The drovers and trail boss—Jake Bass—gathered on the ranch Sunday evening. Jake was tough and wise, with quick reflexes and keen instincts. The hands respected and obeyed him without question or hesitation. He kept the men relaxed, but still working hard. He was an expert horseman and gunman. He knew the territory they traveled with the herd: where to find the best grass, ample water, how to avoid the worst perils. He knew cattle, their quirks and needs. Experienced and in great demand, they were lucky to hire him again this year. At one hundred twenty-five dollars a month, he was well worth his high pay.
Matt met with the men and gave the orders. Returning men and Cordell hands separated into groups to talk over old times, tell tall tales, play jokes, and relate their experiences since they’d last worked together. New men joined in to laugh and learn. They would be on the trail for six to eight weeks, so it was important to build good rapport and trust. Matt spent most of the evening with them, enjoying old acquaintances and making new friends.
Jessie watched them for a time from the front porch. She saw Annie and Miguel taking a stroll, and smiled in pleasure. It was obvious to everyone that the couple was smitten with each other. She liked the girl and trusted her. She was in favor of a match between the two, but it was happening awfully fast.
Fast? her mind taunted as she went to her room for privacy. Instant love and attraction were things she knew too well. The moment she had gazed into Navarro’s eyes, she had been lost to him. Each hour in his company had entrapped her more, until she hadn’t wanted to escape. In all honesty, she had tried to forget Navarro. She had tried to make the hurt and anger go away. Each time he returned to her mind, she had closed the door. Yet cracks around the jamb had allowed parts of him to slip past her barrier. Her mind told her it was wrong and unfair to pine over him and the life they could have shared, but her heart couldn’t help but do so at weak moments.
She wanted and needed to get over her lost dream, to embrace her reality, but it was so hard, more than she had realized. Sometimes his memory was so vivid that it seemed as if he would return from a day on the range at any moment, just as on some days she briefly forgot her father was gone forever. Yet Jed’s loss was more real than Navarro’s was, and she didn’t know why. Perhaps because she knew Navarro was still alive somewhere and could reappear before her. She was forced to admit she still loved and desired Navarro Breed, and she still yearned and watched for his return.
Jessie knew that was foolish, and cruel to her husband. It would soon be three months since Navarro had gone. She resented him for not sending word, not letting her know he was safe, that he was suffering as she was—that he still loved her and hadn’t changed his mind about returning. She needed a last message from him before she could truly break with the past. The silence was eating at her nerves.
Matt sensed that turmoil, she decided, even though she herself hadn’t been aware of it. She had been so caught up in other matters and emotions that she hadn’t realized how hard she was struggling to keep Navarro out of her mind; when, all the while, he was lurking in her heart and waiting to spring on her.
That wasn’t her fault, she vowed. She wasn’t to blame for loving the desperado. Love wasn’t something that came and went on schedule like the seasons. It wasn’t an emotion that could be controlled. She wasn’t guilty of not trying to make a new life and not trying to turn to a new love. But, did innocence and determination matter? She didn’t know, but she wanted it to.
Matt was a good man. He deserved more than half of her, more than a marriage in name only. But Matt was right: she couldn’t rush the healing process or make him a substitute for Navarro. Her husband had to win her heart before she could yield her body to him. But was he right about keeping her at a distance?
At times she was tempted to surrender to her husband. She truly desired Matt, and she yearned to free the passions that Navarro had once unleashed. Mathew Cordell stirred them to life some nights with his touch, kisses, and tenderness. He often made her head spin, and her body tremble, but he never tried to make love to her. He seemed content as things were. Perhaps, she worried, he didn’t desire her as Navarro had.
She had accused herself of being wanton for thinking of Matt that way so soon after Navarro’s departure. But was she so wrong? Wicked? Unnatural? How so, when Matt was her husband? When she had known him forever? When, perhaps, she had always loved and desired him and failed to recognize her feelings? Perhaps it was because the two men and situations were so different.
Navarro had been a wild and urgent temptation. She had been helpless to resist his allure. He had ridden into her heart and life when she was vulnerable and felt so trapped by her role as Jed’s “son.” He had made her feel strong, alive, and free. He had given her adventure, romance, and her womanhood. He had come along at the right time to become her confidant, partner and solace. Maybe, she mused, those were meant to be his only roles in her life.
