Under a Falling Star (27 page)

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

A
t the sound of thundering hooves, Susanna peered around the trees she was walking through to see Albert galloping her way. The storm had passed, and a bright spring day had taken its place, a little on the breezy side, but still, a vast improvement over what it had been just an hour before. As he drew closer, her heartbeat increased. She’d told him she loved him—and her world had not collapsed. Even though she was nervous, she couldn’t wait to hold him in her arms.

He halted a few feet away and dismounted. His eager face made tingles swirl through her body. He dropped his reins and hurried forward, but slowed as he got closer, a somewhat shy look, one she’d never seen before, emerging on his face. He stopped and let her close the distance.

“So, it went well?” she asked, unsure of what to say. “You got there in time?”

He studied her face, then said softly, “I did. Not that it would have mattered much. Nate was under the train. When he heard what was planned, he snuck away and warned the town, even outwitting Dwight, who’d tried to stop him.”

He looked so different, so cautious. He’d always been so in command. She had to take a breath to calm her racing heart. “A true Preston.”

A smile creeped onto his face. “That’s my boy.”

They stood together in the road, alone for as far as the eye could see. He held out his hand. The moment she placed hers in his warm palm, he pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms. “Susanna.” His voice was tortured, and he buried his face in her hair, which had long since come loose of its bounds, and breathed in deeply. “Susanna,” he said again, this time barely a whisper. Leaning back, his lips found hers.

Susanna’s lips melded with his, soft and compliant. No hesitation now, her arms slid up his chest until they were wrapped effectively around his neck, giving as good as she got. Their first kiss in front of the bank had been such a surprise, he’d hardly had time to enjoy it before it ended. Not so now. He’d been thinking about this one ever since she’d said “I love you,” right before he’d ridden away. He wondered if she’d object if he hoisted her into his arms and carried her under the bushes where they wouldn’t be found. For several long minutes they stood locked in each other’s embrace, exploring territory that was new to both. Breathing heavily, they finally parted, the light of love shining in her eyes.

“Does this mean I can openly court you? You know my history. You know I kept important issues from you. If I could change the past, I would. So you wouldn’t have been hurt. Out of everything, that haunts me the most.” He didn’t like the uncertainty in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Albert, I have things in my past I need to share. Things that may change the way you think about me. You see, I haven’t been totally honest with you, either. I’ve been too embarrassed to—”

He pressed a finger to her lips. “There’s nothing you could tell me that would change one wit how I feel. Not one. If your answer is yes, and I can court you, we’ll have plenty of time for sharing later. Right now, I just want to hear you say that you feel the same.” He stepped back, whipped off his hat, and hollered as loud as he could up to the sky. “I love Susanna Robinson! And if she’ll still have me, I want to make her my wife!”

Laughter burst from Susanna’s lips, and Dunbar pranced nervously, the poor horse’s eyes wide with surprise.

Feeling very pleased with himself, Albert turned and shouted it again in the opposite direction, loving the happy smile stretched across her face.

He clamped his hat back on. “Well, you never answered my question. You’re getting more than you’d bargained for now that Nate’s shown up in Logan Meadows, but he’s a very good boy. I think you could love him.”

She slipped back into his embrace and lifted her face for another kiss, and he was more than happy to oblige. The kiss was gentle and sweet and more than promising. After several long moments he pulled back, his senses soaring. The sincerity and depth to her gaze did marvelous things to his heart. “Well?”

She played with the hair curling around his ear. Red-hot tingles shot down his neck and plunged deep into his belly. Since she was so agreeable, he dipped his head toward her lips, but she held him off with a hand to his chest.

“I say two Prestons are better than one.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she studied his face. “And I love him already. But, for his sake, I don’t want to rush things. He has enough adjusting to do without adding a wedding and a new mother into the mix. He’ll let us know when the time is right.”

“I totally agree. And it’ll give me plenty of time to show my girl around town on my arm, steal a kiss now and then, walk out on Sundays, and take buggy rides. All the things we couldn’t do before. I want to have them all.”

CHAPTER FIFTY

P
a, when’re we goin’ froggin’?” Nate grumbled, standing obediently in front of Albert’s highboy as his father combed his hair. He’d asked the same question every day for the past two weeks, but one thing or another had always gotten in their way.

First, the Denver bank had finally shown up with an army regiment of their own, a reinforced stage, and a detailed plan to safely move the million dollars to San Francisco, much to Albert’s and Frank’s relief. Best of all, they planned to pull out tomorrow. But before that, right after the army detail he’d sent for arrived, the Union Pacific made it to town with a load of new track to lay and fifty workers to do it. Between sending Evan, Laine, Wallace, and the rest of the Stone gang back to Fort McKinney, and the arrival of the Union Pacific and the bankers, Albert had had precious little time for his boy and Susanna.

That
was about to change.

He whisked the floppy hair on Nate’s head one way, inspected his work with a critical eye, and then tried the opposite direction. “Soon, Nate. The railroad men are almost finished with the new track. In the meantime, another engine is on its way from the opposite direction to hook onto the caboose and pull the train that’s been stranded back to the nearest train yard. Once all that’s finished, I’ll have all the time in the world to do anything you like.”

“The tracks will go around the wreck?”

“Yes, sort of. Not around in a circle but alongside and past. This time, a good distance away from the ridge so there won’t be any more rockslides, intentional or not.”
And hopefully no more deaths.
He flipped the hair back in the first direction again. “I can’t get this to work. You need a haircut, and soon.”

