“I’ve been gone for ten years or more, and out of the blue, I’m asked to come two thousand miles, and then find I’ve got a son I’ve never heard of? Somehow, that doesn’t sound right.”
“I might shoot you myself, for saying that,” she said. “I think you should go. I made a mistake asking you to come here. Just leave, and go on back to Ohio or wherever it is you’re going to live.”
“Wait,” Cody said.
“Just go. You’ve said enough. You’ve said how you feel.” She reached for the shotgun. “Go, I mean it.”
Without saying any more, he left, leaving a sobbing Annabel alone in her cabin.
chapter Six
Reflecting On the Past
He left, heading down the trail to Helena, memories of his good times with Bethany crowding his mind. His Bethany. It wasn’t all her fault that she was in the family way. She didn’t force me to do what we did. I could have stopped it. I enjoyed every bit of it. All she wanted was for us to have a life together.
She was unreasonable not understanding why I had to go in the Army. It was my duty. If I had known she was going to have a baby, I probably wouldn’t have gone. I would have been conscripted if I hadn’t. The last thing she talked about was going to Cincinnati and taking a riverboat. She told me what would happen if I left, and she meant it.
He left the trail and made camp by the river. He got water from a creek for Thunder and gave him some of the oats Mose had provided. Using his saddle as a pillow and spreading the horse blanket on the ground by the fire, he lay back, and watched the twinkling stars. His mind wandered back to his and Bethany’s place where they had made love so many times, so many years ago. She was so beautiful, and she cared for me. She didn’t have another boyfriend after the time I ran over her at the store, right after my birthday. I should have tried to reason with her more. Maybe I could have convinced her we would have a future together when I got back. I should have written her, and let her know I cared. I let her down.
Cody dozed off briefly. He woke, shivering. It was cold. He pulled his boots on and gathered wood for the fire. He spent the night close to the fire, his head resting on his saddle. Awake. Pondering what might have been.
He began moving around as the sun rose. I’m too old for this, he thought. The long stagecoach ride, sleeping on the ground. I’m so stiff, things don’t bend the way they did once.
I’m going back and talk to Annabel. I will not let Bethany down again. I won’t let Annabel down either. And I will not let my son down.
The decision made, he saddled his horse and rode back to the log cabin.
Annabel answered his knock. It was early in the morning, but she was up and about. Once again, he was struck by her appearance.
He could see the sisterly resemblance to Bethany, but it stopped there. The skin coloring was different, as was the hair. Hers was a beauty not often seen.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I want to talk to you, please,” he said.
“About what?” she asked.
“First, I want to apologize to you for yesterday. May I come in?” he asked.
She stood aside and said, “Come on in. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
“I would love a cup of coffee. It got pretty cold out there last night,” he said.
“You didn’t go back to Helena?” she asked.
“No, I made camp by a creek down the trail.”
“You do look a fright,” she said. Then you haven’t eaten last night or this morning.”
“Not since yesterday morning,” he said.
“Come into the kitchen. I’ve got some biscuits and bacon. The stove is still hot. I can fix an egg too,” she said.
“I don’t want to put you out,” he said.
“Nonsense. It would only be Christian of me to feed you. Now sit down, while I fix some breakfast.”
chapter Seven
A New Beginning
“Annabel, could we start over? I was out of line yesterday, and I am sorry I acted as I did. My only defense is I was totally unprepared for the things you told me.
“I spent the night thinking about what happened. About Bethie and me. I did feel as if I had to go into the Army, but I should have tried to convince her I would come back. I should have done more to convince her I loved her,” he said.
“Yes, you should have,” Annabel said. I don’t think it would have made much of a difference though. Bethany could be pretty stubborn when she didn’t get her way.”
“I let her down. I Will Not Let Her Down Again. I will not let my son down. If he can be found, I will find him, and bring him back to you,” he said.
“That’s all I wanted to hear, Cody,” she said.
She had made more coffee and poured herself a cup and refilled Cody’s cup. She sat in one of the other chairs, “Tell me about after you left Dayton.” she said.
“We joined up with the 16th Ohio and went to a camp near Cincinnati, then Virginia, Kentucky. We were in a huge battle at Vicksburg, and went on to Louisiana, and moved over to Texas, where we blocked the port of Galveston. We were there when the war ended, and we were sent back to Columbus,” he said.
“Pa had kicked me out of the house for standing up to him after he hit Mama. I stayed with Granny until I left with the Army. Anyway, after all that time, I figured Bethany had found someone else. As beautiful as she was, she would have had no problem with that. After the war, without Bethany, Dayton had nothing for me. I didn’t want to be around Pa again, so I just stayed in the Army. We chased Apaches, Kiowas, and Comanche braves all over Texas, Some of the things we were ordered to do, still make me sick to think about, so I returned to Dayton. Granny gave me your letter, and here I am.”
“I didn’t know about your Pa and them losing the farm. I just thought… I don’t know what I thought,” she said.
“That’s all behind me now. Since you still use Simms, I guess you never married. You are every bit as beautiful as Bethany, and could have had your pick of any of the men. Why didn’t you?”
