Alicia's Misfortune (15 page)

Warning

This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+
years old.

If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with
adult content, please close this book now.

If Addie never rode another horse, it would be too soon for
her. The only trouble was, she was in the wrong part of the world to be making
that resolution.
 
Big sky country.
Wrong.
 
She had no idea how Lewis and
Clark made their way some seventy years before but if they could do it, she
could do it.

 
At least she hoped
and prayed she could.
 
She had gotten
herself in more fixes than moving half way across the universe was going to
fix.
 
But, if moving was her only option,
so be it.
 
By train, coaches and horses,
Addie had to get as far away from a world of trouble as she possibly could.

When Addie’s daddy was lynched for selling the same farm
twice – and the only home generations of her family had ever known – she knew
she had to think fast.
 
When the
magistrate came to collect from her the amount of money that her father took
from one of his victims (mercifully, at least one of the parties got to keep
the farm so she only owed once), Addie had to find a way to come up with the
cash.

She had never worked a day outside of the farm, in her
life.
 
And with her family once
consisting only of her father and her – now just her – that was more than a
full time occupation.
 
But it seemed like
the cause of her problem offered her a great solution.
 
If her daddy could sell a farm twice, what
said Addie couldn’t promise herself as a wife to two, or even more,
unsuspecting cowboys hard up for a woman?
 

She saw more than one newspaper advertisement calling all
available women.
 
She didn’t know much
about the mail order bride business, but this much she did know: the ads said
men would send women cash to come West.
 
That was all she had to read to know here problems would soon be
solved.
 
Solved by cold hard cash.
 
Or cold hearted cash.
 

Addie quickly put herself up on the mail order bride auction
block once, eager to put her plan to the test.
 
And it worked. She chummed the mail order bride waters with dozens of
responses.
 
In no time, some unsuspecting
romantic chap by the name of Emory Calhoun wrote her beautiful letters, putting
his heart on the line.

His letters were so heart-felt, Addie was not sure how tough
she could be.
 
Emory said all the right
things.
 
His words were solace as she
navigated the brutal reality that the magistrate posed.
 
And she had just lost her father in the worst
possible way.
 

While her romantic pen pal didn’t come right out and say
that he was a handsome man, she could tell by his technical description he
offered in lieu of a likeness, he was very handsome. Addie was more than
tempted by Emory’s courting by correspondence but she had to draw a hard
line.
 
She entered the mail order bride
business for just that -- business. While she was moved -- stirred -- by
Emory’s love notes, love was not in her cards.

Emory lived outside of the city of Great Falls, Montana
which he promised was an up-and-coming city like Chicago. Addie laughed; Mr.
Calhoun had a sense of humor.
 
Great
Falls predicted to be connected to the railroad within the next few years!

Emory sent her tickets to take the Northern Pacific to
Mullan Pass and from there, Mullan Road all the way into Great Falls. It was
his plan to meet her at the train station himself and ride the road
together.
 
He sent her fare to travel the
road anyway.
 
And she kept every penny.

Addie could not afford to be sentimental.
 
Having her heart broken over the loss of her
father she had no intention of marry.
 
She kept sweet Emory on the hook until he sent her enough money to keep
a rope from around her neck.
 
But pretty
soon she figured out that the magistrate was just milking her for money.
 
She more than paid the swindled sum
back.
 
Finally she stood up to the
magistrate.

“I’m done,” she said.
 
“I’m leaving.
 
But I’m done.”

“You leave, you’re a wanted woman,” he said coolly.

“That’ll be a first,” she laughed. “'Cause no one ever
wanted me before.”

“I’m warning you Adaline,” he said, butting up his doughy
body to her doughy body.

“Give me some time to come up with another payment.
 
I’ll revisit the situation then,” said Addie.

And before he could catch on to the fact that she had no
intention of giving him another dime, Adaline Filcher was a ghost.
 
She left for Great Falls which seemed like the
furthest place from Chicago as she could afford to go.
 
Even there she couldn’t say she never looked
back; Addie was constantly looking over her shoulder.

Adaline Filcher stepped off of the stage and nearly into the
brawny arms of a great wall of a man named Galen Allen.
 
He had not made any reference to his rugged
good looks in their brief correspondence.
 
Addie was more than pleasantly surprised. And then she had a moment of
regret.
 
She thought of Emory.

 
Addie herself was
more than a handful.
 
At twenty years
old, she was a pleasantly plump woman, with pale blond hair.
 
She had bright blue eyes and lips on the rosy
side.
 
Her face was round and fair.
 
But next to the broad bull of a man who was
her intended, Addie was almost diminutive.
 
He was as hard and angular as she was soft and round.

“I hope your travel was tolerable,” said Galen evenly.

