Once Upon a Mail Order Bride

by Linda Broday

  “I’ll see to your horses.” Ridge started for the door.

  “Actually, they’re mules, and they’re a mite cranky, I hate to say.”

  “They haven’t met my husband yet.” Addie smiled sweetly at Ridge. “Dear.”

  Laughter rose as he went out. The light from the kitchen window cut through the blackness, and Ridge felt real promise for the first time. He laughed so hard, tears rolled from his eyes. The mules stared like he’d eaten locoweed. Ridge couldn’t remember feeling this hopeful, this blessed, in a very long time.

  Twenty-Six

  Ridge snuck out of bed before dawn, made coffee, and sat on the back steps with the cats to watch the sunrise. This one was a beauty.

  The creak of the screen door met his ears, and Addie sat next to him, clutching a shawl around her nightgown. “Isn’t that a pretty sky, dear?”

  “One of the best I’ve seen.” He put an arm around her and kissed her temple. “It seems different somehow this morning—more special.”

  “It does to me too.” She rested her head on his chest and petted Squeakers. “It’s strange how fast life can turn on a person.”

  “You stole my thought, love. Thank you for not being mad when I got back last night. I’m sorry I stormed out. You should’ve kicked me to Fort Worth and back. I deserve it.”

  “You were hurting and had some thinking to do. I didn’t take that personally. And you did come back,” she pointed out.

  “I hadn’t intended to. But I got to talking with George Finch, and I imagined you sitting here alone, waiting for me, possibly with Shiloh Duke, and I couldn’t dump all that in your lap. I had to make amends.”

  “It’s exciting, isn’t it, the thought of clearing your name?”

  “All I can think about. I figure we’ll go into town right after breakfast and find Jack. But I have to warn you, there’s a complication.”

  “What kind?”

  “I shot and killed the Calder boy, for one.” He looked away. “There have been others since.”

  “How many?”

  Her whispered question floated on the breeze, and for a moment he wasn’t sure that it hadn’t been inside his head. Her expectant look told him he hadn’t imagined it. “I’m not exactly sure. It never seemed like something I wanted to keep a tally of.”

  “In self-defense, I’m sure. You’re not a cold-blooded killer.” Her words hung in the air. Finally, she asked, “Are you charged for their deaths?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.” Ridge finished his coffee. An outlaw didn’t really know what all he was accused of most of the time. Lawmen liked to pin crimes on wanted men, even if they couldn’t possibly have committed them, just to clear the case and make themselves look better.

  “Then they don’t count. Or at least that’s probably what Jack will tell you.”

  “We’ll see.” Ridge stood and pulled her up. “We have to get this day started. Our guest will be up soon, and she looked half-starved.”

  Addie squinted up at him, concern wrinkling her forehead. “I don’t think she’s eaten much in a quite a while, and when her sleeve fell away from her wrists last night, I noticed the marks of some of kind of restraint. I think her life has been a living hell for a long time. I wouldn’t be surprised if her whole body wasn’t a mass of bruises.”

  “I saw them too, and you’re probably right.” A noise in the kitchen got them moving. He went to do the milking and left Addie to dress and get breakfast on.

  Soon, they sat down to a hearty meal. Shiloh appeared more rested, the shadows under her eyes less dark, though she was dressed in the same thin cotton dress dotted with multiple old patches. She dug in to the meal without any urging. Addie must’ve cooked everything she had on hand, making their table the fullest he’d ever seen. Bodie was at an age to eat a man out of house and home, and between him and Shiloh, they had no leftovers.

  Ridge got up for a refill from the coffeepot. “Miss Duke, you mentioned you’re passing through. Where are you headed?”

  “Not sure. California, maybe. The West is large enough where a woman like me can get lost, and the nightmares won’t be as strong.” Shiloh glanced down at her plate, fighting back tears.

  Bodie forked the last bite into his mouth. “The good thing about this big country is that you can be whatever you want to be. All you have to do is dream it, Miss Shiloh.”

