Cole's Redemption (Love Amongst the Pines) (22 page)

             
Miriam stepped forward. "I only want to talk to you for a few minutes, Cole. Surely you can spare me that."

She watched her son's face. At first, he clenched his jaw, but when his glance touched on Natty, something softened there. "All right."

             
Miriam nodded. When he started to turn back to the house, Miriam cleared her throat. "What I have to say can be said here."

             
Cole gave her a surprised expression but said nothing.

             
"I really only have two things to tell you. First, that your father and I were wrong to react so badly to the choices you made for your life. It's just that raising you had been so easy. You were such a smart, sensible child, that when you showed any disparagement in your choice for a wife, we really thought we were saving you from yourself."

             
Cole started to speak, but Miriam held up her hand. "The day your father died, he was on his way to stop you from leaving Boston. When I learned of his accident, I was so angry--at you and at him, that I didn't do anything to intervene."

Miriam couldn't hold back her tears. Bessie Watkins stepped forward and gave her handkerchief.

             
"I blamed myself for father's death," Cole whispered, closing his eyes.

             
"As did I. But I was wrong. I was wrong for interfering with your life and for blaming you for the accident. Then, you were

gone
and I was alone. I thought my life was over. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that things turned out so badly for Maggie and the baby."

             
"I tried to save them, Mother. I did try."

             
"I know and I'm proud of you. You went after those men, and you put your own life in danger by doing so. Mind you, it scares the life out of me when I think of how close you came to being hung. You're here now and alive. To me, nothing else matters."

             
Cole nodded. "You said there was a second thing, Mother?"

             
"Yes, although I'm not sure I want to give you this piece of news. Right after you and Maggie left, a young man came to the house. His name is Randall Covington, the third. His father was Maggie's former employer. It turns out that he and Maggie had planned to get married, but Randall's father put a stop to it. That was just before she came to us. Mr. Covington gave me this letter before I left Boston, to give to Maggie should I have found her on the trail. I didn't learn until I reached Indiana that she and the child had died."

Miriam held out the letter. "You can read it for yourself."

She watched her son's expression change, as he took the envelope from her. Slowly, he opened it, and pulled out the yellowed piece of paper. His eyes scanned the document and Miriam held her breath.

             
"I know you'll think I had ulterior motives for showing you that. Believe me when I say it upsets me to no end. I thought you at least needed to know the truth."

             
Natty stepped forward to stand between her husband and Miriam. "What does it say, Cole?"

             
He looked at her for a moment, looking for
all the
world as though he'd not ever seen her before. "It says that Mr. Covington and my wife were set on meeting in San Francisco. That Maggie had been newly with child when I married her, and Zachary was not my son." He turned then, dropping the letter on the ground, and walked back towards the house.

             
Judge moved to stand beside Natty. "You go on and be with him, child. I'll make sure Mrs.
Remmington
is put up for the time being."

             
Cole made it as far as the small room that would one day be a parlor. Pushing the sawhorses out of the way, he leaned against the far wall, and slid down to the floor.

             
Natty approached him slowly, coming out of the shadows like a ghost becoming solid. Cole knew she was there, but didn't speak to her for a moment. His mind whirled perilously down the path that had been his life. Memories of Maggie and her swollen belly, of their wagon stuffed full of supplies and promises, of the two of them lying dead in the dirt beside a campfire. All of it had been such a waste. If only his wife had been honest with him. If only he'd not been so angry
at
his parents. A thousand
'if's
' and not one of them could ease the pain.

             
"Cole," Natty said softly as she knelt down beside him.

             
He sat for a moment, staring at his forgotten bride.
Natty, still in her wedding dress and borrowed shoes looking absolutely radiant.
In the winter that had been his life, Cole realized that she had been the first breeze of spring. He didn't know why she insisted on loving him. He certainly didn't deserve it.

             
"Go home, Natty. I'm sure Dermott will get you back up the mountain."

             
"I don't want to leave you." Her declaration shot a pain through his ribs.

             
"Natty, you don't understand. I can't be a husband to you. I was a piss poor husband to Maggie, and terrible son to my
parents. It's not fair to put another human being through the hell that is my life."

             
"Cole, you are one of the most irritating men I've ever met!" Natty sat back on her heels. "I swear, no matter what anybody says or does for you, it just
ain't
enough!"

             
He looked up, surprised at her sharp tone. He raised his voice to match hers. "I told you, go home. I don't want you saying or doing any more for me! Just let the sheriff lock me up. The town will have another hanging someday. Maybe you can find another convict who'll do better than me!"

             
Suddenly,
Natty's
expression changed. The quick anger that had sparked
his own
temper was gone, replaced by her fallen features. Cole could see her eyes sparkle like tiny diamonds in the lamplight as tears began to gather there.

