by Cat Cahill
How dare Sebastian put her in harm’s way. How dare he make her do something she didn’t want to do. He’d put an end to this if it was the last thing he did.
The urge to act became unbearable, and he could wait no longer. He nudged the horse into motion and emerged from behind the smattering of trees that sat on the north side of the hill. Maggie and the men were just ahead, and it took only a few seconds before they noticed his appearance.
Sebastian’s hand immediately went to the gun at his side, while the other man—Smith—quickly raised a rifle. Isaac tensed, ready to pull his own revolver if it was needed. But a moment later, his brother reached out and pushed the barrel of the other man’s weapon down. Isaac let out a tense breath. At least he wouldn’t need to decide whether or not he could shoot his own brother.
“Isaac!” Sebastian greeted him warmly, as if he hadn’t forced his own sister-in-law into aiding him. “I thought you might come to your senses.”
Isaac stopped just abreast of him, not failing to notice the way Smith drew closer to Maggie’s horse. His eyes went immediately to her. His wife. She seemed relieved to see him, but her gaze then darted to Sebastian as a look of confusion, quickly followed by anger, took over her face.
“I’m not here for you. I came to see why you have my wife.” Isaac’s fingers twitched on the reins. He wanted to push his brother off that horse and show Sebastian exactly how he felt.
“You owed me,” Sebastian said. “I’m collecting a debt.”
“Owed you? I’ve spent my life—my entire life—keeping you alive.” Fury raced through Isaac’s veins, hot and fast.
Sebastian had the gall to grin at him. “You overestimate your own importance, brother. You backed out of our deal, I was short a man, and then, out of nowhere, this lovely woman arrives and offers to take your place.”
“You lied to me,” Maggie interjected, her hands balled into fists around the reins of her horse. “You told me you were keeping Isaac against his will.”
She had done this for him. The knowledge hit Isaac in the heart like a cannonball. He wanted to take her into his arms right then and tell her how foolish she was all at the same time.
“I did what was necessary,” Sebastian said, his eyes on Isaac. “Mrs. Trenton here is going to help us flag down the train. No one can resist a woman in distress.”
“She’ll be doing no such thing.” Isaac ground out the words between his teeth. “I’m done with this, Sebastian. You do as you choose, but you’ll leave me and my wife out of it.”
“That isn’t how this works.” Sebastian’s smile was gone now, replaced with something dark and furious. “You backed out on me.”
“After I found out you’d lied about there being guards on that train. I only agreed to keep you from getting shot.” Isaac nudged his horse forward, forcing Smith aside and reaching for Maggie’s reins. “We’re leaving now.”
“You ain’t,” Smith said as soon as Isaac’s back was turned, and Isaac knew without looking the man had raised his rifle again.
Isaac closed his eyes briefly, halted the horses, and then turned. Smith—the man Isaac had known for four years, the one he’d pushed out of the way of a bullet a righteous stage passenger had discharged last summer—pointed that rifle at him as if he had all intentions of shooting Isaac right there.
Isaac held the man’s gaze for a moment, his breath shallow. The man wouldn’t dare. But if Sebastian was desperate, there was no telling if Smith felt the same way. Isaac dragged his eyes from Smith to his brother. Sebastian sat there, watching him. His gaze darted quickly to Maggie and then back again to Isaac.
Finally, he spoke. “Let them go.”
Isaac didn’t breathe until Smith lowered the gun.
“If you want to live a dull life, chasing after cattle and mending fences like Pa did, be my guest, Isaac. Just don’t expect to join up with us again when you get bored.” Sebastian looked at Isaac as if he felt sorry for him.
Isaac could have laughed, but a rumbling in the distance drew his attention to the north.
Sebastian turned quickly, scanning the horizon. “We’re going to have to run for it.”
That was foolish, not to mention dangerous, racing along with the train to haul themselves up onto it. As much as he was done with Sebastian and his choices, he certainly didn’t want to see his brother dead. One last, most likely futile attempt to dissuade him flitted across Isaac’s mind.
