Wild Western Women Boxed Set, Page 3

  She nodded. "I loved school. I always have. It was my parents' dream for me to never step foot in a factory, and instead, go out West and teach. So I did this to make them happy." She didn't add that somewhere along the way it had become her dream as well, because she knew that much was already clear to him. She didn't want him to feel any worse than he already did about pushing so hard to get her to marry him.

  "And I messed it up for you."

  She shook her head. "I wouldn't say that. They wanted me to marry and have children. They just wanted me to teach for a while first." She didn't add that a while was a minimum of five years in her parents' eyes. She was not looking forward to their reaction when she wrote to them to explain what had happened.

  He sighed. "I really am sorry I didn't let you explain." He felt like a heel, coming on so strong and not letting her get in a word.

  She laughed. "Maybe it was meant to be? How many Miss Simmons were supposed to get off that stage today? It's very odd." Her name was common, but it wasn't so common that she was constantly running into other people with her name. She believed very much in fate, though, and if it was her fate to be a bride instead of a teacher, then she would do what she needed to do.

  "It is." He fought to find the right words to say what he wanted to say. "I'm glad you're the Miss Simmons who got off the train today and not Anna. I don't think there could be a woman who would suit me better." His eyes bored into hers as he spoke, and he hoped they conveyed even a fraction of his feelings.

  She blushed. "Even though I'm going to be working five days a week?" She knew that he didn't want her working, but she also knew that she would fulfill her obligations, both to her parents and to the town.

  He frowned. "I'm honestly not very happy about that, but we'll make it work. I have an old buggy in the barn that was driven by my mother and sisters when they needed to go to town. Pa didn't like them taking the wagon. I'll hitch it up for you five mornings a week, and you can drive it to school and back home." He didn't like the idea of her being gone so much, but it was what she'd agreed to do, so he understood.

  She smiled nodding. "I can do that." She was thankful he was looking for solutions to make teaching possible for her instead of trying to keep her from being able to do it. Most men wouldn't want their wives to work and would actively try to prevent it from happening.

  After supper she did the dishes in silence, not knowing what to say to this stranger she suddenly found herself married to. He made her crazy at times, not listening to her and pushing her to do things she didn't want to do, but in bed? He made her body sing. She'd never experienced anything like what she felt when he took her into his arms. What was it about him? Other boys had tried to steal kisses from her, but she'd firmly stomped on their feet or slapped their faces. With him? She melted. Her brain turned to mush and her legs stopped working. She was suddenly unable to think on her own. She became his as soon as he touched his lips to hers.

  "Do you want to get a bath before bed tonight?" he asked, thinking she must feel dirty after so many days on a train.

  She nodded. "That would be fabulous. Where's the tub?" she asked. She would start heating water as soon as she'd finished the dishes.

  He looked at her for a moment. "You really didn't explore the house much, did you?"

  "I didn't think I should take the time. I started supper, and did some cleaning. I only worked in here and in the bedroom. I never even made it into the parlor to clean in there." She gave him a questioning glance.

  He smiled and led her through the house to a closed door. Opening it for her, he let her precede him inside the tiny room. It only held three things. A commode, a wash basin, and a bathtub. A porcelain bathtub, that had running water. She squealed and started the tap. "I've never even seen one of these!" She'd heard of them, though, and had desperately wanted to try one out.

  "My mother insisted, so my father put one in. It's the only real luxury I have to offer, but I think it's a good one." He was pleased by the excitement on her face for his surprise.

  "Oh my, yes. It's a very good one!" She stood on tiptoes and kissed him quickly. "I'm so excited!" She couldn't wait to take a bath where no one had had to carry water. It was a wonderful surprise indeed.

  He laughed, turning her around so he could unbutton her dress. "You enjoy your bath. There are towels in that cabinet. If you need me, all you have to do is call."

  She made a face as he left, closing the door behind him. Quickly she shucked off her clothes and climbed into the bathtub, leaning back against it and sighing. A real bathtub with running water. It was a luxury she certainly hadn't been expecting to find in Texas of all places.

  As she soaked, she thought about the strange turn her day had taken. How could she have messed up her first teaching assignment so badly? Marrying a random stranger as soon as you get off the stage was not something a good school teacher did. She hoped they wouldn't try to keep her from teaching.

  Chapter Four

  Sunday morning at church, Tom introduced Julia to the head of the school board, Timothy Hanson. When he saw her, he was confused. "But you sent a telegram saying you'd be two weeks late."

  Julia shook her head. "No, I didn't. When did I send that?" He thought he'd received a telegram from her? No wonder Tom had been the only one waiting for her.

  He dug into his pocket. "See? Right here." He handed her the telegram. "TH I will be arriving two weeks later than scheduled stop I hope you will forgive me for making everyone wait stop Miss Simmons stop"

  Julia almost laughed before handing the telegram to Tom. "She'll be here in two weeks apparently." She hoped that Tom would still want to remain married to her after Anna arrived.

  Tom read it and shook his head. "This is ridiculous. If I'd actually gotten this telegram, I wouldn't have pushed you into marrying me." He couldn't believe that the telegram had been misplaced that way.

