Chapter Seventeen
Mary wasn’t sure what the new day would bring.
They’d slept far longer than they’d intended. The original plan was to already be on the trail to Fort Smith by now. But upon waking up, they’d made love again before spending another hour in each other’s arms.
She’d never experienced anything like that.
They’d then had breakfast at the hotel restaurant before checking out and walking toward the livery stable.
The whole time, her heart was sinking. Part of her just wanted to stay in McAlester. They could build a life together right there in the green, rolling hills of Indian Territory.
She wondered if John was thinking the same thing. Wondering was all she could do, too, because he hadn’t said much. In fact, he hadn’t offered a single clue as to what was going through his mind.
Now, with McAlester behind them and the winding, twisting trail and a lot of mountains in front of them, he finally spoke.
“We don’t have to go.”
The words hit Mary like a bullet, nearly knocking her from the saddle.
“What?”
John stopped his horse and gigged it around until he was facing her. There wasn’t another soul around, only trees, fresh air, and bright sunshine.
A cardinal flew to a nearby branch and rested upon it, as if listening to the conversation.
“We can ride away, Mary. Me and you. We don’t have to go to Fort Smith.”
“John! You’re a…I can’t ask you to…” She wasn’t sure what to say. Finally, she just said, “Your duty.”
He nudged his horse a little closer, causing the animal to snicker. The bird stayed right where it was in the tree.
“I’ll forsake it all for you. None of it matters. The badge. My duty. I’ll give everything up. For you, Mary.”
“But Judge Parker—”
“Judge Parker be damned.”
So many thoughts were running through her mind. It now seemed like an eternity since she’d tried to escape from him, though in reality it hadn’t been hardly any time at all.
Now, though, she had a chance to escape with him.
But something wasn’t right. Her mind kept turning it all over as she contemplated everything.
They sat there in the sun, silent and still, for so long that the cardinal eventually flew away. The horses raised their heads at the fluttering sound of the bird zipping off.
“We’d look over our shoulders the rest of our days,” she said. “And then you’d be wanted, too.”
“Wouldn’t matter,” he told her. “Because we’d go so far that no one would know who we were. I hear there’s gold in California. Let’s go and try to find us some.” He smiled. “Or I’ll go and get a job tending some store or something. I can hire myself out on a ranch. Hell, I’m best when riding herd. As long as I’m with you, I reckon what I’m doing doesn’t matter.”
Mary reflected on it all for another moment. “No.”
“No?”
She nodded.
“Why?” He seemed so deflated.
“Because that would make you a…what’s the word? When you drag someone into your evil ways and make them a criminal?”
He smiled. “Accomplice.”
“That’s it. It would make you an accomplice. And I love you too much to do that to you.”
John’s horse came closer at his urging. “I love you, too, Mary Dunn Rose. That’s why I can’t lose you.”
The thought of going to prison—or worse, meeting her end at the end of a hangman’s rope—tore her up inside. How could she say goodbye to the love of her life? They’d just found each other!
“John, if we ran, I’d always be afraid. I’d always wonder if the next person that rode up to our house was some marshal coming to take me away. And since you helped me, they’d most likely take you away, too.” She shook her head. “No. I have to do this right. Maybe the judge will…”
He nodded. “I respect that.” A grin lit up his face. “And I have an idea that just might work. Come on, honey. Let’s get on to Fort Smith. If you insist on doing this, then we might as well get to it.
“I’m ready to get this over with.”
***
One Month Later
Mary stood beside John atop the mountain, overlooking the beautiful, tree-strewn valley below.
He squeezed her hand and said, “Right there. That’ll be where I build our home, Mrs. Hardin.”
She giggled, loving the sound of her new last name.
“Sure beats going to jail,” she said. “Or getting hanged!”
He chuckled. “I told you that you were never in danger of being hanged. Judge Parker is tough, but not that tough. You were just accused of aiding and abetting fugitives. But that’s all in the past now. You’re viewed by the court as a hero!”
Mary blushed.
John had testified as to how he was pinned down between two gunmen, about to take a body full of lead, when she’d rode a horse right into a hailstorm of bullets, rescuing him from sudden death.
Judge Parker had been mighty impressed. In his mind, that outweighed any misdeeds she’d done, as saving a Deputy United States Marshal was a major accomplishment.
All charges against her were dismissed.
“In fact,” John continued, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they write another dime novel about you. The story of how the Choctaw Rose saved a lawman! They’ll say you took on twenty outlaws, guns blazing, wiping out a whole gang of cutthroats all by yourself.”
She laughed. “It wasn’t quite that dramatic.”
He waved the notion off. “Eh. Those authors never get the facts right. But they get the spirit right, and I reckon that’s what counts.”
Mary was still smiling as her husband moved behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her neck as they continued to look out over the valley.
“You sure you’re okay, giving up the badge?” she asked.
“Better than okay. I’m with my little girl. That’s all that matters.” He pointed to the plot of ground beyond their lot. “Who knows. Maybe one day there will be a town here. A new settlement would need a marshal. Until then, I’ll be busy planting some crops and growing our herd. Of course, the first step is building us a house.”
She sighed wistfully. “We’ll do it all, John. Together.”
“Maybe soon we’ll have some young ‘uns running around.”
She giggled again. Something told her it would be sooner than he even thought. There were some signs that she was with child. But she’d save that news for later when she was for certain.
“We will,” she simply said. “And our descendants will be here long after we’re gone. We’ll build something together. Something that lasts.”
She was right.
Some of their descendants would go south, crossing the Red River, and settling in Texas where their great, great, great grandson, Dax Trevor, would become a Ranger and then, finally, the marshal of Mountainville.
Other descendants would stay around those beautiful hills until Indian Territory became the State of Oklahoma. Quinn Hardin would be the sheriff of Big Cedar.
But that was all well into the future. Right now, John and Mary had a life to build. And they were ready to get busy.
“Come on, my little Choctaw Rose. We’ve got work to do,” he said, scooping his bride into his arms. “I love you, little girl.”
“And I love you, too. Daddy.”
The End.
Thank you so much for reading!
Be sure and check out all the fun, exciting Big Cedar and Mountainville adventures.
Until next time, remember—you are special. You belong in this world!
Have fun, Cuties.