by Rhonda Grice
The wagon hit a hole and jarred Stormy back to her senses. She could see Jed trying not to grin out of the side of his mouth.
“Do you have to hit every bump in the road?” she asked, irritated that he found this amusing.
Jed answered back. “Well you seemed to be awfully far away in that little mind of yours and I was getting a little lonely for conversation. So, I thought I'd wake you up”
“What do you want to talk about,” Stormy asked?
“Well I don't know, just things, like ...where are we going exactly once we hit town, and how far is your house from town. Or is it in town?” He asked.
Stormy turned her heard toward Jed. “I was living in a small one room house right on the edge of town because I took in laundry for people in Cedar Wells,” she admitted. “It was close for people to drop off and pick up their clothes.”
Jed looked a little surprised. “You took in laundry for money?” He stared back in shock.
“Yes for money. I had to eat you know,” she said, embarrassed and defensive at the same time.
His face softened a moment as he realized that Stormy had not had an easy life and he decided to change the subject. She was so beautiful! Even carrying on a conversation with her was hard at times because all he wanted to do was touch her, not talk. “Do you have any friends there that we need to stop by and see while we are in town?”
“No not really. Maybe I’ll visit Emily at the general store. We could stop by there. I really don't have a lot of friends since Ma and Pa died. People just quit coming around unless they wanted me to do their laundry.”
A feeling of sadness overwhelmed Jed along with a feeling that he wanted nothing more than to take care of Stormy Calder. “Well then it’s settled. After we gather up your things we will stop and see this Emily.”
The day was long and Stormy was getting tired. Even though riding in the wagon was more comfortable than ridding old wobbles for three days, her backside was still sore from rattling around on the wooden seat all day.
Stormy broke the silence that had been between them for a while. “How long will it be before we can stop?”
“Well it is getting rather late and by the time we build a fire and get some food in our bellies it will be nightfall. Let's look for a clearing up here somewhere and pull over for the night.”
Stormy sighed, “Thanks Goodness. I don't think I could stay in this wagon much longer.”
Jed laughed out loud and Stormy looked at his face and just smiled. “Come on now, you know you are tired of riding in the wagon too.”
Jed smiled back and said. “You know, you are right. I'm more used to straddling a horse than riding in a wagon and I'm ready to get out too. We will pull over up here.”
Stormy and Jed located the perfect spot and set about getting their camp ready for the night. There were plenty of things to work with because of the chuck wagon. So getting a fire ready and food going wasn't going to be hard at all.
Jed looked for wood while Stormy got ingredients out to make bacon and beans. She had brought along a loaf of bread as well and bacon, beans, and bread sounded pretty good right now. Of course it could not compare to the meals Carmen fixed but she needed to cut back anyway. She was probably going to gain weight living at the Double LL ranch, she smiled to herself.
Night fell and Stormy lay in the wagon, trying to shut down her mind and fall asleep. She must have finally dosed off but was awakened by someone entering the wagon. Startled she sat up but was quickly reassured by Jed that it was just him.
“What do you want?” She asked.
Irritated Jed responded. “Can't you see that I'm soaking wet? Rain is pouring down outside. My bed under the wagon got flooded away. I'll have to bunk in here with you tonight.”
“Bu..bunk with me?” Her voice squeaked in a high pitch.
“Yes, with you.” Jed stated firmly. “Go back to sleep. I'll wrap this blanket around my wet clothes before I lay down, so my arms will be inside at all times.”
She could tell from his tone he was squelching a laugh. Stormy and Jed stayed huddled in the wagon all night but neither could sleep. In these close quarters it was all she could do to not think about unwrapping Jed from his blanket.
Stormy felt uneasy and shy, yet content and safe all at the same time. She must be losing her senses, she thought. Sometime before daybreak Jed fell asleep and stormy just lay there trying to see his face in the dark. She reached out to touch the shadowed outline of his jaw without thinking. Jed stirred, opened his eyes and spoke.
