Run to Texas

by Stephy Smith

  They greeted citizens on the wood walkway. Jingling spurs, snorting horses and the creaking of passing wagons filled the air with dust and end of the day excitement.

  James held the office door open for Mattie. He jaunted across the floor to light a lantern on the desk and led Mattie to the storage area in the corner of the room. James marveled at the many emotions he watched flit across Mattie’s face.

  Mattie scanned the property. Her eyes rested on a small wooden box. She cautiously reached down and clasped it in her hand, her knuckles white from the grasp on the box. She ran her fingers across the shell-patterned wood. She pulled it to her chest and sat in the chair James brought to her.

  “This was my mother’s. Dad made it for her.” Tears filled Mattie’s eyes.

  As he watched her open the box, James hoped the precious contents of the box lay safe inside, for Mattie’s sake. Her eyes widened; her mouth gaped open. She sat in stilled silence. James peered over her shoulder at the blue velvet interior containing her mother’s jewelry. She let out a long sigh.

  “He must have been a thoughtful man, Mattie, to take that much time and effort for the woman he loved. I hope I can live up to his values.” James’s nerves and his own doubt sat on his shoulders.

  “I don’t expect you to live up to anything, James. I love you the way you are. You will never have to prove anything to me. People show their love in different ways. Not only by the words they say or gifts given, but also by the way they act. Love radiates from the heart and shines through. You have that within you.” Mattie stroked his cheek with the back of her hand.

  Turning back to the possessions that lay in front of her, Mattie grew quiet. “What is it, Mattie?”

  “This stuff came from Georgia. They were in my home in Georgia.” Mattie’s brow furrowed, and tears glistened in her eyes.

  “I’ll have the deputy carry it to the boarding house tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, James.” Mattie set aside the things belonging to her. “I’m sure Laura might want to see some of it. She grabbed her part after she married.”

  James extinguished the flame of the lantern and held on to Mattie’s arm as she carried the wooden box in the other.

  ****

  A deputy began placing items on the dining room table. The silver serving tray, teapot, cups, sugar and cream bowls, gravy boat and other household items Mattie’s mother held dear now rested safely within her hands once again. She would not know what all was taken until she made a trip back to Georgia. A trip she would have to make one day.

  Rose crept into the room and gasped. “Where did all of this come from? These are beautiful.”

  Mattie picked up a china tea set. Rose’s eyes sparkled as she admired the gold-rimmed edge and tiny, hand-painted pink roses nestled on the white china cups and teapot.

  “I want you to have these,” Mattie said. “They fit in here with the rest of your roses.”

  Softly sitting the china on the table, Rose turned to hug her future daughter-in-law. Tears of joy filled Rose’s soft eyes. “I love them, but I couldn’t possibly take these.”

  “They were my mother’s. I think she would be proud for you to have them. She was a gracious woman who, like you, loved rose gardens. She worked continuously in hers. Dad and I worked hard to keep it groomed. Mother could do it in a day. It took dad and me at least three.” Mattie paused and then laughed.

  “Thank you.” Rose grabbed the china and placed it in a hutch along with other sets she had collected over the years. “Would you want to be partners after you and James get married?” Rose held Mattie’s forearms.

  “You mean in the boarding house? I would be honored.” Mattie glanced at Rose.

  “We can change the name from The Rose Garden to The Matted Rose.” Rose’s pink cheeks matched the color of the roses on the china.

  “How about we leave the name alone?” Mattie patted Rose on the back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mattie’s stomach churned. Although Laura told her to stay calm, Mattie couldn’t pull herself together. She clenched her eyes shut, held her breath, and then let it out, while she fidgeted with the ribbon on her petticoat. Laura stood behind her, pulled her corset tight, and tied it.

  Laura twisted Mattie’s auburn masses into a stylish bun and secured it. Several pink rose buds with thin, white ribbons balanced on the top of her dark auburn hair. Mattie turned her head from one side to the other. “I like it. Do you think James will?”

  “I’m not sure he will even notice. I suppose he is as jittery as you are.” Laura hugged her.

