Chapter 1
The rain had stopped.
Ernest looked out the window and noted that the dark clouds were receding to the east. The setting sun in the west was welcome after a week of gully washers. At least he wouldn’t have to ride in the rain.
“Tonight is the big night?”
Ernest turned to the voice he knew well. His mother smiled.
“Yes, Mother, tonight I ask Evelyn to marry me.”
“You got a ring?”
Ernest pulled a small ruby set in gold ring from his pocket. “What do you think?”
“Right pretty. I hope she appreciates the hard work you did to buy it for her.”
“She does. We’ve talked about it, and this is what she wants.”
“Well, if you get her to the altar, I’ll give her my wedding ring. I want to keep it in the family.”
“I’m sure Evelyn will appreciate the ring.”
“Have you talked to your father about what you’ll do after the ceremony?”
“I’ll work here on the ranch. And I expect to live here with you and dad until I can build a house for Evelyn and me.”
Ernest read the concern in his mother’s brown eyes. While she had met Evelyn more than once, his mother had never warmed to the younger woman. Ernest believed that once a baby was born, his mother would be won over.
“It’s really none of my business, Ernest, but are you sure about Evelyn?”
Ernest frowned. “I’m sure, even if you’re not. Oh, I know about the rumors, and I realize that Evelyn was raised to value money. That’s not a bad thing. I’m sure I’ll earn enough to keep her happy.”
“Can you consider making yours a long engagement? I mean, you and her are both young. Remember what people say… Marry in haste, repent in leisure.”
“I understand, but I don’t think we need the advice. We are of the same mind. Putting off the marriage would only bring us more pain.”
“Need I remind you of your cousin Elias?”
“Elias’s father is nothing like mine. He squandered his fortune and a get-rich-quick investment. Besides, Elias never learned the value of work. I know how to work, mother. So does Evelyn. We are both imbued with the will to live up to our education.”
“Then, your mind is made up?”
Ernest took her hand. “It is. Yet, if you truly wish to add a few months to the courtship, I will honor that wish. My future is already written. There are few men my age who know more than me. My success is written in the stars. Evelyn will understand.”
“I’m not sure of that. She doesn’t like to cook or sew, as she, like you, has always had servants around to do most of the work.”
“Would you rather I woo one of women who live close to the creek?”
“No, no, that is not my wish. You need not marry a poor girl just to show me you can.”
Ernest glanced at the receding sun. “I must be on my way if I am to join Evelyn for dinner.”
“But a minute or two more.” She smoothed out her sleeves, which Ernest took as a ploy.
“You do indeed know more than most men your age. Yet, your knowledge does not include how to run a ranch. I’m afraid I’m responsible for that. I have always hoped you will find your place among the lawyers and doctors all around us. I pushed you in that direction.”
“I never did wish to learn Latin or Greek, but I did. So, I believe I can learn whatever I need to learn in order to keep a wife and children happy and prosperous.”
“Yes, yes, most people believe that they can train themselves to do anything. However, that is not true. I’m not gaining any ground, am I?”
Ernest shook his head. “If you’re going to tell me how difficult life was when you and father married, I’ll save you the effort. I’ve heard it before.”
“Oh, Ernest, I know I’m not going to change your mind. However, I must try a little. If I am to have your bride in the same house, I wish to have her help.”
“You have servants, mother. I won’t relegate Evelyn to the kitchen or sewing room.”
She sighed. “Come with me for a minute?”
He nodded and followed her out the door and around the house. They faced the mountain. Even in the dusk, he could see Jacob’s Creek roiling toward them.
“Remember how you used to play in the creek?”
“It was a place of high adventure when I six.”
“Jacob Creek wasn’t always tame. It took a dam to keep flash floods at bay.
On a good, clear day, you can make out the dam.
It’s been a boon for us and for the entire town.
Life is like that creek, Ernest. There are times when it’s flush and running like a deer.
And there are times when it slips past slowly, hardly moving.
We all live that way, Ernest. Fast and slow, good and bad.
You shouldn’t make your life any more difficult than it is already. ”
“I’m afraid that you’re going to keep me here until it’s too late and dark for me to ride into town.”
She chuckled. “I’m found out. Alright, Ernest, I know your horse is saddled and ready. So, go now. Ride quick. Propose to her and her parents. Then, hurry back with the date you decide on. If your father and I are to be present, we must prepare.”
He hugged her. “Thank you, Mother. We will set a date later in the year. I am not the prodigal son of the Bible. I will harken to your wishes.”
She kissed his cheek that he had shaved precisely for the occasion.
“You’re so handsome, Ernest. Evelyn is indeed a very lucky woman.”
He kissed her forehead and released her. “Don’t wait up. Her family may wish to celebrate.”