She blushed.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that. It’s none of my business,” he said.
She stared out the window, not saying anything. Then she turned, and looked him straight in the eye and said in a very soft voice, “I guess I never found anyone that I thought measured up.”
“Your Pa was a good man. I wish mine had been more like him. Things might have been different.”
Still looking directly at him, she said, “Cody, it wasn’t Pa. It was you. I envied all the time you spent with Bethany, but you never even looked at me. I used to dream you would take me to a social, or sit with me in church, the way you did with Bethany. It was always her. She was always Pa’s favorite too. Would you listen to me? I’m jealous of my own sister and she’s been gone for years.” She stood and left the room.
When she returned, he said, “You just managed to shock me again. I didn’t know any of that. I never saw anyone but her. Still haven’t,” he said. “It makes me realize what a fool I’ve been. I can add your name to the list of those I’ve let down,” he said.
Her face softened. “You couldn’t have known,” she said. “Anyway, it’s all past history. I’m here now, living alone, my nearest neighbor is three miles away. It’s a quiet life, but I like it. I love this place,” she said, holding out her arms to encompass all that was around her. I took up painting a few years back and I love it. I do landscapes, and sunsets. I manage to sell one occasionally to the fine ladies in Helena. It gives me a little cash money. I don’t need much. I make most of my own clothes, and I grow what I eat. I’ve gotten used to it and come to love it.
“Let’s talk about Jeremy.”
“Jeremy? That’s his name?” he asked.
“Yes, Ma named him after her papa,” she said.
“What’s he like?” Cody asked.
“He’s going to be tall just like you, the same coloring. He’s very smart. He did really well in school, and he was a popular kid. Whe
n he was younger, he was the sweetest little boy you would ever want to meet. Then, he got angry over his mother going off and leaving him. When we got word she had died, he didn’t shed a tear. He just said, “Now I got no Mama or Papa.” It was pretty sad. After we moved out here, he kept asking where California was. He asked if that was where his Mama died., He had a map of the states and had me show him where California was, and where we were, and where we used to live in Ohio. Once he asked if you were dead too. I told him we just didn’t know. I thought it was part of a boy’s curiosity, but I guess it was more than that.”
Cody had put his head in his hands. “My God, what we did to that little boy. No child should be made to feel that way.”
“I tried. I did all that I could for him,” Annabel said.
“I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about Bethany and me,” he said. “You were more of a parent than we ever were.”
“There’s no point in beating yourself up over it now. The important thing is you’re here and we’re going to do something about it,” she said.
“I don’t suppose you have a map do you?” he asked.
“The only one we had was in his geography book, and he had to turn it back in when school was out for the summer,” she answered.
“I’ll get one from the mercantile if they have one, when I go back to the hotel tonight,” he said.
“You’re planning to go back to town, and then come out here tomorrow?” she asked. “I’ve got plenty of room, why don’t you just stay here tonight? We could talk.”
She sounded desperate. Lonely.
“I have an idea,” he said. “I’ll stay in your barn tonight, then you go in with me tomorrow morning, and we’ll get a map and whatever else I might need. I’ll see if Mose has a horse he can make me a good price on, and then I’ll set out the next day.”
“You will not sleep in the barn” she said vehemently. “You can use Jeremy’s room.”
“You sound just like your sister. Bossy,” he said with a laugh. “What would people think?”
“They know you’re here. They wouldn’t know whether you slept in the barn or Jeremy’s room, or with me. Besides, I don’t really care. I will know and that’s all that matters. Will you humor me? Please?” she asked.
Chapter Eight
One Mad Woman
“Where all were you during the war?” she asked.
“We were sent all over,” he said, “There were so many places, and so many horrible things happening.” He grimaced, “I still have nightmares about some of the things I’ve seen. And done. We won the war, but we lost a lot more men than the other side. It’s not something I like to talk about it. In fact, I doubt you could find many men that spent any time on the front lines willing to talk about it.
“I didn’t realize Texas was involved,” she said.
“Actually, after the war, when I decided to stay in, I was assigned to one of the units in Texas.
The Indians were killing the settlers, left and right. General Grant wanted them stopped. He ordered us to put an end to it for good. Right after the first mission, our unit was ordered back to Ohio. Things happened on that mission that sickened me, and I decided enough was enough. I was tired, and I wanted out. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I would have mucked out stables if necessary.
“At the time, I was hoping I could get back together with Bethie.”
“You know, no one else called her that.” Annabel said.
“It was my pet name for her. I never used it in public,” he said.
She stood, and yawned. “What a day. I’m going to bed. If you’re awake before me, get me up, would you please?”
“Sure. Would eight o’clock be too early for you to leave?” he asked. “I’ll take care of the animals when I get up.”
Standing, he turned to go feed the livestock. She kissed him on the cheek. “Good night, Cody. You’re a good man.”
The touch of her lips on his cheek was electric. He stood there, rubbing the spot where they had touched. I like that woman. It’s too bad she’s Bethie’s sister.
