by Clay, Verna
An elderly woman entered from a back room and grinned hugely at Rush. "It's good to see you again, sir." She tilted her head to the side, perused Lilah, and said, "Just needs a little alteration. But my goodness, where is your bonnet? Your poor face is burned somethin' terrible." She cast a censorious look at Rush and Lilah hastened to say, "Oh, ma'am, he's not to blame. We…we encountered some difficulties along the way that robbed me of my bonnet."
The old woman said, "Well, if that's the case, I'll not hold it against your husband. Now, as you probably read on my sign, my name is Hattie—Mrs. Hattie Hancock. I laid dear Mr. Hancock to rest nigh on ten years ago and still miss him everyday. But, gettin' back to your fair skin…" She gave Rush another sour look even though she'd said she wouldn't hold anything against him. "I ain't lettin' you leave my shop without a bonnet, even if I have to give it to you for free."
Rush said, "There'll be no need for that. Lilah can choose whatever bonnet she desires."
Hattie nodded and whipped her tape measure from around her neck. "I'll just do a little measurin' and then you can step to the back room to take the dress off while I alter it. What about the other garments? Do they need alteration?"
Lilah responded, "No, ma'am, they fit just fine."
"Good."
While Lilah waited in the dressing room for Hattie to stitch her dress, she tried on the dozen or so bonnets the sweet woman had brought to her. She finally settled on a simple brown one because the color would hide any dirt stains and the shade would match just about anything. She tilted her head and studied her reflection. She looked like a farmer's wife; not the sophisticated courtesan who had drawn men's attention for years. I wonder what Rush sees when he looks at me.
Hattie returned her dress and while Lilah changed back into her now perfectly fitting garment, Rush paid for her bonnet. When she stepped from the dressing room, he handed it to her and again met Hattie's scorn. She admonished, "You take better care of your wife, hear? Even to this day, I think of things I could have done for dear Mr. Hancock."
Politely, Rush said, "Yes, ma'am."
During the walk back to their hotel, Rush asked with sincerity, "Is there anything more you need before we leave for Big G?"
"No. You've been very kind and I thank you for everything." She glanced at him and said solemnly, "Especially for saving me."
Rush's smile warmed her insides when he replied, "Lilah, you are a resourceful woman and would have saved yourself."
Without removing her gaze from his, she said low, "No. I'd be dead if not for you."
Over the next two days, good food and much needed rest improved Lilah's health immensely. Rush attended to buying supplies and purchased another horse for their journey to his brother's ranch. He informed Lilah the horse already had a name—Esmeralda. She laughed delightedly. "Rio and Esmeralda. I sure hope they like each other." As it turned out, the horses took to each other immediately.
Although the town was raucous because of drifters seeking temporary diversions from the lonesomeness of the range by hanging out in the streets or at the many saloons, Lilah was not accosted when she occasioned out of the hotel with Rush, and to her knowledge, he hadn't tangled with any of the transitory population. She figured part of that had to do with his appearance being as formidable as theirs.
Just after dawn of the third day, with their saddlebags loaded with supplies and a small valise carrying Lilah's new clothes hanging from her saddle, they began the journey to Big G Ranch.
* * *
When the trail along the Rio Grande widened, Rush moved his horse alongside Lilah's. Her improved complexion and energy lightened his spirits, even as he still berated himself for not preventing her kidnapping. She glanced at him and smiled sweetly and he found himself admiring her pretty white teeth.
She said, "What are you smiling about, Rush?"
He coughed. "Ah, that you're looking much improved. I don't think you need to worry about your skin healing. It'll be as pretty as ever in a few more days."
"If the truth be known. I haven't thought much about it. When I was young, I was very vain and always attending to my hair and complexion. Now, I just want to reunite with my family, start my seamstress business, and…" She looked away from his gaze before finishing with, "give guidance to young women about to choose a life similar to mine if the opportunity presents itself."
Not knowing how to respond, but enjoying conversing with her, he fixed his gaze on the river. "I love this river. My pa brought me here for the first time when I was maybe four or five. He grew up in a shack along its banks and often talked about the history of the Rio Bravo del Norte, as it's known in Mexico. That translates to Big River of the North."
