Forsaken Falls

by Shirleen Davies

  Had it been nothing more than wild animals? “I’m sorry. I thought someone followed me.”

  “Nora, don’t ever be sorry about feeling as if you’re in danger. You did the right thing. Don’t doubt it. Now, let me take Sugar and cool her down while you get to the shop.”

  She felt foolish for overreacting, but was grateful for Noah’s kind gesture. “Thank you. I’ll be back for her this afternoon.”

  Hurrying down the boardwalk, she passed the jail, general store, and bank before entering the shop. Allie sat at the sewing machine near the back, her head down as she concentrated on another dress for Ruby or one of her girls.

  “Good morning, Allie.” Removing her hat, she set it on a counter, along with her lightweight coat and reticule.

  Her heart rate had settled down on the walk from the livery, and she now felt certain Noah had figured out the mystery. Elk or other large animals may have been following or grazing not far off the trail. Even so, she knew they could be as dangerous as people. From now on, she’d make sure to ride to town and back with Gabe or Lena.

  “Good morning. There’s coffee on the stove.” Allie nodded to a corner where the pot sat on top of the wood stove. “Ruby and her ladies will be in late this afternoon to pick up the second order of dresses. There are only a few to finish.”

  Nora’s eyes widened. “I don’t know how I could’ve forgotten today is Friday.”

  “I also wanted to remind you I’m closing tomorrow to help decorate and get food ready for the party.”

  Nora’s brows scrunched together. “What party?”

  “You remember. The one for the mail order brides. It’s at the church tomorrow night.”

  Nora shook her head. “I don’t know how I could’ve forgotten.”

  “Don’t fret about it. You’ve had a lot to think about this week. Oh, and I’m going to close the shop from noon to two this afternoon. We’re having lunch with Lena, Abby, and Suzanne.”

  Nora cocked her head to the side. “Are you certain? I can keep the shop open while you go.”

  “Absolutely not. We’ve been working way too many hours and deserve some fun. Besides, we’re going to talk about the final details of the party. I know you want to be involved.”

  Although she didn’t have a lot of experience, Nora loved helping with parties and soirées. She’d been in charge of all social gatherings while working at the school in Pennsylvania.

  “Then we’ll get everything ready for Ruby before we close.”

  Walking to the closet where Allie kept the dresses ready for buttons and hems, she began work. Within minutes, she forgot all about her adventure on the trail…and the man whose image kept her up at night, inspiring her fantasies.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Wyatt rode the horse around the corral, repeating the same commands over and over until the gelding responded without hesitation. This animal wouldn’t be part of the growing number of government contracts. The horse underneath him would be used on the ranch by an experienced cowhand who required an animal capable of much more than those purchased by the U.S. Cavalry.

  The easier the training became, the more Wyatt found his thoughts wandering to Nora. He kept trying to rein them in, shove the image from his head, having little success. Her beautiful face, glassy eyes searching his, was with him no matter what he did or how tired he became. Long hours working with the horses did nothing to stop the ache in his chest or pounding in his head.

  “You almost done, Jackson? The horse looks like he’s had enough.” Travis rested his arms on the top rail of the corral, a smirk on his face. He hadn’t yet resumed his work with the horses and wouldn’t until his leg healed. Dax and Luke had been insistent neither he nor Sam return to their chores until one of the doctors gave his approval.

  “We’re finished.” Slowing their pace, guiding the horse toward where Travis watched, he reined to a stop.

  “Looks to be a good one.”

  “He’ll stay here, Travis. We’ll put him in the remuda until he’s needed.” Dismounting, he removed the saddle, then led the gelding to an adjacent corral. “I figure we have maybe four more like him, better suited for ranch work than roaming the frontier.”

  “Luke and Dax will be real pleased with what you’ve done, Wyatt.” Travis scratched his chin. “Can’t say as I’ve ever seen anyone get the job done as well as you.”

  Lifting a brow, Wyatt looked at him. “The doc still injecting you with morphine?”

  Travis chuckled, shaking his head. “You know I don’t hold with that rubbish. Makes my head spin.”

