Summary: After several failed romances, Adam claims he needs a break from romancing women. But as the saying goes, never say never.  Written for the 2022 Camp in the Pines. 

Rating: K, Word count: 10,216

 

The Counterfeit Affair

 

Chapter 1

 

Is it me or does every dance, every festival, every performance at the opera house become an opportunity to meet a girl and get married? That certainly seems to be the case in the last couple of years. Maybe it’s just me because of the string of failed romances I’ve had in that amount of time. It wouldn’t be far from the truth to say I’m a bit gun-shy at the moment, so I’ve decided that I am done with women for a while. Of course, convincing my brothers and father of that has been a challenge. It seems that when each social event comes up my brothers are competing to see who gets the first kiss at a party or a town social and Pa releases his hopeful sigh that at least one of his sons will make a match that will last. Then I get those looks that say I better be joining in or else. This is where I release my own sigh of frustration and leave the room. 

Now that October has arrived, it’s time for the Virginia City Literary Society’s Autumn Festival and I’m quite sure today is going to be one of those times I would like to be living elsewhere. This year they are raising funds to supply books for the orphanage. Having a taste for the literary classics apparently made me the perfect candidate to run the book sale booth. I really don’t mind but I’ve noticed that whenever I run any kind of booth there seems to be an abundance of young ladies stopping by. Just par for the course I suppose since I’ve not come across too many men in Virginia City who are avid readers. Now what I do mind are the snide comments and looks I received from my brothers as they helped me set up the booth. 

“Hoss, do you think selling books is the best way to catch a girl? I mean, older brother must be getting desperate, right?”

“Naw, little brother. Not exactly desperate. I’d say he’s more like plum loco. Now, you an’ me know the best way to catch a gal is at the dance tonight, and I bet you five dollars our brother here never even gets kissed tonight.”

“I’ll bet you five he doesn’t show up at all.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot he’s sworn off women for a while. Shucks I was hopin’ to win my bet, but you’re on little brother.”

“I suggest you two finish putting the signs together, before I use one of them to knock some sense into you.”

In a side glance I saw Joe and Hoss share winks as they got to work. Grumpier than I was earlier, I returned to my task of sorting through the boxes of books I would be selling, but couldn’t help wondering if some of their snide comments were true. It seemed lately that I couldn’t last more than a day with a girl, and I’ve no idea why.

“Adam, the Festival is getting underway. Are you ready?”

I turned to see Pa standing behind me with his hands on his hips. “I’m ready if Joe and Hoss have finished their part.” I punctuated that last with a glare at my brothers.

Joe flipped a hammer just as he would his pistol, and gave an assuring smile. “All done, brother. Now on to having some fun while you sit here and sell books.” Joe jumped behind Hoss and shoved him toward the shooting gallery at the top of the hill. 

“You’re staying to help, aren’t you?”

Pa jumped at my question since apparently something near the lake apparently had captured his attention. “Uh, no. I think you can handle things here. I’ve got other matters to attend to.” With that he moseyed toward the lake where preparations were being made for the fishing contest after lunch. I watched him skirt the cluster of judges only to stop to greet a woman I thought I’d never see him speak to after that fiasco with an overly large emerald. Well, maybe certain wonders will never cease. 

“Hello, young man. Is your booth open?”

I turned to find a matronly woman looking expectantly toward the first stack of books on the table. 

I gave her my warmest smile as I slid into my seat. “Why yes. What book are you interested in purchasing today?”

And so began a long morning of selling books while the Festival crowd swirled around me. 

 

Chapter 2

The book sale was going quite well with a mix of men and women buying books. I also took in quite a few donations from those just wanting to help the orphans. With the sun hitting its zenith, I was glad Joe stopped by to spell me so I could grab a quick lunch. When I returned I had about another hour to go before closing up the booth. I was nearly out of books and besides, the fishing race was the last big event for the day and I wanted to be there to watch Hoss. When I spied a young woman approaching, it looked promising for this to be my last sale. However, my bigger brother appeared out of nowhere to jump in front of her, causing her to take a couple of steps backward.

“Excuse me Ma’am, I’ll just be a moment. Adam, you gotta help me.” 

I stared at Hoss who could be the biggest kid when there’s fun to be had and today was no exception. Being an avid fisherman he was a shoo-in to catch the most fish in an hour and win the hundred dollar prize. I focused on my red-faced brother and his strange appearance – why was a cloth hanging from under his hat? And why wasn’t he getting ready for the race? 

“Hoss, what are you doing here? The race is about to start.”

“Daggumit, Adam, I can’t find my pole. Have you seen it? I just gotta have it. I wanna get that prize money an’ give it all to the orphanage. Oh Lordy, where did I leave that pole?”  He swiped his hat off allowing the long cloth to fall to the ground. 

“Ah, excuse me. I believe you dropped this.”  

Hoss turned and blushed beet red when he took the cloth from the pretty young woman who gave him her own blushing smile. 

“Thank ya, Ma’am.” He fiddled with his hat and the cloth, finally getting them both into place. “Well, Adam?”

I felt my brows rise and couldn’t resist a jab. “It looks lovely on you. Is that meant to be a havelock to keep you from getting sunburned?”

All I got was a glare for my troubles. 

“Good grief, I’m just trying to lighten you up. If you turn around you’ll see that Joe has your pole down by the lake. And by the looks of things you better hurry or he just might take your place in the race.”

“Oh, Lordy. Thanks older brother. I owe you a big one.” 

“Just catching some fish for dinner will be thanks enough. Now scoot!” 

I had to chuckle at his flustered state. That middle brother of mine can be as wise as Solomon and smart as a whip, but at other times he can be so discombobulated that I fear he’ll leave his head behind one day. 

After watching him reconnect with his beloved fishing pole, I turned my attention back to the young lady in front of me. And what a lovely, vivacious young woman she was. Tilting her head downward to reveal her vibrant blue eyes, she offered her donation toward purchasing some books for the children. She placed the money gently in my outstretched hand, while offering a sweet smile. I gathered myself together and began to count the small bills. When I reached the last bill, I gave her a look of incredulity. 

