A Gideon Johann Boxed Set Book 1 - 4 (A Gideon Johann Western 0)

by Duane Boehm

  Abby waddled into the room. A month remained before the baby’s birth and she looked as if she had swallowed a large pumpkin. Her weight gain had been all baby, throwing her out of balance and forcing her to walk with her back arched and with steps that were more side–to–side than forward.

  Pulling her daughter’s hair off her shoulders and down her back, Abby teased, “Here you go off consorting with a man. They all lead to no good, I tell you.”

  “I think it took more than consorting to get you wearing the bustle wrong,” Joann replied.

  Abby let out a laugh. “Yes, but it begins with consorting. That’s for sure.”

  “Is this one of those talks where you are trying to remind me to be a good girl?” Joann asked.

  “Maybe. I’m not sure that I meant anything by it, but lugging this belly around all this time makes me very aware of what got it started,” Abby said with a laugh.

  “You’ve been the happiest that I’ve ever seen you,” Joann reminded her.

  “That I have, except for your father’s job worrying me to death. Having you here with Winnie and the baby on the way has been special. More than I ever dreamed. And I would have gone crazy if I hadn’t had you here to talk to,” Abby said.

  “I wouldn’t have missed it,” Joann said.

  “So has Zack won you back or is he just a diversion until you get back to Wyoming?” Abby asked as she took the brush from Joann and began brushing the back of her daughter’s hair.

  Joann smiled. “He’s won if he strikes while the iron is hot. He has gotten a lot better at not be washy, but I fear this could go on forever just like it is.”

  “I see how you are around him. You need to quit playing games and sending him mixed signals. That’s okay for a while, but if you know that he’s the one then you need to stop. Men aren’t good at deciphering those things. If you love him, you had better start showing it. Time is running out before this baby gets here and you have to decide whether to go back,” Abby said.

  “I do love him. I already have names picked out for our babies,” Joann said.

  Abby gazed at their reflections in the mirror and tried to hide her surprise at what her daughter had just said. Joann looked like her more all the time and she realized that they were a lot alike. Her daughter was more impetuous than she had ever thought about being, but they were cut from the same cloth. “Zack’s right, you are a brat. On one hand, you’re planning a life with him and on the other, you are keeping him at bay. You’re the one being washy. And no matter how this turns out, don’t you be thinking about having babies. I’m too young to be having my baby on one hip and a grandbaby on the other,” Abby said.

  Joann let out a laugh. “I know. Abs, I think about you and Marcus and then I get scared and start worrying that the same thing could happen to me.”

  “I knew that I loved Gideon. I convinced myself that I loved Marcus. That’s the difference. Listen to your heart and not your mind and you won’t go wrong,” Abby said.

  The voices of Gideon and Zack carried from the front of the cabin. The two were engaged in a lively conversation and laughing as they talked.

  “Sounds like Zack is here. Thanks for the talk,” Joann said and gave her mother a peck on the cheek before the two women walked to the front of the cabin.

  Zack saw them coming and said, “Abby, you should just lie on the floor and let somebody roll you around.”

  Abby was surprised by the tease from the usually reticent Zack and when the laughter quieted down, she said, “Zack, I grew up on a ranch. You need to ask Gideon sometime about what I know how to do to steers.”

  Pausing while deciphering her meaning, Zack’s face lit up at recognizing that she meant castration. “Oh, that wouldn’t be good. You women grow up mean down here in Colorado,” he said.

  Deciding to join in on the fun, Joann said, “How would you know? I think we are the first women that you have ever talked to.”

  “No, but you are the first one that I ever dropped into a horse trough. Gideon and I were just debating on which one of us did a better job. He thought that he had since it was cold water that he threw Abby into and I said that it had to be me because of the crowd. Gideon ended up agreeing with me,” Zack said.

  Joann snickered. “You may have done it to me once, but if there is ever a second time, you’ll never live to boast of it again. Did you come here to go riding or talk all day?” she said as she walked past the men and out the door.

