Cody's Montana Sweetheart: A New Montana Brides Ebook (The New Montana Brides)
Read Cody's Montana Sweetheart: A New Montana Brides Ebook (The New Montana Brides) Online
Authors: Susan Leigh Carlton
Copyright © 2014 by Susan Leigh Carlton.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.
Susan Leigh Carlton Assocuiates
Tomball, TX 77377
www.susanleighcarlton.com
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Montana Sweethearts/Susan Leigh Carlton. -- 1st ed.
Ded
This book is dedicated to the memory of the hardy pioneers who made the long trek across our great country in search of a better life, and the equally hardy and long suffering women who shared their hearth and home.
Susan Leigh Carlton
For those interested in historical accuracy, railroad service came to Helena in 1883. Since this is a work of fiction, for the purposes of my story, I moved it forward by six or seven years. A link to the Helena history website:
Helena, MT History Website
Cody Thompson fell in love on Saturday, August 5, 1854, just four days after his twelfth birthday. It was also the first time he ever saw Bethany Simms. From that day forward, Bethany was the only girl for him.
Church socials, hosted by the Ladies Aid Society of the Methodist Church, were the only entertainment for the young folks around Dayton. The church ladies kept a weather eye on the youngsters to ensure they did not stray from the accepted path.
It was the Thompson family’s custom to travel from their wheat farm on Sundays to Helena to attend church. Cody would sit with Bethany during the services until they were able to sneak out and walk along the river.
Cody’s mother put great store in education, and she was determined that Cody would attend the University of Dayton after he completed high school.
Bethany had grown into an almost ethereally beautiful young woman, and also attended the university. She grew to love the party scenes at the university and attended them all. When war broke out between the North and South, Cody was caught up in the rush to enlist. Bethany did not like the idea at all, and let him know in no uncertain terms. She broke off their relationship completely and began seeing other, older men. She did not come to the depot to see him off. Her sister Annibel was there.
Cody did not hear from Bethany again, and stayed in the Army after the end of the war, rising to the rank of captain, before becoming disenchanted with the military life and returned to Dayton
This is Cody’s story, as he tries to pick up his life without the love of his life.
chapter one
Dayton, Ohio, August 1854…
Cody Thompson fell in love on Saturday, August 5, 1854. It was also the first time he ever saw Bethany Simms.
It was a day easily remembered since it happened four days after his twelfth birthday. His father had allowed him to come along on the weekly trip to the mercantile. He had also given him a dime to spend any way he liked.
With the money burning a hole in his overalls pocket, he leaped from the wagon and ran to the entrance of the store. In his haste, he did not see the girl wearing a blue polka dot dress, coming out of the store. He ran headlong into her, and both fell to the floor, with Cody landing on top.
He lay there, looking into the bluest eyes, he had ever seen. Her long blond hair fanned out, she blinked those incredible blue eyes and said, “Would you get off me, please?”
He scrambled to get up, and fell again. On top of her. Again. His father had made his way to the entrance. “Cody what are you doing?”
“I tripped, Papa,” he said,
“Well, get up and apologize to the young lady,” his father said.
Cody stood, and looked down at his feet, “I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay,” she said. “It didn’t hurt. My name’s Bethany Simms, what’s yours?”
“Uh… uh… It’s Cody Leroy Thompson.”
“I’m eleven years old. How old are you, Cody?” she asked.
He straightened to his full height, and said, I’m twelve.”
“Bethany, come along, your papa is waiting,” said her mother, who had just emerged from the store, followed by another girl, with long dark wavy hair. She obviously was Bethany’s older sister, and looked to be the same age as Cody.
When the Thompson family arrived at the church on Sunday, the only person Cody saw was Bethany. She came up to him and asked, “Why don’t you sit with me, Cody?”
“Okay,” he said.
It was the custom of the church to have an all-day service with dinner on the grounds, on the first Sunday of each month. Tables had been set up in the shade of the grove of black cottonwood trees in back of the church. They were laden with food brought by the members.
When the services broke for lunch, Bethany took Cody’s hand, and led him to one of the tables. “You are going to eat with me,” she said.
“Okay,” he said and allowed himself to be led to the end of the line waiting to select their food. When it came their turn, each took a plate and selected their food.
“Cody, my plate is heavy. Would you carry it for me please? I’ll carry the forks and knives,” Bethany said.
“Okay,” he said.
“Don’t you know any other words besides okay?” she asked.
“I know lots of words,” he said indignantly.
When they were seated, she asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No, I don’t have a girl,” he answered.
“”Then I’ll be your girlfriend,” she said.
