Willa and the Trapper

by Sharon Ryan

“Why do you say that, Miss Wilson, about not trusting Dr. Sneed?” Willa remembered last night, and as she recalled herself blindingly accusing Shamus, of doubting him. Willa’s heart was filled with shame. How could she be so naïve as to trust anything that vile physician would say?

  “He—he tried to….” As Lucy spoke, Willa noticed her fear, how Lucy did not meet Willa’s eyes. “I don’t want to get into details, not now, no. My father is talking to that scoundrel at this very moment. I will say this, though, no young woman should ever be left alone with that reptile.”

  After Willa and Lucy said goodbye, Willa felt emboldened, enlightened, for she had another comrade in her war against Sneed, and she hoped she had made a friend. Willa suddenly realized how very isolated she had become. After she unsaddled and fed the mule, she felt herself moving with a newfound glee. Sandy stood watch outside of the sod house, unimposing but protective, nonetheless. When Sandy smelled Willa, she ran to her new owner, and Willa picked the puppy up and held her, all the while kissing her.

  “My love! My little love,” Willa repeated to the pup as Sandy licked Willa’s hand. Willa felt relieved, almost free.

  Then, without warning, the rain set in—an unusually cold rain. Willa laughed, letting the water soak her body. Yes, Willa laughed heartily.

  It was dusk now and looking into the distance, Willa thought she saw the shape of a man, moving quickly, with cat-like stealth. Maybe he laughed, too, or maybe the figure was only in her imagination.

  Chapter 9

  After a deep and restful sleep, Willa woke in the cool air much earlier than usual. She was unable to settle the butterflies in her stomach. Her overexcited feeling was not a sign of the anxiety she had come to dread every day. No, these flutters were an indication that Willa had renewed hope in her situation and some of the people in town. She felt she had turned a corner and that her situation was going to improve. She also made a decision. She was going to repair that which she had been so reckless and foolish to have broken—her friendship with Shamus Harding.

  The thought of the handsome trapper, his gingery hair and kind eyes in particular, only served to intensify her giddiness. She could feel the flush of color in her face and noticed it move down through her. She enjoyed how the flaming sensation settled down low in her pelvis and realized that she had a most definite craving to know Mr. Harding better, as best as any woman could ever know him. She wanted him to know her, too.

  “But what if he’s gone?” she wondered. What if she had chased him off with her senseless rant and unkind accusations? She lay under the heavy quilt deeply regretting having been so rash. Sandy was snuggled alongside Willa’s frame.

  “Common, girl,” Willa said to the sleepy pup. “Let’s get our chores done so that we can go into town today. I think I’d like to try to visit with Miss Wilson. I may even splurge and buy myself a peppermint stick. We all could use some sweetness. Huh, girl?”

  Sandy shook the sleep from her body and barked as Willa rolled out of bed.

  Trotting her mule up to the edge of town, Willa pulled the gelding to a stop so that she could survey the main street and make a plan. Sandy had been following along and sat down beside the mule to wait and rest.

  “Well, I guess we should just go on in,” Willa said as she looked down at the brown pup that was looking back, her quizzical white eye patch making the pup appear all the more interested.

  Willa nudged the mule to a walk in the direction of the general store. She was hoping that she would find Lucy Wilson shopping. Willa stopped the mule at the hitching post, dismounted, tied the reins fast, and set out toward the Mercantile. Sandy trailed at Willa’s heels. Suddenly, the pup began barking happily and ran ahead.

  “Oh, look at you!” Willa heard a kind voice say. “What a big and happy girl!” Joe crooned as he emerged between his work area by the stable and the line of small shops. When Joe saw Willa closing the gap, he touched his hat brim in greeting.

  “You’ve done a fine job with this one, Miss Freeman,” Joe said, his gray eyes sparkling.

  “Well, she learns very quickly,” Willa said, humbly. “She is so open to doing whatever I suggest, and she is undeservedly loyal.”

  “I doubt that,” Joe” said. “A pup that thinks doesn’t tie in with just anyone. You are obviously a good person, Miss Freeman, else that little gal would have run back here.”

  “Well, thank you, mister—”

  “Joe Roth. Just call me Joe. I’m the smithy here.” Joe continued, “Up until today, I’d only worked with your brother. Sorry for your loss, Miss Freeman. I reckon it’s been quite difficult for you.”