  Gideon said, “You held your own against her that time. You’re learning.”

  “I never know with that girl,” Zack said in resignation.

  Abby wobbled over to the young man. “You’re doing fine. She likes it. Believe me, she likes it,” she said.

  “I better get out there. I’ll see you later,” Zack said before hustling out the door.

  Joann had the bridle and saddle blanket on Snuggles. She stretched to grasp the saddle off the stall wall when Zack reached over her and grabbed it. He dropped the saddle onto her horse and tied the cinch. Joann didn’t say anything, but smiled mischievously before mounting and riding away, leaving Zack in her dust.

  He knew her destination and didn’t bother hurrying to his horse. His plans for the day seemed to be going up in the cloud of dust Joann had stirred. He had hoped that for just one afternoon that they could have a nice time together without their usual games. As he watched her crest a hill, he wondered if he was doomed to chase her forever.

  Climbing up on Chester, Zack set out at an easy pace towards the aspen grove that Joann liked. Gideon and Abby used to ride to the spot for picnics in their youth and he suspected that Joann was drawn to the place now because it made her feel connected to a childhood that she never got to have with them. On one of their visits there, Joann had shown him a tree where Gideon had carved his and Abby’s initials and she had talked as if it were one of the most romantic things that she had ever seen. Truth be told, he imagined that Joann had probably been conceived there.

  He found Joann’s horse tied at the bottom of the hill of aspens, but she was nowhere to be found. His shoulders sagged as he looked around to try to see her from atop his horse. Undoubtedly, she was hiding behind one of the huge trees and was not ready to stop playing games.

  “Joann Minder, either come out or I’m riding for home. I didn’t ask you to go riding so that I could spend the whole day chasing you across half of Colorado. I’m tired of the games,” he hollered.

  Joann did not answer or appear. Zack pursed his lips and shook his head. He scanned the trees one more time, letting out a sigh, before turning the horse around and riding.

  He had not ridden twenty yards when Joann hollered, “I’m right here. Don’t be such a spoilsport. I was only having a little fun with you.”

  Zack reined the horse to a stop, going against his first inclination to keep riding. Closing his eyes, he gathered himself. The only things stopping him from leaving were his desire to tell Joann how he felt and not to appear defeated by riding away. He turned the horse around and climbed down to wait for her as she pranced down the hill.

  Joann walked to within a few feet of him and stood with her hands on her hips. He wasn’t sure if it was a pose of defiance or if she was bracing herself for a disagreement. Either way, she looked beautiful and a pang of love welled up in him. He was hopelessly in love with her and figured in a few minutes he would be regretting it.

  “Joann, I can’t do this anymore. One day you act as if you’re crazy for me, the next you’re cool, and today you’re running. And I have to pretend like I can take it or leave it and not care either way. I think this is all just a big game to you and I’m tired of it. The baby will be born shortly and you’ll be running back to Wyoming and I’m not even sure that you like me or if I’m just a toy to play with while you’re here,” Zack yelled.

  “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say. I was just having some fun with you,” Joann said.

  “Not sure what to say? I wanted you to tell me your feeli
ngs about me. Just forget it. I’m going home,” he said and turned to leave.

  “Stop. Don’t do that,” she said.

  “Well, what is it then?” Zack asked.

  Joann looked down at the ground, swinging her leg through the grass. She appeared shy and demure, things that he never associated with her. Raising her head, she looked him right in the eyes. He could feel his chest start pounding as he prepared to get his heart broken.

  “Zack, I love you,” Joann said before hesitating. “Back in Wyoming, I really did decide that we weren’t right for each other and then when I got back here, things changed. I don’t know why I’ve acted the way I have. I guess part of it is just my nature and part of it was that I was scared about us and that was the easiest way to deal with it.”

  Zack stood dumbfounded. His body felt so limp that he wondered if he would fall into a heap. Joann had surprised and thrilled him. The girl certainly never made for a dull moment. Silence hung in the air and he needed to speak.

