Brides of the West-Part One

by Hestand, Rita

  Like Daniel said, there had to be some kind of answer to it all.

  Dal poured himself another coffee and stared out the back door. Short of killing he didn't know what he was going to do next. But he'd find an answer.

  He sat up half the night, then finally crawled into his bunk. He ached all over from hauling hay for a neighbor. He heard Daniel tossing and turning. The other two were sound asleep.

  His life had sure changed. First Bonnie had come into his life asking him to marry, then to his surprise he was asking her. He pondered on that. It wasn't just pity for her and the kids. There was something about Bonnie that drew him.

  She was a gentle woman and naïve too. He knew he'd have to be extra gentle with her.

  But for the first time in his life he realized he could have a real future. This place held promise and he knew it. It was worth fighting for. And Bonnie was too!

  ~*~

  The next morning Bonnie was up early. She made coffee then breakfast. Becky bounded out of the bed and helped her. They'd done it so many times, they could do it in their sleep.

  "Did Dal and Daniel get back okay?" Becky asked her. She yawned as she handed Bonnie the coffee.

  "Yeah, they did." Bonnie let Becky set the table and began putting everything out.

  A few minutes later the boys all came out of their room. Nothing like the smell of fat back to get them rolling out of bed. The sun wasn't up yet and everyone was yawning and stretching.

  Dal came up behind her at the stove and grabbed a piece of crispy fat back. She fussed at him, but he just laughed.

  "Did you do some thinking?" She asked him.

  "Well, I don't have a thought out plan yet, but I do know what we need to do right now. If they come back, we'll have to kill a few head of cattle. Maybe just one or two. That would be just enough to let them know we aren't going to put up with what they are doin'." He sat at the table as everyone crowded around.

  "Kill cows?" Martin asked, screwing up his nose.

  "Yeah, kill cows." Dal repeated. "Better than killing men, don't you think?"

  Martin nodded sleepily.

  Daniel nodded. "It's a good plan. A cow ain't worth as much as a man. And it's against the law to kill a man."

  "Sure and all they can do about it is try to collect money from me for it. But it might make them understand that I'm doing everything I can to not attack them. They have been warned already."

  Bonnie brought the food to the table and poured her and Dal some coffee.

  "Can I have a cup?" Daniel asked.

  Bonnie looked at him, "I reckon any man that can protect his property can have as much coffee as he can hold."

  Becky snickered. "It'll give you the shakes…"

  "How would you know, you don't drink it." Daniel elbowed her in the rib.

  "I don't need it. I wake up with the chickens. Besides, Bonnie told me that if you drink too much it can give you the shakes."

  "I don't drink it to wake up. I drink it cause I like the taste of it and the smell."

  "All things in moderation is the key." Dal looked at them and smiled.

  "So what are we gonna do if they come back?" Daniel asked the question that was on all their minds.

  "I've been studying on it. We'll stay hidden as much as we can, and try to turn the herd again, only you can bet they'll have cowboys closer to the water this time. I still don't want no killing. Not of people. The law is on our side basically. So we just gotta use our heads. I'd much rather sit a few nights in jail to pay for his cattle than sit forever in one for killing one of his men." He reflected. "We might have to kill two, one on each side to keep them busy enough to distract them."

  Daniel agreed.

  "I don't want you going to jail. If you are in jail, what will happen here? He'll come and take the water while you're in there. You know that…" Bonnie declared.

  "Well, honey, we can't pay for the cows. It's just not in my plans. I don't mind sitting in jail for a cow. But I do mind going to jail for murder. This doesn't have to turn into some range war. Just our own little private war with Banister. Besides, if he throws me in jail for shooting his cows, I'll throw him in for trespassing and then we'll be there together. He'll have to talk to me then."

  Daniel laughed.

  "I guess…It's better than anything I could come up with." Bonnie shrugged.

  Dal thought on that a moment before speaking. "Okay, we'll just take a cow or two to begin with. That I could sit it out for. If that don't have any effect, we'll take more. I can have him arrested for trespassing."

