by Caryl McAdoo
Then from nowhere, Wallace rode up beside her. He swung out of his saddle and sat right over into the wagon seat. He handed her the reins to his gelding. “Want to trade?”
She glanced behind her. Charley still slept. “Sure, I’d enjoy that.”
The thought of stepping into the stirrup from the wagon ran across her mind, but she decided to let Wallace be the one to do all the fancy stuff. Instead, she jumped down and away from the wagon as gracefully as possible, let them pass, then grabbed the saddle horn and swung on board.
Spreading her skirt out behind her over the gelding’s rump first, she tried to fix the bulk of its folds in the front best she could around the saddle horn then went to fluffing her shawl and straightening her hat.
Levi circled toward her, slowed the gray to a walk, then came alongside and tipped his brim. “Afternoon, pretty lady.”
A heavy sigh escaped as she finished her primping just in time. “Was this little parlay your idea or Wallace’s?”
“Both, why?”
She looked up at the blue sky peeping through the pines. Beginning to look a lot like home. “Oh, I was just wondering.”
“About what?”
“If this was your idea of some kind of peace offering.”
He gave her his best what’d-I-do-now look then grinned sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” She enjoyed this, even if her irritation with him lingered. Could he know what it was?
“Whatever I need to be sorry for. I didn’t mean to do it, did I?”
Ah, so he had no idea. She figured as much. “Oh, I think you did. Or were you sleepwalking this morning when you knocked on my door in the middle of the night?”
“Hold it. I’d already finished breakfast. It was not. The middle. Of the night. But hey, I needed to see my little partner.”
”What, you couldn’t stand to wait ‘til first light? You have no idea how bad he can be when he doesn’t get enough sleep.”
“But I had to know if he wanted to do the deal or not.”
She wagged head. He was nothing but a big little boy himself. He had a surprise and couldn’t stand not giving it. “And it wouldn’t have waited an hour or two?”
“I hadn’t settled with Code yet. Had to take care of that before we left.”
“And then after dinner, your sleep-starved little partner throws his grumpy fit—like I told you he would—and you are nowhere to be found.”
He smiled. “I’m not his daddy. Yet.”
Her heart caught and forgot to beat. Oh, if it could be. Then her heart rhythm resumed its normal pace, and she wrinkled her nose. He had a point.
“Well, what about that business of trading half-interest in me back to him? Like I’m just another head of stock you men can swap around whenever you want.”
“Hey now, I figured you liked that little game. Him wanting you back and all.”
“Well, I did, a little, but I don’t like him thinking women are just property. He got enough of that with the Comanche. Then there’s the fact that you were willing to part with even half of me. I didn’t like that at all.”
He reached over and touched her hand. “Look, he and I are partners, and I thought it was cute that he wanted you back. But you are exactly one hundred percent correct.
We do not have any business trading you or any woman. I’ll have a talk with him about that when the time’s right.” He smiled. “Will you forgive me, Rose?”
Oh, how he wedged himself time and time again deeper into the depth of her soul. Levi Baylor was such a paradox; soft and gentle, but in every instance, a man’s man who could harden in a minute if a situation called for it.
Asking her forgiveness, not fair at all that he was so lovable and sweet to boot. She let him stew in his own juices a little then nodded. “Apology accepted, and yes, of course I’ll forgive you.”
“Good.” He threw his chin toward the wagon. “We might want to catch up.”
“Not a bad idea.” She rode next to him until past and out in front of the wagon. “So, what did you have to pay for the filly and all that tack?”
He chuckled. “Too much. That Code Brown drives the hardest bargain of anyone I know. To hear him tell it, that filly broke best of the bunch, and the saddle and bridle should have been gold plated.”
“So, this is what I have to look forward to? You avoiding my questions while spoiling Charley rotten?”
“No, ma’am. I plan on treating him exactly like Henry Buckmeyer treated me.”
“How’s that?”
“He worked me hard, loved me even harder, saw to it that I got plenty of the good, and kept the bad at bay best he could.”
“Who could ask for more? I still think it’s funny that your uncle used to frighten me.”
“You have no idea how he’d hate hearing that.”
She glanced back at the wagon. Laura had stopped sewing and sat next to the ranger looking up at him, obviously hanging on his every word. “What about our friend there? I thought he wanted to meet Rebecca?”
“Says he still does, but the girl’s here now, and Bitty Beck’s a couple of hundred miles away. Besides, she doesn’t know Wallace Rusk from Adam’s off ox. Only the stories I’ve told written in letters.”
“How long since you heard from her?”
“Oh, let me see now.” He looked away. “Last letters came about five maybe six months before President Houston sent me to fetch you women. There were two and both of them were old. She doesn’t let too much news build up without writing again. Especially the way Auntie’s been having all those baby Buckmeyer girls.”
“Awe, how many?”
“Four, and she was expecting again last I heard, due around Thanksgiving if I remember correct. I’ve carried the one where she asked me to keep an eye out for you, that you’d disappeared. That was over five years ago.”
“Must have been pretty soon after I got stolen.”
