Deborah Camp

by To Seduce andDefend

  “Jennie? Are you okay?”

  Blinking away the vision, she realized that Zachary was examining her with a mixture of worry and fascination. “I’m fine. I was just daydreaming. Oliver, I think there might be two bedrooms in the house. Wouldn’t it be nice not having to share a bedroom?”

  “I guess. But I don’t mind sleeping with you, Mama. You don’t snore like Papa did.”

  She laughed along with Zachary and stroked Oliver’s soft hair. “I don’t mind sleeping with you either, Ollie.”

  The pinto trotted up to the fence and nickered. Diamond’s ears flicked forward and she called back to him.

  “That’s a handsome horse,” Oliver said. “He looks lonely.”

  “That’s Mel Parks’s pinto.”

  A pinto … a man riding a pinto was looking for Stella … Jennie glanced back at the horse. “I met a woman a few days ago who was …” She glanced at Oliver and chose her words carefully. “She was in a ruckus with a man and she was hiding from him. The next day Mrs. Carter said she saw the woman hiding from a man who rode a pinto. Do you think it might have been Mel Parks?”

  “Who was the woman?”

  “Stella Carlson. She works at the Lantern Saloon.” Jeannie twisted to look back at the house, wanting to burn it into her brain so that she could recall it and dream of living in it soon.

  “I’ve met her. I wonder if Luna knows that Cousin Mel is sporting with saloon women in town.”

  “Do you think she would care?” Jennie asked, facing front again with a sigh.

  “She has a reputation to protect now. It wouldn’t do if folks talked about how her cousin was getting liquored up and making trouble.”

  “He was in prison, so she must not be too concerned about being associated with him.”

  “People in Guthrie don’t know about Parks and his checkered past. This might be something I can use to cause a little rift between her and the judge. If he thinks the land is a problem and he doesn’t like having Parks out there, he could talk her into selling it.”

  “That would be wonderful. Oliver and I could move in —.”

  “Hold up,” Zachary said. He reached behind Oliver to rest a hand on her shoulder. “It’s only an idea. Don’t go buying furniture and curtains just yet.”

  She released a slow breath. “You’re right, but it’s so hard not to get wrapped up in my dreams. I have thought of little else but this land since I found that deed among Charles’s papers. Of course, I have no money to buy land or furniture or even curtains.”

  “Where are we going now?” Oliver asked.

  “Let’s go on down this road and see the rest of the land.” He motioned ahead of them. “It goes on quite a ways and then it stretches back to a little creek at the eastern edge of the property. There is a pond back there. See that thicket of trees and brush where the cattle are gathered? That’s where the pond is.”

  “Are those our cattle?” Oliver asked.

  “No, partner. They belong to a neighbor.” He looked at Jennie over Oliver’s head and smiled. “Do you think you’d like to be a cowboy out here, Oliver?”

  “Yes!” He nodded enthusiastically. “I could learn to rope!”

  “You sure could. You’d be a cowpuncher in no time.”

  Oliver slanted a glance up at Zachary. “What’s that?”

  “A cowpuncher? That’s a man who takes care of a herd. I’ll tell you what, I’ll make time every week to show you how to sit a horse and rope a steer. We have to get you ready to ride the range.”

  “You’d do that?” Oliver asked, clearly excited by the idea.

  “Zach, you don’t have to.” Jennie shook her head, touched by his offer, but cautious. If he didn’t live up to that deal, Oliver would be terribly disappointed. “You’re busy with your work and you shouldn’t —.”

  “I don’t mind. The cowboy who taught me to ride and rope told me to pass on the skills, so I’m fulfilling a promise I made to him.”

  “Who taught you?”

  “My Uncle Duck.”

  “Uncle Duck?” Oliver said, giggling. “Who names somebody Duck?”

  “His real first name was Horace and his last name was Duckworth. Everybody called him Duck because nobody dared call him Horace,” Zachary said, laughing with Oliver and Jennie. “He was a first-rate cowhand and he taught me everything I know about horses, cattle, mules, oxen, you name it. In his younger days before he met my Aunt Iris, he worked on wagon trains and cattle drives.”

