by Kari Trumbo
“Afternoon, Jackson. Boss wants to have a word or two with you,” said a tall, skinny man in filthy clothes. He hadn’t seen bathwater in a long time and his breath was close to rancid. Jax shrank back.
“I have somewhere I need to be.” Jax took a step backward. “Maybe another time. It isn’t like you don’t find me everywhere I go.” Jax took another step backward and made to dodge around him.
While he’d been distracted, the man from across the street had come over and stood right behind Jax. He was trapped. The man behind him grabbed Jax’s arm and put a gun to his back. The filthy man grabbed Jax’s gun and removed it from his belt. Fear crept up his spine and lodged in his throat. They led him toward the boarding house. He couldn’t outrun a bullet. If he yelled, they might shoot him for the trouble. His mind raced thinking of ways to escape, but each thought seemed more dangerous and futile than the last.
It took a few minutes to walk to the boarding house, and anyone they met in the street mysteriously had something urgent to do. The two brutes took Jax upstairs to one of the rooms at the very back. Jax had been staying in the room right next to Lars’s, a young girl had been staying in the third room at the top of the stairs. Jax had a rapid thought, I wonder if she is still there?
Sitting in a chair cleaning his gun sat Lars Larson, the one person Jax had been avoiding for three long years.
“Jax, wish I could say it was nice to see you, but it ain’t. You’ll understand if I don’t offer you a drink or anything for that matter. You won’t be around long enough to enjoy it anyway.” Lars carefully rubbed the oiled cloth on the barrel, finishing his task.
Lars was tall and mean with a beer paunch and a barrel chest. No one was sure of his hair color. He’d never been seen without his Stetson, pulled low. He reeked of everything a man shouldn’t have in excess, cigars, women, and booze. The clothing he wore was understated even though he was one of the wealthiest men Jax knew, and it was dusty from the ride here.
“Don’t be too hasty, Lars. I’ve told a lot of people in this town about you. If I show up missing, they’ll know it was you and you’ll have even more law after you than you already do.”
Lars laughed, a full booming sound, and looked behind him. “What law?” He gestured to the whole room behind him. “Isn’t it clear to you by now I don’t care about the law? I’ve moved all over this great state looking for you and didn’t bother hiding one bit. Unlike a little bug like you who flies all over, hiding under cover wherever you go.”
Jax yanked at his arms, trying to get free. “Why can’t you let me be? If I’m not a threat to you, why do you keep after me?” Jax tried to stall.
“Because you know too much of my business. If you’d stayed put and followed orders, I wouldn’t have to chase you all over creation. If you’d quit flappin’ your jaws, I might be able to trust you’d disappear. You don’t seem content to leave well enough alone. Someone might actually believe you and ruin my outstanding reputation.”
The room full of dingy men laughed at Lars’s joke, but the fun was over. Lars wove his hands together, palms out, and pressed, cracking his knuckles.
He motioned for his minions to move Jax and they did, each taking an arm. Holding him back against the wall, Lars pummeled Jax in the face, chest, and stomach. He took it without making a sound for a few minutes but soon he groaned with each new contact and Lars punctuated each punch with a yell. When Jax thought he couldn’t take another hit, someone knocked urgently on the door and he went limp against the wall, forcing the men holding him to keep him up. Lars hit him one last time in the gut for good measure.
Chapter Six
“Hey, what’s going on in there? Open this door. Now.” A voice boomed from the other side of the door.
Lars turned around and took a deep breath. He motioned for his friends to move Jax out of view. Jax couldn’t walk and was only conscious enough to hear the men around him. One of his eyes had swelled shut. Lars went to the door and opened it only enough for the person on the other side to see him.
“What seems to be the problem?” Lars attempt to sound innocent made Jax cough and sputter.
“What is that noise? The blood on your shirt gives you away, Lars. I won’t have brawling here. Open up.”
“You’re meddling where you shouldn’t—,” Lars said.
