Late September, 1882, Oklahoma (Indian) Territory
Regan approved the telegrams and waited while they were sent off to New York. He didn’t want to have to go himself, but he would. He needed to know if the Marshal was his missing nephew. If he wasn’t, Regan knew this was probably the last trail he was going to be able to follow. The boy had simply vanished.
If Regan was right…if he had misheard that name all those years ago…and been searching for the wrong person, he wasn’t sure he could forgive himself. If Daniel was his nephew, and had watched his parents die-that was too much for a boy of nine. And he hadn’t been around.
Shaking off the guilt and fear, Regan thanked the post lady and walked back to where Starlight stood patiently waiting for him. The chestnut gelding was one of the more well behaved horses and Regan enjoyed taking him out.
He was deep in thought about Julianna and the potential of a future with her as he rode, skirting the lake near the Wheeler mansion when he heard a scream. Starlight shied but Regan held him steady. The horse refused to go forward so Regan dismounted and took the rifle from where it was sitting in its holder.
It hadn’t been a human scream, but the cry that followed it was. It was likely a panther, he realized, and it had someone cornered.
He ran towards the lake, and burst onto the scene to see a large black panther crouched and baring its teeth at Hallie Belden, who looked ready to faint. The cat let out a roar and Regan raised the gun to his shoulder.
“Hey!” he yelled.
The cat ignored him and leapt as Hallie screamed in terror. Regan fired and the cat dropped mid air, dead.
Hallie slumped down to the ground, something falling from her hand into the water. Regan hurried forward, making sure the cat was dead before he reached the young lady.
“Miss Belden?” he said softly. He cradled her dark head in his lap and dipped his hand into the cool water, gently splashing it on her face. Lovely girl, he thought, at least physically. He had overheard enough from Madeleine to know Hallie Belden wasn’t the nicest person, and was very different from her cousin Trixie.
Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked.
“Where is it?” she whispered.
“Dead,” he answered soberly, helping her sit up and keeping one arm around her for support. She moved slowly, and Regan wondered what she was doing out here in the middle of the day during harvest time.
“Oh my,” she murmured. “That was absolutely terrifying.”
“Why don’t you let me take you back to the farm?” he asked gently.
She nodded, saw the dead creature a few feet away and shuddered.
“You’re Regan, aren’t you?” she murmured. “Madeleine’s cousin?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he smiled at her.
“Thank you,” she turned her big dark eyes on him and Regan suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
Regan helped her to feet and walked her back to where Starlight stood, now calm. He lifted her up onto the horse and led Starlight by the reins towards Crabapple Farm.
***
Diana Lynch tried to skirt the group of men standing outside the saloon, ignoring the catcalls. She could barely look at the girls that hung around and on the porch of the saloon, in their bloomers and underclothes. The road was full of wagons moving, so she had opted for the row of stores, unfortunately it included the same group of men who had heckled her and Harrison the prior week.
“Well, who do we have here?”
A tall, thin man who clearly hadn’t bathed in several days and was chewing a large wad of tobacco stepped in front of her. It was the one who had made crude comments last week.
“Boys, if this here ain’t the prettiest girl in town, I didn’t know who is,” he leered.
“Excuse me please,” she murmured. He sidestepped and blocked her way.
“Listen to them fancy manners,” he jeered.
Diana swallowed.
Dan and Mart were coming around the corner when they saw Diana being harassed. Before Dan could stop him, Mart barged forward.
“Please, I’m late,” Diana said, panic starting to set in.
“No worries, honey, we got time,” he spit to the side and grinned at her.
He was grabbed by the shoulder and turned around. A furious Mart Belden landed a swing that knocked the man backwards into his friends. They started to charge but Mart and Dan both pulled their guns.
“Now, now boys, I do believe we’ve had words before about accosting the young ladies of my town,” Dan said easily, with a friendly smile but his eyes were steel.
Mart held out his other hand to Di, who took it eagerly. She was trembling as he pulled her close, glaring at the men gathered. This was the second time he had seen the man harassing a young lady.
