Chapter 11

Dallas

"Good morning." Dallas kissed his wife soundly the next morning just as the sun was coming up. "Megan, wake up. Today's Sunday."

Dallas hadn't been to church in a while, but he thought that Megan might like to go. After his talk with her the night before, he knew it was time to become part of the community… and for them to become a family.

"What time is it?" Megan sat straight up in bed, her auburn hair falling loosely over her shoulders.

Dallas smiled as he took her in, pushing her hair back over her shoulder. "It's early yet, but I thought you may want to go to church today."

Megan nodded. "Yes, of course." She started to get out of bed, but he pulled her back.

"Megan, thank you for last night."

A smile spread across her lips. "What's a wife for if she can't listen to her husband every once in a while?"

He smirked. "Every ‘once in a while'?"

"Don't push it." She got up out of bed and slid into her robe, took out a dress, and went behind the dressing screen to change.

Dallas got up out of bed and dressed for the day in a light gray suit and white dress shirt. Then he slipped into his boots that shone to perfection. Mrs. Daly always took care of that for him. He never knew when she did it, but they were always ready when he needed them. Or maybe Mr. Daly did it for him at his wife's request. He pushed the thought aside and concentrated on getting ready for church.

"Megan, darling, I'll wait for you downstairs." He took his gray derby hat to match his suit, holding it in his hand as he walked down the stairs. He wouldn't put it on until it was time to go.

"Good morning, Mr. King!" Mrs. Daly was walking through, carrying a stack of linen. "What a fine mornin' it ‘tis."

"Yes, it is." He greeted her with a smile, feeling better than he had in a very long time. It was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Go ahead and sit down," Mrs. Daly instructed. "I'll be in with yer breakfast just as soon as I put these away. Jacques already has it prepared for ye and the missus."

Dallas smiled, nodding his thanks. "Thank you, Mrs. Daly."

When he walked into the dining room, Charles was already sitting at the table, eating pancakes. "Good morning, Dallas."

"Morning." Dallas set his hat down on a side table and then sat down across from Charles. "Have you been up long?"

Charles shook his head. "No, but I heard mention of a church service this morning and thought I'd go along, if you don't mind."

Dallas smiled as Mrs. Daly poured him a cup of coffee. "No, not at all." Then he glanced over at her. "In fact, you and your husband are welcome to come, too."

She smiled appreciatively. "Well, maybe some other day. But thank ye fer the invitation." She walked around the table and refilled Charles's cup, and then set a cup down at Megan's place, knowing she would be down soon. "Ye be careful out there. It was snowin' this morning."

"Really?" Dallas took another sip of his coffee. "I thought it seemed a bit colder this morning."

"I'll have one of the men put another log on the fire." Mrs. Daly walked back toward the kitchen. "I'll be right back with yer breakfast."

Dallas glanced over at Charles. "Will you be here for Thanksgiving?" It was just a week away, after all.

Charles smiled. "Yes, I was planning on it. I don't have to be back in New York until Christmas."

"Great!" A broad grin spread across Dallas's face. "I'll have Jacques fix us a nice Thanksgiving dinner." Dallas took another sip of his coffee. "I wish you could stay for Christmas. But if the weather is like it was last year, you may not have a choice."

Charles laughed. "Between us, I wouldn't mind. But if I can travel, then I must go. Nevertheless, thank you for the invitation."

Just then, Mrs. Daly walked in, carrying two plates. "Where is Mrs. King?" She set the plates down, each filled with pancakes, and then set a platter with more in the center of the table.

Dallas poured syrup over his pancakes. "She'll be down in a few moments."

Just then, she walked into the room and both Dallas and Charles stood, and Dallas held her chair. "So sorry I'm late." Megan shook out her napkin and slid it across her lap.

"Are you well?" Dallas asked. "You look a bit peaked."

Megan took a sip of her coffee. "I feel so tired this morning. I'm not sure why."

"We can stay home, if you like." Dallas's eyes were filled with concern as he gently squeezed her hand.

