The Guilty Proposal (Heroes of Hays Book 1) Read online

  The Guilty Proposal

  Barbara Goss

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this book is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage system without express written permission from the author.

  Copyright © 2016 Barbara Goss

  All Rights Reserved

  Kindle Edition

  Cover design by: Samantha Fury

  This book is dedicated to all my friends on the new Facebook group: Sweet Wild West Reads for their loyalty and support. Love you guys. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1832790870336744/

  Also to my proofreaders, beta reader, and editor, Elise Sherman Abram.

  The Guilty Proposal

  Historical Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  THE END

  Historical Note

  Victoria, Kansas, located about ten miles from Hays, Kansas, was established by George Grant, an English aristocrat who, in 1873, led a group of colonists from England and Scotland to Victoria with the hope of bringing some class to the Western frontier. His plan had also intended to bring people from Europe to breed cattle and farm the land.

  Most of the early settlers were remittance men who received generous stipends from their families back in their homeland. The town went well for a few years, but it seems these aristocrats were not interested in farming and breeding as much as they were in hunting, sporting, dancing, and other social activities. Having failed, they later went back to their homes across the pond.

  This story occurs during the years when Victoria was still full of hope.

  Chapter 1

  Hays Kansas

  The day of the accident began as any normal day for Travis Grayson.

  Travis dug his heels into Comanche’s ribs, coaxing him to an even faster gallop. His head was ducked low, and the horse’s mane feathered his face. A quick peek behind him saw Ned’s horse gaining on him. Travis judged the distance between his horse, Ned’s horse, and the clump of oak trees that served as the finish line. He knew it would be close, but he tasted victory, nevertheless. At the last second, Ned’s horse and Comanche met nose to nose at the finish line—a tie!

  “By Jiminy, Ned! I almost beat you!” Travis called out.

  “Maybe next time.” Ned laughed. “Hey, why are you out of breath? Your horse did all the work.”

  “Must be the excitement.” Travis jumped off Comanche and stroked his side. “I think we should walk the horses back. They’re pretty sweaty.”

  The two young men trotted through the field behind the Grayson Ranch where Travis lived with his father.

  “What are you doing tonight?” Ned asked.

  “The usual, I guess. Why? Is tonight special for some reason?”

  “It’s the barn dance at the Farleys’. You said you might go, and I wondered if you were going with someone or going alone.”

  “Holy horse feathers, Ned, I’d forgotten. I planned on asking Libby, but I plum forgot all about it, so I guess I’ll either stay home or go by myself.”

  “I’m going. Why don’t we go together?” Ned asked.

  “Yeah, all right.”

  At the stables, Travis called over his shoulder to Ned as he rode down the path to the main road, “Can you stop by for me at seven?”

  “Sure,” Ned said, and he left in a cloud of dust.

  Travis brought Comanche into the barn and brushed him down, talking to him as he brushed the horse’s sable mane. “You surely are handsome, but next time, could you please let me beat Ned?”

  Comanche whinnied.

  “Promises, promises. All I get from you are promises.” Travis laughed.

  Travis caught the screen door with his foot so it wouldn’t slam and warrant him a slap on the head from Sadie, their housekeeper.

  “Dinner’s almost ready,” she said as he entered. “Who won today?”

  “It was a tie.”

  “Oh, good,” she said and gave him one of her wide smiles. “I love ties.”

  Travis watched her stirring what looked like gravy. She was a corpulent woman who reminded him of his grandmother, except Sadie’s hair was more brown than gray. They’d hit pay dirt with this housekeeper because not only did she cook the most fantastic meals, she also kept the house tidy and did all the laundry. He thanked God daily for having hired such a gem. Sadie belonged to their church and when her husband had died she was left alone, without an income. She jumped at the job offer and everyone was happy about the arrangement.

  “Is that chicken and dumplings I smell?” Travis’s father yelled from his first-floor bedroom.

  “It will be as soon as I drop the dumplings in, Edward,” Sadie yelled back.

  To Travis, she said, “Dinner’ll be done by the time you wash up.”

  Travis inhaled the aroma of the dinner, scurried upstairs to his room, quickly washed and changed into clean clothes, and then ran down the stairs hardly able to wait to dig into the chicken and dumplings.

  After he’d eaten, he visited with his father before heading out to the dance. His father was propped up in bed, a dinner tray on his lap.

  “How are you feeling?” Travis asked.

  “Frustrated,” Edward barked. He stabbed at his chicken and placed a huge piece into his mouth, catching the gravy dribbling down his chin with his napkin. “This is delicious. If I don’t get up and about soon, I’ll be as wide as our barn.”

  “What did the doctor say when he visited today?”

  “He said I had a mild case of pneumonia.”

  “What?” Travis cried.

  “Mild! He said I’ll be fine in a week or two.” Edward paused to cough. “I’m not coughing as much, and that horrible rattle in my chest is gone. That dang noise kept me awake nights.”

