by Caryl McAdoo
“Never intended? How do you not intend to do that? I don’t see how it can happen accidently. But what?”
Hiking one shoulder, he shook his head. How could she be giving him the third degree? “But you, Lacey. I wasn’t even sure I would ever see you again.”
For several heartbeats, she stared. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “So you love her some? How can you love her and me? At the same time?”
“I don’t know. But I chose you. From the moment you stepped out of that carriage, I knew I’d made the right choice. That you are the one I want. You’re the one I need. Not her.”
“Then why do you still love her?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know how a heart works. You two are so different. Maybe it was just lust. But I know this, you are the woman I want to grow old with. I want you to be the mother of my babies. Lacey, our pasts can’t be changed. Mine or yours.”
“I know.”
“What’s done is done, and now those people are gone, and we’ll probably never see any of them ever again. What matters is from this moment on.” He held his hands out. “I love you Lacey Rose. Do you love me?”
Chapter Thirty-one
Her feet threatened to bolt, carry her into his embrace, but Lacey didn’t move.
“Yes, I love you. Of course I love you! I’ve loved you since forever, every day, and all day long. But you keep breaking my heart, Charley.”
He halved the distance, his arms still open. “You’ve hurt me, too. But I never meant to cause you pain…and I don’t believe you wanted to hurt me either. Fact is, we love each other. There’ll be hard times to work through…for any couple. Can you forgive me?”
She ducked her eyes and studied the hoop rug he stood on. “There’s one more thing you need to know.”
“Tell me then.”
She looked up. “I kissed Jed Briggs.”
“Jasper’s little brother?”
“Yes. He’s not too little anymore.”
His eyes flashed. “Why’d you kiss him?”
She scrunched both shoulders. “Well, I’d just run off. Spent two nights out then the third in Wallace’s and Rebecca’s barn. Uncle had boarded up the big house.…”
“Yes, I know that. I helped him. What’s that got to do with Jed?”
His tone surprised her. He seemed more upset over a silly kiss than her selling her favors. “I figured the family would all think I went west, so I headed east. He came along with a load of timber, heading to Phillips. I traded him a kiss for a ride…and more important, for him keeping his mouth shut. Except I told him he could tell Bobby Ray.”
“That explains the note.”
“How’s that?”
“Someone left an unsigned note on the Donaho’s front desk when no one was there, marked it for Uncle Chester. It said you were spotted in DeKalb.”
She shrugged. “Little bugger claimed he could keep his mouth shut.”
His eyes cooled. “One little kiss? Is that all it was?”
She wiped her mouth. “Well, at first I made him put his hand in his back pockets, but then.…”
“Then what?”
“Well, I’d just got your letter, and Jed was being such a gentleman… I kissed him for real.”
He stepped closer, his mouth stayed stern, but his eyes sparkled.
What was he thinking?
“Show me.”
“What did you say?”
He grinned. “Show me how you kissed the Briggs boy, then we’ll never mention it or anything else we’ve been talking about this morning.”
She caught some of his mirth. “Best put your hands in your pockets, Mister Nightingale, except that nightshirt you’re wearing doesn’t have any.”
With both hands on his hindquarters, he leaned in a bit. “I’ll just hold them behind my back.”
The kiss lasted longer than the one she’d given Jed. Way longer.
Surprised her that his arm didn’t seem to pain him any at all.
Once the doctor finally arrived, he made a big spectacle of feeling Charley’s forehead and putting an ear to his chest, then quizzed his wife about the night as if he weren’t sitting right there in the room.
After poking the skin around his cut, the man pronounced him past the worst then held his hand out.
Even before he could ask what he owed, his wife put a silver dollar in the sawbones’s palm.
“Tell him we should wait another day before we leave.”
The doctor pocketed the coin then shrugged. “Stage? I can’t recommend leaving for a couple of days. Steamer? It would be fine to head on home this afternoon.”
Charley hustled to the door and opened it. “Thanks, Doc.”
