by E. Walsh
A man, the one she hadn’t recognized, was lounging in the cushioned chair. He had wispy shocks of black hair that were swept to one side, and dark bags under his eyes. If it weren’t for the expensive taste to his clothes, and the way they were maintained, Raya might have thought that he was a homeless man. Of course, Michaela never would have taken a homeless man into their house.
Michaela perked up when she saw Raya, a grin spreading across her face. “Raya!” she said, gesturing to her sister. “You remember her, Joel, I told you about her. She’s my younger sister,” Michaela explained. She flipped her long, ringlet-spiraled hair over her shoulder. She’d gotten all of the good genes. Raya could never grow her hair past her shoulders, whereas Michaela’s fell down her back like a waterfall of chocolate curls.
The stranger turned in the chair to better face Raya, who didn’t make a move. She didn’t even offer the slightest of smiles to the man. He did all the work for her, looking Raya up and down and letting a grin spread across his face.
“You sure are cute, Raya. It’s nice to make your acquaintance,” he said.
“Likewise,” Raya said, though her tone was short.
The stranger, Joel, laughed a little bit. “Michaela, you didn’t tell me that your sister had an attitude.” He turned his smile back to Michaela, who had plastered a sickly sweet expression on her face.
“Usually she doesn’t,” Michaela said. “I think it’s just because you’re a new person in the house. Isn’t that right, Raya?” Michaela was giving her a pointed look, as though letting her know that if she didn’t act up right away, she was going to be in some serious trouble.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Raya agreed, though she felt distant as she said the words. “I’m not used to it, that’s all.”
“That’s alright,” Joel said. He had a sort of twang to his words, one that Raya wasn’t used to. He didn’t look like a Southern boy, though. Perhaps a Northern boy. “I think girls with a little attitude are pretty.”
Raya blushed, and Michaela seethed. She had always been the one to receive all of the attention in the family. To hear Raya get complimented was close to poison to her, making her heart constrict and her veins boil with anger.
“I think she’s got no manners,” Michaela retorted. Joel laughed hard at that, and her honey-sweet smile returned once more, spreading across painted lips. “So, Joel, why are you here?” she asked.
“Are you on your way to New York?” their father asked. “Boys like you from the West are always on their way to New York. They think a small life in a big city is gonna make them important.” He shook his finger. Raya rolled her eyes, he had always been a rambler. “It’s the big lives in the small towns that are important.”
“Daddy, you’re going to bore our guest,” Michaela chided. “Why don’t we let him answer for herself?” She leaned back in the rocking chair, and it let out a delighted squeak at being used again. “What are you here for, Joel? There’s been plenty of rumors.”
“I’m looking for a wife,” Joel said.
Michaela sat up immediately like a bolt of lightning. “I knew it!” she cheered. “Some people were saying that you were just a vagabond, but I knew it wasn’t true.”
Joel nodded, tossing his gaze between Michaela and Raya. “I’m looking for a wife,” he repeated, “and I want both of you.”
* * *
Chapter Two
Michaela let an unattractive screech rip through her, a noise she would normally never be caught making. Her eyes were blown wide—she was absolutely aghast that Joel had dared to say that he wanted the two of them. What did Raya have to offer that she didn’t? Raya wasn’t even a proper lady, running around on farms and wearing men’s pants. Maybe she wore them well, but they still looked horribly out-of-fashion. Her skin was burnt and tanned to a near brown, with dark eyes and bushy eyebrows. Michaela on the other hand, felt she was the incarnation of beauty. She wore the best dresses that she could buy, her hair was long and full and gorgeous, and she had inherited beautiful caramel colored eyes from their mother.
“Michaela, what in the world was that?” their father growled. “Don’t be rude in front of our guest.”
“I’m sorry,” Michaela said, though it wasn’t an apology at all. She hadn’t even come close to an apologetic tone of voice. “Did you say that you wanted both of us?” she asked. She could feel the color drain from her face at the casual look on Joel’s face.
“That’s exactly what I said,” he agreed. “Is that really so strange to you?”