The older man interrupted him by pushing on the door with enough force to knock Lars back.
“Hey. This is my room. I paid for it.”
“I own this building. Do you think your dollar matters to me? What does matter is a busted up room and the Sherriff stopping by. I don’t care who you are or even who your daddy was. I don’t own that kind of establishment.” The older man fixed his gaze on Jax. “Evening, young man. I’m guessing you aren’t here by choice?”
Jax looked at the man through the heavy lid of one eye. It was all he could manage. His mouth hung open, the lip split on the right side. He was sure he was a sorry sight. His head lolled to one side and he didn’t have the strength to hold it upright. The old man walked over to Jax and pulled one of his arms away from one of the men. Jax began to slip to the floor, His rescuer put Jax’s arm over and around his shoulder and helped him walk.
“We’re not finished with him, old man.” Lars spat.
“You are now. And if I catch you near him again, I’ll just put a bullet in you.” For the first time in Lars’s quest to kill Jax he was experiencing resistance and it made him angry. Jax could feel the energy of Lars’s anger directed right at him. Lars hit the table with his fist, the vibration shook the whole room.
As they were leaving, they heard Lars growl, “You’re biting off more than you can chew, old man. I know where your daughter lives.”
“You’ll pay for that table and anything else you manage to do. Worthless, hot-tempered fool.”
They stumbled out of the torture room. Jax saw the young lady he’d thought about earlier in the room down the hall. Her door was open like she was waiting for someone. She looked anxious, wringing her hands and her brow furrowed when she looked up at him. He saw her nod. She was nervous and tentative. He wished he could motion back to her in some way. The man next to him raised his head at her and nodded. She frowned, walked swiftly to her door and shut it.
She had beautiful raven hair and bright blue eyes. What was it with blue-eyed girls lately? First the boss-lady, now this one. Maybe he’d just been hit too hard. No way there were two girls around here with those same intense blue eyes.
The old man limped him down the stairs and over to a small waiting carriage. It was a two-person rig with a cover and he leaned Jax up against the edge.
“I know you can’t talk much, but can you tell me where to take you, partner?”
Jax swallowed hard, every bone in the upper part of his body throbbed. He wished he could pass out. He wheezed, “Whitte…Ranch.”
“Ah, you must be one of the new hands.” He picked up the reins but waited for a moment. “This is going to be a long bumpy ride, but I’ll try to make it as easy as possible. You and I’ll probably get to know each other rather well. My name is Augustus Whitte. I’m bankrolling your employment for my daughter.”
Jax groaned to himself, so much for first impressions. Boss-lady would fire him now. She wouldn’t ask questions and neither would Mr. Whitte. They’d assume he was a brawler and get rid of him instead of taking a chance. If he had nowhere to go, Lars would find him again without much of a hunt. Next time, there might not be anyone around to come to his rescue.
“Don’t worry young man. My Meg is a smart girl. She can take care of you. You might not want to, but mind her and she’ll do well for that place. I taught her everything she knows, you hear?” Augustus finally flicked the reins to start the long ride home.
Jax held his ribs and nodded feebly. He felt his face swelling and he was sure he wouldn’t be able to see out of either eye soon. He wouldn’t be moving for a few days, not around the ranch, not to the bunkhouse. His lungs wouldn’t take a deep b
reath, and it was all he could do to remain upright in the carriage. Each clop of the horse’s hooves made him want to gasp with the pain and wish he could escape it.
“Good thing I heard that fight when I did. I don’t think they planned on stopping. I hope whoever she was, she was worth it. By the way, you can call me Gus. When you get your legs back under you, that is.”
~~~
Meg heard a carriage approaching. She grabbed her lantern and ran out, holding it high to cast light for her father. She’d been worried. Jax had been gone all afternoon. He’d gone into town, but he should’ve been home by dinner. When he wasn’t, she’d begun to worry if he was in danger or had just left her to find other employment. For some reason, when he went missing, it sparked more worry in her than it should’ve after knowing the man one day.
