Xenia’s Renegade

by Agnes Alexander

  He knew he could have climbed in through the window, but decided against it. He decided instead to go to the jail and see if Sheriff Ferguson was in. If so, he’d know what had gone on. He might even know where Bullins had gotten to.

  At the jail, he pushed the door open. Tim sat behind the desk drinking coffee. “Morning.”

  “Morning, Ty. What brings you out so early?”

  “Looking for somebody. Thought you might know where he is.”

  “You’re welcome to look in the cells. There are a couple of drovers and a minor or two back there.”

  “No dandy?”

  “Nope. Not a one here.”

  Ty lifted an eyebrow. “Know of one somewhere else?”

  “Could be.” He nodded toward the coffee pot on the small potbellied stove. “Help yourself, then we’ll talk.”

  “Thanks.” Ty poured himself a cup of coffee and took the chair in front of Tim’s desk.

  “A couple of men died in The Golden Door last night.”

  “Oh?”

  “One was a drover. The other, that peddler friend of yours.”

  “Damn.”

  The sheriff frowned. “You mean you care?”

  “I do. Wanted to kill him myself.”

  “I can understand that. Would feel the same if he’d hurt my woman like he did yours. How is she?”

  “She’s much better.”

  “Good. I sure hated to let him out of here, but Seymour Longstreet insisted he’d pay his bail and be responsible for him. Guess he didn’t keep his promise.”

  “Since you said Bullins is dead, I guess he didn’t—”

  The jailhouse door opened and a middle-aged cowboy stepped inside. “Howdy, Sheriff.” He nodded at Ty.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “Name’s Clem Terrbill. I’m the head drover with the herd outside of town. Heard you had a couple of my boys in jail.”

  “I do.”

  “Sorry they was so much trouble, but I need to pay their fines so we can be on our way.”

  The sheriff stood. “Fine’s twenty dollars. I’ll let them go, but if they come back to town and cause a ruckus like last night, I won’t be so easy to get along with next time.”

  The man plunked down the money. “You ain’t got no need to worry about that. They’ll not be anywhere near by the end of the day.”

  “Good.” The sheriff went through a door in the back of the room.

  The man looked at Ty. “You the deputy?”

  “Nope. Just a friend of the sheriff. He was telling me about the fight last night.”

  “Some of the boys came back to camp and said it was a humdinger. One of them even told me that the saloon owner shot the dude acting as a barkeep.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. Said he didn’t confess when the sheriff asked who done it and they was too drunk to tell. Sides, they didn’t want to go to jail.”

  “I can’t blame them.” Ty muttered this last statement because he was wondering why Seymour Longstreet would shoot Lou Bullins.

  The sheriff returned with the two prisoners. “Now, see if you boys can stay out of trouble.”

  “They will,” their boss promised as the three of them went out the door.

  Ty turned back to the sheriff. “That man told me Longstreet shot Bullins.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “Then it looks like I have somebody else to arrest.” He took his hat from the peg. “Want to come along?”

  “Damn right I do.”

  They didn’t find Longstreet at the destroyed saloon, but Angela heard them downstairs and came down. She didn’t know where Seymour had gone, but she said Lana was in a bad way and needed a doctor.

  “Why haven’t you gone for him?” The sheriff asked.

  “I was afraid.”

  “Why don’t you go now?” Tim glanced at Ty. “I’ll get this place boarded up so there won’t be any more damage. Do you want to go with Angela to get help for Lana?”

  “I’ll take Lana to Hiram.” He looked at Angela. “Go for the doctor and tell him to come to the new saloon that’s opening in the abandoned hotel building.”

  ****

  Ty rapped on the door and couldn’t miss the surprise on Hiram’s face when he opened the door of The Blooming Cactus. “Ty, what in the world are you doing with Lana in your arms?”

  “Hello, Hiram. I’m sorry to bother you today, but I didn’t know where else to take her. She’s been hurt.”