Perhaps Mathew Cordell was her real destiny. Matt’s love was different. It was calm, tender, safe, and nourishing. It was honest and pure. She knew everything about Matt; no shadows surrounded him. She and Matt were compatible in personality and background, but she hoped not too much alike to prevent sparks of excitement and mystery. Yet, after only a short marriage, they were like a longtime couple. Their marriage was comfortable and tranquil. But what about passion, romance, temptation? Amidst the steady coals, there had to be occasional sparks of fiery sensuality to ignite her soul, to make her burn with desire. Yet she had to think of the fugitive as a turbulent and brief adventure, and Matt as a serene and permanent haven.
She felt her flat stomach. It was hard to believe she was pregnant with another man’s child. Often, Navarro seemed only a dream to her. Matt was reality. She had a good life and family. It would be stupid to ruin them. If only she knew how she would feel if she ever saw Navarro again. What if he rode up, took her in his arms, and said, “I love you. I’m free. I can stay forever if you still want me,”?
Jessie knew she could never go on the run with the fugitive. But what if Navarro could return to her side? Could she break her vows to Matt and to God and to herself? And break Matt’s heart a second time?
Jessie searched her soul and realized the answer was no. Yet, she comprehended that it would take all her strength to turn Navarro down should he return for her. But Mathew Cordell and their life together was worth that painful sacrifice.
Her conversation with Matt last night returned to haunt her troubled mind. She had accepted his words and had agreed with them, at least verbally. In silence, they had returned to the house. They hadn’t touched in bed or kissed good night as usual. All day he had been quiet, serious, and reserved, like the old Matt. She knew he was hurting, and her heart ached for things beyond her control.
Jessie closed her teary eyes and prayed for the next six months to pass swiftly and mercifully. Until Navarro’s child was born, her body and life were tied to the past. All she could do was wait, hope, and pray she didn’t lose her second love while imprisoned by her first bittersweet experience.
The men left for roundup the next morning. While Annie was hanging up wash, Jessie and Gran did the dishes and talked. The distressed redhead told her grandmother of her thoughts.
“What am I going to do, Gran? I feel so helpless. I’m trapped between them. I love them both, but in different ways. I can’t have Navarro, but I have Matt. Navarro is a landslide, but Matt is stable ground. I want him and need him, Gran, but he won’t reach out to me as long as he thinks I’m bound to Navarro.”
Martha sympathized and comforted her troubled granddaughter. “Matt’s right, Jessie,” she said, “Time is all you need.”
“It can work against us as much as for us, Gran. So much happened with Navarro; so many unfamiliar emotions were involved. I was lost in a sandstorm before I knew what was happening to me. I was too susceptible to Navarro’s spell, too inexperienced and naive. I was just one of the boys, Jed’s ‘son’ and heir. I’d never had such feelings before. Now, every time I dam them up, something happens to let them break free again. I’ve honestly tried to forget him, and I usually do a good job at it. But Matt can’t forget our past together. It’s so hard for him to accept the fact Navarro had me as he hasn’t yet.”
“He loves you, Jessie. He wants to be the only man in your heart and life.”
“It’s too late for that, Gran. I wish I could change what happened, but I can’t.”
“Then you and Matt must learn to accept it.”
“I hope we can. I do love him and want him, Gran, but I’m not sure he believes me. I’m so afraid I’ll lose him before he realizes the truth. You know how stubborn and destructive pride can be.”
“He needs time, love, and patience, too, child.”
“Time!” Jessie exploded. “That damned word sounds as dangerous and frightening as our old enemy Fletcher was!”
“Don’t work yourself up, Jessie. It isn’t good for the baby.”
“Good for the baby? Everything I’ve done lately has been for the baby. Navarro’s child is ruining my life with Matt. I wish it were his, Gran; I really do.”
“Don’t blame an innocent child, Jessie,” she scolded in a soft tone.
“I’m sorry, Gran. You’re right, as always. I do love it and want it. It’s mine. But sometimes it seems so unreal,” she said, glancing at her slim waist.
“That’s because the daily sickness is gone and you aren’t showing yet. Living with Matt while it grows inside you will make it feel like his.”
“To me, yes; but to him, no. I’m afraid he’ll always see it as Navarro’s. Maybe it was a mistake to let us believe it will be ours.”
“No, Jessie, it wasn’t a mistake. You’ll see.”
“Will I, Gran? How can Matt bear to watch me bloom from another man’s seed? He’ll come to hate me. I would rather Navarro feel that way than my Matt. What am I going to do, Gran? How can I hold Matt’s love and respect until I become his wife? Losing him would be far worse than losing Navarro.” She began to cry.
In a few minutes, Matt called out from the parlor, “Jessie! I’m back! I forgot something! Where are you?”
Jessie panicked. She couldn’t let him see her like this. She wiped her eyes on her apron and yelled, “In here, Matt!”
