“Have you been on my Aunt Lydia’s ranch yet? No? Wait until you have seen it. There is nothing that will make Boston feel more as if it is on the other side of the world. I find I don’t miss it a bit. What about you?”

  As they chatted, Molly became aware that Virginia had no idea of the threat hanging over Molly’s head. Indeed, all Beatrice had told her was that Molly was being falsely accused of a crime and was certain to be acquitted and released in the near future. So Virginia’s sunny, optimistic disposition was not tainted by the gloom she might otherwise have felt, and Molly was glad for it. It was nice to be with someone who didn’t feel sorry for her and wasn’t saddened on her behalf. It added a lightness to the party that Molly was grateful for.

  Soon, the room was full with the additions of Lydia Cooper, her two eldest girls, and baby Ruby (who hugged little Felicity like they were old friends, and then proceeded to chase each other all over the jailhouse.) Finally, Beatrice arrived, and the party was complete.

  “Everybody, fix yourself a plate,” Miss Mabel ordered. “It ain’t no fancy tea food. But it’s a mite special for the occasion. So, Happy Birthday to Molly on her twenty-fifth birthday.”

  “Happy Birthday, Molly,” a chorus of voices shouted.

  Molly smiled shyly. How could so many people be here just for her?

  “Eat up.”

  So they did. It was a delicious picnic supper, with cool glasses of hard cider to wash it all down. Everyone chattered and socialized with the birthday girl. As with Molly and Virginia, the differences between Boston and Cheyenne were popular topics of conversation, seeing as how four of them present had been former residents.

  “I cain’t imagine there’s much to like in that city if every single one of you decided she could do better here,’ Miss Mabel noted. “It was the men, wasn’t it? I hear tell they’s a soft, pale, mushy bunch. ’Cain’t even hunt, most of ’em. That’s what I hear.”

  “That’s actually a very good description of most of the men I was courted by.” Virginia laughed. “They went banking, not hunting.”

  This was greeted with laughter. “My late husband would go to his club all day to smoke cigars, argue about politics, and fall asleep in their big leather chairs. Now, when I watch Giles branding the cattle, or running down and roping a stray, or chopping the firewood—yes, they put eastern men to shame.”

  The conversation continued and branched out in a multitude of directions. Ajax listened with great interest. He had never been surrounded so exclusively by women before, and he had certainly never thrown anyone a party. It was a day of firsts for him as well.

  He was particularly mindful to see if Molly was enjoying herself, and she was, wholeheartedly. She deserved to have good friends, especially after her family had kept her away from others as if she were a leper. There was only one good reason Ajax could think of why he would ever want to see Boston, and that was to look up Molly’s father and put his fist right through his face.

  But he had to focus on what would truly enhance Molly’s life here and now, short as it was likely to be. A tantalizing idea had been swirling around his brain for the past couple of days. It was crazy and complicated. And illegal. But Ajax was quickly learning to distinguish the difference between law and justice. The law said that Molly should remain behind bars. Justice had other plans for her. Ajax pulled Beatrice aside and shared an audacious plan with her. She was shocked. And she worried. And she was totally in agreement. Perfect. Because the plan couldn’t be accomplished without her.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Molly woke up the next morning brimming with recent memories. She felt as if she could thank Ajax every hour on the hour for an entire week, and it wouldn’t be enough to express her gratitude. He was gone from his cot when she woke up. She assumed that he had gone to pick up their breakfast at Miss Mabel’s, but Ajax had something entirely different in mind.

  He came into the jailhouse, followed by Beatrice, her wearing a bright yellow dress and a big, floppy hat.

  “How’d you like to go a dance tonight? A real dance. A real, real dance. In Laramie. With me.”

  “What are you talking about?’

  Ajax unlocked the cell door and Beatrice went inside.

  “You and I are going to change clothes,” Beatrice said. “And I’m going to stay in this cell tonight. And you’re going to go to Laramie with Ajax, and you’re going to dance and enjoy yourself and have one whole sweet day of freedom before you have to come back and face that trial.”

