by Sue Heasley
“Damn, no woman has ever affected me like this before.” Rex urged his Appaloosa into a trot. His other hand held the reins of his older horse which slowed him even more. He veered off the main trail and set course for his secret watering hole. His thoughts drifted to the deep kiss he had given Lillie in the town stables. He didn’t know why he’d taken her in his arms at that moment. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.
“It sure felt right, boy.” Rex patted his horse’s neck. Damn, he sure was glad horses didn’t talk back. He’d probably tell him he acted like a damn fool. All the way back to the watering hole, he imagined how different his life might be today if he hadn’t disappeared from the ranch six years ago.
Rex stood beside the fire pit and brushed the dust from his clothes. He stretched, ready to face a new day after a few hours of shuteye. The emotional stress interactions of dealing with Lillie again had exhausted him. Despite everything, his morning would’ve been better if she’d been lying in his arms while he slept. He approached his Appaloosa grazing on the lime green grass growing next to the fresh water pond. Rex pondered all that had occurred since he’d been back in town. Every breath he breathed filled his senses with thoughts of Lillie. Even the fenced in corral off to the side of the pond brought back a memory of them as teens working together to put up the fence for their horses. They had spent numerous hours swimming in the pond, laughing and splashing at each other. Eventually, their antics led to removing their clothes.
Afterward they would build a bonfire, dry off, and sit on a big boulder watching the small waterfall drizzle down the face of the cliff. For hours, they would talk about their hopes and dreams for the future. For some reason, his dreams always followed on the trail of hers. Half the time he didn’t remember what she had talked about because he was too busy watching the breeze blow her curly hair around her petite face. Her sweet voice had sounded like a bird singing a love song to his heart.
His hands rubbed over his whiskered jaw and then through his hair. Damn, being home had turned him into a lovesick cowboy. He needed to figure out what he wanted in life. Lillie had haunted his dreams ever since he’d left the ranch. It didn’t make a difference how far he traveled. He couldn’t forget her face. He regretted his decision to leave town all those years ago. He’d been a high-strung young buck who had fallen in love and didn’t know how to handle his feelings. His solution, to run away.
Did he want Lillie? “Hell, yes.” Rex had always wanted to return to the ranch he loved. But one thing kept eating at his gut. Who’s Ben’s father? Jose immediately popped into his mind. No, he couldn’t be. The kid didn’t look anything like him. Jose never paid much attention to the boy as far as he could tell. Ben didn’t seem to care about him either. Maybe the poor kid’s father died? The suspense made him anxious. Rex swung up onto his horse and headed for the ranch. He needed answers. His curiosity had given him an uneasy ache in his gut.
Chapter Nine
Lillie moaned. Her vision blurred as she tried to focus on the rotted wood ceiling above her. Her back and neck ached from the hard, uneven dirt floor beneath her. She struggled to sit up. Her hands and feet were tied together making the task more difficult. A wave of nausea swept over her as the sharp pain on the side of her head swept into an intense headache. She lay back down until her dizziness stopped. Her mouth parched, Lillie licked her chapped lips. Sunshine filtered in through the barred windows. A breeze whispered through the small room and caressed her chest, giving her some relief. Her shirt had been partially unbuttoned. More panic welled up inside her as she struggled to loosen her ropes.
A squeak drew Lillie’s attention across the room where a mouse scurried along the dirty floor in front of her. At the sound of a rattler’s tail close by, she glanced over her shoulder at the door. A small, open space beneath the bottom of the wooden door revealed a tanned striped rattler coiled right outside. His tail tapped against the door as he slithered along the edge looking for an entrance. She gasped and scooted farther toward the back corner of the room. The little mouse startled at her movement, ran straight back to the open space beneath the door, and into the waiting mouth of the poisonous snake. She looked away, feeling bad for the scared mouse.