“Stodge, I told you before, once more and you’re going to spend some quality time in a cell. So come on.” Dan waved his gun to motion to the man, who glared at him.
“Think about resisting if you want some lead in your backside,” Dan pleasantly.
Stodge snarled and stepped forward.
“Mart, take Miss Lynch home,” Dan ordered. “Start walking, Stodge. And unless any of you wish to join your pal here, I suggest you take your drunken selves back inside.”
Grumbling, the men did so.
No one noticed the stoop shouldered man lurking in the doorway of the saloon, watching the event.
***
Sunday morning, the families were up early. With harvest in full swing, there was a potluck lunch after church, and the women were packing up their baskets and wagons.
Dan and his deputy marshals had their hands full. He had been assigned three more to the territory, giving him a team of eight Deputy Marshals, and a sheriff as well. They were spread out around the town, working in pairs, with Sheriff “Spider” Webster and his men monitoring the jail, and overseeing a second one being built at the other end of the growing town. As the Marshals were often called to other territories or states, the Sheriff’s team kept the town under control.
***
Dan combed his hair down quickly, hoping he’d have a time for a moment with Trixie after church. He knew his brother would eagerly keep her occupied, which was what he didn’t want. Dan also knew his parents were wondering when Trixie was going to make a decision about the brothers. He hadn’t mentioned it to her because he didn’t want to pressure her. And he hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with his intentions. He didn’t really know how Trixie felt about him either. And he didn’t think he could bear the choice if it wasn’t him. The worst part was he knew his brother felt the same.
*
Regan straightened his jacket as he escorted Madeleine up to the church steps, behind her parents. He kept looking for Dan Mangan, but the Marshal hadn’t arrived yet. Regan made a trip into town daily, hoping for answers from his telegram. It would take George Raines a while to investigate all the information Regan had listed, but he was impatient. He needed answers, and charging up to the young Marshal without any sort of evcidence or proof was not the way to go about it.
*
Hallie Belden idly wondered if Regan went to church with the rest of his family as she combed her long dark hair so it shone, and then began plaiting it for an elegant updo that would turn heads. He was a good looking man, she thought, tall and strong, not given to idle, annoying chatter. Strong and silent, she thought, and he had lifted her easily. Maybe she was in pursuit of the wrong men, she though. Jim Frayne and Dan Mangan were annoyingly impervious to her charms, and surely that tiny blonde couldn’t really hold Regan’s attention.
*
Madeleine sat patiently as Celia combed and styled her hair. In her hand was the latest letter from Brian Belden. Brian had hinted at a large surprise, that even his parents didn’t know of yet. It would take place soon, he assured her, and hoped that she would make time for it.
She had no clue what he might be referring to, but guilt washed over her. She enjoyed Nick’s company very much, though the young artist never said a whole much that wasn’t related to art. There hadn’t been enough time to get to know Brian before he returned to school, and she and Nick had been having tea twice a week for two months now. And she felt like she didn’t really know him either.
With a small sigh, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering if she knew who she was.
*
After the church service, the townsfolk gathered outside in the cool autumn day for the announcements. Mayor Dade, a short, solid man in his late sixties, stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for everyone’s attention.
Jim and Dan flanked Trixie on both sides, all four parents nearby.
“Well, we the council finally decided on three names to narrow it down to,” he announced. “We’ll have a voting process, which Mrs. O’Connell at the post has kindly agreed to oversee, so everyone will have a fair opportunity to vote. The three choices are Little River City, Plainsville, and Sleepyside. Think about which you feel embodies the spirit of our beloved little town here.”
He went on a few more moments, and Trixie felt her attention wandering. Neither of her beaus touched her, it would be inappropriate, but she could feel the two of them so close.
“And now, I have here the nominations for the men chosen to succeed me as mayor, as I have decided not run again.” There were murmurs through the crowd but he held up his hands. “I’ve been mayor long enough, time to let one of these young whippersnappers have a hand.” Soft chuckles, as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and with great exaggeration, put on his spectacles.
