Chapter 24
JESSICA
Reggie left a few minutes ago to tell the livery to prepare the wagons and have them saddle up Bells.
We both decided it is probably smarter for me to stay away from the barn so that Zeus doesn’t throw a fit when he sees us leaving.
I’ve just carried my bag out onto the main boardwalk when an older gentlemen comes out of the general store sweeping the main walkway.
“Good morning, Miss.”
Before I can say a word, the lady I’d met last night almost runs into me as she comes around the corner out of the alley. I grab her by the arm to keep her from falling over.
“Mercy, sorry about that child, I was in my own little world there it seems.”
“No harm done.” But I do smile when she seems to pull me along with her as she walks up to the older man.
“Harvey, do you know who this is?”
“No Beatrice, but I am sure you do.”
“You better bet your britches I do. … this, it’s Mr. Reggie’s wife.”
“Our Reggie … Grant’s cousin?”
“The one and only. He introduced us yesterday, ain’t she a beauty?”
This little fireball is a good head shorter than I am, and that’s tiny, but what she doesn’t have in stature she makes up for in personality. Several times, I try to stop her, but I can’t get a word in.
“Where is Reg?”
“He’s at the barn. We brought several wagons with us, and I believe two of them go to his cousin, Mr. Hayes.”
“Well, they may need help to unload them. I’ll send a few of my men out to help. If any of those things are Grant’s, it’s not small.”
“The oxen struggled the last ten miles with their weight. We had to stop several times to let them rest.”
This entire time, Beatrice has been holding onto my arm, but suddenly she is petting my hand. “Oh, that reminds me, I have a new tablecloth for Lauren. Would you mind giving it to her, dear?”
“I would be glad to.”
“Step in with me while I grab it. Harvey, if Reggie shows up, tell him to wait a moment.”
She turns from me, unlocking the door to her shop and I will say, I am impressed when I walk in after her as she opens the curtains to let some light in.
“Go ahead and look around, dear. It won’t take me but a moment to wrap this up.”
Several hats catch my attention, along with an apron lined with delicate flowers that I would be scared to use unless it was a special occasion.
Bolts of material line well-organized shelves, and pieces of unfinished dresses hang off several mannequins.
I am just heading toward the ribbons when the door opens, and Reggie sticks his head in.
“You ready?”
“Yes.” Before I can take a step toward him, she comes strolling out.
“It’s my fault Reggie, I dragged her in here. She put up a good battle, but as you can see, I won. Here, child and thank you for taking this to Lauren. She has been waiting on this for a few weeks now, due to the delay of the batting coming in.”
Reggie holds the door open for me, then kisses Beatrice on the cheek when she follows us out.
“Always a charmer. Young lady, you are lucky I am not twenty years younger, I or would steal him away.”
“He is easy to love.”
The words come out before I can stop them, and I see Reggie stop and look at me with a knowing smirk on his arrogant face.
Bells nibbles on my hand gently when I go to pet her, as Reggie ties on the few bags I didn’t have him put in the wagon.
He mounts her, then reaches down for me, placing me sideways across his lap.
“I can ride behind you.”
“Yes, you can, but I like having you in my arms.”
Before I can say another thing, he is turning Bells away, and I wave back at the older man and Beatrice before squirming around to get more comfortable.
“Keep that up young lady, and you’ll not like the consequences.”
Reggie waits for the wagons at the edge of town, but when it’s apparent that there is a well-marked trail, he motions to Jacob, who is in the lead for a change that we are going to ride on. I lean back against his strong arm, his hat shading most of my face when I glance up at him.
“What are you looking at? What’s going through that brain of yours?”
“Nothing and everything.”
I want to ask him, how are you going to introduce me to your family?
Why are you still telling people I am your wife?
Are we going to pretend forever? But I am a coward, even though I know pushing the problem away will not fix it.
Nonetheless, I turn away, looking out over the huge valley we are riding through toward the large, snow-capped mountain tops in the distance.
Birds and flying grasshoppers fill the air around us, and I just relax, letting myself enjoy the moment in Reggie’s arms. Because I am looking the other way when he turns abruptly up a small bank, I have to grab onto him.
