Embraced in The Throes Of Danger – Extended Epilogue

With a groan, Arletta rose from her chair and stretched. She had been sitting longer than she meant to. Most of the time, she couldn’t stand to be still for more than a few minutes. But with every passing year, it became a little easier.

Even if it left her body a little tired. But she didn’t mind. Seven glorious years had passed since she had married Kasper. They’d enjoyed their anniversary just last week with a ride into the mountains and a private little picnic.

She smiled at the memory and then looked around the room.

“Right. It’s time to clean up,” she told herself. “That’s why I didn’t want to get up.”

Chuckling, she bent down to collect the herd of wooden horses to put them all back in the corner basket. The toys were worn out from five years of use, a project that Kasper had worked on constantly when she had first become pregnant.

“I can’t help it. I need to do something for my nerves,” Kasper told her when she raised her eyebrow at the fourth horse he was starting to carve.

She had just chuckled. “You’re more nervous than me at this rate. And I’m the one carrying a child. I don’t mean to tease….”

“Liar,” he had declared before pulling her into a kiss so soft it tickled.

The first part of the pregnancy had been easy enough. But four months in, that had all changed. She had found herself growing tired, achy, and unable to eat more than a few bites at a time without wanting to bring it back up. 

Doctor Whitely and his granddaughter, Isabel, a newly trained midwife, had attended when it was time. It was the young woman who had stepped inside the room and scoffed at once. She hadn’t had a chance to visit Arletta up to this point, but she was the one to point out the news since no one else had somehow guessed it.

“Twins, clearly.”

She could hear them now in the hall. Their house had not been quiet for a moment since Henry and Jacob were born. Between their shouts and exclamations, she could also hear those of two-year-old Cara tagging along eagerly after the five-year-old boys.

Ducking her head around the corner to see them, Arletta smiled as she watched Jacob run from wall to wall like a madman. Then Henry was there teaching Cara how to do the same. She had no idea what they were doing, but they all seemed rather confident about the matter. Sometimes it was hard to believe how fast they were growing and just how clever they already were.

“Hello, Mama!” Jacob cried out when she was finally spotted. “Come play with us!”

Little Cara dropped everything at once when she saw Arletta there. Kasper joked about how Arletta was her miniature while the boys only got his eyes. She knew he said everything in jest, loving the dark curly hair of all three children. And if her suspicions were right, Arletta supposed, their kids would also end up with Kasper’s height.

“Oof!” she exclaimed when her daughter ran into her. “Cara! My, you are strong. Come here, my darling. What are your brothers teaching you today?”

“I, um, I play,” Cara stammered clumsily. She nearly bounced in her mother’s arms, too much energy inside her to keep her still. “I go and touch wall. And that wall! I go with Herry.”

“Henry,” Henry corrected her. “Hen-ry.”

Cara pouted down at him. “Herry!”

Chuckling, Arletta patted her daughter’s back and then gently set her down. With another hand resting on her son’s shoulder, she told him, “Don’t worry, darling. She’ll get there. She’s only two. I think when she’s closer to your age, then she’ll be better at it. Can you be patient?”

The little boy offered a long-suffering sigh as though he were ten times older. His long curls fell into his eyes, and he brushed them away before offering her a serious look. “I guess I can be patient.”

Her heart filled with pride for her children. “Thank you, darling. Now, go on and keep playing. Why don’t I prepare a snack for us in the meantime?”

Jacob hopped over and pounced on her. “I want a snack! Can I have one, Mama? I’m hungry. I’m really, really, really hungry. Like a horse!”

Giggling, she pinched his cheek and then stood up. “You’ve been listening to Uncle Malcolm again, haven’t you? Of course, you can have a snack. I’ll be back soon, darlings.”

She looked around at her children with a full heart. Never before had she known the love that could grow within her to have such a perfect family. Every day, she woke up knowing just how fortunate she was.

Sometimes, of course, she worried. A mother couldn’t help herself. Anne had reassured her of that in the beginning. For Arletta personally, she could all too well see the parallel of having two boys and then a girl just like it had been in her family. The first couple of months after the easy birth of Cara, she had been constantly worried about what it would be like for her daughter.

“They aren’t you and your brothers. We aren’t running a gang here, remember?” Kasper had repeatedly promised her. “We are going to teach all three of them to love one another, and they’ll understand what is right and what is wrong. They are going to have the life that you and your siblings should have had. It’s going to be wonderful. I promise.”

He was going to be right. Arletta knew this, her trust in him stronger than all of her doubts combined. The future for them all was going to be wonderful.

