Annie And The Cowboy (Western Night Series 3) (2 page)

Chapter One

Kate looked stunning. Annie couldn’t help but beam with pride as her youngest sibling walked down the aisle towards the man she adored. Brandon was a good man and would take good care of her. He owned a smart stud farm in nearby Deadwood and she had met him whilst visiting with Aunty Kitty. They had fallen in love at first sight at a dinner and dance up at the local fort. Annie had been stunned when she brought him home, had fully been expecting her sister to come home with a smartly attired soldier on her arm. A slightly tattered horse farmer was not at all what she had been expecting.

It was a happy day, but Annie couldn’t help but feel sad. She had felt much the same when Matthew had married Clara, the butcher’s daughter; when Joseph had gone off to join the army and had returned home with Daisy on his arm; and even when Margaret had chosen to become a nun and had made her vows to God. Through the smiles, Annie couldn’t help but think how proud their mother would have been of them, and how much she would have loved to have been there to see her children grown and settled so happily. Except her of course, she was just trapped. But not for long. She had done her duty, had done everything she could for her family. She wasn’t prepared to sacrifice anymore of her life.

Her Father squeezed her hand tightly as he sat beside her in the pew. “Your Mammy would be so proud,” he whispered, echoing her own thoughts, but the wheeze that followed his words made her suffer a brief moment of shame. She could smell the whiskey on his breath and found herself angry that he couldn’t even stay sober just for a few hours to see his daughter wed. She edged away from him, and tried not to look disgusted. She so wanted Katie’s day to be perfect, and here he was making fools of all of them. But she would not ruin it by getting angry at this pathetic husk of the man she had once been so proud of. Michael Fitzpatrick would be on his own from here on in.

Her Father’s health was failing fast. He wheezed louder than the whistle on a steam locomotive, and his face was bloated and blotched with red. He had taken Mammy’s death hard, and had never managed to find himself again since. Once abstemious, he had quickly become a regular in the Saloons of Silver City. He couldn’t bear being in the home he had built for Nell and had left the raising of her brothers and sisters to Annie. Annie had been determined to ensure her siblings got a good education, and enjoyed their childhoods –even though that had meant giving up her own dreams and youth to do so. She hadn’t minded, at least not often. But occasionally she thought of what might have been had things been different.

The farm had gradually gotten more and more run down, and though they had tried their best, it needed a firm hand that knew what it was doing. Annie had been forced to take on a farm manager. Billy Givens had been a Godsend in every way, despite her Father’s endless attempts to run him off his farm. He had become Annie’s rock, and his presence had meant that she could focus just on taking care of her family. She loved her Father with all her heart and always would, but she despised him in equal measure for his weakness, and inability to face up reality or to help her keep their family together. He was the adult, he should be the one taking responsibility for them all. After all, they had all lost their Mammy too, and she had lost the love of her life the very same day.

“Father, I’m not going to be staying in Silver City,” she said quietly. “I have done what I could for everyone here, and now I want to spread my own wings and find a life for myself. You’ll have to learn how to take care of yourself from now on.” He turned to face her, aghast at her revelation. Annie wanted to laugh. Yes, good old steady Annie was doing something for herself for a change. She had given up everything to take care of her family and now they were all grown and all settled it was time for her to find a life, before it was too late. “I have a job in Texas, as a schoolteacher. I leave on tonight’s train.”

“But, what about me, the farm, your sisters, your brothers?”

“What about them? The only part of that list that can’t take care of themselves is you, Father.” She hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but it was true. Billy Givens was an excellent farmer, had been taking care of everything for years now, though her Father insisted he was a no good thief, always taking what wasn’t his. The sad truth was that the missing money from the farm accounts always seemed to end up in the till at the Saloon, and her Father would arrive home drunk yet again and denying his involvement, blaming anyone he could but himself for his misfortunes. Annie had given up trying to convince him not to kill himself in such a shameful way, but he didn’t seem to want to listen.

He didn’t respond to her, just sat there shaking his head as the pastor finished his sermon. Annie stood primly as her sister and her new husband walked down the aisle and helped her Father to his feet. They walked behind them as if everything was perfect, a smile pinned to her face as if she hadn’t a care in the world. And for once she didn’t. Tonight she would be on the train, heading towards Texas to a new life working for her own money, her own future in the town of Stephenville. She was excited and nervous and had no idea what to expect. She just knew that anything at all had to be better than the last seven years of her young life.

