“How’s she doing?” Jessie asked Helga.
“Not good, love. She fades in and out.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“He said she did the right thing cutting her leg like she did. He doesn’t know what kind of snake it was. She has an infection in her wrist from the ropes. There are mosquito bites all over her arms. Her face has scratches and bruises from the tree branches. He said she had been slapped around from the looks of other bruises on her face.”
“The poor woman, there is no telling what she endured at the hands of those people.” Jessie patted his wife on the arm.
“I wish I knew what they were after. It wasn’t to kill her or they would’ve done that right off. Ed is sifting through their things. He’s hoping to find a reason for what they did. He’s doubtful we will ever know the truth.” James shook his head. He didn’t want to think Mattie knew more than she was telling. Deep down, he knew she did.
“He said Mattie could go through the things before he gets rid of them. There may be something in them to clue her in on why this happened. I hope she’ll wake up soon. It’s driving Helga and Rose crazy.” Jessie glanced at Helga.
After cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and washing dishes for a few days, James and Jessie called a meeting at the supper table. Most of the new tenants met Mattie when they rented their rooms. They didn’t know her very well or the string of events taking place around them.
The women volunteered to take turns with household chores. Some would sit and talk, others would read to Mattie, or catch up on their knitting and crocheting. None of the women complained and seemed to enjoy being included in her recovery.
James walked to Mattie’s room. He shook his head at the mess. He picked up her dresses and smelled her lingering scent. He carefully hung them in the wardrobe. He replaced the mattress on the bed, gathered the papers, and placed them back on the writing table. He folded her undergarments dumped from the drawers.
With the room cleaned, he carried her bedclothes down the back stairs and filled the washtub with warm water and rose-scented soap.
He scrubbed until his fingers were raw. He didn’t feel the heat of the rinse water. He hung the bedclothes on the line. Staring off into the woods, he let his fears escape. Relief washed over him when his mother came to his side.
“James, Mattie is calling for you…” Before Rose said another word, he scampered into the house. Bursting in the door, James ran to Mattie’s side. He pulled Mattie to him. He stroked her hair and promised he would never let her out of his sight again. His heart glowed with delight. He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.
“How dare you come in here and make such evil promises. You lowered my guard by your pretty words and kisses to set me up. Then you let those evil people take me from under your nose and keep me tied up until I could make my own escape.” Her eyes clouded with fury.
“What are you talking about?” He held her at arm’s length.
“You watched them take me away. I saw you standing in the window. Did you signal them when all was clear, so they could snatch me up and carry me off?” Her voice heated, and she shot him a scornful glance.
“I never did such a thing, Mattie,” he said.
“If your words were true, you would’ve stopped them from taking me, James Parker. I know now what kind of man you are, and I’ll tell you one thing; I don’t think I like what I’m seeing.” Mattie reached for a book on the nightstand.
“Mattie, calm down.” James grabbed the book from her reared back arm.
“No! I will not calm down. Where are your friends now? Preying on another one of your victims?”
James sat confused. He tried to figure out why she was so angry. She wasn’t giving any clues to make it easier. “You have no idea what you’re saying. I’m going to leave before we both say or do something we’ll regret later on,” James said, standing at the door.
“That’s typical of you, James. Walk off without answering why you done me that way. What did I ever do to you?” She called out as he ducked out the door.
Composing himself in the hallway, he gathered enough courage to make it to the study. Closing the door behind him, he blinked back the hurt. This woman was his weakness.
“James, she doesn’t know you were taking care of me when she was nabbed.” Rose rubbed his back.
“Mother, leave me be. She has no right to accuse me of doing such a vile thing to anyone. Just leave me be.” James stared into the dark night through the sheer-covered window.
James knew Mattie didn’t mean what she said. Nonetheless, the sting of her words still hurt. James turned to his mother.
Rose left the room. She shook her head at Ed to warn him not to enter. Ed followed her into the dining room.
****
“I take it there’s a storm brewing in paradise?” Mattie overheard Ed say.
“I think it has already erupted,” Rose said. “Those two are butting heads like mountain goats. Neither one will listen to the other.”
Mattie peered through the open door to see James creep down the hallway. He left early that morning, without a word to anyone about where he was going. He left the house with his travel bag.
Rose bathed Mattie. The longing in Mattie’s chest to take back every word spewed from her mouth was unbearably strong. Tears seared her eyes. She gazed out the window; she refused to look at anyone. She could easily shut the world out.
Mattie flinched at the thought of him not coming back. She knew he didn’t mean a word of what he said. How could he leave his home and his mother without a word? She should be the one to leave, not him and, once again, she found herself plotting her own getaway.
“Rose, I think I need a bit of fresh air.” Mattie hurried to dress. She followed Rose to the door.
“Would you like some tea?”
“Yes, that would be good.” When she walked outside she continued down the street.
Mattie’s heart sunk deep into the pit of her stomach. She glanced back at the boarding house knowing this would be the last time she would ever see it. James didn’t want her here, so she felt it necessary to leave without a word.
She would go back to Georgia and straighten this mess out. She had the ranch to take care of. There she could live and work without having to worry about the man walking out on her the way he did a few days ago. She would only leave her heart behind.
It’s better this way, she told herself. He didn’t need to know where she was or what she was doing. He didn’t care. This should set a smile on his face. Tears ran down her cheek. She sauntered down the street to the train station.