  “Difficult. Yes,” Willa said wistfully, “but I’ve a feeling that things are set to get better,” she added, her voice bright. “Mr. Joe,” she continued, “can you direct me to Miss Lucy Wilson, please?”

  “Last I saw her, she was headed over to the dressmaker’s shop. She works as a seamstress,” Joe informed her.

  “Oh,” said Willa, feeling disappointed that Lucy was occupied.

  Sensing Willa’s dejection, Joe added, “Sit tight, Miss Freeman. Miss Wilson usually takes a walk around this time. Settle in and enjoy the sunshine. That sure was some cold rain last night, wasn’t it?”

  Joe went into his shop and returned with a chair, which he set out front for Willa. She and Sandy watched as the townsfolk went about their business. Most of the residents regarded Willa with a brief smile.

  “It’s so different now,” Willa murmured to Sandy. “What do you suppose has changed?” The pup pricked up her ears and cocked her head as Willa spoke. Willa felt the sun’s warmth seep into her and noticed that her body and mind were in accord and happy.

  True to Joe’s word, Lucy Wilson stepped out of the dressmaker’s shop and strolled along the wooden sidewalk in Willa’s direction. She saw Willa and shouted, “Miss Freeman! What a wonderful surprise to see you here in town!”

  “Miss Wilson! Oh, my! I hoped I would see you today,” Willa said, as she suddenly felt a bit shy and looked down at her boots. “In fact, I made the trip to see you,” Willa said looking up. “I was hoping that we might become friends,” she blurted out. “Your words yesterday and your kindness, too, helped me realize that I have been alone too long.”

  “Oh, Miss Freeman,” Lucy said as she reached for Willa’s hands. “I am so relieved to hear you say that. Call me Lucy, and we shall be friends!”

  “Okay, Lucy,” Willa responded, “but please return the favor and call me Willa.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  Both women smiled as Lucy went on to say, “I think you will notice a change in the atmosphere here.” Lucy tipped her head to the side and in the direction of the Pinnacle restaurant. Dr. Sneed had just stepped out and was walking along the boardwalk. The man had his bowler hat pulled down tightly and was avoiding making eye contact with the citizens.

  “Come on,” Lucy encouraged as she led Willa by the hand. Sandy followed close behind.

  “Oh, Dr. Sneed!” Lucy shouted, “I just want to wish you a fine day!” She led Willa up to Sneed; he shrank back.

  “I should have expected as much,” he mumbled.

  Willa noticed the physician’s right eye was puffed up. Bright colors—red, black, purple covered his rat-like face. Willa gasped.

  “Now, if you will excuse me, I have some business to attend to,” Sneed said as he moved on.

  “Not so fast, Mr. Sneed,” said Mr. Wilson, as he exited the same shop from which Lucy had emerged. “Ladies,” he said, looking at both his daughter and Willa. “I trust you feel safe. How’s that eye feel, Simon?”

  “Mr. Wilson,” Sneed managed to say despite his obvious fear – his body’ shaking, his face’s sudden white complexion – “now, I don’t want any more trouble.”

  “Well, then, Simon, if you don’t want any more trouble, you’ve got to leave this town. A good friend of mine, a hardworking trapper, did a little digging, found a fellow trapper who’d been all the way to northern Wyoming. Can you
believe that folks in a territory there had a Dr. Sneed about a year ago?”

  Willa felt her heart skip a beat at the allusion to Shamus Harding.

  “Turns out,” Mr. Wilson continued, “that he wasn’t even a real doctor, just same fancy-talking fool, turns out he liked bothering the women up there. Sounds just like you, doesn’t it? What a coincidence! My good friend even found out that those folks in Wyoming had to chase their doctor out of town with guns. This is unbelievable, isn’t it, sir?”

  Sneed looked like a ghost, pale and confused.

  “I’m a good, honest man!” Sneed screamed. Then, slightly, slowly, he began to whimper, and Willa took note of his now-wet eyes, a few stray tears running down Sneed’s cheek. Sneed hastily wiped these tears away.

  Some townsfolk, going about their business in the various shops, began to pay attention, circling the hysterical man.

