by Joyce Alec
He gave her a tight smile, his eyes flashing with a sudden anger that was gone in a moment. “You don’t need to thank me, Jessie. It’s not like I was about to leave you out there alone.”
“What were you doing out there?” Hettie asked, leading Jessie towards the table where a pot of tea and a plate of food were waiting for her. “You must have been so afraid walking about in the dark.”
Jessie nodded, her throat closing as she sat down at the table. A pile of eggs, bread, and beans made her stomach rumble, and Hettie smiled, patting her hand.
“The questions can wait,” she murmured, as Jessie looked up at her gratefully. “Eat first, Jessie. We can talk after.”
Glad that she’d been given a reprieve, even for a short time, Jessie gave in to her sudden, fierce hunger and picked up a bit of buttered toast. She hadn’t thought she’d want to eat, but just the sight and the smell of the prepared food had given her a ravenous appetite.
As she ate, she noticed that both Martin and Hettie were remaining absolutely silent. Hettie had a cup of tea in her hand, but wasn’t drinking it. Instead, she simply kept her gaze fixed on the table in front of Jessie, although Jessie got the impression she wasn’t really seeing anything. Martin was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room, his face turned away from her. Jessie’s stomach twisted uncomfortably as she finished the last of her food, her heart beating a little quicker as she turned towards Hettie.
“The reason I was out on the plain last night was that I was trying to get away from Adler,” she began, breaking the silence that had fallen over them all. She felt stronger now, able to talk about what had happened without dissolving into a fit of tears. “He’d taken me to the farm and… well, the men were all drinking, Adler too.” A flush of shame rushed up her neck and into her face. “I was scared.”
Martin pushed himself away from the wall and came to stand next to Hettie, his eyes steely. “Was Adler hurting you, Jessie?”
She shook her head. “Not… physically, but I was scared he was going to. Or that he was gonna let those other men come near me.” She shuddered violently at the memory. “I hid, and they seemed to forget about me. I don’t know how I managed it, but I rode bareback out of his farm for a bit, but then I lost my mare.” Letting out her breath steadily so as to keep her composure, she looked up at Hettie. “I wanted to get to you. You’re the only person who’s ever really been kind to me in this town, and I hoped that, maybe, you might help me get out of here.”
Hettie nodded slowly, a small smile on her face that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “You’ve never really been in town, Jessie. There’s plenty of folk wanting to make your acquaintance.”
“Adler wouldn’t ever let me,” Jessie admitted, her voice thick with pain. “He told me no one wanted to get to know me, not after what I’d done to… to… Martin.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I sure am sorry for everything I did, Martin. I didn’t mean to hurt you like I did. Adler said—well, it don’t matter what Adler said. He convinced me to marry him and that you weren’t a good man, but it was my choice at the end of it. I ended up marrying the worst kind of man.” Her face grew hot with both shame and distress. With an effort, Jessie managed to lift her gaze towards Hettie. “Might you help me, Hettie? I don’t care where I go or what I do; I can’t live with Adler no more. He treats me like I’m nothing and won’t let me say or do anything myself. If I talk back to him, he threatens me—and I know that soon, he’ll make good on those threats.” Her fears began to mount, her hands growing clammy as she clasped them tightly in her lap. “I don’t know what he’ll do if he finds me,” she whispered hoarsely. “I’m so afraid.”
Hettie was beside her in a moment, one hand pressed over Jessie’s clasped hands. “You don’t need to be afraid,” she promised, her eyes searching Jessie’s face. “In fact, you don’t need to worry about Adler no more.”
Looking into Hettie’s face, Jessie felt her breathing become shallow, increasingly becoming aware that there was more to what Hettie was saying.
“I’m safe from him?” she asked quietly, her hands now grasping Hettie’s. “How can you be sure?”
Hettie let out a quiet sigh. “Because,” she said solemnly, “Adler was found dead this morning.”
Jessie’s hand flew to her mouth, her gasp hidden almost at once. Her eyes widened, and she stared at Hettie in shock, unable to take in the news.
