A Constant Love (The Hope of Cheyenne #1)

Chapter 14

14

After church, Micah felt a great peace in telling Mrs. Aldrich that he would do as she desired and come work her ranch. The pastor had preached a good sermon on God’s plans for mankind. The focus, he said, was that whatever a man chose to do with his life, he should do it to the glory of God. He used First Corinthians ten, verse thirty-one for his proof: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

It didn’t much matter if Micah joined up with the Aldrich women or stayed on his ranch fighting to revive it from nothing. What did matter was that he do it to the glory of God. It seemed evident that he could bring God more glory working with others than alone.

“Do I have my answer?”

Micah turned and faced the woman who had become a surrogate mother to him. “I’ll do it ... to the glory of God.”

She smiled. “I thought of that too. Seems like God always has a way of getting His thoughts into our heads at just the right time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go speak to Mrs. Armstrong before we head back to the ranch.”

Several congregants shook Micah’s hand and told him stories about his father and why they missed him. The more they spoke of the man, the more Micah felt guilty for the lie he had told about him. They lauded his bravery and his sacrifice of giving his life for his friend. Twice it was compared to the verse in John fifteen: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

The entire church thought his father had died trying to save Frank Aldrich and his son. They admired Wayman Hamilton and called him great for what he had done. They worked at comforting Micah with those comments, never realizing how much it hurt knowing the truth.

Micah made his way outside to the wagon. It was loaded for the trip home, and so he’d parked it between the church building and a small shed used for gardening tools, hoping no passersby would get the idea to steal anything. He leaned against the stone of the building and tried to clear his mind. Things were about to change, and he couldn’t allow himself to be burdened by the past.

Still, the death of his father tormented him like nothing else could. The memories refused to go away. He could still see his father at the bottom of that gully. Blood spreading to soak his wool coat, only to freeze as the sub-zero temperatures hit the dampness.

“Are you all right?” Charlotte asked.

He looked up to find her watching him. How long she’d been standing there he didn’t know. “Just remembering.”

“Your father?” She moved closer.

Micah studied her for a moment. She wore a stylish blue walking suit made from some sort of lightweight material. Her mother had commented on it being cooler than materials that were generally used to fashion such an outfit. But even so, Charlotte was ridding herself of the jacket.

“Micah, you know you can talk to me. I know the truth about your father’s death, and it doesn’t disturb me to hear what you have to say.”

“It disturbs me just thinking about it. I feel to blame for so much, but I know if I’d done things differently, he wouldn’t be dead. I know, too, if folks around here knew the truth ... well, things would be a whole lot different. Most would never speak to me again.”

“Micah, you didn’t mean for what happened to happen. I know that, and so does Mama. Otherwise, she never would’ve said that he froze to death with Papa and Frank. Your father’s death ... well, it’s not that I believe God necessarily wanted him to die that way, but He knew that he would. He is the one who numbers our days. And as Mama has said from the beginning, all three made their choices.”

“I just keep thinking I should have done things different. I keep seeing him lying there in the snow. ... The blood was such a stark contrast to the white everywhere else.”

“Micah, you must let it go. You have to allow yourself grace. Your father wouldn’t want you to blame yourself. He knew you didn’t want him to die.”

“I know.” He met her sympathetic gaze. “But we all lied. We can’t change that. If others knew, it would ruin your mother’s life. I might even go to jail.”

“But they don’t know, and they never will. There’s no need for them to know.” She took hold of his arm. “Micah, I care very much for you. I pray for you always. You’ve been so special to my family. I remember being so jealous of Frank because he could spend all his time with you. You two could work together and enjoy your time away from chores together. You remember those camping trips you and Frank used to take?”

“I do. I miss them. We’d go into the mountains and set up our tent. Sometimes we’d hunt, but a lot of times we’d just enjoy the solitude and talk about what we wanted to do with our lives.”

“And what did you want to do?” she asked, her voice soft and alluring.

Micah couldn’t help being drawn in to answer. “Raise cattle and children. Further establish our father’s empires—make our own.”

She nodded. “That’s all I wanted too. Oh, and to marry the man I love and want to spend my life with.”

“You’d have to find him first. I guess I kind of skipped that part. Finding someone with whom you could live a lifetime ... well, it can’t be all that easy.”

“Simplest thing in the world, for me,” she murmured and looked away.

Micah thought of the things Rich had said about Charlotte’s feelings. Was she in love with him? Could she really care for him the way Rich suggested? He cleared his throat. It would solve a lot if he’d just ask her.

“Charlotte ... do you ... I mean...”

“There you two are. I don’t know why it didn’t dawn on me that you’d already be at the wagon,” Mrs. Aldrich said, coming to join them. “Let’s head home. It’s starting to get windy, and we’ll have to battle that all the way.”

Micah forced his question back and helped Mrs. Aldrich into the wagon. Next, he handed Charlotte up before taking the driver’s seat. He untied the lines and released the brake.

“Ready?”

The two ladies nodded, and Charlotte met his gaze. She seemed to beg him to finish his question, but Micah knew now wasn’t the time. Instead, he looked away and snapped the lines.

Lewis Bradley felt a devilish sense of satisfaction course through his body. He had just overheard Micah and Charlotte talk about the lies they’d told—the deception they’d managed to instigate against the entire community regarding Wayman Hamilton’s death.

He wasn’t exactly sure what it was they had lied about, but given the discussion, all things pointed to the possibility that Micah had done something to end his father’s life. What else would he have to regret in such a haunting manner?

Lewis was nearly giddy as he made his way home. He had planned to get a ride with his neighbor, but he needed the walk to think and plan. First, he needed to know for certain what had happened. If Micah had killed his father and the Aldrich women were hiding this fact, they’d all be in trouble. They’d need a good lawyer to get them out of that trouble, and Lewis would happily represent the women.

