Ulla's Courage

by Agnes Alexander

  “I ain’t going to let no ole boy ever kiss on me like that,” Becky replied.

  “Then maybe you and me will get married when we’re old like them.”

  “I don’t know if I want to marry you or not.”

  They drifted away and Ivy giggled. As she locked her arm in Pete’s, she said. “I hope Joe’s idea of marriage will eventually change.”

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’ll change. Just give him a few years and we’ll have to tie him down to keep him away from the girls. After all, he takes after his old man.”

  Ivy gave him a playful punch on the arm and they continued walking.

  ~ * ~

  Naomi did come to check Cord and help Ulla change the bandage on his hip. “Boy, he’s got one whopper of a birth mark on that hip, doesn’t he?” Naomi observed.

  Ulla didn’t want to say it was the first time she’d seen it. Instead she said, “Will has one, too.”

  “Then it must run in the family.”

  “Maybe it does.” Ulla still looked concerned. “I hope Cord’s going to be all right.”

  “Now stop worrying so much. He’s doing as well as could be expected with the injuries he has,” Naomi said. “Since we’ve changed the bandage, you probably won’t have to do it again until tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Naomi.”

  “I see you have that food there, so do your best to get it in him. He needs to build up his strength.”

  “I’ll do it.”

  “Now you get some rest yourself, my friend. You look as if you can use it.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Good.”

  “As for the food, Cord did take a bite or two before he went to sleep again. I’ll see that he eats when he wakes up again.”

  “You do that, and don’t hesitate to send for me if you need me. Saul is still in that little town, but he should be back soon.”

  “Thank you, Naomi.”

  ~ * ~

  It was supper time when Cord awakened again.

  Will sat on the mattress beside him watching Ulla spoon the stew broth into Cord’s mouth.

  “Daddy eat.”

  “Yes, baby. Daddy eat.”

  Cord swallowed. “You want to eat with Daddy, Will?”

  “I eat.”

  “We’ll eat in a minute, sweetheart. This is for your daddy.”

  “My son looks hungry. Let him have a bite, Ulla.”

  She smiled at Cord and held a spoonful of soup out to the little boy. “Here you go, honey.”

  He ate it and laughed.

  She turned to Cord. “Now that you’ve discovered what a wonderful son you have, don’t you start spoiling him.”

  “I won’t…” he took another bite, “…not much anyway.”

  Ulla chuckled. “I was afraid of that.”

  “Excuse me, Ulla.” Pete’s voice came through the back of the wagon. “Ivy wanted to know if you needed any more stew for Cord.”

  She looked at Cord. “Could you eat some more?”

  He shook his head. “Not right now. I’m full.”

  “No, thanks, Pete. Maybe I can get him to eat more later.”

  “If he feels like company, I’d like to come in and talk for a bit.”

  Before Ulla could answer, Cord said, “Come on in, Pete. Since Becky has left to eat, Ulla needs to get out of here to feed Will and eat supper herself.”

  “I could wait, but I think this little fellow is hungry.” She patted Cord’s shoulder. “Now don’t you overdo. If you get tired and need him to go, Pete will understand.”

  “I sure will, Ulla.” He reached to help her out of the wagon, picked up Will and handed him to his mother.

  As soon as Ulla had moved away from the wagon, Pete climbed in and took a seat beside Cord. “How are you really feeling?”

  Cord shook his head. “Like hell, man. Every part of my body aches.”

  “It’s no wonder. You may not know it, but you were almost killed.”

  “Naomi said I was in pretty bad shape, but told me Saul says he thinks I’ll make it.”

  “Did she tell you Saul said traveling in the wagon was going to make your progress slower?”

  “She mentioned that I should get as comfortable as I could.” Cord gave Pete a hard look. “I have a feeling you’ve got something besides my comfort on your mind. What is it, Pete?”

  “Did Ulla tell you the reason we stayed camped here after the nooning break was because of a town that’s been almost destroyed and needed a doctor for their wounded?”

  “She mentioned it.”

