McKenna, (Sweet Western Historical Romance) (Nevada Brides Series Book 1) (5 page)

“It might be that gold filling of yours,” Albert said with a laugh, which displayed two missing teeth.

“We’re heading out, folks,” the driver called out, and with the sound of a whip the stagecoach jerked to a start. McKenna gripped the edge of the window, which had no glass, only a curtain.

“This is nothing. Just wait until we get on the open trail. It will get mighty bumpy,” Ethel said.

McKenna sighed. She felt a tear tickle her lid as the town she had lived in since birth was left behind, much quicker than she had hoped. She couldn’t see Cole and wished right then she was traveling with him instead of in the rolling box. She felt bad for a minute after what Charles had said to Bella, but from the look in her eye, she didn’t seem to mind, which made McKenna all the more mad.
It doesn’t matter a woman’s background; she still deserves to be treated like a lady.

When they left town, the road indeed became bumpy, and it was all McKenna could do not to get sick. She pulled out her smelling salts and took a few sniffs to keep her stomach in check.

“You were married yesterday?” Ethel asked.

“Yes.” McKenna smiled. “We had to or I wouldn’t be able to go to Nevada with him.”

“And where is that husband of yours now?” Charles asked.

“You never mind,” Ethel spat. “And don’t be bothering the lady.”

“What you gonna do?”

Ethel reached into her bag, coming back with a silver pistol. “I might be old, but I’d never miss from this range so don’t test me.”

“Shut your trap, Charles. I want to get to Nevada in one piece.”

Charles glared at Ethel and said, “Fine, you win. I just don’t understand why any man would allow his wife to go clear to Nevada all by herself if she looks like her.”

McKenna gave the man a hard stare. “He’s following the stagecoach, if you need to know. He only wanted me to be more comfortable for the journey.”

“See, her man is close by,” Bella said. “So it might be better if you just leave the woman alone. She’s a real lady, not like me.”

“You’re just as much a lady as me, Bella,” McKenna said.

“Thanks. What a sweet thing to say. I’m going to Silver to work at one of the saloons. I hope I can make some real money.”

“I have some money,” Charles said, flipping a penny her way.

“Ethel, how many bullets did you say you had in that gun?” McKenna asked. “I’m sure you wouldn’t miss at least one.”

Ethel roared in laughter. “You’re probably right. Where do you reckon I should shoot him, between the legs?”

“It’s up to you, but he talks altogether too much.”

“Fine, I’m shutting up. You ladies sure don’t have a sense of humor,” Charles told them.

McKenna breathed a sigh of relief. She almost did wonder how far Ethel might have taken it. It boiled her blood to know a man would speak like that to a woman, even one like Bella.

The stagecoach raced down the trail and although bumpy, McKenna’s eyes felt heavy suddenly. She leaned against Ethel, only to pop back awake. “Sorry,” she muttered.

“Not at all, dear. Lean against me and catch yourself a nap. I’ll keep a watch out for you.”

McKenna smiled and tilted her head until she was laying it down on Ethel’s shoulder. She felt relaxed, knowing the woman would watch over her. She could tell already that Ethel would be a good lady to be friends with. So far, the men didn’t act like they’d want to mess with her.

It wasn’t long afterward that McKenna closed her eyes. At that point, she didn’t mind the movement of the coach or being so close to Ethel. She nodded off listening to the sounds of Ethel and Bella talking.

Cole followed the stagecoach out of Halston, Ohio. It wasn’t long before they were on a dirt trail that led west. He hoped McKenna was getting on with the other passengers, even though one of them was most likely headed west to work in a saloon. He had a good feeling about that older woman and knew she’d look after her. If he had known those men were headed west, too, in the stagecoach, he probably would’ve had her ride with them in the wagon. But that was no way for a lady to ride west.

From the way McKenna reacted every time he was near her, it was quite obvious she wanted nothing to do with him. Was that what he wanted, too? He certainly felt more for her than just a would-be partner. He’d just have to stay away from her to keep his wits about him. He didn’t believe he’d ever think about another woman after his Sally died from the fever back in California. He had opportunities in Halston to court women, but he wasn’t ready yet to move on at that time. So what was it about McKenna that had him proposing such an idea as them heading to Silver to open a mercantile store together? He never wanted to marry her, but he knew there was no other way she’d be able to leave Ohio and head west with him. Was that the real reason he’d married her, though?

“What are you brooding over there about, Cole?” Bret asked. “Can’t keep your thoughts off that bride of yours?”

Cole gave his brother a look. “You know as well as me this isn’t a real marriage, so stop trying to rile me.”

