“Chet Byrnes, you can make the world turn. I don’t doubt a thing you tell me.”
He shook Bo’s hand, then rode back and told McCully he had a place and to sit tight. They would move all he needed, and set up the rest. He urged him to eat hearty and be ready to go over to the new location as quick as he could get it done.
In two hours, he was back at the ranch. When he gave the boy his horse, he told him he needed to talk to Raphael when he had time.
Marge and the baby came to meet him. He washed his hands and took Adam. They sat down at the kitchen table to talk.
“Well, what happened in town?”
He told her about his plans, and how she and the ranch crew would paint the house.
“And this girl?”
“When I get it all done, or close, I’ll ride down to Crown King and see what her wishes are.”
“This man is crippled?”
“Yes, and he has no transportation.”
“You said Jenn would feed him?”
“I’m afraid he was so upset by his girl’s leaving, he hasn’t been eating. But he’ll have food now.”
“Chet,” Raphael called from the porch.
“Come in here, hombre, we’ve made some big plans.”
“I’ve been working cattle and am all dirty.”
“Come on in, we live here. Taking care of our cattle is our business. I have more work for you.”
The clunk of his heavy spurs preceded him into the kitchen, and, bareheaded, he bowed at Marge and Monica.
Chet made him sit in a chair, then told him his plans. Raphael agreed there were several boys who needed to learn a trade. There was a small buggy hid in one of the barns he could fix for Mr. McCully to use, and he had the right horse to pull it.
Marge spoke up. “Chet wants all of us to go paint the house inside and out. The men, women, and children can all have a big celebration up there.”
Raphael smiled. “We can do that and have much fun. I will talk to my people about the boys to work and learn that business. It is a good opportunity.”
“I will pay them, too.”
“Oh. They could not go wrong.”
Everyone laughed.
“How long will it be before we do this?”
“Marge can go look tomorrow and order the paint and brushes. Your women can make her a list of things they would need to cook. We’ll all be there, and invite some of the town folks. I figure Tom and his crew would come, and so would Hampt and his bunch, and some town folks.”
“Oh, we’re going to have lots of folks there,” Marge said.
“It’s a ranch function,” Chet said.
“Raphael, butcher a big steer,” Marge said.
“Oh, si, and a pig, too?”
She smiled. “A pig, too.”
“This is Monday. Let’s plan to do it on Saturday.”
“I’ll send word to Hampt,” his wife said.
“Tom, too, so he’s ready. I think I’ll go down to Crown King tomorrow and see if I can find Mr. McCully’s daughter.”
“You heard him, Raphael. Send a man with him,” Marge said, cutting a disapproving glance at him.
“Oh, si. I know Jesus is away and he needs a good Messican with him.”
Chet shook his head and spoke to the baby. “Adam, they think I’m your age.”
The baby never answered him.
Plans were rolling, and as well as they all liked a fandango, they would have a real store opening for McCully in Preskitt. It would take him some time to get his supplies and be ready for business, but he’d be open and folks would find him.
Word was out fast and Hampt sent a note back that he’d be there at dawn to ride with Chet down to Crown King.
“The boy who took the notice of the party must have told him,” his wife said.
“I don’t mind. Hampt and I haven’t had a day to ourselves in a long time. It will be a swell one, I’m sure. I’ll go tell Raphael about a change in plans.”
“Supper will be ready when you get back,” Monica told him going out the door.
“I won’t be long.”
“I’m telling you, because I know you so well.”
Their cook and housekeeper was a mess, but he loved her. Things were halfway fun for him now, to be home scheming and planning the Saturday event. He hoped his ride to Crown King turned out well. He had no idea about the outcome—but he would sure learn the McCully girl’s wishes anyway, if he could find her.
Morning came early. Hampt came stomping in the kitchen and right off hugged Monica. Chet thought he about embarrassed her. Then he did the same to Marge and oohed at the baby she held in her arms.
“I’d have brought mine, too, but May thought he was a little young to ride along. Your nephews, they were kinda sour faced that I left them, too, but I said we had some real work to do and they could come along another time.” He sent out a paw for Chet to shake and they lightly hugged each other.
“Good to see you,” Chet said, and showed him a chair.
Hampt sat down, dropped his hat on the floor, and smiled at them. “Boy, Adam looks good. Our boy’s growing and he has his mother’s lungs.”
They all laughed.
“What’cha got into now, boss man?”
“Oh, there’s a man in Preskitt named McCully has a saddle repair shop. But it’s in a poor location off the street and falling in, and he’s crippled. So, him and I made a partnership. I found him a house and a barn for a leather shop. Everyone is going to paint it Saturday. He’s going to use some of the young boys from the ranch and teach them the leather making business. They can do his work, like moving the heavy stuff around, and learn the trade. The poor man is on crutches. He’s in a mess and we’re fixing him up.”
“That sounds like fun. Now, why are you going to Crown King?”
“McCully has a daughter in her teens and she ran off with an older guy. No way he could stop her or go check on her. They’re supposed to be at Crown King. I want to find her and find out if she’s happy. She can decide what she wants to do.”
