A rifle shot crackled through the air, and he jumped up, grabbing his own gun. He rushed into the bedroom, and a lump formed in his throat at the utter fear on Veronica’s face. “Get on the floor.” He grabbed the rifle he kept near the bed and handed it to her. He then lifted the drawer with Bridey in it and put it next to Veronica. “Stay here. I’ll be back, and no matter what stay away from the windows.” Her face was stark white. He hesitated to leave her, but he didn’t have a choice. He kissed her fast and hard and ran from the house.
It was pandemonium with dust flying and horses running everywhere. All the stalls and corrals were open, and he thought he saw a whip mark on a few of the horses racing by. It took all his skill to dodge and weave to get to Parker’s house.
William Cabot, the foreman, had the cowboys rounding up the horses. It was chaos.
“Captain, are you thinking this might be a distraction?” Max asked as Sandler and Willis joined them on the front porch. They had all served Under Captain Parker Eastman in the Confederate Army along with Walter Green who hustled up the steps.
Parker nodded. “It’s exactly what I was thinking. Willis, tell Benny to guard Mrs. Maxwell. Green, go inside and guard Georgie, Sondra, and my son. We have enough men on the range.”
Willis and Green went about their assignments with urgency.
“What are they distracting us from?” Max asked impatiently.
“The land! The land we set aside for the freed slaves!” Georgie yelled from the door.
“Get back where it’s safe!” Parker yelled. Then he sighed. “She’s right. Let’s ride.”
Their personal horses were well trained and stood near the barn apart from the muddle of horses. The soldiers ran to them, quickly saddled their mounts, and off they went. Max wasn’t even sure where the land was located. They followed Parker. One of the men who’d left must have passed on the plans for the land to whomever was behind all the trouble.
Max wasn’t positive, but he didn’t think anyone was living on the land yet. As they got closer they saw flames but it wasn’t the land that was on fire. His stomach clenched when the burning wooden cross came into view. They slowed and dismounted before they got close. With well-trained eyes they searched the area from where they stood.
Parker signaled for them to them to move forward. They moved in sync slowly until they reached the circle of light given off by the fire. A dead man with a rope around his upper torso was lying on the dirt.
Max covered the ex-slave with his bedroll. They’d seen it all in the battles they fought in the War Between the States, but this was horrifying. The man had been dragged behind a horse probably all the way from town.
“Why bother to light the cross if they thought we couldn’t get to our horses?” Sandler asked.
Parker shook his head. His eyes were full of disgust. “They know we have plenty of men on the range. They wanted their handiwork to be spotted. It might be for the best if we backed off. I can’t help but feel this man’s death is my fault. We stirred up trouble.”
“No, this is not our fault.” Max said empathically. “We wanted to put an end to the terror. This would have happened tonight anyway just in some other place. They hide behind their hoods and think no one can touch them. I have a feeling this will be going on for a while but maybe we can at least try to find out who is in charge.”
“Everything is so backward,” Willis said. “We supposedly fought to keep slaves most of us didn’t have, and now that they are free, there is no one to protect them? What is going on in that Washington place? Isn’t that what that government is supposed to do? I don’t understand any of this.” He kicked the dirt. “I never held with slavery. But it seems to me the President’s right hand doesn’t know what its own left hand is doing. Is it any wonder these men committing these crimes aren’t afraid of being caught? What if we do find out who they are, will it even matter? The Union Army is turning a blind eye to it all. I’m all for what you want to try to do, Captain but it may cost us everything to do it.” Willis took off his hat and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve.
Parker’s lips formed a grim line. “You’re both right. I can’t abide this type of violence especially toward people who can’t defend themselves. But at the same time we might lose everything we’ve worked so hard for. It would be easy to stand back.”
“But we never go the easy way,” Sandler said with a smile.