“When I couldn’t find Maggie, I telegraphed the sheriff in Cañon City,” he said.
Sebastian couldn’t have looked more stunned if the train had pulled up alongside and shoved the payroll out at his feet.
“I didn’t use names, but you might want to ride on. I imagine he’s got a whole posse on that train.” It was a lie, all of it. But if it saved Sebastian’s life, Isaac didn’t care.
Sebastian’s face contorted from surprise to anger. “I’ll never forgive you for this.”
“You don’t need to.” With that, Isaac handed Maggie her reins and nudged his horse to the south.
Chapter Twenty-one
Maggie followed Isaac past the hill where the other men in Sebastian’s gang waited. After they passed, she dared a look backward. Sebastian and Smith had appeared around the hill and were turning their horses toward the trees.
A great breath shuddered through her. Isaac had found her. She was safe. He was unhurt. And now it seemed that Sebastian was mad enough to avoid them altogether in the future.
The future . . . Isaac had to be angry that he had to come search for her. If she’d stayed at home like he’d insisted the first time she’d gone off on her own, neither one of them would have been in such a dangerous position.
She pulled up alongside of him as the horses trotted along. His jaw was set in such a way that he didn’t appear happy at all, and he didn’t turn to look at her. Any little last shred of hope she held vanished. No matter her own opinion on remaining here as his wife, he would almost certainly drive her to Cañon City on Saturday, annul their marriage, and put her on the train himself.
Tears stung her eyes as the rumbling grew imminent and the train rushed past them, unmolested, with everyone onboard unaware of what might have happened. Maggie was never one to cry much, but Isaac’s rejection was all-consuming. She tried to blink away the tears as she looked away toward the creek and the mountains to the west. She’d miss that view. She’d miss everything about this valley—the quiet sunrise, the greens and browns of the grasses and sage, the way the Sangres seemed to pierce the sky . . . and Isaac.
She closed her eyes as the wave of longing washed over her. Perhaps if she committed every moment they’d spent together to memory, it would ease the days to come. The way he’d run his hand through his hair when he was flustered or frustrated; how he’d insisted on calling her Mrs. Trenton; how he seemed to fill up the house with his very presence. The impish look he’d had when he’d rescued her hat by the creek, and the way he watched her when he thought she wasn’t looking, as if he’d been longing for her his entire life.
Despite all that, he’d made it perfectly clear she wasn’t the woman he’d sent for, and she’d pushed his boundaries over and again, finally putting them both into so much danger that it felt a miracle they were both still alive. She supposed she could accept Mr. Etter’s proposal in Plainfield as soon as Isaac had their marriage annulled. It wouldn’t be a happy life, but at least she’d be provided for.
But she’d never forget him.
Maggie stifled a sob and gripped the reins harder, trying to force the emotions down.
Isaac drew up suddenly next to a single pine. Maggie fought to scrub the evidence of tears from her face, but it was no use. One look at her and Isaac frowned. He dismounted and reached up to help her down. The feel of his strong hands around her waist was the last thing Maggie needed. She bit down hard on her lip to keep from falling apart entirely.
Isaac tied the horses to the pine as Maggie stared down the endless railroad tracks, the tele
graph wires swooping between poles until the two were indistinct in the distance. She didn’t know why he’d stopped, and she almost wished they’d just keep riding until they arrived in Cañon City. She may as well face the future as soon as possible.
“Maggie?” His hand curled around hers. He’d removed his gloves. In her great haste to leave yesterday, Maggie had left hers behind. It wasn’t unlike her, but now she wished she had them. They would’ve protected her heart from the warmth of Isaac’s calloused palm against her own hand.
She kept her gaze fixed resolutely on the tracks. If she faced him now, she’d either need to hear his verdict or she’d break down in front of him—and neither was particularly desirable.