Over Lacey’s lame protest, while she packed the bags, he booked passage on the side wheeler Sultana; even sprang for first class. That night, back in the cabin after a nice steak dinner with all the fixings, she held out a small leather book.
“What’s this?”
“Our bank book.”
He took it and opened it up. The number surprised him. “Thirty-two thousand dollars? Am I reading this right?
“Yes, sir, and we have another fifteen hundred in the bank at Glenn Falls.” She stepped close and put both hands on his chest. “Our lawyer is working on getting the rest of it, we’ve got money in banks all over the country and overseas, but making them give it up takes lawyers.”
“No wonder you wanted to go first class. What are you going to do with all that money?”
“We, silly. It’s our money, not just mine. We can do whatever we want.”
The wheels in his head began to turn. He had money of his own in the bank in Clarksville, but a mere pittance compared to her fortune. “Want to buy the Rusks’ place?”
“Sure. Why not? I’d love living there, but... What about Aunt Rebecca? I mean, assuming…there…uh…wasn’t a miracle or anything.”
“It’d be perfect for us. Uncle Henry’s been saying when the war is over, he’s taking Aunt May to Llano. Going to build her that mansion. Aunt Rebecca was talking about just staying in the big house before I left.”
Covering her hands with his, he nuzzled her ear. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ve… Oh. Excuse me. We have another three hundred forty dollars in gold. I’ve been spending the paper money. Might have thirty greenbacks or so left. Plus the silver.”
His brows arched, and she slipped her hands around his waist, snuggling in tight. “How’s the arm?”
“What arm?”
Before she could answer, he kissed her quiet.
It certainly surprised Lacey how fast the Sultana made Memphis, But her husband explained about the Mississippi flowing at a constant six knots, add that to the side-wheeler’s ten, and instead of the three hundred and twelve miles taking three-plus days going up river, she stood on the Memphis wharf eighteen hours after leaving St. Louis.
The nag nipping at her heart grew with each mile the stage bounced and swayed toward Clarksville. Wonder the thing didn’t rattle her brains out…or worse.
He wanted to press on, but she insisted on getting a room in Hot Springs. Apparently, Charley holding their cash had loosened his purse strings. He asked right out, once the bags were retrieved from the driver, for the location of the town’s best hotel.
At the Arlington Hotel’s registration desk, much to her delight, he wanted the finest room, didn’t even ask the price.
She did notice the wince when he paid the seven dollars.
But it surprised her the most when he slipped the porter a dime for bringing the bags. As though he was some dandy. But then he closed and locked the door and turned, his face like flint. “What’s wrong, baby?”
How could he know? She answered her own question. Because he knew her so well. No secrets belonged between her and her beloved, so she swallowed and hunted the right words. “You…Mother…home…without Uncle…the baby…everything, I guess.”
The flint melted. “Me, first? What have I done no
w?”
“It’s nothing you’ve done other than joining the Confederates and being honor-bound to go back to the war. What if you get killed? Then what?”
“Grant’s got Lee bottled up, sweetheart. They aren’t interested in Texas. Uncle Henry is not going to let anything happen to us.”
“You don’t know that. What about Uncle Wallace? He couldn’t stop that, could he? The war is going to last until next spring when the baby’s due…maybe even later.”
“And you don’t know that. Not for sure.”
“I know this. I can’t stand the thought of you going back. Can’t we hire someone to take your place?”
“Sweetheart, no. Now what kind of man would I be if I did that? I could never meet my father or Uncle Henry—or the looking glass for that matter—eye to eye again.”
Tears overflowed. She’d expected him to say just that, but still hated hearing it. Why was he….
Like a cool breeze on a hot day, Mister Dither’s words blew through her heart. He’d told her about Charley’s son, and her baby’s son being men of God, called to greatness. She blinked away the salty wetness then wiped her cheeks.
“You’re right. I know you have to go. But there’s nothing in Heaven or earth that can make me like it. I don’t ever want to be apart again.”