  “Are you sure that’s what he said?” Travis grew concerned. He’d lost his mother a little over a year ago and his father was all he had left. After he’d been born, his parents had lost three children to a fever epidemic, but he somehow survived. His mother had always told him it was because God had a plan for his life.

  “I’m eating better, but who wouldn’t with Sadie doing the cooking?” He pushed his empty plate away. “By the way, I need to get rid of that horse that refuses to pull his weight around here. You know the one—I think you named him Aries. Can you take him to Olin Stump at the livery tomorrow and see if you can get a fair price for him?”

  “Pa, he’s a good horse‒”

  “If he can’t pull a wagon, herd cattle, or be bred, he’s just eating our grub for nothing,” Edward barked and then started coughing.

  “Now, don’t get excited. I’ll take him,” Travis said.

  Travis and Ned chatted as they trotted the worn, bumpy road to the Farley ranch.

  “So, what’s going on with you and Libby?” Ned asked.

  “Nothing, but I can tell s
he expects something.”

  “What do you mean?” Ned asked.

  “Don’t get me wrong‒I like Libby, but as a friend. I feel she wants something more. She’s been doing a lot of hinting and eye-blinking.”

  “You could do worse,” Ned said.

  I know. I should give her a break. Maybe she’ll grow on me…in that way, I mean. Here I am, far past the age of marrying at twenty-three. I should be thinking about settling down, I suppose.”

  “What about you?” Travis asked.

  “I have my future wife all picked out, but she doesn’t know it yet.” Ned laughed. “And you won’t know it until she knows it.”

  When Travis and Ned walked into Joe Farley’s barn, the dance was already in full-swing. Partners were being twirled and whirled. The music, compliments of Joe Farley on the banjo, Olin Stump on the harmonica, and Burt Haskins on the fiddle, sounded uplifting. Travis spotted Libby dancing with Jake Kessler. She waved vigorously when she saw him, but he just gave her his usual smile and nod.

  Travis made his way to the refreshment table while Ned stood and talked to some men by the door. Travis tapped his toe to the lively music as he watched the dancers. When the song ended, Libby ran up to him, out of breath.

  “I didn’t think you were coming,” she said, flipping her ginger-colored bangs from her damp forehead.

  “I wasn’t planning on it. Truthfully, I’d forgotten all about the dance.”

  She smiled as the music started again, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out onto the dance floor.

  As he maneuvered the steps, his mind was on how he would let Libby down if he couldn't ever muster romantic feelings toward her. He could tell she really wanted them to become a couple. He knew it was well past the time to start serious dating, but he’d just been having so much fun hunting, racing horses, playing poker, and fishing. He’d had some romantic interludes but not the type to brag about.

  After the music stopped, he walked Libby back to the refreshment table.

  “Red or yellow?” Travis asked.

  “Huh?” Libby gave him a confused look.

  “The punch: red or yellow?”

  “Oh, the red; it’s delicious. Mrs. Farley made it with strawberries and seltzer.”

  He handed her a cup, took one himself, and they watched the dancers as they sipped their drinks. Travis thought Libby was a pretty girl, with big brown eyes and a warm smile, although he'd never really thought of her as such before.

  “It’s warm in here. Want to go for a walk?” she asked.

  “Sure,” he answered, welcoming the chance to get away from the crowded dance and into the fresh spring air.

  They strolled along the lane leading to the main road with only a sliver of a moon to light their path.

  “Grace Randolph was asking after you,” she said.

  “She was? I wonder why.” He was sure Libby didn’t know he’d been seeing her casually, on and off. Travis had been seeing Grace before his mother had died, while Peter Balcomb had been seeing her twin sister, Gertrude. Better known as one half of the Randolph Twins, Grace had been nothing more serious than a bit of kissing and fun.

  Libby stopped walking, flopped down under a large tree, and patted the ground beside her. “C’mon, let’s relax and stargaze.”

  He sat down beside her and looked up at the stars. “They all look the same to me.”

  “No, they don’t. Look over there.” She pointed. “See the cup with the handle? That’s the Big Dipper.”

  “Oh, yeah. I see it now.”

  “Are you courting Grace?” Libby blurted.

  “What?” Her question shocked him, coming from out of the blue. “No, of course not. I’ve been in mourning this past year.”

  “Oh, your mother. I’m sorry.”

  “She’s in a better place,” Travis said. He remembered the pain his mother had been in before she'd died and knew she was resting in heaven.

  Travis felt her tapping the back of his hand as it lay on the ground. He knew she wanted him to hold her hand. He lifted his hand and patted hers. She expected something from him, he could tell—but what? Did she want him to ask her on an outing? He knew how to make a pass at a girl with questionable morals, like Grace, but not one who happened to be a longtime friend and neighbor.

