Chapter 19: Wild Tom

~Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.~ —Oscar Wilde

They were just finishing up their breakfast when their captive stirred. He moaned and then opened his eyes. He struggled for a few seconds before the realization of what had happened sunk in. He glanced over at his captors.

“Didn’t realize there was another person,” he muttered, “or else I’d have taken a different approach.”

“I wonder that you did not notice it when we were talking together at the entrance only moments before your little stunt,” Dannie replied coolly as she packed the things into the wagon. “At first, I was proud of being able to catch a bad man. Now, it seems it’s no surprise that even someone like me could do it.

“From the looks of it, you really have little talent to boast of when it comes to being—what was it that Jake called you?—an outlaw.”

He growled at her. “Just you wait, missy…”

“I don’t know who missy is, but if I do see her I shall be sure to tell her to wait. I, on the other hand, have been delayed long enough and don’t have time to bother with a sinner like you.”

Her quick comeback had the man blinking at her in surprise. Jake, who was hitching up the horses, chuckled under his breath. Now it was another man’s turn to get the sharp edge of Miss Preston’s tongue.

Dannie, in the meantime, went over and stared intently at the man. “And your name is?” she commanded more than asked.

“Folks call me Wild Tom,” he replied with another growl.

“Wild Tom.” Dannie smirked. “I suppose all the good outlaw names were taken, and you were left with this one. Well, Mr. Wild Tom, you are now in our custody, and I don’t know if you should thank your lucky stars or curse the unlucky ones, because it just so happens that you fell into the hands of a vicar’s daughter. I will make you rue the day you ever decided to take up a life of crime. Jake, get him into the wagon, please.”

Jake came over and roughly pulled the man to his feet. He then dragged him over to the wagon and hoisted him in. Dannie got up in her seat next to Jake, but turned to face their prisoner. She reached over, untied his neckerchief, and began to roll it up. The man eyed her actions with a scowl.

Once the neckerchief was rolled, she reached over and pulled out her Bible, placing it on her lap. She then lifted her gaze and looked Wild Tom in the eyes.

“Do you know the seven things that the Lord God despises?”

He rolled his eyes. “Do I look like someone who would care? I haven’t given a damn about God or religion since…well, ~ever~. Hate the very thought of Him. So if you think you can sit here and preach me a sermon, and make me change my ways, yer gonna be very disappointed. Ain’t never gonna happen.”

The corners of Dannie’s mouth twitched. “You do realize you used a double negative? If it isn’t never going to happen, that means it is bound to happen one day.”

Wild Tom opened his mouth but found himself speechless, stumped by her logic. Dannie took the opportunity to thrust the rolled up neckerchief into his mouth.

“But don’t worry, my dear outlaw, at the moment I’m too tired to want to bother with helping you to change your ways. After all the trouble I’ve endured since coming out West, your little stunt has become the straw that broke this camel’s back.”

He scowled at her in confusion.

“Meaning, all I really want to do is to make you,” she brought her face a little closer and lowered her voice, “~suffer~.” She hissed the word with sparkling eyes and laughter in her voice.

“You can’t move, and you can’t talk. You have no choice but to sit here and listen to me do the one thing you probably hate the most: preach. I hope this will make you think twice in the future before trying to rob the daughter of a minister of the Church of England.”

Jake was biting his lip in an attempt to keep his composure. In all his wildest imaginings, he could never have envisioned this scenario when thinking of how Dannie might behave if she came across an outlaw.

At the same time, the thought of that good-for-nothing idiot having to sit still and listen to her preach, unable to do a thing about it, was somehow very satisfying. More satisfying than any other punishment he could think of.

***

It took the better part of two hours for them to finally reach the town of Hopewing. Dannie read from Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer for pretty much most of the journey.

It was only when Jake announced that the town was up ahead that she finally closed her books and turned from her unfortunate victim to face the road.

“We should be there in ten minutes or so,” Jake told her. “I can take ya straight to the reverend’s home, if ya’d like. This has been quite a trip for you.”

Dannie cast a glance back at the outlaw she and Jake had caught. “You could say that again,” she said with a bit of a sigh. “But I made it through it alive. I survived a snake, a thunderstorm, and an outlaw. I’ll survive anything else, if I have to. I’ll prove Margaret wrong if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Margaret?”

