Wild Horses, Wild Hearts 3, page 5
“Good morning ladies,” he sang, making a beeline for his wife and placing a loving kiss on her lips and a protective hand on her stomach. “The news has been relayed in Miss Leyla’s direction, and she’ll hopefully receive it before long.”
“Thank you again, John,” Abigail said gratefully. “I’ll have a plate ready for you in just another moment so—”
“Hold just a moment there, Abigail,” John said excitedly. “I’ve got more good news for you both.”
Both women eyed the cowboy curiously, both of them unused to seeing him in such a perpetual state of joy, like a child waiting anxiously for Christmas morning.
John reached into one of the interior pockets of his duster and pulled out a piece of pale yellow paper—the telegram he’d received earlier. “Just before I left the telegraph office, Silas said he had a message for me. Looks like a few members of my Native family are finally making their way west as well and they’ll be passing through Cheyenne sometime in the winter!”
Maggie and Abigail were gob smacked at the news John had just told them. They both knew that John, unlike many other men of the day, was more than comfortable with the Natives and, as he had said, he considered them family. Now, in the wake of the news that he was set to have even more new family, it seemed that his old family was set to appear as well.
If there’s any man who deserves it, it’s John Baldwin, Abigail thought delightedly.
She was preparing to ask a few more questions when a sniffle interrupted her.
THE SNIFFLE CAUGHT the occupants of the kitchen off guard, especially the one who had uttered it. Maggie now found herself under the concerned stares of her mother and her husband as she felt tears begin to stream down her face and a few sobs choke up her throat.
Why...why am I crying? she questioned, trying to make sense of the sudden rush of emotion inside her. But the more she tried to figure it out, the more it seemed to pile on and the more her tears and sobs came unbidden.
Perhaps most confusing of all was the fact that it wasn’t sadness driving her tears but happiness.
I’m making a damn fool of myself! she cried out in her mind, trying to will her emotions to stop, but they ignored her like a wild mustang fresh from the plains. I must...stop...oh Blazes...
The internal maelstrom of emotions coursing through her was being brought to heel as John stepped forward and wrapped his wife in his arms, her face buried against his firm chest and her tears soaking his shirt. His hands gently caressed her long hair as he tried to soothe her.
For a few moments, the only sound in the kitchen was that of Maggie crying her happiness out. Happiness at what she’d accomplished, happiness at the knowledge that she was pregnant, and happiness that John was going to be reunited with the people who’d meant so much to him while he was growing up. All of it had become more than Maggie was able to take, and her emotions had finally gotten the better of her.
“What’s all this about then?” said a voice, jolting everyone from the somber moment.
All eyes in the room turned to see Fergus standing in the doorway to the kitchen, one side of his bushy white chops flattened against his face—evidence of sleeping on his side all night—and one of the braces of his trousers hung at his hip, but he was still reasonably presentable.
Fergus yawned and affected a look of amused annoyance, one hand reaching up to scratch at his chops in an attempt to rouse them back to normal. “I was having a lovely dream about a buxom young lass I knew back in Galway when I find myself awoken to the sound of me blessed goddaughter in tears. Has this pillock you call a husband said something to offend you? If he has, I’ll take him outside right now.”
Like a lever being thrown, something about her godfather’s disheveled appearance and his playful attempt at humor triggered laughter inside of Maggie, a laughter that she was no more able to control than the tears that had been flowing from her eyes a moment before. It started as a giggle but it quickly evolved into full guffaws as she laughed herself silly.
Before long, John, Abigail, and Fergus joined in on the laughter, the three of them knowing that a good laugh could often relieve even the tensest of situations.
When the laughter finally subsided and Fergus was filled in on the details, the Irishman gave the young man he’d befriended so many months before a hearty slap on the back.
“Good on ya, Johnny boy,” he crowed cheerfully. “Better your family coming this way than mine, says I.”
Another round of laughter sprung up from the joke, but it could be said that humor was what was needed the most at that moment.
Although, Maggie pondered quietly, I’m itching to get back in the saddle today. I aim to keep riding as long as I can before this little bundle inside me makes it impossible.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, October 1885
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, I THANK YOU ONE AND ALL FOR YOUR PRAISE THIS EVENING! IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT I MUST SAY THAT OUR TIME TOGETHER DRAWS TO A CLOSE.”
A collective groan rose from the audience gathered beneath the massive tent under which the Professor Monro Wild West Show performed. It was the final night of the show’s run in the far western city, and all hoped that it wouldn’t end.
Professor Monro, however, had no intention of leaving his audience wanting for anything.
“NOW, NOW,” he projected, a curious grin beneath his waxed mustache. “ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END, BUT I WILL LEAVE ALL OF YOU WITH A FINAL PERFORMANCE FROM OUR TWO STAR RIDERS, CHASE MCALLISTER AND LEYLA MCNEAL!”
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause as Chase and Leyla entered the tent once more atop their horses, charging at full speed around the center as though they were racing one another. Without so much as another word from Professor Monro, the two launched into a routine that they’d been practicing ever since they’d left Laramie two months prior.