He imagined what he might say or do to get the truth out of Charlotte. If he threatened her beloved Micah or even her mother, Charlotte was sure to tell him whatever he wanted to know. She’d have to. She wouldn’t want to see either of them in trouble.

There was quite a bit of traffic at the corner as church congregants made their way home. Lewis waited until the street was clear to cross and all the while continued to ponder the matter. If he could arrange to have Micah stand trial for the murder of his father, he knew there would be ways to ensure a guilty verdict. There was still enough corruption in Cheyenne to get what he wanted. He had dirty little secrets on many of the judges and law officials. It wouldn’t be hard at all to utilize that knowledge and get what he wanted.

Of course, there was the matter of proving murder. There had been mention of blood. Perhaps Micah had shot or knifed his father. It might have been an accident, but with the right story, it could easily be proven to be murder.

The very idea delighted Lewis more than he could say. Despite it being the Sabbath, he intended to smoke one of his cigars in celebration when he got home. His aunt would have a fit about it, but that was too bad. She had stayed home from church because Victoria was feverish. And just look at all he’d been able to accomplish. He could never have overheard the conversation between Micah and Charlotte if he’d had to worry about those two.

Lewis smiled to himself. If he could get Micah convicted of murder, then he’d hang, and Charlotte would belong to Lewis. The smile faded. How long would those legalities take? What if he just threatened Charlotte that he’d see Micah charged with murder unless she married him and did so quickly?

By the time he reached his front drive, a plan had started to form in his mind. He wouldn’t have to actually get Micah charged if he could accomplish his plan with mere threats. If that was the case, he’d have the information to use later in case it was needed.

Perhaps marriage and blackmail would be enough to see him well set for life. He laughed out loud. For once, going to church had lifted his spirits.

Charlotte tried to enjoy the ride home, but the ruts of the trail seemed rougher and the heat more abominable. What she really wanted was to hear what else Micah had to say. She felt certain that if they’d been left alone just a little longer, she could have declared her love for Micah. She could have explained to him that she’d been completely devoted to him since she was a child and that it would never change. That she loved him and wanted him for her husband—for the father of her children.

“I think we should just head to your place and retrieve your things,” Mama said, bringing Charlotte’s thoughts back to the present situation.

“The wagon is full of stuff already. Let’s go to your place and get things put away, and I can ride over to my place and get my things. I don’t have that much I need to bring. Certainly not a wagonload.”

“What are you talking about?” Charlotte asked.

“Micah has agreed to move to the ranch. He’s going to take over for Kit and work with you on how you want things run, while hopefully getting Kit to understand what he needs to do to fulfill his job as foreman. I told Micah, just as I’d mentioned to you, that I want him to partner with us.”

Charlotte couldn’t have been happier with the news. Micah would be available to her twenty-four hours a day. That would make it far easier to get him alone and speak her mind.

She frowned. It would also make it harder if she did that and he refused her. They would have to work day in and day out with that between them. Charlotte couldn’t help but turn away from her mother and shift her gaze out across the vast open range. She had wanted to declare her love for Micah for so long, but could she do it now without threatening their livelihood? She needed Micah to straighten out Kit. She needed him to get the cowboys properly instructed.

She heaved a sigh, then realized her mother would wonder at that, especially since she’d said nothing about her mother’s announcement.

“Are you all right, Charlotte?”

“Yes. I’m just tired. I didn’t sleep very well last night, as you well know. The heat and all was a bother.”

Her mother patted her hand, but Charlotte refused to look at her. Mama would know in a heartbeat that there was something more if she saw the unease in Charlotte’s eyes.

“You were pretty restless.”

“I just wanted to get home. I don’t like the city.” She hoped that would be more than enough to explain.

“I’ll be glad to be there as well,” Mama replied. “It was good to get all of that business accomplished and even to see Emma’s new house. Goodness, but I can’t imagine spending such money on a place to live.”

“Neither can I,” Charlotte said, hoping the conversation would occupy her mother’s thoughts. “If I had an extra fifty thousand dollars, I’d buy more cows and build more barns and build that church we talked about. I certainly wouldn’t worry about putting in a furnace system and electricity.”

“Well, electricity is rather nice. I was impressed with the ease in which a person can move about in the darker hours.”

“Folks ought to be sleeping in the darker hours,” Micah joined in. “Otherwise, how are they going to get up at dawn and get their work done?”

“Well, you have to admit city hours and ranch hours are two entirely different things,” Mama said with a laugh. “But I’m with Charlotte. I wouldn’t spend all that money on a house either, and I wouldn’t worry about adding all sorts of fancy luxuries to make my life easier. It’s not that hard to light a lamp or candle. It can be taxing to fetch water, but not all that bad now that we have good pumps in place. And, yes, it’s difficult to keep a fireplace going without a supply of wood nearby. Sending the boys to the forested areas to cut wood and bring it back here is a terrible chore but not an impossible one.” She fell silent, and Charlotte couldn’t help but glance over.

Her mother smiled. “Maybe I would spend the money to have one of those fancy Smead furnaces.”

“No, don’t bother. It requires a ventilation system to be put in as well and piping to distribute the heat. Oh, and coal. You’d have to have coal for the heating. I think wood is better for the time being, even if we do have to drive a hundred miles or more roundtrip to get it. It’s a simple matter to cut down a tree. Much harder to mine for coal.”

“See, that is just the way of it. You think you’ve found a way to simplify your life, and lo and behold, there are more complications than you realize.”

Charlotte could have offered a comment of agreement, but it wouldn’t have had anything at all to do with the furnace system offered by Mr. Smead. Her complications were of an entirely different sort.