Oliver

by Christine Sterling

  “Everett, calm down. I’m sure Oliver will give him his comeuppance.”

  “Smokes is coming over here tonight, so we’ll have him gather as many of the men as possible. Everett, why don’t you see if you can find him? We only have until just around sundown.” Everett nodded and left the room.

  The sun was already setting, and the sky was turning a hazy shade of purple and pink. Willow knew there wasn’t much time.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “We are going to find your brother.”

  “Are you going to kill him?”

  “I can’t promise that we won’t. If he draws on anyone, they have the right to defend themselves.”

  There was a knock on the door and Marshal Briggs let himself in.

  “Evening folks,” he said, tossing a linen sack filled with coins on the table. “It was right where she said it would be.”

  “Did you ride by the clearing?” Oliver asked.

  “I did on my way over here. I didn’t see anything.”

  “Orrin, would you like some coffee?” Marmee offered.

  “Thank you, Ingrid, but no. I figured I would ride out with you boys this evening. I don’t want you taking the law into your own hands.”

  “I think it is terrible that there is nothing you can do about the way he treated Willow,” Alice complained.

  “I’m sorry, Alice, but there isn’t any law on the books protecting women like Willow. I’m not saying I like it, just that those are the facts.”

  “Well, something should be done about it. Maybe I’ll do something about it.”

  “I believe you will, Alice. I believe you will.”

  Everett showed up a few minutes later with every available stockman that wasn’t out in the field.

  “We’re ready,” he said.

  Oliver went out to see the men standing at the bottom of the porch. “Thank you for coming tonight. I want you to fan out and see if you can find Thomas Stephens,” Oliver told the men. “He’s threatened my family. He’s threatened my wife. I want him brought in. You are not to harm him unless he draws. Do I make myself clear?”

  Murmurs went through the crowd.

  The Marshal came forward. “I’m going to deputize every one of you here, so there is no consequence for what happens tonight. You will be marshals for the next twenty-four hours. I suggest we divide into smaller groups so we can cover more territory.”

  “Move out!” Owen yelled.

  Oliver walked over and took Willow’s hand. “I’ll be back soon, Kitten.”

  Willow nodded. Oliver squeezed her hand and started down the steps to join the men waiting with the horses. “Wait!”

  Oliver stopped. Willow raced down the steps and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling him close, she pressed her lips against his. She felt his arms tighten around her for a moment before gently pushing her away.

  “I need to go,” he whispered hoarsely.

  “I know. Come back safely.”

  “I promise, Kitten.”

  Willow stood on the porch and watched the men leave. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and she wondered if that would be the last time, she would see Oliver alive.

  “I can’t believe they aren’t back yet,” Alice said. “How long has it been.”

  Marmee looked up from her stitching. “Not even an hour yet.”

  Willow stood and walked to the window. The sun had started to disappear and darkeness was setting in. She prayed Oliver was alright. Then she prayed for her new brothers-in-law and the rest of the men trying to find Thomas. She felt chilled and rubbed her arms to try to create warmth.

  “Why don’t you come away from the window, Willow,” Marmee called.

  “I was looking to see if I could see anyone.”

  “They should be back soon.”

  “Do you think they found him,” Willow asked. The worry was evident in her voice.

  “If they did, they probably went to town with the Marshal.”

  “But not everyone would go, right Marmee? I mean someone would come here and tell us what happened. Wouldn’t they?”

  “I would think so, child. Why don’t you come and sit back down, and I’ll make us a nice cup of tea?”

  Willow didn’t want tea, but she nodded. Giving one glance out the window she spied something in the distance. It gave off an orange light and appeared to be rising out of the earth. What in heaven’s name was that?

  She squinted her eyes trying to see it more clearly. When she realized the sight before her, she yelled. “Alice, Marmee, Ellie, the barn is on fire!”

  Marmee bolted to the window. “Oh, my heavens,” she said. “Alice, grab the buckets. Ellie, grab towels from the closet. Willow, you stay here.”

  “I’m going with you,” Willow insisted.

  “I think you should stay here,” Alice said.

  “You said that the Chapmans always protect each other. I’m a Chapman and I need to help.” She took a bucket from Alice. “Tell me what to do.”

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Oliver had been riding in the dark and there was no sign of Thomas. He expected to at least hear gunfire that said someone else found him by now.

  “That.” Owen lifted his hand. “There it is again.”

  “That sounds like screaming,” Everett said.

  “It could be foxes. Their kits are known for screaming.”

  “Doesn’t sound like foxes.”

  “What do you think it is?”

  “That sounds like Ellie. We need to get back to the farm.” Owen put his thumb and first finger between his lips and gave a high-pitched whistle followed by two shorter ones. It was the signal for the men to get back to the farmhouse in case of an emergency.

  Oliver didn’t wait, he turned Whiskey back towards the farm and let the horse run, the lantern lighting the way. As he crested the hill, he let out a yell. The horse barn was on fire. He raced to the barn and jumped from his horse.

  The sound of horses shrieking could be heard through the walls. His animals were still in there!

  Marmee was flailing a towel at the flames. Alice threw a bucket of water on the wood and then ran to get another. Ellie was screaming and Willow was nowhere to be found.