“Warn a girl next time.”
“You were in … what did you call it … oh, yes, Jessicaville, and I was jealous, as I want all your attention.”
“Bossy aren’t you?”
“I am an only child, you know. I am used to getting all the attention, so I don’t share well.”
“Hmm, my only child experiences seem significantly different from yours.”
“That’s okay, you are still young enough to train, and I bet when you really think about it, you are not a fan of sharing either.”
“Absolutely incorrigible.”
Both of us are laughing when a large home comes into view.
Horses are running around playfully in a fenced-off area that is attached to a barn located, oddly enough, in the tree line.
A huge man walks out on the porch first, only to open the door and yell back inside.
A few seconds later, a young woman walks out, wiping her hands on her apron.
“Reggie!”
She rushes down the steps while the man leans against a porch rail, and it takes me a second to realize this is Mr. Hayes, the same man who never had a speck of dirt on him.
His suits and shirts had to be pressed several times to make sure they were perfect, and he expected his home to be in tiptop shape day and night.
Here he stands with a dirty shirt on, mud on his boots, and a smile I’ve never seen grace his stern features before.
Reggie lowers me to the ground before dismounting and handing the reins to a young man who comes to collect Bells.
“Good to see you made it in one piece, cousin. I figured you would show up soon. Lauren has been making pies and cookies for two days, waiting for you.”
Reggie grabs the other woman by the waist, spinning her around before kissing her on the forehead. “Well, lead the way, Lauren. I am sugar deprived. Can’t you see I am fading away as we speak?”
“Put me down, you big lug.”
Reggie sets her down, then kisses her on the cheek before walking up the steps.
“Hi. Let me introduce myself since Reggie isn’t going to. I am Lauren … the big snarly one’s wife. Come on in, let’s have some tea while the boys catch up.”
“Hi. I’m Jessica. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Reggie is already up the steps, and Lauren must have seen me hesitate because she grabs my arm, linking it in hers. “They tend to forget anyone else is around when they are together. You’ll get used to it. Let them talk business while we eat their cookies.”
“Oh, wait a minute, I have a package for you from Beatrice.” I grab it out of the small bag I’d barely had time to get off Bells before they took her to the barn. Wiping my feet on the mat just inside the door, I can hear Reggie and Mr. Hayes talking off in the distance as I look around.
“Oh my, you have a beautiful home!”
“Thank you, dear. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s like living in a dream every morning when I wake up realizing it’s mine.
I have Reggie’s room ready, but he didn’t tell us in his telegram that he was bringing anyone with him, besides a few men from Grant’s old estate.
It’s no matter, though. We have plenty of room.
If you would take these two coffee cups to the men while I get our tea on. ”
I open my mouth to tell her that I am also from his estate, but before I can say a word, she has pressed two cups into my hands and is pointing down the hall. Following the sound of voices, I start to knock on the open door when I hear,
“Who is the girl, Reg? You never said anything about having a girl back home.”
“She is a maid! Well, if we want to be specific, she is your maid. It’s a long story, but the train tickets got screwed up, and we’ve played husband and wife ever since. I couldn’t just leave her behind ... then things got …”
My whole world crumbles as words flow out of his mouth. I walk in with a fake smile on my face, placing their coffee cups on the large desk they are sitting around. Reggie doesn’t even look up at me as he goes on about how hard the trip was and the weight of the wagons.
I walk out numb, fighting every emotion I’ve foolishly allowed myself to feel.
Suddenly sick to my stomach, I run outside, barely making it off the porch before throwing my guts up.
And of course, to see all my humiliation is Jacob as he is driving up the trail in the wagon.
The moment he pulls up to the house, he sets the brake and is at my side.
“Are you alright, Miss Jess?”
I want to scream, “No, I am not!” but no one put me here.
I walked into this hell with my eyes open, knowing I was headed straight for heartbreak and disaster, yet I still pushed forward, lying to myself every step of the way.
I hear the door open, and Reggie and Grant walk out.
