And Here I'll Stay

by Rita Hestand

  "Midnight?" Melanie questioned?

  "The new Stallion Joe bought in San Antonio." Anna told her.

  "Oh yes, I think he's very ridable now. I've worked with him several times and he is pretty gentle, but I left him with a bit of spunk as Joe said you are a fine horsewoman."

  "Did he?" she grinned. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

  Melanie took him in the barn and stabled him, Anna followed. "Would you like a glass of tea?" Anna offered.

  "Yes, that'd be fine." She told her.

  "I'm sorry I didn't get to meet your fiancé the other day."

  "Another time, I suppose," Melanie said a worry wrinkle forming on her forehead.

  "Something wrong?"

  "No, not really. It's just—" She paused, glancing at her for a moment. "Ken, my fiancé was going to move his office here, but it's not working out well. He's a junior partner in a law firm in San Antonio and they want him to stay on another year."

  "I'm sorry. Well, at least it isn't that far to San Antonio." Anna told her.

  "It is when you work with a lot of horses every day and don't have time to go visiting." She said with unease.

  "Sounds like you miss him already. But a year isn't too long." Anna encouraged.

  "I just don't understand why he can't leave that firm and open his own office here, now." She huffed. Then after a moment, she blushed, "I'm sorry, it isn't your fault."

  They went up to the house and Maria saw she had company. "Would you like some tea," Maria asked.

  "Yes, thank you Maria, that would be lovely." Anna smiled at her. "You know, it takes a while to get established, especially when it's a business like being a lawyer, you have to build a clientele."

  "Oh, how would you know about such things?" Melanie sent her a slightly snobbish look.

  Anna tried not to take the insult seriously. "I know you think I'm just a dumb hick because I work in the livery stable, but I had an Uncle that was in law up north and it took him two years to get established and make any money. He almost quit and came back here."

  "Really," Melanie looked astonished.

  "Yes, Uncle Harmon, my dad's brother. He was a barber here in town until he finished his studies and became a lawyer. It really frustrated him that it took so long to make money at it."

  "Harmon Murray, oh yeah, my dad used to go to him to get his hair cut. He became a lawyer?" Her nose turned upward in disbelief.

  "Yes, he did." Hannah couldn't quite get over the slight arrogance of the woman. "It took him a while, but he passed the bar easily enough."

  "But you have to speak Latin to become a lawyer." Melanie said thinking she'd caught her in a lie. "Otherwise you can't possibly read the books."

  "Yes, he learned. Anyone can learn Melanie." Anna insisted.

  "Of course, it's just a little surprising is all." She drank the tea Maria brought but didn't thank Maria or even acknowledge her. Anna watched her closely though, she never did know Melanie as she was older and went to another school. "I suppose it does take a while. But how are we ever going to get married?"

  "If you love him, it will work out, I’m sure of it."

  "Oh really, a girl that gets left at the alter three times tells me it will work out. How optimistic you are." Melanie was peevish and Anna tried to overlook her rudeness.

  Anna reasoned that Melanie was just upset with her fiancé and didn't know how to handle it right now was why she was so snobbish. She'd forgive her this time, but she would not put up with her rudeness again.

  Anna bit her lip but didn't grab the bait. Melanie was in some kind of mood, and it would not spoil Anna's good one.

  "Well, that third one was a charm." Anna brightened.

  Melanie didn't respond but told her she had to be going. Anna walked her to the door. "When's Joe going to be home?"

  "This evening sometime, is there something you need?"

  "I've got a horse he might be interested in. I'll talk to him later."

  "Oh, I'll tell him." She told her honing her manners.

  "Thanks, and thanks for the tea."

  "Actually, Maria made the tea, not I." Anna informed her politely.

  "Y-yes, of course. Good day." Melanie stomped out the door, not looking back.

  Anna remembered how aristocrats never thanked the help for their service. She remembered her Aunt Helen who had suddenly become rich when her husband struck gold in California and when she visited her mother, she had the rudest way of treating people.

  Anna leaned on the door when she left. Maria came in to pick up the cups in the front room.

