A Texas Promise

by Laura Conner Kestner

  The sky was a brilliant blue and there was only the slightest breeze. It had been cold several days ago, now the temperature was perfect. The weather wasn’t the only thing that Maggie was aware of, though. She was captivated by the way the sunlight played over Eli’s dark hair, the way it reflected in his eyes. He’d rolled his shirt sleeves up, and the muscles in his forearm rippled when he used a knife to cut a willow branch to make her a fishing pole.

  After tying a string to the stick, and a hook to the string, Eli used a smaller stick to dig around in the damp earth.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Looking for bait.” Pulling a fat, wriggling worm from the dirt, he held it up.

  Smiling, Maggie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know that I could eat something that’s last meal was a worm,” she teased.

  He returned the smile, but his eyes were shadowed. “You’d be surprised what you can do if you get hungry enough.”

  Maggie wanted him to expand on that, but he stuck the willow branch in her hand and helped guide her to the perfect spot. “This area of the Brazos truly is beautiful,” she said.

  Eli agreed. “One of my favorite places. There’s an old legend that says it was the Spanish friars that named this river. Supposedly, after a rather miraculous escape from marauding Indians, they declared it to be Los Brazos de Dios—which, if I recall correctly, means the arms of God. Through the years everything but the word Brazos, which means arms, was dropped.”

  “I love that,” Maggie said.

  “Me, too. To be fair, there are other accounts of how it came to be called the Brazos; but that’s my favorite.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t decide to build your house closer to the river,” Maggie said.

  “I didn’t dare. It is beautiful, but it’s also deadly at certain times of the year. This placid little place can be a raging torrent after a few days of rain.”

  Maggie settled down on the bank, amazed at the freedom of movement the trousers allowed. “So you can build a house, catch fish with a stick, make a cradle, shoot a gun, and probably lots of other things I don’t know about. How did you learn to be so resourceful?” She was most curious about the gun.

  “I grew up without my folks,” Eli said simply. “Learned to do a lot of things, and learned not to do a lot of things. Sometimes the hard way.”

  Oh dear. “I’m sorry. How old were you when they…passed?”

  “Well, that’s a little complicated.”

  “How so?”

  “Mama died first, but we had her a little longer than we had Daddy.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Daddy left one day, and while he was gone, Mama died when our cabin caught fire.”

  “Oh, Eli, I’m so sorry.”

  He acknowledged her sympathy with a nod.

  “How long was your father gone?”

  “He never came back. Or so we thought at the time.”

  Maggie was confused, and admitted it.

  “So were we, until recently,” Eli said. “We thought he had abandoned us. But we found out that wasn’t the case.”

  “You tracked him down?”

  “No. But when Caleb hit town this summer, I knew at first glance we had to be kin. And given his age—younger than me and Nathaniel—I realized Daddy had started another family.”

  She was about to tell him that Caleb had shared a little of the story with her, when he started talking again.

  “I was stunned, and Caleb was every bit as surprised to find us. He was here on business, working on putting away an outlaw gang.”

  “I heard about that. It was big news in Fair Haven.”

  “According to Caleb, when Daddy returned for us all those years ago, he was told that we died in the fire with Mama. He later remarried.”

  Maggie gasped. “Why would someone do that?”

  “I’ve wondered that myself. The old man who took us in, Mr. Pedlam, might have been worried that Daddy would kill him if he found out that we’d run from there…and why. That’s the only thing I can figure out.”

  “Why did you run away?”

  Eli’s expression was suddenly so grim that Maggie was sorry she’d asked.

  “Nathaniel started crying the first night we were with the old man. So much of that time is a blur, but I’ll never forget that. We were little, our parents were gone. Our whole world was gone. We were scared. We weren’t carrying on or anything, just crying. Laying on the floor in front of the fireplace. Unfortunately, that man wasn’t having any of it. He’d been drinking out of a jug all evening.”

