"Actually, I came to Vada to find a husband. You may not believe this, but I'm a mail order bride, only I've got to find my own husband. It wasn't pre-arranged or anything."
"Mail order bride, eh?" Mae stared at her, mouth hanging open. "Now that's something I wouldn't have guessed."
Jo Ella placed the hot cornbread on the table and sat down.
"You don't look desperate for a man to me." Mae poured some beans onto their plates.
Jo Ella felt the need to explain. "Well, I don't know. I lived in a small town all my life. I want children and a family. Seems like the ones I'm attracted to don't want to settle down and marry. I want a home of my own."
She cut her chicken into smaller pieces. "So did you find a husband yet?"
"No, not exactly. I'm looking them over first."
"I'd look long and hard if I were you. Get yourself a man who stands on his own two feet, who has his head on straight. A lot of men intrigue, mystify even, but few stay the course," Mae instructed as though she knew what she were talking about. "You strike me as a strong young woman."
"Do I? Why is that?" Jo Ella was amused by the remark.
"Well, for one thing, you didn't have a hissy fit when Cole brought you here. You haven't screamed your head off or demanded anything. You're a calm woman for bein' kidnapped. You got your head on right, I think. But remember this, if you are lookin' fer one and they know it, they'll try to sweet talk you and trick into it. Be careful. Men are hard to figure sometimes. But courtin' and marryin' are two different things, you know." Mae sopped her beans with the cornbread. "A man can kiss you and make your head spin, but that don't mean he's got stayin' power. That don't mean he'll be there when things are tough. He can be the most exciting man you ever met and yet not have the one quality that will give you all those things you really want."
"You sound so wise."
"And you so surprised."
Jo Ella grew quiet.
She looked up at her. "Just because I'm Cole's sister don't mean I can't have some common sense."
"I agree." Jo Ella took a piece of chicken and buttered her cornbread. "I don't plan on jumpin' too quick."
"Good."
"Have you ever been married?"
"Once, a long time ago. He were so good lookin' and mighty eager to bed me. I told him he had to marry me first. That didn't bother him a bit. Carl was a charmer, but charmers don't last, honey. They can fill you full of lies and twist your head with their pretty words, but a man should have substance. I know that now. Wish I had then…"
"What happened?" Jo Ella listened quietly.
"He run off with Cole and started robbin' stage coaches. Got himself kilt is what he done. He was a trigger-happy man. Wanted a reputation. He got one, down on boot hill. He lived fast and hard, and loved the same."
"I'm sorry, Mae." Joe Ella glanced at Mae. The woman's hurt barely showed, only in her pained voice. "Did you love him? I mean really love him?"
"I thought I did. But as I get older, I realized that that wasn't love at all. You see, I didn't take the time to find out what was on the inside of him. And by the time I found out, it was way too late. He was a looker all right and could charm a snake, but there was something missing inside him. Sometimes the unexciting are deep down the most exciting."
"What was missing?"
"It was a heart. A real heart." Mae stared at her. "It's called character, moral character. That's what was missing. I found out too late, wasted too many tears on him, then suddenly realized one day I was better off without him."
"You never married again?"
"Naw. I learned my lesson. Oh, I've had a few want tos take me to wed, but I guess Carl made me leary of most men. I was afraid to chance it again. 'Course, Hinny, he lived with me. Was sort of a companion to me for years, helped me get this place going. But he weren't steady and I knew it, so I refused to marry him."
It grew real quiet as they ate their meal.
After a while, Mae looked at her and admitted, "You see, I found out that makin' love ain't the same as bein' in love. I wanted that security in my heart. I wanted more after Carl. I no longer wanted a pretty face and fancy words. I wanted a moral, good character of a husband who would do right no matter what. I wanted to find a man who would stand up to Cole and tell him what a mistake he was makin' and set an example. It just didn't happen fer me. And now in my older age, I realize I probably missed the right fella somewhere along the way. I do all right by myself. I've made this place what it is. Ain't much, but it's better than some. I try to make the best of things, the way they are. But now you, that's different, you are young and real pretty too."
Jo Ella looked out the window. She saw flowers growing along the walkway. She saw green meadows plowed and ready for seed. And she saw a woman worth her salt making the place a good place—a home.
"You've done well on your own, Mae."
"Not bad. I've had some good neighbors who help me as much as they can. But most of the work has been done by me and old Curly."
"Old Curly?"
"My mule out in the barn. She's a good one."
Jo Ella smiled. "I hope I can do as well as you someday."
"Just remember, if you want this marriage thing, then you gotta do a lot of lookin' and tryin' on first." Mae winked.
"I'll remember that."
Chapter Fourteen
Harry and Dillon had been tracking Cole's gang for several hours. It was nearly noon, and the sun was bearing down on them. "I'd have thought we would have caught up with them by now." Dillon frowned at Harry.
"They sure didn't go the way I thought they would. I don't have a clue where they are headed." Harry made them some coffee over the fire. They'd had a can of beans and some jerky.
Dillon's frustration at stopping and camping for the night had him pacing and pitching things about. Obviously he couldn't control the restlessness inside him. But Harry insisted it was useless to track at night.
