Thankful for the Cowboy

by Mary Connealy

  Judging by his air of authority, and the generous braid and gold buttons on his uniform, Tom judged him to be the base commander. If he wasn’t, he was still taking charge of this mess.

  Tom stepped forward, just as Lauren did, and Conall, then Niall bumped into all three of them. They almost ended up in a pile beside the moaning MacKinnons.

  Niall spoke up before anyone else. “These men threatened my wife, Sir. Their intent, and they said it out loud, was to kidnap her.”

  Tom pointed to Murdo. “He has had designs on my sister for a long time. We moved out here to the west to get away from him and he followed us all this way. If you’ll ask at the land office, he was overheard asking which homestead she claimed and how to get there.”

  “And I heard them plotting to take her when I was in town only yesterday,” Conall added. “I rode for home to warn my family.”

  Lauren took up the story. “We rode straight to the fort rather then let them catch us out in the prairie. We were going to come to you first and explain what we feared, but these men attacked before we could get to your office.”

  The man scowled at the beaten men. “They did? Well, that’s not going to stand.”

  “She’s a member of my clan,” Murdo snarled as he struggled to his feet. Wavering, he stood and pointed straight at Megan. “She ran off from me and it’s my right as Laird of the Clan MacKinnon to bring her back.”

  The commander stared at Murdo for much too long. Finally, he said, “Did I see you put your hands on this woman?” He nodded at Lauren.

  “She stood in my way. No one stands in the way of Laird MacKinnon.” Murdo jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. “She is an insulting, offensive, interfering female. I don’t abide a woman’s insolence. A Scotswoman, too, by the look of her. No woman is allowed to direct her Laird’s steps. I mean to take Megan with me and no one can stop me.”

  The clank of a cell door slamming shut echoed in Lauren’s ears. “That’s very satisfying.”

  Megan leaned to look at the five still-moaning men all shoved into one small cell.

  “And don’t you ever bother me again.” She jabbed her finger straight at Murdo’s black heart. “We won’t be so nice next time.”

  She sounded very tough for a young girl—Lauren caught herself. A young woman. Megan had earned the right to be considered a woman and not least of all by marrying her son.

  Megan MacKinnon Drummond was learning what it meant to be an American.

  Conall told the base commander all that he’d heard the men say before he rode home.

  That had been enough to get them locked up. And their threats to Megan and shoving and grabbing Lauren were enough to get them charged with assault. And doing it on a military base apparently made the whole thing much more serious. They really were going to be locked up for a long time.

  Lauren’s boys took Megan and Cindy to the mess hall which was serving a Thanksgiving supper. They were all allowed to take part.

  That left Tom with the commander and a few of his officers to fill in the details of how they’d run from Murdo in Scotland and how he’d pursued them into the ocean. Then, even hoping they’d gotten far enough away, they feared him because he was known as such a vengeful, cruel man.

  They were frightened to find him out here, and reading homesteading records and plotting to take Megan.

  The door was open to the room where the cell bars were and occasionally Murdo would shout a threat or a denial.

  He did it often enough the commander drew Tom and Lauren away. “Why don’t you join me for the evening meal? We can figure out what to charge that fool with while we eat. But whatever we decide, he won’t walk free. He assaulted two of my men when they threw him in there. And even now he’s threatening me and you and a young woman right in front of my very eyes. We have an eye witness that he plotted against her with his men. These are all crimes. Then he attacked your entire group. He’s a dangerous man and it can’t be allowed.”

  Lauren and Tom followed the commander to the house he lived in at the fort.

  They stepped into a grand, two-story home that was as far from a soddy as it was possible to be.

  And they weren’t the only guests. He’d invited, it appeared, all the officers under his command. The hour was growing late but they’d held dinner while the fort commander dealt with prisoners.

  Though she loved spending time with her family, she wasn’t hard to convince that they should spend the evening getting to know the commander and his fellow officers better—and their wives. They feasted on a meal much fancier than the one the youngsters would be served.

  They ate in a lovely room. The commander had real china plates. Silver utensils. Beautiful serving dishes and a cook and servants—who were soldiers dressed in fine uniforms.

  The luxury of it made Lauren’s head spin.

  “Now, tell me how you like living in the Sandhills.”

  She and Tom described their lives. Lauren was surprised how interested the commander was about building a sod house.

  The fort had only been out here for a year and these men knew less about life on the prairie than Tom did. The questions that Tom and Lauren easily answered made for pleasant supper conversation.

  When Tom mentioned he built windmills, the commander became very excited. It seemed that water was in short supply.

  There would be work here for Tom and the commander said he’d pay the labor and take charge of ordering the material for the windmills to be shipped in on the freight wagons pulled by the ox teams.

  The commander dabbed his mouth with a soft, cloth napkin, while a young soldier set a generous wedge of pumpkin pie down in front of him.

  Pie served on its very own small plate, and eaten with a fork set aside just for dessert.

  Lauren got one, too, and Tom. They grinned at each other across the table, where they sat on the commander’s left and right side.

  It was so civilized Lauren almost ran for the mess hall to eat in a more normal fashion.

