Last Chance Cowboys

by Anna Schmidt

  “Javier.” Trey spoke the man’s name but said no more as he dismounted, then lifted Nell down. She saw two other horses, saddled and waiting, tied to the hitching post.

  Jess stood with his arms folded across his chest. “Where have you been?” he asked without so much as a glance at Nell.

  Trey ignored his brother and focused on his ranch hand and friend. “Has something happened?”

  “Galway claims his sister is missing and blames you. They set the meeting,” Javier replied. “If you don’t show—”

  “I’m ready now.”

  Nell started to protest, but Trey spoke first. “Go on in the house, Nellie. Joshua will be waiting, and you can tell Addie our news. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

  “I need to talk to Henry…before—” she said.

  “I’ll meet with him, and then we’ll come to your ranch.” He pulled her to him and kissed her full on the mouth, leaving little doubt as to their circumstances.

  She heard Jess suck in his breath and saw Javier look down at his boots.

  “You want the whole town talking?” Jess said.

  Trey mounted his horse and looked down at his brother. “I’ll kiss my wife any damn place I please,” he said.

  “Tell me you’re joking,” Jess said, his gaze darting from Trey to Nell and back again.

  “Nope. Now where’s the meeting?”

  “Deadman’s Point,” Javier mumbled as he untied and mounted his horse.

  Trey looked at Nell and smiled. “Seems Henry might have a sense of humor after all.” He glanced at his brother. “Is Pete coming?”

  “He said he’d meet us there.”

  Nell continued to stand at the foot of the porch steps as Trey followed Javier down the dirt street. At the far end of town, they turned a corner and galloped on into the barren landscape.

  Jess hesitated before mounting his horse. “You’re going to get my brother killed, Nell Stokes. And you may as well know now, I will never forgive you for that.”

  Nell wrapped her arms around herself to stop the shaking that had begun almost the minute Trey had lifted her to the ground. “My name is Nell Porterfield now,” she replied, “and if you’re so worried about your brother, then I suggest you be at this meeting where you have the best chance of seeing to his safety.” She climbed the stairs to the porch of the frame house and watched as Jess rode away.

  “You’re married?” Joshua stood just inside the front door. “Does that mean he’s my pa now?”

  Nell saw Addie come to stand behind Joshua. She rested her hands lightly on the boy’s shoulders. “Let your ma get in out of that hot sun. We’ll have something to eat and talk about everything.” Nell could see Addie’s children lining the hallway. “Children, go out back and play,” she said.

  “But you said—” Isaac began a protest that Addie cut short.

  “Joshua will bring you milk and biscuits in a few minutes,” she promised. “Now scoot!”

  The children scattered, and Addie held the door open for Nell to enter. Nell opened her arms to her son, but he turned and walked away, down the hall to the kitchen. By the time she and Addie followed, he was already seated at the table, his eyes downcast. His arms were folded across his thin chest in imitation of Jess, and one foot rhythmically kicked the pedestal of the round table.

  “Stop that,” Nell said and heard the irritation in her tone. While Addie busied herself setting up a tray with glasses and a pitcher of milk and filling a plate with biscuits, jam, and butter, Nell took the chair closest to her son. “I am sorry for not talking to you about this, Joshua, but I need you to understand. Some things are adult problems, and the solutions might not seem right to you, at your age.”

  Joshua sat still as a stone and continued to avoid looking at her. Nell watched Addie slice each biscuit open and fill it with butter and jam. The butter oozed down the sides, telling Nell that the bread was still warm. Her stomach growled as she tried to think of how to make things right for her son. “Mr. Porterfield and I believe that by joining together, we can begin to heal this terrible hostility between those who raise cattle and those who raise sheep.”

  She could tell he was listening, so she continued. “Mr. Porterfield will see to it that we never have to be afraid again. Not of night raids, or fires, or any of the things we’ve been through since your father died.”

  “How’s he gonna do that?”

  “I’m not sure, but I trust him. He’s been good to us, Joshua. I thought you liked him.”

