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Exactly two years later, Clara found herself watching the departure of her daughter and husband as they rode off for Lily’s first dance. At ten, she was very much a young lady—brilliant, charismatic, and so much like her father. Elijah often scoffed when Clara said that, claiming all of their daughter’s charm and beauty came directly from her mother.
Lily turned around in the bench seat of the wagon and waved frantically, a huge smile on her face. Clara giggled, waving back.
Spring had returned to Mountain Valley and the Dawson ranch, along with the surrounding community, was thriving. She could hear Luke and Beau laughing behind her and turned to see them playing with the excitable little brown puppy they’d brought to the ranch. He would soon learn to be a guard dog, but for now, he was just playful and fun.
Clara was about to turn back to the house when she saw a wagon turn from the main road onto the path to their driveway. Elijah and Lily stopped to speak to the woman in driving the wagon. Shading her eyes with her hand, Clara looked to see if the woman looked familiar but she was too far away to see clearly.
After speaking a few minutes, Elijah snapped the reins and the wagon pulled away, continuing toward the main road. The woman and her wagon approached.
Clara waited, somewhat nervous. This woman wasn’t a resident of Mountain Valley, that much Clara knew. Maybe she was new to town and was visiting other residents?
The woman lifted a hand in greeting and Clara responded the same. She took a few steps toward the wagon as the woman pulled the horses to a stop. When she stood up, Clara hurried to help her down, holding up one hand.
“Let me help you,” she said softly, noticing the woman was elderly and appeared frail.
“Thank you, my dear,” the woman said. “I am sorry for showing up unannounced. I inquired in town and was told to come to the Dawson ranch. Your husband told me I’d found the right place.”
“You have. I’m Clara Dawson. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?”
The woman gave her a smile. “I would like a cup of tea if you wouldn’t mind. I’ve been traveling for nearly half a day and these old bones are weary.”
“Certainly, come on in.” She offered her arm.
The woman was smaller than her, thin, wearing a pale gray dress with a white lace collar. Her hair was white, fashioned in curls, a surprisingly youthful look that fit her features well. Her eyes were a sharp blue and revealed her intelligence.
She took Clara’s arm and they walked toward the steps to the porch. Clara moved slowly so as not to make the woman feel pressured. She still didn’t recognize her but said nothing, figuring the information would be offered soon.
Once they were on the porch heading for the front door, the woman spoke. “Thank you for your gracious welcoming, Clara. May I call you Clara?”
“Yes, of course,” Clara responded, pulling the screen door open so the woman could go into the house first.
“Thank you, dear. My name is Ruth Hartley. Thomas Hartley was my grandson.”
Clara was taken back two years, seeing Jonas in her mind’s eye as he told them about the young man he’d kidnapped and then killed at the bidding of Elmer Croft. She tilted her head to the side, giving Ruth a sympathetic look.
“You are Thomas Hartley’s grandmother,” she stated, as if the woman didn’t already know that about herself and hadn’t just said it.
Ruth smiled and nodded, waiting a few seconds for Clara to let the screen door close and come up to lead her to the dining area. Clara held out her hand to direct Ruth toward the kitchen.
“This way,” she said. “I’m sorry that I can’t tell you a lot about Thomas. I didn’t know him. I only heard about him from the man who…” She stopped, feeling the blood rise to her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “How callous of me.”
Ruth shook her head, settling in a chair at the dining table while Clara went to the stove to boil water for the tea.
“Don’t apologize. It’s quite all right. I didn’t come to scold anyone. I was informed that you have a memorial burial site for my grandson, and I was curious to see it. It is not where he is laid to rest, is it?”
Clara shook her head. “I’m afraid not. The only man who knows where he is buried has passed. Well, both men, I should say.”
“How much of the story do you know?” Ruth asked.
“Only what Jonas told us. Jonas was the one working for Elmer when Thomas was taken.”
Ruth nodded. “He is the man who took Thomas, isn’t that right?”
“Yes, that is correct. It was because of Thomas that Jonas stopped working for Elmer and Marcus Cole. He saw how wrong what they were doing was and left the gang and his employment with Croft. He was a hunted man for some years because of that. Croft took it as a betrayal.”
“That’s what I heard as well.”
“Were you caring for Thomas at the time?” Clara asked, standing to check on the water.
“No, he is… was my daughter’s son. His father died while working at a lumberyard. It was an accident. After my daughter, Hattie, lost both her son and husband, she… well, she was unable to cope. She stopped eating. Didn’t go anywhere. Allowed her house to fall into disrepair and passed herself.”
“Oh my goodness!” Clara exclaimed. “That is tragic! I’m so sorry to hear this!”