Despite her unease from the tiny space, Lillie took in her surroundings. A nail partially stuck out of the wall. She rubbed the rope binding her hands back and forth over it, drawing blood at the same time. Finally, the last strand split, and she slid off the ropes. She pressed the hem of her shirt against her one wrist to soak up the blood. She untied the rope binding her feet and hurried to the door. She checked to make sure the snake had moved on before pushing on it. It wouldn’t budge. She kicked it hard and in turn received a sharp pain radiating up her foot.
Lillie limped to the barred windows. She wrapped her hand around the rusty bars and yanked hoping they might be loose. When they didn’t budge, all hope of escape died.
“Help me. Please, someone help me.” Lillie glanced back and forth taking in her outside surroundings. Her shoulders sloped forward. She recognized the old trapper’s cabin in the distance that had been abandoned for years. Jose and she had found it several months ago while they were out looking for stray cattle. On the way back home from the high ground, Jose had asked permission to court her. She had agreed thinking he was the perfect gentleman and a good friend. That is until now. Something had changed him. And that something had been the arrival of Rex Utah two days ago.
Lillie leaned her head against the bars and closed her eyes. She tried to remember exactly what had happened to put her in this position. She had been on her way home when Jose showed up and demanded answers to where she’d been all night. She had ignored him and galloped away, needing to get home to Ben. Jose had then called her a bitch, chased her down, and grabbed her reins. The last thing she remembered, a sharp pain radiating across her head.
“Jose, you bastard. Why!” Then a sinking feeling hit the pit of her stomach. Were Ben and her father in danger? Lillie slid to the floor. She rested her arms and head on her bent knees. No one would ever find her in this old storage shed. Jose was the only person who knew about it. She had never mentioned it to her father or anyone else at the ranch. She wanted to pound her fists on the wall. What motive could Jose have for doing this? She’d never seen him angry before. And to think she had gone on a picnic with him down by the river where he had tried to teach Ben how to fish. Lately, he had even taken an interest in teaching Ben how to ride. Of course, she had brotherly feelings toward him since Jose, Rex, and she had grown up together on the ranch. But Lillie didn’t have brotherly feelings for Rex. She’d fallen deeply in love with him at an early age. She would bet her life Rex had felt the same way about her.
Lillie paced the small confines of the dusty room. The temperature had increased since the sun had risen. She licked her dry lips. Her hands gripped the bars on the window again. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her true love. She placed one hand over her heart.
“Rex, I need you,” Lillie cried aloud. She even said a silent prayer. “Please, Lord. Show him the way.”
****
Rex placed his horse back in the stall and brushed him down. On his ride back to the ranch, he’d come to terms with his curiosity about Ben’s father. It didn’t much matter since he had to leave town anyway. The posse would eventually catch up to him. He had no way to prove his innocence. Rex doubted someone would save him from a hanging a second time. He wasn’t about to stick around to find out. He rolled over in his mind how he would tell Charlie and Lillie. How would they take the news? A sudden gust of wind blew through the barn and knocked his hat off.
“What the heck.” He bent to pick it up. A faded whisper caressed his ear. “Rex.” He looked over his shoulder, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
“Lillie?” He whirled around. No one was there. “Hey, stop playing games. We need to talk.” He searched the barn but didn’t find her. Uneasiness swept through him like a bad nightmare. Rex glanced t
oward the ranch house. Ben sat on the bottom front step. He looked very unhappy as he kicked the dirt with the toe of his boot. He headed toward Lillie’s son. Ben glanced up at him and straightened his shoulders. He quickly wiped a tear from his eye.
“Hey, little man.”
“I’m not little.” Ben rushed toward him and tried to punch him in the stomach with his little fist. Rex pretended to be hurt and bent at the waist.
“Wow, you’re strong.”
“Where’s my ma, mister? You better tell me, or I’ll get my grandpa to shoot you.” Ben folded his arms in front of his chest and glared at him.
Rex tried not to smile. Charlie used to take that same position when he became mad. Obviously, Ben had been observing his grandpa’s stance. “When is the last time you saw your ma?” Rex squatted in front of Ben to look him in the eye.
