A Dream Unfolding

by Karen Baney

  “You know, you are lovely,” the man said, his eyes undisguised as they traveled her body. Will tensed at the man’s disrespectful appraisal.

  “If you ever get tired of just chatting with these men, you could make much more money in my saloon,” the sleazy man said, letting his hand travel up her arm.

  Will bolted to his feet, along with several other men.

  “You know these men would much rather bed you than talk to you, as pretty as you are.”

  Will scrambled over the bench, moving towards the man. The sound of a rifle cocking stopped him from moving forward. Following the sound led him to the kitchen. Betty Lancaster stood, rifle braced against her shoulder and pointed at the repulsive saloon owner’s chest.

  “Trent Montgomery! You get your slimy hands off her!” Betty’s voice silenced the room. “Or I’m gonna blow a hole through you.”

  “Now, now, Mrs. Lancaster, I didn’t mean nothing by it,” Trent said, lightly running his hand down Hannah’s arm before placing it on the table. “Just want to make sure the girl knows she has options.”

  Paul entered from the kitchen. Quickly assessing the situation, he took the few steps towards Trent at a rapid pace. “She doesn’t need options,” Paul’s deep voice boomed. “She’s with family.”

  Then with no warning, the brawny Paul grabbed Trent by his shirt collar and hauled him to his feet. Shuffling him out the door, he shouted after him, “You and your kind are not welcome here!”

  Turning back towards Hannah, Paul spoke with her softly for a few moments, leading her back to the kitchen. As Will took his seat to finish his meal, he heard many echoed murmurs about “that scum” Trent treating a decent woman that way. He agreed with many of the complaints and thought of several of his own.

  Just as Will was getting his temper under control, several military men entered the establishment. One in particular looked familiar.

  “Lieutenant Harrison!” Hannah exclaimed when he turned her way.

  That’s what Will thought. This was the lieutenant rumored to have taken care of her following her husband’s death.

  “Hannah,” the young lieutenant greeted, taking her hand and placing a kiss on top of it.

  Though the man treated her with the utmost respect, Will’s jaw tightened in jealousy. He was far too friendly for Will’s taste. The last bite of his food turned to lead as he tried to swallow it down.

  The young lieutenant certainly captured her attention, for she hurried to serve him and his men. Passing their empty plates down to the end, Will expected Hannah would carry them to kitchen. Instead, she still stood near that Harrison fellow, deep in conversation. It was Paul who came to clear away the plates. The room was clearing out and Will knew his men wanted to be on their way, so he stood and headed out the door.

  “Mr. Colter,” Hannah called from the doorway as he untied his horse. “Thank you for the supplies.”

  “Ma’am,” he acknowledged.

  “We’ll see you on the Fourth then,” she shouted as they pulled away, giving Will a little hope that he might have made a lasting impression.

  ---

  Joshua was pleased when Hannah lingered near the table he and his men occupied in the dining hall. In truth, he was hoping to steal a few minutes of her time, for that was all he had. As the other diners dispersed, Hannah surprisingly took a seat across from him.

  “How have you been, Lieutenant?” she asked. “It has been quite some time since you have been by.”

  Was that disappointment in her voice? He dared only hope. “Please, Hannah, will you call me Joshua?”

  She smiled as she nodded. “Joshua, then. How have you been?”

  “Well,” he answered. “We have been out patrolling the forests and rivers lately, making our protection known. I am pleased that our presence has provided safer conditions for many of the miners in the outlying areas.”

  “And you are staying safe?” concern edged her voice.

  “Of course,” Joshua replied. “And you, Hannah, how have you been?”

  She laughed, such a light feminine sound. Joshua smiled as she answered, “Oh, you mean other than removing bullets from your soldiers in my free time?”

  “I heard the tale. Jensen has recovered nicely and speaks of you with admiration,” he replied.

  She smiled. “Glad to hear he’s doing well. I have been well. Working with Betty is very uplifting, most days.”