Michaela’s instant reaction was to say that yes, it really was, but she kept her mouth shut, formulating a better way of saying what she wanted to say. She didn’t know how to phrase it, without shoving Raya under the bus, although maybe that might have been for the best.
“Someone needs to stay and take care of our father,” she said, settling for a diplomatic answer. It had always been a skill of hers, finding the middle ground between two extremes. She had studied Aristotle at the school, and despite having a hard time understanding all of his texts, she understood the gist of it. “You can’t take the both of us, it has to be one or the other.”
She glanced up at Raya, who seemed happy enough with the answer. Michaela knew that she would have preferred to stay and work on the ranches anyways, taking care of their father to the best of her ability.
“That’s right,” Raya said. “He’s ill, and he needs someone to be there for him.”
Michaela was almost amazed that she had agreed, raising an eyebrow at Raya. She was expecting her sister to have made a fuss about being brushed aside, but she didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m sure Raya wouldn’t mind staying,” she said, with a pointed look at her sister.
Raya had no complaints. She nodded her head, and leaned her weight on one foot. “That’s right, too. I would rather stay here and take care of him,” she said. “Besides, Michaela would make a better bride.”
Joel looked between the two girls, as if weighing his options. His eyes lingered on Michaela, who fluttered her lashes and made herself as attractive as could be. She had porcelain skin, and delicate hands meant to dote upon men. She wasn’t at all like Michaela, who seemed to be the wild child of the two. Joel smiled, and leaned back in the chair.
“If money is what you’re concerned about, I don’t think you’ll have to worry for too much longer,” he said. “I have enough money that I could cover your father’s medical bills for years to come.”
“Well that’s very generous, but what about somebody to take care of him?” Michaela pressed. She could practically tell that Joel was avoiding the topic, as if he was trying to make it more of a surprise that he planned on having the two of them.
“I think that’s what hospitals are for,” he replied. “Honestly, Michaela, I don’t think there’s a problem here. I think maybe you’re just a little jealous of your sister.”
“Why would I be jealous of her?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at Joel. Just moments ago she had been enraptured by him, but then he had shattered the image beyond belief. She found that her anger boiled close to the surface, and it was getting ready to boil over. “I’ve got all the good looks, I can get any man that I want, and I’ve got a job that keeps me from getting sunburned and injured.”
“Michaela,” their father scolded, “this isn’t a competition. You’re only enforcing his opinion that you’re jealous of Raya. Just keep your mouth shut and let the men do the talking.”
Michaela shot a glare at her father that had gone amiss by him, but not by Joel or Raya. They both watched as her face transformed from doll-like to horrible, screwed and twisted. Raya raised her eyebrows, but the cruel expression only further interested Joel.
“What you’re trying to say, Joel,” their father began, his voice drawling, “is that you’re offering money for my daughters. My only two daughters, the last two women in my family until they have children of their own.”
Michaela had regained her usual, composed sel
f, and she looked between Joel and her father. She found it fascinating that Joel was so interested in two small-town girls, polar opposites of each other, that he was willing to spirit them away to wherever he came from.
“I am,” he agreed in his drawl. “And it’ll be a compensation most generous, I assure you. Your daughters will be well cared for, and will want for nothing.”
“I’ll have you know,” the old man said, interrupted by a fit of violent coughs that wracked his entire body. Michaela stayed where she was, in a sort of spite of the old man. Raya rushed to his side, helping him to sit up. His coughing soon cleared, and he batted away Raya’s concerned hands. “That polygamy is illegal in these here United States.”
“My intention was never polygamy,” Joel said, the words easily rolling off his tongue. “I’ll choose one girl or another eventually, but right now I like the both of them. I would like to get to know the two of them, a courting of sorts, if you will.”
“A courting?” their father mused. He stroked his long beard, staring Joel down. “Why can’t you do that here? Why must you take them away to where you came from?”
