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One year later
John walked under the ornate metal archway of the cemetery and scanned the lonely plot of ground. It was early September, and already the wind was brisk. It sent yellow aspen leaves tumbling across the lawn and swirling between the headstones.
He walked across the grass, slowly and solemnly. He was carrying a blanketed bundle in his arms, and he’d had to wheedle Maggie to let him do it.
It was their little newborn son. He was barely two months old. John paused to nudge the blanket aside and gaze on his baby’s face. His eyes were squeezed shut, he looked sleepy, and he yawned as John watched. The baby was pink and warm and as solid as a boy baby should be. He smelled of talcum powder and clean baby skin.
He had a little fluff of jet-black on his head. He had a button nose and a rosebud mouth, and he passed a little gas as John sputtered with laughter.
He held the baby to his chest as he made his way to a headstone in the middle of the cemetery. He’d bought that stone himself on the wonderful, terrible day he’d come home from the war. It was made of beautiful white marble, but already weather and time had dulled its shine a bit.
It read:
Edwin Matthews
Beloved brother-in-arms
Born January 31, 1840
Died June 02, 1866
“Greater love hath no man than this,
That he lay down his life for his friends.”
John gazed down at it sadly, and grief and anger fought in him again. There was nothing more he could do for Ed than he had done.
Except this.
John pulled the blanket aside from his son’s face and turned him toward the grave. “Look, Ed,” he murmured. “This is my son. He has his ma’s dark hair. It’s gonna be black as a rook’s. It kinda reminds me of yours.”
He blinked back tears. “We’re going to name him John Edwin, after you. You’ll live in on my memory, and in all our old war brothers’. But now maybe you can live on in my son, too. I’m gonna tell him about you. How you saved my life. How funny you were. Brave. Loyal to the bone.” He nodded. “I’m going to teach him to be all those things.”
A fresh gust of wind sent the leaves swirling through the air, and John pulled the baby back to his heart and pulled the blanket up over his ears. His eyes returned to the stone.
“The men who killed you were brought to justice,” he added grimly. “We hunted them down to the last man. I hope you can rest a little easier, knowing that.”
He stood there, looking down at the grave, as the wind sent the leaves dancing all around him. The minutes passed, and finally he turned to go. His heart wasn’t exactly lighter for telling Ed all those things. But he’d done what he needed to do, and what Ed deserved.
He bowed himself a bit against the wind and passed under the metal archway and out into the street. His buggy was parked there, and Maggie was waiting inside.
She reached for the baby as he raised it to her arms, and he walked around to the driver’s side to climb in. He’d asked her to let him say his piece alone, and she’d respected his wish. But her eyes were on his face as he flicked the whip over the horse’s head. She didn’t understand, and he hoped she never would.
He moved closer and stretched an arm around her, and she put her head on his shoulder as she held their son. He was lucky, and in that moment he felt it more keenly than he ever had before.
Blessed.
Maggie looked up at him. “I never met your friend,” she murmured. “I wish I had.”
John frowned, then smiled a bit. “He would’ve stolen you right from under my nose.”
Maggie chuckled a bit. “Nobody can do that,” she whispered, and reached up to kiss him.
He tightened his fingers around her arm and sent the rig rolling back to the busy side of town. To the rest of their lives together.
They drove down the main street of town, and a familiar figure made John pull the buggy to a stop in front of the mercantile. Sam was standing on the sidewalk with a silver star gleaming on his chest. John leaned out to call: “Afternoon, Sam. Need a ride?”
Sam sauntered out into the street. “I could use one, at that. I was headed to the livery. I was about to come out to your place.”
“Hop in.”
Sam climbed into the back seat and Maggie turned around to ask, “Anything new today?”
“Nothing much. The biggest doings lately is Grandma Purcell claims somebody’s stealing her chickens. My investigation revealed they’re flying over to her neighbor’s house.”
Maggie chuckled, and Sam snapped his fingers. “Oh, there was one other thing! I got a letter from Jeremy Lambert today.”
“What’s he up to these days?” John asked.
“He wrote that he’s the sheriff of Jackson Hole now. Once a sheriff, always a sheriff.”
“He’ll be a good one,” John sighed. “Guess he’s still got fire in the belly.”