  “What? You can’t be serious. You, spending the night in prison?”

  “It’s my gift to you. I left a note for Avery, but thankfully, he won’t be home to see it until you’re long gone.”

  “And the assistant deputies have each been told that I won’t be needin’ their services for the next couple of nights. They were both happy to hear it, and they both live pretty far out. I also told them that Aunt Mabel and Mr. Martin have the full trust of the sheriff’s office and might consult with the prisoner in her cell from time to time. But that no one should be alarmed, because she’s not a flight risk.”

  “Except that she is.” Beatrice chuckled.

  “I also left a note for Mr. Martin to tell him how to handle certain situations if they should arise. But Sheriff Johnson is still in bed. I don’t think anyone is gonna come through that door in the next two days except for us. Now, people just saw me drive up with Beatrice Martin, her wearing a yellow dress and a big hat, and they’re gonna see me drive away from here with a woman in a yellow dress and a big hat. You need to keep your face turned toward me. Stand close to me at the train station. Board as fast as we can. It’ll be easier when we come back, ’cause it’ll be night. Well, go on. Get dressed.”

  Molly let down the curtains in a daze.

  “Do you want to go with him?” Beatrice whispered.

  Molly nodded emphatically.

  “Then let’s hurry up and switch.”

  What sort of man was this Ajax Harper that he could top the wondrous events of the previous day with this jaw-dropping, unbelievable turn of events?

  Aside from hearts pounding at a dangerous rate, the ride to the train station went otherwise smoothly. People waved at the Deputy, and he smiled and waved back. A few also recognized Beatrice Martin’s dress and yelled out greetings. To their surprise, she didn’t hear them.

  At the train station, Ajax paid a young man to return the wagon and horse to Miss Mabel’s boarding house. The boy was excited to receive an unusually large tip. He didn’t even glance in Molly’s direction.

  Tickets were quickly purchased. Molly felt a pang of guilt that Ajax was spending so much money on her, but it was clear he didn’t mind. And she was basking in the thrill of being cared for.

  Finally, they were on the train, and as it pulled away from the station, their hearts could finally calm down.

  “Won’t be long. Just two hours,” Ajax promised.

  “I can’t believe we’re doing this. I can’t believe you’re doing this. You would be in dreadful trouble if we were found out, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’d lose my badge for sure, and probably wind up behind bars myself. Just like my pa used to predict. I had three brothers, and of all his sons, he thought I was most likely to turn criminal.”

  “What a terrible thing to say. Why would he say such a thing?”

  “Well, I got into a little too much trouble when I was younger. Always breakin’ the rules. And not book smart like my brothers. I hated school. I cain’t remember how many times my pa said I would amount to nothin’. And then after I killed my first man, he said he knew it for sure.”

  “Killed your first . . . man?”

  “Yeah . . . it was a stupid barroom brawl. And I know it’s what everyone says, but he was the one who started it. It wasn’t a hard punch that ended it. But he stumbled and fell back and knocked his head on a card table. Cracked his skull. I was pretty upset. I sure never set out to take anyone’s life, and I didn’t take it lightly. I knew I was gonna be punished for it. Fact is, my pa kicked me out and said he didn’t want to have nothin’ to do with no killer.

  But then it turns out that this fella was a killer wanted in three states for over a half-dozen killin’s. And not only did I not go to jail, but they gave me a reward for killin’ him. A big one. From all three of them states. And that was how I started bein’ a bounty hunter.”

  “But your father . . . he must have felt differently after he knew what a horrible killer the man was.”

  “But he didn’t. He said I just got lucky, and it could easily have been an innocent man I killed. Which is true. I cain’t deny it. So that still makes me the same as a killer.”

  “But it doesn’t. Because he started the fight. And then it was an accident. And then, he turned out to be someone who really deserved to be killed. An awful thing to say, I know, but if you hadn’t killed him, don’t you think he would have killed more innocent people?”

