Chapter 31
Overwhelmed by You
The following two weeks were a whirlwind of activity.
First, dealing with the bank, including setting up an account in her name only, and transferring the money.
Seth insisted. When they left, they had all the documents appropriately signed and witnessed.
Next came cleaning the Red Eye and preparing it for sale.
A huge chore, thanks to Alvin and his band of slovenly outlaws.
Within hours of putting a for sale sign in the window, she received six offers.
But she was particular, preferring to burn it to the ground than sell it to another Heloise or Josephine.
When several of her ladies stepped forward, having pooled their savings and hocked as many of their possessions as they could, Charlotte accepted their offer.
It was the lowest, but she didn’t care, and Seth agreed; controlling their future was payment enough.
Patsy married her farmer in a small ceremony in a field of fragrant wildflowers, with the sun setting over the mountains as the backdrop. The ladies from the Red Eye attended, including Charlotte, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the meadow.
The following day was filled with more tears as she and Patsy saw Violet off on a train west to California, thanks to a generous bonus and back pay from Charlotte.
“There must be five hundred dollars in here,” she exclaimed when she looked in the envelope.
Charlotte clasped her hand and squeezed. “It’s enough for decent lodging in San Francisco for several months until you get settled.”
Violet hugged her close. “I can’t thank you enough for this.”
“You can thank me by staying safe and writing when you can, so I know you’re well.”
“Consider it done,” she agreed, releasing her and wiping the tears from her face. “But where do I send a letter?”
“Virginia, I hope, but that’s not guaranteed. Send it to Janelle Jackson. She’ll forward it to me because she threatened dire consequences if I don’t keep in touch.”
Violet glanced behind her and Patsy at the two men patiently waiting while they said their goodbyes. “I’ll miss you both, but I leave with a happy heart, knowing you found good men and got out. Maybe I can too.”
Wiping more tears away, she turned and climbed aboard the train. Then they waved goodbye until the train disappeared from view.
***
The thought of returning to the blood-soaked cabin filled her with dread, even though Seth insisted his deputies had scrubbed away every trace of the day’s violence. The silence of the place would be deafening. As they drove down the lane, she noticed they had hung a new door, too.
“Stay in the wagon. I’ll pack up,” Seth told her as he set the brake and secured the reins.
“I can do it,” she assured him, determined to prove she wasn’t a fragile, hothouse flower.
He squeezed her hand. “I know you can. But I’m here, so you don’t have to.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Honestly, I’m baffled how another woman didn’t snatch you up before me.”
“I’m not. We were destined for each other. It just took us a while to be in the same place at the same time long enough to realize that we were.”
“See? It’s things like that. Were they blind? They must have been because you’re handsome, romantic, and so incredibly sweet, but also stubborn at the best of times, like not taking no for an answer when I pushed you away. It’s your kisses, and everything else—”
He laid a finger against her lips. “You love me.”
“I do,” she whispered. “More than I ever thought possible.”
He cupped her chin and pressed his lips to hers. “I love you too, darlin’, and I’d show you how much, but not here, and not now. We need to get this done before we lose daylight.”
“Did I mention you’re annoyingly practical, too?”
He chuckled, kissed her again, then shifted on the bench to get down.
“I’m coming,” she said, standing. “My hero is here, so I’ve got nothing to worry about.”
He reached up, grasped her around the waist, and swung her down, letting her slide down his front.
When her feet touched the ground, he didn’t release her, dipping his head to hers and claiming her mouth.
Not in a soft, sweet caress but hungrily.
She was breathless long minutes later when he let her up for air.
“Let’s get this done,” he murmured, taking her hand.
She went with him, speechless and rubber-kneed. Seth overwhelmed her. But she didn’t miss the rasp in his voice, the slight hitch in his step, or the impressive length of him that had nudged her insistently in the belly. She smiled, knowing she overwhelmed him, too.
Packing up her belongings didn’t take long. She removed Fen’s treasures from the false bottom of the battered old trunk then filled it with household items and gowns she no longer needed. Everything was destined for the Red Eye, where someone would make use of it.
Charlotte sat on the high bench as Seth secured the load in the back. Her gaze swept over her temporary home one last time. It had been an experience she would never forget, and hopefully never repeat.