  Wyatt shook his head. “I think it’s still spinning.”

  Travis walked toward him. “I mean it, Wyatt. You’ve been blessed with a special touch when it comes to horses. Billy, Walt, and me did all right before you came. And Sam’s going to grow into a real fine horseman someday. But you’ve got a talent that’s hard to learn. I’m glad you decided to come work here instead of taking a deputy job with Gabe.”

  Wyatt shrugged. Talking right now didn’t appeal to him any more than it had since he’d last seen Nora. Closing the corral gate, he lifted the saddle, slinging the bridle on top. Late Friday afternoon and another night sitting inside with the men, eating supper, playing cards, and thumbing through the burnt remains of his one remaining book. Maybe after he finished work tomorrow, he’d ride to town and pay a visit to the general store. Stan Petermann might have a few dime novels stashed away under the counter—unless Nora had already purchased his entire stock.

  If she’d agree to speak with him, maybe he could beg some off her. It would give Wyatt a way to fill his time and an excuse to see her. Although he didn’t need more of an excuse than he already had. Nora owed him a few minutes to say his piece, the same as she’d said hers.

  What she believed about herself tortured Wyatt. He’d repeated their conversation over and over, concluding someone had destroyed the vision she had of herself. The image Nora presented to others showed her as confident and sophisticated, a woman comfortable with her life. What she shared with him told another story, and he meant to find out why.

  “It’s going to be hard to get her alone, JW. We spooked her. Now she won’t leave the house without someone along.” Derrick knelt by the fire, tossing in more wood.

  The men didn’t like being sent back home, had stalled a few days before accepting JW and Derrick no longer wanted their help. After they’d ridden out, the two had established a new camp a mile from Gabe’s house.

  JW hunched down a few feet from Derrick, sipping stale coffee, wincing at the taste. “We continue to watch her. There will be a time she’s alone. That’s when we’ll take her.”

  “It could be weeks, maybe months before she rides out alone again. If we knew something about her, we might be able to figure a way to lure her out.”

  JW stared into the fire as he considered Derrick’s words. Scrubbing a hand down his weary face, he nodded.

  “Tomorrow, we ride into town. No one knows us out here. They have no idea who we are or our connection to the shootings and fire. The woman rides in each day and back at sunset, which means she’s working somewhere in a town the size of a few short blocks.” Standing, JW crossed his arms. “We’ve been going about this all wrong. What we need to do is study her habits each day, find out when she’s alone, then take her.”

  Derrick pushed to his feet, brushing dirt off his pants. “Seems better than what we’ve been doing, which is sitting around, waiting. We’ll find a place to stay and eat some real food.”

  “We’ve never talked about where we’ll take her.”

  Derrick looked at JW, his gaze narrowing. “I thought we were going to hide her in one of the caves west of the Pelletier ranch.”

  Shaking his head, JW paced around the fire, his hands clasped behind him. “Too far away. We need a place closer to town.”

  “If that’s what you want, we should find a place before taking the woman. Get it stocked with food and supplies.”

  JW con
tinued to pace back and forth beside the fire, mumbling to himself as much as speaking to Derrick. “While we’re watching for her, we’ll look for some place to hide out. An abandoned cabin or homestead close to town, but out of the way enough they won’t search for her there.” He looked at Derrick. “At least not for a few days. Long enough to lure Jackson to us.”

  “We’re not killing the woman, right, JW? Jackson is why we came. We take care of him and let her go.”

  JW glanced away. “I’ll make no promises until we get Jackson.”

  “But—”

  “No promises, Derrick. Now, get some sleep. We pack up camp and head to town in the morning. With luck, we’ll learn what we need to know about the woman before evening.”

  Saturday’s chores seemed to drag. On a normal day, Wyatt looked forward to working with the horses. Today, he wanted to finish, clean up, and put on one of the new shirts Nora bought him.

  “Time to put the horse out, Wyatt. Dax and Luke want to give all of us time to clean up before heading to town.” Mal walked to the fence and climbed on the bottom rail, resting his arms on the top.

