by Nathan Jones
The man stiffly took her hand, dropping the handshake quickly. “Captain Kristof, ma'am. On behalf of Colonel Crenshaw and the Northern League, allow me to express my deepest congratulations on your recent-”
“It's you!” Lisa jumped slightly as her mom's exclamation from the doorway interrupted the man's slightly wooden pronouncement. She turned to see her parents there, her mom continuing warmly as she approached to offer her own hand. “Although last time we met you scared the blazes out of us. Right before pointing us to our new lives, that is.”
Recognition finally dawned. This was the man who'd led that patrol that had caught her family out on the rolling hills, on their way north from Utah after leaving the bowl valley. The soldiers that had terrified them with their approach in the first vehicles Lisa had heard that didn't belong to Sangue, then given them chocolate in a gesture of goodwill and pointed them to New Bozeman.
Kristof seemed to recognize them as well. “Ah, you're the ranchers my platoon encountered on our way south to Utah during the war. It's good to see you've found a place to resettle and are doing well.”
It was hard to tell whether he meant that, given his clipped tone. Although her mom took it in stride as she shook his hand and stepped back. “Thank you, and welcome to our ranch. What brings you out here?”
The captain shifted slightly, the only indication of his discomfort. “As I was telling Mrs. Westman, I was sent by Colonel Crenshaw to offer his deepest congratulations for your daughter's wedding, and also to deliver a gift from him. Also we have some mail that came to you via our trading convoys.”
Lisa appreciated the congratulations and well wishes, of course, although the League officer seemed very stiff and formal, no warmth at all. That was okay, she supposed, although she was more disappointed about the fact that Colonel Crenshaw hadn't been able to come in person.
He'd been a good friend to their family ever since they met him on their arrival in New Bozeman five years ago. He made a point to visit whenever he was in the area, and was always welcome. Thanks to that friendship, he'd also been one of Lone Valley's most enthusiastic advocates in the League, pushing for increased trade, more assistance for the flourishing settlement, and most of all officially getting them admitted into the Northern League.
Being accepted into the reclusive nation was an uphill battle, but if anyone could make it happen for them, Bert Crenshaw could.
Kristof motioned to one of the soldiers still waiting by the trucks, who hurried forward carrying a fancy white box wrapped in a cute red ribbon, and a thick envelope. The officer retrieved the items and solemnly presented Lisa her wedding present, then handed the envelope to her mom.
There was a card with the box, a simple handwritten note:
“Dear Lisa,
Congratulations on your happy day! May your future with Jared be bright and full of peace.
I'm sorry I can't be there to see you walk down the aisle, but I hope you'll think of me as being there in spirit.
With warmest regards,
Colonel Bertrand Crenshaw.”
Lisa carefully tucked the card into a pocket, then wasted no time neatly untying the ribbon and opening the box. Inside was a beautiful pair of cream-colored formal shoes, and she couldn't help but gasp as she gently drew them out for a better look.
“Beautiful,” her dad murmured from behind her, peeking over her shoulder at the gift.
She nodded absently in agreement. What timing! Colonel Crenshaw had obviously intended these shoes to arrive early enough for her to wear them down the aisle, and she certainly would've; lacking anything this fine, she'd worn a pair of bleached calfskin moccasins with her wedding dress.
Nice enough, but dingy compared to these.
Measuring by eye she judged them to be a good fit, although she couldn't wait to try them on. After their guests had left, of course. But she didn't have long to admire the gift before her mom's squeal of delight drew her attention to the thick envelope, which she'd opened while Lisa was admiring her shoes.
“It's a letter from Kristy!” her mom shouted, nearly jumping for joy. She dug in the envelope, pulling out another, smaller envelope. “Here's one for you too, Lis! And look, a picture!” She actually began to cry as she pored over the large photo she took out next.