“Father, is everything all right? What’re you doing out here?”
“Evening Meg. I found someone in town. Says he belongs out here.”
“Jax?” She walked up to the carriage, holding up her lantern to see under the awning. Meg put her hand to her mouth when she saw what state he was in. “My word. What happened?” she gasped. Jax was almost unrecognizable with the swelling and bruising.
She watched as her father helped him out of the carriage and up to the house. Opening the door, she directed her father back to the room Jax had stayed in the night before. A bucket of cold water would be needed for the swelling and she went out back to pump it. Returning in a rush, she used cloths to put the cool water on his various bruises.
Gus helped Jax get out of his shirt and Meg used her fingers to probe for broken bones like her father and Dr. Johnson had taught her. Her touch was light and gentle, only touching hard enough to hurt when she thought a problem lay beneath them. Her father had wanted her to be as close to a nurse as possible and she’d spent many hours with the doctor in her younger years learning the basics of care.
“I’m going to have to wrap his ribs. I can’t tell if they’re broken, but he’s so beat up, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“All right Meg, you grab the wraps. I’ll help Jax stay upright.” This wasn’t her father’s first time helping, either. Sometimes horses kick and he’d had plenty of ranch hands over the years for her to practice on.
“I don’t know what possessed you to get in some brawl, but I won’t abide that here.” She wasn’t rough with him, but her eyes and voice showed she was serious. “I expect you to make sure your men behave themselves, too. If I can’t trust you, you’re gone,” she hissed. He noticed her eyes got a shade darker when she was angry.
For the next half hour, Jax winced, groaned, and let her wrap him tight, He fell asleep the moment they left him alone. She went to make some soup for him and Gus followed her.
~~~
“So, where’d you find him?” Gus asked.
“I could ask you the same question.” She looked at him anger emblazoned on her face, and sighed. “He rode up here last night. He’d apparently read your ad in the paper,” she replied, stirring the dinner leftovers with fierce strokes, threatening to spill it.
“Do you think he’s trustworthy?” he asked, trying to push her for her thoughts. Jax hadn’t been able to tell him much and he wanted to trust Meg’s choice.
“I thought so, until this. He had to stay in the house last night and he did nothing untoward. He got right to work this morning.” She shrugged.
“Good, I don’t know why he was there, or what made those men angry enough to beat the tar out of him. But if you considered him trustworthy before this fight, then I wouldn’t let this affect your opinion. I don’t think he had much choice in being there, if you catch my meaning. How’re you doing, girl?”
Meg stopped stirring and relaxed. “I’m getting by, thank you for asking.”
“I better not stay out all night or your mother will never let me hear the end of it. She won’t believe you, either. She’ll say you were only siding with me,” he said with a sigh of pure fatigue. Mention of his wife brought him back to today and the moment evaporated.
“All right, Father, thank you for finding him and bringing him back. Are you still planning on coming out later this week?”
“Yes, it looks like the bunkhouse might be almost done and now you have your foreman. I’ll give him a few days to mend though, unless Charlotte wants to come out earlier.”
Meg nodded, “She would only want to come to get the visit over with.” Leaving her soup, she walked him out to his carriage. He didn’t bother to respond to her comment, they both knew it was true.
~~~
Meg brought in some soup for him to eat. It smelled wonderful and despite his injuries, his stomach growled. He looked at her as best he could but didn’t say anything. He wanted to talk to her, but it hurt to speak. She offered him a drink of water, putting the cup to his lips herself, somehow knowing he was too weak to do it. Jax didn’t appreciate this predicament at all. The boss-lady wasn’t supposed to take care of him. He should be taking care of work for her. Now, he was the work. At least she was gentle, he’d yet to meet a doctor quite that kind.
