by DiAnn Mills
Bert had no problem with how he’d arranged for her to pay the money she owed. The deal was more than fair, considering he’d saved her from a hanging. “But I have a place to sleep and plenty of food to eat. Look at how I’ve already gained weight. The way I see the situation, all you have is my word that I didn’t steal Mr. Oberlander’s horse. I haven’t explained anything about me ‘cause I can’t.”
Leah’s brow narrowed.
“Don’t be upset with me, Miss Leah. Maybe someday.”
“I’ve heard you cry out in your dreams.”
Nightmares. “You shouldn’t pay them no mind.”
“Maybe if they only happened once.”
Bert drew in a deep breath. She could not talk about the nightmares. “I do have a problem I’d like to talk to you about.”
“And what’s that?”
“Evan.”
Leah nodded and blinked. “He does seem to be smitten.”
“John will be furious. I told him I’d stay away from his brothers and now this.”
“If John wants to blame anyone, it’s the ways of a man. And Evan is eighteen. I was married and a mother to John at his age.”
“What can I do?”
“Continue what you’ve been doing. I’ve never seen a single improper action from you. I’ll talk to John and tell him about your concern.”
Bert breathed a bit easier. Leah didn’t blame her, and John and his mama could work out the problem with Evan, who was more like a good and decent brother to her than anything else. If she allowed her heart to walk through a field of wildflowers, she’d admit John held a tender spot in her heart. Certainly something she had to keep hidden from everyone. The truth was no man would ever want her as his wife. Not with what she’d done, but with what Simon had done to her. Yet sometimes she fancied a real home with a man who loved her.
Bert smiled at Leah. If she could, she’d reveal the past. Was there anything she could tell? She moistened her lips. “My real name is Ember. Bert’s what I’ve been called.”
A soft sigh escaped Leah. “What a beautiful name. Oh, I’ll never call you Bert again.”
How dear you are to me, Leah. I’ll treasure you always. “No one’s ever called me by my given name except Gideon, and he told me my ma liked it very much.”
“I agree with your mother. Very pretty too. Who is Gideon?”
Surely one more small piece of her life would not hurt. “My oldest brother. He died some years back. Pneumonia.” Perhaps she was telling too much, but Gideon had been gone over four years.
“I’m sorry.”
“It was bad watching him suffer. The pneumonia started as a sore throat, and then it got worse until he couldn’t breathe. His throat just kept getting more infected and finally closed up. He’s the one who taught me to read some and how to play the fiddle.”
“I can hear in your voice that you miss him. Could he play by ear like you?”
“Yes ma’am. If you mean he could hear a song then play it. I thought that was the only way to make the fiddle sing.” Bert let her mind drift to her dear Gideon, the only one who’d never hit her. He never called her names or told her it was her fault their ma had died.
“So no one’s left in your family?”
“No one to speak of.” Her words were not far from the truth. You killed Ma when she birthed you, and you couldn’t tend to Gideon. Now it’s your turn.
“Ember?”
The sound of her name on Leah’s lips was foreign. Gideon used to call her Ember when their brothers and pa weren’t around. He’d put her middle name with it to make her feel special.
“Ember, are you all right?”
She snapped her attention back to Leah, realizing she’d slipped and gone there. A place where she’d promised never to venture — and with the memory came a harsh reminder that something was very wrong with her, because horrible things happened to the ones she loved. A raw ache coursed through her body, leaving her weary. For a while, she’d forgotten. She’d vowed to not grow too fond of any of the Timmonses so nothing might happen to them … but she had. All of them.
Was it so wrong to have dreams? And hers were twofold: she craved a family, a chance to love and be loved. And she desperately needed to find a place where her pa and brothers would never find her.
“Ember?”
Bert pulled herself from her thoughts. “Did you say something?”
“Do you fear for your life?”
