Desert Fire

by Marcia Lynn McClure

  “I think that it weren’t no rag doll you brung home, big brother,” Baker chuckled.

  Jackson never quit smiling at her the entire time she was dressing the wound, and it made her very self-conscious, though she did an excellent job of hiding it.

  Mary returned with Maggie who immediately began smoothing her son’s hair and clinging to him. “I wish you wouldn’t break so many, son. You know it unnerves me,” she pleaded quietly.

  “I’m a big boy, Mama. And horses need to be broke if we’re gonna sell ‘em.” Then he stood up, took Annie’s hand and pressed it against his bare chest. “And thank you, Miss Annie. You did an excellent job of dressin’ this bite.” He smiled as she began to blush and tried to pull her hand away from his hot skin.

  “I take it that you never had brothers, Annie,” Mary said, smiling as Annie was able to detach her hand at last.

  “You’re rotten to the core, Jackson. And put a shirt back on. For cryin’ in the bucket, son! Have some manners.” Maggie scolded, although her smile was as broad as everyone else’s, except Annie’s.

  “Come on, Baker. Let’s break that ol’ sucker.” Jackson said, putting his blood stained shirt back on and heading out the door.

  “You’re going to let him go out there again?” Annie questioned Maggie in disbelief.

  “I don’t want to, honey...but that horse has gotta learn who’s boss,” the older woman replied.

  5

  CHAPTER FIVE

  After two weeks, Annie was feeling quite comfortable at the McCall ranch. She hadn’t remembered anything else. Just bits and pieces of Louisiana life. She had fallen into a routine of daily chores and loved them. Milking a cow every morning, gathering eggs, churning butter, making soap, mending, helping to bring in the herds in the evening, etc. She loved the life the McCalls led and secretly hoped it would go on forever.

  The boys were wonderful to her. Except for Jackson, who seemed to like her one minute and be irritated with her the next. Matthew still pined for Mary from afar and she was still unaware of it. Mary spent a lot of time at the ranch and Annie found herself annoyed each time she would see the girl smiling cutely at Jackson and tugging at his shirt sleeve to get his attention.

  One morning Annie went out as usual to milk Flossy. She went to the corner of the barn for a stool and heard voices. Jackson and Mary were coming into the barn and she was certain that Mary sounded upset. For some reason, Annie quickly hid in an empty stall instead of revealing that she was there.

  “Jackson, don’t you care for me at all?” Mary sniffled in a pain stricken voice.

  “Of course I do, Mary. But not like you’re wantin’ me to. We’ve had this conversation before,” Jackson sounded angry.

  “But, Jackson…I’ve grown up now. I’m old enough for you. I’d do anything for you!”

  Annie found a knothole in one of the boards of the stall and peered through it.

  Jackson spun around and took Mary by the shoulders. “Listen to me, Mary. I don’t want to upset you, and I never, ever wanted to hurt you. But it’s just not gonna be, darlin’. I always thought you’d outgrow your crush...”

  “It’s not a crush anymore, Jackson!” Mary interrupted furiously. “Just let me prove it to you, Jackson…I’m old enough to be everythin’ you need...and want.”

  Annie’s eyes widened as she watched Mary lock her fingers behind the man’s neck. Her expression then changed from hurt and frustration to something quite different.

  “Mary, I’m serious. I’m not for you. You’re a sweet, beautiful young lady. You deserve much better than a smelly ol’ cowboy like me,” Jackson said quietly, trying to remove her arms from about his neck.

  “You are for me, Jackson. You’ve always been for me. I grew up...just for you.” The girl raised herself to kiss him but he turned his head from her and she only succeeded in kissing his handsome, unshaven face.

  Jackson forcefully removed her arms from around him and held them to her sides. “Enough, Mary. It won’t ever be. You need to go on with your life.”

  “You are my life, Jackson!” she pleaded.

  “No, Mary. I’m not what you need and, I’m sorry, but you’re not what I need. And…and you’re not what I want.”

  Annie suddenly felt sorry for the girl. The look on Mary’s face was that of utter and complete heartbreak.

  “I’m sorry, Mary. If I ever led you to believe anythin’ could happen between us...I’m sorry,” Jackson soothed as the tears began to roll down Mary’s cheeks.

