you got sent to Laramie. You got a bad rap, Donner.”

  For the first time in five years, Ty felt respected by another man. “Thanks.”

  “What’s your horse look like?”

  “A gray mustang stallion.”

  “I’d invite you to come along, but that arm needs attention. Go see Doc. I’ll get my partner and go after Obie. Where can I find you?”

  “The livery.”

  Seth left and Ty went to the doctor’s office. In spite of the early hour, a light was burning in the window. With all the commotion in town, Doc Rayburn had doubtlessly been busy. He greeted Ty with his customary scowl, then worked with calm efficiency as he stitched muscle to muscle, skin to skin.

  Ty felt every prick of the needle, but his mind was on Josie and the race. The competition started at twelve noon. The deputies had less than five hours to catch Obie and come back with Smoke, but even if they succeeded, what kind of shape would his horse be in? Exhausted to be sure. By the time Doc Rayburn finished stitching his arm, Ty had lost all hope of winning the Maze and having the money to save the Bar JB. He thought of Josie’s interest in going to Denver and winced. He didn’t belong in a city. After prison he longed for open land and sky, but he longed for Josie, too.

  It was a conundrum to be sure, one he couldn’t solve today…unless he could win the race on a different horse.

  Doc finished stitching and cut the black thread. Ty paid him and headed for the livery.

  Wayne was up and feeding his stock. At the sight of Ty, his brow furrowed. “I thought you’d gone for a ride. Where’s Smoke?”

  Ty told him the story. “I’ve got to win that race. I’ll give you a quarter of the prize if you’ll loan me your best horse.”

  “They’re all saddle horses,” Wayne replied. “They don’t like to run. You don’t stand a chance without Smoke.”

  “Mind if I look for myself?”

  “Go ahead.”

  Ty went from stall to stall. The selection was as bad as Wayne had said. With his arm hurting, he stared at Smoke’s empty stall. To win the race, he needed Smoke. Would Josie understand if he changed his mind and caught up with the deputies? Maybe. Maybe not. He’d be with the law, but what would happen if a fight broke out? He’d be at a serious disadvantage. And what if someone got hurt, even killed, and Ty was in the middle? He couldn’t stand the thought of a trial, or God spare him, even returning to prison.

  “I give up,” he said out loud. Whether he was talking to God or himself, he didn’t know. There was still a small chance that Seth would show up with Smoke, but it seemed wise to prepare for the worst. He had promised Josie he’d ride in the race and he would. He’d pick one of Wayne’s horses and do his best. He’d prove himself worthy of her trust, but they wouldn’t be getting married anytime soon.

  Ty inspected Wayne’s horses a second time. A big gelding impressed him but not much. A mustang mare looked ornery enough to run hard, but she was too small for real speed. He chose the gelding, but he had no hope of winning, no hope of marrying Josie for a long time to come.

  * * *

  Josie and her mother arrived in Rock Creek about an hour before the start of the race. It promised to be a tiring day for Mama, so Josie took a small room at the hotel in spite of the inflated prices. Her mother would need a place to rest, and Josie needed a place to keep her wedding gown. Determined to be ready for anything, she had brought it with her. If Ty won the race and proposed, she saw no reason to wait to take vows. If Reverend Hall could perform the ceremony, she’d wear the dress today.

  If Ty lost, Josie intended to propose to him. If he turned her down, she’d suggest the three of them go to Denver for a fresh start. Ty would fight the idea of accompanying them, but Josie would fight harder. Kissing him at the creek had been her final undoing. She loved him, and he’d assured her a hundred times that nothing would stop him from competing in today’s race. She believed him, though she had to admit to a case of nerves. This morning when she’d folded the dress and put it in a satchel, her old bitterness had tried to come back.

  She didn’t want to see Ty at the livery stable before the race, so she paid extra for the hotel to see to the mule and buggy. She and Mama settled into the room, then left for the fairgrounds with Mama holding her arm. Together they navigated the crowded street to the meadow dotted with booths for games and contests. Josie described the people she saw, the dresses the women were wearing, how the younger children were playing with whirlybirds and the older boys were competing in mumblety-peg. The air rippled with excitement, much of it related to the start of the Maze. A crowd had already gathered at the starting line, but they found a spot that gave Josie a view of the riders as they took their places.

