Lady Outlaw

by Stacy Henrie

  With two of the three thieves down, Caleb yanked his horse in the direction he’d last seen Gunner. The cows along the left side of the herd charged in closer to the others at his approach.

  A quick glance at the front of the herd told him Jennie was still there, riding unharmed. Over his shoulder, he saw Gunner had given up the fight and was racing back toward the cowhands’ camp. Haws, his injured arm cradled to his chest, rode hard behind him.

  A surge of victory pushed Caleb up in the stirrups with a whoop. “We did it!” he yelled, with all the voice he could muster over the racket of pounding cattle hooves. He removed his hat and waved it in the air, hoping Jennie understood the signal.

  He kept waving until Jennie saw him. Even from far away, he thought he saw a smile on her face as she lifted off her own hat and swung it in the air in answer.

  Sitting once more, Caleb replaced his hat and stuck his newly acquired gun in the slot on his saddle. Now to get these cows off the range.

  He and Jennie drove the cattle through the dimming light. When they reached the other half of the herd, they joined the two groups together and guided them toward the ranch.

  Caleb’s face and ear throbbed and his legs and back felt stiff from being in the saddle so long. He didn’t let the complaints linger, though. He felt too exhilarated at their success. Perhaps cattle ranching wasn’t so boring after all.

  At last he spied the dark outline of the fence in the distance. As they drew closer, Jennie charged ahead and opened the corral. She helped him steer the cows inside, then she secured the gate.

  “We’ll give them something to eat in the morning,” Jennie said in a weary voice as they dismounted and led their horses to the barn. “They should be fine for one night.”

  He followed her into the barn and put Saul away. The light of the moon coming through the open doors allowed enough light to see by. Caleb pulled off the saddle and gave Saul a quick brush over.

  “Do you need a hand?” he asked when he finished.

  Jennie shook her head, running a currycomb once more over Dandy’s flanks. “I’m done for tonight.”

  Tossing the brush onto the table with the others, she joined him near the doors. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she took in the sight of his face. “What happened? You’re covered in blood.” She lifted her hand as if to touch him, but she clearly thought better of it.

  A strange twinge of disappointment flared inside him and then disappeared. “One of the cowboys grazed my ear with his shot,” Caleb answered. “I’m just glad he didn’t take the whole thing off.”

  “I heard the gunfire, but I couldn’t tell who was firing at whom. When I saw you waving your silly hat, I knew you were all right.” A faint smile lifted her mouth. “Let’s get you patched up inside.”

  She closed the barn doors and fell into step beside him as he started for the house. He shot a glance at her and saw her quickly look away. Now that the excitement of rustling back her cattle had faded, Caleb felt awkwardness between them.

  “About that...um...” He coughed, suddenly unsure how to proceed.

  “You mean the kiss?” Jennie stopped walking and turned to face him, her arms folded.

  Caleb ran a hand over his stubbled chin. “Yes, that. If I’ve been too casual in my teasing...”

  “If you’re worried about your job, you shouldn’t. I won’t...do that again.” She stared down at her boots and shrugged. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I suppose I was just caught up in the moment and the possibility of something happening to either of us.”

  “Jennie.”

  He touched her sleeve, but he wished he hadn’t done it when the gesture made her peer up at him. Even the dim light couldn’t erase the hurt he saw reflected in those dark eyes. He wanted to say something to take the pain away...but then the front door flew open and the moment was lost.

  * * *

  Jennie looked up as Will came out onto the porch. “We thought we heard you,” he said. “What happened?”

  Jennie seized the opportunity to distance herself from Caleb and hurried toward her brother. “We’re fine, Will. The cattle are fine, too.”

  Grandma Jones appeared in the doorway. “We’ve been sick with worry.”

  Caleb trailed the family into the kitchen, and Jennie heard Grandma Jones and Will gasp at the sight of the blood trickling down his neck and into the collar of his shirt.

