by Ember Pierce
* * *
Pete shook his head.
* * *
“I never saw him if he did. He was in the saloon a few times when games were being played, but I never saw him play a hand. Maybe he didn’t want to cut into Harkly’s profit?”
* * *
The minister looked puzzled. “Why would you say that?”
* * *
“Harkly is a friend of Graves. They’ve known each other for years. Once in a while, they’ve cooperated in a business venture.”
* * *
Bonny raised her eyebrows. “Graves is a friend of Kristian’s, too. He’s the man who loaned him the money to play.”
* * *
“A very odd kind of friend,” the minister said.
* * *
“It’s said poker, like politics, makes strange bedfellows,” Pete said.
* * *
Bonny looked around. “We do seem to have a lot of strange bedfellows here in this little town.”
* * *
She said goodbye to the pastor, walked outside, and climbed into the buggy. She steered it round and turned it toward the ranch.
* * *
She knew she didn’t really have to guide it. The horses knew the way to and back from town. She thought as the buggy rolled back toward the farm.
* * *
She didn’t know what to make of the conversation in the minister’s office, but it disturbed her and she didn’t quite know why. She now knew that Kristian had played poker, and played often.
* * *
Why did it matter who had played with him? Every town in the west had a saloon where poker was played every night. There was nothing unusual about it.
* * *
And mostly the same crowd probably played on most of the nights. But there was something odd about this, something she just couldn’t latch onto. It worried her.
* * *
There should be something in that story that alerted her to… something. But she couldn’t think of what it was.
* * *
Something… something right under her nose. She was not a suspicious woman by nature, but these cards didn’t smell right.
25
The day before had been miserable. Bonny had alternated between sobbing on her bed and cleaning the house over and over again.
* * *
She had stuck by her conviction that Kristian not return to the house. Still, she had been lonely again overnight. Now, she was awake before the sun was up.
* * *
She knew some individuals had to make major decisions occasionally, but they usually had time to make those decisions. Time for discussion and thought.
* * *
She was getting major decisions coming at her fast and furious.
* * *
She thought, until she could clear her mind, which she thought might take a while, it would be better to just do the basics. Just do some work and stop the endless speculation.
* * *
In between all the wondering and confusion, she had to almost suppress a giggle. Endless speculation was something she did not have time for back in Philadelphia.
* * *
She did not have a house where she could—even if she could find an empty chair—sit down and contemplate the latest problem in the neighborhood.
* * *
There was one old saying her mother used: “Stop worrying if you can’t do anything about it. If you can’t, get on with your work. And sing while you work; it makes the day go faster.”
* * *
Well, often she tried to sing while she worked, but at least one of the other kids chimed in—and he or she could never carry a tune, so the day was never harmonic.
* * *
After pacing around her house for the millionth time that morning, she decided that she had to do more work around the ranch was the best thing to occupy her time.
* * *
Mrs. Downing had been so nice to offer her rest, but how could she rest with so much pent-up energy? She felt like a coiled rattlesnake ready to strike.
* * *
Stepping out into the chilly pre-dawn air of the morning, Bonny decided that she was going to do all the chores she could manage to do.
* * *
The first thing she did was go to the barn to milk the cows. She’d seen Kristian do it several times, and although she had only practiced once or twice, she knew she could handle it.
* * *
The barn was dark, but Bonny found the milking pails easily. The stool was where Kristian had shown her. She went ahead and grabbed what she needed.
* * *
As she approached the first cow that she needed to milk, she had to admit that she felt a bit intimidated. Still, she sat down and positioned the pail under the cow.
* * *
Squeezing the milk into the pail, she found that her confidence grew. Soon enough, she had all the cows milked.
* * *
She didn’t know what to do with the milk so she carefully walked across the yard and left the pails on her in-laws’ porch.
* * *
Next, she went down to take care of the chickens. After she scattered the food, she fetched the basket and gathered the eggs.
* * *
Once again, she left the basket on her in-laws’ porch. Even though both chores had left her feeling satisfied, she needed more to do.
