Pony Express Courtship. Rhonda Gibson

Jacob?”

      “Mr. Armstrong said we can call him Seth,” Benjamin answered with a grin.

      “That doesn’t answer her question, Beni,” Philip said. He turned to look at Rebecca. “They are inside talking about why Jacob thinks we should all go to town.”

      Thomas snickered. “If you call that talking.”

      Rebecca lowered herself from the wagon. It was bad enough that Seth Armstrong had announced he was their new boss, but to cause strife this soon...well that was unacceptable.

      “Ma, I wouldn’t interfere if I was you,” Clayton warned from his seat. “Jacob is in kind of a foul mood.”

      “I can imagine.” Rebecca turned to the bunkhouse. “You boys stay put. We’ll be ready to go in a minute.”

      She heard raised voices before she got to the door. Rebecca pushed the heavy wooden door open and walked inside. Her sons turned expectantly. “What’s the ruckus?” she asked, placing both hands on her hips and giving her children the “mother” look.

      Jacob and Andrew each clamped their lips together. Noah studied the end of his muddy boot. It was obvious her boys had no intention of answering her.

      Seth crossed his arms and met her gaze full-on. “We men are having a discussion.”

      “From what I heard—” she didn’t bother telling him she heard it from Philip and Thomas “—you expect Andrew and Noah to stay here while the rest of us head to town.” Rebecca held up a hand to stop him from answering. “And if I know Jacob, he’s not happy with the arrangement and intends to stay with Andrew himself.” Her gaze moved from her oldest son to Seth. “Do I have it right so far?” Her eyes locked with the station keeper’s.

      “I’d say that about sums it up,” Seth responded.

      “Mr. Armstrong, may I ask why you want the two boys to stay behind? We’ve always gone to town as a family before.” His eyes were the prettiest shade of blue-green that she’d ever saw. Did they turn that color when he was angry? She mentally shook the thought away and focused on the problem at hand.

      Seth sighed. “With the horses loose, Indians or bandits could come and steal them while we are gone.”

      “That’s why I should stay,” Jacob growled between clenched teeth.

      Seth turned to Jacob. “I need you to help me bargain for supplies. The men in town don’t know or trust me just yet. And since I don’t know them, either, I need you to make sure the Pony Express doesn’t get cheated.”

      Rebecca realized that what he said was true. She knew that even though the men in town knew her, they didn’t want to bargain with a woman. They’d made that very clear shortly after John’s death. Jacob had a wonderful working relationship with them and the chances of them accepting Seth Armstrong from the get-go were slim to none.

      “I have funds that we can use to rebuild the barn,” Seth said. “I’m sure Mr. Russell and Mr. Bromley will approve, considering they need the barn to house the Pony Express horses.”

      Rebecca looked to Noah. The boy hadn’t looked up from his boots. He was so young. She didn’t like the idea of leaving him and Andrew alone on the ranch any more than Jacob. “Why leave Noah? He’s only twelve years old.”

      “Because Jacob says that Noah is the best at using a rifle.” Seth’s gaze never left Jacob’s face, daring him to deny it.

      That was true, too. Over the past few weeks, Noah had proven he could shoot the antennae off a grasshopper, if he had to. Rebecca walked between the men and looked her oldest son in the eyes. “Jacob, what he’s asking isn’t unreasonable. I’m sure that Andrew will see that Noah is kept safe.”

      Jacob’s eyes held warmth and sadness in their depths. He nodded. “I’m sure he can, but it is my job to take care of this farm and my family.”

      Unaware of the sorrow and weight of the promise Jacob had made to John, Seth interrupted, “Not anymore—it’s mine. Be in the wagon in five minutes.” He turned on his boot heels and left them standing looking at each other.

      Rebecca concealed her anger toward Seth. Who did he think he was, coming in here and demanding that these boys follow him blindly? He didn’t know them. Or what they’d been through since John’s death.

      She thought about staying home with Andrew and Noah, but she needed to get supplies for the house, and if she stayed behind, who would keep Seth and Jacob from coming to blows? She sighed. “Come along, Jacob. We’ll do as he asks today.” But as soon as they returned from town, she thought to herself, she’d be having a word with Seth Armstrong.

Chapter Two

      The trip into town was frosty to say the least. Seth could feel the anger boiling over from both Rebecca and Jacob. He’d known coming into this job that it would be difficult. But he’d also thought that Rebecca and her boys knew what they were getting into.

      As Dove Creek came into view, Seth stopped the wagon. After coming off the farm, the landscape had become flat and dusty. There were a few trees scattered about the town, but it didn’t offer the peace and greenery of the Young farm.

      “Is this the first time you’ve been to town?” Rebecca’s soft voice drew him like bees to honey.

      He nodded. “Yes. It’s not quite what I expected. Dove Creek sounds so pretty.”

      A soft chuckle came from deep in her throat.

      “Ma says that all the time,” Benjamin said from the back of the wagon.

      Seth glanced over his shoulder at the little boy. He was sitting beside Joy and they’d been looking at a picture book most of the way to town. “She’s right.”

      Benjamin nodded as if they’d come to a profound agreement and then turned his attention back to his sister and the book. Of all the siblings, those two looked most like brother and sister.

      Bromley hadn’t told him anything about the family, other than their pa had died and that Mr. Russell and Mr. Young had made an agreement before the Pony Express had even been constructed. Seth’s orders were to swear in the boys by having them say the Pony Express rider’s oath and teach them what would be expected from them as Pony Express riders.

      He flipped the reins over the horse’s backs and continued down the hill. The sooner they got to town, the sooner they could get home. He didn’t like leaving the other two boys at the house any more than Jacob did, but without a bar, the animals were out in the open and needed protection from not only Indians and bandits, but also other wild animals.

      Seth felt the restrained movement as Rebecca shifted on the seat beside him. His gaze moved in her direction and caught the profile of Jacob, who sat beside his mother. The boy’s jaw was clenched and his eyes directed straight ahead. Rebecca had rested a slender hand on her son’s leg in silent comfort.

      Returning his attention back to driving, Seth inwardly sighed. He and Jacob would have to sit down and talk about the boy’s attitude. Seth was sure there was more to it than just not wanting to leave his brothers behind.

      “Would you drop Joy and me off at the general store?” Rebecca asked.

      His gaze moved over the town. There was just a dirt road, and plain wooden-faced stores lined the streets. Smoke billowed from the top of each one and the smell of pine teased the air around them. At least they could warm up a bit before they started the long trek back. The church sat on the hill to the right side of them and he could tell by the children playing in the yard that it also served as the town school. Why weren’t the smaller Young children in attendance?

      Since it really wasn’t any of his business, Seth chose to answer Rebecca’s question instead of asking one of his own. “We can do that.” He directed the horses down Main Street and continued to study the dusty town.