But when he reached up and gently pressed his fingers to her cheek to turn her head toward him, she was helpless to look away. His dark eyes seemed to turn to the color of melted chocolate in the noon sun, and the muscles in his jaw twitched as he took in her face. God had certainly blessed her with a handsome husband, even if she didn’t get to keep him.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said, his voice cracking. “I never thought Sebastian would stoop to that level. He was angrier about my leaving than he’d let on. If I’d known . . .” He swallowed hard, not finishing the thought.
Maggie stared at him. He was apologizing to her? Words rushed up, spilling out of her mouth so quickly she barely had time to comprehend what she was saying. “I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have left. You told me, and I thought I knew better, and, oh, Isaac, when Sebastian said they were keeping you against your will, I knew I’d do anything to free you. I couldn’t let you be drawn into that life again, not when you wanted out so badly. But I never should have been there. If I’d stayed at the house like you’d told me, neither of us would have been in such danger, and—” Another traitorous sob choked back any other words she might have said, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force it away.
The lightest touch of Isaac’s fingers traced her cheek, and her eyes fluttered open.
The way he looked at her . . . it wasn’t with anger, but with something approaching reverence. His thumb stroked the skin at the corner of her eye, wiping away a tear that had escaped. She wanted to lean into his touch, but she didn’t dare. Not when she could hardly believe the look on his face.
“My Maggie,” he said, and her heart nearly cracked open right there.
Instead, she rushed into his embrace, as she’d wanted to since the moment she’d laid eyes on him when he’d appeared from the trees. His arms wrapped around her, holding her to his chest. He leaned his face into her hair, most of which had fallen down in tendrils, and he whispered again, “My Maggie.”
They were both silent for a moment, until he finally raised his head and moved her away just far enough to see her face. He’d called her his, but she still didn’t dare hope . . .
“I’ll go,” she finally said, summoning courage she didn’t know existed. “If I return, you can find the sort of woman you wanted.”
His frown deepened. “You wish to leave?”
She drew in a shuddering breath and forced her shoulders back, even as he still held her. “I will. If that’s what you want . . .”
Isaac closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head. “It’s not what I want at all. I won’t presume to keep you here if it isn’t what you want, especially after what happened. But Maggie . . . I . . . I want you here as my wife so badly I can’t think straight at times.”
She forgot how to breathe as his hands tightened around her arms. It was as if he thought she might take off and leave right this moment.
“I don’t want to go,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
He stared at her a half second before smiling. “Are you certain?”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything.” She raised a tentative hand to his face, trying to convince herself this was actually happening, that he was real and here and—it seemed—hers. “I promise to try to think before I act in the future.”
He laughed before growing more serious again. He clasped his other hand against hers, which was still resting on his face, and drew it down between them. “I believe I love you, Maggie Trenton. I promise to keep you safe from danger. I don’t ever want you to worry about Sebastian—or anyone else—again.”
The warmth in his words flooded through her, until it felt as if there were a cozy fire nearby. “I believe I love you, too.”
He pulled her to him, pausing for just a moment before kissing her. Maggie thought she might crumble when his lips met hers. His hands went to her face, as if he were afraid she might back away. But she wouldn’t—she’d be there for him always. She knew that with all her heart. Instead, she pressed herself even further into him, until she’d lost all sense of where they were, what time it was, or anything else that no longer mattered.
When Isaac finally pulled back—just far enough to catch his breath—his stomach rumbled.
She leaned back and grinned at him. “Perhaps I’ll make you a fruit cobbler. I know a recipe.”
He grimaced slightly, and she laughed when she saw it.
“I’ll eat anything you make,” he said valiantly. “Now let’s go home.”
She’d never heard such happy words in her life.
Epilogue
Two months later . . .
Sunlight streamed through the framed ceiling as Isaac took Maggie’s hand. The little church was only partially built, but it was enough to hold a simple marriage ceremony with a handful of guests. The minister, who had only just arrived in the growing town the week before, spoke the words Maggie had been longing to hear, but she had eyes only for her husband.
