Every Great Dream Begins With A Dreamer
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“I’m not sure what I think about that,” Sam said, looking at the empty chair. “But I can tell you one thing—you’re going to be a great mother.”
The dream of having children had never really left her mind and she’d always hoped it would happen someday. But after so many years with no hope, the idea of giving up on it seemed foolish. The truth was she felt as if she could finally breathe again. She had something else to live for now. And that gave her hope. Hope made everything possible.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the blue ribbon. It looked like the sky in the morning when the sun first rose over the horizon. As she watched it float across the table toward him, he wrapped his fingers around hers.
“You know I’ve always wanted this,” he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. He lifted their clasped hands to his lips and kissed them.
A tear rolled down her cheek as he moved back from the table and placed his hand over her stomach. “This is ours now.”
Sam wiped away the tear with her free hand and nodded. “Yes.” Then she turned to face the rest of the guests who were waiting expectantly. Her family’s future depended on this evening. “We are very proud to introduce our son, William James.”
Then she took a deep breath before speaking again. “And we welcome you all to the homecoming celebration of our daughter, Samantha.”
There was a burst of applause followed by whistles, cheers, and more congratulations. After the last guest departed, she stepped forward, picked up the baby, and handed him off to her husband. Then she returned to her seat beside him.
They held hands and looked lovingly into each other’s eyes. For an instant, they seemed to forget where they were or even who was there. There wasn’t any need for words anymore. Only love filled the air between them.
When the party ended, people gathered outside to greet them as they rode through town. People lined the streets holding signs that read: Welcome Home! We Miss You! Congratulations! Best Wishes! When the buggy came to a stop in front of the hotel, people spilled onto the street. One woman ran to the side of the buggy, threw herself against it, and began kissing her cheeks.
With his arm still around her shoulders, Jack opened the door and helped her out of the buggy. Then he grabbed the small suitcase he’d brought along. They walked slowly past the cheering crowd and headed for the steps leading up to the porch.
Inside the hotel room, Jack set the bag down and then leaned against the wall. Sam put Will on the bed and started taking off her dress.
“What are you doing?” Jack asked, watching her undress.
“Changing my clothes. Do you want me to leave mine behind? Maybe you’ll feel better if your wife doesn’t look like a mannequin.”
He shook his head. “No. That wouldn’t help anything. You should wear whatever makes you happy.”
“I don’t have much to choose from right now.”
Jack smiled. “It’s fine. I bought some things while we were gone.”
“Oh? What did you get me?”
“Some new underwear,” he said, trying to sound casual. “That ought to make you smile.”
His answer didn’t please her. Instead of smiling, she crossed her arms and glared at him.
“All right!” Jack laughed. “Maybe it will.”
Her expression changed instantly. She grinned as she removed the rest of her clothing and dropped it to the floor. Now it was his turn to stare.
“Don’t say another word until you see how beautiful I am,” she said. “Come here.”
Without hesitation, he went to stand next to her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. When she moaned, he pushed himself closer to her body, wanting to feel every inch of her skin against his own.
They fell onto the bed and rolled together. He reached out to touch her but stopped short. She was too close to his wound. His hand hovered over her breast just below his chest. If he touched it, it might reopen the wound. So he withdrew his hand.
“I wish—” he muttered.
“I know what you wish,” she answered. “But I promise I won’t let anyone hurt us again. Not ever.”
He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against her shoulder. “Not even you?”
She kissed his temple. “Never.”
***
After two weeks of traveling across the country, Sam and Jack decided to stay awhile in Dodge City. This time he hadn’t taken her to a fancy hotel, but rather to the best-known boarding house in town. The owner knew they would be staying for a few days and had reserved the rooms.
As they entered the lobby, Jack noticed the young girl standing behind the counter. It was the same one who’d greeted them earlier that day when they arrived. She must have been hired recently because she was dressed differently than the others who worked there.
She wore a long white dress with lace at the top and hemline. Her hair hung loosely about her shoulders, making her seem younger.
“Welcome back,” she called out to them. “How many nights do you plan on staying?”
“Just tonight,” Jack told her. “Do you have a room available?”
The girl smiled. “Of course. Please follow me.”
