by Cyndi Raye
“A cattle thief?” Callie’s eyes widened. “How dare he?”
Montana put up his hand. “He must be in cohorts with other men. Beef is becoming increasingly popular on the east coast and there’s a tidy profit to be made. How he is accomplishing this task is what we aim to find out.”
“I hope you do. Jacob has destroyed my poor uncle, placing him in a lunatic asylum. If he knew what was going on at his ranch, he’d be horrified.”
Grant Jennings, the other ranger, spoke up. “I’ve seen these kind of antics before. It’s hard to get someone out of an asylum once they are placed in by family.”
Callie stood. “I am family. He is my uncle.”
Grant shook his head. “I’m afraid the chance of getting him out are slim but it won’t hurt to try.”
Callie nodded. “I’m married now, so he can be placed in my husband’s care.”
Samuel stood, placing an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“We all will,” Nora told the crowd. “However, this is a serious crime and we have to be careful. We don’t know how many people Jacob Johnson has in his pocket. If anyone gets wind we are involved with bringing him down, we all may be in danger.”
Sheriff Montgomery nodded. “She’s right. It’s best if everyone works in pairs. Be alert and careful. If you see someone strange in the area, notify us immediately.”
“Aren’t we quite far enough away from the Double J Ranch? I mean, they wouldn’t send someone all the way down here to retaliate, would they?”
“You don’t know my Uncle! Look what he did to Jessie!”
Noah Holloway nodded. “This whole area is on alert as far as the rangers are concerned. This man and his outfit are stealing cattle from ranches hundreds of miles away, so who knows who is involved. It’s quite the operation and will take some time to catch everyone. Have you noticed any missing from your ranch?”
Nora shook her head. “No, but we are going to do a head count today just to be sure.”
Callie twisted her hands together. Samuel tried to reassure her by pulling her in closer. “We’ll get your uncle out, no matter what,” he told her.
“I appreciate your kind words. In the meantime, there is no reason not to try to have him placed with us. Maybe he can come here until this whole mess with the cattle rustling blows over.”
Nora gave Callie a hug. “Of course he can come here.”
Ranger Holloway insisted the visit to the North Texas Lunatic Asylum be done in secret. “We don’t want to give the Double J any reason whatsoever to believe Mr. Johnson has been let out to come back to claim his land. Is there any proof he signed over the ranch to his brother, Miss White?”
Callie shook her head. “Not a chance. If we are going to pull this off, my uncle gave me a packet and some gold that I buried on the night he was taken away. Jacob thinks I’m dead. He would never suspect I have the deed to the ranch or the gold. I know he was trying to get both the gold and the deed. Right now the ranch is still in his name unless the state gave it to him since my uncle is in the asylum.”
“I don’t believe they have, according to my sources. Why do you have gold?” Sheriff Nightingale asked.
“My father and uncle both mined for gold in California before coming here. There was plenty left after we bought the ranch. Jacob, the lazy brother would not help to work the land, but he wanted to be partners.”
“Most likely so he had a place to do his rustling, like he’s doing now,” Sheriff Nightingale quipped.
Callie stepped away from Samuel. “I have a plan. We should go to the ranch and retrieve the deed and gold first. There is also a signed document stating the ranch goes to me if anything happens to my Uncle Jessie. So as long as I can prove I am his niece and we are married, I doubt I’ll have any problem getting Jacob out of there.”
“Samuel, you will need to find a different wagon to begin your journey to the Lunatic Asylum, since our wagon was given to a Chinese family.” Nora smiled at Callie, not in judgement but mirth. She continued, “You can hitch up the one I use to go to Cooper’s Ridge every Sunday. It’s lightweight and will get you there faster. The rest of the men can count the herd while you take care of business.”
Ma was always good at directing everyone. Even the rangers and sheriffs allowed her to take charge instead of giving any orders. They seemed to be in agreement to what she said.
Callie turned to him. “I will need a shovel or two to take along.”
Samuel frowned. “What? Do you plan to bury someone?” His remark had him smiling instead when he realized she needed the shovel to dig up her documents and gold.
She shook a finger at him. “You never know!”
“We better get started, there’s a lot of work to do.”
A half hour later the wagon was hitched and the two were on the bench, ready to ride towards the North Texas Lunatic Asylum with a secret stop at the Double J Ranch.
Samuel heard a commotion behind him. Nora White stood at the barn, her hands on her hips. She nodded to the riders coming towards the wagon. Luke and Adam rode up beside them.
“What’s this?” Samuel noticed their saddle bags were filled.
Adam chanted at the same time as Luke. “Can’t let you go alone, brother.”
Samuel wasn’t afraid to go alone but with his brothers by his side, he knew whatever happened at the Lunatic Asylum, if need be, they’d be able to get Mr. Johnson out. The three of them had a way of getting things done.
“Thanks, Luke. Adam.” He nodded, turned to Callie, who was pleasantly surprised the other two were along for the ride.
“This is good,” she told him. “If we have to break him out, it’s better to have more men. Did you plan this?”
He shook his head. “It’s what brothers do. No one faces things alone, not when we have each other for support.”