For the first part of the act, the two ensured that Whirlwind and Cannonball were matched in speed. Then, with a practiced ease that made it look like child’s play, the two maneuvered their bodies so that they were riding sidesaddle, the both of them positioned on the interior sides of their horses so that they were facing one another.
Chase, giving the young redhead a rakish smile, reached out with his free hand to grasp Leyla’s before bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to it, all while their horses galloped around the perimeter. Leyla affected a brief look of shock before pulling her hand away and giving Chase what looked to the crowd to be a full slap across the face.
The audience roared in laughter at the comedic display before the two of them joined hands once again. Further along the curve, a pair of clowns quickly set up a fence obstacle before they tumbled merrily away.
Chase and Leyla maintained their sidesaddle standing with their hands locked together as their horses leapt in unison over the obstacle and landed safely on the other side. The two riders’ hands were still held together and the audience wildly cheered its approval.
But soon Chase pulled his hand from Leyla’s and remounted his saddle and spurred Cannonball ahead of the redheaded rider and her white colt, attempting to leave her in his dust.
Leyla simply narrowed her eyes and retrieved a lasso strung at her hip. However, instead of attempting to lasso the rider who had just spurned her straight away, she hooked her left foot tightly into the stirrup before she allowed her body to drape back perpendicularly across Whirlwind’s body. Her left foot and the stirrup that held it were all that kept her from falling out of the saddle and risking a trampling from her own horse.
Once she was positioned correctly, Leyla began twirling the lasso in a practiced manner that would have made even the most veteran ranch hand envious. Her narrowed eyes remained fixed on Chase’s form for a moment longer before she released the lasso and sent it flying through the air.
The lasso soared straight and true, encircling Chase’s body and restricting the movements of his arms. All around them, the audience cheered, laughed, and pleaded for more.
Alas, it was not to be, as Chase brought Cannonball to a stop and Leyla sidled up alongside them atop Whirlwind, the two riders bowing at the hip in their saddles to thunderous applause.
The final act had been performed and the western show’s run in San Francisco had come to an end.
AS THE CAST AND CREW of the traveling show waited for the audience to filter out from beneath their tent, Leyla couldn’t help but pull Chase away to give him a passionate kiss following their act.
The two of them laughed once again and made their way over to where the other show riders were gathering in order to help facilitate the disassembly and packing away of all of the show’s components.
Throughout the night, the performers and laborers worked in tandem to see that the tent and all of the effects that belonged to the show were safely packed away in the train that was their home. Riders and horses alike moved as one in order to ensure that nothing was left behind.
The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon when the draft horses were loaded into the stock car and the door was latched shut, signifying the true finish to their performance in San Francisco. A ragged cheer rose up from the gathered performers and laborers as they realized that they could finally rest.
However, before everyone could board the train, Professor Monro stepped atop one of the exterior platforms on a car in order to address them all.
“Another marvelous performance, my fine equine thespians and harlequins,” he congratulated, his eyes showing his exhaustion and delight. “It is my pleasure to announce to you all that you’ve all earned a break from this traveling life we know.”
A murmur of confusion rose up from those gathered on the ground. Leyla fixed Chase with a worried look only to see her expression mirrored on his own.
“Allow me to elucidate, my fine fellows and ladies,” the professor continued. “Many of you will recall the difficulty with which we had operating during last winter. As such, I’ve struck a small bargain with Misters Barnum and Bailey to make use of their winter quarters down in Florida. We shall have our animals and equipment well cared for while we enjoy the sunshine and warmth of the south until the spring arrives.”
The idea of being able to rest in a warm place rather than travel in the cold and snow generated a hum of agreement throughout the gathered performers and workers, many of them yearning for such a respite from their traveling lifestyle.
The professor continued his explanation. “However, I do know that some of you would like to make use of this time in order to visit friends and loved ones. I’m certainly in favor of such a course, but all this humble showman asks is that you cable the rest of us in the spring to let us know if you’ll be rejoining us.”
Leyla looked at Chase with a hopeful gleam in her eyes at the possibility of being able to return to Cheyenne and her family.
Before Leyla could give voice to her hopes, the professor spoke out one last time. “On a final note, as always, Giuseppe was kind enough to collect the various correspondences for all of you so that you may know of all that awaits you back home. Now then, let’s see what we have here...”
The promise of telegrams from home gave everyone gathered a much needed boost of energy as the professor called out the names of those lucky enough to receive something. Chase and Leyla were preparing to retire to the show riders’ car when the professor barked out Leyla’s name.
Leyla spun on her heels, surprised that her mother or sister had sent anything out to her when she was as far away as she was. For a moment, she feared the worst until she took the telegram in hand and let her eyes examine the contents.
“Leyla?” Chase queried, his eyes and voice full of concern. “What is it? Is something wrong at the ranch?”
