Heart of a Lady (Book One of the Red River Valley Brides)

by Hestand, Rita

  "Reckon she belongs to anybody?" The boy asked, looking at Jo Ella from top to bottom.

  "A woman like that. She has to." Cole smiled slyly in her direction.

  "If we had the time, I might have a go with her." Morey leered at her. "But we ain't. And I got to figure what to do with her. She can identify us all now. We might have to kill her anyway."

  "Kill her?" Danny, the boy came to her side. "Aw, come on, Morey. She ain't gonna do us no harm. Why don't we just leave her here, all tied up? Killin' a woman would really have the law down our throats."

  "Cain't. Done said where we are goin'. She'll tell."

  The young man looked at her narrowly now. "Don't fret. I won't let them kill you," he whispered as he turned the bacon and took some out on a tin plate. He brought some over to her to feed her, since her hands were tied at her back. He removed her gag.

  Jo Ella chewed the bacon, but it tasted rancid and she spit it out.

  "What'd you do that for?" the kid asked.

  Before she couldn't talk because of the gag, and she looked down to let him know it.

  "The meat's no good."

  "Don't taste bad to me," Cole said as he chewed a big wad.

  "If you eat it, you'll get sick," she warned.

  "What do you care if we get sick?" Cole stared at her.

  "I don't. But if you leave me tied up and you are sick, I might never get loose," she protested.

  "If you'd learn to behave, we might set you loose. Jest to be shed of you."

  She looked at Danny. "Don't eat that."

  The young man put the bacon down and nodded to her. He turned to Cole. "I don't think she's gonna do nothin'."

  "Oh you don't, do you?" Cole banged his fist on the table then winced from the pain in his hand. "Since when did you get to be the authority around here, kid? Put her in the other room. And zip your pants up, boy. This ain't the time."

  "But why—"

  "Do as I say Danny. I am in no mood right now."

  "Okay, okay…"

  When he led her to the dark and dingy room in the back, he whispered, "I'm sorry I have to leave you here, but if I don't, Cole is gonna be mad and I don't like to see him mad. He gets kinda mean. Like the other one is all the time. So just go along with this. And thanks for tellin' me about the meat." He winked.

  Her only hope was the boy.

  It wasn't long after that they dragged her from the dark room and up onto a saddled horse. This time, she rode alone and was bound by her hands and mouth. But they tied her hands in front so she could handle the reins.

  They finally rode into a yard late that night. Jo Ella was sore, tired, hungry, and weary. She hadn't ridden in so long she felt like some greenhorn kid. Fear kept her watchful even though she wished she could sneak into a dark void and sleep.

  A light shone in the house, and she wondered where she was. She wished she knew the countryside better. Did Harry know where she was? Did anyone know?

  Cole's sister was in her nightgown when they rode up, and grabbed a robe when she saw she had company. When she finally saw Jo Ella, she shrieked as she ran outside to greet him. "What's this?" she asked, turning to her brother for answers.

  "We held up the bank, in Vada. I used her as a shield to get away."

  His sister stared at him, frowning. "You can't do this, Cole. This ain't like you. You was raised better. We are Hartman's, and Hartman's don't stoop to this kind of thing. You don't need that money that bad. We aren't that kind."

  "No more lectures. I'm giving Hinny part of the loot for puttin' us up." Cole said as they walked toward the house.

  "Hinny? Hinny is gone."

  Cole stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "Where'd he go?"

  "How should I know? I just woke up one mornin' and he was gone." She watched them bring her in her house and grabbed her mouth. "You take that gag off her and let her hands loose, what are you afraid of? She can't run off from you. There's three of you and one of her."

  Cole strode into the big room that was decorated with pretty flowers, what-notes and lace doilies. The kitchen was off to one side, the big table took up the other side and at the entrance there were chairs with doilies on the arms. It was a cozy little place, Jo Ella thought as she looked about the place.

  "Well, get us some coffee, sis. And I got a hellova stomach ache. Got anything for that?" Cole asked as he untied Jo Ella's hands, and jerked the rag from her mouth.

  Jo Ella spit and then rubbed her mouth.

  "What did you eat?" His sister asked as she came from the kitchen side with the coffee pot and some cups.