“Now, first here on the list, we have Thomas Lytell, a well established citizen and owner of the mercantile.”
There was polite applause as Mr. Lytell beamed. Trixie groaned inwardly. The last thing she wanted was that wrinkled old prune as mayor! He had to have nominated himself, she thought. Who else would have?
“Second on the list, we have James Johnston!” More polite applause. Trixie wasn’t entirely sure who he was, a newer citizen, she figured.
“Third up, we have founding citizen and town council member Peter Belden!”
Trixie’s mouth dropped as enthusiastic applause sounded. She turned and stared at her father, who was smiling graciously at his neighbors. Her father, mayor?
“Well done, Peter,” Mayor Dade beamed. “We have one more name as well though, folks, a bit unconventional, but a fine choice indeed – Marshal Dan Mangan.”
A quiet murmur rant through the crowd as Trixie turned to her beau. Dan looked thoroughly confused and alarmed.
“What?” he asked in panic. “What? Me?”
“Congratulations to our nominees! We’ll have-”
“Excuse me, Mayor Dade,” Dan called out. The crowd turned to stare at the young man. “I’m not sure how my name got in the bunch, but I must respectfully decline the nomination. My duties as Marshal don’t allow me the free time to dedicate to such a prestigious position. My lifelong dream has been to be a Marshal, so I must respectfully ask to withdraw my name.”
More murmuring and glances, and Mayor Dade nodded solemnly. “Thank you, young man, for recognizing the extreme amount of time this job includes, and not deluding yourself or others. With a pretty speech like that though, I bet you’d have no trouble winning!” This was followed by a hearty laugh and then he continued on in his speech.
Dan just shook his head, both amused and puzzled at the thought he could have been mayor.
***
“Mr. Regan?”
Regan turned from where was rubbing Starlight’s muzzle, startled. It was Hallie Belden, standing in his doorway.
“It’s just Regan, Miss Belden. No one calls me by ‘Mister”,” he gave her a polite smile, suddenly nervous.
She swept inside the stables in a pretty dark blue dress and hat with feather, and Regan almost took a step back. Women startled him. Pretty women who dressed fancy and had calculating eyes scared him.
“Then you must call me Hallie,” she beamed.
Regan shook his head. “That wouldn’t be proper, ma’am. A lady of your station deserves respect.”
“We all deserve respect, Regan,” she said gently, with a small smile.
Regan couldn’t help but smile at her. “Something I can do you for, Miss Belden?”
“Yes,” she beamed. “I wanted to thank you again for the other day.”
Regan colored red in the face. Peter Belden had already been by to thank him.
“It was no trouble, ma’am. Glad I could help.”
“Regan, would you-would you like to come for supper one night? My aunt Helen is an amazing cook and I’m sure the family would love to get to know you better. You’re such a man of mystery.”
Regan swallowed. “Well, um, Miss Belden, that’s very nice of you but I don’t think it’d be proper.”
Hallie raised one dark eyebrow. “Why Regan, the only reason that it might not be proper is if you’re courting. Are you courting someone? I hadn’t heard any sort of formal announcement!”
Regan felt the red on his face deepen. “Well, no miss, it’s not formal.”
“All of this subterfuge and silent goings-on are such a bore,” she sighed. “Where I’m from, people are more direct about what they want.” Her dark eyes were intent on him, and Regan had a feeling he knew what she inferring.
“Well, Miss Belden, I don’t know where you’re from but up in New York, things are done a bit more subtly, and I expect I’ll have to be talking to Mr. Frayne about his cousin soon,” Regan replied politely.
Something washed over her face and her features softened.
“I figured,” she sighed unhappily. “You’re the first person that doesn’t entirely bore me around here and you’re obviously spoken for.”
Regan knew he shouldn’t be having this conversation with the girl, but the sad expression was hard for him to ignore.
