Brides of the West-Part One

by Hestand, Rita

  "Seventeen."

  "Lee sure took his time getting even." Bonnie cried.

  Dal looked at Bonnie now and took her hand. "I never had anything of my own, but my horse, Samuel. Never had anything Lee could use to hurt before. But he knew how I felt about all of you. When he realized how much, he came after me…and the rest of you."

  "Are they gonna arrest me now?" Samuel swallowed hard.

  Dal came up to Samuel once more and hugged him. "No, they aren't gonna arrest you. You were protecting your sisters."

  He looked up at Dal. "I know how you felt, Dal. Every time he came up on us, I knew how you felt. I wanted to kill him too."

  "Well Samuel, all I can tell you now is to remember that feeling and don't ever let anyone put you in that position again. Always protect what is yours though. You have that right. But think twice about killing. Today, you did what had to be done. I only wish it had been me that did it. It's a hard thing to take on so young."

  When the girls had been cuddled and kissed and their nerves settled, Dal told them he was going to take the body into town, and tell the Sheriff what happened.

  Samuel insisted on going with him, and facing the Sheriff with the truth.

  "Alright Samuel, you've earned the right. Let's go."

  Bonnie hugged Dal, "They won't do anything to him, will they?"

  "Nope, they won't. But he will see how justice works."

  "Alright then…" Bonnie kissed them both and they left for town.

  The Sheriff listened to Samuel's story and he looked at him long and hard.

  "Are you gonna arrest me now?" Samuel asked.

  "Arrest you? For protecting your sisters? Not hardly. You see the law works for people as much as it works against them. Justice was done. Lee was the villain in this case. I'm sorry it was you that had to pull the trigger boy, but today you are a man. Today you have faced the law and you will see justice for it. Always try to do the right thing, and you'll live longer. I'm proud to know you Samuel." The Sheriff extended his hand for a shake.

  Samuel looked at it long and hard, smiled, and shook his hand. "Thank you sir."

  "You bet."

  Dal nodded. "Thanks, Sheriff."

  The Sheriff nodded as they walked out.

  "That's it?" Samuel said as they stood on the boardwalk.

  "I reckon it is, Samuel. Want a peppermint?"

  "Sure."

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  It took a while for Samuel to understand why the Sheriff didn't arrest him. Daniel still felt bad about not being able to do anything in the situation, but Dal tried to explain it to them.

  "I couldn't do anything either. Lee spotted me, and I had no more advantage than you did. There was too much chance of missing and hitting one of the girls. Samuel was just in the right spot, not to be seen. He's the only one that could have done it. But…I am very proud that he was such a good shot. I guess the practice we have had helped."

  "Samuel was always a better shot than me," Daniel said, hanging his head.

  Dal shook his head. "Being the best, doesn't always make you come out the winner Daniel. Samuel was smart enough to know he was the only one that could make the shot. I'm just glad he could do it. He saved their lives."

  Martin came up to them. "Will you quit making such a hero out of him. He's gonna get a big head and I won't be able to stand him."

  Daniel laughed and rubbed his head.

  Bonnie had been in a better mood lately, now that Lee was gone. She seemed to relax more and they sure cuddled more often.

  Christmas was around the corner and although they didn't have much, Bonnie and Becky were making some gifts and they suspected the boys had something in mind because they were in the shed all the time.

  But one day, Bonnie ran from the kitchen. She ran into the bedroom and shut the door. Becky saw her and ran after her.

  "Somethin' wrong?"

  "No, darling. Noting is wrong…" Bonnie said, but her face was white. "I just couldn't stand the smell of the bacon this morning."

  "It tasted good. It wasn't rank or anything." Becky declared.

  "Maybe I got some kind of stomach flu or something." Bonnie cried.

  "You ain't sick are you?"

  "No, I don't think so. It'll probably go away in a bit."

  And it did, until the next morning.

  When Dal noticed her leaving the table early, he followed her. "What's wrong, honey?"