“Paul’s younger sister.”

Jake frowned. How was it that, in one way or another, Paul always managed to find his way back into the conversation? Dannie didn’t notice his mood change and kept on talking.

“She told me that coming out West would be the last thing I ever did, but it won’t be. I’ll do many, many things—and live to tell my great-grandchildren about them all.”

They were riding up to the town by now. Dannie gazed at the long street lined with buildings. A few people walked around here and there. Men rode horses, and children chased dogs.

It was all so different from what she had ever known and, without realizing it, she reached out for Jake’s arm.

In this new world full of strangers, he was the only familiar face that she could depend on.

Jake noticed Dannie was gripping his arm but decided against saying anything. He could tell by the look on her face that she was dead nervous, and it felt nice to know that she was clutching him for protection and support.

The only thing that sort of spoiled it for him was the feeling that it wasn’t really him she was clutching, but Paul.

~Remember, Jake, you're a hounded man. There’s no point in getting upset over a woman you could never have. You could never ask anything of her while Calhoon is out to get you. So whether it’s Paul or anyone else, there is no point in being jealous. ~

As they trundled along, a man on a horse—his head covered by a dark hat that cast a shadow over his face—scowled slightly at the sight of them. He leaned forward just a little to get a closer look as the wagon rolled past.

Dannie didn’t want to appear nervous, but her grip on Jake’s arm tightened at the man’s reaction.

“Keep doing that, and I’ll lose circulation,” Jake joked, giving his arm a little shake.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Paul…~Jake~.” Dannie let go of Jake’s arm.

“You know, if you call me Paul one more time…”

“I’m really sorry.” Dannie looked pleadingly at Jake. “I have no idea why I keep on saying that name.”

“I was wonderin’…” Jake finally plucked up the courage to try and approach the question that had been bothering him since last night.

“Yes?” Dannie braced herself for whatever it was he was going to ask.

“Oh, don’t go lookin’ all scared. I was just wonderin’ if you ever thought what it would be like if you were travelin’ with him right now.”

“Oh.” Dannie’s face colored up. “No, not really. I work hard to keep my mind from such ideas. I mean, I will confess there are times when he tries to invade my thoughts, but I push him aside. I’m sure you understand what a terrible memory Paul is to me. And to think he’s married to another woman, by now.”

Dannie paused to reflect on this unpleasant fact. “I may not have had any money, but I would have made a good wife.”

Dannie needed to convince herself of that fact. It still hurt her to know that the only reason Paul had broken with her was her lack of a large dowry.

Jake nodded his head, but he didn’t say anything. Dannie wasn’t anyone to him except a girl he had met five days ago and been forced to help—so he didn’t care what she thought or what she tried not to think about.

“Hey Jake, what brings you Hopewing?” a tall youngster with large eyes called out. He was riding a horse and kept it at the same pace as the wagon. “No way!” The boy’s voice filled with surprise when he realized there was a woman next to Jake. “You went and got hitched?”

Dannie turned to Jake in confusion. Jake felt his face go hot. “Honestly, Mack, the things you come up with. She’s not my wife!”

Dannie put her hand to her mouth to hide her smile.

“No?” Mack’s large, round eyes went even larger and rounder. “Then who is she?”

“That is none of your business,” Jake snapped.

“Is she lookin’ for a husband? If so...”

“Mack, don’t go provin’ to the rest of the world what an idiot you are,” Jake cut him off. “Just because she ain’t married to me don’t mean she’s searching for a man.”

“I’m the new school teacher.” Finally managing to swallow her laughter, Dannie could now enter the conversation. “My name is Danielle Preston. And who might you be?”

“Mackenzie Rellware is my full name, but most folks call me Mack—and you may as well.” The fellow whipped off his hat and gave her a nod of greeting. “You’ve got a right pretty name, Miss Preston.”

“Thank you very much.” Dannie rewarded Mack’s good manners with a charming smile that made Jake roll his eyes. He wasn’t jealous, of course, but Mack had no business trying to be all sweet with Dannie.

“A mighty pretty name,” Mack went on, “and a mighty strange accent. You from the North or somethin’?”

“Northern England.”

“New England? They speak like that up in New York?”

