He had a rugged look about him, a layer of dirt resting on his clothes and cheeks. He sported a short, scruffy shadow of a beard. His hands were covered in calluses from riding, baling hay, and the other daily challenges of ranching. But beneath the surface layer, two young-looking grey eyes stood out in sharp relief, and high cheekbones gave him quite the distinguished appearance.
Abe was most known around town for his skills with a lasso. He was unmatched in roping competitions across Utah, where he and his horse Bruce could wrangle any animal that was thrown their way. Otherwise, Abe largely kept to himself, tending to his herd or practicing his roping skills with Bruce.
This must be the niece that Aunt Ethel had said was coming from Arizona to help her.
Abe had been coming by regularly with deliveries from some of the folks in town, as well as odds and ends to cheer Ethel up.
He had tried to fix up the house a bit too, but with work on his own ranch left only to him, he had never quite been able to manage much more than a few small fixes. As he had worked, they chatted about all sorts of things going on in her life, and lately the topic had been her young niece that was coming to stay awhile.
“And who might you be, sir, that you burst in so comfortably?” Laura inquired. Her aunt’s voice called out from the bedroom.
“Abe? Is that you?”
“Yes, ma’am it is,” he hollered back. “Brought you some fresh canned tomatoes from Mrs. Edison’s garden.”
He turned back to Laura and was instantly struck by her beauty. Her long blonde hair fell in soft waves down her back as her hazel eyes stared at him inquisitively. Until now, Abe had never been taken much with any of the girls around town, who mostly just gossiped amongst themselves and didn’t seem to be much good at anything else. But there was something about this stunning woman in front of him that felt…different.
He realized he had forgotten his introductions entirely. He gave a slight nod of a bow to Laura. “Abe Mavor ma’am. I own a ranch just a few miles past here. I’ve been tryin’ to help Aunt Ethel out, best I can, as she’s been laid up with that broken leg. Sorry, for bursting in unannounced, been so accustomed to it just bein’ her here.”
Laura’s face softened “Ah, well thank you Abe, that’s very kind of you. I’m Laura Edmonds, her niece. Are we related? Seeing as you call her ‘Aunt Ethel?’”
Abe shook his head “No ma’am, she’s just such a kind lady and she’s helped me out more than a time or two with a hot meal or one of her marmalades. I just reckon I wish she were my aunt, so the name stuck.”
It was at this moment that Abe noticed the rest of the house. The windows gleamed with afternoon sunshine, uninhibited by the usual coating of dust that caked them. He spotted the sunny yellow curtains swaying gently in Aunt Ethel’s room. The worn furniture sported a freshly oiled shine. And corner to corner, the house was cleaner than he’d ever seen it before.
“Did you do all this Miss Laura? Why, I’ve never seen it looking like this before!”
He saw a faint blush creep onto Laura’s cheeks. “Oh, it wasn’t much. It just needed a bit of a brush down and polish to get a bit of life back into this place. There’s still quite a bit more left to do but it’s a start,” she said.
“Well, it’s quite a start at that, ma’am. You have some magical transformational abilities, I’ll say that,” he replied.
“You must be exhausted from your ride over; will you stay for a quick meal with me and Aunt Ethel? I just finished a stew.” Abe was immediately struck by her warmth and her piercing hazel eyes. He couldn’t help but stare into them.
“I certainly can’t turn down an offer like that, miss,” he replied.
“You absolutely cannot,” Aunt Ethel hollered from the bedroom, causing Abe and Laura to both laugh. Laura hustled over to the stove and began ladling stew into bowls, as Abe helped Aunt Ethel out of her bed and over to the table to join them.
Laura set the bowls in front of each of them, and the hints of herb and meat hit his nose in a glorious whiff. A big spoonful hit his tongue and he audibly groaned.
“My, ma’am, you are quite the fine cook as well. Aunt Ethel, your niece seems to be quite the woman,” he said, seeing that faint blush creep up Laura’s cheeks again.
“Oh, she is at that,” Ethel replied. “I couldn’t be more thankful to have her here. She’s already made such a difference.”
“Why, thank you. I only hope to be able to do more. There’s so much to do that I just don’t have the materials or know-how for,” Laura said.
“Well what is it you need ma’am?” Abe asked.
“Well for starters, I need someone to fix that shutter that’s hanging crooked outside, and just about everything around here needs a fresh coat of paint,” she replied.
He paused as he contemplated. I’ve got some time to spare away from the ranch and this young lady seems to need the help.
“I’ve got some nails and a hammer back at my ranch, I’ll come by tomorrow and set that shutter straight. As for paint, my friend, Ottie, just put a fresh coat on his barn. I’ll see if he doesn’t have some left over that he could spare you,” Abe offered, hoping she would accept.
“Oh, I don’t want to put you through any trouble,” Laura replied
“No trouble at all, ma’am. I would love to be of help,” he insisted.
“Well, in that case that would be lovely. Thank you, sir.”