  Riding toward him, Wyatt pulled back on the reins, pleased with the horse’s reaction. “Is something going on in town?”

  Mal snickered, shaking his head. “The ladies are having a party to introduce everyone to the four mail order brides. Seems as if they don’t realize all the single men already know about those young women coming to town. You plan to be there, don’t you?”

  He had no interest in the party, but it gave him a good excuse for being in town and seeing Nora. “Might as well.”

  A couple hours later, two wagons, a buggy, and a group of riders left the ranch for Splendor. Bull and Lydia volunteered to stay behind with Sam, as did a couple older ranch hands who looked forward to the solace of a quiet evening at the ranch. Bull and Dirk also posted a few guards around the perimeter, refusing to believe the potential danger had passed.

  Wyatt rode beside Travis, who refused to stay behind. He’d learned Isabella had been part of the planning committee and one of the women who’d been involved in bringing the young ladies to town. The continuing ache in his injured leg didn’t bother him as much as thinking about her being an unaccompanied widow at the shindig.

  Not long after leaving the boundary of the ranch, Tat and Johnny moved their horses up behind Wyatt and Travis.

  “Are you ever going to ask Isabella to marry you, Travis?”

  Wyatt could see Travis stiffen, even as the corners of his mouth lifted. “It’s not your business what my intentions are, Tat.”

  “Rightly so. Still, she’s a mighty fine-looking woman. Smart and kind, too.”

  Travis nodded, not looking over his shoulder at the ranch hand. “That she is.”

  “What I can’t figure is why she seems set on a crusty old trail hand like you.”

  A low chuckle escaped Travis’s lips. “I’ve been trying to figure out the same, Tat.”

  Wyatt listened, unable to help himself from thinking of the similarities between Nora and Isabella. Both were cultured, smart, beautiful, and attracted to a dirt poor cowhand. Up until last week, he would’ve been able to call her his lady. It wasn’t a secret how he felt about her, and most would say she felt the same about him.

  He had a lot of time to think about what he originally planned to tell Nora. They were the same reasons he believed Travis hadn’t asked Isabella to marry. Anyone with a brain could see how they felt about each other. She didn’t care at all about his social standing or the work he did, the same as Nora didn’t care about Wyatt’s status or the fact he worked with his hands.

  The anger in her voice didn’t surprise him. The low opinion of herself did. He doubted she’d ever shared her insecurities with anyone else, didn’t believe she realized how much she revealed about herself in a few painful sentences. Nora had been deeply hurt. She’d also done an excellent job of hiding it.

  As the men continued to banter back and forth about the party in town, Wyatt recalled his brief time with Nora on the path behind Gabe’s house. The fire he felt as he held her in his arms had been unexpected, exciting, and frightening. Before arriving for supper, he’d gone over and over the talk he’d planned. He hadn’t been prepared to go ahead with it after being alone with her.

  Instead, Wyatt had decided to be honest. He needed to let her know she deserved so much more than a man with a broken past and unsure future. His mistake had been telling her they needed to talk so soon after the passion they’d shared. They hadn’t done much, just a few kisses. Yet the desire he felt far surpassed anything he’d experienced with other women, convincing Wyatt how important she’d become. He now had to find a way to make her believe it.

  The party had already started when the Pelletiers and their men arrived. The pews had been repositioned along the sides of the room. Tables along one wall groaned from the weight of all the food prepared by local women.

  Three men played a fiddle, banjo, and piano in one corner, the area in front of them saved for those who wanted to dance. In another corner, four young women were surrounded by men. Wyatt recognized them as the prospective brides, the reason for the festivities.

  Although fetching, not one stirred his blood the same as Nora.

  Wyatt continued to stand by the entry, scanning the room for her. As the minutes ticked by, noticing Allie, Suzanne, and Abby, he felt his hopes fade. Then, from behind him, the sound of familiar voices drew his attention. Turning, he stilled as Gabe brought his buggy to a stop.

