by Barbara Goss
“It might have been a married couple,” Woody said. “Who knows?”
“I doubt you’d be replaced that soon, Paulina,” Annie said. “After hearing about your funeral, I’d say the man loved you too much for that.”
“We were so much in love—I mean, we are so much in love. I almost believe I’m dead myself.”
Woody banked the fire. “Goodnight, ladies. We hit the trail early tomorrow.”
Day after day, they traveled with no sign of other travelers. Woody allowed the women to bathe in the river, and he hunted for small game for their food. Annie turned out to be a fantastic cook over the open fire.
Finally, they reached the fork in the road at Del Rio and Woody announced, “Just two more days and we’ll reach Laredo.”
There was no sign anyone had recently used the trail from Del Rio. The ground was hard since it hadn’t rained in weeks, and there were no tracks. Paulina prayed Logan would be in Laredo when they arrived.
They made camp for the night near the fork in the road. After they’d eaten, they sat before the fire, chatting as they had every night on the trail.
“What will you two do in Laredo?” Paulina asked.
Woody and Annie exchanged knowing looks. Woody answered, “We’re going to get married.”
Annie said excitedly, “We’ve been keeping it a secret, but since you asked…we were afraid the news would make you feel uncomfortable.”
“That’s thoughtful of you, but I’m thrilled with the news. I’m fine with it. Hopefully, I’ll be reunited with Logan very soon.”
“Woody proposed to me while we were in Socorro.”
“Congratulations!”
“We want you and Logan to witness our wedding in Laredo.” Annie exchanged a loving look with Woody. “The wedding won’t happen until you and Logan are together again, no matter how long it takes. We’ve agreed on that.”
“Also,” Annie said dramatically, as she often did when excited, “we want to marry in a church because we both want God in our lives, too.”
“Yeah,” Woody said with a sigh. “Logan’s been preaching to me for two years. Now that Annie’s all excited about God and the Bible, I decided to finally do it. I’ve always been tempted, but I didn’t want to give up my ways. Silly, isn’t it?” Woody shook his head. “My ways were definitely the first thing I should have given up.”
Paulina couldn’t help but give them her biggest smile, even though she still felt heartbroken. “That’s wonderful news. The four of us can attend church together.”
Annie grabbed her hand. “We’ll stay best friends, Paulina.”
“I’m glad,” Paulina said. She was happy about the good news, but her heart ached for Logan.
They were back on the trail the next morning.
That night around the campfire, Woody announced, “Tomorrow we’ll arrive in Laredo!”
“Can we all join hands and pray that Logan’s there?” Paulina asked.
“That’s a great idea,” Annie said.
The three held hands and prayed.
In the morning, Paulina was sitting on her horse ready to travel before Woody and Annie had even gotten out of their bedrolls.
As the three ambled down the trail, Woody called to Paulina, “Just a few more hours and we’ll be in Laredo.”
Paulina smiled with renewed excitement.
Her excitement lasted until four men came bursting out of the brush along the trail to block their path. One of them said, “Ah, two pretty senoritas and un hombre blanco.” He inspected their horses. “Si. Nice horses, eh, Manuel?”
If it hadn’t been such a frightening experience, Paulina would have loved listening to their melodic accents.
“Señor, empty your pockets and give the money to Carlos,” he nodded at the first man who’d spoken. The third and fourth Mexican men held guns pointed at them. The man called Manuel dismounted and told them, “Off the horses. We’ll be needing those."
Woody nodded to the women. “Do as they say.”
Paulina and Annie dismounted. Paulina noticed Annie’s face—she was angry. Paulina hoped she wouldn’t start any trouble, not with those guns pointed at them.
The bandits led their horses away.
“Should we tie them up?” Carlos asked.
“No, they have a long walk to Laredo. By the time they get there, we’ll be back in Mexico.”
“Have a nice walk!” Manuel shouted as they rode away, laughing.