He came to the kitchen, glanced at her, Gran, then back to Jessie again. He came forward and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Something in her eye,” Gran said, which wasn’t totally untrue: there had been tears.
Matt tilted her head upward and gazed into her eyes. He read anguish and panic in them. “It’s gone now. You must have washed it out. I came back for my duster. It gets cool some nights on the range. We’ll be back in a few days. If you need anything, send one of the hands. We’ll be in the south pasture.”
“I’ll be fine, Matt. Don’t worry about me.”
“That’s a husband’s job. Walk me upstairs?” he asked.
“Of course.” With his arm around her waist, Jessie accompanied him.
Jessie leaned against the wall near the bedroom door as Matt fetched his duster from the closet. As he walked toward her, their gazes locked. Matt dropped the boot-length garment of water-resistant canvas to the floor. He stepped in front of her and propped one hand against the wall over her head. The other hand lifted a henna curl and toyed with it. Jessie was baffled and mesmerized.
“I also forgot to tell you I love you,” he murmured just before his mouth covered hers. His hand released the curl and shifted behind her head to hold her close.
Matt’s kiss was deep and passionate. His other hand left the wall and both cupped her face as his mouth continued to pleasure and stimulate hers.
Jessie was astonished, taken off guard. Going almost limp, she leaned against the wall for support. Matt pressed closer, his full length snug against hers, and his mouth worked hungrier at its tasty feast. Jessie felt dizzy, weak, and breathless. A hot flush spread over her quivering body. She was lost in a golden swirl of emotions. Her hands slipped up his back. She clung to him and returned her husband’s tantalizing kiss with an ardor that surprised both of them. A soft moan escaped her throat as Matt spread a fiery trail over it. She trembled with longing for more, much more. She wanted him to carry her to the bed and finish what he had started—a sensual journey to discovery.
Instead, Matt’s hands drew her head to his chest and held it there. He kissed her hair, then took several deep breaths. Jessie felt the tension and craving in him. She heard his heavy breathing and thudding heart. She felt the strength of his hard body.
“I love you, Jessie, now and always. Nothing will ever change that. Take care of yourself and our baby. I’ll see you in a few days.” He scooped up his duster and left in a hurry.
Jessie sank against the wall—enflamed, confused, and shaky. Matt had never kissed her or behaved like this before; and she wondered what it would be like to make unrestrained love to him. Wild, fiery sensations begged her to explore that astonishing mystery. So much, she concluded, for thinking Matt’s passions were calm and cozy!
Jessie raced after him. He had secured his duster to his saddle and mounted. She rushed to his horse and looked up at him, flustered and dazed. She just kept staring at him, as if seeing him fully for the first time.
Matt looked down at his wife’s rosy cheeks. Her gaze held a mixture of bafflement and desire. “Did I forget something else?” he asked.
His voice returned hers. “You’re quite a surprise, Mathew Cordell.”
A broad grin revealed his white teeth and played mischievously in his dark eyes. “I figured it was past time I stopped being just a dependable, nice friend and started showing you how I really feel about you, woman. You asked me if I wanted and needed more from you, and I didn’t answer. Well, I do, Jessie. I’m not a martyr. My head was clear when I staked my claim on you. I was the one who took advantage during a hard time, not you. But I realized you were believing you owed me something. I must be loco, because I haven’t been doing anything to help you get over Navarro and turn to me. If I stand back, it’ll take longer to heal and will hurt more. I’m the medicine you need, Jessie, not time. From now on, woman, I’m gonna work on proving I can be anything and everything you need in a man, in a husband. Between today and next spring, I’m gonna chase you, romance you, and tempt you until you can’t resist me. That’s a warning and a promise, Mrs. Cordell.”
After the initial shock of his stirring words, Jessie was smiling so much her eyes sparkled. “I’ll hold you to both, Mr. Cordell. I love you.”
Matt leaned over and Jessie lifted herself on her tiptoes so they could kiss. When they parted, Matt said, “I love you, Jessie.”
“Good-bye, Matt. Be careful. You owe me a lot.”
“Don’t worry; I always pay my debts, and collect what’s due me.” Matt rode off with love, pride, and hope in his heart. He was glad he had overheard Jessie’s enlightening talk with Gran. It warned him that he certainly couldn’t win his wife by leaving her alone. He had to show Jessie he was more of a man than she realized. He couldn’t do that by behaving like her brother. After that accidental eavesdropping and the passionate scene upstairs, he knew she loved him and wanted him. Whatever it took, he would defeat Navarro’s ghost!
Matt returned Thursday afternoon. Jessie heard his voice and hurried to greet him. She eyed three days’ stubble on his face, grinned, and fingered it. “I let you out of my sight and care for a while and look what happens,” she teased.