  “I love you too,” he said. Never had he said that to anybody other than his father and his aunt. As the words rolled off his tongue, he wanted to throw his hands in the air and dance. Saying it felt liberating. “The rest of it doesn’t feel so important now, but let’s just be ourselves. I’m going to quit worrying about trying to impress you. I am what I am and I can deal with all this a lot better now that I know how you feel. Not understanding where things stood drove me crazy.”

  He held out his arms and took a step towards her. Joann flashed her devilish smile and started running.

  “If you want a kiss you’re going to have to catch me,” she shouted.

  Zack tackled her before she had taken five steps, taking her down onto her back in the thick grass and pinning her with his weight. Her devil–may–care grin remained on her face as he peered into her blue eyes.

  “You really are a brat and you’re hell–bent for keeping me on my toes,” he said.

  “Guilty on both accusations,” Joann answered.

  He kissed her passionately. Emboldened by Joann’s declaration of love, he no longer feared making some kind of mistake. He had an urge to walk through Last Stand and shout that he was in love with the woman of his dreams.

  Breaking off from the kiss, he looked her in the eyes and asked, “Do you think that you would like to spend the rest of your life keeping me on my toes?”

  With a coquettish smile, she said, “What are you asking me, exactly?”

  “Joann, will you marry me?” he asked.

  “Yes I will,” she replied.

  Chapter 31

  The engagement of Zack and Joann had sparked the idea for Abby to have a party. Her life consisted of sleeping, sitting, reading, and playing games. Conversations with Joann had kept her sane. She longed for a simple visit to Last Stand. Sarah and Doc were her only visitors outside of family. On his last visit, Doc had guessed that the baby would arrive in another week or two and she wanted to have the celebration before then. Even though Joann would have to do the brunt of the preparations, she squealed with excitement when Abby had mentioned the idea. Gideon had been another story. The two women ganged up on him and wore him down to get their way. Sarah, upon hearing of the event, volunteered to help.

  After conceding defeat, Gideon dug a pit in the yard and fashioned a spit from some wood and an iron rod that Blackie gave him. He already had plenty of firewood on hand that he had cut and split the previous fall. Lastly, he visited a farmer and bought a pig for the feast.

  On the Saturday of the party, Abby had her strongest contractions to date. They had been coming more frequently and stronger for the past week. She wasn’t overly concerned that she would go into labor. Both of her previous pregnancies had gone on in this manner for a couple of weeks.

  Gideon already had the wood burning and the pig on the spit. He and Winnie were monitoring it as Sarah arrived early to help with the preparations. Walking over to greet Sarah, he helped her down from the buckboard.

  “It’s going to be quite the shindig,” Sarah said.

  “I guess. It’s easy being the host when you aren’t allowed to do anything but boss,” Gideon said.

  “Be nice. Abby hasn’t gotten to do anything in months and you played your part in making her that way,” she said.

  Gideon grinned at her. “You women all stick together. You must love seeing me all domesticated.”

  “That I do. I better get inside and start helping,” Sarah said.

  Sarah found Abby and Joann trying to doctor up the basting sauce for the pig to their liking. Both knew that the sauce wasn’t right, but couldn’t decide what it needed. Sticking her finger in it, Sarah took a taste.

  “It needs some more hot pepper sauce, vinegar, and sugar,” Sarah declared before chuckling. “You know, Joann, those are three tastes for a good marriage. You need to add some hot sauce to keep things spicy, some vinegar to grab their attention and keep them on their toes, and some sugar to keep them sweet and to get what you want out of them.”

  Joann blushed and didn’t say anything.

  Sarah looked at Abby and said, “Have you had the talk with her yet?”

  Abby looked uncomfortable with the question. “No, not yet. They haven’t even set a date yet.”

  “Abigail Johann, I never pegged you for one to be uncomfortable about talking about sex with your daughter,” Sarah said.

  “Well I am,” Abby said defensively.