  "Some rancid bacon, I reckon. Least that's what she said it were." Cole looked at Jo Ella.

  "She must be a God-fearin' woman to have told you in the first place. You should be ashamed. Poor thing. How could you tie her up like that. She didn't do nothin'?"

  Cole slammed his fist on the table. "She nearly bit my hand off."

  "Well, I cain't say as I blame her, she was just takin' up fer herself. She warned ya, didn't she? Else you wouldn't a knowed about the bacon. That means she has compassion. For her fella man."

  "Mae, I got no patience for this. Now, shut up and get me something fer my stomach and doctor my hand. I'll leave a share of the money fer ya for puttin' us up. We'll be on our way again in a day or two. We need some rest. We been travelin' fer a spell."

  Mae shook her head with disgust, eyeing Morey. The look on Mae's face told Jo Ella she didn't like the man either.

  Cole doubled over with pain.

  Mae shot him a look of pity. "I reckon you have. Vada is a good ninety miles from here. What's her name?"

  "I don't know. I didn't ask her, Mae. Didn't exactly have time for introductions. She was just there, and I grabbed her. I knew that sheriff wouldn't shoot at a woman."

  "Don't you holler at me, you big bully. You are gonna leave her here with me. That's what you are gonna do."

  "I cain't jest leave her here. She knows my name, and she's seen our faces." His face turned green, and he ran out the door. The sounds of him vomiting turned Jo Ella's stomach. When he came back, he looked a little better.

  Mae wrung her hands and fretted at his eagerness to do Jo Ella in. "You took that chance. She didn't. You will leave her here, and you won't harm her any more. I won't have it, Cole. She's an innocent woman. Now let's not talk of it no more and I'll get you all some food." Her tone suggested that was the end of that.

  Mae went to the bedroom in the back of the house to get some medicine for his hand and returned.

  "You want me to go to jail?" Cole asked.

  "You done wrong, Cole, and you know you did. You let that child alone and let her get back to her folks." Mae prepared a meal for them as they sat at the table and Morey stared out the front window of the place. "They are probably sick with worry."

  "We got a sheriff on our trail, Mae."

  "Did you think you was gonna waltz into that bank and take their money and not have one on you? Where is your mind, Cole? Of course you got the law on you. But you leave her here. You eat up and rest some and then you git. You hurt a woman, and they'll hang you fer sure."

  "But what if she talks?"

  "You leave that to me."

  "I've had all I want of this bickering. She'll ride with us." Morey announced stiffly as he cast them a glance over his shoulder.

  "Mae, you are buttin' in, and you know I don't like you doin' that. Besides, Morey ain't gonna like it." Cole shot him a look as he spoke.

  "I knowed it, but we have to do it this way. I don't want your stole money. I want you out of here. Do you hear me? I want no part of this whole thing. You eat, rest, and then you git. You hear me Cole?" Mae threw her rag she had dried her fry pan with down on the table like a gauntlet.

  "No wonder Hinny left you," Cole muttered as he sopped his pork chop in the gravy.

  Morey came to the table as she dished him up a plate. He sat down and began eating.

  "Not even gonna say grace first?" Mae protested.<
br />
  "No ma'am. Ain't no use me talkin' to the Lord…" Morey grunted. "He wouldn't be listenin'."

  Danny was already eating, but when she mentioned grace he looked almost guilty.

  "Hinny will be back. He always comes back with his tail between his legs. He's gone off to drink. That's what he's done. And I knowed it. But he'll be back."

  "You don't want no money?" Danny butted into the argument.

  "No, sir, I don't want any part of your shenanigans," Mae touted.

  "More for us then," Morey said sopping his biscuit in the gravy.

  Jo Ella had a plate fixed for her too, and as everyone turned their attention to the food, she began to eat too. The food was exceptionally good and the men had several helpings.

  "Morey, you are gonna be in hot water when they catch ya, and your wife will have a lot to say about it, too," Mae promised. "You fellas have pulled some fast ones, but I reckon you've taken on too much this time. It was bad enough when you kilt Dillon's pa, even if it were self-defense."

  Jo Ella's eyes widened. So Morey killed Dillon's Pa.

