“We didn’t realize Dominic named the ranch after you.” She looked at Meeks and knew they had seen the birthmark that was a small crescent moon on the small of her back. She looked at Dominic and then at all of them and no one said anything so she turned to Meeks.
“I assume there’s nothing left for any of you to wonder about.” She picked up the spoon and stirred the stew in her bowl. The way she said it had so much resignation that Meeks wondered if anyone else picked up on it.
“Actually that’s not true but I haven’t decided if it’s worth dying for.” They all knew that Meeks was dead serious.
“Do you think I’m that good of a shot?” She tasted the stew as she watched Meeks.
He passed her a biscuit. “It’s not you that I worry about.”
“You should.” He raised his eyebrows and Dominic just smiled. “But thank you for taking care for me again.”
“You’re welcome.” They all ate dinner and for once she was hungry enough to finish her stew.
Christmas arrived on the tails of a typical Texas windstorm and a promise of torrential winter showers. Dominic stood on the porch with James talking for a few minutes before he came back inside alone. Mirisa slowly dressed and thought about how long the war had worn on. Unlike Natchez, they received so little news of events unless someone went to Dallas or Austin but frequently men would stop by the ranch looking for work or seeking bedding for the night and bringing news. Sometimes they would discuss it in front of Mirisa and sometimes they thought it would be too depressing. The numbers of dead seemed to just keep piling up and she thought there would be so many widows left to raise children alone that it couldn’t be good for the country. The loss of her baby weighed heavily on her heart and she felt as though no one in her life acknowledged what happened making her feel insignificant.
“Are you ready for breakfast?” She shook off the memory and finished lacing up her boots.
“It’s still raining too hard.”
“A little water won’t hurt you.”
Mirisa made a face as he handed her an umbrella and picked her up carrying her down to the adobe. Meeks and Garnett were sitting at the bar when they came through the door. The house was decorated with candles and a large Christmas tree was set up next to the fireplace with dozens of gaily wrapped presents piled under the tree. The tears silently fell down her cheek and Garnett put his money on the table. Mirisa knew they always bet on when she would cry. James came out of the kitchen and handed her a cup of hot cocoa. He used the towel in his hand and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “You look beautiful this morning.”
“James, she always looks beautiful.” Mirisa walked over to the large Christmas tree touching it with just the tips of her fingers as though it was an illusion. It was a very full tree but instead of being a dark evergreen it was a silvery shade of green that glistened. It was covered with fabric ribbons and ornaments made out of tin along with strands of dried fruits and herbs. Memories of the years filled her, the laughter and gaiety, her brothers swinging her around while her father cautioned them, the mincemeat pies with little ceramic bird in the center, hot cinnamon tea, snowflakes dancing past the windows as the love filled her with such warmth before realty stole away her memories leaving her standing alone sad and empty. She turned around and looked at them.
“Thank you.” Mirisa walked over and hugged each of them. The temperature drastically plummeted as the rain tapered off slightly but the sky was full of menacing clouds. Mirisa stood at the door looking out over the river which had spilled over the western bank making it appear twice as wide as it was. You could hear the fallen tree limbs banging up against the curves before they would dislodge and gain speed again. It was so beautiful despite the obvious danger. Dog laid by her feet with his ears perked.
“Do you want in?”
She looked at them and shook her head. Standing with one hand on her stomach, Mirisa was again lost in the loneliness of her body betraying her without so much as a whisper or asking if she cared. She wondered if she would ever have children. Garnett watched her closely. Dominic followed his gaze and after a moment they were all looking at her.
“Mirisa?”
“Yes?”
“Are you alright?” Dominic started to get up but she turned to him.
“I’m fine.” She turned back to the river.
“Mirisa?” They were all completely still.
She walked over and sat in her husband’s lap. “I’m just homesick, I’m sorry.” Mirisa picked up his cards. “You need to discard two.” She put two down and looked at James.
“Are you going to cheat for him?”
“No, he doesn’t like cheating.” James got up and brought out a large pot of hot cocoa and filled her cup. They played for a while with the betting climbing but Dominic knew she was holding nothing nor was she really engaged in the game. Meeks put a small box on the table and folded.
It sat on the table for a moment. Mirisa opened it and lifted out a small silver bracelet. She slipped her fingers through it until it rested perfectly on her wrist. It coiled around her wrist twice and the eyes on the head were set with rubies while the tale curled away from the snake’s body. The significance was so poignant. Mirisa hesitated because this year was such a pivotal point in her relationship with each of them. They were so different and so alike. Mirisa bit her bottom lip taking in her breath before she thanked them.
James said he had to check on the turkey and Mirisa said she would help him so the three played for another hour. There was little conversation but Mirisa didn’t notice because she was so lost in her own world. She cleared off the table as James put out a pie with coffee. She took one look at the pie and started laughing.
“James, I will always love how much you love me.”
James leaned up against the bar with his arm around Mirisa’s waist holding her up against him. He knew what was bothering her because it had been a year since she lost the baby. He kissed her on the neck talking to her quietly about the loss.
“James, if you do not get your hands off of my wife.”