They were all screeching and laughing by the time she had made her way into the kitchen. It was like she hadn’t even interrupted in the first place. Chuckling to herself, she shook her head and sorted through what they had available to eat. She needed to make another trip to the general store soon but had not done so since Kasper said he would make sure to be around to help.

Hopefully tomorrow, she thought to herself. In the meantime, she hummed as she pulled out the biscuits and melted cheese on them once she had cut them open. Crumbs abounded, which she quickly cleaned up before taking the food to the table.

“Children, I have your snacks,” she called out.

Cheers echoed off the walls as the three kids came running over. She stood back as they clambered clumsily into the chairs, elbows on the tables, as they ate up their snack with vigor as though they had never eaten a day in their life.

It reminded her of a few weeks ago when Kasper had paused to watch their three kids dive into supper. When they entertained guests or feasted with Malcolm and his family, the children were on slightly better behavior. At home, they hardly remembered their manners as they filled their mouths with as much food as they could manage.

“Are we raising wolves or children?” he had asked, making the kids giggle.

The man was, as usual, more amused than anything else. He had looked up at her from across the table with a raised eyebrow. It seemed to ask her who had let the three children get away with such mayhem.

There was no answer to be had. The blame most likely sat with them both since they wanted to do nothing more than spoil their children with love and admiration. Arletta knew she let them get away with more than she should, but it was so hard to refuse their sweet faces. Both she and Kasper would do anything for Henry, Jacob, and Cara.

“Mama?” her littlest one asked. “Where’s Papa?”

Taking the seat beside her, Arletta leaned over to start tugging the crumbs out of her baby’s hair. Her stomach fluttered much in the same way it had when she had carried Cara there, a sweet little thing that had made for an easy––almost pleasant––pregnancy. The girl had made up for it by being delightful, clumsy, and always finding a way to end up as the stickiest child of all.

“Papa is working,” Arletta explained. “Like he worked yesterday.”

Henry straightened up. “Papa is the sheriff.”

Chuckling, she nodded and said, “That’s right, Henry. Very good. He is the sheriff. And what does he do as the sheriff?”

It was Jacob’s turn to answer as he straightened up in his seat. All three of them sat on their knees in order to be able to reach their food. He straightened his spine as he said, “Papa protects the town. Papa protects us. And he takes care of everyone.”

Arletta beamed. “Wonderful, dear.”

Smiling right back at her, he quickly grabbed the last biscuit and stuffed it in his mouth. She laughed before leaning over to ruffle his hair. Being a mother presented new challenges every day. Sometimes, Arletta felt prepared. Other times, she did not. She sat back in her seat and considered all that she had been blessed with while the children finished eating.

Just then, she heard the front door bang open.

She jumped to her feet in alarm even as she heard a familiar voice shouting. “Kasper? Kasper!”

“Stay there,” Arletta ordered her children sternly before making her way into the hall to where Malcolm was looking around for his brother. “What? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Where is he?” His eyes were wild as he looked around. It was hard to tell with his jumpy energy if he was anxious or excited or scared. But either way, she didn’t need him scaring the children.

Putting a hand on his shoulder, she gave him a stern shake of the head. “Calm down, Malcolm. Kasper isn’t here. He’s still at the office in town. What is going on with you?”

It couldn’t be the end of the world since he was in search of Kasper, not bringing her news that something terrible had happened. That had happened enough in the past, and she wasn’t sure she could take it again.

The man shuddered and then straightened up. “You’re right. I’m not thinking. I didn’t come to scare anyone, Arletta. I’m sorry about that. I just got the news––the alert came at the post office. Telegram. I was there, and Harty shared the news. When I heard, I had to find him. Do you think he’s on the way? He won’t believe it! The Cabello gang has been caught. All of them, can you believe it? I need to tell him the news.”

She blinked. “I’m sorry?”

Pacing around in the hall, Malcolm eagerly rubbed his hands together. He hardly heard her as he continued talking about how satisfying it was to have the one gang of outlaws finally caught, the ones that had always gotten away.

Arletta, on the other hand, wasn’t sure how to feel. 

“Are they… what is going to happen to them?” she asked tentatively. She put her hand down and hesitated. Her heart suddenly felt so heavy inside of her. Putting her hands over her fluttering stomach, she imagined the faces of her brothers. It had been over seven years now since she had seen them.

Starting in her direction again, Malcolm’s grin suddenly faded when he looked at her. He stopped in his tracks and seemed to see her for the first time as the truth slowly dawned on him. It had been years, of course, so maybe he had simply forgotten.

“Oh. I didn’t even think… Arletta, I’m sorry,” he said with a wince. Running a hand through his thinning hair, he shook his head. “I completely forgot they were your family. It’s been so long….”