  “You’ve nothin’ to be sorry for, Jackson. It was me. I know that. You never led me on in any way. I’ll leave you alone. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

  She turned to flee, but Jackson caught her arm and pulled her to him holding her in a sweet embrace. “You’ve always been special to me, darlin’. I don’t want you hatin’ me or stayin’ away because of me. Everyone loves you here. You’re like one of the family. Don’t stay angry with me. I’m just a nasty old bear...not much good for anythin’ but breakin’ horses and fightin’ with my fists.” Then he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Now then...we’ve had our kiss. Someday, when you’re married with ten babies runnin’ around in the barn yard, you’ll look over at your handsome devil of a husband and think...’That ol’ Jackson McCall...he weren’t hardly worth all the fuss.’“

  Mary smiled up at him through her tears. “You’re wrong, Jackson. You’re wrong.”

  He grinned at her as he gently pushed her away from him after a final hug. “Nope. I’m right. You’ll see, darlin’. You’ll see.”

  Mary smiled at him once more, turned and left, wiping her tears on her apron. “I better get back and help your mama with those berries.”

  Annie wiped a tear from her own cheek and whispered to herself, “How sad.” Then terror struck as she saw Jackson turn his attention to her hiding place.

  Looking as fierce as ol’ Root, he reached over the wall, grabbing the back of her dress and pulling her up to face him.

  “I understand why you hid. You didn’t have much time to do anythin’ else. But if you care anythin’ at all for our little Mary...you’ll forget everythin’ you heard. She’s a sweet girl and I won’t have her embarrassed.”

  Annie grabbed his arm that held her dress and dug her fingernails in deep. “Let me go!” she growled at him. “I’d never do anything to hurt Mary! Even you should know that.”

  Jackson released Annie and his expression was now that of discouragement. “I hate situations like that. I never handle them right,” he mumbled, picking up a pitchfork and starting to clean the stall. It really bothered him. Annie knew that it did. It dripped from every part of him.

  “You handled it wonderfully. Many men would’ve laughed at her. Or worse, taken advantage of the situation.”

  “I suppose,” he mumbled.

  He was so incredibly handsome! Annie understood how a girl could be in love with him from the day she was born.

  “You better get to milkin’ that cow before she busts,” he said, smiling at her.

  She blushed when she realized that she had been staring at him.

  “I have to say, Miss Annie. I misjudged you. You turned out to be a right good worker. Even if you ain’t got calloused hands,” Jackson chuckled when she had finished milking Flossy.

  Annie smiled as she lifted the bucket full of milk and began to leave. “Thank you. I know how it pains you to admit you were wrong.”

  Annie left the barn and began to walk toward the house, but she stopped in her tracks when she saw them. A group of wild looking Indians was approaching on horseback. When they saw her they stopped and the one who appeared to be their leader dismounted his horse and moved toward her.

  “Jackson?” her voice squeaked out. She couldn’t yell. She was too frightened. So she slowly set the bucket down and began walking backwards toward the barn. They looked so menacing!

  As she walked backwards, the Indian still walked toward her. When she felt a pai
r of hands on her shoulders she gasped and spun around. Relief flooded her as Jackson pulled her into his arms and against his strong, protective body.

  “What do you want here, Black Wolf?” he asked angrily. There was no response. “We’ve nothing to trade today. I want you to go,” Jackson growled.

  “The woman. She is very good to look at,” came the rough reply of the Indian.

  A chill of horror traveled down Annie’s spine and she wrapped her arms tightly around Jackson’s waist.

  Jackson said nothing at first, then began stroking her hair, as he said, “She’s mine. Don’t look at her.”

  The Indian chuckled. “I will trade many horses for her, Captain. I know that you want horses. I want the woman. We have seen her in the field many times. I will take her and you can have horses. Or I will take her and your life can bleed from you.” Annie clenched her arms tightly around Jackson’s waist, but he broke the embrace and pushed her aside. Without Jackson’s support, Annie’s knees weakened and she found herself trembling and sitting on the ground at his feet.