“Please ma’am, call me Abe.”
He saw a smile creep across her soft lips.
Wow, she’s so beautiful.
“Well, in that case, Abe, please just call me Laura.”
Abe felt his heart pick up speed in his chest, as he watched her stand up from the table and clear the empty bowls. Aunt Ethel looked at him with something of a sideways, impish grin. He quickly put his hat back on his head and stood up.
“Thank you so much for the stew, ma’am…Laura. I’d best be heading off, still a load of work to do on the ranch today. I’ll be back tomorrow for that shutter though. I promise you that.” Abe hurriedly got the words out, as he strode toward the door.
Laura followed him. As he stepped out onto the porch, he tipped his hat to her one more time and swung himself up onto his horse, Bruce. He gave Bruce a firm nudge and rode off back home.
His ranch was a good moderate size. It kept him busy enough caring for the head of cattle he had and left just enough time for roping practice on occasion. A small white house sat on the property. It had been built by his father.
He put Bruce away and headed inside the house. He began to sort through his tools, carefully packing them away for the next day. His mind was occupied with the beautiful Laura.
Well, today has been quite unexpected indeed.
* * *
The next day, Abe returned to Aunt Ethel’s house, hammer and nails in tow. He set to work fixing the crooked shutter. Laura brought him a tall glass of iced tea, with fresh mint that she had gotten from Mrs. Edison in exchange for a jar of marmalade. Abe gulped it down in one breath. Although it was already late September, the heat was refusing to ease in Utah.
“Thank you, Miss Laura. I was parched.”
“No trouble at all, Abe. Thank you, again, for your help,” she replied.
“Well, it’s the little things that smooths people’s roads the most,” Abe smiled, as he leaned against the house, taking a momentary break.
“That’s from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn!” Laura exclaimed. “That’s one of my favorite books!”
“No kidding, I always loved that one too. Made me think of goin’ on adventures and fighting imaginary pirates. But, well, most excitement that happens around here is when I get to compete in roping.”
He saw Laura’s eyes spark with interest. “You compete?” she asked.
“Yes indeed,” he replied. “In fact, there’s a competition on the last Friday of next month if you’d be interested in watching.”
He studied her face to see how she’d respond. Laura nodde
d her head.
“That sounds like it would be fun. I’ll just have to make sure Aunt Ethel will be alright on her own for a spell.”
Abe turned back to the shutter, setting a nail in place and hammering away. Laura refilled his empty glass and Abe could feel her eyes watching him as he worked. He’d never met a girl who’d read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, around Santa Clara, a story that was all about boys going on adventures. But this warm, blonde girl had, and had noticed him quoting from it immediately. The thought of that made Abe’s heart fall in rhythm with his hammer against the nail on the shutter.
Soon, the shutter hung true, but it was worn and dusty and only a few chips of paint remained. Laura came outside with yet another glass of the mint iced tea.
“Well done, Abe. Thank you!” she exclaimed as she handed him the glass. “Now if only I had some fresh paint to cover it in,” she sighed.
Wordlessly, Abe strode over to Bruce, whose head was drooping lazily in the heat, as he stood tied to the porch. Abe lifted the flap of his saddlebag and produced a small tin of fresh white paint and a brush. “I thought you might need this. Ottie had some leftover like I thought he might.”
He saw her face light up as she took the tin. He pulled his knife out of his pocket and pried the lid open to reveal the milky white paint inside. He noticed how smooth and pale her hands were, even next to the brilliant whiteness of the paint, and wondered how they hadn’t become ruddy with dirt after all the hard work she’d been putting in.
“I’ll tell you what, I’m not about to pawn off whitewashing this shutter, like our friend Tom Sawyer did with that fence. If you can keep that tea coming, I’d love to finish this job for you,” Abe said.
“I think we have a deal. I’d like to get supper started for Aunt Ethel in the meantime,” Laura replied with a smile, handing the tin over to Abe. As he took it, he felt her fingers brush against his and his heart skipped a beat.
Did I catch a bit of a blush?
She disappeared inside, leaving Abe with the tin of paint and the shutter. Bruce snorted lazily behind him, startling him out of his thoughts. He set to work and soon the smells of a roasting chicken wafted out on the porch, making his mouth water.
He made short work of the shutter and stepped inside the house, which was sweltering from the oven, but smelled divine. Laura had her back to him, as she tended to the food.
“All finished, Miss Laura. I’d best be getting home now,” Abe said from the doorway.
Aunt Ethel gently barked at him from her chair near the window. “Now, there is no way you think I’m just letting you do all that work just for a few glasses of my niece’s divine iced tea. You must stay for supper Abe. I worry about you all alone on that ranch of yours, just like you worry about me.”
“Well, ma’am, no need to worry about me but I reckon I can stay for a little while longer,” Abe replied. He dutifully knocked the dust off his boots outside and set his hat by the door. As they sat down for supper, Abe noticed the table rocked back and forth as they ate.