  "Don't much matter. He could still have his men bring the cows here." Daniel argued.

  "Isn't it better than killing a man?" He asked. "Besides, I plan on doing some serious bargaining with him on the matter."

  "Bargaining?"

  "There's bound to be something we could trade off if we think about it. If he refuses to pay in cash money, we should bargain with him, see what we could do with that angle. You think on that a while. What's he got that you want? What's he got that you'd be willing to bargain the watering of his stock?"

  Daniel hung his head. "I reckon."

  "They are gonna have time to decide what to do next too. We gotta be ready for any surprises. But we don't aim to kill anyone. And I hope he feels the same way. That will get us in real trouble." He promised.

  "Maybe you could talk to him." Bonnie offered a suggestion. "I mean you just warned this time, maybe he'll be grateful and come to his senses."

  "Warning a man like Banister is like waving a red flag in front of his nose. He doesn't like being bested. He's a big man in these parts. He's got to come out of this ahead, somehow or we could be in for a long fight. No, men like Banister don't come to their senses unless they have to Bonnie. We haven't scared him, just delayed him. He knows that by now."

  "It still wouldn't hurt to try to talk to him. Want me to go talk to him?" She offered.

  "No, Banister doesn't respect women, Bonnie. He'd laugh in your face. When the time comes for talking, I will do it." He insisted.

  "Alright Dal, we'll do it your way," Bonnie concluded. "I just hope it works."

  "Me too…." He muttered as he slapped some butter on a biscuit and stared at it a long while. He just didn't have any better ideas right now. But he was doing his best not to get in trouble with the law…that was important.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was very quiet for the next few days so Dal worked in the shed with Daniel while Bonnie carried on the routines of the house.

  The first evening Bonnie let her curiosity get the best of her. "What are you two doing out in the shed all day?"

  Dal shot Daniel a sly grin. "You'll see when we are through."

  "Oh, being mysterious, are you?" She asked.

  He walked off without another word.

  Bonnie sat out on the porch enjoying the beauty of the day. The air was fresh, and there was a hint of fall in the air. Some of the leaves were turning and dropping. He joined her on the top step, later.

  "It's such a pretty day. Too pretty to be cooped up in the house." Bonnie said, her voice going full of wonder. She had brought some dried beans out to sort and soak overnight. "It's much cooler now, winter won't be far off."

  "Yeah, the seasons are changing on us. Sometimes we don't pay attention, but I think we miss something when we don't." He added, sitting on the step, spreading his legs and dangling his long arms over them. "Texas don't have much fall or spring, it seems to want to jump from winter to summer."

  "I hope they don't come back…" Bonnie changed the subject.

  "Don't fret about them. Don't ruin your day with worries. It does no good. This gives me time to think on what to do, how to do." Dal admitted. "I'll admit, I'm not sure on how to handle things from here on out. I've thought about just going to talk to him about it. But as bull headed as the man is, I doubt it would do a bit of good. I know him pretty well. Know how he thinks. I've thought about going into town and talking to the Sheriff about
it. Still, the Sheriff seemed uninterested in the subject the last time me and Daniel approached him. I guess I'm going to have to figure out what to do about it. I still think if we kill a cow or two that would wake him up that we aren't just bluffing."

  "Dal," Bonnie called his attention, her face a wad of frowns and concerns. "I'm sorry for getting you in this mess. I realize now it was pretty selfish of me to want someone else to save me from all this. I should never involved you and for that I'm sorry."

  Dal turned around to look at her. "You didn't get me into it. I got myself in it. I didn't walk into it blindly, Bonnie. I knew exactly what was going to happen."

  "No, of course, not. But…I'm sure you felt sorry for me…I can see that now. We had worn pretty ragged clothes before you came along. Daniel had always been embarrassed at school, I think that's why he quit going. The others are too young to have such foolish pride. But I feel guilty that I let you feel that way for us. I needed help so bad. Now you got so many troubles, I wouldn't blame you if you ran off." She practically whispered.