As the train crossed the border of South Dakota, she felt a sense of huge relief flood through her. The muscles in her constantly tight and uncomfortable shoulders seemed to relax, to release. All the anxiety and fear she had lived with, trying to do her best by her family was gone. Finally, she could put down the burdens life had given her, could decide what to do with her life without having to think about everyone else’s needs first. She wasn’t foolish enough to think of romance, had no desire to raise another family. But she couldn’t help but dream of adventure, new friends and a place in a community where she would be respected at last, would not be looked at with pity for what her life had become.

She had to make a number of changes on the journey through Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma before reaching her final destination, but rather than grumbling about this like so many of her fellow passengers she took it in her stride, looking at it as all part of the big adventure she had set out on. She found the porters at each stop to be very friendly, helping her with her bags and making sure she found exactly the right trains for the next part of her journey. The more changes she made, the more she became convinced that she got good service because she herself was polite and kind to the young lads who scurried around at top speed trying to take care of everyone. Everything about her journey was a pleasure to her: the gentle rock of the trains, the billowing smoke, and the smart uniforms of the guards all enthralled her.

She jumped from the train in Fort Worth, excited beyond belief, though more than a little tired. It had been a long journey through some of the most spectacular scenery she had ever seen. Mountains even higher than the Black Hills back home, blue rivers that snaked across the landscape, vast plains and prairies that looked almost barren, but when you looked closer held all manner of wildlife and vegetation. It had all been magical and wonderful and she couldn’t wait to teach her students about the glories of the natural world.

She wondered if she would ever travel so far again. She wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to return home, to the scene of all those memories. But she knew she would. She would want to see her nieces and nephews as they joined the family, would want to be a real part of all their lives and not just a distant memory. She would be bound to do the long journey at some point in the future - she prayed that her first visit would not be for her Father’s funeral.

A young, freckle-faced porter brought her trunk on his little trolley, and took her to where a coach was waiting. “This will take you to Stephenville Miss. Good luck,” he said warmly. She tipped him handsomely. He had been very kind. He was about to pass her trunk up to the driver when a hearty voice called out to them.

“Miss Fitzpatrick?” Annie turned to see a tall and smartly dressed woman surging towards her. “I’m Mariette Williams, you must be Annie? The town council asked if I could come and meet you. I have a carriage, it will be so much more comfortable.” She held out her hand, and Annie took it. She found her arm being pumped enthusiastically. “It is a pleasure to meet you, we’re so looking forward to getting our little school up and running.” The young porter looked at her, silently questioning where she wanted her trunk. She nodded him towards Mariette’s carriage.

“I just hope I won’t let you all down,” Annie said feeling nervous. It had finally hit her what a reckless, and possibly foolhardy, thing she had just done. She had no experience of teaching school children, except in Sunday school of course - and no clue how to find herself a home or anything. She had been a schoolgirl, and a mother. She prayed fervently that her experiences as both would see her through.

“You’ll be exceptional, I can tell,” Mariette said definitely. Annie found herself believing her, her faith was so staunch even though she had never met her. “The School House is charming. I managed to talk them into making sure it was a little way from the school itself. I don’t know about you, but I find it is rather lovely to be able to close the door on your place of work and have a gentle stroll home. Clears the head I always find.” The porter was scurrying behind them, his short legs struggling to keep up with the long stride of this incredibly confident woman. Annie herself was almost running, found herself too out of breath to respond, not that she had anything to add. Mariette was clearly not worried by her silence in the slightest, and was more than happy to carry on regardless.

Mariette swung herself up into the driver’s seat, and beckoned to the porter to pass her the trunk. He dithered a little, unsure whether to comply but soon realised she was getting impatient. Something about the look in her eyes told him not to upset this woman. She swung the trunk up and onto the roof, as if it weighed less than her elegantly feathered hat. Annie couldn’t help but be impressed. “Do you wish to travel inside, or up here on the dashboard with me?” she asked. “The view is infinitely nicer out here.”

“I’ll join you, it would be lovely to see where I will be living.” Annie ignored the proffered hand the porter gave to help her up and like Mariette heaved herself up. Mariette chuckled as if she had found a partner in crime.

“Well, that is good to see, another woman in town not scared to do things her own way. You’ll fit in nicely.”