  She saw her son wrestle with that truth. “Do I have to call him ‘Pa’? What about my name? Does that change?”

  Nell realized that for her son, this was a question of loyalty. While he and Calvin had never been close, the boy had idolized his father and sought to please him. She placed her hands on either side of Joshua’s face, gently forcing him to look at her. “You are and always will be Joshua Stokes, son of Calvin Stokes. As for what you will call Mr. Porterfield, we can work that out once he returns from his meeting and we’re back home again.”

  She had raised yet another question for Joshua—and herself. “Where will we live?” Joshua’s eyes were wide with alarm, and that’s when Addie—bless her—decided enough was enough.

  She brought the tray to the table, set out glasses of milk for Nell and herself, and turned to Joshua. “Seems to me like you might be making problems where none exist, young man. You have your ranch and the house and room you like there, but now, in addition to that, you will also have your own room at the Clear Springs Ranch and a whole bunch of new territory in need of exploring. And then there’s that library you were going on about. All those books just waiting for you to choose them?” She shook her head in wonder at all that awaited the boy.

  Joshua fought a smile with a determined frown. “I guess,” he admitted grudgingly. “Can I go now?”

  This was directed to Nell, who nodded, carried the tray to the door, and then handed it to Joshua as he stepped outside. Addie’s children surrounded him right away, more eager for information than they were for refreshments. Nell stood for a moment watching and wondering if she had just made a huge mistake.

  “No regrets,” Addie said. “What’s done is done.” Gently, she guided Nell back to the table where they both sat. Then Addie gave her a sly grin and said, “So how was the honeymoon?”

  Nell blushed.

  “That good, huh?” Addie toasted her with her glass. “It’s all gonna work out, Nell. Trey fell for you that first day—I knew it the minute he showed up here after. Never saw him so unsettled. Of all the Porterfields, Trey has always been the calm, quiet one. But that day, he could barely sit still.”

  “I think I love him,” Nell whispered. “But isn’t that impossible?”

  “Love comes in all sorts of ways, honey. Slow for some and a thunderbolt out of the blue for others. You can fight it with all manner of rationale, but when it’s right, there’s no denying it. I ought to know. Jess and I tried every way we could to deny our feelings, but in the end, love won out—as it does every time.”

  And in that moment, Nell felt as if Addie might just be right. Everything would work out. She and Trey and Joshua would face whatever challenges came their way, and in between those challenges, their days would be filled with laughter and love and all the good times that came from being part of a family. “I’m going to work every day to make sure Trey doesn’t regret his decision,” she promised.

  Addie laughed. “My guess is, if the glow I saw on both your faces earlier is any indication, you just need to keep on doing whatever it was that you did last night.”

  Once again, Nell felt her cheeks flush. “Addie!” she protested.

  “Doc Addie knows of what she speaks,” her friend replied with a wink. “Now drink your milk, and let’s see about getting you and Joshua home.”

  Six

  Deadman’s
Point was an isolated mesa some distance from town, much closer to the Galway ranch than Trey’s place. The three men pushed their horses hard to make up for lost time. Trey was the one to set the pace. If they were riding at a gallop, there would be little chance for Jess to question his marriage to Nell.

  “Up there.” Javier pointed to the top of a flat cliff where a trio of men waited.

  Instinctively, they slowed their horses to a walk, and they studied the group standing above them. “No sign of Reverend Moore,” Trey noted.

  “Or Pete Collins,” Jess added. “That’s probably not a bad thing.”

  “The preacher might not come,” Javier said. “Old Man Thomas died this morning, and he went there instead. Me and Pete tried to set another time, but Galway insisted. Reverend Moore said he’d get here as soon as he could.”

  “And Pete?” Trey asked.

  Javier shifted uncomfortably. “Pete changed his mind, says the time for talk has passed. He says he wants no part of this meeting.”