As they ate, Bethany chattered away, asking where he lived, did he go to school, and a myriad of other things. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” she asked.
His mouth was full of food, so he nodded his head.
When he swallowed, he said, “I have a little sister.”
“I have a big sister,” Bethany said. “Her name is Annabel. What’s your sister’s name?”
“Mary,” he answered.
A routine was established. Cody would sit with Bethany, and would eat with her at the all-day services and the church socials.
The pair began sneaking away from the crowd at the picnic, and walked along a path beside the Great Miami River. They found a small glen close to the path, with a view of the river. It became their favorite spot. On a cool autumn day in October, they were sitting in their spot when Bethany asked, “Have you ever kissed a girl?”\
His cheeks flaming, he croaked, “No.”
“Would you like to kiss me?” she asked.
“I guess,” he said.
“Well, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she pouted.
“I want to,” he said quickly.
She closed her eyes. “Okay, you can kiss me,” she said.
He brought his closed lips to touch hers. He felt a tingle, when they touched.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” she asked. “Did you like it?’
“It was okay,” he said.
“Okay? Was that all, just okay?” she demanded.
“I liked it,” he said.
“That’s better,” she said happily.
Their trysts continued. They were together at every opportunity. Neither displayed any interest in others their age. Though they were a grade apart in school, they managed to meet almost on a daily basis.
One Sunday, in their spot, when Cody brought his lips to touch hers, Bethany parted her lips and ran her tongue along the outside edges of Cody’s. He was set ablaze. “Where did you learn that,” he asked.
“I read about it in one of Mama’s books,” she said, “so I decided to try it. Did you like it?”
“Uh huh,” he said.
“You do it to me,” she said.
He touched her lips, and moved his tongue along her lips. She parted them, and touched his tongue with hers. He heard a low moan from her throat. They played with this fire until after her sixteenth birthday, but kept it under control, though it smoldered beneath the surface.
* * *
Cody was eighteen when talk of war between the northern and southern states gained intensity. When he spoke of it to Bethany, she shushed him. “I don’t like talk of a war. It makes me sad.” she said. “I will hear no more of it,” she declared. “Now, are you going to kiss me or talk about war?”
He kissed her.
On her eighteenth birthday, he surprised her by taking her to dinner at the hotel restaurant. After a long dinner, they were preparing to leave, when she said to him, “Let’s go for a walk, to our spot.”
Using his pet name for her, he said, “Bethie, it’s dark. I should be getting you home.”
“I don’t want to go home. It’s my eighteenth birthday, and I want to celebrate,” she said.
Knowing argument was futile, he took her hand as they walked along the path in the moonlight. Finding their spot wasn’t as easy as they thought it would be, but finally they found it. Cody sat in the grass with his back against a tree. For the first time she sat in his lap, and kissed him hungrily. He returned the kiss with equal fervor.
Bethany took his hand in hers and guided it to her breast, surprising him. He started to remove it, but she held it firmly in place, and continued to kiss him deeply.
She broke the kiss, and sat up, and undid three buttons of her dress. She squirmed and moved her chemise up and moved his hand inside until it came in contact with the bare skin of her breast. She ran her tongue in his ear and whispered, “There’s more. I want you to touch all of me. I’m a woman now, and I want to be loved. “Will you love me, Cody?” she asked?”
“Yes,” he croaked. Then they…
chapterTwo
Diphtheria had struck southern Ohio. When Mary, Cody’s sister became ill, it was thought to be no more than a sore throat. Three weeks later, she succumbed to the disease. Her family was devastated.
The death of his beloved daughter affected Samuel Thompson more deeply than the rest of the family. He lost interest in farming. For two years in a row, there was no crop to sell. They were living on food from the garden. Cody’s father began drinking. He was always angry, and turned abusive towards his wife.
When Cody saw her black eye, he asked, “What happened, Mama?”
“I tripped over something and hit my head on the side of the bed,” she said.
Cody accepted what his mother told him, because he had never known her to lie. When he noticed the bruises on her face and arms, he asked again. She mumbled an unintelligible answer.
“Mama, did Papa do this?” he asked.
“He didn’t mean to hurt me,” she said. “He won’t do it again.”
Cody was studying in his room when he heard his mother cry out. He ran into the bedroom to find her on the floor, crying, his drunken father standing over her, holding an empty liquor bottle.
“What happened,” he asked.
“Stay out of it, it’s none of your business. This is between me and my wife,” Samuel roared.
“When you hurt my mother, it becomes my business,” he said.