“If you don’t mind me saying, I’m pretty handy with my woodworking, I can fix this table up for ya’ll in a couple days,” he offered.
“That would be quite fine, Abe. We’d quite appreciate it, wouldn’t we, Laura?” Aunt Ethel smiled at both of them.
“Yes, indeed,” Laura replied, smiling warmly at him.
“I’ll try to make it day after tomorrow. I just need to take care of a few things on the ranch first,” Abe said, as he stood up from the table. He put his hat on and tipped it to both of them before heading out the door and back home.
Once he arrived back at the ranch, he untacked Bruce and put him in his stall for the evening, and then set to work feeding his herd, who were groaning mournfully at him from the fence where the feeding trough sat. He tossed bales of hay over the fence with impressive ease, his body well-built and accustomed to this kind of work. The sun dipped low behind the rusty red hills as he finished the chores.
Suddenly, he heard a snap and a high-pitched moo behind him. He turned to see the bull, who had broken through a weak spot in his pen, rushing toward the group of cows. Quickly, instinctively, he grabbed a coil of rope and ran for the barn, throwing the doors open and startling Bruce, who calmed once he locked eyes with Abe.
He didn’t bother to saddle him; he leapt on Bruce’s bare back and nudged him forward through the open stall door, and Bruce lunged forward. Abe gripped him with his strong thighs and guided him toward the runaway bull with strong but gentle pulls on his mane.
Bruce knew what to do, once he locked on to the bellowing animal, and Abe began to whirl the lasso above his head as they gave chase. He picked his moment and let the rope fly. He watched as the loop landed perfectly around the frenzied bull’s neck.
A quick jerk and the rope tightened, nearly ripping Abe from Bruce’s back as the bull continued to run. He held tight, and he and Bruce rode in increasingly tighter circles, until the bull began to slow and calm, exhausted and disoriented. He then led the animal back to the barn and locked him in the large stall.
He slipped off Bruce’s back and patted him on the side, thanking him. They were a great team. He quickly piled up hay bales to block the hole in the fence until he could fix it and rewarded Bruce with a bucket of oats back in his stall. Exhausted, Abe collapsed into his bed, his heart pounding from the excitement.
But not quite as hard as his heart had thumped when he had felt the touch of Miss Laura’s hand.
Chapter Five
Abe appeared at Aunt Ethel’s door a couple days later, a handmade toolbox and some pieces of wood in tow. Laura was surprised that he was back, but certainly not sad.
“Good morning, Abe!” Laura greeted him, as he stepped in the door.
“Good morning, Miss Laura, came to fix that table like I promised,” he said with a smile.
“You’re just too kind, Abe. Let me put a pot of coffee on for you.”
She hurried over to the stove and scooped some coffee into the pot and set the heat. Abe sprawled himself out on the floor under the table and began to fiddle with the table.
Laura bent down and began to watch him. His rough hands ran up and down the table leg. It seemed he was measuring the table with his hands. He stood up and grabbed a cube of wood and his knife and began to whittle away at the cube.
“So, Miss Laura, how have you liked Utah? Is it very different from Arizona?” Abe asked, as he whittled away.
“It is different. But I like it so far. I’ve been keeping myself quite occupied trying to get this place fixed up and keeping up with the chores,” Laura replied, as she poured the coffee.
She placed a cup in front of Abe and then poured one for herself. She settled into a chair next to Abe and picked up her latest sewing project, cushions for the wooden furniture.
“I’ve never been to Arizona. I’ve never left Utah actually,” Abe said.
“I hadn’t left Arizona until I came here,” Laura replied.
“Well, you’re a well-traveled lady now. Too fine for the likes of around here,” Abe said playfully.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that at all,” Laura said, as she felt a blush creep into her cheeks. She watched as Abe worked at the wood, carving it into a small, tapered cylinder the same size as the table leg.
Finally satisfied, he upended the table and grabbed a hammer and long nail from his wooden toolbox. He fitted the cylinder onto the short table leg and drove a nail through the center. He then got to work with a small piece of sandpaper, sanding the edges until the leg appeared to be one seamless piece, except for the difference in color.
“I can fix that bit,” Laura said, referring to the coloring.
She retrieved the tin of wood oil and rag, and began to polish the raw wood. The color intensified and darkened until there was barely any difference at all.
“Well I’ll be…Miss Laura, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lady work a piece of wood like that…” he said, with an admiration in his eyes tha
t took Laura back a bit.
“Thank you! Just a bit of elbow grease can fix most things,” Laura replied.
Abe righted the table and tried to rock it a bit, but it stood solidly.
“Well Miss, seems my work here is done. I’d best be getting back to the ranch,” Abe said, as he gathered his things.
“Thank you again, Abe,” Laura said, as she examined his handiwork.
“Not a trouble at all, have a nice evening, Miss,” he said, with a tip of his hat, as he strode out the door.
The Salvation 0f A Runaway Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 3