“He was shot,” Hettie continued calmly. “Late last night, they think. One of his men came and woke up the sheriff at the same time as Martin came to get me.”
A sudden memory came to Jessie’s mind as she continued to stare blankly at Hettie. She’d heard the shot last night. Two shots, in fact. And then…
Her eyes went to Martin, who was rubbing the back of his neck and looking away from her. Slowly, her fears came to life, connecting the gunshots she’d heard with the sudden appearance of Martin riding back towards his ranch. Martin was one man who had a grudge against Adler, who had a ranch near to Adler’s farm. Had he been watching Adler and her as they’d ridden towards the farm late yesterday afternoon? Had he followed them to the farm, waiting until the most opportune moment to take his shot in some sort of wild revenge for what Adler had done?
“They don’t know anything about who did it or why,” Hettie said gently. “But the sheriff wants to talk to you, Jessie.”
“To me?” Jessie breathed, her eyes rounding with fright. “I didn’t do nothing! I was trying to get away from him.”
“I know, I know,” Hettie reassured her. “But the sheriff still wants to know what you were doing and where you were headed.”
Martin cleared his throat. “I’ve already told him that I found you just at the edge of my ranch,” he said, looking directly at her. “I told him that you were trying to get away and that I convinced you to come here.”
Jessie’s heart thundered violently. “What were you doing out last night, Martin?” she asked, her whole being trembling with a fresh burst of anxiety. “Why were you out riding?”
Martin looked surprised for a moment, then frowned, his eyes glittering as he looked back at her. “I already explained myself to the sheriff,” he said darkly. “One of my cows had gotten out of the pen. I’d gone out to find her, and I spent more time than I realized looking for her.”
A frown caught Jessie’s brow. “Did you find her?”
“I did,” he replied with a shrug. “The sheriff’s happy with what I told him, and you don’t need to worry about talking to him either. He just wants to make sure you’re alright.”
Jessie couldn’t quite take it all in, her breathing becoming easier as the truth hit her right between the eyes. She was free. Free of Adler, free of the fear he’d held her with for so long. He wouldn’t come after her; he wouldn’t be chasing her all across the country, trying to get her back. That worry, that anxiety, it was gone completely. She could start her life over again.
“What about the farm?” she asked as Hettie got to her feet to pour them both a fresh cup of tea. “And the house? Do I have to leave?”
Hettie lifted one shoulder, adding a splash of milk to both cups. “I ain’t sure, Jessie. I don’t know what Adler had planned, but I’m guessing he wasn’t the kind of man to make sure he had a will written out. Most likely, it’ll all go to you.”
“To me?” she breathed, shock rippling through her once more. “But I don’t know nothing about farming! How am I meant to organize those… those men down at the farm?” The color slowly drained from her face as she realized that, while she had the power to remove those men from their place on Adler’s farm, they’d never listen to her. “What about money? I’ve got a little bit saved, but I don’t know how long that’ll last me! I hid it from Adler, just in case I could ever get away from him, but I—”
“Hush, Jessie.”
Martin had crouched down in front of her, his calloused hands grasping hers tightly. His eyes were warm, a small, reassu
ring smile tugging at his lips. Jessie didn’t feel herself pull back but rather she tried to lean into him, as though she wanted him to be there, wanted him to comfort her.
“You’ve got more than enough to think about already, what with the funeral and all,” Martin said, his voice low and quiet. “Take one thing at a time. Otherwise, you’re gonna put your head all in a spin. Forget about the farm. Just for a while.”
She swallowed hard, trying to find some sort of clarity in her thoughts. “I… I guess I can do that,” she whispered, going suddenly weak with the shock of it all.
“I know you’ll have enough to deal with the next few days without worrying about the farm,” Hettie responded, reinforcing Martin’s suggestion. “I can manage without Etta at the shop for a few days if you need her at the house, and I know the sheriff will make sure you’re kept safe. You don’t need to worry about the farm hands at Adler’s farm coming after you.”
