Tracie Peterson (9 page)

Chapter 15

D
aughtry let her frustration boil until morning when she had no other recourse but to vent her emotions at Nicholas. She’d had too much time to think about things and her imagination was running wild.

“Why did you marry me?” she questioned while Nicholas was dressing.

“What?”

“You heard me. Why did you marry me? Why did you push for a quick wedding by proxy? Why didn’t you just come here if you wanted a fast wedding?”

Nicholas stopped buttoning his shirt and stared at Daughtry for a moment. He recognized the barely controlled anger in her eyes. “What happened to no questions asked?”

“What happened to sharing your life with me?” Daughtry asked simply.

“What’s this all about?”

“It’s about us,” Daughtry replied rather indignantly. “It’s about who you are and why you wanted me to marry you. It’s about you being intrigued by my letter, but not in love with me.”

“But I love you now,” Nicholas offered.

“I want to know the truth, Nicholas. I want to know what you are hiding and why you refuse to trust me.”

Nicholas winced at her words. He stared blankly at the wall behind Daughtry for a moment, then in a sad voice said, “Proverbs 19:13 says, ‘A foolish son is the calamity of his father; and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.’ ”

“Are you calling me contentious? Just because I ask for the truth?” Daughtry appeared truly hurt, and Nicholas wished to ease her pain.

“No,” he shook his head and replied. “I use that verse in reference to myself.” Then he grinned and tried to ease the tension between them. “However, if you’re feeling guilty. . . .”

Daughtry put her hands on her hips and started to say something but held her tongue. Nicholas saw the softening in her eyes. “Why do you call yourself a foolish son?” she finally asked.

Nicholas ran his hands back through his hair and sighed loudly. “You’d better sit down,” he said, coming around to her and pulling out a chair from a nearby desk. Daughtry did as he told her, her eyes never leaving his face.

“I did my share of wild oat sowing when I was young. My folks, good people, saw that I was headed into trouble and began working on me, but I already knew it all, or thought I did, and sought my own way instead. Around the turn of the century, I struck out on my own and hooked up with the wrong crowd. I never really did anything myself, but I was always with one of them when they did something. My name started getting just naturally linked to the kind of bad men that could cause me some major entanglements with the law.”

“Are you a criminal?” Daughtry asked hesitantly.

“No,” Nicholas said and sat down on the edge of the bed directly in front of her. “No, I always managed to stay just inside the law. I was finally taken aside by an older friend of the family and given a good talking to. As a result I ended up getting myself deputized and began working with the law. Unfortunately, my old friends saw it as a means of advantage for their schemes. They figured their old buddy Nick wasn’t about to hand them a prison cell in exchange for the good times they’d showed me.”

“Were you a Christian when all of this was going on?”

“I thought I was. Thought I knew about the Gospel and how to live. But I was just as lost as those outlaws when it came to salvation for my soul. Anyway, years like this went on, and my folks were getting more and more worried about me. My brother had married and so had my sister Natalie, and here I was outrunning bullets and breaking up outlaw gangs.” He paused for a moment to see how she was taking the news.

“Those three men,” Daughtry whispered, “the three you had to turn over to the sheriff, were they. . .?”

“Part of the old Chancellor Gang.”

Daughtry gasped, and Nicholas realized that she knew full well who and what that notorious group represented.

“A couple of the gang died in prison, but most of them were paroled just months before you and I married. Everybody was afraid if I stuck around Missouri, they’d locate me and kill me like they promised. Guess nobody gave them much credit for tracking me down out here.”

“Kill you?” Daughtry hadn’t heard a word past those two.

Nicholas reached out and took her shaking hands into his own. “God helped me to see that I needed more than a casual relationship with Him. When I started thinking about my own mortality and how one of the outlaws I’d helped to put away could just as easily get out and come gunning for me, I knew I wasn’t ready to die.

“My father and mother were beside themselves, however, even before the Chancellors got out of prison. My father cornered me when I turned twen
ty-eight and told me that he was through giving me free rein to do as I wished. He offered to take me into his investment house, but I knew that wasn’t for me and I refused. So he told me I had until I was thirty to settle down—or else.”

“Or else what?”

Nicholas smiled a little sadly. “He said he’d disinherit me for my own good.”

Daughtry looked at him rather puzzled. “Your own father would do that to you?”

“He knew what he was doing,” Nicholas replied. “He knew that it would shame me into obedience even at twenty-eight. I didn’t want to lose out on the money but, more than that, I didn’t want to alienate myself from the family. I knew there would be a full-scale war between him and my mother, not to mention my sisters and brother if they thought Dad were picking on me.”

