“I really—”
“No, I insist. Cat, help her get her things, and I’ll make sure that Bill takes care of your horse.” Jason Lynch was a man accustomed to having his orders obeyed, and Jenny didn’t have the energy to fight him.
“I don’t have much,” was all she could say, and she went out to get her saddlebags off Storm. An older man appeared and took the horse up to the barn.
“That’s a fine-looking animal,” Jason commented as Storm was led away.
“He belonged to our father.”
Jason watched as the gray walked away, his neck still proudly arched, his tail high behind him as he stepped lightly after the man. Behind them was the sound of bawling cattle where the boys were hard at work cutting the herd. Jason led Jenny up the hill to the main house. She was nearly overwhelmed by the luxuriousness of it when Jason opened the door and she stepped into the cool interior onto finely polished wood floors. Jason had to take her arm and lead her into the hallway, where a white-trimmed staircase led to the second floor.
“I built it for Cat’s mother, but she didn’t live long enough to enjoy it,” Jason explained, almost apologizing for the grandeur. “I used to live in a cabin down in the valley when it was just me, but that was a long time ago.” His mind seemed to drift off with the words.
“It’s lovely,” Jenny murmured as she looked around at the rich furnishings.
“I hardly notice it,” Jason admitted.
“Daddy pays more attention to the cows than to his chairs,” Cat added.
“Those cows pay your bills,” Jason said sternly. Cat just smiled sweetly and flopped into a chair. “You’ll have your choice of several rooms,” he said as he started up the staircase. “We have a housekeeper, Agnes. If you let her know what you need, she’ll take care of you.”
“I really don’t need anything,” Jenny said as she followed Jason up the steps. She felt dirty and out of place amidst this luxury, and she longed to take Storm and leave. Jason led her to a bedroom with a wide high bed and a window that overlooked the valley. Jenny was overwhelmed as she turned around, not knowing what to do next.
“I can have Agnes fix you a bath if you like,” Jason suggested.
“No, really, I’m fine.”
“Dinner is around six.”
“Thank you.”
Jason stood, just looking at her, which made Jenny feel more nervous. He finally turned and left, reminding her to make herself at home.
Jenny dropped her bag and went to the window, taking in the many buildings below. She recognized the cabin where she had met Grace and the boys; next to that must be the bunkhouse. There were a few barns and smaller outbuildings that held a forge and tack, and beyond a small smokehouse. There were several corrals as well as the huge pen where the cattle were being separated into groups by the cowboys she had met earlier. She saw Cat going back down the hill, no doubt to protect her interest in Ty. Jenny shook her head as she dismissed the jealousy the young woman had shown. The last thing Jenny wanted was a relationship with a man—any man.
Her visual tour of the valley over, she turned to investigate the room she was in. There was a washstand, a wingback chair covered with a soft rose fabric, a huge wardrobe that was empty when she opened the doors. A flash caught her eye as she was about to shut the doors, and she realized there was a mirror attached to the inside. She stared at the reflection before her. Deep, wide blue eyes looked back at her, full of fear. Her knees trembled as she took inventory of what she saw.
“Jamie, will you recognize me?” she asked staring at the reflection. Faces flashed before her: Thad Miller, the man who had taken her from the orphanage, his wife Millie, then Wade Bishop, the man who had found her on the trail after her escape from the Millers. They were the faces of the people who had used her before she had learned self-preservation. Others were the faces of the ones who had been kind, but there weren’t many of those, her wall of reserve had kept out many who would have helped her. “Jamie, will you still love me?” she asked. There was no answer.
Jenny went down to dinner promptly at six, and immediately felt embarrassed to still be wearing the clothes she had arrived in when she saw Cat in a lovely dress. Jenny apologized for her attire, but it was all she had. Jason did his best to make her feel comfortable, and even Cat could find no fault with her manners, for which Jenny said a thanksgiving prayer to her mother, who had always insisted that they learn proper etiquette. Grace came up after she was done feeding the hands and contributed to the polite conversation in the salon after dinner. Jenny excused herself early and made her way to her room, the strain wearing her out. It had been a long time since she had tried to make conversation, and she wasn’t sure enough of herself or the company to keep it up for long. When she went to her room, she opened the window, wanting the chill of the spring evening to make the bed more warm and inviting. She heard the sound of the back door opening below and heard Jason and Grace on the porch off the kitchen.