“Well, there isn’t a law I’m aware of that prohibit a man and woman from being friends,” he said with a smile.
Her face lit up and Regan was struck by how pretty she really was. There was more going on there than what he originally saw, he thought. He was beginning to wonder if Madeleine was wrong about the girl. Of course Madeleine would defend her friend Trixie, but maybe Trixie had the wrong impression as well.
“Really?” Hallie asked breathlessly.
“I don’t see why not,” Regan smiled at her.
“Oh, I’d like that,” she beamed. “I don’t have any friends here yet and that would be lovely.”
“I’m always around here,” he said. “I don’t go up the main house too often.”
“Prefer the animals over people?” she asked shyly.
He nodded. “Completely.”
“I know what you mean,” she said softly, drifting towards Starlight, who had been watching them. He waited patiently while she touched his nose gently.
Regan studied the girl. There was definitely more to Hallie Belden, he thought.
***
“Are you really planning to run for mayor?” Trixie asked her father eagerly. She had held off asking for a day, but finally, her natural curiosity overcame her.
“I was approached about it,” Peter admitted.
“But who will run the farm?” Trixie asked.
“Me, of course,” Mart answered, slightly annoyed at the question. “With Brian gone, it’s my responsibility. Plus I have Bobby, and with help from the Lynch twins and Mr. Lynch, both farms are well taken care of.”
“But what about when you and Diana get married?” Trixie asked.
“Her father and I have been looking at locations on the properties to build us a house,” Mart said proudly.
That startled Trixie. It hadn’t occurred to her that Mart and Diana would have their own home. The thought of her best friend and brother living together made her feel weird. She thought about the quilts in her trunk upstairs that she had been working on since she was a young girl, in anticipation of getting married someday.
“Since the properties back up to each other, it’s a perfect setup to combine the farms, once we’re married,” Mart explained.
Trixie frowned. “Mart, have you actually asked Diana to marry you? Because surely she would have mentioned it to me.”
Mart looked up from where he was reading, looking puzzled. “What do you mean? Everyone knows where getting married.”
Helen glanced at her husband. “Mart,” she said with a smile, “while we all know, it’s proper to formally ask a woman to marry you.”
Mart looked perplexed. “Why? It’s common knowledge.”
“Because that’s how it goes,” Helen chuckled.
Hallie looked up from where she was sewing and rolled her eyes.
“You need a ring too,” she said. “Girls like rings.”
Mart paled. “How do I go about asking her?”
Trixie burst into laughter, which earned her a glare from her older brother. “Just ask her!”
“Trixie, I realize you have no real experience in this area,” Hallie said coolly, which wiped the laughter from Trixie’s face, “but Mart, you can’t just blurt it out. You need a setting, ambience, and the right words.”
“Words I can do,” he said eagerly, sitting up.
As Hallie began to advise her cousin, to her aunt and uncle’s amusement, Trixie sat silently. Hallie had a point, she thought morosely. She had two beaus but neither had even broached the subject of marriage. Dan wasn’t even the marrying sort, she knew that deep down.
She blinked back the tears her cousin’s barb had caused.
“In answer to your original question, Trixie,” Peter sensed his daughter’s sudden unhappiness, “I have given it serious consideration.”
“But why?” Trixie asked.
“The town is growing. The mayor and the town council thinks it would be beneficial if the next mayor were a longtime member of the community, someone familiar with its history and people.”
“Like Mr. Lytell?” Trixie shuddered.
Peter chuckled.
“I’m not sure what possessed him to run, other than he feels he’s the best fit. He is a sharp businessman, and that’s quite important in running a town.”
“But you’re good with numbers too,” Trixie argued.
“I am,” Peter acknowledged, “but I’m not a businessman. So there’s no telling what my chances against him might be.”
“If he’s mayor, he’ll get rid of all our socials and everything fun,” Trixie moaned.
“Now, Trixie, the role of mayor is important and he wouldn’t be running if he didn’t feel he could serve the community.”