Ruth’s eyes misted over but no tears fell.
“She was a lovely girl. They were a close family, very loving. Her husband, Michael, was kind to her, a hard-working man who loved Thomas very much. And he loved my dear Hattie, as well. They are together again. That is my only comfort. But I am getting on in years now and will soon also join them and meet my Maker. I wanted to see the last place Thomas was before he was so tragically taken from us.”
Clara nodded, pushing up from the table with both hands. “Let me see if this water is done. Then we will go up to the grave site. Thomas has a marker next to Jonas, who was very regretful over what he’d done. I just want you to know that. There is a third marker there, a tribute to my husband’s brother, Samuel, who died in the war five or six years ago. You do know that is not where any of them are buried, right?”
“Yes, I do.”
***
After visiting the memorial site and upon Elijah’s return with Lily, they invited Ruth to stay for a meal before she got back on the road. Elijah had been a bit surprised to see the old woman was still at the ranch when he returned but it didn’t bother him. He wished he had more stories to tell the woman about Jonas, since he didn’t know Thomas and could share nothing from the boy’s final days.
Instead, Ruth regaled them with stories of Thomas as a toddler and a young boy. He’d apparently been very rambunctious, always getting into one thing or another, but he didn’t cause anyone trouble. Ruth was delighted to talk about him.
After dinner, Lily asked to be excused. They let her go but as she walked away from the table, Elijah caught a strange look on his daughter’s face. She looked terribly sad, the corners of her small mouth turned down.
He excused himself a few minutes later and went to find her. She wasn’t in her room or the library and Clara and Ruth had moved from the dining room to the parlor so Lily wasn’t there either.
Finally, he found her on the porch. She wasn’t seated. She was standing by the railing, looking out toward the front yard. Her eyes were turned up as if she was examining the stars. She must have heard him come out because she turned slightly to look at him over her shoulder. Her arms were folded together in front of her.
She said nothing, just turned back the way she had been.
“Are you all right, honey?” Elijah asked, stepping up next to her, embracing her with his arm around her shoulders. She was getting so tall.
“I’m all right, Papa,” she responded, sounding older than her age. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Anything you want to talk to me about?”
She was quiet for a moment before she said, “I was thinking about that boy, Thomas, that died. Sometimes when I’m dreaming, I see a little boy with your friend Jonas. I… I don’t think those dreams will ever stop. Sometimes they are good but… other times, they aren’t. I don’t want to dream about people I didn’t even know. It hurts my heart.”
“I understand, my dear. I really do.” Elijah was somewhat distressed that Lily dreamed about a boy she’d never known just from hearing the story from Jonas. “I don’t know if they will stop either, sweetie. I have them, too, but for other reasons. Hopefully, your dreams will go away at some point. But in the meantime, whenever you wake up afraid or have a nightmare, you come get me, and we’ll come out and count the stars until we feel better. Okay?”
Lily’s smile was soft. He could see the love in her eyes. It made his heart warm. She leaned against him, and he squeezed her shoulders comfortingly.
***
Later that night, an exhausted Elijah went into the room he shared with Clara to see her sitting on the bed in her nightgown. Her face was sad as she gazed out the window at the full moon. He peeled his shirt off as he walked to the bed and sat next to her.
She turned her eyes to him, and he pulled her into a hug.
“I’m so tired, Elijah. My emotions are all over the place today.”
“I’m here for you, my love.”
They were quiet for a moment before he spoke again, “I’m so glad to be here, too. There were many days I thought I would never see you again. Never be here with my wife and daughter in my home, my own bed…”
She turned her head up and lifted to kiss his lips softly. “You almost didn’t.”
Elijah sighed. “We both fought wars of our own, didn’t we?”
“And we won.” Clara’s voice was so soft and sweet. He rested two fingers on her chin and brushed it gently.
“I love you so much, Clara. Thank you for resisting the urge to sell.”
“I was so close,” she responded. “But I’m glad, too. I really am.”
“It’s been peaceful for over two years now. The town is peaceful and protected. Our home is our home for as long as we want it to be.”
Clara rested her head against him and they both looked out at the stars burning steady over a valley that finally belonged to the people who lived there.
Elijah embraced that peace, a feeling he never wanted to let go.
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 a very well written book. I started reading and DC couldn’t put UT down I stayed up until 230 in the morning to finish it and left the extended episode that I just finished. Keep up writing your books as long as you have stories to tell. You a a great author of Westerns and I try to read all that I come across.
Thank you, Karen, I’m glad you enjoyed this so much! I appreciate your enthusiasm and your support!