  Not allowing himself time to change his mind, Wyatt bounded down the church steps, stopping next to where Nora sat on the second seat, her back turned to him as she spoke with Jack.

  “May I help you down, Nora?”

  Whirling around to face him, her mouth dropped open before she controlled her reaction. “Good evening, Mr. Jackson.”

  She looked down at his outstretched hand, taking her time to decide whether or not to touch him. He wouldn’t blame her if she refused. As he hoped, her gracious nature won the battle he saw raging on her face. Placing her hand in his, she allowed him to help her to the ground. Straightening her dress, she squared her shoulders.

  He offered his arm. “May I escort you inside?”

  “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” Brushing past him, she hurried up the steps before he could form an objection. Feeling a hand on his arm, Wyatt looked down to see Lena beside him.

  “Give her time. I know she wants to speak with you.”

  Wyatt shook his head. “Not from what I’m seeing.”

  She offered him a sympathetic smile. “Nora is an extremely private person. From the little she told me, I gather whatever she shared with you hadn’t been planned.”

  He nodded. “What do you suggest?”

  “That depends, Wyatt. What are your intentions?” She glanced at Gabe, motioning for him to take Jack inside. Looking back at Wyatt, she crossed her arms. “Well?”

  Shoving his hands into his pockets, he shifted from side to side, letting out a breath. “I care about her.”

  “Uh-huh.” Lena continued to stare at him.

  “A good deal,” he muttered, not meeting her gaze.

  “Do you see Nora as the woman you could spend your life with?”

  He glanced up, her question startling him.

  “If you don’t, it may be best to let whatever happened between you settle for a while. Don’t give her hope for something that will never be.”

  Lifting her skirts, Lena walked up the steps, glancing over her shoulder at him before stepping into the church.

  Staying outside, he thought of what she asked. Wyatt already thought of Nora as much more than a friend, wanting her with an intensity he’d never known. Thoughts of her with someone else caused a deep burning sensation in his chest.

  Did he love her? He didn’t know. For now, Wyatt would settle for time alone with Nora and the opportunity to explain what she hadn’t given him the chance to on Sunday. At this momen
t, it was all he could be sure about.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Nora didn’t spare him a glance. She moved about the room, speaking with other men and women, dancing several times. Wyatt’s jaw clenched each time she danced past him without looking in his direction.

  “Wyatt?” Abby Brandt touched his arm, forcing his attention away from Nora.

  Clearing his throat, he nodded. “Good evening, Mrs. Brandt.”

  “I thought we agreed you’d call me Abby.”

  Doing his best to keep his gaze from returning to Nora, Wyatt sighed. “Yes, we did. How are you?”

  “Doing well. I don’t believe you’ve met Miss Tabitha Beekman.” She motioned for the young woman to step forward. “Tabitha, this is Mr. Wyatt Jackson. He works for Dax and Luke Pelletier.”

  His gaze moved over her. Tabitha’s soft brown hair was clipped at the back of her neck. Her golden caramel eyes were wide, her smile tentative and unaffected. Petite with enough curves to draw a man’s attention, she stared up at him, hands clasped in front of her. He found himself staring a moment longer than intended.

  “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Jackson.”

  “The pleasure is mine, Miss Beekman.”

  Abby looked between the two of them. “I mentioned to Tabitha about you training horses. Her family bred and trained horses before the war.”

  His features softened as he offered her a warm smile. “Is that so, Miss Beekman?”

  “Why, yes. My father was quite well known for providing horses for the Freehold Raceway in New Jersey.” She spoke in a soft, wistful voice.

  “Do you still ride?”

  “I did before traveling west. I’ve yet to have a chance in Splendor.”

  “Perhaps you’d be able to take her on a ride sometime, Wyatt. I’d be happy to bring her to the ranch when I come for a visit.”

  Wyatt looked at Abby, knowing her intent at introducing Tabitha to him. Under different circumstances, he might be tempted to get to know the young woman better. He guessed her to be not quite five-foot-three, with a creamy complexion, pert button nose, and full mouth. She was a very attractive woman.