"No, I'm fine." Megan reached out. "Could ye please pass the syrup?" Dallas handed it to her, and she slathered it over her pancakes. Then she cut the stack of pancakes on her plate, jabbed a few pieces, and shoved it into her mouth. She moaned in delight as she closed her eyes and chewed. Dallas and Charles looked at each other, their eyes wide, and then burst out laughing.

"What?" Megan asked, looking up from her plate.

"Darling, we can stay home today if you don't feel up to going."

She shook her head and took another bite. "No, I'm already starting to feel better. I'll be fine in a minute… after I eat." She took another huge bite and chewed.

When Dallas and Charles finished, they sat back and enjoyed their coffee, waiting for Megan to finish.

"So, do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Charles leaned back in his chair, holding his coffee.

Dallas glanced over at Megan, who was shoveling forkfuls of pancake into her mouth, moaning in delight as if it were her last meal. "I think I'm going to have to start feeding her more often."

Charles coughed to cover a laugh, but Megan ignored them.

"And to answer your question: Yes, I'm going to the bank in the morning. But other than that, I don't have anything planned." Dallas took a sip of his coffee. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I have some business to take care of in Laramie, so I thought I'd go there tomorrow." Charles fiddled with his coffee cup, turning it. "I was wondering if you'd like to go."

Dallas nodded. "Yes, maybe I can come home for lunch, and we can go then. Do you mind if Megan comes, too?" He glanced over at her and smiled. "I think she might like to go. Maybe I can take her out to eat while you take care of your business."

Charles glanced over at her and smiled. "Yes, of course. It would be a delight to have such a lovely lady accompany us."

Megan blushed, giving him an appreciative smile, but went back to eating.

Dallas dabbed at his mouth, laid his napkin on his plate, and glanced at his pocket watch. "Well, I think we need to get going if we intend to make it on time." He glanced over at his wife. "Megan, darling. Are you ready to go?"

She looked up, smiling sheepishly. "Oh! Yes, of course." She patted daintily at her lips with her napkin, laid it beside her plate, and stood. A slight belch escaped her lips, which she suppressed. "Oops! Pardon me! I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me."

Charles smiled. "You were hungry. It's quite all right."

Dallas held out his arm to her. "Shall we?"

She took his arm, and he led her to the front door.

"I'll wait outside." Charles slipped on his coat and walked out, leaving the door open, obviously giving them a moment alone.

"I'm so sorry." Megan let Dallas help her on with her coat. "I didn't mean for Charles… or you… to hear me do that."

Dallas chuckled. "Charles is like family. It's all right." Then he slipped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes, concerned that she may be coming down with something. "Are you feeling well, darling?"

"I'm just a little tired… and hungry." Megan laughed. "Yes, and I'm sorry about eating so much, but I just couldn't help meself."

One corner of his lips curled into a smile. "Just make sure you don't get fat."

Megan gave him a light smack on the chest. "Ye will care about me even if I do."

"Yes, of course I will… but just be careful." He loved her figure. Although it sounded unreasonable, even to his own ears, he just wanted her to be careful.

She stared at him for a long moment. "Dallas, if I want to eat the kitchen sink and get very fat, then I will." Megan stormed out the door headed toward the carriage, leaving him behind.

Dallas sighed as he followed her out, closing the door behind him, making a mental note to have a conversation with her when they were alone. Bill held the carriage door open as he slid in, and he closed it behind him. Megan slid over but looked out the window on the other side of the carriage.

Dallas gently squeezed her hand, and she gave him a weak smile.

He watched the lovely countryside pass, covered in a fresh blanket of snow beneath the evergreens with patches of snow resting upon their branches. Even though it was cold out, the sun shone brightly, reflecting on the snow. It was lovely, reminding Dallas of growing up in Minnesota and sled riding when he was a little boy.

"So, are ye staying through Christmas?" Megan asked Charles, bringing Dallas from his reverie.

He smiled. "No, I have to be in New York for Christmas. But I'd like to stay for Thanksgiving, though."

Megan gave him a warm smile. "Well, yer welcome to stay as long as ye like." Then her eyes popped open. "Oh! Maybe we could invite other people, too. Maybe the sheriff?"

