Yankee Mail Order Bride (10 page)

“You can’t get forgiveness because you didn’t do anything wrong. People are going to tell you not to be sad, you can have another baby. That won’t help a bit, but they mean well. I’m not going to tell you to forget, because you can’t. What I will tell you is to go on living, be happy with your husband. If you want another baby, fine. It will be an addition, not a replacement.

“I want you to take a nice hot bath, comb and brush your hair and get dressed. You have to eat to live. At mealtime, eat. You have to do that for the ones that love you. Now how do I get hot water for your bath?”

“Tell Maybelle. She will take care of it. Mama, why did father come? I know he was unhappy with me for not marrying Throckmorton. I’m sure he probably disowned me. That doesn’t bother me. We have everything we’ll ever need. I don’t want to hear about what I cost him.”

“He came because you’re his daughter and you needed your family. He hasn’t changed and probably never will, but he’s still your father. I don’t think he will be mentioning anything about your leaving other than to tell you he misses you. I don’t think Josiah will allow him to upset you. He seems to be a very mature young man for his age.”

“Mama, he’s wonderful. We were in the general store a few days after we were married and I asked if I could play the piano they had from a sale that had fallen through. Two days later, they delivered the piano.”

“I’m going to get Maybelle started on bath water for you. I’ll be back in a minute,” her mother said.

She left the room, found Josiah and told him Anna was going to take a bath. “I’ll have Maybelle take care of it,” he said.

Two hours later, a pale and thin Anna came into the kitchen, dressed and groomed. “Beulah, I should eat something. Is there anything I can have that isn’t too much trouble?”

“Land sakes, Miss Anna, you set yourself down at the table and I’ll fix you a plate,” Beulah said.

When Josiah walked in a few minutes later, his wife was eating from a plate loaded with food. He smiled, leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, then he left her to finish her meal.

After dinner the family had gathered in the parlor. Rebecca was sitting on the floor playing with her dolls. Anna was on the davenport, Josiah’s arm around her shoulders, her head against his shoulder. “Mama, would you play for us, please?”

“I can do that,” she said. “Josiah, what type of music do you like?”

“Thus far, I’ve liked everything Anna has played, so just play what you like,” he suggested.

“Why don’t Anna and I both play something you’ve probably never heard? Anna, lets play that march we used to play,” Mrs Taylor said. They squirmed around to get the bench in a comfortable position, and began playing Schubert’s Marche militaire.

Josiah was enthralled by the music and by the mother and daughter playing. When it was over, he applauded loudly. “I’ve never seen two people playing at the same time,” he said.

“It’s called a four hand piece,” Mrs Taylor said. “We used to play around on the piano a lot, for our own amusement.”

Beaulah came in and said, “Miss Rebecca, it’s time for bed. Tell everyone good night.”

“Mama, read a story, okay?” Rebecca asked, tugging at Anna’s hand.

“What would you like to hear?” Anna asked?

“I want
Thumbelina
,” said Rebecca.

“I could have guessed that,” Anna said as she let herself be led from the room by the little girl.

Josiah said to the Taylors, “This was an every night event.”

Ready for bed…

Anna had been spending most of her time in the bed or in the bedroom. Tonight was the first night in quite a while she had been awake when Josiah came to bed. He was surprised to see her in the rocking chair when he came in. “I was waiting for you,” she said.

“If I had known, I would have been in sooner,” he said.

She stood, and said, “Come sit down. I want to sit in your lap. Do you think the chair will hold us?” She sat across his lap and could look directly in his face. “Josiah, I don’t know where or what I’ve been, but I haven’t been a good wife to you, nor a mother to Rebecca.”

He started to say something, but she stopped him. “Hear me out, please,” she said. “I have felt guilty, because I thought I had let you down when I lost our baby.”

She put her finger against his lips to stop him from saying whatever he had planned to say. “Mother told me I will never forget what happened, and she should know. It happened to her. She still feels it, but says while you retain the memory, you must keep living and I haven’t done that. I want to reclaim my husband if you’re willing.”

“I have just been waiting for you to work it out. I didn’t have any answers. I decided I needed help and having your mother here was the only thing I could think of. I hadn’t counted or even thought of your father. I’m glad he came. I want him to see the woman his daughter has become,” he said.

“Well, what he saw when he got here wasn’t what you had in mind, I would bet,” she said. “When I saw him, it frightened me. I expected him to start in telling me what I had cost him. I couldn’t have taken that.”

“You could have, but shouldn’t have to. You’re my responsibility to protect and I won’t let anyone rail on you. He knows that. I would hate for it to come to pass, but I would be forced to tell him to leave. Enough of that,
tell me more about reclaiming your husband,” he said.

“You heard that, huh?” she asked.

“I heard that, loud and clear.” He tilted her chin and kissed her, slowly, massaging her lips with his. She opened her mouth to allow him entry. The kisses deepened and for the first time since her surgery, he heard small groans of pleasure. Cautiously, he cupped her breast, finding and manipulating the nipple. She felt it become firm under his touch.

“Wait,” she said and stood. “I would like for you to undress me please, slowly.” She stood and turned her back to him. And raised her arms above her head. Piece by piece, he removed her clothes. As each piece came off, he folded it and laid it in the now vacated chair. He removed her chemise and bent to kiss her breasts, smaller now due to the loss of weight. He kissed each in turn, manipulating the pebbly surface of the nipple with his tongue. He slid her pantaloons to the floor, seeing for the first time, the jagged scar made by her surgery.

