The Salvation 0f A Runaway Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 6

  “You just going to stand there on the edge?” he asked with a grin.

  “It’s freezing!” she exclaimed.

  “Feels fine to me,” Abe said, as he dunked his head into the water. “I didn’t take you for a fussy girl, Laura.”

  Fussy! I’m not fussy! The nerve of him…

  Laura took a deep breath and hitched her skirt up, as she waded in to her knees. Abe was still a few feet away, watching her. Her feet and legs tingled with the cold water.

  “Oh my, it’s like ice!” Laura moaned. “How can you be so relaxed?” she asked him. She tried to take another step, but nearly lost her footing on a river rock.

  Abe waded over to her and took her hands to help steady her. “It’s all in your mind. If you tell yourself that you’re not cold, you won’t be,” he said, as he held her hands.

  “Tell that to my legs, sir,” Laura said with chagrin.

  Abe laughed, and then seemed to suddenly realize he was still holding onto her hands. He dropped them as if they were suddenly hot.

  “Alright, it is a bit cold,” he said, and he helped Laura back over to shore. He was remarkably sure-footed on the slippery rocks.

  Once they were out of the water, Abe slid his shirt back on over his strong torso. The hem of Laura’s dress was wet and quickly began to pick up the reddish dirt as they walked along the banks of the stream.

  “You ride quite well Laura.” Abe admitted, as they walked. “Perhaps one day you’ll give me a run for my money with roping.”

  Laura chuckled. “Oh, that’d be the day.”

  “So, tell me, how is it a girl like you can ride a horse just as well as she can turn a cabin all the way around?” Abe inquired.

  “Well, I just never saw the use in limiting myself to just one thing. I think there’s quite a bit more to life than just keeping house, but that does not mean keeping house is not at all important,” Laura replied.

  Abe seemed to think on this for a beat.

  “So where does your reading fall into all that?” he asked.

  “Quite easily. How does reading fall into ranching, could also be asked,” she replied cheekily.

  “I suppose that’s fair. For me it was a point of pride. No one in my family could read before me, so I took it upon myself to be quite handy at it. I love stories with adventure and far off lands; it feels like I get to leave where I am at for just a little bit.”

  A rancher who loved to dream of far off places. Abe was an enigma, but one that constantly drew Laura in, like a fly to honey. She couldn’t help but admire him as he walked along beside her, not even bothering to hold Bruce’s reigns, as the stallion plodded along next to him like an obedient dog.

  “I suppose you’re quite ready to be back home in Arizona. You got a sweetheart back there, I’d imagine, who is ready to have you home,” Abe remarked, with a strange twinge in his voice.

  Is he…jealous?

  She shook her head with a slight smile. “No, I don’t have a sweetheart. I haven’t much been interested in the boys around Tucson. I’m sure Father will pick someone out soon enough though…wouldn’t want me turning into an old maid.”

  Laura tried to hide her disdain at the idea of her Father selecting someone. What if he’s a drunk, or a gambler, or worse…boring.

  As if he sensed her thoughts, Abe remarked, “Well, I’m sure a girl like you’ll have the pick of the best in town, no doubt about that.”

  They walked along a bit more before the red rocks started to glow with fire-like light. Then they hopped back on the horses and raced for the homestead, Abe still leading, but Laura gaining even more ground this time.

  Laura slipped out of her saddle and turned to Abe when they arrived back at Aunt Ethel’s. “That was quite lovely.” She smiled at him, her heart beginning to crawl up her throat.

  He tipped his hat to her with the same impish grin she saw at the stream. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Laura,” and, with that, he gave Bruce a firm nudge and rode off.

  Laura watched them go until their forms were nothing but a speck of dust in the distance. She lingered there on the porch for a few moments longer, looking out at the horizon, as a starry sky began to take shape and the last rays of sunlight evaporated.

  What a day!

  Laura headed inside and closed the door behind her. She leaned against it and closed her eyes, the vision of Abe’s chestnut hair, rimmed by red rock, dancing behind her eyelids. What is this feeling? she thought. This cowboy had done something to her that no man ever had before.

  Chapter Eight

  Competition day arrived and Abe rose early to prepare himself and Bruce. He brushed Bruce out and waxed his saddle. He grabbed several lengths of rope for lassos and dusted off his hat. Though he prepared for the competition in the same way he had before, this day was different than any other competition day. He couldn’t get Laura’s hazel eyes out of his mind.

  She’ll be gone soon, no use losing your head. Cowboys don’t court city girls, that’s for damn sure.

  He saddled up Bruce and rode hard to the corral at the edge of town where the crowd had gathered to watch the festivities. The late fall air sent a shiver up his spine, and the onlookers pulled their coats tighter, when the wind caught them. But it was a competition day and no one was going to stay indoors.

  Abe was the crowd favorite and was greeted with cheers as he rode up. Bruce tossed his head about, soaking in the atmosphere. He scanned the crowd but saw no Laura.