“Are you sure this amount is what you wish to donate, Ma’am?”

“Quite sure, and it’s Miss. Miss Annabelle Winstead.” 

I quickly wrote her name in the donor book and locked the cash in the money box then scooted around the table. “One hundred dollars is quite generous, Miss Winstead. On behalf of the Virginia City Literary Society and the orphanage, please accept our gratitude.”

She tilted her head, locked eyes with mine and gave me another enchanting smile before indicating the concessions tent. Sidling closer, her full skirt brushed my legs. “It’s entirely my pleasure. However, having enjoyed much of your lovely festival, I’m quite thirsty. Would you like to join me for some lemonade, Mister…?”  Sky blue eyes twinkled in the sunshine. 

“Adam. Uh, Cartwright.” 

Her giggles were like soft bells in the wind. “Which is it?”

I fought through my raspy voice. “Both. Adam Cartwright. And I regret I’m unable to join you as I must close the stand and secure the donations.”

“Oh, well, if you must. Perhaps we will see each other again soon.”  Her ruby lips remained parted as she rotated her body away from me and strolled away. 

Shaking my head to regain my wits, I tugged my eyes away from watching her sashay up the hill. Realizing any other potential customers had made their way to the lake for the fishing contest, I layed a closed sign on the table, picked up the lockbox and single box of unsold books, and strode in the opposite direction to the office of the President of the Literary Society. 

Upon hearing a satisfying click of the door behind me, I slid the lockbox across her desk. Dee knew something was up when I didn’t offer an explanation. Opening the box her eyes grew wide. She picked up the bills on top and fanned them out. “This would cover several orders of books and then some. How did you do it?”

“As much as I would like to take the credit, it wasn’t me. It was one donor. A young lady by the name of Annabelle Winstead.”

Dee’s expression lost some of its amazement as she continued to finger the bills. 

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I don’t think so, but I would like to meet Miss Winstead and express my gratitude for her generous gift.” She quickly secured the box in her safe and placed the remaining books on a shelf. 

“I’m returning to the lake to watch Hoss in the fishing race. Perhaps you would like to join me and we might cross paths with our splendiferous donor.”

Giving a last frowning glance at the safe, Dee turned a lighter smile on me and followed me out. Together we headed to the lake. Having not seen Miss Winstead, she left my side to visit with Joe when we met up with him. I, on the other hand, headed to find Hoss. It didn’t take long as that was where the crowd was. Apparently, he was winning, and by a landslide if the fullness of his bucket was any gauge. Acknowledging Pa as he drifted toward me, I whispered, “Are those all his fish?”

“Yes. And the other contestants are not too happy about it.”

“I’ve noticed. I hope there won’t be a riot when time is called.”

Pa chuckled as we returned to our silent watching. 

When the whistle was blown signaling the end of the race, Hoss stood up and took a big stretch. He waited in his spot for the judges to move down the line to count the fish and declare the winner. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of the fishing race is Hoss Cartwright. Hoss you can collect your winnings from the main tent and judges please take the fish to the cooking tent. A big thank you to all who participated. We’re going to have some mighty fine eating tonight.”

A few men shook Hoss’ hand but others scowled and grumbled about the unfairness as they headed to the beer tent. Hoss joined us, pleased as punch to have won. I swear he was hugging his fishing pole. “Howdy Pa, Adam. Looks like me and my pole have done it again. Mm-mm, I can taste them fish already.”

“Don’t forget to put that pole back in the wagon, brother. You don’t want to misplace it again.”

“Oh yeah, sure will. Thanks, Adam.”

“Uh, son, what’s that hanging from your hat?”

I couldn’t resist a smirk as Hoss’ brow furrowed. He felt the base of his neck and yanked the cloth out. “Oh, I plum forgot about it. It’s a Havelock, Pa. One of the other contestants, I think his name was Pete, told me about it when he heard me complain about gettin’ sunburnt. I sure hate when that happens so the man offered to help me make one. Did you know they were worn by soldiers for the same reason? He said he was a soldier once an’ told me he wore one.” Hoss glanced around him and suddenly started waving the cloth in the air. A blonde-headed man raised his own Havelock in response. “There he is over yonder. He didn’t fare too well in the race but I reckon it might be ‘cause he’s more of a city slicker. Anyway, don’t guess I need this anymore.” 

Hoss tossed the rectangular cloth to me and headed off. Pa rolled his eyes and huffed. “A Havelock, indeed.” 

My smirk widened as I tossed the cloth to Pa. Glancing around and not finding Joe or Dee anywhere, I wandered up the hill to the concessions in search of Miss Winstead. This was decidedly going to be a very pleasant afternoon, if I could find the young lady.

 

Chapter 3

It was no surprise that Miss Winstead was no longer at the concessions so I meandered around to the different booths and soon we crossed paths at the shooting gallery of all places. 

“Hello again, Miss Winstead.” I tipped my hat. 

She surprised me with a small curtsey. “Why hello, Mister Cartwright.” Her bright eyes drifted over to the next group of shooters. “Isn’t this the most fascinating game? I can’t imagine how those men are able to shoot so straight.”

I watched a man hit the bullseye three times. “It takes patience and practice.” 

When I turned back to the young lady I found her eyes roaming over me before settling on my pistol. “Are you a good shooter, Adam?” She reached a gloved hand toward my gun. I admit her move as well as her use of my first name caught me off guard but my speed to intercept her seemed to surprise her more. 

“I’m good enough. I would have thought the quilting table would have been more to your liking, Miss Winstead.”

“Oh, they are lovely, but my talents lie far from that.”  She slipped her hand around my arm and steered us toward the lake. “Please call me Annabelle. Now, tell me about yourself, Adam.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit soon for us to be on such familiar terms?”