“Poor thing, she’s had it rough,” Grace commented.
“I know, and Cat is determined not to make it any easier for her. I wanted to wring her neck when she came down all dressed up, knowing Jenny didn’t have a stitch with her.”
“Maybe we should get her some things.”
“I don’t think she’d accept them,” Jason said. “She’s got a lot of pride—that much is obvious. Has she said anything to you about what she’s been doing or where she’s been?”
“No, just that she was trying to find Jamie. What do you think hell do, now that she’s here?”
“I don’t know. I hope he’ll stay on, but a lot of it depends on her, I guess, and if Jamie goes, that means Chase will go, too. I know that much.” They stepped off the porch and Jenny leaned back so they wouldn’t see her spying on them. “They’ll be back soon I guess, and everything will work itself out.”
“There’s something I wanted to ask you, Jason, about Jenny,”
“What is it?”
“When you first saw her, it was like you knew her. Your face went white as if you were in shock. Have you seen her before?”
“No, but when I first saw her, I thought she was someone else, someone I knew a long time ago.” Silence followed as Grace looked up into his eyes, but the darkness kept the secret hidden, and she knew Jason well enough not to pry.
“Why don’t you let her spend her time with me, instead of sitting in this big old house waiting around?”
“I’ll suggest that to her in the morning.”
Jenny saw Grace take off down the hill towards her cabin. Jason stood and watched her go before he turned into the house. Jenny watched as the lights went out in the bunkhouse, then at Grace’s, then heard the sounds of the main house settling for the night. The moon was full and its light shone over the hills beyond, giving them a silver glow before they faded into the dark purple of the mountains that rose up behind. She wondered which of the canyons was sheltering Jamie and Chase for the night, and envied the peace that being here had evidently given them. Grace had said they were like a family, and Jenny had seen for herself the genuine concern that Jason had for his employees.
As she climbed into the big bed, she began to wonder what they would do now. Finding Jamie had been a priority for so long that she had not given any thought to what would happen once they were together. It had never occurred to her that he might have a life without her, but obviously he did, and she had no clue where she was to fit in. Jenny finally fell asleep, feeling very alone and lost in the big, comfortable bed.
The next morning she awoke to the sounds of cattle bawling in the valley below. She went to the window, trailing the sheet that she had wrapped around her nude body. The hands were busy at work cutting the herd, and she could see Cat watching it all from atop the high fence of the pen. She noticed that Jason was there also, working alongside the rest of them, and the sight increased her respect for the man. She hastily dressed, embarrassed that she had slept so late, and made the bed, leaving the room much t
he way she had found it. She went down the back stairs to the kitchen, intending to head straight to Grace’s cabin, but Agnes stopped her and insisted that she eat the breakfast she had kept warm for her.
After breakfast, Jenny found Grace busy working on lunch for the boys, who had been hard at work since sunup. Grace gave her a quick smile and instructed her to start peeling potatoes, hoping to keep her busy while they waited for Jamie. Jenny gratefully attacked the pile before her, and before she realized it she was chattering away, Grace’s easy manner overcoming her reserve.
The sound of stomping boots interrupted their conversation, and the cowboys came in, looking for lunch. They gathered around the table, Jason and Cat joining them, and Jenny helped to serve, enjoying the flow of conversation, most of it either started by Zane or directed at him. He gave Jenny a wounded look, trying to gain her sympathy when Ty shot him down, but she just laughed with the rest of them, then was surprised at how easily it had come. When lunch was over, Jason asked if he could get a closer look at Storm, and she went with him to the stable, beginning to feel comfortable in his presence.