Jessie let out a long breath, feeling herself grow a little steadier simply by looking into Martin’s eyes. She still had a good many questions about what he’d really been doing out on the plain last night, but for the moment, there was so much more to consider that she just couldn’t think of anything else.
“We’ll take you back to the house when you’re ready,” Martin finished, gently letting go of her hands. “And, like I said, you’ve got nothing to worry about. The sheriff’s a good man. He’ll talk to you and ask questions, but that’s all he’ll do. You don’t need to be afraid.”
She looked into his face, wondering how the man she’d hurt so terribly could now be so kind to her. His heart was a good one, she realized, her own heart sinking to the floor as she thought about the kind of life she could have had, if only she’d waited for him on the day she’d arrived.
“Will you stay with me until the sheriff comes?” she asked, finding the words coming to her lips unbidden.
There was a moment of silence, and Martin glanced up at Hettie, who smiled encouragingly.
“Hettie will be there,” he said softly, rising to her feet. “She’ll stay with you for as long as you need.”
Jessie didn’t reply, her whole body suddenly cold. She didn’t know why she’d asked Martin to stay, not when she knew he didn’t have anything to do with this. Hettie was the person she ought to have asked, and the embarrassment bit at her hard, sending a flush of color into her face.
“Come on,” Hettie said gently. “Let’s get you home and settled. This has been a great shock, I know, but you don’t have anything to be afraid of now. You won’t be alone any longer.”
“Thank you,” Jessie whispered, one hand pressed against her heart as gratitude rose in her chest. “Thank you both, for everything.”
5
“Now, there ain’t anything to worry about.”
Jessie looked up into the sheriff’s face and saw a kind-looking man with a thick beard and mustache, the sympathy in his eyes taking away from his otherwise burly appearance.
“I don’t quite know what happened yet, but it would be good to hear from you what you were doing out at Adler’s farm last night,” the sheriff continued calmly. “The deputy’s on his way out to the farm right now, and when you’re ready, you can come on down with me and we’ll talk it all through together.”
Hettie rubbed Jessie’s arm, gesturing for her to sit down. “Let me get you both something to drink,” she said with a slight smile on her face that was meant to reassure Jessie. “There’s been a lot going on, and I reckon you’ll both need something to refresh you.”
“Thank you,” Jessie whispered, preparing to answer the sheriff’s questions. “I’ll tell you whatever you need to know, Sheriff. I just pray that…” Her throat worked for a moment, as she struggled to get the words out. “I just pray that you won’t have a need to share it with anyone.”
The sheriff frowned. “Now what’s that meant to mean, Mrs. Jackson? I won’t go around gossiping if that’s what you’re worried about. I just want to know the truth.”
Jessie nodded, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to put some warmth back in them. “Of course, Sheriff,” she whispered, feeling as though she’d managed to insult the man. “I just meant—”
“Here you are.”
Hettie’s interruption with a cup of coffee was a welcome one and seemed to distract the sheriff too. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the smell of it for a moment before taking a small sip. Slowly, heat began to surge back into her limbs, helping her mind to settle.
Adler was gone. He wasn’t going to come back through the door, shouting at her, screaming at her and the like. He wasn’t going to threaten her any longer. There was nothing she had to be afraid about.
So why didn’t the fear leave her?
“Now, you were with Mr. Armstrong last night, Mrs. Jackson,” the sheriff began, his brow furrowing. “Was that… on purpose?”
Embarrassment wrapped around her. “No, Sheriff. I was… I was running away from Adler when he found me.” As quickly as she could, she explained everything that happened, her coffee cup warming her hands as she spoke. The words came out flat, her voice untouched by emotion. She found the strength to tell the sheriff about what sort of husband Adler had been and saw the way the man frowned darkly as he listened.
“I see,” the sheriff murmured when she’d come to a stop. “You have to be real careful here now, Mrs. Jackson.” He leaned forward in his chair, fixing her with his gaze. “When Mr. Armstrong first found you, was that just at the time of the gunshots, or afterward?”
An icy hand reached for her heart and held it tightly. She knew what the sheriff was asking her but found herself too afraid to answer.
