Junction City Cowboy

by Jet MacLeod

  As I walked back, I looked at her. She looked like an angel that had fallen from heaven. She looked so scared and helpless, sitting there, wrapped in those blankets. Her sable hair was plastered to her head and her emerald eyes looked at me with questions I wasn’t sure I was ready to answer for her. I wasn’t sure she would like the answers.

  “You’re going to be fine. I’ve got some more wood. I’m going to build the fire up. Just sit and get warm, okay?” I told her.

  “That is what I am trying to do, Reece. Just please hurry up. I was warmer with your arms around me,” she said, as I nearly dumped all the wood on the ground and rushed to her.

  I put some of the wood that I had found on the fire and stoked it higher. I stopped when she pulled back from it. I figured that was enough, then, that I had added. I went back to her then and gathered her back into my arms.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “You’re welcome, Miss Rayne,” I replied.

  She leaned into me. I held her and tried to keep her as warm as I could. I didn’t want her to get sick. It would be hard but I had to do it. I would have to hold her without letting my feelings interfere. She needed to get warm. I kept telling myself that, so I wouldn’t do anything that I might regret later. I didn’t want to hurt her or to do anything to her to take advantage of her, I couldn’t do that.

  “Reece, I am starting to get warm,” she told me.

  “That’s good. You’re clothes are almost dry as well. Soon you will be able to put your clothes back on. You’ll get warmer, then,” I explained to her.

  “Just keep holding me. It helps,” she said.

  “I will do that, Miss Rayne,” I said.

  “Thank you,” she replied.

  “You’re welcome, but you don’t have to keep thanking me. I am just doing my job, Miss Rayne. You’re going to be fine, you’ll see in the morning,” I told her.

  “I know. Even though I was being stubborn, you were trying to help me. I should have listened to you earlier. I wouldn’t be as cold as I was if I had,” she stated.

  “Maybe not, but at least you came to your senses. I didn’t really want to have to strip you down, Miss Rayne. I don’t find that very gentlemanly. I doubt that you would have either. I would have found myself working in Junction again for Loren, if it had come to that,” I said.

  “I doubt that. If I ever realized that you did it to help me, then I wouldn’t let you go back. It might have taken me awhile to see it, but when I did, I would have thanked you for doing what you did to save me,” she stated.

  “I just don’t want Jed trying to kill me. I kind of like living just a little bit, you know? I wouldn’t ever want to cross him,” I replied.

  “You should be more worried about me than him. He would never know what happened out here. I’m sure not going to tell him. So unless you are going to tell him, you aren’t going to have to worry about him killing you anytime soon, I promise,” she explained.

  “Well that’s good,” I responded.

  We didn’t talk for a while. I guess that she was trying to devote all of her energy into getting warm. I can’t say that I blamed her. Her skin felt cool under the warmth of my fingers as I rubbed her arms continuously trying to keep her warm. I think she dozed off once or twice.

  I reached over and checked her clothes. They were dry. I knew that she would get warmer if she could put them back on. I shook her gently and she woke. I pointed to her clothes. She slowly stood and walked back to where the horses were. She took her dry clothes and put them back on. Once she was done, she came back over to the fire and sat back down between my legs. She grabbed my arms and wrapped them around her.

  The rain hadn’t relented yet. It was getting close to dinner time and I knew that the boys would start to get worried. I also knew that I had been right earlier. They weren’t going to look for us until the rain stopped. I could only hope that it would be soon. I knew that she would be getting hungry soon, and we didn’t have anything to eat.

  “Rayne,” I said.

  “Hmm? Yeah?” she said.

  “We don’t have anything to eat,” I told her. I don’t know why, but I felt I had to, then I continued, “The rain hasn’t let up and the boys are going to be getting worried.”

  “Yeah, so what are we going to do?” she asked.

  “I don’t know yet. We shouldn’t try to ride back. We wouldn’t be the only ones sick if we did that. The horses would get sick, too. We should be alright. I just don’t want you to worry,” I stated.

