An Unexpected Love (The Colorado Brides Series Book 5) (13 page)

“I wanted to make sure you’re all right. How do you feel?”

“So much better now.”

“I’ll be punished for this, but I don’t care.”

“I’m sorry for that, but I’m glad you’re here. I was dreaming about you.”

“I hope it was a good dream.”

“They always are.”

“Oh, you’ve had more than one then.”

“Ever since I met you.”

“My word.”

“You’re the reason I’ve stayed in Denver City so long. I usually move from place to place.”

“What happened to your family? You never really talked about them.”

“Pa’s gone. He left me with a mountain couple and took off. He was a good guy when he was around, but trapping is hard work, and you have to go where the animals are.”

“Do you want to be a trapper?”

“No, ma’am.”

“What will you do?”

“I was happy and content to just wander from place to place—until I met you.” He glanced at me with his one good eye. “But, this city isn’t as hospitable as I like. I’ll have to work harder to stay here.”

“Because of me?”

He grinned. “Yes.”

That was heartening to hear. “We’ll help you to fit in, Ryan. Pastor Bailey won’t let them treat you this way. You’re still coming to church tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“I sure am. There’s nothin’ like the promise of a pretty girl to motivate a man.”

“Oh,” I giggled. “You’re incorrigible.” Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, I leaned over him, admiring the way his eyes looked sleepy in the morning, although there was still some blood on his face. His lip had a blackened slash where it had been cut open. “You are a sight.” I pressed my cheek to his, feeling the prickle of hair.

His arm tightened around me. “It don't bother you that I look Indian?”

“No.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were sweet on me.”

“I…might be.”

“More than a little too.”

“Don't flatter yourself,” I giggled. “I’m just checking on an injured neighbor.”

“At five in the mornin’?”

“Is it that early?”

“At least,” he yawned.

“Go back to sleep. I’ll have to go soon. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

He kissed my forehead. “I’m more than all right.”

“Me too.” It was cozy in his arms; the feel of his warm body seeped through my clothing. I snuggled even closer, resting my head against his shoulder, while letting my eyes drift shut. “I’ll go…in a little while.”

“Hum…”

Sleep had claimed us…but a voice shattered the peace an hour later.

“Well, isn’t this pretty as a picture,” said a male voice I recognized instantly. Nathan stood within the tipi with his hands on his hips. He sighed. “Can’t say I didn’t see this coming.”

“Oh, dash it,” I muttered. “I was supposed to leave.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Just since the morning, sir.”

“I’m gettin’ shades of Fanny and how I had to pry her loose from Jack in the early days.” He shook his head, but humor sparkled in his eyes. “I guess I gotta watch you now, until the weddin’, that is.”

“Good morning, Mr. Weaver,” murmured Ryan, yawning.

Nathan reached down, grasping my arm. “Come on, little lady. Out you go. Fanny and Jack are probably wondering where you went to.”

I glanced at Ryan. “I’ll see you in church tomorrow.”

I held onto him for as long as I could, Nathan pulling us apart. I was on my feet reluctantly. “Ouf! I’m a grown woman! I won’t be manhandled like this.”

“It’s my property, and somebody’s gotta be the moral sheriff around here. Ya’ll can’t be trusted to mind yourselves. That much is obvious.”

“Oh, the nerve!” I slid a foot into a boot. “Nothing happened. Nothing at all.”

“Yeah, but it looks bad. Real bad. It looks like you were here all night.”

“It’s my fault, sir,” said Ryan. “Blame it all on me.”

“Yep.” He grinned, the edges of his eyes crinkling. “I understand what you’re feelin’. Been there before myself. But, until you’re standin’ before the gospel sharp, you can’t be alone together. Am I making myself clear?”

“Perfectly.” I glared at him.

“Now don’t look so sour, honey. You’ll get your man. Sooner than later, I suspect. He’d be a fool not to marry you, wouldn’t you, Ryan?”

