by Sara Jolene
He’d been broken after she disappeared. He’d been a loud and boisterous man before, and after he was sullen and quiet. Caring for Rachel and loving her but staying distant as well. Almost like he thought if she got too close he’d lose her too. She often wished she could reassure him that she wasn’t going anywhere.
She was looking forward to spending time with the Clarks. They were a big family, and Rachel was envious. She wanted that. She loved her father dearly, but she wanted more. She wanted a husband and kids. Lots of them, and she knew she’d make sure that they knew, just like she’d known, that their mother loved them very much.
The Circle C was beautiful. Huge fields of high grass stretched out in between the mountains. She could see how folks got attached to the land there in Colorado. She’d grown up in Chicago and was used to city life. It had taken her a while to adjust to new ways of doing things when they’d first come to Creede. She enjoyed it now and loved moments like the one she was having just then, where she could not only see the land but feel it. Mr. Clark rode out to greet them, introducing himself and the young boys he had with him. “Marta is in the house with the little ones. She’ll be happy to have some company.”
Doctor JT laughed. “I’m sure she’s had lots of visitors out to see those two miracle babies.”
Rachel smiled to herself. Twins were a wonderful thing. She wondered what it would be like to have another person so close to herself around. She wondered if it was much different than having other siblings. She had no way of knowing, herself. Her father never marrying again left her an only child, but even with lack of practical knowledge, she could guess that having even one sibling or a twin would be far less lonely than being an only child.
Rachel rode behind the doctor. As they approached the house, a young girl, not more than ten years old or so, came barreling off the porch, a small boy on her heels. She ran through the yard, around the well, and over to where Rachel and JT were hitching their horses. The girl bobbed and ducked behind the horses, JT, and Rachel’s legs. “Give it back!”
The girl shook her head at her younger brother. “Ma said I could have it.”
The boy jumped toward her. “Did not. She said to share it.”
The girl leaned back to escape his grasp and ended up tipping over into a puddle caused by run-off from the well. She slid and came to a stop, covered in mud, as her fall sent splatters of it flying through the air. Rachel gasped as she saw the dirt coming at her but didn’t have enough time to move as it came down right on the front of her newly washed dress.
“You two get back here this instant!” Marta Clark came running out of the house, a baby in each arm, and stopped short, her mouth dropping as she took in the sight before her: Doctor JT standing next to Rachel, who was covered down her front in mud, her daughter lying in the puddle at Rachel’s feet, and her son racing up to his sister and snatching the last of the cookies from her hand as she swatted and kicked at him. The boy took off running toward the house as the situation settled over Rachel. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something bubbled up within her. She was hesitant to let it surface; she wasn’t sure if it would come out as laughter or tears.
She’d dressed in her best today because she knew after rounds she’d be seeing Dutch, and she wanted to look her best. She felt the bubbles rising as she thought about walking into the clinic looking as she did, like a pig from a pen, covered in mud from head to foot. She opened her mouth and lifted her face to the bright sunshine as laughter came tumbling from her lips. She looked down at the girl at her feet, and the two started to laugh together. Soon they were looking at Doctor JT, who had joined in, and finally Marta as she held both her babies to her chest. “Come along now, Rachel. Let’s let the doctor and his friend get cleaned up.”
Rachel looked down at the girl and noticed she too had on a purple dress. She held out a hand. The girl took it. “I’m Rachel too.”
The young girl smiled broadly at her, mud smeared across her cheeks and dripping from her dress. “Your dress is really pretty. I’m sorry I got mud all over it.”
Rachel leaned down and brought the girl in for a hug. “That’s quite alright. We Rachels need to stick together.” She winked and smiled as she backed away. “Especially to save cookies from boys.”
Inside, the children were much calmer than when they’d been outside. Rachel was impressed with how well behaved they were. Though she noticed that the older children seemed to be out of the house.
“I’m terribly sorry.” Marta fussed over Rachel as she came in the house. “Can I get you anything else to help with your dress?”