  “Don’t threaten me, Black Wolf. You know I have no fear of you. And you also know that I can kill you easily. Now leave. Or your life will end. You’re never to come here again. Never come near this land...or you will die.”

  Annie looked up at Black Wolf. His expression was one of barely controlled anger as he looked at her. His chest rose and fell with his angry breathing.

  “She is your woman?” Black Wolf asked.

  “Yes,” Jackson replied. “Never dare to even look at her again, Black Wolf.”

  The Indian took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Of course, Captain. Black Wolf understands.” And he offered a hand to Jackson.

  Jackson shook his hand briefly, but never smiled. He stood like a granite boulder watching them ride away. Then turned to look at Annie. She still sat on the ground next to him shaking with fright.

  “I saw them out near the north pasture two days ago. I had no idea what he was lookin’ for...until now,” Jackson mumbled.

  Annie felt an odd guilt rush through her. She had put this wonderful family in danger. She wanted to find a hole and crawl into it.

  “He called you ‘Captain,’“ she whispered. Jackson just shrugged his shoulders and offered her a hand to help her up.

  “Let me tell Mama, Annie. It makes her mighty nervous whenever they show up.”

  She put her hand in his and quickly removed it once she had stood. “They’re very shocking...aren’t they? I mean...the first time you ever see them.” She tried to speak calmly, but her voice still quivered, revealing the state of her nerves.

  “They’re renegades. A mess of different tribes...Apache, Crow...all pretty mean. But they’re alone out here so they stay pretty much in hand.” Then he took her by the shoulders and glared into her face. “Never show your fear! They take it as a sign of weakness. Talk confidently...trade with them. But never give them anything.”

  “You think they’ll come back...don’t you?”

  He shrugged again. “You might wanna get that milk into Mama before the flies get to it.” And he turned and walked back into the barn.

  

  “Well! I was wonderin’ where you had gone off to, honey,” Maggie chirped as Annie entered the kitchen. “What’s wrong?” she asked immediately as she continued to look at the girl. “You’re as white as a sheet.”

  Annie tried to smile. Why shouldn’t she be pale. In the last ten minutes she had witnessed Jackson breaking Mary’s heart and nearly been abducted by renegade Indians. “I’m fine, Mrs. McCall. Too much sun maybe.”

  Maggie wiped her hands on her apron and felt Annie’s forehead. “Too much sun, my foot! Now you tell me what has you lookin’ so peaked.”

  “Ol’ Black Wolf just paid us a visit, Mama. I suspect little Miss Annie was a little...unnerved,” Jackson said, striding through the back door with a broad smile.

  “Black Wolf!” Maggie gasped, all color draining from her face as well. “What did he want, son?” she asked.

  Jackson cleared his throat, grabbed a fresh peach from the basket on the table, and began peeling it with a pocketknife. “Annie,” he answered, nodding toward the girl.

  Maggie’s mouth dropped open and she looked from Jackson to Annie and back again. “Annie?” she whispered. “Tell me you’re teasing me, Jack!”

  “Nope. He wanted little miss porcelain complexion, here.”

  Annie felt tears of exasperation brimming in her eyes. He could be so insensitive!

  “What did you tell him?” Maggie asked, pulling a chair from the table and sitting down.

  Jackson’s smile faded. “Don’t worry, Mama. He won’t be back.”

  Maggie clutched his hand firmly in hers and spoke gravely, “Jackson...how can you be sure?”

  Jackson looked up at Annie, then back to his mother. “I didn’t have to say anythin’. He got a closer look at her and changed his mind.”

  For a moment Maggie’s expression was still that of worry, but it slowly changed to a smile.

  Annie, however, found nothing soothing or humorous in his remark and as the tears of frustration began to escape her eyes she slammed the bucket of milk down on the table and fled out the back door.

  As she angrily walked away, she began to realize that she felt more hurt than vexed. She didn’t like the fact that she was a burden to Jackson McCall--an irritating inconvenience. The two times she had been in his embrace, when he held her as they rode home after his finding her and as he spoke to the Indian only a few minutes before, she had felt safe, protected and as if she wanted to stay only there forever. But he obviously saw her as nothing more than an ignorant girl who was a burden to the family.

