A Lesson in Patience (2 page)

The wooden cart rolled along at a painstakingly slow pace. The weather was perfect, with clear, blue skies and just a few fluffy clouds. Usually, this kind of weather always brought a sense of calm to Colby, but not today.

“Damn wheel. We're so late I doubt there will be anyone left,” Colby Miller said with a sense of both anger and trepidation. “Why the hell of all days did the damn thing have to go today?”

“I'm sure it will be fine,” his best friend and ranch hand, Tim, said. “How many men 'round here could be looking for a wife?”

Turning in his seat at the head of the cart to stare at his friend, Colby replied acerbically, “Gee, Tim, how many ya think? Just about every damn ranch owner out this way needs a woman. It's not like there are that many to choose from.”

Deciding it would be better not to reply, Tim kept his mouth shut. It wasn't long before Colby decided to start in on the same argument they'd been having since they set out. Although, argument would not quite describe it, since it was entirely one-sided.

“This wouldn't be necessary if you hadn't stole my governess,” Colby stated, bringing up the reason for his journey.

“I said I was sorry. I can't help that the poor woman fell so deeply in love with me. You know I'm known for my... abilities.” Tim smiled and winked in Colby's direction.

“Abilities? Damn. I figured you just bribed the poor girl. You know how much it cost me to ship her out from St. Louis. Hell, what it cost me to just convince her to come out here to teach the children.”

“I told you I would pay you back any expenses.”

“Yeah, you told me alright. Hell if I've seen any of that money.”

Sighing deeply, Tim did truly feel bad. When the governess, a Miss Eloise Jamison, came to live on the ranch, he never imagined he would fall head over heels at first sight. The two had made a love connection from almost the first time they spoke to one another. That had been nearly three months ago and his friend had yet to forgive him.

“I swear Colby, as soon as I can, I will pay you back. Plus, Eloise has been tutoring your brothers and sister for free. It's just with her pregnant, we know she's gonna be awful busy in the next few months...” Tim let the rest of his thought go. It didn't matter, Colby would either forgive him or not.

“What if I can't find someone? The summer is busy and autumn worse with harvest. With all the cattle, you and I will scarcely be around. I'm not so worried about Georgia, but Frank and Nate need a woman around to care for them. Nizhoni has too many chores around the ranch to keep the boys in line.”

“My ma used to always tell me to not borrow trouble. We'll be there soon and we'll see for ourselves if there are any acceptable women left. If not, maybe we could spend the night in Denver and see if there are any rich men's daughters looking for a little adventure in the backwoods of Wyoming Territory.”

“As a man about to be a daddy, would you let your daughter go live with some stranger in Wyoming?” Colby liked to ask questions he already knew the answer to. It was one of the reasons he wanted to become a lawyer. But some dreams die hard, like at the hands of a flash flood.

“Hell no, but then again, I know you.” Laughing at his own joke, Tim felt the glare more than saw it. “Well still, ain't nothing you can do until we get there.”

“True enough.”

As if being displayed like cattle weren't humiliating enough, being ignored by filthy men was worse. Priscilla slowly began to distance herself from Ginny's side, instead moving herself down the line. So much for sticking together. Priscilla saw the writing on the wall. Ginny was headed for the nearest whorehouse, to be used and abused, and have her virginity stolen by the highest bidder.

A feeling of heaviness fell on Ginny. Despair? Not yet, but very close. This was the third time she'd had to live with this. What was the point? Was this some sort of punishment for not being the best person she could have been?
God, you know I tried... and I wasn't really that bad
, she mused as she stood alone at the end of the line.

The men went about picking their women and paying their captors. Priscilla, who was obviously ignoring her, was chosen by the nasty creature that had insulted Ginny.
Good riddance! Hope you have a great life together
. Ginny realized it was uncharitable, but couldn't help it. She wouldn't have abandoned her friend as easily. No, she probably would have gone down in a blaze of glory just to prove a point.

Slowly, as hour after hour went by, the girls were chosen and left with their new husbands. One of the men even performed a “wedding ceremony” for each new couple. As far as legality, it probably didn't mean much, but who was going to check or even care? It was doubtful that any of the women were already married and if they were, their husbands weren't likely to come searching for them.

