by Everly West
Now that things between her and Caleb were obviously headed in a different direction than that of a mere employer-employee, she needed to send her father a telegram as soon as she got into town. She would explain to him that she had found her fairy tale ending right here in Laramie, Wyoming Territory. She couldn't wait to share the news with Eva.
"I'm ready to proceed," Melody announced at the doorway. It took all of Arielle's concentration and finishing school skills to act as if nothing had just happened in the sunny ranch kitchen between her and the little girl's father.
"Very good, Melody. I see you are using the new word we studied yesterday. Well, then. I suppose we should proceed. She stole a look at Caleb. He grinned at her flustered speech and she pinked with embarrassment.
He turned and picked up his daughter. "Yes, I think we are all ready to proceed." He cut another knowing look in her direction, then tickled his little girl and laughed when she giggled uncontrollably. He turned and left the room with Melody under his arm. She watched his wide strong shoulders disappear leaving her alone with her thoughts. "Yes, Mr. Montgomery. We are most certainly ready to proceed. The future is looking very promising."
Half an hour later, Caleb guided the carriage into Laramie and stopped in front of Eva's home. "I'm assuming you wanted to visit Eva and Levi first. I have some business to attend to, so I'll be back for you in a couple of hours. We can eat lunch at the cafe before we head back to the ranch. If that's alright with you, of course."
"I think that would be a lovely idea. We'll be waiting for you." Arielle tried to convey more meaning in that statement than her words would imply. The heat in his eyes indicated he had received her message loud and clear. Her heart reeled with excitement at the thought.
She allowed Caleb to help her down from the carriage and his hands lingered on her waist. Then, he turned and lifted Melody down to stand beside them.
"Melody, you mind Miss Arielle, and I'll be back to pick you up in a few hours, okay?"
"Yes, Papa." Melody gifted her father with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. She watched Caleb look at Melody with a father's love. "I love you, sweetheart. Now you have fun with your friends, okay?"
"Yes, Papa," Melody answered again. "Can I go see my friends at the school now, Miss Arielle?"
"Yes, of course. Let me say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Copper and then I'll take you to the school. Will that be okay?" Melody nodded her approval. "Very well then, shall we go?" She extended her hand to Melody and the little girl took it and skipped along beside her.
Arielle looked up and saw Caleb watching her. The look he gave her sent an arrow of desire straight to her core. He tipped his hat and climbed back aboard the carriage and snapped the reins. He disappeared down the street toward Laramie's main streets. She stood rooted in place and watched Caleb disappear through the growing traffic.
"Can we go see Miss Eva now? There's so much I want to tell her about what I'm learning." Melody pulled on Arielle's hand. Arielle followed the excited Melody down the walk toward Eva's front door. "Yes, there is so much I want to tell her too."
Caleb guided his mare down the street toward the telegraph office. He hoped like hell he had some explanation from his father by now as to why his money hadn't reach Laramie's bank yet. His credit line with Mr. Collins was nearly gone and he had promised the mercantile owner that he would pay on his account within two weeks of their awkward conversation. His time was up, and the money still hadn’t arrived from St. Louis.
He tied off the little mare to the hitching post in front of the telegraph office and stepped inside. He saw the clerk behind the front counter. "Hello, I'm Caleb Montgomery. I'm waiting on a telegram from St. Louis. Has anything arrived for me?"
The clerk looked up from his work and focused on him. "Montgomery? Let me check. I think something did come in yesterday afternoon." The thin slight little man with the wire spectacles rose from his chair and rummaged through a bin of slots. Caleb's heart raced as he anticipated hearing from his father. "Ah, yes. Here we go." The man pulled out the slip of paper and handed it to him. "Let me know if you want to send a reply."
"Thank you." Caleb took the telegram and stepped outside to read it. He quickly scanned the words for the information he was looking for.
Dear Son,
Was confused to get your telegram. Stop. All funds in your account gone. Stop. Audit shows Victoria withdrew the money the day she left for Wyoming. Stop. Is everything alright? Stop.
J. Montgomery.
Caleb's heart dropped to his toes. He felt sick and there was every indication he was going to lose his breakfast on the wooden boardwalk outside the telegraph office. Victoria had emptied his bank account. But how? He hadn't given the bank authority to release funds to her. In fact, just the opposite. When they had gotten married, he allowed her to withdraw funds at will. That is until she nearly drained his life’s savings. When she couldn't explain where the money was going, he set her up an allowance and she had to come to him to get it. He had personally called a meeting with the bank’s employees and instructed them not to give her any money without written permission from him. He remembered that day as if it were yesterday. Victoria had been livid and made quite the scene about town, but he stuck to his guns and told her to rein in her spending habits. So what on earth could have gone wrong?
The reality of his situation kicked him hard in the gut. Without that money, he couldn't pay his bill at the mercantile store. Or pay Jeremy or Arielle. He couldn't buy supplies and worse, he couldn't hire his attorney to start divorce proceedings. His life had come to a complete cataclysmic hard stop. What in the hell was he going to do now?