“But what about froggin’?”

Albert stepped back, smiling down at his son. “If it means that much to you, we could skip the May Day celebration today and go right now.” They had plans with Susanna, but she’d made it clear in no uncertain terms that Nate came first. If plans changed because of him, that was fine.

Nate’s face scrunched up in deep thought. “I guess we can wait till later.”

“Oh, you’ve seen the maypole we put up and don’t want to miss the fun, is that it?”

Nate nodded, looking serious and grownup. “That’s right, Pa. We may as well do both.”

“My thoughts exactly. Now skedaddle out of here so I can tend to my own beautification. We don’t want to be late. And please close the door on your way out—”

Nate dashed out of the room, flinging the door closed behind him. It slammed, rattling the windowpane.

“—gently.”

“Sorry, Pa,” Nate hollered.

Albert began unbuttoning the top button of his sleep shirt but his gaze strayed to Floria’s trunks sitting along the wall still untouched. What was he waiting for? A personal invitation? He’d avoided the unpleasant task long enough. What if there was something important inside? Something that needed tending? He should just do it and get the chore off his mind. Most likely it was a bunch of clothes and shoes, but two trunks? That seemed excessive, even for Floria.

He pulled one across the floor to his bed, then sat, the mattress
dipping with his weight. Lifting the latch, he opened the finely built
travel case, and rested the top back on its hinge. Just as he’d thought.
Clothes. He just looked, not wanting to touch her belongings. It
seemed intimate, and it had been many years since they’d been such.

This was ridiculous. Nate would get impatient to go. Albert picked up the corner of the top dress, and looked below. Another garment. He repeated the process. So deep inside, he finally had to lift the top articles out and set them on his bed. Two pairs of fancy boots and some satin slippers lined the bottom along with two reticules, shawls, and a few unmentionables. The money he’d sent home for her support hadn’t been put in the bank.

Finding nothing of importance, he lowered the lid, replaced the trunk and brought the other over.

A crash from the kitchen made him flinch.

“Pa? You almost ready? I finished the dishes for ya.”

Albert couldn’t stop a smile at the surge of love Nate’s little voice created. “I’ll be along shortly, Nate. Give me a few more minutes. Thanks for cleaning up.”

“No problem, Pa!”

Resigned to finish his task so he could stop dwelling on it, Albert opened the second trunk. At the conglomeration of things, papers, envelopes, and very personal items, he sat back in surprise. This looked like everything she might have in the world. On the top was an official-looking envelope stamped with the Louis County seal of Iowa and addressed to Floria. Taking it, he extracted the contents and gazed at the long-awaited divorce papers. Dated two months ago and signed by Floria Brooks Preston.

His heart pounded in his chest and he took a moment to grasp what all this meant. In the same section was a thick envelope containing a tintype of him and Floria the day they married. A flood of emotion washed over him at the pretty smile on her lips. She held the small bouquet of primroses he’d picked and tied with a ribbon. They both looked so young.

“Pa?” Nate was on the opposite side of the door. He needed to hurry.

“Give me five minutes more, son. We’re still going to be early, I promise. I’m just doing a few things I’ve let go. Can you do that?”

A second passed. “Sure, Pa.” Nate’s tone wasn’t quite as chipper. After the frogging failures, Albert didn’t want to let Nate down again. He’d go through this trunk when his son went to bed tonight. It would take several hours. As he went to lower the lid, his gaze caught on a letter dated March first, two months ago. His curiosity got the better of him. He lifted the envelope, postmarked from California, and pulled the letter out.

My dearest Fluflu,

I’m counting the days until your glorious arrival. The moment can’t come fast enough to suit me. My family is anxious to meet the woman who has tamed my heart and ways, and will soon be my wife. They are thrilled we plan to settle with them in California and to have me back on the west coast.

Just as he’d thought. Floria had needed a marriage proposal to get the divorce done.

Stay safe, my love. You’re a very brave woman to travel to the Wyoming Territories by yourself with only the help of your young nephew. If I could be there, you know I would. Your tenacity and spunk are two of the things that drew me to you, as well as your beautiful face, and, oh, so many charms.

Nephew!

As much as I like the boy, I do feel your older sister is sound in seeing to the boy from here on out, since you alone have borne this obligation since your dear brother’s death.

Floria was an only child. She hadn’t even been willing to claim Nate as her own. He felt sorry for the man she’d been traveling to meet—another fool, just like he’d been.

You deserve a little freedom to see the world before we’re blessed with children of our own. Please give Nate a hug for me, and tweak his cheek as I like to do. Tell him we will come and visit often. It’s endearing how at times he slips and calls you mama.

Poor Nate! His mother had planned to give him away like a puppy that no longer fit into her life. Maybe it was best that Floria had already passed. If not, he would be tempted to do something he’d regret.

“Pa?”

Disgusted, Albert flung the missive into the trunk and closed the lid. He quietly carried it to the wall, then crossed the room and opened the door. Nate’s eyes went wide at the sight of his nightshirt and pants.

Albert scooped him up. “Have I told you today how much I love you, son?” When hot prickles stabbed at the back of Albert’s eyes, he buried his face against Nate’s neck. “Because I do, Nate. Life is so much sweeter since you arrived. I can’t imagine a day going by without seeing your smiling face. You’re my boy, and I couldn’t be prouder.” He gave him a good squeeze, meaning every word from the bottom of his soul. “I love you.”

Nate clung to him like a tick. He didn’t say anything, but the strong beat of his heart said he’d heard every word his pa spoke.