  The kid’s simple advice often startled Ridge, and this pronouncement certainly did.

  “That’s true.” Ridge sat down to sip his coffee. “What would you be if you could be anything?”

  Shiloh raised her battered face. “A singer. I’d like to sing, and folks say I have a beautiful voice.”

  Addie smiled. “Then a larger town is where you need to go—Denver or San Francisco. And the next time someone asks you what you are, say that you’re a singer. Say it with fervor, and make them believe it. Pretty soon, you’ll start to believe it yourself.” Her gaze found Ridge’s. “I wanted to be the wife to a good man, and it happened because I believed it could.”

  Bodie wiped his mouth and reached for a cup of coffee. “I wanted to be free, and now I am.”

  Ridge had always thought that a person’s past was what determined their future, but he could see now that it didn’t have to be that way. Strong desire to change could override all else, determine a new outcome of a life. He’d dreamed of being out from under the stain of his past, and maybe now he had a real shot.

  He reached for Addie’s hand where it rested on the table, and her smile blinded him. Years ago, his world had descended into hell. Now he had riches beyond compare.

  * * *

  Ridge pulled up to the hotel, set the brake of the wagon, and helped Addie and Shiloh down. They went inside to the sheriff’s office. Jack glanced up from his desk and stood, the bandage stark white around his tanned throat. His voice still carried that raspy sound it had picked up when he’d been stabbed. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “How’s your wound?” Ridge asked.

  “Doing better. I know you didn’t come to talk about that, or you wouldn’t have brought these lovely ladies.”

  Ridge introduced Shiloh and explained why they’d come. “Is it possible that you could use a sworn statement from Miss Duke to get my charges dropped?”

  “Have a seat.” Jack dusted off the chairs for the ladies. “It’s really fortunate for you that she came, Ridge. This could go a long way to clearing your name.” He riffled around in a drawer and pulled out a tablet of paper, handing it and a pencil to Shiloh. “Write down everything that you can remember about that night. Don’t leave out a single detail, even if it seems too small to be important, and be sure to include the names of everyone there and what they said.”

  “Yes, sir.” Shiloh took the pencil and tablet and began.

  While she wrote, Jack, Ridge, and Addie talked about the dinner party and Charlotte Wintersby.

  “I did some checking, and you won’t believe what I found in the San Francisco Chronicle.” Grinning, Jack leaned back and propped his feet on his cluttered desk.

  Ridge ignored Addie’s frown. “From the look on your face, it’s a doozy.”

  Addie glared. “I swear, you two are worse than a couple of widow women. Leave Charlotte alone. I like her, and so what if her past isn’t perfect? Whose is? That’s why it’s called a past. It’s meant to be left behind—if certain people will let you.”

  Thoroughly chastised, Ridge turned the conversation to the prisoners’ escape. “Have you had any useful information back from those telegraphs you sent out?”

  “Not one word. They seem to have disappeared.”

  Addie reached for Ridge’s hand. They couldn’t go to Zelda Law yet. “I have no doubt they ran straight to my father. By now, he knows exactly where I am, and he’ll be on his way.”

  “He’ll find no welcome here.”
Jack’s eyes hardened. “His kind can keep on riding.”

  “That’s what I keep telling her.” Ridge had made a promise and he meant to keep it. Ezekiel would never get his hands on her again. The biggest fear, one that often woke Ridge in a cold sweat, was that Jancy could snatch Addie when she was alone.

  He’d just have to stay vigilant and trust that he’d be around to stop Jancy once he showed his face.

  A short time later, Shiloh Duke finished writing her affidavit and signed the bottom. “What happens now?” Ridge combed his fingers through his hair as he stood.

  “I’ll attach this to the application to have the charges dropped, and file it at the courthouse in Mobeetie. The judge will review it and give his decision.” Jack put the affidavit in a large envelope and stuck it in his desk drawer.