Hampt nodded like he understood and began building his plate off the dishes Monica handed him. Scrambled eggs and cheese, bacon, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, and butter and strawberry jam.
“One of them Chet Byrnes rescues. Saving the poor and downtrodden—like he saved me, and forced his sister-in-law to marry me.” Hampt laughed loud. “And don’t you know that man he saved up there in Oak Creek has made us all strawberry jam addicts? Now ain’t that a sight?”
“Hampt, you are a prince,” Marge said, trying to stop laughing.
“Whew, May and I have eaten more good things this summer and canned two wagonloads of things for winter, and all of it from him. Oh, we had some from our garden, but that Leroy is a real hand at producing things. How he has time to bring it all around, I don’t know. You done good hiring him, boss man.”
Before he left, he asked Marge to stop by and tell Jenn to warn McCully they were having a party for him on Saturday night and not to worry about it.
After breakfast, they left for Crown King and reached there in the afternoon. When they arrived in the mining area, Chet reined up his horse and stopped a worker walking beside the road.
“Hey, we’re looking for a guy named Ralph Thornton.”
The man made a pained expression from behind his whiskers. “Only Ralph I know lives in the gulley behind the Five Star Saloon.”
“Thanks.” He looked over at Hampt.
“I know where that saloon is, but the gulley, I can’t answer you about.”
Chet nudged his horse on. “They may know about him in the saloon.”
Hampt agreed and they rode on. They dismounted in front of the tall steps that went up the hillside to reach the batwing doors. Chet shook his head. “Bet a lot of drunks fall down those steps.”
“It could be a real problem,” Hampt agreed, sounding like a veteran of them.
When Chet and Hampt entered the big room that reeked of tobacco and sour
whiskey, there were cardplayers on one side of the room. At the bar, they both ordered a beer and Chet paid for it.
“We’re looking for a Ralph Thornton, you know him?”
“He lives in the canyon just past here.”
“What’s his place look like?”
“Third one on the right. It ain’t much, but houses are hard to find up here.”
“With all these miners, I bet so,” Chet said.
The man delivered the beers. “They could use a lot more.”
“There you go. Build some houses up here and rent them out,” Hampt teased him.
“If I did that, you’d have to be the landlord.”
“No way, I’m proud of my ranch job.”
“We won’t do it then. You have any food?” Chet asked the barkeep.
“I can bring you some hot roast beef and fresh bread.”
“Bring it then. We missed lunch.”
“Good idea,” Hampt added.
“We might finish this business today and sleep in the hotel tonight.”
“I wouldn’t disagree with that. Sounds like you and the crew have been doing big things in the south. You’ve got some good men.”
“They’ve gotten better. Tougher, too. Like I told you, we arrested some, recovered three horses, and solved a murder.”
“If you two hadn’t gone down there, she’d have got by with it being blamed on the other brother who was already in the ground.”
“You never know about criminals.”
The meal was good, the bread fresh, and they ate it at a side table. Chet thanked the bartender and paid him, then they went out to their horses. Mounted up, they rode up the narrow road to the third house and stepped down from their saddles.
When a girl came to the door, Chet removed his hat. Her dress was patched and wash-faded. “My man ain’t here, if you’re looking for Ralph.”
He removed his hat for her. “You must be Petal?”
“I am, but I don’t know you.”
“Your father asked me to come up here and ask you if you wanted to come home.”
She blinked her eyes. “It ain’t no business of his.”
“No, Petal, but it’s your business whether you want to stay or go home with us.”
She shook her head. “I ain’t going back.”
“We didn’t come here to make you go back. But many girls leave home and then they find their new life is not roses and want to go back. Your father will soon have a new house to live in and a shop, plus two boys to help him do his work. He’ll have a buggy and a horse to pull it, so he can get around.”
“How did he get all that? Rob a bank?”
“No. A man went partners with him. We’re painting the house and shop this Saturday and moving him in. A kinda grand opening.”
“I already done this business of taking up with him.” She dropped her chin.
“Is he going to marry you?”
“He never said so.”
“Well, maybe he won’t, or maybe he will.”
“You shouldn’t have come. You’re going to make me cry.”
“Your daddy cried when he talked about you to me.”
A man rode up on a poor horse, jumped down, and rushed in the yard. “Who in the hell are you two, messing around with my woman?”
Hampt caught him by the shoulder and pressed a thumb into him. “It ain’t who we are. We’re making certain this fine young lady is where she wants to be.”
“Ralph, I never called for them. My daddy sent them to ask me if I was happy here.” She began to bawl.
Her man shouted, “Tell them you are. Tell them we’re getting married soon as I can get ten bucks.”
Hampt eased up on his grip. “I’ve got ten bucks. Where’s the preacher?”
She looked bewildered. “Ralph, you never mentioned that before. You never did.”
“Petal, I love you. You’re my woman. You know I love you.”
“Petal, go back to your father’s house. Help him. If Ralph really loves you, he’ll come along, find a job, propose, and marry you. It will be winter soon, and if he has no work, you’ll freeze or starve to death up here.”