Chapter Two

Edward Cole was exhausted. He had been up all night getting the weekly print of the paper completed. Mariette had demanded another last minute change of front page as they had heard the news that the new school teacher would be arriving today. The news didn’t bother him one bit, he couldn’t understand why it was so important, but he knew that many of the families in town would want to know. He missed living in a big city, being able to report on and expose powerful people, who were abusing their privilege. He had come here hoping that it would make him feel somehow more connected to something, but it hadn’t really worked the way he had hoped. Being so close to such broad expanses of stunning meadows and mountains had been too much of a reminder of his past. He locked up the newspaper office doors behind him and set off for home.

He needed to grab a quick nap and then he would need to ride out to help Caleb and Hardy with the herd. It was the calving season, and that meant all experienced hands were welcome. The boys now had such large herds, and by running them together it saved them a lot of trouble most of the year. But calving could be dangerous and having as many eyes as possible was a luxury most couldn’t afford, though Hardy probably could if he asked his wife – but he was a proud man and wanted to make his ranch profitable on his own efforts. Edward had unwittingly admitted to being a rancher’s son one night in the Saloon, being a little worse for wear, and the words had been out his mouth before he had known it. He didn’t often drink, and so it hadn’t taken much to make him lose his inhibitions and tell a little of his past, thankfully he had become aware before he had admitted to everything, and had made his excuses and staggered home to the silence of his tiny cottage.

Edward had run from his home in South Dakota seven years ago. He had no idea if he was a wanted man or not, but he had been unable to bear the guilt of his involvement in the unintended shooting of the mother of his fiancée. He hadn’t shot the gun, but he had been part of a group of foolish, idealistic young men who thought they could change the corruption in the state – and it had all gone so horribly wrong. He had never liked Gable Forrester, and his last minute involvement had changed everything. His fear had made his judgement questionable and his actions too swift to ever be put right. Now he knew there were better ways to advocate for change in the world, ways that wouldn’t cause anyone around him pain.

He had spent his life since trying to be a good man, trying to hide from who he was and for a time he had managed. His work as an apprentice to a newspaperman in Dallas had given him skills and knowledge that meant he never needed to admit to his past on the land. He had found a way to expose wrongdoing at all levels of society, and had used his position to make Dallas a better place.  He had cultivated a new persona, Edward Cole, and David Evans had been buried forever. When he had returned to Silver City one day - just to see from afar how his family was, how Annie was - he had been almost glad to see that they had decided to bury him too. He had stood at the grave that bore his name, and felt relieved.

Life seemed to have gone on as normal for them all, though he was sad to see that Annie had taken over her Mammy’s role, and seemed trapped in a life that clearly put too many burdens on such young shoulders. He wanted to run to her, to tell her how sorry he was, that it was all his fault. But he didn’t dare face her wrath, her sadness – or the possibility that she could never forgive him. He had blown her a kiss, and then gotten back on the train and returned to his new and lonely life.

But the city had often seemed so empty, and so he had jumped at the chance to come here to Stephenville. Mariette had made it sound so warm, so wonderful. And it was. He had felt welcomed from the moment he had arrived, and now he hated himself for even more reasons than before. Now there were people here that he cared about deeply that knew nothing of his past, nothing of who he truly was. People who believed he was Edward Cole.

A little later he was waiting on his porch, watching the world go by. “Hey Ted, thanks for helping out. You will never know how much we appreciate it,” Caleb said as he pulled up outside the tiny cottage Edward had been renting since he arrived in town.

“No problem my friend, though I wish I could turn back the clock, find I’d never told you I had any knowledge of the rear end of a cow!” he joked. Caleb grinned at him. Edward had been surprised at how easily he had been welcomed into the community of this warm little town. The indomitable Miss Mariette, who had only recently married Hardy, had brought him here to run the presses of the brand new Stephenville Star newspaper. He had found a home at last. One that came close to replacing the one he had left behind.

“You love it really. I saw the look on your face the other day when you brought that breach into the world. If I’m not much mistaken, I think you’d love to give up that horrible indoor job, with that hideously noisy printing press, would far rather be out here with us!” Edward had to admit that Caleb wasn’t wrong. He loved the land, loved riding out, bringing a herd home. It was what he was born to do. But he couldn’t admit that to anyone, not even himself.

“No, you can keep your terrible weather, the smell, the cold. I’m happy enough where I am,” he said with a forced smile.

“Your help is much appreciated, especially now. Hey, look isn’t that Mariette, and that must be the new school teacher,” Caleb said excitedly. “She’s a pretty little thing isn’t she?”