* * *
She knew her mother-in-law did the washing on Tuesdays, and since that was what day it was, Bonny figured she could start hauling the water.
* * *
The enormous pot that would be filled with the water and clothes had already been set up outside. A fire would be built after the water had been hauled up.
* * *
Once the water was at a boil the clothes would be added. Then, using a large paddle, the clothing would be stirred. The first step, though, was to get the water.
* * *
Bonny grabbed the two pails and the pole that she would carry them on. Walking down to the creek, she was startled when a white-tailed deer ran across the path in front of her.
* * *
She smiled to herself and kept walking. These chores were helping her forget what had been bothering her.
* * *
The water from the stream was cold, splashing over the edge of the bucket as she filled them up. She attached them to the pole, hoisted it over her shoulders, and headed back home.
* * *
After she emptied the pails, she returned to the stream to refill the buckets. She made trip after trip, letting the physicality of her labor lull her into a sense of well-being.
* * *
By the time the large pot was filled, Bonny was feeling tired but grateful for the work. That was how she’d felt back in Philadelphia, too.
* * *
Work made her forget her troubles because it kept her busy.
* * *
Bonny gathered the wood and started the fire. The pot would be boiling before anyone else was even up.
* * *
This made her feel good about herself. Surely they would all see how hard she worked to earn her keep around the ranch and they would be happy with her.
* * *
For a moment, all the worries she was concerned about came back to her mind. At first glance, at least to everyone except the pastor, Graves had acted with friendship and perhaps even with admirable behavior.
* * *
But, sometimes, people wanted to look admirable but had less-than-noble motives in mind. How noble were Graves’ motives?
* * *
It seemed to Bonny that if Graves were a true friend, he would be encouraging Kristian to quit gambling and quit drinking rather than sitting down around a saloon table every couple of nights.
* * *
Now, she thought his behavior was a bit odd. He had a son. Or she thought he did.
* * *
It seemed to her that a son had been mentioned in one of the brief talks she he
ard involving Graves. But… she shook her head. No, she thought, push it from your mind.
* * *
While the water heated, Bonny tidied the front of the cabin, sweeping the dirt off the tiny porch and rearranging the chairs that Kristian had built.
* * *
They had been so deep in discussion, she hadn’t mentioned that she was falling in love with him. She couldn’t just stop herself from being in love with him.
* * *
Instead, her feelings for him just made her puzzlement deeper, and increased her desire to find out what was going on.
* * *
There was a lot going on underneath the surface of this little town.
* * *
She grabbed a pitchfork and pitched some hay, then moved back toward the fire, making sure to add a few more logs. The water was just about ready by the time Mrs. Downing came back.
* * *
Bonny avoided looking her mother-in-law in the eye. She wasn’t sure what Kristian had told her, and she knew how much he hadn’t wanted his parents to know about their problems.
* * *
“The water is boiling,” Bonny said, although it was clear that her mother-in-law didn’t need to be informed. Bonny felt foolish for saying it, but she let it go.
* * *
“We’ll get to the wash soon enough.” Mrs. Downing reached out to take hold of Bonny’s hand, and Bonny looked up at the older woman. “Why don’t we go sit down for a few minutes?”
* * *
Reluctantly, Bonny followed her mother-in-law over to the chairs in front of her house. They sat down together, but Bonny still didn’t look up.
* * *
There was something shameful about fighting with her husband, this woman’s son. She didn’t know if she could adequately explain why she was so upset.
* * *
“Listen, Bonny,” Mrs. Downing began once they were seated, “I know what’s going on with you.” Bonny looked up, startled.
* * *
Before she could say anything, Mrs. Downing continued, “You’re trying to keep your mind off your troubles the only way you know how—by working hard. I’ve done that many times, myself.”
* * *
The sun had risen above the horizon, and Bonny could tell that the day was going to be quite warm. She tried to focus on that fact as opposed to what Mrs. Downing was saying.
* * *
“Maybe,” Bonny said. She didn’t want to seem rude, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to admit to.