“So what did you have to do to meet his demands?” Daughtry said, suddenly feeling fearful of the response. “What constituted settling down?”

“I had to get a reliable profession, a home in one place, and. . .” He paused, unable to finish the sentence.

“And a wife?” Daughtry asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes.”

“And you had to do all of this before you turned thirty?”

“Yes.”

“And when did you turn thirty?”

“September twenty-fifth,” Nicholas replied softly.

Daughtry stared at him in shock for several minutes. “That was the day the proxy would no longer be any good. That’s why you pressed me to hurry and marry you before coming to the ranch.”

“Yes,” Nicholas said and held her hand tightly. “I had to fulfill my father’s requirements. It was important to me. Not just for the inheritance, but because his approval meant a lot to me. I wanted to make him proud of me. I bought the ranch and went about looking into how to be a rancher, then, before I knew it, time had slipped up on me and it was almost too late to get a wife.”

“You used me,” Daughtry said, suddenly feeling ill. The look in her eyes reflected the betrayal she felt.

“Now, wait just a minute,” Nicholas said and took hold of her shoulders firmly. “Isn’t that a bit like the pot calling the kettle black? Did you or did you not answer my advertisement in order to escape your overprotective father?”

“That’s not why I married you!” Daughtry exclaimed. But even as she said it, she remembered only too well having decided not to marry Nicholas. Not until her father had refused to listen to reason did she change her mind, and she knew that was one truth she couldn’t escape.

“And why did you marry me, Daughtry? Surely not because you were head over heels in love with me from all the courting and flowery words I’d spoken. Maybe it was the hours of evening walks by the river or the cards and flowers.” His tone was much too sarcastic for her to bear.

Daughtry jumped to her feet. “I loved you when I married you. I’d fall
en in love with your picture and your letter. I thought you’d fallen in love with me as well.”

Nicholas
stood and spoke calmly. “I did fall in love with you. I told you the truth when I said that. I can’t help it that I didn’t fall in love with your photograph or letter. I can’t help it that I felt desperate to meet a deadline and didn’t give the matter as much consideration as I should have. I did pray about it, though. I had a good peace about it too. Daughtry, I know without a doubt that God intended us to be together.”

Daughtry tried to grasp all that he said. “Just when did you fall in love with me?”

Nicholas smiled, hoping that her question meant they were making headway. “I’m still falling in love with you,” he answered softly, “but I think I first knew it when I came into the bedroom that morning and found an angel asleep in my bed. You know, we’ve never talked about that.”

“Yes, I know,” Daughtry said, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable at the memory. Everything had happened so quickly. Her marriage, getting to know Nicholas, finding herself with child—it had all come on so fast.

Nicholas pulled her to sit with him on the bed. “I came back to the ranch and all I could think about was that you might or might not be there. I knew I wouldn’t have much hope of finding another wife, even though I had two other replies.”

“You had other replies?” Daughtry asked, sounding like a little girl.

Nick grinned. “Yes, I did. But yours was the only one I answered.”

“Oh.”

Nicholas continued, “You can’t imagine what I thought when I’d seen all the work you’d done. I figured at first maybe you’d lied about yourself and sent me someone else’s picture, because there was no way that I figured a little thing like you could accomplish so much in so little time. Then when I walked into the bedroom. . .” He fell silent, closing his eyes to revisit the memory. “When I walked in and found you asleep in my bed, it was like Christmas morning. I knew then that you’d married me by proxy and that my obligations to my father were fulfilled. But,” he said, putting a finger to her lips as she started to protest, “I was completely captivated to know that you belonged to me.”

He pulled her close to him and breathed in the sweet scent of roses and lavender. “You were so beautiful, just lying there asleep.” His words were warm, and Daughtry felt them relaxing her against her will. “Your hair was spilled out across my pillow, and when I reached out to touch it, I just naturally found myself climbing onto the bed. I couldn’t believe how God had blessed me, Daughtry. I still can’t. I love you with all my heart, and I am forever yours. I want to be a good husband to you. I’ve told you everything, and I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.”

Daughtry looked at him, his dark eyes revealing a conflict of emotions from within. “I can forgive you,” Daughtry finally said, “but I don’t know if I can forget.” She pulled away from him and got to her feet. A shadow of hurt still lingered in her eyes.

Nicholas came to her, but Daughtry held her hand out. “Please don’t touch me. I need to think.”

“Daughtry, even God forgets the past when we ask Him to. I’m not only asking, I’m pleading with you. This isn’t a matter between just you and me now—we have a child to consider as well.”