  Maggie closed her eyes against what was coming, her heart hurting for the little boys they’d been.

  “With no warning at all, he staggered over and kicked Nathaniel in the stomach, told him to stop that squalling. Said he was going to make men out of us. Of course, that only made Nathaniel cry harder. So the man grabbed a leather strap, and started beating on him. When I tried to stop him, he turned on me. He finally got tired and stopped. We waited until he was passed out and we left.”

  “So the man told your father that y’all had died. And you never knew he’d even returned.”

  Eli nodded. “We thought Daddy had left us for good. Then Caleb told us that Daddy had heard a rumor that we might still be alive, and that he’d spent years looking for us…right up until he died. We had no idea.”

  “I can’t imagine how that hurt,” Maggie said.

  “Yeah. But at least the waiting and wondering was over. I went looking for that old man after I was grown,” Eli confessed. “Luckily for him, and maybe me, he was already dead.”

  “So where were you in between that time?”

  “We wandered all over the place,” Eli said. “To be honest, I don’t know how we’re even still alive. We were on a barge that capsized, I was bitten by a snake, Nathaniel was bitten by a dog, we nearly starved a time or two, and…well, you get the picture.”

  Yes, she did. And what a tragic picture it was.

  “We met some good folks, and some bad folks, and learned that there were people out there even worse than Mr. Pedlam.”

  A fish tugging on the line distracted him, and Maggie was grateful. She wanted to learn more about Elijah Calhoun, but not if it made him miserable in the telling. She’d be leaving soon, and might never see the man again. Why bring him unnecessary pain?

  The rest of their time at the river passed pleasantly, but too quickly. Maggie didn’t get a fish, but she didn’t mind. Eli caught four and told her he’d clean them if she would cook them. She agreed.

  As they walked toward Peg’s house, Maggie’s thoughts drifted to Eli’s story; such a horrible string of events for boys so young. She knew from experience that it was difficult to lose a parent at any age, but doubly so for children who lost both parents so young.

  What if something happened to her father, and she never got to see him again? The thought made her physically ill. She had to convince Eli to let her go to Fair Haven before it was too late.

  When he stopped and held a tree branch out of the way, she broached the subject again. “Since this outfit was enough of a disguise to go fishing in, maybe I could get away with wearing it to Fair Haven. If I could get to my father without anyone recognizing me, I could convince him to let me come home.”

  He was already shaking his head before she finished talking. “Not a good idea,” Eli said. He was just getting in to a list of whys, when a shot rang out through the woods.

  In lightning fast moves that seemed unreal, Eli dropped the stringer of fish, pulled the gun from his hip with one hand and pushed Maggie to the ground with the other.

  She lay there, heart pounding. Was someone aiming at her? Or at him?

  After a moment they heard a rustling sound in the underbrush, somewhere between them and the house. Helping her up, Eli motioned her behind another tree.

  “I’m going to look around,” he leaned in and whispered. “Stay here.”

  He didn’t need to tell her twice.
A moment later when a doe bounded by, relief filled Maggie.

  Eli returned with gun in hand and a concerned look on his face.

  “Did you see that deer?” Maggie said. “It was only a hunter.”

  “Maybe.” But he didn’t seem convinced. Eli looked around for several more minutes before holstering his gun.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I don’t know. Seems odd that’s all.” He then added something about the sound of the gun and the angle of the shot being wrong. She hadn’t noticed.

  “If not a hunter, who could it be?”

  “What if it was Hollis Anderson?”

  Despite the fact that she despised Hollis, Maggie had a hard time wrapping her mind around that notion. “I can’t imagine him doing this.”

  “If he already has your father under his control, and he wants to make you pay, this could be the next step. Hollis is living in your house. Maybe he’s setting himself up to be a son, instead of a son-in-law. He arranged for someone to beat you. What makes you think he wouldn’t kill you if it would help him get what he’s really after?”

  Maggie had no answer to that.

