“That’s what I said to Dave when I told him I was going to marry you.”
“Speaking of marriage, I think we need to have our breakfast then we’ll go to town for our very interesting day.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
_____
It was shortly after nine o’clock when Jake and Sara left the house holding hands and headed for the corral. Bill Jackson was still there with Big Tom and Charlie Shimshock. Jake assumed that the others had already ridden out to the herds. While none of them were grinning, Jake could almost read their minds. He didn’t doubt that Sara knew what they were thinking either. He was surprised that it didn’t bother him at all.
Before they reached the three saddled horses, each of the men untied a horse’s reins and Bill tied Orville’s horse to Vulcan’s saddle.
When they stopped before the corral, Jake turned to Sara and said, “Let me introduce you to Vulcan before you step into the saddle. I would hate to see my fiancée tossed onto the hard ground before I even get a chance to consummate our marriage.”
Sara knew why he’d added the flying comment and held back a giggle as they walked to the nose of the big black gelding.
As Jake rubbed the horse’s nose, he said, “Vulcan, this is Sara. She’s very precious to me, so I want you to be very nice to her. Okay?”
Vulcan’s big brown eyes were already studying Sara as she stroked his neck then said, “Good morning, Vulcan. The good news is that I weigh about seventy pounds less than the lummox standing next to me. But show me some patience. I haven’t spent that much time in the saddle, and you are a much more impressive horse than Orville’s.”
She turned her eyes to Bill, Tom and Charlie before saying, “Thank you for saddling our horses,” then after a short pause, she added, “and just to let you know, your new boss is a first-class prude.”
Their collective dams collapsed as they roared in laughter as Jake grinned and shook his head.
Sara smiled innocently at Jake, then took Vulcan’s reins and climbed into the saddle without any objections from the black gelding.
Jake mounted Mars then as he looked down at the three snickering men, he said, “I’ll bring your pay when we return, but it might not be until late this afternoon. I want to meet with everyone in the chow hall at suppertime.”
Bill was wiping tears from his eyes as he nodded and said, “Okay, boss.”
Jake turned to Sara and asked, “Shall we go to Fort Benton, Miss Smith?”
“We shall, and that will be the last time you will be able to address me as Miss Smith.”
She turned Vulcan away from the corral before Jake did, so he had to move Mars a little faster to catch her.
Once they were riding side-by-side, Jake’s merry mood diminished slightly when he remembered where they would stop after the visit to the bank. He’d rehearsed what he’d say to Mrs. Kemper and would watch her eyes when he introduced himself. He hoped she wasn’t as good a poker player as Sara because he wanted to detect guilt or shame before she reacted. He suspected that she may not say a single word. She might just turn around and leave the shop portion of the bakery to hide in her attached house.
Sara may have been very happy with the way everything had turned out since she decided to ride out to the Elk, but she knew that Jake was distressed about visiting Mrs. Kemper. She still believed that he had to talk to her. While Jake seemed convinced that she and his father were having an affair, Sara didn’t believe it was possible. While she readily admitted to herself that she’d misjudged her own sister for years, she was sure that Margaret Kemper was a good woman who would never commit the sin of adultery. Even if her husband was a cruel and violent man.
As they approached the western edge of Fort Benton, Jake said, “I’ll have them add you to the bank account while I’m making the withdrawal.”
“I promise not to steal all of your money, Jake. And I’m a veritable miser when it comes to spending it as well.”
Jake smiled as he said, “As opposed to Kay.”
Sara smiled back at him without comment.
_____
When they entered the bank, Jake found John Vindaloos, who seemed to have expected him. Withdrawing the thousand dollars and having Sara added to the account took less than ten minutes. Jake would have tried to stretch the time if he didn’t have Sara sitting beside him. He knew that she was determined that he speak to Mrs. Kemper and wouldn’t tolerate any procrastination.
After leaving the bank, Sara hooked her arm through his and asked, “Do you want me to come into the bakery with you?”
“I think it would be a good idea. Maybe she won’t slap me if you’re there.”
“Mrs. Kemper wouldn’t slap you even if I wasn’t there. She’s a very nice lady.”
Jake nodded as they stepped along the boardwalk. The bakery was just another block away, but Jake wished it was in Boston. He simply had no idea what to expect.
As they reached the bakery’s open door, Jake glanced inside hoping to see a large crowd of customers or discover that Mrs. Kemper was in back baking. But neither was what his eyes revealed. The shop was empty except for Mrs. Kemper who was adding loaves of fresh bread to the shelves behind the counter.
He removed his Stetson and took a breath before Sara tugged him inside.
As soon as they entered, Margaret Kemper turned and smiled.
“Good morning, Sara. Can I guess that the handsome young man with you is Jake Elliott? Or have you already found yourself another beau?”
Sara laughed and despite his anxiety,