“It’s not my fault, she always smells so damn nice.”
“Well, she bought enough of that stuff that I am sure she’ll give you some.” They all laughed and he just smiled.
“I love all of you so much.” They all looked up at her but she wasn’t smiling.
Meeks smiled. “The last woman who said that was that little blonde in San Antonio and I believe she had good reason to say it.”
Mirisa shook her head. “Meeks, you are incorrigible.”
“Yes, but I am that good.” He winked at her and she smiled and leaned back against James.
“James, take your hands off of my wife.”
“I don’t think so. There’s nothing as wonderful as a woman who loves to be held and this one loves to be held.” He released her and she went over and sat down next to her husband. Dominic bent her head back and kissed her.
“I think I need to lock you away.”
Garnett lit his cigar and poured everyone a shot. “Well, that’s what you get for marrying a younger woman.”
Meeks picked his up and toasted her. “That’s what you get for marrying a beautiful, younger woman.”
James joined the toast. “That’s what you get for marrying.”
Mirisa started laughing so hard that the tears rolled down her cheeks. Dominic reached over and kissed her but every time she tried to make a straight face she broke out in laughter again.
“Mirisa it wasn’t that funny.”
“You would think so if you had a sense of humor.” She kissed him and got up to help serve dessert.
They spent the evening exchanging gifts and Mirisa listened to them talk about their expectations for the coming year.
1865
THE RANCH continued to prosper as the war continued in the East. Mirisa continued to spend her free time at the adobe for the warmth seemed to cocoon her.
After a long morning with prospective buyers,
Garnett decided to take the afternoon off and work on his manuscript. He stopped in the doorway and listened to her voice as she carried the song with such wistfulness. She put a pie in the oven turning around startled to find Garnett leaning up against the counter.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone to come home.”
He laughed. “And here I always wondered who was leaving delectable desserts.”
Mirisa grinned. “No you didn’t. Why are you home?”
“I’m tired of working all day with horses so I am going to work from home in the afternoons that I can steal away from the captain.”
“You’re referring to my husband? I’ve heard others call him that but never you.”
“I only do when he is being obsessive and working me like a cowhand.”
“I wish he wouldn’t work so hard.”
“When is the pie going to be ready?”
“There’s one cooling on the window sill if you are hungry and there is fresh milk in the pitcher.” Garnett walked around the counter and picked up the pie smelling the fresh cinnamon and apples as he set it on the counter and took down the large kitchen knife cutting out a huge piece. He served up two pieces licking the juice off his fingers as she poured two glasses of milk. They moved to the couch and he took out his papers and began to write as she curled up with a new book. Their afternoons became a given thing that they both enjoyed but never discussed.
“Garnett, you do realize that any time you create a pattern that you jeopardize being trapped?”
Garnett and Mirisa looked up at James. He looked like he had had a very hard day which made them both smile. “And did you just stumble onto me or did you figure it out?”
“Actually, Dominic pointed it out. Since Meeks and I usually work down south, it took us a day or two to realize you were doing something else.” He was leaning up against the bar and was looking from one to the other. “Mirisa.”
She bit her lower lip studying the question that was in the mere pronunciation of her name. “James.”
He looked back at Garnett who was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs with his feet on the ottoman. There was an empty plate next to his chair with a half empty glass of milk. Papers were on his lap and he had ink stains on this fingers which meant he had been writing. “How is the book coming?”
“It’s flowing well.”
“You’re writing a book?” They both looked at her and Garnett nodded. “Can I read it?”
“It’s not finished….”
“I don’t care.”
James undid his belt and rolled up his gun as he headed down the hallway. “Well, I need to clean up and I think it would be nice if someone else did the cooking for a change.”
Meeks came in as Mirisa was putting the dishes in the sink. “Sugar, you are not usually here this late.”
“I know. Time got away from me. I need to get home before…”
“Too late. Dominic rode home with us.”
Mirisa smiled and stretched up on her tiptoes kissing Meeks. “Tell James that dinner is in the oven.” She slipped around him leaving him standing in the kitchen.
James came out in just jeans and headed for the kitchen. A fresh loaf of bread was on the counter and the table was set for five.
“Why are we eating here and how often does she spend time here?”
“Every day, sometimes all day and sometimes just long enough to bake but lately it has been all day.”
“And…”
Meeks laughed. “He hasn’t crossed the line if that is what you are asking but I haven’t figured out why he hasn’t or maybe he is still plotting his approach.”
Garnett laughed. “The balance is too important at the moment.”
After dinner, they decided to play cards. Garnett put a glass of wine and the bottle on the little table next to Mirisa before handing her the manuscript. She curled up with the soft blanket over her lap and opened the binder as she picked up the glass of wine. “The town people had already made up their minds as to his innocence…”
Mirisa made it through three chapters before Dominic came in to see if she was ready to go home. Mirisa closed the binder tying the string before setting it back down on the table. Never had she read a story so griping that she wanted to stay and finish it but she knew it would be there when she came back. Mirisa thought Garnett was an elegant talker but had no idea what his life was like as an attorney. Mirisa’s relationship with them was so one dimensional that discovering the depth of each of them fascinated her. Mirisa ran her hand over the bracelet as she waited for Dominic to get her jacket and when she looked up Garnett was watching her. She looked over at her husband who was talking to James. She looked back to Garnett wondering if everything would be different if she had made a different choice or if the choice she made was the way it was supposed to be.