Callie sighed. “I’m so glad. It’s going to be somewhat scary to go on the Double J land but I buried the goods far enough away from the main house no one will ever notice us. At least, I hope not.”
“We’ll find out when we get there,” Samuel told her. He fingered his pearl-handled pistol just to make sure it rested on his hip. Callie was his wife now, he had to protect her at all costs.
Chapter 4
Callie’s heart raced as they trudged through the field. “I forgot how high the water gets sometimes. I hope it didn’t wash anything away.” She had planted the metal box under the giant oak tree that stood on the edge of the creek that ran along the edge of the Double J’s property line. As far as she knew, the area wasn’t good for grazing and it was a bit too rocky. It was why she had picked the area to hide the metal box.
“I can see why the cattle don’t come down this way. We’ve been walking for what seems like hours and nothing but rocks and gravel here. It’s actually a good choice to hide something, Callie.” Samuel patted her on the shoulder. “You doing alright?”
“I’m fine. The sooner we get this and get off this land, I’ll feel better. Jacob will shoot first and ask questions later. If he see’s I’m alive, he will surely kill me.”
“He’s not going to find us,” Luke reassured. “I’ll stand guard right here. Adam is with the horses and wagon and will warn us if anyone gets close.”
“Hand me the shovel,” Callie told him.
The cold metal was cool against her hand. Samuel took the other shovel, following her to the base of the old oak tree. “It’s pretty rocky right here,” he mentioned.
“I know, I did this on purpose. No one would ever think to bury something in this mass of rocks and stones.” She scooted to one end of the tree and began moving the tip of the shovel against the pile. Moss grew on the tree trunk in abundance since it was so close to the water’s edge.
“Let me do the laboring,” Samuel offered.
Callie looked up. He was so handsome as he worked diligently to shovel away the heavy stones. Taking his boot, he pushed the tip into the loose earth, bringing up lo
ts of gravel and dirt. He scooped them onto a pile. “How far did you dig?”
“I’m not sure, maybe a foot.” In her desperation to bury her uncle’s things, she hadn’t realized exactly how deep she went.
“I feel something.” The tip of his shovel hit something hard. When he moved it away, Callie knelt and pushed away the dirt with her hands. It was late in the evening, almost dusk, rendering it harder to see.
“I got it,” she said, pulling the metal box out. Samuel bent down beside her. They were practically cheek to cheek. He moved ever so slightly, his warm breath against her skin.
“You sure do,” he told her.
Somehow she didn’t think he meant the metal box.
Being so close to him felt nice but they would not be allowed to dally. “We have to close up the hole and get out of here.” Callie held the metal box in her arms while Samuel filled the hole with the mound of dirt and stones.
“Let’s go,” he told her. As they made their way back to Luke and Adam, he noticed there was a tiny lock on the front. “Did you know the box has a lock there?”
“Yes,” she said, a big smile on her face. “I have the key right here.” She pulled a chain from around her neck. It revealed a small key hanging there.
“The key to the box, very smart indeed. I’d say, your uncle and you did a good job of concealing things from the lazy uncle. Except he was a bit smarter in placing Jessie in a lunatic asylum. We better get moving.”
They rode most of the day, Callie holding the metal box as if there was buried treasure inside. In all reality, it was everything she needed to exonerate Uncle Jessie and get him out of the asylum.
She was glad when one of the brothers announced they would be stopping for the night.
“We asked Sheriff Montana to send a telegram ahead to the hotel to hold two rooms for the night. This way we can start out early in the morning. We’ll have a good nights rest this way. We have to be ready for anything.”
Callie was surprised everything was already mapped out. She was used to dealing with things of this nature on her own. She turned to him. “Thank you. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone look out for me.”
Samuel patted her hand and gazed into her eyes. “You don’t have to worry any longer. That’s my job now.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. She tried to brush them away without him seeing them but it was too late. He closed in, taking a finger and wiping it from her cheek.
“I’m sorry, I don’t cry. I never do.”
He smiled and yet his eyes gazed into hers, so serious she sucked in a deep breath. It was almost dark but she was able to see every single feature of his face. The man was so handsome and yet his intense look made Callie feel safe.
Adam rode up alongside the wagon, making enough noise to wake the dead. “We’re almost here. Take a left at the next crossroads and the hotel is on the left. I’m sure you remember that place.”
Samuel nodded, then turned towards the road ahead, paying attention to the other wagons coming their way. She watched his profile for the longest time, remembering the kiss at their wedding ceremony, wondering when he was going to kiss her again.
They dropped off the horses and wagon and walked up the street to the main hotel. It was a large, elegant structure. She wasn’t used to such luxury and she wondered how they acquired a room here. “Isn’t this expensive?” she asked, worried about the cost. Even though she held a metal box full of gold if they needed money, she was always frugal. It was how they ran the ranch.
“No worries,” Adam told her. “We have some history at this hotel. It’s quite the story. Perhaps Samuel will let you in on his shenanigans at some point.”
“My shenanigans? Why, you and Luke were up to your elbows in it, too!”
The three men laughed out loud. Callie found them refreshing in light of the heavy turmoil approaching. She had been so worried about her uncle, this reprieve from the seriousness of the day was well received.
