Dear Jessica, You have no idea how much trouble, misery, embarrassment, hard feelings, and money your actions have caused me. The Fletchers have now refused to grant me any support and friendship. They are making my social life and acceptance here impossible. It’s all your fault. How could you accuse such fine men of such wickedness? Just because Wilbur made a mistake, that gave you no right or reason to attack them. They will have nothing to do with me now, and are encouraging everyone to ostracize me. I shall have to move to another city to begin a new life for a second time. I will send you my address when I’m settled. I shall expect my yearly payments on schedule or I shall be forced to confiscate the ranch for your debt. If you’ve read the Fletchers’ letter, you know they gave Wilbur’s ranch to me. That means, dear sister, you still owe me forty thousand dollars as the balance of our deal. Family or not, it is a legal contract that states I regain possession if you happen to default. Tell Gran and Tom hello.
The letter was signed, Mrs. Mary Louise Fletcher.
“What a little bitch she is,” Jessica said in exasperation to her grandmother. “If she ever steps foot here again, I’ll take a whip to her buttocks!”
“And I’ll hold her for you,” Gran replied. “Such an ungrateful and selfish girl. How could she have turned out so badly?”
“That fancy school and those so-called friends filled her head with crazy ideas. I’m glad she’s gone. Sometimes I can’t believe she’s my sister. There isn’t any Lane in her. How can she say the Fletchers gave her no widow’s support, when they deeded her the ranch. And I paid her forty thousand dollars cash four months ago, and she’ll get five more every year for eight years. How much money does that girl need?
“My sister better lasso herself another rich husband before she spends all her money. I won’t give her a dollar more than I owe her or another pinch of sympathy. She’s trampled our love and loyalty into the ground. She’ll never be welcome here again. I’m finished with her. I’ll settle my debt with her as soon as Matt returns with the money, all of it. I want the ranch title clear of any threat from her and those devious Fletchers.”
“Don’t get yourself so worked up over her, Jessie. It isn’t good for the baby. Mary Louise made her choice; she deserted and betrayed us. One day she’ll be sorry. The Good Lord always punishes such wickedness.”
Jessie tried to calm herself. “I used to feel sorry for her, Gran. I tried to believe her problems weren’t her fault. But they are. She made herself and us miserable. She wanted to capture a dream that she’ll discover in the future is a nightmare. Love and family are the most important things in life. She’s turned her back on them for pleasures of the flesh. Heaven only knows what’s in store for my little sister.”
Thursday, against her grandmother’s pleas, Jessie rode into Davis with Rusty to get rid of Mary Louise for good
* * *
In mid-November, the three women and Tom were sitting in the parlor after dinner before a cozy fire. Jessie giggled and caressed her stomach.
“What is it?” Gran asked, looking at her glowing granddaughter.
“The baby—it moved. I thought it was my imagination the last few times. It’s like…a feather tickling my insides.”
“Baby?” Tom echoed, dropping his book and coming to sit beside her.
Jessie smiled at her brother and said, “Yes, Tom; Matt and I are expecting a baby next spring. You’ll be an uncle.”
“You’ll be a mother,” he said, amazement shining in his wide gaze.
“That’s right.” She ruffled his hair and grinned.
“This is exciting!” he shouted. “Annie, my sister’s gonna have a baby!”
“I know, Tom. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Am I the last one to learn anything around here?” he asked, feigning anger.
Gran cuffed his chin and said, “It’s women’s business until it shows, Tom.”
“Does it hurt?” he asked, gazing at her stomach.
“Not yet, but I hear birth can give a few pains,” she jested.
“Don’t be funny. You’ll be all right, won’t you?”
“Of course. Having babies is woman’s work, a natural thing. When he’s born, you can play with him. Would you like that, Uncle Tom?”
“Is it a boy?” he questioned, seriousness filling his gaze and voice.
“I don’t know. Unborns are usually called he, but it might be a girl.”
“I bet she’ll be as pretty as you and Annie,” he remarked.
“It could be a boy. Then he’d be like a little brother to you.”
