Chase the Wind

by Cindy Holby - Wind 01 - Chase the Wind

  “It’s his home, Jenny, and he knows we don’t judge him for what he looks like. I feel the same way.”

  “I know, and I’m glad he’s found someone who understands how he feels.” The women smiled at each other through tear-filled eyes.

  “Oh, my goodness, look at the time. We’ve got to get you ready,” Grace exclaimed and went back to work on Jenny’s hands. She soon pronounced them adequate, which brought a rueful grin from Jenny, who realized that she was a far cry from the lady her parents had wanted her to be, but it couldn’t be helped. Fate had made her who she was.

  The soft blue dress was put on. Grace wished it were fancier, but to Jenny it was just fine. She found it hard to believe that the tall young woman in the mirror with the done-up hair and the pink cheeks was she.

  “He won’t be able to take his eyes off you,” Grace said softly as she came up behind Jenny.

  “Who?”

  “Does it matter?”

  Jenny thought about it, tried to picture the dance and a crowd of young men standing around, fighting for her attention. Something was missing from the vision, so she closed her eyes, drawing images of Ty, Caleb, Jake and Zane along with faceless others into a circle in her mind, but beyond, in the shadows, there was another man standing, watching, waiting, patiently giving her every opportunity to choose.

  “Jenny?”

  Jenny shook her head as Grace called her back to the present, scattering the images like droplets of water.

  “Where did you go, girl?”

  “I guess I was at the dance.”

  There was a great banging of boots on the steps and then a thundering at the door.

  “Are you about ready? Jason is bringing the buggy down.” It was Jamie beating on the door. Grace made a huge ceremony of presenting Jenny in her new dress, and Jamie beamed proudly at her as she twirled gracefully before him. He handed her a flower he had found along the trail and she tucked it into her hair. “You look beautiful,” he said, grinning. “Maybe I need to come along to keep you from being carried off.”

  “I might want to be carried off, thank you very much,” Jenny sniffed daintily at him.

  “And if you don’t, I’m sure you’ll let them know with your usual good humor,” Jamie added, playfully tweaking a curl that was lying on her shoulder. Grace handed her a shawl, and Jenny stepped out onto the porch.

  The cowboys were all combed and polished, and mounted on horseback, teasing each other about the coming festivities. When she appeared, they went slack-jawed, overcome by the change in her. They had become used to Jenny working alongside them, giving back what they dished out, but now she looked and moved like a lady, and they didn’t quite know how to act.

  “Where’s Chase?” she asked.

  “He’s not going,” Jamie answered.

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know. Go ask him yourself—he’s in the barn.” Jenny was confused by Jamie’s brusque tone, but decided he must have argued the point with Chase and grown exasperated with him. She gathered her skirt and made her way to the barn, stepping into the dim light to find Chase saddling his horse.

  “Jamie said you’re not going to the dance.”

  “No, I’m not.” He didn’t look up, just continued at his task.

  “Why?”

  Chase stopped and looked at her over the back of his horse. “It’s not a place where I feel especially welcome.”

  Jenny drew her brows together and stepped into the stall. “Chase, you’ll be surrounded by friends. Why wouldn’t you feel welcome?”

  “I’m a half-breed, Jenny. I’m not welcome anywhere.”

  “That’s not true.” Chase went back to saddling his horse. “I wish you would come.”

  “You don’t need me there. You’ll have plenty of men who will want to dance with you, and none of them would like seeing you dance with me.”

  “I wouldn’t care if they liked it or not.”

  “Go to the dance, Jenny. Have a wonderful time with Ty, or any other fellow you want to be with.”

  “What makes you think I want to be with someone?”

  “Isn’t that what everyone wants, to be with someone special, someone you arc meant to be with for all time, for eternity, from this life to the next?” His dark eyes were piercing, looking down into her soul, tugging at her heart, while her mind was whirling, screaming in protest, afraid of what his eyes might see in the inner recesses she had kept hidden for so long.

