by Anna Schmidt
“Just keep your head when it comes to Javier,” Jess said as he turned and walked away.
The minister clapped his hands loudly, and someone whistled to silence the crowd. “Suppertime, folks. Gents, it’s time to find the lady who baked you that cake and enjoy a fine meal with her.” He pointed to the tables outside where the women were busy setting out a variety of platters and bowls filled to almost overflowing with an assortment of food.
There was a general shuffling and shifting as lines formed. To his surprise, Trey saw Nell’s sister-in-law leading her toward the exit. The other wives followed, keeping their children close by.
He saw Nell stop and stand her ground as she had words with Lottie Galway. She glanced at him, said something to her sister-in-law, who kept walking to a place in the yard near the wagons. Nell remained where she was, her son in front of her, her gaze on Trey.
Pretty much everyone in the hall turned their attention to Trey. Knowing that it was unlikely anyone would be so bold as to start a fight in the church, he locked eyes with Nell Stokes and crossed the room to her.
He offered her his arm, which she took. “It’s a fine day, Mrs. Stokes. How about we enjoy our supper outside under the cottonwoods?” He could feel her trembling, but she nodded and followed his lead.
“Trey?” Addie smoothed the front of her apron as she took hold of her husband’s arm. “May Jess and I join you?”
He glanced at his brother, whose jaw was so tightly clenched, Trey couldn’t see how the man would be able to take a bite of his food.
“Yes, please,” he heard Nell say.
Addie hurried to the food line and filled two plates that she handed to Jess, then served up two more. Trey understood the extra plates were for Nell and him, making it unnecessary for Nell to go through the line.
“Go on and sit,” he said to Nell. “I’ll just get some food for young Joshua here.”
“He can share mine,” Nell was quick to offer. “Really, this is more than enough for us. Thank you.”
From the corner of his eye, Trey saw Javier and Pete step into the churchyard, but then Javier placed a restraining hand on the rancher. The Galway boys, on the other hand, seemed determined to make a stand, their wide bodies blocking the way to the shade of the trees.
“Now, Aunt Nell,” one of the boys said, “you know Pa would want you to stay with Ma and us.”
Trey waited.
To his surprise, Nell turned to her sister-in-law, who hurried over, no doubt to try and control her sons. “Lottie, won’t you and the boys join us?” she said quietly.
Lottie Galway shrank away, clearly wanting to dissolve into those surrounding her. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she picked nervously at the collar on her dress. Words failed her, but she finally managed to shake her head. She turned away from Nell then, and Trey saw another of the herder women reach over and pat her hand in solidarity.
Jess handed the plates he carried to Trey before edging his way between the Galway twins. “Pardon us, boys.” Having breached the barrier, he stood aside and waited for Addie, Nell, and Joshua to find their way to the cluster of trees. But before they arrived, Jess stepped closer and murmured, “I hope you know what you’re doing, little brother. Chances are you just made this whole deal a lot worse than it was.”
* * *
Nell was shaking so badly by the time they reached the grove of cottonwoods, she had to lean against one of the rough solid trunks to settle her nerves.
“You all right, Ma?” Joshua’s worried inquiry made the others turn to her.
“Fine,” she assured them, forcing a smile and pushing herself away from the tree. “Just a little overheated.”
Addie handed Jess the plates she carried and took hold of Nell’s hand. She found her pulse, which Nell knew was racing. “Sit down,” Addie ordered, pointing to a seat on the rough, wooden bench. “Trey, stay with her while Jess gets some water.”
“Addie, please don’t fuss. I’m fine.”
“You’re scaring the boy, Addie,” Trey added, but Nell noticed that he did as Addie had instructed and sat next to her on the bench. He nodded to the space between himself and her. “Come sit, Joshua, and tell me what you’ve been reading lately.” He handed the boy one of the plates of food.
His kindness—and nearness—did nothing to calm her racing heart. Joshua’s shy smile told her that he too found the cowboy appealing.
“We don’t have too many books,” he said, “and I’ve had to miss a lot of school.”
“Well, now, it happens that I’ve got a whole room filled with books,” Trey said. “Maybe one day you and your mother could come by my ranch, and you could borrow a few of them.” His eyes shifted from Joshua to her, and she felt as if she might drown in their dark-blue pools.
“You mean like a library?” Joshua asked.
“Exactly like that.” His gaze did not waver, and it seemed to Nell that they were engaged in some private, secret conversation that had nothing to do with books or reading—or Joshua for that matter. “Will you come?”
It also did not escape her notice that Addie had made herself scarce, standing a little away as if waiting for Jess to return with the water.
“Ma? Can we?”
“We’ll see.”
“You think Uncle Henry will let us?” Joshua asked.
Instinctively, Nell pressed her lips together. “It is not for Uncle Henry to decide,” she said softly.
“Maybe your brother could come as well,” Trey said, addressing her now as Jess returned and handed her the water. “I’d like to meet him.”
“Half brother,” she murmured automatically. “We should eat,” she added, turning to Addie.
“Of course,” Addie replied. She took a seat on the bench and shared her food with Nell.