Sitting on the back of the cart, Ginny wondered what her guardians next move would be. Would they try again tomorrow, wait around to see if anyone else showed up or just dump her off at the most convenient brothel? As the crowd left, it became obvious that they would wait, just in case.

The two men weren't completely unkind. They offered Ginny some bread and meat. They made sure she had water and a comfortable place to sit and eat in the shade. They even made polite conversation with her. The man who had originally approached her was named John, and he had been transporting women out west for the better part of a decade. Jack, the assistant, was also named John, but to keep things easy, he went by Jack. Both men were of average height, but that was where the similarities ended. John, older by at least fifteen years, was balding and what was left of his hair a salt and pepper color. Jack, young and strapping, had wavy brown hair that reached his collar.

“So, guys, what now?” Ginny figured that information was power, so she shouldn't put her head in the sand.

John, being the senior partner, answered, “Well, we'll wait around here for a few more hours. 'Til dark, I reckon. Then we can make camp and see if anyone shows up in the morning. After that, well... we'll just wait and see.”

“Do you have many women who end up in the brothels?” In for a penny, in for a pound.

“Nah. Once in a blue moon, but I haven't had any in a few years.” Ginny was beginning to like his drawl. It was comforting, especially in the light of such an uncertain future.

“Gee John, I think the last one I remember was Dory. You suppose?” Jack was also twangy, but not in a comforting way. His accent was more bold.

“Oh, yeah... Dory. Too bad about her.” John let it go at that, but Ginny wasn't about to.

“And what happened to Dory?” Ginny's eyes were wide with the possibilities. John noticed her uneasiness and set out to make her feel better.

“Now, now, you ain't like Dory. She was a sweet girl, but she wasn't really right, ya know? Said she heard voices and all. No man wants to bring home that kind of crazy, not when you want to have kids and all.”

“Why did you bring her out here, then?” Ginny tried to temper her exasperation, but knew she was only human.

“Didn't know at first. Seemed okay when I met her in St. Louie. Didn't start with the crazy until we were halfway here. Investment was already made by then.” John was so matter-of-fact, Ginny almost winced. Once again, she had to remind herself that this was a very different time, with very different rules.

“So, what happened?” she asked, truly curious.

“Brought her to a nice place, just north of here. The madam is a friend of mine and she treats her girls real good. Gave her a good deal, since Dory wasn't gonna be any good as a 'working girl' if you know what I mean. Anyway, Dory didn't like being cooped up, working as a housemaid, so she went and hung herself a few weeks later. To keep things right between me and Nadine, I gave her the money back, minus the cost of a few weeks work.”

Ginny stared at the man as if he had grown a second head. John hardly noticed, as he was working on releasing some dirt under his fingernail with a knife.

“So... Nadine... she's a nice woman?” Just like Ginny, get to the point.

Jack answered this time. “Aw, yeah, she's great. Treats her girls real nice. Makes sure that the men know how to treat a lady. I like her a lot.” Rolling her eyes, not so either man could see, Ginny thought,
What a ringing endorsement!

“If you gentlemen would excuse me for a moment, I have to take care of my needs.” Ginny was surprised when both men stood up as she did. Jack even used his hand to steady her, when she swayed on her feet.

Smiling at both men, Ginny walked away and found a quiet place in the woods to take care of her business. Oh how she truly hated having to pee in the woods. And she didn't even have any toilet paper to boot. Just as she finished up and went looking for some water to wash her hands, she heard a cart approaching.
Maybe this is it,
she thought excitedly. Then she realized how silly it was to get her hopes up. At the least, she was still going to have to live some other life, not her own, just to move on to wherever she was set to go next.

When the cart came around the last bend, Colby saw the two men best known in the area for obtaining wives. Word always spread pretty fast when the next “shipment” would be in, so men from hundreds of miles away could make a special trip to marry a woman. Most women in the outer reaches were either already married, too old or already had employment that made them less than stellar candidates for the job of wife and mother.

Colby was looking around, not seeing a single woman around. His heart sank, as this was the last time in a while he would have time to find a wife to watch his siblings. After both his parents were killed in a flash flood late last summer, he had been forced to give up his position apprenticing with a lawyer in Denver. He had hoped to work with the attorney for a few years, then go to college back east somewhere and get a degree. The law fascinated him, and he even hoped that one day he could use his job as a way to get into government.

