Pony Express Courtship. Rhonda Gibson

He pulled his horse behind him as Jacob led the way to the bunkhouse.

      She turned and looked at the smoldering pile of embers that used to be her barn. Gone. In just a few minutes the barn had burned to the ground. What had Benjamin been doing out here? Especially in the early hours of the morning?

      Rebecca stepped closer to the rubble. She sighed. It looked as if she would have to dip into her funds to rebuild the barn. Jacob would have to ask for credit from the lumber mill and she’d add the nails to her growing tab at the general store. Once they had the total cost of the barn and all the supplies they’d need, she’d get the money from the bank and pay both men. She’d learned shortly after John’s death that if she didn’t deal with the men in this manner, they’d take advantage of her and she ended up paying more than what she’d actually owed. That wasn’t going to happen again.

      As she walked back to the house, Rebecca called to the new Pony Express station keeper and Jacob. “Breakfast will be ready in half an hour. Don’t make me wait.”

      The desire to call out to Mr. Armstrong to return to where he came from pulled at her vocal cords. She would like nothing more than to have the peace and quiet of her farm restored. But Rebecca knew that wasn’t possible. If she wanted to keep her family together, then the Pony Express would have to be a big part of it, and that included Seth Armstrong.

      * * *

      Seth laid his bag on the bed. Jacob had taken him to the small room off to the left-hand side of the bunkhouse. It contained a bed, a side table and a chest with a washbasin on the top. A wooden box hung above the trunk and held a razor and hand mirror. An adjoining door led to the remainder of the bunkhouse, giving him two methods of entry.

      “I’ll get my things out of here after breakfast.” Jacob stood with his hand on the doorknob.

      Seth hoped his words rang true as he said, “I hate to put you out.”

      Jacob shook his head. “The other boys will be more comfortable with me than you in the other room with them.”

      “I’m sure they will.” Seth took his Bible out of the bag and laid it down on the table.

      Jacob studied the book as if it was a snake. “You read that often?”

      “Every night.”

      The boy nodded. “I’ll leave you to settle in and go check on the others.” He didn’t wait for an answer, but simply walked out the door.

      Seth looked down at the worn brown leather of his Bible. It was the same one that his father had preached from and studied over for many hours. Jacob had acted as if it was poisonous, or might inflict harm, instead of being a balm that offered soothing words to a troubled soul. Had he been placed here to help the boy find his way to God? He doubted Jacob would welcome him in that area of his life any more than he welcomed him now as the new Pony Express station keeper.

      He moved to the only window in the bunkhouse and looked out at the burned barn. Smoke still spiraled upward to the sky. Building a new barn would help him get to know the young men who were now his charges. Seth planned on staying just long enough to teach them how to survive the trail they were soon to be riding and then he’d continue on to search for Charlotte, his lost mail-order bride.

      His thoughts went to the woman who had promised to be his bride. The last letter he’d received from her said she was taking the first stage out of California and should arrive in a few weeks, only she’d never showed. After his grandmother’s death, Seth had left his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, and begun searching for Charlotte. He was a man of his word and he intended to keep his promise to his grandmother. He’d find Charlotte and marry her. He knew he wouldn’t fall in love. His mother had taught him that to love someone meant getting hurt and he’d never go through what his father had. Never.

      He doubted Charlotte had come to any harm. Her letters had indicated she didn’t want to get married any more than he did, but the girl had no other choices at the time. She’d been up-front in her reasons for answering his advertisement—lack of money and nowhere else to turn. He’d been honest, too, telling her he was trying to keep his last promise to his now-deceased grandmother. He’d also told her he didn’t believe in falling in love, as it only led to heartbreak and death. His own mother had deserted him and his father when he was a child. No, he wouldn’t open himself up to that kind of hurt again. He’d keep his promise to get married. He’d assured his grandmother he wouldn’t be alone after she died and he’d keep that promise, one way or another.

      Unfortunately, shortly after leaving St. Joseph, a couple of road bandits had relieved him of his money. Thankfully, with some quick thinking and the fact that Sam, his horse, had been faster than the men, he’d gotten away.

      Needing money, he’d returned to St. Joseph and signed on with the Pony Express. As the station keeper it was his job to swear in the boys and get them ready for the job ahead of them. But once he earned enough money, Seth planned on continuing his search for Charlotte. Taking a deep breath, he left the confines of his new room and walked outside just as Mrs. Young began to ring the dinner bell.

      Its loud clang filled the yard and got the attention of all the boys. She looked to him and nodded. He returned the nod and headed toward the house. Rebecca Young looked as if she was in her early twenties, and from what he’d seen this morning, she seemed to rely on her oldest child to run the farm.

      The boys were older than he’d thought they’d be. But from the looks of them, they would all make good riders. Mr. Bromley had told him they were just a bunch of farm boys and would need a lot of training. That was why Seth had arrived at the farm in early February instead of closer to his scheduled date of April third. He was happy to see the Pony Express horses had arrived safely. One of the boys closed the corral gate and headed up to the house.

      Was he ready for all this responsibility? His gaze moved to the young men as they hurried to the house for breakfast. Mrs. Young stood on the porch hugging each of them before they went inside. She was a pretty little thing with a lot on her slender shoulders. He silently reminded himself not to get attached to any of the Young family, especially Rebecca Young.

      He had to find Charlotte. Even though he had never met her, he still felt responsible for her and he wouldn’t break his promise to his grandmother.

      * * *

      Rebecca wasn’t sure she was up to the changes about to take place on her farm and in her home. Already things were different. Breakfast proved to be a quiet affair. Everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts or afraid to speak lest something worse occurred. Seth Armstrong made several attempts at polite conversation, but finally lapsed into an awkward silence when no one seemed inclined to answer with more than one word. Finally they each took their plates to the kitchen and then left single file. Rebecca cleared the rest of the table and washed the dishes. She wiped up the countertops and table, then poured the dishwater into the hog slop bucket.

      Wagon wheels crunched near the front porch, reminding her that they were going to town for supplies. “Joy!” she called up the stairs. “Time to go!”

      A smile parted Rebecca’s lips as she watched her five-year-old daughter cross the room. Joy had changed from her nightgown into a simple brown dress and had pulled her fine blond hair into a blue ribbon. “I got myself ready,” she said, twirling in a circle.

      “I can see that. You look very pretty.” Rebecca grabbed her pale blue cloak and bonnet from the peg by the front door, then helped Joy into hers.

      They stepped out onto the porch and Clayton jumped down from the driver’s seat to help them up. Benjamin, Philip and Thomas ran from the bunkhouse and landed in the back of the wagon with loud thuds.

      “Where are Andrew, Noah and Jacob?” Rebecca asked, looking back at her sons.

      “Mr. Armstrong says Andrew and Noah need to stay here and take care of the place,” Thomas answered, giving Philip a shove.

      That accounted for Andrew and Noah, but not for Jacob and Seth. Rebecca looked toward the bunkhouse. “Where are Mr. Armstrong and Jacob?”