  She searched for Ty and Smoke, but she didn’t see them anywhere. The spring day was bright and clear, a perfect day for a race. As she looked for Ty, she saw the competition and knew Smoke would have to run his best to win.

  “Have you found Ty?” Mama asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “Shouldn’t he be here?” The older woman had a keen sense of time. “It must be close to noon, and it’s not like him to be late for anything.”

  Josie looked at the watch pinned to her dress. “The race starts in five minutes.”

  She couldn’t walk fast with her mother, but she wanted to run to the starting line and ask if anyone had seen a man on a gray mustang. She settled for peering down the path from Wayne’s stable. A minute ticked by, then another. She didn’t see Ty anywhere.

  “Have you spotted him?” her mother asked again.

  “He’s not here.”

  The town mayor had the honor of shooting the gun that would start the race. Josie saw him on a platform. She counted nine horses in line, all of them sleek and ready to run. Smoke should have been Horse No. 10.

  The mayor shouted to the crowd. “Ladies and Gentlemen! Get ready for the May Day Maze!”

  Frantic, Josie searched the meadow for Ty and Smoke. There wasn’t a gray horse in sight, nor did she spot Ty even on foot. Something had happened…something bad. She saw Mr. Angle from the emporium and approached him. “Have you seen Ty Donner? He’s supposed to be riding today.”

  “Did you say Donner?”

  “Yes.”

  “Saw him last night in the saloon, Miss Bright. I heard talk he and Obie Jones got in a tangle.”

  “A fight?”

  “I guess. The Doc’s missus told my missus he was up all night stitching up rowdies. You know how it is around Founders’ Day. Men drinking and brawling. It’s appalling.”

  Josie didn’t know what to think. Had Ty spent the evening at the saloon? Had he decided to get even with Obie? No matter what Obie said or did, Ty should have walked away. He knew what today meant to her…what it meant to them.

  The mayor raised one arm to the sky. “Gentlemen! On your mark!”

  The riders started straight ahead, so did the horses.

  “Get set!”

  Everyone leaned forward.

  “Go!”

  And so the race began… Without Ty and Smoke. Josie stared in disbelief. What had kept him away? What could have been more important than keeping his word? Had he fought with Obie for a good reason? Another thought came and it haunted her. Mr. Angle’s comments suggested Ty had seen Dr. Rayburn. How badly was he hurt? Fear and anger mixed into a bitter brew of confusion. Ty had let her down. Maybe he had a good reason… Maybe he didn’t.

  Her mother squeezed her arm. “Give him a chance.”

/>   “I don’t know, Mama.”

  “He could have a very good explanation.”

  “Or he could have gotten mad and punched Obie. It’s just like before.” She thought of the dress. She wouldn’t be wearing it today, after all. “He promised to be here, and he’s not.”

  She wanted to find him and give him a piece of her mind, but first she had to take her mother to the hotel. Aching inside, she tucked Mama’s hand against her elbow. “I’ll take you to the hotel, then I’m going to find Ty.”

  They were nearly across the meadow when shouts erupted near the starting line. Josie turned to the noise and saw a silver horse gallop across the starting line, ridden by a man she’d know anywhere. She didn’t know why Ty arrived late, but it didn’t matter. He’d kept his word.

  “Mama!” she cried. “It’s Ty, and he’s riding Smoke.”

  Josie wanted to rejoice, but Ty was so far behind that she didn’t see how he could win. She thought of his insistence that he win the race before proposing marriage. What were the chances Smoke could catch up? Not very good, she decided. And why had Ty been late in the first place? Josie didn’t know what had gone wrong, but she saw an obvious solution to all their problems. She turned to her mother. “I need to speak with Reverend Hall.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m going to ask Ty to marry me.”

  Mama smiled. “That’s a fine idea.”

  “Whether he wins the race or loses, we can get married today.”

  “Ty feels strongly about providing for you. What if he says no?”

  “I’ll have to change his mind,” Josie replied. “Come on, Mama. I need to hurry.”

  “Don’t you want to see the end of the race?”

  “I’ve already won,” Josie said with a smile. She had arrangements to make, so she walked with Mama to the booth sponsored by the Rock Creek Church. She saw Reverend Hall and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Reverend!” she called.