Jim took his hat off and scratched his head. “Look, uhm..Miss..we have plenty of fine, hard working miners right here in town that would make good husbands and give their eye teeth to have...” He could see her start to bristle. Running his hand through his neatly cropped light brown hair he said, “He lives more than five miles out of town in nothing more than a shack. You won’t be happy there.” He stuttered a little before finishing with. “Amos’s place isn’t fit for a fine, well-dressed woman like you.”
Her eyes frosted over. “I certainly appreciate your concern, Sheriff. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get a room for the night and start out in the morning.” As if dismissing him, she turned to walk away.
He grabbed her arm. “Not to burst any preconceived notions, but his mine doesn’t produce much money!”
She looked down at the hand holding her arm and slowly took her arm away. “Again, your concern is touching but I’ll be perfectly fine.” Haughtily she turned and continued on her way.
Chapter TWO
Charlene held her composure as she walked away. What an odious man! He actually thought I might be a gold digger! She was fuming on her way to the boarding house when something the sheriff had said stopped her in her tracks. How would she live in a shack and help her father with his claim in the dresses she brought with her?
The Boarding House was at the end of Main and Charlene was pleasantly surprised to find a mercantile on the same street. In her mind, she counted her precious hoard of cash. She knew a horse would have to be bought, but her train ticket was more than she had imagined, putting a dent in her stash of money. She also didn’t figure on the train getting in late making her have to rent a room for the night and now she would need to purchase some pants and a shirt. The only good news was her relief in actually finding out her father was still in Jubilee Springs.
“Good afternoon, Miss,” said a dark haired gentleman. “I’m Simon Brinks and own this establishment. I am happy to say we have stocked extra supplies for the brave women who have come to Jubilee Springs to find husbands and make their home here.”
Charlene smiled sweetly. “It’s very nice meeting you, Mr. Brinks, but what I’m looking for is a pair of pants and shirt that would fit me. You do have store made clothes here, don’t you?”
“We surely do.” A plump, woman with pale blue eyes and a thick, light brown braid came out of the room in the back. “I’m Desdemona Brinks, but folks just call me Mona. You just come over here and I can show you what we have. I think these would be just your size.” The woman held up a pair of tan pants. “Over here are some cotton shirts that should also work for you.” Mona continued to chatter on as she figured out what was owed.
Charlene doled out the money, picked up the package and thanked them both.
“Now what I can’t figure out,” Mona said walking Charlene to the door, “is why in the world would a new bride be buying men’s clothes?”
“I didn’t come to marry the miners here. I’m here to meet up with Amos Lehman.” Charlene almost laughed at Mona Brinks’ expression. She just couldn’t help herself. The people of Jubilee Springs would learn soon enough that Amos was her father, but for now, let them think what they would. She needed a good night’s sleep because no telling what tomorrow was going to bring.
A balding man, with dark hair, showed Charlene to a room. His name was Daniel Howard and he and his wife owned the boarding house. “You’ll meet my Clara tomorrow at breakfast. I hope you find the room to your satisfaction.”
Sleep did not come easy that night. Though she told herself it was nerves from the unknown, that didn’t explain the dark eyes, shaded by a black cowboy hat, that continued to invade her dreams. Charlene flipped onto her stomach and punched the pillow. He didn’t even have the decency to inquire why she was looking for Amos. He just assumed the worst. She would set out on her own before asking directions from that unpleasant man.
The breeze through the open window was cold. Charlene stretched, arching her back while snuggling under the covers. Sticking her head out she saw the sun streaming through the window. Charlene shot up into a sitting position. “What time is it!” she screamed in her mind. She never slept this late. Pouring some water from a white china pitcher into a bowl, she washed her face and brushed her hair, putting it in a ponytail and letting it hang down her back.
After donning her new pants and shirt Charlene took a deep breath and went downstairs. “Good morning,” she said quietly when she walked into the dining room. Four pairs of eyes turned and stared at her. An older woman tsked her tongue and muttered something before going back to her breakfast A gentleman with wire-rimmed glasses pulled his glasses lower down his nose to get a better look. Three of the women that had been on the train with her came up behind her and started giggling at her before taking their seats.
