Dominic knew the voice but he hadn’t quite put it together. Meeks knew, without a doubt, who was behind the mask. The man started to back up out of the room with the girl and as he reached the door a shot came from the top of the stairs and hit him right between the eyes. He fell on the spot. Garnett holstered his gun and lit a cigar.
“The fun seems to always start when I am upstairs.” He came down the stairs, reached over the bar and grabbed a bottle. Meeks picked up his gun and threw Dominic’s to him as James retrieved his. They picked up the tables and put the money on the bar and told the men to straighten it out themselves. They all got their hats and walked up to the last man lying in the doorway. Meeks rolled him over and removed his mask. “We fired him two days ago along with the men who were riding with him.” Dominic told the foreman to clean it up.
“You know Garnett you sure are getting slow when a woman has your attention.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t see my gun on that floor Meeks and you should know better than to assume I was with only one woman.”
Ross was standing next to Dominic. “Are you guys always that good?
James laughed and slapped him on the back. “No we’re usually better than that.”
Mirisa was sitting in front of the fire stitching a piece of needlework as the Ross boys played checkers. Meeks walked over and sat next to her to see what she was doing “Well I am glad to see you haven’t lost all of your gentile ways.” She was surprised at the roughness of his voice and the obvious slight which caused her to bristle.
“What happened, did they run out of whisky or have I done something to cause you to question my upbringing?”
“No, we were losing so we decided to come home and play with you but I see you are too busy doing frivolous things.” He lit his cigar and Dominic walked in and kissed her on the top of the head and told Meeks to knock it off.
Mirisa turned around and looked at her husband then at the rest of them. Something happened, something very bad. She put her needlework on the table wondering why Meeks felt it necessary to come in and attack her unsolicited. Her anger flashed so fast that it took her by surprise as she instantly buried the pain of Meeks words. How could he be so mean when she had done nothing to deserve it? She bit her lip and mustered up all her strength to not react.
“Well, I see you do want to play. James get the cards, I think I am in the mood to play real poker.” He got up off the couch and took the bottle with him.
“Meeks, why are you being mean?”
“You think this is mean?” Dominic knew Meeks was extremely angry at having to give up his gun to a third rate cowhand that he had just fired. He actually thought they all probably needed to have gone back upstairs because there was way too much anger in this room.
Tom gathered up his boys and thanked Mirisa for watching them. She walked outside with Tom and Alexander and thanked the boys for spending the evening with her before she handed Tom Jr. a tin of the fresh baked cookies. She came back in the house and you could cut the tension with a knife. They were already shuffling the cards. Garnett was the only one who seemed to be relaxed and he met her eyes briefly.
“What happened?”
They all looked at her but gave no sign that they were going to tell her.
“Fine, I’ll stand right here until one of you tells me what happened tonight.”
“Mirisa.”
“Don’t do that.” You could see the anger in her stance. Dominic started to get up and she held up her hand and he sat back down.
Garnett blew smoke rings and looked at her through them and their eyes locked but this time he didn’t back down and she refused to look away. He loved the set of her expression when she was tired of being handled by them. Garnett sat forward in his chair and leaned on the table. “Someone tried to rob the card room and we had to handle it.”
“You killed someone?”
Meeks narrowed his eyes. “Four actually.”
Dominic wanted to hit Meeks but James stepped in. “Knock it off Meeks; she doesn’t need to hear details.”
“Yes she does.” He put down his cigar and walked toward her. Dominic started to get out of his chair and Garnett put his hand on his arm. “They could have just as easily come to the house looking for revenge or money and she would have opened the door because she doesn’t truly understand danger. We can’t afford to let her think that the world is safe. Are all of you willing to lose her because you believe life is too harsh for her delicate ears?” Meeks turned to her and she looked deep into his eyes. “Are all of you willing to take that chance?”
Meeks reached out and touched her cheek with the back of his hand realizing he had scared her as she pulled away. He dropped his hand, picked up his hat and left the house. Mirisa looked at Dominic and realized that Garnett was forcefully holding him back. Mirisa turned away from them but was unable to move a muscle despite the desperate need to get air back into her lungs.
Garnett let go of Dominic’s arm. “He’ll be back in an hour.”
She was biting her bottom lip and the tears were welling up in her eyes. Dominic stood up and walked over and raised Mirisa’s chin wiping the small tears off of her lashes before they could roll down her cheeks. She took in a deep breath and leaned her head up against his chest and composed herself.
“I thought we were safe here.”
“There is no where that is safe from people who are determined to be bad.”
Meeks dismounted in front of the card room and when he walked in everyone was still arguing over who had money on the bar. Meeks grabbed the blonde by the arm pulling her up the stairs. She complained that he was hurting her and Meeks told her to shut up as he slammed the door. The Madame looked at the bartender who just shrugged and went back to cleaning off the bar.