“Seven years,” she whispered.

Some of the memories hurt when she reflected on them. The pain had dulled, though she knew it to still be there. So much potential was wasted within her brothers, who didn’t seek change, who would rather hurt her than adapt. 

If she spent too much time thinking about the past, then she would only grow disappointed and sad over what she couldn’t do anything about. Though she had prayed often for them and kept an eye out for any news from them in the papers, she had known that there was no going back to the days when her brothers were still nearby.

Her old home came to mind. That large home filled with plenty of rooms that never gave her enough space to breathe. The week before her wedding, Kasper and Malcolm had gone to make sure they were all gone.

No one had been there. Then a few months after the wedding, she had the strange desire to go back, an itch she found she couldn’t ignore. She had ridden there with Kasper. They had cleared the place out and shuttered it for good. Since then, Arletta had put the place out of her mind. It had never felt like home, after all.

Arletta exhaled loudly as she oriented herself in the moment. She looked up at Malcolm’s hesitant expression, trying not to think about the jumble of emotions welling up within her.

Fear over what had happened to her brothers. Uncertainty at their fate. Relief that she finally knew where they were and the fact that they couldn’t hurt anyone else again. And more worry over what would happen to them now.

Shaking her head, she tried to compose herself. “Please, don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right. Do you know anything more?”

The children shrieked in the next room. Malcolm inhaled sharply, glancing over her shoulder before looking her over carefully. They were a close-knit family. Malcolm and Anne had supported her through her pregnancies, just like she and Kasper had helped Anne through her next three. All the holidays were celebrated together. Every Sunday, they came together for supper and a relaxing walk on the outskirts of town. They knew one another and trusted one another.

Even still, Malcolm searched her face worriedly like he didn’t want to say another word.

“Please,” she murmured.

He hesitantly nodded, and they took their seats on the nearby bench that faced the sunlight in the street. The children continued playing loudly in the kitchen, most likely making another mess that she would need to clean up. But she couldn’t worry about that now. She needed to know everything that Malcolm had learned.

Three hours later, he had left, and she was still dazed with the news. Though she managed to prepare rice and beans for supper, as well as clean up a portion of the house, she couldn’t seem to focus.

“Lettie? Lettie, darling.”

“Oh!” She jumped when she felt a hand on her elbow. Her heart quivered. Whirling around, she sighed in relief to find it was Kasper. “You’re home.”

His eyes searched hers as he frowned. “I am. I have been for ten minutes now. Have you not heard a word I said? What’s going on with you?” He paused to put his hand over her cheek and then her forehead.

Seven years had only made Kasper more handsome. He wasn’t as thin as he used to be, which she took pride in. His face was a little softer, but he still had mostly hard edges. On this day, he wore a faded green shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. There was a shadow on his jawline, vaguely making her wonder if he had shaved that morning or if he’d been in a hurry.

She knew being the sheriff wasn’t easy work, but he handled it well. Central City had its own sheriff and deputies now. Lee had gone to stay there, and O’Donnell had retired. It was just her husband and Malcolm in town now. Fortunately, there were few outlaws passing through these days. Most of the time, they were assisting with the roads and other structural concerns in Goldston. She looked him over before meeting his confused gaze.

“Let’s get you seated,” he said decidedly.

She allowed him to bring her over to the kitchen table, where he paused to bring her a glass of water. The look he gave told her that she had best take a few sips.

Once she did, she felt a little more settled. She wasn’t sure where the last couple of hours had gone. Looking around, she could see glimpses of the children. She relaxed with relief that everyone was all right.

“What happened? You look… all out of sorts,” he managed at last with a helpless shrug. “What is it?”

Right. The news. She jerked back when she recalled her conversation with Malcolm. The sudden motion made Kasper move as well, raising his hands up in surrender.

“Sorry. I’m sorry,” Arletta muttered and then sighed. She reached out to take his hand, giving it a squeeze. With a grim smile, she tugged him a little closer for comfort. “Malcolm brought by some news today. It… I’m afraid it’s left me out of sorts.”

With his free hand, he leaned forward to tuck some hair away from her cheek. His eyes followed the motion until he met her gaze. He offered her a sympathetic smile. “Malcolm sure has a way of ruining the mood, hmm? Come, tell me.”

She inhaled deeply, nodded, and then exhaled. “The gang was caught. My brothers are in jail.” Her gaze settled on their intertwined hand though she could sense the way he stiffened with the surprise of her news. “They were caught in their attempt to rob a mayor’s house. Or someone very important, I think. Every last one of them was arrested.”

“And he just told you this?” Kasper asked, now wearing a frown. “Why didn’t he come to me first? I could have shielded you from this, I….”

