Before she could stand Bob interjected: “No need to leave me alone to think it over as I was wondering how to ask you all to stretch your visit longer and now you’ve made it easier for me. The answer is yes; of course you all can stay. But you are right; I will be awake all night but not wondering over it but by being excited about it. I think it’s great. But what about their families and friends? Their homes and stuff?”
“Shucks, son,” answered a smiling Cal, “They can stay in touch and have their homes sold and the money sent here to them. We’ll open a bank and Thomas Grace will be the Bank Manager, something he did for over thirty years. You say that there are taxes to be paid? Well that means that a Post office will be opened again as the government wants their share and we want what normally comes with a tax-paying town. Agree?”
“Sounds right to me.”
“Well,” added Cal, “think more on it and we’ll have a town meeting when you want. Right now, I need my sleep as me an’ the boys had our meeting in the tavern last night an’ it tended ta run long.” He grinned as he slapped Bob on the back, “Good night, Mayor.”
Jean smiled and said as she placed Samson on the floor and stood up, “Tomorrow afternoon Cal and I will relocate next door to the Hampton’s’ for a bit.”
“But why?” asked Bob as he held the screen door open for her.
She smiled warmly as she said, “Because your sweetheart is comin’ ta town an’ this house don’t need any old folk ta be in the way.” She raised her finger; as Bob was about to rebuke her and went on with finality in her voice, “Hush now! The Hampton’s’ know we’re coming and planned a card game so it’s settled. Good night now, son.”
Bob smiled and Samson, following his lead, went inside and trotted up the stairs. He was in the bed before his master got to the landing and Bob found that he was wrong about not being able to sleep that night.
After a sunrise breakfast the next morning, Bob grabbed his GPS unit and went to the stable. Tim greeted him with a smile and handed him the reins to the big black horse that was already hitched to his two-wheeled carriage.
“Mornin’, mayor. Set fer yer trip to the city?”
Bob grinned at being addressed as mayor and took the reins. “Am I set for the trip?” he asked, “Tim, you tell me…am I set?”
“Partner,” the slim cowboy answered as he helped Bob up onto the leather-padded wooden seat, “you are as ready ta make the trip as anyone else in town. Just remember ta keep the sun outta yer eyes and watch for any crevices.” He patted the horse’s head and continued, “Ol’ Midnight will naturally avoid steppin’ in a hole and like we agreed, if ya don’t show up by six tonight, we’ll go an’ find ya.” He looked in the small rear of the carriage and seeing an oil lamp said, “Good. Ya got the oil lamp.” He looked at Bob and went on, “It is full an’ ya got matches, right, partner?”
“Yep! And I also have a Coleman lantern, water for me and the horse, a basket of food that Jean insisted I take along and a blanket in case I have to sleep out tonight.”
Tim shrugged and said, “Well then, best ya be off and use all the sunlight ya can.” He looked at Bob’s hip and seeing his holstered gun, nodded his agreement. “See ya at sundown, cowboy. Good travelin’.”
It was six thirty-seven as Bob tapped the reins on his horses’ rump and the light carriage almost flew from the stables. The rig was equipped with steel-leaf shock absorbers that the wagon-wheel maker had redone for him as well as redoing the steel rims of the wheels and they gave him a great ride. For protection against the elements, which at the moment was the sun beating down on him, there was a folding top made of steel rims covered in black canvas which he adjusted in order to keep his face in shadow as he headed towards the rising sun…he grinned thinking that the top looked like an old fashioned baby carriage.
Although Bob was familiar with the rig and was taught by possibly the best cowboy around, he found that his knuckles were white as he held the reins so tight. Once at the old signpost however, Bob pulled up and checked his watch. Wow! he thought, I made better time in this horse-drawn carriage than I have in my SUV. Feeling better about his decision, he loosened his grip on the leather reins, tapped them lightly on the horses’ rear and set off across the desert towards Bransville, thinking, It’s probably the panoramic view you get by sitting high on the rig that allows a person to see better when going through rough grounds, thus, speeding up the ride.
