by Jenna Brandt
“You’ll have plenty of time to talk about that later. For now, let me get someone to help me get you up, Joe—Garrett,” she corrected herself. She gestured for someone to come over. A few moments later, one of the other nurses took the other side of him and they helped him back onto his bed.
“I remember how this happened to me,” he explained, as she pulled the sheet up and over him. “I was overseeing a large copper deposit for the Bennett Mine when I was attacked and robbed. I thought the thieves were going to kill me, but someone stopped them before they could.”
“With a deposit like that, you wouldn’t have been on your own. What happened to the men who were with you?”
“They were killed by the men who attacked us.” He reached over and picked up the locket from the table and opened it. “Becca must be so worried about me. I have to get to her.”
“She’s waited this long; she can wait until you can make the trip back to Little Ridge safely. You’re still in no condition to travel.”
Garrett knew there was no point in arguing with Cora. She was right, he wouldn’t make it out of the hospital, let alone the hour horse ride it would take to get back home; however, he could send word to her. “I need you to do a favor for me, Cora,” he pleaded. “I need you to send a telegram to Becca for me.”
“What do you want it to say?” Cora inquired, pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil from the pocket in her apron.
I’m alive and okay.
Someone attacked me and took the deposit.
Recuperating at Yuma County Hospital.
Will return as soon as possible.
All my love,
Garrett
He quickly gave her the sending information before reaching out and squeezing her hand. “Thank you, Cora. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“I’ll take care of this when I get off shift in an hour. I’ll let you know once I receive a reply.”
“You’re a good friend,” he said with a nod.
The same hurt look came over her face for a split second before she pushed it away a second time. “You know I would do anything for you, Garrett.”
As he settled back into his bed, he reveled in the knowledge that he would soon be back home, holding Becca in his arms and kissing away all the bad memories of the past few weeks. If that wasn’t enough to make him speed up his recovery, he didn’t know what would be.
Chapter Three
Mary Greyson held her hand to silence the other women gathered around the room. “Ladies, I understand there are various opinions about how to plan the next town social, but as the president of the Little Ridge Women’s Auxiliary, it’s my job to make a final decision. We’re going to go with Wilma’s idea to host it in the town square and have a potluck.”
Becca wasn’t surprised that the obnoxious brunette picked her best friend’s idea. The two of them were thick as thieves, and always voted against anything that Becca or her friends suggested.
“I still think Julia’s idea about having the dance outside the barn on the Clarke ranch with the potluck inside would be wonderful. It would be unlike anything we’ve done before. Why don’t we try to do something different for once?” June complained.
“You’ve only been home for a couple of months, June, so you have no idea what we’ve done while you were living in Yuma,” Linda pointed out snidely.
“Let those of us that have lived in Little Ridge our whole lives determine what has or hasn’t been done before,” Linda chimed in from the other side of Mary, glaring at June.
“What’s wrong with listening to some fresh perspectives? Since I’ve lived here, we’ve already had two socials in the town square. A little change would be refreshing,” Matilda countered in an effort to defend her friends.
Mary raised her hand a second time. “Julia can host her own party at her barn any time she’d like. This is for the entire town, and having it in the town square makes the most sense. My decision is final.”
Julia quickly changed the subject before things got heated. “How about we discuss what we plan to do for entertainment at the social?”
“We could make ice cream for the kids,” June suggested, no doubt thinking of her son who would enjoy the sweet, cool treat. “And maybe have a few games for the families.”
“What if we have a photographer take pictures of the families and couples? I heard there is one in Yuma. We could have him come over for the social,” Matilda added with excitement, pushing her red hair out of her eyes. “It would be a wonderful surprise for everyone.”
“And then a dance afterward for everyone,” Julia finished, turning to Becca for her approval. “What do you think of all that, Becca?”
“Whatever you all want will be fine,” Becca mumbled, not caring at all about what the women planned to do. Truthfully, all she could think about was how this should have been the first town social she attended as Garrett’s wife. Now she would have to sit awkwardly on the sidelines and hope one of the single men might ask her to dance, not that she cared to participate. Maybe it would be better for her to pass on going altogether. It was hard seeing all the happy couples around her, knowing that she was going to never have that again. “I need to visit the privy.”
Without waiting for anyone to respond, Becca jumped from her seat and rushed from the church. She didn’t make it very far out the door before a hand grabbed her by the arm to stop her. Just what she didn’t need—Jonathan Bosley. He stood tall in a perfectly tailored gray suit with his dark hair slicked back. “I thought I might find you here.”
“What do you want, Jonathan?” she asked in an exasperated tone. “I came out here so I could be alone.”
“We need to talk, Becca.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. I’ve told you that time and time again, but you just keep persisting. Nothing you say is going to change my mind.”
“You don’t know that. There was something between us when we were back in Boston. I was stupid for not telling you how I felt. When I got back here, I was too late. Things are different now though.”