  “I was with the livestock when Pruitt came back. He said it was worse than he imagined. Not only are there destroyed buildings, but some families have had their lives torn apart. It’s going to take a lot of work and an influx of new families to build Winton Crossing back to what it used to be.”

  “I’m sorry for those people. I know what it’s like to lose everything you own and have to start over.”

  “I guess that in a way I do, too. But I never lost the most important things to me.”

  “Oh?”

  “I never lost Ivy or Joe. They’re more precious than any amount of material things.”

  Cord nodded. “Of course, you’re right. I still have my children and I have Ulla. With them, I suppose I could start over again many times.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  “I know you do, Pete, but what has that got to do with what you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “Nothing, I guess. What I really wanted to tell you is that I’m going to be a father again.”

  Cord smiled. “Congratulations. You happy about it?”

  “Very. I’m just concerned about Ivy.”

  “She’s all right, isn’t she?”

  “As far as I know, but she’s working awfully hard and, well, you never know, but anything could happen.”

  “I’m sorry, Pete. That’s my fault.” Cord tried to sit up. “I’ll get out of this bed …”

  “No, Cord. I didn’t mean that. I mean this whole trip has been hard for her. She won’t admit it, but I’m afraid it’ll be too much if we try to make it all the way to Oregon.”

  “Well, Pete, if you feel you need to pull out…”

  “No, Cord. Ivy would never stand for that and to be honest, neither would I. Remember the fight we had about it earlier? Of course, Ivy was right. Ulla has been awfully good to us and there’s no way we would let her down if she really wants to go to Oregon.”

  “It wasn’t Ulla’s idea to go to Oregon. It was mine.”

  Pete nodded. “I thought so. That’s why I wanted to run my idea by you.”

  Cord lifted an eyebrow. “What’s your idea?”

  “Well, Ulla told us how hard the wagon ride has been on you today and since Ivy is with child, what would you think of our two families settling in Winton Crossing?”

  Cord frowned. “Is that the same town Pruitt was talking about a while back?”

  “I think it could have been. Did you happen to mention it to Ulla?”

  “I don’t think so, Pete. Why do you ask?”

  “If the wives agree, I feel it might be a good solution for our families.”

  “It sure would be an answer for both of us. You wouldn’t worry so much about Ivy and I sure wouldn’t mind giving up riding in this wagon until I can at least walk again.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “Tell you what, Pete. Why don’t you take a ride to the town and see if you think it’s a good place to settle? Meantime, I’ll discuss it with Ulla and see if she would be willing to give up going to Oregon.”

  “Sounds good. It’s still a while before the sun sets, so I’ll head out there now if you don’t mind me using your horse.”

  “Of course, I don’t mind.”

  “Thanks.” Pete stood. “By the way, it’s good to see you doing so well. Had my doubts about your recovery for a while there.”

  “Thanks, Pete. I guess you weren’t the only one who th
ought that. I just hope it won’t be too long before I can get out of this bed and pull my weight again.”

  “With the care your wife is giving you, I’m sure it’ll be sooner than you think.”

  Cord watched him climb out of the wagon and let his words sink into his mind. He was right. Ulla had been wonderful to look after him as she had. He wondered if she did it because she cared enough to do so, or if it was because she needed him.

  Talking with Pete had tired him more than he thought it would and he began to feel drowsy. His mind began to drift. Though I hope she’s nursing me because she cares, I’m pretty sure it’s because she needs me for this trip. As he drifted off to sleep, he muttered, “Maybe it’s a little of both and that gives me hope for our future together.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The children had fallen asleep and Ulla was sure Cord was close to it. She wasn’t so sure about herself. Now that they’d made the decision to pull out of the wagon train and settle in Winton Crossing, she should feel more relief, but for some reason she didn’t. What if Cord decided it wasn’t what he really wanted? What if he blamed her for encouraging him to abandon the idea of going to Oregon when he realized he didn’t like this small Wyoming town? Of course she knew it was the thing for him right now. Traveling farther could cause permanent damage to his already bruised and battered body, but would he remember that when he was well and able to do the things he wanted or needed to do again?