Lilah said, "I'd love to know its history."
Rush said, "Why don't we stop and let the horses drink and I'll share what I know."
"I'd like that."
He guided his horse to the banks of the river. "Whoa, Rio." Lilah followed his lead and when he reached to encircle her waist to assist her down, he was happy for the small amount of weight she had regained. He reached into his saddle bag for a treat for both horses. While their mounts happily snagged sugar cubes from his palm, he continued telling the history of the river.
"The Rio Grande begins in Southwest Colorado and flows all the way to the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville, Texas. Steamboats work the river from Brownsville to Rio Grande City, also in Texas. In fact, during the Mexican-American War of 1846, steamboats from the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers were moved to the Rio Grande to haul soldiers.
"Early in the century, long before the War of the States, the Rio Grande was an escape route for slaves into Mexico because that country had already abolished slavery.
"This great river also forms part of the border between Texas, New Mexico Territory, and Mexico."
Lilah gazed up at him with widened eyes. "Goodness, you're certainly knowledgeable. Was your father a teacher?"
Rush smiled, "No, he was a rancher with a love for four things: his wife, his children, his ranch, and history."
"I know I said this before, but he sounds like a wonderful man."
"He was." Because the old hurt had started to claw at Rush, he said, "Enough of history lessons. It's time to move on. We'll follow the Rio Grande about twenty miles and then turn northward toward the Nueces River."
Lilah grinned. "Will you share the history of the Nueces when we reach it?"
Rush laughed, "That I will, Miss Lilah."
Over the next two days, travel was slow and easy as they followed the Rio Grande. Food was plentiful in the way of fish that Rush netted and small game that he shot. Although they traveled through hot, arid dessert, the proximity of the river allowed for frequent refreshing stops.
Except for occasional gold miners panning the river, they did not encounter other travelers. Some of the miners were friendly, but most were not, wary that their claims would be jumped. Rush always greeted them with a pleasant smile, explained that they were just passing through, and continued on quickly, even when invited to stop. He distrusted most people who lived on the range, and for good reason. He'd seen too much in his twenty years traveling the land.
* * *
Lilah paused her horse beside Rush's and squinted in the direction he pointed. "We're going to head north now for about forty miles until we reach the Neuces where my brother's ranch is located."
She smiled and said, "Can I have my history lesson now? I don't think I can wait until we reach the river."
Rush pushed his hat back. "I don't want to bore you."
"I assure you I won't be bored."
He shrugged. "The Mexicans considered the Neuces to be the boundary between Mexico and the United States, but when Texas was still The Republic of Texas; its citizens claimed the Rio Grande was the border. The disagreement was a major cause of the Mexican-American War." He paused and grinned. "Also, the river has gators."
Lila frowned and shuddered. "I once saw a stuffed alligator in New Orleans at a trav
eling show that claimed it was the largest ever caught in Louisiana, but I didn't know alligators lived in Texas."
"My pa killed a sixteen-footer that kept getting away with our livestock."
Lilah shuddered again, "The only alligator I want to see is a stuffed one."
Rush laughed. "I'll keep you safe from gators, Lilah, I promise."
Chapter 14: Big G Ranch
Lilah turned in her saddle and asked, "Rush, I know we must be getting close to the ranch, how much farther?"
He smiled and made a waving motion, as if encompassing everything around them. "We've been on it for the past ten miles. We've got about five more until we reach the house."
Impressed, Lilah said, "Goodness, I had no idea it was so big."
Rush removed his hat, combed his fingers through coal black hair, and said, "Cattle need a lot of room."
"How close is the ranch to the river?"
He pointed, "Over that hill we'll meet up with the Nueces and follow its banks until we reach the house. When we're almost there, we'll top another rise with a sweeping view."
Rio and Esmeralda, now smelling water, hastened their pace of their own accord and soon the river was reached. Rush and Lilah dismounted so the horses could drink and eat the grasses growing along the bank.
