by Barbara Goss
She grabbed her valise and headed for the stairs to disembark.
Gus felt his heart thumping wildly in his chest as the train squealed to a halt. Steam filled the air, temporarily clouding his vision. The woman that he might spend the rest of his life with, the woman who might be the mother of his children, was about to step off of that train. He watched several people climb down the passenger car's steps. He hoped Emma wasn’t the lady with the large nose, wearing a frown. He let out a sigh of relief; a perfectly matched man met her with a light hug. It was then Gus saw a lovely vision step down from the car. She was dressed in a rust-colored dress and wearing a straw hat with flowers nestled upon it. Her hair, a rich, chocolate color, appeared clean and shiny. She seemed a bit on the thin side, though she had a lovely face and displayed wide, expressive eyes. The young woman looked around as if wondering which of the men on the platform would step forward to greet her.
Gus stepped forward. “Emma?” a male voice rife with hope, asked.
Lily swung around and eagerly answered, “Yes.” He stood tall, with wide shoulders that narrowed to a slim waist. His hair appeared almost black, and was without facial hair. His smile offered warmth. She approved of his looks, and she could tell her looks pleased him as well, given his quick grin and the sparkle in his eyes.
He offered her his hand. “I’m August Tanner," he said. "But as you know, they call me Gus.”
She accepted his hand, “And you already know that I’m just plain Emma.”
He led Emma to his rugged wagon. “But not at all plain. As I wrote, my friend Maud is eagerly awaiting your stay with her. Can I take your bag?”
Once in the wagon, he said, “You’ll have to excuse the rustic ride; we don’t have fancy buggies on the ranch. Our vehicles must be multi-purpose.”
“This is fine,” she said. “How far do we need to travel?”
“A few miles. It may be an hour-long ride, or so.”
He flicked the reins and they turned onto a dusty path that Lily thought must be the road.
Lily found the wagon most uncomfortable. The ride quickly became bumpy, and when they hit a rut she had to hold onto her seat or risk falling off of the wagon’s bench. She hoped she could last a full hour of the jostling. She peered into the back of the wagon that held a few bales of straw, her suitcase, and a case that must belong to Gus. She tried to relax, but found it difficult.
She passed the time studying Gus as he drove. He had a magnificent profile. She noticed the firm muscles of his arms, and the way his pants hugged his legs so tight she could see the muscles as they stretched the seams. Lily felt a pang of sympathy for the real Emma who had no idea what she was missing. On his head, Gus wore a tan, high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat, and when he smiled, which he did often, his eyes sparkled. His skin was brown as a bear, reflecting the amount of time he'd spent outdoors.
Finally, they arrived at Hunter's Grove, according to the sign she saw on the outskirts. It was a town larger than most Lily had seen that day. The main street was lined with businesses on both sides. At the end of the street stood the court building and jail. As they approached the court building, the road split, and Gus took the left fork. They passed a few isolated homes before he pulled onto a long, dusty lane that led to a cute, white cottage, complete with a small barn. A thin, elderly woman came out onto the small porch to greet them. That must be Maud, Lily decided.
After the introductions, Maud took Lily inside and escorted her to a pretty bedroom off the sitting room. Gus set her valise down beside the door.
“I hope this room is sufficient," Maud said. "It hasn’t been used since my daughter, Amy, married and moved to Texas. It’s yours for as long as you need it.” Here Maud paused, and winked at Gus, then she said, “Shall we sit in the sitting room for tea?”
Maud poured the tea and sat back in her chair with a sigh. “I’m going to enjoy having you here, Emma. It’s been so lonely since Amy left five years ago.”
Lily smiled. “Your home seems very comfortable. I’m sure I’ll enjoy staying here.”
Maud emptied her cup and stood. “I’ll leave you two for a few minutes to get acquainted. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
When Maud had disappeared into the kitchen, Gus moved from the far end of the sofa to sit beside Lily. “May I court you, Emma?”
