LITMIR.BIZ

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dollar instead of doing right by a person.

      Now the homestead that Della was going to buy was a nice piece of land. There were hills and plenty of trees. There was a nice source of water, which made the land good for farming and raising livestock. During a drought, water on your property was a life source, which made the land even more valuable.

      Tom and Alice Bagwell owned the land. Age had crept upon them, and having a place as large as theirs was hard to keep up. They had decided to sell and move east to be with their son, who was a lawyer. He didn’t want to take over the homestead because he already was settled and had a life of his own.

      Jacob Roundtree, the editor of the Daily News, was surprised when Tom Bagwell stepped into his office. He knew Tom and Alice very well. He also knew that they had worked hard all their lives. Tom told Jacob that he was tired and was time to move on. He also let Jacob know that Jim Langford, the town’s lawyer, would handle all the details. Jacob shook Tom’s hand and told him he was sorry to see them go but hope that they would stay in touch.

      Jim Langford was the town’s lawyer. Tom Bagwell had come into his office to hire him to oversee the selling of his property. Jim was an honest man and would do right by Tom. Jim also hated to see the Bagwell’s go but knew it was time for a change.

      Now Della wasn’t the only one who took an interest in the Bagwell place. Stewart Granger, who owned the Triple S Ranch, had an interest too. He had more land and cattle than most folks around Rosewood. To hear tell, he wanted to own it all. He was working at it one piece at a time.

      Stewart Granger had a feeling that there was more to the Bagwell property that met the eye. In fact, he had approached Tom many times to get him to sell, offering top dollar. Tom always refused. Stewart was put out because Tom didn’t come to him first. No matter now, Stewart now had a clear chance of buying it.

      Reading over the article, Granger smiled to himself. He was already feeling that he would own the property and started making his plans. He also knew that Tom Bagwell had no idea what was on his property. Granger knew that no one in Rosewood had any interest in the property. Stewart never got in a hurry. He could wait until tomorrow. He had other business to attend to and would see Robert Session, who owned the bank. Yes, Stewart Granger was feeling very sure of himself…if he only knew.

      Stewart Granger never married, or so he says. Some tell that he once was, and his wife ran off with a whiskey peddler. This had hardened him to the core. He never talked about it, but those around him sure did. They just made sure he didn’t hear! He had feelings for no one. Even his hands stayed shy of him when not needed. His money bought him whatever he wanted. His power drove his men as if life depended on it. He was a hard and cold man—a man that would take what he wanted no matter the cost.

      To get a feel of Rosewood, you have to know the layout of the town. The town ran from west to east. Northwest of the town, you would see the post office and telegraph ran by Red Grover. Dr. Baker’s office was next door. Dr. Baker ran his livery stable next door, along with the stage line. Dr. Baker had a large corral between him and the jail. He also had one in the back of the stable. A boardwalk was between the corral and jail.

      The walkway went to the street that had a lot of houses. In one of the houses, Tom and his wife Sue lived. They had two boys, Jim and Todd. The school was located east of the street, with Miss Karen Swanson, the teacher. Her house was next door to the school.

      Tom Bronson was the sheriff of Rosewood. They said he has ridden with the best of them. Next to his jail was the Rosewood Hotel, with the Sander’s Café next to it. Hank and Rachel Sanders owned the hotel and the café. Rachel Sanders was known for her cooking—best place in town for a good meal. Jacob Roundtree was the editor of the Daily News, which was next door to Sander’s Café.

      Dustin Monroe ran the boardinghouse at the end of the street. He also ran a bar in the back of the boardinghouse. The place was usually packed come sundown. The place kept Sheriff Bronson busy, very busy.

      On the southwest side of the street, you had Miss Nancy’s home that was connected to the Desert Rose Saloon. An alley ran between the saloon and the Dry Goods store. The store was owned by Sam Oaks. This was the alley where Jake Butterfield died. On past the Dry Goods was the bank run by Robert and Annabelle Sessions. Jim Langford’s law office was next door. Jake Patterson was the undertaker, and his funeral parlor was the last building on the street.

      The Rosewood Cemetery was behind the funeral parlor centered in a grove of trees that had a creek running along the side of it. Just across the creek near the cemetery was the Rosewood Church. Pastor William Nelson and his wife Rebecca lived in the parsonage that is just behind the church near the creek.

      The beginning of Triple S was about twenty miles east of town. The Bagwell place was also east and only five miles out. The Double Bar Ranch owned by Ritz Weston was about fifteen miles out west of town.

      Rosewood had woods all around. There was a mountain in the distance that had a creek that flows east of the town all the way to the Triple S and beyond. The name of the town came from the wild roses that grow around the creek and woods.

      Rosewood was indeed a nice town and a good place to live and start a family. The stage brought into town all kinds of people. Some were looking for a new start and others on their way to other places. On one such day, a stranger came to town. No one gave him much notice, maybe a glance at his tall, dark form. He was looking for a change, a dream. Rosewood looked like a good place to start. Travis Reed was determined to succeed…this time.

      Travis Reed went straight to the livery stable after he had gotten off the stage. He was looking for work and horses he understood. Dr. Baker had noticed the stranger as he got off the stage. He had a feeling he could trust this man. When Travis introduced himself and asked if the doctor was looking to hire, Dr. Baker gave him a job right off. The doctor hunch paid off because Travis was a hard worker and did know a thing or two about horses.

      On payday, Travis never frequented the Desert Rose. In part, he avoided it altogether. He saved his money and stayed out of trouble. He had his fill of what a saloon had to offer. He had eyes though. A man sometimes wasn’t that strong when it came to a beautiful woman. He had seen Della when she went to the Dry Goods or when she came by the livery to see the doctor. There was something about Della that made him take a second look and think about it. Travis was a man with a past and knew that thinking was all he could do.

      Travis was a half-breed. Silas Reed was a mountain man and married a Cherokee squaw, Autumn Reed. They lived high in the mountains and raised their son in the ways of the Cherokee and the white man. Travis learned to fight from the time he was born. Being half-breed made him fight even more. He learned to stay to himself and not talk of his past. Travis had traveled from town to town just to stay one step ahead of trouble.

      He had a dream…to have the kind of love and devotion his parents had. He was ready to settle down, and he was bound and determined to accomplish his dream. Nothing was going to get in his way, but love was a whole different story. He wasn’t so sure how to go about that. Travis was a simple man. He felt he didn’t have much to offer a woman.

      Dr. Baker kept Travis busy. He was able to keep the livery and corrals in the best shape they had been in some time. The horses were sold at a higher price since Travis took over. Dr. Baker had done right by hiring Travis. Business was good.

      To settle in Rosewood was the best choice anyone could make. The coming days ahead would bring a lot of change to the small town. They said change is good. For Rosewood, it would be by matter of opinion.

      Chapter 5

      Della stepped out of the Desert Rose into the crisp morning air. She took a deep breath. She felt like there were thousands of butterflies in her stomach. The day was going to be a beautiful one. She saw Dr. Baker across the street having his morning pipe. He gave a wave as Della turned toward the Dry Goods. The doctor knew it was way too early for Della to be out. He turned and went about his business.

      Della walked past the Dry Goods and stopped to say good morning to Sam Oaks. Sam was a widower, and he was tall and lanky. His wife had passed a few years earlier. He

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