Red Rose (9 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

It didn’t take long for things to get back to normal, if you call normal waking before dawn, taking care of animals, then cleaning, washing, all the stuff that I done before. It seemed there was no catching up. It was Sunday. The day of rest after everything else was done. I had leaned it against the house to enjoy the warm sun on my face. I know when I let the sun shine on my face, it makes the freckles worse, but who was I trying to impress.

I looked up as I heard a horse coming around the bend and heading for the cabin. I recognized that horse. It was Nate’s horse and Nate was riding him. He stopped in front of me, dismounted, removed his hat and dropped down on one knee.

“Can you ever forgive me, Rose? I don’t know what came over me. I only wish I could take it all back. Please forgive me?”

“How can you even think I would forgive you? You broke my heart into a million pieces and it’s still broken. I really don’t care to even look at you. You need to leave.”

“I thought you cared for me as much as I cared for you. We were going to be married. How can you just turn off that feeling?”

“I didn’t turn it off, Nate, you did. You called my dead husband a brute and said you could never accept a kid that was his. You turned off those feelings and the switch is now broken. It can’t be repaired. I must insist that you leave, now, please?”

He reached and grabbed my hand. I jerked, but he held tight.

“You’re hurting me Nate. Let go?”

He stood up and pulled me against him. I pushed against his chest with both hands. It was no use. He held me tightly.

“I think you owe me something. After the way I wooed you. The poor widow woman. I could have any woman I wanted, but I chose you. Now I want something from you. He pulled me into the cabin and threw me on the bed.

I kicked and clawed, but he was too strong. He fell on top of me and I was having a hard time breathing. I remembered something Mildred had told me during the times we talked. Just relax, go limp. I guess he thought I was giving up because he raised up and started to remove his clothing. When he did, I kicked with all my might and he landed on the floor beside the table. I jumped up, grabbed Roscoe’s rifle and pointed it at Nate’s head.

“Hold on there, Rose, you’re not going to shoot me.’

I pulled the hammer back and said very quietly, “If you’re not out of my sight in exactly thirty seconds, we’ll be having another funeral. What do you think about that?”

“Ok. I’m leaving, but you haven’t seen the last of me.”

I pulled the trigger and his hat flew through the door and landed in the dirt.

“Ok. Maybe I won’t be back.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it Nate. I’m a very good shot and if I see you riding into the yard, I won’t be shooting at your hat.”

I watched him mount up and head out of the yard. He had left his hat laying there where it had landed. I watched until he was out of sight and I leaned the rifle against the wall next to the door. Just in case. Better safe than sorry. I rubbed my arms where he had grabbed me. It looked like I would probably have a bruise. How in the world had I ever cared for that kind of man? I figure I don’t need a man. They either die on you or they break your heart. Either way I don’t need them.

The twins said in a couple months we should round up the cattle and take them to town. With the railroad in town folks didn’t have to drive their cattle on long drives like they used to.

“Who do we see to sell the cattle? If we got there before anybody else, could we get a better price?”

“Maybe, but we’d have to pay them to hold the cattle until the buyer shows up and that would eat into our profit. I think if we just round them up and drive them into town on the day the buyer’s there we’ll do alright.”

“Ok. You boys know more about this kind of thing than I do. So what day are we going to do it?”

“I figure we should start rounding them up Monday morning. We should have them all by that night and we can get an early start the next morning.”

“Sounds like a plan. That’s what Roscoe used to say. I’ll have something to eat in a couple minutes.”

“We need to get on back home. Thanks anyway.”

“Ok, see you tomorrow. Oh wait, this is Saturday. You’ll be going to church tomorrow.”

“Yes ma’am, why don’t you come with us? We can stop by here and pick you up.”

“Like I said before. Sounds like a plan. See you in the morning.”

Now why did I tell them I would go to church, I sure don’t feel like church right now. Oh, I know God wants us to attend church, but I’ve got too much work to do.  It’s not church that bothers me so much. It’s having to face all those people that are going to pity me. I suppose a trip to the creek is in order. I had been going to the creek every Saturday night since I had come home. It was so relaxing. Just what I needed for aching muscles.

I dug my white wedding dress out of the box under the bed. It was going to need a good ironing before it would look decent. Seeing the dress brought back memories of the day Roscoe and I got married. I wondered if the same preacher that married us was going to do the preaching tomorrow.

I settled between Sam and Seth and looked around. The pews were packed. I heard murmured conservations and the rustling of pages as folks opened their hymnals. I took a deep breath trying to erase my nervousness, but it wasn't helping. The murmuring stopped, when an elderly gentlemen in a robe, came through the side door. Thank goodness, it wasn't the man who married Roscoe and me.