Stepping to her, he wrapped his good arm around her. “I don’t either. The thought of leaving you rips my heart. But it makes me glad that you understand I’ve got to go.”
She laid her forehead on his chest and snuggled in tight, but instead of kissing her like she wanted, he leaned back. “What about your mother?”
“You know what Uncle Henry always says is in the Bible. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. I’m a half-breed to her, and now she’s going to hate me all the more, coming home carrying this baby, and.…”
“No. She loves you, Lacey. Haven’t you ever spouted something in anger? When I got home with Uncle, she’d worried herself sick over you running off.”
How could she face her? All of them? She leaned out and looked him in the eyes. “Will you tell them for me, please? I’ve been trying to find the right words, but….”
“Yes, I will. And if need be, I’ll shoot anyone who says a word against you. Feed ’em to the hogs. ”
“Oh, don’t be silly! You don’t need to shoot anyone.”
He smiled. “It’s going to be fine. Everyone loves you, Lacey. Why do you think they offered so much reward?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now I know if Uncle’s gone like we suspect, then it’ll be hard, for both of us. But I can’t do anything about that. We’ll just have to get through it together. As for the baby…you have nothing to be ashamed of. You were a married woman, and now you’re a widow carrying your dead husband’s child. So was Aunt Sue. No shame there. Was there something else I’ve missed about our little blessing?”
“No, that’s all.”
His words comforted her some. He always knew exactly what to say, but still…late of a night, waiting for sleep…she could hear her mother. The mean, hateful tone in her voice. Calling her a half-breed. Whatsoever things were lovely and pure and worthy of a good report. That’s all she needed to think on.
And she had plenty of things that fit the bill.
Backing up a step, she took his good arm. “Best come to bed now, Mister.”
The next morning, the eighth day of August, 1864, after a nice soak in Hot Springs’ famed medicinal springs, she found herself heading west once again.
So much had happened since she’d left Texas, but no matter how much her husband told her otherwise, her mother’s hateful words rode with her.
Each time the driver blew his bugle at the next stage, the muscles in her neck tightened another notch, her stomach soured even more, and each breath came a bit harder.
After the stagecoach left DeKalb, she wanted to jump off at each turn, or better, hide in the luggage boot.
Maybe she should just ride on to Dallas, except, no. Charley would never hear of that. He’d been so nice, holding her hand and talking all sweet, but still he wasn’t the one who ran off or was about to have to face the music.
The last trump sounded.
The square of Clarksville, Texas, came into view. Looked the same except she hadn’t really got used to the new courthouse—even though it went up in ’59, a couple of years before she left. She never figured on seeing it again.
Only five miles to Uncle Henry and Aunt May’s house, her mother’s place of employment. The place she lived and called home.
Where Lacey had spent the first sixteen years of her life.
“Do we have to?”
“Sweetheart, everything is going to be fine.” He smiled. “And if it isn’t, you can hide in your room, and I’ll deal with it.”
She tried to return his smile, but her lips wouldn’t have it. “Promise?”
“I do. You have my word. Now come on, I’ve hired a surrey.”
When the driver turned off the main road heading up to the big house, she squeezed Charley’s hand so hard it was a wonder he didn’t slap her. But her sweet, kind husband only patted her arm then hugged her tighter.
At the last turn, she closed her eyes and went to praying. She forgot to breathe.
Charlotte squealed. “It’s Charley! Charley’s home! And he’s got Lacey Rose with him! Hurry, everyone! Charley’s home!”
Pandemonium broke out. Folks poured forth from the house. She spotted her mother. For a heartbeat, she froze. She didn’t mean to cry, but tears flowed down her cheeks.
Her mother stared for a long minute, then ran to her with her arms wider than they’d ever been. Charley stepped aside, and she enveloped Lacey in her embrace and swayed and hugged tighter and tighter.
“Oh, my beautiful, darling daughter! You’ve come home!”
Epilogue
After two days of telling and retelling his and Lacey’s stories and two nights of love and tears, Charley returned to San Antonio.