  "Nothing…just not feeling well, is all. I'll be alright in a bit."

  "You sure?"

  "Sure…go on and finish your breakfast. You're going to need it with all the work you have to do."

  Dal went back to the table and shrugged when everyone else looked puzzled.

  But that Saturday she looked at Dal with a question. "Can I ride into town with you this morning?"

  "Sure, be nice to have you along. You don't go to town with me very often. I think you ought to buy you some material and make you and Becky a new dress for Christmas."

  "No, I've put on some weight lately. I need to try to get rid of it before I make another dress for me. Maybe I'll make one for Becky though. I've been so sleepy lately. I don't know why. I drink coffee and I'm still sleepy all the time. I thought I'd stop off and see the doc. Maybe he's got some tonic he can give me. Probably just need some iron or something."

  "Alright. I'll drive you to the docs first."

  "That's okay, you can just drop me off and I'll catch up to you at the General store." Bonnie insisted.

  He nodded and thought nothing of it.

  However, Bonnie was thinking about it all the time. She wasn't herself. Something was off. She feared she might be real sick and didn't know it. She was anxious to see the doc and ask him.

  When they arrived, she walked up the stairs to the doctor's office and waved at Dal as he left for the General Store.

  If she were real sick, she wouldn't tell him right off. It wasn't fair for him to worry. She prayed it was nothing more than the loss of iron.

  The doc was busy in his office putting pills in a bottle when she walked in. He turned to look at her and smiled.

  "Well now, I haven't seen you in a long spell. How are you doin'?"

  "Oh…doc…" She cried holding on to his arm. "I'm sick. I'm terrible sick."

  "Well, come sit on the bed there and tell me what is wrong."

  "I don't know what's wrong doc. But I've lost my energy. I've gotten sick every morning, I'm just so tired. I don't know what is wrong. I never felt like this before. I want to sleep all the time. Food bothers me…the smell of it. Do…do you think I'm dying doc?"

  The doctor smiled and patted her hand. "Now see here. You're too young to die. You lie down there and let me take a look at you."

  It took an hour to examine her. But when he did, he set her down in front of him at his desk and smiled slowly at her.

  "How long you and Dal been married?"

  "Oh…I don't know a year come summer, I guess." Bonnie counted the months.

  "I see. Well, there's nothing that I can do for you right now, Bonnie."

  "You mean I'm that far gone. I'm dying doc?"

  "No," He scolded her. "You aren't dying Bonnie. You're with child that's all." He smiled.

  Bonnie's eyes rounded and then a smile slowly spread across her blushing face. "You mean…oh Doc, you mean it?"

  "Yes…you're going to have a baby, and it looks like in about six months."

  "A baby!" She cried aloud.

  "That's all it is." He explained. "You're as healthy as a horse, I expect you to carry it to term."

  "Oh!" she cried.

  "What's wrong?" He asked

  "I wish my mama was alive and could hear this. She'd be so happy for me."

  "What about your husband?" The doc reminded her.

  "Oh Dal! He'll be on the moon with happiness…" She smiled into the doc's eyes. "We've talked about having babies, but I never dreamed that's what it was."

  "I'm very happy for you Bonnie. Now
you take care of yourself, don't be lifting heavy things. Let those boys do that for you."

  "Yes, yes, I will doc." She murmured as she headed out the door. "Thanks."

  She went down the steps in a daze. She was pregnant. She had thought she'd never get pregnant, now here she was.

  She sighed as she came around the corner and saw her big strong husband loading the wagon with flour sacks and sugar and all sorts of good things.

  He glanced at her and saw her face. "Everything alright?"

  "Yes, yes, everything is fine…"

  "Good. Let me help you up, and I'll be through in a minute." He helped her up the wagon.

  She wasn't just smiling, she was beaming.

  But she said very little on the ride home. She wanted time to get used to the idea of having a baby. She needed to enjoy it for herself for a while before she told him.

  The rest of the day went in a blur for her. She was so happy she was about to explode. She had to tell Dal now.