* * *
“I believe that my son cares for you deeply,” Mrs. Downing said.
* * *
Bonny felt comforted at the older woman’s words. She hadn’t ever had anyone say anything like that to her. Mrs. Downing was making her feel like a part of this family.
* * *
Bonny didn’t like to think badly of her parents and siblings, but they hadn’t had the relationship that the Downing family had.
* * *
When Bonny had married Kristian, she hadn’t just gained a husband—she had gained a whole family.
* * *
“In fact, why don’t you call me Mom?”
* * *
“I’d be happy to. In fact, there are one or two things I’d like to ask you. You may be surprised at the questions, but there are some things I am curious about.”
* * *
“Surprised, you say?”
* * *
Bonny nodded. “Very surprised.”
* * *
She smiled. “Well, let me tell you something, Bonny. This has been my home for decades and I love this place. It was and is and will be forever my home.
* * *
“This is where I want to die and be buried. We have a little hill on the property that looks over our house and that big oak tree that we have behind the ranch.
* * *
“So I think the land and the people and everything, down to the creeks and streams, are wonderful. But the fact is, with this type of lifestyle, there has never been much time for surprises.
* * *
“I think the last time I was truly surprised was close to thirty years ago. So, if you think you can surprise me, you go right ahead.”
* * *
Bonny laughed. “Well, from how you put that, it does sound like a great challenge, but let me take you up on it. I was curious how long Kristian has known Graves O’hara?”
* * *
From the look on her face, the question had produced at least a glimmer of a stunner to Mrs. Downing. She raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth, then slowly closed it.
* * *
“Well, to be honest, that’s not the type of question I had expected.” She paused for a moment. “I would say Kristian met Graves when he was about twelve.
* * *
“They always got along very well. I know at one time, Kristian looked up to Graves and perhaps even regarded him as a second father.
* * *
“At times, he might talk to Graves as a confidant. They would often joke about Kristian’s lock-picking abilities—and I don’t mean just regular locks, like a door or shed or barn.
* * *
“Kristian had a gift with such things. He could find his way around any locks.”
* * *
“Is that a fact?”
* * *
“Sure is. One time, some years ago, Alton Rangers, the president of the local bank, started bragging on how good the vault was.
* * *
“Graves heard it and started picking on Alton, saying he had overinvested in his safe. One thing led to another, and in a few minutes Graves, had bet Alton five hundred dollars that Kristian could open the bank safe.”
* * *
She sniggered. “Well, the two suggested a little contest the next Sunday afternoon. So, at three a few people went in with Alton and Graves, and my son was told of the challenge.
* * *
“People wanted to see if he could open the bank safe. By the time Kristian was through, Alton’s jaw had hit the floor. He opened the safe in less than ten minutes.
* * *
“Alton just kept shaking his head. He couldn’t believe it. Krirstian, all wide-eyed and innocent, simply said he always had a gift for doing that.
* * *
“Fortunately, this wasn’t open for the public. Wouldn’t want anyone to know that Kristian had that talent. Thankfully, our son went into ranching instead of bank robbery.”
* * *
Bonny laughed. “Kristian never told me of that talent.”
* * *
“I’m sure one day he will mention it to you.”
* * *
“I’m sure Mr. Rangers did remember that day.”
* * *
“I guess so. Don’t think he’d seen anything like it since. I’m sure Graves remembers it, too.”
* * *
“I’m sure he did,” Bonny agreed. “I’m sure he remembered that for a long time, a very long time, indeed.”
* * *
Mrs. Downing paused, like she’d caught a hint of something… odd in Bonny’s tone, but she said nothing.
* * *
“I’m going to go gather the wash from my house, why don’t you go in and get yours? Then we can do our wash together.
* * *
“That fire you started is going really well.” Mrs. Downing smiled at her, and stood.
* * *
Bonny watched as her mother-in-law crossed the yard to her own house. She realized the other woman was giving her a chance to gather her composure that much more as they both collected their clothes.