A Headstrong Woman

chapter Twenty-four

Alexandria stood beside her husband and watched her sister take her wedding vows. Her heart felt so full as she watched Ted kiss her sister and the two turn to face the packed church house. If only Melissa could have come in from California to witness their baby sister marry it would be complete, Alexandria mused to herself. She hadn’t heard from her sister in a while and could only pray that she was okay. The reception was soon underway as plates of food were carried to blankets under the tree as the newlywed couple smiled their thanks at their guests. Alexandria sighed contentedly and placed a hand on her belly wondering what the new little one would bring to their family.

“Mommy, when will the baby be here?” Lilly asked.

“Not for some time yet,” Alexandria responded. The breeze was a little cool under the tree; winter was closing in on them. It was fortunate that the day had turned out as pleasant as it was or they would be crammed into the church right now. Alexandria felt uneasiness flutter in her stomach and looked around with a frown. Why the sudden uneasiness?

Jonathon dropped down beside her with a smile and kiss.

“You okay?” he asked her.

“I feel uneasy,” Alexandria admitted.

“Why sweetie?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“Could it simply be all the changes?” he suggested.

“Maybe.”

“Are we going to kidnap the bride?” Jonathon asked with a wide grin. Alexandria smiled in return.

“Actually, Anna asked that we not. She said as anxious as she is to start her marriage that she didn’t want to miss a moment of this day.”

“Okay; Ted’ll live,” Jonathon joked. Alexandria leaned against her husband and prayed that all would be okay; she just wished that she could shake her unease.

By the time the bride and groom had left, the day was waning and the temperature dropping. Jonathon had wanted to take Alexandria home but she had insisted that she could help some. She didn’t realize how tired she was until she was trekking across the shared yard to the school. They had borrowed a large wash tub from the school house wall in order to clean some of the dishes. She placed the tub on the wall and was about to leave when she thought she heard someone call her name from behind the school house. Thinking it was one of the men needing help, she walked into the lengthening shadows; her eyes strained against the encroaching darkness.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” a voice said in her ear as a hand covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

Alexandria closed her eyes; she was kicking herself for walking into a trap. She had known something was wrong, why had she let her guard slip?

“We’re going to go for a short walk through the woods; then a ride. Do I have to gag you?” the voice asked her again. Alexandria shook her head as much as she was able. “Good.”

“Why are you doing this?” Alexandria demanded.

“I never lose, Alexandria; now start walking.” Alexandria noted that her captor held a gun and knew that for her child’s sake she would co-operate…to a point at least. Alexandria started down the path indicated and searched her mind frantically for a plan that would keep everyone safe.

“Alexandria!” Jonathon’s voice called through the darkness in the distance. Alexandria felt tears flood her eyes. He had not come to the wedding armed; if he came to her aide he would likely end up dead. What could she do? Alexandria stumbled and her captor grabbed her arm in an iron vice.

“Pick up the pace; I’ve eliminated one of your husbands it wouldn’t pain me to do it again.”

“You were behind Eli’s death?” Alexandria glanced at her captor and shuddered at his feral smile.

“I was; you were supposed to come to me willingly, Alexandria; it was supposed to be so easy and no one else would get hurt. Everyone knew Eli had married you just to care for Lilly.”

Alexandria felt her heart ache for Elijah; it had been her fault that he had ended up dead. The trouble was she’d had no idea she was bringing anyone any danger. If the path hadn’t been so closed in by trees she might have attempted to run; though it could prove fatal, she realized with a sinking heart. They reached a clearing and a horse stood waiting patiently.

“Get up there,” her captor ordered.

It was almost full dark now, offering more cover, could she escape? Alexandria attempted to place her foot in the stirrup only to realize that her pregnant, corseted body did not allow for the flexibility that she had enjoyed while working in men’s clothing.

“I can’t,” she admitted.

Her captor glared at her. “I’ve seen you mount plenty of horses.” It was true Alexandria had taken great pride in her riding skill and the whole community had recognized her as one of the best horse women for the past few years.

“Yes, but I wasn’t pregnant. Pregnancy brings limitations,” She stared defiantly at her captor. It embarrassed her to tell this man that she was pregnant. There was no shame in carrying her husband’s child, but women seldom talked of their pregnancy with anyone other than close friends and family. Her captor’s eyes raked over her in the sliver of light that now remained; his gaze was disgusted.

“I hope you aren’t fond of the child,” he informed her.

Alexandria felt like crying all over again; she had to run. Whether she ran or not, she and her child were in danger.

Her captor moved forward to aide her into the saddle and offer her a hand to step into. Alexandria brought her elbow crashing down on his neck and grabbed his gun from its holster before she darted back down the path they had taken in. She could hear people and movement ahead; if she could just reach them…a shot rang out and tore into a tree beside her. She should have known he would have more than one gun. Alexandria couldn’t out run him; she stopped, turned, and met him with gun raised and ready.

“I am a great shot and you know it,” Alexandria reminded him.

“I do,” he conceded.

“Just one thing I don’t understand,” Alexandria said as she tried to buy time; she still wasn’t certain how to get out of this. “Why did you have my cattle stolen and have me attacked? Were you trying to scare me?”

“I’m not responsible for those things, Alexandria. That was Moody’s doing. He thinks he’s covered his tracks well but I know people too. It did help my case, or at least I thought it would.”

“Did you have to kill Elijah? You’re willing to kidnap me now; why not then?”

“I wanted it all, Alexandria, you; the land. It would triple my land if I could add yours.”

“What changed, or are you still after both?”

