“Don’t pretend to be innocent, Zane. You might not be able to draw, but your hand was in on this, too.”
Jenny heard Zane’s pleas of innocence and smiled to herself, feeling that her modesty had been protected. Caleb and Zane made their way sleepily to the barn, and the light went out in the bunkhouse. Chase remained on the porch, looking up towards the main house.
Jenny was stiff and sore the next morning when she finally woke up. She had fallen asleep at the window, and a cramp in her neck finally drove her to her bed, where she remained far longer than usual. The restless night combined with the excitement of the day before had drained her, leaving her exhausted when she rose and dressed in her usual uniform. The house was empty when she went down, so she made her way to the corral, where the cowboys had congregated.
Everyone was gathered around or sitting on fence rails as they watched Jamie work a horse. The horse stood alert in the center of the corral, his ears pricked, his nostrils quivering, waiting in silent anticipation for the commands that were unknown to everyone but the horse and rider. Jenny detected a slight tightening of the long muscles in Jamie’s lean thigh that would send the horse whirling in one direction or another. Jamie put the horse through a series of exercises that left the watchers brimming with awe and excitement, but to Jenny it was just like watching her father. He had used the tricks and techniques that had been handed down to him, and he had passed them on to his own eager pupils, Jamie and Jenny. Jamie grinned at her when he concluded the display, knowing that she understood his secret.
“You do it,” he said to her as he rode the horse over to the rail she was sitting on.
“It’s been a while.”
“This horse practically reads my mind. Go ahead, give it a try,” he urged her as he dismounted.
Jenny slid her leg over the saddle from the rail and lightly took up the reins, stationing the horse in the middle of the corral. She whirled him through his paces, and the cowboys applauded, amazed to find that the sister was as good as the brother. Jenny smiled shyly at the applause, embarrassed by all the whistling and shouting that Zane was directing her way. She saw Chase out of the comer of her eye as he watched her with a slight smile on his face.
When she had finished her paces, Jason walked to her and took a rein as he patted the horse.
“I think it’s time I added you to the payroll,” he said as Jenny dismounted.
“What?”
“I want you to work for me. I’ve seen for myself what you can do.”
Jenny looked over at Jamie, who was grinning at her encouragingly. A thousand thoughts poured into her head, the foremost of which was whether she really wanted to stay. Everyone seemed to be waiting for her answer. “What exactly do you want me to do?” she asked Jason.
“Whatever you do best,” he answered, “and whatever you feel best about doing.”
No help there, she thought to herself as she looked up into his kind eyes. Jenny took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said and extended her hand to Jason, who took it into his own strong grip. A collective sign of relief went up, but Jenny wasn’t sure if it was because she was staying or because Jamie wasn’t leaving. She went over to the rail, not sure of what to do next.
“Zane, go help Jenny pick out a mount. We need to get these yearlings out to the summer pasture.” Jason, as usual, was in control.
Jenny followed Zane to the pen behind the stable, where several fine horses were milling about. Jenny pointed out a tall bay with white stockings and a long blaze, and Zane smiled in approval as he threw a rope over the horse. They led him into the stable, and Zane followed Jenny into the tack room, where her rig was stored.
Jenny was gathering her things when Zane came up behind her. She felt awkward at his closeness, and was unable to turn in the narrow space with her arms full of saddle. She stood for a moment, and Zane began to massage her upper arms.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice filled with apprehension.
“Relax,” he said soothingly, as if she were a skittish colt. He reached around her, took the saddle out of her hands and dropped it, leaving his arms locked around her. Jenny turned, intending to shove him away, but before she had a chance, his mouth moved down on hers, grinding her lips in a kiss. His arms were locked behind her, and she tried to pull hers up to get leverage, but he was holding her too tight. She went limp in his arms, and he relaxed his hold, moving one arm down into the arch of her back to bend her backwards. “Oh, Jenny,” he whispered as his lips began to move down her neck. Her knee came up, and with all her might she brought it up into the delicate region between his legs.