“You know how we boys are on the trail. I only stopped by to tell you we’re on the way to the north pasture. We’ll cull the steers there, move the others to the west section, and get ready to pull out next Wednesday.”
She toyed with the buttons on his shirt. “I miss you already.”
“Good.”
“Can’t you stay home tonight?”
“Nope, not a good idea. You’re too tempting, and my clever plan’s working.”
“Good…I think.” They both laughed, and Jessie remarked, “We need to increase our vocabulary, Mr. Cordell; we’re overworking good.”
“But it’s such a…good word.” Matt chuckled and changed the subject. “Best I can tell, we have between eight and eleven thousand head ready for market. If the price is good”—they both grinned—“we’ll have a nice deal.”
“I hope so. A weak market could hurt us this year. Our cash will be low soon. If we do, Matt, I want to pay off Mary Louise for the ranch. I don’t want to risk problems with her later. You know how she can be. Is that all right with you?”
“It’s your cattle and money, Jessie. The decision is yours.”
“It’s all ours, Matt. Tell me what you think. I trust your opinion.”
“It’s a smart idea. Sorry, Jessie, but I don’t trust your sister, either. The sooner our deed is clear, the better. I best ride before the boys get too far ahead.”
“You’ll be leaving for over two months soon. Will I see you again before you go?”
“Yep. I’ll visit before we head out.”
“Visit?”
“The less time I spend with you right now, the more you’ll miss me, woman.”
“Part of that clever plan of yours to drive me loco?”
“Not loco, just into my arms.”
“You already have that much.”
“Yep, but like I said, I want you craving me something fierce.”
“More than I already do?” she challenged.
“Yep, a whole lot more.”
“That’s cruel, Mathew Cordell.”
“Nope, just smart.”
“I like you this way,” she murmured. “Possessive, masterful, and cocky.”
“I’ve only gained a little confidence about you, Jessie.”
“Good. It’s about time.” They laughed again.
“Yep, it is. See you soon.” He brushed her lips with his and mounted.
“See you soon, my love,” she murmured, watching his departure.
* * *
Matt rode in Monday afternoon with Miguel. Jessie excused Annie from her chores so she could visit with the vaquero before he left for the months-long mission. She also wanted privacy with her husband, which Gran and Tom respected.
“By the time you get back, you’ll have a beard and long hair, Matt. All you men’ll look like drifters before you get home and cleaned up. I wish I could go with you.”
“Me, too, but it’s too hard and dangerous this time. You need anything?”
She stroked his coarse jawline. “Besides you, my stingy husband?”
He backed away with hands raised and jested, “Behave yourself, Jessica Cordell. We have to get back. We’re heading off at dawn Wednesday.”
“Why can’t you stay home tonight?” she urged.
He waxed serious. “You know why.”
“That’s no longer a reason, Matt. You can’t make it back to camp by dark.”
Matt was afraid of hurting Jessie and not giving her pleasure in her condition. He didn’t know much about such things. When they came together the first time, he wanted it to be special, passionate, and fulfilling. He wanted only the two of them in bed, not anything of Navarro’s sharing it. He dared not tempt them tonight, because he wanted her too badly and she was willing to surrender. “Not yet, Jessie. We need to get closer first. We’ll work on it when I return.”
By the time he returned, Jessie knew she would be showing. It would then become impossible to forget she was pregnant with Navarro’s child. She feared how Matt would react. She wanted him to have her now. She wanted him to know she belonged to him. She also felt it would make the baby seem more like his. How could it if they’d never made love? How could he want her so much and hold off taking her?
Matt interrupted her obvious worrying. “We’ll ride most of the night. We can catch a nap in camp tomorrow while the boys finish up. Don’t work too hard or take any risks while I’m gone,” he said as he took her hand and walked to the door. He had to leave before she became even more tempting.
Jessie knew she couldn’t stall him. “Be careful, Matt. You know there are all kinds of dangers on the trail: Indians, rustlers, stampedes…”
“I’ll be home by Thanksgiving.” He looked Jessie over and smiled. “The chuckwagons pulled out this morning. They’ll load up and join us at Fort Stockton.”
“Don’t you go visiting those naughty saloons in Dodge, Mr. Cordell. You’re a married man now. You need a ring to show my claim on you, like yours on me.”
“This lasso around my heart is strong and tight enough to hold me true.”
Jessie shook her finger at him and jested, “You try loosening it any to play around and I’ll treat you like a male calf at spring branding.”
“Ouch!” he yelped and grimaced playfully. “I best shout for Miguel and hightail it before you try something foolish, woman.”