“Look, Daddy. That lady wears pants! If she can, why can’t I?” That came from a little girl with wild, curly, long blonde hair. Charlene felt her stomach clench when she saw that the little girl’s father was none other than the sheriff that had kept her awake most of the night!
“Sally,” Jim scolded, “that’s enough!” He scooted his chair out and stood. “I apologize for my daughter. I’m sure she was in the head of the line when tongues were handed out.”
At that moment a woman walked through the door with a platter of biscuits in one hand and slices of thick ham and a pile of scrambled eggs in the other. The woman’s light brown hair was braided and wrapped into a bun on top of her head. Her gaze lingered on Charlene for only a second before setting the food on the table. “You must be the new guest that Daniel checked in yesterday,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron, “and what a pretty young thing you are! I’m Clara Howard and you need to set yourself right down and get some food in you.”
Charlene smiled weakly. “I really think I’ll skip breakfast this morning.” Her gaze darted to the sheriff who was still standing. “I need to buy a horse and I’m not really hungry and…”
Jim moved to her side so quickly, she stepped back in alarm. He took her arm and led her to the chair next to his. “Look,” he said in a hushed tone meant only for her, “I said some things that I probably shouldn’t have but what I said about Amos is true. You need to eat. When I say you might not know when your next meal will be forthcoming, I mean just that.” Jim put a piece of ham, some eggs, and two biscuits on her plate.
Everybody was watching her. With as much dignity as Charlene could muster she picked up her knife and fork and ate her breakfast. Sally eased some of the awkwardness with constant chatter. Charlene heard about the school and how ciphering numbers was easy for her but she didn’t like reading. “It’s hard putting all those letters together. Who needs to read anyway? Books are boring”
“I was just like you,” Charlene said. “Reading was hard for me, too. Then someone read this book to me about a little girl who saw a white rabbit with a coat and hat on. He came running by and said he was late for a very important date and ran down this hole. Well, this little girl jumped up and followed him. She met this great big talking cat, ate this cookie and grew really tall and then shrunk to the size of a pea, and there was also this queen who wanted to chop her head off!”
Sally was all eyes as was the rest of the table. “Did she get killed?”
Charlene took a sip of coffee. “I don’t remember, it was so long ago. But, that book was given to me as a gift and when you learn to read a little better you may borrow it. Or maybe your mother can read it to you.”
“Don’t have a mother.”
“Oh.” Honey brown eyes held her gaze hostage.
“I told Daddy to get one of those ladies coming here to get married so I could have a mama, but he said women are just trouble.”
That broke the trance. Clara and Charlene burst out laughing, but the other three women sitting at the table did not find it so amusing by the looks on their faces. Jim groaned and took Sally by the arm. “Thank you, Clara, for the fine breakfast but someo
ne needs to rest her mouth!”
Chapter THREE
Right after breakfast, Charlene retrieved her bag, thanked Clara and asked for directions to the livery. Clara told her the owner was John Kurtz and how to get there. When she walked into the two open double doors of the livery, she felt a pang of sadness. The smell of hay and horses made her miss Earl, Bessie, and Donald. She shook away the memories when a handsome man with brown hair walked her way. He looked her up and down with laughing blue eyes. “Don’t see too many women dressed like this.”
“Are you Mr. Kurtz?”
“That’s me alright but folks around here call me Johnny B. What can I do for you?”
“I need to purchase a horse, please. I know a thing or two about horses and I’m a pretty good rider, but my funds are limited and…”
“No need to go any further. Jim came by and told me you’d probably be stopping by. I’ve got just the horse for you.”
“Jim?” Charlene asked.
“The sheriff,” he answered leading her to a corral in the back. “Got this bay mare a few weeks back when Sam Burton keeled over in the saloon. Just dropped dead. Anyways, she ain’t no spring chick, but she’s got a lot of years left in her and she’s a sweetie. I just have to charge for the feed and care. Sheriff told me to make sure I throw the tack in, too.”