They turned the gray out into a small corral and he began to trot around, his tail waving like a flag around him as he inspected his new domain. There were some mares in another pen, and Storm stood with his head high as he looked them over, whinnying deep in his throat.
“How old is he?” Jason asked. Jenny was sitting on the fence rail and he was leaning beside her, admiring the stallion’s lines.
“I think around twenty-five. Our father raised him from a colt and used him as stud to start our ranch. Storm ran off the night my parents were killed. He ran wild until I found him, or rather he found me, out on the plains. I probably would be dead now if it weren’t for him.” Jason raised his eyebrows in surprise at Jenny’s comment, then watched in amazement as she whistled “Good King Wenceslas” and the horse came to her, putting his head in her lap with a contented sigh. “I think he misses my father,” she said as she rubbed under the dark forelock.
Jason reached out and stroked the finely arched neck. “Do you mind if we him out with some mares?”
“No, go ahead. I’m sure he’d love it.” Jenny grinned as Storm began to swing his head up and down as if agreeing with her. Jason laughed, glad to see that she was something like Jamie.
“I’ve had my eye on a mare I want to buy. I’ve been waiting for a chance to send Jamie down to look at her,” Jason said as they walked back to Grace’s. “I think she and Storm could have some fine foals, given a chance.”
“I’d love to see that,” Jenny said, surprising herself again at making a commitment. Jason left her at the cabin where Grace had just finished the dishes. Jenny immediately felt guilty about leaving her with the mess, but Grace said she was used to it and began to sweeping the floor. There was a pile of clothing stacked in the corner, and something in it caught Jenny’s attention. She pulled a shirt out of the stack and held it up. It was well worn and had a tear in the side.
“That belongs to Chase,” Grace said. “It needs mending, and as you can see, the pile gets ahead of me.”
“I made it for Jamie a long time ago,” Jenny said as she held it to her breast.
Grace came over and took the shirt, admiring the fine stitches. “It’s a fine shirt, and I know the only reason Jamie gave it up is because he outgrew it.”
“He’s even bigger now?”
“He’s pretty big.” Grace smiled at the thought of him.
Jenny shook her head as she tried to envision what he must be like now. “Would you mind if I worked on the mending?” she asked as Grace refolded the shirt. “That is the one thing I know I can do best.”
“Honey, you just help yourself,” Grace said as she handed her the sewing basket. Jenny carried the basket and clothing outside to the porch swing and began mending, content to have work to keep her busy, and knowing she was giving something back to the people who were being so generous to her.
The next few days passed in much the same way. Jenny slept in the big house but spent her days with Grace, helping her with the meals and the laundry, then working on the mending. When she had worked her way through the stack, Grace brought out a length of soft blue calico and asked Jenny’s advice on making a dress out of it. They went through some patterns, and Grace selected the one that Jenny kept going back to. She soon had Jenny cutting away, thinking she was making the dress for Grace, who intended it to be for Jenny. They were similar in build, with Grace a bit fuller in the bust, but Jenny needed extra length, which Grace made sure she provided for when she cut out the skirt. Jason had conspired with her to get the fabric, making a special trip to town to pick it out, and choosing a shade that matched the blue of Jenny’s eyes.
The boys became accustomed to seeing Jenny sitting in the swing, sewing away, and she soon settled into the routine of the ranch, each day bringing her closer to her reunion with Jamie.
Sunday soon came, and with it rain and a day of rest for the hands. Jason and Cat went to church, along with Ty and Caleb. Grace stayed behind, self-conscious of her scars when she went out in public. Zane and Jake chose to spend the day sleeping after spending Saturday evening at the saloon in town. Jenny became sleepy as she sewed in the cabin with Grace and decided to take the laundry over to the bunkhouse, hoping the quick dash through the rain would wake her up.
Zane and Jake were lying in their bunks, involved in a never-ending argument about something, when she came in. It was her first time in the bunkhouse, and she was amazed at how cozy it was, with its pot-bellied stove and beds stacked one above the other. One in particular drew her attention, it was a top bunk, with an extension on the end.
