The Rancher's Southern Belle

by Leanne Burroughs

  He had no idea what to do now. He just knew he’d shield her in any way he could from the unpleasantness to come. He wasn’t quite sure why it mattered so much to him. After all, as she’d said earlier, she was practically a stranger.

  A few hours talking didn’t change that.

  ~ Chapter 5 ~

  After the brief graveside service in the cool of the morning air, Luke rented a horse and wagon and loaded Madelyn’s belongings into it. She claimed to have lost almost everything during the war, but she certainly had a lot of trunks! What could possibly be in them? It would have cost her father a small fortune just to transport them. Luke tied his horse to the back of the buckboard, then climbed up and sat beside her. The lead horse pawed the ground in anticipation of the ride ahead.

  Although news of her father’s death had hit her hard, to Luke’s surprise, she hadn’t cried once this morning. Instead, she seemed to be in shock. Like he’d sometimes seen men after a battle.

  They spent the night at the Fort while he signed all the necessary papers to muster out, collect his pay, then be on his way home the next morning. He let her spend the night in his quarters while he spent his last night talking with his men.

  It would be a long, hard drive. He hoped his new wife was tough enough to survive it. A gently-reared woman, she wasn’t cut out for the life he’d thrown her into when he agreed to marry her. But she seemed stubborn enough to try.

  He’d try to stop in a town to find a hotel at night, but some days there wouldn’t be a hotel—let alone a town. They’d have to bed down under the stars. Wouldn’t bother him a bit. He’d done it many a night.

  But what of his wife? Right now she met his gaze with a calm he bet she didn’t feel.

  She hadn’t melted into a weeping Nellie at the drop of a hat, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t as they drove farther west. She had no idea what her life was going to be like. She had to be terrified.

  He patted her hand. “We will be fine, Madelyn. You will… we will get through this.”

  Her eyes filled with hope. “I want to believe that.”

  Taking a deep breath for courage, Madelyn faced forward as the captain sat beside her in the wagon—a buckboard he called it—and urged the horse forward.

  Toward her new home.

  Her unknown future.

  God, help me!

  Oh, that’s right. She forgot she wasn’t talking to Him. She doubted if He’d listen anyway. He certainly hadn’t when she and so many others had cried out to Him in Atlanta. He’d turned a blind eye as so many suffered annihilation. Memories swirled through her as she tried to blot them away—death and destruction everywhere.

  She shifted her eyes to look at the captain, hoping he wouldn’t notice her attention. He was still clean-shaven, but had a shadow of a beard showing. He sure did look different from when he’d been in his impeccable Union uniform. Instead of his blue military uniform, he wore jeans and a green flannel shirt. She’d watched the play of his muscles beneath the shirt as he’d loaded their belongings into the back of the wagon. Most of hers were her dresses. Would she ever be able to wear any of them again? The frontier sounded so ‘backwoods.’

  She’d been surprised when he’d wasted some of his money to purchase a horse to pull the wagon, only to tie his own behind them.

  “Royal was my horse back at the ranch. I rode him in when I enlisted in the cavalry. He kept me alive durin’ many conflicts. He is not bred to pull wagons, though,” he’d told her.

  Wasn’t a horse just a horse? Apparently not. Although she’d done her fair share of riding and jumping in Atlanta, it seemed she really had a great deal to learn about ranching!

  And according to her husband, a lifetime to learn it. Why hadn’t he just set her aside like she’d asked? Then neither of them would be forced to put up with each other. Surely an annulment would have been easy since he’d honored his statement about their marriage night. He’d been a perfect gentleman and had actually slept in her old room with the broken lock while he situated her in what had been his room.

  The room where he should have slept and none of this would be happening!

  She could have found a way to San Francisco—alone—and he could have gone on—also alone—to his ranch.

  She had to admit he’d been exceedingly kind since the morning of the debacle. And if she hadn’t had his strong arms wrapped around her when they buried her father, she doubted she would have survived the ordeal. Tears had threatened to fall, but she’d held them back. She’d not let him think her a weakling.

