For the Love of a Wounded Cowboy: A Historical Western Romance Book

by Cassidy Hanton

  She smiled at Mr. Van Dyke. “Thank you again.”

  “Don’t you mention it,” he replied. He gave her a polite nod and turned back to his work. Amelia tucked the message in her skirt. She needed to tell Mrs. Puck everything right away and deliver her messages.

  Morning could not come fast enough for Amelia. Once she told her former teacher of her plans, everything about her day had changed. The older woman offered her help in any way possible. She knew Amelia could not prepare to leave without it going unnoticed by her father, so she promised to pack her some food and prepare some things to help her on her way. She also would put aside some money for her. They would meet at the station the following morning.

  Amelia tried to refuse. She didn’t want to take the woman’s money, but Mrs. Puck insisted. She wanted to be sure that Amelia was taken care of, just in case anything went wrong on the way or when she arrived. Amelia couldn’t tell her no, so despite her feelings, she accepted the generous offer.

  She worked late that night and was exhausted by the time she got home. She did nothing but wash and go to bed. She ignored her father’s complaints about what a terrible housekeeper she was and the fact that he had to go hungry because of her laziness. She was washing out her hair when she heard his horse outside. A few minutes later, everything was silent, and Amelia was sure her father, had once again, gone into town to amuse himself with her money.

  Despite her fatigue, Amelia wasted no time in collecting her things. She folded her few garments neatly and put them into an old carpetbag. It once belonged to her mother. It was floral in pattern and was once burgundy in color, but now it was faded and grey in patches. It didn’t matter. It was something that her mother owned and that was what made it special to her. It was also the only bag she had.

  She packed it quickly, placing a knife and one of her father’s pistols inside of it. He wouldn’t notice it was missing until it was too late. The road could be a dangerous place and she was traveling alone. She couldn’t afford to go unarmed. She checked the contents one more time before she went to the hayloft to hide it.

  She could hardly sleep all night. She was so afraid. What if her father found where the bag was hidden? What if he came home and caught her? What if she overslept and missed the coach?

  She had a restless night. Amelia only allowed herself a few minutes of sleep before waking with a start. She watched the horizon from her window, eager for the dawn and the start of her new life.

  The minute the sky started to lighten Amelia’s heart began to beat faster. She climbed quietly out of bed and dressed in her favorite green dress as instructed. She moved as fast as she could as she didn’t want to linger a second longer than she had to. She poked her head out of her bedroom door and almost gave herself away as her father’s sleeping form surprised her. She clapped her hand quickly over her mouth before she made a sound. She heard when he went to this room that night, but she had not heard him come out. However, it was clear that he had.

  Amelia took a deep breath to calm herself. She lingered for several minutes to gauge whether he was awake. The sound of his snores soon eased her anxiety. She tiptoed from her room and out the front door as fast as her feet could carry her. Her father’s snores covered her escape.

  She rushed to the barn and climbed the ladder to the hayloft. She grabbed her bag from its hiding place before saddling her horse. She took the reins and walked him quietly from the barn. She did not dare climb upon his back until they were far enough from the house to go unheard. Once she was sure, she climbed onto his back with her bag secured in front of her and raced toward town and her future.

  Mrs. Puck met her at the station as promised. Mr. Van Dyke was waiting for her with her punched ticket in hand. He gave it to her and smiled at Mrs. Puck. “You take care of yourself, Miss Amelia,” he encouraged. “I hope you’ll write and tell us how you settle in.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Van Dyke,” she replied as she shook his hand. “I will be sure to do that.”

  “Don’t you worry, Gilbert,” Mrs. Puck replied. “I will be sure she doesn’t forget us.” She smiled at the stationmaster and then at Amelia. “After all, we love her.”

  Amelia’s heart stuttered in her chest at the words. She’d never heard anyone say them to her before. She didn’t know how to reply. The words made her feel warm and slightly embarrassed. Her cheeks grew hot and she smiled demurely. “I love you too, Mrs. Puck.”

  The older woman took her in her arms and hugged her. “I will miss you, Amelia,” she stated. “I have watched you grow from a child into a lovely young woman. Oliver Gyles better count his lucky stars that he was fortunate enough to find you.”

  “I’m the lucky one,” Amelia replied. “Lucky to have someone in my life to care for me as you do. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here now. You taught me to read. You let me use your writing implements and kept my secret. You have always been good to me. I have tried to be as good to you, though I do not think I have ever measured up to it”

  Mrs. Puck released her. “Nonsense. Having you in my life was like having a daughter. That’s what I thought of you. You always had a special place in my heart. You always will,” she assured Amelia.

  “Coach to Colverton now boarding!”

  The sound of the coachman’s voice made Amelia’s heart race faster. It was time.

  “I have to go,” she said.

  “I know,” Mrs. Puck replied. “Travel safely. Write to me as soon as you can.”