  Mattie slipped into her dark blue velvet dress with white lace ruffles on the neckline, sleeves, and waist. Her polished and buffed shoes shimmered with a deep shine.

  A knock on the door and an announcement of the judge couldn’t have come a moment too soon. Laura guided Mattie to the landing for her trip down the staircase.

  ****

  James never wavered from his spot. He stood near the bottom of the staircase. The look on his face shouted ‘run,’ but his feet were frozen to the floor. His blue suit fit just right.

  His eyes caught Mattie’s. The breath tightened his chest, as his world seemed to stand still. She was making a graceful descent down the elegant, beautiful steps. Soon, she would be his for the rest of her life. His heart beat with overwhelming desire. She paused on the last step. A lifetime of pictures embedded in his mind forever.

  Mattie’s sleek movements brought her to his side. Her arm raised and entangled in the crook of his elbow. He didn’t know how she felt inside, but his knees were quaking.

  The small service turned into a blur. They stood for a moment. He was taken in by her radiance and hadn’t realized the ceremony was over. Mattie locked eyes with his, their lips joined in a passionate kiss. He couldn’t risk another kiss to add to his burning desire and stir his deepest, darkest recesses.

  The reception moved to the rose garden. The table was covered with an assortment of meats, vegetables, fruit, and dessert dishes. In the center of the table sat a familiar, china teapot filled with fresh cut roses. James felt in some small way, Mattie’s parents had joined them.

  Light pink and white streamers flew from trees; laughter and small talk filled the air. The bright sun was sinking in the west. “Would you take a walk in the woods with me?” James’s eyes held a promise of passion.

  Mattie took hold of his extended arm. They disappeared through the edge of the massive trees and crept along to the clearing. The last rays of sun floated across the water in a melting pot of gold. Lily pads of white, yellow, and pink faded into green leaves resting on the water.

  “This is where we will build our home, Mattie. Would you like that?”

  “I love it here, James. I do not care where we live. I will be happy where you are. My home is in your heart.” Mattie smiled at James. Standing on her toes, she kissed his cheek.

  “I can live there happy and content.” James slid his index finger down her nose.

  “We better get back to our guests, James. They may think we have abandoned their efforts to make our day special.” Mattie boldly patted his bottom.

  “I suppose you’re right, my love.” He extended his arm once again to lead her back to the small crowd.

  After a couple of hours, wedding guests trickled down to a handful. Most left or retired to their rooms after cleaning up. Debris from the decorations lay scattered on the ground. The streamers in the trees and on tables were left until morning.

  Climbing the stairs to James’s room, the two slipped behind the closed door for the night.

  ****

  Rays of a golden sun streamed through the curtains into the sleepy eyes of Mattie and James. Jumping from the bed, Mattie dressed with fury. “I’m late for work. I need to help your mother with breakfast,” she said. Kissing James, she slipped out the door.

  She drew in a deep breath and crept along down the stairs to the kitchen where Rose busied herself with platters of food placed on the counter. Mat
tie greeted Rose and carried the platters to the dining room.

  Rose brought more coffee, refilled empty cups, and returned to the kitchen. Mattie could see the distress on Rose’s face. Following her back to the kitchen, Mattie stared a few seconds at Rose’s methodical movements. Pots and pans rattled, and Rose swiped her face a couple of times.

  “What’s bothering you, Rose?” Mattie hugged Rose.

  “When I asked you to be my partner, I was being selfish. Mattie, would you rather be in the medical field? You are very good at that type work.” Rose’s eyes filled with tears. “I understand the need for someone who can benefit the town.”

  “Rose, I am shocked. I can help when I am needed. Otherwise, I will be here most of the time. I want to be here helping you.”

  Mattie did not miss Rose’s upturned lips and sigh of relief. It was thoughtful of Rose to give her an option to work full-time in the medical field. However, her heart was here at The Rose Garden Boarding House with James and Rose.

  James entered the kitchen for a cup of coffee. He walked to Mattie and stood beside her as he took a sip from the cup. Rose turned to the couple. She pulled an envelope from her apron pocket.