Dallas smiled, glad she wanted to be part of the community. "I'm sure that the sheriff would love it. He has two children and no wife, so he probably doesn't have much time to cook. His daughter, Lillian, is still young yet. But from what I understand, she cooks most of their meals. I'm sure she would like a break. Either that, or we could invite Wyatt Nash and his new wife."

"Or Colton and Ella and the children," Megan added. "Since they all know one another."

Dallas smiled. "I think it may be too many for the dining room."

"Unless we set up a large table in the living room…." Charles added. "We could all dine together then."

"I think maybe a more intimate setting in the dining room might be nice." Dallas added. "After all, it would be twelve people, including the babies. I think we can manage in the dining room. We could set up a side board with the vegetables, turkey, and other items." Then he glanced over at Megan. "What do you think, darling?"

She gave him a small smile but was obviously starting to get caught up in the planning. "That might be nice. When we get home this afternoon, I'll have a look and see what we can do."

"Sounds like a plan!" A broad smile spread across Dallas's face.

One corner of Charles's lips curled into a smile. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"What?" He arched an eyebrow.

Charles leaned forward. "This means that we'll have to go hunting."

Dallas burst out laughing. "We could always buy one from the General Store."

"No! Where's your spirit of adventure?" Charles asked, clearly excited. "We haven't gone hunting for a while. It'll do us some good to get out in the fresh air."

"In the snow," Dallas said flatly.

Megan laughed. "Well, I'll leave it to ye fellas to take care of the turkey. I'll speak with Jacques about the rest of the meal." Her head snapped toward Dallas, the earlier incident forgotten. "Should we invite them today? After all, it'll give them plenty of time to plan. What do ye think?"

"Well, I don't know…" Dallas glanced over at Charles and smiled. "What do you think? A Thanksgiving party?"

He shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"Now, you boys will have to tell me what to fix because I've never had a Thanksgiving meal before, let alone prepared one." Megan suddenly looked worried.

Dallas gently patted her hand. "Don't worry. Jacques will take care of everything. You'll just go over the menu with him, once it's planned."

"Well, I want to do something more…." She tapped her finger on her chin, thinking. "I know! Mrs. Daly and I will take care of the decorations. We'll press the linens–"

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" Dallas chuckled. "You can have your party."

"I'll contribute, too," Charles interjected, clearly caught up in the excitement.

"No, ye're our guest," Megan interrupted. "Ye and Dallas will take care of shootin' the turkey. Leave the rest of the plannin' to me."

One corner of Charles's lips curled into a devious smile. "Don't worry. I'll think of something."

The three of them laughed as they planned their first Thanksgiving together. Dallas just hoped that everything went well this time. But one thing was sure: He made a mental note to be himself and not to put on airs. After all, he didn't have to. He just hoped that he and Megan could work everything out in the meantime.

Soon, they arrived at the stone church, set in a fresh blanket of sparkling snow. It was as if God himself had planted a seed and the lovely stone church had sprung up from the earth. The mountains created a lovely backdrop behind it.

Reverend Henley was waiting by the door as they approached, and his eyes widened. After all, it was the first time that Dallas had been to the church for Sunday service. At that moment, Dallas realized how out of touch he had been with the community, although he had fancied himself a part of it all along.

Dallas helped Megan out of the carriage and Charles stepped down from the other side. Dallas tucked Megan's hand in his arm. "Ready?"

"Yes." Then her smile faded. "And I promise not to embarrass ye."

Dallas sighed. "Megan, I didn't mean–"

"It's okay," she cut him off. "Let's just enjoy ourselves today."

He gave her a small smile, gently patting her hand. "Yes, let's."

"Well, well! Mr. King!" Reverend Henley held out his hand. "It's such a pleasure to see you here!"

"The pleasure is ours." Dallas grinned as he shook his hand. "This is Charles and of course, you know my wife, Megan."

"Yes, it's good to see you all again!" Preacher Henley replied, obviously overjoyed that they had come.

"Do you have room for three more?" Dallas asked, smiling.

"Yes, of course!" Preacher Henley stepped back. "There's always room for more. I'm so glad you came."