“I know.”

“If you can forgive me, then please forget what I’ve done to hurt you. Just put it behind you. It’s insignificant and unimportant.”

Daughtry’s eyes flashed anger for just a moment. “It’s important to me,” she said and stormed from the room to contemplate what her husband had revealed.

“Lord,” Nicholas prayed even as Daughtry’s footsteps echoed down the hall, “help her to see that I love her. Forgive me for the deception, and help her to forgive me. I love her, Father, and I know that You’ve brought us together for a purpose. I don’t know what the future will hold in store for us, but You do, and I’m asking You to direct me so that I don’t mess things up again. Amen.”

Chapter 16

D
aughtry pulled on her coat and made her way to the barn. She had to get away from the house and Nicholas in order to sort through her feelings. Grabbing a bridle, Daughtry went to the corral, intent on singling out Nutmeg for a ride.

Nutmeg saw Daughtry and whinnied softly, but Poco, after months of neglect and an absent owner, was the one that came to Daughtry. The horse snorted once, then pushed its muzzle against Daughtry’s neck, almost pleading.

“So you want to go for a run, do you, Boy?” Daughtry asked softly while stroking the velvety nose. She looked across the corral at Nutmeg, then secured the bridle on Poco and led the horse to the stable to be saddled.

Several of the ranch hands immediately offered to assist her. She started to refuse, but because of her condition and her own uncertainty as to what she should or shouldn’t do, she finally relented and accepted their help.

Once on Poco’s back, she headed out for a trail she’d ridden most of her life. The air was cold and snow had fallen on the high mountains the night before. The open valley in which the ranch was situated had received only a dusting of snow, though, nothing that Daughtry concerned herself with. Instead, she took the opportunity to pray and think about what Nicholas had said.

“Dear God,” she whispered with a glance heavenward, “I think I need to talk about this. You’re the only One I can explain it all to, because You’re the only One who truly knows what I did and why.”

Poco was used to years of such prayers and kept plodding along as though this were perfectly normal.

“I realize,” Daughtry continued, “that I did wrong in marrying Nicholas the way I did. I wronged him, I wronged my folks, and I wronged You. I made pledges that I shouldn’t have—but now that they’re made, there is certainly no turning back.”

The words of Ecclesiastes 5:2 came to mind.
Be not rash with thy
mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Daughtry pondered the Scripture for a moment before resuming her prayer. “I did speak rashly and without any real thought of the consequences,” she admitted. “But I’m not trying to take back my pledge in marriage and my vows
to You. I just need to understand them. I need to know what my marriage real
ly and truly means.”

Not that I can do anything to change the past,
Daughtry thought to herself. She noted that Poco had followed their old trail high into the rocks, so she slowed the steed down, still contemplating her life before God.

“I love Nicholas,” she told God, “but I’m afraid we both married each other for all the wrong reasons. He needed a wife to please his father and keep his inheritance, and I needed to escape my father’s ever-watchful eye.” She laughed at her choice of words and glanced heavenward again. “I suppose You know all about children who try to escape Your watchfulness.”

❧

Back at the ranch, Nicholas began to worry about Daughtry. He searched through the house and when he found her gone, he tore out, barely grabbing his coat, and headed for the barn.

“Daughtry?” he called as he entered the empty stable. There was no answer.

“Daughtry!” Nicholas called again, coming from the stable. Just then Garrett rounded the corner.

“What’s wrong?” he questioned, seeing the concern on Nicholas’s face.

Nicholas gave a sigh. “Daughtry is upset with me. She stormed out of the house, and I haven’t seen her for about an hour. I thought maybe she went for a ride, but Nutmeg is right there in the corral.”

Garrett quickly surveyed the horses and shook his head. “But Poco’s not.”

“Poco?”

“Her horse and favorite traveling companion before she left home. Nobody else would be inclined to ride him.” Nicholas saw the apprehension in Garrett’s eyes.

“I’d better go find her,” Nicholas replied and went to saddle his horse.

“I’m coming too,” Garrett stated.

The men were saddled and ready to ride within minutes, and without telling anyone else where they were headed, Garrett and Nicholas rode out side by side.

❧

Daughtry felt renewed by her prayers. She could see now that though both she and Nicholas had made mistakes, the focus needed to be taken from the past and placed on the future. They had both been wrong in their actions, but they could easily put those things behind them and start anew. Of this, Daughtry was confident.

