by Clay, Verna
Lilah touched his arm. "I'm so happy for you. I hope my sister and I…"
"What?" he encouraged when she stopped talking.
"I hope my sister can forgive the way I've lived for the past many years. I never intended to be…to become a-a fallen woman." She stumbled over the words. "I was just so alone, scared, and hungry; and when the Madam took me in and fed me and I saw how well her women lived, I-I…"
Rush touched her hand. "You don't have to say any more. I'm not here to judge you. And your sister is a very caring woman. I'd bet the farm that she'll not judge you either."
Lilah lifted wet eyelashes to gaze at the setting sun. "Thank you."
* * *
Rush's gut kicked so hard he almost groaned when the fading light caused Lilah's tears to sparkle. Unable to stop himself, he bent toward her with the intent of kissing her lips, but her sharp intake of breath waylaid his movement to a peck on the cheek. Brushing a strand of hair from her forehead, he said, "Everything will work out. Don't you worry, darlin'."
After that, he lifted his head to the sky. "We best head back. It'll be dark by the time we reach the house."
Chapter 18: Traveling the Trails Again
At dawn two days later, Rush helped Lilah atop Esmeralda and then mounted Rio. The goodbyes had been heartrending and he just wanted to be on his way. With parting waves, they trotted away from the ranch and onto the trail that would take them to a wider trail leading toward San Antonio. From there they would catch a stagecoach to Dallas and another to Omaha, where the transcontinental railway had been completed all the way to Sacramento almost a decade earlier.
Rush kept Rio at a slow pace, always attentive to Lilah's welfare. After everything she'd been through, he admired her fortitude. By late afternoon, however, she was looking fatigued. He walked his horse next to hers. "We've traveled a good distance today. I think we'll make camp early."
"I can go farther if you want."
"No, Lilah. We're not on any particular schedule. We don't have deadlines to meet. I wired Cooper and Hallie from Laredo, so they're not expecting us until I wire them again with a new arrival date." He pointed to a Texas Mulberry tree beside an outcropping of boulders. "Let's make camp there."
An hour later they were roasting a fat rabbit over their fire and breathing the wonderful aroma of fresh coffee and simmering meat. Rush pulled out the leather pouches Pearl had given him and lined them up on a rock. "We've plenty of dried fruit and some biscuits. We'd best eat the biscuits tonight."
Lilah chuckled. "She handed me pouches of food too. What a dear heart. I'm certainly going to miss her."
Rush bit into a biscuit. He seemed deep in thought. "You know, as fast as the tracks are being laid, it won't be long before railroads traverse Texas." He took another bite and said while he chewed, "You could visit the Big G anytime you want."
Lilah poured two tins of coffee and handed one to Rush. "I would love to visit. Can I bring Mary?"
"Honey, you can bring anyone you want." Except a husband. Rush pushed the thought from his mind.
* * *
Lilah had just started pulling the perfectly cooked rabbit apart and placing it on their plates when Rush whispered loudly, "Lilah, someone's coming. I want you to slip behind that boulder." He pointed with one hand and picked up his revolver near his bedroll with the other. "Hurry!"
Lilah rushed to hide. Her heart hammered and she lifted a silent prayer for their safety. The past few weeks had been a wakeup call to the many dangers and evil men roaming open country.
After a lengthy silence, she heard voices and peeked around the stone. What she saw made her blink. Rush had lowered his gun and was talking to a child. The boy was small boned and looked to be around eight or nine. Beside him, a big black dog with wiry fur and brown patches from his midsection to his hind quarters, sat obediently.
Rush turned toward her hiding place and called, "You can come out."
When she stepped away from the boulder the dog jumped to his feet and growled, sending white hot fear through her.
The boy said something to the dog, which caused him to again sit at his feet, then he called to Lilah, "It's okay ma'am. He won't hurt you."
Rush must have seen her fear because he stepped between her and the dog. Slowly, she walked forward until she stood beside Rush. He said, "Lilah this is Chad. Chad, this is Miss Lilah Parker."
The boy said shyly, "Howdy ma'am."