He felt at ease as he approached any crevices and skirted them as the cowboy had taught him and more than once, Midnight stepped around a hole that Bob missed seeing. He stopped twice and had a drink of water from his two-gallon thermos and poured some in a plastic bucket for Midnight before reaching the macadam highway.
Once on the blacktop, he relaxed even more and let the horse break into a trot that brought him into Bransville at eleven-thirty. He eased the carriage into Pearl’s parking lot, ran in and made her aware of it, called a taxicab, made a stop at the florist for a dozen red roses and had the cabby drop him off in front of Anne’s house at twelve noon.
She answered the door and as he handed her the flowers she dropped them on a small table in the foyer and they embraced. The kiss was long and he suddenly felt like a Casanova as he felt tears on his cheek, but a second later, realized that only half of them were hers.
“I’ve missed you, cowboy.”
“And I’ve missed you, cowgirl.”
They stood holding hands as they gazed into each other’s eyes. “What’s first, handsome?”
“Let’s go home.”
She nodded, grabbed her already packed bag and the flowers saying, “Lets bring these with us to brighten up the house.”
Seeing that she was dressed in a tight fitting skirt and heels Bob said, “I’ll give you five minutes to change into jeans, shirt, boots and hat.”
With a shrug Anne put the clothes and flowers down, “Okay, if that’s what you want, be right down.” She flitted up the stairs and Bob called the taxi company.
They both arrived at the same time and looking out the window she asked, “What happened to your SUV? Should we take mine?”
Bob shook his head and with a grin, opened the door than the door to the cab.
“I have transportation waiting.”
He told the cab driver to take them to Pearl’s and after a short ride, paid the man and he drove off.
She stood in the parking lot with her hand at the brim of her hat shading her eyes, “Bob,” she said as she looked around, “I don’t see your SUV.”
“Walk around the back and it shall be revealed to you,” he said with a smile as they headed to the rear of the parking lot. Making the turn she stopped short at the sight of the carriage and the horse hitched to it, parked in the building’s shadow.
“Is-Is this yours?”
“Yep!”
“A-And you know how to drive it?”
He took off his hat and wiped his brow, “It got me here and I’m betting it’ll get us back. That’s why I asked that you change into riding clothes. Now lets go while the sun’s up. Shall we?”
She shook her head and picked up her overnight bag and flowers. “Mayor Robert McKillop, you are a man of many faces.” She grabbed him and kissed his cheek as she went on, “And I’m in like with every single one of them.”
Anne took her seat as Bob placed her bags and flowers in the rear of the rig and then climbed up next to her. He adjusted the sun-shade top and easily turned the two-wheeled carriage around and headed out of town as more than one person looked at the type of vehicle that at one time was commonplace in the area.
Once again the horse trotted along the blacktop and soon went off-road and entered the flat, dry desert as Bob readjusted the top to block out the sun. He used the time to tell Anne all that had happened while she was in New York City and it was five in the afternoon when they reached the old signpost and he stopped the rig. He got down and tied the reins to the post and went to the rear of the buggy and took out a small blanket
and placed it in the shadow thrown by the carriage. On top of this he put a small cooler and offered a section of the blanket to a perplexed Anne. She went along with it and sat on the blanket as he sat facing her. Next, Bob opened the cooler, took out two paper plates and a jar of caviar and two silver forks. He scooped some out and placed it on their plates. Next he reached back into the cooler and took out two silver goblets and a bottle of Dom Perignon and filled both goblets with the cool drink. He raised his in a toast and she did the same as he said, “Welcome home, Anne Dallas, I’ve missed you terribly.” They touched goblets and drank.
Anne shook her head and said, “In the time I spent in New York City, there was nobody that had the charisma that you have, cowboy.” She took another sip and rolled her eyes.