“I’ll be fourteen. Big boys don’t play with babies.”
“Said who, Mr. Thomas Lane?” she teased.
As if enlightened to something wonderful, he replied, “You’re right, Jessie. Can I feel him move?”
“Not yet, just me. When he starts kicking hard, I’ll let you feel him.”
His eyes were full of wonder, then panic. “Will he be all right, Jessie?”
“What do you mean?” she inquired.
“Will he be good?”
“Good?”
“Not broken like I am. Or die like my brothers.”
Martha grasped Tom’s hand and squeezed it. “He’ll be a fine baby, Tom.”
The boy looked at his silent sister. “I’m sorry, Jess. I didn’t mean to scare you. He’ll be perfect. Won’t he, Annie?”
“I’m sure he will, Tom. Why don’t I help you with that arithmetic?” the girl offered.
After the two went to Tom’s room, Jessie glanced at her grandmother and asked, “He will be all right, won’t he, Gran? God wouldn’t punish an innocent child for my wickedness?”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Jessie. But if he isn’t, you won’t be to blame.”
“Are you certain, Gran? You said God punishes wickedness.”
“What you did with Navarro was love, Jessie, not evil. It should come after marriage, but that doesn’t make it any less special.”
“I did love him, Gran.”
“Did?” the older woman repeated.
“Do,” Jessie admitted. “But it’s different now. I still think about him, but most of the pain and bitterness are gone. I just want him to be safe and happy like I am. I accept we can’t share a life together. I have Matt now, and I’m happy.”
“I’m glad, Jessie. But if you want to keep the baby safe, you should stay home. Riding is hard and dangerous for both of you.”
“I had to go into town, Gran. I wanted Mary Louise paid off, so I wouldn’t have to worry about her treachery any more. That puts us low on money, but Matt will be home in a few weeks to replace it.”
“It was risky, child. What if the market was bad or they get robbed? You should have waited and talked it over with your husband.”
“Perhaps, but I’d rather owe the bank than any Fletcher, Gran. If the worst happens, we can get a loan until next season, or sell stock to the Army and miners. I wanted that debt and title cleared.”
“You sure you trust that Brazel detective you hired to carry it to her?”
“Yes, Gran, I do. While he’s there; he’s to check out the Fletcher brothers. I have to make certain they’ve really backed down. I don’t trust men like them. Or that Jubal Starns. I’m having him checked on, too. Before we start a new year, I needed all those problems laid to rest. They will be soon.”
Jessie heard the commotion of men and horses outside and realized—after over ten weeks—her husband and the hands had returned. Joy was her first reaction and she started to race outdoors to welcome the boys and Matt. Panic halted her. She fretted over how Matt would take her news. Men were considered the heads of homes, the protectors, and the decision-makers. They wanted wives to be dependent upon them, and submissive.
Jessie had known Mathew Cordell for ages, but she wasn’t sure of his innermost views on marriage, and a wife’s role. What, she asked herself, if he was annoyed and disappointed with her? The forty thousand dollars she had withdrawn and spent was theirs. What i
f he considered her action impulsive and hasty? What if he had decided not to pay off Mary Louise in a lump sum?
Time passed, and Matt didn’t join her. Jessie began to pace the bedroom and wonder what was delaying him. Why hadn’t he rushed to her side? She wanted to have their reunion in private. If he didn’t come soon, she would go downstairs to greet him.
Jessie went into the water closet and glanced out the window that overlooked the front yard. She saw her husband talking with Rusty Jones. She had asked the new foreman and longtime hand to let her be the one to relate the news to Matt. She wondered if Rusty was obeying. Judging from Matt’s face and his rigid stance, he was pretty upset. She saw Matt yank off his hat and run his fingers through tousled, shoulder-length brown hair. He hadn’t shaved since the first week of September when roundup began, three months ago. His clothes were dusty and wrinkled. He tooked tired and distressed.
