Linda Ford - The Cowboy's Baby Bond

“I have to say I’m thankful. Those two men were frightening.”

“Who was responsible for the shot I heard before I got here?”

She grinned at him. “That would be me. I needed to scare them off.”

He shook his head. “Sure am grateful you didn’t try to scare me off yesterday.”

“You were a gentleman or I would have.” They considered each other at length until a chill raced up her spine. What was there about this man that threatened all her hard-learned lessons?

She pushed herself to her feet and reached for her son. “Thanks for your help. Now I’ll be on my way.”

Johnny rose, too, and shifted Adam to his hip as if he’d done this all his life. He led the way back to the wagon, grasped his horse’s reins and, using his free hand, tied them to the back, then offered Willow a hand up to the bench.

She hesitated. “You’re coming with me?”

“Thought I would, if you have no objections.”

Objections? She had plenty of them. “None at all.” Where had those words come from? She tried to clear her thoughts. Then gave up and shook her head as she settled herself on the bench. He handed her the baby and climbed up beside her, then drove across the ford with an ease that made her feel safe. Maybe it didn’t hurt to accept help once in a while.

They said little as they continued on toward the town. She tried to ignore Johnny’s presence beside her as she planned what she would do as soon as they arrived. “Where will be the best place to ask about houses to rent?”

“I’d suggest Mr. Marsh at the general store. He knows pretty much what’s going on in the town. I’ll take you there first, if you like.”

“Yes, please. What time does the train come in?”

“There was talk about changing the schedule, so I can’t rightly say.”

What if her sisters had already arrived and she wasn’t there to meet them? What would they do? If they hadn’t changed greatly, Celia would be angry and set off to find her own way, and Sarah would go along because she didn’t have any choice, but she’d protest the whole way, saying they should just wait.

Soon the wagon approached the town. It appeared to be a decent size, which provided encouragement. The children could go to school here and Willow could find employment rather than deplete her little stash of gold.

They pulled up at a store and before she could move, Johnny hurried around to lift her and Adam down and then escort them up the steps and inside. She breathed deeply. It had been a long time since she’d been in a store that didn’t reek of tobacco smoke and unwashed bodies. For the most part, the populace of Wolf Hollow cared more about finding gold than they did about cleanliness.

“How do, Johnny. How’s your folks?”

Willow’s gaze followed the sound to a man at the end of the counter, a big canvas apron covering most of him. Mr. Marsh, she presumed.

“Just fine.” Johnny introduced Willow to the owner of the general store. “Mrs. Reames is looking for a house to rent.”

“Hmm.” Mr. Marsh rubbed his chin several times. “Only thing I can think of offhand is the one at the end of the street behind the hotel. It belongs to the Sears family, but they left last fall. I’m sure he won’t mind you using it. I have his forwarding address. You can write him and make arrangements with him. Now, mind you, it’s a little run-down on the outside. I haven’t been inside, so can’t speak for what it’s like. But it’s about all there is at the moment.”

“I’ll take it.” She didn’t care what it looked like, only that her family could be together. “Is there a key?”

“Doubt it’s locked, but if it is, just look over the doorjamb.”

She jerked about. “Do I hear a train whistle?”

Mr. Marsh consulted his watch. “Yup and right on time.”

“I’ve got to go. I’ll take the house and contact the Sears family. Thanks.” She hurried out the door, not surprised that Johnny beat her to the wagon. In minutes they were on their way to the depot.

They pulled up to the platform as the train chugged to a halt, releasing a gust of steam.

Again, Johnny helped her from the wagon, and carried Adam as they went up the stairs to the platform.

Willow rocked back and forth on her tiptoes. “I can hardly wait to see them.” She tidied Adam’s shirt. “Soon you’ll see your aunties and they’ll see you.” She laughed for the sheer pleasure of the occasion.

Adam gurgled and turned back to Johnny. “Man.”

Johnny looked pleased at the baby’s attention. But Willow had eyes only for the train. The conductor swung down and placed a step stool in place. He offered his hand to the first passenger to disembark—an older woman with a black satchel. Then two businessmen stepped out, and a cowboy who went to claim his horse from farther down the platform.

Willow waited. Where were her sisters? Why weren’t they getting off? She held her breath until she felt faint. The conductor crossed toward the station house.

Willow stared at the empty entrance to the train. Where were they?

Slowly it dawned on her. They weren’t getting off.

She raced toward the train and scrambled aboard, ignoring the call from the conductor. “Ma’am, no need to rush. We aren’t leaving for half an hour.”

She stood in the empty aisle. Every seat was vacant. Just to be sure they weren’t playing a trick, she called, “Celia, Sarah, where are you?” She went the entire length of the car, looking behind each seat, till she reached the end. “Where are they?”

Johnny had followed her. “I think you better ask the conductor if he’s seen them.”

Her pulse hammered in her ears. “If they didn’t get on...” She shook her head. What had befallen them?

Johnny guided her down the steps, across the platform and into the station, where the conductor conversed with the ticket agent.

“My sisters,” Willow blurted out. “I was expecting them. Two girls. Ten and fourteen. Celia and Sarah Hendricks. Were they on the train?”

“Those two. Yes, they were on it. They had quite a little argument, then got off back at Martens. We waited as long as we could, but they didn’t come back. I wondered what happened to them, but it wasn’t my business, now, was it? The older girl seemed to know what she was doing.”

“Martens? Where is that?”

“’Bout fifty miles east.” The conductor turned away, his business done.

Willow sank to a nearby bench. Her sisters had gotten off. She thought of the men who had recently accosted her, and reached for the conductor’s sleeve to get his attention. “Were they in some kind of trouble? Was someone bothering them?”

“No, ma’am. I made sure no one did. Like I said, they argued. Seems to me the older one wanted to do something the little one didn’t care for. That’s all I can say.”

Willow rocked back and forth as disappointment and worry twisted through her. There was only one thing to do. She pushed herself to her feet.

“I must go find them.” She took Adam from Johnny, ignoring the baby’s protests, and marched out to the wagon.

Johnny followed and clambered aboard.

“What are you doing?”

His jaw muscles bunched. “I’m not letting you ride all over the country by yourself, that’s for certain sure.”

“You have a cabin to fix.” From what Maisie had told her, that seemed very important.

“You have sisters to find. That outweighs a cabin.”

“You don’t need to do this.”

He flicked the reins and they drove away from the station. “I do need to if I want to be able to live with myself.”

“That’s an odd thing to say.”

He spared her a brief glance full of challenge and stubbornness. “I don’t know what kind of men you’ve known in the past, but some of us live by principles, and my principles will not allow me to let a young woman and a baby travel unescorted across Montana.”