  “Jenny? Jason is here with the buggy.” It was Ty, dressed in a suit, his hair combed back. Chase angrily slapped the stirrup down as Ty entered the stall. “Sure you don’t want to go, Chase? It’s not too late,” Ty said.

  “No, go on, have fun. Don’t worry about me.”

  Ty held out his arm to Jenny, who placed her arm in the crook of his elbow, turning to look at Chase as Ty led her out. He gave her a half smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and she almost turned to go back. Ty put his hand over hers firmly, as if he could sense her hesitance, and she went on to the buggy, where Jason and Cat were waiting.

  “I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look,” Chase said when she was gone, but no one heard except the horse.

  The dance started out well enough. The music drifted towards them on the cool evening air as they approached town, bringing with it a sense of excitement and promise that nearly lifted Jenny out of her seat in the rear of the buggy. She enjoyed the aimless chatter of the boys who rode alongside, Zane’s endless monologue making Jake roll his eyes in disgust while Caleb laughed at his every word. Ty carried on polite conversation with Jason, who was sitting next to a strangely quiet Cat. She had exchanged a few words with everyone, even acknowledging Jenny’s new dress, then sat quietly on the seat, her shawl pulled around her intricately upswept hair, and watched the countryside roll by in the twilight. When they arrived at the dance, Cat waited for her father to help her down, then took his arm after he helped Jenny from the buggy.

  The father and daughter entered like royalty, the others trailing behind but still catching the full effect that Cat’s appearance had on the numerous soldiers and cowboys already present. Her gown was more suited for a big city like New York or Chicago than a small town in Wyoming Territory, but the Lynches were part of the local aristocracy and Cat carried it off with all the grace and sophistication that went with her position. The dress was a soft green silk, low cut with a square neckline and just a touch of lace hiding the curves that threatened to burst forth over the top. The skirt accented her small waist before belling out over a multitude of crinolines that swayed gently when she walked. The dress color made her up-tilted eyes all the more green, the flecks of gold sparkling as she surveyed the group of eligible young men who were now making their way towards her. She tossed her cascade of golden brown curls as a tall-lieutenant bowed before her, taking her away from Jason. Ty asked a suddenly shy Jenny to dance, and the other cowboys drifted off to their own pursuits while Jason took the opportunity to talk with other leaders of the community.

  Jenny felt as if she were dancing on Ty’s feet more than her own, but soon enough her natural grace took over and she became more confident as she followed his lead. Even though Ty was dressed like a common ranch hand, his formal training was obvious to all who saw him, and the other boys imitated his ways. He swept Jenny through a reel until she was laughing breathlessly, her eyes dancing too as she gave herself over to the pure joy of the moment. When they stopped, Zane was there to partner her in the next dance, and she couldn’t help noticing that Cat had moved on to a new partner, too. Next Jake whirled Jenny onto the floor, then Caleb, and even Jason took his turn with her, while Cat was working her way through the soldiers, who were all anxiously awaiting their turn. Not once did Cat give Ty a glance, which was strange. At the ranch, she was always watching him, always placing herself in his path. But now Cat laughed and talked and charmed every other man present and acted as if Ty did not exist.

  Jenny finally begged the soldier she was danci
ng with to let her rest, and promised to wait while he went to get her a cup of punch. They were standing together drinking their punch and talking when Cat came floating towards them, her crinolines swaying, a sweet smile on her face.

  “Jenny, I feel near to fainting. I wonder if you would let your gentleman friend go and get me a cup of punch also.” Cat smiled up at the soldier while she briskly fanned her flushed cheeks.

  “It would be my pleasure,” the soldier replied and turned briskly on his heel to attend to the matter.

  “Jenny, I really need to talk to you for a minute,” Cat whispered urgently when the soldier was gone. Jenny was shocked. Cat had hardly given her the time of day lately, but she let the other girl pull her into a hallway. Cat faced the dance floor, and Jenny stood with her back to the room, her cup of punch in her hand.

