Rafferty: Cowboy Trail Boss: Christian Historical Western Romance (The Kavanagh Brothers Book 9)

by Kathleen Ball

  She was innocent and he would cherish their time together in private. She deserved nothing less. She was his wife.

  He sat at her side when they ate, and if he had a free moment, he sought her out. He was fast becoming addicted to her smiles.

  “Smitten, are we?” Shea asked, standing next to Rafferty.

  “Yes, what’s wrong with a husband admiring his wife?”

  Shea laughed. “You weren’t so admiring a few weeks back. I was getting worried. We don’t have too much farther to go, and I wasn’t sure what you had planned.”

  “The plan is to sell the cattle and some horses and then take the train back to Fort Worth. Then from there it’s home. I want to hear about the cattle that was rustled.”

  Shea nodded, a frown creasing his forehead. “Me too.”

  It had been almost three weeks and Abilene was in sight. He let the cattle graze a few extra days. During that time he got a room for Mae so she could sleep in comfort and have the privacy to bathe. He bought her clothes too. Because it was their last night in town he bathed he went to the barber shop and got the smoothest shave he’d ever had.

  He was happy. He got a great price for the cattle, the horses and the cook wagon. After paying the men, he had a substantial profit left. Seamus and Frank O’Reilly had decided to stay in Abilene for a while. Rafferty was sad to see them go, but that’s how it usually went.

  Mae was hard to read. They never talked about their relationship. He’d tried everything to let her know how much he cared. He’d taken her walking each night, and he kissed her cheek or touched her arm whenever he saw her. It was almost like courting. He still wasn’t positive she planned to go with him back to the ranch. He’d need to know tonight. The train left in the morning. His heart would rip out if she wasn’t with him.

  He walked into the hotel lobby and scanned the area for Mae. She wasn’t down yet. What if she said no, she didn’t want to go? How could he blame her when there had been nothing conventional about their relationship?

  Glancing up, he smiled. Mae stood at the top of the stairs wearing a very becoming green dress. Her dark hair hung down her back, and her big brown eyes had a spark in them. He walked to the bottom step and waited. She seemed to glide down until her hand was in his.

  “You look lovely, Mae. I’m so proud to have you with me.”

  She nodded.

  “Is something wrong?” Was it time for her to tell him goodbye? He stiffened.

  “We need to talk. Would you mind if we went for a walk now instead of after we eat?”

  A feeling of dread filled him as he led her out to the wooden walk. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I wanted to thank you for rescuing me and bringing me here with you. You’ve been more than kind to me. I know you are leaving tomorrow, and I understand why you didn’t ask me to go with you. Please say nothing; I need to get this all out. There was a sense of family on the trail, and I enjoyed being part of it. I want you to know I’ll be just fine. I’ve asked around, and I might have a job.” She tried to smile, but she couldn’t summon one.

  “You’ve decided? I was hoping for a different outcome,” he said, his voice low.

  “Different how? I kept waiting, and you never told me what time you were going. If you had truly wanted me with you, I’d know the time. I’d have a trunk to pack my new dresses in. We would have talked about meeting your family or how long the trip would be. You never wanted to be married, and I understand—” She hiccupped as tears flowed. Quickly, she dashed them away. “My reputation hasn’t been ruined. You never told one person I was your wife, and I’m not wearing a ring. I had hoped, but it’s better this way. I’d end up wearing my heart out, trying to get you to love me. I can’t face Cookie, so I’ll need you say goodbye for me.” She took her handkerchief and dabbed her face. “I’m a mess. Go, enjoy supper.” She squeezed his hand and walked away.

  Rafferty caught her around the waist and turned her until they were facing each other. He angled his head and leaned down, settling his lips over her, kissing her.

  Her heart ached for more. A goodbye kiss was too much. Without glancing at him, she pulled away and hurried into the hotel and up the stairs. As soon as she closed the door, she sobbed.