"Wonder what's in this direction?" Dillon finally sat down after seeing to their horses. "He must know somethin' about where he's goin'."
"I don't know, but I reckon we'll find out soon enough. Just don't know where we are headed for sure. Could be Cole's got family in the area, or a hideout. I think his sister lives up this way, but I'm not sure where."
"That don't make much sense." Dillon protested almost everything Harry said this morning and Harry had gotten tired of it as the day wore on. "Why would he stop off and see kin folk, when he's on the run from a bank robbery?"
"I can't say. I don't know what's going on in his mind."
"I'm worried about Jo Ella," Dillon announced, as though he were the only one with that thought. "She's got to be frightened out of her mind."
"If she's still alive, she'll be all right. She's a tough lady. Give her a little credit."
"Now what's that supposed to mean?"
Obviously Dillon didn't get much rest last night either, Harry concluded. He was a real bear to live with right now. Harry wished Dillon hadn't come.
"Just what I said. She's tough. When Cole grabbed her, she didn't scream. She used her head. That's what's going to keep her alive."
"How would you know?"
"I've talked to her. I also watched her reaction when they took her. She wasn't some squeamish girl who scared easily. She was watching them, almost like she was waiting for them to mess up. She'll be all right until they think they are safe. Then there is no tellin' what they might decide to do with her."
"You know her that well?" Dillon scoffed.
"Maybe."
"You put on this act like you aren't interested in her, but I can tell just by the way you talk about her that you got a lot of interest. You don't fool me for a minute." Dillon shot him a sarcastic glance. "I mean a real interest?"
Harry thought about it for a minute, but he didn't comment. He didn't want Dillon stirred up in any way. There was too much at stake. "I like her, if that's what you mean, I've never denied that, Dillon. But right now, she
's a hostage. My job is to protect her all I can and get her back to town safe. I aim to do that."
"What makes you so sure you can?" Sarcasm seeped through his voice.
Harry glanced at Dillon, as he threw his saddle down on the ground. "Because when we do catch up to them, I’m gonna let you be the hero and take her back to town. You take care of her, and I'll take care of Cole and his men. As soon as we find their camp, I want you to get ahold of her and you take her straight back to town."
Dillon shook his head and smiled sarcastically once more. "You think you can take the whole bunch, alone?"
"I think I can."
"Well, I don't. You're gonna need me. You just don't want to admit it." Dillon scoffed.
"What I need is to know she is safe. Then I can do my job. Distractions can mess up any plan, Dillon. But if I know you are taking care of her, I won't worry and I'll do what has to be done. One way or another. Besides, I'm paid to do my job, you aren't. No use both of us dying."
"Cole's good with a gun, Harry. And that Morey, he's better. Don't joke about dying. All I need is you dying like some hero to ruin everything."
" Cole might not be as good with a gun as Morey, but he does use his head. If I hadn't of known he was good, I would've taken him in the street in Vada. As it happens, Jo Ella was in the middle of it and I couldn't do anything."
Dillon propped himself against a tree trunk. "So you aren't plannin' a shootout with him, huh?"
"Not exactly. Although it probably will boil down to one, sooner or later. There's too many of them for a one-on-one shootout. And that, too, is to my advantage. Morey might just be faster than me, I wouldn't want to put it to the test. But I think I can take them by surprise."
"And what if you can't?" Dillon's face was a mask of emotions.
"If I can't, I guess you'll have to come after them and bring them in. For justice."
"Bring them in? I wouldn't waste my time. I'd shoot them on sight."
Harry stared into his coffee for a minute. "That's why I'm doing it my way first."
Dillon stretched his legs, crossed his boots, and took his hat off. "Why waste the time. We know they're guilty."
His frustration climbed all over Harry. "That's the difference in you and me. I put this badge on, and it means something. They got a right to a fair trial, like anybody else. That's my job, to ensure they get one. That's why some men are lawmen and some aren't. You gotta think about fairness and justice for all, Dillon. You can't go hangin' everyone who doesn't see things the way you do."
"Preachin' to me, sheriff? I hadn't counted on that."
"Maybe you need someone to. Your daddy was a fair man. He stood for justice, and the right and wrong of it."
"Yeah, and look where it got him." Emotions mixed in Dillon's voice.
"Sometimes it happens. And believe me, I'm sorry it happened. But it's how he died, Dillon, that's important. He stood up for what he believed. A man can't do much more than that. You should be proud of him."
"I never thought I'd see the day. You are a dreamer, Harry. And a sucker. When you catch up to Cole and Morey, you better be ready, 'cause Morey won't play fair. He'll kill you without blinking an eye. He won't care about justice or anything else."
Harry nodded. "The thing you don't understand is that Cole isn't bad all the way to the bone. He ain't a killer. But he is a thief. Morey…is fast with a gun, but he sure doesn't use his head, that's where I have the advantage on him."
Dillon squeezed his tin cup. "Then why? Why you want to get yourself killed?"
"I'd think you wouldn't mind me out of your way." Harry smiled sardonically.
