Jake

by C. J. Petit

  I hadn’t received a letter from Violet in six months when I found one in my post office box on Wednesday. Violet wrote that Abe had died when he was gored by a bull. He never even saw a doctor and she had to dig his grave.

  She asked if I could return to the ranch because she wasn’t able to keep it going. Abe had taken out a mortgage to buy more cattle, and she was worried about losing the ranch and the home for the children.

  I couldn’t tell you because you were already gone, and I was even close to not writing a letter at all because of my shame. But after your father was gone, I couldn’t just disappear without letting you know why.

  I apologize for taking the money, but I needed it to help save my ranch and provide for Violet and the children, including my son. I included an IOU for the seven hundred dollars. So, if I can make it profitable, I’ll send you what I can.

  I really would appreciate it if you kept this secret between us, Jake. I know that you probably lost all respect for me because of my despicable behavior, but I ask you to forgive me. What I did was for the love of a woman and the love for my brother. I can’t bring my brother back, but I can give Violet all the love I’ve stored in my heart since I left.

  Take care of the Elk and the boys, and I know that Sara will make you happy.

  Your friend and ex-foreman,

  Dave

  On the bottom of the page was written:

  I, Dave Forrest, owe Jake Elliott the sum of seven hundred dollars.

  Jake noticed that it wasn’t signed, probably because Dave knew that he’d never have to repay the money.

  He wasn’t surprised by Sara’s first question when she asked, “You aren’t going to ask him to pay back a dime; will you?”

  He shook his head as he smiled at her and replied, “No. What do you think of the letter?”

  “I have mixed feelings. I was impressed with his honesty, but not his behavior. I didn’t know him at all, but I can’t condone having an affair with his sister-in-law, regardless of their feelings for each other. He should have left their ranch before it had gone that far.”

  “I agree with you, ma’am. I’m just relieved that he hadn’t heard from my father and gone to meet him. At least he’s probably already on his new ranch with Violet and the children. I wonder if he’s going to marry her now.”

  “Speaking of marriage, Mister Elliott. When can we tie the knot? You implied in your telegram that Friday would be the extent of our courtship.”

  “I have to go to the bank tomorrow to get some money to pay the men. We can make arrangements while we’re there. Do you want a church wedding?”

  “I’d prefer to be married by Reverend Faraday, but if he wants to have us wait for a week, then we can walk to the courthouse tomorrow afternoon.”

  Jake studied her face for just a few seconds to see if she was just having a bit of fun at his expense but quickly realized that she wasn’t.

  “Alright. We’ll visit the reverend after I get the money from the bank and hear what he has to say. But do you want to talk to your parents first?”

  “They don’t expect me to come home tonight, Jake. So, they’re probably hoping that we get married long before I start showing.”

  This time, he was sure she was pulling his leg, but as he smiled, he changed his mind. She seemed serious and realized that he still hadn’t fully adjusted to Sara’s straightforward nature.

  “One of the first things you told me was how blunt you were, but I spent most of that long ride hearing your laugh and appreciating your wit and physical gifts. You just reminded me that you are a very frank woman.”

  “Now that you’ve been reintroduced to my harsh nature, you’re not having second thoughts; are you?”

  “Oh, no! Not at all. I was just having difficulty separating your witty and dry sense of humor from your serious side. You’d make a marvelous poker player, Sara.”

  She smiled and asked, “So, will we still visit Reverend Faraday tomorrow?”

  “Absolutely. I’d hate to be sitting before the good reverend when you appear to be hiding a watermelon under your dress. Besides, I don’t want to just store the wedding band set I bought until I meet a more genteel young lady.”

  Sara laughed, then kissed him before saying, “You can show me the rings just before we make use of them. But before we do anything else, we may want to visit your ranch hands who are waiting for us in the chow house. They seem to believe that we need some private time to talk, but I’m pretty sure they expect us to do something else while we’re alone.”

  “I guess we’ll have to disappoint them because we definitely need to talk. They can wait for a little while and let their imaginations go wild.”

  “As you’re their boss now, it’s your call. Let’s go to the kitchen. Charlie Shimshock left a mountain of food, so I didn’t have to cook when you returned. We can talk while we try to turn it into a hill.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll start a fire in the cookstove for coffee.”

  They stood then Jake laid Dave’s letter on the desk before taking her hand. He left the office door open after they left the room because he knew he’d have to put away the Sharps after they had their supper and long conversation.

  _____

  As they enjoyed Charlie’s cooking, Jake told Sara all that had happened since he left. She wasn’t surprised that he’d needed to fend off a highwayman but wasn’t able to answer his question about the outlaw making it to Fort Benton. She listened intently as he talked about his hopes of finding his father in Woman’s Breast then having them shattered when he met the town’s lone occupant. She was equally intrigued when he described his non-violent method of dealing with the deserters.

  She hadn’t asked a single question until he mentioned finding the name of R.L. Kemper on the hotel register. Then she couldn’t avoid interrupting his narrative.

  “Why did you think that your father would use that name?”

  “I’m almost finished, so I’ll answer your question shortly. It deserves its own explanation.”

