Follow The Wind

by Janelle Taylor

  Father and daughter walked to where the sheriff, Fletcher, and two men hitched their reins to the corral. Matt and the others gathered around, too.

  The lanky lawman looked at the Lanes and their hands. “Jed, boys, I have to ask you a few questions. Mr. Fletcher has made some accusations against you.”

  “About what this time?” Jessie asked with a disgusted sneer.

  “Robbery” came the reply Jed, Jessie, and Matt didn’t expect.

  “Robbery? Of what?” Jessie inquired in a sarcastic tone.

  “His payroll and bank withdrawal. His men were killed and robbed yesterday on the way home from the bank.”

  Jessie eyed Fletcher, then the sheriff. “You think we did it?”

  “The tracks led here, Miss Jessie.”

  “That’s impossible. Fletcher probably hid his money and is trying to frame us for a crime that never happened. How are we supposed to know about his money and travels?”

  “You took it because I kept you from getting those sales and loans,” the other rancher accused. “You said you’d find another way to survive. It won’t be on my money, Jed. Turn it over and I’ll have Toby drop the charges.”

  “We don’t have your payroll. We don’t steal or murder. None of my men have been off this ranch for a long time. I’ll swear that on the Holy Bible.”

  “You’d swear anything to get back at me and for fifty thousand dollars!”

  “Fifty thousand dollars,” Jessie murmured, wide-eyed. This was the first time she had seen Fletcher lose his temper. If the theft was for real, she could understand why. “Isn’t that a bit much for a small ranch payroll? Something is funny here, Sheriff.”

  The man glared at the redhead. “I ordered a new bull and stud. They’re arriving this week. The man wanted cash.”

  “Then I’d say he’s the only one who knew you’d be withdrawing so much.”

  “She has a point, Mr. Fletcher.”

  “She’s wrong. The seller wouldn’t know when I’d withdraw the cash.”

  “Neither would we, especially since we didn’t know about the purchases.”

  “If you’ll check my account, Sheriff, you’ll see I don’t have his money.”

  “No man would be fool enough to deposit stolen money, Jed. You need cash.”

  “I got plenty until I make my fall sales.”

  “How?” Fletcher scoffed.

  “There are plenty of markets west of here—forts, reservations, mining towns.”

  Jessie wished her father hadn’t mentioned their prospects. Now Fletcher would try to block them, too. She saw the man’s brow lift in interest.

  “What about that drifter you hired to fight me?”

  “He’s been gone almost two weeks.”

  “Why did he leave?” Fletcher asked.

  “We had a private disagreement. I fired him. If he was still around, we would have seen him while riding range. We haven’t.”

  “I want my money, Jed.”

  Mary Louise had ceased her task and joined the group. “We don’t have it, Wil—Mr. Fletcher. That drifter left weeks ago as Father said, and none of the other men have left the ranch. We had a terrible stampede here, and my little brother was almost killed. My grandmother and I were in the middle of it, too. The men have been staying close to protect us. I swear this is all true.”

  Fletcher smiled at the blonde. “I’m sorry to appear so upset, Miss Mary Louise, but it is a great deal of money to lose. I’m relieved none of you were injured during that stampede.”

  “It would suit you fine if we’d all been killed,” Jessie retorted. To the sheriff, she said, “We didn’t contact you, sir, because we didn’t think you could do anything about it. Dynamite was set off in all directions, and the herds were sent charging toward here. We barely stopped them before they reached the barn.”

  “Dynamite, you say?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Sounds like the same man, or men, who blasted Mr. Fletcher’s windmills. I’ll check around to see who’s been purchasing it.”

  “I doubt you’ll find anything. Fletcher here probably had his hirelings steal it.”

  “You’ve a bad tongue on you, Jedidiah Lane.”

  “Better a bad tongue than a black heart and mind.”

  “This quarreling won’t help matters. It’s time we leave. I’ll come back when I learn something, Jed.”

  “If you learn something,” Jessie corrected the sheriff. “Mr. Fletcher is very clever and determined; but so are we.”

