Brides of the West-Part One

by Hestand, Rita

  Everyone gasped and cried.

  "What happened?" The doc asked.

  Dal couldn't wipe the guilty look off his face. It was his fault. "We had these mattresses in the wagon and we wanted to get home before the storm, so I sped up the wagon. That's when I must have lost him. He fell off the wagon. But we never heard a peep out of him. He didn't holler or carry on."

  "He probably hit his head on something like a rock in the road then. It could be just a simple concussion. We'll know more tomorrow. I'll stop by an check on him. Meanwhile keep him warm." The doc warned.

  "We will, and thanks doc…"

  He walked the doc out to his buggy. The rain had stopped, but a fine mist was still in the air.

  "He's going to be alright, isn't he doc?" Dal choked back tears he hadn't wanted Bonnie to see.

  The doc looked at him and shook his head. "I just don't know son. I just don't know."

  He nodded and watched the doc ride back to town.

  Bonnie came out. "Did he say anything else?"

  "No…Bonnie this was all my fault, if I hadn't been worrying about those mattresses this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."

  Bonnie put her arms around him. "You and Daniel, you blame yourselves for everything. Stop it. It wasn't anyone's fault. It was an accident. We'll all pray for him and he'll be better tomorrow. I just know it." Bonnie sighed and held Dal close.

  "You are always taking care of everyone else, aren't you?"

  "It's a woman's job to take care of her family. Now let's go inside. I'm going to make a big pot of coffee and I'll be sitting up with him tonight."

  "Oh no, you won't. We'll take turns…"

  "Alright, Daniel already told me he wanted to sit up with him and so did Becky."

  "What about Samuel."

  "He cried himself to sleep. Poor little fella, Samuel is usually the strongest of us all, but not tonight. He and Martin are very close. They are closer to the same age and they've always been sort of inseparable."

  "Bonnie…we can't let anything happen to him." Dal's voice wavered.

  "We won't!" She said and put her arm around Dal.

  It was a night of prayers and hopes and dreams. No one in the house slept much but Samuel, that night.

  The next morning Martin's eyes opened and he looked around. Bonnie was in the rocking chair. Becky was in her bunk. Dal was curled up on the floor by Bonnie, and Daniel was in the other room with Samuel.

  "Hey, what's everyone doing in here?" Martin suddenly asked.

  "Oh my God, you are alright." Bonnie nearly screamed.

  "What's the idea of racing the wagon back to the house?" Martin asked.

  "Don't worry, little brother. That won't happen again." He laughed and rubbed the top of his head.

  Bonnie kissed him and Becky acted as though she hadn't been worried at all.

  Daniel and Samuel came running into the room.

  "Man, you scared the daylights out of all of us," Daniel said.

  Samuel nodded. "You sure did!"

  Martin smiled. "You missed me, didn't you?"

  Everyone laughed. Then they all went into the kitchen and looked at the mattresses. They would have to put the beds together before they could have breakfast. All but Martin. He was being babied, and for the first time, he didn't seem to mind.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Now that Martin was alright, the tension eased. Dal decided it was time to put the new beds up.

  He and Daniel brought in the headboard and slats for the beds. They tore down the old beds and even though they still had bunk beds, they were nicer and they would have feather mattresses on them. The bunks had been remade too.

  Daniel was eager to get them put together and Samuel even joined in the fun.

  Becky and Bonnie stayed out of the way, but it was hard to do much in the kitchen with a stack of mattresses in the middle of the room.

  They made coffee and had a big breakfast, then decided they would help.

  Dal put them to work. They would put the slat in the frame when Dal and Daniel got them put up.

  Samuel helped put the frames together.

  Martin was still in bed, where Bonnie told him to stay for another few days. She didn't want to take any chances of him having a relapse.

  It took most of the day to put the boy's room together with Becky having a place to sleep too. But when they were through they were all proud of it.

  They brought Martin into the room and set him up in his bed. He was more than happy with the feather mattress.