Shaking her head, she squeezed his hand. “It was better this way. He came searching for you, and when he shared the news, I asked for the opportunity to tell you this. I’m sure he’ll have more to talk about tomorrow at supper.”

“I’m sorry,” Kasper offered. Their knees knocked gently against one another. “I can see why that would have affected you. Do you want to talk about it?”

She shrugged, licking her lips. There was more to tell, and she felt that he should know everything she had learned. “I think… I don’t know. Maybe it’s for the best? Malcolm says he didn’t know about the sentencing but is fairly certain they will end up in prison for at least a couple of years. Maybe this will be good for them. A punishment to remind them of the consequences of their actions,” she rambled. “Wayne and Purdy could still change their attitude toward life and being good citizens. They’ll be in prison in Mexico for now. But after? Maybe they’ll want to come back and––and settle down.”

After what had happened that night so long ago, they had hardly talked about her family. It was best to leave everything in the past, she thought. Even now, she wasn’t certain that she should have said all this.

“Maybe,” Kasper said with a sympathetic smile.

He wasn’t convinced. A man like him had to deal with the worst in people, she knew, and would find it difficult to believe people could change. Especially when it came to Wayne and Purdy, who had never been anything but trouble.

“I know…” she started but trailed off when she couldn’t find the right words.

Squeezing her hand, he cleared his throat and said, “I want to believe that, Arletta. And I am glad you believe it. You should keep your faith in them. Maybe they will surprise us all. But I don’t want you to lose that hope, darling. That is quite a load of news. Are you sure you’re going to be fine? Maybe you should retire early tonight….”

“No, that’s all right. I’m hungry, besides,” she added with a slight smile. “Supper should be ready. Can you get washed up? With the children? I’ll finish setting up the table.”

He nodded and released her, watching her as she rose to her feet. Now that the truth was out, Arletta felt a little more grounded. One deep breath and then another as she went about to ready the kitchen for supper. Her movements were confident. From the corner of her eye, she watched Kasper rise to get ready as well.

The rest of their evening went along as normal, soon settling the children before she and Kasper retired for the evening. They stayed up late to talk with one another, sharing everything they hadn’t been able to share beforehand.

By the time Arletta brought her family over to Malcolm and Anne’s for supper the next evening, she was feeling completely herself again. She would keep her eyes and ears open for her brothers. In the meantime, she had a life to live with this family she had chosen for herself.

“Finally!” Anne cried out with all of her children racing around her skirts. “Come in, come in. I have fresh radishes. Can you believe it? It will go perfectly with all that we’ve prepared for supper.”

“Perfect, because I’ve brought a pear pie,” Arletta called. She chuckled as the children cheered excitedly. Kasper put Cara down, and she eagerly ran off to play with her cousins.

Supper was laid out for everyone. A small table was set up for all of the children next to the adults. After the adults helped the children stop fighting over their seats, they seated themselves as well. Arletta took a look around after Malcolm said grace for everyone, studying her family.

They were all smiling, all happy. People ate eagerly as they enjoyed both the food and the good company. This was how practically every Sunday had gone since she had married Kasper. Only a few had been missed due to blizzards, illness, or new births. The exhaustion and worry faded as she watched everyone.

“Darling?” Kasper leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Arletta?”

She nodded, eyes still wandering before she made her way over to meet his gaze. Her lips curved up into a wide smile. Maybe there were some rough points in her life, but that hardly mattered. So long as she had good people in her life, this beautiful family, then everything was going to be just fine.

Across the table, Anne looked over at them. “What’s going on? I thought we agreed on no secrets during supper.”

Arletta chuckled and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. “Kasper was about to ask if I’m doing well.”

“And?” Malcolm paused from eating his food. His gaze flickered around the table before landing on her again. “Are you?”

Nodding, Arletta explained herself. “Everything is perfect. I’m just thinking about how much fun is ahead of us.” Pausing to admire the wonderful people around her, she took Kasper’s hand in hers and gave him a squeeze. “Horses and flowers and food. What more could I want? I could never have predicted how good life could be with everyone here. I didn’t know I could experience such joy. And every person in this room has a part in that.”

“Here, here!” Anne lifted her glass with a broad smile. “To happiness.”

They all raised their glasses, even some of the older children who chattered happily nearby. Copying them, Arletta did just that. Then she drank her lemonade and sighed with her heart so full she thought it might burst.

Life wasn’t easy, but she had long since known it was not meant to be that. Hard days would come no matter how fortunate she had become. But that was all right. With these people, she could withstand the hardships and the pain and the worry. She could withstand it all for the happiest of days, knowing there were still so many to come their way.

THE END

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