“That was sweet of you to bring him along. I think he and Annie have picked up that love chigger you mentioned to Tom.”
“I think you’re right. I’m glad.”
“Me, too. Everybody should be in love.”
“Yep.” Matt kissed her, took a last look, and left. He and Miguel rode off with Jessie and Annie watching their retreat until they were out of sight.
“Well, Annie,” Jessie said with a sigh, “it’ll be a long and lonely wait for them.”
A week later, Jessie was answering Annie’s questions about the long drive to Dodge City. “There’s about ten thousand steers, two hundred horses, two chuckwagons and cooks, and over sixty men. They spread out for miles across the terrain, Annie; you can’t let them bump horns and hooves. It’s an awesome sight. But it’s loud, dusty, and tiring. At times, the journey seems endless. It’s eighteen-hour days and short, chilly nights. By the time you make camp, you swallow your grub and hot coffee, then fall onto your bedroll, to start it all again in a few hours. They won’t be back for two and a half to three months.”
“It takes that long?” Annie murmured.
“I’m afraid so. They have to cross dangerous rivers and harsh country. In the Oklahoma Territory, you have to pay Indians to keep them from scaring off stock just so they can charge you to round them up again. White men try to pull that same trick sometimes. Storms or thirst can spark a herd into stampedes along the way. If you don’t stop them fast, the steers can be injured, lose valuable weight, or get killed. A few times, we had trouble with irate farmers and other ranchers not wanting us to cross their land. If you’re used to stopping for water and grazing there and have to circle a wide path, it can be bad. Of course, I can’t blame them; several large herds during a season can do a lot of eating and trampling. And you always have rustlers trying to pick off a thousand or two. It’s exciting, Annie, but exhausting and hazardous.” Jessie took a deep breath. “Mercy, it’s a slow pace. You almost get rocked to sleep in the saddle, unless you’re one of the drag riders responsible for strays and sluggards. Then you eat dust and stay busy.”
“You’ve been with them?”
Jessie grinned. “Many times. Papa was teaching me what I needed to know to take over for him one day.”
“But you’re such a…I was going to say ‘delicate woman,’ but you aren’t.”
“I was raised as Jed’s son, as one of the boys. Papa and the hands always forgot I was a girl. Sometimes they said and did things they shouldn’t because they were so used to having me around.” Jessie laughed.
“How could they forget? You’re so beautiful and feminine.”
“In boy’s clothes, a pigtail, and dirty face, I looked the role I had to play.”
Jessie exhaled loudly in the ensuing silence. “I was Papa’s heir. I grew up on our ranch doing anything and everything the hands do. Until this year, I almost forgot I was a woman. I opened everyone’s eyes when I started wearing girl’s clothes, leaving my hair down, and acting like a lady.”
“Because of Matt—and love?” Annie hinted with a smile.
“Yes, because of love. It’s surprising how first love affects a female.”
“I’m learning that more and more every day. When you’ve been independent like me and you, it’s scary seeing how much you can lean on another person, how much you want them to share everything with you.”
Jessie nodded and agreed. She left the painful area of first love by saying, “We’ll be safe while the men are gone. Matt left plenty of hands for chores and protection. And we won’t have wasted milk; they took two cows with them. But we’d better get busy with the hands’ supper before they’re moody with hunger.”
The following Tuesday, Jessie dropped a bottle of cologne. It struck the shelf in her private water closet and shattered. Fragrant liquid and glass shot in all directions. “Tarnation,” she muttered.
With caution, she gathered the broken pieces. She poured water from a pitcher into a basin and set it on the floor. She wiped up the cologne, then removed the items in the cabinet and placed them atop it. With a bathing cloth, she worked to clean up the mess. As she leaned inside to reach the back and corners, she noticed a packet tucked beneath a support board.
Jessie tossed the cloth into the basin. She worked the packet free from its snug and secret hiding place and leaned against the wall and opened it. She withdrew a map, several papers, and a few letters. Unfolding the map first, she gazed at it.
Jessie’s eyes widened in confusion, then narrowed in understanding and anger. The map revealed a proposed rail line right through the Lane ranch, past Fort Leaton, and into Mexico. There was a spur to Fort Davis that traveled onward to Fort Quitman and El Paso, and a spur into the Chinati Mountains that were southwest of them. She saw an X marked in the last area. She read the papers. One related the profitability of shipping cattle and supplies to the posts and across the border, and of transporting Mexican precious metals and goods into America. The other exposed that rich silver mines in the Chinati region were owned by the Fletchers! Now she knew why Wilbur Fletcher had craved the Box L Ranch. His motive had been greed, as his railroad and mine could earn him enormous wealth and power. The Lane property was the best route because of easy terrain and ample water and wood for the engines, and proposed stops were marked on the map.