  That night, as they lay cuddling together, she snuggled closer. "Dal…I got to tell you something."

  "What honey?" He kissed her softly on the lips.

  "We're having a baby!" She cried aloud.

  Dal sat up in the bed and then turned to look at her.

  He brought her up beside him, kissed her hard and lovingly on the lips and got out of bed with just his drawers on.

  "What are you doing?" She asked.

  "We're having a baby!" He declared. "We've got to tell everyone!"

  "Now?" She questioned.

  "Yes now. I want the whole family to enjoy this with us." He grabbed her and carried her down the hall to knock on the boy's door.

  Daniel got up, wiped his eyes and answered. "What's wrong?"

  "Not a thing, get everyone up!" Dal cried with a smile.

  "It's the middle of the night!" Daniel protested.

  "It doesn't matter. You've all got to hear this." He shouted.

  "What's going on?" Samuel protested fisting his hands and wiping his eyes.

  Becky jumped down from her bunk. "It isn't even morning yet. What's going on?"

  "Don't know, Dal wants us all in the kitchen."

  "Dal…would you stop!" Bonnie gushed with his happiness.

  "Not until they all know!" He beamed and kissed her once more.

  "Okay, okay, what is going on?" Martin asked, cranky that he'd been woken up.

  "Bonnie and I…Bonnie is going to have a baby!" He shouted at them all.

  Everyone's mouth's opened and they stared for a full moment, as though they were still asleep, or dreaming.

  Becky ran to Bonnie's side. "Is it true!"

  "Yes…we're going to have a baby." She cried.

  Then everyone started shouting at once their happiness overflowing as they grabbed her and hugged her.

  Dal flopped in a chair at the table as though the news just hit him. "I'm going to be a father!"

  Everyone laughed and congratulated them.

  "Are you scared," he asked her when they finally went back to bed.

  "No, it's funny. I always thought I would be. But now that I know I'm not dying, I'm the happiest woman in the world. Especially because I know you want this baby so bad."

  "Oh God, Bonnie, I love you so."

  "And I love you, for the rest of my life, Dal Odom."

  It was the best of times. And Bonnie would go on to have six children. Samuel became a Sheriff. Daniel raised cattle and married his childhood sweetheart Rachel. Martin went to college and became a doctor. Becky got married at eighteen.

  Dal and Bonnie lived a long and happy life together. They had struggles like any other family, but with the faith they had and God on their side, they did well for themselves. Dal had one of the biggest and best farms around, he even managed to run a few cows on it too. Banister ended up buying all his hay from Dal and they got to be good friends.

  Years later, Bonnie looked out on the fields her husband had plowed as they stood waiting for their grandchildren to arrive. "Oh Dal, my folks were right, the heart of a family is love and the Odom's have plenty of love!"

  "We sure do." He smiled, pulling her close, kissed her on the forehead and sighed with contentment, as a wagon full of their grandchildren waved and hollered, and came running up to them.

  The End

  Book Two

  Delivering the Bride

  Delivering the Bride

  by Rita Hestand

  Cripple Creek

  Colorado Territory 1882

  Chapter One

  The minute she got off the stage, she felt the tension growing inside her. It had been a long hard trip and now that she was here, her doubts began to fester. The Stage depot was a busy place and people were everywhere.

  Had she been too presumptuous? Not recognizing anyone standing about, she spied a couple of empty crates and sat on them as she set her luggage beside her. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it would do, she decided.

  She waited patiently for her betrothed. An hour passed and still he hadn't shown up. She began to look conspicuous sitting there waiting in her wedding dress. Apprehension swept through her like a cold wind. She spied the huge clock hung on the wall of the station. The stage had been on time. Her glance flew to the station, seeing people come and go, but not the man she was to marry.