  Lord, please allow me the strength to get through the next few days. I feel so foolish with my silly dreams and wishes. I’m not a girl who can afford those things. I’m a woman who needs You. I know joy will fill me again someday. It’s just that it hurts so very much. Am I paying for my father’s misdeeds? Never mind, I can only blame myself. I feel suddenly wiser. Just because I want something doesn’t mean I will get it. I made a fool of myself with Rafferty. I believe us to be married and I can’t marry another. I plan to honor my vows. If there is any way You can help me find a peace of mind, I’d appreciate it. And Lord, I’m praying Rafferty and the men have a safe trip home.

  She’d work hard, and someday she’d have a home. A place she could stay. A place where she’d perhaps make friends.

  After pouring water into the basin, she splashed her face. It was time to stop acting like a child. It was time to be unselfish. Love wasn’t selfish. If it would make Rafferty happy then she’d just have to understand. Somehow, she’d have to make her heart understand. She still ached for her father. There were probably many people who had broken hearts and went about their day. She would be one of them.

  Rafferty was stunned. He’d bought a trunk for her, and it was supposed to have been delivered a few days ago. And had he forgotten to tell her what time the train left? She knew he was leaving tomorrow. Did she really think he’d leave her behind?

  He took the stairs two at a time and knocked on her door. His stomach hurt. What if she just didn’t want to go to Texas with him? He took a deep breath as the door opened.

  He walked into the room, almost knocking Mae over. Taking his hat in his hand, he faced her. She’d been crying; her eyes were red.

  “Mae, I don’t know why the trunk never got here. I should have asked you about it. You’re right I should have gone over the details with you before tonight. I was going to ask you during supper if you were ready to go and what time I’d come for you. I’m so sorry I left you wondering. One of my biggest faults is that I’m selfish at times. I don’t always think of others the way I should. I need to think about you first in everything.”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “I promise to try harder. I never want to be the reason for your tears again. I—” He drew a shaky breath. “I love you so much. Everything within me loves you. Please come home with me.”

  She stared at him with wide eyes for what seemed an eternity, but it was probably a few moments. Nodding, she closed the gap between them. “Home, I like the sound of that word. I love you beyond measure. You make my heart skip a beat whenever I see you. How about we have supper and you can fill me in on the details. Packing won’t take much time.” She laughed, a pretty sound that washed over him like spun silver. “I just need a trunk.”

  He held her close. God had listened to his prayers. They were all safe, and Mae loved him. His anger hadn’t been an issue either. He’d been more confident knowing God was with him. “I can’t wait for you to see the ranch.” He kissed her forehead. “Let’s go have that supper.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The train ride had been beyond long and so very dusty. Mae gathered herself for a moment before they stepped out into Fort Worth. There would be family to meet and then a long trek to the ranch.

  Donald and Hank would stay behind to gather the horses and the new bull. Poor Prairie, she probably hated the train too.

  Rafferty took her arm and helped her step down off the train. She immediately saw four men that looked like Rafferty. They must be his brothers. Her back stiffened, and she swallowed hard.

  Cookie sidled up next to her. “Don’t worry, they don’t bite.” She smiled her thanks.

  “Mae, this is a few of my brothers. Teagan is the oldest, the one next to him is Donnell. Then there ar
e Sullivan and Fitzpatrick.” They were all courteous and tipped their hats to her. “Mae is my wife.”

  The brothers each took off their hats and gave her a welcoming hug. She’d never been hugged so many times at once before.

  “That’s Rafferty for ya. He’s sent to drive cattle and ends up with a bride,” Fitzpatrick teased.

  “You did yourself proud, Rafferty. It made matters easier knowing I could rely on the two of you,” Teagan said.

  “I was there too,” Cookie remarked. “Now if we’re through jawing, I’d like to sleep in my own bunk tonight.”

  “Shea stayed in Abilene?” Teagan asked.

  “He wanted to talk to other ranchers and see if there was anything new. Last time a few of the men mentioned breeding for a heartier herd.”