  He spoke of other news before the silence stretched between them. If his men were not sitting nearby, he would ask to visit on his next day off, whenever that might be. As it was, he may just settle for surprising her instead. Joshua hated to leave so soon.

  “It was good seeing you again, Hannah,” he said. “Sadly, I must take my leave. I am scheduled to report back to the major soon and we need to be on our way.”

  “Take care, Joshua,” she said as he stood.

  “You as well, Hannah,” he replied before leaving the dining hall. If nothing else, he hoped to see her for the Fourth of July celebration.

  At the end of the day, Hannah settled her weary body down on her soft bed. As she turned down the light, she thought back on the day. Such unexpected encounters—one with the mysterious rancher, one with the sleazy saloon owner, and one with Joshua.

  Her temper rose as she thought back to Trent Montgomery’s suggestion that she work at his saloon. The only way she would need that kind of money was if she decided to move back to Ohio.

  Move back to Ohio. She had never once even considered it. But now that Drew was gone and she was on her own, she could move back. How would she get money for such a trip—for there was no way she would do what Trent Montgomery proposed. Then there would be the long months of traveling again. And she would have to take some sort of job on the wagon train back. What would she go back to? Working for Francis at the mercantile?

  No. Going back to Ohio was not really an option. She was here. She had a good job with Betty, a roof over her head, food on her plate. She had friends; Betty, Martha, Joshua. Perhaps even Will Colter.

  Heat rushed to her face at the thought of him and how she threw laundry on him this morning. And how warm his hands felt as he held her steady. She tried to ignore the fluttering of her heart. She had been affected by the tall rancher—more than she cared to admit—and the prospect of seeing him again soon at the upcoming celebration caused a smile to stretch across her lips.

  Chapter 28

  Prescott

  July 3, 1864

  Hannah greeted Martha as Paul helped her into the wagon.

  “Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Hannah said, truly grateful Martha had not minded the last minute request for help. First thing this morning, Betty asked Hannah what she thought about making pies for tomorrow’s celebration. Hannah heartily agreed and suggested they bring Martha to help.

  “I welcome any chance to get together with you and Betty—even if you are putting me to work,” Martha said, her laughter floating on the breeze.

  They covered the distance from the fort to the creek in a matter of minutes. Paul set the brake on the wagon, then helped Martha and Hannah down. Each took a basket from the back of the wagon. Paul grabbed the rifle, balancing it against his shoulder, heading for the pecan trees first. Hannah and Martha stayed closer to the wagon, picking blackberries from the bushes.

  The shuffling sound of miners sifting through the dirt carried downstream, accompanied by the occasional muffled voice. The breeze rustled the branches of the pecan, mulberry, and pine trees shading the banks of the gurgling creek. She and Martha worked alongside each other in companionable silence.

  Plucking a plump blackberry from the bush, she popped it into her mouth. The sweetness slid over her tongue sparking anticipation for the pies these berries would become.

  Hannah spent many of her morning devotional times recently contemplating what God might have planned for her future. Though circumstances forced that future to be without Drew, Hannah’s heart still struggled with un
derstanding what that really meant. Would she remain unmarried, working at the boardinghouse forever? Was there some other plan for her? If so, what did it look like? She still longed to be a wife and mother. But, how would that dream look without Drew? Was it wrong to still want those things?

  She had no answers for her many questions, yet each day she felt like a little part of her became more prepared to hear those answers—whatever they may be.

  Then, there were the unbidden thoughts of Will Colter adding confusion to her heart. Since his delivery a few weeks ago, Hannah caught herself often wondering what he was doing. She admitted, with some excitement, that he was part of the reason she spent hours in the evening working on a new brown calico dress for tomorrow’s festivities. She wanted to impress him. Yet, she wondered if being drawn to him was somehow being unfaithful to Drew.

  “I think your basket is as full as mine,” Martha said, pulling Hannah from her thoughts.

