by Joyce Alec
“Come on.” The sheriff got to his feet and helped Martin to stand, giving him a moment to steady himself. “We’ve gotta get out to that shack of yours.”
That gave him a start. “The shack?” he repeated, looking at the sheriff in surprise.
“It wasn’t me who found it,” the sheriff replied with a small smile. “That was all down to Mrs. Jackson. Jessie hasn’t slept this whole night. She’s been all over this place and putting herself in more than one dangerous situation in an attempt to make sure you’re safe. If it weren’t for her, then you might still be in there.” He jerked his head back towards the cell, making Martin shudder violently. Stepping into the fresh air, he leaned heavily on the rail, looking out at the town of Copper Peaks and feeling a huge sense of relief fill him. Drawing in large breaths of air, he felt the pain in his head slowly beginning to fade.
“Take him in there.”
Martin turned and saw the deputy walking out of the sheriff’s office, half dragging a furious David Peters.
“I ain’t got nothing to do with this!” Peters was shouting, his face almost purple with rage. “I swear, this has got nothing to do with me. It’s all his doing, I swear! I saw him shoot Adler. I saw him–”
“You quiet down, or it’ll be all the worse for you,” the sheriff growled, stepping right up into Peters’ face. “You’ve already admitted to shooting Adler dead. The whole story came right out of your mouth, Peters. I got myself three witnesses and a whole lot of evidence to prove it. You won’t be going anywhere but the courthouse the next time the judge comes through town.”
Martin turned away from David Peters, feeling awash with both shame and relief all at once. He knew now he never ought to have let Peters threaten him. That had been a mistake, a mistake he’d almost paid for with his life.
“I sure am sorry for not telling you everything, Sheriff,” he began, as the sheriff came out of the cell, walking towards the two horses tied to the hitching post. “I’m guessing if you’ve been out to the shack, then you’ve seen the cattle there.”
“I haven’t seen anything yet,” the sheriff replied, pulling himself up into the saddle. “But I heard all about it from Jessie. She told me what Adler did to you.”
Martin eyed his horse for a moment, wondering if he was going to have the strength to pull himself up. Seeing the sheriff about to offer to come and help him, he put one foot in the stirrup and hauled himself up, his muscles quivering with exhaustion, his head searing with pain.
“You alright there?”
“I’ll manage,” Martin grunted through gritted teeth. “We heading on out to the shack now?”
“Right now,” the sheriff stated with a grin. “And your Jessie is gonna be there, too, sorting out everything she’s to deal with. Adler left a good deal of money as well as a whole lot of stuff that belongs to the folks in this town. Looks like he was nothing more than a thief, just like I always suspected.”
“But folk never said their things were stolen,” Martin said slowly. “Did no one ever know?”
The sheriff shook his head. “Turns out folk just thought things were missing. Either that, or they gave them to Adler as payment for some debt or other. He was good at playing the drunk and then deliberately cheating at cards, just to get what he could out of folk.” The sheriff’s voice lowered, his expression one of discontent. “I ought to have known about this long before now,” he finished, obviously frustrated. “Instead, I end up finding out once the man’s dead and gone.”
“This ain’t your fault, Sheriff,” Martin replied as they rode out of the town and towards the shack, with Martin leading the way. “Truth is, I never came to you about Adler stealing my cattle. I thought if I did, he’d be able to convince you that I was just angry and vengeful over what he’d managed to get Jessie to do.” Regret filled him and he shot a small, wry smile in the sheriff’s direction. “I bought those cattle and spent weeks driving them back to the ranch. I didn’t brand ‘em straight away, since I was completely worn out from the weeks it had taken to get them here. I thought I’d be getting hitched soon after that, too, so it went clean out of my head. Of course, once I found out what Adler had done in marrying Jessie, I was so angry that I forgot about them completely. Turns out, he thought to take my cattle away from me, too, branding them himself soon after.”
