The Kissing Tree

by Bice, Prudence

  What could Miss Cordelia Jamison have said to upset Georgiana? As far as he knew, the two women didn’t even know each other. Georgiana had been gone two years when Mr. Jamison and his wife had come to work at the bank. When tragedy killed old Mr. Potter, the bank’s owner, Mr. Jamison had taken over the running of it. Unbeknownst to the town, the man hadn’t a clue how to run a bank, and it wasn’t more than two years later he had nearly put the town into financial ruin. If Mr. Wallace hadn’t used his inheritance to buy the bank and shore up its financial creditability, many innocent people would have suffered great financial losses. The town had seen to it that the Jamisons found another place to reside. A little less than two months ago, Miss Cordelia Jamison, their daughter, had shown up and moved into the boarding house.

  His thoughts quickly reverted back to Georgiana. His hand warmed at the thought of holding her tonight, even for one dance. He wished he could read what she was thinking behind those confusing gray eyes. Sometimes when he looked into them, he could see all his love and longing for her reflected back as though she too felt the same. Other times they told another story entirely. Then there was Dawson. Had Dawson been able to convince her to return with him? He didn’t know if he could bear to see her leave again.

  “Ridge, dear, there you are. Where did you run off to in such a hurry?”

  It was Cordelia. She fairly sauntered up and leaned up next to him against the building, closer than was comfortable. “You still owe me a dance, you know.”

  “Don’t know that I’ll be stayin’ much longer,” he replied, inching a little farther away. She slid closer to him again, and once more he scooted away. Boldly, she moved to stand directly in front of him.

  “Oh, come on, Ridge. Don’t be such a stuffed shirt. All I want is one dance.” Leaning forward slightly, she reached her hand out and coiled a finger in a strand of his hair. The scent of her perfume was so strong, it immediately made his head pound.

  “Cordelia, please . . . don’t,” he warned, his anger starting to mount. Why couldn’t this woman leave him alone? Couldn’t she see he was not interested in her? It was time he made his intentions toward her plain. “Miss Jamison, it’s obvious that ya have taken an interest in me, but I need to let ya know that—”

  Before he had a chance to finish, she threw herself forward, put her arms around his neck, and began kissing him. Ridge was stunned. Never before had he witnessed or been the recipient of such a brazen act perpetrated by a woman. It took him a moment to gather his wits about him before he reached up and grabbed hold of her wrists. Forcing them from around his neck, he brought them down to his chest and pushed her body away from his. She gasped as he forced her lips from his, and he looked directly and harshly into her eyes.

  “As I was sayin’, Miss Jamison,” he spoke between clenched teeth, “I need to inform you that I do not return your affections.”

  Fire flashed in her eyes, but despite his obvious rejection, she smiled demurely.

  “Would you mind releasin’ your hold on me, Mr. Carson?”

  At once he released her wrists and let his hands fall to his sides. He felt guilty for causing her discomfort, despite the salaciousness of her actions.

  “Thank you,” she spat as she rubbed them a moment before continuing. “Well, I think you’ve made yourself clear, I’ll not be bothering you anymore.” She moved to step away but turned back around. “Ya know I had to give it one more chance. When I saw you kissin’ that woman the other day in the alley, you have no idea what a thrill it caused me to see a man so capable of lovin’ a woman like that. I had hoped that I could persuade you . . .” She paused for another moment, fairly smirking. “No matter . . . I can see it would never work out between you and me. We’re much too different.” Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a set a gloves and began putting them on. When she was finished, she reached forward and ran one long, gloved finger along the side of his cheek. “Well, good-bye, Ridge Carson.” Her touch made him cringe, and she smiled at his reaction. “I can honestly say I hope to never see you again.” As she pulled her hand away and made move to leave, she flippantly added, “Oh, by the way . . . that woman you prefer was inside lookin’ for you a moment ago. I can’t be quite certain, but she seemed to be terribly upset about something.”

  Smiling wickedly, she gave him one last long look before turning and walking up the street. Ridge only watched her for a second before hurrying back into the social hall.