  She wasn’t.

  She was Madelyn Octavia…oh, blast it…Guylenhall. Would she ever get used to that name?

  Or to the man that went with it?

  Luke had tried to engage Madelyn in conversation, but after only receiving monosyllabic answers, he gave up. He didn’t need the conversation. He was used to being alone often on the ranch, just as he was used to being surrounded by ranch hands or soldiers on a battlefield. He was comfortable in either situation.

  He made a mental list of all the things he’d have to teach his young wife when they reached the ranch—how to milk the cow, how to gather eggs, how to plant and tend a vegetable garden. His mother had even had a small herb garden. Would she be able to maintain that if she was used to Old Bob tending her garden?

  Not to mention all the flowers Ma had planted everywhere around the house. She’d often said they reminded her of her home in England. She’d spent a lot of time tending them. The soil wasn’t quite as forgiving of dainty flowers as it was of hardy vegetables, though. Did Madelyn like flowers?

  “Do you like flowers?”

  “I love them!” She gave him a heart-stopping grin that stole his breath.

  “Good. There are a lot of flowers at the ranch that will need tendin’.”

  Her face fell. “Oh, I have never actually done that. I just meant… Well never mind.”

  He almost chuckled. But he guessed it was at least a start. He had a ranch to run. He couldn’t be going behind her every five minutes to see if she was learning things. And he certainly couldn’t expect his sister to spend all her time at his house teaching his wife how to do everything she’d be required to do every day. Kat had her own house to run. And Aaron would want her at home.

  Maybe his two aunts that lived in town could come out and spend some time with them occasionally. He’d be thrilled to have them around for a spell, and Madelyn might appreciate their good humor. Aunt Mary sure did talk up a storm when she was around. Sometimes he wondered how Lola and Mary had learned to co-exist once they moved in with each other after the deaths of their husbands. They were such different characters. Maybe he and Madelyn could take a page out of their book and learn how to get along.

  Oh, God, how is this ever going to work? Am I mad to even think we might have a chance?

  In the days and nights that followed, their routine remained the same—traveling during all the sunlit hours, save to rest and water the horses, eat, and make ‘necessary’ stops—and stopping only at night to bed down under the stars or trying to find the buildings some towns called hotels. In some of those towns, the scent of night-blooming flowers was the only pleasurable thing about them. Madelyn resigned herself to being jostled and tossed about as the wagon’s wheels found inevitable ruts in the roads.

  Night blanketed the earth when they finally stopped in a small town. What was called a hotel wasn’t one by any stretch of the imagination, and the food the owner served had been inedible. Unexpected tears sprang to Madelyn’s eyes when Luke led her to their room. The ramshackle place was horrible.

  The small room held a tiny, decrepit bed. One bed—although once again the captain had assured her he’d be fine sleeping on the hard floor.

  She’d done her best to smile, although she wasn’t sure she’d succeeded.

  When she’d realized he would be sleeping in the same room, albeit on the floor, she’d panicked. Even though he’d been the perfect gentleman since they’d wed, th
ey hadn’t been in the same room overnight before.

  Her mind spun in turmoil.

  And she wasn’t really sure exactly what was expected of her. Aunt Agatha certainly hadn’t been forthcoming about facts between men and women. Yet riding so closely beside him daily was making her mind wander to places it hadn’t before.

  Wondering, what if…

  “I regret you are having to be so uncomfortable—again. If my father had not…” His clean, male scent filled her nostrils and left her lightheaded.

  His eyes met and held hers for a long time. “No, Madelyn. We are not here because of him. What happened in St. Louis is behind us. Over. We are makin’ a fresh start now—the two of us together. A new beginnin’. We are here because of who we are now. Not who we were a week ago, a month ago, or even a year ago. Those two people were forever changed the day we said our vows in that little white church.”

  He lay back and bunched a blanket beneath his head. “I will be fine down here, but thank you for carin’.”