The torrential downpour and wind cooled the air. Mattie waited for the next train to arrive. The sun hadn’t shown its face all day. The gloom matched the turmoil raging inside of her.
Mattie never meant to drive James from his home. She didn’t mean to hurt Rose the way she did. The only way to fix things was to take care of the one thing she ran from. Tears stung her eyes. She surveyed the train depot. The train whistled and rolled to a stop.
The wind whipped around the ochre building. Thick fog enclosed the awning Mattie sat under. People abandoned the wooden walkway. Mattie sucked in a deep breath and waited her turn to board.
Out of the denseness came a tall handsome man. Mattie recognized James immediately. His walk, his stance, everything about him she memorized from the first time she lay eyes on him.
She ducked her head, hiding her face. She stared at the deck. His footsteps drew closer. She kept her head low. Her heart pounded with the rhythm of the storm. His familiar boots came to stand within eyesight.
Taking another breath, Mattie raised her head, fighting the urge to throw herself into his arms and beg his forgiveness. She gazed into his eyes. She knew she would be lost forever.
****
Standing in front of Mattie, James glanced at her bags. A desperate feeling, need, and desire ran through his veins.
He had to stop her. He had to make her listen to what he needed to say. He sighed and sat on the bench beside her, willing himself not to reach out and hold her in place. She had to want to stay on her own.
James glared at the marks on her wrist. His mind reeled. He didn’t want her to feel he was like her captors were. She needed to trust him on her own.
“Hello, Mr. Parker.” Her eyes revealed what she felt.
“Mattie. I can only hope you’re here to welcome me. But I see that’s not the case.” His heart lurched.
“Why would I do that? You’re the one who left without saying a word to anyone.” Her faint smile was edged with sadness.
“Where are you planning to go?” he asked just above a whisper.
“I have business to tend to back home,” Mattie’s voice quaked and she folded her hands in her lap.
“Everything in Georgia is cleared up.” James ducked his head. His eyes went to his hands, and he twirled his thumbs.
“How would you know?” Her brows rose.
“I just came from there,” his voice low. “Please, come back to the house where we can talk in private. I need to explain some things to you. If you don’t believe what I say, you may leave at any time.”
James tensed as he waited. Her reluctance crushed his inner soul. Picking up her bag, she headed to the boarding house.
Hoping against hope, James trembled. The need for her to trust him and his ignorance to know how to make her believe ate at him. Her only crime was she stole his heart and refused to return it.
They strolled along in silence. The closer they came to the house the weaker his knees grew. He hoped he could make her see what she was doing to him. He hoped things would be all right, but he could feel her tension and anger as they crept along.
****
Climbing the stairs, Mattie turned to her room, changed her clothes, and emerged to meet Rose in the hallway.
“There you are.” The genuine smile on Rose’s face eased her weary mind.
“I’ll explain later, Rose. I’m meeting James in the study.” Mattie peered down the hall.
She tapped on the door, James opened it. “You don’t need to knock.” He smiled at her. “Sit.”
Mattie stepped to the sofa and lowered herself to a cushion. James paced for a few seconds. He crouched in front of her and clasped her hand in his. James raised his head to her and searched her eyes.
“Mattie, I went to Chickamauga. The sheriff there explained everything to me. You’re not wanted in Georgia. You never were. There are many people concerned about you.”
James paused and then continued. “Why did you come to Texas?”
Mattie took a deep breath. She couldn’t expect James to understand. Her reasoning now sounded unreasonable, even to herself. “I don’t think you want to know the real cause of me being here.”
“Did you come here to kill the man who killed your husband?” His voice was clear and suggested understanding.
Lowering her lids, Mattie searched her hands. Tears stung her eyes, and guilt ate at her soul. She nodded. “Yes, that’s why I’m here.”
James raised himself to sit next to her. He held her hand in his, refusing to let go. “I know about the money the Howards and Fraziers owed your husband. Have you not heard, Mattie? They owe everyone between here and Georgia. They killed more people like your husband. There was a huge reward for them.”
“I hadn’t ever seen the Fraziers. I recognized Charles Howard the night I checked into the hotel. I hoped he didn’t recognize me. I guess I underestimated him.” Mattie thought back to that night. Her luck of running into the Howards in the first place she went sent shivers down her spine.
“No. He didn’t recognize you. If it hadn’t been for Bagwell, he wouldn’t have known you were here. Bagwell promised Howard he would deliver you to him. When he didn’t, Charles and Jane went in and killed Bagwell.”
“What were they planning to do with me after they grabbed me?” Mattie dropped her eyes from his steady gaze.
“They tried to get your sister to sign your husband’s property over to them. Then…” His voice broke off. James shook his head, his eyes wet, and he met eyes with Mattie.
“Then they were going to kill me?” The reality hit home. “Laura. She must think I’m dead.”
“No. I talked to her. She knows you’re fine. I told her about the kidnapping. She’ll be here in a few days to see you. I hope you don’t mind, I know what family means. She told me you were close to your husband and her. When you disappeared, she feared you might have followed the shooter for revenge.”
“My sister knows me too well.” Mattie’s laughter filled the room.
“The Howards and Fraziers tried to get to her. They soon discovered their mistake before they carried out their plans. She shot Frazier in the leg.” He cocked a brow and exposed a wide smile.