The Bride’s Secret_A Western Romance Story

by Elliee Atkinson

  The look on her face was one of admiration. He didn’t realize how good it felt to be looked at that way. They stopped walking and turned toward each other.

  “Maybe you will find a reason to stay here,” Sam said in a low voice. He scanned her pretty face, wanting to lean down and place his lips on hers. However, it was too soon for that. The instant attraction scared him.

  “Maybe,” she said in a breathy voice, gazing up at him.

  They stood in silence, assessing each other.

  The quiet was broken by the call of Emily’s name. They both turned their heads to see Ryan heading their way.

  “Oh boy,” Emily said. “Here comes the train.”

  Sam looked down at her, lifting one eyebrow. “I hope he doesn’t give you a hard time, little lady. That wouldn’t be right.”

  Emily looked up at Sam. “Oh, no. He’s not like that. He’s like a barking dog that never bites.”

  Sam looked back at Ryan who was nearly to them, a look of rage and fear on his face. Sam braced himself for the onslaught of words he expected.

  “Emily, what are you doing out here with this man?”

  Emily gave him a sarcastic look. “We are walking and talking, Ryan. That’s what normal people do, isn’t it?”

  “You know we have to prepare for the next show.”

  “I’m fully prepared and you know it,” Emily replied, her voice becoming heated. Sam watched the exchange, admiring Emily’s fire. Any woman that shot a gun like that had to be filled with fire.

  Ryan shook his head, shaking his finger at Emily. “You know you shouldn’t be out here talking to this stranger.”

  Emily reached up and slapped Ryan’s hand away from her face. Sam watched with wide eyes, a slow grin crossing his face. “Don’t you dare treat me like a child, Ryan! I am a grown woman! I can do whatever I want and you can’t stop me! You know how I feel about this rodeo. If I want to get away and talk to someone I will. And this isn’t a stranger. His name is Sam O’Connell. He has a sister named Rachel who is married. See how much I already know about him? That makes him no stranger to me. He’s a friend.”

  Ryan’s anger made his face turn red. He clenched his fists at his sides but didn’t yet look at Sam. Sam was a bigger man.

  While he stood watching the brother and sister argue, he puffed out his chest to create the illusion that he was even bigger than he was. Ryan was angry, but Sam could see Emily was right about his countenance. He wasn’t going to hit her or hurt her. He was only going to yell at her. Sometimes, Sam thought, yelling was just as bad because the words that are said can’t be taken back.

  “Knowing someone’s name and that they have a sister doesn’t make them your friend!” Ryan yelled.

  “Don’t yell at me!” Emily yelled back. She continued in a calmer voice. “In my opinion, once you know someone’s name, they are no longer a stranger. You leave me alone, Ryan Whittaker, before I leave you behind in this rodeo and go my own way.”

  “You wouldn’t do that to me,” Ryan’s voice dropped to a low pitch.

  Sam watched with confusion. Ryan was no longer angry. As soon as Emily said she would leave him behind, his face went pale and a look of fear crossed it. Sam suddenly felt sorry for the man. There was something going on that he couldn’t place his finger on. Something the two of them were hiding. However, since Sam had just met her, he didn’t feel right prying into it. They could have their secrets. He wasn’t privy to them and had no authority to ask about it.

  He took a step toward Emily.

  “If it makes things all right, I will leave. Maybe we can talk another time.”

  “I don’t want you coming back to talk to her or anyone in the rodeo, Mister,” Ryan said, finally turning to him. Sam admired his courage in standing up to a man so much bigger than he was.

  “I’m afraid this is my town, Mr. Whittaker,” Sam said, using the proper name as a sign of respect. He didn’t want to appear aggressive and have Ryan attack him. Then he’d have to beat the man down in front of his own sister. “I won’t be going anywhere. I’ll come to see the rodeo as I please.”

  “And I’ll talk to Sam whenever I want as I please,” Emily said, connecting two matching phrases.

  Sam noticed and couldn’t keep a small smile from lifting the corners of his lips. He tried to wipe it away quickly. He didn’t want Ryan to think he was laughing at him. That was the last thing he needed. It might set the smaller man off.