Parker smiled back. “We never have before. Let’s go back and make sure everyone is accounted for. Then I’ll send one of the men with a wagon to pick up the body. Like it or not, we’re involved. We’ll need to take the body to town tomorrow, and I’ll let it be known we will not allow this to happen again on Eastman land. I think we might want to rethink where we build houses for the married freedmen. We’ll need them closer to us, I think. Georgie thought perhaps they’d want their privacy, but you know what? Why don’t we ask the men we hire what they’d like?” He swung himself into the saddle. “Let’s ride!”
The condition of the dead body kept flashing through Max’s head. That man suffered something awful. Some of the Southern men felt as though the freedmen were taking their jobs and land. The ex-slaves didn’t have anywhere to go, and they weren’t given much, if any, help to start new lives. Those men in Washington weren’t using the brains God gave them. Now more would suffer before it was all said and done. Please God, protect the freedmen.
He didn’t know what was right or wrong anymore. Protecting his family and the ranch were his priorities. Why couldn’t the atrocities have stopped when the war was over? He felt gut kicked.
They returned to the ranch house, and Parker sent a few cowboys to go get the body. Max was glad when one of the cowboys offered to take care of his horse. He had a powerful need to see his wife.
He took the porch steps two at a time and turned the knob, but the door was locked. He lifted his hand to knock but the door swung wide open. Veronica was in his arms so fast he smiled in amazement. He hugged her and then took a step back.
“Thanks, Benny. It helped knowing my family was in such good hands.”
Benny, a seasoned cowboy simply nodded, grabbed his hat, and quickly left.
“He doesn’t talk much,” Veronica said. She started her gaze at his toes and made her way up to his face.
His lips twitched. “Well, what do you think?”
Her smile lit up the whole house. “You’re in one piece.” She walked to him again and surprised him when she wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed.
Without hesitation, he enfolded her into his embrace.
“When will it ever end?” she whispered. “When will we be able to lay our heads at night without worry? I was hoping that Texas would be that place.”
“I’ll keep you safe, both you and Bridey. Is she sleeping?”
“No, she’s found her feet.”
Max unwrapped his arms and turned toward the bedroom. He took Veronica’s hand and together they walked in to see Bridey. She lay in her drawer cooing as she grabbed her feet, then let them go, only to grab them again. She smiled as though she was proud of her achievement. Then she spied Max and her eyes grew wide and she reached out a hand to him.
Leaning down to lift her, his heart expanded as never before. She gave him a smile and grabbed his ears and refused to let go.
Veronica looked like she was trying not to laugh, but she lost the battle and her light laughter was nice to hear, but he needed his ears back. Bridey had a strong grip.
“Help me before she wrenches them off.”
“Here give her your finger to grab instead.”
He did just that and eventually she switched from pulling his ears to tugging his fingers. And she smiled at him again. “I see how you are, young lady. You think your precious smile allows you to do whatever you want. I’ll tell you a secret…you’re right.” He kissed her loudly on the cheek.
Veronica tried to take her from him, but Bridey refused to let go of him. He sighed. The ba
by was good for his heart.
“Will her father ever try to lay claim to her?”
Veronica paled and looked unsteady. She sat on the bed, appearing shocked.
“I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that she’s stealing my heart, and I guess I wanted to be sure she won’t ever be taken from me.”
Veronica stared down at her hands for a minute. “No, he’s dead. It might be a sin, but I’m glad he is. I’m also glad Bridey looks nothing like him.” Her voice was bitter.
“I’ll be a good Pa to her,” he vowed.
Veronica gave him a faint smile. “Good, because she seems to have lost her heart to you too. I do thank you more than you could possibly know. I was sure she’d have a life of being called all sorts of names. We certainly got lucky the day I saw your ad. I have to admit I saw the ad at a neighbor’s house and stole the newspaper. I felt horrible about it, but I had a notion I should write to you. I’ve slept with a rifle in my bed for far too long. It was time to start over.”
“It’s a brave thing to pack up and leave for the unknown,” he commented softly.