“I’m sure they will.”
With a smile, Ernest hurried inside, grabbed his cowboy hat, and headed for the stable, where his horse waited.
The ride wasn’t long, less than half an hour.
He jumped into the saddle and spurred the roan to a fast trot.
Touching the ring in his pocket, he was glad his mother hadn’t come to tears.
He would have granted her every wish if she had cried.
The roan was familiar with the trail that led to town. Ernest didn’t press, as the horse’s hooves would kick up a lot of mud if it broke into a gallop. Ernest wanted to look presentable when he reached Evelyn’s house.
She was expecting him.
That was a good thing. Presenting her with the ring wouldn’t be a gaping surprise.
He hoped her parents wouldn’t be too disappointed.
They had recruited an older man from the nearby town of Pleasantville.
He had more money than Ernest. He also had his own house.
Luckily, he didn’t have a big ranch to entice Evelyn.
Ernest was convinced that in the long run he was the better catch.
He would prove that to Evelyn and her parents.
Several times, he had to slow the roan through a puddle or streamlet that crossed the trail.
The earth was totally saturated. He proceeded at a snail’s pace.
The last thing he needed was his horse stepping into a fissure hidden by the water.
While he reminded himself to go slow, a great energy rushed through him.
He was going to propose.
He was going to hear her say “yes”.
He was going to pick a date.
He was going to be a husband and a lover.
He was going…
Gray dusk greeted Ernest as he rode onto main street. The mud was deep and sticky. The boardwalks were mostly empty. To one side, piano music slipped through the doors of the LUCKY DOG SALOON.
He imagined the bar was filled with men who had worked little for the last five days.
The poker table would be filled. The saloon gals would be talking cowboys and patrons out of their gold and paper money.
Ernest had little experience with the saloon or the gals. He did his drinking mostly at home.
Lantern and candlelight spilled out the windows of the hotel and restaurant. Ernest missed the hurry and hustle of normal.
On one side of the street was Jacob Creek. The water had filled all the space between the banks. Six more inches and the water would fill the street. If the water rose a foot, it would flood bottom floors. Luckily, the dam controlled the flow. It was a rare storm that flooded anything.
Evelyn’s house was one street over from main street. It was the street of houses. Hers was one of the largest houses as her father was the undertaker. The funeral parlor was a big reason why Evelyn wanted to marry quickly. She had had her fill of corpses and the little tales her father told.
Before Ernest left Main Street, he rode to the edge of the creek. The muddy, debris-filled water rushed past. He was sure that if he tried to wade through, the water would force the roan to swim. Better to avoid the creek altogether.
Was the water an inch or two higher than anything he had seen before?
He couldn’t swear to that. Shivering, he wheeled for Evelyn’s house.
Tying up the roan to the hitching post, he was glad he could no longer see the dam. If the spillway was inundated, he didn’t want to know.
Evelyn answered the door. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a cute bun. Her red lips spread into a genuine smile that made his heart jump. Her beauty never ceased to make him feel unworthy. She was the most beautiful woman around, and she was… his.
“Come in, come in.” She took his big hand into her small one and led him into the parlor.
“My parents are at the church. There’s a farewell dinner for Reverend Hogan. He’s leaving for a church in Colorado, I think. My parents should be home soon. Can I get you a whiskey perhaps?”
“That, that would be fine.”
He watched her leave the room, admiring her form. She turned heads everywhere she went.
He pulled the ring from his pocket and stared at it. She was expecting his proposal, so why did he suddenly feel scared? He had practiced the words, what he would promise her. Why did he think his voice wouldn’t last? Shaking his head, he dropped the ring into his pocket again.
He was acting like a five-year-old.
Still, he thought it might be easier once he had sipped a whiskey or two. There was something to be said for liquid courage.
He wished he had taken time to write down the little poem he had memorized, the one about the bright star. It said something about being steadfast. He had learned it perfectly, and yet, now, he couldn’t recall a single line.
What was wrong with him?
Taking a deep breath, he faced the fireplace and the small blaze in it. The light vied with the three lit candles, one more than usual. That was in honor of his proposal.
He wished he could remember the sonnet.
She returned with two glasses, handing one to him. They clicked glasses and sipped.
“Can I tell you a secret, Ernest?”
“Most certainly.”
“I didn’t think I could be this way, but I’m scared to death.”
“What? Why?”
“I had this notion that you were going to back away, that you really don’t want me for a wife.
I know, I know you mean every word of what we talked about before.
But men often change their minds right before they make a commitment.
Is that you, Ernest? Are you going to step back and leave me all alone? ”
He shook his head. “No, no, I’m just a bit lost for words.”
“Please, please, just ask.”
Before Ernest could utter another word, the roar rattled the house.