The Cowboy Who Strolled Into Town

by Riley Moreno

  ‘Please…’ Lane whispered to Jake, ‘just make sure Chivonn is safe and unhurt by that brute Bill.’

  ‘I will do what I can,’ Jake promised.

  Chivonn shivered in the darkness. Instinctively she knew that something was wrong, or Lane would have been back by now. She had nobody to turn to for help and felt powerless.

  ‘Rosie!’ she called out, knocking on her door.

  ‘Chivonn! That you? What’s wrong?’ Rosie opened the door, a worried frown on her brow.

  ‘Lane went away four days ago and hasn’t returned.’

  ‘Yes, I know,’ Rosie replied, her frown deepening.

  ‘We need to do something about it, Rosie. Perhaps we need to inform the Sheriff…or somebody.’

  ‘Or we could send out a search party ourselves.’

  ‘Could we? Why didn’t we do so earlier?’

  ‘Because Lane Hayes is a private person. He doesn’t tell us where he goes and what he does when he goes.’

  ‘So does he go away like this very often?’

  ‘Well,’ Rosie whispered, ‘it’s always at night, and always for a few hours.’

  ‘Never days?’

  ‘No. Not until now.’

  ‘In that case, Rosie, are you as worried as I am?’

  ‘Yes. Yes I am.’

  ‘Ok then, let’s get going and find Lane.’

  ‘You’re not going anywhere, Chivonn, and neither am I. This is a man’s job. Besides, I was asked to look out for you.’

  ‘That’s it, then. I’m going.’

  ‘Did I not just say I was asked to look out for you? How do you think you can go anyway? Can you ride?’

  Chivonn looked despondent. ‘No, I can’t ride. But I can drive a car.’

  ‘You’re going to take Lane Hayes’ Ford out over the meadowland? We don’t even know which direction he took.’ Rosie patted Chivonn’s hand. Go back to bed, Chivonn. I will get some of the men up and ready to go in search of Lane. She paused and looked intently into Chivonn’s eyes. ‘Please don’t even think of going off looking for him yourself. It will only cause him more concern if anything were to happen to you.’

  Chivonn returned to her room but couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned for a while and then sat up resolutely. She pulled on her dressing gown and went into Lane’s room to look for some evidence of where he had gone. She was not one to snoop but something told her the situation was serious. She looked around the room, at the pictures on the walls and the view through his window. Then she sat down on his bed and buried her face in his pillow, trying not to let the panic build. Everything about the room was so neat. She picked up the guitar in the corner and strummed a few chords, but replaced it quickly because it made her think of the night at the barn when she and Lane sang that duet which somehow had left so many unasked questions hanging in the air. Chivonn left the bed and wandered about the room. There was a sheaf of papers on a table and she looked through them in wonder, because they had the scribbled lyrics of songs that Lane had written. She went across to the chest of drawers and scanned the contents briefly, her face flushed. She wanted to hold the garments against her, to bury her face in them…

  She checked the closet next, and that’s when she found a folded sheet of paper with a blood stain on it. She turned on another lamp to get a closer look and unwrapped the paper, her heart hammering. The paper tore slightly as she opened out the folds and there it was – the shirt that Lane had been wearing on the night he was on the train. Chivonn’s eyes widened and she pulled the shirt open. The blood was stiff and dry on the shoulder. She gasped. The bandana he had worn was also wrapped in the paper, and from the stains it had on it, Chivonn figured it must have been used to staunch the blood on his shoulder. She hurriedly wrapped the shirt up again, looking guiltily over her shoulder, and more than ever convinced that wherever Lane had gone, he was in danger.

  Chivonn returned to her room and washed her hands over and over, fear gnawing at the pit of her stomach. She sat on the edge of her bed wondering what she should do. She could take the car to the point where the trains passed by and then look around the surrounding areas for Lane. But she needed an ally. She heard the sound of horses’ hooves and prayed that the men going out now would somehow find Lane.

  In the meanwhile Lane waited in the darkness of the strange room.

  ‘Let me go, Jake, please,’ Lane asked weakly, but there was no answer.