Once again, Reggie doesn’t notice me. Jacob looks at me with concern, and I shake my head no.
The men get right to unloading the wagons, and I just stand off to the side.
Even Lauren is busy directing them on where things are supposed to go, so I fade into the background as I try to figure out what to do next, my hand resting on the trinket box I keep with me at all times.
When the two rented wagons that were holding Mr. Hayes’ things are emptied, Reggie yells at all of us to gather around.
Little Henry comes over to me, leaning against my side, and I hug him close, once more fighting tears.
“Men, Mr. Hayes and I appreciate everything you have done to help get all our personal items to this remote location. Here is the pay for each of you for the harrowing days.”
Reggie walks to each of the men, handing them a paper envelope full of banknotes. I don’t know why I am shocked when he walks toward me last.
“Jess, here is yours. We never did discuss your wages, so I just guessed and maybe put a little extra in there because you had to deal with me.”
“I didn’t know I was still the hired help?” I say the words, but Reggie acts as if he doesn’t hear me when he winks and walks off. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life. My eyes catch Lauren’s when she frowns at his words, but I make myself stand there as they finalize the rest.
“Jacob and Marcus are going to follow Grant and I with the other two wagons to what I hope is a fine home with a huge barn and a bunkhouse. Deven, Colby, I will need the other two taken back to the livery as Mr. Dalton is trying to find someone to drive them back to Promontory.”
Colby steps up, hat in hand. “I’ll take one, but I won’t be returning.
When I boarded that train, this was not the world I expected to end up in.
However, I do believe a man can make his own way out here, and I’ve decided to take my wages and head further west. I’ve always liked living next to the water, and all this dust and dry land does not agree with me. ”
“Give me a moment to gather the rest of your final wages, Colby. I’ll make sure you have them before you leave this afternoon. You will need to leave within the next few days, though. They are expecting those wagons back by the end of the month.”
“That’s not an issue; I have nothing holding me here.”
And he looks straight at me.
Deven steps up next. “Mr. Kerns, I have no problem heading back with Colby to return the other wagon, but I would like to return if the position is still open?”
“Absolutely, Deven, and thank you for stepping up. When I get the funds, you will need to travel. I’ll include enough for you to purchase a horse for your return.”
He nods his head, and I watch as they both start walking back to the empty wagons.
“Jess, you may want to take a minute and check to see where all your bags are so that we don’t find your stuff scattered later on.”
Reggie doesn’t ask me what I plan to do. He just assumes I’ll return to the role of maid and act as if none of this ever occurred.
“Men, once the wagons are sorted, we will head out, but I’m gonna need one of those cookies, Lauren.”
He walks right past me, completely caught up in what’s going on and the excitement of seeing his new home. A tug on my arm has me looking down at Henry.
“Miss Jess, you alright? You were sick earlier. Do you have a fever?”
“No, honey, just an upset belly, why?”
“Your face is red and blotchy, and that’s what happened when Momma started feeling bad, and then no matter what Dad and I did, the angels came for her. I don’t want them to come for you.”
I bend down, pulling him into my arms, hugging him tightly. “I am fine, sweetie. You go on and get a few cookies, then head out with your dad.”
He looks at me seriously, like he can see something in my face that I am trying to hide from everyone else.
“Why do I feel like you are saying goodbye?”
Thankfully, Marcus yells for him, and he hesitantly walks away, taking the very last piece of my heart I had left with him. I watch them all walking away, everyone’s path leading them in a different direction than my own.
Feeling sorry for myself and slightly abandoned, I walk toward Jacob’s wagon, where I’ve kept all my things this entire trip.
Crawling inside, I go through the crates until I find the small carpetbag and gather a couple changes of clothes and a few personal items. My hand hovers over the luggage crate Victoria gave me, which holds my beautiful dresses, but I don’t open it, as I know there is no place for anything like them in the real world.
I’m folding up the lace shawl, tucking it into one of the bags, when a sparkle on my hand stops me.
I twirl the ring around my finger, a plan forming in my mind.
I didn’t need him to take care of me before, and I will find a way to live without him now.