  “I will,” Amelia agreed as she began to walk. Her heart was galloping like a stampede of cattle. She had to take several long, deep breaths to calm herself and even then, it still felt like it was racing. Would it beat as fast when she finally saw Oliver? Would it beat faster? A smile broke across her face. She was going to be a bride. Soon, she would be Mrs. Oliver Gyles.

  Amelia was the first to board the coach. Four others followed. She didn’t know them and surmised they had to be passing through from one of the towns nearby. She placed her hands over her bag and held it close to her body as she looked out the window as the coach moved off. She waved at Mrs. Puck and Mr. Van Dyke. They waved back in unison. Mrs. Puck had agreed to arrange the return of her horse to her father. Amelia didn’t dare think of his reaction. It didn’t matter. He could no longer hurt her.

  “Goodbye!” Mrs. Puck called out to her.

  “Good luck!” Mr. Van Dyke added.

  It wasn’t long before Thinvale disappeared from sight. It was her past and it was behind her now. She momentarily wondered what her father would do when he realized she wasn’t there, when he realized she wasn’t coming back? Would he be as happy as he always said he would be? Or would he finally realize that with her gone, there was no one there who cared for him? It didn’t matter. That time was over now and the path they had both chosen for themselves was set.

  She didn’t look back. She would write, but she would never return to the town again, she knew that. Her life was ahead of her in Rattleridge with Oliver. She didn’t know what would happen, or who she might meet in this new stage of her life, but she welcomed it.

  It can only get better from here. Goodbye, Thinvale. Hello, future.

  Chapter Four

  “Rattleridge!”

  The sound of an unfamiliar male voice nudged Amelia from her sleep but didn’t fully wake her. She was so tired from her journey and the restless night before, that all she wanted to do was sleep.

  “Miss?” a female voice called from beside her. “Miss?”

  Amelia forced her eyes opened, turned to the woman and frowned. She was older than Amelia, but not by much. Her name was Florence Crest, and like Amelia, she was on her way to Rattleridge to be married. The two women became acquainted on their trip before sleep had claimed Amelia and ended their conversation.

  “We’re here,” she said with a bright smile. “Get your bag. We have to get off.”

  Amelia felt a little disoriented at the sudden intrusion to her sleep, but she did as Florence instr
ucted her. She followed the young woman from the train and thanked the conductor as she passed him on the stair. She never dreamed a train could be so entertaining, or loud. The first time the whistle blew, she almost jumped her out of her skin. It was also a long one, several hours had passed since their last stop and Amelia was feeling it keenly.

  The trip from Colverton to Rattleridge was almost two full days.

  Amelia stepped off the stair onto the platform, as steam ejected from beneath the train and surrounded them in a cloud of white. She didn’t know what to expect of Rattleridge. Oliver had described it to her in his letters, but still, it was hard to put together a clear picture in her mind. The first thing that struck her was how much larger the town was than Thinvale, though still small in comparison to most well-established towns.

  “Do you see him?” Florence questioned. Her long neck craned upward as she tried to peer down the platform.

  Amelia followed suit. “No,” she replied with some disappointment. Oliver said he would send his man, Melvin Kaley, to collect her.

  Florence looked at her watch. She had one of the new wristwatches similar to one the mayor’s wife owned. It was expensive and far beyond what Amelia could afford.

  She has so much yet she’s coming to Rattleridge to find a husband? I guess husbands aren’t as easily available as watches where she’s from.

  Shortly after, a tall, handsome man with a long, thick beard, expensive clothes, and a fine top hat met Florence. He took the other woman’s hand, bowed to it, and then placed a chaste kiss upon her knuckles. Amelia tried not to gawk at him, but he seemed rather out of place for a town such as Rattleridge. Florence, however, seemed to think his appearance quite normal as she greeted him without the slightest hint of wonder.

  “Amelia,” Florence called as she and the gentleman walked over to her. “I would like you to meet my fiancé, Archibald Hippolyte the Third.”

  “How do you do, Madam?” Archibald greeted her in a thick, British accent, as he bowed to her. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  Amelia was momentarily speechless, but eventually, she found her voice. “How do you do? The pleasure is all mine.”

  Archibald smiled at her. “I hope we will see much of each other. You seemed to have found a place with my Florence.”

  Amelia turned to Florence who was smiling brightly. “I only told Archibald a small bit about you. He was very pleased to hear that we were both getting married, and had found companionship on the trip over.”

  “It was quite providential,” Archibald agreed. He looked around him. “Is your fiancé here?”

  Amelia once again looked for Oliver’s man. There was no sign of him. “No. I don’t see his man.” She chuckled lightly, “Though I really don’t know what he looks like. He’s supposed to be looking for me.”

  “We will wait with you,” Archibald offered. “I am sure he is only delayed.”

  “Do you have the time?” she asked. Oliver promised he would be there when she arrived.

