by DeWanna Pace
“You the law?” Hutton faced him again.
Gage noted that the man’s voice held no particular regard for authority. Not uncommon with men who worked the circuit of ranches who needed spring and summer help. Respect was bought and paid for by the highest wage.
Willow stared at Gage intently, and he had a pretty good idea why she might be interested in the answer he’d give.
“You might say I come from a long line of lawmen,” Gage told the man.
“Thanks for the warning.” Hutton turned abruptly to call back over his shoulder as he walked off, “I’ll make sure to look for signs of trouble.”
Something about the top hand left Gage unsettled. This one meeting wasn’t enough to assure him that Willow and her family would be safe under the wrangler’s care. Gut instinct told Gage to watch and wait before he trusted.
But the clock was ticking and watching was no longer his best skill.
Waiting had become his only fear.
A whoosh, whoosh, whoosh jerked Gage from his thoughts as a long black stretch of leather rent the air and struck near the feet of the stalled team. Hair rose on the back of his neck as the whip recoiled and returned into the gloved palm of its masterful handler.
Hutton.
Gage had forgotten to add one fact in the description he’d shared with the top hand.
The thief had a way with a whip.
Chapter Seven
All but one of the guests had long departed. The wranglers were in the barn taking a well-deserved break from chores and finally getting to eat. The dishes and house had been put back in Myrtle’s required order, and the children were champing at the bit to go into town.
The family members left behind sat in the parlor with their remaining guest, Gage Newcomb. Willow suspected he lingered there so he’d get another chance to talk with Shepard but was being polite enough to wait and let the man eat his food.
Why hadn’t he talked to her about the possibilities of horse thieves in the area? Did he think only the men needed to know? If so, she wasn’t sure she liked that about Gage. Did he think women were too delicate to handle bad news? She’d have to learn the answer to that question when they were alone practicing the skills he planned to teach her.
She wondered what he’d say if she mentioned that Shepard happened to have a gold tooth. Who would he trust then? She didn’t want him talking to their hired hand again until she had a chance to find out why Shepard hadn’t mentioned that fact to Gage. If she planned to be a reporter someday, she needed to test her skill at gathering information discreetly.
“Why do you want to go to town?” Willow asked her niece and nephew, switching her attention to the children. She hoped to guide the conversation into a way she could spend some time in town this afternoon. “Haven’t you had enough of visiting this morning?”
“Shepard’s supposed to fetch Mama and Daddy’s buggy from the livery,” Ollie said, fidgeting in her ladder-back chair and squirming in her frilly dress. “They’re gonna leave it with Bear after they catch the stage. That means he’ll have room to bring us back, too.”
“He can’t take a wagon to pick up a buggy,” Willow reasoned. If they did go, she’d have to let the child change clothes. The little tomboy disliked being in anything but overalls.
“How did you two plan on getting there?” Gage asked.
Willow wondered the same thing. If she managed this just right, if she could somehow go along, this might give her the perfect opportunity to make things right with Bear and maybe even a few of the women she’d bumped into during the bid for the bouquet. Bouquet tossing should not be that dangerous!
Both children stared at Gage as if he’d asked something even a five-year-old would know the answer to. Her niece’s eyes disappeared into a forest of lashes as she said, “Shepard will ride his horse and I’ll sit behind him.”
“I’ll sit in front,” Thaddeus spoke up for himself, thumbing his suspenders with a pop to show he meant business.
Not to be outdone, Ollie continued, “When we head home, he’ll just tie his horse to the back of the buggy and—” she raised her palms in the air “—there we go!”
“How about I ride along beside you,” Gage suggested, “then one of you can ride with me?”
“Yay!” the children chimed in unison.
Willow shook her head, even though she saw Gage’s real purpose for offering. She didn’t want him and Shepard talking about thieves in front of the children. “Let Shepard and his men rest until we get back. Snow and Myrtle could use some time to themselves, too. I’ll ride with you and the children, and I’ll bring the buggy home.”
Enlisting the children’s enthusiasm, Willow asked, “You don’t mind showing me the town a bit, do you?”
Ollie and Thad shared a conspiratorial look and shook their heads.
“I’ll show ya just everythin’.” Ollie grinned.
“More than you wanna see, prob’ly,” Thad replied, his sandy-colored eyebrows rising and lowering as though they were blankets offering some kind of smoke signal.
Willow had a feeling her niece had plans of her own in town and her brother didn’t want to be too much of a snitch. Yet he was trying to give her a hint. She’d expected some kind of challenge from the children, so it didn’t surprise her that she would need to tread cautiously with the pair.
Duly warned, she returned her attention to Snow and Myrtle. “I have a few things I need to take care of in town and I’d really enjoy taking the kids off your...uh... Spending some time alone with them.”
She kind of meant it. Willow had to see how well she could handle them on her own.
“I told Shepard we could wait until tomorrow to pick up the buggy.” Snow exhaled a long breath as she rubbed the back of her neck and moved closer to Willow.
“Let her go if she wants,” Myrtle insisted. “Don’t know about you, but I could use a nap.”
The cook yawned so wide the children laughed.