Stopping at his uncle’s grave on the way out, he shed tears, but knew for sure, he’d see him again.
Once back in the army, not much had changed. His father and uncle were in good health. His boys about wore him out bragging on their great cavalry charge the day after the Battle of Laredo.
Bart confided in him later about how scared they both were, and how sad it made him having to kill a bluecoat.
For the next few months, only a few minor skirmishes popped up. No major battles.
Exactly as Mister Dithers prophesied, Lee surrendered to Grant on the ninth of April, 1865, followed by Johnson on the twenty-sixth of the same month. Kirby Smith, the big general in charge of Texas—after some talk of fighting on—surrendered exactly one month after Johnson.
Henry Buckmeyer, true to his nature, had made a tidy profit buying Confederate cotton and hauling it to Mexican ports where his agents sold it to foreign buyers.
Saddened the man that his and Sam Houston’s dreams of a second Republic of Texas were dashed, but he never harbored any notion of fighting on.
Charley Nightingale and the rest of his kin, save Wallace Rusk, returned home to a county-wide celebration on the third day of June. He and Lacey bought the old Rusk place from Aunt Rebecca, and lived in marital bliss for a few years, but what happened next is a whole new story.
The End
The Texas Romance Family Saga Titles
Book #1 VOW UNBROKEN, 1832
Book #2 HEARTS STOLEN, 1839-1844
Book #3 HOPE REBORN, 1850-1851
Book #4 SINS OF THE MOTHERS, 1851-1852
Book #5 DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, 1853-1854
Book #6 JUST KIN, 1861-1865
Additional titles planned either in this series or as companion books to the series:
AT LIBERTY TO LOVE 1865-
THE BEDWARMER’S SON 1862 / 1929 (parallel stories)
THE CHIEF OF SINNERS 1926-1950
SON OF PROMISE 1955
Cha
racters…alphabetically
Warning! Reader beware! Spoiler warning!
If you aren’t up to date on reading the series, you might find out info you’d rather wait to know.
The Baylors
1822 – Sue Baylor marries Andrew Baylor.
1823 – Andrew and brother Jacob are killed in an accident, leaving five-year-old Levi an orphan for Sue to rear. Later that year, Rebecca, Sue & Andrew’s daughter is born.
~ Baylor, LEVI Bartholomew – born November 2, 1817 orphaned at age five; was reared by Aunt Sue Baylor until fourteen, then Uncle Henry Buckmeyer, too, after he married Aunt Sue. Levi became husband to Rosaleen ‘Sassy’ or ‘Rose’ Fogelsong Nightingale Baylor and step-father to Charley Nightingale and Bart Baylor (Comanche Chief Bold Eagle’s son); then Pa to Stephen Austin, Daniel Boone, Wallace Rusk, and Rachel Rose.
HIS TITLE: HEARTS STOLEN
On Scene in: VOW UNBROKEN, HOPE REBORN, and JUST KIN
Mention in: SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, JUST KIN, AT LIBERTY TO LOVE, and mentioned in contemporary Red River Romance SING A NEW SONG
~ Baylor, Rosaleen ‘ROSE’ (SASSY) Summer Fogelsong Nightingale – born August 24, 1823, married at fifteen in the fall of ’38 to Charles Nightingale, then stolen by the Comanche in the summer of ’39. She lived with the tribe five years as the captive third wife of the chief, birthing Nightingale’s son in February, 1840, until being rescued in October of 1844 by the Texas Rangers. She married Levi in mid-December of that same year. She gave birth to Bartholomew, the Comanche chief’s blood son in 1845, followed by Stephen Austin in April, 1846, Daniel Boone in ’49, and Wallace Rusk in ’53. She finally had a baby girl, Rachel Rose.
HER TITLE: HEARTS STOLEN
On Scene in: HOPE REBORN, JUST KIN,
Mention in: VOW UNBROKEN, SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART
~ Baylor, Bartholomew ‘BART’ – born July 20, 1845 to Rose and Levi, but blood son of Comanche chief Bold Eagle
