Final....
This is the story I have been working on for about 3 months! I think it turned out just the way I wanted it. Hope you enjoy!
Love Out West
Isabella Halsey wipes her hands on her apron. She stares down at her hands and remembers the time when they used to be so clean and smooth, when all she did was sew, sing, and read books around her plantation in Georgia. Tears start coming to her eyes. "Stop crying you big baby" she mutters to herself. It has been about a year since she had even stepped foot on her Georgia plantation. Isabella and her mother had moved out to Kansas, in May of 1872. The year now was 1873. Her father died in the Civil War and her fiancé had gone missing. "No, that’s a lie" she said to herself. "Bradley, died in the war." They had been in love since their school days, and she missed him so very much. She saw him as her soul mate.
She used to think that one day he would come back to her. But she gave up on that a year before they moved out west. She still wore the small white gold engagement ring, that had a diamond in it, on her finger. He had given it to her just before he left. Isabella then looks down at her hand, tears start coming down her face again. "Oh my word, Isabella get yourself together. You are such a baby. You promised you would start a whole new life when you came out here." She tells herself. With that she takes off the ring and puts it in the hole that she had dug for the flower that she is planting. "There you are, all set!" Isabella tells herself.
"Excuse me Miss, but do you always do that?" the dark stranger asks Isabella. Startled, Isabella gets up turns to the young man, and looks at him. "Can I help you?" Isabella says very coldly.
"No need to get all uptight! I am looking for Mrs. Halsey." He tells her. "What is your business?" Isabella asks, still being very cold to him. "Are you Mrs. Halsey?" he asks. "No, I am her daughter Ms. Halsey, So, kind sir..." she said very sarcastically "What is your business?" she asks once again. "Well, Ms. Halsey" He pauses, thinking about what to say next. Isabella raises one eye brow at him, daring him to do something. He then smiles, and finally speaks. "That is between Mrs. Halsey and me." Isabella starts to say something, when she hears the door behind her open.
"Jackson" Mrs. Halsey said excitedly. "I see you have met my daughter Isabella." Jackson then grabs Isabella’s hand and kisses it ever so gently. Isabella yanks her hand out of his and stomps away from him, Jackson just laughs. "Do come in Jackson." Mrs. Halsey says. "Don’t mind if I do." As he tips his cowboy hat at her. He starts up the steps, looking in the direction that Isabella had fled. Her beautiful brown curls falling onto her shoulders from all the hard work she has been doing. "She looks like an Angel." he said out loud. "Jackson? You coming?" "Yes Mrs. Halsey, I am coming." With that he entered the house.
Every day Jackson came over. Every day he and Isabella would have their little fights. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months, until it was late August. Jackson had come over to cut down some of the branches on the trees behind Mrs. Halsey’s house. Isabella was busy beating a rug, and Jackson thought that it would be funny if he scared her.
"What do you think you are doing little miss?" he said as he grabbed her. She let out a scream and punched him right in the nose. "Oh my god, I think I am bleeding!" He told her.
"Right, I am sure you are" She replied with a cocky attitude. He then looks up at her. "Oh! You really are bleeding!" She says. "Here let me help you." She went to the well and got some water. Isabella then brings it over to him and takes out a rag that was in her apron. She dipped it into the water and puts it on his nose. "There! I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to. You just scared me." she explains. "Isabella, that didn’t hurt me at all. You are the sweetest person I have ever met." with that he pulls her hand away and he gives her a soft and gentle kiss on her small lips.
"My word! Jackson what do you think you are doing?" She looked around embarrassed. "What you didn’t like it?" he asks. "Oh no, I loved it Jackson. It is just that...well...umm...." she looks around. "Isabella," she is still is looking any where but his face. "Isabella," he grabbed her face with his rough but gentle hands. Isabella is now looking right into his dark brown eyes, with her sparkling blue green eyes. "Yes?!" She says real softly. "I love you, Isabella. I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you." "Really Jackson?!" "Yes Isabella" "Jackson! I love you too. After Bradley, I thought I would never find love again, and here you are!" She explains. "Marry me?!" He pulls out a gold ring that has their names engraved on it. "Yes" she said breathlessly. With that she grabs his neck and kisses him, long and hard.
On September 2, 1873, Isabella Halsey became Isabella Marquis. It was a happy little wedding held right on Mrs. Halsey’s property. People from the local town came to this very festive event.
"Isabella Halsey, I take you to be my wife, I love you with everything I am. You are my world."