  “I do. That’s how I made peace with it. And that’s how I was able to go after all those other wanted men. Killin’ was like some game to them. And I knew that by stoppin’ them, that there was someone out there, maybe more than one someone, who was gonna get to live, because they were never gonna have to run into the man that I just killed.

  But I understand why what I do—what I did—is pretty distasteful to most folks. They think I must be pretty heartless. And most people look down on bounty hunters, and I cain’t say I blame ’em. I’ve met plenty of them, and sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between them and the men they’re huntin’. Some of them were downright despicable. So, yeah . . . that’s who I was. Not too appealin’, is it?”

  “It is a terrible job. It sounds dangerous and unpleasant, and I’m glad you don’t do it anymore. Not that it’s any of my business. But you’re absolutely right. You were saving lives. Even though you’ll never know and they’ll never know exactly who they are.”

  Ajax couldn’t have been more surprised. He had expected a proper young lady to recoil from his past. But here Molly was saying that he could look back on his life and hold his head high. Could he dare to hope?

  *****

  Laramie was smaller than Cheyenne, and its grand hotel was not nearly as grand, but it was stately enough, with chandeliers and extravagant woodwork at the front desk. Ajax reserved two rooms on the second floor, and they were led up to their respective rooms to rest and get ready for dinner. Ajax was also thoughtful enough to order a hot bath for Molly—something she badly wanted after only having had a wash basin for the past few weeks.

  After the thorough relaxation of the bath, the goose down mattress beckoned. It seemed a shame to spend any of her free time with eyes closed, but it was important to be refreshed for the first dance of her life.

  *****

  Back in Cheyenne, Avery whistled as he went up the walkway to his home. He had purchased and lived in the house during his bachelor days, but how much sweeter it was to come home as a married man.

  He could feel the stillness as soon as he entered. Where could Beatrice be? True, she had a multitude of social obligations, but she was always home by dinner. It only took him a moment to spot the note she left for him on the dining table—two notes, actually, for Ajax’s was right beside it. He picked it up, expecting to see an explanation for a small reasonable delay of her presence. What he did see was beyond all belief.

  He stormed into the jailhouse, where Miss Mabel was quietly reading at the Sheriff’s desk. The curtains to Molly’s cell were closed. Avery shook his head incredulously.

  “Hmmph. Maybe I ought to step out for a few minutes,” Miss Mabel volunteered.

  She made a hasty exit, and Avery heatedly marched up to the jail cell.

  “Beatrice Martin, you come out here this instant.”

  After a moment, Beatrice slowly pulled the curtain back to find her husband fuming with anger, as she could easily have predicted.

  “Before you say a word, you’re going to hear me out. My friend, Molly Reynolds, is likely to die at the age of twenty-five years, without ever having had a chance to really experience life or happiness. Her father was an ogre. Her brothers just exploited her. No one was there to show her any love, and she gets the courage to dream of something better and to leave them, and then she runs smack into Roy Butler.

  “When I think about my own life, I can’t believe how lucky I am. My husband, my home, my wonderful life here, and to know that I’m young—we’re young, and we have a long, beautiful future. She deserves the next fifty years of a good life, and all I can give her is two days. But if that’s all I can do, then I’m happy to do it. I’ve got a million days left and I can spare two of them for her, I certainly can. I had to. Or I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.”

  Beatrice’s eyes filled with tears, and Avery quickly located the cell keys per Ajax’s instructions. In a moment, he had his arms around her, cushioning her sobs, his wife’s compassion completely dissolving his anger.

  *****

  “Swing to the left and swing to the right!”

  Molly got swung left, right, and every which way conceivable. The dance was a breathless, orderly pandemonium. The floor was filled with big smiles and lively stepping, so different from the demure waltzes she had glimpsed back in Boston. This was the kind of dancing where she could feel her heart pumping and be reminded that she was alive. And even better, to be alive in the arms of the man who was fast becoming the most trusted person in her entire world.

