Emma's Dream

by Kimberly Grist

  “Nothing wrong with expressing your feelings. But we know Scotty is an honest man. When he gets back, I’m sure he will be able to give you an explanation.”

  Emma sighed. “I know he’s honest. I also know how much he hates disappointing people. Which is why he hasn’t told his pa he wants to quit his job as deputy and start training horses. What if he doesn’t love me?”

  Leaning back in his seat, Sam chuckled. “There’s a big difference in the way you talk to your parent compared to the way you speak to your sweetheart. You’ve known each other long enough that you can almost tell what the other is thinking. Am I right?”

  “Yes, Other than my family and Rebecca, I know Scotty better than anyone. Most of the time I can read his thoughts.”

  Sam leaned forward and patted her hand. “Because of your deep friendship, he knows you well enough not to tippy-toe around. If he has something to say, he’ll say it.”

  Chapter 16

  November 6, 1876

  Is it okay with you if we go back to me just praying again?

  Emma had to agree with Rebecca’s description of the landscape of green hills and crystal-clear water, a striking contrast to the mostly flat area around Carrie Town. The homestead, which was situated along a spring-fed creek, consisted of several outbuildings, and a two-story limestone barn that rivaled the beauty of the home. Their two-and-a-half storied house was crafted from local limestone and centrally located between the multiple structures.

  Upon entrance, Emma’s eyes were drawn to the cathedral ceilings framed with cypress. “It’s breathtaking.”

  Rebecca released the twins from her embrace. “While your pa is getting your bags, I want y’all to come upstairs with me. I can’t wait to show you and Emma your rooms. They are right next to mine.”

  The girls squealed with delight at Rebecca’s water closet and clawfoot tub. The tour of the newly constructed suite of rooms extended out to a balcony which overlooked a courtyard. A grim-faced Sam stood next to Rebecca’s father, Charles Mueller, who was grinning from ear to ear beside two ponies.

  Rebecca bit her lip. “Sam doesn’t look quite as pleased as my pa.”

  Emma covered her mouth. “Rebecca, did your father buy the girls ponies?”

  “No, they belong to my brothers. Since they have their own horses now, Papa thought the girls would enjoy them.” Rebecca watched as the girls made their way down the stairs.

  “Don’t worry, Sam will settle down once he knows your father hasn’t set out to spoil the girls rotten,” Emma said.

  “Oh, but he has. That is, unfortunately, the truth of it.” Rebecca shook her head and giggled. “Wait until Sam sees the riding outfits he’s ordered for them, including matching boots. His business partner’s son is starting out as a tailor but wants to specialize in suede and leather. Papa wants to have photos of the girls made and put them in the window for advertising.” Rebecca took Emma’s arm. “He did promise he would ask Sam’s permission. But I’m going to cast that particular worry aside right now because I want to show you a trunk I found, which belonged to my mother.”

  Emma followed Rebecca through the hall into a small room with slanted ceilings. A work table sat under a large window that flooded the room with light. Emma gasped at the numerous bolts of fabric lining a wall-to-wall shelf.

  “I ran across these bolts of discarded material as I was looking for my mother’s things. I’ve set several aside for you to pick from, but this is what I wanted you to see.” Rebecca knelt beside the large steamer trunk and opened the lid. She carefully lifted several yards of Brussels lace appliquéd on a net. “This was the veil my mother wore at her wedding. It was handmade by my great-grandmother. The design is Brussels point de gaze with bobbin lace.”

  Emma rubbed a corner piece of the fabric between her fingers. “Oh, it’s beautiful. I believe this is the prettiest veil I’ve ever seen.”

  “If you like, you can wear it at your wedding. It could be your something borrowed.” Rebecca squeezed Emma’s hand.

  “Oh, I would love to wear it. Thank you.” Emma shrugged. “Although I couldn’t begin to guess when that day will be.”