Bret laughed. “Whatever you say, brother, but I saw the way you look at her. You’ll just have to decide if you’re willing to let her go in the end.”

“I don’t know the lady that well to say yes or no, but I admit that she’s quite beautiful. You’d have to be blind not to look at her. I am a man, after all.” Cole smiled then at his brother. “What about you, brother? McKenna has four available sisters. Any of them interest you?”

“This isn’t about me, Cole. You’re the one who just got married. I’m not in a hurry to go down the aisle.”

“Kayla looked interested.”

“She’s barely out of her knickers and if I had my pick, she wouldn’t be the one.”

“Do tell. Which one do you fancy?”

“I’m not saying. If I did, you’d never give me any peace.”

“That would be funny, two brothers married to two sisters. Our parents would be so proud of us.” Cole frowned. “I wish they were still with us.”

“Me, too, brother. If only our uncle would have been able to talk them into leaving Atlanta before that blasted Civil War started.”

“I know, but we were so young back then, and it’s not like we would have been able to convince our parents that we needed them. If we hadn’t been staying at Uncle Ben’s house for the summer when the war started, neither of us would be here, either.”

“Sometimes I wish I was there with them; losing them at a young age really hurt. The only thing worse was losing my wife, but I suppose there’s no sense in beating myself up about that anymore. I’ve done it enough already.”

Cole continued to follow the stagecoach from a distance, his mind once again back on his new wife. Why was he doing this to himself? It was obvious she wanted nothing to do with him. He was so deep in thought that he ran over a large rock and one of the wheels fell off. He had to yank hard on the reins to bring the horses to a halt.

“Dammit,” Cole muttered. He knew there would be no way to catch up to the stagecoach by the time he fixed the wheel. He just hoped McKenna would be okay.

* * *

McKenna was jolted awake when the stagecoach stopped moving. She blinked a few time before she realized they had stopped at a station. The driver came around and opened the door, helping the ladies down. McKenna stretched, feeling quite sore, and began walking it off.

A woman came out of the station, offering them lemonade and sandwiches for a snack, which McKenna took. The water was surprisingly cold and she just had to ask, “How did you get the lemonade so cold?”

The woman laughed. “We have a natural spring that has some very cold water. It’s twenty feet below us.”

McKenna smiled. “It tastes great.”

The woman only nodded and moved along to the next passenger. McKenna looked in the distance and didn’t see Cole anywhere. It made her feel less secure by the minute. Where was he?

After a half-hour break, they were once again back in the stagecoach and moving along as fast as the horses could run. McKenna tried not thinking about Cole and where he might be. She just hoped he’d be okay.
What could have happened?

“You worrying about your husband?” Ethel asked.

“Is it that obvious?”

“It sure is with the way you were looking in the distance. Don’t worry. He might have had trouble with his wagon. It happens. I’m sure he’ll catch up since we make numerous stops along the way,” Ethel assured her. “I remember when I first was married. What a scary and worrisome time. We didn’t marry for love, you know, but we certainly found it.”

“No?”

“I was an actress in Europe, but when I came back to Boston, I encountered a scandal. William felt bad about my predicament and wanted a wife, and I needed a husband. When he first suggested we go out to California, I was all for it. I could disappear there and nobody would ever remember how scandalous I once was. The gold rush was in full swing, and I ended up working in a kitchen tent. It wasn’t glamorous, that’s for sure, but my husband always looked after me. My William has a nose for gold. He strikes big no matter where we’ve gone. The only difference now it that I no longer have to work in a kitchen tent, unless I want to.”

Bella smiled. “I bet you were a great actress. What was your name then?”

“Sorry, that part of my life is dead and that’s where I intend for it to stay.”

“I don’t blame you,” McKenna replied. “I see how some men act when they find out a woman might have a scandalous past. I’m just glad I never had to do that. Cole has the promise of being a great husband.”

The last thing McKenna wanted to do was tell the truth about the true status of her marriage. Especially in front of Charles and Albert. She still didn’t like the looks of them. She only hoped that they weren’t quite as desperate as they looked. She did feel more secure knowing that her money was safely tucked away, although she was a little nervous knowing Ethel had money in that strongbox. What if someone else knew it? How prevalent were robberies of stagecoaches? She had to tell herself to stop thinking about that. It was the last thing she needed to worry about. She’d just have to hope for the best. If only Cole was with her…

* * *

It took Cole and Bret the better part of the day to fix the wheel before they were back on the trail. They passed a station and stopped in, asking for the direction to the next one.

“Did you see a redhead on the stagecoach?” Cole asked the woman.

“Sure did. I hope she makes the journey okay. I can’t say that I like how those men on the coach were looking at her.”

