The Bride’s Secret_A Western Romance Story Read online

  Andrew was numb. He looked down at her face. The doctor had closed her eyes.

  He bent over and picked her up, sliding one arm under her legs and one under her shoulders. “Where is your coroner? Your undertaker?”

  “Bring her to my office, Andrew. I’ll take care of her until the undertaker comes. You are welcome to any town funds to provide for a funeral and burial.”

  “That is very kind of you.”

  “My wagon is right here. I have a place in the back for… for loved ones who are gone. She will be comfortable. We aren’t putting her on the floor of a wooden wagon. I have blankets and cushions to soften it.”

  Andrew nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “Come this way.” The doctor gestured to Andrew and the man followed him to the wagon nearby.

  Adam and Sam watched him carry Sheila to the wagon and load her gently into the back.

  “I can’t believe that just happened,” Sam said.

  Adam shook his head. “I can’t either. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that happen here in Wickenburg.”

  They both stood in shock. The crowd was slowly dispersing. Some of the women were crying into their handkerchiefs.

  “That poor man. I hate to say it, but he would have been a benefit to our team while we’re out searching for answers to this rodeo thing.” Sam said. “I hate that this happened to him.”

  “Riley has been around them a few times over the past couple days,” Adam said, referring to his daughter. “She said she hoped that after they are married, she and Chris stay as much in love as the Randolph's. She must have been referring to Andrew. He might have told me his last name before but I didn’t remember it. I didn’t connect the dots on that one.”

  Sam licked his lips. “I guess we should go on to the sheriff’s office.”

  Adam sighed. “I reckon we should. Emily is still missing. But I feel like we should be with Andrew right now, at least for an hour or so.”

  Sam looked down at his friend. “You’re not worried about Emily at all, are you?”

  “I am worried about her,” he defended himself.

  “No, I mean, you really don’t think anything has happened to her, do you?”

  Adam nodded. “Oh, I see what you’re saying. No, I have a feeling that woman can take care of herself in nearly any situation. We haven’t had any trouble from bears or any large animals that might hurt someone out in these woods. The most she might come across is a deer or maybe a porcupine.”

  Sam raised his eyebrows. “A porcupine?”

  Adam lifted one side of his lips in a half-grin. “Well, you never know.”

  “Let’s help Andrew get settled and we’ll come back and go to the sheriff’s office,” Sam said. “I don’t want to wait too long. Max could be havin’ those rodeo people wrapping everything up to leave. Didn’t someone say he did that once before?”

  “Andrew might have said that.”

  “I think it was the night that man got stabbed behind the saloon. They left in the middle of the night after that happened.”

  They went back to their horses and pulled themselves up.

  “I think there’s more to this than meets the eye. I hope the sheriff has some kind of input.”

  “We needed someone who was an expert with this particular rodeo,” Sam said. “Andrew is the only one who knows them in and out. He’s given us more insight into what’s going on than we’ll ever know. I mean, if it wasn’t for him, I’m sure this whole thing would have come down to a gun battle. If it doesn’t already.”

  “I am really hoping it doesn’t. That’s the last thing this town needs. Besides, who is going to fight on their side? It’s just the two of them. We can’t let that happen. I don’t want to be in a gun battle that’s two against a hundred. That’s not fair.”

  “I agree. But if they won’t give up, there will definitely be some self-defense going on.”

  Adam shook his head. They had reached the doctor’s office. He had opened up a very small clinic next to the hotel so that if anyone took ill at the hotel, which he owned, he could immediately treat them. He offered free service to anyone in the hotel as long as they were staying there.

  Adam and Sam dismounted from their horses and went into the doctor’s office.

  Andrew was standing with his back to the window, his hat in his hand and his head down. He looked up when they came in. His face was red and tears were streaming from his eyes. Adam went to him and pulled him into a hug.

  “I’m so sorry, my friend. I’m so sorry.”

  Andrew cried tears of anguish, his shoulders jerking back and forth with the force of his pain. “My Sheila!” he howled. “My love. My love. How could this have happened?”

  Adam patted Andrew on the back, knowing the small gesture would not help the man’s pain.

  Sam stepped into the back where the body was draped in a sheet and Dr. Campbell was looking at some papers in his hand. He looked up when Sam came in. He shook his head, his face solemn.

  “This is a terrible tragedy. I really cannot believe that happened to this young lady. It really is a tragedy.”

  “I know. They loved each other very much, so I’ve heard.”

  “It’s going to take him a while to get over this, if he ever does. I don’t think he’ll ever be the same again.”

  “I wouldn’t be,” Sam replied.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  AN INTERESTING VISIT

  AN INTERESTING VISIT

  Emily and Rachel were having a good time in her garden. Rachel was showing her all the different vegetables she was growing.

  “I’m a little surprised to get this kind of growth here,” Rachel said, pointing to a corner of the garden. “I don’t usually see much there. I think the ground underneath must not provide as much moisture. But I’ve tried different things and it seems the potatoes are the only thing that will really grow there. Look.” She led Emily over to it and Emily watched as Rachel dug into the ground with her hand and wrestled a potato out of the ground. “It’s almost like sand right here. Feel it.”