“Things are different, Jonathan; I’m different. I don’t want the same things I used to—not after all I’ve been through.”
“I don’t know why you insist on pining for a man who left you. We could be happy together if you would just give us a chance,” Jonathan insisted, pulling her towards him until they were only inches apart.
“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen,” she whispered as she looked up at him and tried to ignore the desire she saw in his eyes. “You need to move on. Pursuing me is pointless.”
“I’ll never stop, Becca. I love you,” he said, just before he dipped his head down towards hers.
She could tell he was going to try to kiss her, but she wasn’t having any of it. She pulled back and stepped out of his grip. “You should go.”
Spinning around, she rushed off towards the back of the church where the outhouse was located. She needed some time alone, and she hoped Jonathan wouldn’t follow her. Before she entered the small wooden building though, she saw a shadowy figure standing under the church eave to the left of her. Frustration took hold of Becca, preparing her to be even firmer with Jonathan. To her surprise, however, it wasn’t Jonathan at all. It was someone she never expected to see again.
“Garrett? Wh-what are you doing here?” she squeaked out in disbelief, stumbling back in shocked fright.
“I thought I would find you at the church,” the familiar voice of Garrett whispered as he stepped out of the darkness and moved towards her until they were only inches apart. He looked into her eyes, and if she didn’t know any better, she could swear she saw love reflected in his eyes. “You always come to the Friday night auxiliary meetings.” He glanced towards where she just left Jonathan. “I can see I wasn’t the only one that knew that. The two of you seem to have gotten close while I was away.”
Anger seeped into Becca’s heart, not only that he would leave her, but that he would come back an
d pretend he had any right to judge what she did while she grieved the loss of him. “Why do you think you can question who I spend my time with? You gave up that right when you disappeared with the copper deposit and left me alone. Now you return, and the first thing you decide to do is become territorial. You don’t have a claim on me anymore,” she spat out in a rage, before turning around to rush back to the front of the church, desperate to get away from the man who broke her heart.
Chapter Four
“Becca, wait, don’t go,” Garrett pleaded, rushing after her. Once he caught up to her, he reached out to stop her from heading up the steps of the church. He pulled her around to face him, resisting the urge to gather her into his arms and kiss every inch of her face. Instead, he blurted out, “You’re right; I’m sorry. I have no right to judge anything you’ve done while I’ve been away.”
“You keep saying you’ve been away, like you were just making a routine delivery to Yuma. That’s not what happened.” Becca yanked free and glared at him. “I was worried sick about you until I found out what you did. You’ve been gone for weeks, too afraid to come back here because you knew the sheriff would arrest you. You missed our wedding, and what’s more, you stole from my family’s mine.”
Garrett shook his head back and forth vehemently, hating that she thought he would ever do such a thing. “That isn’t what happened, Becca. I was attacked in Yuma and the deposit was taken. Someone stopped them from killing me and took me to the hospital. When I woke up there, I didn’t know who I was. I had no memories. All I had was my locket with your picture, but even your photo didn’t help me remember anything about my past. I looked at your picture every day, trying to will myself to remember who you were. I knew in my heart you were important to me. At the core of me, I knew I loved you, but I couldn’t remember anything more than that.”
“That’s a really good story, Garrett, except if it were true, how did you end up back here? How come you remember me now and were able to find me?” she asked in an accusing tone as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Garrett was doing his best to stay calm and not react to the way she was responding to the truth. He loved Becca and he needed her to understand what happened to him and why. “I slipped and fell, bumping my head a second time. When I woke up after that, my memories came back. I knew what I had left behind, and who and what I needed to get back to. The problem was, I was too weak to do it, so I sent a telegram to you, telling you what happened. The nurse told me you sent a message back telling me to leave you alone. I thought about honoring your request, but I love you too much to not at least come here in person and see if you would change your mind.”
“What telegram? I never received a telegram,” Becca stated with confusion, her tone softening as her arms dropped to her side.
“I had the nurse wire one the very day my memories came back. I can’t believe you didn’t receive it,” Garrett stated with perplexity as he rushed his hand through his blond hair. What could have happened to his telegram? Did the location get mixed up? It would make more sense than Becca suddenly not wanting to be with him anymore. It was stupid of him to believe that Becca would have given up on what they shared that easy. “I would have come home sooner, but my recovery took much longer than I had hoped it would. As soon as I could, I came back here to you.”
“It sounds like your injuries were severe.” Becca stretched out and gently ran her fingers along the edge of twin scars on his right temple. “The recovery must have been painful.”
Garrett lifted his hand up and placed it over hers, squeezing it with affection. “Nothing was as painful as being separated from you. I missed you every moment we were apart.”
Seeing Becca again was better than he ever could have imagined. She looked beautiful in her light green dress with her blonde curls pinned up on top of her head. As he looked into her blue eyes, the urge to kiss her came rushing to his mind again.
