The Trapper

by Barbara Goss

  Joanna would love to read his books. She’d been wanting to read Oliver Twist since she saw an advertisement of it in a store window.

  The smell of soup drew her to the fireplace—he even cooked, and the soup had been delicious. It had celery and carrots in it, so either he had a garden somewhere or he shopped in town for certain items. She suspected the meat was rabbit, but she couldn’t be sure.

  The table near the fireplace had just one chair near it. A matching chair stood near the bed. He probably ate his meals alone. There was a cabinet near the table, and when she opened it, all she saw were dishes. Everything was in its place—he was a meticulous man.

  Walking and standing only served to increase her foot pain, so she crawled back into bed. Shortly thereafter, she heard horses coming toward the cabin, and Jared’s voice calling for her to open the door. She hobbled to the door, unlocked it, and greeted Jared and a man she assumed was the doctor. He was middle-aged and otherwise unremarkable. She got herself back to the bed and lay so he could examine her foot.

  “She’ll need stitches,” Simpson said after a thorough examination.

  Jared gave Joanna a sympathetic look and asked the doctor, “Why can’t we use bandages to squeeze the skin together?”

  “You could,” the doctor scratched his head, “but it will scar, and the bandages will need to be changed daily.” He shrugged. “If I stitch it up, she’ll be on her feet sooner.”

  Jared shook his head. “It’ll be too painful.” He turned to Joanna. “Which do you prefer?”

  Joanna gave the choices consideration. She didn’t want to be on her feet too soon as she had no idea where she’d go. The cabin was a warm and comfortable place to stay, and Jared was kind. She needed time to plan where she’d go next.

  “I’d like to try the bandages.”

  Simpson held up his hands. “Fine. I’ll leave some salve to speed the healing.” He turned to Jared. “How did she happen to get out here and step in a trap anyway?”

  Jared and Joanna exchanged looks. Jared gave her a wink.

  “She was lost and accidently stepped into it. I found her when I was checking my traps. I brought her here, gave her some soup, and then went to get you.”

  “I see,” Simpson said. “Well, let me know if you need me again.” He walked to the door, gave them both a curious look, and left.

  Jared set up the supplies he’d need and started to work on her foot. He put the cloth bandages on in such a way that it squeezed the wound together. It was tight, but not terribly uncomfortable. The salve helped numb the wound so the pain was bearable.

  He gave her another cup of soup and after she’d finished it, she felt so relaxed, she fell asleep.

  A pounding on the door woke Joanna, and she sat up to see Jared get up from his seat near the hearth and answer it. Joanna couldn’t see the visitor at first, but she saw Jared’s shoulders slump when he saw who it was at the door. Joanna knew it was someone he didn’t want to see.

  “Dagnabbit, Jared, let me in,” the male voice yelled.

  The man entered and gazed around until his eyes fell on Joanna. “So, the rumors around town are true. Who is she?”

  “Rumors? Already? She just got here!”

  “It’s all over town that you’re harboring a woman in your cabin. You of all people should know what will happen. Think of your reputations, not to mention our father’s re-election.”

  “She’s only been here a few hours. She stepped into my bear trap. What was I to do—throw her out wounded?”

  The man laughed sardonically. “You should have taken her into town and left her with Simpson.”

  “She had a good reason to refuse that offer.”

  The man turned to Joanna. “Well, if I were you, I’d high-tail it out of here—fast.” He left the cabin as abruptly as he’d arrived.

  Joanna knew why the man, who she assumed was Jared’s brother since they shared a father, had said what he did. In Pittsburgh society, a single woman and man alone in a room was indecent.

  She needed to run away again.

  Chapter Three

  Jared sat down at the table and rubbed his temples.

  “What just happened?” Joanna asked.

  He sighed and walked over to her. “That was my brother, Ross.” He took a seat in the chair by her bed and leaned over, his elbows on his knees. “My father's running for another term as mayor, and we’ve been warned to keep our noses clean.”

  Joanna’s face told Jared she was looking for an escape route.

  “Look, Joanna, I can give you train passage to wherever you want to go, but with your foot, I’m not sure that would be wise. You couldn’t manage alone.”

  “The last thing you need is rumors,” Joanna said, “especially when there is no basis for them. All you did was help me.”

  “Yes, but it was my trap,” Jared said. “I feel responsible for you. I didn’t want to ask, but now I feel I must.” He hesitated and studied her. “Who are you, and what were you doing in Hays? You’ll need my help, and I can’t do that without answers.

  “I’m Joanna Rodgers, an orphan from Pittsburgh. I answered an ad for a mail order bride because I foolishly wanted an adventure. When I arrived yesterday, my groom was drunk and somewhat abusive, so I ran away, and that’s how I stumbled upon your bear trap.”

  “May I ask the groom’s name? I know everyone in the area.”

  “Bradley McKenna—a ranch owner.”

  “Ha!” Jared nearly shouted. "McKenna's a gambler and drunk who hangs out in the Red Bull Tavern. He doesn’t own a ranch; he owns a pig farm.”

  “Oh, dear! I guess I had a lucky escape, then. Well,” she looked down at her foot, “almost lucky.”