Charlene slowly walked up to her and petted the velvety brown muzzle. “What’s her name?”
“Queenie,” Johnny B told her. “Story is he won her in a poker game with a pair of queens.”
“Fitting name,” she laughed. “I’ll take her.” Johnny B saddled and readied the horse for her, tying her bag onto the saddle. She paid him his money and climbed on. “I hope you can help me with one more thing. I need directions to Amos Lehman’s place.”
Shock registered on his face. “Amos Lehman!”
“Don’t worry about it, Johnny B. I plan on escorting the lady there.”
Both turned to see the sheriff sitting on his horse. “That is not necessary, sheriff. If somebody would just tell me how to get there, I can find it myself.”
“It’s no bother, I assure you. So unless you’ve decided to stay, we can be on our way, besides I want to be there when you see your prospective husband.”
Charlene opened her mouth to respond but then shut it. She actually smiled and walked Queenie to stand beside Jim. “Then let’s be on our way,” she said sweetly.
They passed the town school and then rode along the banks of The Arkansas River. “How far is it from here?”
“Amos’s place is some five miles down the river,” Jim answered.
Charlene was a jumble of nerves seeing her father for the first time in sixteen years. She closed her eyes and let the sound of the rushing water and the leaves of the cottonwoods rustling in the breeze, relax her. What will her father say when he sees her? Will he even recognize her? What will she do if he doesn’t and sends her away?
“We’ll be riding for a spell. Maybe we can talk to pass the time.” When she didn’t respond he continued. “Can I know your name? Where you’re from?” Jim asked.
“Charlene from Fulton, Missouri.”
“Nice to meet you, Charlene. Do you have a last .…?”
She interrupted him asking abruptly, “Can you tell me about Amos Lehman?”
Jim’s smile disappeared. “What I know is Amos was one of the first people here. As a matter of fact, the town was named after Amos’s mule, Jubilee. It wasn’t until the town started to grow was the name changed to Jubilee Springs.” Jim watched the sides of Charlene’s mouth curled upward into a fraction of a smile. “I know he has played out most run offs of the Arkansas River but seems to find enough to keep here.”
Jim reached over and pulled back on the reins of her horse. “Charlene, I don’t know what you’re hoping to get from Amos Lehman, but I wish you’d reconsider this. I know there were rumors that he hit it big when he first came here but when you see how he lives you’ll realize that’s all they were – rumors. Granted, he hasn’t given me one lick of trouble since I’ve been sheriff, but when he comes to town he doesn’t have a kind word for the folks here. The last few years he’s become even worse. He’s a hermit.”
Innocent blue eyes seemed to fill up her entire face. “Talk to me, Charlene,” Jim said. “Maybe I can help.”
She took the reins from his hands and nudged Queenie on. “Tell me your story, Sheriff. How did you end up here?”
My family had a small farm in northern Iowa. It was sunrise to sunset work and my father worked hard to provide for his family. I had two brothers who took to that lifestyle, but I never cared much for it. I moved to Clinton, Iowa and got on at a lumber yard. Then I met Sally. She was like a breath of spring. She laughed all the time and nothing got her down.” Jim gazed ahead, staring at nothing. “When she agreed to marry me, I was the happiest man alive. We stayed in Clinton and put money away to build a house big enough to hold a passel of young’uns cause that’s what we both wanted.”
“Came home one day and she tells me we are having a baby. I’d be a father in about five months. We were like two children at Christmas time. While I was working she spent her days making baby clothes. In the evenings we talked about dreams of moving west and starting a new life.” Jim was silent for a few moments. “Sally was into her seventh month. I told her she looked peaked but she told me I was being silly and that she was fine. She talked me into quitting my job so we could head west. She seemed obsessed. I finally agreed and we packed up everything we could take, put it in a covered wagon and started out.