“I’m afraid that I cannot shower them in gifts whenever they would please if I’m so far away from them,” Joel replied. It was as though he had each of his answers easily formulated and planed out. “If I were to bestow Michaela with the most beautiful of dresses, and Raya with the fastest riding horse in all of the lands, it will have to be at my home. I can assure you, sir, that nothing inappropriate will happen.”
Michaela blushed and turned her head aside. Her hair fell to cover the redness tinting her cheeks without the slightest tint of rouge. “Joel, you really shouldn’t talk that way in front of ladies,” she chided.
Joel grinned at the response he had been given by the older girl. He was fascinated by her outer appearance of an angel. He wanted to tear her mask off and crush it beneath his foot. He wanted to see what the girl was truly like.
“Begging your pardon, miss,” he said with a little tip of his head, as though he were wearing a hat he might dip in greeting. “I hadn’t considered your delicate sensibilities.”
The girls’ father harrumphed in disdain. “Sir, if you cannot consider my gentle lilies’ feelings, then I don’t believe that you are the man for them.”
“I believe I could be the man for them, if you only gave me a chance to prove my worth,” Joel said. “I’ll give you two hundred dollars right now, in cold, hard cash, in exchange for the two of them. They’ll leave with me in the morning—I’ll have a coach purchased for them, and we will depart. They will write to you any chance they get, and if they are unhappy, they can leave.”
Michaela, her blush now gone, turned to look at Joel again. He was leaning forward, with a serious gleam in his eyes. He looked like a man on a mission, and it only made him that much more handsome.
“Daddy, won’t you consider it? I really think it’s a good idea,” Michaela said. “Two hundred dollars is a lot of money.”
“Quiet, girl,” her father snapped. He stayed silent for a long time, stroking his beard and ignoring the lava oozing from Michaela’s fiery blood. “It’s a deal,” he finally said.
* * *
Chapter Three
The next day, Raya found herself waiting on the front porch with Michaela. All of their things had been packed up and were sitting between them in only three suitcases. Raya had only taken up one of the suitcases, whereas Michaela had used two of them. She was sitting on the white swinging bench, fanning herself delicately. She was dressed to the nines, as though a journey across the country was a trip to the theater.
After the deal had been made with Joel, he promptly left. The three of them sat in silence for a long time, Raya with furrowed eyebrows and a deep frown. Michaela had squealed in excitement, throwing herself into her room and beginning to pack right away.
Raya had only felt a deep sense of betrayal that had soured her gut.
She supposed that, at least, she would be getting out of their small town. She could look forward to a better place to live, with better people, and she wouldn’t have to work anymore. Raya let a heavy sigh pass between her lips.
“What’s the matter with you?” Michaela asked. A light sheen of sweat had beaded along her hairline. It was nearly one hundred degrees, and there she was, sitting in full dress.
“I’m not exactly happy about this arrangement,” Raya said with furrowed eyebrows. She glanced at her sister, who looked like an old Southern Belle. Raya snickered to herself, it honestly wasn’t that outlandish of an image.
“Well, I’m not happy either,” Michaela snapped. “Why he needs the both of us, I won’t ever be able to understand.” She didn’t let a frown or a scowl distort her face, instead staying doll-like as they waited for Joel. “He should have just been happy with me,” Michaela muttered.
“He needs somebody to keep him entertained, doesn’t he?” Raya muttered.
The gasp she got from Michaela made the comment worth it. Michaela shot to her feet, her fan tossed to the other side of the porch. “Excuse you?” she snapped. She had her hands on her hips, and was bent slightly at the waist. It reminded Raya of being scolded by a schoolteacher.
“Face it, Michaela, you’re the pretty thing that everyone likes to look at, but not the one they want to get to know,” Raya said. “Besides, if they really got to know you, I don’t think they would think you were as pretty.”
Michaela made a noise of protest. Raya was certain that at that moment, if Joel hadn’t strolled up on a strong, chestnut stallion, Raya would have gotten a smack from her sister. Instead, Michaela put her happy face back on, and turned to Joel with a smile.