             
Without saying a word, Natty stood up and fled the house. A sudden sense of despair hit him the second she was gone. Didn't she know he was trying to save her? Instantly sorry, he jumped up and ran after her.

             
"Natty! Come back! I didn't mean it!"

             
He made it to the front door, and saw her form running through the field, a white apparition scurrying across the high grass.

             
He saw that a few people remained loading up their wagons and their children. Each of them stopped and stared, first at the retreating form of Natty, and then at him. He said nothing, jumping from the porch in two long strides, and set off after his bride.

             
Natty ran through the yard, unable to speak or think, she just ran hoping that wherever she ended up, it would leave all the hurt and anger behind.  She wished for her life to return to the way it had been before her Ma had died
;
before she'd met the tall, handsome convict Cole
Remmington
and had fallen in love with him.

             
As she stumbled towards the line of trees that surrounded her new property, Natty heard him coming after her. She ran faster. If he were to catch her now, she knew she would have to surrender. Suddenly, she was so afraid of losing herself, or worse yet, having him toss her away, that she wanted to run and run and escape whatever it was that she faced with Cole.

             
As she got past the first couple of hedges, an arm reached out and grasped her shoulder.

             
"Natty, wait." Cole said, breathing harshly behind her. "Please, I didn't mean it. I never meant to hurt you."

             
She spun on him. Tears streamed down her face like a river.

             
"You think you're the only one who's ever been hurt? You think I didn't suffer when my parents died within a few months of each other? You think it's not a struggle every day to go on living when I have to worry about starving and about taking care of Dermott?"

             
"No," he said softly. Stepping forward, Cole pulled her into an embrace. "No, I know how much of a beating you've been getting."

             
"It's not just the beating, Cole. I could take that! It's nothing I do is ever enough! I can't run the mine, I can't take care of Dermott, and I can't even be a good enough wife for you to want to stay!"

             
Natty's
strength gave out. She sank down to her knees, sobbing relentlessly. Cole went down with her until they both were sitting on the ground. Natty felt him pull her onto his lap; his splinted hands comforting her while he rocked her like a small child.

             
"It's okay, Natty. Really it is. I am such a bastard. All the time all I could think about was my own sorry life, and I never realized what you were going through. I am a horse's ass!"

             
She shook her head. "No," she said between sobs. "You're just beat up like me. Aren't we a pair?"

             
He laughed gently. "I guess we are.
A condemned man and his hanging bride.
That's one for the books."

             
She pulled back from him, sniffing. "What are we, really?"

             
He shook his head. "I don't know, Natty, but I think we're in love."

             
Natty searched his face. After a few seconds, she felt satisfied that he was sincere and laying her head back onto his chest, she nestled further into his embrace.

             
"I am sorry about your wife and baby, but I do wish you could make up with your Ma."

             
"I know." He took a deep breath. His voice became soft and low. "I will, but I just need some time to sort it all through. I don't blame her anymore."

             
"I'm glad," Natty said. "
Livin's
too short to be so unhappy, Cole."

             
He nodded. Gently, he sat back and taking her face in his bandaged hands, framed her face, tilting it upwards so they could look at each other eye to eye. Natty held her breath, waiting for him to speak. She realized that she loved him so much in that moment it actually hurt to look in his face and see the pain written there.

             
"I have a confession to make," he said at last. "I thought I loved Maggie when we left Boston. And, maybe I did. I learned today that it wasn't in the same way I love you. It's like before my world was dull and gray. Maggie was my responsibility, and I liked having that chore. But when I look at you, it's like my heart is set on fire, and you're the only one who can tame the blaze. I love you, Natty!"

             
"I love you, Cole. I've just this moment realized that you're more valuable to me than the mine, or my shack or that beautiful new house all rolled into one.

             
Natty held her breath as Cole leaned down to kiss her. His warm steady presence filled her and, suddenly, she knew that everything between them would be all right. It was a long, fevered kiss, a seal on a promise made between the two of them.

             
Cole pulled back, breathless. "What do you say we head back to that fine house? I'll make you a soft pallet, and we can make love all night long."

             
Natty took in two ragged breaths. "Okay."

             
In the next instant, Cole slipped his arms beneath her, and lifted her up. Standing, he cradled her against his chest and headed for their now deserted house. Natty sighed contented against him. It would be a good start to their marriage now that they'd had the church wedding and the blessing from their friends. Her only hope was that Cole could reconcile with his mother. If all that happened, she knew all would be right with their world.

             
It was just after midnight when Greene arrived at the Calvin house. Tucked back in the woods, the place had once been a stopover for miners as they went along the trail that led up into the Black Hills. With the boon mostly over, the building was run down and deserted.
             
This night, a single lamp gave off an oily glow. Its luminescence was visible through a broken window.

             
Cautiously, Greene drew out his gun. He trusted no one on the road and very few even in his own beloved Texas. While he bore no ill towards his fellow man in general, he'd learned early on that few men could be trusted.