Dallas looked down at Megan and patted her hand. "Well, we hope to be regulars, if that's okay?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Preacher Henley was so overjoyed that it was almost embarrassing. Dallas silently kicked himself for not having come sooner. "I'm so glad to hear it! Now, go on in and make yourselves comfortable. The service will start shortly."

Dallas nodded and led Megan in, followed by Charles. The men took off their hats and laid them on a table by the door alongside the other gentlemen's hats.

On the way up the aisle, Mia, the preacher's wife, stood in front of the first pew and waved to them. Colton, Ella, and the children sat in the pew behind them. They turned and smiled.

"Mr. and Mrs. King," Mia greeted them, "it's a pleasure to see you here!"

Dallas smiled. "Well, we thought it was about time." Then he turned to Charles. "Of course, you remember my friend Charles from the party," He was careful not to mention his last name, wanting Charles to feel completely comfortable.

"Why, yes! Of course!" Mia replied. Then she pointed to the two small children sitting in the front row: A boy and a girl. "These are our children: Shane and Hailey."

Megan stooped down to greet them. "‘Tis a pleasure to meet you both."

Shane's eyes opened wide. "Wow! Where are you from? Are you from the same place as Mrs. Price?" Of course, they were talking about Gabriella Price, the princess from Monaco that had married Dirk Price.

Megan looked up at him, her eyebrows raised.

"Monaco," he whispered.

Megan shook her head. "No, I'm originally from Ireland."

"Ireland!" Shane exclaimed. "What's it like?"

"Well, ye parents will have to bring ye over to our house some time and I'll tell ye." Megan was clearly excited at the possibility. It was obvious that she loved children.

Just then, Reverend Henley walked up the aisle, preparing to take his place at the pulpit.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Mrs. King." Mia hurried to quiet the children. "We can talk more after the service."

"Yes, of course." Megan nodded.

Colton and Ella slid over, holding the babies, to make room for Dallas, Megan, and Charles.

Megan leaned in to Dallas and whispered low so no one could hear, "Do ye think we could invite them, too? They seem delightful. We don't have to make a big fuss—"

Dallas's lips curled into a smile, nodding. Megan wrapped her arm around his and leaned against his shoulder. He patted her hand, and she raised up, turning her attention to the pulpit.

Preacher Henley gave a wonderful sermon and spoke about the Thanksgiving holiday coming up and that it was a time of year to think about everything they had to be thankful for in their lives. After his heartfelt sermon, Gabriella and Gavin Cole, the church organist, launched into "Rock of Ages" and the service was over.

"That was wonderful!" Megan approached Gabriella after the service. "Ye have a lovely voice!"

"Thank you!" Gabriella smiled graciously, gently squeezing her hand. "I'm so glad you came," she replied in her thick French accent. "I hope you'll stay. The ladies of the church host an after-service lunch every week and there's usually dancing and games, too."

Megan glanced over at Dallas, and he smiled and nodded. Then she turned back to Gabriella. "We'd love to." Then she turned to Ella and Colton. "Are ye staying, too?"

Colton smirked, proudly adjusting his son in his arms. "If I try to take Ella home right now, I'll have a fight on my hands."

"Oh, you…." Ella gave him a playful swat on the arm.

"We'll see you in a minute." Colton and Ella carried the children down the aisle.

"Shall we?" Dallas offered her his arm.

Megan took it. "Next week, I'll bring a covered dish."

"No need." Dallas smiled. "I'll have Jacques make something—"

"No, I mean I'd like to make it."

Both Dallas and Charles laughed, looking at each other over her head. "Good luck trying to get into Jacques's kitchen!"

Megan chuckled. "Don't worry. I have me ways."

"I'm sure you do." Dallas loved the feistiness and determination of his new wife. They spent the rest of the afternoon at the church, mingling with the other parishioners. Charles seemed to be enjoying himself, as well. At that moment, Dallas realized that the people of the church treated everyone as equals. It didn't matter how much money anyone had; a person's character and fellowship was the most important thing. How people get along with others, how they treated one another was what seemed to matter.

Dallas had a wonderful time talking to the men with Charles and dancing with Megan. When he noticed Megan nodding off while sitting in a chair, he decided it was time to go.