“Nonsense. Being so formal makes me think I’m my mother’s age and I certainly don’t feel that way.” She coiled a finger through one of her dark curls and batted her lashes. 

I couldn’t help but grin. “You make an excellent point, Annabelle.” 

Time was lost to us as we strolled around the lake, sharing with each other about our lives. While I had traveled across the country as a child, she grew up in a small town in Missouri yet sought the excitement of St. Joseph. From there she’d been traveling westward to ‘see our beautiful country’ as she so eloquently put it. 

I couldn’t recall a more enjoyable and peaceful time with a young lady. In the span of an hour it felt like we had known each other for years. Hoss’ bellow from the trees broke the spell and drew us up to the wagons. 

“I thought it was going to take me a month of Sundays to find you, brother.” Hoss tipped his hat to the lady he noticed was standing inordinately close to his brother. “Hello, Ma’am. Listen, Adam, it’s time to eat some of that delicious fish we caught today. So bring your lady friend and let’s go.” 

Before I could make introductions, Hoss was half way up the hill. “Well, are you up to some fish for dinner?”

She squeezed my arm and leaned closer. “It sounds delightful, and so is your brother. Will you tell me more about your family?”

“You can meet them yourself at dinner.”

Her sweet smile was all the incentive I needed. Feeling like I was walking on air, Annabelle and I headed to the main tent. At the entrance I spotted Dee a few spots ahead of us in line, standing by Roy Coffee and Paul Martin. I tapped her shoulder to get her attention. 

“Hello, Adam. Ready for some good fish?”

“I am. Dee, this is Miss Annabelle Winstead. The generous donor I told you about. Miss Winstead, this is Dee –”

Dee stepped closer, scrutinizing Annabelle. “Hello, I’m the President of the Virginia City Literary Society. I’d like to extend my gratitude for your generous donation. I assure you it will be put to good use for the orphans.”

“It was my pleasure. I’m traveling right now and had no space to take any books with me so I felt the least I could do was to make a donation.”

“Well, thank you again. It was nice to meet you. I better go reclaim my place in line. Adam, thanks for your help as well.” Her quick disappearance into the throng of hungry guests as well as her edginess around Annabelle had me completely bamboozled. Dee was usually warm and friendly to everyone. Thankfully Annabelle hadn’t seemed to notice. She simply slipped her arm around mine and gave me that endearing look as we joined the line.

Thankfully, it wasn’t much longer before we were seated with my family and talking about the day. Annabelle settled in and soon was telling as many stories as we were. It was the perfect ending to a busy day. 

 

Chapter 4

Autumn was the time we worked to get the ranch ready for winter. A long string of good weather days put us ahead of schedule and that gave me several opportunities over the next week to spend time with Annabelle. We had a couple of dinners at the hotel, lunch at different cafes, and attended a show at Piper’s Opera House which set more than a few tongues wagging in town. I tried to steer clear of those particular ladies whenever Annabelle was with me for the very reason that if we did develop a relationship, I wanted to make sure it was on our terms and not someone else’s. 

I needn’t have been concerned though since we were becoming closer each day. And I admit that should have set off warning bells considering most of my other failed romances but this time I knew it was definitely different. 

One afternoon, I picked her up at the hotel to show her some of the Ponderosa. I brought the buggy to a stop near a pasture to observe one of our herds of cattle. 

She leaned forward, mesmerized by the sheer numbers. “Are these all yours, Adam?” 

“These belong to the Ponderosa. And there are three other smaller herds besides this one.” 

“Oh, can I see them?” 

“Not today. They’re in other pastures too far to reach before the sun sets.” The lengthening shadows were telling me we had a couple of hours remaining and I still wanted to show her a favorite meadow of mine. Feeling a puff of warm breath tickle my ear I turned and found Annabelle inches from my face. She snuggled closer to me.

“You have so much compared to how I grew up. No land in Missouri could compare to your ranch. Also, I was just thinking about all the things we have in common, Adam.” She rested her fingers on my collar and tickled my neck. “We both love books and theater shows. And seeing how beautiful your ranch is, I’m thinking hard about settling down here. What do you think about that?” Her fingers now crawled through my hair pushing my hat off. 

Ignoring my toppling hat, I leaned closer to allow our lips to connect. It was several passionate minutes later when I finally retrieved my hat and snapped the reins to get us heading back to town, my favorite pasture long forgotten. My heart was racing as Annabelle clung to my side. Focusing on the gentle swaying of the buggy my thoughts finally calmed and sorted themselves into one thought. Actually, it was more of a decision that set off a different set of bells for me. 

******

The next day, I was confident of where Annabelle and I stood with each other so I suggested a picnic and afternoon stroll at the lake before we joined my family for dinner. Annabelle was beside herself with glee. She brought the food and I provided the scenery. We shared our lunch in the shade of the trees bordering the lake, then ambled along the water’s edge hand in hand. 

“I simply cannot believe all this beauty is yours. I can only imagine what it’s like to live here everyday. I’d never leave it. Oh, Adam. This view is breathtaking.”

I slipped my hand around her waist. “It certainly is.” 

Annabelle shifted around to find me looking at her rather than the lake. Her eyes twinkled in merriment. “Now, Adam, whatever do you mean by that?” 

I stepped closer as her smile softened and her eyes reflected the hues of the sinking sun. “I mean that you are beautiful and full of life, and I don’t want to lose that. Annabelle, would you share the rest of your life with me?”

Watching her eyes widen and feeling her breath cease, my stomach knotted, but her words dispelled all my fears. 

“I would love nothing more, my love.” She threw her arms around my neck locking us together.

The passion in our kiss sealed the promise between us. When we parted, the sky was ablaze with glorious colors that mirrored our joy. 

During the short ride to the house, neither of us lost our smiles as we kept stealing kisses. When the buggy rolled to a stop in front of the house, Annabelle caught my hand. 

“Adam, how quickly can we get married?”