  “This is nice, sitting here in the dark with you, Travis. We’ve known each other for five years, since my family first moved to Hays. Remember my first day at school, when Mr. Abbott introduced me as Lizzie Fisher instead of Libby Fisher?”

  Travis didn’t remember, but he nodded.

  They were both silent.

  Travis truly liked Libby, but he'd never seen her as anything more than a pal. Sometimes he took her fishing with him or helped her with church activities. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes. He knew she expected him to make some type of move, and he couldn’t disappoint her.

  “Hey,” he said as he stood up and brushed off his best pants. “Ned and I are going to race tomorrow. Want to come along?”

  “I’d love to,” she said, and her eyes twinkled with joy.

  “What kind of racing?”

  “We usually race our horses in the meadow but tomorrow we’re having a wagon race behind Ned’s place. There’s a large dirt road that was once the old cattle trail. It's perfect for wagon racing, as it’s mostly straight-away, with only two small curves.”

  She smiled. “You want me to watch or ride with you?”

  “That’s up to you. It won’t be a smooth ride as we go pretty fast. You're welcome to ride along with me, if you think you can handle it. If you prefer to watch, you could wait for us at the finish line and be the judge.”

  “I’ll think about it and let you know what I decide tomorrow,” she said.

  Travis helped her stand and walked her back to the dance. He took her hand and held it, and she smiled up at him. It made him feel good to make her happy. He knew he had to walk a fine line between making her happy and leading her on. Still, he had to find out if he was attracted to her romantically.

  As they approached the barn, Travis asked, “Do you need a ride home?”

  She smiled up at him with eagerness, but suddenly frowned. “I forgot. I came with Jake, but I don’t think he’d mind,” she said, gazing at the dance floor. “He’s been dancing just about every dance with Grace, so I’m sure he won’t care.”

  “If you’re sure it’s all right, we can ride Comanche.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Sounds like fun. I’ll let Jake know.”

  Travis found Ned and told him he was escorting Libby home. He met Libby at the side of the barn where the horses were hitched. Travis mounted Comanche and reached down to help Libby climb up and sit in front of him. She snuggled into his chest as Travis nudged the horse down the lane.

  He was relieved that she lived a mere mile away, so he wouldn’t have to struggle to see where he was going for too long‒Libby was a tall girl, and with her sitting in front of him, he had difficulty seeing the dark road. Luckily, Travis knew every inch of the roads in Hays, as did Comanche.

  Farley’s ranch lay a half-mile south of Hays's business district, and Libby lived about a half-mile north of Hays, so they had to skirt around the town that was brightly lit by the businesses that were still open.

  As they trotted by they heard music coming from the saloons. Shots rang out, and Comanche, startled, began to rear. Travis struggled to control the horse, but Libby slipped from her seat on the horse in the process. Travis fought Comanche with one hand, trying to catch Libby with the other. Neither effort was successful: Libby tumbled to the ground and Comanche came down on her, hard, several times.

  Chapter 2

  While the doctor examined Libby, Travis and Ned sat at one end of the parlor while her parents sat at the other end. Ned tried to console Travis, but the Fishers just glared at him—when Mrs. Fisher wasn’t crying and her husband wasn't trying to console her, that is.

  Ned patted Travis’s back. “It wasn’t your fault, Tr
avis. The gunshots are what scared Comanche.”

  “I rode too close to town. I should've known better than to ride so close on a Saturday night when the ruffians are drinking and firing their guns madly. I should have known and taken the long way,” Travis whispered frantically.

  “There was no way you could have known what would happen. Comanche's heard gunshots before and has never been spooked.”

  “I know. Maybe he was nervous because I’ve never ridden double before. Anyway, Ned, I’m sure glad you were behind me and could be on the scene so quickly.”

  “I’d had enough of the dance, and I take the same road to my place.”

  “Will you pray with me?” Travis whispered.

  “Sure.”

  The two men huddled in the corner of the parlor and prayed for Libby.

  All heads turned when Doc Hall came out of the bedroom where Libby had been taken. He approached the parlor with a grim look on his face and sat down near Roy and Elsa Fisher.

  “She’ll live, but I couldn’t do much with her legs. I did the best I could, but I feel it fair to warn you: she may never walk again.”

  Elsa Fisher wailed into her husband’s chest. “No! How could something like this happen?” Both parents gave Travis a glaring look. “How could you let this happen?” Elsa cried.

  “I…I’m sorry. I tried to catch her and control my horse at the same time. I wouldn’t harm Libby, not ever. It was an accident.”

  Ned piped in saying, “I was riding behind them and saw the whole thing. It was an accident. I saw Travis do everything possible.”

  “What can I do to help?” Travis asked. He felt sick to his stomach. He prayed again, silently.

  Finally, Mr. Fisher walked across the room and put his arm on Travis’s shoulder. “We understand. It’s just the shock of it all. She left here this evening all bubbly and excited and comes back bloody and bruised…it’s pretty hard to take.”