Brides of the West-Part One

by Hestand, Rita

  "Yeah, I reckon you are right about that. He should've. But he isn't himself these days, that much I can tell you. That new wife of his has changed him some, mellowed him. Still, he should have come with you and taken care of it."

  "It's better this way Buck. I'll go home and you won't have to worry about me in the least." Rachel explained so simply. "It'd be best if you read the paper and signed where the witness signs, then get Hershel to sign it and mail it to me. Then all I'll have to do is sign it and register it at some law office."

  Now he was forced to look her in the eye. "Worrying about you has kind of got to be a habit. I'll miss you Rachel."

  She put her hand out to shake his, he felt a slight tremble as his hand closed around hers. "I'll miss you too."

  "Don't let them buffalo you when you get home. Stand up for yourself. You're quite a woman."

  "Thank you. And I'll remember that."

  "I guess this is goodbye, Rach?"

  "Yes, Buck, it's goodbye. And thank you…." Something in her voice changed and he stared long and hard.

  "For what?" He almost yelled.

  "Everything. I won't forget it. I've had an adventure I'll never forget, and I've no regrets."

  Just then, he took her head in his hands and ran his fingers through her thick head of hair. She stared at him strangely.

  "You got the prettiest hair I ever did see…" He murmured, and then his lips came down on hers and the rest of the world didn't seem to matter.

  Standing there on the boardwalk in broad daylight he took his time in kissing her goodbye.

  When he pulled away, his eyes sparkled. "And the sweetest lips…" he smiled.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

  And then she turned to go to the stage station and wait. She didn't look back, she didn't hesitate. She quietly walked away.

  Buck watched her walk off and something seemed to rip inside him. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. It couldn't just end like this.

  The last thing he wanted to see was her getting on that stage to go home. He knew she'd be treated badly when she arrived. She'd take a lot of criticism for this trip too. But most of all, she was creating such a void in his heart, he wasn't sure he could stand it.

  Still, she was a married woman. It wasn't like he could walk up to her and ask her to stay. He had no right to do that. No, and the only thing that would change that was to get that paper to her as soon as he could.

  Buck turned and walked in the opposite direction. But his mind was at the station. His heart was at the station, and he hadn't said a word to her about how he really felt. How could he? She was a married woman.

  Something told him, he should have told her how he felt. But he had no right. She was still Hershel's wife, even though Hershel wasn't the least concerned about it. He wasn't too pleased with his friend right now. Hershel should have been here, to see her off, he should have gotten the paper and helped her straighten it all out. Instead he acted unconcerned.

  Buck wrestled with his feelings.

  Buck had never been in love and he found it confining.

  Maybe he should look Peaches up. Maybe she'd take care of his problems.

  But he knew he wouldn't do that. Rachel had somehow put his life on hold. Now what was he going to do?

  Chapter Twenty

  Buck heard the stage pulling out. He'd gone to get a fresh mount at the stable. The temptation to take one last look drew him to peek out of the livery stable to see the stage winding its way through the mountainous area. Rachel was on that stage and she was going away. It was the last thing he wanted. Part of him wanted to go after her now, and bring her back. Another part said it wasn't the right time.

  But he had a job to do, and he would see that through first. He'd decide what to do about the ache in his heart later.

  After gearing up once more he headed up the mountain to the preacher's place. One thing was for sure, getting this paperwork done would help.

  Deciding to camp and get some rest before he arrived at the cabin, he made camp along a spring. It was froze over, but he spent the better part of an hour chipping ice so he could get down under and get some fresh water.

  While building a fire, two men came up to his campsite.

  "Hey there mister, got some coffee?" One of the men asked.

  "Sure, get down and help yourself." Buck answered staring at the two of them.

  One was young and lean with longish black hair and deep set blue eyes, the other was an older man and broader. He had short dark hair with piercing dark eyes. They looked like greenhorn miners to him, but he'd wait and find out for sure.

  "We're looking for the parson's place, you know where that is by any chance?" The older one asked as they helped themselves to a cup of coffee bringing their own cups to the campsite.

  "I'm headed there myself, but thought I'd get a good night's rest before I got there. It's about a couple of hours away from here. You have business with the parson?" Buck asked.

  "Yeah, my son, he's wanting to get married." The older one replied. "I'm Hal Munson, this is my son, Turner."

  "Turner, I'm Buck Daggett" Buck nodded. "Where's the bride?"

  "We left her in town. We thought we'd get the preacher and bring him down for the wedding. They want to get married in a church."

  Buck nodded. "I see. Didn't you talk to Parson Greely down there?"

  "No, he wasn't about. Someone said he went to the mining camp, someone got killed there a day ago. Don't know nothing about it, except he's not there. Someone in town told us about the parson on the mountain, we figured we come get him. Do you know him by any chance?"

  Buck eyed them closely and nodded. "Sure, almost everyone knows the parson. He's a good man. But you should have brought your bride up the mountain, he could have married you there."

  "Well, he wouldn't mind coming to town, would he?" Hal asked matter-of-factly.

  "I dunno, the parson he's kind of retired. Oh, he still does weddings, but usually most people come up here to him. I'm not sure he'd be willing to come down the mountain. You'll just have to ask him."