Zane groaned deep in his throat and doubled over, which brought his face into just the right range for a ringing slap to the ears. He fell over into a rack of saddles and became entangled in the stirrups and girths. “What did you do that for?”
“What did I do that for?” Jenny spat out despite the merriment that had threatened to consume her at Zane’s predicament. “What gives you the right to kiss me like that?”
“Oh, come on. I was just trying to get my dibs in first, that’s all.”
“Dibs? On me?”
“Yes, dibs. I wanted to get you before anyone else had a chance to.”
“Get me for what?”
“To be my girl, that’s all. Oh, come on, Jenny, don’t pretend you didn’t like it.” He was standing now, smiling at her, trying to look guilty but failing miserably.
“I’m not pretending at all.” Jenny made a great show of wiping her mouth off.
Zane saw that his attempt had failed and decided to try another approach. “You’re not going to tell Jamie about this, are you? Or anyone else. I mean, after all, I have my reputation to protect, and it wouldn’t do me any good for everyone to know how you shot me down, and, er, injured my, er, privates.” He made a production of rubbing the offended area. “I would hate to have to get rough with Jamie, you know.” His hazel eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, and his smile was so charming that Jenny thought he probably had a lot of success with women. He was actually doing a pretty good job of charming her, now that she thought about it. The idea of him getting rough with Jamie was actually pretty funny, since he was only a few inches taller than she was, and a little on the skinny side compared to Jamie and Chase.
“No, I won’t tell anyone, provided it doesn’t happen again,” she finally agreed, making sure she kept her grin from showing. “Now see if you can find my rig in all this mess.” She walked out, leaving him shaking his head.
“Geez, Zane, why are you walkin’ so funny?” Jake asked when he rejoined the cowboys.
“What makes you think I’m walkin’ funny?” Zane retorted as he unhitched his horse from the rail.
Jenny moved her mount to where Jamie was waiting for her, and he flashed his grin when he saw the cocky set of her hat.
“Something happen that I need to know about?” he asked, making sure no one else could hear.
“Nope.”
Behind her, Chase began to laugh as he saw Zane gingerly lower himself into his saddle, taking time to arrange his injured parts just so as he settled into the seat. “She’s the one who should have the red hair,” Chase commented to no one in particular as the group set off for the day.
As Jenny rode beside her brother, a memory teased in her mind, that of a young girl with her hair in pigtails talking to her mother about love, and the sight of her mother’s toes curling against the rough wood of the porch as her father leaned over to kiss her. She sighed as she thought of the sloppy kiss Zane had given her. “No love there,” she thought to herself. A rider came up on her other side. It was Ty.
The group returned dirty and weary from the day’s work but happy to have it done, except for Cat, who had looked daggers at Jenny throughout the day. Ty had managed to stay casually close to her, offering companionship but nothing more, sensing her skittish mood and avoidance of Zane, who whined and complained the entire day. They all hit the dinner table with a vengea
nce, and as soon as she was done eating, Jenny left to seek the comforts of the bathhouse.
There was a makeshift shower set up behind it that they all used in warm weather. A bucket tipped water into a half barrel that had holes punched in the bottom, allowing the water to trickle through. Jenny stepped inside the stall and threw her clothes over the side, taking time to examine the worn seat of her pants. I hope these will last till payday, she thought, knowing her meager wardrobe would not see her through the hard work that she was now expected to do. She went about her bath, wanting to finish before the sun set and the chilly spring evening set in. She lathered her hair and was scrubbing her face when she heard a commotion from behind the bunkhouse. She wiped the soap from her eyes to see Zane dangling some six inches off the ground, the collar of his shirt held in Jamie’s strong grip, which held him pinned against the bunkhouse wall. Zane’s legs kicked the air as he tried to draw breath, and Jenny watched as his face turned red, then purple as Jamie calmly talked to him. Finally Jamie released him and he slid down the wall until he was sitting in the dirt, his legs sprawled out before him.