“We’ve got enough food left over,” Myrtle continued. “I don’t have to fix anything for a couple of meals. You ought to take your sister up on the offer, Snow, and get some rest yourself.”
Snow bent down and leaned closer to Willow’s ear, the fragrance of the orange groves back home in Florida ever a part of her presence. Did her sister still take the time to make her own perfume? Willow wondered.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Snow whispered. “Remember that time you got lost and had to ride out the hurricane all by yourself? You were so scared, being alone. What about when the team got away from you and—?”
“I won’t be alone,” Willow answered softly, trying to hold back her resentment of being reminded of the times she’d failed miserably to prove herself capable.
“Ollie and Thad are a handful under the best of conditions. I should go with you,” Snow insisted.
Willow turned and studied her, deciding if she didn’t stand her ground here and now, they would be testing each other’s will the entire time Daisy was gone. Even though Willow understood that her sister meant to be protective, Snow always made her feel like an egg that had cracked too early in the henhouse. Too fragile to live.
“That won’t be necessary.” Willow met her eye to eye, standing from the settee across from the children. “Thank you for offering, sis, but you’re worrying needlessly.”
“Then it’s settled.” Gage stood and moved to retrieve his hat from the rack near the door. “I’ll tell Mr. Hutton you’re taking care of this and have him saddle you a horse. That’ll give you a few minutes to get ready.”
“No need,” Willow said, watching Snow’s mouth straighten into a hard line of disapproval as she headed toward the stairs. Was she so angry that she wasn’t going to see them off?
“Ollie, come upstairs and change into your overalls. No need to mess up that dress,” Snow ordered as she headed toward the second-story landing. “Thad, do you plan on wearing those or are you changing?”
The boy snapped the suspenders
that held up his pants and left his black string tie on. “What I’m wearing suits me. Makes me look brand-new.”
It took everything Willow had to ignore Snow’s commands to the children to prove she still held the reins of authority. She couldn’t blame her sister. Until today Willow had thought she deserved most of what Snow felt about her. She just needed to start somewhere with showing Snow that she was different from before and meant to prove herself more than capable of being left in charge. There was no better time to prove it than today. Right now.
“Okay, then, if you’re already dressed, Thad, go see that Shepard saddles me a horse.” Willow shooed the boy out of the door. “Tell him what we’re doing and that we’ll be back before nightfall. Also let him know that he and his men have the rest of the afternoon off, and we really appreciate all the hard work they’ve done today.”
“I’ll try and remember all that,” Thaddeus said and raced toward the barn.
About fifteen minutes later, Gage and the children were saddled and waiting out front. Willow had written down the names of the women included in the crush of the bridal bouquet and had a fairly good idea of where she might find those who lived in town. Myrtle told her if she couldn’t remember, the blacksmith or his wife might be willing to help her find them.
“Mind yourself and those children,” the cook said, standing at the door to wave them off. “And Snow will get over her snit with you.”
As Willow made her way down the porch steps, the salt-and-pepper-haired woman hollered past her, “Be nice, you two, or you won’t get to go with your aunt again.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they echoed in unison, waving back.
Willow faced Myrtle. “Tell Snow not to worry. I’ll bring them back safely.”
“It’s not them she’s worried about, honey. Those two could find their way back like two pigeons looking for home. It’s you she’s worried about. She’s just tired. I told her I’d see you all off.”
“Thank you,” Willow said and headed down the steps to be on her way. She hadn’t wanted to quarrel with Snow at all, and it hurt her feelings that Snow didn’t want to wave goodbye. Maybe she’d be in a better humor once they returned and she’d rested up.
Half expecting Gage to be waiting beside her horse to help her mount, Willow was surprised to find him sitting behind Thaddeus, looming tall in the saddle.
She hoped he was better at skills than showing good manners. Feeling slighted, she grabbed the reins, sticking her heel in one stirrup to swing a leg over and rest herself firmly in her saddle behind Ollie. She hadn’t hired him for his manners, after all.
“Good,” Gage complimented her. “You did that fairly well. Now let’s see how well you ride.”
He commanded his horse into action and headed down the path to town.
He’d been testing her, purposely waiting to see if she could mount properly. Her grandfather had taught her some things already. She wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways of the West. Horseback riding was one of her favorite childhood experiences, and Grandfather had enjoyed teaching her how to handle a horse properly.
Willow wrapped one arm around Ollie’s waist to make sure her niece was secure and took off at a gallop to catch up.
“Better slow down some,” Gage shouted as she swept past him. “He might pull a shoe.”
Logic echoed in his warning. It sounded as if her grandfather could have been saying the same thing. Willow slowed the horse’s gait to a trot, not wanting to put Ollie or their mount in any danger.
“Glad you’re wise enough not to let anger get the best of you,” Gage said as he and the boy moved up alongside them and settled into an even pace. “That shows good sense.”
She only half heard his approval. “What do you mean? I wasn’t angry.”
“Sure you were, Aunt Willow,” Ollie agreed. “Your arm heated up and gripped me so hard all a sudden that I thought you was tryin’ to crack me like a pecan shell. You got mad, all right.”