  "I'm not running. This is my fight too, now. We are a family. That is important. The heart of anything good is a family." He stood up and came closer, lifting her chin with his finger.

  "My mama used to say that too." She gasped and stared into his eyes.

  "Bonnie, my decision to marry you wasn't based on pity. Oh…I saw how poorly you were all getting along. Every one of you so skinny your clothes hung on you. I knew you weren't eating good, and you were about to lose this place. And that did weigh into it a bit, but not because of pity. I wanted to help you, Bonnie. But that certainly isn't what prompted me to propose. I began to think about you proposing to me. At first I thought it funny. But the more I thought on it, the better it seemed. You see…I've been alone most of my life. I've been looking for something all my life. Problem was, I didn't know what that something was, until now."

  "What were you lookin' for?" She asked in a soft voice.

  "I don't know how to put it into words exactly. It's a lot of things, all rolled into one. It feels good having people depend on me. It feels good having someone to care whether I'm dead or alive every day. I needed that in my life. I know that now. And it feels good standin' up for what is right too. And we are right, Bonnie."

  She leaned into him as his arms came around her.

  "I don't want you to get killed in this?" She said clutching the railing with her hands. "I don't know what I'd do, if that happened."

  "I don't aim to." He brought her against him.

  "You're a good man, Dal. I knew that the first time I saw you. I don't know how, but somehow it just reeks out of you." She said softly.

  "Thank you, for that. You are a strong woman Bonnie. Stronger than you sometimes realize . Any woman that would come to town and think in one day she was gonna find a husband has got some grit." He smiled as she turned to look at him.

  "I guess I sounded pretty stupid." She turned away from him.

  He pulled her chin around to look into her face. "No…actually you made a lot of sense. If I'd have been you, I'd have done the same."

  They were very close and no one was around, so Dal stole a kiss from her.

  She didn't mind. She let the kiss go on and on. Her mind ceased functioning. She simply loved Dal's kisses and wished she were more worldly.

  "Why do you kiss me like that?" She murmured as he raised his head and looked into her eyes.

  "Like what?" He asked in a whisper.

  "Like you mean it." She turned away, her emotions rioting from the kiss. "I don't know how to compare you to anyone. You are the first man who ever looked at me…like that."

  "Like what?" He whispered, his lips moving against her hair.

  "Like I'm a woman." She managed in a strangled voice. Her heart was pounding so loud, she feared he'd hear it.

  "You are, you know. I'm sorry I treated you like such a child at first. I never realized what you'd been through. When I came out here and saw for myself, it hit me. A girl couldn't do what you had done for four years. In some ways, you were more mature than anyone I knew. I admired what you'd done. But I saw your struggles, and I don't know. I wanted to help, somehow. I got involved for a lot of reasons, and a lot of those reasons had to do with you."

  Bonnie tucked his words into her heart, knowing what a fine man she had married made her proud. Still, he hadn't said anything about loving her. He was helping her. He was a good man, but he wasn't in love with her, and she had to start guarding her heart, for surely someday, he'd leave her.

  "You have helped. A great deal. And I'm ever so grateful." She said in a small voice.

  "Grateful!" He nearly backed up. "Is that all this is to you, gratitude?"

  He sounded insulted. Why?

  "Well, no…I don't know how to answer that. You said you saw I needed help and you wanted to help. A body is grateful for help. Anybody!" Tears were close to falling. How could she call it anything more, he hadn't.

  "Well, now that sure stirs the pot, don't it?" He frowned and moved away.

  "I didn't mean…"

  "Aw…forget it." He walked off.

  Bonnie stared after him. Pride had kept her from saying how she really felt, but she'd already blatantly proposed to the man, she wasn't about to be the first to declare her feelings. He was going to have to make the first move there.

  She didn't see him the rest of the evening. He was angry with her. But why? What had she done? She couldn't just blurt out she loved him. He'd never said those words to her and she wouldn't be saying them to him either. For there was one thing she had, and that was pride.

  Foolish pride, she reminded herself.