  Morey's face turned red, but it was Cole that spoke up. "That started a lot of trouble for us, Mae, and you know it. Morey didn't mean to shoot Dillon's pa, but he drew on us. He had no choice. Last thing I wanted to do was get his hot-headed kid after me. And now she's heard it, too."

  "Shore he drew on you. You was stealin' from him, weren't you?"

  "Mae, it don't do no good to go over this now." Morey's face twisted with rage. "It's done. I didn't mean to kill Dillon's pa, but the law won't see it that way. And because of your big mouth, she knows I killed his pa. She'll tell them. No one knew fer sure 'til now. All because of your big mouth."

  "That's not evidence. That's hearsay. And what do you think the law will say about robbin' a bank?" Mae shook her head. "Takin' a girl prisoner?"

  "Now, Mae, this money will buy my missus dresses like she's never seen," Morey bragged. "Why, we could buy a spread, and be just as big a rancher as Dillon himself."

  "If you get to spend a penny of it." Mae chuckled but her expression was anything but happy, Jo Ella noted.

  "I don't trust your sister, Cole." Morey frowned and gave Mae a once over.

  Tension rocked the room for a long moment. Morey pulled out his gun and aimed it first at Jo Ella, then Mae, as though he couldn't decide which one to kill first.

  "Put the gun away Morey," Cole squared himself, ready to pull his own gun now. "It's too late to worry about who knows what. They'll get us on the bank job if nothin' else. Mae knows better than to say a thing to the law. I'm her brother, and believe it or not, she loves me. And I won't have no more killin' Morey. You hear me. You got us in this. I'm getting us out." Cole announced boldly. "If you got a sore to pick, better start with me."

  Morey eyed Cole long and hard.

  Danny stepped between Morey and the women. "He's right Morey. Best thing we can do is rest up and get the heck out of here, pronto. It's all gonna come out anyway. Harry Jones knows you killed Dillon's Pa. He just couldn't prove it."

  "That right, but either of those two open their mouths, and he can."

  Cole pushed Danny aside. "This is between me and Morey, kid. You ain't touchin my sister. She done fed you and housed you and you want to do her in. I won't have it. You'll have to go against me."

  Morey's expression hardened for a minute, then he raised his hands and nodded. "Alright Cole. She did feed me, and offer me shelter. You are right. But if she opens her mouth, she's a dead woman. Understand?"

  Cole nodded. "She won't. She ain't made to turn on her own people."

  Morey relaxed and went back to the window. "Mighty fine pork chops, Mae."

  Mae stared at his back for a long moment. "Thanks," She responded.

  "She won't say nothin' 'til we are out of sight. Besides, she's blood kin, and you better remember that. No one messes with Mae but me."

  Morey didn't respond. He just stared out the window for a long time. "

  Mae glanced at the younger man, who sat quietly eating. "Where'd you pick up the kid?"

  "Tucker's boy. Danny. He's been itchin' to see some excitement. Thought I'd let him. He's a pretty good kid, at least I trust him."

  "You trust the kid, and not me?" Morey demanded.

  "You heard me, Morey. Now shut up and eat. I trust you Morey, but don’t' go threatening my kin. Don't ever do that. Or we'll tangle. We'll get some shut eye and then get out of here." Cole looked at Mae and nodded.

  "What about her?" Morey pointed to Jo Ella as he moved back toward the table.

  "We'll leave her here with Mae. Mae won't let her go 'til we are long gone." Cole nodded. "She talks a lot, but Mae is my sister. She wouldn't do me no harm."

  "Are you sure about that?"

  Cole slapped Morey in the mouth. "I'm sure. Now if you are through throwin' your weight around, let's get some sleep, while we can."

  Mae told Jo Ella she could sleep with her, and they left the men to fend for themselves.

  Now that Jo Ella wasn't gagged she could ask questions. "You gonna just let them ride out of here with all that money?"

  "'Fraid so. Cole is too old to listen. He has to learn things the hard way. Only this time, it might get him kilt. I'll see he gets a fair start, though. That's the least I can do." Mae had brought her in the back room where she slept every night. The bedroom wasn't fancy, but it had a few womanly touches. She threw Jo Ella an old ragtag gown to wear to bed.

