When lunch was over, Elsa’s father packed for his trip while Elsa unpacked the things she would need for today and tomorrow. She and her father talked for a while, and after he left, Elsa went to her room and dressed casually in a gown that showed off her full breasts and small waist in ways she knew would arouse Greg. Unfortunately, her long skirt hid her long, trim legs.
“Mother, I want to see how things have changed, so I’ll walk to Greg’s place, and we’ll go to supper from there.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. When will you be back?”
“That depends on how long Greg wants to spend with me, but I think I can hold his interest until after midnight.”
“I’m sure you can,” Bertha smiled. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Elsa walked down the road in the direction of Greg’s farm until she was out of sight, then doubled back and followed a path that took her behind the barn where she could see into Mike’s cottage. Bertha had just arrived at the barn carrying a basket for gathering eggs. She set the basket down and entered Mike’s cottage through the side door. Big Mike met her, took her hand, and led her to his bed. Bertha pushed him onto the bed and crawled in beside him. With her curiosity satisfied and her suspicions confirmed, Elsa backed away from the window assured that she could be a good wife to Greg.
Elsa arrived at Greg’s farm early. He was bathing when she got there, so she let herself in and got into the bath with him. After dressing, they went to supper at the best restaurant in town and then went back to Greg’s place. he took her home the next morning, but only to pick up her clothes. Elsa was overjoyed to accept the invitation to move in with him.
* * *
Elsa couldn’t help wondering what was happening back in Timberland. She hoped Alex and Cindy were getting back together. She liked Cindy, and she had many reasons to remember Alex.
Chapter 21
When Cindy heard about Midnight being stolen, she got a glimmer of hope that Alex might still be alive. She rented a horse and rode to the Bar H. Kyle Coulter met her at the hitching rail and attended to her horse. Eva came to the door. Frank was out somewhere tending to business.
“You’ve come to talk about Alex, haven’t you?” Eva said, always perceptive.
Wary of what Eva might tell Frank, Cindy spoke cautiously.
“Do you know what happened to Alex? Or don’t you care?”
“I know he’s missing. They say he’s dead, but I don’t think so. No one has found his body. You think Frank had him shot, don’t you?”
“Who’s running the Bar H?” Cindy asked.
“Frank’s running it, like he always has.”
“And who signs the checks?”
“The bank recognizes Frank as my husband and accepts his signature.”
“Does the bank know that you don’t own the ranch?”
“Of course I own the ranch,” Eva said gruffly. “The bank knows that I was Vard’s wife, and as his wife, I inherited the ranch and everything else.”
“Vard left everything to Alex, and I know that you know it, because Alex told me so,” Cindy said to refresh Eva’s memory.
“I remember,” Eva said, “I was hoping you would forget that because I don’t think Alex left a will. Do you think Alex is still alive?”
“I think he’s been shot and is recuperating in Thunder Canyon,” Cindy answered. “His horse, Midnight, is missing, and the stable master, who’s a friend of Alex’s, said that Midnight was stolen. I’m going out to the old place to see if Alex is there. He may need my help.”
“I don’t think you should ride out there alone. I’ll go with you. I’ll see if Kyle will ride with us.”
Kyle thought it unsafe for Cindy and Eva to go all the way to Thunder Canyon alone, so he agreed to go with them. After Vard’s death, he looked at Eva with renewed interest. He knew that Frank was her bed partner, but Frank, once a trustworthy foreman of Bar H, had turned greedy and unsavory. Kyle felt Eva needed protecting because he also felt that Frank was responsible for Vard’s death. Kyle was pleased that this might be an opportunity to spend the night alone with Eva.
He saddled his horse and a horse for Eva and brought them to the front alongside Cindy’s horse. Kyle took Eva’s hand to help her mount, and Cindy smiled when she noticed the way Kyle looked at Eva’s hips as she was getting on the horse.