  “When you’re done here you’ll stay at the fort guesthouse. Your children will have been escorted their after they ate. There are enough bedrooms for everyone to be comfortable.”

  The fort had quieted down. The lights were off in most of the buildings.

  The night was pleasant, a mild breeze, not sharply cold. As they walked, snowflakes sifted down from overhead.

  Tom stopped. “I hope we don’t get a heavy snow. It could make the going hard tomorrow.”

  Nodding, Lauren looked up. The snowflakes were fat and fluffy. “When it comes down with such huge flakes it usually doesn’t last for long. But it is a beautiful night.”

  They watched the snow for a time. Lauren enjoyed the quiet.

  Into that silence, Tom said, “Can we talk for a bit before we go in?”

  “I’m in no hurry to leave this pretty night.”

  A soldier paced back and forth along the edge of the property. Tom hesitated, then said, “Step over here with me, please, Lauren.”

  He rested one hand on her elbow and guided her to a space between two buildings. She didn’t mind a few more minutes in the beautiful silence, watching the snow flutter down.

  “I know it’s not fair to you, Lauren, when you’ve lost your husband so recently, but all these weddings are giving me a notion to find a bride for myself.”

  She quit looking up at the night sky and met his eyes.

  He reached both hands toward her and took hers. “You’re the finest woman I know. And today…well, today when Murdo put his hands on you…”

  Tom’s hands held hers so tight she thought he might never let go.

  And she might never want him to.

  “It woke up a…a madman in me. The wish to protect you. The fear you might be hurt, even…even that somehow I might lose you to violence. I would have done anything to save you. And the thought that I might have to go on living without you. It’s unbearable.”

  He dragged in air as if he were a drowning man. “I w
on’t ask now. You’ll have your time to heal.”

  Opening her mouth to answer, he rushed on, almost as if he feared the words that might come out of her mouth.

  “The day will come when your thoughts go to a man and they won’t be of your husband. On that day, if you’re willing, I’ll ask you to turn your thoughts to me. Aye, until then, I’ll stand your neighbor and good friend. But that day will come and I want you to know how much I care for you.”

  She tugged her arm free of his grasp. For one moment she saw such bleak sorrow in his eyes. He thought she wanted him to let her go, leave her alone. She knew all of that, just from looking into his sad eyes. It made her realize just how well she’d gotten to know him in the time he’d been here.

  Then she launched herself at him.

  “Well, now—” Whatever he was going to say was lost when she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  He dragged her tight against him and kissed her back, his arms wrapped around her waist.

  Suddenly, her feet left the ground. He lifted her until the kiss was broken and they were eye-to-eye. He was smiling like a simpleton and she was very sure her smile matched his.

  Kissing him again, he turned his head so her warm lips caressed his cold, whisker-stubbled cheek. He chuckled. “Can I take this to mean your thoughts are turning to me already?”

  Clapping her palms flat on his face, she turned his head back so they faced each other, her feet still dangling. Their noses nearly touching.

  “You can absolutely take it that way. My thoughts are of you. Dougal was a good man. But I can find room in my heart for a man who fills the lonely places in my heart. You’re a man to stand beside me. A man to build a future with. When that day comes that you decide you can ask, I will most definitely be ready.”

  “And if that day were, say, tomorrow?”

  Lauren laughed and had her arms around his neck again, hugging him this time, for all she was worth.

  “Tomorrow before we ride for home sounds just perfect.”

  He swung her around in a circle. He found her lips again and they kissed for a long time.

  Finally, breathing hard, Lauren said, “We should try and find the fort’s chaplain right now, tonight.”

  Tom plunked her down on her feet, took her hand and got them moving again. “No, we will not do that. I want your children and my sister to stand by our side. Our families are already joined because of Niall and Megan, because of trust and friendship and loyalty. But we’ll connect them a second time tomorrow. I don’t want to just slip away to find the parson, then wake them up to the news that we married in the night. I want to talk to them, assure your sons that I love you and will be good to you. I want their blessing.”

  “That’s well and good, Tom, but my sons don’t make decisions for me, and they’ll not make this one.”

  Tom smiled and looked down at her. “I don’t think it will be a problem. Have I told you that Duncan told me I should marry you?”

  Lauren skidded to a stop. “He did?”

  Tom laughed and tugged until they were moving again. “Aye, he did. And when I hesitated, he took offense at that and wanted to know why I didn’t want to marry his wonderful mother.”

  Lauren stopped again and Tom turned, smiling. Not, it seemed, one speck worried about her being upset. “And what did you say to him?”

  “I spoke the simple truth. That you still grieved for your husband. That you weren’t ready. That I would never push my attentions on you when you didn’t want that.”

  Lauren nodded. With a bit of sharpness in her voice, she asked, “Was this before or after you’d kissed me?”

  Tom kissed her again. “Oh, it was well after. And I’d say I did a poor job of not pushing at you. But only because I was falling in love with you and wasn’t in perfect control of myself.”

  Nodding, Lauren walked on. As they neared the guesthouse, the windows were all dark except for one lantern burning right beyond the front door.

  “It seems a bit early for everyone to have gone to bed. It’s been a long day but I’m a bit surprised they didn’t wait up for us.”