  “I bet he fought Indians!”

  “Well, I don’t know about that. He surely saw some, but I’m not sure he wrestled with any of them.”

  “Oliver listens to the boys in school and he thinks every Indian wants his scalp.”

  “We’ve made peace with the tribes,” Zachary said, leaning forward to look Oliver in the face. “They’re not the enemy. Fact is, they were here before us. Everybody was fighting over land and the fight goes on. Our battles were no nobler than theirs.” He sat back and his blue-eyed gaze swept over the gold and green fields. “You know what this area is called that we live in, don’t you, Oliver? It’s called Indian Territory.”

  “’Cause Indians live here,” Oliver said

  “Because the government said the Indians could have this territory and they forced tribes to come here to live, even though they didn’t want to. They wanted to stay in the mountains, on the Plains, and in the great deserts where they have lived for centuries. But they came here and then, you know what happened?”

  “What?”

  Zachary looked at Oliver and then his gaze lifted to Jennie’s. “The land was opened up to white settlers anyway.”

  Jennie nodded, feeling shame because she had never given this much thought. Her focus had been on the excitement of claiming land for themselves, having their own homestead, and carving out a new life. She had given no thought to who had claimed this land before or who had rights to it first.

  “What happened to the Indians?” Oliver asked.

  “They scattered to the four winds. Some of them were even put in prison because they resisted being put off their hunting grounds. There are pockets of them, here and there, clinging to their families and the life they knew. The tribes don’t think anyone owns land. They just claimed certain areas as their hunting grounds and they tried to protect it from being hunted on by other tribes. “He shrugged. “Anyway that’s what I’ve been told by the Indians I’ve met. To my mind, they were cheated. Deals were made, pacts were broken, and politicians turned the other cheek.” He stared out at the land for a few moments, then squared his shoulders. “This is the end of the property. See how the fence posts changed? The barbwire is different, too.”

  “Oh, yes, I see,” Jennie said, craning forward to get a better look. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this red dirt.”

  “Benjamin Wilson says there’s blood in the dirt.”

  “Benjamin has a wild imagination,” Jennie said, giving Oliver’s shoulders a squeeze.

  “Up here where the road divides, we’re going to the left, west.”

  “We’re getting far from town,” Jennie said.

  “We will double back shortly,” Zachary said. “Give the reins a bigger tug, partner. That’s right. There she goes. Good girl, Diamond.”

  Jennie settled back in the buggy and decided to use the time to get to know Zachary better. “Are most of your people in Kentucky?”

  “Yes, most of them.”

  “Uncle Duck and Aunt Iris? Your parents?”

  “Uncle Duck and Aunt Iris have a little ranch outside Louisville and my mother and father live on their land.”

  “Are you close to them?”

  “No, I can’t say that I am.” He glanced at her and there was ice in his eyes. “What are you fishing for, Jennie?”

  “I’m conversing, Zach,” she corrected him. “Are you not used to women asking about your family, your past?”

  “Since we’re delving into the past … was Hastings your first seri
ous beau?”

  A tightness seized her chest and she realized she was much more comfortable discussing his past than hers. “No, but he was the first one to ask me to marry him.”

  “Did your parents arrange the introduction?”

  “I met Charles at a dance.” She tried to keep her expression pleasant, composed. “Have you ever asked a woman to marry you?”

  “It’s tit for tat, is it?” he asked, a mischievous expression crinkling the skin at the corners of his eyes.

  She waved a careless hand. “You started it. I was only making polite conversation, innocent inquiries.”

  His chuckle was warm, like whiskey fumes warming her blood. “No, I have not. Now it’s my turn. Was it love at first sight with Hastings?”

  “No, he grew on me. He courted me for three months before I felt the stirrings of love. And now it’s my turn.” She thought for a moment before she asked what had been on her mind lately. “Do ever think about having a son or daughter of your own?”