A letter from Skyler's family! It shouldn't have come as a surprise, since with Jared's help and the assistance of a League trade convoy, Lisa had sent word to their friends in Utah to let them know about the upcoming wedding weeks ago. Long before Skyler ever showed up and she found out he'd been searching for her family for two years.
But somehow the reply letter still came as a surprise, although a pleasant one.
Crowding close for a better view, Lisa saw that the picture showed dozens of people all sitting together on a green lawn. Familiar faces, and front and center were all their friends from Utah, alive and well; she felt tears spring to her own eyes at the sight.
Her mom left her poring over the picture while she hastily tore open the letter, eagerly beginning to read. “Lis, Brandon and Fi had two more babies!” she exclaimed. “And Logan got married and had a baby girl! They just found out they're pregnant with their second!”
“I know, Mom, I'm looking at them right now,” Lisa said, waving the picture. “Look how big Molly has gotten! And Thomas! And the babies are so cute!”
Kristof gave them a minute or two to gush over the letters and picture, then cleared his throat politely. “I hate to put a damper on your moment, but while I'm here I'm also obliged to deal with these bandits that've been causing trouble. According to Mr. Graham they targeted your ranch specifically, so I'd like to get your accounts of what happened.”
“You saw Skyler?” Lisa blurted. She'd been worried when he disappeared yesterday. “How is he?”
The officer gave her a slightly blank look. “Well enough. Seemed to have had a good time at your wedding, judging by his massive hangover.”
She exchanged worried looks with her mom; last she'd seen him it had been early afternoon, and they hadn't had any alcohol at the wedding. Although it would've been nice to at least have champagne for toasts.
Her mom just shook her head sadly. Trapper had always been careful in his drinking, and if Skyler had followed in his footsteps there like in everything else then this behavior was unlike him. An indicator of his emotional state, maybe?
Lisa's heart ached for her friend. She wished she could help him somehow, but since she was indirectly the source of his pain she couldn't see anything to do that wouldn't just make things worse for him. This was something he'd have to work out for himself, although she hoped for the best for him.
Once Kristof realized they weren't going to say anything about that, he cleared his throat and continued. “In any case, I'll probably also end up sending a squad or two after the bandits that fled, so if you could point me to the gully described by Mr. Graham, I'd be obliged.”
Better late than never, Lisa thought, reluctantly tearing her thoughts from Skyler to the remnants of Randall's gang. And the League's less than timely arrival to deal with them.
If Lone Valley had been a part of the League, with a constant military or police presence here, Randall could've been taken care of without Jared getting shot, or Adalia put through a traumatic experience.
“Of course, Captain,” her mom said, tucking away the letters for now. “We appreciate the help.” She hesitated. “What's going to happen to Simon Randall?”
“Unless by some miracle you give exculpatory evidence that contradicts Mr. Graham's testimony, and somehow exonerates him from robbing Mr. Hancock at gunpoint, he'll hang this afternoon,” the officer replied. “Did you want to attend?”
Lisa shuddered at the idea; Randall had given her enough reason for nightmares without watching him die. It was enough to know he was getting justice.
Her mom seemed to feel the same. “Goodness, no, and goodness, no!” she exclaimed. “Enough if I can do my part to see justice done, and then I'll b
e happy to forget the man for good.”
They filled Kristof in on the events of the attack, then hopped into the trucks with him and drove around to all the sites of the fighting, detailing what had happened. Once that was all done Kristof dropped them back off at their ranch, planning on heading over to the Ruiz homestead to get their testimony.
“Congratulations again, Mrs. Westman,” the officer called in farewell. “My best wishes for your husband on his recovery.”
The trucks drove off, and Lisa wasted no time heading inside to check on Jared, feeling bad about leaving his side for over an hour. He looked to be sleeping at the moment, so she ducked back out into the living area, excited to try on her new shoes.
Only the moment she spotted her mom at the table rereading Mother Kristy's letter, she remembered her own letter from her friend, tucked in her pocket with Colonel Crenshaw's note. She hastily pulled it out and tore open the envelope, pulling out two sheets of small, neat writing she immediately recognized as Kristy's from school lessons with Skyler when they were young.