  Sara had been surprised by his response to what she considered to be an innocent question. Now she was even more curious to hear his answer.

  Jake soon ended the story of his fruitless and frustrating search and took a few moments to organize his thoughts.

  “What I’m going to tell you is only my theory to explain why my father and mother had argued so violently. It’s all speculation, but after talking to Jerome Wright, my father’s lawyer, it seemed to make sense. I’m sure you understand that aside from Mister Wright, you are the only other person who can know about this.”

  Sara asked, “Is it that bad, Jake? Did your father murder someone else before he killed your mother?”

  “No. It’s not that bad, but you’ll understand why it has to be kept between us.”

  “Alright.”

  Jake took in a deep breath then said, “Even before I stepped on board the riverboat to come back to Fort Benton, I couldn’t understand why my father would even hurt my mother, much less murder her. As harsh and dominating as he could be, he never once raised his hand to her or me. After Dave Forrest described how loud they had been arguing, it became even more puzzling. I knew I had to find my father and make him face justice for what he’d done, but even more, I wanted him to tell me why he’d killed her. I knew that he couldn’t justify it, but I needed to know.

  “When I visited Mister Wright to ask him about the ownership of the ranch in case my father suddenly returned, he told me of something that my father had done just prior to the argument. Do you know the Mr. and Mrs. Kemper?”

  “I visit the bakery often. I know that Mister Kemper vanished a couple of months ago, but I usually talked to Mrs. Kemper when I stopped by.”

  “I don’t know her at all. What is your opinion of her?”

  “I like her quite well. She’s very friendly to everyone. Her husband was very surly, and I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that he was even more so when he was alone with
her. I’m sure she’s relieved that he’s gone.”

  Jake wished that Sara had given him a much more negative assessment of the woman, but he still believed in his theory. Maybe she had seduced his father and asked him to kill her husband. She was certainly attractive enough to entice him.

  “Maybe her husband didn’t just disappear. Maybe my father murdered him first before he killed my mother.”

  Sara was startled as she exclaimed, “Why do you think that your father murdered Mister Kemper?”

  “Because it makes sense, Sara. I believe that my father and Mrs. Kemper were having an affair. Either Mister Kemper discovered them together or Mrs. Kemper asked him to kill her husband because he was beating her.”

  Sara stared at Jake in disbelief without comment as she waited for him to expand on his shocking theory.

  Jake only paused for a few seconds before he continued, saying, “Jerome told me that just days before he murdered my mother, my father asked Mister Wright to pay off the mortgage on Mrs. Kemper’s bakery and to deposit five hundred dollars into her bank account. My father was hardly a compassionate man, Sara. What other reason would he have for being so generous?”

  Sara quietly replied, “I didn’t know your father well enough to answer your question, Jake. Did you ask Mrs. Kemper after visiting the lawyer?”

  “I walked into the bakery, but when I saw her, I realized that I might lose my temper, so I just turned around and left town.”

  “I’m surprised at you, Jake. You rode hundreds of miles trying to find your father but wouldn’t even enter a bakery to ask a woman a simple question.”

  “It was hardly a simple question, Sara. It was a keg of gunpowder question. I guess I really didn’t want to add adultery to my father’s sins.”

  “But you have already done that, Jake. You put adultery on the list beside murder without even giving your father the benefit of a simple investigation. Tomorrow, after you visit the bank and before we see Reverend Faraday, you’ll ask Mrs. Kemper why your father helped her. Do I have to drag you into the bakery?”

  Jake couldn’t hold back his grin as he shook his head and replied, “No, ma’am. I’d rather face Mrs. Kemper’s wrath than your disappointment.”

  Sara smiled as she said, “Good. I’ll have you well trained by next week. At least you know what you’re getting into before marrying me rather than discovering the real Kay when it would be too late.”

  “Speaking of your sister, how is Kay doing? Did you talk to her?”

  “We had a nice chat, at least from my perspective. She finally accepted the fact that I will be Mrs. Elliott and she would become your sister-in-law and nothing more.”

  “That’s a relief. It may not have been one of my bigger concerns, but it’s one less that I need to worry about.”

  “I think we need to go to the chow house. I have the impression that they want to talk to you before they turn in for the night.”

  He glanced through the window and was surprised to find that the sun had already set.

  “I didn’t know it was this late already. Let’s go chat with the boys for a few minutes.”

  He stood, then took her hand before they walked out the back door and headed for the chow house. Jake hoped they kept their ribald comments to themselves while he was with Sara.

  _____

  After the surprisingly short and respectful visit with the men, Jake and Sara returned to the ranch house. While Jake lit a lamp, Sara took a seat at the table. They hadn’t discussed sleeping arrangements, and she was waiting for Jake to broach the subject.

  Jake set the lamp on the table before taking a seat beside her and saying, “I’m surprised that you haven’t told me you expected to join me in my bed already, Sara. You’re losing your standing as a blunt woman.”

  Sara laughed then replied, “I wanted to hear your opinion on the matter.”

  “So, if I say that I want to consummate our marriage before the fact, you’d happily agree?”

  “I’m not going to give you an easy way out by answering your question, sir. Where I sleep and what we do is up to you.”