"Jackson Marquis, I take you to be my husband, I love you with everything I am. I want to be your world." With that the Marquis’ make their way down the aisle. Not a single eye was dry at that wedding.
"This is the happiest day of my life Jackson. I thought that I was lost to the world. I thought that God was out to get me, but I see now he just had a different way of giving me what I have always wanted. I love you Jackson!" Isabella told Jackson as they shared their first dance together as husband and wife. "I couldn’t have said it better, my love." he smiles at her. She smiles back, then lays her head on his shoulder.
September slowly turns into October, then to winter. Jackson and Isabella work hard to keep themselves well stocked for the winter. A few times they were forced to stay with Mrs. Halsey, which she was more then happy to have them stay. One day just after the New Year, they are all sitting in front of the fire place at Mrs. Halsey’s house, when Mrs. Halsey says something that shocked both Isabella and Jackson.
"Yesterday I received a letter from Bradley." Mrs. Halsey said softy and casual, making it sound like it was no big deal at all.
"What did you just say mother?!" Isabella said, a little shocked. "I said," Mrs. Halsey pauses. "Oh you heard me Isabella!" She sounded a little irritated. "Yes, mother, but Bradley is dead!" Isabella finally said. This whole time Jackson got up from his chair and is now walking around the room, thinking to himself what if he come back to find her? Mrs. Halsey broke his train of thought, "Well...he said that he was held prisoner by the North for nine years. Then he came back to Georgia, to find his family there but not us." She paused a minute, then continues "He said that he got this address from his mother. He didn’t know if we where still living here, but he wanted to let us know that he was coming here and wants to still marry you." she ended her story and looked at both Isabella and Jackson. Jackson’s color had left his face. Mrs. Halsey felt bad, she thought to herself, maybe I should have just let Isabella know and not Jackson, no that would be even worse.
"So he is coming to see Isabella." Jackson finally said. "It looks that way Jackson." Mrs. Halsey said. Jackson’s face fell again. He then looks over at Isabella. She looks sick to her stomach again. She had been throwing up a lot lately. Maybe she was a little worried about the winter, maybe she already knew that Bradley was coming up here and didn’t tell me. No that isn’t Isabella, or is it? "Isabella, are you ok love?!" Jackson finally asked her. "Jackson," she said looking straight into his eyes. "I love you my dear. And..." she paused, "And...I want you and mother to know that, I am having a baby." She finally said. "My love, that is so wonderful." Jackson told her. He ran over to her and gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Jackson, I want you to know that Bradley is in my past. I love you more then anything. I want to be with you." Isabella tells Jackson. "I love you too." was all the Jackson could get out. He was just so happy to hear her say that.
February came, and one evening, Mr and Mrs Marquis were at their house sitting by the fire. They heard a knock at their door. "Who could that be at this hour?" Isabella asked out loud.
"I don’t know love, but let me go get it, you rest now." He gets up, goes over to her, gives her a kiss on her head, then heads to the door. Jackson opens the door, there stood a man about 5'7" with short blonde hair, side burns to his ears, and had a clean cut shave. "Hello, can I help you sir?" Jackson asked starring at the man with his dark eyes. "I must have the wrong house!" the man said with a little chuckle. He then steps back and looks at the address again, then at the piece of paper in his hand. Jackson, started to study the man that was in front of him. He was dressed very nicely, bright blue eyes, and had an I’m-better-then-you look and attitude about him.
"Well" Jackson said. He was growing more and more impatient as he stood there.
"I am sorry sir," the man finally said. "Mrs. Halsey’s maid, said that I could find Isabella Halsey here, though I am not sure why!" the man said laughing. Just then Jackson looked at his house. It wasn’t too small, yet it wasn’t too big either. Isabella never said that she hated it or anything like that. The house had a good amount of property, and had a total of three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living area. "Well, you came to the right place," Jackson finally said "However, Isabella Halsey doesn’t live here..." Just then the man cut him off, "How can I have come to the right place if Isabella Halsey doesn’t live here" he almost screamed. With all the noise, Isabella decided to see who was at the door. Jackson sometimes could be very rude when he didn’t want to be bugged.
