by West, Everly
"Your grandson, August Moonlite."
"What?" the old man said as he hurried toward him.
In the shadows, August was stunned at how much his grandfather had aged. Shaking Cora, he woke her. "We're here."
Jumping down from the wagon, happiness gripped him as he rushed to the older man. "Grandpa."
"August, son, what are you doing here? It's winter," the old man said as he hugged him. A tightness gripped his chest. All that was missing was his mother.
"It's so great to see you," his grandfather said. "Bessie?"
The door cracked and his grandmother peered into the twilight at the two of them. "Isaac, who is that?"
"August," he said. "Our grandson is home."
With a cry, the little old woman ran toward him and he opened his arms to welcome her, his heart bursting with love. Why had he not returned sooner? Why had he let his father keep him away? A sense of peace and rightfulness came over him as he hugged his grandmother close.
"Son, what are you doing out traveling in the middle of winter?" she asked, leaning back.
"It was time to visit," he said. "I've missed you terribly."
"Who’s that in the wagon with you?" his grandfather asked.
"Oh, that's my wife," he said.
"Your wife? When did you marry?"
"Four days ago," he said walking toward Cora. "Grandmother, the trip has been hard on her. Cora's ill and running a fever."
The old woman's mouth dropped open. "Then get her in the house, boy. Don't worry, I'll give her some of my chicken soup and we'll fix a mustard plaster. That should cure her in a few days."
The three of them hurried to where Cora appeared frozen to the seat.
"Cora, these are my grandparents," August said "Let me help you," he said as he lifted her in his arms. With a sigh, she laid her head on his shoulder, her raspy breathing worrying him as he carried her into the house and up the stairs. "Is my old room still available?"
"Yes," his grandmother said, "though now in anticipation of your visiting us someday, a double bed is in the room."
He laughed thinking his wife would probably prefer they didn't share a room, but with her illness and his grandparents’ expectations, she would be stuck with him for now. For the last three nights, they had shared a tent, cuddling to stay warm.
Carrying Cora into the bedroom, he glanced around at the room. A photo of his mother hung on the wall. One of him, as well, along with the countless articles about his father becoming the governor of the territory. They were so proud of their son-in-law, even if he had remarried.
"Put her on the bed and then you men skedaddle while I help her into bed. Take my mustard powder and oil out of the pantry. Once she's settled, I'll fix the plaster."
Cora started coughing and August felt his chest tighten with pain at the sound. Because of him, she was sick. If he hadn't insisted on them coming here, she wouldn't have gotten ill. "What can I do to help you, Grandmother?"
"Go downstairs with your grandfather. She's young, she's going to be all right once she's resting comfortably. Oh, and you can bring up her things so I can put her in her nightgown."
The last three nights, they slept in their clothes. In fact, August couldn't wait to soak in warm water. Wouldn't Cora want the same?
"I'm sure she'll want a bath," he said.
"Draw the water and put it on to heat," his grandmother said. "Now, shoo."
As he closed the door to the bedroom, leaving his wife and grandmother alone, his grandfather stared at him. "Maybe while the water's warming you can tell me what's going on. Why would you marry and bring her here? Why not a honeymoon?"
August laughed. No one could deny that his grandfather was not a smart old coot. He'd never been one to get much over on him. "Neither one of us wanted a wedding, but her interfering mother and my overbearing father made certain we tied the knot. At that point, I decided it was time to escape from Father's schemes for a while."
* * *
Cora felt like she was dying. The croup held her in its grip, and she was certain every breath was her last. The older woman helped her remove her shoes, let her hair down and removed her dress. Standing in her chemise, Bessie opened the door to her grandson who carried in a big tub. Half undressed, Cora was too ill to care.
Soon August brought up several buckets of water as his grandmother stripped off her under garments in front of her husband. Embarrassment flooded her and yet she was too weak to protest.
Not caring that she was nude, his grandmother assisted her into the tub. The hot water soothed her aching joints and the steam loosened her chest, making it easier to breathe. As she sank beneath the water up to her neck, she tried to ignore the fact the man she married could see her naked body.
"Now you soak while I go downstairs and prepare a mustard plaster. We can't have my new granddaughter ill," Bessie said as she walked out the door leaving August behind with Cora naked.
She leaned her head back against the metal and let the steam filter up her nose.
"Sorry," August said standing there looking more nervous than she remembered seeing him.
"The least you could do is turn your back," she said wheezing.
"If I could move, I would, but damn Cora, you're gorgeous," he said staring at her.
The words warmed and she caused her cheeks to flush, and yet she was too weak to force him to leave.
"You're putting my annulment in jeopardy," she groaned, closing her eyes, aching all over and hurting too much to care that her husband stared at her like he'd never seen a woman's body before.
And she was certain he had seen more than his fair share of women's bodies. Known in Cheyenne for his exploits with the ladies and not the virginal women.
He laughed. "It would appear so. Are you sure you don't want me to scrub your back?"
She opened her eyes and gave him her haughtiest look. The one she'd used on men who thought she might be easy pickings. While August and his grandmother were sweet to help her, she really just wanted to be left alone.