  "I sure hope so, Constance has her mind set to marry in the church." Turner mumbled.

  "Who knows, maybe he will." Buck added.

  "Have you two ate yet?"

  "No…we've been in too big a hurry." Hal laughed. "The boy's anxious."

  "Well, better settle out now. Even if the parson agrees, doesn't mean he'll come down the mountain right away." Buck said as he fixed some beans.

  Everyone helped themselves. Buck settled down on a rock and sat back to watch the other two. As a traveler up the mountain he knew he had to gauge his company. All sorts of people roamed the woods and few knew what they were doing.

  "You ever been in love?" Turner looked at Buck.

  Buck nodded dully. He sure wished he hadn't asked that. He was still getting used to the idea himself.

  "Did you marry her?" Turner asked.

  "Uh…not exactly, no…" Buck moved away from the campsite. He wasn't about to talk about his feelings to two strangers. The hurt he carried inside was too fresh to be shared.

  If only Rachel hadn't married Hershel, he would have been able to admit his feelings for her. But things were different and he couldn't. Even if Hershel didn't care, he did.

  "We better be turning in, it's gonna get a lot colder tonight, you two might want to prepare for that." Buck warned them.

  "Thanks for the warning. But how do you know about something like the weather?" Hal asked curiously.

  "I've traveled this mountain many times. I know the signs. Where are the two of you from?"

  "Boston originally." Turner offered.

  "Boston? Well, what on earth are you doing here, then? This is a long way from Boston." Buck eyed them suspiciously now.

  "My son…inherited a gold mine. We came out to check it out in person. Didn't want to rely on hearsay. His grandfather was quite the prospector in his day. He died a couple of months ago, so we've
traveled out here to find out if it amounts to anything or not." Hal explained.

  "You kind of put me in mind of miners. But not seasoned ones. There are a lot of mines out here. They are tearing this mountain up with their mining. Greed can be an ugly thing. Railroads trying to come through too. It's tearing the land up." Buck shook his head. "It'll never be the same again. But I guess that's progress, huh?"

  "If you inherited a gold mine, wouldn't you check it out?" Hal asked him.

  Buck studied on the question a moment. "I guess I would. But money isn't everything. What's really important, can't be bought. Well, enough of this, I’m turning in. If you want to go up with me in the morning, you best get some rest now. I tend to get up early."

  Hal and Turner looked sheepishly at Buck and nodded. They undid their bedrolls and prepared for the night.

  Buck got to thinking about himself. What did he have to offer Rachel? He was just a guide. Could he make a living doing that for the rest of his life. Was that all he wanted to do with his life?

  Unlike Hershel he was always thinking of ways to earn money, but he hadn't done anything with his own homestead. If he really wanted to marry Rachel, he needed to improve himself some. She deserved more than just following him all over the mountainside.

  It wasn't that he didn't have money. He had a good stash, buried in an old tree stump. Having few wants or needs, Buck tucked it away for one of those some days.

  Marry! Where had that come from? He'd only realized he loved Rach recently. Now he was thinking about marriage, settling down. But then, that wasn't true either. He knew from the moment he looked into those warm brown eyes of hers, that she was an exceptional woman, and he was drawn to her despite himself.

  He could see where he had a lot of work to do. Would Rachel still be singled when he accomplished what he needed to do? Would she accept his proposal if he proposed? He hadn't contemplated all these complications to his life. Up until Rachel walked into his life, he'd been a simple man, doing what came naturally to him. Now his mind was full of things he wanted to accomplish, like building that house he never built, like finding work that would support a family. He'd never contemplated changing his life, and it wasn't at Rachel's insistence, it was coming from himself, deep within.

  Suddenly things were clear to him. His life had meaning and purpose now. All because of Rachel.

  Somehow though, he was just a bit prouder than before. Even if she didn't accept his proposal when they got things straightened out about the marriage certificate, didn't mean she'd want him. But the way she kissed him back, even from the very first kiss, told him she would. She practically melted into his arms every time. Every time he had kissed her he wanted to talk to her, about his feelings, but he had no right. She was there to be Hershel's wife. He had no right interfering in it. Especially since getting Hershel married off was what he was trying to do.

  He closed his eyes, content that he had some sense of structure.

  Rachel was in his dreams, in his heart and he missed her every minute he was away from her.

  He thought about the two men that came seeking the parson. Greenhorns, but nice people.

  Turner couldn't be over twenty-one at the most. He seemed very naïve. He wondered if he knew what he was doing, marrying so young.

  But women had a way of getting hold of a man.

  In the back of his mind he worried about Rachel going home. Her folks didn't understand her, didn't appreciate her. And he hoped she had enough sense to say no to marrying that Frank character.

  He was going to marry Rachel, if she'd have him.

  With that thought he closed his eyes and dreamed of holding her in his arms again.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  "The wheel's busted, ma'am. We won't be going anywhere for a while." The driver said, scratching his head and looking at the busted wheel with dismay.

  "Can't you fix it?" Rachel asked with frustration.

