Finding Promise

by Scarlett Dunn

  Chapter Eighteen

  Instead of wasting his time talking to the sheriff again, Jake went straight to see Clarke Parsons.

  “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” Clarke said, shaking Jake’s hand.

  Jake asked him again about the drifters that had been in town earlier. And to Jake’s surprise, it was his lucky day. Clarke told him the same men rode in earlier, and they’d purchased some things that they couldn’t find in Schott’s store.

  “How many?” Jake asked.

  “I’d say about a dozen,” Clarke replied.

  Jake glanced down and saw some peppermints alongside boxes of Gypsy Queen cigarettes. He pointed to the cigarettes. “Anyone purchase these today?”

  Clarke looked at him like he was a soothsayer. “Why, yes, one of those drifters bought a box.”

  “Describe him.”

  “A tall man, almost as tall as you, but heavy, and ugly, real ugly, with a huge honker and scraggly blond hair hanging down his back,” Clarke answered. “Is he one of the men you are looking for?”

  “Might be.”

  “They are in the saloon right now. If you need help, remember what I told you. Don’t look to the sheriff or his deputies, especially Potter,” Clarke whispered.

  Jake nodded. “Understood.” He picked up two boxes of the peppermints, remembering that Promise mentioned she liked to give them to her horse. She might like to give some to Stubborn . . . Prince, he reminded himself. He knew Prince could not take the place of her horse, but he’d planned to give him to her since she’d grown so fond of the animal. He figured she’d lost enough. Picking up another box of peppermints for Preacher, Jake paid Clarke and headed to the saloon.

  After tying Preacher’s reins to the rail in front of the saloon, Jake reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out one box of peppermints. He put a few pieces of candy in his palm and held them to Preacher’s mouth. He chuckled at his horse’s reaction as he made quick work of the peppermints. “Don’t take my fingers with them.” An unusual noise from one of the horses tied to the rail caught his attention. It sounded like the horse was in pain, so Jake walked around to see which horse was raising such a ruckus. He found the horse tied to the rail four horses down from Preacher. Talk about his lucky day. He couldn’t believe his eyes; four white stockings and a white star on his forehead. This was the horse in Promise’s drawing. It was Hero, or his identical twin. He checked him out to see if something was wrong with him. After looking him over, he could tell he’d been ridden hard, and he looked thin and worn out, but otherwise okay. Jake moved to his head to get another look at the white star on his forehead. No doubt about it, this was Promise’s horse. “Is your name Hero?” he asked. The horse nibbled at Jake’s pocket. “So you smell the peppermints, huh?” He pulled the peppermints out and the horse nearly took the box from him. After giving him a handful, Jake decided to take the horse to the livery to be fed and to get a good brushing. He grabbed his reins along with Preacher’s and headed to the livery. He guessed he could be accused of being a horse thief, but since it was a stolen horse, he couldn’t see anyone turning him in.

  Twenty minutes later Jake was at the bar in the saloon, ordering a beer. He didn’t have much time before he had to get back to Hollister’s for dinner, but he wanted to get a good look at the men Clarke told him about. Several of the tables were filled, but he immediately spotted the man Clarke had described. Clarke’s description was apt; the man was as big as his brother Colt, but where Colt was all muscle, this man was just slovenly and soft. And ugly—real ugly. He decided he’d bless him with the moniker Big Ugly. Yep, that suited him. Was this the man who’d held Promise down? He couldn’t allow himself to dwell on that thought, or he would take him outside and beat the daylights out of him.

  Looking into the mirror behind the bar, Jake watched everyone in the room. It was easy to spot the drifters from the hardworking cowboys. The man to Big Ugly’s right was the deputy he’d seen the last time he was in the saloon. It looked like Big Ugly and the deputy were well acquainted. Every time he glanced at Big Ugly, he found him looking his way.

  Forced to order another beer that he didn’t really want just to watch the patrons a little longer, Jake put coins on the bar, never taking his eyes off the swinging doors as men came and went. He kept waiting for one of them to turn around and walk back in to say he didn’t have a horse. Whoever was riding Hero obviously hadn’t left yet. Since he had to get back to the ranch, he decided before he left he’d let Big Ugly know he was on to him. Nearing the table, he saw Big Ugly reach for a cigarette from a Gypsy Queen box.