Thoughts of Arielle pummeled his already troubled conscience. He knew he was falling in love with her, but how could he allow his relationship with her to deepen when he was in fact still a married man?
He looked at the telegram again. His father said Victoria took the funds out of his account the day she left for Wyoming. But she didn't come to Wyoming, so where was she? Not in St. Louis or someone would have seen her by now. How could he find out?
He stuffed the telegram from his father into his vest pocket and went back inside the telegraph office. "I'd like to send a reply to that telegram now."
"I'm ready." The clerk sat down at his desk, pencil in hand.
Mr. Jarvis Montgomery, St. Louis, Missouri.
Father, Victoria never came to Wyoming. Stop. She sent Melody alone. Stop. Need to find her as soon as possible. Stop. Please help. Stop.
Caleb.
“How much will that cost?"
He watched the clerk count the words. "That'll be two dollars."
Caleb dug into his pocket and laid the money on the counter.
"How long will that take to get to St. Louis?"
The man stabbed the piece of paper he had written Caleb's message on a nail sticking out of the wall. "I've got a couple of messages to get to before I can send yours, but if the lines are working and I ain't got no more customers in the next few minutes, I'd say it'll be received within the next half hour or so. Now whether you get an answer quick will depend on when the receiver gets the message and decides to answer. I ain't got no control over that end of it."
"I understand. I'll be in town for a few more hours. Will you send a messenger over to Levi Copper's home if a reply should come back this afternoon, say before four o'clock?" Caleb dug into his pocket for another dollar and placed it on the counter. "I'll pay another two bits when the message is delivered."
"I'll have my son bring it to ya—iffin it comes today."
"Thank you. It's really important that I get that message right away, you understand?"
"Yes, sir. Mr. Montgomery. I understand. Every message that comes through here is important to someone."
Caleb understood the man's position, but he doubted very seriously if the little man had any idea what that message from his father could mean to Caleb. His ranch. His life. His future.
He nodded and left the man to do his w
ork. He needed to go to the bank and talk to the banker about getting an extension on his current loan and he needed another one until he figured out what the hell he was going to do. He hadn't planned on this unfortunate turn of events, and he hoped he was in good standing enough at the bank to get the money he needed until he could figure out where the hell Victoria was and what she had done with his money.
He left his mare and carriage tied up in front of the telegraph office and walked the few blocks down to the bank. He entered into the cool quiet interior. It was such a contrast to the warm, crowded streets outside. Only a few customers stood at the counter conducting business. Good. He didn’t want any nosey customers listening in on his business.
Caleb's heart pulsed in his throat every moment he stood in line waiting for his turn at the teller’s window.
The man in front of him concluded his business and Caleb stepped up to the counter and spoke to the clerk, "Could I have a moment of the bank president’s time? I need to talk to him about my loan."
The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, but he left town two days ago to take care of some family business. He said he might be back next week sometime. I can set up a time to meet with him if you like?"
Caleb's hope sank. What choice did he have? "Yes, I guess that will be alright. Send word to me at the Bar M Ranch when he's available."
The clerk jotted down the information. "Can I tell him what it's about?"
"Just make sure you tell him its Caleb Montgomery from the Bar M Bar Ranch. He'll know what it's about."
"Very well, Mr. Montgomery. I'll give him the message just as soon as he gets back in town."
There was nothing left to do but head back to pick up Melody and Arielle and take them to lunch like he promised. He would try to avoid Mr. Collins at the mercantile store as much as possible. At least until he either got an answer back from his father or the banker returned sooner than he was expected.
Caleb hoped his father would read between the lines and offer him a loan, but he doubted his father would be that generous considering he was adamantly against Caleb's decision to leave St. Louis in the first place.
He turned to go when a voice called to him over his shoulder. “Mr. Montgomery if I remember correctly.” He turned to see Mr. Godfrey sitting at a desk writing out a deposit slip. “Yes, that’s right. And you are Mr. Godfrey, Levi’s investment friend.”
“That’s right. I apologize, but I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation with the teller. Is there a problem I could help you with?”
Caleb studied the man for a moment and nodded his head. “Yes, Mr. Godfrey. There might be. You see, I’ve run into a situation that has left me strapped for cash and the Laramie’s bank president won’t be back until next week.”
“I see. Well, why don’t we take a walk and talk about your financial situation, shall we?”
Caleb didn’t want a partner in his horse breeding operation, but if it kept him from losing the place altogether, he should at least talk to the man.”
“Sure. I’d be willing to at least hear what you have in mind.”
“Good to hear. That’s a nice piece of property you have there. Have you considered cattle?” Mr. Godfrey picked up his hat and ushered Caleb to the bank’s front door. He needed to be very careful pledging any part of his ranch. He would never want to betray his uncle’s trust in him to keep it safe.
10
Arielle spent the morning catching up with Eva over tea and cookies. They talked about everything from the latest fashions to how Eva wasn’t going to be able to add more children to her nursery school without more teachers.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to move back to town and work at the school? The children miss you."
She knew Eva was teasing her because they had spent the rest of their morning visit talking about a certain handsome cowboy and how they were getting on.
"I think you know my answer to that question. Caleb and Melody need me. I can't leave them. Not now."