  Soon his breathing was even and deep.

  Did he really believe that? That they had lived through yesterday and today and now were looking to tomorrow? She pressed one hand against her mouth to stifle a sob and hastily palmed moisture from her cheeks. She would not cry in front of him. Would show no weakness. Had to remain strong. She hoped she had the mettle to do it.

  Her very survival might depend on it.

  Kansas City, 1866

  ~ Chapter Six ~

  “There she is.” As the buckboard topped the last rise, Luke pulled it to a stop. A wide smile spread over his face.

  Madelyn shifted and tried to straighten the kinks out of her back. She was sooooooo tired of riding. They’d been doing it for weeks.

  And she felt miserable. Too bad the weather hadn’t cooperated during most of their journey. They’d alternated between bright sunny skies to storms that rose up in an instant, lightning cracking and thunder rolling overhead. She’d been soaked to the skin more times than she could count.

  A fit of coughing overtook her as a vista of fields with roaming cattle stretched before her. Not a single person was in sight. Even though she didn’t feel well, and her body ached, she marveled at the beauty of the vast wilderness. She’d felt that way during most of her trip. It was so different from the crowded city of Atlanta where she’d been raised.

  Fields of wildflowers had caught her attention along the way. As she’d told him once, yes, she really did love flowers.

  She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. “There is who? I do not see anyone.”

  He gave a deep chuckle. “Not a who. A what.” He spread his arm to encompass the range in front of her. “That is our land. The house is just a little farther up the road.”

  She watched him as he started the wagon moving forward again. Surely he had to be as tired as she was, but he didn’t look it. At least not now. He looked re-energized. Excited. But then, why wouldn’t he? He was home. His home.

  He wasn’t the one whose entire life had changed. Hers had. Then again, he certainly hadn’t planned on coming home with a wife he hadn’t wanted. Considering the circumstances, he’d been quite pleasant over the time it took them to make the journey. He’d attempted conversation, but usually gave up when she didn’t answer.

  What was I supposed to say? Oh, I’m so excited. I can’t wait to see my new home in the middle of nowhere. No, best she kept quiet, and that’s what she’d done.

  Some of his excitement started to rub off on her and a flutter of nerves caught her stomach. If nothing else, she could sleep in a decent bed tonight! Oh, that would be heavenly. I never knew there were so many run down, dilapidated way houses in this country. I certainly wouldn’t call any of them hotels! If I never see one of them again, it will be too soon.

  Speaking of too soon, before she knew it her husband was pulling the buckboard up in front of a well-maintained white house. Much nicer than she’d anticipated in this part of the country, but smaller than he’d made it sound. It didn’t look at all like he’d described.

  Another fit of coughing overtook her, taking her breath away, just as a tall woman came outside of the house wiping her hands with a cloth.

  The captain jumped down from the wagon. The woman’s expression changed to one of pure joy. She ran toward him and threw herself into his arms.

  “Luke! Oh, saints alive, it is so good to see you again. Why didn’t you write and say you were coming? We could have readied the house for you.”

  The captain gave the woman a great hug and spun her off her feet.

  She laughed good-naturedly as he gently placed her back on the ground. “Land sakes, Luke, I am getting too old for you to do that.”

  He shook his head. “Never, little sister. You will never be too old for me to tease.”

  She stood and assessed him, her right eyebrow quirked in mockery. “You forget how to strop a razor?”

  He chuckled.

  “Never saw you with long hair and a beard before. It is good seein’ you, but I think I prefer you clean shaven and with your hair cut.”

  Seeing him every day, Madelyn hadn’t really paid attention to it. Now his hair hung to his broad and powerfully built shoulders.

  She shifted back her gaze. Ah, so this was the sister. Certainly forthcoming with her speech, given how she spoke to her brother, but Madelyn was moved by the love she saw in their eyes.

  “I will cut it eventually. It is nice bein’ able to let it grow now that I am out of the army. As a captain, I set certain standards for my men, and that included being well groomed. Been nice not doin’ that a spell.”