My heart clenched. “The normal courtship time is about three weeks. Why?”  

“Oh, it’s just that I don’t want to lose any opportunity for us to enjoy our lives together. Could we possibly get married this weekend? Is that too soon?”

My grin was back as I brought her fingers to my lips. “Your wish is my command, my lady. Now let’s not keep my family waiting any longer. They are going to be thrilled to hear the news.” 

 

Chapter 5

The ride to Virginia City the next morning was one of the quietest I’ve ever had with my brother Hoss. The silence between us was almost painful, and throwing furtive glances at each other didn’t help. I knew Hoss was still bothered by my news from last night but I couldn’t figure out why. I truly thought he’d be tickled pink for me to be getting married. As the horses plodded along, I chanced another glance his way. This time I was rewarded with a look of resignation. 

“Okay, you win. I’ll go first. You mind tellin’ me why you’re marryin’ Miss Annabelle this weekend? I mean you’ve known her less than a week…”

“Six days.”

“An’ only three days of courtin’, if you can even call it that, seems like a mighty short time to me.”

“It is, but we’ve hit it off so well, why wait? Look, I’m quite sure about what I’m doing. She is definitely the one.”

“Ah, come on, Adam. You’d never let me get away with sayin’ that an’ you know it. How can you be sure she’s not after you for your money?”

I should have known this was coming. Hoss has always been my second conscience if there’s ever a time he thinks mine has skipped town. “She’s not. She’s had a hard life, wandered around for years, yet she’s managed to make a good life for herself. She’s one of the most confident women I’ve met, and a bit strong willed too.”

“Maybe a might too strong willed?”

“Really? That’s all you can focus on?” I pulled Sport to a stop. “Look, why don’t you just come on out and say it. You think I’m crazy, or that she’s got some kind of spell over me.”

“Well…we all got pieces of crazy in us, some bigger than others. So I reckon yours are showing through right now.”

The glare I gave my brother wiped that confident smirk right off his face. “Thanks a lot for your support!” 

“You asked me to say it. It may not have been what you wanted to hear but at least it’s the truth of what I’m thinkin’.” 

“You and the rest of the family?”

Silence. 

“I see.” It’s strange how just about twelve hours ago I was on top of the world and now I feel totally betrayed by my family. 

Hoss shifted uneasily in his saddle. “Look, if you’re sure you’re going in with your eyes wide open, I won’t say nothin’ more about it.” 

“I am and that’s fine with me.” I nudged Sport forward, not caring if Hoss was following. He always had a way of cutting through the riff raff and getting to the truth. Up until this little discussion I was secure in my plans with Annabelle, but now…I don’t know. Now I’m wondering why I even let him come along in the first place.

A short distance of silent riding brought us into Virginia City. We steered our horses around walkers and wagons as we made our way toward the center of town. 

I thrust aside the remnants of our earlier conversation, determined to carry out my plans. “Are you going to be my shadow all morning?”

“Naw, I’ve got my own errands.” His tone was as flat as mine. 

I held out a peace offering. “Bucket of Blood in an hour?”

A nod was all I got before he turned down a side street. I meandered ahead toward the town hall to see the judge about a wedding on Saturday. Not only was I getting married this weekend, I also consented to Annabelle’s request to keep the wedding simple. However, convincing Pa of that plan proved to be quite the challenge last night. Thank goodness Joe had his thinking cap on and suggested that we have a big party after the honeymoon, which put Pa in a merrier mood. 

Thankfully, the judge agreed to perform the marriage, once I convinced him it was not a shot-gun wedding. Feeling better about everything, especially with Annabelle’s ring in my pocket, I pushed through the saloon doors. I spied Hoss at a corner table, signaled for a beer and pulled out a chair. The noise startled Hoss enough to make him rattle the table. 

“Hey, what’s got you as jumpy as a frog on a hot skillet? You’re not still ticked off at me are you?” 

“Nah. It’s somethin’ else. You know that man I met at the lake. Pete Winters? He was the one who told me about that Havelock hat thing.”

“Yeah. What about him?” I eyed him over the rim of my mug as I nursed my beer.

“Well, after I met him at the lake an’ he helped me with that hat thing–”

“The havelock.”

“Yeah, well, he said he was all excited about catching a lot o’ fish and bein’ a winner. But he hardly caught a handful. He kept droppin’ his bait and lookin’ off up the hill.” 

“So, he couldn’t fish like he implied. Why would that make you jumpy?”

“I crossed paths with him several times this mornin’. Don’t think he ever saw me but I knew it was him ‘cause he was wearing his havelock. Anyway, he was dartin’ all over town, poppin’ into stores and poppin’ right out. It really was strange.”

“I still don’t see the problem.”

“That’s ‘cause I ain’t got to it yet.”

I took a long draw on my beer to squelch my impatience. “Alright, continue.”

“Look, this next part’ll be kinda hard to say, Adam.”

“Just spit it out then.” I leaned my chair back trying to relax despite Hoss’ fidgeting. 

“After I ordered those new pots for Hop Sing at the mercantile I went to the bank. Pete shot through the door just ahead of me without so much as a howdy.”

“Okay, so he was in a hurry to do some banking and ignored you.”

“While I waited in line, I saw him pass some big bills over to the teller. He got back a lot of small bills.”

“He exchanged some bills. We’ve done that plenty of times.”

“Well, it’s what he done with those bills that’s the confusin’ part. I quickly made the loan payment an’ left the bank to find him. He was headin’ straight to the hotel an’, well…”

I felt my brows knitting together above my eyes. Why was my brother looking a bit green around the gills? “Come on, Hoss, quit stringing me along. What happened?” 

“As soon as he reached the front door Miss Annabelle came out. He handed her a bunch of them bills he’d just gotten from the bank. An’ he must have said somethin’ that made her mad. Her smile vanished as she pushed past him an’ marched down the stairs, headin’ toward the orphanage.” 