Meeks reached over and undid the top of her dress and let it fall to the ground. He took off his gun and undid his shirt. She smiled and he immediately took her up against the wall with such force that she thought he was going to kill her. She tried to get away and Meeks threw her on the bed and angrily pinned her down. She had been beaten many a times over the years by drunks but this furiousness scared her to death. Meeks finally rolled over and reached into his shirt pocket and took out a cigar. He hated her, he hated all the nameless, faceless women, he hated the anger that he couldn’t control and he hated that Mirisa made him feel anything.
“Go get me a bottle.” She looked at him defiantly and he grabbed her wrist and pulled her right up to him. “If I have to tell you again, you will be fired.” She looked into his eyes and immediately got dressed and went downstairs and asked for a bottle and glass. The bartender looked at the bruises that were beginning to show on her arms. He gave her both and she took them back upstairs. Meeks took them away from her and told her to get out. He lay on the bed for a while before he dressed. Meeks threw a gold coin on the bar as he walked passed and headed back to the adobe. The blonde decided that she wasn’t coming back here no matter how much they paid.
Mirisa sat out on the porch with a cup of hot tea and watched the stars flicker in-between the clouds that were moving up the river. It was going to be a tremendous storm with much needed rain. The drums moved through her veins in a slow rhythm in sync with her heart.
Mirisa thought about how much she struggled with her own perception of a good life. They spent so much time protecting her, saving her, caring for her and rarely did they show any anger or disappointment in her behavior even when she did something that created the problem. She finally got up and went in to find James and Garnett putting on their guns. Mirisa told them goodnight.
“Change your clothes and make sure you put on your gun.”
Mirisa started to respond but instead just nodded and headed for the bedroom. Dominic brought her horse around as she walked out onto the porch. Meeks watched as she mounted her horse and they turned toward the river slowly crossing it. They rode hard for a couple of hours then walked the horses as the thunder continued north of them. Mirisa kn
ew Dominic rode hard when he was keyed up and tonight probably had angered him far more than he was revealing. Mirisa had grown accustomed to his stoic moods. The rain finally caught up to them a few miles from the river and she found the experience of riding in the rain to be unusually cleansing.
Garnett and James got back to the adobe as the sun was rising. Garnett headed straight to his room to clean up as James cleaned out the coffee pot and made fresh coffee.
Meeks was sitting on the couch reading a journal. He looked up as James came in but didn’t attempt to engage in any conversation. James picked up a glass and poured a shot. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“You’re lashing out at her…”
“James, I am extremely aware of how badly I scared her last night. I can’t take back my inexcusable behavior and I can’t give you a valid reason why so just drop it.”
“You can’t expose her without taking into consideration of her inability to even say something bad much less do something bad. She doesn’t have the makeup to deal with the blunt truth and no matter how many times you try to move her in that direction she just will never be able to deal with it.” Meeks folded the journal and poured another shot.
“James, you do her no favor by keeping her completely sheltered. Tell me, do you think she would be with us if she knew the truth?”
“And you shouldn’t force her to open her eyes because when the shoe comes down she needs someone she can trust and someone who will pick her back up.”
“And how long James, do you watch and wait?”
“I have no control over it but I think she needs to make the decision without our meddling.”
“I think I need to take a trip. Are you in?”
“Sure. It has been a long two years. Which direction?”
“Doesn’t matter. I just need distance and time.”
Garnett came out drying his hair as he picked up a glass and sat down on the couch.
“Garnett, we’re riding, are you in?”
“Depends on where you are going but since I really don’t care then I’m in.” He lit a cigar and sat back. “I am assuming that this is without Dominic.”
“You assume right.”
“When are you leaving?”
“End of the week.” Garnett nodded and said he was going to sleep but wanted to be woken if someone decided to cook. “And Meeks is right but the discussion must be done when things are normal because she doesn’t take it in when the emotions are too high.”
“LEE SURRENDERED HIS Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House. In an untraditional gesture and as a sign of Grant's respect and anticipation of folding the Confederacy back into the Union with dignity and peace, Lee was permitted to keep his officer's saber and his horse. Johnston surrendered his troops to Sherman on April 26, 1865 in Durham, North Carolina. Fort Towson in the Choctaw Nations' area of the Oklahoma Territory, has not signed a cease-fire agreement with Union representatives."
Meeks was reading the paper as they waited for breakfast to be served. “Well boys it looks like the war is over.” They had been in Dallas for a few days for the horse auction. He folded the paper and picked up his coffee. Dominic was the last to join them but he only ordered coffee and picked up the paper, read the headlines before folding it and putting it back down.