As they were riding away and Cindy and Eva were out of Kyle’s hearing range, Cindy whispered, “I think Kyle has more than a casual interest in you.”
“He doesn’t like Frank, and I think I’m the reason. Kyle is a good-looking man, and he needs a woman,” Eva said with a sly grin. “The next time Frank is away, I think I’ll encourage him a little.”
“Eva, you’re terrible!” Cindy said, shaking her head.
Kyle caught up and rode beside Eva, and Cindy followed at a discreet distance.
* * *
The houses at Thunder Canyon had been empty for a long time and weeds had overtaken the yards. They found Midnight in the barn eating oats. Cindy cried with happiness because seeing Midnight in the barn told her that Alex wasn’t dead. Sure enough, there was Alex standing on the porch with a rifle in his hands.
Alex saw all three of them, but he trusted only Kyle. He had hoped for a few more days alone to recover, but with Cindy and Eva here, Frank and Raphe will come looking for them and they will have gunfighters with them; therefore, he would have to move to another place or face death-dealing guns in his weakened condition.
Cindy wanted to explain to Alex why she had been in bed with Raphe again knowing that he was the man who had beaten her and sold her into slavery. Little did she know that Raphe had come back to Timberland at Fadden’s request to help him kill Alex, but when he found Cindy, he made the excuse that he had come back for her and begged her to forgive him.
“Cindy,” he had said, “when I went back to the Bamboo Curtain looking for you, they told me you had run away. I’m so sorry I mistreated you, and I beg your forgiveness. I got to drinking and womanizing and took advantage of your sweetness. I’m glad I’ve found you again and want to take you in my arms and make you forget the trouble I created for you in New Orleans.”
She had succumbed to Raphe’s lies. Those words sounded so good that although her mind told her to stay away, her body ached for his touch. She had thought Alex was dead and lost to her forever; but Alex is alive and she is going to do all she can to help him.
Eva saw the disgusted look in Alex’s eyes and knew that he wasn’t falling for it this time. He didn’t trust her. But Alex was her son, and he was hurt. She wanted to take him in her arms and soothe his wounds as she had when he was a child.
Kyle respected and trusted Alex, but he, too, had thought Alex was dead. he realized that he had made a serious mistake by bringing Cindy and Eva to Thunder Canyon, and he understood why Alex was angry.
“Why in hell have you brought these women here, Kyle?” Alex asked.
“I came with them because they asked me to—I didn’t want them to come alone. I can see that it was a mistake. What can I do to make it right?”
“Well, you can’t leave them here, and you can’t take them back.” Alex turned to Cindy and Eva. “Did you tell anyone that you were coming here?”
“I didn’t tell anyone,” Cindy answered in a remorseful tone.
“I didn’t tell anyone either!” Eva exclaimed. “Frank wasn’t home when Cindy came by looking for you. We want to stay here and take care of you; we can see that you’re hurt.”
“What were you doing at the ranch, Kyle? I heard that Frank fired you.”
“I overheard the pistoleros at the Trail’s end say they killed you, so I thought you were dead. I was worried about Eva, so I went by the ranch to check on her hoping she would go back to town with me.”
“Did you know the men who said I was dead?”
“No, I didn’t know them, but I heard that they were hired by Raphe. But I know that Raphe didn’t have that kind of money, so it had to be Frank
.” Kyle looked quickly at Eva to see her reaction and then turned back to Alex. “When I heard them say they had killed you, I remembered that Raphe and Frank seemed to have something in common. Did you ever notice that every time something happened to any of you, Raphe was the first one there, and that he and Frank seemed to be working as a team?”
“I noticed that Frank was in bed with Marian when Raphe took Cindy to the hayloft, and I noticed that Frank dumped Marian when he discovered that she and Marl owned no part of the ranch. And I also noticed that he had my mother in bed as soon as he found out that Father owned the Bar H. What else should I have noticed?” Alex angrily answered.