  "Something wrong?"

  Anna decided to bite her tongue and not say anything about how rude Melanie acted. After all, she was upset about her intended.

  "No, I don't think so."

  Anna went out to the garden and looked around and saw it needed weeding and watering, so she got busy.

  Pearl glanced out the window and turned to Maria, "Well, I guess you was right, she does work, don't she?"

  "I told you so. She's a good lady."

  "Did that Miss Melanie leave?" Pearl asked.

  "Yes, why?" Maria asked.

  "She's up to some trouble. Looks like our Mrs. is gonna have a time with her."

  "Why, what happened?" Maria asked.

  "I wasn't meaning to be nosey, but the way she carried on with the Mrs. made me a tad mad. She was really snippy with her and askin' about Joe. I know what she's up to. She's havin' man trouble and she wants to lean on Joe for comfort, I've seen it before. She got her claws after our Missy."

  Maria looked alarmed. "Melanie?"

  "Yeah, she's an uppity little brat that needs a spanking. She ain't no better than that Miss Susan that comes around. At least Miss Susan don't make no bones about what she's after, Melanie is sneaky. Did you know she wants Joe to work for her dad?"

  "Who told you that?"

  "One of the boys that works over there. Now what does she want with Joe workin' for her, when he got his own place to look after."

  "You must be mistaken."

  "Uh huh, we'll see. I think our Mrs. got some troubles."

  "Well don't go brewin' more by flappin' your jaw then. This town don't need no more gossips."

  "I won't. I won't have to. Anyone with eyes knows what she's after." Pearl told her.

  "I hope you are wrong, Pearl."

  Pearl stared out at Anna, "You know what, I do too! Because I like this gal, she's better than all the rest around here. She ain't so uppity."

  Anna came in and Pearl had finished her dusting, Maria was taking a break, having some coffee with her and Anna walked in and sat down with them as though it were commonplace to sit with the hired help. They looked at each other and smiled.

  "Do you girls go to the dances?"

  "I usually make the cake for it, but I haven't been to a dance in years," Maria told her.

  Pearl shook her head. "We got a dance on the other side of town for colored folks, I go."

  "Well then, I want to make you both a dress for the dance." Anna told them.

  Both of them looked at her then each other. "But you shouldn't be worrying about us." Maria protested.

  "Joe thinks of all of you like family. And family takes care of family. Besides, I love to sew."

  "You'd do that for us?" Pearl twisted her head.

  "Why not?"

  "But I don't even go to dances." Maria told her.

  "Then you should start. You aren't that old, and you could have a lot of fun. And I'm gonna make you both a dress to wear to them." Anna told them and got up from the table. "I've got to curry Sally."

  Pearl looked at Maria, "Is she serious?"

  "I think so. I do not know what to say." Maria shook her head.

  "Well, I for one will be protecting that one for sure. Anyone that includes me in her family like that, I'll protect. That Miss Melanie won't break her marriage up if I got anything to say about it." Pearl told her.

  "You've changed your mind about her, then?"


  "I can admit when I'm wrong, and I was wrong."

  Maria chuckled. "Oh Pearl, dresses for a dance, can you believe it?"

  "She's something alright." Pearl chuckled.

  Chapter Twenty

  But it was late in the afternoon when chaos broke out, and Anna went out to see what the commotion was about. She thought it sounded like a gun going off.

  "I'll check on it," Anna told Maria. "Stay inside."

  Maria nodded.

  Three men, with long barrel rifles had picked out some horses, saddled them and killed one of the hands who had caught them red-handed, obviously.

  Anna's mouth flew open in horror when she saw the old hand that Joe hired only a couple of weeks ago to manage the barnyard duties.

  She ran and fell to her knees to help him, but he was dead, his eyes staring into space. A tear fell but she had no time at all to protest as one of the men on the horses grabbed her and heisted her up on the horse with him.

  "Well, we'll just take you along as insurance. You're a pretty little thing."

  Anna smelled the alcohol on his breath and turned her head as his beard scratched her when he pulled her up against him.