  Chapter Twenty

  Maggie couldn’t believe her ears. “Do you mean it? I can go to Fair Haven? Why did you change your mind?”

  “That shot in the woods got me to thinking about how truly vulnerable you are. No matter how much I want to, I can’t watch you every minute. Your best bet is to get your father to come around to your way of thinking, for him to boot Hollis Anderson out of your house, out of your life.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Maggie said. “And I’m sure I can get him to listen to reason.”

  Eli held up a hand in caution. “There are a few conditions.”

  Maggie scurried around the kitchen, pouring hot water from the kettle to the dishpan, clearing the breakfast dishes, wiping down the table top and sideboard as Eli listed the stipulations on her accompanying him to Fair Haven.

  “First, as you suggested, you have to wear some of those clothes that belonged to Peg’s husband.”

  Maggie nodded. “Whatever it takes.”

  “Secondly, when we get there, you don’t march up to the front door and demand to see your father.”

  That she had a problem with. “I have to. If I could only tell him what’s happened to me, then I could convince him that Hollis Anderson is trying to pull the wool over his eyes. That even if we don’t know for sure what the man’s doing, he’s up to something.”

  “I agree. Like I said, that’s why you’re going. But my brothers and I have talked it over, and your approaching the house directly is too dangerous.”

  “So what am I to do?”

  Pulling a chair out, Eli sat down and over the next few minutes presented a carefully thought-out plan that involved distraction, subterfuge and stealth. Then he summed it up in one sentence.

  “So, Nathaniel and I will distract Hollis Anderson and any of his friends, while you sneak inside to see your father. They’ve seen me and Nathaniel before, so it won’t seem too suspicious for us to show up there again.”

  Relieved that she’d be able to go at all, Maggie nodded, and they discussed a few more details. Eli suddenly grew silent, a somber expression on his face.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Maggie, I know you love your father, but are you sure you can trust him? Sometimes emotion can cloud a person’s judgment.”

  Trying to prove how unemotional she could be, Maggie spoke in quiet, measured tones. “I trust my father completely. He is a kind, gentle man who has always wanted the best for me. Not once, in my entire life, have I felt threatened by him. No fear. If you can keep Hollis out of my way, then I’m sure I can make him see reason.”

  Eli didn’t question her further. “Okay. Peg’s agreed to watch the baby, and Caleb will help Bliss keep an eye on everything here. I’ll be back in about an hour and we’ll head out.”

  He stopped at the door. “Can you fix us up something to eat? Not a good idea to stop anywhere.”

  “Of course.”

  After gathering enough food to feed the four of them, including thick slices of ham and bread, and some tea cakes she’d prepared, Maggie hurried to the bedroom and dug through the trunk. Between the fishing, and then hitting the dirt when the shots were fired, the other clothes were dirty. She’d planned on laundering them today. But it could wait. This trip was far more important.

  At the bottom of the stack she found a buckskin coat with fringe along the sleeves and around the hem at the bottom. She fingered the soft leather, still supple. It was in remarkably good shape.

  After selecting a pair of trousers from the trunk, she rolled the legs up and pinned them in place. Since the weather had shifted yet again, the chill in the air had her donning both a flannel shirt and the buckskin jacket. It swallowed her up, but she adjusted the sleeves as best she could.

  She hurried from the bedroom and into the front room where Peg was rocking the baby. The older woman was smiling and making a crooning sound as she cuddled the infant, but when she glanced up, the look she gave Maggie was tearful.

  “Peg, is everything okay? Are you feeling poorly? I can take Lucinda with me.”

  The woman ran a work-worn hand across her eyes. “Everything is fine. You run on now. I enjoy the chance to hold a baby whenever I can.”

  Maggie wasn’t convinced, but Peg didn’t offer any further comment, and Eli’s arrival meant it was time to go.

  She met him at the door. He looked her over once, sighed and then shook his head. “Try to stay as low in the wagon as you can,” he said.

