“I love you, Elizabeth. I really do.”
“Thank God.”
CHAPTER 15
The two married men left to join their wives in the early dawn. Chet had them on fresh horses and told them not to kill them, and to change to fresh ones at the Verde Ranch. They thanked him and galloped off under the waning stars.
“I bet if it had been me, I’d have rode all night to rejoin my wife.”
Jesus touched Liz’s arm to get her attention. “He would have, too.”
They laughed and went back to have the rest of their breakfast and talk with Susie and Sarge.
“Well, I know a young lady who will be glad to see you,” Liz said to Jesus.
“I will be glad to see her, but we drew straws last night for who went home this morning.”
“Aw, hell, this close, you could of gone,” Chet said, shaking his head.
“You are also the good guy,” Liz said.
“You can tell her that,” Jesus said.
“I will. You two guys are rascals. You two aren’t going to leave him unprotected, despite all the women in the world.”
“Oh, we are serious about our jobs.”
“And about Anita?”
“We will see. She is an excellent lady, but I am not him.” He pointed at Chet.
“Oh, Jesus, you are him. You have rode with him long enough that I see lots of Chet Byrnes in you.”
“Maybe your eyes are full of sand.”
“No, I have slept most of that out. You can’t deny both you and Cole think and do things like he does. That is great. I will light a candle for your success with her.”
“That is real sweet of you.”
“I think you made him blush,” Chet said.
She caught up with Jesus and pounded him on the back. “She would be lucky to have a man like you.”
Jesus about melted.
“What is happening?” Susie asked, ready to refill their coffee cups.
“Liz is playing cupid with Jesus.”
“With Anita?”
Chet nodded and winked at her.
“I thought she was a lovely girl the night I met her. We shared a bedroom.”
“She is very nice,” Jesus said.
“Well, it is interesting.” Then being sure they were alone, Susie leaned across the table. “How much did you make?”
“Tell her,” Chet said.
“He paid each of the three men three thousand dollars apiece. And he is putting in the ranch account forty thousand dollars.”
Susie put her hands to her face in shock. “That’s my brother.”
Liz agreed.
“We did well and like we always said, we’ll need that money someday,” Chet said.
Susie quickly agreed. “He has been doing this for years and that’s why we are all so well set up here in Arizona.”
“We better make more coffee. All the men are coming in and will want to hear the entire story,” Liz said, seeing them through the window.
They relaxed at Susie’s the rest of the day. That evening, they had a parley with the crew at the Windmill Ranch. Chet told the story to all of them.
“You didn’t bring any black ones back to help us?” one hand asked.
“No, but I bet Robert could have used a black guy named Mott. They brought us two teams of big wild mules out from Tascosa to the camp, and they were all Cole and Jesus could handle. Tell them, Jesus, about Mott.”
“He was a big hombre. Thick arms. Real quiet. He had those mules unhitched and trace chains up on one team. He said, ‘Jack,’ real quiet. Mules not hear him. He said it over. Mule still not hear him. When he said it again, he cut hair off the mule on the right side with the check line. That one heard him. Whoa. He held him down and did that same to the one on the left. Hair flew and Jack number two knew his name. Then he drove them around like they were Shetland ponies.”
Jesus drew back his arm with an imaginary line in hand and said, “Whoa, Jack. Them mules had improved hearing.”
Everyone laughed.
Chet spoke up, “No one asked me for a job before we left Nebraska. They were so tired of driving cattle, they probably never want to see one again.”
Then they ate supper and harassed Jesus some more.
The next day at the big Verde Ranch, Lea and her outfit had things in hand at the big house. She made them a big supper and told Liz she really enjoyed the job and the house. Chet hugged her before they left and told her what a good job they did.
They had a big time repeating the cattle drive story with Tom and his crew.
The following morning, the three went to Preskitt. Monica had word they were coming, no doubt from Cole. When they arrived, she stood on the porch with her hand up to shade the sun from her eyes, watching for them. Beside her stood Rhea, holding Adam, and Anita.
Chet hitched his horse and Liz shooed him on. “I can dismount myself. Go hug that boy of yours. I am next.”
Rhea handed Adam to him and he kissed him and rocked him. His son had become so stout in his absence, he couldn’t believe it.
“He is so strong,” he said to Rhea.
“He is all boy, huh?” She beamed.
“Sure is.” He kissed her on the forehead. “You have done wonderful.”
She blushed.
He hugged Monica next. “All is well here?”
“Yes, peaceful and quiet. Now all hell breaks loose, huh?”
“I hope not.”
“It will. It always does. You are home.”
When he looked back, Liz had Adam and was clucking to him. He smiled and laughed. “I brought her back with me.”
“Well, I hoped you would,” Monica said. “The poor girl is probably bushed from riding that far and long.”
“No, but her old pants don’t fit her. Any news from Roamer, JD, or Reg?”
“They seem to be making it fine. Oh, Bonnie is going to have a baby.”
“I bet Jenn is excited.”
“She is, indeed, very excited.”
“You hear that, Liz?”