  Lily walked up behind Hiram. “Bring her inside, Mr. Eldridge.”

  “Is there somewhere I can put her until the doctor gets here?”

  “I guess—” Hiram stammered.

  “Upstairs,” Lily said. “There are beds in some of the rooms up there.”

  “This way.” Hiram led them, and when they got to the top, he opened a door on the left. “In here. Do I need to go for the doctor?”

  “No. Angela’s getting him.”

  “What in the world happened?”

  Ty lay Lana on the bed and turned to him. “Let’s let Lily make her comfortable and step outside. I’ll explain what’s going on.”

  In the hall, Hiram said, “Alright, Ty. Will you explain now?”

  “Best as I can. I went to the sheriff this morning to find Lou Bullins. He’s the man who attacked Xenia in the hotel and Mea Ann at the ranch. Turns out, he’s dead. Seymour killed him.”

  Hiram frowned. “But they seemed to be as close as brothers.”

  “Not really. Longstreet was using Bullins to get his hands on his nieces. I caught him, but he escaped and went running to Seymour. I assume the man thought Bullins either had or would confess the plot, and decided to kill him during the riot at The Golden Door last night.”

  “How’d he get away with it?”

  “When you see The Golden Door, you’ll understand. The sheriff and I went in through the broken window there and that’s when we found Lana. Angela said some cowboy almost killed her last night, but that didn’t stop Seymour and Sassy Sue from leaving her on her own when they left town. They tried to make Angela go with them, but she insisted she’d stay behind until Lana was better, then the two of them would follow. Of course, she told me she had no intention of going later, and she didn’t figure Lana would, either.”

  “I appreciate you thinking they would be safe here, Ty, but I’ll have to talk it over with Lily. She’s going to be—”

  Ty raised his hand. “I fully understand. Whether or not you allow them to stay here and maybe work here is entirely up to you and your wife.”

  “You know we’re married?”

  “The preacher told us. Congratulations, by the way. I think you made a wise decision. She’ll make you a good partner as well as a wife.”

  The doctor arrived with Angela. Hiram ushered him upstairs.

  Angela turned to Ty. “This place is nice.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “I probably shouldn’t ask this, but I’m curious. How do you know Hiram was going to open a saloon here?”

  “I don’t mind you asking. I was in the bank the day he talked to the manager about it.”

  “I see.” She looked around. “Do you think he’ll let me work here?”

  “You’ll have to ask him, Angela.”

  She smiled. “I’d be pleased to serve you if he will. I’ve never had the pleasure.”

  “We’ll see.” He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his dark hair, then put it back on when he saw Hiram descending the stairs.

  “The doctor asked Lily to stay to help him.”

  Ty nodded. “Hiram, Sheriff Ferguson has decided that since Longstreet has left town, he’s going to close The Golden Door until somebody wants to rebuild it and start it up again. He said there was no need to leave the whiskey that wasn’t broken there. He figured there would be break-ins to get it, and he thought you could use it here until your stock comes in.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Of course
, if nobody shows up to claim the furniture in a set time, there will be an auction of what’s useable. You could attend, if you want anything.”

  “What about our things?” Angela asked.

  “You’ll be let back in to get your belongings.”

  “There are a lot of dresses there. I know I’d like to get mine, and I can get the others, if you want them. I have a few personal things, too.” She looked at Hiram. “If you’ll let Lana and me stay here for a while, I’ll get her outfits and her personal items, too.”

  “Just bring your personal items. Lily and I have talked about it and the women we will hire to work here will wear nice gowns. Not those cheap things Seymour forced the women there to wear.”

  “Oh, Hiram that sounds wonderful.” Angela bit her lip. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to let on like you’d already hired Lana and me.”

  “We’ll talk about that later.” He turned to Ty and offered his hand. “Thank you. Will you be in town long enough to have dinner with us?”

  “No, Hiram. I need to get back. Since Wilt got married last night, I feel I should at least let him have a day off with his new bride.”