They ate in silence, broken only occasionally by Trey’s gentle questioning of Joshua. Jess kept glancing back toward the entrance to the church hall as if expecting trouble, while Addie kept pushing more of the chicken and black bean empanadas at everyone, urging them to eat.
Nell felt the awkwardness of the situation and wondered what had possessed her to agree to Trey’s invitation. She should have refused, stayed with her own people. There would be more trouble, not all of it from the cattlemen. Henry would be furious once he learned what she had done. She considered asking Lottie not to tell him, but even if her sister-in-law agreed—which she never would—someone was bound to tell. Whitman Falls was a small community.
No, she had brought this on herself.
“It looks like your brother’s wife and sons are leaving,” Trey said. “If you and Joshua want to stay, I could—”
Nell was on her feet before he could finish that thought. “Come on, Joshua. We need to go.” She glanced at the picnic basket she’d brought to carry her cake in. The cake sat uncut on a flat rock. Addie’s husband and children were still eating, although everyone paused midbite when she made her sudden announcement.
Beyond them, Nell could see all the sheep-ranching families were climbing aboard the large wagon they’d traveled in for the occasion. Lottie kept glancing her way even as her sons hustled her toward the buckboard. “Joshua, we need to go now.”
Addie seemed to understand the situation. “You and Joshua go on,” she said. “I’ll pack up some leftovers in your basket once we’ve finished here and bring it to you tomorrow. Would that be all right?”
“Please don’t bother. I can get the basket some other time, and we have plenty to eat at home. Thank you.”
“But I thought we were supposed to have cake with Mr. Porterfield,” Joshua protested.
“Another time,” Trey said, ruffling Joshua’s hair even as he watched Nell.
“But Ma makes the best cake.”
Nell had never heard her son be quite so outspoken—or disobedient. “Joshua, where are your manners? Now
come along.” She pressed Addie’s hand in a gesture of gratitude, then led Joshua toward the wagon where her nephews were ready to drive away.
“Wait,” she heard Lottie shout. “Here they come.” Lottie pointed toward Nell and Joshua.
They had to run the last few steps as Lottie’s sons pretended to try and control a restless team but in fact were deliberately stopping and starting the movement of the wagon. Lottie and another herder wife pulled Joshua aboard as the team plunged forward, leaving Nell still trying to catch up. Suddenly, she felt herself lifted, and in seconds, she had been deposited on the wagon bed. She tottered to gain her balance before looking back to see Trey Porterfield standing just a few feet away. He tipped his hat to her and Lottie and raised a hand in farewell to Joshua.
* * *
When he rode the range, Trey’s thoughts were more often than not on the scenery around him—that lone tree by the creek or the sunset over the mountains. He supposed he looked at the world with an artist’s eye, considering how he might capture the color and beauty of it all. Lately when he envisioned these scenes as paintings, he saw Nell as part of them. She was the figure seated under the tree by the creek, her hand trailing through the water. She was the woman watching the sun rise, her back straight, her arm around her son, as they faced what might come. She filled his thoughts, waking or sleeping, and he wasn’t at all sure what to do about that.
He let the next full day and night pass before he headed back to town for a visit with Addie. It was Sunday afternoon, and he saw people leaving the church after services. He stood for a minute scanning those departing, but Nell was not among them. Nor, for that matter, were any of the sheepherders or their families. Not a good sign.
Knowing he would likely find Addie in her office, he crossed the street and knocked lightly on the office door before opening it and going inside.
“Did you take the basket back yet?” He was pretty sure he didn’t need to explain what basket he meant.
“A bunch of folks from the picnic came down with food poisoning overnight—Sybil Sinclair’s chicken salad, I expect. I’ll go tomorrow with some canned peaches and two pieces of her cake.” She put down her pen and stared at him over the rim of her glasses. “Why?”
Trey shrugged. “No reason. Thought I might save you the trip. I’ve got some business at Fort Lowell and—”
Addie burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“You are. ‘Got some business at Fort Lowell,’” she mimicked. “You are a worse fibber than your brother, and that’s saying something.”
“Don’t know what you mean,” Trey grumbled. “Just thought I could save you a trip.” He slammed his hat on his head and started for the door. “Sorry to have bothered you.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Get back in here and talk to me.”
Trey had never been able to stay mad at Addie for long. He sat in the chair opposite where she sat at her father’s old rolltop desk and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I can’t seem to get her out of my head, Addie. I’ve never felt like this before about any woman.”
“And why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know. At first, I thought it was because of the way her husband died or the way she’s been raising that boy and managing the ranch almost alone, but that’s not really it.”
“What does it feel like?”
“How the hell should I know?” He stood and began to pace. “I can’t seem to get through chores or anything else without her being there on my mind. And it’s dumb stuff like the way she chewed her food, for heaven’s sake. Who pays attention to something like that?”
“Let me think,” Addie said, pretending to take his rant seriously. “Got it. A man blindsided by love.”
“Love? I don’t have patience for your teasing, Addie. I have work to do, and there’s a range war brewing, and—”
“And just when you least expected it, along came a woman who might turn out to be a perfect match.”