“You ain’t got no business messing with a man’s woman—”
“You didn’t mention marriage to her, because you ain’t divorced from the last one.” Chet tried a ploy on him.
His face melted at the accusation. “How did you know that?”
“You just told me.”
“I asked you three times if’n you was married. You said no and never. Ralph Thornton, you lied to me,” cried the girl.
“I can’t help what I done before. I love you.”
“When you get your divorce papers, she’ll be in Preskitt,” Chet said.
Petal nodded. “I’ll go back with you two.”
“Get your things.” Chet sent her inside.
“Damn it. Who in the hell are you anyway?” Thornton demanded.
“He’s Chet Byrnes, owns Quarter Circle Z on the Verde, and I’m one of his foremen, Hampt Tate.”
“I’ll be gawdamned. You’re the guys got all those outlaw gangs?”
Hampt nodded. “You’re lucky, too. We usually shoot first and ask questions later.”
“I don’t even wear a gun.”
“That might be why we didn’t shoot you.”
Chet gave Hampt her blanket-wrapped things. He lowered his left arm and brought her up behind him in the saddle.
“Let’s ride.”
Hampt was on his horse. “You ate anything today?”
“No.”
“My wife, May, sent along some fried pies that ought to fit us all.”
“Bless May’s heart. She just had a baby a few days ago,” Chet said over his shoulder to her.
“She must be a mighty fine wife,” Petal said.
“Petal, if I started now and talked all the way to Preskitt, I couldn’t tell you all the good things she is and does for me in my life,” said Hampt.
“Believe me, he has that many stories to tell.”
Busy eating her fried pie, she asked him, “Would she show me how to make these?”
“You’ll meet her Saturday night. You just ask her.”
“Mr. Byrnes?”
“Yes, Petal.”
“I sure hope I’m doing the right thing. I’m convinced, but I don’t ever want anyone to see me again.”
“Petal, you hold your head up. You’re a lovely girl with a lifetime to give to a man who has a job and a place for you to live. Don’t ever let me catch you with your head down. God forgives us for our sins and he will forgive yours.”
“I’ll try to remember that, sir.”
“I’m just Chet.”
“May God bless you for me.”
He knew she was crying, sitting back there behind the cantle. But as the evening sun settled west of the Bradshaws they were on top of, he knew she’d find her a real life. When Marge learned about the problem, she’d buy the girl a new dress to wear for Saturday night. He could always count on her to do the good things he couldn’t handle. Damn, he was lucky to have her.
CHAPTER 16
Chet, Hampt, and their ward rode all night to reach Preskitt after sunup. When they stopped at Jenn’s Café, Petal didn’t want to go in. Chet took her arm and guided her inside. Bonnie found them a table in the back.
“You’re up early,” Bonnie said.
“We ain’t went to bed,” Hampt whispered.
“Oh, yes, you are McCully’s daughter, Petal. They went and brought you back?”
Petal dropped her head and never said a word.
“You are so lucky. I’m so lucky, too. They brought me back from Mexico where I was a slave. Don’t act so upset. You’re free now and no one can ever take that from you. Hold your head up.” Bonnie took a napkin and carefully wiped away the tears from Petal’s face. “They did that for me. You were lucky, too.”
“Yes. I never knew that.”
“Now you do. Don’t be sad. Live your days l
ike every one of them is precious.”
Jenn brought them coffee and smiled. “Fast trip.”
She patted Petal on the shoulder. “Nice to have you back, dear.”
“Thanks, Jenn.”
After breakfast, they took her home. Once off the horse, he pressed ten dollars in her palm. “My wife’s name is Marge. She’ll be here to get you some new dresses. One to wear Saturday night.”
“Yes, sir.”
McCully came out of the door, shaky and too fast on his crutches. She caught him around the waist and saved him from a fall.
“Oh, thank God, my girl is back home!” he exclaimed as they hugged each other.
Chet and Hampt rode off for the top ranch where they fell across their beds and slept for several hours.
Around six p.m., Marge woke them up, gave them clothes, towels, and soap so they could go clean up. “Monica has lots of food fixed. I hope you two are hungry.”
“Only thing we had to eat was some of May’s fried pies,” Chet teased.
“Well, you two didn’t have Jesus along to cook for you.”
“We’re fine. It turned out good; I promised you would help her find some new dresses to wear, and especially one for our fandango.”
“I better do that tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry, but she’s in rags.”
“I can handle that. I’ll get Jenn to help me.”
Chet and Hampt showered and dressed before going back to the house.
“When we were fighting for the Verde River Ranch, we’d sure have gave a lot of money for a shower and a cooked meal,” said Hampt.
“Hampt, I wondered how crazy I was to have come out here to buy a ranch and run into a deal like we had down there. Starving Indians to feed. I wasn’t sure at all I had the patience to do all we did.”
“I’m just damn glad you picked me to help. I was a saddle bum. Out of work, except some day jobs, and I figured I’d never get to cowboy again.”
“You, Tom, and Sarge are the greatest men I ever knew.”
“Hey, I go along. But you find good men. We just needed a man to figure things out, so we could carry out his plans. I bet that little man on crutches builds some helluva good saddles.”
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