“No, this is personal now, Alexandria; you get in a man’s blood and you just won’t leave. You should have been in the saloon a few weeks ago when Lane came in. The poor pathetic fool; he was really torn up by your marriage, both of them really.”

“Why, Tristan; what about me is worth killing for?” Alexandria shrugged hopelessly lost and confused by the whole situation. What had she ever done to send a man overboard?

“You shine and make others pale in comparison, Alexandria; you’re full of fire.”

“And you’re just full of it,” Alexandria said on a half hysterical laugh. She could hear others closing in on them; did she wait for them or act now?

“Alexandria!” Jonathon called.

Tristan’s gaze flew to the path behind her; his gun came up. Alexandria raised her gun and fired causing Tristan’s aim to falter. She watched Tristan glance down at his chest before he looked back up in surprise.

“Alexandria!” she could hear Jonathon closing in on her, his voice panicked as her ears began to roar and fire spread through her left arm and shoulder. Tristan crumpled to the ground seemingly in slow motion as Alexandria let her arms drop. She had shot a man.

“Alexandria, are you okay?” Jonathon asked as his gaze looked her over frantically.

“My arm and shoulder really hurt,” she told him in confusion.

“How bad is it?” he asked as he guided her to a boulder and gave her a gentle shove on to it. Alexandria’s father arrived on the scene with a torch. Alexandria was vaguely aware of her husband probing her shoulder and intense pain but her attention fixed on Tristan’s fallen form with regret and relief. He would have killed Jonathon she was sure but she hated that she had killed him, she mused as she stared at his now blank eyes. She glanced down at her shoulder and noted her own wound for the first time.

“The baby!” Alexandria panicked.

“The wound’s removed from the baby, Alexandria; if we can stop the bleeding I think the baby will be fine,” her father informed her. Alexandria’s tear filled eyes met her husband’s.

“Our baby,” she said desperately.

“Our baby should be fine, let me pack this wound and wrap it and let’s get you to the doctor,” Jonathon said gently as he pressed ripped petticoat to the wound. Clay helped and Jonathon was soon scooping his wife up to carry her to the buggy. Several other men had arrived and volunteered to see to Tristan’s body. Alexandria laid her head on her husband’s shoulder and closed her eyes tight; the pain had registered with her conscious, making her wish for the numbness of moments earlier. Around her, the women fluttered with concern; Alexandria ignored them; she wanted to shut it all out and make it all go away.

“I’ll drive the team,” Michael offered after seeing Carolyn safely into her father’s home on the edge of the school and church’s property. Alexandria lost conscious after the first few moments of the bone jarring trip into town and sank into a merciful oblivion.

***

“Your baby is fine,” Dr. Carver again reassured her a few days later. “You just need to rest and let Esther and Molly see after you and Lilly.” Molly was Esther’s daughter and was wonderful with Lilly.

“Thanks, Dr. Carver,” Alexandria smiled at him. A few moments later Jonathon returned to her side with a cup of tea and plate of toast from Esther.

“Esther said to eat; no arguments,” Jonathon informed her.

Alexandria shook her head in amusement. “She really does believe that eating will restore my strength and blood doesn’t she?”

“Apparently; I have an update for you.”

“Oh?”

“Simon Moody is behind bars. They found falsified documents, crooked deals by the dozens, and at least a few previous partners in crime who were angry enough with him to make a plea bargain.”

“Good; I’m glad he can’t cause anyone else pain and difficulty.”

“It’s wild to think isn’t, that two men could become so obsessed that they would resort to such measures.”

“What I cannot comprehend is their wanting me that badly,” she admitted.

“That I can understand,” Jonathon teased her.

“To think you only had to spend a hundred bucks,” Alexandria joked.

“You’re worth a lot more I assure you.”

“I think I got the real bargain,” Alexandria informed him.

“Do you?”

“I do,” she nodded.

“I love you, Alexandria.”

“I love you too,” she returned as he leaned close to kiss her.

“My parents want to meet you,” Jonathon shared.

“I’d like to meet them too.”

“Are you up to it?”

“A trip now?” Alexandria asked with a frown.

“Just down the stairs. Ted just picked them up from the train station and brought them here.”

“What?” Alexandria asked wide eyed. “You’re just now telling me?”

“I wanted a moment alone with you first. They had wanted to make it in time for the wedding but they just couldn’t work it out in time.”

“What are we waiting for?” Alexandria asked as she swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood. Jonathon smiled and escorted her down the stairs.

“I am so pleased to meet you,” Dorothy said around tears. “I can’t tell you what an answer to prayer you are.”

“Your son is the answer to prayer, Dorothy, the answer to a prayer I didn’t even have sense enough to voice.”

“How are you feeling? I was so distressed when Ted told me what had happened.”

“Tired and weak; otherwise I feel very fortunate.”

“Do I get to hug my new daughter-in-law or do I have to stand here and listen to all this small talk?” Nicholas teased.

Alexandria smiled and returned Nicholas’s hug. It only took her moments with the couple to understand her husband better; he had a wonderful family! Alexandria watched Lilly bask in the attention of her new grandparents and smiled.

Jonathon watched his wife talk and laugh with his family. His brother had accused him of being crazy marrying a woman who was only looking to save her ranch. He’d taken a chance, he knew that, but he loved her and he simply could not have stood by and let her marry another. So he had risked his heart and his future but he had no regrets. It had paid off for him in the end. True, she’d likely always keep him on his toes and she wouldn’t always be easy for him to handle; the thought made him smile. No, she would always be a handful. Who knew he’d end up so crazy over a headstrong woman?