“Mack, you really are a donkey with no brains,” Jake burst out. He didn’t know why he was suddenly so annoyed at the poor fellow. Mack had never bothered him before, but somehow the way the boy was behaving around Dannie really got on Jake’s nerves.

“Miss Preston just said she’s from Northern England, meaning she is ~British~. For God’s sake, even a horse would be able to tell that the lady is from England. But no, you have to go on showin’ off the fool you are. If you’ll excuse us, we’ve got to get to the reverend’s home.”

Jake flicked the reins to get the horses to go a little faster.

“It was nice meeting you, Mr. Rellware,” Dannie called, turning around to wave to the boy. Mack smiled and waved back.

“I’ll see you in church, Miss Preston,” he called to her.

Jake rolled his eyes again.

“You didn’t have to be so rude, you know,” Dannie now chided Jake.

“I guess not, but somehow the things he said brought out the worst in me,” Jake replied, his cool demeanor hiding his embarrassment.

He had just told himself not to get upset over another man coming close to Dannie, and then he went and lost his temper when somebody simply spoke to her.

“Hey, Jake, ya mail ordered a bride?” a voice suddenly called out.

“No!” Jake barked, giving the cowboy who had spoken a glare.

Dannie noticed, now, that no matter who they passed, the reaction was the same. Eyes widening, a shocked stare, and a whisper to a companion, if there was one.

“Jake, you found a wife?” another woman called out to him.

“She’s not my wife,” Jake replied with a groan.

“No way, Jake…you…you actually mail ordered a bride?” another man shouted out.

“For the last time, she is not my wife!” Jake snapped back at him.

At last, they got to the reverend’s home. A group of children played some kind of game with a ball, not far off.

“Are you going to marry her, Jake? Is that why you brought her to the church?” a little voice called from among them.

Jake rolled his eyes but decided against answering them. He instead turned his attention to helping Dannie down.

“Thank you Paul—Jake.” Dannie smiled, straightening out her dress and fixing her bonnet.

Jake tried not to notice she had almost called him Paul again.

“How do I look?” Dannie asked, her face tight with worry.

“Like you’ve been travelin’ in the heat and dust for the past couple of days,” Jake replied as he walked over and knocked on the door.

“Oh, very flattering,” Dannie frowned. “I wish there was some way for me to wash and make myself more presentable.”

“Well, lookin’ on the bright side, this way you will look more pathetic and as such rouse the sympathy of Reverend Simmens and his wife.”

“You’re terrible at giving comfort, you know.”

“Aren’t I?” Jake smiled. “Don’t worry, you look fine.”

The door of the house had opened by now, and an elderly man and woman stepped out.

“Reverend Simmens, Mrs. Simmens, this here is Danielle Preston,” Jake said.

“We are so glad that you were able to make it safely, Miss Preston,” Reverend Simmens said in a kind, fatherly voice. “We was beginning to worry that perhaps something had happened on the way here. This is wild and dangerous country.”

“God protected me,” Dannie said with a tired smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Jake, will you stay for coffee?” Mrs. Simmens asked.

Jake shook his head. “I’ve got an outlaw in my wagon that I need to take over to the sheriff. I’ll just unload Miss Preston’s luggage and be on my way.”

Dannie followed Jake back to the wagon. When he was done hoisting her trunk, she climbed back up and, pulling out a pencil and piece of paper from her purse, wrote something down. Then she stuffed the paper into the pocket of Wild Tom’s waistcoat.

“If you are out of prison, and I’m still around, you are more than welcome to come and heap coals of fire on my head,” she said with a smile.

Wild Tom’s eyes widened. So did Jake’s. Dannie seemed not to notice as she jumped down and turned to the stunned Jake. “Will I still see you before you head out to your ranch?”

Jake shrugged. “Don’t know if you’ll still be around for me to see, if you continue to invite outlaws to heap coals of fire on yer head.”

Dannie laughed. “Read what I wrote on the paper, and you will understand.”

“Thank you once again, Jake,” Reverend Simmens said to him. “We owe you so much for the trouble. I’m sure one day we will find a way to compensate you for it.”

“Ya’ll just owe me my sanity,” Jake mumbled as he encouraged the horses forward. “But I don’t think you’ll ever be able to compensate me that.”