Trixie doubted that very much but she knew better than to argue with her father when he used that tone.
***
“It’s not a viable charge,” Dan sighed. “We can only hold him for a few hours.”
Stodge smirked as he left the cell. It was no problem for him to sit in a cell for a few hours. He knew the Marshal couldn’t pin him for anything other than minor harassment.
Dan watched the man go, frowning at him. He knew there was going to be more trouble with him. His type always brought trouble.
***
Trixie glanced up from where she was spreading the blanket out when she heard the horse approaching. She already knew it was Dan and Spartan, she had heard Dan singing several minutes before as he approached. She listened happily to the pleasant baritone singing about what a beautiful morning it was.
Their friends were gathering for a picnic, and Trixie was the first to arrive. Mart had gone to the Lynch estate to fetch Di, Dan had come from town, Jim would be arriving shortly with Madeleine. Mart had been given a short respite from harvest, but Nick Roberts hadn’t been able to attend, to Madeleine’s mixed feelings of disappointment and relief. She just wasn’t sure what to think about him.
Trixie had intentionally not invited Hallie, which she had also neglected to tell Moms, slipping out of the house before Helen could put the pieces together.
“Hi,” Trixie stood up with a smile. She hadn’t seen Dan for several days, the booming town was getting such an influx of traffic he had been kept busy.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” He swung down from Spartan and tossed the reins loosely over a branch, knowing Spartan wouldn’t wander far.
Dan caught Trixie in his embrace and lifted her up, his arms around her tightly as their lips met. Trixie felt the now familiar rush of heat and weakness shoot through her and she melted into his embrace. He responded eagerly, their lips opening to each other, and then his were on her neck, and Trixie’s head was spinning as new flames of heat shot through her.
Without warning he pulled away. “We can’t,” he croaked.
Trixie’s big blue eyes stared into his dark one, keenly aware of her body pressed up against his and the strong arms holding her. “Don’t stop,” she whispered before she could stop herself.
Dan’s dark eyes were intense on her, but he groaned and set her down. “Someone’s coming.”
She just stared up at him and he forced himself to push her away. She retreated to the blanket, and then she could hear the approaching voices.
Dan turned towards Spartan, praying his body would calm down before anyone else arrived. He didn’t want his brother or hers seeing them in any sort of compromising position. While it would guarantee him her hand, he didn’t it want it to happen that way.
“Don’t stop.” The words echoed in his head. The girl had no idea what she was saying, he had to remind himself. Trixie had no concept the consequences of saying something like that. She had never lived in a big city and he doubted she really knew what the women at the saloon did for a living. She would go to her wedding bed completely innocent of man-woman relations.
Trixie clumsily set about setting out the dishes for the picnic, her face flaming red. What had she been thinking? Telling him not to stop kissing her! She knew that would lead to things they shouldn’t do, but it was hard not to feel that way he was kissing her. When he started kissing her, her brain ceased to function and all she could think about not ending the embrace.
Then there was Jim, her other beau. He made her heart race and head dizzy when he gave her a certain look, but he was the gentleman of the brothers, Dan was the rogue. Rogues were bad, she knew that. His lifestyle was dangerous and not for the faint of heart.
And he had never said he loved her. She hadn’t told him either, or Jim, because she just didn’t know. And while she was pretty sure she loved them both, but she didn’t know for sure or how or when to tell him. And she still couldn’t choose between the brothers.
Within seconds they heard laughter and Trixie’s heart pounded when she realized it was Jim and Madeleine and Diana. Jim rode Jupiter behind the two girls, Diana on palomino, Sunny, and Madeleine on her dappled gray mare, Lady.
Jim glanced curiously at her, then his brother, and Trixie saw his green eyes narrow ever so slightly.
 
***
Author's Notes
- a huge yeee-haaa! to my editor, Julie! All mistakes are mine.
- tsk tsk Hallie, you're a bit of a bad girl, aren't you!
- word count, 3,958
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