My first sight of an endless horizon of water made me forget everything else. I tasted salt on the breeze that blew across the waves and cooled the air. Hungry seabirds pecked in the wet sand, searching for a tidbit that might have washed in with the tide. They screeched and scattered as I strolled by to pick up small pink shells while entire families dressed in bathing costumes waded into the water. I wished I could do the same.
With my arm looped through Jesse’s, we walked past a marina where waves swept against fishing boats, making them rock from side to side in the water. The boats had piles of fish bigger than any string of catfish my brothers had ever caught, but the scent of decaying sea life and wet rope made me put my handkerchief to my nose. My eyes widened when I spied the most unusual creature I’d ever seen waving all eight of its arms in the sun.
Jesse laughed. “That’s a young octopus. They grow up to be a lot bigger than that.” He pulled me away from the strange sight. “Let’s get ready for dinner. We’re going to celebrate being in Galveston, so I’m taking you someplace new.”
I smiled up at him. “That shouldn’t be hard. Everything here is new to me.”
After we changed into our dinner clothes, Jesse hailed a carriage and had the driver take us to J.H. Forbes, an oyster saloon near the harbor. We moved past tables filled with customers who shouted to each another, unlike the restaurants I knew, where the patrons spoke quietly as if in church. Jesse strutted like a rooster, and a few people waved at him. He held up a hand, acknowledging their salutation, and whispered to me that they were some of his old friends.
Our waiter, a brusque man in a white shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbow, took us to a table.
“Bring me a bottle of your finest champagne, sir, and a plate of oysters,” Jesse told him.
Wide-eyed, I looked around me. The room clamored with the sounds of dishes rattling and voices that competed to be heard.
“This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” I said. “And now oysters and champagne too? I’ve never tasted either one.”
He laughed and ran a finger down my cheek. “Then its time you do.”
We’d been in our seat for only a few moments when two men sitting at a table near us began to snarl at each other. Their voices boomed louder and louder, until both men leapt to their feet, raising fists as though ready to fight. I stared with my heart in my throat, but Jesse watched mildly, his hand resting against his hip where I knew he carried a pistol.
Within moments, a man with arms like a blacksmith came to their table and roared at them.
“You men can either shut up or get out.”
The combatants glowered, but then recovered themselves and sat down to swill more of the foamy beer.
“What was that about?” I asked Jesse when I caught my breath.
“Probably too much drink. If it were any real problem, they wouldn’t have talked, just started punching … or worse.”
“I’ve never seen such behavior in public, or anywhere else for that matter.”
“That’s mild compared to what’s happened here before. Men have drawn knives or even guns when tempers grow hot enough. That’s what I like about this place. You never know what might happen.”
I scooted to the edge of my chair, wondering if I might need to jump up and run. Jesse put his hand over mine and squeezed.
“Stop worrying. I’ll make sure you stay safe.” He poured another glass of champagne. Sipping the bubbly liquid soon helped me relax enough to ignore my surroundings and grow giddy as a young colt.
When the plate of oysters arrived, I stared at it dubiously.
“Tip the shell to your mouth,” he said, “and let the oyster slide in. A bite or two, then swallow. Here, I’ll show you.”
I watched him first and then picked up a shell and bravely put it to my lips. I grimaced at the taste, gritty and salty as sand and sea. The second one went down easier. By the third oyster, I’d either grown to like the flavor or the champagne had convinced me the slippery seafood had turned to ambrosia. I ate until my stomach grew tight with food. Then Jesse paid the bill, leaving a tip that made me suck in my breath.
By the time the buggy got us back to our room, my legs were so wobbly, Jesse had to carry me to our bed.
Much later, after he had fallen asleep, I sat up and wrapped my arms around my knees, wishing we could go on this way forever. But I’d noticed Jesse scanning the newspapers with brows knitted as though searching for something. A week later, he confirmed what I feared.
“It’s time we leave for home.”
“And where would home be?”
“For now, we’ll go to Kansas City.”
I pushed back my hair and regarded him with a wistful smile. “I wish we didn’t have to leave Galveston.”