Lily tried to look coy, though she wasn’t ordinarily a coy person. She dropped her eyes. “Yes,” she said.
“And, of course, you’ll accompany me to church on Sunday?”
“Church?” she almost choked on her tea. “Oh, yes. I mean; I will, of course.”
“I’m fond of your brother. As you know, James stays with me when he comes through Hunter’s Grove. He visited last week, so he won’t be around for a while. Sorry you missed him.”
“Who does the church service when he isn’t here?”
“Simon Morton. Some day soon we hope to have a permanent minister. James has already applied for the position. Says he's tired of traveling.”
“Yes, poor James,” she sympathized. “Why can’t he stay here and preach if he wants to?”
“He's paid by the Methodist Episcopal Church and assigned his position by the Bishop. The Bishop will appoint a permanent minister when the congregation reaches a certain population. I think we're close to that number. We'll find out soon if we will get a permanent minister. We’ve started to build a church, but for now we hold services at Simon Morton’s place. He is the only one with a room big enough to hold everyone.”
“That sounds promising,” Lily said without meaning it. She worried James might show up before she was long gone.
“I can’t believe you're finally here,” Gus said.
“Me either.” She smiled.
“I found enough to talk about in writing, but now that we're face to face, I feel a bit speechless.”
“Me too,” Lily said.
“You’re much prettier than I expected,” he said with a wink.
“And you…” she felt the blood rush to her cheeks, “are pleasing to the eye as well. Your looks fit your letters.”
“Oh, goodness, not like my horrible handwriting!”
“You have fine handwriting,” Lily said without knowing what his handwriting actually looked like.
Gus smiled. “I’ll take my leave, as I’m sure you're tired. I’ll be back tomorrow to take you for a ride around our town.”
After Gus left, Lily and Maud sat down to enjoy a light supper. Lily started to eat before Maud had even begun the before-meal prayer; luckily Maud didn't seem to have noticed.
They had tea in the sitting room following dinner. “So, what do you think of Gus so far?” Maud asked.
“He is exactly as I pictured him from his letters,” Lily said. She studied Maud between sips of tea. She was a slight woman with gray hair and a ready smile, the perfect, grandmotherly type.
“He’s a wonderful man; everyone around here likes and respects Gus.”
Lily considered this, and then asked, “Then why is he still single?”
“There are few single women around except for the saloon women. Gus isn’t interested in any of them, no matter how good looking, though many have tried to flirt with him at some point,” Maud explained.
“Oh, I see.” Lily thought getting a job in the saloon here in Hunter’s Grove might not be the best idea after all. “Well, I’m certainly glad he is still single.”
“He’ll make someone a fine husband one day. He has a large ranch of over five hundred acres, with hundreds of cattle. He also breeds horses.”
Lily smiled. This was going to be more difficult than she’d thought. Why did the man have to be so perfect? Could she shield herself from his charm and find a way out of Hunter’s Grove?
“I hope you’ll excuse me, Maud,” Lily said. “It’s been a tiring day and I’m exhausted.”
“Yes, of course. Sleep well, dear.”
Lying in her new bed, Lily wondered how she ever thought pretending to be Emma wo
uld be easy. The ruse was already more involved than she ever assumed it would be. She had no inkling of what Emma and Gus had written about in their letters, and she feared she might say something contradicting what Emma had said in her letters. She also hadn’t taken Gus’s feelings into consideration. Lily hadn’t planned on Gus being so attractive and likeable. She'd have to be sure to guard her heart carefully.
When Gus called on her the next afternoon, it was to take both her and Maud for a ride in his wagon. Gus gave Lily a tour of the town and showed her the sights. When he was done, he headed the rig out of town a short distance, stopped, winked at Maud, and asked Lily if she would like to get out and walk with him. Gus caught her hand and held it as they strolled. “So, what do you think of Hunter’s Grove?”