Slowly, she turned in front of him, stopping when they were face to face. Solemnly, she unbuttoned his shirt and laid it on the chair. Likewise, his trousers and underwear. She turned and folded the covers back on the bed and lay down. Opening her arms, she said, ”Come to me, Josiah, and hold me,” she said. He lay down beside her and pulled her to him. With one leg on each side of his left leg, her treasure vault was against his erect manhood, one breast pressed against his chest, the other in his hand; one arm was beneath his arm and the other around his neck. “I love you, Josiah Taylor. I love you with all my heart and I’m going to prove it every day,” she resolved.

They remained that way until he thought she had fallen asleep. Then, almost imperceptibly, he felt her hips begin to grind against him. Softly squeezing the breast, he asked, “Are you sure?”

“Shh” she said. She took his hand and guided to her entrance, now slippery with her lubricating juices. “Does than answer your question?” she asked, as he slid a finger inside and slid it back and forth until he found the spot. He felt her, pressing against his hand, felt the tension as her passion rose to the climax and then the release.

Her hand clasped him and guided him past the folds. “Wait,” he said. “Let me get a…”

Her hand stopped him, even as she guided him in and began to move. “I want you to give me a baby,” she said, pulling him in deeper into her body. She was moving to meet him on each thrust. As his member grew inside her, his pace picked up. Both of them were moving in sync, each taking the full measure of the other. Then it was over. They lay in each other’s arms, and when he was ready, they made love again. They fell asleep, arms entwined. Josiah didn’t know when she got out of bed and cleansed herself, nor did he know when she came back to bed, her head resting in the hollow of his arm and shoulder.

As was his custom, he rose before daybreak to begin the day of a rancher, “Wait,” she said, as he began to dress. She held her arms open. “Come back for a few minutes,” she said with a smile, her arms apart, inviting him. He stopped where he was, and got back in bed and made love to his wife once more. The last thing he saw before he turned away to begin dressing was the beautiful smile he had loved so much but had seldom seen recently. He left the room, drank the cup of coffee Beaulah had ready for him and went out into the darkness to begin his day’s work.

After a two week stay, Anna’s father, Caleb had to return to Plymouth for business reasons. Anna’s coolness toward him had remained throughout the visit. Her mother would not be returning at the same time, having been persuaded to extend her visit. Margaret had explained to her husband, she felt the need to stay close to Anna for the time being. He didn’t seem to be bothered by the decision.

Prior to the end of the visit, Josiah had asked Caleb if he would like to spend a day out on the range with him. He readily accepted the offer and expressed his appreciation. While not totally comfortable in the saddle, he nevertheless could ride. As they rode out that morning, Josiah explained the concept of open range, how the roundups worked and the contracts with the Army. Caleb was an intelligent man and frequently had questions.

He asked out the separation of other brands. He also asked about the unused parts of the cattle, such as the horns, the hooves, the hides, and so on.

Josiah said, “I imagine a lot of it is left to the elements, though I’m sure a use will be found for much of it someday. The hides will be tanned and made into leather goods. Some of the products in your business probably come from Wyoming.”

“I would think the hides would be more valuable if it were not burned by the branding,” he said.

“That is probably true, but it’s the only way of marking the cattle as belonging to someone. Stealing cattle is a hanging offense in most of the west. The brand is the identification mark and it needs to be one that is not easily altered.” He drew a design in the dirt. “For example, an ‘A’ would not be a good brand because running iron could change it from the A to the Bar A. An iron shaped like so,” and he drew an arc, “Would change it to the Rocking A, which happens to be a registered brand in Laramie. Our brand is the Devil’s head for Diablo and would be a difficult change with a running iron.”

At the end of the day, he shook Josiah’s hand and said, “Thank you for a most informative day. I do appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. Caleb, I do appreciate your way with Anna while you’re here. I do wish you two could mend your fences and be friends before you leave,” Josiah said.

“Interesting term, ‘Mend your fences,’ and after today, I really understand the connotation. Josiah, I will try. That is all I can say, I will truly make an effort. In the end, it is up to Anna,” he said.

“That’s all I ask,” Josiah said.

“Josiah, would you? Have shot me, I mean?”

“Yes, I would have.”

“What about the consequences?”

“Caleb, out here, there isn’t much law. These are the consequences.” He patted his Navy Colt revolver.

Everyone made the trip into Cheyenne to take Caleb to the train. Josiah had seen Caleb and Anna talking several times, but didn’t know the outcome. At the depot, Caleb shook Josiah’s hand and thanked him again. He bade his wife goodbye. He turned to Anna. She came into his arms and hugged him. Then she kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for coming, Papa. It meant a lot to me.”

Caleb humphed and said, “It meant a lot to me too. Be well, Anna. You have done well for yourself and I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, Papa,” she said as the tears began to fill her eyes. He turned and strode toward the train as the conductor called “All Aboard”. The train huffed, puffed, hissed and showered sparks as it slowly moved off to the east.

Before returning to Diablo, they stopped at the general store to pick up the needed supplies. Anna showed her mother the extent of shopping in Cheyenne. They had dinner in the cafe, and then headed home, with Rebecca sitting between her Mama and her adoptive grandmother.