  Becky climbed up and tried her bed out. She was thrilled with how soft they were.

  After supper Dal started on the bed where he and Bonnie would finally sleep together.

  Bonnie was nervous, he could tell by the way she kept fiddling with her hands. When Daniel saw how nervous she was, he excused himself.

  Dal kept her busy though and she forgot what it meant. She handed him nails, and help put the slats in and finally with Daniel's help, the mattress was put on top. Bonnie got the clean sheets she had washed that morning and put them on. To dress it up, she got out an old quilt of her mother's and laid it on the bed. It was colorful and she told everyone about watching her mother put it together.

  Daniel went to bed, he was tired.

  Bonnie stared at the bed, and gasped when she realized that Dal had sculpted the headboard with trees and birds and animals. It was lovely.

  "How did you do that?" She asked.

  "That's what took so long, carving that out. But it sure looked good when I got through. I thought you might like it."

  "I love it." She ran her fingers over the smoothness of it.

  Dal knew she was nervous about sleeping with him and he wanted to set her mind at ease.

  "Bonnie, I'm pretty tired tonight. So why don't we just enjoy the bed…" He offered her a choice.

  Bonnie looked into his face. "I'm nervous…but not that nervous. I want to sleep with you Dal. I'm just afraid I won't be…good enough."

  He smiled. "You'll be good enough."

  "You say that so easily." She whispered, afraid the kids would hear her.

  "Okay, the first thing we do is close the door. We deserve our privacy. The second thing you do is relax. I love you Bonnie, and I'm not going to hurt you."

  "I know that. I trust you Dal, and I love you too."

  "Then don't worry about the rest of it. It will come natural. I promise."

  She nodded. "I don't have any fancy gowns to dress up with."

  "You don't need any." He came up to her, pulling her into his arms, he kissed her with a sweet abandon that had her reaching for the stars. He'd never been so tender, so caring.

  "I want it to be special, Dal."

  "I know, and it will be, honey. You don't know how long I've been thinking of this night. I won't rush you. I won't do anything you don't want me to do. Understand?"

  "Yes…"

  She opened the door and looked around at him. "I'm going to clean myself up a little."

  He nodded with a smile.

  While she was busy, he did the same. He poured some water out in the wash bowl and cleaned under his arms and all over himself. He doused himself with some good smelling sweet water. He left his drawers on and climbed into the bed, waiting for her.

  When she tiptoed back into the room, she turned the light out and closed the door. She felt for the bed because it was now up against the wall and unfamiliar place, and she sat on the edge.

  "Don't be afraid…I love you Bonnie…" He whispered as he pulled her hair up and kissed her on the neck.

  "You seem to like kissing me there…" she barely murmured.

  "Among other places." He smiled at her through the darkness.

  She turned into his arms and cuddled against him. She had a thin cotton gown on and she shivered against him.

  Words of love drifted between them as he kissed her on the mouth once more. He pulled at her bottom lip, teasing her into another heated kiss. His lips were everywhere, and sh
e didn't mind. This time he took her close and held her against him so she would know he wanted her.

  She sighed into his arms.

  Sometime during the night, after he had caressed her all over, the nightgown floated to the floor in a soft wisp. Whispers of love echoed in the room, along with sighs of contentment. Dal took his time with her, letting her enjoy the sensations like he did. Their breathing became labored, but with it came the soft lulling moans of love.

  The next morning they awoke early, wrapped in each other's arms. She didn't bother hiding herself from him any longer. And he let her look and explore all she wanted too. Their hands were everywhere, as though reading some complicated map. His gaze floated over her as he moved the covers away to look at her.

  "My God, Bonnie, you are such a beauty."

  "Me?"

  "Yes, you! You know when I first met you, you were so thin…so little, but now…you've blossomed into a real woman. You are all I'll ever want." He whispered.

  "We didn't get much sleep did we?" she smiled with contentment.

  "Nope, but sometimes, you just don't need as much sleep. Now tell me…did I hurt you?"