  "Not out here, I can't. Need to go into the next town and get a blacksmith to fix it." He replied. "If I unhitch the horses, I can go into town and get it fixed." He glanced at the other passengers who were staring out at him. "I could be back before dark and we could go on."

  Everyone climbed off the stage and the men helped unhitch the horses. As the men were busy, Rachel turned back to the coach.

  She climbed back in. There were three men and one woman along and none of which seemed interested in conversation.

  So Rachel closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

  The minute she did, she saw Buck's face as she was leaving for the depot. He looked forlorn. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what. What could she say, she was a married woman and he knew it. Still, he left his feelings in the air, so to speak and her not knowing exactly how he felt about anything.

  So she should put it all behind her, and not think about it anymore. But that was easier said than done.

  She actually hated to leave the beautiful mountain she had come to love. But she had no place there now, and she had to reconcile that fact.

  Hershel didn't want her, and she guessed Buck didn't either. If he had, he hadn't said anything to her before she left. Of course, she was still married to Hershel, so what could he say. That was the problem and probably wouldn't be resolved. Even when she got the annulment, there was no guarantee that Buck would have anything to say.

  Sitting in the coach became uncomfortable, so she got out and stretched her legs. She walked about and saw the others staring at her.

  She looked back, she could still see the mountain in the distance. It seemed to call to her. How could anyone miss a mountain? Was it the mountain, or Buck that called to her? She couldn't be sure, because her heart hoped it was Buck.

  The short time she'd been there, she'd lived a lifetime it seemed on that mountain, that's why she missed it. She hadn't felt so alive since she left Arkansas. It was almost as if she'd found a real home for herself.

  A home, that is what it had become to her, a home! She stared back at it now and smiled. She'd found a home.

  But what if she went back and Buck didn't want her? What if she had to live around him and watch him fall in love with someone else? It all seemed hopeless right now.

  She was reconciled to the fact that going home held nothing for her. An emptiness settled over her. Why was she going home? There was nothing for her there. Her life there was dull and uneventful. She wasn't about to marry Frank.

  That's when she made up her mind. She was going to live in Colorado. She was going back.

  It was nearly dark when the driver got back with the wheel. He lit some lanterns and got the men inside to help him put it back on. They were almost ready to travel, when she made her announcement.

  "I'm not going with you. I'm going back." She announced boldly.

  "Going back?" The driver looked rather blankly at her. "You can't go back ma'am. This stage is going east, not west."

  "How long before we get to another town?"

  "Oh…the next town ain't that far, Golden City is about fifteen miles up the road."

  "Then I'll get off there and catch another stage back." She smiled at him.

  "Alright, if that's what you want. Another stage won't be coming through for a few days though." He shook his head and almost laughed. "Women."

  Rachel was happy to be going back. She knew she missed that mountain, and the man that scouted it. She was taking a huge chance. But it just might be worth it.

  It was late by the time they rolled into Golden City and she was directed to the only boarding house with rooms to rent. Ma Spalding owned it, a silver haired lady with a high pitched chuckle and sparkling blue eyes. Ma was as round as she was tall and her personality struck Rachel as friendly.

  Rachel rented a room from her and settled in for the night, once she asked when the stage came through.

  "Ten o'clock right on the dot. But it will be two days before the next one comes through." Ma told her.

  "Thank you, I'll be ready."

>   "You stayin' until then?"

  "Yes ma'am. I'm going back to Cripple Creek." Rachel explained.

  "Lord have mercy what for? You don't look like one of those miners." Ma chuckled.

  "No ma'am. But I love the mountains." Rachel answered as she unpacked her nightclothes and let down her hair.

  "Well, I generally serve breakfast here at eight if you want to come." Ma explained.

  "That would be nice, thank you."

  When she left, Rachel sat on the edge of the bed. She wasn't sure about going back, but she knew she didn't want to go home.

  She'd have to find a way to contact Buck so he could bring her the papers. If nothing else, she'd leave word with Lilly.

  Slipping into her gown after she'd washed up a bit, she lay down and almost instantly went to sleep.

  A gunshot went off during the night and woke her. She went outside on the porch, and heard all the noises in the little town. Like Cripple Creek, it was alive with miners and prospectors. She was fascinated though that Clear Creek ran right through the middle of town. She'd never seen anything like it in her life.

  She shivered from the cold. Tightening her sash to her robe, she sat in the porch swing for a few minutes. It was such a clear night, and so quiet, except for the gun going off.

  Satisfied that it was probably a drunken cowboy, she went back to bed and fell asleep easily. The warmth of her bed had her resting easily.

  The next morning she went to join some of the others in the dining room. True to her word, Ma was loading the neatly set table with all kinds of mouth-watering food.

  Ham and red-eye gravy were being served with lots of scrambled eggs, biscuits and big slices of tomatoes. Rachel sat in the middle beside two other ladies.

  "I'm Helen, and this is Peggy, are you staying long in Golden?" One of the ladies asked.

  "Uh, no, just a couple of days I'm afraid. I’m catching the stage to Cripple Creek."

  "Oh my, heard that was a pretty rough town." The one called Peggy said, wiping her mouth. "Of course most of the towns in Colorado are rough."