  That night in her bed, Jessie wondered if Navarro had robbed Fletcher before traveling on. Surely if he was still around, he would have contacted her by now. Torment filled her—the anguish of not knowing where or who he was or the true reason he had deserted her. But she could not bring herself to regret loving him. Navarro had brought her a wild, passionate, and reckless love just when she needed it most. He had made her realize it was time to think of love, marriage, home, and children. If the past few months were all she would ever have of him, now she knew what her life was missing. He had taught her it was time to think of her desires, and the future. She had done her duties and responsibilities for others; it was time to do them for herself.

  How, she didn’t know yet. Navarro’s loss was too fresh and painful. Too, someday he might return to her…or for her. Yet, she admitted, there was little hope for that. All he had needed to say was Wait for me, I love you, I have to leave for a vital reason, or anything like that. But he had held silent. Whatever had driven him away, he had kept secret. He had accepted her job, done it as long as permitted, and ridden off saying he couldn’t ever come back.

  Should she, Jessie wondered, allow herself to hope and dream? Could Navarro kill the ghosts that haunted him? Tears slipped from her eyes into her hair as she sensed that whatever stood between them was too strong to forget.

  * * *

  On Saturday night, the sounds of gunfire, breaking glass, and galloping horses shattered the slumber of all on the Lane ranch. Men rushed from the bunkhouse, yanking on clothes and carrying weapons. But it was over; the danger had passed.

  Matt and the other hands hurried to the house to see if anyone was hurt. Jed opened the door and shouted they were fine. The men continued on to join him on the porch.

  “Damn that bastard! I told him we didn’t take his money!”

  Gran, Tom, Jessie, and Mary Louise came outside to listen.

  The shaking blonde shrieked, “You’ll get us all killed, Father, if you don’t sell out! Even if it is Mr. Fletcher, we can’t win.”

  “Hush, girl, we aren’t backing down now or ever.”

  “They weren’t trying to kill us, little sister. All the bullets were aimed for the tops of the windows. None of us is that tall.”

  “They still fired at us!” the girl argued. “Go after the sheriff.”

  “That won’t do any good.”

  “Then send our men after them.”

  “And let them lure us away like before for a worse reason? We can’t trail them at night, and their tracks will be covered by morning.”

  “I’ll post guards around the place,” Matt said.

  “That’s about all we can do,” Jed agreed. “Whoever goes on duty, be real careful-like. Jessie might be right about them trying to get us to race after them so they can double back and attack again. Light plenty of lanterns; let them know we’re on alert. If he’s got men out there watching, the others won’t return tonight.”

  “Tomorrow we can patch the windows until we can get new panes next week,” Matt suggested. “It hasn’t rained in a long time, but a storm could break any day now.”

  Jed gazed skyward and remarked, “Weather’s been odd this spring. Been too warm and dry for this time of year, and getting hotter every day. The mills and rivers are dropping low. Keep your eye alert, Matt. After that dynamite stunt, a violent thunderstorm could set off another stampede. After all this rustling and the last panic and the shootings, I’ve lost nigh onto ten thousand head. That
’s near a three-hundredthousand-dollar loss at market time, and that bastard is fuming over a mere fifty thousand! We also need to keep the garden watered so we won’t lose our crop. I surely hope it rains soon. If it don’t we’ll be in a bind as tight as Fletcher’s.”

  Sunday night, under a lessening full moon, Jessie and Matt waited until the wee hours of the morning before retaliating. From rifle range and different sides of the house, they rapidly shot out windows in Fletcher’s home. Matt rushed to join Jessie at the assigned place.

  They mounted and galloped toward safety. Men rushed to pursue them. Before long, they noticed a fiery streak like a shooting star.

  Jessie’s heart pounded and her blue eyes widened. “It’s a flaming arrow! The bastard is signaling somebody ahead of us! He must have taken the idea from that Indian ruse we pulled. We have to hurry before we’re cut off.”