He made sure her animals and Thunder had grain and water. He set his saddle down on the hay that was piled in one of the empty stalls. He covered himself with a pair of horse blankets he found, lay down, and fell asleep almost immediately. His dream that night was along the usual theme, however, it wasn’t Bethany’s face in the dream, it was Annabel’s.
It was a moonless night, and when he awoke, the sky had become gray, with a reddish glow on the eastern horizon, with a promise of the beautiful day to come.
He brushed the hay from his clothes and his hair, fed and watered the animals and went to the cabin. When he opened the door and went into the kitchen, Annabel was at the stove.
“Good morning,” he said. “It looks as if it’s going to be another beautiful day.”
She didn’t respond, nor did she offer any of the coffee he saw steaming on the stove. After five minutes, she still hadn’t spoken. “I guess you’ve had a change of mind about going into town,” he said.
She turned, the spatula she had used to turn the eggs was in her left hand. Her face was a study of fury. Her eyes were moist. “I thought we had an agreement,” she said.
“What agreement are you talking about?” he asked.
“The agreement you would use Jeremy’s room, and not sleep in the barn. That agreement.”
“You’re the one said that, not me,” he said.
“Cody Thompson, don’t play games with me,” she said.
“You’re pretty when you’re mad,” he said.
She put two of the eggs from the pan onto a plate, and added bacon from the other pan and set it on the table. “You can get your own coffee.”
“Annabel?” No answer.
“Annabel, will you look at me please,” he asked.
“I had to sleep in the barn. After you kissed my cheek, I didn’t trust myself to stay in the house.”
“Didn’t trust yourself, or didn’t trust me?” she fumed. “Do you think I’m such a desperate woman I would throw myself at you? I might have at one time, but not anymore. I’m long past that point.”
“It wasn’t you, it was me,” he protested. “Besides, don’t you think you’re over reacting a little?” he asked. “After all, it’s not a big deal. So I slept in the barn. I’ve slept in lot worse places than your barn.”
“You knew I thought you were going to be in here,” she said.
“Anyway, how do you know I didn’t use Jeremy’s room?” he asked.
“I left the door open when I went to bed. It was still open this morning and the bed hadn’t been used. Besides, there’s this,” and she pulled a piece of straw from his hair.
“Damn,” he said.
“You just got caught red-handed,” she said.
“One thing though, I was being truthful,” he said.
“I’ll be ready to go in thirty minutes,” she said. “Get the wagon ready.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said meekly.
He tied Thunder to the back of the wagon and gave Annabel a hand up onto the wagon seat. The trip was uneventful. When they came to Last Chance Gulch, he said,” I have to get my things from the hotel and go to the livery, and see what I can work out with Mose.”
“You don’t need to rent a horse from the stable, she said. Take either of mine.”
“With all due respect, I’m somewhat of an expert on horses. You have two good horses, for what you need, but I’ll need more for a trip like I will have.”
“I guess you’re probably right.” She said. Then she added, “This time.”
He just shook his head, and handed her the reins. I’ll meet you at the general store,” he said.
“I’ll be at the church,” she said. “Why don’t you come there? I want you to meet someone.”
“I might get struck down by the avenging angel. I haven’t been in a church in years,” he said.
“Then it won’t hurt to find out, before you
’re on the road,” she responded in kind. “At least you’ll be among friends.”
“So we’re friends again?” he asked.
“As long as you don’t mislead me again,” she said.
He got his bag from the hotel. The clerk didn’t charge him for the previous night, since he had not used it. At the livery stable, he asked Mose about a horse.
“How long will you need him?” Mose asked.
“I don’t rightly know,” he said. “I might not even come back. I’m planning to, but who knows what’s hiding in the rocks. I’m going to be totally truthful with you. My son was living with Miss Simms. He ran away, and I’m going after him. I believe he’s headed for California, but I’m not sure.”
“How old is he?” Mose asked.
“Fourteen,” Cody answered.
“Pretty young to be traveling alone. Thunder’s worth a good deal more, but considering what you’re doing, I’ll let you have him for fifty dollars.”
“Make it seventy-five and you’ve got a deal,” Cody said.
“I don’t know where you learned to haggle, but you’re not very good at it,” Mose said. They shook hands on the deal, and Mose wrote up a bill of sale. “You still didn’t get cheated,” Mose said. “He’s a good horse.”
“I know,” Cody said. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll use the saddle to get back to Miss Simms place and she’ll return it next time she’s in town.”
“That works for me,” Mose said. “Been a pleasure doing business, Cody,” Mose said.
“Likewise,” Cody said and swung into the saddle. “Mose, would you kindly point me to the church. I’m meeting Miss Simms there.”
“You going to get married?” Mose asked.
“I wish,” Cody answered and waved as he rode off.
chapter Nine
The Map
At the church, Annabel introduced Cody to the preacher, Jack Owens and his wife, Letty. “Are you about ready to put this show on the road?” he asked.
“I am,” she said. To Jack and Letty, she said, “I promise I’ll try and make it to church more often.”
“Nice to have met you folks,” Cody said.
Cody's Montana Sweetheart: A New Montana Brides Ebook (The New Montana Brides) Page 3