“Yesterday. She wasn’t in her room this morning.” Ben pouted and stared at the dirt. “We always have our morning meal together. Then I help her feed the chickens.”
“Ben, don’t worry.” Rex lifted his chin and looked him right in the eye. “I promise I’ll find your ma. She is my best friend. I care a lot for her.”
Ben nodded. “I want to help? Can I come with you?
“I think it’s best if you stay with your grandpa. He might need your assistance because of his injured leg. You know Mabel. She’s busy all the time. I bet she can use your help too.”
Ben’s frown turned up. “I guess so.”
Mable suddenly stepped out onto the front porch. “Ben, get in here and eat your grits.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ben frowned and made his way up the porch steps and into the house.
Mabel glanced toward the barn. “Where’s Lillie? I swear that girl is never around.”
Rex moved closer to Mable so Ben wouldn’t hear him. “She’s missing. I’m going to look for her. I believe Jose might have been the last one to see Lillie. Do you know where I can find him?”
“No.”
Rex pulled his gun from his holster and checked to see how many bullets he had left. “I think it’s best if everyone stays in the house until I return. You’ll be safer if there is trouble.”
“Why, what happened?” Mable’s forehead tensed, and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her flowery apron. “Are we in danger?”
“I’m not sure. But things don’t feel right.”
“I don’t think there is anything to worry about.” Mabel waved her hand through the air and rolled her eyes. “I think you’re overreacting. Don’t you know Jose and Lillie have been courting for months? They are probably off somewhere spending some time alone. Things have been tense between them since you’ve been back.” Mabel smiled. “I think they might even marry soon.”
Rex shoved his gun hard back into his holster, too angry to respond. He turned away and headed across the barnyard. He couldn’t stand the thought of Jose touching Lillie. He’d swear Mabel’s words held no truth.
“You listen good, Rex Utah. Don’t do anything foolish.”
“Yeah, I got it.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Tell Charlie I went to look for his daughter.”
Rex took long strides toward the bunkhouse located about a hundred yards behind the barn out of view from the main house. Tied to a railing post, Jose’s quarter horse looked uncomfortable with his saddle still on. He hung his head low. His hoofs and legs were covered with mud. And Rex could tell the horse seemed tired, hungry, and thirsty. He immediately pulled the saddle off and leaned it against the cabin wall.
“Easy, boy.” Rex patted his neck and ran his hand down the horse’s front leg. He held the back of his hoof slightly off the ground which meant he’d become sore.
“That son-of-a-bitch.” He rubbed some of the mud between his fingers. Jose had ridden his horse through the muddy riverbed in the high country. The horse neighed as Rex slipped the bridle off. The first thing the quarter horse did was head to the creek behind the bunkhouse to drink his fill.
The wooden door squeaked open. “What the hell are you doing with my horse?” Jose’s words were slurred as he leaned against the doorframe holding a bottle of whiskey.
Rex stepped onto the porch. “You damn drunk. That’s no way to treat your horse.” He grabbed the front of Jose’s shirt and pushed him back inside the bunkhouse. He shoved him into a chair which almost fell backward.
“Whoa, take it easy. I thought we were friends.”
“That friendship died a long time ago.” Rex rested his hand on his gun. “Where the hell is Lillie?”
Jose burped. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday when she went looking for you.”
“You’re a lying bastard. I observed both of you on the trail together on my way back from town. You better tell me where she is, right now.”
“Whoa.” Jose put his hands in the air and stood. “I saw Lillie for a while. I met up with her on the road into town. I got worried because she didn’t come home last night. We argued. Because of her damn foul mood, she wanted to be alone. We went our separate ways.”
Rex barely made out his slurred words. “I don’t believe you. Your horse had mud clean up to his knees. That means you had crossed the river. It’s the only way to get to the high country. You’re a liar.” He pulled his gun from his holster and shoved the barrel under Jose’s chin. “The truth, now.”
The whiskey bottle slipped from Jose’s hand, hit the floor, and broke. “You’re right. I did follow her across the river. Believe me, I do love her. I had every intention of keeping an eye on her. But my horse came up lame. I turned around and headed back to the ranch.”