  “It’s two o’clock,” Florence replied with a smile. “We were right on time.”

  “On time?” Amelia asked confused. “I thought we were to be here for three o’clock? I was sure that’s what it said on the board at the station in Colverton.”

  “No, that was the old route. Did the stationmaster tell you? He told me. They laid new tracks down to make the trip shorter. This was the first voyage on the new line,” Florence informed her.

  Amelia marveled. There was a new line and she had never traveled on the old. It was amazing how much could happen and change and one never be the wiser for it.

  Florence looked at her curiously. “Would your fiancé be looking for you at a later time?”

  Amelia considered it. “He might be,” she answered. It would explain why he had yet to appear to meet her.

  “That’s it then, we shall wait,” Archibald insisted. “We have plenty of time. The ceremony isn’t supposed to begin until three-thirty.”

  “No,” Amelia replied politely. “I could not ask you to.”

  “You did not ask,” the man replied with a smile. “It was an offer.”

  Amelia appreciated the kind gesture, but she did not want to inconvenience them in any way. Florence had traveled as long as she had to meet her fiancé, she could hardly wish to spend a moment more in shared company when she could be with him, especially before her wedding. Amelia was sure that Florence would appreciate the time to freshen up before their nuptials.

  “I cannot allow you to stay,” Amelia continued. “Florence has traveled a long way, and you have waited a long time to be together. I would feel guilty to delay your wedding. Please, go along. I will be fine right here until Oliver’s man comes.”

  Florence reached out and took her hand gently. “Amelia, it is quite all right. I would not feel comfortable to leave you alone here.”

  “I am not alone,” she replied. “There are plenty of people here to keep me company, and I am sure it will not be long. Please,” she insisted. “Go on. Enjoy your wedding day. You’ve waited a long time for it, and I will hope to meet again once we are both settled.”

  Florence turned a hesitant gaze to her fiancé. Archibald nodded silently and then turned his attention back to Amelia. “Very well. If you insist, then we will leave you, but only on the condition that you come to visit us at the hotel as soon as you are settled.”

  Amelia smiled and held out her hand. “Agreed!”

  Archibald took her hand and shook it. “I look forward to having you and your husband join us. The hotel is the best in this area. You need only ask for me when you arrive and you will be shown to the best,” he informed her. “I am the owner and my friends get certain benefits.”

  Amelia’s eyes widened at the news. Was that what she had become? His friend? She had never made a friend so quickly before, especially one who owned such impressive property. It took her by surprise, still, she mustered the appropriate response. “Thank you. My husband and I would love to join you.”

  “Wonderful!” Archibald declared. “Until then.”

  Amelia watched as Archibald bowed his head to her once more, before taking Florence’s arm and hooking it in his own.

  “Until we see each other again,” Florence added as they turned to leave. It was only then that Amelia noticed the man following them. He was expensively dressed, but not as much as Archibald was. His clothes and hair were black and he was clean-shaven. He beckoned to the porter who was carrying a stack of trunks on a trolley and the group disappeared down the platform.

  Amelia was still thinking of her interesting new friends an hour later. Melvin had yet to arrive and she was beginning to feel anxious. What could have kept him? He said someone would be there. Half an hour later, she was still there and there was hardly anyone about.

  If Oliver or Melvin was not going to come to her, then Amelia would go to him. Something must have happened for him to be so late. She could not imagine that he would have forgotten her. In either case, she could not stay at the station indefinitely, and if Archibald’s hotel was as lavish in appearance as its owner, she could not afford to stay in such a place, even overnight. She had to find her way to Oliver’s ranch on her own.

  Amelia found the sheriff's station easily. The town was larger than Thinvale but was organized much better. Everything had large, clear signs, and she was soon able to find what she was looking for.

  “May I help you?” a burly looking man with a gold star on his chest asked as she walked into the room.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you. I’m new in town and I’m trying to find my way to the Gyles ranch. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction?”

  The man looked at her curiously. “I’m Sheriff Manchester,” the man stated. “What business have you at the Gyles’ place?”

  Amelia swallowed as her heart began to beat a little faster. “I’m Oliver Gyles’ fiancée,” she informed him. “He was supposed to have someone meet me, but I haven’t seen anyone ar
rive, so I hoped I could get there on my own. Is it far?”

  The sheriff raised his brows at her as he listened silently. “You’re Oliver’s fiancée you say?”

  “Yes,” Amelia answered.

  A small smile spread across the man’s face as he looked at her. “The sly dog didn’t even say anything, but he is the type who likes to keep to himself, being all the way out there near Hidden Lake.”

  “Hidden Lake?”

  “That’s where the ranch is. It’s a few miles from the lake and the Rocky Mountains. It’s more than a little walk away.”

  Amelia looked at the sheriff disheartened. She hoped the ranch was near enough that she could walk, even if it took her a while.