“By the time we reached Colorado, it was clear something was very wrong. Her breathing was labored and she was tired all the time. She admitted to me the doctor had told her that her heart was giving out and it was probable having a baby would take its toll.” He took a deep breath. “I was so mad. We were miles from a town and my wife needed a doctor.” Jim pulled his horse up and got off and walked to the bank of the river. He heard her come up behind him. “We had a terrible fight. She cried and said she wanted to see where her child and husband were going to live. She had to know.” He cleared his throat. “The next day my Sally died giving birth to my daughter. I buried my wife in the middle of a stand of pines, wrapped up my daughter and rode until I arrived here. They needed a sheriff and I needed a home.”
He turned to face Charlene and saw a tear run down her cheek. Hair had come loose from her ponytail and a long strand fluttered in the wind. Jim took the hair and put it behind her ear then took his thumb and gently wiped away the tear. Coyotes barked in the distance, breaking the silence. “We better get going.”
Chapter FOUR
From a small bluff Amos’s cabin came into view. At a distance, it looked like a large, well built, log cabin. A creek could be seen close by finding its way to the Arkansas River. The mountains that surrounded area were majestic and pines, ash, and cottonwoods that followed the river as it snaked its way through the valley completed the picture.
“This is beautiful,” Charlene breathed.
“It surely does make a person sit up and take notice.”
Charlene looked from one mountain range to the other, taking in the entire valley. “There are no other people living here that I can see – no other homes. It seems so quiet and lonely.”
When Jim didn’t answer, Charlene nudged Queenie. It didn’t take long to see that her father’s home was a neglected ramshackle of a cabin. Torn, shredded material that were once curtains, blew in the windows. The front door was made of pieces of wood that were so warped there were gaps at least a half inch wide in several places. It stood wide open. Not far from the house was a shed with a sorry excuse for a corral next to it. A few of the pieces of wood had fallen to the ground, making it completely useless.
Jim got off his horse and dropped the reins. “Amos,” he yelled looking into the open door. He took a step in and a few seconds later came out shaking his head. Using his thumb he pushed his cowboy hat back. “You need to get off
your horse and look in the house you want to live in. If you still want to stay after that then I’ll…”
Jim froze when the explosive sound of a lever being pulled down and pushed back up came from behind him. His hand immediately went for his gun.
“Wouldn’t do that young feller.”
“Ease up, Amos. It’s me, Jim Hawkins.” Jim slowly turned around and stared into the muzzle of a Henry Repeater.
Amos didn’t lower his rifle. His gaze flew to the person on the horse then back to Jim. “You know I don’t cotton to folks sniffing around.” Again his look shifted to Charlene. “You have business here?”
“You’ve got a visitor, Amos.”
Charlene got off her horse and walked toward him. The stranger before her looked nothing like the man who left her sixteen years ago. This man was painfully thin and wore filthy and torn clothes that hung on him. He had a long scraggly beard and thin, gray stringy hair that hung past his chin. Gone was the happy, healthy father that Charlene adored, replaced by this shell of a man.
The old man squinted then raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. “I don’t know you. I’ll thank you both to get back on your horses and leave me be.”
Charlene stepped into a patch of shade. Amos’s tired old pale blue eyes widened and he took a step backward, steadying himself. He handed his rifle to Jim. “Katie?” His lips were trembling and his eyes watered.
“No, Papa.” A tear escaped down her cheek. “It’s me, Charley.”
With a gnarled, weathered hand, Amos slowly touched her cheek. “It is you, my little Charley.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. When they finally pulled apart Amos was completely unabashed at his emotional display. “I can’t believe you’re here.” He wiped his eyes with his dirty shirt sleeve. “I kept writing but never got anything from you. A few years back,” Amos stopped as if composing himself, “ Lucretia sent me a letter saying you had been killed in a horse riding accident.” He took her hands in his. “Even though I never heard from you, I always had hoped we would be together again some day. When I read you were dead, I just lived day to day.” He hugged her again. “Why would Lucretia say that?”
The Sheriff and the Miner's Daughter (Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs Book 4) Page 2
