Authors: Alexa Blair
Chapter 3
Six months into his marriage, Cole was still sleeping in a separate bed from his wife. He had tried to lay down with her once, but the experience was awkward and he vowed not to do it again unless they both wanted it. Marrying Claudia was like having no wife at all, but Cole couldn’t complain. He was one of the few men in Bloomingfield who even had a wife.
So he went about his normal life as a sheriff and then would come home to his wife knitting or stitching and they wouldn’t say a word to each other. Six months into their marriage and they were still like strangers. Cole barely knew anything about his wife and while this troubled him, he never bothered to fix the problem.
Claudia also never attempted to make the marriage into a marriage. Instead, she treated her husband as a roommate. She would give him space and he would leave her alone. In this way, they never had marital problems but they never had any marital pleasure either. Everyone in the town wondered how long they would last.
*****
One day, Claudia was walking through the town with her derby hat perched on her head. Everyone knew her by now to be the sheriff’s wife. She seemed to be a plague to other men and they stayed away from her. Even the other women tended to stay away from her, but she continued to walk through the town with her head held high and that dignified look in her eye.
As she was walking, she headed toward the post. She was expecting some mail from her family back in Massachusetts and wanted to pick it up before the post closed. As she entered the building the old man who ran the post gave her a toothless smile.
“Ah, Mrs. Pearse, or should I call you Ms. Finch?” The old man teased. Unlike all the other residents of Bloomingfield, he had no remorse about teasing the odd marriage. He had been a minister in his youth and he felt like their loveless marriage was an abomination to the sanctity of marriage itself.
Claudia, however, paid him no mind. She was not offended or hurt with these comments. She knew what the town thought of her and she was not concerned with their judgments.
“I am here for my mail,” she said curtly, looking at the man as she took off her gloves. The man gave her a dirty look before going to the back and rummaging through all the mail that he had. Finally, he emerged with an envelope in his hand.
“A letter from Boston,” he said.
She grabbed it and left without exchanging another word with the man. She walked back to her home in a brisk pace. She hated to be outside in the sweltering heat of New Mexico. When she finally made her way back home she could feel the drips of sweat falling down her back. If there was one thing she hated about her new home it was the heat.
Once inside, Claudia opened up the letter and her hands shook as she read the words. She read and reread the words on the page as her face started to fill with emotions. Her full lips quivered and she sat down, taking it all in.
She suddenly heard Cole coming inside, however, and hurriedly composed herself. She couldn’t let him see the letter. So she quickly stuffed it into her bosom and patted her pale cheeks back to life. As Cole entered the living room there was something different about his attitude. He seemed up to something.
“Are you busy today?” He suddenly asked. His face was a little red and he seemed excited. Claudia looked at him curiously, wondering what he was about. She shook her head.
“Splendid. Now, we have been married six months and we have yet to act like husband and wife.” Claudia was about to protest when he shook his head. “Let me continue. Now I don’t even mind that we sleep in separate beds or that I have to go to the saloon in order to get my meals, but I do want to get to know you, Claudia. You are a very beautiful woman and I want to get to know the woman I wrote letters to.” Cole could feel his face flush as he admitted this to his wife.
Claudia looked at him a little dumbfounded. She wondered where he was going with this. She wondered if he was being genuine. Maybe he was right. Maybe they should get to know each other more and maybe they could be more like husband and wife. Before Claudia could respond, however, Cole continued.
“So I was thinking that I could teach you how to ride a horse.” Claudia’s eyes went big.
“A horse?” Her voice betrayed her as it sounded shocked but excited at the same time. Cole nodded and grinned.
“Yes. It is not uncommon for a woman in the Frontier to be able to ride a horse. As the sheriff’s wife, you would get a lot more respect if you knew how to ride a horse.” Claudia looked at him again. She was about to protest when something inside of her shifted.
“Okay. If you are willing to teach me then I am willing to learn.” Claudia’s dark eyes shone brightly as she looked at her husband. Maybe this man wasn’t as strange as she thought him to be. Maybe there was a potential there for them to be a happy couple. Maybe she just needed to give him a chance.
*****
Claudia was a quick learner. In little less than a month, Cole had taught her how to properly ride a horse and she had even ventured into trotting around. It seemed like Claudia was a born natural and as Cole watched his wife handle his horse there was a sense of pride bubbling up inside of him. And it was through this teacher-student relationship that the couple got one step closer to being husband and wife.