The memories were like a raw, bleeding wound. At times she wondered if there was a thorn in her heart. “Are you thinking Leon still wants me strung up for Mr. Oberlander’s mare?”
“Are you dancing around my question?”
Bert attempted to keep her face emotionless. “Miss Leah, it’s best you don’t ask me any more personal questions. I have to think about some things.”
“Then I’m right?”
Her temples pounded. “I mean … I don’t know. I’ve said far too much already.”
“Any way I can persuade you otherwise?”
“Perhaps someday.”
Leah tilted her head as she so often did when she had her mind on something. “Tomorrow’s church day, I need to make sure the boys’ shirts are ready for me to iron.”
“I’d be glad to do it.”
Leah blinked back tears. “Miss Ember, you can’t work away your troubles. Let someone help you along the way. Someday the running and hiding will have to stop. And that means facing the problem square on and sharing what you fear with others who care about you. Let God touch you.”
Bert didn’t understand the latter, but she believed it was good. The problem still held her captive. No loving God would want the likes of her. She’d seen too much. Heard too much. Had been through too much.
John watched Victor Oberlander ride toward the ranch. A huge man—in size and nobility. His very countenance demanded respect. But not all of his actions. And he was right on time with his mare, a darker chestnut than Racer. John cringed at the sight of Leon accompanying him and leading the mare. Something about the foreman bothered him. He shouldn’t judge a man by his looks or the way he looked at folks, but Leon had a mean streak. That was evident when he tried to hang Bert.
John opened the gate to the small corral where he’d placed Racer in anticipation of Oberlander bringing his prize mare. He waved at the two men riding in. “Mornin'.”
“And a fine one it is.” Oberlander grinned like a kid at Christmas.
John nodded at Leon, but the ranch hand ignored him and led Queen Victoria inside the corral. Once the gate was latched shut, Leon fixed his gaze beyond them and frowned. John knew without looking that he’d spotted Bert in the garden.
Oberlander dismounted and began to laugh. “Guess I never told you, Leon. But the boy you tried to hang for stealing my mare is a girl. A right pretty girl too.”
Leon swore, and anger ripped across his face. Oberlander continued to laugh. “Enjoy the joke. We all were duped. Isn’t that right, John?”
John hadn’t revealed all of what happened when they learned about Bert, but he found no harm in laughing about it.
“I don’t like anyone making fun of me.” Leon wiped his hand across his mouth. “Least ways a horse thief and a woman.”
“Easy,” John said. “It’s done with.”
“And I’ll not take lip from the likes of you either. Just ‘cause you’re a deputy and have a ranch, you think you’re better than the rest of us.”
“Leon, that’s enough.” Oberlander made his way to the man’s side and laid a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll not insult a man I’m doing business with.”
Leon shrugged off the hand. “He’s …” The curses echoed around them.
“We don’t talk like that around here.” John would have ordered him off his land if not for Oberlander.
Fury torched Leon’s eyes. “I’ll talk any way I take a notion.”
Oberlander stiffened. “Get back to the ranch and gather up your gear.” His voice came out l
ike a growl. “Soon as I get back, I’ll get your pay. Then I don’t want to lay eyes on you again. You’ve been given too many chances as it is, and I’m finished with you.”
“You haven’t seen the end of me, Timmons. None of you have.” Leon stomped away without another word, swung up onto his horse, and rode out.
“Should have gotten rid of him a long time ago,” Oberlander said. “Sorry you had to witness that.”
“I understand. Some of our responsibilities aren’t the pleasant kind.” Still, threats weren’t made to be ignored, and John would keep his eyes open for trouble.
“I’m thinking it won’t be the last either of us see of Leon. We’re smart men to take heed to a hothead.”
Oberlander must have other reasons to distrust Leon. John’s thoughts swept back to Bert’s near hanging. Did Leon know more about the missing mare than he let on?
Did Bert fit into this?
