by Tammy Barley
“After all that’s happened, did you really think I would let you go alone?”
She raised an eyebrow as she laid the saddle over the back of her mare. “Let?”
“I’m not going to argue with you, Jess. You know it isn’t safe to go alone.”
“Jake, I have to do this on my own. I will be careful.” More gently, she added, “Thank you for caring.”
Jake laid a hand on her shoulder to still her. His deep voice softened. “There are times when the Almighty uses your friends to tell you things, Jess.”
Her hands paused on the leather. She considered his point.
“I understand your need to stand on your own, to prove to yourself—and maybe to everyone else—that you’re not afraid. But when someone fills your heart the way you do mine, you want to be there for that person when you believe she needs you. Losing Olivia taught me that. I know you can get by on your own just fine, but I’d sure want to be beside you if you needed me.”
Jess looked up at the tall man with the steady brown eyes. Meg stirred beside her, bringing her attention back to the ranch duties that needed to be done. Yes, she had to go, but she knew that asking Jake to abandon the ranch for her sake wasn’t right. He had all this to see to, and besides, she could take care of herself. “You can’t just pick up and chase after me. You’re needed here at the ranch.”
Jake leaned over to catch her gaze. “Jess, I know well what needs to be done. Sometimes one matter has more importance than another. This time, your heart matters more than anything else. We’ll be gone only a few days, at most. The boys will look after things until we get back.”
Outside, the men pretended not to listen. They began wagering silently on the outcome.
Jess felt a pleasant lightness inside her. She tipped her head to the side. “You’re using Paiute logic on me, aren’t you?”
“Paiute logic?”
“You know, talking with me calmly until I agree with you.”
“Is it working?”
The ranch hands leaned in closer.
When she didn’t answer, Jake murmured, “Shall we go to Carson City?”
“Say yes!” Taggart growled.
Jess sighed, then stepped into a curtsy her mother would have applauded. “I would be grateful for your kind escort, Mr. Bennett.”
A chorus of cheers went up from the ranch hands outside. With a touch to his hat, Jake responded in kind. “Your servant, ma’am.”
The men burst into the stable, all of them in high spirits as they grabbed up their gear and made for the stalls. Jess shared a smile with Jake, then resumed her labors as she answered each man’s jovial greeting. Jake gave instructions to the men, naming Lone Wolf as the one in charge of the ranch until they returned.
Only minutes after the building had filled, it cleared again, Jess leading Meg out alongside the other horses. She saw Cielos tied near a corral. Beside him, Jake tugged the last stirrup
into place.
Reese appeared with additional provisions for them, and he tossed Jake a bedroll. The second bedroll he tied onto Jess’s saddle himself.
“I thought you might want to sleep in more than just your coat,” he said, too much a boy to avoid blushing, too much a man to let her tie it herself. When Jess thanked him, he nodded, then strode past the gawking cattlemen to where he had left
his horse.
Jake and Jess gained their saddles.
Sensing that the men wanted a moment with their leader, Jess lifted a hand to them, then rode out at a gallop, knowing Jake would follow her.
***
It was Diaz who stepped forward first. “What’s happening, boss?” He nodded to the shrinking figure of Jess. “The señorita have trouble?”
Some of the men around him were mounted up; others stood near their horses. All awaited his answer.
“No trouble,” Jake replied. “Only something she needs to settle for herself. We’ll be back within the week.”
“Hey, boss.”
Jake found Doyle’s gaze on him.
“You keep her safe, now.”
“I intend to.” He turned Cielos around and nudged him into a trot. After a brief pause at the rosebush, he applied his spurs and rode out onto the range.
Chapter Seventeen
As they neared the cemetery, located north of Carson City, passing men gave Jess curious looks that prompted her to pull her hat lower. She began to realize that this trip was going to be more troubling than she’d expected. Though she knew the chance of meeting them was remote, she couldn’t help but watch for the remaining men who had attacked her, as well as for anyone else who might recognize her and be startled to find her alive. She was relieved that Jake had come with her—with his forbidding presence, few men, if any, would be apt to cause trouble.
As a group of headstones came into focus before them, Jess’s longing to be near her family began to battle again with her reluctance to see the actual place where they were buried. She saw Jake glance at her with his characteristic probing, concerned look. Giving him a brief smile, she pushed aside her disquietude as best she could.
There was no one else in sight when they dismounted at the cemetery. The place was peaceful and quiet, though nothing like the family plot at Greenbriar, she mused. Her pace quickened at the thought. They should have been buried together. They should have been buried with Broderick.
Jake came up beside her. “Shall I wait here?”
Jess looked up at him, not bothering to hold back her tears. “Thank you.” He pointed out the area where she would find their grave.
Taking her time, she wandered for several trying minutes before finally mustering the courage to approach the plot Jake had indicated. She paused and let out a long, shaky breath. After a moment, her eyes searched out the Hale stone.
It was there, two stones away.
As if on puppet strings, she slid off her hat and moved forward. The stone became larger in her eyes. Choking on tears, she fell to her knees before the marker.