“Yes. This boy has really grown. I am excited. He will soon be walking, Rhea says.” Liz swung the baby around and made him laugh.
“I expected that; he’s a Byrnes.”
“Oh, go on. He’s quite a little man.”
“Does he have an aura yet?”
“No, but I bet he has one by his teens.”
“Oh, I have a letter for you from Mexico,” Monica said to Liz.
“Thanks,” she said, and handed Rhea the boy, then took it.
“Who sent it?” Chet asked.
“My superintendent, Manuel.”
She opened the envelope and took the pages to the lamp. “He says hi to everyone in Arizona. He is writing to tell me about how things have gone since I came up here. The wine business is strong and doing well. They have a good harvest of grapes and he has little of the old stock of wines left in our warehouse, so things are fine.
“In the spring, he is marrying a young lady name of Rickola who is a member of a prominent Sonora family. He hopes I will bring you, Chet, to his wedding, and everyone misses me. Wine sales are very important for my hacienda, so he must be handling things quite well—”
Chet handed her his bandanna because she was about to cry. “See, my lovely wife, you aren’t quite as tough as you thought you were.”
Then he hugged her. “Write and tell him we will be there, and we’ll bring a Barbarossa colt as their wedding gift.”
“Really?”
“I said so, didn’t I?”
“You people don’t know,” she said to those assembled in the kitchen. “This big hombre took me to an opera in Denver coming home. We went to two orchestra symphonies and a play. Then we stopped in Santa Fe and danced our boots off at some fandangos. This has not all been shooing cows to Ogallala.”
Everyone laughed.
Chet rose up and stretched his near-stiff frame. “Family, I want to sleep for forty-eight hours. Where is Raphael?”
“If he’s not back by morning, I better go check on him.”
“Hampt should already be home?” Liz asked.
“Yes, and he can handle any squatters. But the matter must be serious for Raphael not to be back.”
Monica agreed.
He’d figure it out early in the morning. “Come on, Liz, I want to sleep in my own bed one night.”
She hugged his waist and looked smug-like up at him. “You crazy hombre. I am with you about that. But I want to go over there with you in the morning.”
“Yes, alright.” He surrendered. “I’m sorry we have so many tales to tell, and that we did that much riding. But it turned out very successful for the ranch.”
They went off to bed.
“It is nice to be back,” she said, undressing in the dim lamplight.
He stopped and hugged her around the waist. “I know it was tough, but when you have men like mine to help there isn’t much they can’t get done.”
“But many people don’t know how to teach people to lead others,” she said.
He agreed and rocked her back and forth. “I don’t know anything about these squatters, but we’ll find out in the morning. Some of these people think they can take what they want.”
“Why not?” She smiled smugly at him and slipped under the covers.
“What do you mean?”
She scooted over under the covers to kiss him. “I did that with you.”
“Damned if you didn’t.” In each other’s arms, they both laughed.
He would never win.
CHAPTER 16
They rose before the sun came up on a nice early fall morning. Everyone was eating breakfast with Monica, Anita, and Rhea, when Jesus joined them. Monica waved him over and fixed him a plate.
He thanked her.
“Cole is in town?”
“I didn’t send him word. I figured we could handle it.”
Chet agreed and went back to eating his eggs, ham, and biscuits. “He needs some time off with his wife. You hear anything about these squatters?”
“Some of the crew thinks they wouldn’t leave when Vincent told them to. He sent for Raphael to come help him. They didn’t know we were coming home last night.”
Chet agreed. “Strange that he didn’t come back last night.”
“He is a home man,” Jesus said. “Hampt is home, too. He should have gotten there yesterday. Him and Cole got fresh horses at Camp Verde. They split up on top of the mountain, and Hampt went south and Cole rode west to Preskitt.”
Chet agreed. “In a few hours, we’ll know how things went.”
“I have a nice dun horse saddled for you,” Jesus said to Liz.
“Thanks.”
“And some cranky bucking horse for me,” Chet said, buttering a new biscuit.
The table residents all laughed.
“Someone has to ride them,” Jesus said, never looking up. “You get them rode.”
“I’m just picking on him. We don’t have to ride sixty miles today or drive cattle. All we need to see about are some squatters, and we should wind that up in a short while.”
“Amen,” Liz added. “It is so good to be back here. It was sure hot and dusty on that trail. I missed the mountains and here.”
“On top of that, she never complained one time on that trip. Bad as it was.”
“That’s right. She was like a tiny flame that kept us all from griping,” Jesus said.
“Well, we missed you three,” Monica said.
“So did we, miss all of you,” Chet said, downing his coffee. “We better ride out of here.”
They left the yard in a long trot. Chet’s horse never bucked and they made good time going across country to the east ranch.
There was a congregation in Hampt’s yard when they arrived. At a distance, Chet spotted the familiar sombrero of his Valley Ranch foreman, and wading out of the crowd of men came Hampt.
“What’s happening?” Chet asked, and swung down.
