Echoes of the Heart (33 page)

           
He
moved at a quick pace toward the jail.
 
The snow ceased after dropping a light coat, glistened in the last rays
of sunlight peaking through gaps in dark gray clouds.
 

           
John
met him at the corral when he saddled Rabbit.
 
Excitement played in his voice.
 
“We
already got a wire from the sheriff in Sioux Falls.
 
Two men passed through yesterday meeting the
description.
 
He didn’t get a name,
though.”

           
Cash
perked through his exhaustion.
 
“Guess
that’s where we’ll start.”
 
He cracked a
smile.
 
“We are getting married
tomorrow.
 
Come to the wedding.
 
We will leave right after the ceremony.”

           
“It
took you long enough, you old rattle snake.
 
I wouldn’t miss it.
 
Are you sure
you want to leave Rae so soon?”

           
He
mounted while talking.
 
“She’ll be fine
at Diane’s until I get back.
 
Why don’t
you get things ready?
 
Get a packhorse
from Watts.
 
We will need plenty of grain
for the animals.”

           
“I’ll
have everything ready.
 
See you tomorrow,
bride groom.”
 
John jumped back avoiding
a smack from Cash’s hat.
 
Cash smiled to himself
as he rode, energized by the reality Raeden would soon be his wife.
 
Finally being honest with himself, he knew he
loved her and under his protection, no one would ever hurt her again.

           
The
internal battle finally at rest, he knew he had made the right decision.
 
Raeden stole his heart the moment he met her,
and the following weeks he had grown to love everything about her.
 
The excitement of her passion for him caused
a craving deep in his soul, like nothing he had ever experienced before.

           
He
entered her room to find her sitting in bed clad in a jade green jacket, hair
lustrous and full falling over her shoulders down onto the pillow.
 
Lines of worry marked her delicate face.

           
Cash
knelt by the bed stroking the silky curls down her back.
 
“I thought you would be asleep by now.
 
You look tired, baby.
 
Why don’t you lie down?”

“I’m afraid to
sleep.
 
The dreams will reoccur.
 
They’re making me sick.”
 
Liquid pools formed in her incomparable green
eyes.

He turned down the
lamp.
 
“I’ll stay right here with you.”

           
Laying
her head on the pillow, he bent and gently kissed her lips.
 
“Hold me, Cash.”

           
Removing
his boots, he lay down beside her atop of the covers and let her lean into
him.
 
Draping one arm over his middle,
she nestled closer and a sigh followed.

           
He
ran a curl of hair through his fingers.
 
The fragrance prickled his senses.
 
“I have a surprise for you tomorrow.”

           
She
moved her head back to look into his eyes.
 
“Cash, so soon?
 
That’s
wonderful.
 
I can hardly wait.”
 
Her enthusiasm made him certain she would be
happy.
 
After she fell asleep in his
arms, he finally succumbed to his body’s demand for sleep.

***

Rae’s eyes opened
from the first peaceful night’s sleep since the abduction in the arms of the brave
hero— the man she loved, his face next to hers on the pillow, relaxed and
serene, long curly black lashes fanning across their lids.

           
Raeden
thought she might burst from excitement.
 
She knew his secret and he would take her to St. Louis on the next train.
 
When she heard voices in the stairwell, she
carefully moved from the bed sucking in a breath against the twinge of pain in
her chest. Trying not to disturb him, she crept to the door and peaked out.
 
Diane walked toward her.
 
She put a finger to her lips to keep Diane
silent and pointed to Cash asleep on her bed.
 
Pulling the door almost closed she whispered, “He’s so exhausted, he
needs to rest.”

           
Diane
nodded and Raeden slipped back beside him, fatigued from the minor exertion,
and watched him sleep.

           
When
his eyes opened, a genuine smile curled his lips and slanted his eyes.
 
He propped his head on his hand looking down
while his finger gently traced her face.
 
“I finally got to spend the night with you again, my pet.”

           
“I
never thanked you for saving my life.”

           
One
side of his mouth crooked upward.
 
“No
need to thank me.
 
It’s what any man
would do for his future wife.”

           
Rae
eased upward, pushing the blanket to her waist.
 
A hand dropped on her lap.
 
Her
heart raced.
 
“What do you mean?
 
I don’t recall any discussion of marriage.”

           
He
lurched to his feet.
  
Eyes wide he
stared down at her face.
 
“You don’t
think I wouldn’t marry you after your reputation has been sullied by our
affair?”

           
She
glared back.
 
“It is not my reputation
you’re worried about but your own.
 
What
if I don’t want to get married?
 
Have you
thought of that?”

           
The
veins bulged in his neck but his face remained stoic while she continued the
tirade.
 
“Getting married will not make
any difference and I don’t care about my reputation.”
 
No way would she allow him to marry her out
of pity and obligation, to play the valiant savior at her expense.
 
She had plans, and they did not include
marriage or staying in this treacherous country.

           
In
addition, what man would want a wife used by two men?
 
She felt like trash.
 