Leyla’s hands started to tremble and her eyes began brimming with tears. However, when she looked up into the face of the man she loved, her smile was wider than any he’d seen before.
“Maggie’s gonna be a mama,” she choked, trying to keep her sobs restrained.
Chase’s eyes quickly mimicked dinner plates in wonder as the words of what his lover had said settled into his mind. Instead of saying anything, though, he simply stepped forward and wrapped Leyla in his arms as she cried tears of joy.
“Well then,” he whispered soothingly, “I reckon that settles matters then. Looks like you and I are heading back to Cheyenne.”
Leyla’s head snapped up to look at Chase, her eyes twinkling hopefully in the early morning light. “Chase,” she breathed, “you don’t have to come with me. You should go with the show down to Florida and relax and—”
Chase interrupted her by pressing a finger delicately to her lips. “Who needs the sun in Florida when I’ve got you to keep me warm through the winter?” he asked in his eternally charming manner. “Besides, your sister and John are likely gonna need another experienced rider or two through the winter while Maggie’s laid up.”
Leyla sighed at the show rider’s logic, amazed that he was ready to follow her into the cold and snowy winters of the Wyoming Territory to help her family.
“How will we get there?” she asked, the realization dawning on her that riding their horses all the way back was not only slow but dangerous, and that shipping them along on another train might be expensive.
As if reading her thoughts, Chase bent down and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “I’m sure the professor won’t mind letting us and our mounts off when the train passes through Cheyenne,” he assured.
With her worries on the matter effectively answered, Leyla decided to simply enjoy the moment and pressed herself closer against Chase’s body. Though the show was over for a few months, the two already had another adventure ahead of them.
Chapter IV: Riding for Two
McNeal Ranch, Near Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, November 1885
“Come...on...you...little...got ya!”
With a victorious sigh of relief, Maggie successfully buttoned her trousers as she prepared to ride around the ranch and take stock of the preparations for the coming winter.
Breathing heavily, she looked down and was slightly dismayed by what she saw. In the month since she’d been alerted to the existence of her pregnancy, her body had taken matters into its own hands and had seen to it that she’d take in more to eat. Though she was three months into her pregnancy, her preference for voluminous coats and practical clothing kept anyone who wasn’t peering too closely at her unaware that she was growing a new life inside of her.
Unfortunately for Maggie, however, she herself was all too aware of the changes in her body as the struggle to put on a simple pair of trousers became more laborious with each passing day.
With a check in the bedroom mirror, she looked herself over. Though she hadn’t been particularly absorbed in her own vanity before, the changes in her body were giving her small panics of confidence with each day, none of which was helped by her flat out refusal to buy larger clothing like her mother repeatedly suggested.
The last thing I need right now is word spreading in Cheyenne that I’m pregnant, she groused, part of her still afraid that letting the news out might somehow jeopardize the business she’d worked so hard to build and thrive.
“I didn’t let those sidewinding cattle barons grind me down after Papa left me this ranch, and I sure as Blazes ain’t letting them do so now,” she stated firmly to her own reflection.
Still, she couldn’t help but trace the more noticeable curve of her stomach with her hand, trying to sense the life growing within. It was a part of her, and every day that passed caused her to marvel at the growth that occurred when it seemed like she wasn’t looking.
Coupled with her growing figure were the other changes that came along with her pregnancy. Though she was relieved that her nausea had seemed to vanish a week into what was now her third month, it was soon replaced with hot flashes which left her feeling as if she were roasting in her mother’s oven. She giggled slightly as she thought about her poor husband the night when she’d had their bedroom window wide open to let in the biting November wind. She had lain in bed wearing the lightest nightgown she had while John had been bundled up in their blanket, unable to keep himself warm.
And it wasn’t just her waistline that was giving Maggie trouble either. She’d begun having difficulty getting her boots on as well, her once small but sturdy feet seeming to have swollen up overnight. Getting them on and off each morning and night was becoming more and more difficult but she refused to relent.
I don’t care what Mama or John say, she thought obstinately. I’m riding until the first snows fall and that’s that. There’s still plenty of preparing for winter that needs to be done, and I aim to make sure it’s taken care of.
Resolute in her determination to ensure that her ranch would be ready for the coming winter, Maggie set about the Olympic task of getting her boots on before she would head out to check the progress of the preparations.
Seated on the bed and with one boot grasped firmly in her hand, Maggie sucked in her stomach as much as she could so that she could bend at the waist to wrangle her first boot on.
“Come...on...you...lousy...” she growled out.
JOHN BALDWIN RODE HIS black steed beneath an overcast sky as he watched the ranch hands transfer one herd of cattle into the barn while another was moved out. He and the ranch hands had set about getting into the habit of rotating which stocks were inside and which ones were out in the pastures the week prior as the days began to grow shorter.
Though the temperatures were steadily dropping and the days of sunshine were beginning to number fewer and fewer, John and the ranch hands maintained their work of tending the cattle and the horses.
The only hitch in the works is that some fellows left for the season, John thought glibly.
