Bushedwhacked Bride by Eugenia Riley

‘social life’ they have is at the saloons and dancing parlors of Colorado City —with whores and cardsharps—even though it’s a good day’s ride from the ranch.”
    Jessica recalled her history. “Ah, yes. Colorado City is near Colorado Springs , and it’s pretty much the Natchez- Under-the-Hill of old Colorado , isn’t it?”
    Eula appeared confused. “If you say so, honey.”
    Jessica struggled to digest this as more questions swirled in her mind. ‘Tell me a little more about your family and what brought you here. You say you had a first husband?”
    Eula sniffed. “Yep, Chester Lively was one of the finest men God ever put on this earth. Way back in the fifties, we married up in Arkansas , and Cole was born our first year together. Then Chester wanted us to head Colorado way so he could seek his fortune as a miner. That’s when we homesteaded our land here and started a small farm. But Chester was killed in a cave-in when Cole was still a wee thing.”
    Jessica’s heart was filled with sympathy for both Cole and Eula. “I’m so sorry. Then Cole and the other boys don’t have the same father?”
    “Nope. A year later, I married Joseph Reklaw, another fine man who worked at the mines. Joseph gave me my four younger boys. And since Cole was so tiny when he lost his real pappy, he always wanted to be called ‘Reklaw’ like his brothers.”
    “That explains why he looks somewhat different from the others.”
    “They’re all thick as thieves, anyhow.”
    “Indeed. But I have wondered at the differences—par ticularly the fact that Cole seems better-educated.”
    Eula nodded. “When he was still a young fella, a neigh bor lady used to tutor Cole with her own young ‘uns, learned him to read and write proper-like. Then that whole family took sick with scarlet fever and died, so my younger boys didn’t have no teacher. They can barely write their own names.”
    Jessica fell silent, thinking of how very difficult these times were on families. “What happened to your second husband, if I may ask?”
    “Joseph Reklaw was a good upstanding man, a Bible- pounder even.” Ma sniffed again. “He was a fine father to all five of my boys—till miner’s lung took him soon after Billy was born.”
    Jessica was aghast. “So you’ve lost two husbands to the mines?”
    “Yep. And the owners wouldn’t have cared if I’d lost a hundred more.”
    “How terrible,” Jessica sympathized. “No wonder all of you are bitter toward the mining industry.”
    Ma’s expression seethed with resentment. “It ain’t the industry, honey, but the sidewinders that own the mines. Them serpents is holed up in the Springs. They be rich folk that own mines all over the state. They call them selves respectable businessmen, but they ain’t nothin’ but vipers in my book.”
    Jessica digested this. “What about your farm?”
    “What about it?”
    “Well, last night Cole said it’s his now.”
    “That’s right. It fell to him as Chester ’s son.”
    “Well, couldn’t the boys make a go of farming instead of robbing the mines?”
    Eula snorted. “When the mine owners’ evil doin’s have raped our hillsides, and most of our streams are poisoned by metal runoff?”
    Jessica sighed. “Good Lord. Then these robber barons in Colorado Springs have seen to it that your sons can’t earn a decent living off the land.”
    “You’re beginning to get the picture, honey. They ain’t doin’ much for the families of Mariposa, neither.”
    “And your sons are helping by robbing the mines?”
    Eula shook a finger at Jessica. “My boys ain’t never robbed no payroll—only the gold leaving the mines.”
    “But aren’t you afraid they’ll be caught?”
    Ma clucked to the mule. “Not as long as they’re care ful. Cole had a close call in Colorado City a few years back due to some pure-dee tomfoolery, but I think he learnt his lesson. You can bet all my boys are watching their p’s and q’s these days. There’s no