  ◁ ◊ ▷

  As soon as Georgiana saw Ridge’s form disappear through the doors, she sank to the ground. She felt as if the life had been knocked out of her. When that woman had approached her, endeavoring to slander Ridge’s good name, she hadn’t believed a word of it. Samantha had assured her Ridge wanted nothing to do with Miss Jamison. But her eyes told her another truth.

  She’d come outside to get away from the woman and to think. Cordelia said she’d come over to warn her not to get mixed up with the likes of Ridge Carson. She said she’d been watching out the window of the boarding house that day he had forced his kisses upon her and was shocked because Ridge had purposed marriage to her only the week before. She told Georgiana she had been waiting to meet up with him that morning to accept his proposal. Just as Georgiana had begun to digest what she was saying, the woman had laid a hand across her midsection and all but told her outright the marriage was one of necessity.

  It couldn’t be true! Everything she knew of Ridge, every feeling that she got about him, told her he was a man of the highest and utmost moral character. But then she had just seen them together with her own eyes!

  Georgiana swatted at the tears cascading down her face and crumbled to the earth as her knees gave out. Those lips that had given such resplendent joy to her own only a few weeks before had betrayed her! Had it all been a ruse? What game was being played and where did she fit in? Georgiana was still sitting on the ground when Samantha walked up.

  “Georgiana, is that you?” Samantha asked, peering through the shadows.

  “Yes,” Georgiana answered in barely a whisper.

  Her friend came closer.

  “Where did you go? Everyone’s been lookin’ for you. Dawson and Ridge are both . . .” It was then Samantha saw the emotional condition she was in. “Georgie, what happened?”

  When Samantha put her arms around her, she could not respond, only weep.

  “Has someone hurt you? Look at me, Georgie. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  Georgiana shook her head.

  “I . . . I . . . can’t.”

  “Yes, you can. Now look at me, Georgiana McLaughlin, and tell me what has made you so upset.”

  “I . . . I . . . saw them . . . together.”

  “Who, Georgie? Who did you see?”

  “Ridge . . . Ridge and . . .” She almost couldn’t say the woman’s name.

  “Ridge? Ridge is inside looking for you.”

  “No, Samantha, I saw them. They were kissing and . . . and Miss Jamison told me earlier, when you were dancing with Dawson that . . . that . . .” She couldn’t say to Samantha what the woman had inferred. “Oh, Samantha, I’ve been such a fool. I was beginning to think maybe we really did have a chance. Sometimes when he looks at me I’m so sure he feels the same. I’m still the same foolish girl in love with a boy who will never return my affections.” She stood up and smoothed the wrinkles in her dress. “I need to get out of here, and I don’t want anyone seeing me like this, especially Dawson. I can’t go back to Grandfather’s tonight. I just can’t face either one of them.” She reached out and took one of Samantha’s hands. “Would you mind if I stayed at your house?”

  “Of course not. I’ll take you home and get you settled, but I’ll need to come back after a while and take care of some things.”

  “I understand.” Georgiana nodded, relieved she would have somewhere else to stay tonight. “Thank you,” she said gratefully, reaching forward and taking Samantha’s hand. Samantha gave it a squeeze.

  “First, let me go inside
and talk to Dawson and Ridge. I’ll explain to them you are not feeling well and that I’m going to take you to my house for tonight. Then you and I will sit down and get to the bottom of all of this. I know you haven’t told me everything, but I have a strong feeling that things really aren’t what they seem.”

  Georgiana nodded in agreement, and Samantha hurried back inside.

  Georgiana fidgeted while she waited, hoping that Samantha wouldn’t be very long. Thankfully, it was just a few minutes later when she returned.

  “May we go now?” Georgiana asked anxiously.

  “Yes, I let them both know we were leaving. Dawson seemed a bit worried and told me to make sure you knew he hoped you were feeling better.” A concerned look crossed her face. “Ridge acted pretty upset. I’ve never seen him so agitated.”

  “If I were in his shoes, I’d be pretty upset too.” Samantha gave her a puzzled look before they headed in the direction of her house.