“Why you sniveling punk,” his father said, “I’ll teach you to respect your elders. I’ll teach you a lesson too.” He drew back the arm with the bottle and made as if to swing it. The motion caused him to lose his balance and he fell. This infuriated him even more. He drew back the arm again, and started to swing.
Cody had grown to six feet tall. The farm work had made him strong and muscled. He caught the arm with his hand. “You are nothing but a drunk, and you will not hit me,” he said. “If you ever hit my mother again, I will kill you. Do you understand? I will kill you.”
“Get out of my house,” his father said. “You are no son of mine, talking to me that way. Get out.”
“Cody, go to your granny’s house for a few days. He didn’t mean that. Please, I’ll be all right,” his mother said. “Please.”
Cody found a croaker sack and put his few belongings in it and began the walk to his Granny’s farm. When he arrived, he asked, “Granny, can I stay here for a while? Papa made me leave. I’ll do your chores while I’m here.”
“Of course you can stay,” she said. “It will be nice having you here.”
With Bethany the next day, Cody said, “I’m not going to be able to see you as often. Papa kicked me out of the house, and I’m going to have to find a job. I’m staying with Granny Wilson for now.”
“You poor thing,” she said. “Let’s go for a walk, and I’ll make it all go away.”
The news electrified Dayton. On December 20, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Six other states quickly followed. The war talk increased, exasperating Bethany. “If there’s a war, I’ll have to go,” Cody told her.
“You’ll do no such thing, Cody Thompson,” Bethany said. “You’re not going off to some war.”
The talk continued. On April 12, 1861, South Carolina fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. It had begun. The headlines in the Dayton Daily Empire screamed “WAR” in large black letters that filled half of the front page. The newly inaugurated President Lincoln called for all states to send troops to recapture Fort Sumter. Four more states joined the seven that had already seceded.
“The president has called for troops, and I am going,” Cody told Bethany.
“Don’t go,” she pleaded. I have a little bit saved. We can go to Cincinnati and get on a riverboat and go out west,”
“Bethany, I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair to all of those that stayed behind,” he said.
“Oh pooh, who cares about fair? If you go to the Army, I’ll never speak to you again,” she said.
“You don’t mean that,” he said. “You’re just upset.”
“You think I don’t mean it? Just you try me and see,” she said, and flounced off, leaving him standing there, wondering what had just happened.
Cody was mustered in as a part of the 16
th
Ohio Infantry. The recruits boarded the train in Dayton amidst a loud fanfare. A band was playing, flags were waving and the crowd cheered loudly. Cody knew of no one in the crowd that cheered for him. He had not seen or spoken to Bethany since the fateful day when she delivered her ultimatum. He would never hear from her again. As the train pulled out of the station, Cody finally saw a single face he recognized. It was Annabel Simms, Bethany’s older sister. She was waving a small flag. As he watched, she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. She did not appear to be enjoying the festivities. She disappeared from his view as the train continued to pick up speed.
The troops from Dayton were assigned to the 12
th
Brigade of the Army of Ohio and moved to Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati, on the Ohio River.
The unit was constantly on the move. They saw their first action in West Virginia, and moved on to Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana and into Texas. They were ordered back to Columbus, and remained there until the end of the war.
After the war’s end, Cody remained in the Army for six more years. Battle scarred and war weary, he made his way back to Dayton after having been away for a lot of years.
He found Dayton to be very different from the Dayton he had left so many years before. He made his way to his grandmother’s house. He knocked, not wanting to frighten her.
His grandmother came to the door. Her face lit up when she recognized him, “Lordy, Lordy, look at you. It’s good to see you, son. I never thought I would again,” she said, moving her fingers over his face, to make up for her failing eyesight.
“Granny, what about Mama and Papa?” he asked. “I wrote several letters, but if they answered, I never received them.”
“I don’t know where they went,” she said. “After the bank foreclosed on the farm, I never saw or heard from them again. The bank sold the farm to a German immigrant.”
“What about the Simms family? They used to go to our church,” he said.
“Land sakes,” she said. “Was that the one with the two girls?”
“That must be the one. I don’t know of any other Simms family around here,” he said.
“Well, I heard one of them went off with a gambler or something like that. I’m not going to say more. I don’t like to speak ill of anyone. I don’t know about the other girl. I don’t think the parents are still here either. I don’t get out much anymore,” she said.
“What is the matter with me? I keep disremembering things. A letter came for you a while back. Let me get it for you.” She returned with a letter addressed to him. The return address showed it to be from the Montana Territory.
I don’t know anyone in Montana,
He thought as he opened the envelope.
.