  “I’m sure you know I want to talk to you about Ty,” Cat began, her eyes focusing on his handsome face as he made his way towards them.

  “What about Ty?” Jenny asked, curious but cautious. The next thing she knew, Cat grabbed her hand and dumped her cup of punch down the front of the soft green gown.

  “Oh, Jenny, how could you?” Cat wailed as the punch stained the silk and ran down into the folds of the skirt.

  “What happened?” Ty was there, concern written on his face as he looked questioning at Jenny, then at Cat, who had tears running down her cheeks as she tried to blot the spreading stain.

  “After all we’ve done for you, I can’t believe you could be so vindictive, so mean.” Cat dissolved into sobs as Jenny stood there, her mind spinning, trying to make sense of what had happened. “Oh, Ty, please take me home. Please, before somebody sees me like this.”

  “I’ll get your father.”

  “No, please, just take me home. Please don’t tell him about this. I would hate for Jamie to get in trouble for something his sister did. Just take me home, now, please.” The words were barely distinguishable through the sobs, and Jenny quickly realized that they were all being manipulated.

  “I’m sorry, Cat, I don’t know what came over me,” Jenny said, reciting the words as if reading lines that Cat had written for her. Ty looked questioningly at Jenny who just shook her head. “Go on. I’ll tell the others that you took the buggy. I’m sure I can get a ride with someone.”

  “What about Jason?”

  “He can ride your horse,” Cat said as she picked at the fabric and shivered in horror at the mess. Ty took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders, Cat pulling it around to cover the damp stain. They went out through the hall, Cat still sniffing and quivering as if her world had come to an end.

  An hour later Jenny was riding behind Jason on the back of Ty’s horse, desperately trying to keep her balance without touching the man who rode stiffly before her. Riding double on a skittish horse was not easy, especially when dealing with petticoats and shawls.

  “Damn it, Jenny, quit your squirming,” Jason barked as the horse danced around in the darkness.

  “I’m sorry.” Jenny bit her lip to stop herself from crying, and marveled again at how quickly Cat had brought on the tears. Jenny had told Jason that she had accidentally spilled her punch on Cat, knowing that Cat would call her a liar if she said any different. Jason had become sternly quiet after the tale and said they might as well go home, so now they were together, and Jenny fervently prayed for an end to this ride that seemed to be going on forever.

  “I didn’t mean that,” Jason said, suddenly realizing how upset Jenny was. He reached around and pulled her hand around his waist. “Just hold on. We’ll be home soon enough.” He patted her hand reassuringly, and Jenny relaxed a bit against his solid frame.

  “I’m sorry if I ruined Cat’s dress. I’ll pay to have it cleaned, or replaced—”

  “I’m not worried about the dress. She has a hundred of them. Actually, I hope it is ruined. It was a bit too revealing, if you ask me.”

  “I know how much she was looking forward to the dance. I guess I ruined it for everyone.” Jenny sighed. She knew she should keep quiet, but she was still reeling from Cat’s trickery.

  “You didn’t ruin anything for anybody,” Jason assured her, but Jenny thought he was just being a gentleman so she fell back into uncomfortable silence.

  Jason, meanwhile, had some thoughts of his own on the subject, and though he had always been one to let things work themselves out naturally, he began to wonder if maybe it was time for him to become involved in the personal lives of the people who lived at his ranch.

  Jenny went straight to her room, noticing the quiet that had settled over the ranch. The only sound to be heard was the soft murmur of Jason and Cat’s voices coming from Cat’s room. Jenny lay in the big bed until she heard Jason’s footsteps in the hall, then the sound of Cat crying. She would bet they were real tears this time. Jenny became restless. She kicked off the covers and went to the window. She looked out on a night that was so still you could hear the crickets moving in the grass; the moon was just a sliver in the sky. “God’s thumbnail,” her mother used to say when they were young and safe in the loving arms of their parents, watching the moon climb up in the sky on many a night such as this one.