But after the accident, he was needed back home. Colby wasn't the oldest. He had an older brother, RJ, who had left home at eighteen and hadn't been back since. Colby wasn't even sure where he was. They received a letter every six or so months detailing the adventures of the older sibling. Colby had sent a telegram to the last known address for his brother, but didn't even know if he knew that their parents were dead.

So, Colby had to return to take care of the ranch that his parents had built together over the nearly thirty years they'd been married. The couple had left behind five children: Robert Jr, Colby, Georgia, Frank and Nate. The youngest being only ten, and his next oldest brother only thirteen. His sister, Georgia, was eighteen and would be courted soon by every available and imaginable bachelor in the territory. Women were rare, but appropriate women were even more rare.

It was because of the two youngest that Colby needed a wife. He cared little for companionship for himself, but needed someone who could raise his little brothers and keep an eye on his sister and her many callers. He cared little whether the woman was good looking, just that she was responsible and could help around the ranch.

Pulling his cart alongside the one already parked in the field, Colby jumped out and walked over to the two men. Tim came up beside him, smiling at the men now rising from under a tree. Whispering to Colby, he said, “Maybe you could strike a deal to have them deliver a woman to ya with the next shipment.”

Colby recognized that Tim was trying to placate him. It was obvious that all the women were gone and he was screwed. Removing his hat, Colby held out his hand to the older of the two men.

“Good day to you, gentlemen. My name is Colby Miller and it appears I'm too late.” His voice was even, although he was seething inside. It certainly wasn't these men's fault that his wagon wheel broke.

“Howdy. My name is John and this here is my assistant, Jack. And despite what you see, you ain't too late.” John smiled, happy that he was going to be able to unload his final ward. He never liked selling them to the whorehouse, but a deal was a deal.

“Pardon?” Colby asked, turning his head to look around and not seeing any women.

“Henny's taking care of her business and will be back in a moment. I hope you ain't too picky, seeing's how I only have the one girl. But, then again, you won't have any trouble choosing.” John laughed at his own joke. Jack joined in. Colby smiled to be polite, but wondered what could possibly be left over.

Just then, a vision walked out of the trees and came to stand before the four men. Colby resisted the urge to shake his head, because surely the beautiful woman standing before him had to be a hallucination. She was of a medium height, and had a well formed body, all curves in the right places. Her hair was a chestnut brown, that glowed gold in the sunlight and surrounded a heart shaped face with big, brown eyes. Full lips completed the face that were so red and kissable that Colby could feel himself responding to the thought. He was instantly enamored. First he thought, “How could she still be here?” Then he thought, “What the hell is wrong with her?”

His second thought, impolitely, was spoken aloud and put quite a scowl on the young woman's face.

“There's nothing wrong with me,” Ginny replied automatically. She could feel the anger building up again, despite the fact that she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was her mega-hunk. Her mind was screaming for her to shut-up, but her mouth, as usual, had to say something completely different.

Her mega-hunk was tall, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. His thick, brown hair was cut short, and looked like it would be soft to the touch. His eyes were the color of the sky, azure blue and clear. He had a day's worth of beard growth on his face and beautiful white teeth.

John placed a hand on her shoulder, probably in the hopes of conveying that this was her best chance to stay out of the whorehouse. Ginny stiffened to the warning, but nonetheless took the advice and turned her gaze to her boots. It turns out that she could be taught.

Colby, momentarily stunned by how brilliant she looked angry, turned to John and asked, “She's far too pretty to be the only one left behind. Why wasn't she already picked? Are you telling me that there were more women than men?” Not for one minute would Colby believe that. Finding a wife in this part of the world was harder than finding a talking dog.

“Naw, we had quite a few men leave empty handed. They felt she was too...” John scratched his head under the brim of his hat, trying to think of a nice way to say what he wanted to say. “Well, now, she's a fine woman. She just doesn't know anything about her past is all. I had to give her a name, seeing's how she couldn't remember hers.”

Colby turned and looked Tim in the eye. “They have one woman left and she's crazy.”

Looking up from her boots, Ginny stared at the man before her. He was a sight to behold. He definitely worked hard and his body showed it. To Ginny, he looked like he walked right out of a western romance novel.