“Is now the best time to be asking her questions like this, Sheriff?” Hettie asked, giving Jessie time to think. “After all that she’s endured, it sure ain’t the right time to be—”
“You know as well as I do, Mrs. Drummond, that Martin Armstrong had a very good reason to be going after Adler Jackson,” the sheriff replied in a firm voice that brooked no argument. “Adler had stolen his mail-order bride and made sure Martin knew just how well his marriage was going.”
Jessie looked up sharply, heat running from her head to her toes. “What do you mean, Sheriff?” she asked, staring at him. “Adler never said anything to me.”
The sheriff looked away uncomfortably. “I just mean, Mrs. Jackson, that your husband had a dark sense of humor. For whatever reason, every time he saw Martin Armstrong here in town, he’d call out something to him about you, trying to rile the man. That was who Adler Jackson was, unfortunately. Arrogant, proud, and just about as cruel a man as you could ever meet.”
Jessie nodded slowly, feeling a surge of protectiveness rush through her. She couldn’t believe that Martin had anything to do with Adler’s death, even though something about his explanation for being out on the plain in the middle of the night didn’t make sense to her. After everything he’d done for her, after the way he’d protected her and made sure not to let her fear overwhelm her, she couldn’t let the sheriff think that he was guilty.
“Martin Armstrong found me just as I heard the gunshots,” she said carefully, her forehead creasing as she thought. “He protected me, Sheriff.” Opening her eyes, she drew in a steadying breath. “He took me back to his ranch house, and even when Adler’s men came looking for me, he made sure to keep me safe. If it hadn’t been for him, then I don’t know what I would have done.”
The sheriff said nothing for a few moments, his eyes fixed on hers. Jessie tried not to even blink, holding his gaze while her stomach churned wildly.
“Did Martin Armstrong have a gun?” he asked quietly.
“I… I don’t know,” Jessie lied, desperate to keep Martin safe from scrutiny at all costs. “Like I said, Sheriff, it’s all a bit confusing, but the one thing I do remember, the one thing I know for sure, is that Martin Armstrong saved me from Adler. It was only by chance he found me, and even after how badly I treated him, he still made sure to protect m
e.” Her voice grew steady, her chin lifting just a little with a strength she did not feel. “I won’t have him accused, Sheriff. Martin Armstrong deserves my thanks, and yours, for what he did.”
Eventually, the sheriff nodded, his eyes kind as he smiled at her. “I sure am glad to hear it, Mrs. Jackson. And I’m sorry for what you had to endure with Adler. If I’d known what he was doing, then I’d have put a stop to it.”
Since Adler had never let her leave the house alone and had put such a deep fear into her that she’d never have dreamt of stepping out without him, Jessie knew that such a thing wouldn’t ever have happened, although she appreciated the sheriff’s kindness.
“Thank you,” she said, managing a small smile of her own.
The sheriff held out his cup to Hettie for more coffee and looked like he was about to say more, only for there to come a knock at the door. Much to Jessie’s surprise, Martin Armstrong stepped in, pulling his hat from his head and giving her a rather embarrassed look.
“Good morning, Sheriff,” he said, greeting the older gentleman. “Sorry I didn’t get up here until now. I had the cattle to look after, but I’d expected you’d want to talk to me.”
Jessie saw Martin glance at her as he spoke, sending a flurry of warmth all through her, chasing away the lingering cold that seemed to dwell deep in her soul. When she’d asked him to come with her to speak to the sheriff, he’d chosen not to, telling her that Hettie would do just as well—and now, despite that, here he was.
“Martin,” Hettie greeted him, holding out another cup of coffee. “Come and sit down next to Jessie. She’s just been talking about all that happened last night.” As Jessie glanced up at Hettie, she saw how the woman’s smile was tight. She was evidently upset by all that she’d heard. “I think she could do with a little more support.”
Martin nodded and came to sit by Jessie at once, his expression almost apologetic as he took his seat.
“I should have come with you when you asked, Jessie,” he murmured quietly, looking at her with a steady gaze. “I sure am sorry I didn’t.”