Rush explained, "Chad said his horse died a ways back and I asked if he'd like to share our grub."
Lilah glanced at the reed thin boy with big brown eyes the same color as his unkempt longish hair. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days. The dog didn't appear much better. She said quickly, "Let me dish up some food for you and your dog."
"His name is Tex, ma'am." The boy patted his dog's head and knelt beside him, whispering in his ear. Tex's tail started wagging and a hint of a smile lit the child's dirt streaked face.
Hastening to the plates she'd already placed broiled rabbit on, she grabbed one, and then added some biscuits and dried fruit. She prepared the other plate for the dog while Rush motioned the boy toward the fire. He lifted the plates from Lilah's hands and handed one to Chad and set the other in front of Tex. Walking to his saddlebags, he retrieved a couple of metal bowls and handed them to Lilah. She dished food into the bowls for Rush and herself.
The three of them and the dog sat around the fire and focused their attention on eating. Lilah watched the boy from lowered lashes. He finished his food pronto and she said, "There's more. Can I refill your plate?"
Chad said softly, "If there's enough; yes, ma'am."
The child's emaciated body and quiet manners broke Lilah's heart. After she placed the remainder of the rabbit on his plate, he pulled off a portion and held it out to his dog, who gobbled it and then sat patiently beside his master. The dog obviously loved the boy. Rush tore a piece of his own rabbit and tossed it at the mutt, and, although Tex's tail wagged, he didn't move to eat it until Chad said, "It's okay, Tex" Lilah's eyes widened. She had never seen a more obedient animal.
Rush set his empty plate beside him, grabbed a rag to protect his hand, and reached for the coffee pot. "You drink coffee, son?"
"Yes, sir."
He filled a tin for the boy and warmed his own cup. He motioned toward Lilah and she nodded that she'd like a refill also. While he poured coffee in her cup, she handed her bowl to Chad and said, "There's a little meat left for you or Tex." If she wasn't mistaken, the child blinked back tears.
Rush stretched his long legs out. "Which way are you headed, son"
"North, sir."
"Been on the trail long?"
"'Bout two months. You?"
"Maybe a month. We had some trouble outside of Houston. Our train was robbed and Lilah was kidnapped."
A shocked expression widened the boy's eyes and Rush hastened to add, "But everything worked out and now we're on our way to San Antonio."
The boy patted his dog's neck.
Rush leaned back until his head rested against a rock, pulled his Stetson over his eyes, and casually said, "Before I met up with Miss Lilah, I'd been traveling the trails for years, and if there's one thing I learned, it's that there's safety in numbers." He pulled his hat lower over his face. "You're sure welcome to hitch up with us if you want." He paused and then added, "Of course, you can leave anytime we're not goin' in your direction."
Lilah saw something flashed in the child's eyes that made her heart break again—hope.
Chad took a long time to answer, but he finally said, "I guess me n' Tex can hook up with ya'll for a season."
* * *
Over the next several days, Rush did his best to encourage Chad to talk about his life, but the boy was as close-mouthed as a clam protecting its innards. Rush had a feeling he was running from someone, because the least little noise had him searching the countryside with frightened eyes.
As for Tex, the dog soon warmed to him and Lilah and he often saw her sn
eaking him a treat. He was a rangy mutt, to be sure, but he had intelligent eyes and obeyed his master unconditionally. At night, the boy wrapped his arms around the dog and Rush got a lump in his throat watching them. Although the Big G had had its share of dogs while he was growing up, he'd never been as attached to one as Chad was to Tex.
After a week on the trail, Lilah got the first laugh out of the boy. She had squatted to pet Tex and the mutt had unexpectedly jumped up, placed his paws on her shoulders, and licked her face. She'd shrieked, fallen backwards, and started laughing when Tex continued licking her face. Between chuckles she'd gasped, "Eww, dog spit."
The playful antics between Lilah and Tex soon had Rush laughing uproariously. "Lilah, I never expected to hear a refined lady such as yourself mention dog spit."
The dog wagged his tail furiously and kept licking, which made Lilah laugh all the more. "Chad, help, call him off."