"And that's all it is? A simple case of them needing you to take care of them. It's only a job to you?"
"Of course not. I mean I'm enjoying my time at the ranch. It's quiet. And peaceful. And I have time to write in my journal and read the books I've been dying to read—"
"Ari, just say it. You are smitten with the man and you have fallen in love with his daughter." Eva picked up the teapot and offered to refill her cup.
"Thank you." She took a sip of the hot tea and took her time settling the cup back on the saucer in her lap. She needed time to consider her answer. Was she smitten with Caleb? She was most definitely attracted to the man. That much was evident the first day they met when she fell into his arms at the train station. Now their situation was much more complicated than she first anticipated.
"You didn't answer my question, Ari."
"I wasn't aware you asked a question. You declared I was smitten. That isn't a question." Arielle grinned at Eva's exasperation. "I'm only teasing you. I wanted to give your 'observation' serious thought and yes, the answer is yes. I am smitten with the man. Quite smitten, in fact. And Melody is such a sweet little girl. She has had to endure so much for a little girl her age."
"Yes, it seems so, if her stories are to be believed about her mother's inattentive nature. And you are sure these stories are true and not a little girl's vivid imagination." Eva's concern etched across her face.
"Yes, Caleb confirmed them."
Surprise widened Eva's eyes. "He did? He spoke to you about his dead wife?"
"Well, yes. I mean, he wasn't specific the way Melody was, but he as much as admitted that his wife was—shall we say less than perfect." Arielle didn't wish to speak ill of the deceased woman. It made her feel uncomfortable, as if she were betraying Caleb's confidence. "Let's change the subject, shall we?"
"And what would you like to talk about instead?" Eva raised her eyebrows in question.
When Arielle didn't answer, Eva suggested a different topic.
"Have you made any plans to return to Boston in the fall? According to your sister's last letter, her social calendar is nearly full already. Have you left any room on yours for that engagement announcement your parents are expecting?"
"I haven't given it much thought. I'm not sure I want to go back to Boston."
"In the fall or at all?"
Arielle sat her teacup on the table between them and leaned forward. "Eva, how do you know when you've met someone? I mean, how do you know you’ve met the one? Did you know right from the start with Levi?"
Eva leaned back in the winged back chair she was sitting in and pondered her question. "I think I was always infatuated with Levi. Even when we were younger. He was the handsome boy from the wrong side of town and all my friends were quite smitten with him as well. But my father was a force to be reckoned with so I think, in the beginning, I pretended my feelings for Levi was friendship. I was able to be close to him without risking too much drama that always comes with my father’s machinations.”
Arielle smiled at her cousin. "Eva, you didn't answer my question." She turned her cousin's previous comment back to her.
Eva laughed out loud. "No, I suppose I didn’t, but I will now. Yes, my heart fell in love with Levi the day he saved me from the school yard bullies, but it took a little longer for my brain to catch up. If you will remember, even you and Arianne recognized the spark between us before I was willing to admit to it."
Arielle smiled at the memories. "Well, it was a little bit hard to miss. There aren't many men who would buy a house for a woman and turn over the deed without strings attached," Arielle pointed out.
"True," Eva admitted. "Now, how about we talk about your feelings for Mr. Montgomery? You said from the very first day you met him at the trains station, you felt that spark too. Now that you've gotten to know him better, is that spark still there or has the spark faded with time?"
Arielle thought about the last few weeks living near Caleb. The way her heart raced when he was near. The w
ay her stomach flipped when his lips touched hers. The way her body pressed against his in hopes there would be more between them. She wasn't promiscuous. On the contrary, she held herself well above the gossip of Boston, but out here—in the Wild West—she felt fearless and free like she could do anything without fear of judgement.
"No, there is no longer a spark between us," she admitted.
Eva's doubt was evident on her face. "Really? That is quite surprising considering you've talked about him non-stop all morning—"
"I said there was no longer a spark between us, but that doesn't mean there is nothing between us. In fact, that tiny spark of attraction I first felt when I fell into Caleb's arms, has bloomed into something—shall we say more incendiary."
"Are you saying there's a future for you here in Laramie?" Eva's eyes sparkled with interest.
"I'm saying there is a distinct possibility."
Caleb spent the morning talking with Mr. Godfrey about the man’s proposition. He would lend Caleb the money he needed for forty-nine percent ownership of the ranch. He pointed out that Caleb would still have a controlling interest in the property, but Godfrey needed a substantial portion of the business in order to see a return on his investment. Caleb agreed he would think about the man’s offer and shook hands promising to talk again later. But Caleb knew there was no way he was going to give up half of his ranch. No way in hell. He’d just have to find another way to solve his money problems.
He returned to Levi and Eva’s home and picked up Arielle and Melody as promised. They ate at the cafe, but as soon as the meal was over, he loaded them into the carriage and made a beeline for the ranch.
"Is something wrong, Caleb? You seem troubled. Have I done something to offend you?" Arielle's soft voice questioned his behavior. He didn't want to hurt her, but he needed to put distance between them—at least until he could figure something out about his finances.