  “You are acting like we are in a desperate situation. Reece, are we?” she questioned me.

  “Not unless the rain doesn’t stop before tomorrow. Then we are going to have to ride in, regardless. Until then, why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll wake you if it stops,” I told her.

  “If you think it will be best, I’ll try,” she replied.

  “You’ll be okay if you do. I just wanted you know to that. I just don’t want you to worry. I am going to take care of you,” I explained.

  “I know that, Reece. I’ve known that since you started on at the ranch. That’s why I like you,” she said.

  I just smiled. She liked me. It wasn’t much, but it was an affirmation in a positive direction. I don’t know why by that helped my ego some. It wasn’t like I didn’t know that she wanted me. She’d proved that time and again, cornering me to give me a kiss. But, to have her tell me that she liked me was amazing. I nearly shouted out in joy.

  I could hear the sounds of her sleeping against me. I could see the soft rise and fall of her chest. She was warm. I know that she wouldn’t get sick now. I knew that she would continue to thank me and for some reason it made me smile.

  She was an odd woman, but she knew what she wanted. She could be stubborn as a mule, but she knew when to relent and listen to reason. She was a contradiction in everything that she did. She could be soft and gentle or she was hard and rough.

  She was beautiful there, laying in my lap. Her raven hair draped over my legs. She had her eyes closed, but I was sure that her eyes were burning in a brilliant green. Her mouth was slightly parted and all I wanted to do was kiss it. She was a temptress while she was a princess. I wasn’t sure that I would be able to uphold her honor if I let my brain run away with itself.

  And, then it happened. It stopped raining. I knew that I would have to wake her up but I didn’t want to. I liked the way that she felt there in my arms. I knew it was wrong but I wanted to stay there with her.

  I woke her up. Her eyes flew open. I was right her eyes burned in that brilliant green that only they could.

  “What is it?” she asked, groggy.

  “It’s stopped raining,” I replied.

  “Oh,” she said.

  “We can go back, now,” I told her.

  Chapter Twelve

  Rayne, the next day

  I awoke in my bed in the two bedroom ranch house. I didn’t really remember getting back. I knew that the rain had stopped and that Reece had brought me home. He took care of me. He kept me warm. No one even questioned him as he did what he had to do.

  I vaguely remember him telling me that I would ache. He was right. The cold had seeped into my bones and they hurt. I knew that it would have been worse had he not been forceful with his words. I would be lying in bed sick. He saved me and he knew it.

  I went downstairs into the kitchen and got what I called a cup of “cowboy coffee.” I doctored it as much as I could only to find out that it wouldn’t help. I decided to drink it anyway because it would help knock the chill off my bones and stop the aching inside. I went out onto the porch to watch the day progress for a while.

  I was rewarded in my endeavor. As I sat in my rocker, I watched Reece teach Silas more about horsemanship. I couldn’t hear what he was telling the boy, but I knew that Silas was intent on listening to every word. I laughed, thinking about how much Reece didn’t want the boy around. Now, they looked like they wouldn’t be separated if you tried. It was amazing what a li
ttle time would do to a man’s heart.

  I shook my head at them while I drank the foul tasting coffee. Time was an amazing grace that a lot of people didn’t hold much stock in. I knew what the power of time could do. I was sure that I could harness its magic once again on the man that was teaching the boy. I would make him understand that I brought him out to the ranch for more than one reason. I would make him understand.

  “Ma’am?” Curly White, one of my hands, said.

  “What is it, Curly?” I asked.

  “I heard about what happened to you yesterday. Would you like me to pack your saddle different for you just in something might happen, again?” he asked me.

  “Pack it how?” I questioned him.

  “Put a bedroll on it and some saddle bags, too. I know you like to ride out and take a gander at the stock. It would just be in case you had to stop cause of the rain or something,” Curly told me.

  “Do you think that is for the best?” I asked.

  “I know that you are planning on riding with us to the round up in Amarillo, right? So, yeah, I think that is a good idea. It would get your horse used to the added weight before we left. Plus, you would get used to having it there with you,” he said.