Chapter 4
The Phoenix Alehouse was where many Bloomingfield citizens went to get their news. The town newspaper distributed its first copies to the saloon and it was where they made the most profit. Patrons would pick up a newspaper and drink a glass of beer as they read through the news.
Today, the patrons were abuzz with the two headline stories.
“Did you hear about the gold-train thief? That lad must be rich by now!” One patron said as he took a swig of his beer. His friend nodded.
“Yeah, it seems he never takes very much but, the gold-mining industry has lost about 5% of their revenue to this thief. What do you suppose he needs all that money for?” The man with the beer shook his head.
“I don’t know but I sure as hell wish I were him! I would be rolling with the best. I sure as well wouldn’t be slaving away building those railroads!” He took another swig and the foam gently hugged his upper lip before he wiped it away.
The two men continued to talk about the gold-train thief. It seemed like there was a man stealing from the gold-trains while they were in town. He had apparently done this multiple times, but the authorities had yet to get any leads. There was a rumor that it might even be a group of people working together.
In another part of the saloon, a group of men was looking at the second story.
“I can’t believe that sheriff hasn’t caught him yet!”
“I know... I thought he was one of the best sheriffs in New Mexico and yet we have a murderer in our town running amuck. It’s disgusting.” The man snorted at his own words as he looked at his friends.
“The worst part is that the murderer is picking off the long-standing good citizens of Bloomingfield. Who knows if we aren’t next on his list?” Another man spoke up looking a little nervous. He was a scrawny looking man and it seemed like he had a good reason for fearing for his life.
“Well if that man tries to come for me… I will strangle him!” The table erupted into laughter at the response and the mood lightened.
But, it was no joke that there was indeed a murderer on the loose in Bloomingfield. People were now afraid to be home alone after a certain hour since the murderer always killed his victims when they were home alone. He would usually shoot them while they were asleep, the sound ringing throughout the town, marking the death of one more citizen. It seemed like no one was safe and that no one was doing anything to stop the killer’s reign of terror. It seemed like the police force was failing the town.
*****
Meanwhile, as the saloon’s patrons were reading the newspaper, Cole and Claudia had woken up early in order to go riding. Claudia was now rather skilled in riding a horse and they often time took rides together on the outskirts of the town. In these rides, they would often talk and it almost felt like they were forming some sort of relationship.
“Beautiful day today,” Claudia said softly as she looked up at the blue sky. Cole approached her and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Not as beautiful as you, dear.” They had certainly become more affectionate, but these pleasant comments were still the limit of their affection. They still slept in separate beds and still their lips never met at the end of the day.
Claudia’s cheek, nonetheless still colored at the compliment and she smiled at her husband. She touched his hand gently and squeezed it. “You flatter me.” Her eyes were bright as she looked at him and the wind gently played with the derby hat perched on her head.
“You never do take that hat off do?” Cole asked. The question had been on his mind for a very long time.
“It was my grandmothers.” Cole smiled as he learned one more little detail about his wife. He felt like he finally getting to know her.
*****
After their morning ride, Cole and Claudia made their way to the saloon. Cole was craving a cold beer and smiled as he walked with his wife into the saloon. This was the first time she had walked arm in arm with her husband and somehow it felt natural.
As Cole entered the saloon, everyone stared at him. He looked around to see countless eyes looking at him and staring him. Their looks were filled with malice and Cole wondered what was going on.
“You have the decency to show your face around here sheriff? Why don’t you stop lounging around and start working for once?” A man called out. Cole looked at him curiously and then picked up a newspaper lying on a nearby table. He quickly scanned the stories and clenched his jaw. He looked around and felt the disappointment bubbling up inside of him.
Some of the other patrons started to antagonize Cole. He could feel their words stab him as all of their accusations crashed into him. Feeling angry, Cole rushed out of the saloon, leaving his wife behind in his rage of emotion.
“Typical… he runs away when things get rough.”
“He should just leave and let someone else find those criminals!”
“Inadequate.”
The men continued to insult the sheriff as the doors of the saloon swung behind him. Claudia looked at them and shot them a defiant look. It seemed like she was defending the valor of her husband. She glared at the men before leaving to follow after him. She could sense that he was upset. She needed to do something about it.