  There were frequent breaks for water and food. Ajax even reluctantly surrendered her to dance with a couple of other men who asked. There were, after all, a noticeably higher number of men than women, and it seemed that a little generosity was in order. But only a little. Molly was his—a foolishly possessive thought, but nonetheless, he felt it keenly.

  How did she feel about him, he wondered? She was positively glowing this evening. She was obviously happy to be free of her cage, but could she be enjoying his company even half as much as he did hers? Time would tell, and there was precious little of it.

  *****

  They met for breakfast at the hotel’s dining room. Molly was in a jolly mood, filled with the joy and freedom of the previous night.

  “So you had yourself a good time, I think.”

  “Ajax, I will never be able to thank you enough.”

  “Now enough of that.”

  “No. I have to say it. That’s what I meant by being able to face my end without being tortured by all the wonderful things life has to offer that I’ll never be able to experience. In just over forty-eight hours, you have helped me see and feel and do so many things that were important to me. I’m not feeling so sorry for myself right now.

  Of course, I wish things were different. But I feel braver, happier. More grateful. More at peace. And it’s all due to you. I wish there were something I could do to repay you.”

  “Funny you should mention that. But brace yourself, ’cause it’s a pretty big thing.”

  “I would love the chance to do anything for you. Just tell me.”

  “Well, you got your long list of things you were afraid was never gonna come true. I got a list like it myself. It may not be quite as long as yours, but the thought of missin’ out on some things weighs on me pretty heavy.”

  “What is it that you want most of all?”

  Ajax took a deep, deep breath and let it out slowly. “A wife, Molly. A wife. I want you to marry me, today, and be my wife for as long as we have together. Now, I know . . . I know this sounds like a crazy idea. And I know I’m not the kind man you probably dreamed of marrying, and maybe, if the circumstances were different, I wouldn’t even dare ask you, but—”

  He didn’t have a chance to finish that sentence. Molly leapt out of her seat, and for a split second, he was sure she was going to run away. Instead, she plopped right down on his lap and threw her arms around his neck.

  “I shouldn’t say yes. I shouldn’t say yes, because it’s not fair to you. Because you’re going to be so sad after I’m gone, and I hate to cause you so much pain. But it would be a dream come true. I didn’t talk about it. I was too embarrassed to tell you that this was what I really didn’t want to miss out on. I didn’t know how that would sound. But here you are, thinking about it too.”

  Their arms tightened around each other, and they came together for a deep, satisfying kiss, oblivious to any onlookers or hushed whispers.

  Molly whispered in his ear. “And Ajax Harper, you are exactly the kind of man I was dreaming of—in every way.”

  That was all Ajax needed to hear. He and Molly skipped their breakfast and hastened to the front desk to find out where the nearest wedding chapel was. Ajax also informed them that they’d be staying one more night. This time, only one room would be necessary. This news was greeted with such a disapproving frown that Ajax had to explain.

  “We’re getting married this afternoon.”

  “Oh, my heartiest congratulations. We are honored you have chosen our hotel for this happy occasion. We will find a suitable new room for you.”

  Molly and Ajax ran out of the hotel, the very picture of giddy young love. Even before they found a chapel, there was one important matter to attend to. They had to find a telegraph office to let their dear friends know that they were going to have to impose on them one more day.

  “I hope Beatrice isn’t mad when she sees this,” Molly worried.

  “Well, we cain’t send it directly to her. She’s in jail.”

  Why did that strike them as so funny? They laughed uncontrollably before Molly remembered how guilty she was feeling.

  “Beatrice is a respectable woman—a really important woman in Cheyenne society. She ought not to be in jail.”

  “Listen. This is gonna be your last two days of freedom before you’re back behind bars, waitin’ for your trial. Mrs. Martin understands that. She really does. And she’s fond of us both. Mr. Martin . . . that’s a whole ’nother story. No man likes to be deprived of his wife’s company. Not to mention, he’s got a family reputation to protect. But he’s got a whole long life to spend with his wife, and I don’t, so he’s gonna have to understand.”

 

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