  “Oh, my! You’re bleeding. What happened?” Grandma Jones asked Caleb, fussing around the kitchen for medical supplies.

  “We went after the cattle, Grandma.” Jennie sank into a chair. “Someone stole them.”

  “What?” Will exclaimed.

  “For goodness’ sake. And you went after them yourselves?” Grandma Jones stopped midway through cleaning Caleb’s injury with a damp cloth. “Good thing I didn’t know. Why didn’t you go for the sheriff?”

  Jennie placed her elbows on the table and massaged at her forehead. Her head ached and she felt weighed down with weariness. “There wasn’t time. I tracked their trail before I came to the church. I figured if Caleb and I hurried, we could find the cattle.”

  Will flipped around a chair and sat down, his arms resting against the back. “How’d you get ’em?”

  “Caleb pretended to be traveling in the area.” She looked over at Caleb, careful to guard her expression. “While he distracted the three cowhands, I drove off the cattle.”

  Grandma Jones shook her gray head in disbelief. “No one was hurt?”

  “Just Caleb’s ear,” Jennie said. Perhaps God had heard her awkward prayer for his safety, after all. “He didn’t duck quite fast enough to dodge a bullet.”

  All three turned toward him.

  “I’ll be all right.” Their attention brought a flush to his neck. “I just need some sleep.”

  Grandma Jones clucked her tongue. “You need a good deal more than that. The alcohol may sting some, but it’ll help.” Jennie’s grandmother dabbed the liquid onto her rag and pressed it to his ear. Once she seemed certain the wound wouldn’t get infected, Grandma Jones bandaged his ear with quick fingers and stood back.

  “You’re all done.” She smiled.

  Caleb gingerly touched the bandage. “Thank you.” He climbed to his feet, then paused, seeming to remember something. “By the way, I found out who those cowhands were working for.”

  “Who?” Jennie questioned.

  “A Mr. King.”

  Anger was Jennie’s first reaction—one that was shared by Will, if the way he slapped his fist against his chair was any indication. Grandma Jones just looked shocked.

  “You know him?” Caleb asked.

  Grandma Jones nodded. “He’s practically our neighbor.”

  “I should have known it was him,” Jennie said, her voice strained from trying to hold in the fury she felt. “Whenever we see him in town, he’s always asking how things are now that Pa’s gone. He might even be the one who stole our calves last spring.” At the time, she’d thought he was just another rancher who thought she couldn’t handle it—couldn’t run things now that her father was gone. Now she wondered if he was the one arranging things so that she couldn’t hold them together, sabotaging her deliberately to make her fail, no matter how hard she tried.

  “Now, Jennie.” Her grandmother shook her head. “We don’t know that for certain. Besides, Mr. King was here just the other day asking to talk to you about sharing water. Why would he come over if he planned to steal our cattle?”

  “I don’t know, but I still don’t trust him.”

  “We ought to go to the sheriff,” Caleb suggested. “Have the man arrested, or at least questioned, for cattle rustling.”

  “No,” she said, more adamantly than she intended. All three of them stared in surprise at her. Involving the law would only make things worse, Jennie was sure of that. “I don’t think that’s wise.” She made her voice more even. “We only have the word of his cowhands, since King wasn’t actually a part of the theft. It would be our story ag
ainst theirs.” She scraped back her chair and stood. “And for that matter, they could have been lying. They said they worked for Mr. King, but they didn’t have any proof, did they?”

  “We shouldn’t let him off.” Will scowled.

  Caleb nodded. “I agree with Will.”

  “Either course has its repercussions,” Grandma Jones interjected. “By not going to the law, we’re running the risk that it could happen again, which means we’ll have to keep a better watch on the cattle. But accusing the man of something as serious as cattle rustling would definitely stir up trouble.”

  “Mr. King’s a powerful man. If we accuse him without any proof, he could make this difficult for us. And we’ve got difficulties enough already. No real harm was done,” Jennie added. “Well, except to Caleb.”

