The Unlikely Wife

by Debra Ullrick

Michael wondered if it would work for him, too. He’d give it a try when no one was around. After all, he didn’t want anyone to think he’d lost his mind by talking to the deceased.

  Suddenly Selina stopped her horse and jumped off.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Oh! Did you ever see anythin’ so beautiful before in your life?”

  He strained to see what she’d found so beautiful, but he didn’t see a thing.

  Selina squatted and when she stood, a caterpillar crawled up the length of her forefinger.

  That’s what she’d found so beautiful?

  “Can you believe the good Lord took the time to make each of these here caterpillars different? And iffen that weren’t enough, He turns them into beautiful butterflies, makin’ them even purtier.”

  Michael looked at the black hair on the caterpillar. Why hadn’t he ever noticed the fuzzy hair before? Or, for that matter, a caterpillar before? Seeing them through Selina’s eyes, the thing really was almost beautiful.

  “Wanna hold it?” She turned toward him and raised her finger upward.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Selina pressed her fingertip to his.

  The insect inched onto his finger and onto the back of his hand, tickling Michael’s skin. He had to admit, it really was something to see. He glanced to where she’d found it and then to Selina. “How did you ever see this minuscule thing from on top of your horse?”

  “Mini school?”

  “Sorry. Minuscule—small thing.”

  She gave a quick nod. “When you’re lookin’ for it, it’s easy.”

  “You were looking for a caterpillar?” Incredulousness filled his voice.

  “No.” She gazed upward into the tree. Michael’s gaze followed hers.

  “See that bird nest?”

  He strained, peering through the branches until he finally saw the small nest.

  “A long time ago, I learned there’s hidden treasures everywhere. You just gotta look for them. See that web?”

  “What web?”

  She pointed to it. Sunlight captured it in its spell, making the spider web glisten, revealing the intricate pattern. Why had he never noticed how uniform the web was? How silky it looked?

  He glanced around, wondering what other “treasures” he had missed because he’d never taken the time to look. A rush of excitement skittered through him. Maybe someday Selina could show him even more of the things he’d missed. Right now, though, he needed to hurry up and get a puppy so he could get back to work. “We’d better go.” He glanced at the insect still exploring his hand. “What do I do with this?”

  “You can let it loose on one of them leaves.”

  Michael leaned over and waited as it left his hand and crawled onto a large leaf.

  They mounted their horses and hurried to Jake’s house.

  Everything was quiet when they pulled into Jake’s yard. No dogs came to greet them.

  “Somethin’ wrong?” Selina stopped her horse next to his.

  “Shh.” He placed his finger to his lips. “Do you hear that?”

  Selina tilted her head. “The only thing I hear is a dog barkin’. Sounds mighty upset.”

  “Wait here. I’ll go see what’s going on.”

  “I’m comin’ with you.”

  Michael stopped Selina’s horse by grabbing a rein near the bit. “No. I want you to stay here. Until I know how bad it is, I want you to stay.”

  “I’m used to seein’ all kind of bad stuff. Nothin’ bothers me.”

  “You really are a stubborn little thing, you know that?” He let go of her horse. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “I won’t.”

  They wove their way through the fir trees.

  The barking got louder. At the top of the hill they looked down. Banjo, Jake’s dog, was next to his master’s body, which was lying face down at the bottom of the hill. The thin, loose rock was too dangerous to take the horses down, so Michael looked around for a safe place. “Let’s go around that way.”

  They followed the hill until they found a spot where they could safely go down. As they neared Jake, Banjo bared her teeth, growling low and menacing, placing herself between Jake and them.

  “It’s okay, Banjo. We’re here to help.”

  The dog stopped growling and tilted her head sideways.

  “You remember me, don’t you, girl?”

  Banjo dipped her head the opposite direction.

  Michael dismounted and so did Selina.

  He loosely wrapped the reins around a bush and took two steps toward Jake and stopped. “Wait here.” He glanced back at her. “Please?”