  Hannah glanced down at both baskets of blackberries. There would be plenty for several pies. Smiling at Martha, she tried to hide her inner conflict. She turned and walked the few feet back to the wagon, depositing her basket in the back. Paul returned with a full basket of pecans as Martha slid hers into the wagon. Deciding they had plenty of both, the three returned to the boardinghouse.

  Betty greeted them at the front door. “I decided to make dinner self-service. Anyone who wants to stop by today can grab some of the bread, cheese, and jerky from the table. All we have to do is check on the coffee.”

  Hannah carried her basket to the kitchen, where crusts covered the bottom of several pie tins. “I see you’ve got a head start,” she teased Betty.

  “Of course, dear. I don’t want to be up till the wee hours of the morning baking.”

  Hannah doubted they would be baking that late, especially with Betty’s time saving dinner plan.

  As she set out the ingredients for the berry pie filling, Betty and Martha started shelling the pecans.

  “Looks like Mr. Barnard’s hotel will finish in time for tomorrow,” Betty said. “I walked over there briefly after you left, Hannah. He said he still plans on providing all the food tomorrow as part of his grand opening.”

  “What’s he serving?” Martha asked.

  “Venison, chili, biscuits, and the like. Though he said he forgot about dessert. He was glad to hear of our plan,” Betty said.

  “His place is the one with the sign ‘Juniper House’, right?” Martha asked.

  Hannah replied, “Yes, it is. When he stopped in for supper last week, he seemed concerned about whether or not everything would come together, but it sounds like it has.”

  “Mr. Lount’s and Mr. Noyles’ saw mill made it possible for Mr. Barnard to build that hotel,” Betty said. “Can you even image how long it would have taken without that steam powered machine spitting out planks so quickly?”

  “I noticed on the way in to town how much has changed since I last visited,” Martha said.

  “Last week several new settlers arrived from California,” Hannah said. “Most of them were related. Part of a big family.”

  “One man is going to build a boot and shoe store,” Betty said. “Imagine new shoes readily available!”

  “We barely even noticed the new restaurant that opened a few weeks ago,” Hannah said. “With so many new settlers arriving, we still serve a packed dining hall, despite the competition of Jackson’s Boardinghouse and the restaurant.”

  “I’m sure all of the eligible men have ulterior motives,” Martha teased.

  Hannah looked up from the pie she was filling. “Whatever do you mean?”

  “Just that a beautiful, available woman does not go unnoticed.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes, drawing a smile from both Betty and Martha. Walking to the oven to check on her berry pie, she hoped the conversation would turn away from her. At least then she could put off her thoughts of this morning. Seeing the pie was done, she grabbed a towel and removed it from the oven.

  The small kitchen workspace overflowed with their tasty creations, so Hannah picked up one of the cooled pies, to make room for the hot one. Taking a cooled pie in each hand, she entered the dining hall and set the pies on the far table. Martha and Betty followed Hannah’s lead, clearing more space in the kitchen.

  As supper time drew near, Paul took Martha back to the fort, so he could return in time to help serve the boarders. Once the boarders were served, Hannah pulled the last of the pies from the oven, setting them in the kitchen to cool. The aroma of pecan and berry pies overwhelmed any other scent, causing many of their customers to comment. Some tried to sneak a piece tonight, but Paul stood guard, ensuring them they would get a piece during the holiday festivities.

  After finishing the supper dishes, Hannah went to her room and laid out the new brown calico dress for tomorrow. How fun it would be to have a day off to enjoy celebrating the country’s birth and spending time with friends. It had been a long time since she celebrated anything.

  As Will and his men neared the town, his anticipation grew. He looked forward to this day for weeks. He was determined to spend as much time as possible with Hannah today. He realized that if he wanted a chance to get to know her, he needed to act quickly. Though he hated thinking of winning her affection as a competition, it was. There were so few unattached women in the area for the large number of single men. Competition, especially for someone as comely as Hannah, would be tough. Hopefully his charm and quick action would give him a fighting chance. Hopefully.