  ‘Jake? Jake? Are you there?’ Lane squinted into the darkness but saw nothing. He realized he must have drifted off and that Jake had probably left to rejoin the masked gang. He moved his hands about the floor where he lay on a pile of sacks. ‘Jake?’ Lane called out softly again. He raised himself up on one arm and tried to move his leg, clenching his teeth to prevent himself from crying out with pain. He tried to listen for familiar sounds – anything to give him an indication of where he was. A train whistled in the distance, so he knew he was far from the point at which the gang had attacked. He flexed his arms and hands to get his circulation going and lifted his good leg, testing its strength. By dawn Lane could see around the shed and he found a handy piece of wood, placed quite strategically beside him, no doubt by Jake. It took Lane a while to raise himself to his feet, and once he was up, the pain in his leg was intense. But the need to get away made him strong, and he eased open the door, bit by bit, until he could see outside. Streaks of dawn were just about breaking through the leaves overhead, and Jake looked about him, recognizing the stretch of forested land he used to ride through. His temporary hiding place was a windowless shed which he was glad to leave behind, but he was filled with consternation at what lay around him. He began to hobble forward, shivering a little from the bracing morning air, but Lane had not only a strong body but a strong will. He mastered the art of using the piece of wood for support and was soon making good progress, ignoring the pain as he moved along.

  The search party that Rosie had sent out had been scanning the landscape all night, the men taking different directions and combing the countryside on their horses. All of them carried pistols. They were not sure who or what their enemy was, but all of them were acutely aware that Lane’s life was in peril. Two of them found the shed, empty now, but they spotted the blood on the floor and the grass outside; noticing how the turf had been flattened at regular intervals by the piece of wood that even now was taking Lane’s weight as he leaned on it for support. As they followed the tracks, they heard shouts and hollers from the other men in their search party and galloped away to find them.

  Lane stopped briefly by a tree to catch his breath, looking about him anxiously. That was when he heard the hum of an engine. There was something familiar about it, and he cocked his ear to listen more intently. The sound drew nearer and Lane’s heart leapt. It was his Ford. He was sure of it. He wanted to shout out but he daren’t. He kept moving in the direction of the engine, but disappointingly, it moved away and grew fainter.

  When the two men who had found the shed joined the rest of their search party, it was to see tracks of Lane’s Ford. They could recognize them instantly because nobody else in the vicinity had a similar car. Some of the men went off in pursuit of the car whilst the others returned to look for Lane.

  Chivonn’s heart was racing as she stepped on the accelerator. She didn’t know this part of the country at all. She was just driving blindly, hoping at some point to find Lane. She retraced her path, honking now as the morning light made her bolder, and her efforts were rewarded. Lane heard the sound of the car horn and moved more quickly into the clearing, but stayed behind a tree until he was certain that it wasn’t one of the masked gang making off with his prized vehicle. When he saw Chivonn behind the wheel, he could have leaped for joy. He waved frantically, and she raced towards him, anxiety contorting her features. She was crying and laughing all at the same time as she jumped out of the car and ran towards him – tears eclipsing the laughter when she saw his wounded leg.

  The search party had heard the horn too, and fo
llowed it, surprised to find Chivonn already there with Lane. There were whoops of joy and clucks of concern as together they got Lane into the back of the car.

  ‘I’ll go and get a doctor,’ one of the men said and Chivonn nodded, driving carefully over the bumpy paths.

  Lane was quiet, loss of blood and the effort of hauling himself on one leg over the uneven terrain, sapping him of any energy.

  ‘Are you alright?’ Chivonn asked, glancing over her shoulder.

  ‘Yes,’ Lane whispered, but she didn’t hear him. She concentrated on getting back to the Ranch House as quickly as possible, grateful when they finally drove up to the front porch. The search party was already there and so were Rosie and the housekeeper. The men lifted Lane out of the car and up to his room. Chivonn called for hot water and strips of clean linen. She bathed Lane’s wound with warm water and alcohol, and bandaged it up with strips of linen. The doctor arrived a while later, and dressed the wound again.

  ‘I’ll be back tomorrow, but you need to rest that leg good and proper,’ the doctor instructed Lane and he grimaced.