“And you couldn’t take ‘em back to your ranch, knowing that he’d got them branded,” the sheriff finished, nodding with understanding. “You ought to have told me, Martin. I might have been able to help you.”
“I know,” Martin replied sadly. “I sure am sorry for not telling you about the gun either. It came down to fear, Sheriff. I was afraid I’d get pushed to the front when it came to who might have shot Adler, especially since I’d have to tell you about the cattle and the shack.” It all seemed so foolish now that he was looking back on it. “I made a right mess of things, Sheriff, and I’m not afraid to admit it.”
The sheriff chuckled. “You sure did, Martin, but looks like it’s all at an end now. You got Jessie to thank for that.”
Jessie.
Martin rode in silence, barely able to think of anything or anyone else. He’d never told her about the cattle or what Adler had done in taking them from his ranch, not wanting her to think that he was either a thief or a liar. He’d wanted her to trust him but had never told her the whole truth—and still, she’d trusted him. It was more than he could take in, finding himself almost desperate to see her again, to thank her for her faith in him, and to apologize for never once explaining anything. In his own way, he’d been trying to protect her, trying to make sure that David Peters didn’t even try to put any sort of blame on her, but most of all, he’d been protecting himself. When he’d tried to put it right and told David Peters that it was all over, that the blackmailing was finished and that he was to get out of the farm, it had been too late. Peters had done what he had, and Martin had ended up in jail.
If Jessie hadn’t trusted in him, hadn’t believed that he wasn’t the kind of man to go after someone’s blood, then David Peters might now be riding away from Copper Peaks with all of Adler’s money and none of the blame for Adler’s death. He didn’t want to think about what sort of danger she’d put herself in, going cold all over as he thought of her speaking to Peters.
“I owe her so much,” he whispered aloud as the shack came into view. His stomach twisted, tying itself in an uncomfortable knot as they made their way towards it, his eyes scanning the shack and the paddock for any sign of her.
And then he saw her step out of the shack, her red curls blowing free in the wind. She was covered in dust, her dress dirty and torn in places, but the sheer joy in her eyes made her more beautiful than he’d ever seen her before.
“Martin,” she said, coming towards him as the horse stopped just at the paddock. Managing to climb down, the pain in his head now fading away to almost nothing, he drank her in like a man desperate for water. Her eyes searched his face, worry written in every part of her expression. “How are you?”
He reached for her hand, holding it tightly in his for a long moment. “I’m just fine, thanks to you,” he said softly. “I don’t know everything that happened but I hear that David Peters is the one to blame for Adler’s death.”
Jessie nodded, her expression serious. “They took him to the jail this morning. Reuben brought him.”
“Reuben?” he repeated, blinking in surprise. “What was he doing out here?”
Jessie smiled ruefully. “Saving me from getting shot by David Peters,” she replied honestly. “There’s a whole lot to tell you, Martin, and I know the sheriff’s got a few questions of his own.” Reaching up, she gently brushed her fingers across his cheek. “I don’t want to tire you, not when you’ve been hurt so bad.”
“I’m just fine,” he promised, wishing he could bend down and kiss her right here, even though he knew full well the sheriff was watching. “I hate that you put yourself in danger for me, Jessie. You could have been killed.�
�
She shook her head, her hand now resting gently on his shoulder. “I couldn’t let Peters make you out to be the guilty one, Martin, not when I knew you couldn’t have done it. I trusted you. I believed you. I just had to find a way to prove it.”
“And you did,” he replied, his voice breaking with the wave of emotion that crashed over him at the look in her eyes. “I sure am sorry for everything I put you through, Jessie.”
A quiet laugh escaped from her lips. “I reckon we’re even now, Martin, after what I did to you in marrying Adler in the first place.”
“You saved me from hanging,” he said, pulling her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. “That is something I won’t ever be able to repay.”
