Now it was afternoon and Hilda was relaxed again as everyone visited on the huge porch of the Bar E ranch house. Cora Elison, the ranch owner’s daughter, had invited the Wilerson and Hamner families out for the noon meal after church.
Cora was one of the most genuine persons Noah had ever met. There wasn’t a snobby “Back East” bone in her body and she made them all feel right at home. She helped the bunkhouse cook prepare a meal fit for a royal dining room, had the ranch hands set tables and chairs out on the wrap–around porch and she insisted the hands eat with the group, too.
Cora and Hilda’s brother Dagmar acted like best friends instead of employer and manager. They joked back and forth, punched a shoulder now and then and seemed to enjoy each other’s company.
Noah could almost describe his and Hilda’s relationship like that until she wore a dress today. It made him aware of her feminine side, whether she wanted to show it or not.
Noah sat on the porch floor, leaning his back against the wall, watching and listening to the conversations around him. The summer heat made him feel lazy. Tate and the ranch dogs chased each other in the front yard, little Amelia watched from her mother, Darcie’s lap, clapping and smiling at their antics.
His family had grown in numbers while he was gone, and he was sad he had missed the milestones in this brothers’ lives. Why had he taken so long to come back home? Of course it was because he was embarrassed about his plans blowing up in front of him.
He hadn’t told a soul, but he had come home on the train three days after seeing Victoria’s father. But when he saw his brother Adam patrolling the street in front of the Clear Creek depot, he slunk down in his train seat and stayed there when the train pulled out of town. He just couldn’t face his brother right then. It was hard to face his failure compared to his brothers’ successful lives.
He got off at Ellsworth, planning to head back home, but instead signed up as a horse wrangler on a cattle drive up to Wyoming Territory, and left the same day.
“So, I heard why Hilda is wearing one of Rania’s dresses today. How did you not get lynched for putting that dark pink ribbon on Holy Terror?” Dagmar asked Noah, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“What do you mean? I thought the ribbon added a nice touch to the dog’s new look.”
Dagmar looked to see where Hilda and Rania were before answering in a low voice. “It’s a very special ribbon to Hilda, so I’m surprised she didn’t rip into you for using it.”
“What? She didn’t say anything, but she tried to take it off the dog right away, now you mentioned it…but then Terror caught the end of the ribbon and about tore it into shreds, playing ‘tug of war’ with Hilda. I’ll buy her a new ribbon when I’m in town next time.” Noah hung his head when he thought of the look on Hilda’s face when she took the ribbon away from Terror and silently walked into the soddie that evening.
“Don’t know if you can buy a ribbon like that. It matches her wedding dress,” Dagmar said.
“What?! Hilda’s been married before?” Noah asked, as he thought of all he’d shared with her about his broken engagement to Victoria.
“No. My sister has never even had a beau, but she found the perfect dress for her wedding and has been saving it for that day. I don’t think she owns another dress, because I’m sure she’s wearing one of Rania’s today.”
Noah had noticed Hilda picked up the dress hem when she walked. Rania was taller than Hilda by about four inches.
“Now I really feel bad. What should I do besides apologize? I can’t say I’ve ever looked closely at the ribbon display in the mercantile, but I know it’s an unusual color and width of ribbon.”
Dagmar looked over at the table of women chatting on the other end of the porch. “Better figure out a way to repent and get her forgiveness, or it’s going to be a long summer of fencing in silence. Growing up with the twins taught me they can hold a grudge for a long time.”
***
Hilda and her mare, Marie stayed two lengths ahead of him and Ace all the way home. She ignored him like they weren’t even going to the same place. When they got to the barn and dismounted, Noah grabbed the mare’s reins. “I’ll unsaddle and brush Marie for you.”
“No. Give me back her reins.”
“I’d hate for you to get your pretty dress dirty.”
“Uh. It’s not even my dress, but I’ll be sure I don’t stain or tear it.”
Noah knew she was referring to the special ribbon now, but didn’t want to bring it up again.
