Louise Gouge - Cowboy Seeks a Bride

He slowly set down the basket, slowly pulled his gun from his holster and slowly pointed it straight at her. “Don’t move, Marybeth. Don’t move an inch.”

* * *

The rattler was just pulling itself up into a coil not three feet from Marybeth’s hand. Yet the fear written across her pretty face wasn’t from the danger she hadn’t even noticed. She was afraid of him. In spite of his confession, she still didn’t trust him. But this was no time to sort it all out. She had minded his order and sat like a statue on the blanket, her widened eyes squarely focused on his gun.

Dear God, don’t let her move. Let me kill the rattler without hurting her.

Gunfire exploded several yards to his left. Snake parts flew in all directions. Rand’s knees threatened to buckle. He glanced at Laurie, whose rifle bore a telltale curl of smoke around its barrel.

Now he was just downright annoyed. Saving Marybeth’s life would have made him a real hero in her eyes. Yet honesty demanded that he hand the honors to a fourteen-year-old girl.

“Good aim, Laurie.” He needed to downplay the situation, make it sound like an everyday occurrence to calm Marybeth’s fears.

“Looked to me like Marybeth was in your way.” Laurie shrugged as she returned her rifle to the leather holster on her horse’s saddle. “I had a better shot from over here.”

Rand nodded his agreement. “Let’s see now. Shall we move the blanket to a nicer spot closer to the river?” Someplace far away from the dead snake. “I don’t know about you ladies, but I’m as hungry as a bear coming out of hibernation.”

He grinned at Marybeth about one second before she fell over on the blanket in a heap.

Chapter Four

Marybeth had never fainted in her life. She’d always refused to surrender to the frailties of the silly society girls she’d known at the academy. But now she found herself looking at the world sideways and trying desperately to reclaim reality. The first thing to register in her mind was Mrs. Foster’s scratchy straw hat, one side now crushed between her face and the hard ground. Her eyes couldn’t quite focus on two round brown objects in front of her: Rand’s bent knees? Laurie’s voice reached her through a dull roar inside her head. Or was the roar from the nearby river?

“I dunno, Rand. You sure you want to marry a gal who can’t handle a little incident with a snake?”

“Hush. Don’t be rude.” He tugged on the ribbons holding the hat in place and moved it back from her head. “Marybeth?” His work-roughened hands felt gentle on her cheek. “Are you all right?”

Air. She desperately needed air. Dragging in the life-giving oxygen so scarce at this high altitude, she whimpered with relief as her lungs expanded. Oh, mercy. What a baby she was. This was far from the most frightening thing ever to happen to her.

“’M fine.” She tried to infuse the words with confidence, but they came out on a strangled whisper. This really must stop. She pushed herself up on one elbow, with Rand’s support under her arm providing the strength she lacked. After another gulp of air, she expelled an awkward laugh. “Gracious.” No other words came to mind, so she just looked up at Rand and gave him a tremulous smile.

He shoved his hat back from his forehead and returned the same, his relief obvious in his eyes. “Would you like a sandwich?”

His playful smirk sent a giddy feeling shivering through her. In spite of Laurie’s impertinent question concerning her apparent lack of fortitude, his gaze bore no censure.

“Yes. Thank you.” No, not at all. Not with her stomach twisting inside her at the memory of the gory snake remains.

Dismissing the dreadful sight from her mind, she placed a hand in his offered one and they stood as one. Once again she had to draw from his strength, this time to gain her footing, and now she couldn’t look away from him. For untold seconds they stared at each other as she tried to read his soul, as her minister used to say. Unlike Da’s darting, half-penitent looks, Rand’s gaze held no deception, nor did any manipulation or anger emanate from his eyes’ green depths. Only kindness and concern and sweet gentleness. Cautious trust welled up inside her accompanied by a sincere liking for this cowboy, this good, decent man. Surely he would help her find Jimmy. And while she had a lot more to learn about him, she might just think more about their marriage bargain. She quickly shoved aside that hasty, dangerous thought, replacing it with another. At least now she understood why Rand carried a gun. She might even get one herself if snakes were a constant danger.

Through the fog of her musings, she became aware of Laurie’s soft giggle.

“Guess I’ll move the blanket.” The girl grabbed an edge and tugged, forcing Marybeth and Rand to break their visual connection and hop off onto the grass.

While Laurie gave the blanket a shake and dragged it to a shady spot several yards closer to the river, Rand stepped away from Marybeth to pick up the basket and offered her an arm.

“Miss O’Brien, would you do me the honor of accompanying me on a picnic?” He winked and waggled his eyebrows, probably trying to cheer her.

With a giggle of her own, or maybe it was a laugh of relief, Marybeth set her hand on his arm. She would show young Miss Laurie Eberly and Rand just how brave she could be by making as little of the snake incident as possible. “Why, Mr. Northam, I would be delighted.”

* * *

At Marybeth’s sassy response, Rand almost fell over in relief. Thank You, Lord. She might have fainted, but she got right back on her feet. More than that, as they’d stared into each other’s eyes for those brief seconds, he could see her determination to overcome the incident. Was he flattering himself to think he’d helped in some way? Not that it mattered. This little city gal had spunk, and it made him all the more resolute to keep on courting her. Even if they didn’t end up getting married, he wanted to be her friend.

Yet as he held her hand to help her kneel back down on the blanket, he remembered her real purpose in coming to Colorado was to search for her brother. Had she deliberately lied to his parents so they would pay her traveling expenses? He mustn’t let her pretty face and nice manners hide a lying heart, something he refused to bring into his family.

How odd that in the past few years he’d fended off a half dozen local gals who’d tried to capture his interest, honest Christian girls he just didn’t happen to care for enough to court. Yet the bride his parents had chosen for him could end up being a disappointment to them. He already felt a little disappointed that she hadn’t inquired about Susanna’s health today.

On the other hand, he couldn’t imagine how it would be to have only one family member still living and yet not know where he was. Rand loved his brothers and sister more than words could say. Even when they fought or just disagreed, they were always there for him. Dad and Mother, too. From what Marybeth had said about her father, her family hadn’t been blessed in that same way. Maybe if Rand learned more about her and them, he could unravel the mystery of her character.

One thing was sure. After he took Marybeth back to Mrs. Foster’s house, he would start his search for Jimmy O’Brien by writing to the sheriffs in Wagon Wheel Gap and Del Norte. In fact, if he had a little more confidence in his ability to avoid temptation, come Monday morning he would ride over to Del Norte and speak to Sheriff Hobart in person.

Laurie took charge of the picnic basket and dug out a sandwich to hand to Marybeth. “You ever go fishing?” She handed one to Rand before taking a bite of a third one.

“Ahem.” Rand gave her a scolding look. “Shall we pray before we eat?”