  “It will be here soon enough.” Rebecca reached into the trunk and lifted two lengths of fabric. “This is another thing I wanted to show you. I’ve had so much fun planning my wedding and what we will wear.” She laid two gowns on the work table. “There’s so much material to choose from I couldn’t make up my mind. So, I made you one of each. Which do you like best?”

  ***

  The first several days after arriving at Rebecca’s father’s ranch was a whirlwind. Charles Mueller had gone out of his way to welcome them and spent the first several days proudly showing off his vast 75,000-acre ranch and profitable cattle business, most of which would one day belong to Rebecca.

  Today Emma and Sam were to make their final selection of two yearlings, which would be put out in separate pastures. Based on their research, it was important to acquire a young bull sixty to ninety days prior to the breeding season to allow time for the animal to adjust to a new environment.

  “By making the selection now, we will have ample time to arrange delivery and place the bulls in their new surroundings in plenty of time before spring.” Emma checked her notes. “We’ve narrowed our picks down to four, but at this point, I don’t think we could go wrong with any of them.”

  “I must admit I’ve been impressed with his herd. Since Rebecca’s stepbrother oversees the ranch’s breeding program, why don’t we talk it over with him to see if he would be willing to help us narrow our selection?” Sam waggled his eyebrows, then grinned.

  Emma felt her cheeks grow pink. Rebecca’s stepbrother was knowledgeable and had been generous with his time the last several days. He was also charming and very handsome. She was flattered when he had sought her out for conversation. “I am in awe of you, Miss Brady. Not only are you beautiful, but you amaze me in the amount of research you’ve done on the breed. You are quite a remarkable young woman.”

  Later Rebecca and Sam both teased her, calling Robert her knew beau. Placing her hand on Sam’s sleeve, she implored. “Sam, you promised no more teasing. Robert and I are just friends.”

  “Robert, is it? On a first-name basis already?” Sam faced her and pushed his hat toward the back of his head. “Wonder what your pa would think? Or even better, what Scotty would say?”

  Emma slugged him in the arm. “Stop it right now. This is not a bit funny.”

  Placing his hand on his stomach, Sam laughed. “I’m sorry, it’s so seldom I have such a perfect opportunity to tease you I couldn’t resist. Nothing wrong with you and Robert talking. You’ve got a lot in common.”

  Pivoting toward the house, Sam said, “I guess we’d best get back to the house, especially if we are going to get a chance to talk with Robert before dinner.”

  Chapter 17

  November 1, 1877

  Dear God,

  I had another birthday and got another journal. How have you been?

  A heavenly aroma stirred Scotty from a deep sleep. Coffee and something sweet, reminding him of the cinnamon toast his mother used to make. His eyes flew open. Where am I? A better question, whose bed am I in?

  From across the room, circles of assorted sizes of smoke floated toward him. He blinked, accustoming himself to the sunlight streaming through the windows. “How are you feeling?” Detective Moore’s face appeared.

  “The sun’s in his eyes. I’ll pull the curtains,” another voice said.

  Dark mahogany walls, fancy curtains, a sense of motion, his arm was bandaged and felt as though it weighed a hundred pounds. He shook his head. “I didn’t know where I was for a minute. I can see now we are still on the train. What happened?”

  “You’re groggy because of the medication we’ve been giving you for pain. Doctor said sleep would go a long way in your recovery. You sure took to that idea and have been sleeping on and off now for a good part of the week.” Detective Moore sat on the edge of
his bed.

  Carrying a small tray, Daniel appeared on his other side. “You need to sit up and eat something.”

  A sharp pain shot through his upper arm. Scotty winced as he situated himself. Daniel placed a tray with water and plain toast in front of him. He wiggled the swollen fingers on his left hand. “I thought I smelled cinnamon.”

  “I told you these cigars had a cinnamon flavor to them.” Daniel pulled up a chair, leaned back and gathered smoke in his mouth. He formed a round shape with his lips, then tapped his cheek repeatedly forming mini-rings of smoke.

  Scotty took a bite of dry toast, then grimaced. “Thought you hated the smell of cigars.”