"Let us pray." When the prayer was finished, he lifted his eyes and looked over the crowd. It semed as though his eyes saw each and every person in the crowded room. When he had finished making all feel welcome with his eyes.

He opened his Bible and read, "It says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.  (No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.) God is telling us that there is a way out of every trail that we endure. And that way out is having faith in the Lord God Almighty that He will take care of us in all aspects of our life. Let us pray?"

I stood outside the church as people came by to tell me how sorry they were about Roscoe. Of course, none of them knew about my baby June. But that was alright. I was ready to go home. I looked and the Jarrods were in a conservations with a group of people. It didn’t look as if we would be leaving any time soon. I walked over to the wagon and decided to sit on the tailgate. I pulled myself up and sat down.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Chet hadn't been to see me since the funeral. Why was I even thinking of him now? Maybe it was because he was walking across the yard heading directly toward me. I really didn't want to talk to him right now, but there wasn't any place to hide.

"Hello Rose. I'm so glad to see you. How have you been? I've almost come to your place more than once, but I figured you needed some space. I'm so glad to see you coming to church. Getting out of the house and away from your place is good for you.”

“I'll be bringing the cattle to market next week, so I thought I would come see you for a checkup. I've been extremely tired since, well, since all this happened."

"Come by the office when you come to town. Or better yet, why don't we go to my office now, today and I can examine you."

“I rode to church with the Jarrod’s. I have to ride back with them or I won't have a way to get home."

"I could examine you, then we could go to the cafe for something to eat. Afterwards, I can take you home. There's no reason to wait until next week if you're feeling poorly. How's that sound?"

"Let me tell the Jerrod’s. I'll be right back." When I got back, he offered his arm. I slipped my arm inside his and we walked to his office.

There was something about my arm in his that felt familiar. Memories flooded my mind. I remembered the times with him on the train ride here. I remembered how my skin tingled when he touched me. I remembered the sound of his voice when he told me he loved me and would wait for me. I remembered how he helped me when Roscoe was buried and also my little June. He has always been there when I needed him. Was this feeling a good thing? After all, I had made up my mind that I don't need or want a man in my life. But then I thought about what the Bible had said about Adam.

“It is not good for man to be alone. I suppose that goes for a woman. It’s not good to be alone for the rest of my life. Is Chet the one God wants me to spend my life with? Maybe I need to slow down just a notch. There shouldn't be any rush on any of this. Chet has said many times that he would wait. But even he might not be able to wait forever. He, also said that we have feelings for one another and that is more than I felt for Roscoe when I promised to marry him. In fact, I didn't know anything about him except what he wrote in his letter. At least I know about Chet. We shared many things on that train ride.

After he examined me he gave me another little brown bottle of pills.

"Take one pill in the morning and one at night. You should be feeling better within two days. If you don't, you need to come and see me again. Now, let's go get something to eat."

We found a table in the corner at the back of the room. We ordered meatloaf, the same meal we had while on the train.

"I'm so glad you decided to share a meal with me. I only wish we could share every meal together."

"I'm not sure I'm ready yet. Could you give me a little more time?"

"Does that mean what it sounds like, Rose? Are you considering letting me court you?"

"I suppose a little courting wouldn't hurt our relationship."

"That sounds good, our relationship. It sounds promising. I love you Red Rose."

I looked up as Nate and a young woman came through the door. He looked and saw me, excused himself with the young woman and walked over to our table.

"Hello, Rose, I see you didn't waste any time finding another sucker to spend your time with."

Chet stood and faced him, "I believe you owe Mrs. Brown an apology."

"I wouldn't apologize to a woman like her if my life depended on it."

"I would reconsider, if I were you, because your life does depend on what you say next."

"Hold on there. I don't want no trouble with you. My complaint is against that woman sitting there beside you."

The next thing I knew, Nate was lying on the floor with blood coming from his nose.

"You broke my nose. Why did you hit me?”

"I told you to be careful what you said. You weren't and you paid the price. Hold still and I'll straighten out your nose. It's ok, I'm a doctor. I know what I'm doing just as I knew right where to hit you to break that nose of yours. Now this is going to hurt."

He placed his hands on both sides of Nate's nose and pushed very hard. You could hear the bones as they went back into place.

"Now I recommend you and your young lady find accommodation at the other eating establishment down the street."

Nate, holding a handkerchief under his nose left with his friend not looking back.

"Did you hurt your hand? You must take care of your hands being a doctor."

"It’ll be fine. How about you? I'm sorry you had to hear that. Some people are just born stupid or else they learned it someplace. I don't ever want you to be hurt or someone saying bad things about you. I want to protect you if you will let me. Do you think this courting idea will work out?"

"Sounds like a plan."

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