  Mr. Hanson looked between the two of them. "So you married Thomas instead of waiting for me?" His face was incredulous.

  Julia blushed, shaking her head. "Honestly, it was all very confusing. You see Tom sent for a mail order bride, and she was supposed to arrive on the same stage as me. Her name was Anna Simmons. I'm Julia Simmons, and when Tom saw me, he asked if I was Miss Simmons, so he assumed I was here to marry him when I said 'yes.' He was the only person waiting for me, so I thought he was from the school board." She knew that didn't make much sense, but she wasn't going to explain that Tom's kisses made her lose her senses. That would make her look like someone she didn't want to be.

  Mr. Hanson frowned. "I'm still not sure how that would have led to a marriage, but I can see that it did. You'll have to resign, of course."

  Julia shook her head. "But why? I can be a wife and a teacher at the same time." She hoped he would listen to reason. She'd worked too hard to become a teacher to have her plans thwarted now.

  "It just isn't done. I suppose I can let you stay on until a new teacher is found, and it will be nice not having to postpone the start of school like we thought, but really, we couldn't let you teach the whole year. We'll find someone to take your place." Mr. Hanson turned and walked away, and Julia knew better than to argue. There had been a definite air of finality to his words.

  She looked at Tom, her eyes sad. "I guess you won't have to put up with a working wife for an entire year after all." She walked over to sit in the pew he'd pointed out as the one he usually sat in and folded her hands in her lap, no longer interested in meeting a lot of new people. She blinked rapidly, doing her best to hold back the tears. What a way to meet new people.

  Tom moved beside her and awkwardly patted her hand. "It'll work out. You'll see." He didn't know how it would work out, but he was determined to make it happen.

  Several of the children heard she was to be their new teacher and rushed across the room to gawk at her. Only one was bold enough to actually introduce herself, an older girl named Beatrice. "You're the new teacher?" she asked, sitting down beside Julia.

&nbs
p; Julia nodded. "I'll be teaching you at least for a short time." She tried to smile, but it felt forced, even to her.

  "I love school. My favorite subject is reading, but I like arithmetic and geography almost as much. I just finished reading Heidi. Have you read it?"

  Julia's eyes lit up. "I borrowed it from my teacher two years ago. It was a wonderful story. What other books have you read?"

  Tom grinned, knowing his new wife would be content as she talked to her student for a while. He walked over to Mr. Hanson, talking to him in low tones. "It means a lot to Julia to be able to teach at the school. I don't much want her to do it, but I'd appreciate it if you'd let her at least finish out the year there. Let her work until Christmas and if she's not doing her job well enough, then find someone else then."

  Mr. Hanson shook his head. "It clearly states in her contract that she can't be married. We can't have a married schoolteacher. If it were a man maybe, but not a lady. It's just not right."

  Tom scratched his head. "I don't see why not. It doesn't make sense to me that you would penalize her for being married. Wouldn't that make her more settled to not be thinking about marrying every eligible man in town?"

  "I'm sorry, Tom. We're not going to see eye to eye on this. Finding another teacher will be my first priority." Mr. Hanson turned his back on Tom and strode from the building. He made it clear he wasn't interested in anything else Tom had to say on the matter.

  When Tom walked back to the pew he'd shared with Julia, he found her still talking to the girl beside her about books they'd both read. He laughed softly. She would inspire children to read whether she was formally teaching them or not. He'd make sure to tell her that on their way home that afternoon.

  As they drove toward the ranch, Tom took her hand in his. "I know you wanted to teach, but I'm not sorry that you're my wife." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he watched the road. He didn't want her to regret their marriage.

  Julia made a face, but nodded. "I just wish I could be married to you and teach." She knew she didn't regret their marriage either. Every day her feelings for him were a little bit stronger, and she looked forward to the time when she could be a full time wife. She would have preferred that time to only happen during the summers, but she knew that wasn't a possibility any longer. Resting her head on his shoulder, she knew that even though her life was much different than she'd pictured it as she took the train West, she would be happy if she could spend every night in Tom's arms.

  Tom was pleased with her answer, but still worried that she wasn't entirely happy. He knew she'd studied hard to get her teacher's certificate, and he hated that he was keeping her from being able to use it. If he'd given her time to explain, maybe he could have courted her and ended up married anyway. He didn't think Anna was ever going to show up, and even if she did, he knew there was no way he could prefer her to his sweet Julia.

  *****

  Julia was nervous Monday morning as she prepared for her first day as a teacher. She had her lunch in a pail, and she had made a large pot of soup, leaving it in the oven to keep it hot while she was at work. Tom could have some for lunch if he wanted, and she would have very little to do to prepare it for their supper once they got home. Not yet knowing how tired she would be after her day of teaching, she thought that was for the best.

  "Would you mind hitching up the buggy for me so I can drive myself to school?" she asked after she'd washed the breakfast dishes. "I don't think I could handle the wagon." He'd offered before, so she was certain he'd just do it when she asked.

  Tom looked at her over his coffee cup and finally shook his head. "At least for today, I'm going to drive you into town and pick you up. I don't know what else to do."

  She frowned. "I'm sure I could handle the buggy just fine." She didn't want him to think that she needed to be totally dependent on him.