  Teagan nodded. “Good for him. He’s finally taking an interest in the ranch.”

  Sullivan led the way. “I guess we must build another house. Brogan and Ciara had a boy, Angus and Julian had a girl, and my sweet wife gave me the finest baby boy. Oh, and Quinn’s leg healed.”

  She felt her brain whirl. There were so many names.

  “What about the rustlers?” Rafferty asked.

  Teagan shrugged. “We have a couple sitting in the town lockup, but we’re missing a piece to the puzzle. We ended up selling the cattle to the army. Of course, we didn’t get as much money per head, but it was better than nothing. Get your wife settled and we can all head back.”

  Rafferty lifted her onto the wagon. He’d been most attentive the entire trip back. He liked her that much, she knew, but did he love her? Maybe she should just be content with what she had.

  There was so much commotion at the house it was hard to think. Children were running, babies were crying, and women were struggling to talk above it all.

  Rafferty’s heart filled at the way all the wives had taken Mae in hand and made her one of them. Her smile said it all. The best part was when she sought him out and then blushed as their gazes met.

  “You have found yourself a lovely wife,” Dolly said as she kissed his cheek. “I’m so delighted for you. The story of how you met was enthralling. That’s nine down and just one more to go.”

  “Who knows what Shea plans to do,” Rafferty said.

  Teagan walked over with Mae trailing behind him. “We need to talk about the rustling. We’ll go out to the porch. Hopefully we’ll be able to hear.”

  Mae reached out and Rafferty clasped her hand in his. Her hand trembled, and she peered at the floor as they walked. He sat her in a chair and then he leaned against the arm.

  “What’s going on? Why is Mae here?” Rafferty wasn’t happy they pulled his wife into the situation.

  Teagan unfolded a wanted poster and handed it to Mae. “Looks a lot like you.”

  Mae stared at the picture for a long time before she responded. “It’s me. I’m sure you have others to show me.” Her voice quavered.

  Teagan gave her the rest of the posters.

  “This is my pa. He’s dead. The others are men hired by the Fredericks. They sold us the herd and had the men help us get to the Chisholm Trail. They were gone by the second day and so were all the cattle. My pa died in the stampede. I think they caused the stampede, drove the cattle up the trail for a few days, and suddenly turned them west. Fort Supply would be my guess.”

  “They told her she was to meet up with us and we’d help drive the cattle. No wonder they got caught. The plan was crazy. Did they think to steal our entire herd once we met up? Mae said we were days late in meeting them. Maybe that’s why they came up with the stampede idea.”

  Teagan frowned. “Mae, did your father know about the stampede?”

  A tear trailed down her face. “If he had, he would have protected the two of us.”

  Rafferty put his arm around her. “Who is in jail? The Fredericks or the men pictured on the posters?”

  “The Fredericks, but they’re not talking. I’m sorry about your pa, Mae.”

  “Thank you, Teagan. I just hope you don’t blame me for any of this.”

  “Of course not. We’ll go to town in a day or two so you can identify them.”

  Mae glanced at Rafferty before she nodded.

  A few of the boys came out and gawked at her. “Is it true you were shot by an Indian? Was the arrow big? Can we see the wound?”

  Mae laughed. “Yes, yes and most certainly not.”

  Epilogue

  Mae and Rafferty sat in the wagon waiting for the train to arrive. Shea was finally coming home.

  “I’ll see if it’s been delayed” Rafferty jumped to the ground and headed toward the train station. He couldn’t wait to see his brother. Glancing over his shoulder, he was proud to see his wife smiling and looking as pretty as a picture.

  He’d been busy these last few weeks picking out furniture to order. He’d never met a woman so enthusiastic over the color of curtains. He also found her enchanting when she inquired if what she admired was too expensive.

  It would mean everything to him to have a family with her. Mae was always the first to offer to hold a baby. They’d have many babies to make her happy. They didn’t go into town for the first month. The wanted poster of Mae was still circulating.