  “Marmee! Where’s Willow?” he asked, praying that she was at the house.

  “She was right here,” Marmee moved in a circle. “She was truly right here.”

  Owen rode up followed by many more men on horseback. “The horses are in the barn,” he yelled.

  “We couldn’t get to them,” Alice cried.

  Owen grabbed an ax and started beating on the door. The wood splintered. He kept chopping the door.

  “Where’s Willow?” Oliver asked once more.

  “She’s gone!” Ellie cried.

  “What do you mean she’s gone?” Oliver grabbed Ellie by both arms. “Where did she go?”

  “He took her!”

  No other explanation was needed. He looked at Owen and then to his horse.

  “Go! Go!” Owen yelled. “We got this. Go get your wife.”

  Oliver jumped on Whiskey’s back and turned the animal towards town.

  Oliver pushed open the swinging doors and entered the establishment. The air was filled with the smell of cheap whiskey and stale cigars. He strode over to the bar and knocked on it to get the attention of the barkeeper.

  “I’m looking for Thomas Stephens.”

  “I don’t know that name,” the barkeeper responded. He picked up a glass and began to buff it with a towel.

  “Did you see a man bring a woman in wearing a blue dress? She has long black hair, about yay high.” He put his hand out to demonstrate.

  “No, I didn’t see anyone fitting that description.”

  Oliver took a deep breath. “Did anyone see anything tonight?” Murmurs went through the crowd, but then the men went back to their whiskey and cigars. Oliver took a beer glass and crashed it against the bar. “I asked if anyone has seen anything tonight
. My wife was kidnapped. She was wearing a blue dress and has long black hair.”

  No one answered. Oliver looked around, there didn’t appear to be a way to get to the second level. There must be an outdoor staircase. That is why no one saw Willow.

  As he raced to the door, he was stopped by a woman wearing a purple dress with black lace. She wore ribbed tights and had pointed boots. “Come with me,” she whispered. She grabbed Oliver’s hand and began dragging him to the far side of the establishment. Oliver pulled his hand back in protest. “I know where she is,” she said low enough not to be heard over the noise.

  In the corner of the bar was a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. The corner was dark, so Oliver didn’t see it at first. He followed the woman in the purple gown to the second floor. They were at the end of a long hallway. Oliver could see a picture window at the opposite end with a tree in front of it.

  That must be the tree his Willow used to escape.

  “Where is she?” he asked.

  “I don’t know any Thomas, but I know that man Blackman she was with was staying in room five. Down there on the left.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  Oliver paused but only for a minute. He ran down the hallway yelling Willow’s name. He came to Room 5 and banged on the door. He heard a muffled struggle from behind the door. Stepping back, he cried, “Willow!” as he kicked the door, the wood breaking under his heel.

  Willow was tied to the headboard. There was a gag in her mouth, and she was struggling against her bonds.

  He yelled her name once more and ran to free her. “Are you alright?” he asked as he released her bonds, kissing her soundly on the lips. He wanted nothing more than to run his fingers over every inch of her to make sure she was all right.

  “We have to go,” Willow said. “He’ll be back any minute. How did you know where to find me?” she asked, untying the rope around her ankles.

  “Miss Marcy told me where to find you.”

  “I think Blackman is dead.”

  “Why do you say that.”

  “Thomas gloated about killing him and trying to pin the murder on me.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “I don’t know. He tied me up and then left.”

  “Let’s go, Kitten.” He lifted Willow, carrying her against his chest. He looked both ways out of the room before stepping into the hallway. “Which way?” he whispered.

  “That way,” Willow pointed towards the tree. “There is another set of steps that goes down to the greeting room.”

  Oliver raced around the corner only to be stopped by Thomas standing there pointing a gun.

  “I knew it was only a matter of time before you came to get her.” Thomas grabbed Willow from Oliver’s grasp. “Now you can watch her die.”

  “You have no claim on her, Thomas,” Oliver said.

  “Yes, I do. She’s mine. My sister. She should have wiped my debts clean. But when she ran, Blackman came after me. I took care of him, though. He won’t be coming after me again. Now he’s gone, she returned to me as her only male relative.”

  Willow tried to yank her arm from her brother’s grip, but it was too tight. She gave a little cry as Thomas dug his fingers into her arm.

  Oliver put his hands up in mock surrender. “She’s not yours. She’s mine.”

  “You ain’t no kin,” Thomas said.

  “I’m her husband. That trumps anything you might have.”

  Thomas paused for just a moment, which gave Oliver the time he needed to pull his gun and fire. Thomas must have heard him draw, as he pulled the trigger on his gun as well.

  Oliver watched Thomas fall to the floor as a burning sensation pierced his shoulder. He had been hit.

  He heard Willow scream his name and he felt himself fall, sinking into the darkness.

  “You coming around, boy?”

  Oliver blinked his eyes. The room was filled with lanterns and his throat was dry. “Where am I?”

  “You’re at my office,” answered Doc Meuller. “Briggs and a few of your hands carried you over.”

  “Where’s Willow?”

  “She’s safe. She’s in the waiting area with your mother and Briggs. Would you like to see her?”