  “I think I should take you into town and put you in a hotel room before nightfall. I’ll make sure the doctor checks on you daily and don’t worry about the cost—it was my trap, and I’ll pay for it.”

  “That’s very kind of you. I’ll accept on the condition that you allow me to repay you some day. After all I did trespass on your property.”

  “If that will make you happy…sure.”

  Joanna smiled at him, and he noticed how pretty she was for the very first time—even more reason to get her to a hotel room.

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Your father's the mayor and you’re living in a one room cabin? How did that come about?”

  Jared smiled. “Since you’ve been honest with me, I owe you the same courtesy. My father and brother live in large homes in Hays. My father’s a retired banker, and my brother owns the hotel. I dislike living in town with all the shootings, noise, and gossips. I like a simple, quiet life, so I built this cabin, and I've lived here for about six months now.”

  “Do you think your father will win the election?”

  He nodded. “Yes. That is, if we can keep this scandal quiet. Hays isn’t Boston or Pittsburgh, and most around here don’t care about something like this. We do, however, have a few busybodies in town, so my brother doesn’t want to take any chances.”

  Joanna laid her head back on the pillow as if deep in thought. “You live on the money you make from selling pelts?”

  “Somewhat. My father insists on giving me an allowance, but I just throw it in a separate bank account. I want to earn my own living but not in town. Father wanted to buy me the newspaper, but I refused.”

  “Where did your father get so much money?” she asked.

  “My grandfather was a banker in New York.” Jared stood and clapped his hands. “Well, we’d better get you to the hotel.”

  “My valise and reticule! They fell into the water. I don’t even have a change of clothes,” she said, looking down at her soiled and torn dress.

  “I saw the valise floating in the creek, but it was beyond saving. The lid was open, and the clothing was gone. I didn’t see the reticule. Since your accident was my fault, I’ll take care of it, so don’t worry about a thing.”
>
  “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

  Joanna smiled warmly at him, and his heart gave a little nudge to his rib cage. He supposed being a good Samaritan made one feel good which explained why he felt the way he did.

  After saddling his horse, he carried Joanna out and set her in front of him on Adonis. He leaned forward to pick up the reins, brushed her cheek, and she jumped a bit.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I might brush against you from time to time as we ride, but rest assured, it isn’t intentional.”

  “I understand,” she said.

  Because Joanna was afraid of being seen by McKenna, Jared rushed her into the hotel lobby, seated her on a sofa, and went into his brother’s office.

  “Ross, I’ve brought the woman here—can you give her a room? I’ll make sure a doctor checks on her each day.”

  “Thank goodness! You might have just calmed the situation. I’ll make sure to get the word out that she’s here and didn’t spend more than a few minutes at your place.”

  “Thank you, Ross.”

  “I only have one room left and it’s being cleaned, but you can wait in the lobby with her if you’d like. In the meantime, I’ll start the rumor that the woman is no longer at your cabin and was only there until her wound was bound so she could travel.”

  “Thank you,” Jared said. He returned to the lobby.

  Jared sat down beside Joanna. “Your room will be ready shortly. Ross will spread the rumor that you are no longer alone with me in my cabin.”

  Joanna gave him a shy smile. “Thank you.”

  “Stand up a moment, Joanna.”

  She stood, looking at him curiously.

  He walked around her, studying her. “Ross’s wife, Amelia, is about your size. I’ll ask her to help me pick out a wardrobe for you. I’ll drop it off, but I won't go into your room,” he said with a laugh.

  Joanna looked up at him. “You’ve been very kind. Thank you,”

  “I should've hidden that trap better. I feel terribly guilty that you’re in pain because of me, so let me do things for you. It'll make me feel a whole lot better.”

  Ross signaled that the room was ready. Jared walked Joanna to her room, opened the door for her, and bid her a goodnight.

  Jared thought about his day on his way home. He felt dreadful about Joanna's getting stuck in his trap. Jared seldom used a trap that might cause pain to an animal, but the bear was a threat as he'd come around the cabin and tip over his rain water barrel, scare his horse, and trample his garden.

  He was relieved Joanna hadn’t asked more questions about his secluded life. What would she think if he told her the main reason he lived out there alone? It was true he preferred the quiet, but he didn’t care for the loneliness much. He'd needed to escape the town and the looks of disgust he'd gotten. The problem with living in a small town like Hays was that everyone knew everyone else and their business. Most of the ranchers living outside Hays wouldn’t bother with gossip, but there was a clique of women in town who did nothing but chatter and hold everyone accountable.

  His cabin was a few miles from town. He loved living amongst nature and living off the land, but he wished he had someone to share it with at times. He'd made up his mind to stay single and stay away from town as much as possible after the fiasco with Rebecca Johnson.

  Just thinking about what Rebecca had done to him and his reputation in town made him growl. His horse’s ears went back at the sound. “I’m not growling at you, Adonis.” He patted his mane. When he pulled up to his cabin, he slid off Adonis and led him to the back of the cabin where he’d built a small shed for the horse. He brushed him and gave him some hay before heading inside the house.