  "No…at least if you did, I don't remember it. I never knew a woman enjoyed it as much as a man. I almost felt guilty."

  "Almost?" He teased her.

  "Almost," she laughed.

  Dal smiled at her, as he curled her hair around his finger. "A woman can enjoy every bit as much as a man, Bonnie. Love isn't greedy, it's warm and fulfilling."

  "I'd say you were very good at taking care of me."

  He leaned over her and kissed her again. "You've made me an awfully happy man."

  She cuddled against him and her shyness around him had somehow evaporated through the stillness of the night.

  He stroked her and smiled.

  She seemed to like the way his hands moved over her.

  "I'd love to stay here all day, and make love, but the kids are going to be up and about and we can't."

  He nodded. "That's okay, we have the rest of our lives to make love. And I plan to do it real regular."

  She had sat up on the side of the bed and looked back at him. "I like the sound of that…the rest of our lives."

  He kissed her again and he got up, put his clothes on and watched her finish getting dressed. When she started to comb her hair, he reached for the brush and brushed it for her. "I love your hair. Am I hurting you?"

  "I don't think you could ever hurt me!" She smiled at him.

  "Dal…"

  "Yes?"

  "I thought it would be more painful. Something I wouldn't like. But it wasn't like that at all. I wanted you as much as you wanted me. Please….please don't get tired of me."

  "Honey, that's foolish talk. Look into my eyes right now." He pulled her chin around to look at him. "Now what do you see?"

  "Their smiling, shining actually."

  "That's because I am a completely contented and happy man, this morning. And with you by my side, I always will be. I love you Bonnie…"

  "And I love you…" She reached up to kiss him on the lips.

  "Maybe we got up too soon." He whispered in her ear.

  When they walked out of the bedroom, they closed the door and found Becky in the kitchen making coffee.

  Bonnie took over.

  "My bed was dreamy," Becky smiled at them.

  "You like it, pumpkin. I'm glad." Dal came up to her and kissed her on the cheek.

  "I don't know how we've lived without it all these years," Becky said. "How was yours?"

  Bonnie blushed but smiled. "It was wonderful, honey."

  Becky sighed with a big smile. "I'm so glad."

  Bonnie and Dal both knew she wasn't talking about the bed.

  Later Bonnie told Dal. "Becky thinks that now we are a real married couple, that everything is going to be great. She wants to name our first baby."

  He laughed. "Then she can…"

  He looked at her and pulled her against him. "How many do you want?"

  "One to start with." She smiled as his lips grazed her neck.

  Becky walked by and shook her head. "At it again are you?"

  Bonnie didn't bother pulling away from Dal, she just laughed.

  When the boys came out of their room, they looked happy and rested.

  "What did you think of the beds?"

  "I think I wanted to stay there an extra hour," Samuel said.

  Martin heard them and yelled. "And I get to, ha ha."

  They all groaned.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  For another month, things were peaceful and quiet. Dal kept making improvements, they got the dam built and started on more repairs for the house. Dal wanted to get the roof fixed before winter set in.

  "I'm gonna have to go into town and get some more nails." He announced at the breakfast table.

  "Aren't we spending a lot of money?" Bonnie asked.

  "Yeah, maybe, but this house has to be protected before winter sets in. Or any kind of bad weather. I don't want anyone getting sick because we have a leaky roof."

  "You're the boss." She said.

  He glanced at her. "And behind every good man, is a better woman."

  She laughed.

  "You boys want to go with me?" He asked.

  All of them did. He smiled to himself, he remembered when he was their age and he wanted to go into town. He never did much, but it was fun, just seeing the people and learning things along the way.

  "We'll be back soon." He told her and kissed her goodbye.

  The boys enjoyed going into town and Dal always treated them to something.

  But the one thing Dal wasn't expecting was to run into Lee again. Things had been going so smoothly, he almost forgot about Lee.

  Now he stood right in front of him, boldly glaring at him.

  "So…how's everything going out there on the ranch?" Lee asked, with a snide smile.