  Jake found himself studying Sara’s expression once more and realized he wasn’t going to find a hint or what was on her mind. Some men might be frustrated by her answer, but Jake was fascinated by her ability to mask her thoughts.

  “Fine. I’ve decided that you, Miss Smith, will sleep in the bedroom next to mine and remain Miss Smith until we’ve been recognized as Mr. and Mrs. Elliott by the Territory of Montana.”

  Sara laughed again then leaned over and kissed him before saying, “I’ll see you in the morning, Mister Elliott. Tomorrow will be a very interesting day, and I hope tomorrow night will be even better.”

  She stood and left the lamp on the table before she stepped into the hallway and disappeared into her bedroom.

  Jake was a bit surprised when he heard her bedroom door close. He soon realized that Sara would continue to keep him puzzled yet enthralled even when they were old and gray. But he hadn’t confessed the main reason for his decision about the sleeping arrangements. He’d noticed that she’d already moved her things into the neighboring bedroom, so he suspected that she may have only been testing him. Even if she wasn’t evaluating his morality, he thought he’d survive one more night just dreaming about being with Sara.

  He blew out the lamp before he walked down the hallway. He was about to turn into his bedroom when he remembered that he’d left his Winchester and the Sharps in the front room. So, he continued into the dark room, picked up both rifles and carried them through the still open office doorway. He turned to the rifle rack and was about to return the unused Sharps to its place when he noticed that the Martini-Henry was gone.

  After placing the Sharps in its proper place, he put his Winchester where the missing British rifle had been. He assumed that Dave had taken it with him but wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it in his letter. He figured that Dave had just sealed the envelope, set it on the desk and as he was leaving, decided to take the long-range rifle. He wasn’t going to light another lamp to check on the ammunition, so he dismissed the mystery for the night and walked to his room.

  After stripping to his skivvies and sliding under the quilts, Jake’s mind was far too busy to let him fall asleep.

  Tomorrow, he and Sara would go to the bank. He’d withdraw a thousand dollars and have her added to the account before they walked to the bakery and the dreaded talk with Mrs. Kemper. He wanted to have Sara standing beside him when he asked her about the reason for his father’s generosity as he wasn’t sure how she’d react. She could even slap him for the insinuation but would be less likely to release her anger with Sara at his side. He doubted if she could provide any answer that wouldn’t add to the poor opinion he held for his father.

  After the tense meeting with Mrs. Kemper, they’d see Reverend Faraday but might need to visit the county courthouse. He then shifted to a more mundane Elk task. Now that Dave Forrest was running his own ranch, Jake would have to appoint a new foreman. It didn’t take long before he decided to offer the position to Jack Parker. He was the oldest and most experienced ranch hand and was well respected.

  He’d miss Dave but was happy for him and hoped everything worked out for him on his small ranch in Meagher County near Judith Creek.

  Jake continued to revisit everything that had happened since he’d returned for another hour before he finally drifted off to sleep.

  CHAPTER 8

  Jake was the first to leave his bedroom in the morning. After ripping on a pair of britches and hurrying outside, he returned to his bedroom where he washed and shaved using the wash basin in his room.

  He was fully dressed and had started a fire in the cookstove when a grinning Sara waltzed past in her nightdress to visit the privy. Jake was sitting at the table still wearing a smile when she returned. But instead of returning to her room, she simply plopped onto his lap and wrapped her right arm around his shoulders.

  Jake had his left arm aroun
d her waist as he said, “I’m glad to see you had a good night’s sleep, Sara.”

  “I don’t intend to sleep as much tonight, Mister Elliott. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “I’m sure you will. At least we won’t have to saddle the horses. When I visited the small house, I saw Bill Jackson standing beside Mars, Vulcan and Orville’s horse. All of them are waiting for us.”

  “I assume you mean the horses are waiting for us and not the men. So, I guess I’d better move along.”

  Sara initiated a long kiss before she hopped onto her feet and trotted down the hallway.

  Jake shook his head as he smiled. He wondered if he’d ever adjust to Sara but hoped that he wouldn’t. He expected her to take at least a half an hour to get dressed but she stepped back into the kitchen just five minutes later wearing her riding ensemble.

  “You impressed me yet again, Sara,” he said as he stood to make the coffee.

  “Did you expect me to be wearing britches and a gunbelt, sir?”

  Jake laughed lightly before he answered, “No, ma’am. You took much less time to dress than I had expected.”

  “I don’t waste time, Mister Elliott; or haven’t you noticed?”

  “You did sort of propose on my second day back, so I should have figured it out by now; shouldn’t I?”

  She smiled then said, “I’ll keep you on your toes, Jake.”

  “That’s what I said to Dave when I told him I was going to marry you.”

  “Speaking of marriage, I think we need to have our breakfast then we’ll go to town for our very interesting day.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  _____

  It was shortly after nine o’clock when Jake and Sara left the house holding hands and headed for the corral. Bill Jackson was still there with Big Tom and Charlie Shimshock. Jake assumed that the others had already ridden out to the herds. While none of them were grinning, Jake could almost read their minds. He didn’t doubt that Sara knew what they were thinking either. He was surprised that it didn’t bother him at all.