  Yes, Mr. Pruitt said if they changed their minds and wanted to go on further west, they could join the next wagon train that came by. And according to him, there would be several in the next month or so. Then more would come through the following year. Surely they would know if they were satisfied to live in Winton Crossing by then.

  Glancing toward him in the dark, she wanted to reach out and touch him, but stopped herself. She was next to his uninjured side, but she was afraid she’d wake him and wonder why she was so close. She risked moving a little closer to him and was surprised when he whispered, “Can’t you sleep, Ulla?”

  “I’ll eventually go to sleep.”

  “Are you upset because I agreed with Pete that we should leave the wagon train?”

  “Not at all. I just know when I first met you, you said you intended to go to Oregon and now we’re going to live in Wyoming. I want to be sure it’s what you really want to do.”

  “What I wanted all along is to get away from Atlanta and start a new life with my children. I chose Oregon because that is where the wagon trains seemed to be headed. Wyoming Territory seems to be a good place, too. According to Pete, it can be a nice little town with some work. It will be as easy to start over here as it will be in Oregon.”

  “Then, if you’re happy about the change, so am I.”

  She felt his hand touch her shoulder. “If you’re always going to be this agreeable with my decisions, then we’re going to have a long happy marriage.”

  She laughed. “Oh, Cord. You can’t always count on my agreeing with you about everything. I can get pretty opinionated at times.”

  He let go of her hand and the next thing she knew he’d slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. “I wouldn’t want you any other way, Ulla.”

  “I’m glad, because I probably won’t be changing a lot.”

  He chuckled and squeezed her a little tighter. “If I wasn’t in such bad shape, I’d … well, never mind. We’ll discuss some other time.”

  Ulla bit her lip. Was he inferring what she thought he was? Dare she say something to let him know she understood? Why not? “Maybe you won’t be in bad shape much longer.”

  “It sounds like you might be ready to be married to me in more ways than just in name.” When she didn’t say anything, he asked, “How about it? Will you be my wife in all ways, Ulla?”

  She took a deep breath. “Yes, Cord. I’m ready to be your wife.”

  “That gives me more incentive than Saul’s pills. I’m going to start getting well in a hurry.”

  “I’m glad I inspire you.”

  He pulled her closer and she cuddled against him. She was getting sleepy, but a thought crossed her mind. “May I ask you something, Cord?”

  “You can ask me anything.”

  “Tell me about that birthmark on your hip.”

  “How did you know about that?”

  “I helped Naomi change a bandage on it earlier today.”

  “Something about that doesn’t seem fair.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve seen my hip and I’ve never seen yours.”

  She blushed, but knew he couldn’t see her. “Seems fair to me. Now tell me about the birthmark.”

  “Not much to tell. My dad had one and so did my brother. Dad told us it was the mark of the Dermott men. Why did you want to know about it, anyway?”

  “Have you ever looked at Will’s hip?”

  “No. Why should I?”

  She chuckled. “You’d have saved yourself some agony and questions about your son if you had.”

  “Why…wait a minute. Are you saying Will has a birthmark on his hip?”

  “Yes, Cord, I am. I guess that means he has the mark of the Dermott men, too.”

  “Then that proves….”

  “Yes, Cord. It proves beyond doubt that you’re Will’s birth father.”

  He was silent for a moment, then said, “I’m pleased to know he is my natural son because that means there’s no doubt who fathered him. You may not believe this, Ulla, but it doesn’t make me love him any more than I already do. When I saw him on that limb about to plunge to his death, I knew I loved him as much as any father ever could love their child.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way because he sure loves you.”

  Cord tilted her head toward his and kissed her. “I swore I’d never love another beautiful woman as long as I lived, but I was so wrong. I love you, Ulla. I think I fell in love with you the moment you popped up from behind that counter in Wingate’s Store and looked at me with those beautiful green eyes.”