  Sarah had no problems with the subject and decided to offer her advice whether asked or not. “Joann, a lot of women think that sex is something that they are obligated to do and they don’t like it. They hike their nightgown up and scrunch their eyes shut waiting for it to be over. It doesn’t have to be that way. Your mother and I like it just as much as a man does. Shuck that nightgown off and let them see you naked. They love that. And don’t be afraid to tell them what you enjoy. They can be a little dense about those things, but once they figure out that the happier they make you, the happier they will be, they can get downright enthusiastic about things. A happy bed makes a happy marriage,” she said while continuing to add ingredients to the sauce and stirring.

  Joann face and ears were so red that it looked as if a drip of water would produce steam. “Yes, ma’am,” she stammered.

  Abby was looking down and had her hand on her forehead shielding her eyes.

  Sarah glanced at her and said, “Abby, back me up on this so she doesn’t think I’m some pervert. There’d be a lot more happy marriages if every girl got this talk and a lot less business for the prostitutes.”

  Abby looked up, taking a big breath and exhaling slowly. “Sarah is right about everything that she said. I didn’t get in this condition because it was forced on me, but for God’s sake wait until you are married. We don’t need history repeating itself.”

  Sarah let out a cackle and Joann managed a smile.

  Joann stuck her finger in the sauce and tasted it. “This is better than I ever imagined, but I may never be able to look at you two the same again. I’m sure Zack will love it,” she said, grinning at her double–entendre.

  Abby jumped up as if her seat was on fire. “My water just broke,” she exclaimed.

  “We better call off the party,” Sarah said.

  “No, we are not. It’s always been another day before I delivered anyway. I want everybody to have a good time. We won’t say a thing and I’ll tell Doc when the party is over,” Abby said.

  ∞

  All the guests had arrived by four o’clock. Doc came with Finnie and Mary by wagon. Ethan, Zack, and Benjamin all rode together on their horses to the cabin. All of the men were sitting outside drinking beer that Mary had provided and waiting for Gideon to pronounce the pig ready while the women were all inside finishing the side dishes.

  Doc took a swig of beer and looked at Zack. “Zack, have you got yourself an apron yet? Once you’re married, she’ll be bossing you around like a maid. You might as well get used to it, especially with that little filly
you’re marrying.”

  “Don’t listen to him, Zack,” Finnie said. “He’s so old that he’s forgotten the pleasures of keeping company with a woman.”

  “You’re a fine one to talk. Mary set you straighter than a ruler,” Doc said.

  “Mary was the making of me. She is more enjoyable than any whiskey that I ever tasted,” Finnie said.

  “I suppose that you’ll be teaching him the art of loving a woman like you did boxing,” Doc said.

  Gideon turned away from the pig and towards the men. “Okay, that’s enough on that. You are talking about my daughter. The pig is ready if somebody will go tell the women, Ethan and I can get it down from the spit.”

  Everybody gathered in the cabin. Gideon had rigged together another table and Zack and Joann sat at it with Benjamin and Winnie. Ethan said the blessing.

  Gideon stood with his glass of beer in hand. “Before we begin, I want to make a toast. May Zack and Joann find all the happiness that this world has to offer. I can’t think of anybody finer than Zack to be Joann’s husband. This has been a special year and a special day. Cheers.”

  Abby tried eating the meal, but the contractions were to the point that she had no appetite and it was all that she could do not to show her discomfort. She would occasionally take a bite, but spent most of meal acting as if she were engrossed in the conversations.

  Gideon noticed that her meal was barely touched. “What’s the matter? Didn’t I cook the pig to suit you?” he asked.

  A big contraction hit her at that moment and she groaned. Unable to hide the pain any longer, she grabbed her belly. “The food is fine. We’re about to have a baby,” she said before disappearing into the bedroom.

  Gideon remained seated, too surprised to move. He looked around the table as if searching for guidance while Doc and Sarah chased after Abby.

  “You might as well relax and finish your meal. Doc and Sarah can handle it. I suspect that there will be plenty of waiting,” Ethan said.