"All right, I get the message, that's a no. What if I crawled in there and we shared that space?"
"I may be sick, but I can still throw a mean punch."
"Well, now I know you're not going to die," he said with a laugh. "If you're still fighting, death is a long way from stealing you away from me."
No, she wasn't going to die, but this cold hit so suddenly, she feared she would catch pneumonia before they had arrived.
"That would be an easy solution to our situation, but I wouldn't count on it," she said. "Now that we're here, what now?"
August hadn't told her why they were going to his grandparents, only he wanted to visit them. For how long and for what purpose she didn't know.
"Too many years have passed since I visited. Something told me I needed to come, and I'm so glad we did. My grandfather and even my grandmother, they've aged so much. It's frightening."
With a sigh, he shook his head still staring at her. "So many happy memories are here with my mother. My father would leave us while he worked in Cheyenne for months at a time. Sometimes I wonder if my parents’ marriage was as contented as they made everyone think. Mother's gone and now he's got the stepladder."
"Stepladder?"
What was he referring to? His stepmother? The woman had not traveled to Laramie with her husband, and from August’s descriptions of her, he didn't think too highly of the woman.
"Yeah, that's my name for her. She's my stepmother and she's always working that social ladder, trying to aim higher."
Cora laughed, but immediately began to cough. When she finished, she sighed and leaned back against the tub. "From what I could tell driving here, our ranch is not nearly as large as your grandfather's. This is a nice place."
Before the sun started to set, the scenery had been beautiful with tall trees, a babbling river and fields of snow.
"Yes, and when you're better, we'll go for a ride."
"That sounds like fun," she said, l
eaning back and closing her eyes, wishing sleep would come. All she needed was rest. Sleeping in a cold tent on the ground each night and not resting well had taken a toll on her body.
Bessie bustled into the room. "August go down and help your grandfather while I prepare your wife for bed. He's down there pacing the floor waiting to talk to you."
Thank goodness. Sitting in the bath, she slunk down beneath the water as far as she could, trying to hide her body from his roaming eyes. They may be wed for now, but she still hoped to end this farce.
"Yes, Grandmother," he said. Giving Cora one last lingering gaze, he smiled before he walked out the door.
"How long have you been married to my grandson," she asked as she helped her out of the rapidly cooling water and briskly dried her with a towel.
"Less than a week," she said not wanting to divulge any details about how they came together. All she wanted was to crawl into that warm bed, close her eyes, and forget the last four days.
The older woman pulled her nightgown over Cora's head and handed her a smelly mustard pack. "Lie down in the bed and then put this on your chest. Hopefully in the morning, you'll feel much better. Tomorrow, you should remain in bed all day and I'll make you some of my chicken broth guaranteed to fix you right up."
"Thank you," Cora said. "I'm sorry you had to take care of me, Bessie."
"Dear, it's all right, but you will call me grandmother, just like my grandson. Now that you're married into the family, you're my granddaughter. We're thrilled you've come to visit and you married our boy. Try to rest and tell that young man to leave you alone tonight."
The older woman hurried out the door, probably eager to speak with August.
A giggle escaped Cora, though it made her chest hurt. What his grandmother didn't know was they had not consummated their marriage and Cora had no plans on doing so. After the way August cared for her, she was beginning to think he was not a bad man.
After he saw her naked in the tub, she wondered if they would ever get their vows annulled. Still she had dreams she didn't want to give up.
* * *
The next morning, August and his grandfather saddled their horses preparing to go riding. Anything to get away from his beautiful wife, who he shared the bed with last night. This morning, he woke curled around her luscious tempting body, his manhood feeling like a granite slab of stone.
How much longer could they share the same space without one of them caving and giving into temptation, sealing them together forever. Yet with every day, that became a little less of a bad idea.
What drew him to his wife was their shared beliefs about society and all the wrangling people did to show they were more upper class than you. That kind of nonsense he wanted no part of. And yet, his father and stepmother and Cora's mother thrived on that rubbish.
For his father, everything had a purpose and society was what kept him in office.
August had no idea what he really wanted in his life. Only what he didn't want.
As they rode their horses out of the barn, his grandfather sat easy in the saddle on his big roan. Away from the house, he glanced at him.
"I've been praying you'd come see us. I didn't want to write you, but just kept hoping sometime this spring you would show up. Never expected you in the midst of winter."
"After I followed Father to Laramie and then the wedding fiasco, I decided we were close enough for a visit. Don't know how long we'll be here, if you don't mind us staying."
A chuckle came from his grandfather resounding in the valley. "Good, I was hoping you would stay until the weather warmed. It's a dangerous journey in the snow."
They rode along the pasture, the crisp air causing condensation with each breath, yet the sun rose in a cloudless blue sky.
"Tell me about this marriage of yours," his grandfather said. "Last night, I didn't say anything to your grandmother as I didn't want her upset."
August sighed as the horse shifted its hips as they went down an incline into a wooded area. "The crazy woman fell out of a window, trying to escape the ball, and I caught her. But her dress went over her head and my hand landed in a place polite society is not supposed to see."