“You don’t have a dress of your own?” Noah asked sincerely.
“I have one…but I won’t wear it just for a silly bet.”
“I didn’t see it hanging on the hook in the sod house.”
“It’s tucked away in a chest to keep it clean.”
“Any reason you bought this particular dress you won’t wear?” Noah moved back to Ace, threw the stirrup up onto the saddle so he could unhook the cinch, trying to look busy as he nonchalantly asked about the dress Dagmar had told him about.
“No…I… just saw this perfect dress in a store and bought it.”
Noah pulled the saddle off Ace and threw it over the wooden stall side. “What would be the perfect occasion for you to wear it?” He kept his back to her as he pulled off the blanket next and continued coaxing Hilda to talk. “I remember when Sarah made a new dress for a special party, because she wanted to catch the eye of Ethan Paulson, and I guess it worked since they’ve been engaged now for two years. I’m sure she has a new dress ready for her wedding, too.”
Noah picked up the brush and comb off the shelf by the stall and started brushing down the horse.
“When I was traveling to Illinois, I wondered what Victoria would wear for our wedding. I knew it would be an elaborate silk dress of high fashion because of her father’s status as the bank president. But it wouldn’t have mattered if she wore a gunny sack, I was so love struck…”
Noah took a deep breath before turning to face Hilda and ask, “Were you engaged when you bought your special dress?”
He saw surprise, then sadness in her eyes, which softened her features.
“No,” she admitted. “I didn’t have a fiancé when I bought the dress. We were taking a herd around Dallas and camped early in the day. Ma, Rania and I went into town to shop, and I saw this beautiful rosy pink dress in the window of a real dress shop, not just a general mercantile.” She paused, probably thinking of that day. “The clerk wouldn’t give us the time of day until I flashed my earnings from my latest race with Nutcracker. Then she was really friendly and even made a few alterations while we waited.”
“How long has it been packed away, Hilda?”
“It’s been traveling with me for four years,” she whispered, embarrassed it had been that long.
Noah put down his tools and gently wrapped his arms around Hilda. “You’ll meet the right man someday,” hoping it would be him, “and it will be worth the wait, Hilda.”
“Who wants a scrawny woman who’s more at home on the open range, than in a home with a stove range?”
“You might be surprised,” Noah murmured as he put his arms around Hilda to draw her close, and then softly touched her lips with his.
Hilda pushed back, surprised by Noah’s action. “Why did you kiss me?”
“Because…”
“Because you want my land, or you feel sorry for me?” Hilda’s stubborn streak was flaring up again and Noah was tired of it, and her poor opinion of herself.
“Neither.” Noah said as he gripped Hilda tighter and pulled her hard against is chest. “I kissed you because I want to. In fact,” he said as he moved his lips an inch from hers, “I’m going to do it again.”
Chapter 12
Hilda seemed lost in thought this morning as she raised the posthole digger and shoved it into the bottom of the hole with all her might. He knew she was thinking about the kisses they shared last night. He was this close to declaring his love then, but she pulled away and ra
n into the house, leaving him to take care of the horses. And, the question of how to fix the land dilemma still hung in the air between them.
He walked into the house this morning to see his breakfast on the table, and her gone. After he ate, and drank his coffee, he washed his dishes, stalling to join her on the fence line. She didn’t say a word to him when he got there, so he picked up his shovel and started digging.
Now Hilda dropped the digger on the ground and marched toward the house. Good. It was high time she stopped and got out of the sun. Last night’s rain shower made the humidity high today. She shouldn’t be working this hard, but Noah had learned to accept her help instead of making a fuss about it.
Hilda stopped at the well instead, and was in the process of cranking the windlass to obtain a bucket of water. Noah decided now was a good time for a drink of cool well water too, so he set down his shovel and strolled over to the well.
Splat! Water hit his face and chest, causing him to gasp, step backward and almost lose his balance.
Noah looked incredulously at Hilda holding the bucket, and then down at his dripping body. “Why did you do that?!”
