Once a Ranger by Dusty Richards

there. But I think the man she married considered her his and may have protected her from the others’ abuse and wanted her for himself. She said she was happy as his wife every day and never considered leaving him. He provided food and must have been tender with her.
    â€œBut when he was killed fighting some Mexican soldiers, she had no one to turn to. So one day she put some dried fruit in a cloth and filled an army canteen with water. Then she set out with that and a blanket to find her own people. She was on the way, walking, she thought, for over a month. Someone brought her from the Peralta Springs to Tombstone. I was down there in all the celebration and hell-raising that her return caused. Those people just like to party. But there were lots of suitors wanted her that day—she was nice-looking even when she got there.
    â€œI never felt I’d have a chance to impress her. The Dixie Mine superintendent’s wife, Emma Neal, took her in and she did the housework for her board. I was back in Tombstone a month later and asked about her. They told me she was still up there. I asked was anyone courting her and they shook their heads—who wanted something the Apaches had had?”
    Thayer picked up his coffee cup in both hands. “She was too pretty a woman. Too nice and polite speaking a woman for my money to not want to know her, at least.
    â€œSo I took her a box of candy. Mrs. Neal called her to meet me. She came to the door, accepted the box, thanked me, and bowed out. Mrs. Neal told me she wasn’t ready to be courted. I felt lower than a snake’s belly. But I guess when I got on my horse she peeked at me from behind a curtain.”
    Guthrey looked across at him sipping his coffee. “Did that help you?”
    â€œIt sure did. So I kept coming by and taking her candy every week or ten days. Then I started bringing an extra horse to hitch there with mine outside the white picket fence.”
    â€œShe came out one day and blushed. ‘You must quit bringing me candy. People are teasing me. I can’t eat all of it you have brought so much.’
    â€œBut I was not going to give up. ‘Could I take you to supper tonight?’ I asked her.
    â€œHer face turned white. ‘What would people say about you? I have been an Apache’s squaw.’
    â€œâ€˜No, you are a nice-looking woman who’s been through a ton of hell.’
    â€œShe straightened her spine. ‘What time will you come for me?’
    â€œâ€˜Six o’clock,’ I said.
    â€œStill uncertain, she shook her head. ‘I fear for your future. No one will ever trust you for doing this.’
    â€œI told her, ‘Nell, I am a rancher. I have a pretty place in the Dragoons. I have a house and cattle and horses. My house has a cooking range. Well, it might need a dusting. It is peaceful and quiet up there and cooler than down here as well.’
    â€œShe nodded that she’d heard me. I had all day to rent a buckboard to take her out, buy a new starched white shirt, silk scarf, and vest. I drove over and walked up to the door, knocked, and the missus told me to come inside. Standing there was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. The missus had Nell’s hair fixed and had bought her a new dress. We went to supper at Nellie Cashman’s famous restaurant, and I figure I was one leg up on convincing her I was damn serious.”
    â€œTell him about the wedding,” Dan said, grinning at Noble, who agreed. They’d heard the story already.
    â€œI had been bringing the extra horse along for her to ride if she’d go back with me after we were married, of course.”
    Guthrey smiled. “You were ready.”
    â€œDamn right. And in six weeks she agreed for us to be married. I asked her if I needed a buckboard to take her home after we were married. She scoffed at the notion. Said she could ride a horse. She had so few things of her own that we didn’t need