  “By filing, do you mean to hand-carry it?” Addie put an arm around Shiloh’s thin waist. Ridge had harbored hate for that woman for so long, but now that hate had faded. She’d begun to let hope in as well, and he saw it in her eyes.

  “Yes, I’ll leave tomorrow unless something comes up,” Jack replied.

  Ridge blew out a long, worried breath. “How long will this process take?”

  Jack rested a hand on his shoulder. “Hard telling. It depends on how soon the documents land on the judge’s desk, and there’s no way to predict that. My best advice is put it out of your mind and go about your business. You have to be patient and let me do the fretting now.”

  Ridge didn’t tell Jack that the matter of his pardon had never been far from his thoughts for the last five years and sure wouldn’t be going away now. “Another thing. I’ve had blood on my hands since. Will I have to mention those other deaths?”

  “Only what you’re charged with. Besides, those others were done in self-defense.” Jack shook Shiloh’s hand. “Thank you for coming forward. This means a lot to Ridge and those of us who care about him.”

  “I got him in this mess, and I pray I can get him out. He was only trying to do the right thing.” Shiloh’s soft words had sprung straight from her heart.

  Ridge still felt like a jackass for the way he’d first treated her. He ushered the women out to the wagon and drove to the farm, thinking of what he could do to repay her now.

  What did you give someone who’d given your future back?

  * * *

  Addie talked Shiloh into staying at least until morning, then they gathered her dirty clothes and washed them.

  Shiloh stood at the tub of soapy water and Addie at the rinse tub. Her heart went out to this poor girl who’d had such a miserable life. “Shiloh, what happened to your mother? You mentioned something last night about her.”

  “Mama overheard Pa talking about using me to pay off his debt to Beau Calder and told him she was going to take me and run away. They argued. He was falling down drunk, and when he got that way, his horrible temper came out.” Tears ran down Shiloh’s face and into the wash water. “Ever since I can remember, he’d always treated Mama like a servant, beat her for the smallest thing.”

  Addie nodded. “I know the kind.”

  “That night she finally stood up to him.”

  Addie’s stomach twisted. She could guess what happened.

  “Pa told her to sit down and shut her mouth. Mama grabbed me, and we headed for the door. Never made it. He yanked out his gun and shot her.” Sobbing, Shiloh scrubbed her threadbare dress until Addie thought she’d rub a hole right in it. “So much blood. He dragged her out into the yard and ordered me to clean up the mess. By the time I finished, Mama’s body was gone.”

  “I’m sorry.” Addie dried her hands on her apron and put her arms around Shiloh. The woman was all skin and bones. “You’ve had a worse life than me, and I thought mine was bad enough. What you’ve gone through since then, I can’t imagine, but I know it must have been horrible.”

  “I thought a lot about killing myself and ending it. I wasn’t brave enough.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t. I wouldn’t want to have missed meeting you.” Addie went back to rinsing and wringing out the clothes, mulling over an idea. “Shiloh, why don’t you stay here in Hope’s Crossing? This is a good place to start over. The people here would help you.”

  Shiloh’s face softened. “That means more to me than you’ll ever know, but I need to keep moving. The law is going to come looking for me, and I’ll only bring you trouble.”

  “We’re used to trouble. A little more won’t make any difference.”

  “Thank you, but no.”

  Addie let out a worried sigh. “Promise to write me and let me know where you decide to stay.”

  “Of course. I know you care.”

  Addie cooked one of her best suppers for Shiloh’s last night, and afterward they took a walk while Ridge and Bodie worked on lessons.

  “Be careful, Shiloh. Some men are as handsome as sin and make your knees go weak. I used to think I wanted that type of man, but those generally don’t stay long. Just be wary and don’t let some fast talker break your heart. I hope you find someone like my Ridge. He’s as steadfast and kind as any man you’ll meet. Stubborn though. But he can’t help it. He stood in the mule line instead of the people line when the good Lord called it out. Sometimes he can’t hear all that well.”

  They stopped at the corral where the horses enjoyed what was left of the twilight.