  “Wow!” exclaimed Hawk, pulling his horse to a stop.

  “They have a stage and everything!” Jed echoed.

  “Come on,” Covington said, tying his horse to a hitching post. “Let’s go see everything!”

  As the three youngest men of his crew took off running around the square full of people, Will slid a bouquet of flowers from his saddle bags.

  Ben, having noticed the flowers, teased Will, “Got yerself a special gal, huh? I knew I shouldn’t have let you make those deliveries alone.”

  Heat rose to Will’s face. He walked away quickly, hoping the rest of his men missed the jibe.

  Scanning the crowd, he tried to find Hannah. An unexpected case of nerves assaulted him. What if he was wrong about the connection between them?

  Taking a deep breath, he moved forward, rehearsing his speech for later. At some point, he would ask her to take a walk with him. Then he would ask her to visit the ranch in a few weeks. He hoped she would say yes. He really wanted her to see his beautiful property and it would be a perfect opportunity to get to know her away from the prying eyes of the competition.

  Ben followed close behind him as he made his way across the lawn towards the back kitchen door of the boardinghouse.

  “Will!” Betty hurried to greet him.

  Eyeing the flowers in his hand she started to make some comment when Ben spoke. “You been holding out on me, Will. And who is this lovely lady?”

  Pink colored Betty’s cheeks. Will quickly introduced the two, wondering how he managed to never have done so before now.

  As two of her boarders struggled to get a table out the door, Betty’s attention shifted. “You be careful with those pies!”

  Ben muttered to Will, “Please tell me, she ain’t your special gal.”

  Shaking his head, Will chuckled.

  “Good. Thought she was a mite old for ya. But not for me.”

  ---

  As Hannah slipped on her new dress, she heard Paul directing several men to carry the dining hall tables and benches outside. Betty’s muffled voice from the other side of the wall reassured her that the pies would be safe. Taking extra care with her hair, she wove a matching brown ribbon into the chignon fastened at the base of her neck. Then she placed her bonnet on her head, tying a loose bow under her chin.

  Stepping out the back door from the kitchen, Hannah saw many area ranchers were beginning to arrive. Some of the ranchers that lived down the mountains in the Peeples Valley area, arriv
ed last night, setting up campsites on the edge of town. Searching the growing crowd for one particular rancher, she was disappointed not to see him yet. However, she spotted Martha Murphy waving to get her attention as the military personnel arrived from the fort.

  “You look lovely. Is that a new dress?” Martha asked, greeting Hannah with a hug.

  “Oh, look, there’s Joshua,” Hannah said as she pointed to Lieutenant Harrison and his company of cavalry. They were starting the parade along Cortez Street. Hannah almost missed the inquisitive look that passed between Betty and Martha, as she led them to a better vantage point. The uniformed men always looked so dashing in parade formation.

  Enamored by the parade, Hannah failed to see Will Colter as he approached with some of his men. “Hello, Han…Mrs. Anderson,” Will said gently touching her elbow to get her attention.

  She turned her attention to the tall rancher just as he thrust his hand forward. “For you,” he said as she studied the small bouquet of bright yellow wildflowers. Letting her gaze float back up to his face, she warmed under his bright smile.

  “Th...Thank you, Mr. Colter. That was very thoughtful,” she replied accepting the gift, her grin equally as bright. How sweet.

  Betty must have seen Will approach with the bouquet, for she held out a container with some water. Hannah placed the lovely blooms on the pie table close by.

  The noise of the parade cut off any further conversation. Will motioned Hannah to stand next to him to watch. Taking her hand, he led her near the front to the best vantage point. The parade rounded the corner from Cortez onto Gurley Street, then down to Montezuma, effectively circling the crowd in the town square. Moving to the designated area, the army performed several drills for the spectators. When they finished, loud applause was their reward.

  Mr. Barnard came forward to announce the food was ready, so the crowd began forming a line. Will offered his arm to Hannah which she accepted. Betty and Ben followed behind, as did Charles and Martha.