  She looked down at Grace’s cabin, where she knew Jamie would be. Was he wrapped in Grace’s arms, or was he wondering about the evening’s events? Surely he’d guessed when Ty and Cat came back early that something had happened, but more than likely he was enjoying his time with Grace.

  A frown creased Jenny’s forehead as she thought about the coming day. Everyone would now think she was ungrateful and mean, if Cat had her way. And how could she live and work here without the respect of the others? Also, there was Jamie to consider, he was happy here, but she had put him in a tenuous position just because Ty had paid attention to her and Cat was jealous.

  “Ty.” Jenny said his name softly as she leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the windowpane. The name brought a face to mind, nothing more. Was there some connection between them? Was she an intruder in a relationship that seemed to exist only in Cat’s mind? The boys had all said that Cat had pursued Ty since the day he had arrived at the ranch. Ty had been polite, they said, but he but did not feel right having a relationship with his employer’s daughter. It would complicate things, and that was the last thing he wanted. Of course, Cat had risen to the challenge and set out to prove him wrong, and Jenny had walked right into the middle of it. Jenny shook her head. She hadn’t even had a chance to find out how she really felt about Ty.

  In the distance, a wolf began to howl, a lonely, mournful wail, the sound trailing away into the stillness before starting again. Jenny remembered a night long ago when she had been lying in bed, comforted by the sound of her brother snoring across the room and her parents talking on the porch under the open window. It had been a still night, not unlike this one, and the sound of a wolf’s howl had come to them, carrying for miles in the quiet.

  “He’s calling to his mate,” Ian had said.

  “How do you know?” Faith had asked.

  “Gray Horse told me. Wolves mate for life, and if I couldn’t find you, that’s what I would do, howl at the moon until I found you.”

  “Oh, so you’d miss me, then, if I was gone?” Faith had asked teasingly.

  Jenny had heard the creak of the porch boards as her father rose and leaned over her mother. “If you were gone, I would stop living. There would be no reason for me to go on.” The words had been said so quietly that the young girl lying safe in her bed barely heard them.

  A single tear slid down Jenny’s cheek as she listened to the howl. “Where is your mate?” she asked the wolf. The reflection in the window had no answer.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  There was no use dreading it. The sooner she faced the day, the sooner it would be over with. Jenny kicked the blankets off and dressed, looking out the window to see if anyone was out and about. Smoke was pouring from the chimney at Grace’s cabin, so Jenny made her way down there to talk to Jami
e about the happenings of last night. She wanted to talk to Grace, too, perhaps the older woman could give her some insight as to how to handle the ever worsening situation with Cat.

  An awkward silence greeted her when she entered the cabin. Zane, Caleb and Jake seemed a little the worse for wear after their night of revelry in town, their eyes were swollen and bloodshot, and they reeked of cheap perfume and liquor. All they would be good for this day was lying in their bunks, and Jenny couldn’t say she blamed them, as long as they would make use of the bathhouse first. Ty looked the most uncomfortable. His head had been close to Jamie’s when she came in, and she guessed they had been talking about the events of last evening. Grace handed her a plate of eggs, and she sat down at the end of the table.

  “How did you get home last night?” Jamie asked as she picked up a fork.

  “I rode with Jason on the back of Ty’s horse.”

  A leering grin lit Zane’s face as he began to picture that.

  “Aren’t you boys about done?” Jamie looked at Zane, Caleb and Jake until they put down their forks and shuffled away, taking most of their smell with them. Ty got up to leave also, but Jenny stopped him with a word.

  “Things aren’t always the way them seem, Ty.” It was the most she could say without sounding petty, and she didn’t feel she should have to defend herself when she had done nothing wrong.

  “I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess, Jenny,” Ty said, but his eyes were still doubtful as he left.

  “Whatever possessed you to dump a cup of punch down Cat’s dress?” Jamie asked, a grin on his face.

  “Oh, so just like that, you think I did it?”