“Sure,” Edward said, suddenly feeling his throat go tight and his entire body go rigid. He couldn’t take his eyes from the curvaceous brunette that was perched so precariously beside his employer. The tilt of her chin, the tiny button nose, the full rose red lips, and the big, velvety rich brown eyes. His Annie, the woman he had so cruelly left without a word. The only woman he had ever loved, that he had been forced to desert, to deal with the consequences of his actions was driving towards him, right now. He knew he had to get away, but found every part of his body seemed to have frozen.

“Hey Caleb, how is Hardy getting on? I haven’t seen him for days!” Mariette cried, feigning heartbreak and womanly weakness at having her man not by her side as she brought her pair of matching greys to a halt beside the cart. Edward kept his head down, praying that Annie wouldn’t recognise him.

“He’s fine, missing you like crazy too,” Caleb laughed.

“This is Miss Annie Fitzpatrick.” Mariette turned to her companion. “Annie, this is Caleb Green who runs the second biggest ranch around here – my husband now has the largest,” she said with a cheeky wink. “Of course I bought it for him as a wedding present, but the silly boy won’t take a penny from me to run the damn thing!” She raised her eyebrows at Annie, as if collaborating with her in denouncing the stupidity of mankind. Annie laughed, the sound was so familiar, and it tugged on his heart strings. “And this is Edward Cole, my esteemed employee and genius at all things to do with the printing press. I couldn’t do a thing without him.”

Edward watched as Annie’s expression changed, just ever so slightly from polite greeting, to one of narrowed suspicion and finally naked hope. But the different name had clearly thrown her off course, and she rearranged herself, and flushed a gentle pink.

“Lovely to meet you both. You know, you remind me of someone I used to know Mr Cole,” Annie said. Edward tensed, could feel every part of his body was on edge waiting for her to realise he was just that person. “But sadly he died, though his body was never found. I always hoped it wasn’t true, that maybe one day I would find him again. I apologise if you found my staring uncomfortable.”

Edward wanted to hug her to him, hold her and tell her it was him, that he was alive. She was still his precious, loving and kind Annie with her warm brown eyes, the soft skin, and the shining halo of chestnut hair. She still had a waist he could span with his hands and lips he wanted to kiss until they were both dizzy with desire. To him, she would always be the most beautiful girl in the world. But it was clear that she didn’t know of his involvement in the tragic death of her Mammy, or she wouldn’t have looked so hopeful that he might still be alive. She could never find out who he was truly and what he had done. He would have to find a way to leave town. He couldn’t hurt her all over again.

As he and Caleb trundled out of town, Edward couldn’t stop himself from glancing over his shoulder, and watching as Annie got down from the carriage and stood in the road. He realised she had turned to look back at him too, and though he knew he should look away, he couldn’t tear his eyes from her trim figure and heartbreakingly sad eyes. He knew he would never get over her, she would always hold his heart. But he could never deserve her. She wouldn’t take long to work it out. She was too bright, too wise. She had always seen right through him, had seemed to read his mind at times. He had spent much of his life wishing he had told her about the plot in the first place, she would never have let him go through with it. It was the one secret he had ever kept from her, and look where it had gotten them all?

Thankfully his work with the herds left him no time to think of anything but them. Despite the exhaustion, it was proving to be a welcome distraction. Moving from cow to cow, checking calf after calf was coming safely, turning those that were breach, giving a hand when an extra tug was required to help things along. The night ended with a herd swollen dramatically by the appearance of over one hundred gangly and slightly clumsy calves. He loved their big eyes, the long lashes and their soft velvety hides. They had only lost two calves and one cow this night - it had been a very good night indeed. Edward said his goodbyes as the sun came up and headed down to his tiny home to bathe and get dressed for his day job at the Star.

“Go home Ted,” Mariette said kindly as he walked through the door. “We don’t need you today, get some rest. You are more than doing your share right now.”

“No, I want to be here,” he said. The idea of going home, having to face the demons within his own mind was too much to bear. He didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts, his fears. He had to keep busy. “There are some problems with a couple of the cogs on the press. I need to know they are okay now. If I need to replace them to fulfil the print run next week I will need to get to Fort Worth, maybe even to Dallas to replace them.” He didn’t tell her that he needed to be here, that he wanted to be shut away from the rest of the world – because he couldn’t admit he was avoiding Annie, it would cause way too many questions. Why on earth would he need to avoid a woman he had only met on the street after all?