  The mischief drained from his expression. “Sure, I do.” He turned his face away from her and she wondered if she might have probed too deeply. “Why wouldn’t I? Do you want more children?”

  “Oh, yes,” she said, her heart answering for her. “Without question.” She could sense he was on guard and that this game was no longer fun for him. She didn’t want to darken the beautiful outing, so she selected a question that had nothing to do with wives or children. “Where do you live?”

  “I don’t live anywhere.”

  She tipped her head to one side, waiting for him to explain, but he didn’t. “Where do you sleep at night?” she asked, trying again for a better answer.

  “In the office.”

  “The office? The law office?” Her mouth dropped open when he nodded. “Where do you sleep? On the floor?”

  “No, there is another room you haven’t seen. It adjoins the smaller office that is supposed to be mine. I have a bed in there and a few other odds and ends.”

  “And that’s where you live.”

  “Why are you looking at me as if I’m making all of this up?”

  “You’re a professional man. I just assumed you had a proper house somewhere.”

  “Well, I don’t. Not yet.”

  “You’re building a house?”

  “Not yet.”

  “You plan to build one?”

  “Yes, someday.”

  “Have you selected a place in Guthrie?”

  “Not in Guthrie.”

  She folded her arms, tiring of having to yank every answer from him. “Where, then? Louisville? The Chisholm Trail? The moon?”

  “Somewhere around here.” He flung an arm, indicating the gently rolling land.

  “Oh, so you are planning to buy some land?”

  “No, I’m going to build a home on this land.” He turned his head slowly to look at her and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “This is my land.” Zachary laid his hand over Oliver’s on the reins, pulling them back to stop Diamond. “Whoa, girl.”

  “Why are we stopping?” Oliver asked.

  “I do believe I shocked your mother,” Zach said. “You can close your mouth now, Jennie.”

  She snapped her teeth together and narrowed her eyes in a good-natured scowl. “You think you’re clever, don’t you?”

  “I know I am.”

  “Do you really own this land?”

  “I do. On either side of this road.” He jabbed a thumb to the left. “One hundred acres that way.” He jabbed a thumb to the right. “Fifty acres that way.” He pointed straight ahead. “Ten acres that way, give or take.” He looked over his shoulder. “My land started a few feet behind us. I bought it here and there over the past year. I came to Guthrie to make a lot of money in a short period of time so that I could buy a cattle ranch. My plan was to buy land in Kentucky, but I like it here. I’ve watched the town grow and I feel part of it now.”

  He rested his elbows on his knees and watched the flight of a hawk above them. “After the Land Run, people set up their tents and threw up some sheds, and started to live their dreams. But after a spell, some of their dreams turned sour. It’s not as easy or as exciting as it sounds to work land. From sunup to sundown, the work never ends when you have crops to tend and livestock to raise. Before six months was up, folks were giving up on their claims. That’s when you could buy some good land for a better than fair price.”

  “That’s when you began buying land,” Jennie said.

  “And that’s when your husband bought his land,” he added. “According to the land office, Hastings purchased the land within a few weeks of arriving in Guthrie.”

  She was quiet, digesting this. A flame of fury lit in her soul and grew. “He kept writing to me that he couldn’t find any suitable land and that the good land cost more than we had.”

  Oliver let go of a huge yawn, then sagged back onto Jennie. He held out the reins to Zach, who took them with a smile. “I’m sleepy.”

  “You take a nap. That’s right. Get comfy.” She shifted closer to the side of the buggy, giving her son room to draw his legs up onto the seat and lay his head in her lap. “Where will you build a house?”

  “I’m not sure. There are a couple of places that would be perfect.” He surveyed the land around them and frowned. “I don’t know what I’m waiting for. I should draw up some plans and get started.”

  “I never thought of you on a ranch. I suppose it’s because you’re always wearing suits.”