  “I don’t like this.” Jess glanced around. “We’re miles from town or the fort.” The regiment at Fort Lowell had jurisdiction over open range at least for the time being. In spite of his badge, Jess had no authority here. Trey had had his doubts the minute he heard about the meeting place because of its proximity to Henry Galway’s ranch, but he’d figured with Jess and the preacher there, it would be all right. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  The three of them urged their horses up the steep, rocky trail leading to the point. As they topped the rise, they saw Henry had brought one of his two sons and Ernest Stokes. Trey tipped his hat to the trio but kept his eyes on Nell’s half brother. “Beautiful day,” he said.

  “This ain’t no tea party,” Ernest grumbled.

  “Just making conversation,” Trey replied. “And it was my understanding talking was the purpose of this get-together. How about we move over there by that juniper tree, take advantage of what shade there is?” He pointed to a lone tree at the edge of the cliff.

  Galway and his party stayed where they were, their expressions and posture mirroring their suspicions. Hoping to show good faith, Trey climbed down from his horse and nodded to Javier and Jess to do the same. He faced Henry Galway. “I hope that—”

  “Is it true what Ira here told me about you and my sister?” Henry interrupted, his clenched fists evidence that Trey had misread the prevailing mood.

  “Well now, I reckon I’ll be needing a little more information to answer that.” Trey glanced at Ira and waited. Nell’s nephew took a step toward him. Javier and Jess closed in, but Trey waved them off. “What have you told your father?”

  “I seen you with Aunt Nell riding away from the falls this morning just after sunup,” Ira said. “Looked like the two of you was mighty cozy.”

  Trey heard Jess mutter an oath under his breath.

  “Well?” Henry demanded.

  Focusing his full attention on Nell’s half brother, Trey took a deep breath. “Your boy is right, although he doesn’t have all the facts. Nell and I were married yesterday. Reverend Moore performed the ceremony.” He prepared for Henry to charge at him and saw Javier was ready to intervene. “I got this,” he said quietly to his friend.

  But Javier was not about to listen. He stepped between Trey and Henry. “Just listen to what my boss has to say,” he said, placing his hand on Henry’s shoulder.

  That was too much for Ira, who pushed past his father to shove Javier. “Get your filthy hands off my pa.” The younger Galway placed his palms flat on Javier’s chest and kept pushing him.

  Before anyone could stop them, the two young men had fallen to the ground, their fists flying and their legs tangled. Trey and Ernest immediately leaped into the fray to separate them while Jess pulled out his pistol and fired a warning shot in the air. Ernest jumped away while Trey took hold of Ira’s shirt, but the boy jerked away and got to his feet. He brandished a knife, threatening anyone who came close.

  Javier looked up at Trey, his eyes wide with shock. He clutched at his gut as blood saturated his shirt. “Trey?” His voice was weak and disbelieving. He held up his bloody hand, staring at it as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

  The instant Trey saw the blood, he grabbed Ira’s arm, wrestling him for the knife. The kid was strong and quick. Trey felt the pain of the knife slicing into his forearm as Henry shoved his son aside, then faced Trey with his gun drawn. The air was heavy with the odor of gun smoke and the sounds of embattled men fighting, some of them for their very lives. Behind him, Jess fired another shot, and every man froze at the sound of it.

  “How about we all just calm down here,” Jess said, pointing his gun at Henry. “Put that rifle down, Mr. Galway.”

  But Henry wasn’t about to back down. “You lyin’ scum,” he growled, so close to Trey that his spit sprayed the air between them. “You talk about makin’ peace, and then you go and trick my sister into a sham marriage so you can lay claim to her land.” The gun he held wavered.

  Jess edged closer, but Ernest stepped in front of him.

  Behind Henry, Trey saw Javier try to get up, ready to defend him, but then he stumbled backward and collapsed. He realized only he had any idea Javier was wounded. Everybody else was focused on the rifle Henry aimed at Trey and the six-shooter Jess was pointing at Henry.