  “Like the aroma of these. I got bored just sitting here, so Detective Moore’s been trying to teach me how to blow those little clouds.”

  Scotty leaned back on his pillow and chuckled. “Which one of you is going to fill me in on what’s happening? I have a vague recollection of leaving the baggage compartment, and I can tell from the fancy curtains we’re back in the owner’s car. You say I’ve been out for a week?”

  Detective Moore puffed on his cigar, curled his lips, then exhaled slowly, adding a spinning technique to a beautiful stream of small circles. “Based on the telegraphs I’ve received, the bandits were pursued by several posses. They were eventually run to the ground, and after a gunfight, all but one are in custody.

  “The other deputies and rangers on a mission with us have split up and are riding on other trains as added security. Detective Moore is in the process of determining how many armed men it will take per train to stop would-be robbers from targeting the railroad in the future.” Daniel leaned forward in his chair. “Me and you are still on duty, so you’d best hurry up and get well.”

  The detective scooted his chair closer to Scotty’s bed. “There will be other attempts, but we don’t expect trouble right away. So, don’t let your buddy get you riled up. I’m going to fetch Doctor Lane. She said for me to let her know once you were good and awake.”

  Daniel winked at Scotty. “I’ll fetch her for you, Detective.”

  Matthew Moore placed his cigar in an ashtray. “No thanks. This is one errand I want the pleasure of doing myself.”

  ***

  It seemed odd to have a woman doctor, especially one so pretty. Scotty liked her straight forward manner. He subdued a chuckle as he noticed the intense way the detective studied Dr. Lane’s every move. If he didn’t know better, he’d say the man appeared to be lovestruck.

  “Deputy Scott, now that we have your bandage changed, I feel comfortable saying, barring any further complications with infection, you should make a full recover within the next several months. Do you have any questions for me?” Dr. Lane stepped to the sink and washed her hands.

  Months?” Scotty frowned as he tried to lift his arm. “I can’t let some little scratch keep me from working for months.”

  “Deputy, if not for the quick thinking of your friends, you could have easily bled to death from your little scratch.” The doctor smiled as she dried her hands. “The fact we had access to clean sheets and this compartment helped to ward off infection. The entire situation is nothing short of miraculous.”

  Scotty focused again on his surroundings. He had been given luxurious accommodations in which to recuperate. The bedroom contained a large bed, feather mattress and opened to its own bath.

  “I appreciate what everyone has done for me. But I am not going to sit around for months. I’ve got to get back to work.” Scotty flinched as he leaned back against his pillow.

  The doctor reached for her bag. “You may move around. However, limit your arm activities so as not to disturb your stitches. Give your arm time to heal to achieve a full recovery. We’ll know more once the sutures are removed.”

  Scotty nodded. “Hopefully I’ll heal quicker than you anticipate. Once I get back home, I’ll have our town doctor take a look.”

  Dr. Lane nodded toward Detective Moore who stood with his hands behind his back. “The detective recruited me to travel with you for the rest of your journey. My understanding is we will make a stop in St. Joseph the day after tomorrow, then return to Texas. As I said, we’ll know more once we take out the stitches.”

  Scotty whistled. “I didn’t realize we would be heading all the way to Missouri.”

  “Plans had to change after your injury. I sent another team to take your place on the route back to Texas. Daniel agreed to stay onboard while you recuperate.”

  Detective Moore sat on the edge of Scotty’s bed. “In the short term, we really don’t expect another attempted holdup, especially as word gets out we are traveling with armed guards. I’ll be meeting with some railroad executives in St. Joe and then will be giving interviews in various towns along the way to the local newspapers. My goal is to spread the word this railroad will protect its passengers and their belongings.”

  Chapter 18

  November 2, 1877

  Dear God,

  When I grow up, I am going to marry Brian Scott. Did you know that already?

  Scotty and Daniel exited the three-story hotel, a popular stopover for traveling salesmen passing through St. Joseph. The hotel clerk had explained how the city was considered a modern wonder with 60,000 inhabitants, numerous factories and seventy passenger trains each day. “Since you fellows are from Texas, you might be interested in seeing the stockyard which recently opened. It’s supposed to be the largest west of Chicago.”