“I need you to cool off! Wait…I need to cool off—because you’re too hot. Wait—” Hilda’s face got redder than what the sun had caused. Her eyes widened and took on a darker tint of blue when Noah stalked to stand over her.
Noah flung his arms around Hilda’s shoulders and pulled her tight against his chest. “Guess I better share this water then. Sorry I don’t have an extra bucket of water handy to douse your hot body, too.” His eyes shifted from her shining eyes to her lips as she licked the drop of moisture which dripped off his chin onto her mouth.
Hilda didn’t say a word, but tilted her face up to his, at the same time Noah leaned down to kiss her parting lips.
Noah expected Hilda to pull back, but instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and met his advancing mouth with enthusiasm. When Noah finally broke the kiss, she sighed once, and then started a second round of kissing.
Poker’s barking barely penetrated Noah’s brain, but the loud “Amen” from his mother quickly twirled Noah around, making him aware that he had been oblivious of everything but kissing Hilda. Noah’s mother and Rania sat primly in their buggy—not twenty feet away—with wide, knowing smiles on both their faces.
His mother explained their trip as Rania lifted the container on her lap. “We thought we’d bring over a fresh–baked pie and jug of lemonade to refresh you, but it looks like you found another way to cool off.”
Noah watched Hilda’s face turn a brilliant red—which probably matched his own—and then looked at his mother, who winked at them!
So much for approaching the subject of land and marriage now…they had company.
***
Noah felt stupid driving his brother’s wagon into town for…something, but he needed time to think. After his ma and Rania left, he hitched Ace to the wagon and headed to Clear Creek. Poker was torn over who he should be with, but the dog finally took off to catch up with him.
Somehow, he had wandered into the marshal’s office and was now sitting across the desk from Adam—and asking advice.
“Do you love Hilda?” Adam’s direct question made Noah’s heart nearly stop beating.
“Yes, but it’s not that simple.”
“Yep, it is.”
“If I ask her to marry me, she’ll think I’m doing it to get my homestead back.”
“Do you want to just stay on as her hired hand?”
“No, I want more…and she does, too. Hilda wants a husband, children—everything, including the ‘picket fence’ life on her little homestead.”
Adam leaned forward and stared seriously at Noah. “If that’s what you want too, I suggest you start building a fence around the yard. It doesn’t matter whose name is on the land deed. It’s just a piece of paper, Noah! Get that through your thick head! Let Hilda have the pride of owning her dream.”
Chapter 13
Hilda turned Nutcracker toward home, wishing she could let it go. She rode out after Noah took off, deciding to look for any sign of Kitty instead of working on the fence by herself. But there were no tracks, nor a bit of carcass to be found; neither now nor the other times she and Noah had scoured the creek and river beds after the cat was shot. Hilda knew it was time to let go of her wild pet.
The crack of the rifle shot continued to echo through the air even after the yelping of a dog stopped. Hilda kicked Nutcracker to run while pulling her own rifle out of the scabbard. She pulled back on the reins when the ranch yard came into sight. As much as she wanted to rush to Terror’s limp form by the chicken pen, she knew she shouldn’t enter a trap.
Then the smell of smoke drifted toward Hilda’s nose, and she saw a sack or piece of clothing burning inside the chicken pen, close to the wall of the barn. God help her, she was going to lose more than her dog if she didn’t do something quick!
No one seemed to be in the yard except for the agitated livestock, but it was clear that trouble had been started on purpose. Would someone be hanging around to be sure the barn caught fire, or would they leave so they didn’t get caught? Hilda spurred Nutcracker on because she had no choice.
Where is Noah when I need him?
Hilda jumped off the horse before Nutcracker slid to a stop near the pen. The fire was still contained on the feed sack. She could use the pan of water in the pen to douse the flame, rather than take time to draw water from the well. If not, the chickens fluffed up enough dirt she could kick that on the sack to smother it.