He did not exhibit too much emotion.
 
He took her hand daintily but that was
it.
 
No kiss or embrace. He did take
command of the few belongings she brought.
 
Living on the run meant Addie packed light.

“It was thank you, Mr. Allen,” said Addie.
 
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

In the background, once the mountain of a man stepped aside,
was another man with vacant, scowl.
  
Addie flinched.
 
He was so mean
looking.

“My brother,” smiled Galen. “Don’t mind him.
 
He’s been a bitter pill for about a
month.
 
Kind of rubs him the wrong way I
asked him to come and help me with your bags.”

Addie stuttered.
 
She
just left trouble.
 
She didn’t want it
twice.

“Mr. Allen?” she asked her intended for clarification.

Galen whispered.
 
“He
got stiffed by a bride.
 
Sent money out
to a gal, who lived out your way.
 
She
kept the money and said no thanks.”

Addie swallowed hard.
 
That story hit a little too close to home. She knew her Emory was from
Great Falls but he himself said the population was twelve hundred.
 
Surely the world could not be that small.

“Yes, he begged me not to correspond with any Chicago gals
but what was done is done,” he said practically.
 
“Don’t worry.
 
He’ll be alright.
 
We both welcome
you.”

But Addie wondered if she would be.
 
It never occurred to her when she was
stealing some man’s money just to save her own hide, that she would be ruining
his life.
 
But why wouldn’t it?
 
Someone ruined her life by swindling.
 
It would be too small a world if Galen’s
brother was indeed the same fellow whose ticket money she gave to the
blackmailing magistrate.
 
But the odds of
that happening in were too far-fetched.
 
Montana was big sky country.

Up to now, it also never occurred to her she would have to
come face to face with the kind of damage she might have done to someone.
 
It just didn’t sit right with her.
 
Now that she realized that somewhere out
there, she might have hurt someone, she had no peace.

“You picked a good time of year to get hitched. This is some
of our pleasantest weather,” said Galen pleasantly as he snapped the reins of
the wagon to encourage the team.

Addie felt like blurting out, she didn’t pick the time; the
time picked her.
 
Travel and regret were
catching up with her.
 
She was already
getting homesick.
 

He and his brother loaded their wagon and Addie along with
it.
 
They did not stop for a meal.
 
They headed straight for home.
 
Once they got outside the town proper, Great
Falls was sprawling. It was like someone scattered marbles across the
prairie.
 
Except for the road and the
occasional house, there were no signs of life.
 
Addie had chosen a place to relocate about as far out as she could have.

It was a long, quiet ride out to the brothers’ place.
 
Addie didn’t know Galen had a brother.
 
Of course there was only a quick exchange and
not really any time to learn anything about one another.
 
Finally, Galen said something.

“So I was really quite surprised that you accept my proposal
so quickly,” he said.

“Well I am girl who knows what she wants, Mr. Allen,” she
replied.

And that much about her was true. Addie liked what she saw
in him.
 
He was handsome without
question.
 
A girl could do worse but she
could do no better.
 
Galen Allen was
dreamy.
 
But if the living situation was
not tolerable, Addie already planned her escape. She made note of the town
while she could and of the route to and from, so that if she had to depart in
the night, she could.

“Is that so?” he asked with a smirk curling his lip.
 
“Just so you understand once we’re married, I
am here to know your mind for you.”

That remark made Addie’s stomach churn.
 
Her father, God rest his soul, had always
given her free rein.
 
The two of them
connected at meal time but apparently she didn’t know any more about his goings
on than he did hers.
 
He didn’t pry or
interfere.
 
Life on the farm was
pleasant.

As they meandered, there was a noise off in the
distance.
 
Soft and yet
unmistakable.Maddening in a way.
 
It
sounded like applause and drums at the same time.
 
Addie had to ask.

“That’s Black Eagle Falls,” he chuckled.
 
“Can drive you crazy if you aren’t used to
the sound.
 
All the greenhorns
complain.
 
Are you a greenhorn, Miss
Addie?”

It was the closest thing to a flirtation that they
exchanged. And it was very effective.
 
Addie’s stomach had butterflies.
 
A new kind.
 
She had never had a
reaction to a man before.
 
Mild
attraction maybe.
 
Strong attraction to
Galen and even to his brother, whose name he had yet to disclose. But never had
she had a reaction to a man in a pleasant way.
 
This was the first pleasantry of the entire drama for Addie.

But then again Addie’s husband to be and his brother were
bullish.
 
Like muscled long horn cattle
themselves.
 
They both brought out an
animal stirring in her that was both new and yet somehow recognizable.
 
It was definitely welcome.

Until a fear gripped her.
 