  “Thanks,” Caleb muttered. He didn’t seem pleased, but at least he didn’t try to change her mind.

  “I think we should be grateful we found the cattle,” Jennie said, “and leave it at that.”

  “I agree with Jennie. The cows are back and we don’t want to go ruffling feathers.” Grandma Jones moved about the kitchen, putting away the supplies she’d used to mend Caleb’s ear. “Now it’s time for this old woman to turn in.”

  She ushered Caleb and the others from the kitchen and up the stairs. Jennie let out a sigh of relief that the day was nearly over. It was one of the most frightening, exhilarating and, ultimately, disheartening days she’d ever known. She would be very glad to put it behind her. But she tensed when she saw that Caleb had paused outside his room.

  Was he going to make her talk about what had happened between them after all?

  * * *

  Caleb knew he couldn’t go to sleep until he’d at least tried to make things right with Jennie. He hated the idea that he’d hurt her, however unintentionally. He hadn’t been the one to instigate their kiss, but he hadn’t refused her at first, either. Little wonder she felt hurt and confused by his behavior after their return. How could he make this right?

  “Jennie?” he said as she passed by him.

  She stopped, her attention on the floorboards. Grandma Jones threw them a questioning look and then disappeared into her room. Will continued on up the stairs to his room in the attic.

  “Jennie, I didn’t mean to—”

  “Please, Caleb.” Her voice wavered until she lifted her chin. The steeliness had returned to her eyes. “It was my mistake. I appreciate all your help, I really do. I’ll be fine. Good night.”

  She crossed the landing and went into her room. Caleb stared at the shut door. He thought less of Liza the more time he spent with Jennie and he’d come to prize her friendship. It was nice talking to a woman again, making her smile. But that didn’t mean he was ready for a more serious relationship. He couldn’t risk caring that much for someone else. Not yet. Jennie would be fine, just like she’d told him. But somehow he still felt like he’d made the wrong move.

  Chapter Ten

  Jennie tucked bean seeds into the small holes in the dirt Caleb had made with his stick. Pushing up her hat, she watched him working farther down the garden row. They’d both been quieter since rustling back her cattle, twelve days ago, less teasing, fewer smiles.

  If only I hadn’t kissed him out on the range, she told herself yet again. She had talked herself through the different reasons he’d spurned her. She was after all his employer, and he was still grieving the loss of his fiancée. Yet his rejection stung just the same.

  Her poor grandmother had interpreted the awkwardness between Jennie and Caleb as something different—a sign they felt something more for each other but were too shy to act on it. The woman had been making not-so-subtle attempts to matchmake by having Jennie and Caleb work alone—like planting the garden. Will could have helped, but Grandma Jones had insisted he give her a hand in making a new batch of soap, a task he loathed.

  If only life were different. She bent and pressed another seed into the ground with a sigh. If she had met Caleb at church, if she didn’t have the bank debt looming over her, maybe then they might have made something more of their friendship.

  Thoughts of the debt reminded Jennie of the stage robbery tomorrow. She’d nearly forgotten about it in all the excitement of rustling back her cattle. She needed to contrive a way to get to town. Sitting back on her heels, she stared unseeing across the garden.

  “Something wrong?”

  Startled from her thoughts, Jennie glanced up. Caleb watched her closely, one elbow resting on the top of his stick.

  “No.” She lowered her chin and placed the seeds into the next hole. “Just thinking.”

  “About?” he prodded. Out of the corner of her eye, Jennie saw him return to his job, stamping his stick into the soft dirt.

  “I think I’m going to town tomorrow.” She did her best to keep her voice nonchalant, even bored. “We need more seeds, and perhaps I’ll see about finding something new to wear...to church.”

  The words were out before she could stop them, but did she really want to go again? Her grandmother and Will had shared with her how kind everyone had been, and their acceptance back into the congregation had stirred wants inside Jennie—a longing to be a part of something normal and inclusive.

  Caleb’s face brightened into a genuine smile—the first she’d seen in days. “You’ll come with us on Sunday?”