While they waited for the elevator, Sam glanced at Jack and whispered, “You’re not going to ask me to marry you in front of everyone, are you?”
He gave her a quick wink. “Why would I propose to you in public? We’ve only known each other for three months. Why rush into something so important?”
Sam nodded. “Yes… Well… Good point.”
They rode up the elevator in silence, their thoughts turned inward. Neither spoke until they stepped out of the elevator. Then Sam looked up and saw people coming toward them. A few women wore dresses similar to hers; a couple men wore suits.
But most people were dressed casually in jeans and cowboy boots. Some wore hats or kerchiefs. Others had their shirts open and tied around their waists.
Jack spotted several familiar faces among the crowd: Jim, Dan, and Tom, all wearing guns and holsters under their coats. They waved and shouted greetings to him. As soon as they caught sight of Sam, they stared at her, openly ogling her body. Their stares made her uncomfortable. She quickly averted her eyes and focused on Jack instead.
When they finally reached their floor, Sam led the way down the hall and took them to their room. They both sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to open the door. She hesitated, then opened it.
Both men came inside and stood next to the window, staring outside.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
Tom shook his head. “We ate before leaving this morning.”
Dan smiled. “I could eat. What is good in this town?”
“There are plenty of places to eat,” she said. “A lot of folks come to Dodge City to buy supplies, so there are lots of stores selling food and goods.”
“Sounds perfect,” Tom replied. “If you don’t mind, I’ll take my gun with me and go hunting.”
“No problem. Just remember to put the safety on first,” Jack added.
Dan shot a glance at Jack. “Is that supposed to make me laugh? Don’t think I’m such an idiot that I can’t figure out your real purpose in bringing me here.”
“My real purpose?” Jack scoffed. “What does that mean?”
“Think hard,” Dan said. “Why else would we travel all the way from New York to come to this Godforsaken place unless you want us to get involved in some kind of scheme?”
“That’s ridiculous!” Jack exclaimed. “This is no more dangerous than any other city. You should see Denver.”
Dan laughed. “Don’t worry. I already did. And I didn’t like it much.”
With a frown, Jack turned away from him and started to walk out of the room.
“Where are you going?” Tom demanded.
“Out,” Jack told him. “To find a saloon.” He walked through the door without another word.
“Hey! Wait a minute!”
Jack stopped, turning slowly to face Tom. “Did I hear you correctly? Did you just accuse me of planning to trick you into working with me?”
Tom crossed his arms over his chest. “You may have fooled those idiots in New York, but not me.”
“Oh, really?” Jack snorted. “Then why are you still here?”
“Because you need help,” Tom said. “And because I know you won’t be happy until you solve whatever mystery has brought you here.”
Jack nodded. That was true. It wasn’t enough to simply arrest criminals; he wanted to understand what caused them to commit crimes in the first place. In the beginning, it hadn’t mattered if it was murder or theft or arson—he just wanted to bring the guilty to justice.
Now, however, he felt compelled to dig deeper. He needed to learn how the crime affected communities, whether they were big cities or small towns.
In fact, one reason he’d decided to accept Dan’s offer to join his detective agency was that it allowed him to pursue his personal interest while also helping others. Even though he knew Tom would never admit it, he considered the former deputy sheriff a friend. Still, he couldn’t let himself forget the past. Not when his father had been killed by someone who used to work with Dan.
For years now, Jack had worked hard to overcome the hatred he’d once held against his old nemesis. If Dan ever found out about that, he might decide to kill Jack too. So even though he cared deeply for Tom, he couldn’t allow him to see him as anything other than a hired hand.
He sighed. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I doubt anyone will try to rob a bank today.”
The look Tom gave him said otherwise. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid to do your job.”
“Of course not.” With a quick nod, Jack headed back out of the hotel.
Sam followed after him. The two rode horses together across Main Street and entered the nearest saloon. After ordering beer, Jack glanced around the crowded room, searching for a seat. There weren’t many empty ones, which meant Sam would have to sit alone at the bar.
She watched him walk toward the bar and realized she wouldn’t be able to talk to him for very long. A few minutes later, Tom joined them, ordered drinks for everyone, and sat down next to her.