“His feet were always sticking out, so we put him up top and added on,” Zane explained.
Jenny climbed up and looked at the blanket, which had been pieced at the bottom to give her tall brother extra coverage. She lay down on the bunk, surrounding herself with the scent of her brother, and her mind wandered back to the days of sharing the loft at home, and their whispered conversations after they’d been tucked in for the night. The rain was pounding on the roof overhead and she soon drifted off to sleep. She rolled over facing the wall, and her braid hung over the side of the bunk, shining brightly in the dim light that came in from the window.
Caleb noticed her when he came in from church and he took out his sketchpad, his imagination transforming her surroundings to something more luxurious, as Zane added his own ideas in Caleb’s ear. Ty looked on in disgust as he read in his bunk, and Jake went back to his own slumber.
Chapter Twenty-one
The rain was pouring off their slickers as Jamie and Chase herded the last of the strays into the pen. They had been struggling to make it home before the rain came, but a rock slide had turned them around, causing them to lose time. They stabled their horses and slopped through the deserted yard, knowing everyone else was warm and dry. They were both starved, so they went to Grace’s cabin first, hoping to find a bite to tide them over until dinner was ready. Grace met them at the door with a dazzling smile.
“Where have you been?” she asked as they stood dripping on the porch.
“Doing our job, and now we’re hungry. Let us in, Grace,” Jamie begged. His hair was soaking and rivers were running down his neck.
“Oh, no, you are not coming in here until you get out of those wet clothes.”
“Grace, we are starved. Give us a biscuit or something,” Chase begged.
Grace shook her head, afraid to say anything more. Jamie looked at her as if she had lost her mind, but she just slammed the door in their faces. They stood looking at the closed portal in shock, then turned to go to the bunkhouse. Grace cracked the door when they had got off the porch, then quietly followed, pulling a shawl over her head to protect herself from the rain. Zane pulled open the door to the bunkhouse before they even got to the porch and put his finger over his mouth to hush Jamie and Chase’s grumbling that had started as soon as they stepped off Grace’s po
rch.
“Has everyone around here lost their minds?” Jamie whispered angrily at Zane as he pulled off his slicker. The rest of the boys were looking at him with big grins on their faces, and Jamie turned to Chase, who was looking at Jamie’s bunk.
A golden braid was dangling over the edge of the bunk, and above it was a gracefully curved back, and long, lean legs. Jamie took a step towards the bunk, his eyes wide and staring. Chase caught the eyes of the boys, who all nodded, and he looked toward the bunk in eager anticipation.
Jamie reached out and took the braid in his hand, rubbing the silken strands between his fingers before he gave it a gentle tug. A hand reached back to grab the braid, and he jerked on it harder, pulling the head around so that he was looking into a pair of deep blue eyes. Recognition hit her like a shot, and Jenny propelled herself out of the bunk, launching herself into Jamie’s arms with such force that they hit the floor with a crash, becoming a tangled pile of long leg and arms and flying hair. Grace came through the door and looked on in tearful joy as the rest of the boys laughed at the whirling mass before them.
Jenny and Jamie were both talking at once as they untangled themselves and stood. Both were wiping tears away, from themselves and each other. “When?” one said, “Where?” the other asked, and both of them were saying, “I looked for you.”
“Both of you, sit down,” Grace finally said as the confusion went on. They looked at her; then Jamie led Jenny to the table and they sat, still holding on to each other’s hands. “Everyone else, out!” Grace commanded, and the boys filed out, slapping Jamie on the back, wanting to share in his joy.
“Chase, wait,” Jamie said as Chase started out the door.
“No, I’ll catch you later.” Jenny looked up into Chase’s dark eyes and saw that they were shining as if he, too, had been crying. His face held a sweet smile as he looked at her. That last morning they had been together, when she had spun around the room in joy, flashed through her mind.
Chase the Wind Page 30