Letters and Love

Chapter Twenty-Two: Noah

"Idiot."

I should have given Elizabeth a proper kiss. Knowing Mrs. Harper was right there had kept me from acting as I might otherwise have been inclined. Regret followed me all the way home. I would have to think of some way to make amends the next time I saw her.

Now that I had met her, I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Without a doubt, Elizabeth Garrison had exceeded anything I could have imagined. She was even more charming in person than she had been on paper, and she certainly had spunk!

Mrs. Royal had been the only other person to defend me while I was in person to hear it. It was both embarrassing and reassuring for me to just sit while a beautiful woman gave Jones what-for! The question was if it would do any good or just cause more trouble.

There was a sadness in her eyes when Elizabeth smiled, and I had to remember that she had just suffered the loss of her mother. Not to mention leaving behind friends and family to join me. We would take as much time as we needed to decide if we suited each other.

She had listened to my tale of coming west with interest. Maybe since she hadn't had a similar journey, as many of my neighbors had made, she didn't find it boring.

All these thoughts went round and round my mind as I drove onto my property. The sight of an unfamiliar horse standing in front of my porch set me on edge. I brought the wagon to a halt, lowering my right hand to where my rifle rested under my seat. "Evening," I called out. "Can I help you?"

"Evening," the stranger sitting on my porch steps responded. He raised both his hands as though to show he held no weapon. "I'm not here to cause any trouble, Mr. Coleman."

"How do you know my name?"

"You wrote a letter to the Marshal's office in Cheyenne," he said. "My name is Jack Westler. I'm a US marshal."

The flash of his badge eased some of the tension in my shoulders, but not entirely. "I didn't think my letter would do any good," I said as I climbed down from my wagon. A vague memory flashed through my mind of seeing him climb off the stage after Elizabeth had. "You came in on the stage."

"I did. I would have spoken to you then, but I saw you were meeting a lady." He glanced around. "Family member?"

Why oh why couldn't I keep from blushing like a schoolboy? "Not exactly. She is the lady I intend to marry," I informed him. "She's staying with some of my neighbors, the Harpers, until the preacher comes around."

Marshal Westler nodded. "Congratulations. She was a gracious and charming lady during our journey."

"Thank you. What are you here about?"

"Your letter. You know, you and your town really ought to think about hiring a sheriff," he said as he stood up. He tipped his hat back as he glanced at the setting sun. "A marshal isn't always available to solve problems."

"A sheriff costs money, and we haven't had enough trouble the past few years to warrant that." But I knew he was right. Towns attracted people, and some of those people were not always honest citizens. "You might mention it to someone in town, like Collins at the general store. If you read my letter, you know I'm not well thought of right now and any suggestion from me will be ignored."

He grunted and then looked around the yard. Shrugging my shoulders, I led my team towards the barn. "What, exactly, in my letter brought you here?" I asked over my shoulder.

Marshal Westler followed me. "You said Owen Burns is here."

"Did I? The only Burns I know is Jake Burns and his family." I paused, trying to think back. "His brother is here, but he told me he was called Port. I don't know if that's really his name or not. Why? Is he some kind of criminal?"