“Believe so. I think you’d only gone missing a week or ten days when she wrote it. Last time I stopped by… probably in the spring of ’42. They hadn’t got the cotton planted yet, so maybe early March. Bonnie had just turned a year old and started walking.”
“Why didn’t Wallace go with you then? That’s almost two and a half years. She could have gotten married by now.”
“No, Aunt Sue would have either sent word or Uncle Henry himself to fetch me if there was a wedding. Rusk couldn’t make the trip. He’d practically got his fool arm cut off jumping on a killer with a knife, and he had nothing more than an empty gun to swing.”
“Might be engaged, maybe?”
“Possible, I suppose, but I think that would have been worth a letter.”
“Course, another one might have arrived in Austin the day after we left.” She grinned. “So, tell me true, if you got to pick, would you pick Rebecca or Laura for Wallace?”
He laughed. “That’s way too hard a question.”
“I find it hard to believe that you have no opinion at all.”
“Yes, ma’am. None at all. I want all three of them to be happy and live a good long life full to the brim with as much love as possible. That’s what’s important.”
“I know, but –”
“I’m not smart enough to know if my Betty Beck or our new friend Laura would make Wallace Rusk the best wife, or if he would be the best husband for either of them.”
“What about us?” She cocked her head. “You and me.”
“I know my heart, and I’ve seen the love in your eyes more than once. One way or another, we’ll be loving each other when we’re old and gray.”
She hoped against hope that he spoke the truth and that the love wouldn’t be from afar, cruel and unfulfilled. What if Charles took her back like no time had passed and expected her to love him? What would she do?
No, she wouldn’t give that kind of thinking any place. Levi couldn’t know for sure that he would grow old with her; he was only trying to be positive and not borrowing that trouble Wallace po
inted out. Well, she wouldn’t have any part of it either.
“Mama! Me sorry!” Her little boy’s shout pulled her head around. Charley stood between Laura and his other partner. His hands cupped around his mouth. “Ride now?”
Chapter
Seventeen
Levi studied the shadows. Shame he didn’t have himself one of Blue Dog’s pups. Maybe he’d get one this trip. He leaned against the high ground pine he’d picked out before dark and closed his eyes.
One by one, he identified each sound and mentally marked its location; none that didn’t belong or posed any threat, one more of his favorite kind of nights, quiet and uneventful.
Before due, Wallace slipped from under the wagon, soft walked fifty or so yards in the wrong direction, then circled back coming in from the east. When was he going to learn?
Twenty paces out, Levi whistled two notes. Wallace answered and then trudged in making way too much noise.
“What if someone’s out there?”
“You wouldn’t have sounded all clear.”
“What if I hadn’t seen them?”
Wallace kneeled down. “When did that ever happen?”
Levi looked up at the stars. Henry used to slip up on him regular, but a man didn’t have to tell everything he knew. “Fine, you get any sleep?”
“Some.”
“Need me to stay?”
“Not unless you got answers.”
“About what?” Stupid asking since he reckoned he knew.
“Laura, and Bear Fang’s papoose she’s carrying.”
He leaned back. “That’s a hard one; got any easy questions?”
“No, but I got a deal for you.”
“What’s that?”
“You go back and scalp that livery man that traded Laura that mare, and I’ll see to it Nightengale comes to an untimely end.”
“You need to change your way of thinking, partner. That man took advantage of a poor, scared girl at her wits’ end. That’s something you’d have to live with, but killing him will not make what she did back at the livery any easier on you.”
“Tell me true, do you think I have any chance at all with Rebecca?”
He shook his head. “Wallace, I’m the last person you should be asking about matters of the heart. I’ve gone and fallen in love with a married woman who’s got a son.”
“Charley adores you, and how could you not fall in love with Sassy?”
“Well, I know this. My Bitty Beck is one smart lady, and if you let her see the real you, she’s going to like what she sees. But the heart is a strange organ. Who knows what makes any of us do what we do?”
“You’re no help. Pretend we’re about to go to war and tell me where you want me and who I need to be shooting at.”
Levi pushed himself up. “Right here is where I want you, and don’t shoot anyone unless you absolutely have to.”
“Fine, go hide under the wagon; I’ll sit out here in the dark and cold.”
Levi didn’t respond. He wished he had an answer for his friend, and while he was wishing, he’d take one for himself. He hated not knowing, but only time would tell.
He slipped under the wagon, laid his head on his saddle, pulled his duster tight, then willed himself asleep. It came, but not before an image of Rose sashayed across his mind’s eye then drifted to his heart and snuggled in tight.
After a couple of hours, his ears woke him. He slipped the Paterson out of its holster and rolled from under the wagon. He closed his eyes and turned his head slowly.
The rumble came from the south, barely audible. A soft two-note whistle pulled him around. Wallace walked toward him. He sounded the answer then strolled to meet his friend.
“Fair size herd?”
“Want to find out?”
Wallace nodded. “Why not, I love buffalo steak.”
Levi helped him find and saddle his gelding then went to work on the cook fire and coffee. He hoped the crackles and pops of the fire might stir Rose, but figured the coffee smell would do it for sure.