"Jackson, who is..." she stopped mid sentence, once she saw who was in the doorway. "Bradley!" She said shocked. The man then pushes passed Jackson, hugs and kissed Isabella. Then he turns to Jackson, with a mean look on his face. "Why did you lie to me Mister?" he said. Jackson then looks at Isabella then at the man and says "Well, sir, if you would have waited for me to finish my sentence, You would have heard me say that Isabella Halsey, is now Isabella Marquis. I am Jackson Marquis, Isabella’s husband. Would you like to come in?" he said very coldly. "Don’t mind if I do, thank you" Bradley says, his mood has now changed. Once Bradley was in the house, Jackson slams the door. Hearing that, Isabella gives Jackson a dirty look. He looks down at his feet like a hurt puppy. When he brought his head back up, Isabella was still looking at him. She smiled, her sweet smile and blew him an air kiss. Jackson smiles back.
"I never would have thought of you living in this poor looking house." Bradley tells Isabella, giving Jackson a cocky smile. Jackson thinks to himself if Isabella wasn’t here, I would have taken him out side and gave he something to smile about. Then his thought changed, hell, I got the girl and with that he smiled back to Bradley. "It is not a poor looking house," Isabella said, a little shocked at what Bradley just said. "I love this house, and my husband." Isabella said. She felt the need to say that. "Isabella, you look a lot bigger then the last time that I saw you." Bradley continued ignoring what she had just said. "Well, Bradley I am going to have a baby," she said happily. Isabella then turns to Jackson to smile to him. He looks very upset. This time he didn’t return her smile.
"I am going to go outside and cut more fire wood" Jackson said. He then looks at Bradley, daring him to doing anything. Look at her wrong Jackson thought I dare you to touch her. With that, he walked out of the front door. Once Jackson was outside, Bradley made his move.
"Isabella, I need you back. I want you to be mine again. I could give you everything that you want. I still have my plantation, my huge farm, and lots of money to give you everything you need. Please come back to Georgia with me." Bradley said.
"Bradley, your offer is very wonderful," Isabella stated, "But, I am very happy where I am." "Oh Isabella," Bradley started to say, then he stops, grabs her and kisses her long and hard. Isabella then pulls away, just as Jackson walks in the door. He sees that Bradley has just kissed Isabella, Jackson grabs Bradley and punches him. Then Jackson throws him outside. Just as he is about punch him again, Isabella runs and grabs his arm. "Jackson" She screams.
"I knew it!" Jackson screamed back at her. "You knew what?" She yelled back. "I knew that you were going to go back with Bradley when he came here to find you!" He continued to yell. "What are you saying my dear?!" Isabella has softened her tone. "My dear, I love you so much, I was telling him that I want to be with you, and only you." she said. "I don’t believe you!" Jackson said still yelling. With that he got onto their horse and took off down the road. Isabella, starts to run after him screaming "Jackson, Jackson, JACKSON." Tears start running down her face. She then whispers to herself "I love you, Jackson." She then turns to Bradley, looks him straight in the eye and tells him, "Bradley, I can’t believe you! Even after I told you I wanted to stay here with my Jackson...MY JACKSON! But you...you... you continued to push the issue at hand, and then on top of that you kissed me! Bradley, just please go away from here and leave me... us alone." Tears are now falling down her face as she runs back into her house. With that Bradley gets on his horse and heads towards Mrs. Halsey’s house.
The following day, Isabella goes over to her mother’s house, and runs inside. "Mother, Mother." She yells.
"Yes, Isabella." Her mother said from the kitchen. "Mother, Have you seen..." Isabella started to say, "What are you doing here?" she asked Bradley. "I’m staying with your mother for a week." Bradley said, trying to impress Mrs. Halsey. "I want you out of my mother’s house now!" Isabella yells to Bradley. "Isabella, that is mighty rude, don’t you think?" Mrs. Halsey said. "Mother, did he tell you want he did last night?" Isabella asked "No, what happened" Mrs. Halsey looked between Isabella and Bradley. "Well..." Isabella started, "Bradley, kissed me last night, and Jackson saw us and ran away!" she started to cry again. "I miss him so much, I love him mother!" Isabella looks between her mother and Bradley. Mrs. Halsey started to get tears in her eyes too.
"Look behind you, Isabella." Bradley said. With that Isabella then turns around. Startled, she looks behind her and see Jackson smiling at her. "Oh my dear Jackson!" Isabella says and runs into his arms.
"My love! Bradley and I had a nice long talk this morning, and he told me all that happened last night. I am so sorry that I yelled at you, and ran away. I love you so much." Jackson tells her. "Oh Jackson I love you too!" Jackson and Isabella walked out with their arms wrapped around each other. Even though it was still winter outside, and everything seemed dead; there in her mother’s flower bed was a single violet blooming.