  Ryan pulled in a deep angry breath through his nose. He held it for a moment before spinning around, huffing. He stomped back toward the trailer he shared with his sister and mother.

  Emily looked up at Sam, turning to him. She put one hand on his arm. The other arm was wrapped around her stomach with her hand holding onto her waist. “I’m so sorry about that, Sam. Please forgive me. And forgive Ryan. He’s a vulnerable man. A sensitive man. He’s been through some very awful things.”

  Sam nodded. “I understand, Emily. I won’t be mad at him. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. We’ve all been through trials. Maybe I can assist you both in some way. If it meant you would stay in Wickenburg…”

  He let the sentence trail off, enjoying the beauty of her smile.

  CHAPTER SIX

  TED MAKES NEW FRIENDS

  TED MAKES NEW FRIENDS

  Sam stepped into the Horse N Saddle, which Allan had reopened for him. The young man didn’t intend to go to the second showing of the rodeo that day. He walked up to the bar and sat at a stool. Allan came over to him.

  “I’m not feeling good right now,” he told Sam. “I think I’ve exerted myself too much.”

  “Do you want to go home? You don’t have to have the saloon open. I can run it till the end of the next show.”

  “You aren’t going either? I thought that sharp shooter was performing again.”

  “I don’t want to distract her again. I’ll go see her after the show.”

  Allan grinned from ear to ear. “So she was distracted by you. Did you get to talk to her? What did she say? What’s she like?”

  Sam laughed. “That’s a lot of questions, my young friend. Let me attempt to answer them all. Yes, she admitted she was distracted by me. I did get to talk to her and she’s a lovely woman. We plan to talk again later because we were interrupted by her brother, Ryan.” He paused, looking past Allan to the mirrored wall behind him. “There’s something strange going on there, Allan.”

  Allan tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

  Sam shook his head. “I’m not sure. It was their conversation, their argument when he came to where we were talking. His face. It was telling me something was suspicious there.”

  Allan looked contemplative. “Hmmm. I can’t imagine what it could be.”

  “There’s no way for us to know. There’s a thousand possibilities what could be going on.”

  “You think they’re really brother and sister?”

  The question surprised Sam. He hadn’t thought about that before. He pictured Ryan and Emily in his mind. They were different in hair and eye color. Complete opposites, in fact. Yet they had similar features, faces that were shaped the same. Their eyes, their noses, even their mouths pointed to them being brother and sister. He nodded. “Yeah. They look alike. You didn’t see them as up close as I did. They have facial features that match. And they bickered like brother and sister.”

  “I’ve seen some couples bicker, too. Was it like that?”

  Sam shook his head. Allan slid him a shot glass.

  “You want a drink?” he asked.

  Sam nodded once. “Yeah, give me a shot of that whiskey please.”

  “You got it, boss.” He lifted the whiskey bottle and poured the brown liquid into the glass. Sam lifted the glass to his mouth and said just before tossing the drink back, “They fought like a brother and sister. I have a sister. I can tell you that’s what that was like.”

  Allan laughed. “You think he’s gonna cause trouble?”

 
Sam sighed. “I don’t know. I hope not. I want to get to know Emily. She says she doesn’t want to be in the rodeo anymore.”

  “I’m surprised by that,” Allan said. “Doesn’t she like it?”

  “She does. But she’s been doing it since she was fifteen.”

  “How old is she now?”

  Sam grunted, giving Allan a direct look. “That’s not the kind of question you ask a woman.”

  Allan leaned on the counter with one arm. “Next time you see her, tell her how old you are. That might help your case.”

  Sam laughed. “You think that will work?”

  Allan laughed with him. “I have no idea. It just came to my mind and I said it.”

  After a few more laughs and Allan filling the shot glass again, the young man moved to the other end of the bar, where a man from the rodeo had taken a seat. Sam looked over when he heard his name.