CHAPTER 12
From the garden, Bert recognized the weasel-looking man with Mr. Oberlander and John. Leon Wilson. She shuddered. He’d tried to hang her and nearly succeeded. If not for the old man they called Ted, she’d be rotting in an unmarked grave. When Ted had ridden off, she believed he’d given up. But within minutes, he’d raced back with John. Like a hero in the stories Gideon used to tell her, John had shot through the rope that was tossed over a tree branch and tied around her neck. Perfect aim. If she lived one hundred years, she’d never forget what he’d done.
Leon and Simon were so much alike. Of course, her other two brothers, Clint and Lester, weren’t much better. She shouldn’t be thinking about the worst. Except preparing for things to go wrong was what kept a person alive. Too many times she’d been left to the mercy of her brothers who used her as a means to look good in their own eyes. Never again. She’d made it six months and somehow survived. She wasn’t about to give up now.
Bending to the bushes of peas, Bert snatched up the fat pods and dropped them into the basket. What should she do? Continue living with the dear family who treated her like one of their own or leave? She could light out tonight and put a lot of distance between her and the Timmonses by morning. Leah had baked bread earlier, and a juicy ham simmered with beans. There’d be plenty left over …
Stealing … They’d all believe what Leon claimed. No, she’d not take a thing that didn’t belong to her. The Timmonses had been too kind. The only thing she’d take were the memories of how a real family was supposed to love and treat their own.
Shoving aside the depressing thoughts — and she had plenty—Bert moved down the row of peas. Think of a song. Something to take your mind off Simon and Leon. Escaping into her mind usually worked when she felt powerless over the circumstances around her.
Angry voices seized her attention, and she spun around to find out what was going on. Leon had let John and Mr. Oberlander know he didn’t have much use for either of them. Bert held her breath. Sounded like Leon wanted to fight John, but then Mr. Oberlander fired him. Only a deaf person could have ignored Leon’s final words—and threats.
One more reason to leave the Timmons ranch.
John was surprised Victor Oberlander lingered at the ranch after he sent Leon packing. Racer and Queen Victoria were getting along fine, so there wasn’t any reason to stick around.
“Is Miss Leah around?” Oberlander stared at the house.
Misgiving crept across John’s mind. “Yes sir. She’s inside, most likely baking bread.”
Oberlander had the same moonfaced look that Evan had when he looked at Bert. What was happening to this family? John had paid no mind to the many times his neighbor made a point of speaking to Mama on Sunday mornings and making sure he either sat with them in church or close by. Now it all made sense—and John didn’t like it one bit.
“I’d like to say hello to your mama if you don’t mind. Just to be sociable.”
“She’ll want to offer you a glass of cool water or fresh buttermilk.” John wrestled with being hospitable or asking Oberlander about his intentions. No one had appeared interested in Mama’s company since Pa died. Oh, a US Marshal had written her for a while, but his letters stopped coming about three years ago.
Oberlander seemed like a decent fellow, but this was John’s mother. Earlier conversations with the rancher about women pelted his mind like fist-sized hail.
“Water sounds good.” Oberlander took a few steps, then turned to John. “Your mama’s a fine woman.”
“That she is.” Right then John decided he didn’t like any man thinking about his mama in the same terms he thought about Bert.
“She shouldn’t work so hard. A woman like her needs an easier life.”
John sensed heat rising up his neck. “We all work together here. Bert’s been a big help.”
Oberlander studied him. “I don’t mean any disrespect, son. Just making an observation.”
I’m not your son. Neither do I have any notion to be related to you.
Oberlander tipped his hat. “I’ll be greeting Miss Leah now.”
John watched the big man saunter toward the front porch with feelings as varied as the different shades of rock in the distant mountains. For a moment he thought Oberlander looked skittish. Was Mama aware of the man’s interest?
Evan made his way to John’s side. “Is he wanting to court Mama?” The words sounded incredulous, but John knew the answer.
“Why do you say that?”