  “Wait a minute, jumpin’ bean,” Jackson chuckled as he caught her elbow and spun her around to face him. “You know I was only kiddin’! Mama gets so upset when Black Wolf is roamin’ around. I had to calm her down.”

  Annie yanked her arm from his grasp and began walking away. “Fine. Now let me go for a walk. It has been a very fatiguing day.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks and continued marching off.

  Again he grabbed her arm to stay her. “Looky here, Miss Annie,” he said, glaring at her. “I don’t go chasin’ after emotionally high strung women as a rule...so you hear me out.”

  “I am not emotionally high strung, Mr. McCall! I’ve just been nearly abducted by wild Renegades and drug off to who knows what...and you’re making light of it.” He took a deep breath as Annie continued her venting. “I am sorry that you had to be the one to bear the burden of finding me out in the wilderness. But until I remember some shred of my life before you were forced to rescue me...I’ll have to stay here and be the proverbial thorn in your side. Forgive me! Will you...and quit bringing the fact of my complete dependency to my attention every living minute of the day!”

  Jackson’s eyebrows raised in slight surprise at her outburst.

  “Okay,” he said. Annie took a deep breath and smoothed her skirt. “Maybe you didn’t run away, Annie. Maybe you talked somebody crazy and they dumped you out there,” he muttered with a grin.

  She moved to slap his face but he caught her hand and twisted her arm behind her pulling her body flush with his. The ache in her chest of hurt at his words started again.

  “Why do you hate me so much,” she whispered as more tears escaped her eyes.

  She looked up into his face, which was solemn again. His eyes left hers and seemed to rest on her mouth for just an instant. She glanced away from him when she realized that she had been studying his mouth as well.

  “I don’t hate you. I just like to tease, that’s all,” he whispered. Then he abruptly let her go. “If you ever see Black Wolf again, Annie...you get on back to the house at once and tell one of us boys. Do you understand?” He was so commanding, she felt like saluting with a strong ‘Yes, sir!’ But she only nodded.

  “Now, go for your walk and think hateful things about me.” He smiled, tipping his hat and bega
n walking away.

  He paused for a moment and said, “You won’t let anyone know what you heard in the barn before, will you?”

  “Of course not! I like Mary and I’d never want to embarrass her,” she replied.

  “Did I...did I handle that all right, do you think?” he asked, adjusting his hat.

  Annie was astonished. He actually seemed unsure about something. “Yes, of course,” she muttered and watched him leave.

  CHAPTER SIX

  That night at dinner the inevitable subject of Black Wolf came up.

  “What did he want, Jackson?” Baker asked.

  “Annie,” Jackson replied, glancing at Annie and then his mama.

  “Annie?” Matthew repeated.

  “Well, I think that’s mighty understandable,” Baker said, smiling at Annie and adding a wink.

  “It’s terrifying!” Maggie reminded.

  “Well, what did you tell him, Jack?” Matthew asked.

  Jackson spread some butter on a biscuit before answering nonchalantly. “I told him that he couldn’t have her ‘cause she was mine.”

  Baker and Matthew raised their eyebrows at each other. Matthew let out an amazed whistle.

  “Now my question is this,” Baker began smiling, “did you tell him that to avoid a situation like the Smithes had...or were you thinkin’ ‘finders keepers’?” Baker winked at Annie again.

  But Annie noticed that Maggie had dropped her fork.

  “The Smithes?” Maggie asked as an ill looking paleness washed over her.

  “Good job, Baker,” Matthew mumbled, hitting his brother hard in the ribs with an elbow.

  “Now, Mama, don’t get all upset,” Jackson began.

  “The Smithe girl! They took her and...well...Jackson, are you sure Annie’s safe now?”

  “What happened to the Smithe girl?” Annie asked as she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

  “Mama, Bill Smithe didn’t know a thing about dealin’ with Them renegades. These renegades...they aren’t like the friendlier tribes. You gotta play tough. I told Black Wolf that she was mine. He knows not to buck any of us boys. He thinks she’s mine...Bill Smithe told them other renegades that his daughter, Lilly, didn’t belong to nobody. Black Wolf won’t cross me, Mama. You know it.”