  He grew angry thinking about the Fredericks. They never intended for Mae or her father to get far with the cattle. Their intention was to throw the law off track using Mae and her pa and then drive the herd along the trail. Their intention had been to rustle all the cattle. Things went awry, and they ended up at Fort Supply instead. Too bad they hadn’t known that to travel through Indian Territory they had to pay. More than one of the rustlers ended up dead.

  He enjoyed the new confidence his brothers had in him. It was wonderful to be looked upon as an equal instead of the little brother. Angus’ wife Julian found justice. The Fredericks had swindled her father, but without the proper bill of sale there had been no proof. Julian swore her father rested easier in his grave now.

  “Train will be here shortly,” the man at the ticket booth announced.

  Rafferty waved to Mae. Being married to Mae had been one lesson after another, but the best lesson was that love wasn’t selfish. He made her his first priority. Another lesson was to agree with her. He learned that one the hard way, but she eventually let him back into the house. He loved her so completely.

  Thank You

  Thank you for taking this adventure on the Chisholm Trail with me. I had never heard of it before. This being the 9th book in the series, I wanted to write about something a bit different. Books about the Chisholm Trail aren’t very plentiful and most don’t agree which Chisholm it was named for or where the trail started. Some say the trail started in Oklahoma and others say Texas. The other difficulty was creeks and rivers had changed names since the 1800s. I tried to be as historically accurate as I could.

  There aren’t many fiction books about the trail either. Many mention the trail but there weren’t many details.

  I hope you enjoyed Rafferty’s story.

  History of the Chisholm Trail

  https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-chisholmtrail/

  In the late 19th century, the Chisholm Trail became the main route of driving cattle northward from Texas to the railheads in Kansas. The trail was first marked by Jesse Chisholm in 1864 when he blazed the path for his wagons hauling supplies to his trading posts — one southwest of present-day Oklahoma City, and the other in Wichita, Kansas. Trading with the U.S. Army and the Indians, the trail stretched from southern Texas across the Red River to Abilene, Kansas.

  Though Chisholm never drove cattle on the trail that was named for him, the Texas cattlemen discovered it when looking for a way to drive their cattle northward to the railhead of the Kansas Pacific Railway, where they were shipped eastward. After the Civil War, cattle were nearly worthless in Texas due to an overabundance but were in high demand in the North and the East. Determined to find a way to sell these cattle, many cattlemen sought ways of supplying the demand for beef and recov
ering from the depression that the war had left behind in the Lone Star State. One enterprising man by the name of Joseph G. McCoy, a cattle buyer from Illinois, persuaded the Kansas Pacific Railroad officials to lay track to Abilene, Kansas in 1867.

  He then began building pens and loading facilities and sent word to Texas cowmen that a “new” cattle market was available. That year, some 35,000 head of cattle were moved northward along the Chisholm Trail to Abilene and McCoy’s stockyard became the largest west of Kansas City. The number doubled each year until 1871 when 600,000 head glutted the market. Over the years an estimated five million head of Texas cattle reached Kansas over the Chisholm Trail.

  The first herd to follow Jesse Chisholm’s wagon trail to Abilene was O. W. Wheeler and his partners, who in 1867 bought 2,400 steers in San Antonio. At the North Canadian River in Indian Territory, they saw wagon tracks and followed them. Others continued on the path that was referred to simply as the “Trail.” Later it was also called the Kansas Trail, the Abilene Cattle Trail, or McCoy’s Trail. Though Chisholm’s path was actually only north of the Red River, the Texas cowboy soon gave Jesse’s name to the entire trail from the Rio Grande to central Kansas.

  The long trips up the trail from Texas were hazardous for both the cattle and the cowboys. The trip took anywhere from two to three months as the drives crossed major rivers including the Arkansas and Red Rivers, as well as traveling through canyons and low mountain ranges. In addition, the drovers also had to be concerned about Indian attacks, outlaw cattle rustlers, and cattle stampedes.