“It’s different from St. Joseph; it’s quaint.” Lily wished she knew what Emma had already told him regarding her preference for rural life.
“Do you think you could live here?” he asked. “I mean, if things work out?”
Lily thought hard before answering. “I think I could adapt. It certainly is quiet and less stressful.”
Gus smiled. “Would you like to see my ranch?”
Lily nodded, and Gus led her back to the wagon. They rode for several minutes before Gus turned down a bumpy, curving lane leading to a rustic single-floor home with a large front porch. Constructed of stacked logs the house appeared different from the large, two-story homes she was used to back in Missouri. He stopped the wagon, jumped down, and helped her and Maud out of the wagon.
“You two go ahead into the house,” Maud said. “I’m going to visit the outhouse.”
Gus opened the door for Lily and she stepped into a large, clean and neat, country kitchen. They walked through to the sitting room where a fieldstone fireplace graced one wall. A large, master bedroom shared the other side of the fireplace. Farther down the main hall, Lily noticed another bedroom, and a large storage closet. Across the hall were three smaller bedrooms. Each room appeared bright and simple, but tastefully decorated.
“I love the house,” Lily said, truthfully. “The windows brighten the place and make it look warm and cozy.”
Gus smiled and stared down at her. “Emma, may I kiss you?”
Lily stood frozen. “W-what?”
“This courting is a bit stifling, and I thought we might move it along quicker if we got to kissing… so we’d know whether we suit.”
“I suppose that’s necessary,” she said. “All right.”
Gus drew her to him by putting an arm around her waist, and pulling her close. He kissed her, lightly, on the lips. His lips felt so warm and pleasant against her own, that Lily could not help but return the kiss…a little. When Gus broke it off, he rested his forehead against hers.
“I think we suit,” he said in an almost whisper.
Lily, not sure what to say, simply nodded.
“But I’ll need a few more kisses to be sure,” he said, and he moved in for a second kiss. This time he put more passion into it, which left Lily’s knees weak.
Lily tried to match his passion, but then she broke off the kiss. She didn’t like the way it made her feel. How could she be expected to guard her heart with kisses that made her whole body quiver? She realized she had to get away, and soon. But then she chanced a look up into his eyes, and it felt as if her heart had fallen to her toes.
Those eyes! Though they were gray, when he gazed at her with such tenderness and passion, they appeared amber.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“Things are moving a bit too fast for me,” Lily said.
“I’m sorry.” He laid his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll slow down. It’s just that because we’ve known each other for over a year now, I feel as if this should be the next step.”
Lily gazed into his earnest eyes. “Of course. You’re right. It’s just that…I’ve never been kissed before.”
“No? Not even when you were betrothed to…what was his name?”
Lily blushed. She’d misspoken. “Charles.” She thought fast. “Of course we kissed, but never like that.”
“You mean passionately?”
“Yes.” She hoped he'd believe her. Just in case, she quickly changed the subject. “I do like your home. It’s much bigger than it looks from the outside.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled proudly.
Maud came into the house, stomping her feet on the porch as if to warn them. “What do you think of his house, Emma?”
“I like it very much.”
“Come, Emma," Gus called as he strode toward the door. "I’ll show you the barn and some of the livestock.”
Lily cringed at the sight of the bull as it stomped about in its penned area. She'd loved petting the beautiful horses, but had refused to touch Jezebel, his goat, who’d given her the evil eye. Gus had pointed out the extent of his land, which spread behind the house, barn, and stables, and for as far as the eye could see. Grazing cattle dotted the landscape. He seemed so proud of his ranch and farm, that Lily felt she had to compliment it.
“It really is a wonderful ranch, Gus. I’m sure it took much hard work to make it this wonderful.”
Gus beamed proudly. “Thank you, Emma.”
Every time he called her Emma, she felt what she could only describe as a nagging guilt. Gus didn’t deserve to be tricked like this, and his sincere and honest manner made it almost too much to bear. How could she have ever thought this ruse would be the solution to her problems? All she’d accomplished was creating a bigger problem. If he wanted to accelerate their courtship, then she’d need to accelerate her search for an escape, fast.