“Why are you drunk?”
“Because I planned on asking her to marry me when I realized she still loved you.” Jose slumped back down onto his bunk. “You’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch.” His eyes began to close. Under his breath, he whispered something about the ranch and began to snore.
Rex tried to rouse him. “What about the ranch?” Jose snored louder. “Shit.”
****
Mabel stood at the window of the ranch house and scowled as she observed Rex galloping across the pasture. “Damn him. Where is he going?” She spoke in a low voice.
“You said a bad word.”
Startled, she glanced over her shoulder at Ben who had paused with a spoon of grits halfway to his mouth.
“Ben, stop dilly-dallying and eat your grits,” Mabel snapped. “Adults are allowed to swear.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What the hell is going on around here?” Charlie hobbled toward the kitchen table on his homemade crutch. “Where is Lillie? She usually checks on me a few times a day.”
“Sit down. I’ll get you some coffee.” Mabel hurried toward the kettle on the stove.
“Do you think I don’t know that you’ve been putting medicine in my coffee to make me sleep? Do you take me for a fool?”
Mabel clasped her hands. “It’s for your own good. Even the doctor suggested it because you’re so damn stubborn. He said you needed rest.” She turned back to the stove and filled a plate with biscuits and pork.
Ben leaned toward his grandpa and whispered, “Ma’s missing.” He wiped away the tear slipping down his cheek.
Charlie glared at Mabel as she set the plate of food in front of him. “Woman, you better give me a straight answer. Where’s my daughter?”
“I don’t know. Rex rode out to look for her. She never told me where she was heading when she left yesterday.” Mabel turned away. “Maybe she ran off with Jose. After all, they’ve been courting. I think they’re a perfect match. Now that he’s the ranch manager.”
“Ranch manager?” Charlie glared at her. “Why am I hearing about this now?” He shoved his plate away. Ben snatched a biscuit off it. “No one cleared this with me.”
Mabel put her hands on her hips and posed in a defensive stance. “Someone needed to make some decisions around here. Especially since you were laid up in bed.”
“Woman, I have an injured leg. My brain sti
ll works fine.” Charlie yelled back. “That is when I’m not being drugged by you.”
“Lillie was feeling overwhelmed. The ranch hands don’t like a woman telling them what to do.”
Charlie tensed his forehead and pounded his fist on the table. “That is a bunch of bull. Those ranch hands respect Lillie. She can ride, rope, and shoot better than any man on this ranch. They’ve seen her.”
“Jose told me they didn’t want a woman for a boss. So, I gave some advice to Lillie. She liked my ideas and decided to make Jose manager. He grew up on this ranch, and he knows how to run it. There is no one else more qualified.”
Ben moved to Charlie’s side looking concerned and touched his arm. “Can we go play cards, Grandpa? It will help me to stop worrying so much about Ma.”
“We are not done talking about this.” Charlie pushed himself out of his chair and took Ben’s hand. “You find Jose. If Lillie isn’t with him, then have him get a search party together. We’ll need to contact the sheriff too. I want my daughter found.”
“Yes, sir.” Mable rolled her eyes and turned away. Things were not going quite as she planned. She would have to make some changes.
Chapter Ten
Rex had no problem following Jose and Lillie’s trail to the edge of the river. He dismounted from his horse and knelt by the sloped bank. He outlined the double set of hoof prints with his fingertips. One set was deeper in the mud than the other. To him that meant one horse carried two people while the other horse had no rider. Jose had lied. He became sick to his stomach. Fear for Lillie’s safety increased tenfold.
He stood and looked across the river to the other side. What the hell is going on? Were the two of them riding together because they wanted to be close to each other, or did Lillie get hurt? Why did Jose return to the ranch alone? Rex didn’t want to believe he would harm her. They had all been childhood friends. Even though Lillie and he had been inseparable, they had included Jose on their childhood adventures. There should be no hard feelings. That had been a long time ago.