“Like it?” he asked, “1990. Pearl had to have it sent in as there wasn’t anything good enough for you in Bransville.”
“You’re a class act, cowboy. Of course I like it.” She pushed back her hat and lifted her dark glasses and looked around. “And just to let you know: I’ve never been on a picnic in the middle of the desert, sipping chilled Champaign and eating caviar with a City-Slicker cowboy.”
“Well, there’s a first for everything.”
They laughed and relished their time alone watched only by a highflying buzzard.
They rolled into town at sundown and Tim greeted them at the stable with a grin as he took the reins. “Looks like ya done real good, Mister Mayor.”
Bob raised an eyebrow at the double meaning. “Well, thanks to you, Tim, I got there and back.”
The cowboy walked the horse into the barn as Bob and Anne headed to the house carrying her bags and the flowers. At the front door stood Cal and Jean with Samson at their feet. Seeing Bob, the pup bounded down the steps and ran to him. Bob picked him up and held him for Anne to see.
“Oh my gosh, he’s so adorable,” she said as she scratched his belly making her an immediate friend of his. Turning to the couple, Anne said, “Hi, I’m Anne Dallas and you must be Jean,” she said offering the elderly woman her hand.
“I am and this is Cal, my husband.” Cal nodded and tipped his hat as Jean continued, “We two took a liken’ to this young man and he offered us ta stay with him till you returned and we have been like family. So, Cal and me made ya both a nice dinner an’ hope ya like your steak tender cause that’s how we cooked it. Cal had faith in Bob’s carriage drivin’ ability an’ knew he’d be back around this time, so your timing is perfect as it’s ready ta be served.”
Bob smiled and said to Anne, “Told you. These guys are the best.” He faced them and went on, “How can I ever thank you two?”
Cal smiled, put an arm around his wife and said, “Best we get on over to the Hampton’s’ before they eat our dinner as well as theirs.” He turned to the couple and said, “Good night, now. See ya in the morning. Oh, and by the way, the town folks would like ta set up a meeting about what we were talking about yesterday. Is tomorrow afternoon good?”
“Fine with me. Just give me a time and I’ll be there.”
Cal nodded, then winked at Bob and added, “Say, partner, maybe ya want ta walk Miss Anne through town tonight an’ show her the sights?”
They disappeared into the dark on their way next door and the young couple opened the door to Bob’s house. A sweet fragrance reached them from the fireplace as Jean had placed orange peels in a pan that slowly cooked the fragrance out of them to fill the rooms. The four oil lamps were lit, but on a low setting that emphasized the yellow-red glow of the fireplace, which sent their shadows dancing on the walls. In the kitchen, the table was set with a fine white linen covering that was supplied by the ladies of the town. The dishes, glasses and silverware, all from their house, sparkled from the light of a single candle in the table’s center. A covered Chinaware serving platter was set on the small sideboard and both stood momentarily in awe before Bob pulled Anne’s chair out for her. She sat and he served the steak, potatoes, carrots and peas along with the hot buns. A wooden bucket with ice in it sat on the sink’s drain board and it held a bottle of red wine, which Bob opened and poured for them.
Anne held her glass up and said, “To the cowboys and cowgirls of Rattlesnake Haven.”
Bob seconded it.
After dinner Bob cleaned the dishes and fed Samson some leftover steak, which the pup devoured immediately. On top of the stove sat an apple pie and a pot of hot coffee so Bob served dessert.
It was close to nine o’clock when he took Anne’s hand and said as he guided her towards the door, “You’ve just got to see the town at night.”
Remembering how dark and empty it was the last time she was here, Anne didn’t know what to think as he guided her towards the lights on the other side of the buildings they faced. They stepped out from between the two stores and he grinned as the shadows were suddenly replaced by the glow of the many, multi-colored, oil lamps all lit and glowing a yellowish, red in each storefronts and businesses establishment that lined Main Street.