“Is everything alright?”
Stormy stuttered a bit. “Yes…yes, ah, I'm sorry. I must have touched you by accident.”
Jed rubbed his hands over his face where she had touched him. “Oh, I see, well...Stormy.”
It was the second time Jed had called her by her name and it sent a tingling feeling up and down her spine. Morning arrived and after a quick breakfast of bread and bacon they were on their way to Cedar Falls.
The first name basis continued as they started their second day of the journey and by supper the travelling together had become easy and comfortable. Jed was easy to talk to and always made sure to include her in the conversations.
They arrived at Cedar Wells around 4:00 the third day. With no further storm delays they made good time each day. By 4:10 the wagon pulled up in front of Stormy's one room shack. Jed tried to hide his emotions but she could tell he was shocked to see where she had been living. As soon as they entered Stormy gathered her belongings and packed them into the empty bag.
“Anything that doesn't fit in the bag we can load in the wagon,” Jed said. “As long as there is still room for you to sleep at night,” He added.
“Don't worry. I don't have that much.” Other than a few clothes the only things she really wanted to take were a few items that belonged to her ma and pa. She had to have something to remember them by.
“We can sleep here tonight and start back in the morning, but today I need to make the rounds, say goodbye to Emily, and let my laundry customers know I won't be coming back.”
It was now morning, the wagon was loaded, and Stormy and Jed headed back out of Cedar Wells toward Possum Junction. Stormy took one look back and was surprised that leaving the place she had lived for years didn't bother her at all. In her heart she knew that the Double LL was her home now and Katy Marie and Carmen were her family. She smiled at the thought of having someone to go home to. For the first time in a long time she was truly happy.
Chapter Eight
Jed gathered wood for the fire as he watched Stormy preparing food to cook. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was quite a woman indeed; he smiled as he thought of how uninhibited she was at times. Heck, even he blushed when thinking of her in her underpants. He smiled again when he realized how important she had become to him. He suddenly felt the need to protect her, and protect her he would. He wouldn’t worry her with the details of his suspicions just yet, and he certainly wouldn’t let her know who he really worked for. Better to keep her in the dark for now. And speaking of dark, it was almost upon them and the fire wasn’t even going yet.
The campfire brought warmth to the cool night air as both she and Jed sat on the old log next to it. It was the first part of Autumn now and temperature was still hot by day, but cool at night.
Jed broke the silence of their reverie. “Guess it’s time for bed. If we get an early start we should be home by early afternoon.”
Both Stormy and Jed rose at the same time, throwing them into each other’s arms to keep from falling. Jed pulled her slightly forward; then thought better of it. All he wanted to do was kiss her, but until he could be honest with her he would not touch her.
Stormy closed her eyes and steadied herself for her very first kiss from a man. When it didn’t happen, her heart fell to her feet. Jed had gone to his bedroll without looking back. She wondered for hours that night what she had done wrong. Why didn’t Jed kiss her?
The double LL was the b
est sight in the world as the wagon pulled into its view. Katy Marie, outside playing, jumped up and down with glee. She immediately ran into the house to get Carmen. Stormy was surprised at how happy she was to be back and how much she had missed Katy Marie. In a very short time she had come to love the child with all her heart.
Carmen fussed over them and helped to retrieve Stormy’s belongings. Jed, who hadn’t said much to her since he’d held her in his arms, quickly said goodbye and headed toward the bunk house.
“I’m so glad you are here,” Katy Marie squealed as she practically hugged Stormy to death.
“I’m very glad to be here,” she replied to Katy Marie. “I missed you,” she added. Carmen bustled through the room singing as she went. “Supper will be done in a couple of hours, missy, so why don’t you go upstairs and rest.”
“I think I will,” Stormy answered. She knew nothing more until the next morning. Stormy had slept straight through supper. Guess all those days sleeping in a wagon had caught up with her.