As Hoss’ face grew more sickly I felt the color drain from my own face. I leaned toward him causing my chair to thump on the floor. “What is it you’re telling me, Hoss?”

“That’s just it, Adam, I don’t know. It sure looked like they knew each other. But that’s about all I can figure.” He gulped down the last half of his beer in one breath. “I’m sorry, Adam. I guess I shouldn’t have said anything ‘til I was sure there was somethin’ to tell. What’re you gonna do?”

I stared at my empty mug, wishing it was full of whisky. “How the heck do I know?” 

Feeling a great need to move, I shoved away from the table and snaked my way through the crowded bar. Outside I leaned on the hitching rail to let the fresh air clear my head. I felt Hoss rub against me. 

“Hey, look over there.”

I angled my head to look at him and Hoss nodded to the right. Following his gaze I watched Winters climb into a carriage and head out of town. 

“Let’s go.”

I jogged across the street to get Sport. Hoss showed up behind me on Chubb. Together we trailed Pete Winters out of town. 

After about fifteen minutes Winters stopped at a dilapidated farmhouse. I tied Sport off behind some trees and found a hiding spot to watch the man. Hoss took another trail and I had no idea where he was but knew Chubb was close by the way Sport was acting. The man entered the house, and a few minutes later he came out and hefted a heavy sack onto the seat. At that moment one of our horses nickered causing Winters to freeze halfway back to the house. His eyes darted around the area and toward the house before he spun around and climbed into the carriage. 

“Well, older brother. Are we gonna take a peek inside or follow him?”

I jumped at Hoss’ loud whisper. “Who taught you to be so quiet on those big feet of yours.”

Hoss poked me. “You did. Now I vote for lookin’ in the house. That’s the only way in or out. I checked. So he can’t sneak up on us.” 

“Alright.”

Doing our best not to fall through the rotting floorboards, we found nothing but the man’s footprints and they led right to the fireplace. Hoss kicked at a couple of stones causing them to shift. “Not very original.”

He moved them out of the way  and I reached in to find several metal plates. I let out a low whistle while Hoss leaned in to study them. “Are those what I think they are?”

“Yep. Plates for making counterfeit money. Twenties, tens and fives from the looks of them.” 

“What do we do with ‘em?”

“We take them to Roy.” I lifted the set of six plates and headed back to my horse with Hoss on my heels. 

When we got to town, we headed to the Sheriff’s office. We had just ridden up to the rail when Roy came rushing up the boardwalk waving at us. 

“Hey, Roy. Something wrong?”

Our long time friend gave each of us a worried look. “I just had the bank manager tell me one of his tellers found some fake money in his till. 

I straightened up in the saddle. “Counterfeit bills?”

“Didn’t I just say that?”

Hoss and I shared looks which caught Roy’s attention. “What is it? You fellas know somethin’?”

“Perhaps we should continue this discussion in your office.” 

Roy stepped back so I could dismount. Grabbing my saddle bags, the three of us left the street. 

When I placed the plates on his desk and Hoss told his story, a shorter verse after I nudged him hard in the ribs, Roy yelled for his deputy to go send a wire to the US Marshal in Carson City. 

Roy took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Looks like some counterfeiters have found our little community. And if Winters traded them bills at the bank, he might have been spendin’ ‘em elsewhere. And you know what else? Miss Dee came in yesterday and showed me some odd feelin’ bills. Said she got them as a donation.” 

I shifted nervously in my chair. “Roy, does Dee know who made that donation?”

“She didn’t say, but I got a feelin’ she had a pretty good idea.”

I bite my lower lip, nearly drawing blood.

Hoss wiggled in his seat. “Roy, I thought counterfeitin’ was back East. Why would they show up here? 

I held up my hand to stay Roy’s reply. “Because things are getting complicated with the new Secret Service trying to shut the printers down and capture those making the fake money and spreading it around. So some have managed to make their way west to keep their business going.” 

Roy slipped his glasses back on. “That sure looks like what we got here, Adam. Now you boys stay away from Winters. You did your service and now the law’s gotta take over.”

Hoss and I nodded and promised to leave for home.

After I mounted up, I turned to Hoss. “Thanks for leaving Annabelle out of your story to Roy.”

“Well, I don’t know nothin’ about what I saw anyway.”

Heading down the street, I slowed down. Annabelle and Dee were coming out of the orphanage. 

“You wanna go over an’ speak to ‘em, Adam?”

I was about to reply when the ladies parted ways. Annabelle stepped off the porch and collided with a man dashing from an alleyway. She lost her balance and dropped her handbag. The man reached out to steady her, and handed her handbag back to her. When she started to walk away he gripped her arm and guided her to the hotel. It appeared they were exchanging some heated words.

“Adam, did you see him?”

“Yeah.”

“It looks like Miss Annabelle really does know Winters. What do we do?”

My voice almost failed me. “Nothing.”

“You ain’t gonna go after ‘em? I mean, she could be in some kind of trouble.” 

I turned my horse around.

“But we at least gotta tell Roy about them two…”

“And what exactly would you tell him? You heard what he said, it’s the law’s job now. Let’s get home.”

After we left town, I needed time to think so I asked Hoss to ride ahead. While I let Sport set the pace, my mind kept replaying one brief scene and it concerned Annabelle’s handbag. When she walked away, she looked like she was struggling to carry it. As the miles passed by and my thoughts swirled, the ride home became the most confusing and darkest ride I’d ever experienced.

 

Chapter 6

When the morning sun snuck in through my opened curtains, I cringed. This was my wedding day but there was no joy to be found. Sleep had been nonexistent as those scenes of Winters and Annabelle repeatedly played in my head. If she knows Winters does that mean she’s involved in the counterfeiting? Or was she in trouble? If so, why didn’t I jump to her rescue? 

I shoved the covers away from my body and rolled to the side of the bed. My head throbbed and my eyes were dry and gritty. Well, there was nothing to do now but dress, plaster a smile on my face, and play the role of the happy bride groom, at least until I could get some answers.

