Daring to Start Again: An Inspirational Historical Romance Book Page 4

  She tried to smile. At first, it was wavering, and then it broke through.

  This was for the best. She was sure of it.

  The train pulled up in Comstock at one-thirty p.m., a day and a half after leaving her home state.

  She’d managed to take advantage of the dining car, filling up on pastries and cold Coca-Cola. It was a pleasant ride and though she was tired, she was excited and anxious to see the man she was about to marry.

  She stepped off the train, looking across the platform at the only man standing alone. And he was looking at her with a smile on his face. His handsome face. A face that made Sarah’s knees buckle.

  She quickly and silently prayed he was the man he’d said he was in his letters. She wanted him to be so very much.

  So very, very much.

  Chapter 4

  “Sarah?” Bobby’s breath caught in his throat as he strode over to her, meeting her so she only had to take a few steps. “Sarah Donner?”

  He was very much hoping this was Sarah Donner. She was slender, almost as tall as him, her long blond hair pulled back in a braid. Her eyes twinkled when she caught his gaze. Could it really just have been a coincidence? An accidental ray from the sun that lit her face up like a beacon of holy light?

  Bobby caught himself and shook his head. He’d never had those kinds of thoughts about any woman—ever.

  Nervousness struck him, another feeling he was not familiar with. He’d been his own man for a long time now, raising his daughter without the help of anyone but his two dear friends. Maybe raising a daughter had softened him up. Now it was Sarah’s turn to read poems to the little girl before she slept.

  “Yes, that’s me,” she said. Her voice matched her look. He was glad of that. It was a pleasant sound. His next goal was to make her laugh. He hoped that would be an equally tantalizing sound.

  “I’m Bobby. It’s good to meet you. I’m so glad you decided to come. I thought we could get something to eat and talk?”

  She nodded, much to his relief. A strange look came over her face for a moment and he got the impression a thought had crossed her mind. He wondered what she was thinking and if they would be compatible enough to eventually finish each other’s sentences. They would know, just by looking at the other, what they were thinking.

  He wanted to be like that. He’d never had that with Rebecca. She’d never held a decent conversation with him even once. If the marriage hadn’t been arranged before the war and then reinforced afterward, he never would have married her. At twenty years old, he’d had enough sense in his head to know a good woman when he saw one.

  And it wasn’t that Rebecca wasn’t a good woman. It was more that she wasn’t a smart woman.

  Bobby chided himself silently for thinking about his dead wife when he had a new woman beside him.

  “Let’s go on in and get your bags.” He offered her his arm. She looked at it and then back up at him, as if she wasn’t quite sure what she was supposed to do. After a pause, she wrapped her small hand around his elbow and he escorted her to the door, opening it for her when they got there. He swept one hand toward the opening, saying, “Beauty before beast.”

  A pleasant tingle swept through him when he heard her giggle. She lifted one hand, covered in a light blue glove that matched the dress she was wearing, and placed it over her mouth to hide her smile. He saw her green eyes slide in his direction.

  The look caught him off-guard and he had to turn his gaze away. He was sure his face was flushed and couldn’t help wondering what she was thinking. He hoped he wasn’t making a fool of himself.

  They were in and out of the station, Bobby lugging her one luggage trunk. She’d insisted on holding her sack and following him to the buggy.

  He watched her reaction to the vehicle, which was the most modern he could find without buying a motorcar. He didn’t want the burden of a motorcar in Comstock, since he’d be the only one who had one and no one would have the knowledge to help him keep it running.

  Bobby knew a lot more about horses and had a feeling the big mechanical monsters he’d seen wouldn’t be nearly as much fun to use as transportation. He had a bond with his mare of choice, Journey, the most reliable horse on his ranch. He rarely let anyone else ride Journey.

  He probably wouldn’t even let Sarah.

  As he drove the team into town, Bobby decided to talk to Sarah along the way, let her know what Comstock was like.

  “Do you remember in my letters how I told you sometimes things happen here in Comstock, things I’d rather didn’t happen?” He looked at her when she turned her face to him.

  “Yes, violent things. You are worried for your daughter’s safety.”

  Bobby nodded. “She’s the most important person in my life, and her safety is my top priority.”

  “I understand.”

  Bobby wasn’t sure how Sarah could understand. She didn’t have any children of her own and being an orphan meant she didn’t have parents, but she hadn’t mentioned siblings. He had assumed she was an only child. “Do you have brothers and sisters?”

  She looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head. “No, why do you ask?”