  “Well, go ahead and do it then, since it would help out,” I stated.

  “Yes, ma’am, I’ll tell Reece about it later. That way he will start saddling Whiskers up with it for your afternoon rides. I wouldn’t want him coming after me about it,” Curly added as he walked away.

  “Wait, Curly,” I said loudly.

  “Yes’m, what is it?” he asked me.

  “Why did you say that, Curly?” I questioned.

  “Say what, ma’am?” he inquired.

  “That bit about Reece,” I answered.

  “It is just that he has become particular about how Whiskers is cared for, saddled and all. It is like it is a personal insult if we do it wrong. He takes great pride in caring for your horses, ma’am, and we don’t want to get him mad,” Curly answered.

  “Why is that, Curly?” I asked him.

  “Well, ma’am, he can get real angry. Never really seen it for myself, but I am sure that I don’t want to, either. So, we all do whatever he says about the horses. I just don’t want him to think that we added that stuff without talking to you about it first,” Curly explained.

  “I see,” I said, “I guess I need to talk to him, then.”

  “Yes’m, do you want me to get him?” Curly asked.

  “Nope, Curly, I’ll get him when I am ready to talk to him. Now, go on, and finish your work,” I told him.

  I almost laughed after Curly was far enough away. Reece had set himself up as the foreman while Jed was gone. It was sweet. I thought it was funny that the boys took to him like they did to Jed. I guess they all realized that they could learn from Reece about horses the way that they learned about cattle from Jedidiah. It made me smile that he was personally caring for my horse.

  Reece certainly had fallen into shape with the ranch in just a matter of weeks. I knew that he was a good addition. He really liked working too. I knew that even on our rides he was constantly planning something for the ranch to do better. I was happy that he decided to come to work for me. He was turning into a really great investment.

  I decided that I should talk to Reece. Maybe, he took the job too seriously. He was good, but it wouldn’t be good for him to become a tyrant. Besides I was the only one of those on my ranch and until I decided for it to be different it wouldn’t.

  I watched him and Silas work on the proper ways to groom a horse. He handed Silas the curry comb and showed him the technique. Silas was in awe of the man with him. It was so evident, but I doubt that Reece even saw it. Silas wanted to be Reece. He wanted to make Reece proud of him.

  “Reece,” I said as I walked up on them.

  They both turned their heads at me. Both stood upright and tipped their hats to me. It was so funny watching Silas mimic every move that Reece made towards me. I had to stifle my laugh.

  “Yes, ma’am?” he asked.

  “Yes, ma’am?” Silas questioned, as well.

  We both looked at him. Reece has the goofiest smile cross his face. Silas looked so serious about wondering what I needed.

  “Reece, I need to speak with you, please,” I said.

  “Yes, ma’am. Just a minute, though, let me get Silas combing here first. Then I can talk with you,” he said, still smiling.

  “Alright,” I answered.

  I watched Reece take Silas and the horse that they were working on back to the barn. Reece gave him some directions and put the comb in his hands. Silas stood there nodding at everything that Reece told him.

  “Remember to touch them as you come up on them so they won’t be startled by you, Silas. I wouldn’t want you to be kicked by one of them. Okay, you got it?” I overheard Reece ask Silas.

  “Yes, sir, I got it. I am going to do a good job. We are still going for that ride, right?” Silas asked Reece.

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” he answered the boy.

  Silas was grinning from ear to ear. Reece took the boy’s hat off, ruffled Silas’ hair and then replaced the hat. Reece turned, smiled, and came towards me.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked me.

  “Well, Curly said something earlier that I found slightly disturbing. I wanted to ask you about it. I want to know if it is true,” I told him.

  “In that case, ask a way. I have nothing to hide from you. I am just doing my job,” Reece stated.

  “You know that the boys are scared of you, right? Curly said something about that they are frightened of your anger, and they wouldn’t want to cause it. Do you know anything about that?” I questioned him.