When Isaac had suggested having another ceremony—with both of them present this time—Maggie had been delighted. She’d worked quickly to finish a new skirt and bodice. It was a simple calico with sprigs of yellow flowers set against a white background. Isaac had purchased her a yellow ribbon, and with that, she’d refreshed a hat to match the ensemble. After all of that effort, the waist of the skirt had already grown tight, and she was thankful the ceremony was today.
Isaac looked especially handsome in a suit Maggie hadn’t seen before. He held her hands as he repeated the marriage vows, and all Maggie wanted to do was fling herself into his arms. She didn’t think she would ever tire of his arms around her.
After Maggie said her vows to Isaac, they exchanged the rings Isaac had purchased in Cañon City. The minister pronounced them man and wife, and Isaac lowered his face to hers. When their lips met, Maggie tightened her grip on his arms. His kisses still made her lightheaded, and if she didn’t hold tight, she feared she would topple over once he stepped back.
Their few guests—Pete and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Drexel from the mercantile, and the Hills, who were their neighbors to the north—congratulated them. Maggie only wished Ivy could have been here to share her joy, but perhaps tomorrow she would take the time to sit and pen a letter with every detail so it would feel as if Ivy hadn’t missed a thing.
The noon sun shone cheerfully outside, just as it had inside, as Isaac led Maggie to the buckboard. With spring finally in full bloom in the valley, wildflowers erupted in yellows, blues, and purples across the waving strands of green grass and silvery sagebrush. The mountains added the finishing touch, arcing to the bright blue sky with white snow still on their caps. The entire scene was so beautiful, Maggie couldn’t imagine a more perfect day or place for a wedding.
After he’d hitched the horses to the wagon and helped Maggie up into her seat, they set off north, back to the ranch. The little town had started to grow as the spring had worn on. A few finished buildings sat here and there, while the frames of even more had sprouted. Up on the hill across the tracks, the hotel stood tall and proud, a small fountain bubbling in front of it as if the place had been mislaid from somewhere much more cosmopolitan.
“How did you like your wedding?” Isaac asked her as they left the last of the partially built businesses behind the
m.
Maggie turned to her husband, the yellow ribbons on her hat dancing in the breeze. “It was perfect.”
“Even though we could see the sky from inside the church?” he said with a grin.
“I wonder if they shouldn’t leave it like that,” she mused. “The church I attended at home was so dark and dreary inside. And it’s such a shame to close off the bright sky here. Although I suppose that wouldn’t be practical at all in the winter.”
Isaac laughed and gathered the lines in one hand. He reached over and placed the other on Maggie’s. She wrapped her fingers around his hand, reveling in the feel of how it fit against hers. Her husband. It was impossible to keep the smile from her face.
“I’m glad you’re happy,” he said.
She looked up at him, sitting easily against the wagon seat as if he had everything he wanted in the world. Little did he know, she was about to give him even more. “I am. Isaac, how do you feel about a few new pieces of furniture?”
He wrinkled his eyebrows. “What we have is new, but if it’s not to your liking—”
“Not to replace any pieces we already have, but to add to them. I believe we need to make that extra room next to the kitchen habitable.”
“Should we expect company?” he asked.
“In a way . . .”
Isaac pulled the horses to a stop alongside the railroad tracks and telegraph lines. Then he turned back to her, studying her face. “Are you saying . . .?”
Maggie grinned. “Our company will be very small and will require constant attention.”
He stared at her as if he couldn’t believe what she’d said. Then, hesitantly, he placed a hand on her stomach.
“It’s early yet, but I’m fairly certain.” She rested a hand over his against her stomach. Ivy had six younger siblings, and having often visited throughout the years, Maggie had seen Ivy’s mother experience the ups and downs of carrying a child. “What do you think?” she asked, as he was now staring at their hands on her stomach.