  “They’re trying to trap us between forces. Let’s head south and return from that way. If we get separated, keep riding southward until it’s safe.”

  “If I slow you or get wounded, don’t stop, Matt.”

  “I’d never leave you behind.”

  “You must. The law will go easier on a distraught and emotional woman than on you. Promise me you’ll obey. It’s an order from your boss!”

  To settle her down, Matt promised, but he knew he would never obey. He guided them southward to skirt Fletcher’s ambush. “They’ll head for the ranch to see who’s missing. We can’t waste time.”

  As dawn approached, they rode hard and fast. The terrain was a blend of grasslands and rolling hills. The ranch was in the midst of a series of little valleys full of trees and hillocks that was set inside a large valley surrounded by ridges and mountains that were no trouble to cross. Southward and northward were tabletop mesas and more desertlike territory. The flatlands were often dotted by amaranth: roundish green scrubs that broke free of their roots in fall, dried to prickly balls, and tumbled across the landscape forever like restless ghosts. This area was usually tranquil and fragrant; the many wildflowers made it seem as though a special garden had bloomed amidst the harsh surroundings as a gift from heaven. But now the lack of rain had left its mark, mainly in the wilting grass.

  As they neared the ranch, they saw Wilbur Fletcher and a band of men nearing the settled area. “Let’s sneak in the back of the barn,” Jessie whispered. “I have an idea.”

  It was light now, so they had to be cautious. At the last gate, they unsaddled their horses and let them go free, away from the corral their foe was certain to check for sweaty mounts. They tossed their gear over the fence and hoped they wouldn’t be noticed at that distance, as bridles and saddles had been needed for a swift getaway pace. If checked, the damp undersides would expose their recent use.

  As the family and hands hurried out to see what the neighbor wanted this early, they slipped to the barn and entered by the back door, then bolted it from the inside. They sneaked to the front door and listened to the talk outside. They peeked through cracks at the hirelings who checked the home and bunkhouse.

  “How dare you!” Jed thundered. “Sheriff Cooper will hear of this outrage!”

  “Don’t fight me on this, Jed!” Fletcher shouted. “I don’t want to get tough, but I have to know who’s missing. I see all of your men except your foreman. And where is that fiery daughter of yours? Two people attacked me hours ago. They couldn’t have beaten us here. I had guards posted along our boundaries. Seems you’re caught red-handed this time. What’s it worth for me not to have them charged and imprisoned? It’s dealing time, Jed; you’ve lost our battle.”

  Jessie sensed what was coming and prepared them while Fletcher ranted at her father. She pressed a finger to her lips for silence, then smiled. Matt watched with intrigue as she loosened his shirt from his pants and mussed his brown hair. She unbraided her own, tousled it, and tossed pieces of hay on both their heads and clothes. They exchanged grins.

  Jessie opened the barn door and looked outside. The creaking of it caused all eyes to rivet in that direction. Looking as if caught during wanton play, she glanced at her father and shrugged. As she pulled straw from her auburn tresses, she said, “We’re in here, Papa. We were…talking and haying the cows. We started tussling like children. You know how Matt and I are at times.”

  As she pushed open the door, Matt was brushing off himself and trying to gain control of his wayward emotions. The intimate illusion she had created was arousing, and he wished it were more than a deception. He hurriedly tucked in his shirt as if he thought no one was noting his action. He jammed his hat over uncombed hair with its telltale gleams of hay. “What’s wrong, Boss?” he asked, knowing Jed would grasp their ruse and not be angry. Matt assumed Jed’s uneasy demeanor was part of their ploy to mislead Fletcher.

  “Mighty early to be cleaning the barn,” Jed remarked with a feigned scowl, playing along with their clever stunt. He liked the way they looked and worked together, and was annoyed he hadn’t pushed a closer relationship sooner. He didn’t know why he hadn’t realized before that Matt was perfect for Jessie and the ranch, and the foreman would keep her mind off that drifter should he return.