  Jared fixed himself a bowl of the soup which was barely warm. He ate two bowls and then lay on the bed to think. Joanna’s scent still lingered on his pillow and the sweet aroma drifted his way. It wasn’t strong, but it was soft, light, and sweet. Her face floated behind his closed eyes. She was a pretty woman. Her shiny, auburn hair was lovely, and her figure was slim and shapely. Of course, she wasn’t as beautiful as Rebecca, with her blonde hair and big blue eyes, still, he felt drawn to Joanna. Maybe it was because she was such a sweet person. She could've sworn mercilessly at him for being so careless with his trap, though he hadn't actually been careless since no one ever went traipsing through the woods on his property. That was why he loved it there. Still, he did feel responsible, and he was thankful she hadn’t screamed at him in anger. He’d have to figure out how to deal with Mr. Bear later.

  Jared thought about Joanna’s foot. He'd bet she was lying in bed, her foot throbbing. He hoped his bandages would do the trick. Jared hadn’t wanted her to get stitched without anything to numb her pain.

  He’d find a new doctor tomorrow. Doc Simpson had no business spreading gossip about him and Joanna all over town—Simpson was just as guilty of gossip as the women.

  Chapter Four

  Joanna had just finished putting her hair up when she heard a soft knock on her hotel room door. The thought that it might be Bradley coming after her caused her to pale in the mirror she faced.

  She walked to the door and asked meekly, “Who is it?”

  “Amelia Steele. I’m Jared’s sister-in-law.”

  Joanna opened the door. “Please, come in.”

  Amelia stepped into the room and gave Joanna a cheerful smile that put her immediately at ease.

  “Jared asked me to shop for clothes for you, and…well, I thought, why not let her pick out the things herself. I love to shop…please, say you’ll come with me.”

  Joanna’s first instinct was to jump at the chance to shop with the sunny, bubbly, young woman, but then she thought about Bradley McKenna and her foot.

  “I’d love to, but I’m afraid I can’t.”

  Amelia’s smile faded. She looked at Joanna with sincere concern. “I’m sorry. I was so excited over having a woman to shop with, I forgot about your foot.”

  Joanna didn’t think it would hurt to confide in this woman. She had nothing to hide. She'd done nothing wrong—dumb, maybe, but not wrong.

  “It’s not only the foot. Have a seat, Amelia.” Joanna patted the bed beside her.

  When the young woman had seated herself, Joanna began her tale. “Seeking adventure after working a boring job for a year, I answered an ad in a newspaper to become a mail order bride. I corresponded with the man for several months before he sent me a train ticket to Hays. He was drunk and threatened to ruin me if I didn’t agree to marry him. He wanted payment for the train ticket one way or another—if you get my meaning.”

  Amelia gasped and held her gloved hand to her mouth. “He was drunk?”

  “Yes. He met me as I got off the train, and I could smell it. Later, when he stopped by my room, he was swaying and slurring his words. I told him I wanted out of the agreement and that’s when he threatened me. Consequently, I agreed to go through with the marriage just to get rid of him so I could run away.

  “I had no idea where to go, and when I stepped out of the hotel, there were some rough-looking men in the street, and I became frightened. I ran behind the building and just kept running until I realized I was in some woods. Then, I stepped in a bear trap.

  "Jared found me in the morning and carried me to his cabin. He wanted to take me to see the doctor in town, but I was afraid of running into that man, so I refused. He rode to town and brought the doctor to me, but the doctor must have told someone, and now it’s all over town that we were alone in the cabin, I guess, but nothing happened. Jared was very kind and a perfect gentleman.”

  Amelia patted Joanna’s hand. “The rumor did spread, but my husband’s spreading another rumor that you are safe and sound here, at the hotel. Our family sticks together. The rumors will be stopped.”

  “I’m afraid to leave this room for fear he’ll find me.”

  “Who?”

  “Bradley McKenna.”

  “Mercy! Not him!” Amelia’s hand flew to her chest in surprise. �
�He was a very respectable man at one time. He was happily married with three darling children.”

  “I wonder what happened. He never mentioned his family in his letters.”

  “His home caught fire when one of the children knocked over a candle. He wasn’t home at the time. He’s been a drunk ever since.”

  “Oh, dear!” Joanna said. “Now I feel horrid talking so about him. That’s so tragic.”

  “It was and several of us from church have tried to help him, but he’s as stubborn as a mule. His family's been gone for over six years now. He tries to stop drinking but just can't. We all pray for him, but don’t let him scare you into staying in this room. He'd never accost you while you’re with me. He wouldn’t dare. I’d smack him over the head with my parasol before I'd allow that to happen.”

  Joanna laughed, and Amelia laughed with her.

  “I'd go shopping with you, but walking is not only awkward for me—it’s painful.”

  “Oh, you poor dear. I’m so glad you’re here with us now.

  “Stand up and let me measure you with my eyes.” Amelia looked her over from head to foot. “Jared was right. We are the same size. I don’t see any sense in buying clothes at the general store—they only carry plain, ready-made dresses there. I have more outfits than one person needs. So many, in fact, that I didn’t take them all with me when I married Ross. Most of my dresses were ordered from Chicago or Kansas City. I’ll go to my father’s house and bring you over a ton of things.”