  At the supper table, it was quiet and the kids all looked at one another strangely. They knew something was amiss, they just didn't know what.

  Bonnie passed all the vegetables and started small talk with the kids. Dal did the same. But they didn't look at each other or say anything to each other.

  When supper was over, Bonnie stayed in the kitchen to help Becky.

  "You two mad at each other?" Becky asked innocently as she rinsed the plate off. She glanced up at Bonnie.

  "Who?" Bonnie asked sharply.

  Becky frowned and turned her upper lip up at her. "You and Dal."

  "No we aren't mad."

  "It ain't good to lie, Bonnie. We all knew something was wrong."

  "Okay, so we had a misunderstanding." Bonnie almost threw the plate at her. "Oh, I'm sorry…"

  "Mama always said she never let the sun go down on her anger." Becky reminded her.

  Bonnie stopped what she was doing and a tear slipped down her cheek.

  "Gosh, you're crying, it must be worse than I thought."

  "I'm not crying…"

  "You can't get mad at Dal. You can't send him away, or make him leave. We all want him to stay. He's done so much for us. Why are you mad at him?"

  "I'm not! I mean…you're too young to understand."

  "He loves us and you are gonna run him off." Becky made her look right at her now.

  "He hasn't said a word about love, Becky. And you better not be depending on that. He can leave anytime he's a mind to." Bonnie cried and ran to her bedroom.

  Becky run with her. She pulled her arms around to face her and stared into her eyes. Then her eyes widened and she smiled.

  "That's what's wrong…"

  "What?" Bonnie cried.

  "You love Dal."

  "He's my husband…of course, I care about him."

  Becky screwed up her nose. "No…I can see it in your eyes when you look at him. You love him, don't you?"

  Bonnie started to deny it, but when she saw the look on Becky's face, she grabbed her and cried. "Yes…yes, I love him. I have from the beginning. But don't you dare tell him."

  "Why not?"

  "Because he hasn't said he loves me! That's why! I'd die if he didn't say it back…"

  "Why didn't you tell him from the start?"

  "Because…when we got marrie
d, we barely knew each other. He wasn't in love with me then. And if I had blurted that out to him he might have run away and never come back. Dal has helped us, but that doesn't mean he loves me."

  "It doesn't?"

  "No. You're too young to understand it all. It's not that simple. He likes all of us. But Becky, liking and loving are two different things. You see when you tell someone you love them, it's special. And if they don't love you back, then they either lie and say they do, so as not to hurt your feelings, or they run off without saying a word. And they don't usually come back either. I don't want to run him off."

  "Holding it in must be hard. You think Ma held it in from Pa?" Becky asked innocently.

  "No, of course not. But they were different. That's what I'm trying to tell you. They got married because they loved each other. They wanted to be together. But with us, it's different."

  "How?"

  "Well for one thing, we don't sleep together. We don't act like married folks do. And if I told him all of this, he'd leave for sure."

  Becky squatted down in front of her. "Well, I love Dal, and I ain't afraid to tell him."

  "That's different honey." Bonnie patted her on the head. "Your young, and innocent."

  "Well, aren't you innocent?"

  "In some ways, yes, but not like you Becky."

  "If you don't tell him, he'll probably leave anyway. What's he got to stay for?" Becky looked her in the eye.

  That was the one thing Becky said that stuck. What did he stay for? He wanted them to be a family, but could they accomplish that if there were no love? Bonnie didn't know. She honestly didn't know. She'd never married before, she'd never even been courted, how could she know anything about love?

  "Oh Becky…I got too much pride to say it. Look…the first time I went into town to find a husband. I ran into Dal and I asked him to marry up with me. I thought he was so good looking and smart. But, Becky, he refused me. And rightly so, we were strangers. He didn't know me. But after he saw how much trouble we were in, he wanted to help, so he proposed to me. That didn't mean he loved me, either. It just meant he felt sorry for all of us. And I'm human Becky, I want someone to love me too. So I married him, thinking maybe in time…he might grow to love me…"