The days became routine again; a routine that Stormy loved. Jed and Jake still came to supper every night but Jed never made any attempt to be close to her again. It hurt but she didn’t let on. He really seemed to love Katy Marie though. Jake was just Jake. He was always friendly, yet phony as could be. At least that’s how Stormy felt. She also noticed there seemed to be some tension between Jake and Jed lately. They barely spoke to each other, and those looks they gave each other were very suspect indeed.
It was time to get to the bottom of things. One, or both of these men had something to hide and she was going to find out what it was. The ranch was now her responsibility and she wasn’t about to let anything go down on her watch. It was time for some real snooping. First thing tomorrow she would begin her investigation, starting with another good look at the books, and then on to checking the inventory on supplies and how things were stored around the ranch. She had not noticed the men riding out to the north pasture lately so maybe she was wrong about something going on there.
The morning light peeked through the curtains and landed on Stormy’s face. She felt so snug and comfy in her bed but threw her legs over the side anyway to get ready for the day. Besides her regular chores it was time to look into what’s going on at the ranch and that was something she took very seriously.
“Morning Carmen”, Stormy said.
“Ah, good morning, did you sleep well?” Carmen spoke as she kept on kneading her biscuit dough.
“Yes, thanks…I did. Can you get Katy Marie off to school for me today? I have some things I need to attend to.” Stormy asked. “Of course I can. No problem.” Carmen replied.
After breakfast Stormy pulled out the books for the ranch and sat down to look them over again. She had done this before, but surely must be missing something. They seemed okay, but the ranch didn’t seem to be making the money it had a year ago. Maybe she didn’t look back far enough. Stormy went back many months prior to when Aunt Lucy had died and did a comparison of inventory, supply cost, and sales. As the comparison progressed over the months, she could see a sharp decline in the ranch finances. The problem seemed to stem from loss of cattle, to an unbelievable increase in supplies for the ranch. Before mentioning this to Jake she would delve a little further into it. If they have fewer cattle, then where are they? If less cattle, why are more supplies for ranch needed? Lots of questions that need answering, she thought. Now it was time to check out where items listed on the books really are.
Stormy dressed in work pants so she could really give the ranch a good going over. With gloves in her back pocket she set off to the barn to start her investigation.
Benjamin, the old stable hand, looked up from mucking the stalls as Stormy entered the barn. “Howdy, Miss Calder,” he said, coming closer. “Something I can do fer ya?” He asked, then spit his slippery elm chaw on the ground.
“Good morning Benjamin,” Stormy smiled as she answered. He looked to be about 70 years old, wiry, yet still strong enough to get the barn cleaned and animals fed. “I have a few questions for you if you have the time,” she added.
“Shore do, Ma’am,” he answered. “Is something wrong?” He spat on the ground again.
“No, Benjamin, I just want to learn more about how things are done here on the ranch. What can you tell me about where the supplies are kept, and who keeps up with what needs to be ordered before the receipt is passed on to me. You know, how we inventory things,” she added.
“Well.” Benjamin rubbed his beard covered chin in thought. “Jake pretty much runs everything round these parts and we don’t argue with him bout it, fer sure.” He nervously shifted from one foot to another.
Stormy replied. “Where are the supplies and other items the ranch stores kept?”
“Well, most supplies for horses are kept in the tack room and supplies, like grain, are kept in the building behind the barn here. Things like fencing, branding tools and such are kept in the extra smaller barn to the south of the ranch house. It used to be the main barn until this one was built about 8 years ago”
Just as Benjamin was about to say more, Jake strode in. “What’s going on? There a problem, Ben?” He asked.
“No sir, Mr. Jake, no problem,” Benjamin quickly responded.
“I was just asking about some of the supplies and where they are kept,” Stormy chimed in. “Benjamin was just telling me where it is all kept.”
“Get back to work Benjamin,” Jake said gruffly. “I’ll handle this.”