Jessie studied the map and papers. No company names were listed so she assumed it was a private venture by the Fletchers. That was a relief, else any partners might try to finish what Wilbur had failed to accomplish. Worry nipped at her as she realized Fletcher could have accomplices somewhere, waiting until the Lanes were lulled into complacency before starting new attacks. With Matt and most of the hands away for months, she prayed that wasn’t true.
Jessie opened the letters to read them, seeking clues as to any future threat. They were from his brothers back East. Dread filled the redhead as she realized they had been in on the plot.
Mary Louise was there now. Jessie had written her late last month to tell her about her marriage to Mathew Cordell, the fire, and their move here. She had mentioned they were in the midst of broncbusting, and that the men were leaving soon for roundup and market. The blonde must have received it about the time Matt left for Dodge. Had her sister shared that news with Fletcher’s wicked brothers? If Mary Louise had responded immediately, a letter could arrive with the twice-monthly mail this Saturday.
Jessie wondered how the Fletcher men had taken the news of their brother’s marriage, his death, then his widow’s arrival to claim her husband’s possessions from them. Jessie owned this entire area now, so what destructive action could they take against her? With this evidence in her grasp, they had better not try anything! Yet she had little help and protection available with the others gone, and Mary Louise might have told them she’d be vulnerable now. It would be wise to warn the remaining hands to stay alert, and she would do so today. If nothing more, the villains might want to make certain any evidence against them was destroyed.
Jessie asked herself if she should write Mary Louise again and warn her sister about the Fletchers. No, she decided, as the men might get their hands on the revealing letter and harm Mary Louise. It was best to keep this evidence a secret in case she needed it to stop the Fletchers. She needed to find a good hiding place for it. She also needed to alert Sheriff Toby Cooper of possible danger and a need of assistance. She would send one of the men in the morning. She must do all in her power to prevent another siege.
“I wish you were here, Navarro. I’m scared, and I might need your help again,” she murmured to herself.
The moment she spoke these words, Jessie grimaced. She prayed he wouldn’t return. She couldn’t work with him again; it was too dangerous for him and for them, particularly with her husband away for so long.
Jessie met with their new foreman Rusty Jones when he returned from the range. She showed him the papers, map, and letters. “This could be big trouble, Rusty. I want you to take this evidence to the line shack and conceal it under the floor. Then I want you to ride into Davis and explain matters to Sheriff Cooper. Bring him to the old house. I’ll meet him there and go over the situation. I don’t want Gran, Tom, and Annie to know about this. I don’t want them to worry. I trust you, Rusty, so I need you to handle it personally. Put the men on alert, but tell them to keep quiet. At least Matt took all of Fletcher’s old hands with him, so we don’t have to worry about traitors if his brothers should arrive. I want this information safe. After that trick Fletcher pulled with the bankers, I don’t dare risk letting them lock them up for me. Hopefully I’ll get a letter from Mary Louise this week.”
Jessie told Rusty about the letter she’d sent to her sister. “By now they all know what’s happened here. Hopefully they won’t take over where Fletcher failed.”
“If they do, Jessie, we’ll be waiting for ’em. I got a notion they won’t try anything soon. They won’t know how many men Matt left behind to guard the place. Let’s take every precaution we can. We don’t want ’em trying to force this proof out of your hands. You women best stay close to the house. Be ready to lock ’er up and have guns nearby. I’ll keep one of the men around all day and I’ll leave at first light. After I hide this packet on the way, I’ll ride into town. Me and Toby should be back Thursday afternoon afore three.”
“I’ll be waiting over there for you. Be careful, Rusty.”
Jessie was apprehensive for two nights and the next day. She managed to conceal the reason for her strange mood by pretending it was loneliness and worry over Matt. While Gran was napping Thursday after their midday meal, Jessie saddled Ben and rode several hours to the burned-out site of her old home. She had told Annie she was going for a leisurely ride and would return later. She had also sent Tom out with one of the men to keep him in the dark about her actions.
Jessie dismounted, dropped Ben’s reins to the ground, and strolled around the blackened ruins. She hadn’t been there since the devastating fire almost six weeks ago. Her heart ached at seeing the tormenting reminder of her home.
Her parents had died here, as had two brothers and her grandfather. She had loved and lost Navarro here. She had battled Fletcher here. She had discovered her pregnancy here. She had watched her sister walk out the door.
But there had been happy and special times, too. She had to forget the painful memories and only remember the good ones. She was making a new life in a new place. As with the house and loved ones, the past was dead.