Hilda gasped in surprise as a man’s arm jerked her up and away from the pen gate as she started to step into it. Hilda screamed and kicked back at her assailant, trying to get away as the stranger pulled her across the front of his horse’s saddle. But the quick, hard blow to the back of her head dimmed her sight as she felt her body going limp.
***
Noah heard a gunshot up ahead but he couldn’t go much faster with his loaded wagon. Panic surged through his body as he drove into the yard to see Hilda fight, and then go limp against a rider who spun his brown horse and took off for the hills opposite Noah.
Everything overwhelmed Noah at once when he saw the Holy Terror lying still, the squawking chickens flying around trying to get out of the pen, and the fire inching toward the barn wall. Jumping from the wagon seat without bothering to pull the brake, Noah dashed into the pen, frantically kicking dirt at the sack several times, before kicking it away from the barn. Then Noah kicked the sack into the chicken’s water pan and stomped on it enough times to make the sack and his pants a muddy mess.
Now, Noah had to rescue Hilda before it was too late. He grabbed Hilda’s rifle which had been thrown aside when she was attacked and turned toward Nutcracker, who was prancing nervously nearby. “Easy, boy… Easy…We have to go get Hilda, and you’ve got to cooperate. No shenanigans whatsoever.” Noah inched forward and grabbed the horse’s reins as Nutcracker side–stepped away from him. Slipping the rifle back in the saddle’s scabbard, he said a prayer, put his boot in the stirrup and prepared his body to be punished by the man–hating horse.
Instead, Noah was surprised by the quick and smooth ride as the horse took off without a command to get to his owner, who was in deep danger of losing her life.
***
The smell of putrid flesh woke Hilda up faster than a vial of smelling salts would have, because when she came to, she realized she was draped face–down across a saddle, her face against the man’s leg. Oh, gag! It smelled horrible! The man, cussing and rambling, sounded out of his mind, probably because of the smelly infection coming from his leg. After another second of listening, Hilda realized she was lying across the lap of Sid Narker! He hadn’t drowned as they had all thought!
It must have been Sid who attacked her bobcat, and now his wounds from that day’s attack were festered from infection. Where had he been hiding all this time? The cave they investigated that day while searching the area?
/> Hilda wanted off the horse before she started to cough from the smell and Sid realized she was awake. If she tried to slide off the horse—and didn’t break her neck—Sid would shoot her before she could get away. If she tried to push Sid off, anything could happen, including falling with him and the horse.
The horse hopped and side–stepped up the steep trail along the rock formations which led to one of the caves. A hit on her backside made her grit her teeth because the horse had knocked her against the rock wall as he climbed the path upward carrying his awkward load.
A shouted “Hey!” rang through the air and Sid jerked toward the yell. Hilda craned her head sideways to see Nutcracker blasting full speed toward them, Noah riding low against his back.
Before Sid could pull out his revolver to shoot the approaching rider, a vicious screech vibrated against the rock wall as an animal jumped on Sid’s head and shoulders. Sid screamed, flinging his arms into the air as he and the animal fell off the back of his horse. The terrified horse reared, throwing Hilda off the saddle in front of him. Hilda grabbed and held on to the flapping stirrup a split second as she fell, which kept her head from hitting the wall as she slid feet first down the path. The horse kicked back with both feet at the unseen attacker and then bolted down the tight trail, jumping over Hilda who lay in his path.
Hilda flung out her arms to stop sliding, then gasped as Sid’s dead weight rolled down against her side. She yanked back, staring first at the bloody hoof print in the middle of his shirt, and then to the trickle of blood dribbling down Sid’s face.
She sucked in her breath and closed her eyes to block out the sight—until the menacing hiss of a wild animal inching towards her other side, made her eyes widen with panic.
***
Noah watched in horror as the action up on the trail played out in a few quick seconds. He jumped off Nutcracker as the horse skid to a stop, pulled his revolver and scrambled up the path to the trio. Seeing the man’s crushed chest and head, Noah knew the assailant would never breathe again. The horse had kicked the man against the rocks and killed him.
Hilda Hogties a Horseman Page 8