  Maybe something came up at home. Maybe Aunt Ethel fell again. Maybe she’s just running late.

  He tried to push it out of his mind as he steadied Bruce, who was getting antsier and antsier with anticipation.

  Another rider pulled up alongside Abe. “Ready to show these boys who the real men are?” Sheriff Oratius asked Abe in his very matter-of-fact way.

  Abe tipped his hat to him “Always am Ottie. How’s the world of law and order?” Ottie shrugged and tightened his grip on the reigns of his horse, Midnight.

  Sheriff Oratius was a man of few words, but he and Abe had been friends near their whole lives and the two men trusted each other completely. They were a team in the partner roping competition and never failed to out-ride everyone.

  As they took their places at the edge of the corral, Abe scanned the crowd again. There, at the post directly across from him, he saw Laura, blonde waves whipping past her face as she smiled at him. She wore a thick woolen overcoat but seemed too excited to mind the cold. He tipped his hat to her and tried to steady his breathing.

  At the other side of the corral, a young bull calf snorted anxiously in its pen. Then, the gate flew open and the two men were off after the calf, their horses’ hooves pounding the dirt as they locked into position.

  They circled the corral once, and Abe noticed Laura leaning excitedly over the railing. On the second pass, Abe got ahead of it, while Ottie fell behind, both poising for their moment.

  That’s it, wait for it.

  Abe stood up in the stirrups as he and Bruce found their rhythm. The calf snorted and wove but they were right with him. Abe swung the lasso around his head and when it hit its apex, let it fly.

  It landed perfectly, and he quickly tightened the loop to steady it for Ottie’s moment. In an instant, Ottie had his rope under the calf’s back legs and the calf was down. Abe looked to Laura, who was beaming and practically jumped into the pen with them.

  Her excitement was the best prize he could have won.

  Up next was single roping. Abe was squared off on one side of the ring and a calf on the other. The bell rang and in under a minute flat he had the calf trussed up on the ground.

  “Well Laura, what did you think?” he asked.

  “Absolutely amazing,” she replied, beaming. “I wish I could be out there like that, so confident.”

  Those hazel eyes again. They were piercing through him and he could barely stand it. “I’ve seen you ride. Confidence is not something you lack.”

  He and Ottie were up
one more time. They saddled up and got poised for the next go. Abe felt Bruce shifting underneath him, but this time the energy felt different.

  “You okay boy?” he asked as he leaned down and patted Bruce’s neck. He could feel sweat through his coat.

  At the other end of the corral was a large steer. Abe gripped the reigns and got ready. The bell clanged, and they were off again. But this time, things shifted.

  The steer did one pass with Abe and Ottie in chase, and then suddenly, changed directions. It charged straight at Bruce. Bruce wasn’t prepared for this sudden movement and jerked backwards, nearly unseating Abe.

  “Woah boy, easy!” Abe shouted, trying to regain his balance. He slipped the lasso into his hand and got ready to catch the steer.

  As he leaned out to release his lasso, the steer changed directions again, and by instinct, so did Bruce. Abe tried to regain his balance again, but he was already too far out of his seat.

  He felt himself detach from the saddle and watched as the dusty ground came closer. He smashed into the ground, just inches from the steers thundering hooves.

  As he struggled to get to his feet, he saw Ottie and the wranglers trying to get the steer and, now, runaway Bruce, under control. The steer turned and charged at Abe, who dove out of the way, but not in time to avoid the brunt of its shoulder smashing into his ribs.

  He rolled to the ground with a groan, clutching his side. The air was thick with dust churned up from the panicked animals. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ottie grab hold of Bruce’s reigns and start to guide him out of the corral, as the wranglers brought down the steer.

  Pain whitened the corners of his vision. He struggled to catch his breath. All of a sudden, Laura’s face came into view.

  “I’m fine, Laura. I don’t want you getting trampled,” Abe said, as he tried to stand, his faced strained with the pain.

  “Well, I don’t want you getting trampled either! Here, lean on me,” she said, as she looped his arm over her shoulder. They quickly limped over to the fence of the corral and Abe leaned against it, still clutching his ribs.

  “Stop looking at me like that, I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse,” he said to Laura. “I just need to catch my breath is all.”

  His reassurance did nothing to erase the concern on her face.

  “At least come back to Aunt Ethel’s and let me take a look at it. I fixed up Father when he fell off his horse once,” she told him.

  Alright, you win

  He whistled for Bruce who came trotting over, as if nothing had happened, followed by Ottie and Midnight.

  “You alright? Saw that steer clip ya,” Ottie said.

  “I’ll be fine, just a bruise I’m sure,” Abe replied.

  “Alright, you able to ride?” Ottie asked.

  “Will be in a minute, thanks,” Abe said, with a wave of his hand. With that, Ottie and Midnight took off. Bruce playfully nuzzled at Abe’s chest, his form of an apology.

  “It’s alright boy, I’ll be fine,” he said, as he pushed Bruce’s nose back.