  He chuckled. “Not always. I don’t usually wear a suit out here, but I wanted to be handsome for you and Oliver.”

  “Oh, I see.” She returned his smile. “I’m impressed with your land holdings. You have done quite well for yourself.”

  Zach clucked his tongue and Diamond set off on a slow walk that served to rock Oliver to sleep within minutes.

  “Do you ever get angry at him for lying to you?”

  She closed her eyes as the flame leaped higher inside of her. “Nearly every day. It’s getting so that I find it difficult to not scream in frustration and indignation.”

  “I know it must be hard to live with,” he said, his voice lowered to a whisper. He turned slightly to face her. “I haven’t asked you about it before because I didn’t think it was anything you wanted to talk to me about. But now … I’m a good listener and what you say to me will be locked up tight.”

  She looked at her son sleeping in her lap and smiled. “I trust you, Zach. I know you have my best interests at heart. Everyone keeps telling me that.”

  “Everyone?”

  “People I know in Guthrie. Women I meet and we share our common bond – divorce – and I tell them you are my attorney. They all tell me I am in good hands.”

  “You can hardly stand that word, can you? Divorce.”

  “It’s not something I ever considered. Although … after Charles returned from Guthrie, there were times when I wondered if something might be broken that could not be repaired.”

  “Why?”

  She stroked Oliver’s hair. “He was different, but I didn’t know why. I thought he was disappointed that he came home with no land, no home for us. This was his big chance to show his initiative. His mother made excuses for him his whole life, so he never had to own up to anything. Until I came into his life, I don’t think he had ever felt as if he failed at anything. He blamed all of his mistakes and shortcomings on other people.”

  “Do you think he was ever untruthful to you before he came to Guthrie?”

  “When I first arrived here, I would have said that Charles had his failings, but lying was not one of them. Now, I wonder if I was wearing blinders all along. The man I hear about in Guthrie is not the Charles I knew.”

  “What was he like?”

  “He was shy and quiet. I was the one who wanted to come here and buy land. Charles was perfectly happy to stay where we were – living with his parents and just getting by. He didn’t like to take risks. But I kept badgering him about the
Land Run and the opportunities. I wanted him to come the year before for the big run, but he absolutely would not.” She felt his steady gaze and when she glanced sideways at him, she was surprised to see that he was smiling. “You’re amused?”

  “I’m wrapping my mind around you all fired up and ready to take your chances in Harrison’s Hoss Race. You look placid as a little lamb on the outside, but you’re a wild filly on the inside.”

  She laid a hand to her hot cheek and shook her head. “I’m not. I was simply fed up with the life we were living.”

  “You didn’t like boarding with his folks?”

  “No, I didn’t. I never felt that they thought of me as family. I was an outsider and I know that his mother thought Charles would do just fine without me.”

  “What about your folks?”

  “They didn’t approve of my marriage.” Again, she felt his steady, searching gaze. “They felt I married beneath my station.”

  “Are your people wealthy?”

  “They’re well off. They said that Charles wouldn’t be a good provider, but all I could see was his kindness and his gentleness. I always felt safe with him and I never doubted his love for me and Oliver. I know that sounds stupid now.”

  “No, it doesn’t. He gave you no reason not to trust him then.”

  She started to disagree and tell him of Charles and his moodiness when he had returned from Guthrie, but then she realized Zach was turning the buggy in a tight circle. “Are you heading back now?”

  “I reckon we should. Your little man will be as hungry as a bear when he wakes up from his nap.” He clucked his tongue and Diamond quickened her pace. The buggy’s wheels whispered across the dirt road and the silver and metal on the tack jingled.

  “I appreciate you bringing us along on this outing. It’s the first time I’ve ventured out of town since I arrived in Guthrie.”

  “I hear your name bandied about town. Several of my lady clients say you have a way with a needle and thread.”

  “They’re very kind if they said that. I appreciate the chance to make a little extra money.”

  “Jennie, if you are having it rough, you let me know. I don’t have to be paid until all this is cleared up.”