Rachel shook her head. “No, thank you. The soap and rag were enough for now. I’ll properly wash it when I get home this evening.” Marta had sent the boy who’d been chasing his sister out after Rachel, giving her some soap and a rag to try to get the majority of the mud off her dress. She was at least able to wash her face. “No harm done. Kids will be kids.”
Marta stopped fussing and looked around the house. “Yes, they will.”
Rachel chuckled, and Marta and JT joined her until one of the new babies started to holler. Marta sighed. “I’m so sorry. I thought I’d been able to get them both to sleep and we could visit.”
Rachel stood. “May I?” she asked, tilting her head to where two baskets were sitting.
Marta smiled and nodded. “Of course.”
Rachel was thrilled. She approached the basket quietly and leaned over it, taking in everything about the tiny human in the basket. There was something about babies, the way they smelled, or maybe the way their little fists wrapped tightly around your fingers, that made Rachel ache. She picked up the little one, cooing and rocking it. She looked up at its mother. “What’s its name?”
Marta laughed a little. “I can’t wait until they have hair and I can put a bow in Rebecca’s. That one,” she pointed to the baby Rachel held, “is Russell, and the other one is Rebecca.” She went to the side of the basket and looked down on her sleeping child. “Rebecca’s a little calmer than Russell, which, judging by the rest of this lot,” she looked around at the rest of the children, “is the way of things.”
Rachel and JT exchanged glances and smiles as Marta lifted the now fussing baby girl from her basket.
Chapter Five
Dutch heard horses out front. He tried to sit up straighter on his cot.
“You know you really could use a bath, kid.”
Dutch shook his head as his old friend appeared by his side. “You come ‘round at the most inconvenient times.”
“Says who?” Holden lifted his eyebrows as he narrowed his eyes at Dutch, which called to his attention the fact that they weren’t their usual dark brown that matched Nessa and Kara’s. They were dark still but had a faint quality to them. Like they weren’t completely there.
“Boy, you’re lucky I come at all. You’d be in it so deep if I didn’t.”
“Is that so, old man?”
Dutch sat up straighter as the door started to creek open. He could hear her voice. She was talking to the doc, but Holden hadn’t shut it so he couldn’t fully make out what she was saying. “You need to find Ab. Wade is the key to all this. You need to be out of here before he wakes up. He’ll panic if you’re still here.”
The thought of leaving didn’t sit well with him. The longer he stayed, the longer he could justifiably be around Rachel, and he really wanted to be around Rachel. He looked from his mentor to the girl that had just walked into the clinic. She was so beautiful. More so than any woman he’d ever seen. More so than the ladies he’d seen in New York in their fancy dresses and made-up hair. He laughed a little when he realized that her dress seemed to be covered in mud. His amusement quickly turned to concern when he thought about how such a thing could have happened. Ignoring Holden, he tried to get off his cot. “Did you get bucked? Are you hurt?” He could hear the panic in his own voice.
Rachel turned toward him, her face lighting up when their eyes met. The pit in Dutch’s belly fil
led with that light, making him feel whole.
“Never been better.”
“Are you even listening to me, boy?”
Dutch nodded but didn’t take his eyes off Rachel. He wanted to memorize every freckle across her nose. “I’ll leave but not yet.”
“No. It needs to be tonight. As soon as you can. You must.”
Dutch was getting angry. He broke the eye contact he had with Rachel to face the man he’d known and loved for so many years, even though he was dead and Dutch was almost positive that no one other than him could see the man. “I can’t lose her. I have to stay here.”
Holden’s face looked sympathetic. “You won’t and you must. Trust me, boy. Have I ever failed you?”
The last few words were a slap to the face. The fact was Holden had failed him. He’d gotten himself killed and had taken away the only father figure he’d ever known. One of the reasons he’d agreed to marry Nessa at first was because he would become Holden’s true son then. Over time, he grew to like and care for Nessa. He knew the two of them would be compatible if they needed to be, but then he’d met Rachel and he could no longer marry Nessa.
“I know things haven’t worked out the way I always hoped they would. You know I wanted you as a son, boy. You were my son even without marrying my daughter. Things don’t always work out the way we plan, but they work out the way they’re supposed to.”