  Willa heard a little snickering from some women near her: “He never struck me as a real doctor,” said one woman, amused and confident, one of the same women who had been in Sneed’s circle at the social.

  “Mr. Wilson,” Sneed cried, “you’re being hasty here, sir, and unkind, incredibly unkind and unjust!”

  “You’re a lying rat if I’ve ever seen one,” Mr. Wilson retorted. “Out here crying like a little girl. You and Andy Sorensen are a match made in heaven.”

  The townspeople, at least a couple dozen of them, began to laugh. But through this hearty laughter, Willa and Lucy felt uneasy, as if they were awaiting some kind of menacing judgement from the townsfolk. That judgement would not come.

  “No!” Sneed screamed. “I don’t know what your daughter or that—” he turned and looked Willa up and down, “—that shell of a woman told you, but I…”

  “If you say anything about my daughter,” Mr. Wilson interrupted, “or Miss Freeman, I’ll skin you alive myself.”

  “And I’ll help you, Mr. Wilson,” a handsome young man offered.

  “And me, too,” said a portly woman. Then, Willa heard a chorus of ‘me, too’ from various men and women, all disgusted.

  Sneed, his eyes still watering, turned to look at a nearby alleyway. The townsmen noticed Sneed’s glance. Figuring that Sneed was making a plan to escape, two especially large men grabbed Sneed by an arm and escorted the physician to the church.

  Willa turned to Lucy with a puzzled look.

  “My father,” Lucy said, “made sure to remind Dr. Sneed of his place.”

  Willa smiled behind her hand.

  “I don’t imagine that reptile will be seeing any woman in this town alone from here on out!” Lucy grinned. “Let’s leave this place now.”

  The two women turned, and Willa heard Sneed shout, “You two, get your dirty hands off me”

  “Miss Wilson? Err, Lucy,” Willa said, “besides being my friend, I was wondering if you might be able to answer a question for me. Do you know if Mr. Harding has left the territory?”

  “I don’t know for certain,” Lucy said. “I suspect that he may be closer than you think.”

  As details of Sneed’s deceit came to light, murmurs from the citizens deepened into a low growl. Several folks looked at Mrs. Sorensen as she tried to make herself smaller by shrinking back into a corner of the room. Andy stood beside his mother looking surprisingly contrite. Lucy stood next to Willa, both women clearly relieved. Other women in the crowd, too, looked more at ease. The feeling in the meeting area turned from curiosity to anger and hostility. Several men volunteered to show Sneed out of the church and to the edge of town at Joe’s request and at Mr. Wilson’s prompting. Among the members of the escort were several men who were fathers.

  Willa watched with disbelief as Sneed grabbed his carpetbag and was roughly moved from the entry. The heavy door closed loudly behind them. Willa exhaled in great relief as she let her eyes rest upon the entryway floor. Suddenly, she noticed a new slice of sunshine light the floor and darken again. Willa looked up to see Shamus Harding backlit, his large frame filling the doorway.

  Willa cried out, and Sandy barked happily as they both ran toward the familiar shape.

  Seeing Willa’s smile, Shamus opened his arms to embrace her. People in the hall looked on, some amazed, some surprised and some, especially Andy Sorensen, sour.

  “Shamus! Oh, Shamus! You came back,” Willa said as she let herself become enveloped by his arms. She pulled back to look up into his blue eyes. “Shamus, I am so sorry for those awful things I said and for the horrid accusations I made,” Willa cried.

  The lines around Shamus’ eyes softened. “I suppose we can let it go given you kept the little friend I brought you and appear to have realized the error of your ways,” he said, smiling.

  Relief flooded Willa’s face as she regarded him. This time she let her hand reach up to touch the russet scruff on his cheek. Shamus embraced her tightly and bent his head down to her. She let his lips find hers both willing and wanting.

  Willa didn’t end up buying the peppermint stick she thought she wanted, for Shamus Harding’s kiss was by far the sweetest thing in the world!

  Chapter 10

  Late October sunshine filtered through the leaves still left on the branches of the tall cottonwoods near the river. The hues of fall—reds, golds and browns—shone in harmony and happiness, as if nature participated in the day’s celebration.