She’d already sold it, surprisingly, at a considerable profit.
It wasn’t the cabin; the new owner planned to demolish it immediately.
He wanted the land and the sixty-five acres bordering it, which Fen acquired from the government when they’d first arrived in Laramie.
That had to be why he’d accepted the overgrown land and tumbledown cabin as payment on a debt.
The proceeds from the sale were enough to reach their destination and get settled before transferring Seth’s savings, but her hard-earned money as well.
The wagon shifted under his weight as Seth climbed up and sat next to her. “All set?” he asked as he picked up the reins.
“There’s nothing to keep me, I suppose.”
He glanced at her sharply. “Don’t tell me you’re sad about leaving this place?”
“No. Most of my time here was awful, but I learned I have friends.” She laid her hand on his and gripped it tightly. “And we made a few wonderful memories I’ll always cherish.”
“The bath,” he suggested, reading her mind.
“Yes, and we spent our first night together here.”
He raised her hand and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist. She took a deep breath, getting that overwhelmed feeling again.
“We’ll make more memories,” he promised. “In a place of solid construction, with indoor plumbing and a spacious tub long enough for me to stretch my legs in, made of porcelain, with a heater. They make those now, you know.”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into our bathtub.”
“Two of my fondest memories feature a tub, with you in it, glistening wet and soapy, which should tell you why.”
“Tin or copper, in a creek or a basin, it doesn’t matter to me how or where. As long as you’re with me, I’ll be happy, just like you promised.”
Emotion shone in his eyes. Bypassing her wrist, he claimed her mouth with an intensity of warmth and passion she doubted she’d ever get used to. At least, she hoped not; the memory of his kiss was still a pleasant tingle on her lips as they drove away for the last time.
***
The day before they were to board an eastbound train, the sky opened up and turned the dusty town of Laramie to mud.
Instead of being surrounded by wildflowers in the shadow of the majestic Rocky Mountains, she and Seth joined hands and made their vow to one another in Aaron and Janelle Jackson’s parlor.
Despite the last-minute venue change, Charlotte beamed like the sun as she married the man she loved while surrounded by friends—George Gleason, Violet, Patsy and her new husband, Letty and Henry, Jenny and Heath, Wisteria and Luke—holding an extremely well-behaved Micah—a very round, pregnant Janelle, and the mayor, who officiated.
Although they’d had little notice, the Jackson women threw together a beautiful reception with flowers, food, and music—courtesy of Joseph Whitefeather’s guitar and his deep, sultry voice.
Her heart melted when Seth asked her to dance.
Their first ever, not just as a married couple.
As they waltzed to a slow tune in the cozy parlor, everyone and everything else faded into the background.
Evening arrived much too soon. With an early train to catch, they thanked their hosts and said their goodbyes.
“Write and tell me how things turn out with the evil witch,” Janelle insisted as she hugged her around her ever-growing belly.
“I will as soon as we’re settled,” Charlotte promised. “And I’ll expect a reply. I’m eager to find out if you have a blonde-haired, brown-eyed girl or a blue-eyed, brown-haired baby boy.”
“As big as I am, I’m thinking it may be both,” she said, rubbing the small of her back. “I’m not due for three weeks, but I can’t imagine it will be that long. I’m out of room as it is and nearly as wide as I am tall.”
Aaron slid an arm around his wife and pulled her to his side. “You’re beautiful, and our child will come in due time.”
“Due time,” Janelle muttered under her breath. “Easy for you to say. You can still see your feet.” But she leaned into him, letting him take some of her weight and her burden.
To Seth, Aaron said, “I hate to see you go. The changes you’ve made and the work you’ve done in a short time have been invaluable. But I understand how the right woman can change priorities.” He extended his hand, and they exchanged a hearty handshake. “Good luck to you both.”
Charlotte was exhausted when they arrived home, but it was a happy tired. She looked around one last time. Everything they owned fit in two trunks and one oversized satchel. In the morning, at 7:10, they’d leave Laramie behind.
Seth came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist. “Any eleventh-hour regrets about leaving?”
“This town has never felt like home to me. Except for a small group of people, there is too much judgment and hypocrisy. Then there’s the dust—”
“Enough to choke on,” he agreed. “And the heat—”