  They spent most of the morning riding the streetcar. The conductor bragged the town of St. Joe had more miles of electric railway than New York City. “It’s a village within the city. Most everything imaginable is easy access—banks, laundry, doctor, dentist, shopping and entertainment.”

  The clang of the streetcar’s bell sounded behind them as they strolled into the post office. While Daniel posted his letters, Scotty purchased two postcards from the hotel and scratched out identical notes to Emma and his parents, stating he was fine and hoped to be home in a few weeks.

  He fingered the postcard addressed to Emma. Not only had he missed the birthday picnic she planned for him, but he would also miss hers. I should have written her a letter. As he handed his mail to the postmaster, he met Daniel’s gaze.

  “You’re a hopeless romantic, aren’t you?” Daniel asked.

  “Very funny.” Scotty rubbed his jaw. “I couldn’t come up with the right words.”

  “Apparently so.” Daniel looked heavenward. “After we take your watch in for repair, I’d like to check out the stockyard they just opened.”

  Scotty reached for his pocket watch and ran his thumb over the small crack in the glass. “I’ve got no objection.”

  The pair walked silently toward the watch repair and jewelry shop. A jingling sound from the door announced their arrival as they entered the establishment. The owner who greeted them assured the repair could be made and picked up the following day.

  A chorus of bells and music signaled the top of the hour and drew Scotty’s attention to the various wooden clocks with detailed carvings along the wall. Dancing figures dressed in bright colors emerged from a cuckoo clock. Within seconds the sound returned to ticking, and the mechanical gears breathed as they slid against each other.

  He pivoted. His eyebrows rose as he took note of Daniel surveying the jewelry case. “You looking for something in particular?”

  The corners of Daniel’s eyes crinkled. “Don’t act so surprised. But seeing how Emma will have written you off by the time we get back, it would be a waste of your time.”

  Scotty scowled as he readjusted his sling. Detective Moore sent updates to his father, but except for the postcard sent this morning, he’d made no contact. I really thought I’d return before she was back on her feet from the measles. “All right, Romeo, I’m open to suggestions.”

  Chuckling, Daniel peered into the cabinet. “It would be hard to go wrong with anything in this display. But if you aren’t planning on marrying her, then don’t bother.”

&
nbsp; “I see you are bent on antagonizing me. But I figure we might need a place to live before I ask her.” Scotty ambled toward the display case.

  “You’ve got plenty of options if you’re going to continue as deputy. Stay with your parents or rent a place in town. On the other hand, once Sam marries Rebecca, they will be spending more time at her ranch. Emma’s family need help, and I bet he’d be tickled pink for Emma to live so close,” Daniel said.

  “You make it sound simple.” Scotty swallowed. “I’ve got two concerns. Disappointing my pa and being beholding to Emma’s.”

  Daniel rubbed his jaw. “I don’t think you give either man enough credit. Your pa might be disappointed, but he loves you, which means he wants you to be happy. Adam is the same. He loves his family and his ranch. I think you’d be a welcome addition.”

  “He and his brother Sam both have hinted at the same thing. Even so, I don’t want people to say I married Emma for a free ride.”

  Daniel stood and met Scotty’s gaze. “My brother-in-law felt the same as you. After their farm took such a hit from the last blizzard, I did all but beg him to leave it and partner with me. Sometimes I blame myself. What if I’d been more persuasive or stressed how much I wanted them to join me? But now it’s too late.”

  Scotty felt the blood drain from his face. “Before the bandits showed up, I asked God to protect me and give me the skill to shield the others on the train. Since then I’ve been asking him to show me what He wants me to do going forward.” He wiggled his swollen fingers. “I’ve been given a second chance, and I want to make the most of it.”

  Which is exactly the way I’m looking at it.” Daniel turned back toward the display. “ I just hope I’m not too late.”

  Chapter 19

  November 4, 1877