  She looked at the dog and nodded.

  Michael was grateful she listened to him this time. Unsure what Banjo would do, he didn’t want her getting hurt.

  He extended his hand toward the dog and slowly approached him, talking to her in a calm voice. When he reached Banjo, he let the dog sniff his hand. “I’m here to help him, girl.”

  Keeping his eye on the dog, which still looked uncertain, he slowly knelt beside Jake and laid a hand on him. His body was warm—he was alive. Michael eased Jake over onto his back.

  Blood and dirt covered one side of his face and forehead where a nasty cut oozed. “Jake, can you hear me?” Michael looked over at Selina standing near the horses. “Grab my water canteen from off my saddle.”

  Selina tied Macy’s reins to the same bush as Michael’s horse and grabbed his canteen. Michael turned his attention back onto Jake and continued to call the man’s name.

  She handed him the open canteen, then squatted on the opposite side of Michael.

  “That’s a mighty nasty cut he’s got there. I reckon he’s got a concussion.”

  Hearing her say the word concussion, he wondered how she’d ever learned such a big word.

  “We need to take him to his house so I can clean that up.” She examined the cut. “It’s deep. He’s gonna need stitches.”

  “I think what he needs is a doctor. Would you mind riding into town and getting Doctor Berg?”

  “No need for that. I can fix him up just fine.”

  “I know you can. What I’m concerned about is his unconscious state.” Michael laid his canteen against Jake’s lips and let the water run into the man’s mouth.

  Jake stirred and groaned.

  “Can you hear me, Jake?” Under his closed eyelids Michael could see Jake’s eyes shifting and rolling before they fluttered open.

  “Michael? What are you doing here?” he rasped. Jake started to sit up but stopped. He clutched his head and lay back onto the uneven ground.

  “I’m going to take you to your house, Jake. Do you think you can handle riding my horse?”

  Jake managed a nod. “Nice to see you again, Selina,” he slurred, then turned mocking eyes up at Michael. Remembering Jake’s jeering comments about Selina when he’d first met her, Michael darted a warning glance at the man.

  Jake turned a slow but cocky grin toward Michael. Even injured, he never stopped his jesting, only this time he’d done it with his eyes and his smirk-laden grin.

  Michael had half a mind to leave the man here.

  “We’d better get you to the house so I can clean that up.”

  “You ain’t touching me,” Jake groused.

  “I ain’t gonna leave you like this.” Selina stared at Jake.

  Michael knew that look well. It meant she was going to do what she was going to do and nothing or no one would stop her.

  Look out, Jake, he thought, then he remembered Jake telling him that he knew who would be wearing the pants in his family.

  Was Jake right?

  “Help me get him up, Michael.”

  Jake again sent him a smirk.

  “No. I say we just leave him here. I’m sure some bear or coyote needs something to eat for dinner tonight.” Michael stood and looked down at him.

  Jake’s eyes widened with fear. He glanced up at Selina, then back at Michael. “You heard
the lady,” Jake said, and no smirk covered his face this time.

  Selina and Michael helped put Jake atop Michael’s horse. Up the hill and to the house they went, Michael leading the way.

  Inside Jake’s house, they settled him onto his mattress.

  “What happened anyway?” Michael asked.

  “I heard the dogs barking and wolves howling. Figured the wolves were after Banjo’s pups, so I thought I’d take my shotgun and scare them off. Never got a chance, though. Went looking for Banjo’s puppies. Slipped on a piece of rock and tumbled down the hill. Last thing I remember was hitting my head on something hard.” His words were strained.

  “When was that?”

  “Before sunrise.” He rubbed his wound, staining his fingers with blood and dirt. “Don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come along. I’d still be down there.” He frowned, then flinched, then reached to touch the wound again, but Selina moved his hand away and placed it at his side. “Why did you two come over here anyway?”

  “To see if you had any more pups left.”