  They were walking in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, when Samantha suddenly cried out, startling her. “What was that?”

  “What?” Georgiana asked.

  “There,” Samantha said, pointing to the bank, “I thought I saw a light. It couldn’t be Father because when I finished talking to Ridge, I saw him and Mother dancing.”

  Georgiana thought Samantha must have imagined the light until she saw it too.

  “Who would be there without your father?” Georgiana asked, starting to worry.

  “I don’t know,” Samantha contemplated. “Let’s go over to see if we can tell who it is through the window.” As she began heading over in the direction of the bank, she added, “What’s that wagon doing parked there?”

  Georgiana felt a little uneasy. People at the social had parked their wagons over by the social hall. So it was strange that there was a wagon parked in front of the bank. It would be better if they went back and got Samantha’s father or someone else to help, maybe even the sheriff, but she couldn’t bear to face Ridge. So even though her gut told her it was unwise, she found herself following her friend. As they stepped up onto the boardwalk in front of the bank, she grabbed Samantha’s arm. Samantha turned to her.

  “Listen, if we see anyone there, we’re not going to confront them, okay?” Georgiana insisted in a low voice.

  Samantha gave her a look that said, “Do you think I’m crazy?”

  “If we even think we see someone, we’ll run back to the social and get Sheriff Riggs,” Samantha assured her, keeping her voice down low as well.

  “And we stay together too,” Georgiana added.

  “Agreed,” said Samantha.

  The two girls quietly snuck up to the window of the bank and peered inside.

  “Do you see anything?” Georgiana whispered.

  “I don’t know. It’s hard to see through the curtains. Now I wish I hadn’t insisted Father put them up. It almost looks like there are shadows movin’ on the wall, but I can’t quite—”

  All of a sudden Samantha let out a muffled scream as a large man put his hand over her mouth with one arm and held her immobilized with the other. Georgiana didn’t have time to scream herself, for not a half second later she found herself in the same predicament. Try as they might to free themselves, they were unsuccessful. Ultimately, they were both pushed forward and forced through the front door of the bank. Their instinct to cry out as they were thrust to the ground at a woman’s feet was sufficiently subdued when they felt the cold, hard guns pointed at their backs. They didn’t need the added verbal warning.

  “Let out a scream, either of you, and I’ll shoot you dead on the spot.”

  Next they heard the woman speak, but their heads were down low and the bank was dark except for a small light coming from the back office. They could only see the woman from the ankles down. The woman’s voice was loud, angry, and brusque, but definitely familiar.

  “Gil, Wyatt . . . what are they doin’ here?”

  “They saw us, boss. They were peekin’ in the window. We had no choice,” Gil quibbled.

  “Yeah . . . and they were ’bout to go get the sheriff too. I heard ’em say so,” Wyatt added defensively.

  “Well, I guess you best stand them up so I can see their faces. I won’t shoot them in the back without first lookin’ them in the eyes.”

  Roughly, the two men grabbed them by the arms and stood them up to face none other than Miss Cordelia Jamison. A smile immediately lit her face.

  “Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” Cordelia walked over to them. “If it isn’t my dear friend Miss Wallace and the long lost Miss McLaughlin.” She stood before Samantha first. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Samantha, but our little friendship was not genuine. You see, I needed to get close to you so it wasn’t suspicious that I was spending so much time hangin’ around the bank. I wasn’t sure how many things had changed since my father had stopped running it, and of course I needed to find out when the bank runs were. After all, if I’m going to rob a bank, I want to steal as much money as I can.” She moved to stand in front of Georgiana next. “And of course your bosom buddy, the high and mighty Miss Georgiana McLaughlin, would be with you. After all, you’ve become so close again since her miraculous return.” She narrowed her eyes at Georgiana. “This is actually your fault, you know, seein’ as you had to come back to town. You see, robbin’ the bank was really only my backup plan. What I really wanted was that sugar dipped honey-eyed man you stole out from under me. Wasn’t one man enough? You already have that puppy, Mr. Alexander, followin’ you halfway across the states. Isn’t he good enough or is he just your backup plan?”