  “You seemed to be so understanding there, about my worry when it comes to Samantha. But you have no children, do you?”

  She shook her head. “No, I have no children. And no brothers or sisters. I am all… all alone in the world.”

  To Bobby, it sounded like she was forcing the words out. It must be a very touchy subject for her. Not wanting her to be in a bad mood when he told her what he had to say, he changed the topic back to what they’d been discussing before they had strayed.

  “This is a rough place, Sarah. And a beautiful woman like you has to be careful. I need you to learn how to shoot as soon as you can. I will teach you. Do you have a gun?”

  Sarah turned her eyes to gaze directly at him. “I don’t own one and can’t shoot one, but I’m very willing to learn.”

  Bobby nodded. “I have a shooting range on my ranch. I’ll take you there every morning, starting tomorrow, and you can go back and practice as much as you like. I have plenty of ammunition and guns for you to choose from.”

  “Thank you.”

  She sounded genuinely grateful, which made Bobby’s heart soften for her even more. She gave the appearance of a leader, which Bobby liked very much, but she was also humble. She’d managed to find a happy medium between the two.

  “You’re welcome. Here’s the restaurant—but before we go in, I want to tell you something else.”

  She blinked at him and he recognized the look of fear in her eyes. He shook his head, eager to ease her anxiety. “I hope you will understand what I’m about to say and take it well.” He stopped, his heart pounding in his chest. “With Comstock being the kind of town it is, it’s best for no single woman to be going anywhere alone. Since I will have to work and you are a stranger here, the sensible thing to do would be to get married right away. I don’t know if you planned to wait a few weeks or months to get to know each other, but Comstock is not a good place for that, as I said.”

  Again, he felt relief flood him when her eyes sharpened and she nodded. “I understand what you’re saying. Thank you for thinking of my safety, Bobby, that means so much to me. I haven’t had that for a long time. Ever, really.”

  Bobby had so many questions. What had caused the strange looks on Sarah’s face? What made her flinch and screw up her nose when a thought passed through her mind? Or was it who made her look that way? Was she running from someone?

  “I am ready whenever you want to do it, Bobby. You make sense to me.”

  He detected a city accent when she spoke, but not one that belonged to high society. She wasn’t from wealth, it was obvious. And yet, she carried herself with a strong amount of dignity and pride. It made her inner beauty shine on the outside, along with her good looks.

  “I’m glad you trust me, Sarah.” It meant a lot to him, but he didn’t want to use the words she’d use
d with him. He thought it might look silly, and he didn’t want to look silly in front of her. “I know nearly everyone in town, enough that I can spot a stranger. I know what men are good and which ones are not. I will let everyone know that you are here for me and that we are married, but behind closed doors, we will be married in name only. Until you are comfortable with this arrangement and know you do want to stay married to me, you can have the guest room near Sam. I’m on the other side of her. Is that all right?”

  Sarah seemed to do the calculation in her head. “So, your room, then hers, then mine?”

  He nodded, smiling. “Do I have a detective on my hands?”

  She laughed again, shaking her head. For the first time since she’d arrived, he noticed her shoulders relaxing. “I hardly think so. If you’d like to go to the town hall right now, that’s fine with me. But to be very honest with you, I could go for a bite to eat. I really am hungry.”

  Bobby lifted his head and looked into the restaurant through the front glass. “They have very good food here and the serving girl is friendlier than you’ll ever guess. Come on. Let’s eat first. The town hall is just up the street. We have plenty of time before the magistrate goes home for the night.”

  “As long as you’re sure,” Sarah continued. “I don’t want to delay anything if you want to do it now.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t be silly. Let’s get you in here and feed you.”

  An hour later, Bobby was feeling on top of the world. He was sure Sarah was the woman sent straight from Heaven just for him. She was smart and witty, she laughed at his jokes, she was easy on the eyes. What had he done to make God bless him so much?

  “Where is Samantha?” She didn’t ask the question until they were about to leave. He was a little ashamed he hadn’t said anything about his daughter, other than explaining where her room, was the whole time he’d been talking to Sarah.

  “She’s staying with some friends. We can just go down here.” He gestured down the street toward the two-story town hall building. “My friend is the justice of the peace, John Langley. You’ll like him. He’ll like you. He’s waiting for us.”

  Sarah’s face turned serious, her green eyes widening. “Oh no! I didn’t know he was waiting. I would have eaten afterward if I’d known.”