  Her husband took a step back, but held his sister’s hand. “Kat, I would like you to meet my wife.” He motioned up to where she sat in the wagon. “This is Madelyn.” To Madelyn he said, “This is my sister, Kat. Short for Katherine.”

  The woman peered up at her, a twinkle lurking in her eyes. “Howdy.”

  He faced his sister. “I would like to stay and chat, but Madelyn has not been feeling well the past few days. Probably she is plumb wore out after the long trip from St. Louis. Not bein’ rude, but I do not want her to get down from the wagon. Think I need to get her home quick-like so she can rest. We can catch up tomorrow if’n that is all right.”

  A fit of coughing chose that moment to prevent Madelyn from speaking. After it stopped, she placed one hand on her chest and attempted a weak smile at his sister. What did the woman think of her not getting down and greeting her properly? Surely they had rules for proper etiquette even in the middle of nowhere. Madelyn felt light-headed. Her body swayed and she feared she might tumble off the wagon. Proper etiquette was the last thing on her mind. She just wanted to lie down and rest.

  The captain rushed forward and reached up to brace her in place. After assuring she wouldn’t fall, he gave his sister another quick hug, then rounded the wagon and climbed up onto the seat beside Madelyn. He placed one arm around her shoulders and held the reins with the other.

  As he clicked to the horses to start them moving, he looked over his shoulder and told his sister, “Come on by tomorrow mornin’.”

  Anxious lines bracketed his sister’s face. “You need us to fetch Doc?”

  He stopped the horses and creased his face in thought. “I think she will be all right once she rests. Weather’s been a bear on the trip home.” He peered up at the sky. Dark, ominous clouds amassed in clumps. “Just like we are gettin’ ready to get again soon. Thanks for bein’ concerned though.”

  “Wait a second and I will fetch some grub for you to take home. Then you’ll not have to worry about cooking after a long day of traveling.” Good to her word, she was back out the door before he thought she even had time to spoon it into another container. She held the pot up to him and he lowered it to a spot beneath his seat.

  He squeezed Madelyn’s shoulder as he moved the horses toward her new home. She grabbed the edge of the wagon to keep from bouncing off the seat when they hit a rut in the
road. Anticipation and dread warred with each other. She really wanted to see where she would be living from now on, yet feared for her uncertain future.

  He threw out an arm to stop her from being flung forward. “Careful there, little lady. We are almost there.”

  The house they stopped at next was much larger than his sister’s. It looked just like he’d described it on their journey. He’d told her his parents had done well. She guessed he’d told the truth.

  The barn off to the side was almost as large as the house, with a corral extending to one side.

  He jumped down and stood a moment looking at the house. Overhead, a hawk soared. Then, with a wide grin again splitting his face, Luke reached up for her, lifting her down gently before setting her feet on the ground.

  “Welcome home, Mrs. Guylenhall. This is your new home. Hope you like it.”

  What did he expect her to say? She wasn’t so mean-spirited that she’d crush his excitement. She knew it had been years since he’d been here. Since the day he’d gone off and joined the Union Army. She summoned the courage to meet his gaze.

  “I am sure I will, Captain.” Her reply was sharper than she’d intended. She made an effort to soften her tone. “Will you be kind enough to show me around?”

  “Be happy to if you feel up to it.”

  A large, heavily-muscled man came out of one of the wooden buildings. He rubbed his hands against his pants as he hurried toward them. “Luke? Good Lord, man. Is that you? Thought I heard noise out here.” Increasing his pace, he was by them in a few more steps. Luke held out his hand to shake, but the other man pulled him into a hug complete with back slapping. Then he set him away to look at him. “Good to see you. Welcome home. Ranch’s ready and waiting for you to take over.”

  The man’s attention shifted to Madelyn. “And this is?”

  Luke stepped toward her. “My new wife. This is Madelyn. Madelyn, this is our ramrod, Chet. One of the best men you will ever know. If you need anything and I am not around, he will help you.”