“Dagnabbit!” Woody spat. “We were so close to Laredo. I let my guard down. I never watched for banditos. We’re so close to the border, and they feed on white travelers. I’m just glad I only had five dollars left and meager supplies in my saddlebags."
“These are not exactly walking shoes,” Annie said angrily.
“Well, my dear,” he put his arm around her, “they’ll have to do. If your feet get too sore, I’ll carry you a while.”
Paulina looked down at her boots. Thank goodness she’d kept the boots Logan had bought for her.
The three of them set out on their ten mile walk to Laredo.
Logan still had money left from his bounty after having the tombstones made. With it, he purchased a house on a thousand acres of land, and livestock. Logan’s plan was to start a cattle ranch, and when he had enough money from his profits he’d buy more land and stock to expand the ranch if needed. What he didn’t know about cattle raising, his friend, Pedro, who’d traveled from El Paso with him, did, and he promised to show him all he knew. Pedro bunked in the barn that came with the house.
Logan’s house needed some work, and between learning how to raise cattle, he began to remodel the house. It had a good foundation and was sturdy, but it was a bit run-down, as the previous owner had died at the age of eighty. The old man’s nephew sold Logan the place a few days after his return to Laredo. The price had been low due to the amount of work the house needed. This left Logan enough money to buy himself three dozen head of cattle. It was a beginning.
He would have been more excited about his business venture and home if he wasn’t still mourning his beloved Paulina. His heart just wouldn’t stop aching. He tortured himself, wondering if it was all his fault. He should have spent more time at home with her, he knew that. How he wished he could go back and change his actions. One thing he knew for certain: he’d never, ever fall in love again. Losing a loved one was too painful and besides, he’d never find another messy-haired blonde with warm, inviting lips that were heaven on earth to kiss. His heart pounded at the thought. If only….
“Pedro,” Logan called into the barn, “I’m going into town for some nails.”
“Yes,” Pedro answered. “Hurry back. I’m making tortillas for lunch.”
“You bet I will.” Pedro often cooked something Mexican for Logan, and when Logan cooked, he treated Pedro to something American, like pork and beans or chicken stew.
Logan’s first stop whenever coming to town was to visit Katherine and Beatrice's graves. The tombstones were still being made by the blacksmith, but the little crosses he’d made for each grave were still in place. He always talked to Katherine when he visited.
He knelt by his sister’s grave. “How I wish I could have brought my wife, Paulina, here to rest with you and Beatrice. You both would have loved her. Of course, you might recall that she sat beside you two on that fated coach. Maybe you even spoke to her.” Logan sighed and fought back tears. “I miss her so much, Katherine. Sometimes I hear her voice or see a woman on the street and think it’s her, only to find out I’m wrong. I guess it’s wishful thinking, misleading my brain.” Since Logan’s voice was quivering with emotion he abruptly changed the subject.
Logan cleared his throat. “The house I told you about is almost finished. Pedro’s been helping me. I refinished the floors, plastered a few holes, and put up some new wallpaper. I picked patterns that reminded me of Paulina. She loved roses, so the bedroom wallpaper has a beige background with big red roses dancing on it. Paulina loved birds. As we travel
ed, she was fascinated by them, so I chose a yellow wallpaper depicting birds in flight for the kitchen and dining rooms. The sitting room presented a problem, as we hadn’t been together long enough for me to know more of her likes, but in El Paso, she’d marveled at the wild poppies that grew in the fields, and I found a pattern with orange poppies, so every room will remind me of my sweet Paulina.”
Logan wiped his eyes and stood. “Until my next visit—”
“Logan!”
The sound of the woman’s voice interrupted him, but he didn’t turn around. He knew it wasn’t—couldn’t possibly be—his beloved Paulina. His brain must be playing tricks on him again. He stayed facing Katherine’s grave.
“Logan!” the voice repeated. “It’s me, Paulina!”