“Ever watch how he looks at her on Sundays?”
Mama seemed happy with the way life was. Didn’t she? “Never paid any attention.”
“That’s your problem.” Evan spit his answer like a man with a chaw of tobacco in his mouth. “All you think about’s the ranch.”
John focused his attention on Oberlander. He didn’t know which was worse—Mama courtin’ or Evan chasing after Bert. The two problems continued to pick at him.
He paused in his thinking when Mama opened the door and smiled at Oberlander. She was simply being neighborly. If Oberlander returned with no purpose but to call on her, then John would step in. As head of the household, he needed to protect Mama from getting hurt or letting some man take advantage of her.
“I’m going to take Bert a drink of water,” Evan said. “She’s been working in the garden for a long time. Wouldn’t want her to get sick from the heat.”
John frowned. This matter he could handle. “I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time around her.”
“Maybe so. She’s right pretty. Works hard too. Makes a man think about the future.”
John wanted to take a swing at him. “What about your schooling? This isn’t the time to worry over a girl — especially one you don’t know a thing about. You have years ahead of you after schooling to consider a woman.”
“I know enough about Bert to make a good decision.”
John dug his fingernails into his palms. This was worse than he suspected. Much worse. “Are you two sneaking off when I’m not around?”
Evan snapped his attention John’s way. “Now when would we sneak off? I happen to take what I do around here seriously, big brother. And in case you’re blind, you and I work side by side.”
John swallowed a shovelful of regret. “You’re right. Don’t know why I accused you of shirking.” That wasn’t what he’d insinuated, but it would do for now.
“I think you have your sights on Bert and want me to stand aside.”
The comment took John aback, especially when he felt certain he’d hid his feelings. “You know better than that. How many times have you boys said I was married to the ranch?”
“I didn’t say a word about getting married. But you must be thinking about it.” Evan crossed his arms over his chest, his feet firmly planted on the ground. “I don’t want to argue like a couple of schoolboys fussin’ over who’s to get the biggest piece of pie.”
Whoa. What brought this on? “Neither do I. We’re men, and we should be able to talk about any differences.”
“So you admit to l
iking Bert?”
John scowled, not wanting to lie when he didn’t understand his own heart, and yet not wanting to encourage Evan. Bringing up the horse thief charges or her refusal to reveal where she’d come from might drive his brother closer to her. “Like I already said, I’m concerned about your education. Becoming a veterinarian means a commitment to studying hard for a long time. It would be next to impossible while courtin'.”
“Not impossible.”
“Right. Remember a few years back when the McCaw gang killed Pa and then kidnapped Davis?”
“I do. Who in this family could forget?”
“Remember when I went after them alone?”
“Sure. You nearly got yourself killed.”
“The reason I almost came back in a pine box was because I didn’t have the knowledge to go along with my thinking. Same thing with Bert. All you’ve talked about for years is becoming a vet, but now you want to court Bert too. One thing at a time, Evan. That’s all I’m suggesting.”
“What if she feels the same way for me? Because I believe she does.”
Had Bert broken her word? “If she does, I’d think she’d want you to do what’s best for your future—maybe her future too. The Bible says love doesn’t take. It gives.”
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”
John swallowed his frustration. If he wasn’t careful, they’d be scuffling in the dirt. “Why don’t you slow down? Wait on speaking your mind until after she’s fulfilled her obligations here.” Maybe she’d leave the area, and all of John’s worries about her and Evan would be for naught.
Evan leaned on one leg. “What am I supposed to do in the meantime?”
Nothing on the ranch had prepared John for this. “Be her friend. Besides, she’s only seventeen.”
“I could find out her birthday.”
“Be careful about asking too many questions. She gets aggravated when I provoke her.”
“Maybe you need to be nicer—not so surly. Mama acts like she hung the moon, and she found out her given name.”
“When did this happen?”
Evan shrugged. “Davis told me yesterday.”