She tried to ignore the man and focus on Jack. But Tom kept looking at her with his piercing gaze, making her feel uncomfortable.
Finally, Jack returned.
“Well?” he asked. “Any trouble finding a table?”
“None.”
“Good.” They both looked up, startled when Dan arrived. His eyes fell immediately on Jack and narrowed slightly. “So, are you ready to start our investigation?”
“Sure.” Jack grinned. “First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll go to the courthouse and—”
“Actually,” Dan interrupted, “we’ll start right now. Right here.”
They stared at him.
“Right here,” he repeated. “Come outside.”
Outside, the men stood near the street, drinking their beers and watching passersby. Dan pointed to the saloon. “I noticed there aren’t many customers inside. What better place to investigate than where people gather most often? Let’s head over there.”
“Fine.” Jack took another sip of his drink before standing up and heading for the door.
When they reached the saloon, Jack paused for a moment. He could see the entire front wall covered with bullet holes. Most of the glass windows had been shot out, leaving only a couple intact. A few feet away, an older man wearing a cowboy hat stepped forward to confront a young woman wearing a red dress.
“What do you mean you can’t pay off your debt?” the man barked at her.
“We’ve been trying to raise money for weeks,” the girl protested. “But no one will lend us anymore.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“No, sir, it isn’t. You should know that as well as I do.” The man turned to leave, then hesitated. He turned back to face the woman. “I’m sorry about this,” he whispered.
“Just get rid of the body,” the woman said quietly. Then she left, hurrying down the street.
As soon as she disappeared, the bartender hurried over to clean up the mess.
Dan turned to Jack. “Now, you must excuse us,” he said to the men behind the bar. “You’ll want to watch this from a distance so none of the customers think we suspect them.”
One of the men nodded. Another smiled. The third laughed nervously.
Dan led Jack and Sam out of the saloon, through the main street, and into the alley beside it. “Let’s take a look at what’s happened here,” he explained.
They walked around the block, stepping over bodies lying sprawled across the ground. All but one of those dead men wore shirts with the word “banker” stitched above the pocket. It seemed obvious these were victims of the bank robbery.
Jack shook his head. “Whoever did this is obviously desperate.”
“Desperate enough to use a gun instead of a knife or rope.”
“Maybe he wanted to kill as many of them as possible in order to cover up the crime.”
“Or maybe he just didn’t care if they lived or died. In either case, he probably planned to come back after dark tonight to finish the job.”
Jack frowned. “Why would he need to come back? If he killed all of the robbers, why—”
“Because he wasn’t satisfied with the number of casualties. That much blood tells me he was aiming for a larger number. Maybe even killing all of them.”
Tom nodded. “If we find whoever did this, he won’t be far away.”
Jack glanced around. “Where’s the sheriff?”
“With the rest of the townspeople who’ve gathered in the square. We don’t want to let them see anything suspicious happening close by.”
The square was filled with onlookers. Men and women, boys and girls, old and young, stood shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the scene unfold.
“It looks like someone has already begun investigating the crime,” Dan said, pointing to a man in a gray shirt and trousers. He moved slowly among the corpses, studying each victim carefully. When he came upon a dead body, he knelt down and gently removed the cap.
After taking some measurements, the man wrote something down on a piece of paper. Next, he bent over the corpse again, searching for something.
He finally found it and pulled out a small wooden box. After placing the lid back on, he tucked the box under his arm and hurried toward the alley.
“A doctor,” Dan muttered. “Someone might need medical attention.”
“Probably not,” Jack answered. “Most of them have bullet wounds.”
“But it’s worth checking anyway. At least he doesn’t seem too worried about getting caught. Maybe he thinks he’s immune because of his profession.”
“That’s a possibility.” Jack looked around. “Can you tell which way he went?”
“Yes, he headed west, straight for the saloon. I followed him from the other direction. There are three ways he could go—down the street, through the alley, or around the corner.”
“How does he plan to dispose of the bodies?” Jack asked.
“By burning them. I saw him toss several pieces of wood into a barrel fire. Now, he’s going to move them to a different location. Let’s follow him.”