  ‘I will make sure he does,’ Chivonn said, as the doctor left. She returned to Lane’s bed, and sat down on the chair beside it. She wanted to stroke his forehead or his hand, but dared not make the first move. She wished they were back in that moment after they had sung their duet, with all the unexpressed emotion spun like a web about them.

  Lane allowed his eyes to rest on Chivonn, seeing the concern in her eyes and in her hands, restless in her lap.

  ‘Thank you for rescuing me,’ Lane said, ‘But don’t ever do anything so damn foolhardy again.’

  ‘I couldn’t very well sit by while the others went off to find you. I waited four whole days in dread for your safety.’

  ‘It’s alright now,’ Lane said, placing his hand on both of hers. She turned her hands so that her palms were against his palm, the fingers of both her hands, interlaced with his. ‘I’m sorry I made you cry,’ Lane whispered and Chivonn’s lips trembled.

  ‘I know who you are,’ she said.

  Lane looked alarmed. ‘What do you mean you know who I am?’

  ‘You’re the vigilante cowboy. The one who saved my life.’

  Lane took a deep breath and looked down at her hands, her fingers caressing his.

  ‘Thank you for saving me that day,’ Chivonn whispered.

  ‘How do you know it was me?’ Lane asked.

  Chivonn cocked her head in the direction of his closet. ‘I’m sorry for snooping, but I needed to find some clues as to where you could have gone. That’s when I found your shirt, with the blood on the shoulder. And your bandana. I remember your eyes above it. I always knew I’d seen your eyes before.’ She looked into his eyes as she spoke, wondering how much longer she could wait before she told him she was in love with him.

  ‘Chivonn Byrd, I lie here quite helpless before you at this present time, but I want you to know that I will protect you with every fiber of my being, for the rest of my life.’

  ‘Why?’ Chivonn was crying now.

  ‘Why? Don’t you know why? Because my darling, I love you! I love you Chivonn!’

  Lane reached up and touched her cheek, brushing the tears away and she cupped his face in her hands and stroked his lips. Lane painfully raised himself up on his arm and Chivonn leaned in as his lips found hers. He kissed her gently and then fell back on the pillows.

  ‘This wounded cowboy promises you more of those when he’s out of his bed and bandages,’ Lane said softly as he fell asleep. Chivonn stroked his hair back from his forehead. He looked so vulnerable at that moment. She leaned over and kissed his forehead and his mouth.

  CHAPTER V

  The fiddlers’ frenzied playing and the sound of the dancers’ feet was almost deafening. Chivonn had chosen to stand on the sidelines and watch Lane dance. She had taken to doing that a lot these days – watching Lane. Today was special because Lane was back to normal and his leg was strong enough to hold up through a Hoe Down. Chivonn clapped and cheered. Lane looked even more dashing in black leather pants and jacket, a crisp white shirt, red and gold bolo tie and a black Stetson. Chivonn wore a white skirt and blouse with a red waistcoat and her hair tied back in a bunch of curls.

  The fiddlers stopped and everyone cheered and clapped. Lane walked over to the stage, strapping his guitar across his shoulders as he did so. Chivonn waited in anticipation. He hadn’t mentioned he was going to sing that night, but then Lane loved springing surprises on her.

  ‘Friends, I’m going to sing you a song that I’ve sung here before. It’s called Drink From The Beauty Of Your Eyes, and I want to dedicate it to a beautiful lady – Chivonn Byrd.’ Chivonn’s hand flew to her chest as if to still her pounding heart.

  Lane was into the third verse of the song and he hadn’t taken his eyes off Chivonn all that while. There was a hush over the gathering as Lane set his guitar down and delved into the pocket of his jacket.

  ‘Chivonn Byrd, will you come up here please my dear?’ Lane said.

  Chivonn wondered if her legs were about to buckle as she nervously walked up to the stage and faced Lane. Her eyes misted over as she saw the ring in his hand. Lane got down on one knee, glad his wound had healed so well that he could do so. ‘Chivonn, fate brought you to me in the most wondrous of ways, and from the first moment I saw you I knew you would play a really important part in my life. Will you, my dear Chivonn, agree to sing an eternal duet with me and be my wife?’