“Yeah, look at you run,” he hollered as Jamie strode away. “It won’t be so easy next time, believe me,” he muttered. He stood up and dusted himself off, then looked somewhat embarrassed when he saw Jenny peeping over the wall of the shower. “We were just talking,” he said, motioning towards the vanishing Jamie.
Jenny just shook her head and went back to her shower, a huge smile on her face as another of her burdens fell away. Jamie would take care of her, and though she knew she could make it on her own, she didn’t have to anymore. She began to sing a foolish tune, knowing she was getting carried away but not caring, just happy to be alive.
She finished her shower, quickly dried off, wrapped her hair in a towel and turned to pick up her shirt, but it was not hanging where she’d left it. A quick scan of the four walls showed the absence of all her clothes. Frustration and anger overcame her recent silliness as she ducked her head to look under the walls to see if they clothes were lying on the ground. She saw nothing. Biting her lip and threatening dire consequences to the thief, she wrapped the towel around her body and inched the door open. To her amazement, a set of neatly folded clothes was lying on the chair next to the door, including a sturdy camisole and pantalets. Jenny knew they were a contribution from Grace, but the shirt must have come from Chase, because it was the one she had made for Jamie and mended just the week past. She figured the tan pants had been his also, because the length was enough to cover her long legs, with a small cuff left over. Pulling on the pants she stuffed the cuffs down into the tops of her boots and cinched in the waist with a leather belt that was hanging on the chair back.
Chase was sitting on the porch of the bunkhouse reading when Jenny came around. He looked at her over the top of the book and smiled when she twirled in front of him, her hands out and open as if she was modeling an expensive gown. “Just wanted to say thanks,” she offered with a smile. “I fear I was close to embarrassing everyone around here with those other clothes.”
“I don’t think there are many around here that would mind,” Chase replied casually.
Jenny’s good mood had come back with the discovery of the clothes, along with her naturally teasing nature.
“Would you mind?”
Chase set the book down and looked at her smiling face; her wide blue eyes held a mischievous glint that was captured by the last rays of the setting sun. He leaned forward with an intent look on his face. “You forget, Jenny, I’ve already seen what you have to offer.” Jenny looked at him with mouth agape. “We slept together—don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.” He went on in mock seriousness, “I am a very light sleeper, the slightest noise will wake me up for instance, I remember many nights when I was lying in bed unable to move because my leg was strung up, and this young lady who was sharing my room would come in and try to sneak into her gown in the comer of the room without waking me.”
“You were awake all those nights?” Jenny said indignantly.
“Not all of them, but often enough.” Jenny’s face began to flush, but Chase continued. “The best part was early in the morning when you would kick off your blankets and your gown would be all tucked up underneath you and your legs were bare. That was the sight I liked best.”
“You are no gentleman.” Jenny raised her nose in the air as Chase began to laugh.
“No, I’m not, and most people can tell that by looking at me.”
Jenny tilted her head to get a better look as he pushed his long hair behind his ears and closed his book. “I think you are just teasing me, so I’ll let it go this time. Just don’t let it happen again.” Chase threw his hands up as if seeking protection. “Thanks, ma’am, I’d hate to end up gimping around here like Zane.” He got up from his chair and limped away, his legs spread apart in mock pain, turning once to look at Jenny, who stuck her tongue out at him. Chase stopped at the door and watched her walk away, her stride strong and sure as she went up the porch into Grace’s cabin.
Chapter Twenty-two
The weeks passed quickly, filled with work, play and talk until the past became like a bad dream, banished to the back of Jenny’s mind, only to come out and haunt her in the fleeting moments before she fell asleep at night, or right before she woke up in the morning. She felt uncomfortable sleeping in the big house with Jason and Cat, then working with the hands during the day, but there was no place else for her to go unless she moved in with Grace, and though no one mentioned it, everyone knew it would make things uncomfortable for Jamie and Grace. So Jenny kept on sleeping in the big bed, and kept her distance from Cat, who was growing ever more concerned at the attention that Ty was paying to Jenny.