  If he only knew the trouble she had getting here, he might at least have been there to meet her. She rode a stage all the way to St. Louis and from there she caught a wagon train, then the stage once more. She put up with dust, and a bumpy ride, men who smoked, and women who wore way too many petticoats. She'd endured discussions of guns, Indians, gambling, and ladies of ill repute. The wagon train hadn't been any better. The gossips of why she was alone, and how she got on the wagon train at all. The weather elements were harsh, constant repairs held up the train, she thought she'd never see the stagecoach that would bring her here.

  Miners and prospectors of all sorts roamed the city of Cripple Creek. Even though the biggest mountain in the country was right on the doorstep, the air was not as clean as one might expect.

  She coughed several times.

  Her composure was slipping by the minute. She thought she could hear the ticking of the clock. Everything around her seemed to exaggerate itself.

  If she hadn't been so conspicuous, she might have relaxed, but she stood out somewhat in the wedding dress she wore. Several people had stared at her, whispering among themselves. She wondered idly what they might be thinking. She supposed she did look a little silly dressed as she was.

  The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving her quite naturally alone on the platform. Like a big rock that didn't belong there.

  Chewing on her bottom lip, she glanced about her once more.

  Frustration mixed with anticipation made her feel out of place.

  Her confidence slipping by the moment, she folded and refolded her hands, then put them on her knees. She wanted to curl up into a ball and stay there. She glanced at the mountains that surrounded the area. It was as beautiful as the letters she received.

  At least she had the letters, and they had depicted the mountains like a song in the wind.

  Perhaps she hadn't been entirely clear about her coming. That would explain it.

  She took a picture out of her small bag and stared at it. Hershel Newton was not a handsome man by any means of the imagination, but Rachel prided herself on looking deeper into the person before she judged them. Good could be found in anyone, and Hershel had a goodness that leaked out in his letters, she affirmed.

  He had a scrubby beard, a long nose, and rather beady eyes, but he was all hers, she reassured herself. She comforted herself by remembering the vivid letters she had received from him. It was the letters that brought her here. But had she been a fool once more?

  Rachel sighed heavily, she hoped the picture did him an injustice. She was living on hope these days.

  Still a girl that had practically gotten kicked out of her own home couldn't be too ch
oosy, she supposed. Not that she deserved it for a moment. It was all a misunderstanding. Come to think of it, there were a lot of misunderstandings at home. She had loved her folks dearly once, but since she grew up, they didn't understand her. Her step-mother was shocked at the things Rachel would do and say.

  It had been nothing more than a misunderstanding that got her here, to this strange little town with its busy stagecoach station and no husband in sight.

  How crazy could she get, coming all the way out here, to marry a man, she didn't know, all because he wrote such fantastic letters. Where had her mind been? Enraptured by words on paper, she was a fool.

  Still the letters spoke of the beauty of nature, clean, fresh air, and homes going up everywhere. She glanced around. The town had no fresh air, it was stagnant with the fifth of a mining town. People had ruined the city, standing majestic against the high mountain.

  She had seen some of those homes as she arrived, they were nothing more than tents, hundreds of them where miners lived and worked. Perhaps the mining industry itself had set her on the town.

  But seeing the majestic Pike's Peak was enough to make her heart swell. That at least was no lie. It was hard to believe she was just a few feet from the base of it.

  "You'd think he'd be on time!" She muttered under her breath.

  "Excuse me…" a man had ambled up to her side. He had taken his hat off and now ran a hand through his unruly blonde-brown hair. His blue eyes fastened on her. One of the first clean-shaven men she'd seen today. His blue-eyed stare had her uneasy at first. Those eyes penetrated into her soul.

  "Yes, can I help you?" She asked with a nervous twitch of her mouth.

  She took in his long, thin but muscled body with one bold glance. He towered over her now. "Yes?" She questioned why he stood so close.

  "I'm Buck Daggett, and aren't you the mail-ordered bride for Hershel Newton? Aren't you Rachel Landers?"

  Overjoyed that someone actually knew who she was, she smiled. "I am, but what has that to do with you?" She asked with some impertinence.

  "Well, uh…miss…I'm to take you to him." He blurted out in a rush.