  Bobby chuckled, shaking his head. He was impressed by her compassion. “No, don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t say he’s waiting. He’s just aware that I’ll be there with you sometime after the afternoon train arrived. I’m sure he’s not sitting at his desk, tapping a pen, waiting for us to walk in the door. He’s got work to do.”

  Sarah laughed softly. Although Bobby did like the sound of it, he wanted to hear more of it—and louder.

  As they walked, he talked to her. “Samantha has been taken care of by the wife of a friend of mine for some time now. Since Sam was born, really. My wife died in childbirth, so Sam never met her.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

  Bobby shook his head. The only emotion he felt at that moment was admiration for Sarah. She genuinely felt for him; he could tell by the sound of her voice and the look in her eyes. “Don’t feel bad. I know it was only five years ago, and some men might hold a candle for their first love for a long time. But I’ll be completely honest with you, Sarah. If I fall in love with you, you will be my first love. I didn’t love Rebecca, Sarah’s mother. I married her because my parents told me I had to.”

  Her face paled somewhat.

  “Does that bother you?” His chest tightened. He didn’t want anything about his past to come between them. He was typically candid about his relationship with Sam’s mother. Of all people, Sarah needed the full and honest truth.

  She shook her head vehemently. “No, not at all. I was just thinking… well, you would be mine as well. I’m just turning 21 in two months.”

  “Oh? We’ll plan a big party, if you like.”

  “Well, maybe, if I’ve met enough people by then to make friends.”

  “I’m sure that won’t be hard for you. I like you and I only know you from your letters. I really did enjoy reading them. Thank you for answering my ad.”

  Sarah laughed, a little louder this time, a little longer. Bobby felt a warm wave wash through him.

  “Tonight is going to be all about you, Sarah,” he said, taking her elbow to lead her up the steps to the entrance of the town hall. “I want to get to know you. I want my friends to get to know you. Clara Dyer is the woman who takes care of Sam. She is married to my ranch foreman, Steven.”

  Sarah immediately stopped, turning a wide grin to him. “Clara and Steve?” she asked.

  He nodded, returning her grin, knowing where she was going with it.

  “I guess she should be glad her name isn’t Stevea.” The two of them laughed softly as they resumed their pace. She was following him easily. He was feeling light-hearted and happy. She was turning out to be exactly what he wanted. He could only pray it wasn’t just an act. He knew she had no money to speak of. She could very easily just be looking for a payday.

  Looking at her strength and aggressive eagerness, he was certain she wasn’t lazy like some women were. She wasn’t after his money, of that he was certain. She could make it taking bets or playing poker, if she wanted to.

  Bobby had seen wives like that. He didn’t want one of those women. He wanted a vibrant, energetic companion who wouldn’t mind going on adventures in the Oklahoma mountains and prairies every now and then.

  “My father died in the war,” Bobby told her, abruptly. “And my mother lives in Boston with my younger sister. I don’t see them, but we correspond often. More than just for the holidays, you know.”

  She nodded, gazing at him as he reached forward to push the office door open. A gray-haired woman was seated behind a desk, looking down at a ledger in front of her. She looked up when they entered.

  “I wish they were here in Oklahoma,” he said in a lowered voice. “But they prefer the east coast and, sometimes, I don’t blame them.”

  Sarah lifted her eyebrows, looking surprised. “Really? I don’t know why you feel that way. Oklahoma is such a beautiful place. I can breathe here. Back in the city, it is just so crowded, there are so many people and it’s very dirty, and with the big industrial buildings popping up everywhere, it’s hard to breathe.”

  Bobby blinked. He couldn’t imagine a place where it was hard to breathe. He looked up at the receptionist.

  “Howdy, Maude. He’s expecting us.”

  “You can go on in, honey. Good afternoon, dearie. Welcome to Comstock.”

  The woman smiled directly at Sarah. His beautiful soon-to-be wife smiled back, sending a sharp attraction jetting through Bobby’s body.

  Chapter 5

  Sarah stood stock still, gazing up at the large double doors that would take her into her new home. She could hardly believe it. The foyer, which she hadn’t seen yet, was sure to be bigger than the entire house back in her hometown. She swallowed, nervous to take the first step up.

  “I have a cook and a groom,” Bobby said, suddenly beside her. “But no one else. I don’t have a housekeeper or maids or a butler. When I throw parties, which isn’t often, I hire girls from town to help out. I do like to have parties for Sammy when I can. Then there are at least a half-dozen little girls her age here. I don’t use a lot of these rooms unless there’s an emergency, like someone’s house burning down or something. Train derailment.” His voice was low when he added, “War breaks out. You never know.”