Gus gently pulled Lily behind the barn and stroked the sides of her face. “You’re more beautiful than I had you pictured,” he whispered.
Lily didn’t know what to say. She simply smiled coyly.
“I love the dimples when you smile,” Gus said, kissing both dimples.
Lily began to feel self-conscious and ducked her head in order to hide her smile.
Gus put his finger under her chin and lifted her face. “May I kiss you again?”
Lily nodded, anxious to experience another toe-curling kiss.
Gus kissed her lips lightly several times, each one feeling like a nudge, before he smoothly forced her mouth open with his tongue for a passionate kiss. He pulled her so close during the kiss she thought he might bruise her ribs. He didn't, of course, and Lily discovered that she loved this new activity, a first in her life. She couldn’t get enough of his kisses and strong embraces.
When he pulled away she felt the loss, as the slight breeze in the air made her still wet lips feel cool and lonely. She looked up at him feeling blatant desire burn within her.
Gus looked down at Emma's innocent face, flushing with passion and something else he couldn’t identify. Could it be love, he wondered? He certainly hoped so, because he was now sure, more than ever, that he felt the same way.
He held her in a bear hug until Maud’s brassy voice called to them, and they broke apart, smiled at each other, and walked hand-in-hand, back to the house.
Chapter 3
Lily awoke the next morning to someone pounding on the front door. She listened to make sure Maud was awake and would answer the door. When she heard voices, she was assured Maud had the situation under control, and she rolled over and tried to fall asleep again, but thoughts of Gus swam in her mind. Why had she not considered the possibility she might actually fall in love with the man? She was left wondering how she would get out of this situation, or if she really wanted to. What should she do?
A knock on her bedroom door jarred her from her thoughts.
“Emma?" she heard. "It’s Maud. May I come in?”
“Yes,” she answered, pulling the sheets up to her chin.
Maud strode into the room and took a seat by her bed. “I’ve received some bad news. Amy is ill, and I must go to her at once."
“Oh, no! I’m so sorry, Maud.”
�
�The Sheriff handed me the telegram from Texas a few minutes ago. I’m taking the noon stage. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like, but if or when you do leave, please lock up and close all the shutters. There are sheets in the linen closet, please cover the sitting room furniture before you go. I’m off to pack.”
“I will,” Lily promised.
“Please pray for Amy,” Maud said over her shoulder.
Pray? She hardly ever prayed unless she really wanted something, or if she were in danger…but she could pray. She would try to pray…for Amy.
“I’ll pray for Amy every day,” Lily called to Maud’s retreating back.
Lily wondered how praying could come so easily to some people. She supposed if she’d been reared in a praying home it would be natural for her, too. She decided she’d learn to pray.
She thought about her situation with Gus. She should tell him the truth before this charade went any further. She would tell him today. With that decision made, she jumped out of bed and dressed for the day.
After seeing Maud off, she sat on the porch with a cup of tea, enjoying the beautiful, late spring day. The leaves on the trees rustled, the tulips Maud must have planted bent in the mild breeze, and a robin sang from a tree branch overhead. How lovely and serene, she thought. It dawned on her that this might be the perfect time to pray for Amy. She bent her head, folded her hands and tried to pray, but the words wouldn't form. All that came to mind was: “Dear God, please let Amy get better. Amen.” She hoped that would be sufficient.
She heard pounding horse hooves and hoped it was Gus arriving, as she needed to have a serious talk with him. She had to tell him everything.
When he got closer, Lily saw that it was Gus. He got off of his horse, tied it to the hitching post in front of the house, and came up to sit beside her on the porch. They sat, side by side, in matching rocking chairs. He looked so fit, wearing tight, black, riding pants and flannel shirt, which showed off every contour of his muscular arms beneath the fabric.