  An intimate group assembled outside of Willa’s sod house. All were dressed in their Sunday best. All were smiling. Mr. Wilson helped straighten the collar of Joe’s heavily starched dress shirt. Joe fidgeted despite the pride that gleamed in his eyes. He had been asked to give Willa away in marriage to Shamus, and the honor did not escape the gentle blacksmith.

  Lucy helped Willa adjust the evergreen shirtwaist Shamus surprised her with for the ceremony. Fastened by a belt at Willa’s waist, a small cloth purse held a blue handkerchief—a gift from Mrs. Wilson ‘for good luck’. The porcelain brooch with delicately painted violets, lent to Willa by Lucy for the occasion, was fastened at the center of her high collar.

  As Willa checked the details of her appearance in the hand mirror Lucy held for her, Willa felt overwhelmed by the kindness of the townsfolk who supported the new direction for her life. She had never expected to have a dress or a day like this one. In fact, just a month ago, Willa had resigned herself to the loneliness of her homestead, a life of surrounding herself with her sorrow.

  The Justice of the Peace assigned to the town happened through shortly after Sneed left town in disgrace. Shamus wasted no time in engaging his services and talked the civil servant into visiting the homestead as he left town.

  Sandy ran, happily barking, between Willa and Shamus as the preparations tied up and the participants took their places for the ceremony.

  Shamus stood before the Justice wearing a Capote coat fashioned from a heavy Pendleton blanket. The woolen coat tied at his waist looked fresh and new, reflecting the hope of all present for Willa’s new life with Shamus—it would, no doubt, be a long and happy life!

  After striding over to the corral to scratch the stallion’s head and pat his neck, Willa made another decision. She planned to finish piecing that quilt she intended to create from Clay’s old clothes. She wasn’t going to need them now. Shamus would find her men’s clothes that fit her should she want them. Willa turned to walk thoughtfully toward the assembled party. Meeting her part way, Joe took her hand and placed it over his arm.

  “Miss Freeman, you look beautiful,” he said, his eyes sparkling as he settled his hand over hers. “Your brother would be so pleased. I know you and Shamus are going to do well out here.”

  Blushing, Willa looked down. “Thank you. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me—for us,” she squeaked, feeling a bit overwhelmed by her happiness and pride.

  “Don’t give it another thought,” Joe said as they started walking together toward the assembly. Lucy stepped in behind them with Sandy trailing after Lucy’s skirt.

  Seeing everyone assembled, the Justice asked,
“Who gives this woman to be married?”

  “Her brother Clay and I do,” Joe said proudly as he stepped forward, and taking Willa by the hand, he led her over to Shamus. Unfolding what looked like a brown blanket, Shamus draped the heavy beaver pelt coat over Willa’s shoulders.

  “May you always be reminded that you are surrounded by friends,” Shamus said, his blue eyes deep and loving. He let his hand touch her face—softly and gently, sweet and serene.

  “Oh, my,” Willa answered as they turned to face the officiant and a future unlike anything either of them ever dreamed possible.

  Yes, as Willa took his hand in hers, she realized how Shamus, full of love and concern, had transformed her life.

  Chapter 11

  The celebration of their union lasted late into the cool October night. It had been so long since happiness had visited Willa’s homestead, and the guests, as well as the newlyweds, were reluctant to end the celebration lest they break the joyful spell. The full moon was high and illuminated everything, so it was easy to see the thin path that snaked its way back to town.

  After giving Willa parting hugs and Shamus hearty handshakes, the guests departed calling congratulations over their shoulders. Willa stood next to Shamus who had pulled her close, his arm around her waist as they watched the group of friends melt into the darkened distance. Once the voices of the revelers no longer carried back to them. Willa and Shamus looked sidelong at each other knowing they were truly alone together.

  Reaching for Willa’s hand, Shamus looked at her, smiled and began leading her toward the house.

  “We still have something to do,” he said, softly.

  Willa sheepishly looked down and smiled as she allowed herself to be led. Sandy, exhausted from the day’s events, had curled up into a ball and was sleeping on a patch of grass near the front door. As Shamus and Willa approached, the pup stood up, stretched and groggily followed them inside. She immediately collapsed on her blanket near the wood stove while Shamus lit the oil lamp. He then led Willa to the bed – their bed now, and tenderly embraced his new bride.