Without thinking whether his brain was deceiving him again, he spun around to see Paulina standing there with her messy hair and big blue eyes. He was about to rub his eyes to be sure of what he was seeing, when the woman flew into his arms.
“You feel so real!” was all Logan could say. He squeezed her tightly. “Dear Lord, if I’m hallucinating, please let it continue.”
Paulina pulled away slightly. “You aren’t hallucinating. I didn’t die in the fire. I’m alive, Logan!”
As unmanly as it was, tears rolled down Logan’s face. He squeezed Paulina closely against him. “You can explain later. For now, just be still and let me hold you.”
In the background, he glimpsed Woody and a red-headed woman, but his mind dwelt completely on the woman in his arms and didn’t fully register their presence.
He held her for so long, Paulina became fidgety. “Logan, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you about our plan. Woody thought it would seem more real if you didn’t know, and we didn’t have the time, anyway.”
“Hush.” Logan squeezed her to him. His biggest fear was that if he let her go, she’d disappear. “I’m afraid to let you go. I never want to lose you again.”
Chapter Fourteen
Paulina pulled free of Logan’s grasp and stared him in the eyes. “You won’t ever lose me again. I’m here to stay.”
“What in blazes happened?” Logan asked.
Paulina pointed to where Woody and Annie were standing. “The Washburns hired Annie to kill me, but she became my friend, and Woody’s, too. She couldn’t do it, but Otto swore if she didn’t he wouldn't only kill me, but he'd torture me first. She confessed all to Woody and together they plotted my death. They had to do it quickly, and Woody thought it best not to tell you so your reaction would convince the Washburns that I was really dead.”
“Woody decided that, did he?” Logan squinted off into the distance to see Woody standing with the woman. “I’ll never forgive him for putting me through the worst torture of my life.” He clutched Paulina tightly again. “I’ve bought a house and decorated it so that I’d always have your memory with me.”
Paulina knew her husband loved her, but she had no idea the depth of his feelings. It brought tears to her eyes.
Logan glanced around the area. “How did you get here? Where’s your horse?”
“Some banditos stole Woody’s money and our horses about ten miles from Laredo. We had to walk here.”
“Let’s go home.” Logan began leading her toward his horse.
“Logan, what about Woody and Annie?”
“I want nothing to do with them.”
“But Logan—”
“Hush!” He helped her up and onto his horse and then mounted behind her. He rode toward the trail that she assumed led to their new home.
As they rode, Logan kept kissing her neck which gave her goose bumps, even though the day was a hot one. She missed him too much to stop him from displaying his affection, especially after thinking she’d burned to death.
Paulina wondered what could she do about his feelings for Woody and Annie—it wasn’t like Logan at all.
They soon trotted up a winding lane lined with huge trees.
“Our house will come into view around the next bend,” Logan said.
“I love the lane leading up to it. It’s so prestigious.”
“I hope you won’t be disappointed in the house, then, because it isn’t exactly prestigious. It’s an old farmhouse. It’s big enough for a large family, though. Had I known you’d be living there with me, I’d have let you help pick out the house and wallpaper.”
They turned around the last bend in the lane, and Paulina got her first glimpse of their home. He was right: it wasn’t prestigious, but it was quaint. The large, two-story, white house looked as though an addition had been added to the left side of the house after it had been built. A porch with pillars and a roof graced the front of it. The house had three peaks and three chimneys. It badly needed paint, but it had potential, and Paulina loved it at first sight.
“What do you think?” Logan asked. “Yay or Nay?”
“Yay, of course. I love it. We’re going to paint it, right?”
“I’ve already purchased the paint.”
“I love it, Logan. It has character. I bet if this house could talk, it would have fascinating stories to tell.”
“According to the previous owner’s nephew, the house had just two previous owners: a middle-aged couple who moved to California, and an eighty-year old man who recently died. He was in poor shape the last few years and didn’t do much maintenance.”
“I can see our children playing beneath those large trees to the right of the house,” Paulina said.