  “As am I,” Tom said. Then he whispered, “But I don’t mind having a bit of time with you.”

  They paused for one more kiss and a whispered promise about tomorrow. Then they slipped inside determined not to disturb their sleeping family.

  When the door closed five lanterns flared to life. All of their family stood in the entry hall and greeted them with a loud cheer.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tom saw the parson standing among the youngsters.

  And the base commander was there and his wife and all the folks they’d had dinner with.

  “We’re having a wedding!” Niall shouted.

  A cheer rose again, higher, longer, louder.

  Tom looked at Lauren, who’d turned pink. He gave her the time to decide and it didn’t take long at all.

  She nodded and took his hand.

  Tom turned to the group and said, “We’re having a wedding.”

  “A Thanksgiving wedding,” Lauren said. And her sons rushed her. She was hugged and kissed until her cheeks would be chapped tomorrow. The boys turned to Tom and he felt each handshake right to his bones. He was welcome. He had their blessing. He even had their love.

  Megan wrapped her arms around Tom and said, “It’s about time you figured this out.”

  Rory chimed in. “We all decided you two should be married and we’ve known it for a long time.”

  Conall slung his arm around Cindy and asked, “Why did you think I guided you to the land you claimed?”

  Tom’s brows arched. “Already back then you had this in mind?”

  “I knew it the minute you started talking about ranching and windmills. You were an answer to prayer. Ma needed you to help save the cattle. But with the Scottish accent added, I knew you’d be a good match for Ma. Why else would I sent some stranger out to her?”

  “Um…because you needed windmills?”

  That struck the group as funny and they burst into laughter.

  “We did need windmills,” Lauren said.

  “You were perfect for each other. I knew it right away.” Conall looked smug.

  “We knew it too, Ma.” Niall said. “Even before I fell in love with Megan, I knew you and Tom should be together.”

  “B—but…why is everybody here?” Lauren gestured at the people in the room. Wedding guests she presumed. “Why is the parson here? Were you planning to force us to marry?”

  “No, we were spying,” Duncan said. “I wondered where’d you’d gotten to and went out to find you. I saw you looking at each other with stars in your eyes and decided to leave you alone. So I slipped into the space between two buildings. I was there the whole time, including when you were kissing up a storm. I heard you speak of marriage tomorrow. I ran back and told everyone.”

  “We decided not to wait. Cindy and I ran for the parson,” Conall said.

  “And Megan and I ran for the commander’s house. We intended to ask him to come. We weren’t sure if we needed an adult witness and thought we should have one and we thought of him. Some of his guests were still there so they came along.” Niall caught his wife’s hand and swung it.

  The commander’s wife spoke up. “We don’t get a wedding around here very often. We all demanded to be allowed to come.” The group laughed again. Everyone was so full of good cheer, nearly anything set them off.

  “Then it was Cindy’s idea to make it a surprise and turn down the lights before you got here.”

  “But we just came straight from his home,” Tom nodded at the smiling post commander. “How’d you have time to do all this?”

  Rory came to the front of the group and said in his still boyish voice, “We had no problem at all getting it done. We’ve all been standing in the dark in here forever. What took you so long?”

  That set off the group laughing. Lauren’s cheeks were as red as her hair. Tom might have blushed a bit hims
elf.

  He rested a hand on Rory’s head and rubbed his hair. “I had to talk your ma around to marrying me. It took some doing.”

  “I was watching,” Duncan said dryly. “She grabbed you and started kissing you before the words were out of your mouth.”

  When that riot of laughter died down, Lauren seemed to gather herself. She said to the commander and his officers and their wives, “Thank you so much for coming.”

  “What a perfect celebration for a Thanksgiving Day.” The parson interrupted the festive chatter. “Are we ready to proceed?”

  Tom removed his hat and coat. He hadn’t managed that since he’d gotten here, then helped Lauren out of her coat. He took her hand and turned to face their family and friends, all gathered in a circle behind the parson.

  “I thank you for making this such a grand gathering,” Lauren said.

  “We had a wedding with no family but Tom,” Niall said. “And we’d have loved to have you with us, but there just wasn’t time for us to ride home and gather the family and come back. We wanted a better wedding for you with all of us beside you and guests and…and…well,” Niall shrugged, his cheeks went a bit pink.

  The boy was embarrassed but he forged on, “When you get home it’s back to our regular lives and the soddy. Close quarters and small rooms. Privacy is a rare thing.”

  He spoke as if he wanted the privacy himself and Tom had to wonder if that was exactly his point.

  The boy…the man…Tom’s brother-in-law, went on. “We thought it would be nice if you had a good room and comfort for your wedding night. If you wait until tomorrow, you wouldn’t have that.”

  Nodding, Lauren looked at Tom, squeezed his hand and said, “I am full of thanksgiving for God bringing you into my life. Yes, it’s a perfect night for a wedding.”

  The group settled down. The parson opened his prayer book and began.

  “Dearly beloved…”

  The party lasted longer than Lauren had expected.

  It seemed no one wanted this special Thanksgiving Day to end.

  Finally, the fort officers and their wives headed for home and the children settled in the large house.