“I wish to hear about the White brother’s shenanigans,” she told them.
“Let’s get checked in and we’ll tell you the story at supper.” Samuel got two keys from the desk. They walked up a large open stairway to the first floor. As Luke and Adam went in one room, Callie realized she’d be sharing a room with her husband.
A nervousness overcame her senses. “Are we staying in the same room?”
“We are married.” He unlocked the door and flung it open. A large bed stood right in her line of vision.
Callie gasped. How in the world would she be able to sleep in that bed with him? She turned to stare at his face, wondering what he was thinking. “You can’t be serious? Is the other room just like this one?”
“I’m not sure, I suppose so.”
She turned towards the bed. “I, do you think we should be doing this?”
“Callie, stop. We are married. It’s perfectly normal for a married couple to sleep in the same hotel room.”
“In the same bed?”
He laughed. “Yes, in the same bed. Where is your spirit, Callie? I’m surprised you are being so nervous about our situation.”
Red flooded her cheeks. They felt warm. “I, uh, oh dear!” She didn’t know what to say or do.
He came closer. She backed up. “Callie, what has gotten into you?”
Her lower lip quivered. “It’s just, well, when I was young, we lived in a mining camp. I remember some of the married couples, they would, you know, um, do things in the tents right next to ours and I remember holding my hands over my ears because, well, there was a lot of noise and growling.”
He gathered her in his arms. Was he chuckling? He didn’t scare her, far from it but the memory of her younger years came flooding back. Callie even surprised herself at the intensity of her memory. Some of the men were not nice to their wives. She remembered her father cursing at some of the miners and he always tried to pitch their own tent away from others after that incident but it remained in her head all these years.
Callie hadn’t realized how much until she saw the bed and her husband in the same room together. “I’m so sorry, Samuel. I had a bad memory and it gave me the chills.”
He looked down at her. “I’ll go stay in my brothers room so there is no need to worry.”
She looked up at him. “Are you certain?”
“Are you?”
She nodded. “It would be for the best.”
He bent down and kissed her softly on the mouth. “I promise, whatever bad memories you had I vow right now to replace them with unforgettable ones. This is my promise to you.”
Then he was gone.
She stood in the center of the room, staring at the door he just closed. What a wonderful, caring man. He was her husband and had every right to be here and yet he went next door in a crowded room on her behalf. Was he sleeping on the floor? A chair? She didn’t know but his tender arms that held her while she was scared made her re-think everything she knew about men.
Would he be gentle with her?
That is, if she ever had the chance for a real marriage with him.
They were together for two reasons. He married to honor a promise to his Ma and she needed him to get Uncle Jessie out of that horrible place. She shuddered at the thought of having to face the doctor again. He had been so awful to deal with.
Except this time she wouldn’t be alone. She had her new husband along to speed up the process. Dr. Wallace did say if she were married, he’d be inclined to allow Uncle Jessie to leave in her husband’s care. And if that didn’t work, she had another plan to break him out. All she had to do was put it in motion.
After a pleasant dinner in the hotel’s dining room, she retired to her room, crawling under the covers in a daze. It had been a long day, well, a long week.
She stared at the ceiling for the longest time. Dear Lord, please be with us tomorrow. Keep Uncle Jessie safe from those madmen at the lunatic asylum and help me get him home. Amen.
The road she was on would a
lways be rocky. Without a mother, life had always been somewhat harsh. She grew up in the presence of her father and uncle, living a rough life as a miner’s daughter first, then a rancher’s daughter. She didn’t dally when life got easier, no, she worked the ranch right alongside the rest of them. Even though she knew how to take care of herself, Callie was tired. It had been nice today when everything had been taken care of.
When Samuel’s Ma took her in her arms and gave her a hug before they left the ranch, it felt so nice. There was something about an older woman giving a well meaning hug. She never knew her mother. Samuel was so lucky to have her. She drifted off to sleep wondering what it would be like to have Nora White as her mother in law.
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North of the tracks of the Texas and Pacific railway, a few miles North-east of the town of Terrell, stood an intimidating structure most people were afraid to get near in case one of the patients got loose.
The four of them stood at the gate, the sign glaring at them in bold letters. North Texas Lunatic Asylum - for the treatment and care of the chronic incurable insane.
Callie felt Samuels hand on her arm as she took a deep breath. “I guess it’s now or never,” she said, then turned to him with a nervous look. Letting out her breath, she took the first step forward. Samuel encased her hand in his, walking alongside of her.
“Did you get a chance to look through the box?”
Callie nodded. “I did so this morning. The deed to the property is there, along with a last will and testament leaving the ranch to me. There is also plenty of gold I will use to reimburse you and your family as soon as this task is over.”
Samuel squeezed her hand. “No need, Callie. I have our wedding certificate right in my pocket, signed by the Reverend Conners. It is a bit crinkled.” He pulled it out to show her.
Callie lifted her face to him. She smiled and then laughed out loud, even though the nervous energy filled her up. “You snatched up that piece of paper and stuffed it in your pocket right before we left the church.”