Lilah knelt beside the water's edge, looked cautiously around, and heard Rush laugh. "You're okay. I'll keep a lookout for gators." She smiled sheepishly, removed her bonnet, and splashed water over her hair and face. Rush knelt beside her and did the same. While he continued to rinse the dust off, she reached into her pocket for the comb he'd bought for her in Laredo. Sitting on a rock, she removed the pins holding her tresses in place and carefully began working the comb through corkscrew strands.
* * *
The moment he'd led them onto Big G land, Rush's heart had started hammering. Every clop of the horses' hooves brought them closer to his ancestral home. Home? This hasn't been home since the day you told your brother to go to hell and galloped away.
He glanced up and down the river while memories assailed him. He'd proposed to Katy only a few yards upriver. He'd fished with his pa and brother a few yards downriver. He'd often driven their cattle to water a mile upstream.
With a heavy heart, he grabbed a handful of rocks and flicked them, one by one, so they skipped across the water. Finally, composing his expression, he turned and momentarily his sadness was forgotten when he saw Lilah with a mass of curls framing her face and falling to her waist. With her eyes downcast she did not know he watched her. His heart contracted when he thought of what this woman—physically fragile, yet emotionally strong—had survived over the past weeks. Her revelation that her lover was casting her onto the streets boggled his mind. Simply put, the man was crazy to let her go.
Reliving the feeling of her unbuttoning his shirt and smoothing her hands over his naked chest during their first meeting, and then the other night, her lips sliding across is jaw until they found his, caused a reaction in his body. Nope. Not going to get involved with Cooper's sister-in-law.
When she quietly said, "Ouch," and winced, he wanted to ignore her, but instead, said, "Here, let me help." Sitting on a rock behind her, he reached for the comb, inadvertently bringing his body in contact with hers. He heard her sudden intake of breath, but she handed him the comb anyway.
She said, "It's a losing battle. Maybe someday the fashion for ladies will be having hair as short as a man's. If so, I shall be the first to gladly cut it all off."
Rush reached for a silky strand and gently worked his way upward with the comb, removing snarls from the golden mass. "Let me know if I hurt you." Going slowly, more slowly than necessary, he untangled Lilah's hair, occasionally combing his fingers through its glory. Whereas she had tensed up when he sat behind her, she now relaxed and slumped backwards a little. In a sleepy voice she said, "I wish you could be my lady's maid and help me like this everyday." He heard her gasp as she sat ramrod straight. "I'm so sorry. I was almost asleep and I-I don't know why-why–"
Rush leaned forward and chuckled close to her ear. "Lilah, you say and do the nicest things when you're asleep." He laughed, handed her the comb, and said, "All done. I'll get the horses ready to leave."
Untangling Lilah's hair had amused and distracted him for a few minutes, and for that he was glad. He had no idea how his brother would receive him or even how he, himself, would react to seeing his brother after all that had passed between them.
As they topped the rise overlooking Big G, Rush's heart pounded unmercifully. Swallowing hard, he paused to survey his childhood home—the ranch that was supposed to have been shared with his brother—the ranch he had turned his back on and left at the age of twenty-one.
In that moment, as the sun beat down and the wind whispered past his ears, it was as if time flew backwards. In his mind he saw his ma walking from the chicken coop carrying a basket of eggs. He saw his pa saddling his horse for a day of range work. He saw himself and Trent saddling up beside their father. And saddest of all, he saw Katy waving from the porch as they trotted their horses toward the very same path he and Lilah now paused on. The constant lump in his throat grew larger.
For an extended time he just stared at the long brick house and then at the barn and outbuildings. Although the ranch was nothing like the magnificent spreads near San Antonio, it was extraordinary for being in such a remote location.
Beside him, Rio neighed and brought his attention back to the present. He glanced at Lilah and nodded toward the ranch. "I don't know what kind of reception I'll receive, but they won't turn us away until we're fed and outfitted for further travel."
* * *
The anguish in Rush's eyes broke Lilah's heart. Whatever had gone on before between him and his brother had been so bitter it was enough to send Rush packing for years. In her heart, she prayed the brothers could mend their differences. In some ways, her situation was similar. Of course, she had not parted from Hallie with animosity, but she had departed just the same. She had left only a note because she couldn't face the heartbreak of saying goodbye. Now, years later, she was also returning to her family, not knowing how she would be received should they discover the lie she had led them to believe about herself.