Eva was embarrassed and astonished. Vard was right—men aren’t as stupid as women think they are. Cindy was as astonished as Eva. I didn’t know he knew about Raphe and me being in the barn. I wonder if he knew what Raphe was doing while I watched from the window as he and his Indian friends were riding away.
“If you’ll let Eva and Cindy stay,” Kyle said, “I’ll stay too, and together we can hold off an army from the security of this rock-house.”
“I accept your offer because I have no other choice. I’m tired, and I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’m going to stay with Alex,” Cindy said, glancing quickly at Eva. “You two can sleep in my house if you want to.”
“We want to,” Eva said as she took Kyle’s hand.
Alex watched them walk away, then turned and started for his bedroom. “This is too much for me,” Alex said, shaking his head.
Cindy followed Alex and got in bed with him, but Alex wouldn’t touch her or even look at her.
* * *
The next morning, Alex rose early and walked up the canyon to practice with his gun. His arm was still numb, but it was getting better every day. Kyle tended the animals while Cindy and Eva made breakfast.
“You and Kyle shared the same house last night,” Cindy commented as she was setting the table. “Is that all you shared, or did you decide that last night was a good time to encourage him a little?”
“After bathing,” Eva said, “I went to the bedroom where you used to sleep. I heard Kyle bathing and hoped he would join me, but he’s too much of a gentleman to presume, so he went to the other bedroom. I knew he desired me by the way he watched me.”
Eva put another stick of wood in the cook stove while thinking about her night with Kyle. “I knew Kyle wouldn’t come to me, so I kept thinking about how to overcome his shyness. If he wouldn’t come to me, I would go to him. You’re right; he is in love with me.” Eva stopped to see where Kyle was before she continued.
“I think I fell in love with Kyle last night,” Eva continued. “I don’t ever want to go back to Frank, although I know he’ll be coming here to get me as soon as he can get enough men to take me back. He’ll take me by force if he has to.”
Cindy was setting the table when she said, “Alex saw me with Raphe the other night, and he’s still angry. He wouldn’t have a thing to do with me last night. He was already gone when I woke up this morning. I think he’s worried about his arm. He knows that Raphe and Frank will be coming after him, and he knows they’ll have gunfighters with them. I think Alex is worried about meeting the challenge.”
“I’m sorry Alex wouldn’t accept you. He’ll get over it. Vard always did.”
“I hope so,” Cindy said, “but I’m not so sure this time. Our steamboat ride up the Mississippi was like a honeymoon. Alex loves me, and I think he was beginning to trust me. Then he and Elsa saw me with Raphe. I doubt that he’ll ever trust me again.”
“Do you blame him?”
“No but I feel about Alex the way you feel about Kyle. Alex loves me, and I love him, but do you think Kyle would marry you if he saw you with Frank again?”
Just then Kyle came in from doing the chores, and Eva wondered if he had heard what they were saying.
“I heard shots being fired in the canyon,” Kyle said, “so I looked to see who was doing the shooting. It was Alex. He was practicing with his revolver. he can’t draw quite as fast as he used to, but his aim is still remarkable. I sure wouldn’t want him shooting at me.”
“Frank will be here with pistoleros,” Eva said. “I think he’s already paid them for killing Alex. The gunmen will have to do the job right or return the money. I’m worried about Alex.”
“Breakfast is ready, so I’ll go get him,” Cindy said. She found Alex near the place where Tor had taken her virginity. Just looking at the spot brought back unpleasant memories of a time that had changed their lives forever. Alex, seeing Cindy’s expression of anguish, put his arms around her.
“Cindy, I’m sorry I failed you. I didn’t get here in time to stop Tor, and I didn’t understand that you needed me to reaffirm my love. I think that if I had given you what you needed, you wouldn’t have been so vulnerable to Raphe.”
“Can you ever love me again?” Cindy asked.
