Taking a Leap of Love: An Inspirational Historical Western Romance Book

by Lilah Rivers

  Josh repeated, “Fiancée?” Josh glanced at her hand. “No ring?”

  “Oh, that’s right,” Turner said. “Unfortunately, my father was called to the Lord at the very moment of my proposal.”

  “That is unfortunate,” Josh said. Dean was watching the exchange carefully, and Bella knew why. Unlike his brother, Dean knew Bella and Josh’s secret, and he was clearly moved to one position or another on it; he hadn’t mentioned it to Bella. And Jonah was watching Dean as Dean was watching Bella, nervousness building up in her belly.

  Bella wanted to clear up the confusion right there and then, but not only was there no way of knowing how her father would react, but it was the very day of Turner’s father’s funeral. There was just no way of doing it with any grace or humanity. She would have to remain silent and let Josh think whatever he was going to think; unfortunately, Bella could guess just what that was.

  “I’m really quite exhausted,” Bella said, “I’m sorry, Turner. I won’t be able to accept your invitation.”

  “Not at all,” Turner said. “I should take my mother back, though, she’s had quite a day.” Turner offered the family a smile and a nod and turned to fade into the crowd.

  Josh said, “My own family is waiting for me too. Nice to see you all again.”

  Elroy said, “Give our best to them, please.”

  “I will, of course.”

  Dean said, “Nice seeing you again.”

  Everyone stopped and turned at this surprising thing for Dean to say, surprising to nobody more than his twin brother Jonah.

  Josh didn’t reveal anything of what he was thinking, instead simply nodding at Dean and turning to give Bella a bittersweet smile. “Goodbye, Miss Archer.”

  He turned to disappear into the crowd, leaving Bella to meekly say, “Goodbye … Mr. Callahan.”

  Chapter 36

  “Hey, Brother,” Hugh said, “I’m really sorry to hear it.”

  Josh stomped out his anger as the two brothers walked around the periphery of the Callahan Ranch. “No sorrier than I am to say it!”

  They walked on, a red-tailed hawk crying out overhead. “Are you sure?”

  “She didn’t deny it, Hugh. What more do I need to know? How much more could there be to it?”

  Hugh seemed to give it some thought, shaking his head and shrugging. “I dunno, Josh.” After a few more steps, Hugh asked, “What’re you gonna do?”

  Josh shook his head. “I don’t know. What can I do? If she’s to be married to somebody else, all I can do is step aside.”

  Hugh rubbed his chin, nodding as they walked by the fence post they’d repaired not long before.

  “If she brought word back to her father and the other homesteaders about your visit to Saul Decker, it could be cause enough to cause them to rise up against us and the other local ranchers. Could cause the local ranchers to go against us too.”

  “And the Callahans,” Josh said, “and Bella’s smart enough to know that.” After a few more steps, Josh said, “I can’t believe she betrayed me like that. I … I was so sure of what kind of person she was. I guess Pop’s right; my judgment is beyond untrustworthy, it’s crucially and fatally flawed.” They walked on, and Josh cracked a little chuckle, shaking his head.

  Hugh said, “Share the punchline?”

  “Remember a week or so back, Pastor Robinson’s sermon, from the Book of Isaiah? ‘Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness.’”

  Hugh gave Josh a reassuring tap on the shoulder. “Don’t feel bad, it happens to the best of us.”

  “Not you.”

  “Not yet.”

  “Not ever! Learn from my mistakes. Lord knows I will.”

  The two brothers kept walking a few more steps before Hugh asked, “Did you share anything else? Information of a sensitive nature, I mean.”

  Josh stopped to glare at his kid brother, but he had to admit it was a reasonable question. He reviewed their visit to Saul Decker, their walk in Barnock. “I … I don’t think so.”

  Hugh sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “Let’s hope not.” They reached the end of the property and stopped, leaning up against the fence. “It does answer a lot of questions.”

  “Such as?”

  “Why the Comanche came at Jesse Hayden and Samuel Meyerson with such a … a gentle hand. Those savages are bloodthirsty, Josh.”

  Josh looked Hugh over, anger rising in him as his imagination illustrated what he thought his brother was suggesting. “What are you implying, that she was some kind of payment for doing the job without scalping them?”

  Hugh shrugged. “She could have friends among them, for all we know. She might have asked with particular sweetness.”

  “Enough, Hugh.” Josh pushed away from the fence, Hugh following.

  “Makes you wonder if Turner has any involvement in any of this.”

  “Why would he?”