  "Everything is fine." Dal said and was about to walk away from him.

  "I still haven't paid my respects to the missus. I guess I'm going to have to do that soon." Lee persisted.

  He walked right up to him. "Stay away from my wife."

  "Is that a threat?" Lee snarled.

  "Take it any way you want to." He said.

  "You're mighty touchy about that wife of yours. I wonder why? She's a pretty little thing. I don't know how I could have overlooked her."

  "Overlooked her?" Dal asked, his brow shooting up in dismay.

  "Why shore, she asked me to marry up with her a while back, and I just laughed in her face. Now I'm wondering if I made a mistake. Maybe she's better than I thought."

  "You're a liar. She'd never ask the likes of you."

  Daniel heard Lee and moved toward Dal. "He's just egging you on, Dal. Don't pay no attention to him."

  He glanced at Daniel. For a moment, his words didn't register. Then all of a sudden Dal laughed out loud. "Well, sure he is. He wants me to fight him. But I'm not giving him the pleasure. Come on boys, we got work to do."

  Dal walked away, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He couldn't let Lee keep popping off about Bonnie. And yet taking action meant giving Lee what he wanted, a fight. Only he was sure that Lee wouldn't be satisfied until Dal pulled a gun. Daniel was right, he was goading him. He had to walk away. He did the right thing and all thanks to Daniel.

  "Thanks Daniel. You were right."

  Daniel nodded.

  They went into the general store and Dal tried to put it behind him. Samuel looked concerned, as though he might be considering going after Lee himself.

  He looked at him seriously. "Don't let anything that man says get to you. Men like that want to fight. They purposely say things to get one too. You have to remember that. Don't let anyone ever goad you into a fight."

  "One of these days he's gonna meet his match," Samuel said.

  But Lee didn't. While Dal and the boys were in town, he decided he'd get Dal to react one way or another. He rode out to Da
l's place.

  It was very quiet and at first he didn't see or hear anyone.

  But he found Bonnie hanging clothes out back. He ambled back there. He stared at her for a minute.

  "Well now, there you are. How you doing Miss Bonnie?" Lee snarled.

  Bonnie jumped, surprised to see anyone, especially Lee standing just behind her.

  She moved away. "What do you want."

  "Oh now, is that any way to treat a man? That ain't very friendly. Why…I remember you were asking me to marry up with you just a few months ago." Lee laughed, the contempt in his voice made her cautious.

  "You're full of yourself mister. I'd never ask the likes of you. In fact, you are one of the few men I didn't ask." She portrayed a sense of nonchalant.

  "Likes of me, what's that supposed to mean?" She heard his teeth grind.

  "I saw you gun down that man in town last year. You goaded him. Insulted him until he drew his gun, and then you killed him. You enjoy killing?" An uneasiness crept up her neck as he came nearer.

  "Now don't go trying to get all high and mighty on me, missy. I remember when you'd eat dirt." His anger lay barely bridled.

  "I'm sure you do." She purposely moved away from him and continued her task of hanging out the wet clothes.

  "Yeah. I saw you that day. Begging nearly every man in town to marry you. I thought about offering my help, then?" He was brutal with sarcasm.

  "It doesn't matter now. I'm married, as you well know. And I want to know why you have it in for my husband?" She whirled about to face him.

  "Aw now honey. That Dal, he ain't got no brains about him. He wouldn't know how to treat a lady. I figured by now you'd be a little lonely." Lee snickered. "You don't know, do you? You really don't know."

  "Know what!" She insisted.

  "He killed my brother." The words were thrown like a gauntlet.

  "I don't believe it!"

  "He was only seventeen."

  Bonnie knew nothing of this and it startled her, but she knew there had to be a reason behind Dal's actions. "Why did he kill him?"

  "It doesn't matter why, it only matters that he did. And I've waited a long time to get even." The rancor in his words scared her.

  "Dal would never kill anyone…for no reason." She lifted her head with confidence.