  Jake leaned over and tapped the box of cigarettes with his finger. “I found a box just like that where someone waited to take a shot at one of my men.”

  All movement stopped at the table, every set of eyes moved to Jake. Big Ugly looked up at Jake and smirked. “You got a reason for telling us this sad tale?”

  “Yeah, I got a reason. I expect you might know who shot my man,” Jake retorted, picking up the box of cigarettes. His black eyes bore into Big Ugly’s beady ones, as he twirled the cigarette package in one hand. “Only a coward lies in wait to shoot a man.”

  “Mister, I don’t know you, and a lot of men smoke those cigarettes,” Big Ugly said.

  Jake tossed the cigarette box in the air, and it landed with a thud on the table directly in front of Big Ugly. “You’ll be seeing me around.”

  The deputy stood and faced Jake. “Mister, you need to get on about your business.” Jake gave the deputy a look that had him backing up and second-guessing his interference. “I got to get to work,” he said to no one in particular before hightailing it out the door.

  Jake waited a heartbeat to see if Big Ugly was going to get up, but when he didn’t, he turned to walk out the door.

  The deputy was standing outside the saloon looking in both directions as if he’d lost something. He glanced at Jake before he walked back into the saloon.

  Through the window, Jake watched the deputy walk directly to Big Ugly and whisper something in his ear.

  “I didn’t take him,” Big Ugly responded to the deputy, loud enough for Jake to hear outside the saloon.

  “Well who the hell took him?” the deputy asked, looking around the table.

  No one at the table said a word. They all shrugged their shoulders.

  Definitely my lucky day. He turned from the window and waited for the deputy. “I have the horse,” Jake said once the deputy walked back through the swinging doors. “He belongs to a friend of mine, so I took him to the livery. Are you the one abusing that animal?”

  The deputy glanced at Jake, trying to decide the best way to handle him. He figured this was the U.S. Marshal the sheriff had mentioned, so he decided to be cordial. “I bought that horse a few weeks back,” he responded in a friendly tone.

  Jake pointed to the saloon. “Did you buy it from your big ugly friend in there?”

  “Nope, I bought him from a stranger in town,” the deputy replied.

  “You have a bill of sale?”

  “Yeah, I got one, but I don’t have it on me.”

  “Leave it at the sheriff’s office. I’ll be in to look at it tomorrow.”

  “Why don’t you have your friend who you think owns the horse come in and have a look?” the deputy asked.

  Jake smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. “Because I’m doing it for him.”

  “It’ll be in the sheriff’s office.”

  Jake knew he was lying, and as badly as he wanted to, he couldn’t just take the horse. Horse thieving was a hanging offense. There was the remote possibility the deputy was telling the truth. “Make sure it is.”

  The deputy watched Jake walk across the street to the sheriff’s office before he walked back into the saloon.

  “Sheriff, what do you know about that big black horse that your deputy says he purchased a few weeks ago from a stranger?” Jake asked.

  “Not much. He told me the same thing. I didn’t see the
man he bought it from; he just came in with the horse one day. Why do you ask?”

  “The horse is stolen. He said he had a bill of sale and I want to see it. I’ll be back tomorrow and he’d better have it, or all hell is going to rain down on that deputy,” Jake promised.

  “Can you prove it was stolen?”

  “I sure can, and if he was in on the theft, he’s in one hell of a lot of trouble. More than horse stealing,” Jake responded, and stalked out of his office.

  When he got to the livery, Hero was gone and the livery owner told him the deputy came to get him. Jake saddled Preacher and left for Hollister’s ranch. He decided he wouldn’t mention the horse to Promise right now. It would just upset her more, and he hoped he could get him back. He just hoped the deputy didn’t take off with Hero now that he knew someone was questioning his rightful ownership.