Rush nudged Rio forward and Lilah followed his lead. When they had descended halfway to the bottom of the hill, the front door opened and a man stepped onto the porch. He had a rifle in one hand, but it was not cocked or aimed at them. From another building near the barn, an older man also walked outside. At the barn's entrance, two more men appeared.
When they reached the bottom of the rise and started across the wide open space surrounding the ranch, the man on the porch walked back inside, stepped out again without his gun, and slowly walked toward them. Rush continued his horse forward.
Lilah's heart pounded a rapid staccato. Was this Rush's brother? When she was close enough to see his features, she knew beyond any doubt that this was, indeed, Rush's sibling. He was as tall as Rush and had the same sharp nose and angular features. Hatless, his black hair was long and not tied back. It reached his shoulders and glinted in the early afternoon sunlight.
Several feet out from his brother, Rush dismounted, and his brother stopped walking. Rush said, "Hello Trent."
His brother replied, "Rush. Never knew if you'd return."
And that was it.
Lilah had been hoping they would embrace in an emotional reunion, forgiving each other for whatever had gone on before, but it did not happen. Trent moved his gaze from Rush to Lilah, and Rush turned around, motioning her forward. She guided Esmeralda the few paces until she was even with him and he stepped to help her down. He said to his brother, "This is Lilah Parker. I'm escorting her to family in Oregon. Our train got robbed on the way to Houston and she was kidnapped. It took over a week for me to track her down and by then the outlaws had reached the Rio Grande. After I got her free, we traveled to Laredo, and since we were so close to the Big G, I chanced coming here to rest and reroute
our travel to Oregon."
Throughout Rush's explanation, Trent had glanced between her and his brother, the hard planes of his face registering no expression, except when he mentioned the kidnapping. When Rush stopped talking, Trent said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry to hear about your trouble." He looked back at Rush, "You're welcome to stay as long as you want. Pearl is visiting a squatter family down the road. She'll be tickled to see you. I'll have her prepare rooms."
Rush said, "I can sleep in the barn."
Trent squinted, whether against the sun or because of Rush's response, Lilah couldn't tell. He repeated, "I'll have Pearl prepare two rooms." Then he nodded, turned, and walked back toward the house.
Lilah glanced sideways at Rush. He'd masked his emotions while watching his brother's retreating back.
"Let's get the horses settled." He grabbed the reins of both horses and started forward, but before they reached the barn, the old man who had been watching from an outbuilding, ambled forward with a pronounced limp, as if one leg was shorter than the other. Instead of continuing toward the barn, Rush changed his direction and headed toward the very short and slightly built, aged cowboy. When they faced each other, Rush smiled. "Grady, I imagined you'd be dead by now and tryin' to talk your way past the pearly gates."
"Ah, Rush, I had a few close calls, and even wanted to stay a couple of times, but they kept sendin' me back." He glanced from the main house to Rush. "Seems there's unfinished business that won't let me depart to my everlasting peace."
Even though Rush laughed, his eyes reflected sadness. "Are you sure you really want everlasting peace. You've always been a hell raiser. You might get bored with all that peace."
"Ya got me there, son. Maybe next time I stand at the gates I won't try so hard to get in." Grady turned his attention to Lilah and tipped his hat. "Howdy, ma'am."
Rush said, "Lilah Parker, I'd like to introduce Grady O'Granger. He was already an old man when I was a kid and my pa hired him, and he's got more lives than a cat."
Grady grinned at Lilah. He had a mouthful of perfect white teeth in a face as shriveled as a stale potato. Before Lilah could greet him, he said, "I was born in a shack near the Rio Bravo to a Mexican woman and an Irish immigrant, so that accounts for my luck. I'm right pleased to meet ya, Miz Parker. And just so you know," He jerked his head toward Rush, "this boy is as honest as the day is long, so anything he tells you 'bout me, good or bad, is true."