  “Not really. I know that they are scared of me because I am staying in the house with you. They think that I am going to be the new master soon so they are making up stories. Most hands do that about other hands that they don’t know. They don’t know me. I don’t talk much to them, except to tell them what to do with the horses. I guess that is why they are afraid. Quiet hands can sometimes scare other guys. It is the same everywhere. I am sorry, if it upset you,” he explained.

  “That’s it? It is because you are quiet? That what they are all afraid of?” I asked, wanting to laugh.

  “Have you ever been around someone that didn’t talk a lot? They were that one person that no one knew anything about. They were the outsider and no matter how hard you try to make them one of you, they resist and stay quiet. They don’t talk about their past,” Reece said.

  “No, I haven’t. Anyone who ends up in Junction is usually running from something. They get lost in the Junction and start over. No one treats them like an outsider. Everyone knows everyone. We are a small town. The only people that we don’t know anything about are the ones that are passing through,” I explained.

  “Then explain me,” he demanded.

  “I can’t. You defy reason. You are an outsider but you aren’t. You fell into life in Junction City like anyone else. The only difference was that you didn’t broadcast that you were new. That is what surprised me. I usually know about all the new arrivals, because half of them come to the ranch looking for work or a horse to buy. You didn’t do either. I didn’t even know you were in town until Loren told me about you,” I explained.

  “See? That is what scares the men. They don’t know me. I act like I am one of them, but I don’t talk about my past with them,” he told me.

  “Why not?” I asked him.

  “It isn’t any of their business,” he stated.

  “What about me? Would you tell me?” I inquired.

  “Depends,” he answered.

  “On what?” I questioned.

  “A variety of things,” he replied.

  “Like?” I asked.

  “One being why you wanted to know,” he said.

  “Just because,” I said.

  “Not good enough,” he replied, “What does it matter? All you need to know
is that I am here working for you until after the end of round up. Then, I am going on my way. I haven’t killed anyone and don’t plan on it, unless I have to do it. I can shoot, rope, ride, tend cattle, care for horses, and I grew up on a plantation in Mississippi. I moved to Texas for a change. I had a ranch once. I am just trying to get back to it, to see if I can rebuild it. That I all there is.”

  “It was small I doubt that you have heard of it,” Reece stated, “It went under a few years ago. The land is still mine though. I just want to try again.”

  “Why don’t you sell it?” I suggested.

  “And do what? Ranching is all I know,” he said.

  “You could stay here,” I said.

  “I could, but I wouldn’t be happy. I need to look at my place and see it work. I need to know that crossing the land was what I needed to do. I need to know that Tommy didn’t die in vain, for me,” he answered.

  “Tommy?” I questioned.

  “Never mind,” he said and then changed the subject quickly; “Do you still want to go on that ride later?”

  “Yes,” I replied and he walked away.

  I knew I was looking at him with a questioning, quizzical look. He had slipped and let something out. He let his guard down for just a second and let me know something more about him. It was true that he was an outsider but he didn’t act like it. Reece was a Texan rancher. It was burned upon his brain. It was all she thought about. It was a start to getting him to stay. I was making him begin to care about the ranch. It would be his downfall and he knew it. He just wanted to do his job and go home. I wanted him to see that the Double Bar Ranch was now his home, not some Texan ranch in the middle of nowhere that was dead and lifeless.

  I went back to the house. It was all I could do until he decided that we could go for our ride. There was something about him that made me wonder. There was something about him that made me want to kiss him. There was something about him that made me forget everything else. There was something about him that made me want to be the person that he wants me to be.

  I pulled a book from the shelf and started reading it. I didn’t know when he was going to come get me for our ride. I knew that it would be later than usual and it wouldn’t be for lunch. I was proud of him for taking Silas under his wing. I was, I just wanted Reece to myself sometimes. I wondered when he was going to bring me the copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets that he promised me. Then, I could sit and read them until it was time for us to go for our ride. Then I would pick a sonnet I had already read for us to go over and analyze.