  Chivonn covered her face with her hands as the tears spilled over. She nodded, because she couldn’t speak, but when he kissed her she found her voice. ‘Yes my darling Lane, yes, yes, forever yes!’ she said.

  As they pulled up in front of the Ranch House, Chivonn turned to Lane. ‘I’m going to move into Rosie’s cottage, if you don’t mind.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I’m an old fashioned girl and I have a wedding to plan.’

  ‘Alright then,’ Lane said, ‘I know how hard it’s been for me, walking past your bedroom door and preventing myself from begging you to let me in.’

  ‘Really?’ Chivonn laughed.

  ‘Yes, really,’ Lane said, cupping her face in his hands and bringing his lips down to meet hers. He kissed her with a passion that stirred the flame within her into a furnace, crushing her soft contours against the hardness of his chest. She inhaled the fragrance of his skin – the hint of musk merging with just the barest hint of sweat from the frenzied dancing earlier in the evening – and buried her face in the rough hairs on his chest, as she unbuttoned his shirt.

  Lane groaned. ‘Don’t do that, please. You’re tormenting me.’

  Chivonn pressed her lips against his skin, arching her body against his so that she could feel his arousal burn through her skirt. Lane’s hand lingered on her buttocks, stroking the fabric that concealed her hips. With a suddenness that startled Chivonn, he cupped her bottom with both hands and pulled her pelvis against his. Chivonn knew they were now treading on dangerous ground and weak though she was to resist him, she must break free. But Lane’s lips were burning into the side of her neck, his teeth were nibbling her ear lobes and she was on fire. Through the mists of desire, Chivonn sought and found a small vestige of strength and she broke free of Lane’s embrace, gasping as she did so. Lane’s breathing was labored as she pulled away from him.

  ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,’ He said, stumbling up the porch steps. He turned around and took her in his arms again. ‘It’s just that I love you so much.’

  ‘I love you too, Lane,’ Chivonn breathed.

  ‘How long does a wedding take to plan?’ Lane asked, kissing her nose, and brushing his lips against hers.

  ‘I will get all the help I can and make sure it doesn’t take longer than necessary,’ Chivonn laughed.

  A truck roared up the driveway and stopped by the porch. Lane released Chivonn as Jake jumped out of the truck and walked up the steps.

  ‘Jake! What brings you here?’ Lane was on his
guard.

  ‘Can we talk in front of the lady?’ Jake asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Lane said, taking Chivonn’s hand. ‘You can say anything you like in front of my fiancée.’

  ‘Congratulations!’ Jake said, extending his hand to Lane and Chivonn in turn. ‘You do move fast, Lane! Speaking of which, I’m glad you got out of that shed. I was hoping you would.’

  ‘Thanks for leaving that piece of wood right where I could find it.’

  ‘Well, you’ll be glad to know that we’ve got Bill and the rest of the masked gang.’

  ‘I sure am glad you did, Jake,’ Lane said.

  ‘Now for your own sake and the sake of this lovely lady here, stop spending nights over by the railway tracks. Mary’s death is avenged, by you and by me.’

  ‘I know you cared about her, Jake.’

  ‘I dreamed of asking her to marry me one day, Lane.’

  Lane put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. ‘Jake my man, I don’t know you all that well, but you did a good thing tonight and by all accounts you’ve been working on this for months. I don’t get close to anyone, so I don’t really have anyone to stand up for me at my wedding. Would you be my best man?’

  Jake felt a lump well up in his throat. He swallowed a few times and looked away, unable to speak.

  ‘Well, would you?’ Lane prompted.

  Jake thumped Lane on his shoulder and this time Lane didn’t wince. ‘Of course I will Lane Hayes. Of course I will!’

  CHAPTER VI

  The grounds of the Ranch House were festooned with flowers and white ribbons. Staff and temporary hired help hurried about laying tables and stringing up fairy lights.

  In Rosie’s cottage Chivonn took a bath and massaged scented lotion into her skin. Rosie worked on Chivonn’s hair, piling the curls on the top of her head, leaving some to fall down the sides of her face.