Jessie went into his arms easily, resting her head on his shoulder and putting her arms around his waist. He clung to her, feeling a sense of relief and freedom wash through him, cleansing him of all the guilt and pain that had clung to his very soul for so long.
“We’d best get on,” the sheriff said gruffly, interrupting them. “I got a whole lot of work to do and even more to understand.” He tipped back his hat and jerked his head towards the shack. “And Jessie’s gotta decide what to do with all of Adler’s things.”
“The things he stole,” Jessie murmured, the smile fading from her face as she took his hand and began to walk towards the shack. “And a whole lot of money, too, Martin. I don’t know what to do with it all. None of it is mine. Not a single penny.”
He pressed her hand gently. “You’ll think of something, Jessie. You’ve got such a sense of right in you. It’s one of the things that draws me to you.”
She looked up at him then, her eyes flickering with something unexplained, something that held more promise than he knew what to do with.
“We’ve got a whole lot to talk about, don’t we?” she said softly.
“I reckon we do,” he agreed, aware of the sheriff’s growing impatience. “I got a good few things I want to say, Jessie. I just don’t want to be interrupted saying ‘em.”
Standing on her tiptoes, Jessie pressed her lips to his cheek, her face flaming with color as she dropped her heels back onto the ground. “Soon,” she promised, before leading him into the tumbled-down shack.
Two days later, everything seemed to have gone back to how it had been, although Martin felt none of the unhappiness that had haunted his days when he’d known that Jessie had married Adler instead of him.
His head was much better and didn’t give him the same amount of pain it had when he’d first woken up in the jail cell. The sheriff had questioned him thoroughly about everything and had come to the conclusion that David Peters was, as the man had confessed to Jessie in both Reuben and Etta’s hearing, guilty of the murder of Adler Jackson.
That was all there was to it. There wasn’t any more uncertainty, confusion, or worry. All there was for him to do now was to talk to Jessie, to tell her the truth about everything he felt.
Rusty lifted his head and barked, only for Martin to hear Jessie’s laugh as she came in through the front door of the house.
“Rusty,” she chided, reaching down to pat the dog who ran towards her excitedly. “You don’t have to bark at me.” Her eyes were bright and warm as she met his gaze, a faint blush warming her cheeks. She’d taken to wearing her hair loose about her shoulders the last two days, which he appreciated, but it was the smile on her face that brought him the most happiness. It was as though she’d slowly begun to find her way back to herself, the freedom of her new life without the fear and pain Adler had brought her evident in almost everything she did.
“How’s that head of yours?” she asked, looking at him carefully. “Not too bad today?”
“It’s getting better,” he said, pouring the coffee that he’d made in preparation for her coming. “Thank you for coming to talk to me today, Jessie. There’s a lot I need to say and…” He trailed off, finding himself struggling with the enormity of what he wanted to tell her.
She smiled at him and sat down at the kitchen table, where he set down her coffee cup.
“I’ve handed the last of the things Adler took back to the sheriff,” she said, giving him some time to gather his thoughts. “He says he’s going to make sure they all get back to whom they belong to.”
He nodded, knowing that it had been a burden on her mind. “And what about the money?”
To his relief, she smiled, evidently having made a decision. “I gave it to the sheriff, to use for the town’s good,” she replied with a small shrug. “I didn’t want to keep it, not after I knew how Adler got ahold of it. The sheriff has got a few things in mind for it but says he’s gonna have to speak to the town council first. I didn’t even know this place had a town council!”
Martin grinned, feeling the tension lighten for a moment. “It’s just a few good folks in this town that help with making big decisions,” he explained, putting down the milk jug on the table for her. “I know they’ve been wanting to build a new schoolhouse for a while. Maybe they’ll put the money to that.”
Jessie sighed contentedly. “I’d sure be happy if they did that.” Looking up at him, she let her smile spread. “And I rented out the farm.”
“You did?” He was a little surprised since she’d not mentioned it to him before. “That was awful quick.”
