Page 4 of A Bride for Brodie

She relieved herself at every stop. Most stops were only ten or twelve miles apart, never over fifteen, but they gave the women a maximum of fifteen minutes, the time to change out the horses, to find relief and stretch their legs. The timing between stops varied based on the terrain. Mostly it was flat, with saguaro cacti standing tall like sentinels guarding the land. The road was rough, filled with holes and ruts formed from the coaches and wagons moving over and over again on the same road.

They arrived in Prescott and the stagecoach picked up more passengers and was on its way almost immediately. Lottie was hot and tired from the two-day trip. Her face, neck, and hands were dirty, covered in dust that the flaps on the stage’s windows did little to keep out.

While the brides had exited one side of the stagecoach, with the help of the driver, the shotgun rider tossed their carpetbags into the street and then took tickets and loaded the stage with new passengers on the other side.

Standing on the boardwalk, the slight breeze felt wonderful on her overheated skin. She fanned herself by lifting her bodice away from her skin and shaking it a bit. The gesture seemed to help a little bit.

The town had grown since she’d seen it last. The Prescott Mercantile was still there, as was the bank they’d robbed. But she saw a tobacconist where the bath house used to be. The bathhouse had moved down closer to The Copper Lady Saloon; she assumed because of the miners that came into town wanting a bath. Seeing The Copper Lady made her hands itch to go play a few hands of poker, but with Maisie and the other ladies staying put, she’d have to put that off…for now.

A few of the people on the street seemed to recognize them, since they were pointing and frowning. Most of the townsfolk were down by The Mercantile, so all she had to do was keep her head down so as not to be recognized.

“I wonder when our husbands will get here?” asked Gwen.

“Looks like they’re here,” said Fiona. She jutted her chin toward a group of riders.