Dutch fell back against the stack of pillows Rachel and Nora had accumulated for him. “Get out of my head, old man.”
Dutch closed his eyes, so he didn’t see the man nod, but he couldn’t help but hear, “Tonight, boy,” before his mentor disappeared.
His annoyance quickly faded as Rachel came to his bedside.
“How are you feeling?”
Dutch had so many answers to that but settled on, “Better now that you’re here.”
He was pleased when her cheeks reddened and her eyes got bright, but she turned away shyly. Holden’s words were echoing in his head. He tried to block them out but to no end. Then the answer came to him, and though he hated saying the words, he had to. Not only did he need to get his mentor out of his head, but also he needed to find Ab and figure out what had happened on that hill. “I think I’ll be riding back to the boarding house tonight.”
Rachel turned back toward him, panic in her eyes and her voice. “But you can’t! You’re… you’re not… well, you’re not well enough.”
Dutch reached for her hand. He held it gently. “Would it be alright if I called on you when you’re not helping out the doc?”
The blush on her cheeks returned, but the panic in her eyes died, which was his hope. Plus he desperately wanted to see her again and hoped she wanted the same. She smiled and nodded softly.
“Tomorrow? How about we go to supper at Graham’s?”
Rachel smiled. “I’d like that very much.”
Dutch kept his hold on her hand for a few moments and stared into her eyes. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. He was being a sap, and though he knew it, he couldn’t have put an end to it if he tried.
“I should go clean up.”
Dutch looked at her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She was beautiful even covered in mud. “I think you look beautiful.”
Rachel blushed again. He loved it too. He hoped he could keep making her flush for as long as he knew her.
“I’m covered in mud. Some of the children out at the Circle C were feisty and I ended up in the way.”
Dutch laughed, but it felt empty. The events of the last few days weighed on him. “To be as carefree as a child.”
“I can’t decide if I should move to the boarding house. Maybe someone in town has a room to rent instead.”
Nessa was stewing about Kara and her controlling ways to the one person she knew she could always share things with, Beth. She and Beth had become fast friends when she started working at the bank. Now they’d see each other at work, and after they closed up for the day, they’d often go to the teashop to gossip over a cup. It was nice to have a place they could be comfortable at.
“Your sister cares, that’s all. She wants what’s best, and since your father thought you’d be safe with Dutch, Kara thinks so too. It’s not that hard to understand.”
Nessa knew all of that. It didn’t change anything. “Yes, but I’ve told her several times that I wasn’t going to marry him. Maybe I should find someone else to marry.” The thought actually made her stomach ache. There was only one person that came to mind when she thought about marriage, and that was her Henry. He was handsome and sweet, and she’d never wanted to marry anyone else and couldn’t imagine creating a life with anyone else. “Or maybe I’ll become an old maid. I’ll dote on my nieces and nephews. Take in strays and wander around town talking to myself.” She laughed, but it was hollow, echoing down through her rib cage and shaking her core.
Beth laughed with her, but Nessa knew that she was sad for her. She could see it in her eyes and the way her smile didn’t quite meet them. “Have you thought about going home?”
Beth didn’t know everything there was to know about the Dobbs sisters and how they came to be in Creede, but even still her question rocked Nessa. Had she thought about going home? Every day. She missed everything about New York. She missed bathing in the house. She missed electric lights. She missed Lillian, and most of all she missed Henry. She felt her throat get thick as tears formed in her eyes. “All the time. I’m not sure it would work out though.”
Beth reached for her hands, and Nessa allowed her to take them. “If you want to go home, I am sure we can figure something out. Though I’d certainly miss you a great deal and so would Kara.”
Nessa nodded. “I don’t know. There’s so much history there. I’m not sure it would be a good idea.”
“I know I haven’t heard the entire story, but maybe neither have you. Maybe returning would help you to figure out what’s best. I know you left in a hurry. Maybe you need to see what’s left there.”
The thought of being in New York again stirred something inside Nessa that she hadn’t felt in a long time. The more she sat with it, the easier it was to identify. She felt hope. She squeezed her friend’s hands. “Thank you. You always find the right things to say.”