“Dear Lisa,
Oh my goodness, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Also, on a related note . . . it's so wonderful to know you're all alive and doing well after all these years! I can't even begin to describe how I cried for joy when I got your letter. You've been gone for a long time, but you were never far from my thoughts and prayers.
Your other friends on the ranch and in New Emery similarly send their love. Tabby was over the moon, broke down bawling right there in the yard as she read your letter, and Logan's been smiling nonstop since he heard. Brandon and Fiona, too. Tom's played it deadpan as usual, but he's been whistling all during his chores. You know how much he cares for your family, and he appreciated knowing your dad in particular is doing well after how they left things.
Oh goodness, there's so much I want to tell you about what's happened at the ranch, and in New Emery! But now that I know where your family's at, I can always send more letters. Heck, I might convince Tom to take a trip up to this paradise of Lone Valley you've found. He can pretend it's all about business dealings between our ranches if he likes. I fear we won't make it in time for your wedding, but that'll just give me that much more time to pick out a suitable wedding present for you.
Speaking of which, thank you for taking so much time in a letter that should've been all about your wedding to tell me about how your mother's been doing all this time. It's a weight off my heart to know my oldest and dearest friend is faring well. I can't even begin to describe how I've fretted for her since you left. For all of you.
Well, I'm torn between making this letter thick as a book and rushing it off to be delivered as soon as possible. Just know another letter's coming soon.
Oh Lisa. Sweet little Lisa, all grown up and getting married . . . it's a bit hard to wrap my head around. I can just imagine the breathtaking young woman you've become. I wish I could see you in your wedding dress, but cell phone cameras are a thing of the past. And the near future, hopefully. But maybe you can get your hands on a photographer like we did, and take a picture of everyone to send us. I'd cherish it forever.
I'm counting the days until I can hear from you again, and hope to see you soon. Thank you for giving me, giving all of us, our friends back. Our family.
With all my love,
Kristy Miller
P.S. You may have already met him by now, but Skyler left a couple years ago to go north looking for you. And has barely found time since to send us a letter or two so we know he's still alive, drat that boy.
I hesitate to say it, but just so you understand the situation you should know he's held a torch for you ever since you left. No doubt he'll be devastated to hear of your wedding, although in the end I think he'll accept that you've moved on and found your own happiness.
Sorry, I didn't bring him up to dredge up painful memories or make you feel guilty. It's just that on the subject of holding a torch, there's a lovely young woman here who's waited all this time for him to come home. In spite of . . . words spoken in the heat of the moment at their parting.
I would've been overjoyed to hear that my son had found you and you'd found happiness together, of course, but since you haven't I want to ask a favor.
Give that headstrong boy a kick in the seat of the pants to get him on the road back to us. Tabby's shown as much loyalty to Skyler all these years as he's shown to you, and I've come to love her as a daughter, same as I love you. But she's not going to wait around forever for him, and it would break my heart to think he'd missed his chance because he was too stubborn or frightened or ashamed or whatever to come home.”
Lisa sat back, reeling at the bombshell she'd just read.
All the agonizing she'd done at the mess Skyler had made of his life, the heartache for how he'd sacrificed his happiness in his search for her. To find that Tabby was still inexplicably there waiting for him was a weight off her chest.
That sweet, sweet girl. Skyler seriously didn't deserve her, and should thank his lucky stars every day for the rest of his life that he was the sort of loyal, brave, and kind man who'd earned that kind of love and devotion from such a wonderful woman.
“Honey?” her mom asked, making her jump and look up from the letter. “What has you grinning over there? Even more good news?”
Lisa stepped over to the table and handed her the letter. “Great news, actually.”
Her mom riffled through the two pages, arching an eyebrow. “Wow, that postscript is almost as long as the letter itself.”