The manuscript became an obsession to the point that as soon as she finished her work, Mirisa would head to the adobe fixing a pot of coffee and curling up on the couch to read. The story was about a poor farmer whose wife had been found in the back fields bludgeoned to death with a heavy rock. The story was written from the man’s view of events and his reaction to each thing that happened after he found her lying askew in the wet grass next to a stand of old trees.
“She appeared to be asleep except that her legs were in an odd position twisted away from her body, her wet hair was matted against her cheek and her eyes were closed but her mouth was open as though she were about to tell you a secret. Everything was quiet, very, very quiet as he knelt down beside her whispering her name knowing that she would never again turn to him. Never again look up from under her bonnet seeking his smile. Never again lay in his arms at the end of a long, grueling day of bailing hay. Never again.”
Mirisa wondered if Garnett was writing this from a case he handled for the details were so absorbing of one’s attention. Garnett came in one afternoon to find her still reading and nothing freshly baked. She acknowledged him but continued until she finished the chapter.
“I’m afraid I have neglected everything today.” She closed the manuscript and put it on the table before heading for the kitchen. He reached out and stopped her.
“That is a great compliment.”
Mirisa took a moment before it sunk in. “You are an incredible writer and I shall leave you to your work.” He brought her in closer and kissed her forehead while breathing in her scent. Mirisa’s fingers touched him so lightly that it sent a shiver down his back as he reluctantly released her and went to clean up.
When he came back out, there was a plate of hot cinnamon sticks sitting next to his chair. They never talked about the manuscript because she told him that she wanted nothing she said to influence his story.
There were a few problems with the men as new ones were hired but they generally let Meeks handle the men and the social aspects of the ranch. The men had wanted the card house open more than one night a week but Meeks refused since it would just cause problems with drinking and fighting over the games or women. He made the Madame change the girls out frequently just to stop anyone from becoming attached to any one of them. He was amazed how many men fell in love with a working girl. They refused to allow Mirisa anywhere near that part of the ranch and Dominic rarely went down to play cards. Once in a while Tom and Alexander would come over with Tom’s boys who would stay with her while they went to play cards.
After the first few times one of the girls propositioned him, he pulled the Madame aside and told her that the next girl who even attempted to approach him would be fired on the spot along with her. She found him extremely quiet and menacing compared to the other three but assumed he pulled more weight on decisions. It seemed to work until tonight when a little redhead came up and sat in his lap and put her arms around him. Everyone at the table kicked back because they knew she was a new girl and obviously didn’t understand the instructions or she was just dumb. Meeks got up, grabbed her by the arm and took her upstairs. Garnett decided it was probably a very g
ood time to take a break and he headed upstairs. Tom poured everyone a shot and lit a cigar as James dealt a new round.
“ALRIGHT, EVERYONE PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE TABLE!” Four men came through the door with guns drawn and masks covering their faces. Dominic started to reach for his gun but put his hand back on the table. Tom and James were both facing the door and put their cards on the table.
The thin man walked over to the nearest table and waved his gun at them. “Take your side arms out slowly and put them on the table.” Most were not wearing guns since they lived in the bunkhouses and the men here were friends. The shortest of the four men picked up the two guns and put them in his waistband. They moved to the second table and picked up three guns. One man stayed by the door with two guns drawn and watched. The bartender kept his hands on the bar and the Madame stayed on the bar stool. They finally made it to Dominic and he told Dominic to get up and move around to the other side of the table and slowly draw his gun and drop it on the floor. James put his gun in the middle but Tom wasn’t wearing one. The third man was collecting the money off of the tables into a hat. Dominic was leaning up against the back wall as the shorter man reached across the table for the guns. In an instant, James grabbed his gun and flipped the table. The cards and money went flying through the air, the man fell under the table and James rolled to the right. The man at the door turned both guns in their direction and started shooting as did the first robber. Meeks took out two of the men from the top of the stairs and James hit the money man right between the eyes. The first man was standing in the middle of the room with one gun pointed at Dominic and the other at Meeks.
“Friend you might want to reconsider your options tonight. I don’t like losing at poker.”
The man lowered his gun to Dominic’s heart and you could see by his eyes that he thought he could still walk away. He told everyone to drop their guns or he would kill their boss. He motioned for Meeks to come down the stairs and made both him and James lay their guns down and kick them toward him. They both did as they were told. He kicked them out of the way, told one of the girls to pick up the hat with the money in it and bring it to him. She didn’t move and he told her to either do it or he’d kill her. She walked over and picked up the hat and gathered up all the money that had spilled out onto the floor trying to avoid touching the blood that was spilling out of the man’s head. She reached out to hand it to him and he grabbed her wrist and turned her around holstered one gun and put the other gun to her head.
The Visitor_Texas 1863_1869 Page 13