  “Oh, Cord. I had feelings for you the instant I looked into your chest and let my eyes drift to your handsome face. I just wouldn’t admit it because I thought you were a married man.”

  “Oh, Ulla. I can’t wait until I can make love to my wife.” He kissed her again. This time with more passion. He then let out a groan.

  “Slow down, my husband. You know you have to heal before things can go any further between us.”

  “I know, but maybe Saul has some kind of magic pill that will make me heal faster.”

  Ulla giggled, kissed his cheek, then snuggled down with her head on his right shoulder. “I’ll ask the doctor tomorrow, my love. Now relax and let’s go to sleep.”

  “Relax, she says, when all I want to do is …”

  “I know what you want to do, but it’s impossible at this moment. Now let’s try to get some rest. We’ll be moving to our new home tomorrow.”

  “If you insist.” He pulled her tighter.

  Ulla smiled into the dark, glad she didn’t say what she was thinking because she couldn’t wait until his injuries healed, either.

  Epilogue

  Stuart Roberson walked into the bank with a stack of letters in his hand. “Wilbur, let Henry take care of the customers and come into my office for a minute, please.”

  Wilbur looked surprised and a little confused, but only nodded and followed his boss.

  In the office, Stuart said, “Sit down. This won’t take long.”

  “Have I done something wrong, Mr. Roberson?”

  “Of course not, Wilbur, and I thought we agreed that you’d call me Stuart.”

  Wilbur visually relaxed. “Yes, we did. I’m sorry.”

  “No need to be sorry.” He waved a letter in the air. “I heard from Ulla and I was sure you’d want to hear what she had to say.”

  “I absolutely would. How is she?”

  “I haven’t read the letter yet, so we’ll find out toget
her.” He ripped open the letter and began to read aloud.

  Dear Papa Stuart,

  I hope this letter finds you well and still prospering in your bank.

  I promised to let you know how things are going with me when we were settled for good. My family and I decided to build our home in Wyoming instead of Oregon. Pete Nettleton had heard about a good little town in the territory and he was right. Cord was injured and traveling became hard for him so we branched off the wagon train and settled in the nice little town of Winton Crossing. Though it had been through a devastating storm, the people there had strong beliefs that it would build back up and become a prosperous place again. They were right. Moving here was a good decision for us. We took the wheels off our wagon and planned to live in it until we could build a house. Then, as if it was destined, the couple who ran the small store in town decided they were getting too old to rebuild and run the business any longer. I was thrilled when they decided to sell because you know how much I enjoyed running the store in Independence.

  When I decided to buy the place, I told Cord about my money. As I expected, he refused to see it as ours. He said he wanted to provide for his wife and children and had enough for us to live on. It took a lot to convince him to use any of my money, but after I assured him I’d let him pay me back, he relented and we bought the store. After acquiring the store, we didn’t have to build a house right away. There were three rooms upstairs that worked perfectly for us for a while, though Cord is building a home for us on the street behind the store as I write this letter. He says he doesn’t want to raise our children without a yard for them to play in. Though I loved living in our little apartment with him and the children, I admit I’m looking forward to our house.

  I know you had no way of knowing, but Cord worked for a newspaper in Atlanta. He has bought the building next door to the store and is working on opening a newspaper office for our town. Everyone here is excited about it. I was pleased that he insisted on putting a door in his building connecting it to the store, in case I need him.

  Two other families and the Nettletons have settled here, too and we’re very pleased by that. Ivy has opened a sweet shop down the street and as I’m sure you can guess, she has a booming business. They didn’t want to accept a loan from me to do it, but I insisted and they’ve had no trouble paying me back. Cord says the best part of the deal is that Ivy insists that she give us a cake or pie each week as interest on the money. And would you believe, Pete has been elected sheriff? Though most people know about his past, it didn’t seem to matter after he caught an outlaw trying to steal from some of the people whose houses were partially torn up. The townspeople love him and of course their son, Joe, is as proud of his father as he can be. I’m sure their four-month-old daughter will be just as proud when she grows up.