The two detectives circled around the corner. They stopped when they spotted the barrel fire. Tom leaned closer, staring at the flames licking up the sides of the charred wood.
“There’s nothing there,” he murmured.
“Nothing except a few scraps of clothing,” Jack agreed.
“I wonder if anyone else noticed.”
“Not unless they’re looking right now,” Jack replied. “Which means they probably aren’t. This also means the murderer probably thinks no one knows where he hid the bodies. He may even believe he can return later to collect whatever valuables remain.”
“So, we must act fast,” Tom concluded. “We have only an hour until he returns.”
Jack nodded. “Let’s split up.”
***
DAN LEFT JACK AND TOM IN THE SQUARE TO WATCH the bank robber while he went inside the saloon. He took a stool near the door and ordered himself another drink.
“What will it be today?” the bartender asked, wiping down a glass.
“Just water, thanks.”
The bartender poured the liquid and set it before him. “You sure about that, mister? You know how thirsty you get after working hard outdoors.”
“Yeah, I know. But my stomach’s been feeling funny lately. I think it’s best I stay clear of alcohol.”
The bartender shrugged and left the room.
Dan finished his drink in short order. By the time he got up from his seat, the bank robber had returned.
As soon as he stepped onto the street, Dan knew something was wrong. The thief walked stiffly as if every step caused him pain.
When he reached the saloon, he paused in front of the door. He knocked twice.
“Who is it?” a woman called from behind the closed door.
“It’s me, Charlie,” the bank robber responded. “Open up!”
The door opened. A beautiful brunette smiled and held open her arms. “Come here, handsome. I missed you.”
Charlie led him inside. She shut the door behind them and locked it. Then she turned to face him, wearing a dress of deep red silk. Her hair was piled high on top of her head and framed her lovely features.
She kissed him passionately. “Mmmm… I missed your kiss, lover boy.”
“Did you miss me?” he whispered.
“Always, but especially tonight. Why do you ask?”
“Because I’m ready to take things to a new level.”
“Oh, what kind of new level would that be?”
He cupped her chin, pulling her close to whisper in her ear. “Would you care to find out?”
With a smile, she slipped off her heels. “Lead the way.”
“Where were we last night?” he asked.
“In bed,” she purred. “Sleeping. And waking.”
“And kissing,” he added. “Lots of kissing.”
“Only the good stuff.”
They sat next to each other on the edge of the bed. As she unbuttoned his shirt, she spoke softly. “Do you remember how it all began?”
“Of course,” he replied.
“Why don’t we start with this?” With quick movements, she removed his shirt and tossed it aside. Next came his trousers. “Now for the boots…”
After removing those, he kicked off his shoes and lay back against the pillows.
“Now, let me see.” She ran her fingers over his chest and stomach. “Are these still soft enough for you?”
“Very much so,” he said.
Her hand slid lower, tracing the lines of his abdomen. “Hmm, not too many marks. That’s good. We’ll need plenty of room for our plans.”
“Plans?” he repeated. “What plans?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about how much fun we had yesterday. How about today?”
“Sure,” he answered. “But why do you call them ‘plans’?”
“That’s because I want us to make love,” she explained. “Have you ever made love?”
“No, but I’d like to learn.”
“Good, then lie back and relax.”
“Relax, huh? Don’t you want to undress me first?”
“Nope. Not yet. It wouldn’t be fair to you. First, I’ll show you something special. Something very important.”
“Okay,” he replied. “Anything, just name it.”
“First, let me undo this button,” she said.
He watched as she unfastened it. His heart pounded harder when she pulled away his waistcoat and threw it across the room.
“Now, look at me,” she commanded. “Look into my eyes.”
“I am looking, darling. Are you happy now?”
“Not quite, but I’ll get there.” She pushed him back onto the bed. “Lie down on your back.”
She climbed over him and straddled his hips. Slowly, she lowered herself until their bodies met. Their chests touched; they were skin-to-skin.
“There’s nothing better than being naked with someone else,” she declared. “Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, absolutely,” he agreed. “It feels wonderful.”
Then she moved again. She slid slowly toward the floor. When she stopped, he could feel her warmth pressed against him. Her lips brushed against his. “I hope you’re ready to enjoy yourself.”
The End