Great looking, yes. Smart, not so far. “I am not crazy. Something happened to me and I can't remember who I am.” Ginny felt the need to enunciate each word, just in case he wasn't dealing a full deck.

“Sounds crazy to me. How do I know you're not already married, a pretty girl like yourself?” Colby asked, meeting her eyes and holding his own.

John decided to intervene. “I don't think it matters much, Mr. Miller. I found her alone and desperate, on the streets of St. Louie. If she had a family, no one came forward before we left. I made sure I read the paper to see if any pretty girls went missing.”

“I'm so glad that we all think I'm pretty, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm not crazy.” Colby lifted an eye to her little speech. He had to admire her spunk.

Reaching over, Colby took her hand. After running his thumb over her palm, he knew without a doubt that this woman had never done an honest day's work. He felt her stiffen at his examination and realized that some other man made the same observation today. That was why she was the only one left.

What did he need with some pampered, rich girl who couldn't even remember her own name. To Colby, it seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Before he could say something really rude, his friend grabbed his arm. Tim pulled him a few feet away and whispered in his ear.

“She's the only one they have and you're pretty desperate. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, my friend.”

“What good will she be to me,” Colby whispered back. “She probably can't even cook.”

“Dammit, Colby, you got Nizhoni for that. She will be there to tutor your brothers and keep a close eye on your sister. Isn't that what you wanted? Not to mention, she's real pretty. You might want to have a wedding night after all.”

“Tim, I don't want a wife. I'm only here because I have no other choices.”

“Exactly. So, why haven't you made an offer?” Tim knew it wouldn't be easy for Colby to finally get down to business. After all, he had wanted to be a lawyer. The man couldn't help arguing about every little damn thing.

Heaving a sigh, Colby turned back to the small group. John was looking at him expectantly. The girl stood staring at the horizon, with what could only be described as a pout on her face. She looked so spoiled that Colby knew it wouldn't work out. On the other hand, Tim was right. What choice did he have? He wouldn't be able to come back for some time and by then, his brothers could get themselves in a lot of trouble.

He lumbered back to the group and began to question the girl.

“Are you educated?”

Turning her head slightly, she regarded him for a moment before answering. “Are you speaking to me?”

“Who else would I be asking?” he replied, letting his annoyance known.

“Point taken,” she answered. Ginny knew she should take the high road here, considering that her life was on the line. But, somehow, she just couldn't do it.

“Well...?” he asked.

“Well, what?” she replied.

“Are you educated?” he asked again through clenched teeth.

Smiling, she replied, “Yes. I'm very educated.”

Smiling in return, although the smile didn't quite reach his eyes, he asked, “How would you know if you have no memory of your past?”

Ginny turned her head to the other side and regarded him again. “You make a good point again, but I know I can read and write. I have knowledge of medicine and some history. I'm pretty good with math, although not as good when you add in letters. Is this sufficient to be considered 'educated'?” Ginny made sure she added the air quotes when she said educated.

Grumbling under his breath, he asked, “Do you know how to cook?”

Scrunching her face up, Ginny replied, “I guess it depends on what you want cooked.”

“Can you skin an animal?”

Ewwwww
. Ginny wasn't a vegetarian and she definitely enjoyed a good steak, but she never gave much thought to where the meat came from, other than her grocer's refrigerated case. “I suppose I could if I had to, but I have no knowledge of how it's done.”

Colby turned to his friend with a look that said:
See what I mean?
Tim kept his face straight. He figured he would have to intervene. Clearing his throat, Tim turned to the girl and asked, “Do you have any objections to living on the frontier? There ain't no shopping and there are many chores. Do you think you could handle that?”

Ginny liked Tim. He was straight forward and kept his cynicism to a minimum. Giving him her full attention, she replied, “I've no experience, but I also have few choices. I would be happy to do my best and do what I know how to do. As for the rest, I would be happy to learn.”

Satisfied, Tim turned back to Colby with a look that said:
See, she's not so bad
. Colby rolled his eyes and looked back at John. “Shall we negotiate the price, John?”

“Excellent. Let's walk over to the cart and settle this. I'm sure you three would like to be on your way as soon as possible.”

And that was how Ginny was sold for the grand sum of five dollars. A king's ransom for the time, but could one really put a price on a soulmate?