Chad said between laughs, "Tex, heel."
Tex glanced at his master, sat, and looked so forlorn that his game had been interrupted, that Rush said, "I can't stand it. Send him over here. He can lick me for a while."
Chad grinned, made a waving motion, and said, "Go play with Rush!"
For the next hour, Rush, Lilah, and Chad goofed around with the canine as if they hadn't a care in the world.
That night around the campfire as Rush and Lilah told stories from their childhood, Chad, with Tex at his feet, sat enthralled, and talked more than he had the entire time he'd been with them.
Chapter 19: San Antonio Madness
A couple of days after the playful dog incident, they reached the outskirts of the sprawling town of San Antonio and Rush checked them into a hotel. He registered for two rooms, one for Lilah and another for himself and Chad. Chad had become vigilant when they entered town, constantly scanning the area until they were behind the closed door of their room. Rush felt certain the boy was running from someone, but rather than confront him, he wanted him to fess up on his own.
Rush dropped his saddlebags onto the floor and walked to a window. Chad dropped his own bags beside Rush's. He walked to the other window and pulled the curtain aside. He said, "Are you and Miz Lilah travelin' the trails to Dallas?" Before Rush could respond, the boy said quickly, "'Cause if you are, I'd like to stay with ya'll."
Rush glanced him. "We're travelin' to Dallas, but we're goin' by stagecoach. I'm selling the horses here. I was thinkin' maybe–"
Chad interrupted, "Guess we'll have to part ways then, 'cause I ain't got no money for a ticket."
Rush said casually, "I was gonna talk to you about that." He closed the curtain and turned toward the boy. "Seein's as how we all get along so well, seems a shame to let a lack of money make us part ways so soon. I was thinkin' that if it was all right with you, I could make you a loan and give you all the time you need to repay."
The child whooshed air and turned from the window to face Rush. "Well sir, beins' as how you're not in a hurry for the money, maybe I could stay with ya'll a might longer. I could get a job workin' a stable in Dallas to repay you."
"Sounds like a plan. Besides," Rush chuckled, "me and Miss Lilah would miss Tex too much." The dog, hearing his name, forsook his sniffing around the door and padded over to Rush. Rush laughed heartily, patted his head, and said, "Tex, is there anything you don't hear."
Around suppertime, Rush said, "C'mon Chad, let's go find Miss Lilah and celebrate our continued association with a big supper. And don't worry about the cost. This one's on me. You can buy our supper when your luck changes."
Chad's face lit, but suddenly darkened. "No, sir, you go ahead. It wouldn't be right for you to pay for my meal when you're already loanin' me money for the stagecoach."
Rush pursed his lips and tapped his jaw. "How about we come to some kind of agreement 'cause me and Miss Lilah like to eat good meals when we're around civilized folk—how about if you keep my horse brushed and my saddle shined, meals will be your wages."
The boy pondered the offer and finally said, "I'm still not sure that's fair to you, sir. I can do more work if you want."
"Chad, I think you takin' care of my horse and saddle in exchange for meals is more than fair. Besides, think of all the leftovers we can bring back to Tex."
That won a grin from the boy and Rush took the opportunity to extend his hand, "Shall we shake on it?"
Chad lifted his skinny arm and placed his small hand in Rush's, giving a firm shake. "You got a deal, Mr. Garrett."
"Good. Now, let's go eat. I've had about all the rabbits and hardtack I can stand. I want some steak and potatoes, or maybe some juicy ribs."
Chad said, "Or chicken and dumplings."
"Now you're talkin' my language, boy."
Their meal turned out to be superb with Chad ordering chicken and dumplings and Lilah following suit. Rush couldn't resist pot roast simmered with carrots and potatoes. He watched Chad unfold a napkin and place food in it for Tex. Soon, Lilah was handing morsels from her own plate to add to his napkin, and Rush cut off a chunk of his roast for the dog." He teased, "If we aren't careful, Tex is gonna get fat."
Rush noted that although Chad smiled at his joke, he still seemed tense and kept a watchful eye on the goings on around him. Whoever was after Chad had the boy terrified.