When Matt glanced toward the front door, then up at the window, Jessie jerked aside and her heartbeat increased. She admonished herself for her silly reaction. She wasn’t actually spying on him. So why did she feel guilty and devious? Why did she wish so hard that she could overhear them? Why did she have this oppressive feeling that something terrible was wrong?
Jessie turned from the window to check her appearance in the mirror. Her freshly washed hair was brushed and hanging free. Her complexion was clear, but her cheeks were a little too rosy. At least the let-out waist and full skirt of her dark-blue dress didn’t blatantly show her condition. Yet her bosom was noticeably fuller. She knew the bodice was snug and revealing, as there had been no excess seam to enlarge. This dress would have to be put away soon, if her sensitive breasts grew any more. But it was too late to change clothes.
What are you doing out there, Matt? Hurry, so I can get my confession over with, so we can enjoy your homecoming. The timing is perfect: tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. I don’t want to spoil your return. What is Rusty telling you?
* * *
Matt felt an urgent need to speak with his wife about his visit to the jeweler, and, even more, his strange talk with Rusty Jones echoed through his mind:
“Been any trouble, Rusty?”
“Let Jessie tell you everything. She’s anxious to see you, Boss.”
“Anything wrong?”
“She’ll explain.”
“Why don’t you tell me, so I won’t have to tire Jessie?”
“I promised Jessie she could give the news.”
“Any visitors while I’ve been gone?”
“Not many.”
“Who were they? What did they want?”
“Why don’t you go on inside, Boss, and let Jessie talk to you? I ain’t the one to speak in her place.”
Rusty hadn’t exposed anything, but Matt had perceived that plenty was afoot. His anxiety mounted when Gran refused to give any clues, and Tom didn’t come greet him. Even Annie wasn’t in the kitchen, and he suspected she had sneaked out the back door to avoid him. Something was wrong.
Matt trudged upstairs and entered their bedroom. He closed the door and glanced at his wife as she left the water closet. She didn’t run into his arms as he’d hoped and dreamed since leaving her side. She, too, looked worried and wary.
“Has Navarro returned, Jessie? Is he here now?”
Stunned at those queries, Jessie stared at him in confusion. “No, why?”
“Are you sure?” he pressed.
“Yes, Matt, I’m positive. Why would you think about him? Or doubt me? I swear I haven’t seen him or heard from him since he left over five months ago.”
“Did you give him this?” he asked, withdrawing her locket from his vest and dangling it before her pale face.
Jessie’s quivering hands took it. She opened the catch, stared inside, then asked, “How did you get it back? Did you see him? Where is my picture?”
“It was sold to a jeweler in Dodge, where your father bought his last watch. I went in to buy you a Christmas gift while the papers were being drawn up for the cattle sale. I saw it and realized I hadn’t seen you wearing yours since the fire. I figured you’d lost it that night, and it would be nice to have a new one for the baby’s picture. The jeweler said he hadn’t been able to sell it because it was marked with the last owner’s initials: JML. Said he’d make me a good deal on it if we didn’t mind. JML, Jessica Marie Lane,” Matt ventured. “Right?”
Jessie swallowed hard. She was confused, and frightened for Navarro. She was also hurting for Matt. “Yes, it’s mine. And yes, I gave it to Navarro. It was a farewell gift, Matt. I don’t understand. Why would he remove the picture and sell it? He must have needed money badly.”
“The man who sold it didn’t fit Navarro’s description. He told the jeweler he won it in a card game in New Mexico in late June. That means Navarro headed that way after leaving here.”
“I don’t know where he headed or where he is now. I swear it. Maybe the man stole it from him, or maybe it didn’t mean anything special to Navarro, or maybe that man took it after he…”
“Killed Navarro?” Matt finished for her. “A man like that lives by his guns, Jessie, and usually dies by them.”
“Don’t say that!” she shrieked.
Matt looked and sounded crushed by her reaction. “I’m sorry this hurts you so deeply, Jessie. I know you still love him and hope he isn’t dead. Maybe he isn’t. Maybe he’s on the way here now, after you.”