  Emily looked at Rachel, her cheeks coloring a little bit. “I don’t know anything about planting potatoes.”

  Rachel chuckled. “You aren’t planting a potato, silly girl. You’re harvesting one. Let me see. Okay, put your hand in the ground right here. Look at this soil.” She put two fingers into the dirt and looked up at Emily. “Go ahead.”

  Emily bent down and pushed one hand through the soft dirt. She felt something hard under the surface. She could tell by the texture, it wasn’t a rock. She wrapped her fingers around it and pulled it up. She smiled, lifting the potato from the ground. “Well, what do you know.”

  Rachel grinned. “See? Is that not the neatest thing you’ve seen in a long time?”

  “I’ve never done anything like that. You must be very talented at growing.”

  Rachel laughed, pulling up her apron so Emily could wipe her hand on it after giving the potato to Rachel. Emily wiped off her hand.

  “I’ve never stayed in one place long enough to have a garden. I don’t know if I’ve ever even thought about that.”

  “Do you ever plan to settle down?”

  “I want to. I don’t think I’ll be able to.”

  “Why is that? Aren’t you in control of your life?”

  Emily sighed, looking down at her breeches. The shoes she was wearing looked funny with them. They were comfortable though and Emily’s feet were sore from walking so far in the boots. She dreaded putting them on again. Her feet would be screaming for mercy. “No. I’m not in control of my life.”

  “Is it your brother? Does Ryan control you?”

  As they talked, they walked out of the garden and down a small cobblestone path that would lead them around to the back of the house.

  “It’s not Ryan,” was all Emily would say. When she fell silent again, Rachel broke it with casual conversation.

  “Last year, just after Daryl and I were married, he went t
o Reno. Have you heard of Reno?”

  Emily nodded. “It’s one of the fastest growing towns in Nevada.”

  “Yes, it is. I don’t want to live there for that specific purpose. They have a lot of interesting shops there, though, with items you would never expect to find. Rare and unique items.”

  “How interesting. Did you go with him?”

  “I didn’t. He was only there for a day on business, but he stayed an extra day to look around and find a present for me.”

  “That is very sweet of him.”

  “Yes, I love him more than I can say,” Rachel beamed when she talked about her husband. “Anyway, he came home with two of these.”

  She rounded the corner of the house where a room jutted off the house. It had surrounding walls but no roof. It was obviously not part of the original design of the house. In the room were two hammocks, hanging side by side from hooks attached to the walls.

  “Oh my goodness!” Emily’s hands flew to her mouth. “I have never seen anything like these! What are they?”

  “They’re called hammocks. Apparently, they’ve been around for a long time. I have never seen one. Have you?”

  “Not until now. Can I try it? It looks like fun.”

  “Doesn’t it? I know and yes, it is fun and yes, you can try it.” Rachel grinned wide. “I’ll go get us some tea and you go ahead and lay in one of them. We’ll relax for a while and look at the sun. You can tell me all about your troubles. If you want to. You don’t have to. However, you look like you could use a listening ear and my ears are always open. I keep my mouth shut. I’ll give you advice but I won’t spread your business all over town.”

  “No one knows me in this town. You could say anything you wanted.” Emily grinned. “Although, I would prefer you only say nice things.”

  The women laughed.

  “I would! I have nothing bad to say about you, dear. Let me go get those drinks. I’ll be right back.”

  Emily watched Rachel go around to the front of the house with a smile on her face. She turned and looked down at the hammock in front of her, wondering how she was supposed to lay in it without falling out.

  It was a sturdy hammock, which she noticed when she pushed down on it. She sat on the edge and pulled her legs up, steadying herself with both hands on the sides of the hammock. She swung to the side and had a quick heart hammering fear that she would fall and crack her skull.

  She giggled, knowing that was highly unlikely. The hammock steadied some so she scooted down a little and laid back.

  She looked up at the sun, thinking it would be terrible to lie in that hammock during the middle of the day. The time was creeping up toward that. It had to be almost mid-day. That meant the sun would be directly overhead and she would burn to a crisp. She didn’t want sunburn. It hurt too much. She turned to the side and put her feet on the ground.

  The thought that people were aware she was missing ran through her mind. That meant people were looking for her. She felt a nervous anxiety rise up in her, making her feel sick. Her stomach turned over and she lowered her head. She was ashamed she had run away and caused the fuss that had to be going on out there. Would anyone even know where she’d gone?

  How could they know?

  She stood up just as Rachel came around the house with the tea. She stepped into the room, smiling at Emily.

  “What do you think? Isn’t it great?”

  Emily nodded. “It’s great, Rachel. But I should probably be going. I know people have to be looking for me right now.”

  “You can go if you want,” Rachel said. “But I know that whoever is looking for you probably has no good intentions toward you. I don’t know that. It just seems like it to me.”

  Emily thought of Sam. She hoped he was looking for her. He hadn’t followed her the second time she run off into the woods. When she’d turned around to see if he’d followed her, she saw his retreating back. She’d wanted to call to him, to ask him to come back. However, she was afraid. Falling for him meant a huge change in her life was about to happen. She didn’t think she was ready for it.