  “I guess that depends on who sent that girl to spy on us through you. If it’s her father or Decker, basically the same, that’s one thing. If it’s that saloon owner and Bristol, then maybe they’re planning a play of their own.”

  “You mean … let the war go down and set up Decker to take the fall?”

  “One of any number of possibilities.”

  Josh gave it some thought, and he didn’t like what he came up with. “She wouldn’t work for a saloon owner.”

  “The land agent maybe. Perhaps she’s playing this merchant for a sucker too. Or maybe the four of them together. That would be a strong alliance, Josh.”

  “Enough, Hugh.”

  “But … we’ve got to look at all the facts of this thing, Josh.”

  “She’s not that kind of person.”

  “With all due respect, that’s what you thought … before.” Josh just kept walking, and Hugh went on, “You said yourself your judgment was not to be trusted.”

  Josh stopped and turned, anger welling up in him. But he could find no contradiction, and he’d never raised a hand in anger; not to Hugh, not to anyone. There were always other ways to settle things, at least there always had been. But Josh could hardly be sure of anything anymore. And despite his best efforts, Josh only seemed to be making things worse, much worse and fast. He had the feeling that he’d lit the fuse, and that their world was about to be blown to smithereens.

  Chapter 37

  Hugh rode Patches out around the property on a series of rounds. It had been his own idea, to have a sentry in case any warring factions came against them. He wasn’t much of a shot, but he didn’t have to be. Hugh carried a looking glass and a Colt pistol and was told sternly to ride back to the house as soon as he saw anything. Both Josh and their father Barton had doubts about the idea, it did seem increasingly warranted.

  Hugh rode calmly, slowly, surveying the area. The Nebraska sky was clear blue, a few clouds floating over distant Barnock. All seemed well enough, but a storm was brewing, that was as clear to Hugh as it seemed to be to everybody else.

  But Hugh felt good about his role protecting the family, a role that was getting bigger all the time. He’d earned their trust, and he’d go on earning as well as he could for as long as necessary.

  Thank God Josh finally came to me, Hugh thought. I only hope I don’t let them down. Have to be alert, use all my wits now. And they’re keen enough, Josh himself said so. While his own judgment can be lacking, more than I ever realized; especially where that girl is concerned. No, the family needs me now, and I won’t let it down.

  Two, small suspect figures caught his eye, on the road out from town. Hugh pulled out his looking glass, pulled it out to its full length, and raised it to his eye, closing the other and focusing.

  The figures became clear; Bella Archer and one of her brothers, the twins. Hugh collapsed the looking glass and turned to glance at the house, far behind him. Josh was in the back of the property as far as Hugh knew, but that wasn’t far enough away for what Hugh was quic
kly planning.

  His father’s voice rang in his mind’s ear. “If you see anything, ride straight back, and tell one of us.” And that was a reasonable command. But in this case, Hugh had good reason not to comply, reasons his father wouldn’t have been able to take into consideration, since he didn’t know about the ill-fated so-called coupling of Josh and that Archer girl, Bella.

  Bella, Hugh thought, if ever a girl was so ill-named …

  Hugh nudged Patches in the haunches, and the horse carried him out off the property and down the road to meet them as far from the house as possible. They saw him coming and slowed down their family buckboard, Hugh doing the same to meet them in the middle of the road.

  Hugh let one of them speak first.

  The twin, Hugh wasn’t sure which it was, gave him a nod. Hugh returned it and turned to the girl. She said, “You’re … Hugh, Josh’s younger brother.”

  “I am.” After a deliberate pause, Hugh went on, “You’re Bella Archer.”

  “Yes, and this is my brother, Dean.”

  “We met at church,” Dean said.

  Hugh nodded, Patches huffing and shaking his head.

  Bella went on to Hugh, “Is Josh home?”

  Hugh looked back at the house and then turned back to face the two unwelcome visitors. “In town, actually.” Hugh hated lying, but considering how badly she’d lied to Josh, and so to all of them and probably many others, he felt it reasonable and even righteous, in its way. “Something I can do for you?”

  Bella and her brother exchanged a glance, but Hugh was not about to be moved, even swayed. She said, “Do you think he’ll be back soon?”

  “I really don’t, and I have to get back to making my rounds on the property; keeping it safe … from interlopers.”

  Bella and her brother looked at each other again, and Hugh knew he’d made his point. Bella broke an uncomfortable smile and returned her attention to Hugh. “I’d really like to speak to him, it’s quite urgent.”

  Hugh just shrugged, giving her his hardest and most disinterested expression.