  “Oh. Had two females but they’re gone. I think the wolves got them or they’re running with them. Not even sure if that sort of thing happens, all I know is they’re gone.”

  Selina looked over at Michael. He was certain she was remembering the wolf pup. Again, he wanted to ease her heartbreak by getting her a puppy, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. Not today anyway. But he’d keep his ears open.

  Selina went about heating water, cleaning, stitching and bandaging Jake’s wound. “Want me to fetch Doc on account of that concussion?” she asked when she was done.

  “No. I’ll be fine. Had one before. He’ll just tell me to rest and to make sure someone wakes me up every so often.” Jake smiled, then grimaced.

  “Well, who’s gonna wake you and take care of you?” Her concern didn’t slip past Michael. He saw it in her eyes.

  “Could you stop by Tom’s on your way and see if he’ll let Dan come stay with me a couple of days?” he asked Michael.

  “Sure. If we’re going to do that, though, we’d better leave now,” he added to Selina.

  “I ain’t leavin’ here until I fix him some vittles first.”

  Michael’s gaze flew to Jake. He waited for the smirk, but it never came. In fact, Jake’s face was blank from shock, no doubt.

  “Thank you, Selina, for helping me.” He looked back at Michael. “That’s one fine woman you’ve got yourself there, buddy.”

  He knew Jake meant it, too.

  Through the green and gold clusters of tall, thin-bladed grass they headed for home. Mosquitoes buzzed and hovered around them, landing on their arms and faces. Selina kept swatting at them, trying to keep them away from her, but the little varmints were not to be stopped.

  Their horses swished their tails hard and fast, shifted their pointy ears and shook their heads trying to rid themselves of the pests, too, but they wouldn’t leave. “This sure is interestin’ grass. Has to be almost three feet tall. Does it have a name?”

  “It’s bunchgrass.”

  The stuff grew in bunches, but Selina wasn’t sure if Michael was teasing her or not. Judging from the serious look on his face, she reckoned he wasn’t.

  “Sorry about the puppy.”

  “Wasn’t meant to be I reckon.”

  “I’ll see if I can find you one somewhere else.”

  “Okay.” Her legs dangled as she rocked with the rhythm of the horse. Macy’s tail brushed against her pant leg as she continued to swat at not only the mosquitoes but also a huge fly that kept hanging round. “When we get back home, do you need help gettin’ things ready for tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. Earlier you said you had to get things ready for harvestin’ the wheat.”

  “Yes, I do. But there isn’t anything you can do to help.”

  “Oh. Well, I reckon I’ll rid the garden of weeds before I go see Rainee, then.”

  “Do you go there often?”

  “I do. I like Rainee. She’s good folk.”

  “She sure is.”

  “Rainee’s from the South, too, so how did she meet Haydon?”

  “She placed an advertisement for a husband and Jesse answered it.”

  “Jesse answered it? He’s been married to Hannah a long time. Why would he go and answer an ad for a wife?”

  “For Haydon.”

  “Huh? That don’t make a lick of sense.”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Well, we got time before we get back to the ranch.” She watched his chest rise and fall.

  “Rainee’s brother wanted to sell her to the neighbor man next door. A man who had murdered his wife.”

  Selina gasped. “That’s horrible. Why?”

  “He needed money. Anyway, Rainee found out and so she placed an ad and Jesse sent for her to be Haydon’s wife.”

  “Haydon know about it?”

  “No. Boy was he angry when he did find out. Haydon didn’t want anything to do with her, but then she rescued him and he fell in love with her. Now they’re happily married with another child on the way.”

  Leave it to a man to give the short version. She wanted to hear more, but she’d ask Rainee sometime instead.

  As they rode home in silence, one thing kept buzzing through Selina’s mind like the pesky mosquitoes around them. She knew for certain Michael really didn’t want anything to do with her, either, but he was stuck with her because they were married.