  She screamed.

  Maria and Pearl came running out of the house onto the porch and saw them taking her and six horses with them.

  "Oh my God, oh my God," Maria's hand went to her heart. "They've taken the Mrs. with them. We must hurry. Oh, look Trapper, he's been killed. Oh, my Pearl, stay in the house, get the rifle in the kitchen, lock the doors. I've got to find Garcia."

  Pearl nodded, "They took her?"

  "Yes, oh I don't want to even think what they might do to her!" Maria shook her head and cried as she ran around screaming for Garcia.

  Garcia heard her from the far pasture screaming his name and came running, "What's wrong?" He caught her and held her for a moment.

  "They've taken her!" Maria screamed.

  "Who?"

  "Outlaws have taken the Mrs. You must ride into town and tell Joe, hurry." Maria held onto his arm.

  Garcia saw how shook up she was and put his hand on her arm. "You get back in the house, don't let no one in unless you know them, I'll get Petey to run tell the others."

  Maria nodded. "Hurry, there's no telling what they might do to her."

  "Si, I will. Now go to the house, lock the doors and don’t come out." He told her.

  "Yes, yes, I will. But hurry."

  "I will."

  Garcia rode to the pasture where he and little Petey, one of the hands boy was helping him pick up broken limbs off the ground.

  "Petey," he grabbed the little boy.

  "Yes sir." The young boy's eyes were wide.

  "Go fetch all the boys, Mrs. Callahan has been kidnapped, tell them, tell them to mount up and get ready to ride. I must fetch Mr. Joe from town."

  "Yes sir, they took her?"

  "Yes Petey, so hurry."

  "Yes sir." The boy grabbed his pony and galloped down the north pasture to find his father and the others.

  Petey was shaking and red faced when he saw the men. When he got there his father saw him and came running. "What's your hurry son?"

  "Dad, they got Mrs. Callahan. Garcia says to come on the run, he's gone to get Mr. Joe."

  "Who has her?" His father shook his shoulders.

  "Outlaws!"

  "My God," Dave Mallard hollered at the others and they came running seeing his distraught face.

  "Something wrong?"

  "Lots, Outlaws just came on property and took Mrs. Callahan away. We got to mount up and be ready to ride when Joe gets here." He told them.

  They all mounted and rushed back to the house.

  Maria saw them coming and went out on the porch with her rifle.

  "What happened?" Dave asked.

  "They killed old Trapper, must have taken a bunch of horses out of the barn, and when Miss. Anna came out to see what was going on, they took her with them." Maria told them.

  "Lord, Joe's gonna be fit to be tied. How many of them were there?" Dave asked.

  "Three. They were well armed though. Rifles, handguns and riding hell bent for leather."

  He had one of the boys check the barn.

  In seconds the man came back, "They took six horses. Three of them thoroughbreds."

  Calvin Moon came forward, "I wonder if that is the bunch that Joe and George have been after all week in town."

  "Could very well be. If it is, they are probably the ones that robbed the bank, too."

  "Maria, when we leave, I'll leave Stucky here and I'm sure Garcia will stay but you lock up and stay inside."

  "We will. Poor Miss. Anna, she looked so shocked, her face was so pale… I hope they don't hurt her."

  "Don't you worry Maria; we'll find the bastards!" Josh Martin told her; he was one of the younger hands but very loyal to Joe.

  "Just be careful." Maria warned them.

  Maria made the sign of the cross and went inside with Pearl. They sat down in the front room and both of them had a rifle in their hands.

  "They probably won't be back here," Pearl told her.

  "No, that's true. And when they do come back, I hope they are layin' over the saddle not on it."

  "What do they want with her, anyway?" Pearl asked.

  "They'll use her as a shield, and to get away farther. Then, when they are through with her…."

  "Oh my God!" Pearl grabbed her chest.

  ***

  Joe and George were just finishing up the day when Garcia barreled right up to the door, slinging dust and rocks all over. His face was red, sweat ran down his forehead and a tear down his cheek. George saw the dust and ran out to see what was going on.