  He shrugged. "I'll just feel better if I know you got there safely. It may be crazy, but I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd just let me drive you." He didn't know what he was worried about, except that she would go to school and never come home. He needed to be a part of all of her life, even her teaching.

  "That's fine. You can drive me." She didn't want to argue with him about it, but she really would have preferred showing up for her first day on the job alone. Would the children think she was afraid if he drove her?

  She picked up her lunch pail and carried it out to the wagon which he had hitched and waiting for her. He helped her up, and she tucked the lap robe around her, not wanting to mess up her skirt. She wanted to look her best for her first day of school with the new children. She'd met several of them at church on Sunday, but she was nervous about the others, of course.

  The drive to the schoolhouse took more time than she would like and she found herself pushing her feet against the front of the wagon, as if it would get them there faster. Once she realized what she was doing, she let out a low laugh.

  Tom looked at her with surprise. "What's so funny?" She'd seemed nervous until she'd laughed, so he had no idea what was going on in her mind.

  Julia grinned and nodded at her feet. "I'm so excited about my first day teaching that I'm actually pushing my feet against the front of the wagon like it will get us there faster."

  He laughed softly, his arm going around her shoulders. "I'm glad you are happy to be going. I know it took them a while to find you to teach. You may be able to teach here for a few months before they can replace you." As much as he wanted her home full time, he wanted her to be happy, and her feelings were more important to him than his own.

  Julia smiled, resting her head against his shoulder, before realizing she could muss up her hair. She sat up straight, and felt the sides to make sure none of her hair had fallen from her bun. "I would really like that. I know you want a full time wife, though."

  He shrugged. "It was my mistake that led you to change your life for me. I know that you'd like to teach for as long as you can. I won't begrudge you the time with the children."

  She looked at him and smiled. He was truly a good man, and she couldn't be unhappy that she was fortunate enough to have married him. "I appreciate you saying that. It makes me feel so much better about it."

  "I don't want you to be unhappy because you don't get to do what you dreamed of doing. I hope you enjoy teaching as much as you think you will."

  "Thank you. I hope so, too." She held her books and lunch pail in her lap as he pulled up in front of the school. She waited until he walked around to her side of the wagon and helped her down. They'd arrived a good half hour before school was to start, and she was thankful for that.

  He went into the schoolhouse with her, planning to chase away any critters that had taken up residence there over the summer. When he saw how clean it was, he was surprised. "Someone came and cleaned up for you, I see."

  She nodded, walking to the teacher's desk and running her hand across it. She walked to the windows and opened them all one by one. They would need the breeze if the children were going to try to pay attention at all. September in Texas was a lot hotter than September in New York. She sat down at her desk and looked in the drawers. Someone had slipped pencils and paper into the drawers, and she was very thankful. She had everything she needed to start her day.

  "Do you need me to do anything for you before I leave?" he asked. He didn't want to leave her in town, but he knew this was where she needed to be.

  She shook her head. "I'll be fine. I guess I'll see you at four."

  "I'll be here." He walked to the door and turned back to look at her sitting at the teacher's desk with a huge smile lighting up her face, and he felt more than a little guilty. She was where she wanted to be. He wished he hadn't messed up her plans so badly.

  Julia looked at the small clock on her desk and realized it hadn't been wound. She carefully set the time and wound the clock, setting it to the time on the watch pinned to her breast. She noted that she only had five minutes before it would be time to call the children in. Th
ere was a small bell on her desk that she would use to let the children know it was time for classes to start. Her palms were sweaty as she thought of the day ahead. She would have to mainly learn about her students the first day, and she was looking forward to it, but nervous at the same time. They would start the in-depth learning the following day.

  She went to the door and rang the bell, noting that the schoolyard was sparse. There were small boys and girls of all ages. As Beatrice walked past her toward her desk, Julia stopped her. "Where are the bigger boys?" she asked.

  "Oh, they'll be coming later in the year. They need to help with round up and getting the crops in. Most of them are only here from mid-October through March." Beatrice hurried to her desk and took her seat, sitting with a girl around her age whom Julia hadn't met yet.

  Julia walked to her desk and picked up a notebook, turning it to the first page. "I need to get everyone's names and ages please. If you know where you are in your readers, please let me know. I'll walk around the room and talk to each of you individually. You may whisper quietly while I do this. If anyone gets out of hand, I will take away the privilege of whispering." She wanted to be nice but firm with the children, letting them know they wouldn't get away with a lot of shenanigans in her classroom.

  She walked around the room and took the names of all the students. There were only fourteen of them, but there was room for six more. "How many older boys are part of your class?" she asked.

  Ann Hayes, one of the girls in the back row, raised her hand. "There are just four."

  "Do they do any studies when they're not in school?" Julia asked. She hated that the older boys were in school for such a short period every year, but she knew it was the way things were done in most places.

  Ann shook her head. "No, ma'am. Most boys around here will be farmers or ranchers anyway. There's no reason for them to go to school when they can learn their trades at home." Ann was a tall thin girl with blond hair and blue eyes. She was about fifteen and wore her hair in a bun atop her head.