“She’s my wife,” Cole said. “I better get going then. I lost them when my wheel fell off.”

“They’ll be stopping over for the night at the next station. You should be able to catch up to them.”

Cole thanked the woman and climbed back into the wagon, allowing Bret to move the horses along.

“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine,” Bret said.

“I wish I felt that way. I should have brought her with us. I thought it would be safer for her to travel in the stagecoach.”

“She’s with two women, you said. I’m sure they’ll look after her.”

“I sure hope you’re right, Bret. I’d hate to kill someone for making moves on my wife.”

“That sure doesn’t sound like a man with a marriage in name only.”

“I’m just thinking about my partnership with her, and I certainly don’t want her to get hurt. She’s my responsibility, no matter how long this marriage lasts.”

“You don’t have to tell me that, but didn’t you think about what dangers even a stagecoach could get into?” Bret questioned.

“I guess I didn’t think about it. I wish now I had made a different decision. I don’t think she even wanted to ride in the stagecoach. It was my decision. I should have talked to her about it before I went ahead and bought the tickets. I have the feeling that we better catch up with the stagecoach and soon,” Cole stated, more determined than ever.

* * *

At the next station stop, they were told they’d be staying the night in appointed cabins, which made McKenna all the more happy. She could sleep in a real bed. What she didn’t know was just how lumpy the beds were, but at least Ethel and Bella were there with her.

“This isn’t the fanciest cabin I’ve ever seen,” Ethel said. “In Europe, I stayed in quite the homes and a few palaces, too. Actresses were treated quite well.”

“Is that how you got yourself into trouble?” McKenna asked.

“Oh, yes. There was this married duke whose wife wasn’t so happy that he was having an affair with an actress. I sure wish she hadn’t found out about that. He was quite generous, but he’s not anything like my William. He’s the man for me. I so did love to be on stage, though.”

“Have you ever tried to be an actress here?” McKenna asked. “I’m sure they need actresses here, too.”

“Oh, no. I had my fill back in Europe really. I really hope that you won’t be working in a saloon all that long, Bella. A woman can only work like that for so long. Find yourself a rich miner or cowboy to marry.”

“Marry?” Bella choked out. “That’s not what I want. When I make enough in Silver, I’ll move on and maybe make enough to open my own house. I’d treat my girls better than most men have ever treated me.”

McKenna folded her arms across her lap. She should be shocked, but really, who was she to judge? Women could get quite desperate at times. Then curiosity took over. “How did you wind up, you know… considering such a line of work?”

“Well, I never came from money, for one. Our family was working class, but Mama and Papa managed to scrape by. I even took my first job cleaning for a family for a while. I certainly never thought I’d consider using my body to make ends meet, but I met a very nice Sir John. He was from England. Anyway, he sweet-talked me out of my knickers and paid me to be his companion for a time. I was quite upset when he went back to England, but he was a married man.

“After that, I found it harder to find one man to pay my way, so I worked at a brothel in Boston. It wasn’t all that bad, but the owners were brutes. That’s when I heard about the gold rush and how miners were looking for a little female companionship. That they paid well for the privilege, so here I am.” She laughed.

“What about your parents?”

“They passed away from consumption a year back. I was able to help them out financially while they were sick. They never asked me where my money was coming from. I was very careful when they were sick to always wear a mask when I visited them.”

“You’re very fortunate that you didn’t get sick yourself, Bella,” Ethel said. “And we women sometimes have to make hard choices. Of course, I’m sure McKenna’s life has been quite different since her family owned a business and all. I’m sorry to hear that your parents were killed.”

McKenna picked at the fabric of her dress. “Yes, we were quite devastated. Losing the store to my uncle was very hard on me, as well. I’ve been running that store the past three years.”

“I’m shocked you haven’t married before. How old are you, dear?”

“Twenty-two.”

“You were a spinster for sure,” Bella said. She stretched out on her bed. “I like my life just the way it is: uncomplicated.”

McKenna pulled off her dress and Ethel offered to loosen the corset. She didn’t bother to take it off since she’d only have to put it back on the next day. At least this way, she would only have to ask Ethel for help with it in the morning. She felt very fortunate that she didn’t have to live like Bella did. She couldn’t imagine men pawing all over her would be that great, but how would McKenna know when she’d never been with a man in that way? It made her nervous to even think about it. When she closed her eyes, she could almost see Cole’s strong jawline, the flecks of gold in his blue eyes, how strong his hands felt when he lifted her down from the wagon.
Quit it, McKenna. This isn’t a real marriage.
Still, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about him and wondering how he was getting on. If he never showed up in Silver, would McKenna have to live her life like Bella? No, that was something she’d never do.