  “Hey there, Ted!” Sam lifted his hand in greeting. Ted did the same. Sam picked up his glass and went to sit on the other side of the bar. Ted was seated at the end of the bar, so Sam sat on the corner stool facing him. “How’s your day going?”

  Ted made a sound of disgust, though he was smiling. “It’s tough in the rodeo business.”

  “Why’s that, if you don’t mind me asking.”

  Allan came over and gave Ted a large mug of beer. He took a couple swallows from it before answering. “Well, see we’ve got this owner, Max. You know, that’s his name on the sign. He’s kind of a hard man to get along with. Real prideful. Likes to lord himself over everyone. We call him “His Highness” sometimes because he thinks so much of himself.”

  “Ugh,” Sam said. “That’s pretty frustrating right there.”

  “Yes, it is. So he came in today and told me my performance wasn’t up to par. And I beg to differ. I did some great bronco riding work today. I don’t know what he saw, but I did just fine today. What did you think?”

  “I thought you were excellent. I told you before; everyone on your team seems professional and much better than the average man.”

  Ted nodded, saluting Sam with his beer mug. “Here’s to your opinion. The customer overriding the supervisor who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” He tipped the glass up and drank until it was gone.

  “Are you performing this afternoon?” Sam was worried, seeing the man getting drunk quickly. Ted put his mug down on the counter and slid it toward the back.

  “I’ll take another one of these,” he said, lifting his hand to Allan. The young man nodded and headed back toward them. Ted looked at Sam through eyes that were already turning red. “Nah. He doesn’t want me to perform. He calls it a suspension. But I’m gonna get the same pay at the end of it, so I’ll just sit in here and get drunk tonight.”

  “I understand,” Sam said. “You are welcome to stay in here as late as you want. If you get too drunk, Allan and I will take you up to one of those rooms up there.” He pointed at the second level up the stairs. Ted lifted his eyes to them.

  “How much do you typically drink?” Sam asked, scanning the man’s face. He looked miserable. Sam didn’t think he was a drinking man.

  Ted snorted, looking a bit tipsy. “Ha. I never drink. I can’t 'member the last time I had a drink of alcohol. Maybe I’ll try some whiskey.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” From the way Ted was reacting to the beer, Sam knew if he drank liquor, they would be pouring him into one of the beds upstairs in about ten minutes. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost two. Sam made eye contact with Allan and gestured to Ted and the rooms upstairs. Allan looked at Ted and then back at Sam, nodding.

  They were on the same page. Knowing that, Sam looked back at Ted, who had dropped his head to the counter so that it rested on one hand. The other hand was clutching the second beer mug he’d been given. It was still half-full. Sam tried not to be amused by it. Allan came back to that side of the bar and looked at Sam.

  “Shall we take him up now?”

  Sam shook his head. “Let’s give him some time. Maybe he’ll wake up. He’s not a drinking man, you know.”

  “I know. I can tell. I haven’t worked here long but don’t have to see what’s going on. Do you know him?”

  “I met him when I went to talk to Emily. I wish he wasn’t like this. I’d like to talk to him about her. I’d like to talk to anyone who knows her. He said before that she’s a nice woman. Their mother is with them. He said she’s nice, too. But I didn’t meet her.”

  A hand slapped him on the back and he looked up into the eyes of Adam Collins. Behind Adam was Mark. Both men were smiling at him. “Didn’t meet her? What her? You interested in a woman, Sam?”

  Both men slid onto the bar stools next to Sam, Adam taking the closest one with Mark next to him. Mark leaned forward on the counter so he could see Sam as the three of them talked. Ted managed to lift his head and stare through blank eyes at the two arrivals.

  “Hello,” he said in a friendly voice.

  Sam looked at him and then back at Mark and Adam. “This is Ted. He’s with the rodeo. Saw you boys up there. Did you like it?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Adam nodded. “I don’t think there’s a soul in town that didn’t enjoy that show.”

  “Are you going to the afternoon one?”

  Adam shook his head. “Mark and I have a project running back at my place. Putting up some new fencing for some cattle I just bought.”

  “Yeah, I’m not going either.”

  “Oh? Why not?” Mark asked.

