Chapter 8
Jake flopped down on the lumpy excuse for a mattress the cheap hotel called a bed. He missed Chris and was sorry they hadn’t gotten to talk more about his bride. Now, he felt bad for what he and Sheila had done to him, but Jake couldn’t let his best friend go outlaw and join Drake’s gang. The man was no good. Why Chris couldn’t see that was beyond him. He just hoped Mary Anna would knock some sense into his friend’s empty head.
There was a knock on the door. Jake froze and grabbed the gun by the bed. He didn’t know of anyone who was coming over. Sheila was getting ready for her night at the Drop Dead Saloon. Chris was with his bride. And there was no one else in this town Jake cared to talk to right now.
Still, the knocking persisted.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me. I don’t have my key.”
Jake jumped up and let Chris in. “What are you doing here? What did you do with Mary Anna?”
“I left her at The Drover. It’s a nicer hotel, and we decided we would get to know each other before, well, you know.” There was a slight blush on his buddy’s face.
Jake grinned. “I think that sounds rather gentlemanly of you. So, do you like her?”
“She’s a Southerner from Mississippi, Jake. What do you think?”
“Oh. Well, there was nothing to let us know about that. I take it you were fighting the war all over again?”
“Something like that. She’s not any more pleased that I’m a Yank. I don’t know how we’re going to get around this.” He shrugged and sat in the chair by the window. “Find a ranch for us yet? I can only afford a week at The Drover for her.”
“I found one the other day. We can get it for the price of a year’s taxes. There’s already a house and a bunkhouse on it. Although, I have to admit the word house might be stretching it. But we can build onto it.”
“How many acres?”
“The deed said two hundred with options on five hundred more. It’s not more than half a day’s ride from town.” Jake smiled excitedly. “And the railroad borders the eastern edge of the ranch. Perfect for us to load our cattle to go east or north to Wyoming.”
“How much will that leave us if we buy it?” Chris was smiling now.
“Seven hundred dollars still in the bank. We can fix up the house and buy us some good stock.” Jake paced the small room. “I was hoping to see you so you could go with me to look at it. Too late now, but tomorrow morning, we could go out and see what you think.”
“Sounds great. I have to take Mary Anna to breakfast first, and then I can go.” Chris tapped his finger on the window. “What about Sheila? Are you going to ask her to marry you?”
Jake’s heart froze. “Marry?”
“You trapped me into getting a wife. I think you could go ahead and ask Sheila. She loves you, Jake.”
“And you would know that how?” There was no way he wanted to get married. The only reason he tricked Chris into marriage was to keep him from going down the path to perdition.
“Because of the way she looks at you. Besides, I can’t ask Mary Anna to live on a ranch with no friends around. Who would she talk to?”
Jake lightly tapped Chris on the head. “You. That’s what married people do.”
“Well, we can’t hardly talk for ten minutes without starting the war over. She needs a female friend on the ranch. If you don’t marry Sheila, I’ll ask her if she wants to live on the ranch and be our housekeeper.”
“You can’t do that. Sheila wouldn’t want to clean a house. I doubt she’d even know how.” Jake shook his head and moved away from Chris.
Chris stared at his friend. “It’s the least you can do after the trick you pulled on me.”
“I don’t want to get married.” Jake paced around the room. “I doubt if Sheila wants to get married.”
“Let’s go ask her. If she doesn’t want to marry you, I’ll drop it. If she does, I’ll get the preacher.” Chris grinned. He had Jake over a barrel. He could tell his friend felt bad about the trick they’d played on him.
Jake glared at him. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Nope. It’s up to Sheila. Let’s go find her and see.” Chris pointed to the door. “You owe me this, Jake.”
After a quick prayer that Sheila wouldn’t want anything to do with him, Jake grabbed his hat, went out the door, and waited for Chris to follow. “She won’t want to marry me, Chris.”
“We’ll see. Let’s go.” Chris walked across the street to the saloon. He prayed Sheila would marry Jake. She had to. After all, misery loves company, as the saying goes. At least Sheila wouldn’t be angry with Jake for being a Yankee.
They entered the dark saloon and let their eyes grow accustomed to the dim light. Chris nodded at the bar. “There she is.”
Jake raised his hand. “Sheila, over here.”
Chris stared at him. “Well, that was romantic.”
Shrugging, Jake found a table near the back. “Why don’t you go somewhere else? A man shouldn’t ask a lady to marry him in a crowd.”
“Really, Jake? Because I think that is exactly what I did. Though I didn’t even get to ask Mary Anna to marry me, I just stood there and said I do to marrying a stranger.” Shaking his head, Chris left his friend and passed Sheila. He smiled at her and hoped she would say yes. Jake might think he tricked him into marrying because he needed to settle down, but the man ought to look in the mirror.
Jake waited for Sheila to make it to his table. She carried a tray with three beers but stared at Chris’s back as he passed her. She put the tray down. “Where is Chris going? And where is his wife?”
“He had something to do. His wife is at The Drover.”
She turned and looked at Jake. “Well, guess we can split his beer. You are paying, aren’t you? You have stuck me with the bill too many times.”
Regret stabbed Jake. She was right. He took advantage of her. Maybe he should marry her. “Sheila, I came over here to ask you to marry me.”
Sheila looked at him in disgust. “If that is an attempt at a joke and to get me to pay for your drinks, forget it.”
“No, I’m serious. We’ve been friends for some time, and I care about you.”
“Care? A man cares about his horse, his friends, and his reputation. But not his wife. Come on, what’s the joke? Did Chris put you up to this as payback for what we did to him?”
Looking at the woman, Jake realized that he really did care for her. Loved her? Maybe. “Chris did suggest it. He said we’d be good together. Once we get the ranch, he didn’t want his wife to be lonely.” As soon as he said it, he knew he was in trouble. He’d only hurt her more.
Tears watered Sheila’s eyes. “I care a lot for you, Jake. I’ve tended your wounds, cleaned your room, and even lied for you. I love you, Jake. But I won’t marry you to keep another woman company. I won’t marry you to cover a bet with Chris. I think I’ve had enough of you. Goodbye, Jake.”
She whirled away from him, stopped, went back, and threw the extra beer in Jake’s face. “I did love you. Now, I think I hate you.”
Jake wiped the beer from his face and watched Sheila walk away from him. He blew it. He didn’t think that he wanted to marry the woman. Prayed that she’d say no. But now, he could only hope he could get her back.