  Outside, Maggie greeted Nathaniel and Brody with a wave, but didn’t say anything for fear of being overheard. Her voice did not match her appearance.

  The back of the wagon was loaded with barrels, boxes and full burlap bags.

  “What is all this?” Maggie whispered.

  “Some are things we may need, and you’ll be able to rest against the bags when you want to. It won’t be a comfortable ride, but we can’t take the train. Too risky. And I’m afraid you’d be more noticeable up front.”

  “I understand,” Maggie said. “Whatever it takes. I’m tougher than I look.”

  “Nathaniel and I will be riding up front, and you and Brody will be in the back, hopefully looking like two young boys. Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. I understand what needs to be done. Despite what you may have decided about me, I am a perfectly reasonable person, Sheriff.”

  They stared at each other a moment before Eli gave her a brisk nod, and helped her climb in.

  “I need to stop by the jail and get a rifle,” Eli said after everyone was situated.

  “Are you expecting trouble?” Maggie asked.

  “Not expecting it, but I believe in being prepared for anything.”

  Guiding the wagon to a stop near the front of the building, Eli cautioned Maggie about keeping her hat pulled low and her head down. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  As he approached the jail door, an older man with a badge stepped through and out onto the boardwalk. He opened his mouth to say something to Eli, and then froze, staring at Maggie wide-eyed.

  Maggie smiled at him, but when his expression didn’t change she glanced over her shoulder. Perhaps he was looking at someone else. No, at this early hour there was almost no one stirring, and definitely nothing unusual.

  Eli seemed confused, too. “What’s wrong?” he asked the deputy.

  With a shake of his head, the old man muttered, “Nothing.”

  Eli looked back and forth between the deputy and Maggie. “Do you know Miss Radford?”

  “Nope, can’t say that I do.” The man then stepped past Eli and greeted Maggie. “Howdy, ma’am.”

  “Keep your voice down,” Eli hissed.

  “I’m Bliss Walker,” the man said, a little quieter. “I’ve heard about what happened to you, and I’m glad to see you looking so perky.”

  Maggie smil
ed. She wasn’t sure why he’d reacted so strangely, but he seemed like a nice enough man.

  As Eli stepped inside for the rifle, the old man stood next to the wagon, making idle talk with Nathaniel and Brody. More than once his gaze strayed to Maggie. It would’ve made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t get the feeling that there was anything dangerous or improper in his behavior. Just strange.

  Eli returned, stowed the rifle under the seat, and then gave a few last minute instructions to the deputy.

  After the older man went back inside, Eli turned to Maggie. “Bliss said he didn’t know you, but I was wondering if you recognized him.”

  “No. Why?”

  “Just curious. I’ve never seen the man speechless before. Seemed odd.”

  Once they were under way, Maggie enjoyed the scenery as they traveled along the well-worn road over the rolling tree-covered hills.

  In the spring, this was an incredible sight—with wildflowers and cactus in abundance. But even in the late fall and winter, it was something special.

  Maggie had seen other areas of Texas—ranging from the deep piney woods, to the coastal region, and areas further west. Each had something special about it, and plenty of folks to sing its praises. But to Maggie, this part of Texas was the most beautiful of them all.

  Although she and Brody talked a good bit, mostly about the landscape and occasional wildlife they spotted, eventually the boy fell asleep against one of the burlap bags. Maggie was content to breathe in the fresh air and feel the sunshine on her face. But as they drew nearer to Fair Haven, the more nervous she got.

  What if she couldn’t sway her father? Despite what she’d told Eli, she wasn’t certain of her success. Her father had changed in the past few months. He’d worn a frown more oft of late. Maggie had assumed it was from missing her mother.

  She sat up straighter as they crested a hill and headed down in to Fair Haven proper. It seemed like she’d been gone forever. The streets were filled with carriages, buggies, wagons and carts; men, women and children hurrying along the boardwalk. The sight was familiar, and oh so dear.