“Hale,” it read:
Isaac Donelson
Georgeanne McKinney
Ambrose Irwin
Jessica Annelise
Emily Frances
Jess took in each of their names, sobbing harder until she pressed her fists to her temples to shut the pain of it from her mind. She was deeply touched that Jake and Edmund had included Ambrose’s name with the others, and they had ordered her own name added for her safety. But her friend Elsie was buried in her place with no recognition whatsoever.
Wanting to picture her family in her mind, Jess closed her eyes. They were there.
Jess could see her mother’s delight as she cradled a lilac blossom in the formal garden at Greenbriar. She could hear Emma’s giggles as they sat together and played. She smelled once more the fragrant pipe smoke that clung, as an aura, to her father. Ambrose stood near a paddock waiting for her, his smile brotherly and proud. Then there was Elsie…
Jess dropped her gaze to the earth that lay between her and the ones she loved, pressing her hand to the dry, rocky mound. It was bare except for a few shriveled weeds. She wiped her face on the shoulder of her cloak.
“I told you I’d come to visit you, Elsie,” she murmured, then smiled. “Dat’s vat goot friends do.”
Jess stared at the tombstone, her thoughts naturally flowing to the Almighty. Lord, I know You have a plan for each of us. Whatever plans You had for my family and for Elsie must have been completed, but continuing on without them is so painful, Lord. I don’t understand why You took everyone away, and I know I’m not meant to understand, at least for now. She stroked the grave. But I’m glad they’re with You…and I’m glad You’re with me.
Jess sat quietly for a long time. After a while, she heard Jake approach. He crouched down beside her.
Jess laid her head against his shoulder—the one that had been scarred when he’d tried to save her family. Finally, she met his gaze. The wind ruffled the dark locks of his hair. His hat rested in the
dirt beside him.
Tentatively, she reached up and smoothed her hand along the firmness of his cheek. He appeared not at all surprised by the touch, nor was she surprised when his head lowered and his lips met hers tenderly.
After a moment, she rested against him again. His leathery scent comforted her, as always. There, in his arms, her inner wounds finally began to fade. Her family was safe with the Lord. With Him walking on one side of her, and with Jake on the other, she knew she would weather any storm life sent her way.
She paused at that thought, not nearly as troubled as she expected to be by the direction in which her heart was pulling her. “We’d best get over to the import store if we want to be on our way home by nightfall,” she said.
Jake agreed, but he made no move to rise until she did. When they were on their feet, Jess stared thoughtfully at the marker once more.
Jake didn’t rush her. When she did turn to him, he simply dusted off their hats, handing Jess hers and placing his own on his head. Jess noticed the bundle near his boot. It looked like a bundle of rags.
“What is that?”
Jake picked it up and handed it to her. “It’s something I brought from the ranch.”
It was slightly heavier than a pair of moccasins, and it felt damp. Curious, she unrolled the layers. When she pulled the last one away, her eyes fell on six yellow roses.
“Oh, Jake.” For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Then she managed, “I’m so glad you brought them.” She smoothed the delicate petals, then frowned. “Six roses? One for each would be five—oh. You brought one for Broderick.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jess smiled to stave off the threat of new tears, shaking her head to think of how stubborn she had been at the ranch. “I’m glad you came with me.”
Jake nodded but didn’t answer. She didn’t expect him to.
Once she’d laid the roses at the base of the tombstone, they left the grave with its spray of yellow.
Neither of them said anything more until they had mounted their horses. “I need to order a new tombstone,” Jess announced.
Jake glanced at her. He clearly hadn’t expected that.
“I want my name taken off and Elsie’s name engraved with the others.”
“Why?”
“I’m not dead, and I don’t intend to be anytime soon. Elsie was my dearest friend. She deserves to be remembered.”
Jake considered that. “Is anyone likely to visit the grave?”
“Just the Van Dorns.”
“Then that shouldn’t be a problem. If Miriam sees the stone changed, Edmund will know how to explain, but I’d best be the one to talk to the stonecutter and order it.”
“What will you tell him?”
“That when I ordered the first one I was mistaken about the name of the girl.”
“Will that cause a problem?”
“As I recall, the man likes his whiskey. I don’t think he’ll remember the first grave marker, nor will he care.” He patted the pocket holding his coin pouch. “Besides, an extra twenty in gold goes a long way to keeping a man forgetful.”
Jess reached for her own coin purse. “I intend to pay for this, Bennett.”
He hesitated a moment over the “Bennett.” “We’ll settle up later,” he said.
When they entered the bustle of town and found the place, Jake pulled out his notebook and pencil. Jess wrote down the spelling of Elsie Scheuer’s name, then waited outside with the horses.
When Jake came out, he showed her the facing page in the small book. “He sketched how the new stone will look.”
“Hale,” it read, like the last one:
Isaac Donelson
Georgeanne McKinney
Ambrose Irwin
Emily Frances
and dear friend
Elsie Scheuer
“It’s just right,” she said.
Jake put away the book and mounted up. “He said he’ll have it out there by the end of the week.”
“Were there any problems?”
“No.”
They turned their horses, Jess careful to avoid looking in the direction of the burned-out Hale house. Then, thinking of the import store, her heart leapt in anticipation. This was what she’d been waiting for—finally having her brother’s letters with her. To keep.