Gage laughed. Thaddeus glanced at Willow as if he was waiting to see how she would take Ollie’s defense of Gage. Not wanting to make her nephew feel cautious about being himself around her or contradict what her niece had clearly discerned, Willow gave in and smiled. “I guess I was at that.”
Thaddeus erupted into one of the sweetest laughs she had ever heard. Willow immediately wondered if he was someone like her—careful not to say or do anything unless certain it wouldn’t offend anyone or make her appear foolish. Her heart went out to him if they shared such a habit and she decided she’d see if she could help him gain some confidence while she was here.
Silence rode with them awhile until Gage finally spoke up. “I take it you didn’t want me discussing anything further with Mr. Hutton.”
“Little ears have big imaginations,” she replied. “No reason that couldn’t wait until another time.”
“That means she didn’t want us to hear what you and Shepard woulda said,” Thaddeus explained.
“Besides, Aunt Willow had to go. She’s got plans once we get there,” Ollie added. “I heard her talking with Myrtle about all them ladies she’s gonna find.”
“Like I said,” Willow told him, “little ears have big imaginations. I’m just going to check on the livery and set things right there. Then I plan to make myself better acquainted with the town. Nothing wrong with that, is there?”
Gage took his attention away from the pathway for a moment, facing her and letting his horse have its rein. “When do we start your first lesson?”
“Lesson?” Ollie hollered. “We ain’t goin’ to do no lessons until school starts, are we? If we start now we’d been in real danger of overlearnin’ something.”
Willow glared at Gage, wishing he hadn’t brought up the subject of the lessons, but she couldn’t blame him. She hadn’t asked him not to mention them to anyone. Another thing to add to her list of must-dos. Come up with a logical reason why she’d enlisted his help. Maybe the truth would serve her well. She could just say she wanted to learn how to be a Texan quicker and he’d agreed to offer some lessons.
Then again, maybe Ollie would forget about it without asking more. “No lessons or school for you until it takes up session again, sweetie.”
Ollie squealed. “That’s good. Don’t remind Aunt Snow. She’ll think up some homework to get us primed up.”
“Well, I wish it was already time to start school,” Thad informed them.
“That’s ’cause you need to get smarter,” Ollie retaliated, sticking out her tongue. “I’m smarter than an old hoot owl. Just ask anybody.”
Willow listened to them banter back and forth about who had outwitted whom recently. The fact that they would be in school for hours each day soon would give her extra time to meet with Gage without affecting her responsibility with them.
The road suddenly forked in two directions. The children were arguing so loudly Willow could hardly concentrate. She wasn’t sure which way was the correct road to High Plains, so she just reined to a halt. Waiting on Gage to start down the right path, she was surprised when he reined up short beside her.
“Time to see if you can follow trail,” Gage announced. “Which way?”
The children quit arguing and started to point the direction, but Gage’s command stopped them. “No, let her figure it out for herself. She needs to know how to get back and forth from town to home on her own.”
Panic rose within Willow. What if she got it wrong and made a fool of herself in front of the children? She thought the lessons would be learned in front of him, not everybody. Maybe she needed to add a few rules to the lessons.
Willow frowned at Gage.
“Can we give her a hint?” Thaddeus asked as if he thought she was struggling.
She wanted to slap that expression of infinite patience right off Gage’s face when he shook his head and said, “What if nobody was here to give her one?”
He glared at the bright sun and blinked hard. “Never know when you need to rely on all your own sense
s. Let’s see what your aunt can do.”
Willow took a hard look at her surroundings. The sun shone slightly past midway in the sky, so that meant it was just past noon. It would set in the west, of course, and High Plains faced east. She thought she caught a white plume of smoke rising in the distance, which could be from someone’s chimney or maybe the diner in town. It made sense that the right part of the fork would lead them to High Plains.
But she wanted to make certain of her choice. A quick study of the wagon ruts leading in that same direction showed heavier grooves and cut a clear path of nothing but well-trodden dirt that had known many travelers. The fork to the left still grew clumps of prairie grass along the way.
Pleased with her deductions, Willow chose the path to the right and said, “We’re headed this way.”
“Mighty fine,” Gage complimented her, joining in beside her. “You didn’t rush your decision and that’s what counts when figuring out a smart move. Tell me why you chose the right.”
She gave him all her reasons.
“And when you head back, which way is home?”
“I’ll turn left.”
“I’d give you an A on this.”
Willow was pleased with herself and even happier that his compliment sounded sincere.
Who knew? Maybe she was smarter than she or any of Biven’s readers thought she might be.
Maybe all she needed was to think things through more thoroughly before applying them to her stories.
Hopefully, time would tell.
Or rather, one month of lessons would provide.
Her reply to the letter she received from her boss last night rested in her pocket. He wanted to review her first story one month from yesterday. Mailing took a week or more at best, longer if there were problems along the route. That meant she’d have to mail it no later than mid-June in order for it to arrive by the deadline he’d given. Everything had to be sped up twice as fast. The lessons had to be learned quickly. Her help with the children needed to go as flawlessly as possible so she could concentrate well on her writing.