  Oliver nodded.

  “Oh Oliver,” Willow cried, rushing to his side. “I thought you died.”

  Oliver winced as Willow brushed up against his shoulder. “Come to the other side and let me hold you for a second.”

  Willow walked around to the other side and Oliver’s arm wrapped around her waist.

  “I was so worried,” she said. “I don’t think I can be without you again.” She leaned down and pressed her lips against his.

  He resisted for just a second, but when she moved her lips, he groaned and dug his fingers into her hair. It was the sound of the doc clearing his throat that brought him back to the present and he reluctantly released Willow.

  He looked at his wife. Her lips were swollen and her eyes appeared glassy.

  “So, how bad is it, Doc?”

  “You’re lucky he was a bad shot, or it could have been much worse. He just caught you on the upper shoulder. A flesh wound mostly, but you may have some bruising on your bone. I recommend you don’t use your arm for at least a few weeks.”

  “Good thing I have a second arm,” he said, pulling Willow tighter to his side.

  “I’ll fix you up some herbs and a salve that you can put on it, Mrs. Chapman.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.” Willow turned to Oliver. “I like the sound of that. Mrs. Chapman.”

  “I do too, Mrs. Chapman. Come here,” he beckoned. “I was so worried about you. I realized that if anything happened to you, it would be like losing a piece of myself. A piece of my soul.” He lifted Willow’s hand to his lips. “I know we’ve not known each other very long, but I know I want to love and protect you for the rest of my life.”

  “Love?”

  Oliver nodded. “Yes, Kitten. I’m falling in love with you.”

  “Oh, Oliver. I love you too,” she cried, smothering him in kisses. Oliver relished the kisses she peppered on his face and neck. He was disappointed when the doctor returned with packets of herbs and a tin of salve.

  After the doc gave Willow instructions, she helped Oliver button up his shirt. His arm was in a sling to keep pressure off the wound.

  “Pass me my hat, wife,” he said. She handed him his Stetson and he put it on his head. “It is time for us to go home and begin building our future.”

  “I agree, husband.”

  Oliver pressed a kiss against her forehead and they went to greet their family in the waiting room.

  Epilogue

  One Month Later

  Oliver was excited. Fall was settling in; the air was crisp, and the leaves were starting to change. It was his favorite time of year.

  “How are you feeling, brother?” Owen asked. He was putting on leather gloves, packing the material between each finger.

  “Better than ever. Let’s do this.” Oliver rotated his shoulder.

  The barn was a complete loss, but Owen managed to break the door down so the horses bolted to safety.

  Several were burned, but Willow insisted that she help care for them. Every day she would go out and talk to the horses while applying salve to heal their burns. The cowhands banded together and managed to rebuild the barn in a new location. It took just over a week for the barn to go up and the paddocks to be moved.

  The paddocks were ready to go when their father arrived along with all the hands, cattle and horses. Oliver hadn’t been able to catch up with his father about the trip. Caleb didn’t come back home. He was staying in Owl Canyon, caring for a woman they had discovered on the trail. He would be returning home before Christmas.

  Willow had been a wonderful nurse to Oliver as well. Every evening she would bathe his wound in warm water. Then she would gently cover the puckered flesh with pine tar salve and wrap it in linen strips. As silly as it sounded, he treasured t
hose moments when Willow would touch him.

  Owen moved to one end of the log and placed a peavey near the end of the log. Oliver moved to the other end and did the same. The peavey was a spiked pole that they used to roll the log to a new location.

  “Push,” Owen called.

  Oliver held fast to the pole and pushed forward. The log rolled onto its other side. They repeated the process until the log was near where they wanted it to be.

  Oliver caught a dark shape at the corner of the clearing. He shielded his eyes from the morning sun and looked at a black horse standing there. The beast observed them through dark eyes. He truly was a magnificent horse. Licorice.

  Willow was right. It was the color of licorice.

  “I think we have a friend,” Oliver said, pointing to the horse.

  Owen turned around. “The black!”

  “I think Alice and Willow are right. He needs to remain wild.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “We’ll protect him. Make sure that no one can bother him as long as he is on our land.”

  Owen nodded his approval.

  The sound of laughter drew their attention away from the trees.

  Willow and Ellie were linked arm in arm and walking down the trail towards the clearing. Each was carrying a picnic basket in their free hand. They looked as though they had been friends for their entire lives. He was grateful to Ellie for taking Willow under her wing and grateful to Willow for helping to bring Alice a bit more out of her shell.

  The family was healing.

  Looking around the clearing, there was no sign of the trapping cabin anymore. Instead, fallen trees lay scattered on the ground.

  Owen had done most of the work, chopping down trees since Oliver didn’t have full use of his arm. His brother Everett and the ranch hands helped when they could. Owen said it was a good way for the hands to burn off their energy.

  When Oliver mentioned it to Owen, his brother immediately agreed that the clearing is where they should build their new house. It was large enough to accommodate two houses, but the brothers decided to just start with one.

  When Ellie suggested that perhaps the four of them could live together after she and Owen were married. Willow voiced her pleasure at the idea. The men agreed and plans were made over coffee late at night.