It was an element to her plan she had not counted on.
 
If Addie developed genuine feelings for her
husband to be it would make it so she couldn’t just pick up and leave if she
needed or wanted to.
 

It was her plan that if things didn’t work out, she was
going to rob and run.
 
Feelings spoiled
everything, especially the involuntary kind. She already learned that she had a
tender heart.
 
That personal element
could really muck things up.

“You have a funny look on your face,” remarked Galen.
 
“Careful, or you’ll freeze that way.”

“Mr. Allen, I come from Chicago.
 
We laugh at freezing,” she said.

Galen nestled into her and in front of his brother said,
“Then it will be warmth that’s your undoing.”

Again Addie shivered from the inside out.
 
Just the mere contact from a handsome man,
and she was putty.
 
His touch was like
fine whisky in her system.
 
Made her feel
drunk and warm.
 
And she was pretty
certain her britches were damp.
 
She
threw opened her eyes wide with embarrassment and shock.

Galen laughed out loud which was more than his brother
did.
 
The brother didn’t utter a sound or
change his expression an iota.
 
Galen’s
laughter bounced over the prairie and was for a moment, louder than the
menacing falls.

“Miss Addie you are going to be a joy to have around,” said
Galen.

When they pulled up the rigGalen clarified the wedding
arrangements.

“I know I should have the preacher out this evening but he
just can’t make it and I figure you would want to be fresh on your wedding
day.
  
Therefore we will stay in the bunk
house over yonder and you can have the house, until tomorrow that is,” he
said.
 
“But I fixed us some supper.
 
We all can sit around the table.”

Addie was delighted with the appearance of the brothers’
home. Their property was small - a new fence marked the perimeter around a few
buildings and a pen.
  
The house itself
was very neat and tidy and sweetly appointed for not having a woman’s
touch.
 
There was blue gingham on the
windows and matching oil cloth.
  
The
floor was swept.
 
Everything was squared
and it is place.

There were two bedrooms. One that was clearly the master
bedroom and a smaller room that was probably the brother’s.
  
She felt a little guilty kicking them out of
their rooms since they looked so comfortable and inviting.
 

But Addie was relieved.
 
The house was wonderful.
 
She
would have no choice otherwise, since she was on the lam from a greedy
magistrate in Chicago.
 
It was a mercy
that both her husband and their place were so lovely.
 

So far.

It did stick in her craw she had not been introduced to the
brother.
 
She was going to work her nerve
up to ask but since the entire ride out to the house from the stage elapsed
before she did so, it was more than a little awkward now.
 
And the brother didn’t look to receptive to
questions.

She heard the noise of dishes being set out on the
table.
 
She rushed to her husband to be
to take over the chore.

“That’s my job,” she said, brushing his body.

He looked at her like he was going to eat her in a single
bite.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Mighty pleasant to have around.”

He let her take the bowls from him and Addie finished
up.
 
Galen ladled chicken and dumplings
into the bowls all around.
 
A stack of
biscuits set in the middle of the table.
 
Addie was famished.
 
And even if
she were not, the cooking could not have been better had she prepared it
herself.

“Which one of you is the cook here?” she said preparing to
compliment.

“That would be me,” said Galen.

The brother didn’t even stir.
 
What was he even there for? thought Addie
getting a little steamed at his lifeless act.
 
It was hard to get him to talk and it was hard to avoid him.
 
She hoped this changed.
 
She thought she would help this along.

After most of the supper had been eaten, Addie rose to clear
the table.
 

“Mr. Allen, may I take your dish?” she asked Galen’s
brother.

He didn’t respond.
 
Galen boisterously intervened.

“Now now, let me help you with those dishes.
 
It’s nigh on sun down.
 
We will leave you alone for come tomorrow you
will be my bride,” he said.

Galen’s hand touched hers as he took the plate from
her.
 
Their connection sent ticklish
streamers of pleasure through her body.
 
It stunned her.
 
Heat rose from
deep within and burned her cheeks.

“Are you alright there, Addie?” he asked.

His voice was smooth like honey.
 
It made her want to open herself up and let
him have his way.
 
It made her want to
press her body to his.
   
Addie had no
idea where this was coming from.
 
Perhaps
the wear of the travel was catching up to her and taking its toll.
 
Addie watched herself.

As quickly as the three of them filled the main room of the
Montana ranch house, they dispersed.
 
The
two giant brothers left, Galen parting with a chaste kiss on Addie’s lips.
  
She closed the door and readied herself for
bed realizing that despite all the chances in the world, Galen and his brother
avoided a decent introduction.

It sort of felt like they had planned that on purpose.
 
But exhaustion pulled Addie against the
eiderdown until she could no longer keep her eyes open or worry.