She couldn't help but smile in agreement, since it was the first time she'd ever seen that herself. But she supposed she couldn't blame Mother Kristy for looking out for her son; she hoped she'd be equally fierce in being there for her own children with Jared, when they came.
“Read it!” she urged, practically dancing in place as her mom read.
“Wow,” her mom finally said again. “After two years, and three kept at arm's length before that? That girl is a saint.”
“I know!” Lisa started for her husband's room to let him know she needed to leave for another few hours. “I'm going to head into town and find Skyler.”
Her mom frowned at her. “You're not going to make it that easy for him, are you? After how long he's made Tabby wait he needs to at least come crawling back to her, not sure if she'll still have him.”
She grinned. “Don't worry, I'm just going to do as Mother Kristy asked and give him a kick in the pants to start him home.”
“Good. Those two might just have a chance yet.” Her mom grinned back as she glanced down at the photo, which of course included Tabby standing next to the Miller family, looking pretty as a, well, a picture. “They would have such cute babies.”
“I know!” Lisa gushed. “Skyler better not screw this up.” Again.
Her mom chuckled. “I'll send Jeb with you, but ride carefully . . . the rest of Randall's gang may have fled Lone Valley, and Captain Kristof's men might be after them, but things could still be dangerous out there.”
Nodding her understanding, Lisa hurried to Jared's room to let him know she was leaving again. She felt a bit bad being away from him for so long, but surely he would understand the need.
Her husband was still sleeping when she slipped up to his bedside, face a bit pale and covered with a sheen of sweat. She grabbed a damp rag and gently dabbed at his face, feeling a surge of tenderness as she stared down at the man she loved.
Her diamond in the rough.
Lisa had long since given up on an life with Skyler, and had begun to wonder if she'd ever be able to feel what she'd felt for him with anyone else, when Jared had come into her life. He'd shown her that love could come in the most unlikely places, and catch her by surprise with its intensity.
Her days had been more full of color, of feeling, of wonder ever since he'd first asked her to walk across the grasslands with him on a chilly evening months ago. And now she was his wife, he was her husband, a thought that sent a thrill throug
h her every time she thought about it.
Setting aside the cloth, she leaned down and gently pressed her lips to his, feeling the same warm surge of emotions she always felt at kissing him. She silently willed his wounds to heal faster so they could finally express their love for each other as she desperately longed to. Could truly begin their new life together as man and wife.
Once Lisa finally pulled away she saw with a start that his eyes were open. “Sorry for waking you,” she whispered.
He smiled up at her, the love in his gaze making her heart melt. Also like always. “If that's the greeting I get every time you have to go out,” he joked, “I'll need to start thinking of pointless errands for you to run.”
She laughed, idly running her fingers through his hair as she settled down on the seat beside the bed. “Speaking of errands, I need to go into town.”
Jared's eyes immediately crinkled with worry. “Do you have to? It might still be dangerous, and I'd prefer to be there with you.”
“That would delay the trip by a few weeks,” Lisa said dryly. She held up Mother Kristy's letter and the picture. “This is news from Skyler's family. I wanted to let him know about it.”
Her husband's expression soured a bit. “In that case, I'd definitely prefer to be with you.”
His jealousy was almost cute. Laughing lightly, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his again. “I love you more than anything, Jared Westman. But my oldest friend is ruining his life because he's a stubborn idiot, and I need to go talk some sense into him.”
He looked at her seriously for a few seconds, then nodded. “Travel safely, then.”
Lisa's breath caught, and she unconsciously reached for his hand and held it tight. “You sure there's no problem here?”
Jared chuckled, or at least wheezed weakly. “You married me when I'm just now stepping away from death's door, honey. I'm not worried about you wandering back to an old boyfriend you had as a kid and haven't seen for five years.” He squeezed her hand. “And Graham did risk his life for us and this ranch. That goes a long way to forgiving the fact he can be kind of a prick.”