Their fourth day in town, Rush located the stagecoach office to purchase tickets to Dallas. A bored-looking, short-statured, pudgy man, who had been cleaning his fingernails with a pocket knife, accepted his money. Behind the bald clerk an assortment of dime novels with covers depicting Wild West Adventures lay scattered across a desk. Rush motioned his head toward the novels. "I like reading those stories, too."
The bespectacled man said, "Yeah? What I wouldn't give to experience some of that action first hand." Rush accepted his change and the clerk asked, "You ever had any of those kinds of adventures?"
With a chuckle, Rush responded, "Yep. The last one was a train robbery and kidnapping. But trust me; you don't want that kind of trouble."
The clerk's eyes rounded, but before he could pounce with questions, Rush was out the door.
It was during lunch that more trouble found him.
* * *
Lilah gazed across the table at Rush and Chad and tenderness filled her heart. She cared about both of them and sometimes pretended they were a family.
Over the past few days, the boy had relaxed somewhat, but still cast furtive glances around the hotel dining room. The previous day, she'd approached Rush and said, "I believe Chad is running from someone."
He'd smiled and responded, "That he is. But either he doesn't trust us enough to reveal who it is, or he's too scared to say anything about his past."
"He's only nine years old. How much of a past can he have?"
With one of his heartwarming smiles, Rush had started her heart hammering, and when he fingered a stray curl and placed it behind her ear, she'd hadn't been able to inhale enough oxygen.
"Darlin', life in Texas can be hard, especially for children living on their own. I don't know who he's running from and why, but I got the feeling things are comin' to a head. Either he's going to confess to something or his tracker will find him."
Little did Lilah realize that before lunch was over Chad's nightmare would show up. They had just been served large slices of apple pie when a bellow from the dining room entrance startled the twenty or so patrons enjoying their meals.
"There you are you little scoundrel! I been followin' yer trail fer weeks. I'll have yer hide and then some! Think you can steal my horse and git away with it? No sireee, you varmint! You ain't gitin' away from yer ol' Uncle Snell! I'm gonna thrash you 'til you can't sit."
A man wearing filthy coveralls advanced toward their table and lifted his hand as if to strike Chad. The boy cowered and raised his hands to cover his face.
With a swiftness belying his large body, Rush grabbed the uncle's hand and twisted it behind his back. The middle-aged yahoo yelped in pain and Lilah could smell his foul breath all the way
across the table.
Rush said calmly, "I suggest we talk outside the dining room." The man squirmed and cussed a stream of profanities, but it did him no good. He was locked in Rush's powerful vise. Finally, he stopped trying to break free and Rush jabbed him in the back toward the entrance. As they walked across the room, Rush said loudly to the diners, "Ya'll go back to enjoyin' your conversations while I take care of this unfortunate interruption."
Lilah and Chad watched their retreat and then looked at each other with widened eyes. She reached her hand to touch Chad's and his eyes clouded. Turning his head in embarrassment, he quickly swiped at tears.
Lilah glanced around the room to see that most of the diners had returned to eating but kept stealing glances in their direction. She said softly, "Chad. Rush and I know you've been running from someone, but now we understand why. I just want you to know that when you're ready to talk about it, we're here for you."
The boy rubbed his nose and then swiped another tear. "He ain't my real uncle. He's my ma's step-brother. When she died, I didn't have a pa or any other relatives, so the judge made me go with him."
Softly, Lilah asked, "How long ago was that?"
"When I was seven."
The thought of Chad enduring this man's cruelty for any length of time, and at such a tender age, had Lilah blinking back her own tears. "How long ago did you run away."
"Two months, I think." The boy lifted sorrowful eyes to hers. "He was right mean to Sally, his horse, and I stole her. She died a few days afore I hitched up with ya'll. She just got sick and I tried to help her…" he sobbed quietly, "but she died. She was a wonderful horse and I loved her."
Lilah squeezed Chad's arm. "Honey, Rush will get everything sorted out and there's no way we'll let that man take you."
Chad swallowed and said, "Ma'am, I don't think you understand. Horse thieves are hung."
* * *