Breakfast and the ride to town with my family were sheer torture. Of course, Pa and Joe had no idea of what had transpired yesterday, so I had to keep up the pretense of being happy to get married. All I really wanted to do was to find Annabelle and learn the truth, all of it. 

When we arrived at the town hall, I practically jumped from the carriage and disappeared inside the building. Hoss had been my protector all morning and it didn’t end here. He followed me inside leaving a befuddled Pa and Joe to tend to the carriage and horses. 

“Adam, what are you gonna do?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve got a plan but I need to think it through.”

“Alright. Looks like an empty room over there. That should give you a bit of privacy. I’ll keep Pa and Joe outside for as long as I can.”

“Thanks, brother.”

After Hoss left I slipped into the side room to work on my plan. I was so lost in thought I didn’t realize how much time had passed. I jumped when someone rapped on the door and I heard Joe’s voice.

“Adam, you in there? It’s time. Everyone’s here.”

I pushed down the bile that rose in my throat and plastered on that smile once more. “I’m coming.”

In the larger room, I quickly counted heads and found Hoss missing. Well, that at least explained why Joe came to get me. Striding to the center to stand by the judge and Annabelle I threw a questioning glance at Joe who was sitting beside Pa. He shrugged, indicating he, too, wondered where our brother was.

Forcing a cheerful greeting to Annabelle I gave a nod to the judge to begin the ceremony. 

******

The Judge had barely begun when Winters burst in like a raving lunatic holding a pistol in his shaking hand. Joe and Pa rose to intercede but Hoss, who was a few feet behind the crazed man, waved them off. He grabbed Winters before he could fire the gun and in the ensuing struggle Winters dropped the gun and collapsed to his knees. Hoss hauled him to his feet as the disheveled man started crying and pleading. 

“Stop all this. Annabelle, I can’t allow you to do this again. I love you and I’m sick of watching you marry all these men.”  He struggled against Hoss’ iron grip. “Let go of me. Like I told you outside, Hoss, she and I are married and it’s been tearing me apart to watch these marriages knowing what comes next. We can’t do it this way anymore, Annie, please…please…I implore you, stop now.”  His energy spent, he sank to the floor so fast Hoss almost toppled on top of him. 

The silence in the room was deafening. My heart was thudding in my chest and I took a couple of deep breaths to get it to calm down. I saw Annabelle waver and reach for the railing behind the judge for some stability. Scrutinizing her face I found it pale as a ghost and her blue eyes ice cold. 

She ignored me and turned to stare daggers at Winters. “What do you mean you can’t do this anymore? What about me, Pete? All you have to do is move the money and plates around. I have to marry these men, convince them to invest, and…and…” Her once delectable lips slammed shut. 

I seized her arm and spun her around. My voice was so hard and cold it shocked even me. “And what, Annabelle. What do you do after you marry them? What will you do after you marry me?”

“No, Annie, don’t say it. Please, my love. I can’t lose you.”

Movement caught my eye. Was that the US Marshal with Roy standing just outside the door? 

I refocused my stony gaze on Annabelle and tightened my grip on her arm. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

Before my eyes, she changed from a voluptuous woman of my dreams to a woman who would bewitch my nightmares. In a swift movement, she scratched my hand forcing me to release her. She then revealed a small pistol pointed at my midsection.

“I killed them, and I would have to kill you. I have no choice. I marry them, get their money, their gold, or whatever riches they have to invest, then I silence them. All that I collect goes to Pete who turns it over to our Bosses. They use it to keep the counterfeiting going so they can take over businesses and disrupt governments.” 

For a moment her attitude softened toward me. “I’m sorry Adam. I truly enjoyed our time together. I meant what I said about wanting to settle down here with you, but now Pete has ruined everything. In my heart my marriage with him ended months ago but I’m in too deep with him and the Company to stop now. I’d be dead in a matter of hours if I stopped everything I was doing and stayed with you.”

Her words trickled into my head as my vision blurred preventing me from seeing the ending to this miserable state of affairs. A gun went off and shadowy figures flew around the room. I collapsed to the floor still fighting to clear my vision. I glimpsed Annabelle being handcuffed and led outside. Her sweet voice repeated those heartrending and chilling words one last time as a blackness enveloped me. “I am sorry, Adam.”

 

Chapter 7

It’s quite disconcerting when images dance before you in circles yet none of them coalesce into anything familiar. Blinking my eyes helped a bit but it also increased the pressure in my head. My bobbing head found the back of a chair so I leaned into it and I closed my eyes once more.  The spinning images were replaced with Annabelle holding a pistol on me. That’s when all those other events came flooding back and my eyes shot open to find a large familiar figure looming over me. 

“Hoss…where? How… long?” I squeaked out the words through a mouth that felt like it was filled with cotton.

“We’re in the Judge’s chambers an’ an hour or so. You’re just plum lucky to be able to ask that question, big brother.”

“Why?”

“Boys, quit making him talk. Son, keep drinking the medicine. Paul says it will help with the after affect of the drug.”

“Drug?” I sure wish I could spit out more than one or two words so I could get all my questions answered at once.

Pa squatted down in front of me. “Do you remember what happened with Annabelle, the wedding, and you blacking out?”

“Most of it, I think.”

“It turns out she scratched you and infected you with some kind of sleeping drug.” 

The faint memory made me look at my left hand. It had a light bandage on it but oddly burned like fire.

“It was a deep scratch but Paul cleaned it out well. It’ll feel much better in a few hours.”

I absorbed those words until another memory hit me. “A gun. She had one.” 

An odd silence followed and I watched my family looking at each other. “Tell me.”

Joe shrugged and stepped closer to me. “When I saw Annabelle holding the gun at you, I tried to stop her. She fired as I shoved her off balance. The bullet grazed your arm. Paul says that will heal too.”

It was my turn for silence. I didn’t recall being shot, just falling. Guess the drug was taking hold by then. But it was the fact that she really tried to kill me that hurt the most. 