“It would have been cowardly to stay. Men started knocking at my door again since Bridey was a bit older. It would happen again, and I couldn’t take the chance. I never did get much sleep.”
He was about to ask her what would happen again, but Bridey began to fuss and then cry. She was a loud baby.
“Here, let me feed her then get her to sleep.” Veronica laughed. “You’ve never been that close to her when she screams, have you? You should see the look on your face.”
His cheeks warmed, but it did his heart good to hear laughter. Veronica had led a hard life, and he hoped to make a better one for her. “I’ll give you some privacy. It’ll be bedtime soon enough.” He left pulling the door closed behind him.
It would happen again, and I couldn’t take the chance. Had someone forced himself on her or had she willingly taken a lover? Loneliness was a powerful thing that could lead a body down the wrong path. As nervous as she sometimes grew when he got too close, he was leaning toward thinking she had been forced. He’d just have to wait for her to tell him. Was the father really dead?
* * *
A smile tugged at Veronica’s lips as she smiled down at Bridey. She was a precious baby and Veronica was lucky to be her mother. Maybe she should have been smart and changed their names so no one would find them, not that anyone cared. It would be out of spite if she were found.
She was glad that Bridey looked nothing like her father. It made him easier to forget. Well, most of the time anyway, except at night in the dark. Nightmares plagued her but hopefully now that they were safe, they’d stop. They’d been less severe and she hadn’t woken Max again.
After feeding Bridey, she put her new soft nightgown on. It even had a pink bow at the top. She’d never had anything so fine, but she’d need to talk to Max. He must have spent a fortune on her and he needn’t have. She didn’t expect fine things. A roof over her head and food was all they needed. Stroking the material again, she smiled. It was like a dream.
She got into bed and pulled the covers up. Max would demand his rights soon. She’d have to clench her teeth and endure it without trying to fight him off. Maybe he wouldn’t notice anything was wrong. From what she’d heard, most women didn’t like that part of marriage anyway. She didn’t know all that much about it except it was painful. Maybe Max didn’t like it either. That might be wishing too hard, though. Men must like it. Saloon girls were popular for a reason.
It had been a long day of worry, and her eyes were drifting downward when the door opened. She couldn’t help but gaze at him. He had such big shoulders and a nice hard chest. He had the lean, strong body of a soldier. A lazy smile graced her face before she realized it. She corrected it with a frown.
“I liked your smile better. What’s the frown for?” His right brow cocked.
“I shouldn’t watch you get undressed. It’s not ladylike.”
He chuckled softly. “It’s perfectly fine if the man is your husband. I know your first husband was a cad but I promise you, I’ll look at no other woman the way I look at you. I was raised to honor my wife and to provide for my family. I don’t think it’ll be any hardship to honor my vows.”
Tears misted in her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard kinder words. That and the way you want to be Bridey’s pa… I feel blessed. For so long, I thought perhaps God had forgotten me. My problems weren’t as important as many others. Waiting and praying paid off.” One tear rolled down her face followed by another.
Max climbed into bed and pulled her to him. With everything in her, she tried not to fight him. He laid her head on his shoulder and loosely held her. It took her a bit, but finally she relaxed against him.
“Did it ever go off?”
“What?” she asked.
“Did the rifle ever go off when you slept with it?” he teased.
“Yes, it shot a hole in my foot.”
“You don’t have a hole in your foot.”
She laughed. “Didn’t you sleep with yours out in the field?”
“Yes, and one of the greener soldiers did have his go off. Luckily it only put a hole in his canteen.”
She put her arm around his middle. “I didn’t think about it. I didn’t…really a hole in his canteen?”
“It’s a cautionary tale.” She could picture Max smiling.
“One you made up.”
He hugged her to him. “You’re too smart for me. Go to sleep.”
It actually felt pleasant to be in his arms. He was nice and warm, and best of all she felt no danger with him. She actually had a moment of serenity before she fell asleep.