She must have sensed his desire because she quickly pulled away. A conflicted look crossed her face before she diverted her gaze.
“Tell me you believe me, Becca. I need to know that I haven’t lost you because of what happened.”
After a few moments, she whispered, “I want to,” her eyes moving back up to meet his. “It’s just a lot to take in. You need to give me some time.”
He nodded, grateful that at least she wasn’t dismissing him out right, confirming the lie Cora had told him. “I understand if you need to adjust to me being home. I’m willing to wait as long as you need to, and do whatever it takes to make you see that I’m back for good.”
Becca glanced past him towards the church. “I need to get back inside. Everyone is going to wonder what took me so long out here.”
“Can I escort you home after your meeting?”
She shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. Julia and I are walking together.”
A look of disappointment flashed across his face before he was able to mask it. “Can I come calling on you tomorrow?”
Becca shook her head a second time. “That won’t work either. The family has plans tomorrow, and before you ask, you can’t join us. I need to explain to them how you’re back in town. I don’t want my uncle or brother calling the sheriff on you.”
“When can I see you again?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t put him off a third time.
“I’ll be at church on Sunday if you plan on attending.”
Relief flooded him as he realized she was giving him a tiny morsel of possibility. “Of course I am. Will you save me a seat?”
Slowly, she nodded her head. “I’m glad you’re all right, Garrett.”
As he watched her walk up the steps to the church, he reminded himself that he fought for Becca once. He could do it again. He knew they belonged together, he just needed to remind her of that fact, and he was going to spend as much time as it took to do just that.
Chapter Five
Becca took a final look in the mirror, pinching her cheeks to bring some color to them, and pushed a couple of blonde curls into place. She ran her hands down the satin finish of her blue dress, making sure there weren’t any wrinkles. She hadn’t cared this much about her appearance in months, but knowing she was going to see Garrett again changed everything.
The conversation with her family about Garrett’s return went better than she expected. When she explained what happened, most of them seemed sympathetic to his plight. Her uncle immediately said he would follow up with the hospital in Yuma to confirm Garrett’s story. If everything checked out, he would give him his old job back. The only one that seemed to still hold reservations about him coming back was her brother, Mark. He seemed angry at Garrett, and she couldn’t blame him. Part of her was still, too; however, the other part of her knew that if he was telling the truth, she didn’t have a right to be mad at him. He didn’t abandon her; he was unable to get back to her because he had been hurt badly. Becca knew she owed it to Garrett to give him the benefit of the doubt; the problem was she didn’t know how to convince herself. She was afraid to open her heart again, and give him the chance to trample all over it a second time.
“Are you ready to head to church?” Mark asked from the door of her bedroom.
She glanced in the mirror one more time, then nodded.
“You look great, Becca, though I don’t know why you are so worried about pleasing Garrett after what he did to you.”
Becca turned to face her brother. “I know how you feel about him, Mark. I think we both just need to hold off passing judgment until Uncle Martin has time to look into his story.”
“That’s just it, Becca, it sounds way too far-fetched to be true. He lost his memory? Do you believe that?”
Becca pressed her lips together, trying to figure out how she wanted to answer her brother. Deciding her feelings were too complicated on the matter to discuss, she changed the subject. “Let me grab my shawl and we can walk to church.”
Mark must have recognized the cue, because he remained silen
t. A few minutes later, they were making their way down Main Street until they reached the white wooden church. They made their way inside and just as promised, Garrett was anxiously waiting inside. He was smiling ear-to-ear as he rushed up to her. “It’s good to see you.”
“And you as well,” she returned, but could feel her brother stiffening beside her. She glanced over at him out of the corner of her eyes. Mark was glaring at Garrett.
“Good morning, Mark,” Garrett greeted with a friendly grin. “It’s good to see you, too.”
Mark didn’t return the greeting. Instead, he stepped forward, holding his elbows wide at his side, his chest thrust out. “I want you to know, I’m watching you. If you do one thing to hurt my sister again, I’ll make you regret it.”
“Fair enough,” Garrett said, with a slight nod of his head. “But you don’t have to worry about that. The only thing I plan on doing is making Becca happy for the rest of her life.”
Mark glanced over at his sister, then back at Garrett. “I’ll let the two of you talk until the service begins. I’m going to go wait for Ed outside.”
Garrett moved forward and reached out to take Becca’s hands, his rapt attention focused on her face. She resisted the urge to flinch away, reminding herself to give him a chance to prove he was back for good. The moment his hands touched hers, a zing of energy shot up her arm. Her pulse started to race, beating so quickly she could swear it was audible. Her mouth parted slightly, as her eyes focused on his soft lips, remembering how wonderful it felt to be kissed by him.
“You look really pretty,” Garrett said, moving slightly closer to her.
“Thank you,” she whispered, adding before she could stop herself, “I picked out this dress because I know it’s your favorite color.”