  “Not this week, but soon,” she hedged. Her stomach still twisted at the thought of being inside the building for more than a few minutes. Not even a new hair ribbon or comb would cure that.

  “You still worried about what people will think?”

  “They weren’t exactly welcoming the other week.”

  “No one knew what was going on with your cattle—they were just trying to listen.” Caleb set down his stick and removed his hat to wipe his brow with his sleeve. “What do you say to taking a rest? A short one?” he added, a teasing glint to his blue eyes.

  Jennie nodded, grateful to see him acting more like he had his first week at the ranch. She missed having him around as a friend, not just hired help. She followed him to the shade beside the barn where they sat with their backs against the weathered wood. Jennie took off her hat and used it to fan her flushed cheeks. The coolness of the shadows brought relief from the hot sun.

  Caleb fiddled with his hat brim. “What do you think people are gonna say if you come with us some Sunday?”

  “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

  “Don’t usually see a reason to.” He smiled, but the reaction was short. “It might help to share what’s on your mind.”

  Setting her hat beside her, she stared at the hills in the distance. Would it help to share her burden or would reopening the wound be too much to bear?

  “It isn’t what they’ll say now, but what they said right after my mother left.” She swallowed hard, hoping to dislodge the lump sprouting in her throat. “Looking back I realize she was unhappy. There were days I’d find her on the porch, staring at nothing. I took over more of her responsibilities, like caring for Will and helping my father. But nothing seemed to make her happier.”

  Jennie sniffed back the tears that stung in her eyes, afraid they might spill over anyway. “One day, I went out on the porch and she wasn’t alone. A neighbor and his wife were waiting in front of the house in their wagon. My mother’s suitcase was sitting on the steps beside her.”

  A traitorous drop of moisture slid down her cheek. Caleb lifted his hand and wiped the tear away with his thumb.

  “What happened next?” he asked.

  Jennie exhaled a long breath. “She apologized half a dozen times, kissed us all goodbye and left. Later we found a note that said she’d gone to her sister’s back East.” She studied a smudge of dirt on her trousers. “None of us really understood why she left, especially Will. Grandma Jones kept telling us that she wasn’t well and maybe she’d come back once she got better. But she never did.

  “After the shock wore off a little, we went to church agai
n. I wanted to see my friends, return to something normal. But someone had already spread nasty rumors.” She cringed as the ugly insinuations leaped to her mind. The passing of eight years hadn’t dulled the memory one bit. “My friends told me they’d heard my mother had some secret lover and my father had been cruel to her. Apparently everyone believed that those were her reasons for leaving.”

  “And you believed them?” The question held only curiosity, not accusation.

  “Not at first.”

  Jennie tightened her hands into fists. She dug her nails into the flesh of her palms to keep her emotions from boiling over into greater resentment, or worse, more tears.

  “I never questioned my father’s love for her—you could see it in his eyes whenever she came into the room. And yet, after a while I started to wonder if she really had a secret life. I even asked my father about it.” She shook her head, tasting the regret in her mouth. “I can’t imagine what pain my question caused him, but his response shocked me even more. ‘I wish that were the reason, Jennie girl. That would be easier to swallow than the truth.’ But he never told me what the truth was.”

  Slowly she uncurled her fists and peered down at the tiny marks from her nails. They were raw and tinged with blood but so small when compared to the marks left on her heart.

  “Over time I forced myself to believe the nasty lies about her.” Her voice rose in pitch as the pain washed over her anew. “It made things easier, gave me the anger I needed to survive. If I believed what they’d said, then I didn’t have to face what I suspected was the truth.”

  “Which is?”

  “That she left because of me.” Jennie choked on a sob. “Maybe I didn’t help her enough or maybe I helped her too much. Either way, I must have made it hard for her to...to...love me.” Turning her face, she swiped at her tears with the back of her hand, but they were coming too fast. A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, drawing her to him, and she buried her face in Caleb’s shirt as she wept.