Benjamin quickly turned and started mucking out the stalls again. Stormy could tell that he was angry and it frankly turned her stomach. Stormy said to Jake. “Benjamin is doing a good job, so don’t think he isn’t. As the manager and owner of the ranch he showed me respect by answering my questions as best he could.” She looked right into Jake’s eyes with a resolve that was meant to let him know that Benjamin better not get into any trouble.
“Well, you know if you have any questions you can ask me,” he added. “Are you looking for anything specific that I can help you with?” He asked.
“No, just looking around to see how the ranch is run. I’m sure you are doing a fantastic job,” she added, trying to disguise the fact she was investigating him and the way the ranch had been run.
Just then Rusty and Slim entered the barn, seemingly anxious to find Jake. They almost spat out their latest issues but soon noticed they were not alone. As quickly as the noisy men entered, the barn became silent as they saw Stormy was standing there. Stormy noticed that Benjamin seemed to be invisible to them, which means he probably hears a lot. She would have to get him alone and talk to him some more. For now, she would check out the storage places and get back to the house to work on her regular chores.
Stormy took one look back toward the barn as she headed to the house. She saw Jake talking to Benjamin and he shoved him backward. Benjamin turned and went back to work. This is something she would certainly bring up at supper time tonight for sure!
Chapter Nine
Dinner tonight was one the best as far as Stormy was concerned. Carmen had really outdone herself. Garlic mashed potatoes, smothered steak, and beans. She pushed herself away from the table and spoke.
“Katie Marie, if you are done you may be excused. I have some business to discuss with Jake”.
“May I take my pie upstairs with me?” Katy asked as she said goodbye to Jed and Jake.
“Of course you can,” Stormy smiled and kissed Katy Marie.
Stormy looked straight at Jake and asked. “What was going on with Benjamin this afternoon? It appears from where I was standing you shoved him.” Jed, sitting across from her, quickly turned to Jake.
Jake’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “Well you are right. I did shove the old coot but he was being disrespectful and I won’t tolerate that.” Jake stood to his full height, nearly 6 foot 2 inches. It was obvious his feathers were ruffled.
Stormy suspicioned that Benjamin didn’t have a disrespectful bone in his body, but let
it drop for now.
Jed spoke up as Jake was reaching for his hat. “Benjamin is just an old man. You shouldn’t have shoved him”.
Jake turned angry eyes toward Jed. “You weren’t there so I suggest you mind your own business and let me do my job!”
Stormy could see this was getting out of hand. “Okay, that’s enough. Let’s drop this for now, but if anything like this happens again we will discuss it further.” With that said Stormy scooted up to the table and put a spoonful of apple pie in her mouth. Jake sat back down and the men followed suit.
The next morning Stormy’s search through the supplies showed a few minor discrepancies but not much. However there were purchases made that were on the books that she had not been able to locate. Plus there was still the issue of the missing cattle. Could there be rustlers? She knew one thing for sure, she must investigate on her own until she knew more. If Jed, Jake, or anyone else was conducting any kind of shady business they would be gone in a heartbeat. Aunt Lucy’s legacy to her must remain intact.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door as Jed entered since it was already open. He removed his hat from his head and nodded to Stormy. “Afternoon”, he said. “ Just wanted to let you know that I checked on Benjamin and he is doing fine. He didn’t have much to say, but that’s Benjamin.”
“Thanks, Jed. I was going to go talk to him myself, but didn’t want any kind of retaliation being brought on him. I don’t believe for a minute that he did anything wrong. Sweet old guy,” she sighed.
Jed walked closer to Stormy and got within inches of her face. “Stormy, be careful,” he whispered. “I know you are looking into things because Benjamin shared that much. Ranch hands can be a rough bunch and most of them don’t like taking orders from a woman,” he reminded her.
“Oh, is that how you feel?” She blurted out. “You hate taking orders from me?”
“That is not what I meant, and I think you know it. Just be careful. You can trust me Stormy,” he said as he looked straight into her eyes. The feeling she got when she looked back was epic. Everything on her mind seemed to melt away like butter and suddenly she desperately did want to trust him.