When it didn’t, he went to work on frying some of the fatter pieces of ham. Without any desired results no matter what he tried, he took to leaning against the wagon wheel then accidentally on purpose, gave it a good nudge.
In a minute or two, Rose stuck her head from the wagon’s back curtain. “Morning.”
He smiled. “Coffee?”
She climbed down. “Yes, sir. Be right back.” She strolled toward the east, to a clump of overgrowth guarded by two pines.
Shortly, she returned and took the offered cup, looking up at him over its rim. “Tell me that wasn’t you rocking the wagon.”
“Can’t do that, ma’am.” He bit his bottom lip then shrugged. “You don’t have a door I could knock on.”
She wanted to be mad at him, but how could she? So cute in his impatience. “So why couldn’t you wait for me to get up? Got another present for Charley?”
“That was a trade, not a present.”
“Oh, so is that it?” She took a sip of the hot coffee. “Another one-sided swap up your sleeve this dark and early morning?” She loved watching him squirm.
“No, we need to be ready to leave.” He didn’t seem settled, a little more antsy than usual when he wanted to get gone.
She put her hand on top of his. “Why can’t we wait ‘til first light? What’s the rush?”
“Wallace is out scouting buffalo, and when he gets back and I leave with him, you ladies need to be ready. I want you close.”
“Buffalo? How do you know there’s buffalo?”
He looked off to the south. “We heard them. Surprised you didn’t.”
“I didn’t hear a thing. What do you want me to do?”
Longer than Levi expected, but still before first light, Wallace returned then led him back to a ridge where the fifty or so buffalo grazed along a wet creek bank that stretched out below.
“Stay here and have the Baby Paterson ready.”
“It’ll be ready, but I don’t think it’d come close to bringing down a buffalo.”
“Could. More likely the noise will turn him if he comes this way.”
“How many you planning on taking?”
“We were thinking four, and one of the bigger calves.”
She studied on his words then had to ask. “Why five?”
He smiled. “Buffalo robes are powerful warm, and winter may set in before we get home.”
He had a point. About the only thing the Comanche did that she agreed with was they only took what they needed and used every part, too. Nothing went to waste. “Be careful.”
Slick as bear fat, the rangers had the five animals on the ground, and the others heading east. She waited until he signaled for her then reined the mules into action.
The men unsaddled and hobbled their horses while she worked on Charley’s filly then helped Levi with the mules. She unstrapped the off mule’s harness then looked at him. “You know this is liable to take most of the day.”
He unlatched the trace chains. “Maybe two. You in a hurry?”
“No. Well, yes. I want to know.”
“I do, too, but these buffalo came along, and it could be snowing tomorrow. It’s getting to be that time of year.” He laughed. “We’ll be home soon enough.”
“You’re right. You planning on smoking some?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Rose loved it, but instead of two days, it ended up taking three. And just like it had been special ordered for them, the weather turned off perfect. Cool mornings, warm afternoons with a little breeze to keep the blow flies at bay, and star-filled nights with nary a cloud in the sky.
Charley and Laura helped some, but it was mostly her and the two men doing the skinning, scraping, cutting and smoking. But it was nice that the girl did the cooking and the majority of the Charley watching.
That fourth morning, Levi and Wallace led their party away from the little creek with the wagon loaded down with the robes and stacks of cured meat. A sligh
t twinge pricked Rose’s heart.
Would she have more days like these last three? She dwelled on it too long then made herself put the future out of her mind. She couldn’t do anything about it without borrowing trouble, so she’d live for the now.
She faced Laura. “So, how’s my dress coming?”
“Pert near done. I needs another fitting though, if it ain’t too much a bother.”
“Of course, and it’s no bother at all.” She patted the material. “What’s that you’re making now?”
“Another shirt for Charley.”
She glanced at Levi who rode a ways ahead next to Wallace. “Captain Baylor put you up to that?”
“Yes, ma’am. He be paying me to make him and the boy one the same.”
Charley stuck his head from the wagon. “’Cause me and him partners.”
She wanted to correct him, but instead pulled him on out and hugged him tight, then nuzzled his neck. “I love you.”
He pushed away then scooted to the side. “Let go. Me make water.”
“Fine, but hurry back.”
After a quick trip Charley returned, and much to Rose’s irritation, rode the wheel back up. “You’ve got to stop doing that.”
“Why? Me like it.”
She tickled his ribs. “It’s dangerous.”
He wrinkled his nose then put two fingers to his mouth and nodded toward his partners. “Call Captain Bay-lor. Me ride now?”
“Want something to eat?”
“No. Me ride. Eat later.”
She wasn’t whistling for his partner. Charley hated it when she didn’t do what he wanted. “Please, call him now. Me love you.”
His mother made mad eyes at him. “Say I, Charley, not me.”
He made his lips turn up as high as he could and made his exasperated sound followed with an, “I love you.”
Her expression made him think she wasn’t so sure about that. He pressed his lips tight against her cheek then hugged her hard. He smacked his lips when he finally took them away. “Please.” He lifted her hand to her mouth. “Call. Me need my captain now.”