“Hello, darlings,” Joel greeted, “I trust you were having a friendly conversation between sisters?” He had a knowing tone to his voice that made Raya narrow her eyes. Michaela had picked it up, too, a little glint flashing in her caramel eyes.
“Of course, Joel,” Michaela replied. Her voice was like straight syrup, poured in extreme amounts over a pile of pancakes. “What else would we have been doing?” she asked.
Joel shrugged, watching Michaela closely. “It sounded to me like the two of you had maybe been fighting a little bit. Believe me, ladies, there’s plenty of me to go around.”
Michaela laughed and flipped her hair. “We weren’t fighting.” She sent a glare at Raya. “Just having a heated discussion.”
“Don’t you know that ladies don’t fight?” Raya replied. She stood up, and hauled up two of their three suitcases. “I thought you said you were going to get a coach?” she asked.
“I did, just give it a few minutes. I thought maybe I could sit with the two of you for a while and maybe have some lemonade,” Joel said. He hopped off his horse, displaying just how powerful his legs were. His shirt flipped up in the wind, giving the girls a perfect view of tanned skin.
“We don’t have any lemonade,” Raya said.
“I can make some!” Michaela interjected. She flashed Raya a little glare, as if scolding her for daring to tell Joel the truth. “I make the best lemonade in town,” she boasted.
Joel gave her a wide grin. He stepped up onto the porch, not even bothering with the little flight of stairs. In a flash, he pressed a kiss to Michaela’s cheek, and then pulled away. “That sounds lovely, darling,” he said.
Michaela blushed like a schoolgirl, and traipsed into the house, walking on clouds.
Raya remained with Joel, who took up a spot where Michaela had been. He sat closer to Raya, though, stretching his arm over the side and putting a hand on Raya’s knee. Raya promptly moved it away, keeping her gaze far from Joel. She could feel him looking at her, but she refused to look up and meet his challenge.
“You don’t seem as happy as your sister about this arrangement,” Joel said. He drew his hand back, sensing how uncomfortable Raya was. “She looks ready to burst.”
“That’s because she is ready to burst,” Raya said. She finally let herself look over at Joel, raisi
ng an eyebrow at him. “This is exactly what she’s been dreaming about since she was a child. For some stranger to come take her away and bring her to an exotic place and spoil her rotten.”
“That’s what I intend to do with her, but would you rather I did something else?” Joel asked.
Raya was honestly surprised by how caring Joel seemed. The night prior, she had pegged him as a brute who didn’t care about either of their feelings. “Well, I like the part about getting me a horse,” she said.
“Why don’t you have any now?” he asked.
“Dad said it wasn’t proper for a lady,” she muttered with a drawn-out roll of her eyes. “He was just afraid of one of us getting hurt or riding away from him in the middle of the night. Plus, we couldn’t really afford a horse,” she said. “I love them, though.” She fixed her chocolate brown gaze on the chestnut stallion, letting out a little sigh. “He’s really beautiful,” she said.
“His name is Archer,” Joel said. “Would you like to meet him?” His tone was cautious, afraid that maybe Raya would reject him since she was so against the situation.
Instead of reacting badly, she turned bright eyes to Joel, her entire face lit up. “Can I really?” she asked.
“Sure can.”
Joel stood up, and offered a hand for Raya. She was hesitant at first, but then took it. He was warm, but the touch sent shivers all up and down her body. Joel guided her down the porch steps, and to Archer who had begun to graze at the short grass that was growing.
“He was a wild thing when I first caught him, but I’ve broken him in,” Joel said.
“You caught him wild?” Raya asked. She was amazed that Joel was the type of person to be able to capture a wild horse.
He took her hand, still clasped in his own, and set in on Archer’s shoulder. Raya could feel each of his strong muscles, the way he quivered at the touch. His coat was soft and shiny, clearly well taken care of.
“He was injured when I found him, I couldn’t have let him alone and thrown him to the mountain lions,” Joel explained. Eventually, he let go of Raya’s hand, instead putting his hand on her lower back to guide her closer to the horse. “Here, I’ll help you get up on him,” he muttered.