  "Garcia, you trying to break the door down with your horse?" George laughed.

  "No, where is Mister Joe?"

  "Inside, something wrong?" George asked following him in, his expression changing as Garcia didn't laugh at his joke.

  Joe saw him and frowned, "Garcia, what are you doing here? We were just about to close up and come on home."

  "Mister Joe, I got bad news." Garcia looked almost helpless now. How did he tell his boss such a thing?

  Joe grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye.

  "Slow down, take a breath, and tell me what's wrong."

  George came up to them and waited to hear.

  "Those men, the ones you been after all week, they came on the property."

  Joe's eyes rounded on him and George came to listen now, "What happened?"

  "They stole six horses, they killed old Trapper… "

  Joe listened, feeling an eerie sense come over him, he stared at Garcia. There was more to this, he waited with bated breath.

  "My God, is everyone else okay?" George asked.

  "No sir," Garcia shook his head and his voice got husky. "They took Mrs. Callahan!" Garcia told him.

  Joe grabbed him by the shirt, "They took her?"

  "Yes sir," Garcia shook not from fear but from concern for his boss.

  "How'd they get on the property without anyone seeing them?" Joe asked still holding Garcia by the shirt.

  "Si, they were on foot, they were very quiet."

  Joe turned loose of him and pat him on the shoulder. Then he turned to George. George was just as shocked as he was. The room got deathly quiet, and Joe and George both stiffened and bristled. "Let's close the livery. Garcia, run to the Sheriff's office, tell him what happened, tell him to meet us at my place."

  "Si, I am so sorry."

  "Was… was she alive when they left?"

  "Yes, Maria ran out on the porch, and saw them taking her."

  "Good, thanks, meet us at the ranch."

  "Si."

  Garcia ran to the Sheriff to tell him. Joe and George hurriedly closed up the livery and rode hell bent for leather to the ranch. Joe's hands shook but other than the serious frown on his face, no one could tell how shook up he was. His insides were on fire from an instant hate that festered in his heart for these
men.

  George didn't talk, he was upset too, and both men knew what they had to do.

  Dave and the men were waiting when Joe and George showed up, prepared for a long and tedious trip.

  Joe's face was a wad of frowns and concern. Finally, he and Anna had gotten together and solved their problems, now this. The uncertainty of Anna's fate lay heavy in his heart. All he could think about was holding her in his arms and keeping her safe with him. But he couldn't do that. If they harmed her, he wouldn't bring them back alive. But he knew he had to think rationally. He had to keep his head, even though his heart was breaking.

  "Boys, I guess you all know they have Anna now. So, when we meet up, we have to be careful. They'll use her as a shield, and they'll kill her when she's of no use to them anymore. I'm open to suggestions when we find them. I don't want her hurt, no matter what."

  "We understand boss."

  "Anyone know which way they went when they left?"

  "Maybe Maria or Pearl." Dave told him.

  He called them outside. Maria and Pearl both came out and walked straight up to him. "I am glad you are here. Miss Anna heard shots and went to see what was going on. She was checking on Trapper when they grabbed her up and took her with them." Maria explained.

  "Did you happen to see which way they went?" Joe turned his head to see Josh burying Trapper in the family cemetery. He closed his eyes for a moment and said a prayer.

  "I did!" Pearl told them. "I went in the house and was locking the back door, when I seen them, they went down the south road." Pearl shook with terror.

  "Thanks, now ladies, they probably won't be back, but lock the doors and stay inside. Garcia and Stucky will stay here, let them in to feed them and tell them to stay here in the house at night until we get back. They can take care of the animals and any emergencies."

  "Yes sir," Maria nodded. Then she looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "Mister Joe, this morning, Miss Anna went to the church on the south road, to pray for you and your men, that these men would not harm you. She made a point of it, she said it was very important and she wanted to be close to God when she said the prayers."

  Maria stopped when she saw Joe's face, and how his shoulders hunched over. The men got deathly quiet too, their expression of sorrow obvious. "Find her Mister Joe, please find her."