  Jessie saw a curious twinkle in her father’s eyes. “Papa, we—”

  “Later, Jess. We have other business to handle.” Jed turned to his foe and charged, “I know you only came here to see how we took your shooting party Saturday night. You can’t trick me by claiming we shot up your home last night. If anybody did, you can see it wasn’t us. Get off my property and don’t come back. No more offers, ’cause they’re useless. And if you ever send your men over here to shoot at my house again, I’ll kill you, you sorry bastard.”

  Fletcher looked confused before he could conceal his surprise. “If everyone’s here, it must be that drifter again. You lied about him leaving.”

  Mary Louise, wearing a pretty dress as usual, vowed, “He’s really gone, sir. He tried to ravish me, so Father fired him over two weeks ago.”

  “The beast,” Fletcher murmured, then looked her over as if checking for damage. “Maybe he’s the one who’s attacking both of us.”

  “You said shots came from two directions,” Carlos reminded him.

  “Perhaps he’s hired a partner for profit against me and revenge against you.”

  “That is farfetched, hombre,” Miguel scoffed.

  “You can see we’re all here,” Jed told him, “and you can tell none have been gone. Unlike you, we have no unbranded horses or strangers around. As you said, it must be somebody after both of us. We better watch our backs.”

  “I don’t know how, Jed, but I’m sure you’re behind the robbery, rustling, and the shooting.”

  “A third charge now? All you gotta do is send for the sheriff and prove it.”

  Fletcher’s scowl deepened. “I handle my own affairs.”

  “Is that why you came over with him the other day?” Jessie taunted. “And why you have twenty-five men on payroll for a small ranch? Do you pay them to watch you do your own dirty work? I doubt it, Fletcher.”

  “You’ve inherited your father’s nature, Miss Jessie, but you won’t inherit this ranch. Before long, it will be mine,” he warned. “Let’s go, men!”

  After they rode away, Jessie whooped with delight and hugged Matt. She could not resist planting a kiss on his cheek. “We did it, Matt.”

  The others, all except Mary Louise, understood the interchange and grinned or chuckled. As the couple hugged and others praised them, she caught on to their ruse. “Congratulations, Jessica; you two fooled them.”

  “He’s too cocky, so he thinks we aren’t as smart as him,” Jessie said. “And just wait until he tastes our next sour trick. Right, Matt?”

  “What is that?” the blonde inquired.

  “I don’t know. Matt and I haven’t made it up yet, but it will be a bitter one.” Jessie looked at the nodding foreman, sent him a conspiratorial smile, and squeezed his hand. She felt him return the meaningful gesture with a firm grip.

/>   Monday night, Jed invited Matt to have dinner with them. During the meal, the foreman mentioned that the two men he had sent after the new windowpanes would return tomorrow so the panes could be replaced on Wednesday. They discussed the unusually dry weather once more. Matt told them the irrigation troughs from the well behind the house to the garden would prevent any loss of that crop.

  When Mary Louise asked what their next plans against Fletcher were, Jessie replied, “We don’t know yet. We have to be careful and sly, because he’s on watch now. We have to come up with ways to discourage him. If he sees it’s going to be an impossible battle, maybe he’ll leave this area. There are plenty of good locations nearer to Fort Davis or on the high plains west of us. I’d like to see him leave Texas altogether.”

  “If he’s guilty, Jessica, he’s going to become more and more dangerous. If you two push him too far, those bullets might strike lower next time. I’m scared.”

  Gran patted her hand and said, “We all are, girl, but we can’t let him win.”

  “If any or all of us are hurt or killed, will your victory be worth it, Father?”

  “No Lane has ever been a coward, girl.”

  “Isn’t it better to be a live coward than a dead hero?”

  “For some people, it might, little sister, but not for us.”

  After the meal, Jessie and Matt took a walk. “This may sound awful, Matt,” the redhead told him, “but I don’t want our plans talked about around Mary Louise. There’s something about the way she’s acting about Fletcher that makes me nervous. I know she can’t be warning him, because there’s no opportunity. But I don’t like her attitude. It might just suit her fine for him to run us off our land.”