Open Road by M. M. Holaday

Author:M. M. Holaday
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gale, Cengage Learning
Published: 2017-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: JEB

Two months later, November 1868

Jeb and Galen loped back to Paradise from the Cheyenne train depot, where he’d left the last of Powell’s students in charge of five crates of carefully packed plant specimens. Win had left a week earlier, headed for Green River City to meet some of Powell’s crew members, who planned to winter there and prepare for the upcoming launch in the spring.

Saying good-bye to Win had been hard. Jeb chastised himself for falling into a second outrageous pact with him, but, in truth, it was the only way for them to remain friends. He couldn’t let the tension continue between them any longer.

The day they left Paradise with Powell’s student in tow, Jeb said good-bye to Meg and rode ahead, not wanting to watch Win and Meg say their good-byes to each other. He pointed out the direction they were headed to the first student and lingered at the back of the mule train, letting the students lead the way. Win rode up beside him.

“This is stupid, Win. We can’t have this anger between us. That was the whole point of the pact. Look, I’ve always put up with your wild ideas, now I deserve a little support.”

Win grinned viciously. “So, you admit going after Meg is a wild idea—”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“All right, all right.” Win held his hands up as a sign of truce. “I’ll admit that at first I was just . . . surprised—no . . . jealous, maybe.” He sighed. “Aw, hell, I was disappointed you weren’t coming. I felt like I’d just lost you both.”

“You haven’t lost either one of us, Win.”

Win looked westward and didn’t speak. What he was pondering, Jeb could only imagine.

“I have to go,” Win said finally.

Jeb nodded. “I know.” Win couldn’t pass up a trip down the Colorado River, but Jeb knew the trip wasn’t all he was referring to. He wouldn’t stick around to watch Jeb take Meg from him. As much as he needed to move on, it was hard. “You ok?”

“Aw, hell, I’m terrific. I got so much jealousy boiling up inside of me I’m doing my best not to knock you off your horse.” Win shook his head. “You know, it’s mighty strange thinking of you with a wife and children, Jeb. Damn, are you sure you’re ready to be a father?”

“I haven’t even asked her to marry me yet. She might say no.”

“She won’t say no. We’re the only two men in this whole goddamn territory who could possibly put up with that complicated creature, and she knows it. Since I just bowed out of the competition, you’re her last hope. Ha! Meg’s babies! God help you if they inherit her stubbornness.”

Jeb had laughed because he wanted goodwill between them. He needed Win’s friendship as much as he needed Meg, and didn’t want to argue. But, in truth, he neither agreed that she was stubborn, nor thought of himself as her last hope.

Riding back to Paradise, that worry now occupied Jeb.

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