Pa lifted the cup to my lips encouraging me to finish the bitter liquid. I took it from him and downed the contents. “I need to sleep.”

“Not yet, Mister Cartwright.” My family turned and formed a protective line in front of me, but I could still see a US Marshal striding toward us. “I need to ask you a few questions.”

“And you are?” Pa almost growled with the question.

“Nate Reed. US Marshal from Carson City.”

That was all my father needed to top off his worry over me. However, despite his loud protests, which added to my throbbing headache, the Marshal got his way. Joe and Hoss were dispatched to secure rooms for us. Pa stood on one side of me and Roy, who ran in behind the Marshal, was on the other side. I’ve no idea what they thought Reed might do to me. He said he just wanted to ask me a few questions. I was still bleary-eyed but my mind was clearing and with each question the morning’s events came back to me full force. 

After what was beginning to feel like the Spanish inquisition, my frustration grew toward the Marshal. I’d done my best to answer his questions but I had had enough. Pa must have recognized the signs for he moved between me and my inquisitor in one step. 

“That’s quite enough Marshal.  Adam’s a victim here, not the guilty party. I think you have enough of the story concerning him and Annabelle to be satisfied he knew nothing about her nefarious activities.”

Roy moved in then. “Ben’s right, Marshal. Seems you’d be more interested in questioning Winters and Miss Winstead, uh, Mrs. Winters.” 

“Very well. Thank you for your time, Mister Cartwright.” 

The Marshal spun a hundred and eighty degrees on his heel and all but marched out the door. 

Roy’s hand on my shoulder drew my attention off the Marshal. “Adam, I feel right bad for all you’ve been through today, an’ I know that Marshal Reed didn’t help none. I had no idea he was gonna go on so long. It’s my understanding that he’s only been Marshal for a couple of years. Guess he’s still tryin’ to prove himself. Listen, you go on an’ get some rest. I’ll come see you as soon as I know what’s gonna happen to them other two.”

“Thanks, Roy.” 

Despite Pa’s proffered hand I stood up and made my shaky way out of the Judge’s chambers. I had to acknowledge that Marshal Reed’s interrogation had one positive affect on me. It helped to clear that drug out of my system as I tamped down my temper to answer his infernal questions.

I was glad Joe and Hoss went ahead to secure our rooms at the hotel. Once in my room I closed the door on everyone and basked in the silence. I was in no mood to talk to anyone. All I wanted to do was to sleep. And I did, right through lunch and into mid afternoon. When I began to reach a conscious level I heard a knock on the door. As I crossed the room, I smoothed my hair and rubbed the sleep from my face. 

“Who is it?”

“Adam, it’s Roy.”

I opened the door and found not one but three people standing there. Seeing Marshal Reed and Annabelle behind Roy brought all the anger back. 

“Roy, what is this? I’m done with them. I have nothing more to say.”  I pushed on the door to close it but Roy’s hand pushed back. 

“Then perhaps you won’t mind just listenin’. There’s some mighty important things you need to hear.”

Begrudgingly, I opened the door wider.

“If you’ll excuse me for a moment.” I slipped into the bedroom to splash cold water on my face in an attempt to clear the rest of the cobwebs from my mind. At least my headache was gone. Feeling better, I returned to the parlor and found everyone still standing.

Roy had gathered some chairs and pointed at them. “Why don’t we all sit down.”

Since we were facing each other in a crude circle, I crossed my arms and kept my eyes focused on a stain on the carpet. An awkward silence ensued until Annabelle’s gentle voice penetrated it. 

“Adam.”

My heart seized in my chest.

“I’ve been given permission to share more of this difficult story with you. After what I’ve put you through, it’s the least I can do so you know the whole truth.” 

I raised my eyes to meet hers. They were as hollow as I felt. “I’m sure there’s nothing more you can say to fix the devastation you’ve caused. But if you feel you need to make a full confession then I won’t interrupt.”

“Thank you for being willing to listen.” She fumbled with her hands in her lap then drew a deep breath. “I’m not a murderer and I’m not involved with the counterfeiting rings.” 

My head snapped up. I could barely breathe. “What?”

Annabelle hesitated as her eyes flicked from the Sheriff on my left to the Marshal on my right. Reed nodded for her to continue. 

“Just over two years ago, I met and married Pete Winters in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was a bank teller and we lived comfortably in the city. We were happy for a few months until he received a promotion. He said he couldn’t talk about it but said it meant he would be gone one to two days a week on bank business. I accepted that until it got to where I almost never saw him. Also, our income level went way up and we moved to a richer part of town. One day, about three months after his promotion, I went to see him at the bank. That’s when I discovered he hadn’t been working for them all that time. The manager said he had stolen some money as a teller, a small amount, so they fired him rather than press charges. Shocked at that news, I ran home in tears and paced around the house trying to figure out what Pete was doing.

“That evening Pete came in and announced we were moving to Kansas City. I confronted him with what I learned and he confirmed it all saying it was behind him. He said he was now working for a legitimate investment firm and Kansas City would allow him to help people there invest in land and new buildings. It made sense to me so I agreed to leave and we settled in our new home a couple of months later. 

“A week after we arrived, a man intercepted me in town and asked me to join him at his office. He turned out to be one of several Secret Service agents on the trail of counterfeiters. That day he told me Pete was on his list as a distributor of the fake money. He gave me time to get over my shock and listened to what I had learned about Pete in St. Joseph. The more we talked the more frightened I became. This agent was patient with me and finally asked me if I would help them discover who Pete was working for. They had some ideas but no hard leads, and no one was close enough to him to get the answers. 

“So that is what I’ve been doing for the last year and a half. I offered to work with Pete and my job was to lure certain men into a relationship to marry them, get them to invest, then kill them.”

“You said you hadn’t murdered anyone!” I sprang from my chair causing Annabelle to shrink back in hers. 