  Sam hesitated before answering. “I… uh, I was distracting Emily Whittaker. You know, the sharp shooter?”

  Adam turned to give a wide-eyed look to Mark. Then he turned the look back to Sam. “Are you the one she kept staring at? Her head was turned away from us because you were on the opposite side. You know, she almost dropped her gun because she was looking at you. Now that I know what happened, that’s pretty funny.” He and Mark chuckled. Adam gave him another slap on the back. “So you gonna have a lady friend soon, huh, Sam? I gotta say it’s about time.”

  Sam snorted. “I don’t know if that’s gonna happen. I hope it does,” he admitted. “But I’m not countin’ my chickens till they hatch.”

  “Good thinking, Sam,” Mark said, taking the beer mug from Allan. “Thanks, Allan. You’re a good man.”

  “Just doing my job, sir,” Allan replied with a smile. “Mr. Collins? You want something?”

  Adam nodded. “Yeah, give me a shot of whiskey and a mug. Thanks, son.” He turned back to Sam. “So tell me, Sam, did you talk to her?”

  Sam grinned at him. “I did.”

  “And what’s she like?”

  “She’s a fine woman. She said she’s ready to leave the rodeo.”

  “Good sign for you, Sam,” Adam said.

  “She’s gonna leave?” Sam turned to see that Ted had lifted his head and was listening. Something made Sam change his story until Ted was satisfied. Whatever was holding those two at the rodeo wasn’t something that needed to be spread around. Sam felt bad that he’d been overheard. His friends would never pass along gossip about someone, so he felt safe talking to them. Ted looked more like the type to go back to the trailers and tell everyone who belonged to the rodeo.

  He shook his head. “No, Ted. She’s not. She would like to. But she’s not.”

  Sam looked into the mirror behind the bar when the doors to the saloon swung open. The man he’d met that morning with Elizabeth and the others entered, looking around. He spotted a table in the corner and walked to it, pulling out the chair and sitting down. Allan was about to go ask what he wanted when Sam stood up.

  “Excuse me, gentlemen,” he said. “I’ll talk to him, Allan. I’ll see what he wants.”

  “You’re the boss,” Allan said again with a large grin on his skinny face.

  Sam walked to the table and slid into the other chair, holding out his hand to Andrew. “Hello, Sam O’Connell. Met you earlier. You’re Andrew, is that right? I’m so
rry; I don’t recall your last name.”

  Andrew smiled. “It’s Randolph. Yes, I remember meeting you this morning. Did you enjoy the rodeo?”

  “I did. And you?”

  “I did, also. They do some amazing work.”

  “Did you want a drink or something to eat?”

  “I’d love a beer. What do you have on the menu?”

  “I make different recipes the ladies of Wickenburg give me on a regular basis. So a home-cooked meal, maybe some chicken, we have some rice and greens. Does that sound good?”

  “It certainly does.”

  “Where’s your wife? Will she be joining you? I can make enough for two.”

  Andrew shook his head. “She doesn’t go in saloons. She’s got a fear of them.”

  “Oh?”

  The man nodded. His eyes moved off to the side as he searched his memory. “I believe her father was killed in a saloon.”

  “You don’t remember?” Sam thought it might not be a good idea for a man to forget his wife’s father’s method of death. It seemed like too sensitive a topic to be forgotten.

  Andrew looked ashamed. “I don’t. She never talks about it. Never. And I don’t bring it up because I don’t know if she wants to even talk about it. I don’t want to pry into her business.”

  Sam grinned. “It seems like that’s exactly what I’m doing. I apologize.” He stood up. Andrew gave him a big smile.

  “You don’t have to worry about offending me, Sam. I’m not easily offended.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. I’ll be back shortly with your food. I have to cook it, so it might take a bit. Actually, I’m not cooking, my boy, Allan, over there. He’ll be doing the cooking. If it’s not good, he’s the one you want to see.”

  Allan looked up at Sam. “I heard that. But you’re the boss.” He laughed and went through the curtain into the back kitchen to start the meal preparations.