He struggled to sit. “I’m second in line, sir. There’s another fella in the way.”

Nathan clucked, shaking his head. “Oh, what a brazen woman.”

Anger needled me. “I’m not going to stay and listen to this. Good day, Mr. Hartsock. I hope you feel better.”

“I’ll be fine. It was good to…see you again.”

“I wish it were longer.”

“All right,” said Nathan, wrapping a steely hand around my arm. “Out you go. You can make goo-goo eyes at each other in church tomorrow.”

“Mr. Weaver!” I objected, but he laughed in reply.

He’d brought out Sally Anne, the horse tethered to a hitching post before the barn. Tipping his hat, he murmured, “Have a safe ride back.”

“Will you tell Hannah about this?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

My mouth turned down. “Oh.”

“She told me about finding you two together before.”

Now my face heated, as embarrassment registered. “I see.”

His look of amusement vanished. “What are your intensions, if I may ask. If you’re toying with that man for sport, I’d advise against it. By coming here like this, you’re sending a certain message, if you know what I mean.”

For some inexplicable reason, tears formed in my eyes. “I…am fond of him, but then…there’s Wesley. I wish that man would return so I could speak with him. If my feelings remain the same…oh, I don’t know.”

“Remain the same for whom?”

“For Wesley.”

“Do you love him?”

“Who?”

“Either of them?”

“Yes.”

“Which one?”

  Ryan
. “I’m trying to figure that out, sir.”

“I think you know that answer already.”

“Everyone wants me to wait until Wesley returns. I wish he was here already.”

“Someone’s gonna have a broken heart.”

“I’m sorry, but that can’t be helped. I won’t marry, unless I’m hopelessly in love…and that’s something I’ve only recently felt.”

He patted the horse. “Come on, I’ll help you up.”

Nothing had been resolved as a result of this conversation. My life was still at a standstill. “Thank you, Nathan. You’re a sweet man. You’re one of the few people I genuinely like.”

“You’re just tryin’ to get on my good side.” His grin was lopsided.

“No,” I giggled. “I mean it.”

“You’ll figure it out, Jane. You’re a smart girl. You’ve got plenty of spirit, but that makes you even lovelier, I suppose. I think the future is pretty darn bright for you, once you figure out which way you’re gonna go.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Nothin’ worth havin’ is ever easy.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“You go on home now, before you’re missed.”

“They’re probably all awake. I’ll just say I went for a ride.”

“Then you better skedaddle.”

I called to the horse, “Go on, Sally Anne. Take me home, girl.”

As I made my way to the road, he stared after me, his face partially hidden beneath a broad-brimmed hat. Although I had been caught with Ryan—again, I was glad I had come. I was now certain that I was in love with him—hook, line, and sinker.

***

Getting ready for church the next morning had set the house abuzz with activity. Fanny had the iron out in the kitchen, while Mary and Susanna fussed with their hair, fighting over the single mirror in the bedroom. I calmly went about my business, choosing a purple morning dress and working my hair into a simple bun, which would be hidden beneath a straw bonnet. When we all were ready, we filed out of the house in our Sunday best, climbing into the wagon, while Jack commandeered the reins.

“For once, we’re on time,” he said, grinning.

“Oh, drat!” exclaimed Fanny. “I forgot the pie.” She stepped down from the seat. “I’ll be back.” We were due for brunch at Paulina’s after the service.

When we were finally on our way, the knowledge that I would see Ryan today left me in high spirits, a hint of color brightening my cheeks. It was a glorious morning; the sun, although stark, shone warmly upon my shoulders, while a hint of a breeze caressed my neck. There was another wagon up ahead, and I assumed it belonged to either Hannah or Louisa, as they lived in this direction. Once we had reached the outskirts of town, the newly reconstructed city stretched out before us, although most of the shops were located in the center along one thoroughfare. There were wagons already at the church, people milling about and talking. I spied Nathan’s wagon, as his family stood next to it with Ryan, who looked bruised and battered, but who stood proudly, holding his head high.