Realizing she’d been gone for a considerable amount of time, Daughtry turned Poco around and headed for home. Nicholas had asked her to forget the past and forgive him, and Daughtry intended to do just that. Somehow, together, they would put aside the circumstances under which they married and build a marriage that would be strong and faithful. A marriage that would bind them together, forever.

Daughtry smiled and began to hum to herself. She let Poco pick his way through the narrow canyon path and thought absentmindedly about what she would say to Nicholas. She was so deep in thought that the first few bits of rock falling from the steep canyon wall didn’t even attract her attention. They did, however, cause Poco to stop and prance back a step or two.

Poco’s actions caused Daughtry to snap to attention just as a huge rock slide covered the path directly in front of them. The loose rock combined with small amounts of snow gained momentum and rushed downward to block the passage through the canyon.

“Easy, Poco,” Daughtry whispered and stroked the animal’s neck to offer comfort. “We’re okay.” Daughtry glanced around behind her and knew that she would need to dismount in order to get Poco turned around.

Daughtry slid to the ground and reached out to take Poco’s reins just as another slide captured the horse’s attention and caused him to rear up and whinny nervously. Daughtry barely managed to avoid the pounding hooves.

While backing away from Poco, she lost control of him and the scared horse seized its freedom and ran.

For a moment, all Daughtry could do was stare after Poco’s retreating form. “Great!” she muttered. “Now, I’ll have to walk home.”

Daughtry picked her way through the rubble and moved past the slide area. She knew she would need at least two hours to make the trek home, but what else could she do except begin walking? No one knew where she was, and only Nicholas knew that she was upset. He might even presume that she needed the extra time to sort through her feelings about him. Walking with determined steps, Daughtry would have laughed at herself had the whole situation not been so infuriating.

❧

“Do you have any idea where she might have ridden?” Nicholas asked his father-in-law.

“She has her favorite places. One path in particular,” Garrett responded and pointed to the west. “There’s a secluded path that winds up into the rocky foothills. She always liked to take that route.”

“Let’s check there first,” Nicholas replied.

“Look!” Garrett pointed to the ground. “Tracks! I’d stake my ranch that those belong to Poco.”

The two men followed the tracks that led them in the same direction Garrett had suggested. With a smile, Garrett turned to Nicholas. “Daughtry can be pretty predictable.”

“So far, I haven’t been privileged to see that side of her.”

Garrett laughed. “I think you have. Isn’t this about the third or fourth time you’ve been involved in her running away?”

Nicholas grinned. “I guess I hadn’t thought of it that way. She does seem to favor running rather than dealing with issues head on.”

“She can be quite stubborn,” Garrett agreed. “So can her mother.”

The men had progressed along the path for nearly half an hour when they heard the unmistakable sound of horse hooves pounding through the canyon.

Garrett gave Nicholas a fearful look. “She wouldn’t be riding like that unless something were wrong.”

Just then Poco cleared the canyon and came into view. Nicholas felt his heart in his throat, and Garrett turned ashen at the sight of the riderless horse.

“Dear God,” Garrett whispered, “let her be all right.”

Nicholas pressed forward to halt Poco while Garrett watched in stunned silence. The horse whinnied and snorted at Nicholas, rearing back twice before finally settling down to allow the man access to the reins.

“What do you think?” Nicholas questioned, turning to Garrett.

“In truth, I don’t know what to think. I don’t like to think about it at all. It reminds me of Julie.”

Nicholas nodded. “But the horse is unhurt. Maybe he just got spooked and threw Daughtry.”

“That girl would have to be unconscious to be thrown from this horse. They’re too comfortable with each other. Most likely something happened to cause Daughtry to dismount.”

Nicholas looked hard at his father-in-law. “Have there been any strangers around lately?”

“None that I know of. Why?”

Nicholas shook his head. “It’s nothing. I just wondered if someone could have made her dismount.”

“I doubt there’s anyone around these parts that would want to do harm to Daughtry. Years ago we had banditos to worry about, but they moved off to the south as Bandelero grew. Most likely she got off Poco to see to nature’s call—or some other perfectly logical explanation.” Garrett was trying hard to sound convincing, but in truth, he was desperately frightened for his child.

“You’re probably right,” Nicholas admitted, but the words did nothing to comfort him.

Nicholas tied Poco to his saddle and urged his own mount forward. Before he could go very far, however, Garrett called out to him, “Nick, would you pray with me?”

Nicholas turned to the man who had once wanted to beat him for stealing his daughter. The minute his eyes met Garrett’s, a silent bond was formed. Each man acknowledged, without regret, the position the other held in the life of Daughtry.

With a slow nod, Nicholas waited until Garrett came even, then bowed his head and prayed for his wife.