  Surprise covered Angela’s face. “Wilt got married?”

  “Sure did.”

  “I thought you Eldridge men were confirmed bachelors.”

  “After meeting Mea Ann Poindexter, Wilt decided he didn’t want to be a bachelor any longer.”

  “When did he decide this?”

  Ty smiled at her and turned toward the door. “Recently. Now, I have something I need to do. Hiram will tell you about it.”

  “I’ll fill her in, Ty. Thank you for everything.”

  Ty nodded. “I’ll see you folks later.”

  ****

  Xenia looked in the mirror and was glad to see the swelling in her face was about gone. So were the visible bruises. She pinned the last strand of hair in place and stood back, smoothing the front of her lavender dress with the white lace around the lowered neck and short sleeves. She knew it was a little fancy for a day on the ranch, but since Hiram told them her parents were in town, she felt sure they’d show up today. She didn’t want them to think she’d not been her usual self since living here, but she couldn’t help worrying. Her father would demand she go home to Virginia, and she wasn’t sure she could convince him she didn’t want to go.

  Going into the kitchen, she smiled at Chapa. “Is there anything I can do to help you with lunch?”

  “Not a thing.” Chapa turned and looked at her. “My, you look fancy. I know Mea Ann got married, but you look like a bride yourself.”

  “Thank you, but I doubt that I’ll be getting married.” Though the thought ran through her head that if she had a husband, her father couldn’t make her go home. “Is Mea Ann around?”

  “She and Wilt took Johnny and said they wanted to spend some time as a family in their private parlor.”

  “Oh. I guess that means I shouldn’t bother them.”

  “Probably so.”

  Xenia walked to the window. “Has Ty returned from town?”

  “Not yet. He should be here soon. He said this morning he’d try to be back by the mid-day meal.”

  “I hope he gets back before Mother and Father Show up.”

  “He probably will.” Chapa opened the oven and basted the roast.

  “Do you mind if I make myself a cup of tea? I’m nervous, and it relaxes me.”

  “Of course I don’t mind. The water is already hot, so get a cup and I’ll pour it for you.”

  “Thank you, Chapa. Do you mind if I sit in here with you?”

  “I don’t mind one bit. In fact, I’d like the company.” After pouring the water in the teacup, Chapa returned the kettle to the stove. “Well, look who’s coming, here.”

  Xenia turned around and watched as Mea Ann and Wilt walked into the room. Wilt was carrying a fussy Johnny. “The boy let us know he wanted an early dinner, and we came to fix him a bottle.”

  Mea Ann picked up one of the clean bottles sitting on the drain board. “I’m not going to give him much because I want to mash some of Chapa’s wonderful vegetables for him when we eat.”

  Xenia couldn’t help noticing how happy her sister looked. There was also a light in Wilt’s eyes. The two of them were going to have a wonderful life together. She was sure of that. She was also sure it was what she wanted for her life. She didn’t want to go back to Richmond and be pressured into marrying one of the boring men her father would certainly want her to marry. Xenia promised herself she’d do whatever she had to do to keep that from happening.

  “Oh, my,” Mea Ann said as she glanced out the window. “Ty’s coming into the yard, and his horse is galloping fast.”

  Chapa moved to the window and looked out. “Wonder why he’s in such a hurry?”

  Xenia stood so she could see, too. She saw Ty throw his reins around the post at the corral and come toward the house on a run. He came through the door and they all began to talk at once.

  He held up his hand. “I’m just here to warn you that Mr. and Mrs. Poindexter are on their way out here. Thought you might want to get prepared.”

  “Oh, dear.” Mea Ann turned to Wilt. “I’m nervous.”

  “Don’t worry, honey. It’ll be fine.” Wilt looked at Ty. “Did you find Bullins?”

  “Bullins is dead. He was killed during a bar fight at The Golden Door last night.”

  Xenia took a deep breath to calm herself. She wasn’t sure if she was nervous because Lou Bullins was dead, or because her parents were on their way to the ranch.