  Deep in thought on the way to Hollister’s, Jake almost missed Preacher twitching his ears, alerting him that something was amiss. Jake looked around for what might be bothering Preacher and saw a man on horseback behind him. Thinking quickly, Jake rode to a copse of trees, waiting for the rider to get closer. He recognized the deputy and rode out to meet him.

  “I’ve been trying to catch up with you,” the deputy said.

  Jake saw he was riding a different horse. “Why?”

  “I have that bill of sale I wanted to show you.” The deputy reined in and put his hand in his vest pocket.

  It occurred to Jake that the deputy’s horse wasn’t winded or lathered, like he’d been riding to catch up to him. That wasn’t a good sign. He’d been careless. His hand went to his gun. Too late. A blast came from the trees. It might not be my lucky day after all, was his last conscious thought. A bullet slammed him in the chest, knocking him off Preacher, facedown into the dirt.

  Big Ugly rode from the trees and holstered his gun. “You want to take his horse?”

  The deputy dismounted, walked to Jake, and kicked him hard in the ribs to make sure he was dead. Preacher darted between Jake and the deputy and reared on his hind legs, barely missing the deputy’s head. The deputy scrambled backward away from his dangerous hooves. “That’s one crazy animal! Leave him here with the dead man. I don’t want anyone else asking about another stolen horse.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Promise was peeling apples for the pie she was baking for Jake, and talking with her aunt, trying to keep her mind off saying good-bye to him. “I thought my cousins would be here with your grandchildren.”

  “I told them to give you the night to rest before they came to the house. Those grandchildren are a handful, and they’re sure to ply you with a million questions.” Nettie also wanted time alone with Promise, to give her time to talk privately if she wanted.

  “I can’t wait to see them,” Promise replied.

  “You will be seeing a lot of them since they spend more time here than they do at their own homes.” Nettie noticed Promise made several trips to the window to look out. “Honey, what are you looking for?” she finally asked.

  “Mr. McBride should have been here by now. He’s been gone for hours,” Promise replied.

  Nettie walked over and put her arm around her niece. “Honey, now don’t get yourself worked up. Something probably kept him in town longer than he expected. There’s a man who can take care of himself if I’ve ever seen one.”

  “Something’s wrong. I know it. I think Uncle John should have someone go look for him.”

  Her uncle walked into the kitchen in time to hear the last part of their conversation. “Who do you want to look for?”

  “Mr. McBride. He should be here by now,” Promise told him.

  “It’s not that late. We can delay dinner,” he replied.

  Promise shook her head. “I know Mr. McBride. He would be here by now if something wasn’t wrong.”

  John glanced at his wife. He didn’t want his niece to worry needlessly. She’d been through enough. “I guess I can ride to town and see what’s keeping him, if that will put your mind at ease.”

  Promise grabbed her uncle’s arm. “Please don’t go alone.” She was terrified she was going to lose the rest of her family.

  John smiled down at her. “I’ll take some men, honey, don’t you worry.”

  Within minutes of leaving Promise and Nettie in the kitchen, Hollister and two of his men were riding toward Denver. Less than three miles from the ranch, they saw Jake’s horse standing in the middle of the road. When they got closer they saw the horse nudging a body on the ground.

  They jumped off their horses, and Hollister reached Jake as one of his men grabbed Preacher’s reins to pull him away. Hollister knelt beside Jake and turned him over and saw the gunshot wound in his chest. Blood was still oozing out of the wound, leading Hollister to think Jake hadn’t been lying there long. He felt for a pulse in his neck, not really expecting one. “He’s alive . . . barely.” Hollister took his bandanna out and stuffed it inside Jake’s shirt over the wound.

  “The ranch is closer than town,” one of his men said.

  Hollister hesitated, fearing Jake might not make it. Promise couldn’t handle it if Jake died. Yet Jake deserved the best chance he could give him. “Let’s get him across his horse.”

  It took the three of them to lift Jake across Preacher’s saddle.

  “Jeb, you go on to town, get the doctor and tell him to come quick,” Hollister instructed.