  Jo Ella quirked a brow at her.

  "You don’t think that's right, do ya? Well, what can I say? He's my brother. It's the least I can do for him. Wouldn't you do the same?"

  "I don't know. That Morey shot one of the deputies in town. You know they held up the bank…" Jo Ella's brows drew together as the woman acted as though she couldn't care less. Mae shrugged and slipped into her old nightgown, and into bed, as though nothing were going on at all.

  Jo Ella barely looked at the gown, undressed, and slipped into the soft and worn cotton. "Doesn't it bother you that he might be killed?"

  "Shore it does. He's the only brother I got. But talkin' to him is like talkin' to a log. He's stubborn as a mule. Reckon the Lord will have to deal with him now. I'll miss him."

  "Where's he going?"

  "To hell probably." She acted as though the discussion was over.. "Don't worry so much, gal," she said before she closed her eyes. "I'll make sure they don't kill ya."

  "That's what the young man said, too."

  "Cole was wrong to get him mixed up in this. He's just a kid. He don't belong with them. Now Morey, he's a different story. I never liked him, and I don't care what happens to him neither."

  "I agree."

  Jo Ella lay in the bed a long while, eyes open, her mind running over the day's events. Despite her worries, her eyes finally closed and she slept from pure exhaustion.

  Chapter Twelve

  Harry was tracking them slowly. He'd gotten lucky. One of their horses was about to lose a shoe, and it made a different track than the others. It also made it easier to follow them. Not much time passed before he found their hideout and uncovered signs that they'd been there. From the looks of the tracks, there were four of them, including Jo Ella. The scent of rancid bacon lingered in the air. Rope had been dropped by a chair. They must've tied her up there. Outside now, he picked up their trail again. These tracks headed north.

  They hadn't bothered with hiding their tracks, their greatest mistake so far. Even if they were in a hurry, they should have made some attempt to at some point.

  Taking in the entire scene, he decided Jo Ella hadn't been harmed, yet. There was no blood, no signs of struggle, nothing pointed to much happening here except eating. This was a good sign, but it also spurned him onward to make sure she stayed alive.

  Glancing around, he decided to track them from there. It looked to be a long journey, as they weren't stopping long enough to do much of anything but eat. They obviously figured he was following them. And they weren't
confident that they were far enough ahead of him yet. They kept moving on. But he wasn't sure of their destination yet. All he was worried about was getting Jo Ella to safety.

  If he didn't hurry and find her, she'd never know how much he ached to hold her safely in his arms again. When and how she'd come to mean something to him he didn't know. It scared him witless to have such feelings for her. He couldn't afford to get too soft, it was too dangerous.

  He had to stay focused on finding Cole and his gang. Had to forget his feelings and move on with the job he had to do.

  The kind of work he did, didn't have much room for a lady. But his heart hadn't heard that warning. He knew he'd do just about anything to protect her, including die. But he warned himself not to go thinking about Jo Ella when he had to concentrate his efforts on tracking them.

  With a grim foreboding, he knew he couldn't track them at night. Even with a full moon, it was simply too dark to see from atop a horse at night. He'd camp and get his bearings at early light.

  He thought about the men he was after. He had to stop thinking about Jo Ella, it interfered with his work to think of her. Cole Hartman wasn't all bad. At least he hadn't been up until now. He was more a family man, with close ties to a sister somewhere in these hills. That was a clue…

  Ma knew Mae from way back, but Harry had never met the woman.

  Danny, the young boy had gotten involved after doing his best to get kicked out of saloons and whore houses.

  Morey on the other hand was a completely different story. Morey was the dangerous one, and Harry knew it. He had no qualms about killing, robbing, or committing any kind of crime. He had no scruples and no guilt.

  Harry camped, made himself a light supper of cold biscuits and jelly, the last of Ma's strawberry jam was in his saddle bags. Coffee would have to be forgotten for the time being. He couldn't afford to be spotted.

  He'd left Jeff and the other deputies in charge of the town. Some might question his decision not to form a posse, but getting a posse together would have taken time he didn't have. The need to act outweighed the need for numbers. No use getting the whole town shot up.