  Ty looked at Chapa. “Something sure smells good.”

  “Go take care of your horse and I’ll put the bread in, then we’ll eat.”

  “I’ll do that.” He went out the door, then immediately stuck his head back in. “You might want to hold up the meal, Aunt Chapa. I see some dust in the distance. It might be the Poindexters.”

  Xenia felt her heart begin to pound. They were on their way. What was she going to do? She had to do something. Then it hit her. It might not work, but she was going to give it a try. All he could say was either yes or no.

  Jumping up she ran out the back door without a word to anyone. “Ty,” she yelled.

  He turned and looked at her. “What, Xenia?”

  “I want to ask you something.”

  He paused and waited until she caught up with him. “What do you want to ask me?”

  She stood in front of him and looked directly into his eyes. “Will you marry me, Ty?”

  There was no way to describe the look on his face except complete shock. “What the hell?” he muttered.

  She reached out and took hold of his arm. “Please, let me explain.” He nodded and she went on. “As you know, I can load a gun. I can milk a cow. And since coming here, I’ve learned to peel potatoes, set the table and gather the eggs.”

  “So? What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Well, I think it’s a good start on becoming a ranch wife. Whatever else I need to know, I’m sure Chapa will help me learn it.”

  “So you think loading a gun and milking cow is all you’d have to do on a ranch?”

  “No, but as I said, Chapa will teach me.”

  Ty gave her a sly grin. “No declaration of undying love? No telling me I’m the only man for you? No—”

  She interrupted him. “I know you don’t believe in love, Ty, so I won’t insult you by trying to pretend you love me. I know you don’t, but I think you like me—and marriages have been made on less than that.”

  “At least you’re honest.”

  “I always try to be.”

  Ty glanced toward the road. The dust was getting closer. “When would you want me to marry you, Xenia?”

  “I want us to ride over to the preacher’s house and do it right now.”

  “Why today?”

  “I know Father will insist I go back to Virginia and marry some fool he’s chosen for me if I’m not already married. I don’t want to go back wit
h him, and I certainly don’t want to marry some fancy fool.”

  “You’d rather marry me than some rich man in Virginia?”

  “I’d a million times rather marry you.”

  He nodded. “I believe you would. Let’s go saddle you a horse. We can’t take the buggy because we’d meet your parents on the road. We’ll have to cut across the fields.”

  Kerry walked up. “What’s going on, Boss? Need any help?”

  “Yeah. How about saddling Xenia a horse and get me a fresh one? Pick out a gentle one for her. We’re going for a ride.”

  “Yes, Boss.”

  “Wait here, Xenia.”

  Xenia nodded and watched Ty stride toward the house. Whatever he wanted in there, she hoped he wouldn’t take much time getting it. The dust in the distance was growing closer. She could make out the shape of a buggy already.

  Chapter 20

  Mea Ann looked confused after Ty dashed into his room then went right back out. “What in the world are Xenia and Ty up to?”

  “I don’t know, sweetheart. They have the horses out. Maybe he decided to take her for a ride so she wouldn’t have to face your parents right away.”

  Chapa broke in. “When he rushed in, he muttered to me that he’d explain later, then hurried out. Whatever their reason to rush away, you don’t have time to worry about them now. Let me have Johnny. I’ll feed him, and you and Wilt go out front and greet your parents. They just pulled up in the yard.”

  Mea Ann handed Johnny to Chapa and turned to Wilt. “I’m scared.”

  He put his arm around her shoulder. “It’ll be fine. Let’s go. The sooner you face your parents, the quicker you’ll relax.”

  She nodded. “Alright, but don’t you dare leave me alone.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not going to leave you.”

  As Wilt opened the front door, Mea Ann saw her father helping her mother from the buggy. Her heart began to pound and she wanted to turn around and run back into the house and hide. Then she felt Wilt’s hand on her back and she knew he would take care of her, no matter what happened.