  “This is your wedding present from me.” Rose handed the envelope to James.

  Opening the letter, James’s mouth dropped. He read a deed to the large two-story cabin next door. “Mother, when did you get this?”

  “Around a year or two ago, I reckon. Remember I wanted to build onto The Rose Garden. It came up for sale, and I bought it. Then I realized I didn’t need extra space, and the tenants here provided enough for me to make a decent living.”

  “But—” James started, and Rose shut him up.

  “When your children come, you will want a place to raise them. There’s no reason to leave the big, beautiful house next door vacant.” James hugged his mother.

  James grabbed Mattie by the wrist and pulled her to the house next door. Staring at its roughness, he glanced at Mattie, motioning for her to go inside.

  Opening the door, James stood back and let Mattie enter the large, open room with its winding staircase. Mattie’s eyes filled with tears. She ran from one marble fireplace to the next, room to room, gasping at the simple log cabin.

  “Well? What do you think, Mrs. Parker?”

  “I think it will make a nice home, Mr. Parker.”

  ****

  Mattie and James sat on the porch swing of their cabin. Their arms entwined, and Mattie’s head rested on James’s broad shoulder. They stared at the moon glistening through trees and laughed at shadows dancing across the grassy lawn. The aroma of roses from next door floated in with a hint of another rain.

  Leaning down to his wife, James’s lips nestled close to her ear. “Have I told you how beautiful you are today?”

  “I love you, James.”

  “I love you, Mattie.”

  Mattie and James rose from the swing. The boards from the porch creaked beneath their feet. Mattie stopped at the door, turned, and glanced over her shoulder. The porch swing’s swaying slowed. She turned her gaze to her husband. His hand possessively rested at the small of her back. They made their way to their room. The room they would share for the rest of their lives. For the first time since she had left Georgia, she was truly happy she had made the choice to run to Texas.

  About the Author

  Stephy Smith grew up in the Northwest Texas Panhandle and still lives within a few miles of her childhood home. She owns her own ranch and takes care of her mother. She shares her home with three dogs and a chinchilla. Other than writing, she loves to read, garden, ride horses, paint and do just about any kind of arts and crafts. Her love for history, museum's, historical markers and sites along roadsides, old houses and walking through cemeteries tempts her creative imagination. Where there's history there's mystery and ghost! She writes young adult, sweet historical romance and contemporary western romance. You can find her novellas, Lizzie and the Rebel, Rescued from the River, Shawnee’s Creek, Sanders Cross, Gentry’s Gallery of Angels, The Long Moon, Swim the River and Flight for Life at Astraea Press, Barnes and Nobel, and Amazon.

  Also from Stephy Smith

  Chapter One

  1859, Indian Territory, Kansas

  Day One

  Sarah Eastin shivered as the voice near her ear whispered, "Mangy rascals."

  It was one of her mother's favorite sayings. Since her mother had passed, Sarah knew it was her mind playing tricks on her. She rose from the rocking chair on the front porch and waited for the occupants to climb down from a carriage.

  The late winter afternoon sun was losing its heat. The blue sky took on a grayish hue. The barren west Kansas prairie lost some of its golden color. Green grass didn't last long when the summer droughts moved into the area.

  Her sisters, Carolyn Brown and Liz Johnson, along with her brother, Will Burgess, had arrived for the funeral. They all three turned and started walking toward her cabin. Sarah held out her arms to embrace them. Each one passed by as if they hadn't even seen her. She turned and walked to the doorway.

  The rough-hewn logs of the two cabins and the barn stood out on the plains. With the loss of the leaves on trees she had planted years ago, the farm resembled an abandoned homestead in the middle of a wide-open range. The winters were cold and the summers hot. Spring rains were nice but never enough. Falls brought wild birds flying south for the winter.

  "How was your trip out here?" Sarah stared at the three as they made themselves at home. One of her sisters would complain if she questioned how their train ride from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Larned fared. From Fort Larned they would take the stage to Eagle Glenn where her siblings had to rent a carriage to travel the five miles south.