  After a few more moments of catching his breath, he planted his foot in the stirrup and swung up onto Bruce’s back and extended a hand to Laura, but she instead leapt gleefully on Bruce’s back, behind Abe, with ease. Abe clicked his tongue and with that they were off.

  The sun was just beginning its descent as they galloped through and away from town. Laura clung tight to Abe, and he could smell her sweet perfume that hinted of hyacinth drifting toward his nose, but he also caught whiffs of fresh paint and shoe varnish, giving away all that she was doing to help lovely Aunt Ethel.

  Her arms wrapped around him, pressed into the sore spot, but for some reason, he didn’t mind. The feeling of her against him numbed the pain.

  As they galloped up to the house, he was overcome with how beautiful it already looked. But its beauty was nothing compared to the woman who was now riding behind him.

  He pulled Bruce to a stop at the front porch and eased himself off, then helped Laura down, her small, soft hand enveloped by his large, work-worn one. She stepped up onto the porch and then turned to face him. “Abe, I want to thank you for all you’ve done around here helping out. I know we say it all the time, but you’ve really just done so much, and I truly cannot thank you enough.”

  She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, seeming not to mind that he was still caked in corral dirt. She gently pulled back and looked at him with those striking hazel eyes. I would give my ranch to know what she’s thinking right now.

  He took a long look at her, brushing a strand of her long blonde hair away from her face. “You’re an extraordinary woman, Laura,” and with that, a clatter erupted on the other side of the front door, and Laura spun around and ran inside, as Abe followed in slow pursuit. He hadn’t shown Laura how bad his injury was.

  In the house, they saw Aunt Ethel leaning on her cane, a broken teapot at her feet, looking quite frustrated.

  “So much for gaining just a touch of independence.” She looked up at the two of them. “How were the festivities?”

  “Quite exciting, Aunt Ethel, hard to describe really,” Laura remarked.

  “Well then, in the absence of tea, I believe I’ll go for a short walk to stretch my legs a bit, they’ve gotten quite weak being so underused lately,” and with that, Aunt Ethel stepped out the front door, leaving Abe and Laura alone in the house.

  “Alright, let’s see the damage,” Laura commanded, as she pointed Abe to a chair. Abe sat down and dutifully lifted his shirt, revealing a large purple and blue bruise across his ribcage.

  “Oh, my.” Laura sighed. “Thankfully, I’ve been stashing some herbs around here to help with Aunt Ethel’s healing. I’ll muddle some for that.”

  Laura went to work, first sweeping up the broken teapot, then she put a pot of coffee and a pan of water on the stove.

  “Not my most impressive showing, sorry about that,” Abe chuckled.

  “Oh, no, I still thought you were brilliant!” Laura said as she cut up pieces of comfrey root and popped them into the boiling water.

  “You don’t have to say that, just so you can keep using my handyman skills.” He chuckled softly, the movement hurt his ribs.

  Laura laughed, as she ground the boiled root into a paste, then grabbed a roll of bandages, poured two cups of coffee, and pulled a chair up next to Abe. She handed him a cup of coffee.

  “Alright this will probably be easier if you...” Laura gestured for Abe to remove his shirt, which he did with a wince.

  “Just let me know if this hurts,” she said, as she gently applied the paste to the bruise. He exhaled sharply at the first contact and she stopped.

  “No, it’s fine, it’s just tender. You’re very gentle,” he said.

  She continued to spread the thick paste across the bruise, her smooth fingers dancing over his ribs. The light of the fire, flickering in the fireplace, danced off her hair.

  Is there nothing you can’t fix, Laura?

  This was his moment. But the words caught in his throat.

  Just tell her. Tell her what she means to you.

  As if to break the pregnant silence, Laura cleared her throat. “We could use a bit more firewood. I’m not sure we have enough to last through winter. And we really need to shore up those drafts that are coming in from God knows where,” she said. “But we can handle those things after you’ve healed.”

  “Absolutely right Laura, still quite a few things to see to before your family arrives.”

  They both stared at each other for a moment longer, the air heavy with unspoken words. She grabbed the roll of bandages and began to wrap his torso, her arms passing around him, but never touching. After a few passes, she pinned it securely, and sat back to look at her handiwork.

  “Alright, that should speed up the healing,” she said, as she sipped her coffee.

  “Thank you…this was too kind,” he said, looking into her eyes.

  “Of course, Abe, it’s the least I can do,” Laura a
nswered, patting his hand.

  “Well, I'd best be off. The herd needs tending to after a such a long spell away.” Abe quickly stood up and tossed his shirt back over his head. He grabbed his hat and tipped it to Laura as he reached the door.

  “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon, Laura,” he said, with a nervous smile.

  Just then, Aunt Ethel returned from her suspiciously short walk, tenderly hobbling up the porch steps. “Oh, Abe dear, are you leaving? Well, I hope Laura wasn’t too much trouble on her own,” she said, with a mischievous grin, before disappearing inside.