She was speechless as they strolled the sidewalk and every person they met greeted Bob as Mayor. They walked back down on the opposite side of the street and the response was the same: warm and real, as families sat or rocked in their rocking chairs on the wooden sidewalk as they enjoyed the evening.
Bob looked at Anne and said, “You were right when you said that the town never died…it was just asleep.”
Hand in hand, they walked back to the house and after taking the Coleman lamp out to the outhouse, locked up for the night.
They slept late the next day and only woke when Samson scratched at the door, wanting to go out.
Anne insisted on making breakfast, which became brunch, as it was closer to noon than sunrise and Bob escorted Samson to his favorite cactus before using the outhouse and returning.
“This, ‘sleeping late’ is great,” she said. “It doesn’t happen in New York. There’s always a meeting or a breakfast business-meeting to attend.”
“So, how’s it going in the Big Apple these days?”
“Fast!” she said filling their cups with coffee, “Everything is fast. Fast food, fast delivery, fast banking, fast driving lanes…just about everything is done fast…too fast if you ask me.”
“When will you be back in Bransville?”
“The hope is by New Year’s Eve,” she said and showed her crossed fingers.
Bob added a packet of Splenda and a dollop of Vanilla soymilk to his coffee, took a sip and said, “They want to stay here.”
“What?” she asked not sure what he was speaking of, “Who wants to stay where?”
“Cal told me that the tour group would like to stay right here in Rattlesnake Haven.”
Anne slid a sunny-side-up egg on his plate and asked. “They do? For how long?”
With a shrug he answered, “Forever. He says they’ve been looking for a place like this their entire lives.”
She looked puzzled for a moment than nodded as she said slowly, “Well, I can understand that. I mean if you grew up playing fireman and were a fire-buff your whole life, you’d jump at the chance to be in a reality show set in a firehouse. Right? So, if Cal’s tour company specializes in going to ghost towns, what type of crowd do you think that would attract?” She hesitated then answered her own question, “The answer is: go into town and look around! All of these people are living the time of their life! And imagine that after going to all those other ghost towns that have been run down and devastated over the years, you suddenly came across a town like Rattlesnake Haven that has been virtually preserved? My gosh, you’d do anything possible to prolong your stay.” She placed a fried egg on her dish and sat down
Bob buttered a slice of bread and asked, “Even leave your home and family?”
“Silly,” she said as she reached across the table and pinched his cheek, “These days everywhere is just a quick airplane ride away and the government will send your social security check to any address you give them, plus there’s Skype, texting, e
-mail, ATMs and instant messaging.” She shook her head as she buttered a slice of bread, “No, I can understand them doing this.”
Bob nodded in agreement and said, “Now that you’ve pointed it out, I can understand it. The guy who is running the blacksmith shop really did that sort of stuff as a hobby so he fits right in, as do the others: the seamstress was a dressmaker, the dentist is a retired dentist and so on.”
“And,” she added with a laugh, “look at the mayor: You! From what you’ve said you have been reading old west tales and dreaming of visiting an old ghost town ever since you were a kid and when you got the chance what did you do? You went out and bought one! Plus, you are having the time of your life! Correct me if I’m wrong, Mayor McKillop?”
His smile told her that she had hit the nail on the head.
After breakfast Bob got his carriage and took her to the cemetery, then up to the well and showed her the bathtub. He was as surprised as she was to see that the carpenters had erected separate showers for the men and women and there was a short, steady line of people washing in the enclosures.
At the school he introduced Anne to Derma Jensen. After their handshake, the elderly schoolmarm motioned for them to follow her as she put an e-reader on six of the small desks. “We have six children right now and I’ve just finished entering the lessons they’ll be needing. I wonder Miss Dallas, do you by any chance have one of these e-readers?”
“Yes, I do. It might be a different brand but I have one. May I ask why?”
Romance in a Ghost Town Page 28