“Don’t say that, either, Matt. It isn’t true. Even if it were, it wouldn’t change anything between us. I’m your wife; I’ll always be your wife. I love you.”
“But you loved him first; you love him more,” he remarked sadly.
“First, yes; but more, no. You must believe that, Matt. I don’t want him killed or hanged, but I wouldn’t leave you for him. There had to be a good reason why he gave up the locket. I’m afraid for him, but I’m happy you bought it. Maybe this is fate’s way of proving to us that it’s over between me and Navarro. Maybe he didn’t love me as much as he thought he did. Maybe he’s found someone new to love. If he truly cared about me, don’t you think he would have at least sent me word that he’s safe? I think it’s time I told you the whole truth about Navarro Breed, so we can forget about him.”
“Breed? I thought his name was Jones.”
“No, Matt, it isn’t. Navarro Breed is a fugitive from an Arizona prison. He was convicted of a gold robbery. He killed a guard to escape a few months before we met.” Jessie related Navarro’s life history to her shocked husband. “If he’s recaptured, he’ll hang. But he swore he would never let them take him alive. That’s why he left and why he can’t ever come back. Never, Matt.”
Matt paced the room, deep in thought. Everything made sense now. He knew Navarro loved Jessie and had given her up to protect her. The desperado hadn’t betrayed and deserted Jessie. Losing and leaving her must have been the hardest thing he’d endured in his grim existence. Matt felt a wave of sympathy for the fugitive. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know or understand how hard it had been on both of you.”
“Matt, I don’t want him to return to me, but I do want him to be safe and happy somewhere far away. He’s no threat to you; I promise.”
He walked to her and caressed her cheek. “I’m glad you told me the truth, Jessie. I can relax now. I was plenty worried. When Rusty acted so crazy and wouldn’t answer my questions, I thought Navarro was back.”
“That isn’t what I asked Rusty to let me tell you. I’m glad you’re home, Matt. So much happened while you were gone. I wanted to wait until you got back so we could handle the situation together, but I couldn’t. Please don’t be angry with me. I did it all for us. I had to.”
“Did what, Jessie?”
She explained about finding Wilbur Fletcher’s packet of information in the water closet two weeks after his departure. Matt looked shocked to hear about the railroad line. She told him about her meeting with Sheriff Toby Cooper and about hiding the evidence in the line shack. She explained that she had planned to wa
it for him before taking action against the villains, but the letters from the Fletcher brothers and Mary Louise had forced her hand. She told him what she’d written to the authorities, Fletcher’s brothers, and her sister, and about the answers she’d received. She hurriedly went on to tell how she had withdrawn the forty thousand dollars, sent it to her sister, hired detectives to check on the brothers and on Jubal Starns, and what had happened with the hotel owner.
“I should have Mary Louise’s receipt soon; then the ranch title will be clear. Gran was upset with me for paying her off without asking you, but I just wanted it over with, Matt. And I had to be sure the Fletchers and Starns wouldn’t try anything else against us, especially before your return.”
“Mercy, a lot happened while I was gone. I should have stayed home, Jessie. I should have let Jake Bass handle the drive. He’s the best trail boss in the west. You could have been hurt. You shouldn’t have had to deal with this by yourself.”
“Are you angry because I did all that without you?”
Matt gathered her into his arms. “No, my love. You’re strong and smart. I knew you could take care of yourself and the ranch. That’s why I didn’t worry much leaving you here. But I thought the trouble was over or I wouldn’t have gone. You’ve always run or helped run everything for Jed. Your strength and courage are parts of you that I love and respect. I don’t want to change you, Jessie. I don’t feel less of a man because you can manage alone. I’m relieved, in case anything ever happened to me.”
“Most men don’t feel that way about their wives, Matt. Most men would be furious about a woman taking control.”
“I’m not most men, Mrs. Cordell,” he said, then chuckled as he hugged her.
“I thought I knew you, Matt. But you surprise me more and more.”
“I hope in a good way.”
“Yes, a very good way.” She nestled closer to his broad chest.
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