  “You’ve sure got yourself a special one, Addie. I hope I helped some in clearing his name.” Shiloh rubbed her mules’ heads when they came up to the fence. “I don’t plan to ever marry. I’ve done too many bad things to deserve happiness.”

  Addie faced her. “Listen to me. You have to forgive yourself. That’s the only way to make it through life. You and I have done the best we could.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The next morning after breakfast, Addie and Ridge stood with Shiloh, her mules loaded down and ready.

  “Thank you for not running me off.” Shiloh’s eyes glistened with tears.

  Addie gave her a big hug. “We were happy to help you. Don’t forget to write.”

  Ridge handed Shiloh a pouch. “I can’t begin to tell you how much your statement meant to me and Addie. There’s enough money there to get you to where you want to settle and give you a good start on a new life. If you get down on your luck, send a telegram.”

  Shiloh nodded, evidently not trusting herself to speak. Silently, she mounted and rode away from their lives.

  Addie wiped her tears. “Do you think we’ll ever hear from her again?”

  “Yes, I think so.” He folded his arms around her and kissed her cheek. “We’re all the family she has.”

  The statement sounded odd at first, but when Addie thought about it, the more it seemed true. Shiloh had no one else, and everyone needed someone to stand in their corner.

  “I’m glad she came here, and not just for what she could do for us.” Addie tilted her face to look up at him. “I feel good inside that you gave her the stake. She needed that.”

  Pride in him rushed through her. Ridge Steele had more heart than anyone she’d ever known. It took a big man to forgive something like what Shiloh had done.

  Twenty-Seven

  Addie waited until Ridge left to go finish up the repairs on the McClain house, then she saddled King and went to pay Eleanor a visit.

  The woman opened the door, pure joy on her face, so unlike the first time Addie’d visited. “Come in, my friend.”

  “We have a lot to catch up on.” Addie gave her a hug. “So much has happened since I last saw you.”

  “I’ll put the tea on.”

  While they waited for the kettle to whistle, they spoke of the prisoners’ escape. Addie couldn’t get it off her mind. The image of Jack with his throat stabbed open was something that refused to leave her thoughts. “I fully believe that crazy, wild woman was working in cahoots wi
th them.” Addie smoothed a little crocheted doily on the center of the small table. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  Eleanor set out the cups and perched on the other chair. “You’re probably right, but we may never know the truth. There are lots of mysteries in this world.”

  “Yes, there are.” Addie told her about getting caught in the tornado and the sheer terror of running for their lives. “I had accepted that Ridge and I were going to die. I had no doubt in my mind and knew it was far too late to try to bargain with God. Time for that had passed. So, I began to wonder what dying was like. Have you ever found your mind wandering there?”

  The kettle whistled, and her friend went to pour the hot water over the leaves in the teapot and brought it to the table. “There’ve been times. Even now in the still of the night, I find myself thinking about making the crossing one day, seeing my Charley and the kids.”

  Addie gazed out the window at Eleanor’s garden where a rabbit hopped between the rows. “If you don’t mind me asking, do you ever think about them?”

  “Almost every day. I’d like to think my boy would’ve been a doctor or lawyer, but the truth is, he probably would’ve wound up like his father and been an outlaw. People like us don’t have a lot of opportunity come our way.”

  Comfortable silence spun a golden web between them while Eleanor served the tea.

  Addie wondered about that too. What chances would there be for any children she and Ridge might have one day? A remote town like Hope’s Crossing was a strike against them. The best chances for education and gainful employment lay in populated areas. Sure, the town was growing, but not fast enough. She wanted better for her kids, and she knew Ridge would want that too. And if Jack was successful in getting the charges against Ridge dropped, they could go anywhere. But would she be able to bear leaving Hope’s Crossing?

  Waiting for word from the judge in Mobeetie would take every bit of her patience. For Ridge, it would be even worse. She hoped they would hear something soon.

  She sipped her tea while their conversation wandered to her horse King, the town, and how close the McClains’ and Lassiters’ houses were to being finished.