Reed blocked my path to Annabelle while Roy tugged on my arm. “Adam, you need to settle down.”

“Settle down? First, she says she’s not a murderer, but just now she said she was. Not to mention trying to kill me!”

“Adam, please let me finish.” 

Noticing Roy and Reed were ready to spring into action if I stayed where I was, I reluctantly returned to my seat. 

“I only said it was my job to kill them. I didn’t really do it. The Company, as it’s called, that Pete and I worked for wanted me to give them a fast-acting poison but instead I only sedated them with a potion the agent gave me. Then, someone would take them away. They would be questioned then released in another part of the country. Little did they know they were helping to build a case against my husband but also helping the agents to discover who the big bosses were. 

“When we came to Virginia City, the agents were close to finding out who the leader was. Pete and I were to circulate the counterfeit bills and coins here but then someone showed up with some plates. They wanted Pete to transport them to Carson City, to ‘the big man’ as he was called. This was my chance to help the agents and hopefully close the case. At that point Pete would have gone to jail and I would finally be able to live a normal life.”

I jumped up and pulled Annabelle out of her seat, threatening Roy and Reed with a glare to stand down. This was between me and Annabelle.  “A normal life? Was I to be just a pawn in that big plan to finally take out the Company? And would you settle down with me after it was all over, leaving me to wonder what was truth and what was a lie with you? What about all the other marriages? How does that work? The last I heard polygamy is illegal in this country.” 

“Adam, I… Alright, after we married you were going to be approached to invest in some new businesses in Carson City, and I was to convince you to do that. The agents were convinced the man, the Boss, was getting sloppy with his overconfidence and with the power of your name the agents believed they could have discovered who the man was. But you would not have been harmed in the end. And with the case closed you would have been able to return to your family and we could have lived out our lives together.”

I refused to comment on what she just implied, her warped view of living happily ever after, and waited for her to answer the rest of my questions. 

“Concerning the marriages, none of them were legal. They were faked because the men acting as the judges were part of the Secret Service. So right now I’m only married to Pete but the agent I’m working with promised to help me end that marriage after we completed the case.”

I clenched my fists in disbelief of her calm response. “You make it all sound so simple, all of it tied up in a tidy package with a pretty bow. You do realize don’t you that if anything had happened to me you would have opened a viper’s nest with my family. You would not have had a happy and normal life anywhere, I can assure you of that.”

Annabelle at least had the decency to drop her gaze and back away at that moment. 

“Oh, and you can check one more item off your list. All the counterfeit money you and Pete spread around town has been cleaned out. That includes the orphanage where quite a lot of it was found, and it’s been replaced with real money.” 

I crossed my arms and indicated the door with a glance. “So as far as I’m concerned, your confession time is over and I have all my answers. Your business with me, Miss Winstead, is concluded. And Marshal Reed, you better hope to never see me again. Good day to you both.”

My cold gaze encouraged the Marshal and Annabelle to move quickly to the door. Turning to Roy, I spoke quietly, “Tell my family to go home and that I need some time to sort all this out.”  Roy nodded and ushered the others out to the hall. 

As soon as the door closed I packed my things and left out the back way. I had no idea where I would go but I had to get away. I rented a horse to get me home, changed clothes, repacked my saddle bags and saddled Sport. I hoped to be well away before my family put two and two together. 

*****

I stopped for the night along the northern edge of the lake. I’d caught some fish for dinner and set a couple of snares hoping to have rabbit for the next few meals. As I lay on my back staring at the stars, Sport nickered. That’s when I heard a few twigs snap under heavy footsteps. My focus remained on the black sky as I called out, “Quit sneaking around and come get warm.”

When Hoss approached the fire I had to smile. “Figured you’d be along at some point. Let me guess, it’s time for me to quit acting childish and come home.”

“Nope, none of that. You got any fish left?”

“No but there’s still some beans in the pot – Hop Sing’s recipe.”

Once Hoss’s belly was filled I got the story out of him. 

“Joe was first in the barn and saw the livery horse in Sport’s stall. Kinda obvious even for you brother.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide anything. I just wanted to be gone before you all got home. I didn’t wish to rehash everything or explain why I needed time to think.”

“Yeah, got your message from Roy about that. He also said you met with Annabelle again.”

“I did and I can’t talk about that meeting.”

“Yeah, Roy said the same thing. Where you plannin’ to go?”

“And for how long?” 

Hoss’ head bobbed. 

“I don’t know. I want to head north but don’t know how far. I just want to get away from all that’s happened and clear my head.”

I almost laughed at Hoss’ skeptical expression. “How many times have I heard you say that nature gave us all something to fall back on, and sooner or later we all land flat on it. Well I fell fast and hard. You were right, Hoss. Three days were nowhere near long enough to get to know Annabelle. But after some things she told me, I don’t think I could have truly known her anyway.”

I laid back down on my bedroll. “It’s been a long day and I’m through talking about it all. Let’s get some sleep.” 

The next morning, I said goodbye to Hoss and pointed my horse northward. We didn’t exchange any words, no need to. A look between us was enough to convey a million words. He understood that I needed to go, and he knew I’d be home as soon as I cleared my head and my heart. 

As I rode along a creek, listening to its quiet burbling, I pondered the words I think I heard Hoss utter when I rode away:  “There’s no better place to heal a broken heart than on the back of a horse.” 

When the creek flowed away from the forest, I couldn’t hold back a grin as a wide open field stretched to the horizon. I relaxed the reins and gave my faithful mount his head. The motion of the two of us as one and the chilled morning air slapping me in the face was all I needed. This was healing, this was freedom, this was life. 

The End

 

——–

Author’s Note – 

Fishing words: Discombobulated, Havelock 

Cowboy Lingo:

1.We all got pieces of crazy in us, some bigger than others.

2.Nature gave us all something to fall back on, and sooner or later we all land flat on it.

3.There’s no better place to heal a broken heart than on the back of a horse.

 

Two plot twists were used.