  “I … I think there’s been a misunderstanding between us, and I’d very much like to clear it up.”

  “I’m sure you would.”

  Dean said, “Watch your tongue, youngin’.”

  “You watch yours, interloper.”

  “I don’t think we’re still on your property,” Dean pointed out, “are we?”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say,” Hugh said.

  “What she wants to say,” Dean answered, “she wants to say to your brother.”

  “Then she’ll have to do it some other time.”

  “Excuse me,” Bella said, “I can speak for myself, thank you both very much.” The two men fell silent as a Mississippi kite cried overhead. Bella said to Hugh, “Could you tell him that I … that we came by, that I wanted to clear things up.” Hugh nodded, and Bella added, “Because there really is a tremendous misunderstanding.”

  “As you said.”

  “Yes,” Bella said, seeming to know she was not well received. “As I said.” She cleared her throat and went on, “Will you give him the message? That I was here …”

  Hugh looked back at the house behind him, then at Bella and Dean again. Bella added, “That I wanted to clear things up.”

  Hugh nodded. “Oh, yeah, sure, no, I understand.”

  “And you’ll tell him?”

  Hugh shrugged. “Like I said, I understand. But I gotta get back to my rounds.”

  Bella nodded, biting her lower lip. “Um, okay, sure, no, thank you, Hugh.” Hugh nodded at her and then again at Bella, who said, “It’s nice to see you again, Hugh.”

  Hugh nodded, but he did nothing; sitting atop Patches and waiting for Dean to pull the buckboard around and drive it back down the road, back toward town, their ranch on the way.

  How convenient, Hugh thought, turning to ride back toward the house.

  Chapter 38

  Bella sat with quiet respect, she and her mother eating the beef stew, in thick brown gravy with fluffy potatoes and perfectly ripe peas and carrots. But Bella’s attention was fixed on the conversation the men were having, one which could mean any number of things for the family, for everybody in Barnock.

  “The vexing question is the one about the Comanche,” Elroy said, dipping a piece of sourdough bread into the gravy and eating it. “It is unlikely that the Comanche would have left Jesse and Samuel and the others alive.”

  Dean and Jonah nodded, and Jonah said, “What if there’s some connection between the Comanche and the homesteaders? Jesse could have had any number of reasons to bump up against them in years past, years before we arrived.”

  Dean said, “Why would Jesse arrange such a thing? He wanted to lay down that wire and those trenches.”

  Jonah glared at Dean, clearly still harboring his suspicions, perhaps even nurturing them. Jonah answered, “Maybe Jesse knew the Comanche would never take him fully to task, perhaps they have an ongoing concern.”

  Elroy seemed to give it some thought. “Could be that Jesse intends to bring them in against the ranchers if it comes to that.”

  “No wonder he’s of such a warlike mind,” Jonah said.

  “Look who’s talking,” Dean said, “you’ve been spoiling for a fight for the past six months.”

  “So were you. What’s changed?”

  “Boys, please,” Elroy said. “We oughtn’t be fighting amongst ourselves.” Jonah took note of Dean’s stare as if unable to avoid it any longer. Bella could well imagine just how he felt. Elroy went on, “If not Jesse or Samuel, then who?”

  Jonah suggested, “What about the Callahans?” His eyes were securely on Bella and Dean when he said it and as he went on to explain himself. “They’re popular in the region. Who knows what kind of relationships they’ve forged with locals over the years? Barton Callahan’s a rancher, so he has to move his herds right through Comanche territory, so it only makes sense that he’d have some kind of working relationship to them, even a friendship of some kind.”

  Bella was furious with Jonah for bringing it up. She didn’t believe a word of it in her heart, though she knew that his logic was hard to assail.

  “And it makes sense that Callahan would have his Indian friends treat our homesteader friends with … extra courtesy.” That familiar nervous nausea returned to Bella’s stomach.

  This caught Elroy’s attention, as he no-doubt intended. “Why’s that? It makes sense … why?”

  Jonah was still glancing at Dean and Bella, a mischievous little smile on his face. She wondered in that instant, Does he know? Is he guessing his way to the truth?

  “Well,” Jonah said, “he is striving to achieve peace, after all. Don’t get me wrong about Callahan, I don’t take him for a bad fellow … or his eldest son …” Jonah’s eyes were fixed on Bella and Dean, and Bella could sense that Dean felt he was getting closer to the truth. After an excruciating pause, Dean went on, “I don’t think he’s got murder on his mind, but he is on the front lines here. Seems to me it’s just the kind of thing he’d do.”

  Bam! Bam bam!