“And I’ll build them a swing to hang from that branch.” He pointed to a large, sturdy tree limb.
He helped her dismount, walk up the three steps onto the porch, and through the front door.
They walked into the sitting room and Paulina gasped. “Oh, the wallpaper is beautiful. You remembered that I loved poppies!”
“I remembered. We’ll need to buy more furniture, but some of it came with the house, like that overstuffed settee.”
He guided her into the dining room, separated from the kitchen by a huge arch.
Logan guided her up the spiral staircase to a large bedroom at the front of the house. “This is our room.”
“Oh, Logan! Roses!” Tears formed in her eyes when she remembered him saying he’d decorated the rooms in her memory. “I love it. I’m…I’m…" She put her head against his chest. “I’m so in love with you, I can’t even speak.”
“No need,” he said, rubbing her back. “The bed is new. I bought a large one so I could put a pillow on the side where you should be and pretend you were there.”
“Oh, Logan!” She hugged him. “I know we’ll have many happy years of marriage. You are the most thoughtful man.”
They both jumped when a voice with a Spanish accent called up, “Tortillas are ready!”
“Who’s that?” she asked. The voice reminded her of the banditos on the trail, and she tensed.
“That’s just Pedro. I brought him back from El Paso with me because he's an expert on cattle-raising. We’re cattle ranchers. We have three-dozen head already.”
“That’s wonderful! You won’t have to be gone at all?”
“Only to take the cattle to the buyers in San Antonio, now and then.”
Logan yelled down the stairs, “Be right there, Pedro.”
As they slowly descended the stairs, Paulina asked. “Who was the woman who traveled with you, and how did you get here quickly enough to have done all this?”
“The other person who traveled with us is a surprise. I’ll take you to her soon. As for how I got here so fast, we took a train from El Paso to San Antonio, and then a stage to Laredo.”
“Why didn’t Woody think of doing that?”
“Probably because it’s very expensive,” he answered.
Paulina liked Pedro immediately. He was friendly and humorous. He told jokes and kidded with them both. He actually put a smile on Logan’s face. While they ate the delicious tortillas, Paulina told him the story of how she’d never been dead.
Later, Logan showe
d Paulina around the ranch and told her his plans for expansion. She picked out the spot where they would put their vegetable garden. They walked hand-in-hand back to the house where they had a light snack, and then Logan picked Paulina up and carried her up the stairs.
“It’s bedtime, m’lady.”
“It’s barely dark, Logan.”
He went to the window and pulled down the shade. “Now, it’s very dark.”
When Logan made love to her, he was gentle. He told her he loved her continuously. After seeing how he'd decorated the house in her memory, she realized just how deeply her supposed death had hurt him.
Woody scowled.
“I can’t believe Logan just rode away with Paulina without a word to us,” Annie said.
Woody led her away from the cemetery. “He’s angry with me for not telling him about our plan. I want to be angry at him for the cut he just gave me, but when I put myself in his place, I truly understand how he must have felt. We should have told him, Annie.”
“There wasn’t time! We never thought he’d have to think she was dead for so long. Things just happened that way.” Annie grabbed a post on the wooden walkway for support. “Ouch. My feet are killing me. Can we go to your house where I can soak them?”
“We’ll have to walk.”
Annie sighed. “How far is it?”
Woody scooped her up and carried her down the walkway. “I don’t have a house, but I do have a flat above the hardware store. It’s right around the corner.”
As he carried her, she remembered a promise she’d made before leaving Socorro. “Woody…”
“Yes, dear. We’re almost there.”
“I can’t stay with you in your flat.”
Woody nearly dropped her. “Why not?”
“I made a promise to God about fornication. Paulina said I’d be forgiven as long as I’m truly sorry, but if I continue sinning, it would mean I wasn’t sorry. So, until we’re married, we can’t be intimate.”
Woody set her down in front of the hardware store. “Where will you stay then?”