Without asking him to say anything, she fed him the contents of the cup which was delicious. He had difficulty eating because his face was enormously swollen. She managed to get the food where it belonged and not all over him. He could open his mouth but only just enough to fit the spoon and the muscles he used to close it rebelled against him. He was embarrassed to need her, but there was no arguing that he did. She took the cloths that had been cool but were now heated to his body temperature and put cool water on them again. Placing them back over his face, she tried to keep the swelling to a minimum. She gave him the rest of his dinner and covered him with a light blanket and stood to leave him.
“Jax, do you need anything else for before I go? I don’t keep alcohol in the house or I’d give you some whiskey for the pain. My father used to keep some out here, but I don’t.” She rambled into the awkward silence. He wished he could speak to her.
He moved his head back and forth almost imperceptibly. She sighed at him and left, closing the door behind her.
~~~
Meg leaned against his door for a moment to catch her skittering thoughts. Her hands shook and her breathing was shallow. It had been difficult to ignore Jax was a well-muscled and handsome man. Having his shirt off and being forced to touch him for a half hour was enough to make a nun blush. It was far too soon for a man to be anywhere near her. Father should’ve known better. She should know better.
She walked with determination to her room. Feeling guilt-ridden about caring for this man, letting him into her home, and for even noticing anything about him at all. Worst of all, she felt guilty for enjoying it. She mentally chastised herself. Her husband was barely cold in the grave and she was blushing and shaking over some other man. She was ashamed and confused and couldn’t understand why she should be feeling anything.
Meg got to her room, got on her knees and let out all her hurt and frustration to Him who always listens. She cried out for help and forgiveness. Meg laid her head against her bed and waited for calm. It took her a while to focus her breathing and quiet herself to listen. She needed to listen, to be honest, she needed to hear.
When she’d managed to calm down, she felt words walk over her heart, “Take care of my sheep.” It wasn’t so much speaking as it was words making themselves heard inside her. If she hadn’t been paying attention and quiet, she wouldn’t have heard them at all. She held her breath, waiting for more.
After a few minutes had gone by with no other sounds, she asked, “So, are you saying Jax is Yours, too, and I need to watch after him?” She heard no verbal confirmation, but her whole being was more at peace than she’d been in a long time. “I’ll do what you say, Lord, but please guard my heart. I’m so lonesome right now. It’d be easy to fill that need with Jax.” Again silence. If the Lord had any plans to keep Jax at bay, he kept it from her. So be it.
Meg had just gotten comfortable in her bed whe
n she heard moaning and thrashing coming from Jax’s room. She threw on her dressing gown and made her way down to his room. It sounded like he was in terrible pain.
“No, no please don’t hurt her. No.” he mumbled in his sleep. She could hear him thrashing back and forth. “Mary…Mary, please hold on, don’t leave me...”
Meg gulped. It was obvious Jax was in love with someone named Mary. Perhaps he was working here to help Mary get back to him? Well, that put things into perspective. She didn’t have to worry about any advances from Jax. His heart was taken. She padded into his room.
“Jax…Jax…You’re all right. You’re here at Whitte Ranch. Jax?” She touched his shoulder, remembering how hurt he was.
Jax woke with a start. “Mary,” he whispered, his voice hoarse, reaching for her.
Meg jumped back in fright. “Jax. It’s me. Meg.”
She saw the fog clear in his head and the confusion on his face turned to pain. Her heart broke a little for him. She saw in the moonlight that he looked like she felt when she thought about Chase. Her first instinct was to go over and hold him until the pain was gone, but that wouldn’t be seemly. She reached for his hand. His hand was safe territory.
“Are you going to be all right?” she asked.
He gave her the slightest of smiles beneath the swelling, “Careful, boss-lady. I’ve seen you more in that night dress than day clothes. People are going to start talking.”
She dropped his hand in his lap and jumped back. Pulling her night dress closed tighter around her, she held it with her arms crossed over herself. Meg tipped her chin stubbornly, “Do you need anything else? Warm milk perhaps?” The retort came before she could pull it back. She’d come in here to make sure he was all right and the only thank you he could offer was teasing?