Ben’s whinny and movement alerted Jessie to riders approaching. She shielded her eyes from the sun to check their identity. She was holding a rifle, her piebald was alert and protective, and she was a skilled horseman, so she hadn’t been afraid to come here alone.
She waved to Rusty and Toby as they joined her. “Good to see you back safe.”
Toby Cooper removed his hat and said, “Rusty explained everything, Mrs. Cordell. We’ll stay on watch until Matt and the boys return. Then, you should turn that evidence over to the law and let them handle the matter. I always say, head off trouble before it strikes if you can. Once they’re unmasked, they won’t be a threat to you again. Unless you want to go ahead with it now.”
Jessie wanted to wait for her husband’s return. She wanted to let Matt take care of the problem. That would increase his pride and confidence. She wanted to use the situation to show she needed him. She was strong, smart, and brave. She could handle the matter, but she wanted Matt to believe she leaned on him for protection and strength and courage. With the sheriff involved, there shouldn’t be any danger for a while.
“I’ll let my husband settle it, Sheriff, unless there’s trouble before his return. I simply wanted you informed in case Fletcher’s brothers arrive to cause problems. The Fletchers are rich and powerful. It would be dangerous to challenge them while Matt and the boys are away. We can’t even prove they were involved with the fight here; we can only prove they knew what Fletcher was doing to us and why. I’m not sure that makes for a strong case against them. They have plenty of money for smart lawyers and for bribes. I wouldn’t want to challenge them alone. It’s best to keep quiet for now.”
“I agree,” Toby said. “If you see anything suspicious, send word. I’ll keep my eyes open for strangers in town. I can bring soldiers if you need help.”
“Thank you, Sheriff Cooper.”
Rusty and Jessie watched the lawman mount and head back toward town.
“I hope we can trust him, Rusty. You know what a rail line could do for Davis and the fort. I only hope none of the men there were involved with Fletcher’s plot to bring it in. Big contracts offer big money to businessmen and posts. I didn’t want to tell him that I didn’t know whom we can trust. I just keep remembering how sluggish he and the Army were about exposing. Fletcher.”
“Toby’s a good man, Jessie. So is Captain Graham. I wouldn’t worry about them betraying you and siding with that snake’s brothers.”
“I’m sure you’re right, but I don’t want to take any chances. When Matt and the hands get back, we’ll have plenty of guns and men. He’ll know what to do.”
Jessie received another shock on Saturday in the mail. There were two letters. One was from Wilbur’s brothers. She went to her room, closed the door, and ripped open the envelope. Her eyes widened as she read it. She tore open Mary Louise’s, and had the same stunned reaction.
Jessie realized she had to share this news with her grandmother. She called down the steps for the woman to join her for privacy. She and Martha sat on the small couch in the bedroom sitting area. Jessie related how she had found the packet of evidence, what she had done about it, and the gist of today’s letters.
“Can they take the house and ranch back?” Before Jessie could respond, Martha asked, “Where will we go till Matt returns? We’ll have to separate everything that’s been mixed, and put up that boundary fence again.”
“Don’t be worried, Gran. It’s just a bluff. Mary Louise claims her husband’s will left everything to his brothers and she had no legal right to sell it to us. She warns us to leave pronto. The Fletchers have threatened to recover this ranch in court if we refuse to get out and turn it over to them. They say they don’t want to sell, and we know why, thanks to Wilbur’s carelessness. They don’t care about this spread; they just want to recover their foothold here. Naturally they offered to buy the Box L again. They’re awaiting my answer before starting legal action against us. They’re in for a fat surprise.”
“What are we going to do, Jessie?” Martha asked in alarm.
Irate, the flushed redhead declared, “Give them an answer, but not one they expect! Will or no will, this land is ours. I don’t care if a wife can’t inherit without one. That’s a stupid law! It isn’t right that a man’s family can walk in and take over after the husband dies! We aren’t in the dark ages any more. Women work as hard on spreads as men do, sometimes harder. If anything happens, she should get the land and home, not his kin. Matt insisted our deed remain in my name, and I see why. He wanted me protected from such injustice. I’ll bet my best boots Mary Louise is in the saddle with them!”
“How could she do this to us, Jessie?”
“Because she’s just as wicked and greedy as they are! She claims she invested the money I paid her and lost it, so she can’t return it. That’s a lie! She says she’s living off their charity and support, so she has to take their side. More lies, Gran. The deceitful witch even apologized for her mistake! She said she didn’t get any of Wilbur’s holdings and money back there. That could be true or his brothers’ trick, but it’s the only part of her letter I’m inclined to believe.”