  “I know you have something weighing on your mind, Emily,” Rachel said, setting the glasses down on a table in the corner of the room. “I want to help you. I just need you to talk to me. Please talk to me.”

  “I want to talk to you, Rachel,” Emily nodded. “I just don’t know if I can.”

  “Of course, you can. All you have to do is open your mouth and speak. That’s all there is to it. Come on. Sit down on the hammock and let’s talk. I’ll go to the other one and we can face each other and swing back and forth. That’s fun, too. Daryl and I have long conversations out here doing just that. Especially,” she pointed to the sky. “When it gets to mid-day.”

  “Why doesn’t he put a roof on this room?” Emily looked up and asked the question curiously. “It would be more convenient.”

  “Not really and here’s the reason why.” As she spoke, Rachel picked up her glass and went around the hammock to the other one. She went up the path between the two and sat on the one nearest the house so that she was facing Emily. Emily took her glass around and followed Rachel so that she was sitting facing Rachel, her back to the outside world. She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip of the sweetened tea.

  “Mmmm. This tastes delicious with sugar in it.”

  “I know. It really does. I’m glad you like it. Now don’t divert from the topic, young lady. Tell me what is going on with you. I promise you, I will not judge you.”

  Emily looked around the small room, through the windows so she could see what was outside to her left and right. “When will your husband be home?”

  “You know, I don’t know when he will be home. That’s why I like to keep everything clean and organized. That’s what he likes. I like to make him happy.”

  Emily smiled. “You are so lucky, Rachel.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I am blessed, Emily. I am blessed.”

  Emily’s smile widened. “Do you pray?”

  “I do pray, yes.”

  “I pray all the time. I’ve been praying for years. I haven’t had my prayer answered yet.”

  “Well, you know, we have to wait on His time. There’s nothing we can do about His plan for us.”

  “I have been protecting my brother for a long time,” Emily said. She scooted back some on the hammock, so the upper half of her legs was completely on it and only her toes were rocking her back and forth. She had to get in time with Rachel so they didn’t run into each other, which she thought was quite amusing. “I reckon you two are always crashing into each other, aren’t you?”

  Rachel giggled. “The way around that is to hold hands and rock in sync.”

  “Oh my goodness, what a good idea! And so romantic.”

  Rachel’s giggling continued for a moment before she cleared her throat. “Okay, enough about me and my husband. I want to hear more about you. I want you to tell me what has been bothering you? Has someone been hurting you? Your brother?”

  Emily shook her head, taking another sip of her tea. “It’s not Ryan. I mean, it is, but it’s not, too. He’s being manipulated. By the rodeo owner, Max. Max says… Max says that Ryan killed someone in one of the towns we were in.”

  Rachel’s eyebrows shot up and her eyes opened wide. An immediate look of concern crossed her face. “Oh no.”

  “I don’t believe he did it. I think Max did it. I think he told someone he saw Ryan run away and that’s why everyone thinks it was Ryan. Since then, he’s been manipulating Ryan into doing things in some of the towns we’ve gone through. Like stealing or settling a debt with someone Max has gambled with. He won’t let me, my brother, or my mother leave the rodeo.”

  “Why is he so hell-bent on keeping you three there? Why is he doing this?”

  “Because he’s a horrible monster,” Emily replied sincerely. “He threatens me all the time and when Ryan tries to intervene, Max suggests they go down to the local sheriff’s office where he’s s
ure they can find a warrant for Ryan’s arrest.”

  “He’s never… tell me he’s never taken advantage of you.”

  “Not… not in that way, no.” Emily blushed. “He is more the rough kind. He’s the kind of man who will slap a woman anytime for any reason. She doesn’t even have to say anything. I’ve seen him do it. He’s a miserable man.”

  “He certainly sounds like he is.”

  “I don’t want to ever go back to that trailer. But I know I have to. My mother is there. Even if my brother runs off, which he won’t because he loves me and Ma too much, I still have to go back for Ma.”

  “Does she have a horse? Can she come here? I can get Daryl to go get her.”

  “Ma doesn’t usually leave the trailer. She is weak and frail. She never got over the death of her father.”

  “Oh, that is so sad. I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Emily nodded. “Thank you. I hate it for her because when I was younger, she was alive, vibrant, and happy all the time. Her smiles could light up a room. Now we are lucky if we get a smile once a month. And she was such a beautiful woman. Now, she won’t take care of herself at all. She has no motivation to get up or leave the trailer or anything. It’s very upsetting.”

  “And I’m sure it’s draining your energy, too, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but it’s not just that. It’s everything. It’s like my life is a tornado, tearing through the town, destroying everything.”

  “You are a very special woman, Emily. And I think I know someone who can help you.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. My brother. He can and he will help you fight this situation.”

  “Should we go to town then?”

  “Let’s finish our tea,” Rachel said with a grin. “Then we’ll go.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  A NEW DIRECTION

  A NEW DIRECTION

  Adam and Sam left Andrew in the doctor’s office and went to their horses. They both mounted in silence, the seriousness of the last hour weighing on them. Andrew’s sorrow was thick and painful at that time. His emotions were raw from what had just been taken from him.