It was all she could think of as they joined the traffic. Suddenly, the store was standing, tall, before them. Jess’s eyes moved over the shimmering window glass where sweeping emerald letters revealed the name of her father’s store: Hale Imports.
At Jake’s prompting, they crossed the road.
As the new primary owner, Edmund could have changed the name of the business if he had chosen to. How like him that he had left it just as it was, she reflected—a tribute to his friends. They dismounted near the door.
She had often stood on this very spot with her father, talking of business, of her mother. Once, they’d even argued about Ambrose here.
Jake tied the horses to a hitching post nearby. “Are you ready?”
“More than ready.”
Jess entered with Jake close behind. Nothing had changed. The walls were bedecked with the same gilt-framed mirrors and paintings, familiar European furnishings covered the floor, and the same corner desk was loaded down with papers, books, and inkwells. All of it was exactly as it had been—even the frazzled yet good-hearted man seated at the desk. Jess smiled broadly as her father’s friend and business partner glanced up.
“Jess!” A tired-looking Edmund stood up and came directly to her, his relief apparent as he enfolded her in his arms. With a plain, clean-shaven face and a sparse but frantic head of hair, he wasn’t handsome, the dear man, but he had a keen mind for business, and he had always done all he could for her family. Edmund pulled away and smiled down at her. “You look more beautiful than ever. The time at the ranch appears to have been just what you needed.”
“It’s so good to see you. Is Miriam well?”
“That she is, that she is.” He waved a hand absently. “She keeps herself busy with her charity functions, hosting benefit after benefit. Before long, I expect even Carson City’s ale hounds will feel compelled to dress like diplomats and bring a donation.” Jess smiled. “Jake!” Edmund shook his hand, sincerely grateful to the rancher. “I am indebted to you, sir, for seeing Jess through.”
“It’s been my pleasure. In truth, I don’t know how we managed so long without her.”
Jess told Edmund about the attack at the ranch, and that two of the men were in jail. “Edmund, the other seven…were any of them found?”
“No, Jess. I spoke with the sheriff every day for weeks. No one seems to know anyone who matches Jake’s description of those men. I don’t think we’ll ever figure out who they were. Although,” he brightened, “since they’ve undoubtedly moved on, you can return to Carson City for good, and…”
Jess was already shaking her head.
Edmund frowned. “I gather you don’t intend to stay.”
Jess took in the overstuffed room that, although familiar, felt more confining than ever. “This was never for me, Edmund.”
His shoulders slumped. Behind him stood a monstrosity of paperwork. She didn’t envy him.
“But you were so good at what you did, Jess.”
“She’s also good at what she does now,” Jake said.
Jess smiled up at Jake in gratitude, then returned her attention to Edmund. “I’ve finally found my place. All that social calling, fancy-dressed balls, trussing myself up like a holiday cake…that’s not who I am.”
Edmund took her hands in his and smiled sadly, as though he was saying good-bye to his own daughter. “Edmund, I need to feel the wind in my face. I need to work hard so that I can see the rewarding results of my efforts. Out at the ranch, there are so many of the Lord’s creatures… Oh, Edmund, you should see it! I was there this spring when the calves and foals were born! They were the sweetest things you ever saw. This life…here…” She shook her head.
“I wasn’t meant to be walled in.”
Edmund bowed his head reflectively. When he looked up again, the tiredness remained in his eyes, but with it was the hint of a smile. “You’re a Hale, there’s no denying that.” With an exaggerated sigh, he looked over at the desk just as two papers slid from the stack to the floor. “Well, I could always throw the lot of it in the dustbin and start over.”
Jess leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for understanding, Edmund.”
He cleared his throat. “What are you going to do now?”
“I’ll stay on at the ranch, at least until the war is over. Greenbriar is mine now, so I’ll likely want to go see it afterward…maybe stay a while to rebuild any damage these years of neglect and war have caused.”
Edmund glanced up at her hat, which she hadn’t removed. “I suppose you came to retrieve your brother’s letters, then.”
Jess bit her lip. She stood only feet away from the longed-for keepsakes. “Yes, Edmund. Are they still in the safe?” She was already rounding the corner into the stockroom where it waited.
Edmund bent over to pick up the papers. “They are. Do you remember the combination?” He sat down at the desk.
Jess’s heart trembled. She felt as if she had walked a long, long road and was finally nearing the end of it. Waiting for her were the last tangible memories of her brother. They were only letters, but they were all hers. “I remember it, Edmund,” she heard herself say.
Jess knelt down and slid her palms smoothly down the cool, painted surface of the safe, shutting out everything else. Jake and Edmund disappeared; the world went away. For her, the safe’s contents were everything. She lifted trembling fingers to the dial and spun it. From far off, Edmund murmured sadly that one last letter had found its way since the fire. To Jess, his words felt like the thrust of a bayonet, though she didn’t blame him for the unfairness of it; she blamed the war. Firming her grip on the handle, she pulled open the thick metal door.
Stacked in the bottom were the old account books she had once kept for the store. On a shelf above them sat four pouches of gold coins, earnings her father had paid her that she had set aside long ago for a future need.