  “Get out of my way, Galway. My friend needs help.” Trey attempted to push past, but Henry lunged at him. Trey dodged, and Henry stumbled forward. Trey saw that he was headed for the cliff and reached to block his fall, but he was too late. As Henry plummeted over the edge, stirring up a small avalanche of stone and rock that followed his fall, they rushed forward, shouting and shoving and trying to stop what had already happened. As Henry hit bottom, a shot from his rifle echoed against the walls of the canyon, and he lay motionless at the foot of the cliff, a dark pool of blood forming next to him.

  There was an instant when Trey realized everything had gone quiet. He heard the call of an eagle flying overhead and then a different—human—cry. In a matter of minutes, everything had changed.

  “You killed my pa,” Ira screamed. He half ran, half slid down the rocky path, calling out to his father. Ernest followed him.

  Trey knelt next to Javier, heard his breath coming in shallow gasps, and knew his friend was dying. For the first time since his father had died, he lost hope that anything could ever be done to make things right again. Something hard knotted in his gut. For the first time in his life, he understood the poisonous pain that cut deep enough to make any man want only one thing: revenge. Oblivious to the blood leaking from his forearm where Ira’s knife had found its mark, he pulled Javier’s limp body close. “They won’t get away with this, my friend,” he said softly. “That’s a promise.”

  Javier covered Trey’s bloody forearm with his hand, a hand stained with the blood of his own mortal wound. And as Trey watched his friend’s blood mingle with his own, he heard Javier breathe his last.

  “Trey, you’d best get going,” Jess said. He rested his hand on Trey’s shoulder. “Let me handle this.”

  “That boy killed Javier. He brought the knife. He needs to—”

  “Come on now. You take Javier home,” Jess said. “You’ll need to explain what’s happened to Juanita and Eduardo.” Together, they lifted Javier’s body and placed it across the back of his horse.

  The mention of Javier’s parents made Trey shudder. How could he ever explain? How could they ever forgive him for getting Javier mixed up in this mess he’d made? “What can I say that will ever… Come with me, Jess.”

  “I’ll be along directly. But you know I have a duty here. I need to check on Galway, then head to the fort so Colonel Ashwood can handle this.”

  Jess held Trey’s horse steady while he mounted and turned toward the head of the trail.

  “Take the long way,” Jess advised. “Galway’s boy would as soon shoot you and pay
the price as look at you right now.”

  “But I—”

  Jess breathed a sigh of pure exasperation. “Trey, you’ve got to stop trying to fix everything and listen for once in your life. What possessed you to marry the widow? You had to know how that would play with her brother.”

  “Half brother,” Trey muttered. “How about I love her? Is that reason enough?”

  “You don’t know her,” Jess scoffed.

  “Well enough,” Trey said.

  But his best friend was dead—and for what? Jess had warned him that his ideas for peace were foolhardy at best and downright dangerous at worst. But Jess had come with him anyway. What if it had been Jess who the boy had killed? What would Trey say to Addie? What was he going to say to Juanita and Eduardo—and Rico? And half brother or not, Henry Galway was family to Nell, and out here, family was everything. How was he going to explain to her how this had all happened?

  “I just wanted to try and work this out, Jess.”

  Jess looked up at the sky for a moment as if trying to hold onto his temper. He lost that battle and turned on Trey. “And you thought marrying up with the widow was the way to do that? You thought bringing Javier out here, when you knew damn well he’d been part of the raiders, was a good idea? That’s just it, Trey. You live in a world that simply does not exist except in those pictures you draw.” He pointed to Javier’s body. “This is the real world out here. Grow up and face facts.” He mounted his horse. “I’m going to the fort. There’s nothing I can do for those men down there except make them madder than they already are. The sooner we get the militia involved in this mess, the better. Now go home, face the music, and let me handle this.”

  Trey watched Jess until all he could see was a plume of dust in the distance. Below him, he heard Galway’s son calling out oaths to avenge his father’s death and the low murmur of Ernest trying to calm him. He picked up the reins to Javier’s horse and stared for a moment at his friend’s lifeless body. Choking back tears, he started down the trail.