"Charles, I'm going to take Megan home," Dallas told him after finishing a dance. "But if you're not ready, I'll send Bill back for you."

He shook his head. "No, I'm ready." He looked over at Megan and his eyebrows pulled together in concern. "Are you well?"

Megan nodded as a yawn escaped her lips, exaggerating the point. "I'm fine. Just tired." Then she smiled. "But ye can stay here, if ye like. I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone."

"No, let's go. I'll meet you both outside." Charles walked over to Preacher Henley and shook his hand.

"Shall we?" Dallas held out his arm. Megan took it and let him help her into her coat. "Did you have a good time?"

"The best." Megan smiled up at him. A cold wind blew through his coat as he led her outside. "I'm sorry we had to leave early."

Dallas smiled, his heart fluttering just looking into her eyes. "Don't be. I was ready." Bill saw them leaving, said his goodbyes, and then hurried over to the carriage and opened the door. Dallas put down the step and helped Megan inside. Then he slid in beside her, and Charles was right behind them.

When everyone was seated, Bill closed the door and looked in. "Where to, Mr. King?"

"Home." Dallas grinned, glancing over at Megan, who was looking out the window. "Did you invite everyone you wanted to for Thanksgiving?"

Megan nodded. "Yes, except for the sheriff."

Dallas noticed that Sheriff Clark hadn't attended today, either. He must have his hands full with the gang in town. "I'll go into town and check on him."

Megan placed her hand on his arm and shook her head. "No, don't go into town today. Stay home. I don't want anything to happen to ye."

Dallas patted her hand, enjoying that she was looking out for him. "No, someone needs to check on the sheriff. If he's in town, I don't want him to be there alone."

"I'll go with you," Charles added, glancing over at Megan. "Don't worry. I'll keep him safe."

She let out a deep breath. "Just be careful… both of you."

Dallas smiled, grateful that Megan was concerned. "But this time, I want you to stay at home and rest." He didn't want a repeat performance of the last time she came to town unexpectedly. When he saw her at the mercy of that madman, Dallas nearly had a heart attack.

Megan giggled. "Don't worry. I think the only thing I'm going to do is to take a nap. I have no idea why I'm so tired."

Dallas patted her hand. "You get all the rest you need. I'll arrange dinner with Jacques."

"No, I'll arrange it with him when we get home. It's the least I can do." Megan yawned. "I feel bad, not doing much today."

Dallas patted her hand. "You probably just overdid it yesterday. I want you to let the staff take care of the cleaning from here on out."

Charles's head snapped up.

"It was fun, cleaning with Mrs. Daly." Megan sighed. "It made me feel useful."

Dallas gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You should spend your time planning teas and luncheons with the ladies of the town, not working your fingers to the bone."

Megan laughed. "I hardly call it ‘working yer fingers to the bone.'"

"Well, I think it's admirable," Charles interjected, "but Dallas is right. I think you overdid it yesterday. You should rest."

Dallas glanced over at him and nodded his thanks. He was going to have to teach Megan how to be the lady of the house, to be a woman of substance.

***

When Bill pulled the carriage up in front of the house, Dallas walked with Megan up the stairs, and she was asleep before he finished tucking her in. He worried that she might be coming down with something, but pushed the thought aside, vowing to keep a close eye on her. Dallas didn't know what he would do if anything happened to her.

When he came downstairs, he and Charles went into town to check on the sheriff, the bank, and the town, even though it was Sunday. But when they arrived, the town looked quiet. Dallas had a hard time concentrating as thoughts of Megan invaded his mind. And with the outlaws in town, he didn't want to leave the bank unattended for too long, even on Sunday.

Sitting in the bank, the taste of her kiss was still hot on his lips. The more time he spent with Megan, the more he couldn't live without her. Dallas rose from his desk, not wanting to spend too much time away from her. He just hoped she wasn't coming down with something.

"Everything's fine here, so let's go over to the Sheriff's Office," Dallas said to Charles, locking up his desk. "I want to make sure he's okay, since he didn't come to church today."

Charles nodded as he rose from his seat. "Let's go." Charles looked outside, and men were sitting out in front of the hotel and restaurant but were quiet. They were huddled up, obviously having been there for a while in the cold.