He put his arm around my waist and squeezed. “We’ll come again someday. There’re a lot of other places you’ll like just as much. But Ma’s been on my mind. I need to figure out what I can do for her. From the sound of her letter, she could use some help taking care of the farm.”
“Will we be able to take the cars together?”
“Not when we’re traveling to Kansas City. I’ll make arrangements for someone to meet you at the station and get there soon as I can.”
We didn’t speak much on the way to the depot. He handed my bag to the porter and kissed me. “Good-bye, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’ll see you very soon.”
I settled into my seat and leaned back. My eyes closed and I fell into a deep sleep, dreaming that Jesse bought us a small cottage in Galveston that stood so near the sea, we could watch the waves flow to the shore. He took out a fishing boat to search for treasure buried under the water, while I cooked a fat mackerel for dinner.
When the train reached Kansas City, the whistle blew and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stretched. I’d been dreaming for hours.
The depot held its usual crowd of travelers. After stepping to the platform, I searched for a familiar face among them, realizing I had no idea who Jesse planned to send. When I saw a tall man with a long beard, I laughed in delight before I could speak a word. “It’s been too long. How I wish you could have been with us at our wedding.”
Frank picked up my bag and grinned, leading me away from the crush of people. “I’m sorry to have missed your nuptials, but it just so happens that while you were gone, I had a wedding of my own.”
I stopped walking and my mouth dropped open like one of the fish I’d seen in Galveston. “What did you say?”
“I married a young lady by the name of Miss Annie Ralston.”
My hand flew to my chest. “I heard you were courting, but nothing of an engagement.”
“We had to keep it a secret from everyone. Her father doesn’t approve of me, so when he put his foot down, she packed and left home. We met up in Omaha and got married there on June sixth.”
“Well … congratulations. Does Jesse know?”
“Not yet, but he will soon enough. I expect him to arrive within days.”
I absorbed this new information. “When will I meet your wife?”
“Very soon. But for the time being, we have other business to take care of. Jesse asked me to take you to the rooms he rented until he can figure out the best place for you to go. He says I’m to remind you about never using your real name. You two will be John and Josie Howard, so it’s important you remember that.”
I said the new names out loud, tasting them on my tongue until the words were natural rather than forced. But even such an odd exercise could not take away my joy at the possibility of seeing my brothers and sisters who lived near Kansas City. I had no idea how long it would take for Jesse to return and feared the specter of loneliness. I knew such a state of mind brought the risk of a blue spell and fiddled with a button on my dress.
Frank drove us to a wood-clad house with a “For Rent” sign in front, not far from the depot, and settled me inside before kissing my cheek and leaving. I looked at the sparsely furnished rooms and pushed up my sleeves to set about making it into a home, albeit a temporary one.
By the next afternoon, I’d been to the mercantile for supplies, and not a single speck of dust could be found in the house. Even the gray film on the windows had been scrubbed away. The only thing left to do was to wash the floors, so I dropped to my knees and dipped a rag into the bucket of water. I’d finished half the floor, when the front door opened. Pausing, I waited with my heart pounding, until Jesse called out to me. I threw down the rag and ran to my husband, wrapping my damp arms around his travel-dusty neck. We kissed as though we’d been separated for months rather than days.
When we drew apart, he looked at me and grinned. “You get prettier every time I see you.”
I tucked the hair wisping from its pins and wished my dress wasn’t wet with perspiration and dirty mop water.
“I’ve been cleaning and must look a fright, but thank you for being gallant enough not to mention it. Can I fix you something to eat?”
“Not just yet. I went to the farm first to take care of some things for Ma, then came straight to you. Frank and I have a meeting today. We’re planning a new business venture. I shouldn’t be away long, but when I get back, you can be sure I’ll be hungry enough to eat a horse.”
I nodded and tried not to let my disappointment show. At least the pantry was well stocked, so I could easily impress him with my cooking prowess. I thumped an iron skillet on the table and hoped there would be time to make myself fresh as a new bride before he returned. I intended to make the first meal in our new little house one he would remember.