  Promise and Nettie were waiting on the front porch when the men rode in slowly. Promise jumped from her chair as soon as she recognized Jake’s horse. Seeing Jake over Preacher’s saddle, her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no!”

  Hollister jumped off his horse, yelling for another man to come help them lift Jake and carry him inside the house.

  “Dear Lord, what happened, John?” Nettie asked, pulling the door open for them.

  “We found him on the road,” John explained. The three men struggled under Jake’s weight, but they managed to get him inside. “Take him to the room at the back of the house. We’ll never get him upstairs.” John glanced at Promise. “One of my men has gone for the doctor, he’ll be here soon, honey.”

  “Promise, help me heat water and get some bandages ready.” When Promise didn’t move, Nettie feared she was in shock. She touched her niece gently on the shoulder. “Honey, he needs us now. Let’s do what we can.” Taking her by the hand, she led Promise to the kitchen.

  Once in the kitchen, Promise managed to get control of her fear. She tore a large sheet into strips while Nettie set some water to boil. “Shouldn’t the doctor be here?” she asked her aunt.

  “I’m sure he will be here soon,” Nettie replied calmly. “Go ahead and take the bandages. I’ll be there as soon as the water is hot.”

  Promise hurried to the back room, praying to God that Jake would survive. As soon as she walked through the door, she saw him lying motionless. His shirt had been removed, and her uncle was holding a pillowcase against the wound. He looked up when she neared the bed, and the anguish on her face was unmistakable. “He’s alive, honey.”

  Nettie entered the room with the water and placed it on the table by the bed. “Promise, do you want me to clean his wound, or would you prefer to?”

  Looking at her aunt through her tears, Promise was grateful she had asked. She remembered the way Jake had cared for her. “Let me.”

  “John, why don’t you remove his boots while I cover him so we can get those pants off him,” Nettie said.

  John gently tugged off Jake’s boots. “He’s going to be uncomfortable on this bed since he’s at least a foot longer.”

  Nettie knew her husband was just trying to make conversation so Promise wouldn’t think he was worried. “We’ll pull a trunk in here and put it at the foot of the bed. I can add some quilts on top to make it more comfortable for him.”

  “That’s why I married you, honey. You’re the brains of this outfit.” He glanced at Promise as she gently cleaned Jake’s chest. The tears streaming down her cheeks
broke his heart.

  Nettie settled the sheet over Jake from the waist down, and then moved to the opposite side of the bed. “John, I’ve unbuckled his holster. Can you lift him a bit and I will pull it off?”

  John gently lifted Jake’s hip on one side, trying hard not to jostle him. Once Nettie slid the holster off, John removed his pants.

  “I hear the door,” Nettie said, hanging Jake’s holster on the bedpost.

  John walked to the hall and yelled, “Doc, we’re in the back.”

  Doc Rawlings hurried into the room, acknowledging John and Nettie.

  “This is my niece, Promise,” John said.

  Promise moved out of the way so he could tend to Jake.

  The doc smiled at her. “I’ve heard all about you from your aunt and uncle.” He leaned over and poked around the gaping hole in Jake’s chest. “You’ve done a fine job of cleaning him up.”

  “Will he be okay?”

  “That bullet has to come out.” As he felt Jake’s pulse, he looked him over, taking note of his muscled body. “But he looks as strong as an ox, and that’s a good thing.” He looked at the wound again before he started pulling the contents from his black bag. “That bullet is lodged very close to his heart. It could prove tricky getting it out.”

  Nettie glanced at Promise and saw she was clenching Jake’s hand. “What can we do to help?”

  “You’ve been doing it. You might get some whiskey while I go wash my hands.”

  “I’ll get the whiskey,” John said. When they reached the kitchen, John asked in a low voice, “Can you get that bullet out without killing him?”

  “I didn’t know how much I should say in front of Nettie and your niece, but it’s going to be tough. It looks like it’s just a hair’s width from his heart. I can’t say I hold out much hope.”

  Bracing his hands on the table, John hung his head. “Doc, do your best to save him. This man saved my niece’s life, and I don’t think she could handle it if he didn’t make it.”

  “Is he her betrothed?”