  "It was dreadful, Sarah. The roads were rough, as always." Carolyn turned her head and glared at Sarah. Carolyn's blue eyes had lost their sheen and her reddish-blonde hair had more gray than Sarah remembered. The fair-skinned face of forty-nine-year-old Carolyn was worn and wrinkled. George, Carolyn's husband, never attended any of the family affairs. Most of the time, Carolyn stayed at their home in Fort Leavenworth with him.

  "You know we don't like coming out here. Now, what do you plan on doing with Mother's things?" Liz's voice was harsh. Her brown eyes dulled with anger. A long brown strand of hair fell across her cheek as she unpinned her hat and removed it. Sarah held back a gasp as she looked upon the weathered face and thinly tightened lips. At forty-seven, Liz carried a few pounds more than her older sister. Harvey, Liz's husband, had died eleven years back. Sarah wondered if he had been hounded to death by her youngest sister.

  "I say burn them. Her cabin too! What have you fixed us to eat?" Will tossed his coat over the back of a chair. He pulled off his dusty top hat to reveal his dirty blond hair. It swept across his forehead, over his bushy eyebrows, and covered his lifeless blue eyes. His weathered face was long and thin. At forty-five years of age, he looked closer to seventy than fifty.

  "I—" Sarah clenched her fingers in the material of her skirt. She bit her lip to keep from protesting when her words were cut off by Carolyn.

  "And the way you are dressed, really Sarah, one would think you cared for the old woman." Carolyn waved her hand in front of her face.

  Sarah could feel her blood pulsing through her veins. She clamped her mouth shut.

  "There's firewood by the stove and soup in the pot. Help yourselves to it." Sarah's fingernails dug into the palms of her clenched hands.

  "Aren't you going to bring our bags in?" Liz whirled around.

  "While you're at it, unhitch the team from the carriage and feed them." Will propped his feet on the table.

  "I want to see Mother's will." Liz turned to Carolyn. "I hope Sarah doesn't embarrass us by wearing that hideous black dress to the funeral."

  "That is the custom, Liz. You did come for the funeral, didn't you? What did you do with your copy of the will? I know you each have one." Sarah narrowed her eyes at her siblings. She tried to hide her disgust from her
voice.

  "Of course we came for the funeral. Now be a dear and go get our bags from the carriage." Carolyn said.

  "I have things to do." Sarah twirled around and marched to the greenhouse garden attached to the side of her house. Jessie Cole Eastin, her oldest son, had constructed the greenhouse for Sarah's herbs on her fiftieth birthday. She thought back on the windy day he chose to finish it. His blond hair was cut short and the breeze had it standing up on his head. The determination to conclude the project sparkled in his blue eyes. The thirty-one-year-old man had acted more like an eleven-year-old, as he danced around the glass structure when he was done.

  Cordell Emmett Eastin, Sarah's middle son, had brought her a variety of seeds. He had turned the soil with a shovel. Sweat had poured off his forehead as he dug. The heat in the greenhouse was unbearable. His dark brown hair had drawn more heat upon his head. As he had worked beside his mother, he never lost the shine in his deep brown eyes. Taller than his brothers, he had to slump his shoulders to keep from hitting his head on the overhead beams. At twenty-eight, he was lean and full of mischief when he was around Jessie and Travis.

  The youngest, Travis Graton Eastin, had also joined in the celebration of Sarah's fiftieth birthday. Travis had taken out the window between the house and the greenhouse for warmth in the winter. He was a shorter version of Jessie but had a more solid build. His blond hair was cut short. Bright blue eyes warmed the hearts of everyone around him. For a twenty-five-year-old man, he was energetic and had high expectations of where he wanted to be in ten years.

  Sarah looked forward to their arrival for the funeral. Even though each of them were five miles away — Jessie to the east, Cord to the south, and Travis to the west — she hadn't spent much time with them after her mother got worse. The voices from inside the cabin drew her attention back to her three siblings.