“I’ll always love you, Cindy, but I’ll never be able to please you the way I saw Raphe pleasing you. I can give you a home and children, but I’ll always know that if Raphe comes by when I’m not at home, you’ll get in bed with him again. Father forgave Mother, and it got him killed. I’m neither as good nor as foolish as my father.”
“I wish I knew what to do or say that would regain your trust,” Cindy said. “I’ll do anything. Tell me what you want me to do.”
“You’re going to have to give Raphe up, and I don’t think you want to do that.”
“I’ll try,” Cindy said shamefully, as she dabbed the tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Trying isn’t enough, but thank you for caring enough to want to.” Alex kissed Cindy on the cheek. “Frank will notice that Mother is missing, and both he and Raphe will be here looking for you. I think they’re the ones who hired those Mexicans to kill me, but I’m not certain, and until I am, I don’t want to kill the wrong people. Let’s go back to the house. If breakfast is ready, we shouldn’t keep Mother and Kyle waiting.”
“I don’t think they’ll mind waiting. They had a wonderful time last night, and they have things to talk about.”
“Kyle is a better man than Frank, and I would be pleased if Mother could find a life with him. It’s painfully obvious, however, that Mother places very little importance on keeping her marriage vows. If Kyle is as smart as I think he is, he knows that.”
* * *
After finishing breakfast, Kyle pushed his empty plate aside. “Frank will be here soon, and he’ll have those hired killers with him. He knows that with Alex dead, Eva will inherit the ranch, and with Eva dead, he will inherit the ranch. Either way, he wins. I’m afraid Eva’s life is in danger, also.” Kyle asked Alex, “What do you suggest?”
Eva was beginning to realize how grave a mistake she had made in marrying Frank, and she was wringing her hands. Cindy got up to hug her.
“We shouldn’t let them trap us here like animals in a burrow,” Alex said. “It’s better to be the hunter than the hunted. I know a secret trail back into town. Mother and Cindy will be safe there. Kyle, you and I had better find out who’s trying to kill us. We don’t know for certain that Frank is hiring the killers, all we have is circumstantial evidence.”
“Cindy and I can help,” Eva said.
Alex examined Cindy’s face to determine how she planned to help.
“Well, Raphe is one of the people you suspect, isn’t he?” Cindy asked.
“Yes,” Alex said, slowly nodding his head.
* * *
To get back into town without being seen, they cut across unsettled land, followed the road Alex had taken to the hidden valley, and got there before dark. Kyle rented a room for Eva right next to his. So he could keep an eye on her? Alex wondered.
* * *
Cindy went to work at the Trail’s End and sang in the review as though nothing had happened. The men who had never seen her before thought she was a lady of the night and wanted to take her to bed. Cindy was flattered. It remind
ed her of when she worked at the Bamboo Curtain.
Word was out that Alex wasn’t dead, and the news spread through town like a prairie fire.
Alex was still having nothing to do with Cindy. She knew Alex liked women, but he wasn’t having anything to do with any of the other girls either, and they were sure trying to arouse his interest.
The bullet that creased his skull may have partially paralyzed his shooting arm, Cindy thought, but the part of him that matters to a woman works just fine. Sooner or later, his need is going to overwhelm his anger, and I’ll be ready.
Marl was waiting for Alex at his usual table. Alex walked into the Trail’s end as casually as though he had never been gone. He was hoping that no one would challenge him to a draw because this time he would probably lose.
“Before Elsa left on the train,” Marl said, “she told me that you went somewhere to recuperate. I figured you went to Thunder Canyon, but I didn’t expect you back so soon. Raphe and those two sidewinders left town the same day you did. They figured you were alive when they heard that your horse was stolen. Then when Cindy came up missing, I thought she had gone with them. I was pleasantly surprised when she showed up for work tonight.” Looking across the table at Alex with sadness, Marl continued. “One of the girls told me that Cindy had been seeing Raphe and that you saw her with him. She’s my daughter, and I love her, but I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to have nothing to do with her.”
Legend of the Lost Page 21