The entire town would ridicule him and look
at her like garbage.
  
She also knew
attempting to compete with the past life he had with the family he loved, would
only serve to make them both miserable.

           
Cash
gawked in amazement.
 
“I thought you
would want to get married after all you have been through.
 
For Christ sake, Raeden, you carried our
child.
 
I took your innocence.”
 
His jaw flexed.
 
“We are doing this and it’s final.
 
I’ve made all the arrangements.
 
People will arrive this afternoon expecting a
wedding and that’s what we will give them.”

           
Just
what she needed, more humiliation and embarrassment.
 
Too fatigued to argue, she lay down and
watched him leave in anger.
 
He can’t do this without my consent.

           
Sounds
of laughter and the bustle of busy footsteps echoed from below.
 
Wonderful, Diane is having fun expecting a
wedding not a grim scene.
 
Maybe she
could go through with this farce and have it annulled when she reached St.
Louis.
 
Yes, it could be done without too
much effort.

***

Diane whisked
through Raeden’s open door wearing a deep purple chiffon gown, dressed for the
ceremony.
 
She looked stunning.
 
Happiness beamed in every movement.
 
“The minister will show within the hour.
 
I will help you get ready.”

           
“Aunt
Diane, I’m so tired, I can’t do this today.
 
Can’t we postpone?”

           
“Nonsense,
Rae, it will only take a few minutes.
 
You can lie back on the sofa downstairs.”

           
Did
everyone in town want her married off?
 
She must be ashamed of me
.
 
“All right, what should I wear?”

           
“You
will need something sleeveless because of your arm; hopefully we can squeeze
the bandage into something.
 
She opened
the closet and searched through her gowns.
 
“Here, this looks perfect.
 
What
do you think?”

           
Not
in the mood for any of this, “It’s fine.”
 
Raeden stood with effort to walk behind the screen and put on petticoats
then let Diane help her into the dress.

           
“Raeden,
you have grown so thin.
 
Even with the
thick bandage it’s still too loose.”

           
Raeden
didn’t care.
 
She wanted to go to St.
Louis and on to New York.
 
“It doesn’t
matter, I’ll wear the white shawl.
 
It
will cover some of the bruising and the arm.
 
She glanced in the mirror for the first time since her ordeal and became
nauseous.
 
Her face drawn and gaunt and
the discoloration made her look like a freak.
 

           
Diane
looked at Raeden’s reflection.
 
“Don’t
worry, Rae.
 
You will return to your old
self in no time.”

           
“Well,
at least I still have a bust line and my hair looks healthy.”
 
How could anyone marry someone so ugly and
disfigured?

           
A
knock brought Diane to her door.
 
An all
too familiar voice spoke.
 
“I have come
for my bride.”
 
Did I hear contempt in his tone?

           
Cash
entered.
 
“I see you’re all ready.”

I don’t want anyone to see me like
this.
 
She almost pleaded but pride
kept her silent as he swept her into his powerfully built arms and carried her
downstairs into the parlor where everyone gave their greetings while she sat on
the couch seething.
 
Her friends were
earnestly concerned for her welfare.
 
No
one made her feel self-conscious about the injuries she had endured.

           
Cash
kept tossing her sideways glances, a cat patiently awaiting a mouse to dart
from its shelter and clasp the victim in its destructive claws.
 
The aura of arrogant male dominance laced
with the danger he always emitted pooled around her, sapping what little
vitality she possessed.
 

           
How
could she have been so foolish to think him as a friend?
 
Had he only wanted to use her and was now
caught in circumstance to protect his pride and save face?
 
Did she use him as well?
 
Perhaps.

           
She
would show him.
 
No one would do this to
her.
 
As soon as her strength returned,
he would be history.
 
Nothing would
obstruct her plans.

Thirty-nine

The room peeled
with laughter and gaiety she did not feel.
 
Anger hid behind smiles and light conversation.
 
She cast occasional hate-filled stares at the
tall dark-haired lawman standing out in the crowd in a well-tailored suit.

           
He will be so sorry for this.
 
Just looking at him and his cocky expression
made her want to scream in his face.

           
Voices
died down with the arrival of the minister arrived and a lump rose in her
throat.
 
The pastor mingled with the
well-wishers all dressed up for the occasion then walked toward her, Cash by
his side.
 
Cash leaned over and spoke
softly into her ear.
 
“Are you ready?”

 
          
She
wanted to object but his glare stopped her.
 
Lips tightened as she turned toward him and said in a venomous whisper,
“No.”

           
“Don’t
bite Raeden.
 
It doesn’t become you.
 
Let’s not have a scene.”
 
She wanted to slap the victorious grin off
his face then scratch at his eyes for good measure.

           
Sitting
beside her during the rites, Cash gripped her left hand, not releasing it until
he placed the gold band on her finger.
 
A
stern unsmiling mouth bent to kiss the bride but she kept her lips rigid.
 
He stood while the men shook his hand, the
self-satisfied look of triumph beaming in his smile.