Sam’s voice sounded wistful. “Yeah. I wonder if they know what they have up there. He never liked to brag.”
Maggie turned to grin at him. “Maybe somebody should tell them.”
Sam leaned back in the seat and seemed to consider. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Maybe somebody should.”
* * * * *
They arrived at the ranch a half-hour later. The trees in the valley were the lemon yellow and burnt orange of early fall, and the sky was blue and clear to the edge of sight. John sent the buggy down the long, straight drive and turned his head to ask, “Where would you like to go, the ranch house or our house?” He nodded toward the new log house he’d built for himself and Maggie in the meadows to the east.
“Take me to the ranch house,” Sam replied promptly. “Stella made me promise to come home to eat lunch with her. It’s hard to catch her anymore. She stays so busy preparing for the wedding.”
“Her and Ma,” John laughed. “I don’t know what they’re planning, but it’s going to be big.” He pulled the buggy up to the porch and walked around to take the baby as Maggie climbed out.
He took their son gently in his arms and gazed down at him. He still couldn’t quite believe he was a father. All he knew was that it opened up a side of him he never knew was there. Gave him a new kind of happiness.
Maggie climbed the steps to the house and he followed her with the baby in his arms. But as soon as he stepped inside, Dorothy’s eager voice told him he wouldn’t keep him long.
“Is that my Johnnie boy?” she crooned and bent over the baby. “Give him to Grandma.” She laughed, gave the baby a smack on the cheek, and disappeared with him.
John took Maggie’s hand and they sat down on the couch near Walter. The parlor was covered in bolts of white fabric and wedding lace, and John almost laughed aloud, because his father’s expression was a cry for help.
“Thank heaven for another man in this house,” he whispered with a furtive glance at the stairs. “If I hear another word about wedding gowns I’ll lose my mind.”
Maggie chuckled, but John glanced around the room. “Where’s Will and Arthur? I thought they were giving you moral support.”
His father pulled his mouth to one side. “Those cowards ran off to the bunkhouse and left me here to fend for myself. If I don’t get away soon your mother and sister will probably make me a bridesmaid.”
The kitchen door opened and Stella breezed into the room with Sam at her heels. “Maggie, I’m glad you’re here,” she cried. “I need you to look at these gown patterns and help me decide which one to choose.”
Maggie gave her a helpless look. “You know I’m no good at that,” she objected, but Stella came and sat down between them and opened a big book across her lap.
John raised laughing eyes to Sam’s. His future brother-in-law shrugged and smiled, and John shook his head and laughed to himself.
And the difference between his morning and his afternoon hit him like a shot between the eyes. His smile faded, then came back again. This was what he’d wanted that day in the stagecoach, before everything went wrong. And it was what he had now: A woman to love who loved him back. A beautiful boy, and more children to come. His folks happy and healthy. His brother safe and well. His sister planning for her wedding.
He’d traveled a long, hard road to get to where he was, but he’d arrived at last. And if Edwin could see him, from somewhere up in heaven, he had to believe he’d be smiling.
Maggie seemed to sense his mood and leaned back to touch his shoulder. “Is something wrong?” she whispered.
He smiled and answered from the bottom of his heart. “Not a thing in this world, darling,” he replied and turned to admire his sister’s gowns.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Grit and Glory on the Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello there, I really hope you liked my new western adventure story and the extended epilogue! I would be very happy to read your thoughts below.
This was another one of your great stories!! Had a lot of twists and turns but a great western story! Made you feel like you were one or all of the characters! Especially liked Maggie and her boyish attitude with working as a bounty hunter with her father. Was glad that the sheriff didn’t turn out to be a bad guy in the end.. Keep on writing your great books!!!!
Thank you so much for your kind support and feedback! Glad you enjoyed it!
A really great story! Kept my interest all the way. I will look for more books by this author.
Thank you so much for your kind support and feedback! Glad you enjoyed it!
The old West lives! Sad to know that bad in this world has been around forever. To make it through a war and being eager to share your family with your “brother at arms”, to have him die not even an hour from home is heartbreaking. All John faced, , his learning of younger brother being missing & the destruction that family & friends have been dealing with,just sad. Maggie was a joy & really livened John’s life in a good way. Simple love at first sight.
Thank you so much for your kind support and feedback! Glad you enjoyed it!