“Where is your wife?” James was writing something in his book and didn’t look up.
“She said she got what she wanted yesterday so she was going to spend the day relaxing without men around.” He lit a cigar and picked up his coffee.
“What did she get?” James closed the ledger and lit his cigar off of Dominic’s.
“I believe Garnett bought her a new horse but she didn’t really say.” They all looked at Garnett who just raised his eyebrows like he had absolutely no idea.
“You know Garnett you spoil her way too much.” Meeks grinned.
“Don’t worry; I put him under your name.” They all laughed and he just smiled.
“Well, it’s not like I can’t afford it and I probably need a peace offering.”
Dominic wondered if they would ever give him his wife back but he seriously doubted it. “How many horses have we bought so far?”
James opened the book again. “Total of 43.”
“I thought we only bought 37?”
“We did. I picked up six for Tom’s boys and there’s the one that Meeks bought.”
Dominic looked at Garnett. “What did you get her?”
“A young stallion.”
“Mirisa can’t handle a stallion. Why did you agree to buy it?”
“She fell in love with this one after she talked to him and said he would make a good stud.”
“The solid black yesterday?”
“Yep.”
“I was wondering why you were bidding on him. Did you get a good price?”
“Nope.” James broke out laughing but Meeks only smiled.
“You know you are making my job much more difficult.”
“Yep, we realize that.”
“Of course, he is a very strong large stallion and will do very well for breeding but Mirisa was talking about breeding fees so you might want to be on your game when you negotiate with her.”
Dominic shook his head and poured another cup of coffee. After they paid the bill, he stopped by the front desk and asked that dinner be served upstairs around eight. They headed for the auction house.
They knew the last day of the auction was all the horses that would be good but not premium stock so they could get a lot for their money. They had decided to diversify from the wild mustangs into horses that were stronger. Garnett was sitting on the railing watching as they brought the first round of horses into the pen. They all looked the horses over carefully, narrowing it down until they had six they wanted to bid on. Dominic and Meeks moved over to the other side of the pen to bid and Garnett and James stayed where they were so they could watch the bidders.
“Mr. Eppes, I understand your final horses are up for bid today.” Two men were walking by when Garnett heard the name and turned.
“Tom?” He stopped and turned to his name.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Garnett how the hell have you been!” He walked up as James turned around. “James! What are you two doing in Dallas?”
“We have a ranch south of here.” Dominic and Meeks walked over after the auction and when they got within a few yards they realized who was talking to Garnett. Even though Tom finished at the top of his class, he elected to return home rather than stay in the Army.
“We were sorry to hear about your brother. How is the rest of your family?” Meeks offered him a cigar and he took it biting off the end.
“How in the world did you hear about my brother?”
Garnett laughed. “Then you don’t know about Mirisa?”
Tom looked at him as though he had no idea how they would know his sister’s name. He couldn’t remember ever mentioning her to any of them when he was in school. In fact, she was a good eight years younger than him. “What about her?” He looked from one to the other.
Dominic leaned back against the railing and lit his cigar. “I married her three years ago.”
Tom took his cigar out of his mouth as though he were trying to decipher what Dominic had just said. “What are you talking about?”
“She’s in Dallas right now.”
“Are you serious?” They all just stood there waiting for his true reaction. “She’s way too young to be married and my parents would never approve of her marrying any of you. No disrespect, but you are just not what my mother would consider a good choice.”
Dominic smiled. “Well, that was pretty much her opinion when she found out and probably still is.”
“You’re not joking are you?”
“No.”
You could see his jaw move as he struggled to check is reaction. He stuck out his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t know, though I probably would have done mor
e than object if I had.” They all laughed because he was always the straight laced proper cadet. “How is she? I haven’t seen her in almost seven years. She was in pigtails last time I was home.”
“I think you’ll be surprised. Are you staying in town tonight?”
“Yeah, I will be here until morning. My horses are finished today and I have another auction to go to next week in New York so I have to get back.”
“Will you join us for dinner at the hotel tonight?”
“You couldn’t keep me away. I’m staying at the Inn down by the river which is why I probably haven’t run into you.” Garnett gave him the room number and told him they were eating out on the veranda of the room. They shook hands and Dominic went over to the auctioneer and settled up their debt and made arrangements to have the horses delivered to the ranch.
They rode back to town and left their horses at the stable. Meeks and James said they were going to stop in the saloon and would see them later while Garnett walked back with Dominic.
“I think we did fairly well this year.”
“On average, we did very well though I was hoping to get more than four horses today.”
Their rooms were next to each other facing the river which was nice because they could sit out on the veranda and have privacy. They found Mirisa curled up on the porch settee with a package next to her. Dominic picked it up turning it over.
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