A little chime above the door jingled, and both women looked up toward the sound. Kara had come in. Nessa let go of Beth’s hands and started to stand as her sister came toward them. “Afternoon, Beth. I hope you and Byron are well.”
“We are, thank you.”
Kara turned to her sister. “Willie came by. Said Dutch is headed back to the boarding house tonight. I thought we might go help him get settled. Let Mrs. Franklin know to keep an eye on him.”
Nessa nodded. She loved Dutch and wanted to ensure he was healing, even if she didn’t love him in the way her sister hoped she would. “Thank you for the tea and the conversation, Beth. I’ll think about what you said.”
Beth nodded. “Give Dutch my best, as well as JT and Nora. Would you, please?”
Nessa joined her sister, and the two floated out the door of the shop as if they were still those two young refined ladies of New York instead of the strong worldly women of Creede they were today.
Dutch should have been more surprised to see Nessa being ushered into the clinic by her sister. He tried not to let his irritation with Kara show as he greeted them. He cared for them both. He and Nessa had come to an understanding long ago. Kara didn’t seem to be accepting of it, even though Nessa had assured him she’d laid it out for her.
JT had helped him to clean up, and as he was no longer covered in dirt and soot from the blast, he was feeing much better. When the sisters got closer, he reached out for each of their hands and thanked them for keeping an eye on him. He held Nessa’s hand longer, silently trying to tell her all the things he didn’t feel like he could with an audience. Kara had been on the two of them about making a commitment, but neither of them had wanted that. They loved each other but in a much different
way. Thinking of Nessa didn’t ignite his blood and stir things deep within him the way thinking of Rachel did. The way no one else ever had. He found understanding and encouragement in her gaze as Rachel’s voice entered the room. Using his grip on Nessa’s hand, he pulled her over to where Rachel had stopped short in the doorway. “Have the two of you met?”
Both women laughed. Rachel nodded. “We have, and maybe you should have JT look at you again before you leave.”
Dutch felt Nessa’s hand tighten around his, reminding him that he was still touching her. It was hard for him to remember anything or anyone else when Rachel was around. The world seemed to just fade away when he was in her presence. He shook his head. “I’m fine. It would take more than a bit of dynamite to keep me on my back. I’ve got to get back and let Mrs. Franklin know what’s happening and then get to the mine and check out the damage. We’ll have men to report to in Denver and Durango.”
“We?” Nessa asked.
He dropped her hand and turned toward her. “Yes. Me and Ab. You haven’t seen him in town at all, have you?”
“Since you’ve been here?”
He nodded.
“No. But I haven’t been looking either. I didn’t realize I should have been. Truthfully, I don’t like to be around him much.”
Dutch nodded again. He tried hard to remember the events of the day before. He had flashes of moments and knew that Ab had been late or something like that. Dutch remembered he’d been pleasantly surprised to see Ab when the man had walked out of the shack. But after that…a lot was fuzzy, almost as if the force of the explosion had blasted the details from his memory. Regardless of the details, he knew that Ab had been there and he also knew he needed to find him, and fast. Wade waking up and them not knowing the specifics didn’t bode well for anyone.
Dutch had been born just around the corner from the market in Five Points. He’d never been anything other than what he was. He’d run with the Whyos the way his father before him had, as did his uncles and cousins. It was a legacy thing with them. A point of pride. He’d never been anything but, nor had he had a reason to because the Whyos lived by a code. It was a code he believed in and one that contained their more base natures and allowed them to live maybe not on the right side of the law but at least alongside it. The people they were dealing with now, the ones that had been slowly trickling into Creede, creating an even more dangerous environment than there already was, the type of men that had Rachel cornered behind the mercantile as early as dusk, those men had no code. They had no remorse or reverence for human life and all signs were pointing to them taking a stronger foothold in Creede. Dutch couldn’t let that happen. Honor and order, even if they weren’t firmly planted in good, were better than the things those men surely had planned. Ab had been the lead after that attack rooster of Hannah’s had run Archie into the street, and with him missing, it was up to Dutch to find all the pieces and bring them together.