“Look, all I was thinking was that if Mrs. Stokes and I joined forces, maybe we could change some minds around here. Strictly business.”
“Uh-huh,” Addie said. She got up and pulled a wicker basket from under her desk. “Well, as long as you need to talk about business with Nell, you may as well be the one to take her this. You can let her know I’ll stop by later in the week.” She held the basket out to him, and it dangled there between them. “Well?”
“Maybe this is a bad idea.” Trey might have been talking to himself.
Addie blew out a huff of exasperation, grabbed his hand, and hooked the handle of the basket over his wrist. “Go on and git. I have work to do.” She walked to the door and held it open.
“Best not mention this to Jess,” he said.
“You let me worry about Jess. What’s important here is that you be happy. If, in the bargain, you can do something about this feud, so much the better.”
“I barely know her,” Trey protested.
Addie grinned. “Well, take my word as a doctor. There’s a remedy for that. It takes time and conversation, but it’s a surefire cure for the problem.”
Trey smiled. There was something about Addie that reminded him of his mother. He was glad his brother had finally gotten around to marrying her. “Have I told you lately how good it is to have you in the family?”
“Not often enough,” she said and pushed him the rest of the way out the door before shutting it behind him.
* * *
It was midafternoon when he reached the Stokes place. No one was out in the yard, although clothes hung on a line stretched between a large saguaro cactus and one of the posts that supported the porch roof. A thin stream of smoke rose from the chimney at the back of the house, and the front door stood open. The way Trey’s horse was snorting and whinnying, it was hard to believe nobody had heard him ride up to the house.
Trey dismounted and approached the two steps up to the porch, removing his hat and sweeping his fingers through his thick hair. “Nell? Joshua? Hello?” He reached the open door and knocked on the frame as he peered inside.
The two front rooms were unoccupied, but he could smell something cooking—make that burning. He followed the smell and found the kitchen empty as well, while the contents of an iron skillet on the cookstove sizzled and hissed. He pulled the pan from the hot surface and set it aside. “Hello?” he called again as he peered through a small open window that looked out the back of the house.
Suddenly, he found himself staring down the double barrels of a shotgun, and he leaped away from the window.
“Get off my property,” he heard Nell hiss. “I’ll shoot. Don’t think I won’t.”
“It’s me, Nell. Trey Porterfield.” He raised his hands.
The barrel of the gun wavered as she backed up a step to better see into the house. “What do you want?”
He reached for the basket that he’d set on the table when he entered the kitchen. “Addie asked me to return this. And I wanted to tell you in person how much I enjoyed that cake you made.” He moved closer to the window to show her the basket and was shocked at her appearance. Her hair was tangled and hung in long strands over her shoulders and back. There were dark circles like bruises under her eyes, telling him that it had been some time since she’d slept. “Where is your son, Nell?”
“Joshua?” She said the boy’s name as if she weren’t quite sure who or where he was. “I sent him over to stay with my sister-in-law. He’s not safe here.”
Trey’s heart hammered as he realized there must have been more trouble. Nell Stokes was not just scared—she was wild-eyed and terrified. “Nell, whatever you’re cooking in here seems to be done. If you were of a mind to invite me to share your meal, I would be most obliged.”
He waited while she lowered the shotgun, letting it hang loosely at her side as she surveyed the surro
unding area. “Did you come alone?”
“Yeah. Addie said she’d be stopping by later in the week.”
She glared at him. “I am not asking after Addie,” she said. “I am asking if there are others out there waiting.”
“Waiting?”
“For dark. That’s when they come. Two nights now, they’ve come, riding hard toward the house and barn, carrying torches and swinging them around. The chickens you sent are dead,” she added. “Burned alive. They set fire to the coop last night. I figure they plan to work their way through the property, burning the outbuildings and making me watch from the house.” She was talking more to herself than to him, rambling on as she described her ordeal. “They came right up to the door and banged on it so hard, it shook. Told me to get ready, ’cause they’d be back, and if I was still here, they’d make me wish I hadn’t stayed.”
Slowly, she set the gun aside and sank onto the ground, folding her arms around herself and rocking slowly back and forth. “So at first light, I sent Joshua away. He’ll be all right. He got started before the heat rose, and he knows the way and…” She started to sob as she pounded the dry earth with her fist.
Trey, who had been standing by the window, disbelieving, dropped the basket and ran out the back door to her. He sank to his knees and gathered her into his arms. “Shhh,” he whispered as she clung to him, her tears wetting the front of his shirt. He kissed the top of her head. “I’m not going to let anything more happen here,” he promised. “I’ll take you to your brother’s place, and we’ll get Joshua and then go into town where you can stay with Addie and Jess. They’ve got plenty of room. And then—”
“No! If I leave the ranch unguarded, they’ll surely destroy whatever is left. This is Calvin’s legacy for our son. I have to protect that. There’s nobody but me to do that. My nephews are angry with me, and the rest of the men are away and…” She was looking up at him, her face streaked with dirt and tears, her eyes pleading with him to understand.