  If only their situation would turn out as well as Rainee and Haydon’s. She doubted it ever would, though. And that ripped the heart right out of her. Each day she spent with him, she loved him more and more. In fact, she’d fallen in love with him round about the fourth or fifth letter he’d sent her, and even coming here hadn’t changed that.

  They rode through the Bowen’s ranch yard to the barn. After taking care of her horse, Selina turned to Michael. “You want me to bring you some lunch out here or you wanna come home and eat?”

  “It would be great if you brought it here today. I have lots to do.”

  “I can do that. I’ll be back quicker than it takes to cook frog legs.”

  “Frog legs? You eat frog legs?” Michael’s eyes were wider than a purple ironweed bloom.

  She wondered if they had any ironweed around here. Sure helped a lot of stomach ailments and the pain after birthing a baby. “Sure do. They’re mighty tasty. Ain’t you had any before?”

  Michael’s hand shot up. “No. And I don’t ever plan on it, either. So don’t get any ideas about ever fixing me any, okay? Promise.”

  Selina giggled.

  “I don’t like the sound of that laugh.”

  He really looked worried now. She giggled harder.

  “Se-li-na. You said once you promised you wouldn’t go back on your word, so I’m pleading with you to promise me you won’t ever fix me frog legs.” He scrunched his handsome face as if that was the worst thing that could happen to him.

  Selina burst out laughing while Michael continued to look like a coon caught in a live trap.

  “I need to get busy. When you’re done laughing, would you bring me something to eat, please? And no frog legs, either.” He whirled, mumbling something about eating at his mother’s house from now on.

  She chuckled all the way to the house.

  While she threw together two roast beef sandwiches, she imagined what Michael’s face would look like if she really did serve him a helping of frog legs. For pure orneriness, she’d do it just to see. Nah. That would be too cruel.

  She wondered if he liked crawdad tails. Were there even any around here? She’d have to find out and fix him a plate of those. After all, he didn’t say anything about crawdad tails.

  Chapter Nine

  Selina stood on Rainee’s porch and knocked on the door.

  Footsteps drew nearer and it swung open. Selina blinked. A woman with red hair answered the door.

  “Is Rainee home?”r />
  “Yes, ma’am, she is. Won’t you please come in?”

  Selina stepped inside and looked around.

  “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” The tall woman who looked to be in her early twenties disappeared through the back door.

  The woman must be the maid Haydon had hired to help Rainee. She didn’t need a maid. Selina would be glad to help her.

  Voices drifted from the direction the woman had gone.

  Within minutes Rainee appeared, hair all sweaty, her calico sleeves rolled up and the front of her white apron soaked. “Hi, Selina.” Rainee waddled up to her and gave her a hug but was careful not to get too close. “Forgive my appearance. I have been helping Esther with the laundry.” Rainee pressed her finger to her lips. “Shhh. Must not tell Haydon, okay?” She giggled.

  “Should you be a doin’ that in your condition?”

  Rainee waved her off. “I feel fine. Truth is, I feel better when I am working than when I am not. Sometimes it is most vexing having a husband who will not allow me to do these things myself. But—” she sighed “—he loves me and is worried about me.”

  “You’re mighty lucky.”

  Rainee frowned, then turned toward Esther. “Esther, would you please fix us some tea and bring a few of the cookies we baked this morning?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And, Esther. There are only a few pieces of laundry left. Would you mind finishing them? And while you are outside hanging them, would you please keep an eye on the children? When you finish, please send the girls in and then you may go home, and I will pay you for the whole day.” Rainee smiled.

  The pretty woman’s big green eyes lit up. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “You are most welcome. And thank you, Esther, for all your hard work.”

  Esther’s face glowed. She turned and headed into the kitchen.

  Rainee motioned for them to head into the living room. As they sat across from each other, Rainee lowered her voice. “Is something wrong between you and Michael?”

  Selina didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to disgrace her husband, but it sure would be nice to have someone to talk to about it. Then Michael’s words from earlier came to mind. “Michael told me when you got here Haydon didn’t want you. Do you mind iffen I ask why?”