Ty’s courtship of Jenny was nothing like the full-speed-ahead onslaught of Zane’s. He was very casual, always working his way around to where Jenny happened to be, just talking to her, behaving like the Southern gentleman he was brought up to be. Ty was always ready to open a door or pull out a chair, which the boys found amusing, since Jenny had demonstrated that she could ride, rope and shoot as well as any of them. As time passed, Jenny and Ty wound up together more and more, which led to Cat spending more time complaining to her father and Grace. Concurrently, Chase began to spend more time alone, away from the main group. Jamie noticed his absences but could not figure out the reason why, and Chase refused to talk to him about it. Jenny, meanwhile, began to blossom under Ty’s steady attention, the lines of worry and fatigue fading as she grew more comfortable with each passing day. Talk around the bunkhouse turned to the spring dance to be held in town at the end of the month. The cowboys all pulled out their suits and dress shirts so Grace could freshen them up, and Cat began to go through her wardrobe to find just the right gown to bring Ty’s attention back where it belonged. Grace made Jenny try on the dress she had been stitching and convinced her that it had been intended for her all along. Jenny’s pride made her want to argue the point, but the sight of the soft blue calico swirling around her legs, and the glow of pride on Jamie’s face, won out. Her bare toes sticking out from under the unfinished hem brought up another point, however, and Jamie declared that they were going shopping for shoes on the following Saturday so his sister would no longer be an embarrassment to him. Jenny responded by throwing a tin mug at his head, but agreed that he was right, and he owed her a pair of shoes anyway for the way she had to put up with him.
The day of the dance soon was upon them, and Jason, knowing he wouldn’t get any work out of them, gave everyone a half day off to prepare for the festivities that night. Grace did Jenny’s hair up for her. Jenny’s wide blue eyes shone with excitement in the mirror as Grace pinned and wrapped until an elegant cascade of golden curls was dangling against her swan-like neck. Grace then tried to soften Jenny’s work-hardened hands by soaking them in a special concoction she had made up while Jenny squirmed impatiently in her chair.
“Hold still so I can work on your nails,” Grace said impatiently as
Jenny tried to get up.
“Grace, you’re spending so much time with me that you’re not going to have time to get yourself ready.”
“I’m not going.”
“Why?”
“Jenny, young men and young women go to dances to meet each other, and I am not a young woman anymore.”
“You’re still young, and attractive. Why don’t you go?”
Grace smiled sweetly at Jenny, the scars almost disappearing into the laugh lines that rimmed her eyes and mouth. “My time for dances is over. This is your time, so don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
Jenny looked intently at the head that was bent over her nails, shaping and polishing. “Jamie’s not going either.”
Grace looked up, her face going pale as she realized that it was a statement more than a question. “No, he said he would like to stay here and keep me company tonight.”
“I know it’s been hard on him, with the scars and all, hard for him to meet a girl who would be special to him.” Grace started to interrupt, but Jenny went on. “I’m glad he has someone to talk to, someone who knows how he feels. He said I would never know how it was, and he’s right. The truth of the matter is, I don’t even think about his scars any more than I think about him having a nose or a mouth or eyes, but sometimes I remember his screams and the pain he was in and I can’t stand it. . .”Jenny’s voice trailed off as her emotions threatened to overcome her. Grace gripped the hand she had been working on.
“Tell me, Jenny. When it happened—was it bad? He just skims over it like it was nothing, but you were there.”
“I think the worst part for Jamie is thinking that if he had not gotten burned, he could have saved our parents. I just remember his screams, and the smell of burned flesh, and seeing my father lying in a pool of his own blood. Jamie was unconscious for a week after it happened, they kept him that way because of the pain. I know he dreamed horrible dreams, but he never talked about them. When they took the bandages off, he decided that he was a freak and that his life was pretty much over. He was all right with the people he knew and trusted, but if anyone eke came along, he would hide under his hat or in the barn. It’s nice to see him so free and easy here.”
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