“Didn’t she tell them about the sale when she got there? Why did they wait so long to threaten us?”
“I’m sure she did. They waited until Matt and the boys were gone. They think I’ll panic and run. When they learned we’d moved here, they must have panicked. This means her last letter was nothing but more lies. I should have suspected something was up when she didn’t send a boastful one every week!”
“What if we can’t fight that will, Jessie? What if the law sides with them?”
“They can’t battle us from prison, Gran. I have that evidence, so I’m going to call their bluff. I’ll send word we have proof against them and they had better not threaten me or challenge me again! I’ll even blackmail them if I have to. We don’t know if they’re telling the truth about wills and inheritances. I’ll let them know I’ve already seen the Sheriff, and I’ll fight them in court. I’ll claim I have all of their old letters to Wilbur and have his incriminating journal. That should scare them. I’ll threaten them with a scandal and imprisonment.”
Martha’s blue eyes widened. Her face paled. “That’s too dangerous, child. They might come after you. Wait until Matt returns.”
Jessie frowned in dismay. “I was going to, Gran, but that’s months away. I have to act fast. I don’t want them coming here and starting another battle while we’re low on men. I have to protect you and Tom and the ranch, not to mention the baby. If I notify the governor, Army, the Rangers, the U. S. marshal, and a lawyer and tell them I’ve done so, that should at least frighten them into holding off for a while. Hopefully for good.”
“Send a letter or telegram to Matt. He’ll get it when lie reaches Dodge.”
“No, Gran; that’ll only worry him. Being so far away and hearing we’ve been in danger for months will frighten him. And there’s nothing he can do from there. He’ll blame himself for us being in danger. It’ll be two months before he’s home, and the Fletchers are almost knocking at our door.”
“You think we should move into town until he’s back?”
“No, Gran; nobody is going to force me off my land or out of my home. If we run scared, they’ll smell it and pursue us. We take a stand and don’t budge.”
Martha clasped the redhead’s hands in hers and confessed, “I’m afraid for you and the baby, child, and for Tom. I’m an old woman. I’ve lived along and good life. My safety doesn’t matter. What if they hurt you? These are violent and desperate men, Jessie.”
“I know, Gran. But we took a stand against Wilbur and won, and we’ll do the same with his brothers. Lane blood and spirit run in my body; I’m no quitter or coward. After they’re exposed, we’ll be safe. Don’t worry.”
Jessie met with the foreman and hands. She explained the new predicament. She handed Rusty the letters to the authorities she had mentioned to her grandmother, a terse letter to her treacherous sister, and a bold one to the Fletchers. “These will put our daring plan-into motion, Rusty. I pray they work. You men stay on full alert, but don’t take any chances.”
Jessie returned to the house and related the trouble to Tom and Annie. “I think we’ll be safe, but keep your eyes and ears open. Annie, if you want to go into town for a while, I’ll pay your expenses there until it’s safe to return. You weren’t part of this trouble and I can’t ask you to risk your life for us.”
“I’m staying here, Jessie. All of you are more of a family to me than my parents ever were. If those buzzards come, we’ll show them how women clip wings.”
“I think you should stay in the house with us. We’ll put up a cot in the extra room upstairs. I don’t want you out there alone.”
Over two weeks passed without trouble. Jessie, Gran, and Annie occupied themselves making clothes for the baby and working on Jessie’s garments, as she had told the girl about her pregnancy and let Annie think the child was Matt’s. She did not give any details about her due date, but she knew Annie would realize how far along she was in a few weeks.
Jessie knew her letters had reached the Fletchers and the authorities by now, and she wondered what was happening.
It was five weeks since Matt left home, and she was anxious for his return. She prayed for his safety on the trail, and she missed him. Some nights she found her hand stroking his side of their bed, and she wished he were lying there in his arms. It was strange, but she thought and dreamed about him more now than Navarro.
Yet a few times she had allowed herself to think and worry about the desperado. She hated to think of him alone, bitter, and in danger. There had been moments when she was tempted to write the Arizona governor to see if she could help exonerate him. Each time she warned herself it was too risky. It could stir up new interest and a search for him. She could be the reason he was captured and hanged. It might bring the authorities to her ranch.
Navarro had told her that day at the windmill she needed a man raised as she was, a rancher. He had pointed out Matt’s love for her several times. Had he knowingly pushed for this union? Navarro had said, “Be strong and never look back,” so how could he blame her for believing and obeying him? His failure to return or write had proven she had made the right—the only—choice.
Tuesday, October seventeenth, a rider approached the house with Rusty. Jessie walked outside to see who it was and what he wanted. Her heart pounded in dread.