Chapter 9

Chris felt the angry steam coming from Sheila as she passed by him. Then he saw Jake's face and shirt drowned in beer. He started to say something witty but thought better of it when he saw the hurt on Jake's face.

So, he went to the table, sat down, and waited for Jake to say something. Chris really wanted a beer, but he was starting to think about becoming a good man. Not that only bad men drank beer, but he knew from experience that he and Jake often got into trouble after too many beers. Mary Anna would probably want him to stop drinking.

Chris groaned. Here, he was newly married, and his life was already going in a direction he wasn't all that happy about. Before he knew it, he'd be going to church and carrying babies around.

Jake sat down and picked up his half-empty mug. After looking at it, he set it down. "I'm going to stop drinking."

"She said yes?"

Shaking his head, Jake looked sorrowful. "She said no and threw a beer in my face. I didn't know it then, but now I do. I love her, Chris. What am I going to do?"

"You love her? Did you tell her?"

"Not exactly." Jake looked miserable. "She hates me now."

"What happened?"

"I said everything wrong. Help me, Chris. I have to get her back."

Chris looked at him. "How would I know how to get a woman to marry you? I did some kind of proxy thing that I still don't understand. I keep thinking I'm married to two women, and one of them is Sheila."

Jake's face brightened. "We'll buy the ranch. I'll go to the bank and pay for it. You'll like it, Chris. That way, I'll have something to share with Sheila. She won't turn me down after I show her the ranch."

"Is the house big enough for two couples?"

"Well, one of us could take the bunkhouse." Jake looked at him innocently.

Chris nodded. "Which couple would that be?"

"I need Sheila to be happy. So, I hope you'll let me have the ranch house. We'll work together to build you a proper house as soon as we can."

"Jake, what happened to the previous owner of the ranch?" Chris had a bad feeling about what the answer might reveal.

"He was killed by Indians."

"Those Indians still around?"

Jake shrugged. "I don't know. The army is here now. They ought to offer some protection."

"I'll go to the bank tomorrow and pay for the taxes on that ranch. I'll put both our names on the deed. Partners, right?"

"Yeah, Jake. We're partners." Chris shook his head. "Go to her and explain you were stupid. Tell her you love her and can't live without her, and you want to share the rest of your life with her. And then tell her about the ranch."

"Is that what you told Mary Anna?"

"No, we fought the civil war over again, remember? But I hope to say those things to her someday. Right now, they'd be lies. But I am married to the woman." Chris sighed. If he didn't join Drake's gang.

***

Sheila ran to her room at the back of the saloon. How humiliating. Jake was making fun of her. He didn't love her and was only humoring her because Chris had told him to. Anger mixed with love when she thought of Jake.

She liked him for his wit and hated him because he made fun of her and everyone close to him. Which would be herself and Chris. The man was incorrigible. She found it laughable that he was concerned that Chris would fall into the hands of an outlaw and go bad. Jake was far ahead of Chris in that respect.

He didn't see it. Fun-loving Jake thought he could get away with anything. But she knew better. She'd seen him rush out one night. Not that she'd tell Chris or the sheriff. Still, she loved the man. If only he would love her back.

She didn't trust him. Jake had the smooth talk of a riverboat gambler. Chris was a good man. He might think he was tempted to join Drake's gang, but she knew better. He wouldn't do it. Jake, on the other hand, already had a shady past.

One night, he'd come to her with a wound in his shoulder. While she took care of him, he talked in his delirium. Said things only she had heard. He'd been an outlaw before the war. Jake might be the one person who the war had straightened out.

Whether he was still wanted, she wasn't sure. Jake didn't know he'd told her things while burning with fever. But she remembered them. Still, if she thought he loved her, she'd marry him.

After all, who would marry a saloon girl? She'd led a rough life. Men might consider her a friend they could buy a beer for, but as a wife, no. Except Jake. He was different. He didn't judge others. Maybe because of his past.

She threw the bracelet Jake had given her against the wall. "Enough of him. Let him come calling if he wants me. I will no longer run after him." She glared at her image in the mirror and took up her shawl. She didn't want to see Jake and left the saloon by the back door.

Sheila ran past the idle cowboys, either drunk from last night, or just plain lazy and waiting for the night to gamble and drink. She wanted to talk to someone who might listen. She was going to visit Mary Anna.

The clerk at The Drover gave her the lustful look she was accustomed to. Sheila ignored it and finally got him to tell her Mary Anna was in room 2 B. She thanked him and went up the stairs. She knew Chris had been with Jake. Apparently, Chris and Mary Anna had no wedded bliss as of yet.

Sheila knocked on the door.

After a minute of hesitation, footsteps proved Mary Anna was on the other side of the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Sheila. Can we talk?"

The door opened, and Mary Anna welcomed her into her room. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, Chris is fine. I just wanted to talk to a friendly face. I don't have many friends, and none of them are women. I'm sure you can guess why."

"I need a good friend, too." Mary Anna gestured to one of the chairs in the room.

Sheila sat down. "How are you and Chris doing?"

"We decided to give ourselves time to get to know one another. Although, the more we get to know one another, the further apart we seem to get. But we are married."

"I'm sorry. As you know, Jake and I tricked Chris into standing for the proxy bride marriage. We plied him with whiskey, and Chris's ego and big talk did the rest. I hope you two will be happy."

"Thank you. Are you and Jake married?"

"No. Not that I don't think about it. He's never asked me." Sheila wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm not exactly the kind of woman men think about marrying."

Mary Anna reached out and touched Sheila's hand. "I like you. Are you sure Jake is the kind of man you would want to marry?"

"I don't care what he's done. I love him. I always have, but he looks right past me. To him, I am only one of the good old boys."

"I doubt that." Mary Anna smiled. "I saw the way he looked at you. There was more than the look for a pal."

"I hope so. We just had a big fight. He even asked me to marry him because he and Chris are buying a ranch. But do you know why he wanted to marry me?"

Mary Anna shook her head.

"So that you wouldn't be lonely." Sheila shook her head. "What a stupid man. How did he think that would make me want to marry him?"

With a chuckle, Mary Anna stood and went to the window. "Chris and Jake have a lot to learn about how to woo a woman. I guess we'll have to teach them."

Sheila nodded. "I decided I'm going to stay away from Jake and make him come to me. No more chasing the silly man."

"Good for you. I'll help you in any way that I can."

Sheila sighed. "So, how can I help you with your troubles with Chris?"

"Oh, I am not sure there is any help to be done. We are fighting the civil war all over again. He wanted to marry a woman from the North, and I am a Southern lady through and through."

Sheila shook her head. "My advice to you is to surrender like your General Lee. That war had no winners, and as long as you stick to your rebel nature, you and Chris will be at odds."

"I know you're right. It's just not easy."

"No, forgiveness never is, but it is the best course of action and healing. Our entire nation needs that healing. Believe me, I hear plenty from men who fought on either side of that horrible war. There is a rift in our country that will not go away without forgiveness."

Mary Anna smiled. "I think you're a very wise woman, Sheila."

"Thank you. You are in a crowd of one." Again, Sheila felt the tears threaten. If only she'd been born to a different mother, her lot in life may have been better. Of course, there was the chance it would have been worse. She just couldn't think about how that would be possible.