“They shot at Vincent and wounded another cowboy, but they ain’t bad hurt. The squatters took over that old home place near the Verde River on the Ralston property. Vincent went down there with Buck Eaves and tried to be nice to them. He told them that was not an abandoned homestead, but deeded Byrnes property. I guess they scoffed at him. He came back and sent for Raphael to help him.”
Raphael came out of the crowd and welcomed Chet home. “Glad you are here. Like Hampt said, he wasn’t home yet when we went over there, and they started shooting at us. Vince and Buck both got small wounds. But they had women and children down there, and we didn’t want them hurt, so we came back and saw to the wounded men. Hampt made it home, and we have been planning what to do.”
“I guess we better go see about them. Who are they?”
“Yates is their name,” Hampt said. “They drifted in here way before you bought it. They’ve kept to themselves pretty well. Must have been there for a while. They were settled in. Them Ralston cowboys probably never checked on them, so they think they’ve got some kinda squatters’ rights.”
Hampt whispered to Chet, “I think one or two of their women might have traded favors for the rent with that bunch we run off.”
He nodded at the gathered men. “Is this the party going to move them today?”
“We aim to,” Hampt said.
“Chet Byrnes, you better not ride out of here without hugging and giving me a kiss.” May came hurrying through the riders and men. “Hi, Liz. You going, too?”
“I go everywhere he lets me.”
“The cattle drive didn’t hurt you. You look fresh this morning.”
“May, I am happy anywhere he is.”
“Nice you brought Hampt back. Thanks. We’ve been in a mess here without him.” She hugged Chet and kissed his cheek. “You be careful. That bunch will shoot at you.”
“I’m always careful.”
“Not always, but close to that. Lord, we wouldn’t know what to do next without you.”
He kissed her forehead and shook his head at her. “I better get rid of these folks. We’ll be back.”
He shook hands with a few neighbors who had joined them and they set out. Liz rode beside him.
“Think they will fight?”
“They did yesterday, huh?”
“Two men shot. Things must have gotten tough. What will you do today?”
“Try to talk to them.”
“Don’t you become number three.”
He reined the big bay in closer. “We’ll just have to see what we can do. I should arrest them for shooting those two men, but if they leave, I won’t have to support their families while they’re in jail.”
His wife shook her head. “Oh, my, I fear this will be some event.”
“You have to think about those things sometimes.”
“What if they won’t listen and start shooting right away?”
“In that case, we shoot it out. We have more guns and ammo than they have. But I don’t want women and children hurt if we can avoid it.”
“How far away is it?”
“I expect two hours anyway.”
Hampt reined up on his left. “I think I could have handled this. But I’m glad you’re here. There were a few rumors about them that I should have checked. I planned to when we finished roundup, but we left for Texas so fast. I don’t think other than a cowboy or two gathering cattle, we’d been that far over there. I didn’t know where your line was, and if it was a homestead deal.”
“No problem.”
“While we were up there with the herd, May read the land description and decided it was our land. Vincent and another hand rode over there and told them they were trespassing. They didn’t take him serious, I guess. Just before I returned, he went back and they went to shooting and hit him and Buck.”
“What a
re they doing over there?”
Hampt shook his head. “Probably eating our beef.”
“Probably,” Chet agreed.
They rode, headed for the cottonwood tops in the distance that lined the Verde far below. The juniper country spread out on the east slopes of the mountain beneath them. His picture of that range was what he expected—eaten down. Maybe selling off all the culls and moving two hundred head of cows to Reg would let the range recover. It needed to.
When a single streak of distant smoke cut the azure sky, Chet knew they were closing in on the place. He told Liz he’d be back and swung out to talk to one of Hampt’s men who’d been there before.
“Herb, did you ride over here with them?”
He reined his horse over to Chet’s and they rode side-by-side down the dim tracks. The fortyish-year-old ranch hand nodded. “Yes, but we never figured they’d shoot at us like they did.”
“How many had guns?”
“Three or four. I’m not sure. But Vincent was hit. I caught his horse and we got the hell out of there. Leaving there, Buck got another bullet that grazed him. It’s a wonder they didn’t blast us all away.”
“Maybe we better split up and not ride straight in there?”
“Yes.”
“What are you thinking?” Hampt asked as he joined him.
“We need to send Jesus around back with some men. The others rode straight in and got shot at, so we need to be careful.”
Hampt agreed and Jesus joined them.
“Take about three men with you and circle that place. Herb, here, kind of knows the lay of the land, so take him and a couple of others. We don’t need to ride in and get shot.”
“Maybe we better eat first. May sent some fried pies,” Hampt said.
“Pass them out. We’ll take a break. Feed Herb and his men first, and let them get around to the back side.”
Hampt nodded and held up his hand to stop the posse. “Take a break. We’re sending some men to get around back in case they want to fight.”
Everyone went to dismounting. Many handed their reins to someone close and went behind the junipers to relieve themselves. The whole crew was polite to Liz, though it was strange to some of them to have a woman around. Chet saw how different it was having a woman along, but he didn’t care. They could be courteous to her. This was her ranch, too.
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