Eager to join them, I nearly sprang from the wagon after Fanny slid from the seat. I made a beeline towards them, my strides determined. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Jane,” said Hannah.

“How are you feeling today?” I gazed at Ryan, who smiled, although it looked painful to do so.

“I’m well.”

The urge to take his hand was almost overpowering, but I resisted. “I’m glad you’re on the mend.”

“Hello, all,” said Pastor Bailey, brushing past us. “I’ll just get the door.”

We followed him inside, while others arrived, the empty lot before the church overflowing with conveyances and horses. The smell of freshly painted wood greeted us, along with a hint of incense, because the church had been rebuilt not that long ago. As promised, Ryan sat next to me, and being this close to him with all my family nearby felt not only fitting, but also comforting. When the pews had filled in, Pastor Bailey appeared before the pulpit, his expression bland, but the determined tilt of his chin signified that he would be speaking on a topic he felt strongly about. His face sported some bruising, but it wasn’t nearly as pronounced as Ryan’s.

“Welcome, everyone.” The parishioners murmured in reply. “It’s good to see you all. We’ve had a trying week, I dare say. First there were the attacks on the supply trains and then the grasshoppers. I spent two days helping my brother-in-law and his family save their fields, but we were outnumbered. We were in the fields from sun up to sun down beating the pests with flails and digging trenches for coal tar. Still, in the end, we were not victorious.” His gaze swept the room. “In times of strife, we are left with the question of why. I repeatedly asked myself why, hoping for an answer I could comprehend, but I wasn’t able to make sense out of it. When a community like ours, after all the calamity that has befallen us, faces an even greater challenge, it does leave us with the question why.”

I glanced at Ryan, who stared straight ahead. He acknowledged my stare with a slight smile, his head tentatively tilting towards me.

“What I saw this week has heartened me,” continued Pastor Bailey. “I realized that the family I’ve stumbled into is more than an assemblage of men and women and children. These people, these hardworking people, would give me the shirt off their backs, if I asked. I didn’t truly understand it until the disaster, but I am a very fortunate man. I am humbled today to be in their presence, and I rejoice in my choice of wife, which I now see as fortuitous.” He glanced at Fanny, who smiled at him. “And this from
Proverbs (3:5-6 NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
He paused in thought before continuing. “One of the people who aided us during this time of crisis was a ranch hand by the name of Ryan Hartsock. He’s been employed at the Weaver farm for several weeks, and you might have seen him in town. I mention this because he has agreed to read for us today from
Matthew 7:1-5.
”

He nodded towards Ryan, who stood. There was a buzz among the congregation, as voices whispered, and I assumed it was either because of his ethnicity or the horrible bruising on his face. When he had made his way down the aisle, slowly taking the steps towards the pulpit, I felt an intense burst of pride at the courage it required to face the citizens of Denver City, especially after his vicious attack.

“There you are,” said Jack. “You’ve got the floor now, son.”

“Thank you.” He gazed at the people, his left eye swollen and purple. Then he began to read from the Bible. “
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
” He glanced at Jack, and then continued reading. “
To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ...”
When he had finished, he turned to Pastor Bailey. “That’s all I have, sir.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hartsock.” As Ryan made his way back to his seat, he sat next to me, lightly brushing my hand with his. “That man may look like something you’ve come to fear, but, rest assured, he’s as tame as the wheat that grows in my field. We’d all be obliged, if you could give him the benefit of the doubt before judging him based solely on his appearance.” He glanced at Mrs. Holmstedder. “You may play now, Bessie. A hymn or two should lighten the mood.”

“Yes, Pastor Bailey.”

I grasped Ryan’s hand, squeezing, while smiling. Whether the service changed anything in respect to how people treated him, we would not know for some time, but I was entirely grateful for Jack’s efforts.