Dallas locked up and headed next door and Sheriff Daxton Clark was there. The bell rang when they walked in.

Sheriff Clark's head snapped up. "Dallas."

"What are you doing here today… on a Sunday?" Of course, Dallas knew the answer, but he thought it was a good opener.

The sheriff stood, nodding toward the men sitting outside. "Them. They're scaring off customers from the restaurant. I have a mind to run 'em off, but they haven't broken any laws. Not yet, anyway."

Dallas sighed. "How have they been?"

"Quiet." Daxton shrugged. "But I have a feeling that as soon as I leave, all hell's going to break loose."

Dallas crossed the room to the window, watching the men as he spoke. "Sheriff, you can't sit up here twenty-four hours a day watching them."

Daxton let out a deep breath. "Yes, but I can make them think twice before they act."

"I'm sure you're doing that." Charles chuckled. "I'd bet they didn't expect you to be here today."

The sheriff smiled. "No, I'm sure they didn't." He stood and took a swig of his coffee. Then he walked over to the backdoor and threw out the contents. "Well, I think it's time to pack it up. If they're going to do anything, they'll do it whether I'm here or not."

"If you like, we can sit up here for a while, sheriff." Dallas smirked as he looked across the street. The men were still sitting outside, shivering. "Unless they get someone to relieve them, I don't think they'll be outside much longer today, anyway. Look."

He pointed out the window at the men and they were curled in around themselves, blowing on their hands. Puffs of white snow suddenly blew through the town, and the men pulled the collars of their coats up over their necks.

The sheriff laughed. "Thank goodness for cold weather, right?"

Charles chuckled. "You gotta love it."

"Well, gentlemen, let's go home." The sheriff smiled as he slipped into his coat. "I'm sure the town will be safe for one more night." He looked through the window at the outlaws. "I just wish I knew what they were waiting for."

Dallas's eyebrows pulled together in concern. "What do you mean?"

The sheriff let out a deep breath. "Those two men we caught who robbed your bank?"

Dallas nodded.

"They were hung in Laramie last week."

Dallas's head snapped up. "When was the trial? Why wasn't I notified?"

"No need." The sheriff pulled out his gun and opened the barrel, checked it, and then snapped it closed. "There were plenty of witnesses. It was an open-and-shut case."

Dallas nodded as Charles's looked on in concern.

"Just be careful." Sheriff Clark shoved his gun back into the holster strapped to his leg, nodding toward the men. "They may hold you responsible… since it was your bank they robbed, and you admitted to killing one of their brothers."

"Thanks, sheriff." Dallas lowered his voice. "You be careful, too. You don't want those men to find out about your children and go after them."

A crease formed between Daxton's eyes. "I told the children not to come into town alone until after the gang leaves." He nodded toward the men sitting across the street. One got up and stretched, said something to the other, and then shoved his hands into his pockets and walked inside. "They don't know about my children, and I want to keep it that way. Hell! Every decent person in this town is staying away from Whiskey River now, probably for the same reason."

"Just be careful," Dallas repeated, sure that if they even went near his children, the sheriff would kill them on the spot. Everyone else in the town would do the same when they got wind of it. "By the way, Megan wanted me to ask you over for Thanksgiving. Would you and the children like to come? Colton and Ella, and Wyatt and Madison are coming, too."

The sheriff smiled. "Yes, I'd like that. I'm sure Lillian will be happy that she doesn't have to cook," he teased. Lillian was his young daughter. Evidently, she had taken over the cooking since their mother left. "What would you like us to bring?"

Dallas shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

The sheriff chuckled. "Well, I don't think that'll be acceptable to my daughter. She wouldn't want to come empty handed… not since she's been learning how to cook."

"Well then, anything she'd like to bring will be wonderful." Dallas clasped his hand on the sheriff's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Dallas and Charles walked with the sheriff outside. "You want us to ride with you to your place? Make sure you get home okay?"

The sheriff shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. You two go on home. I'll see you tomorrow."

As they headed toward the livery stable, Dallas wondered why the men were still in town… and what they were up to. He just hoped that they didn't try to go after Megan.