She woke when Bridey cried to be nursed, and for a moment, she didn’t know where she was. She stiffened feeling arms around her, and her heart raced. Her whole body shook before she got ahold of herself and eased out of Max’s embrace. She was a hopeless coward.
She smiled at Bridey as she lifted her and received a sleepy smile in return. She changed her diaper then sat back on the bed and fed her. After a few minutes, her face warmed. He was watching, she could feel it. Sure enough, she turned her head and Max had his eyes wide open. The flair of desire was in his gaze, and she almost hadn’t seen it.
She turned her attention to the baby. How was she supposed to feel? Part of her liked what she saw in his eyes, and part of her was deathly afraid. Bridey must have felt how nervous Veronica was; she didn’t fall asleep but kept eating for a change.
After she finished feeding Bridey, she rocked for a bit until the baby fell back to sleep. She didn’t want to go back into bed. Could she put her head back on his shoulder? The comfortable feeling she’d had with him earlier had disappeared. What was she supposed to do? She walked out of the bedroom and stood at the front window with her arms wrapped around herself. If she couldn’t find a way to control her fear, she’d lose Max for sure.
All her doubts crept back in. She shouldn’t have married him. She was only cheating him out of what a marriage was supposed to be. Her chin dropped to her chest, and she closed her eyes. She wasn’t any good at pretending. Max was the type of man she could so easily love, but it would hurt too much knowing she failed as a wife. Even if they did have relations, she might not be able to have children. It was another lie she heavily shouldered. They kept piling on until there were days she’d thought she’d break from the weight of them.
She heard him and then felt the warmth of him behind her.
“Please don’t touch me. I’m having one of my moments where I can’t bear the thought of anyone touching me.” She sniffled as tears fell.
“Come sit on the sofa, and we can talk. I haven’t told you much about my childhood, and I know you want to hear about it.”
She was grateful for the hint of humor in his voice. Turning away from the window, she followed him to the sofa and sat down next to him without touching him. Despite her best efforts to stop them, a few tears still fell.
“I grew up not too far from here. We had a very tiny farm. We raised mostly what we needed and hunted for our own food. My father trapped and made money from pelts. I caught a few horses and built a corral. I found that I was good at breaking them. I was able to help the family out. I had a sister, but she was taken by the Apache we believe. No one saw it but from the unshod hoof prints that’s what everyone seemed to think. She was ten, and I never saw her again. But from what I hear, they make the children they take part of their tribe. I hope that was the case, and she didn’t or doesn’t still suffer.
It broke my parents’ hearts, and somehow the blame was put on me. I wasn’t even home that day. A few days later, I went and checked the traps, and when I got home, my horses were all dead. My father had a big grin on his face and a jug of moonshine in his hand. I went into the house, grabbed my things, and left without saying goodbye. That has always been my one regret, not hugging my mother goodbye.” He sighed and looked thoughtful for a time.
“I joined the Confederate Army. Almost every young man was doing so. It was an exciting time. We were all so full of ourselves and thought we’d beat down those Yanks in a matter of weeks. I was barely seventeen, old enough to be on my own, but there were plenty of times I wished I could just pack up and go home. About a year in, I found that my parents had been killed by outlaws. That’s what the sheriff’s note said. I haven’t even been back to see if they’re buried there.
The one thing that kept me going, or rather the one person…was Parker. He showed me that a man could be a good and effective leader without resorting to violence. Violence had been my pa’s way. I might have been that way if I hadn’t been taught by Parker that there was another way. Quick with his fist, my pa was. He was that way toward my ma and sister too. I’ve spent my life trying not to be my father, and I’m proud of the fact that I’ve never felt the violence inside me he must have had.”
If she could have, she would have reached out to him to reassure him, but she still felt undone. “You have succeeded, Max. You are so gentle with me and with Bridey. You’re a good man.”
Shattered Trust: Mail Order Brides of Spring Water Book Two Page 5