Chapter 5
Cole sat at home with his head in his hands. Was he failing the town? He had taken off his badge and laid it on the table. The badge stared at Cole as if to accuse him as well. He didn’t know what to do. Should he come clean or should he continue to try and find leads on the criminals? He didn’t know what to do. He felt lost and alone.
Everyone was turning against him. Even his own family was shying away from him. It seemed like everything was falling apart around him and he didn’t know what to do. Cole got up and paced around his home as he took off his hat and ran his fingers through his thick hair. He did this a few times before he heard the door open and heard Claudia step inside.
He hadn’t expected Claudia to follow him home and yet there she was. She looked at him as she stood in the doorway. There seemed to be something like understanding in her eyes and the two of them shared a moment together.
As Claudia looked at him, she could tell there was something upsetting him more than just the men at the saloon. There was something deeper inside of him that was making him upset. She didn’t know what it was, but she felt it too. Maybe he was more like her after all. Maybe he had his own secrets he would never dare to tell.
She looked at the kitchen table to find his badge next to a shot of whiskey. She sighed before moving toward the table and picking up his badge. She sat down and gently pinned it back onto his jacket.
“A sheriff should always wear his badge,” she said as she stood close to him, looking at him with her captivatingly dark eyes. He looked up at her and couldn’t help but smile a little. At the beginning of their marriage, Cole barely knew this woman. She had felt so cold and unapproachable, but now as she stood before him he felt like he could trust her. He wanted to trust her. He wanted to tell her everything that was on his mind. But he couldn’t.
“Claudia… I don’t deserve that badge.” Cole finally said sulkily. It was true, for all that he did, and all that he didn’t do he did not deserve that badge. He didn’t deserve her.
“Nonsense. Those criminals are experienced and will be hard for anyone to catch. Don’t cut yourself short. You are a great sheriff. You have been keeping this town safe for years. Just because you are facing some heat now you want to quit? Well, I won’t allow it.” Cole thought back to the first time he saw Claudia’s picture.
She had looked ready to take on the world and as she said those words that same personality reemerged. She was right. The town needed him. He couldn’t afford to run away and hide just because times were getting tough. No, the town needed him to stay on his feet. They needed him to catch the people terrorizing the town.
Cole smiled at his wife before gently cupping her cheeks in his hands. Over the last couple of months, she was feeling like more of a wife to him and he really enjoyed her company now. She was looking at him with a look of compassion on her face. As Cole looked at her he knew that he wouldn’t want anyone else by his side comforting him. Even though they were an odd couple who still slept in separate beds despite being married almost a year, in a strange way Cole felt like he loved her.
He looked down at her and smiled as her dark eyes seemed to open up the world. She seemed to be holding her breath, waiting for something. Slowly, she moved closer, their faces now inches apart. Cole couldn’t help himself. He leaned in and kissed her lips for the first time. His hands were gently caressing her cheeks as he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her with all the pent-up emotion he had been holding in for so long.
To his amazement, Claudia started to kiss back and she even wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him and Cole smiled as he felt love in her sweet lips. He smiled into the kiss and hugged her tightly to his chest. He held her close and the kiss continued until they were both out of breath.
When Claudia finally broke away her face was flushed and she looked a little embarrassed. Even though they stood quietly it was apparent that this was a critical moment in their relationship. They had finally admitted their love for each other.
*****
Later that night, the kiss shifted into real affection. As Cole was making his way to his bedroom Claudia looked at him. She didn’t say a word, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted him to join her in bed that night.
And so Cole, although a little embarrassed, padded into her bedroom and laid by her side for the second time. Unlike the first time, he did not get up in a matter of five minutes. Instead, he stayed by his wife’s side for the entire night.
Of course, it was a little awkward at first, but soon enough Cole found himself wrapping his arm around his wife and pulling her close. He looked into her beautiful eyes and smiled. He was glad that this woman was finally his wife. He leaned into her and gently kissed the top of her head as he ran his fingers through her soft hair.
As the wind rattled the windows and the room got colder Claudia found herself moving closer to her husband. She pressed herself against him and smiled. She never expected herself to be affectionate with this man and yet here she was.
“I love you,” Cole whispered into her ear before they both drifted off into sleep.