A chuckle came from his grandfather.
"Unfortunately for both of us, everyone spilled out the doors when they heard her scream as she was falling. So there we stood with her dress over her head and my hand in an inconvenient location."
Even today, that moment still didn't seem real. How they forced him to marry a beautiful woman because he rescued her, saved her from certain death or injury.
The old man threw back his head and laughed. "Remind me not to take you gambling. That is pretty bad luck, son."
"You're telling me," he said, still angry her mother insisted they marry. Though after seeing her in the tub last night, he was a very lucky man. Still they had a long road ahead of them, and he was beginning to like her sharp wit and strong-willed nature.
"Funny thing is I overheard her mother and her arguing in the library over her not flirting with me. She told her mother, if I was as wealthy as the king of England she still wouldn't want to marry me." Shaking his head, he laughed. "That is when she decided to crawl out the window to escape and fell right into my arms. Now we're married."
In a comfortable silence, they rode along in the cool brisk wind.
"Women can say the strangest things. It took me several years to learn that about your grandmother,” he said shaking his head. "So I gather this marriage was not because you love her."
"No," he said. "In fact, she wants us to have it annulled."
At the time, the thought of getting an annulment seemed like such a great idea, but now, now August was beginning to have doubts. No, he still didn't want to be married, but could he keep his hands off her long enough for them to end this marriage. The woman had invaded his bed and now even his dreams were being assailed.
His grandfather jerked his head toward him. "How are you going to do that?"
"Well, we haven't..."
"Oh," his grandfather said with a laugh. "You've got the ring on her finger, but none of the privileges of a married man."
"Exactly," August said. "Cora wants to travel to New York and become a fashion designer."
"Do you want the marriage to work?"
At first, August had been so against them marrying. Angry and frustrated, he wanted his father to step in and defend his honor and not demand he marry this girl. Now...he no longer felt certain. No, he wasn't ready to say he loved her by any means, but there was something intriguing about her that attracted him.
And seeing her naked in the tub last night had awakened so many thoughts and desires. Still, it was more than that. In all his time in Cheyenne, he'd never met a stronger woman than Cora.
Her strength of will and her determination and her quiet sense of humor captured him. Did he want them to stay married?
"Don't know, Grandpa. Right now, I'm not certain what I want in life. A wife was the last thing I needed. I'm hoping while I'm here, I'll get some clarity as to what I should do with my life and now what I should do about Cora."
With his wife sharing his bed, sleeping beside him and seeing her naked, all he could think about was what he would like to do with her.
"Have you considered courting your wife? If you want the marriage to work, I'd court her. If you want it to end, that's a different set of problems."
"How can I answer that when I don't know. At first, I didn't want the marriage and now, every day I become more confused."
Glancing at his grandfather, the man nodded. "Sometimes a man needs some solitude to figure out what direction he should go. While you're here, you can help me mend some fences and work the herd. Spring calves will be soon and I need you to help me make some decisions as well."
What kind of decisions did his grandfather need assistance with? The older man had always been who he looked to for guidance, so how could he advise him? Did it have to do with his grandmother?
"What to d
o with the ranch after I'm gone," his grandfather said, staring him directly in the eyes. "A man doesn't last forever and I'm in my last days. Do I sell the ranch or leave it to my only grandson?"
Chapter 6
Two days later, Cora finally felt strong enough to crawl out of bed, dress, and go downstairs. This morning, August had dressed early and left the room before daylight. Since they arrived at Riverbend, their days were spent apart and their nights sharing the same bed, his arms wrapped around her, which spooked her.
Yet, it was quickly becoming her favorite part of the day.
"Grab that basket and we'll gather the eggs," the older woman said, leading the way out the door, yanking on an overcoat. "Make certain you're warm; we don't need you catching cold again."
"Yes, ma'am," Cora said, thinking Bessie reminded her in some ways of her mother. Only kinder.
Walking into the bright sunshine, she gazed at the clear blue sky magnificent with no clouds dotting the horizon. "Wow," Cora exclaimed, stepping off the porch into the snow. "In the semi-darkness, I couldn't see the mountains in the backdrop or the pine trees. It's beautiful."
Bessie stopped and admired the view. "Yes, Isaac found this land while I was pregnant with Ellie. We moved here the summer after she was born. We've never regretted our move and Isaac has done well with raising cattle."
Cora wished she knew Bessie well enough to ask about Ellie, August’s mother, but she didn't think that would be appropriate. Someday, she hoped they would tell her what happened to the woman to die so young.
"In the wintertime, doesn't it get lonely?" This place was prettier than her parents’ ranch, but it seemed so desolate compared to Laramie.
"Sometimes, but we go into town at least once a week if the weather permits. On Sunday, we go to church. In fact, since you're feeling better, we'll be going tomorrow."
All her life, Cora attended church, and she wanted to now. But she felt like August and her lied to his grandparents about their relationship. Though, she didn't think it was her place to tell his grandmother the truth. That was his responsibility.