“Etta’s brother’s been looking for a place to start over,” she said as he came to sit down opposite her. “Johnny, I think his name is. He’ll be here in a week or so.”
Silence fell. Martin shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat, not knowing where to start or how to begin. “Jessie,” he tried, frowning. “I need to apologize. I know that–”
“Martin!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. “You don’t have to say sorry all over again!” She laughed at his surprised expression. “I heard enough of it from you already, and you gotta believe me when I tell you that I’m not carrying any unforgiveness in my heart.” Her expression softened. “I just want to set this whole thing aside. I want to forget about it completely.”
He understood, knowing just how glad she’d been to hear that the sheriff was planning to have David Peters moved to the next town, where the judge would be able to deal with him a lot sooner than if he’d stayed in Copper Peaks. “There’s just so much in my heart,” he began slowly. “It’s hard to know where to begin. When I look at you, I remember everything you did for me, Jessie.” His throat worked for a moment, awash with the wonder of it all. “You have become so much to me.”
Jessie’s eyes filled, and she reached across the table and took his hand. “Martin, when I first came to Copper Peaks, I didn’t know much about you at all. I know we’d written a few letters and all that, but so much about being a mail-order bride is taking a chance, praying that the person you’re writing to is really who they say they are.” She lifted her shoulders, a sad smile on her face. “I was so anxious about coming here, and then when you weren’t there waiting for me, I felt my whole world collapse. I thought Adler was my savior. I found out too late he was almost the devil himself.”
The pain in her eyes tore at him. “You don’t need to go over this again, Jessie.”
“No, I do,” she said at once, her voice rasping. “I want you to know just how truly sorry I am for it all, Martin. I hurt you desperately, and Adler used me to hurt you even more. Now that I know the man you are, I know just how much I lost that day when I married Adler instead of you.”
Swallowing away the ache in his throat, Martin reached across the table and brushed his fingers down her cheek, taking away the moisture of her tears. “But we’ve been brought together through all this, Jessie,” he murmured, wanting to take away her pain. “Like you just said, we don’t need to think about what happened anymore. All we gotta do is think about what’s ahead of us.”
He heard her swift intake of breath.
“I don’t want you to be Jessie Jackson no more,” he continued, getting up from his seat and coming around to hers. �
�I want you to be Jessie Armstrong, just like you were always meant to be.”
She burst into tears then, pulling her hands from his and burying her face in her hands. Her body was racked with sobs, and for a moment, Martin didn’t know what to do. Tentatively, he rubbed her back, not sure whether her tears were from happiness or heartache.
“I’m sorry,” she gulped, managing to look up at him, her green eyes swirling with emotion. “I just never thought I’d get this chance, and now, here you are, wanting me to be your wife.”
Relief coursed through him, and he bent on his knees in front of her, pushing one hand through her curls. “That’s because this heart of mine can’t let you go,” he replied tenderly. “If it’s not love that’s got me thinking of nothing and no one else except you, then I don’t know what it is.”
Jessie smiled through her tears, her hands going around his neck. “Martin,” she whispered, leaning closer to him. “My heart can’t get enough of you either. I’ve been thrown this way and that, torn in one direction and then the next, but all through it, I’ve never been able to let go of you.”
Lowering his head, Martin kissed her gently, feeling the dampness of her tears on his cheeks, the salt on her lips. He kissed her with as much tenderness as he could, wanting her to know just how much he cared for her. Suddenly, his whole world began to burst into fresh, new life, his future turning into something wonderful instead of the lonely existence that he’d resigned himself to. Jessie’s place was right by his side, here on the ranch. Together, they’d be able to make this place a home.
“I love you, Jessie,” he whispered as he broke the kiss to look into her face. “I want to marry you just as soon as I can.”
Her eyes twinkled, a slight smile on her face. “Then how about we head on up to the church? After all, it’s where we were always meant to be.”