  Georgiana’s blood was beginning to boil. Her face had turned red, but she forced herself to remain quiet.

  “Getting’ angry are we?” Cordelia grabbed Georgiana by the face with her hand and pulled her close. “Well, I’m angry too.” She dropped her hand to her stomach, giving Georgie a knowing look. “Seein’ as now I have no one to be a father to my baby.”

  Samantha spoke up, understanding at once the insinuation Cordelia had made.

  “You’re a liar! Ridge would never touch you. He has never loved anyone but Georgiana since the day he moved to Crystal Creek.”

  “Well, fortunately for Ridge, you don’t really have to love a woman, to love a woman,” Cordelia sneered.

  Georgiana was taken aback when Samantha spit in Cordelia’s face and equally as stunned when Miss Jamison slapped Samantha, causing her to stagger back. Georgiana reached over to help steady and comfort her friend but was rewarded with a hard shove from Cordelia.

  “Tie them up, gag them, and throw them into the back of the wagon,” Cordelia ordered Gil and Wyatt. When the two men didn’t move right away, she shouted, “NOW!” The boys jumped and headed for the door but stopped when she spoke to someone behind her. It was the first time Georgiana realized there was a third man present. “Slash! Are you done with that safe yet?”

  “Almost,” a voice hollered from the back room. “Any second now.”

  “Well, hurry it up!” She turned her attention back to Gil and Wyatt. “Get it done, boys. We need to get out of here before them townsfolk start headin’ home from the social. I don’t want anyone seein’ us leave town. Besides, if we leave real casual like, if someone does see us, they won’t suspect anything.” She picked up a shotgun that was leaning against the wall behind her, cocked it, and pointed it at Samantha and Georgiana. “Wyatt, you go fetch the rope from the wagon. I’ll help Gil watch these two until you get back.” The man just stood there, looking dumbfounded until she shouted, “GET!”

  Quickly, he scrambled out the door.

  When he brought the rope back in, the two men tied and gagged both women. One at a time, they were hauled out to the wagon, and a blanket was thrown over them. The two men climbed in the back of the wagon on either side and laid down low to keep watch.

  It wasn’t long before she heard Cordelia and the third man coming out of the bank. Several heavy objects were tossed into the back
of the wagon in two or three trips. Cordelia swore brashly.

  “Someone’s comin’ up the road. Slash, you go fetch my horse from behind the livery stables. She’s tied up at the back gate. Ride her out and meet us just beyond the outskirts of town. We’ll head up to the cabin together from there.”

  “I don’t think so,” Georgiana heard Slash disagree, his voiced dripping with mistrust. “Forget the horse. I’ll hide in the alley there up the street, and as soon as he’s gone, I’ll join you in the wagon. I’m not takin’ my eyes off you and this here wagon until we’re free and clear, and I have my share. You may be in charge of this here operation, but no man or woman ain’t ever gonna call me a fool.”

  “Fine,” Cordelia growled, “but you’d better stay out of sight.” She paused to let out a slow breath before she began talking again. “You boys back there stay down and lie low,” she warned, “and keep those two women quiet.”

  Georgiana heard Cordelia climb on top of the wagon seat and slap the reins.

  “Yah!” she shouted, and the wagon started moving.

  From under the blanket, Georgiana looked into the terrified eyes of her friend. The thought occurred to her that Samantha might be imagining Mitch having died at the hands of similar bandits. Please God, she prayed, at least let Samantha make it out of this alive.

  Suddenly the wagon came to a halt. The two men beside them quickly joined them under the blanket.

  “Ridge!” Cordelia sounded surprised.

  Samantha’s eyes got as big as hers. They were thinking the same thing until they heard the sound of a gun being cocked. Both girls froze. The men were warning them not to make a sound. If they tried anything, Ridge could get shot.

  “What are you doing out here, Miss Jamison?” Ridge asked. “I thought you’d left a while ago.” Georgiana could tell by his voice that he was not pleased to see her.

  “I could ask you the same thing. I thought you headed back into the social hall to rescue your woman in distress.” Cordelia’s voice was smug.