"You're wrong. I'd rather win the gal fair and square than have her think you so heroic all my life. I don't mind her choosin' between us. But Morey is a cold blooded killer. And Cole is a thief, breaks every commandment there is, and you still want to give him a fair shake. He don't deserve it. You know that."
Harry laid down his hat and propped his saddle for a pillow. "Maybe, but he'll get it as long as I'm sheriff."
"You know, for a while now, I've been think' Cole's bunch shot my pa. But like you, I couldn't prove it. And I knew you'd want proof. That's why I haven't acted on my hunches. I knew if I went after them, alone, you'd have to come after me. And I didn't want to have to kill you Harry. It's as simple as that."
Harry couldn't look at Dillon. "I don't want a showdown with you Dillon. You aren't an outlaw, you're just misguided. But listen to me. As long as I've known Cole, he's never been a killer, Dillon. Never. Maybe everything else, but never a killer."
"Okay, I agree, he's not a cold blooded killer, but you are the law, why didn't you shoot him back there on the street? He is a robber and you know that too." Dillon jumped to his feet. "So, you don't think Cole did it. It's Morey…"
"I don't know."
"Morey?"
"Maybe."
"Then why haven't you arrested him?" Dillon's voice rose with indignation.
"You know why. You gotta have evidence, or when they go to trial they walk free. I can prove they are both involved in the bank robbery. I can arrest them both for that. But not the murder of your father. Not without either a witness coming forward or evidence." Harry glanced over his shoulder at Dillon.
"I don't need evidence," Dillon shouted.
"And that's another difference between us, Dillon. Now get some rest. We got to start early in the morning." Harry turned away.
"How can you sleep? If you like that girl as you say, why aren't you worried?"
"I didn't say I wasn't worried. But I know what it is going to take to bring this whole thing to an end, Dillon. You've got to use your head. Stay calm. Once you let them see you are worried, they have the upper hand. You just concentrate on getting the girl away from them. I'll do the rest."
"I don't like you bein' the hero," Dillon protested, annoyance shadowing his face. "No, sir, I don't."
"Is that all this is? A way to impress her? My God, boy, there's more at stake than that. I think you bringin' Jo Ella back would make you a big man in Vada for the rest of your life, as far as the town is concerned. Maybe they'll elect you sheriff next."
"Maybe, but it'll look like I ran away and left you to die. And even though we've had our ups and downs, I wouldn't want to see Morey kill ya."
"It's more important to save the girl than measure which one of us is the real hero. For once, don't argue. If I don't make it, you can take care of it your way. Fair enough? But think about this. He might not be the one who pulled the trigger. And if I was you, I'd want to know for sure."
Dillon stared at him a long moment. "All right, you got a point."
"Good, now let's get some rest."
Dillon paced about the fire for a few minutes. Then Harry heard him kick up some leaves on the ground and slouch down on the ground. It was good to talk it out like they did, it had festered too long between them. Harry felt better now that Dillon understood why he hadn't arrested anyone for his Pa's murder. Harry scrunched down in his blanket. Right now, he had more to worry about than Dillon's temper.
Chapter Fifteen
When Harry and Dillon rode up to the farm, they weren't sure what to expect. No one was about, and they didn't see any extra horses about. However, they did hear someone chopping wood behind the house. But they hadn't expected to find Jo Ella doing the chopping.
Relief flooded Harry, but Dillon reached her first and took her into his arms. "Are you all right?" he asked breathlessly.
Jo Ella gasped and started to tremble.
Harry approached slowly. "Thank God, you are lookin' well," he said.
She took one look at Harry and slumped into Dillon's arms.
"We better get her into the house." Harry reached to help support her.
Harry saw a woman watching from the back porch. She opened the door for them to carry her through. "Bring her in here and put her on my bed. I think the shock of it all just now hit her."
Harry watched as Dillon carried her careful
ly to the bedroom and laid her down. He covered her with a blanket, his face white with concern. Maybe Dillon did love her.
"Come on in the kitchen and let her rest a spell. I'll get you some coffee. You must have traveled a bit." The woman glanced at them. She seemed to measure one against the other.
Harry went to the pitcher sitting on the kitchen counter and washed his hands and face. He dried himself on the small towel beside it.
The woman prepared coffee for them. "I'm Cole's sister, as you might have guessed. Just call me Mae. Say, you ain't Ma's kid, are ya?"
Harry nodded, surprised the woman knew his mother. He poured himself a cup of coffee, and sat down at the table. "They've gone again, haven't they?"
"'Fraid so." Mae hung her head a moment. "Little good it will do them."
"I take it you aren't in on this with them?" Harry scrutinized her for a moment.
"You take it right. I see you are the sheriff."
"That's right, ma'am. Harry Jones." He tipped his hat.
"And you?" Mae turned to Dillon.
"This is Dillon, a concerned citizen. He'll be taking Jo Ella back to Vada," Harry announced.
"Now wait a minute. This is different. Jo Ella is fine, and you know you can't go this alone. Why don't you admit it?" Dillon sipped the coffee and looked around the place.
"We already agreed on this."
"You are just crazy enough to go get yourself killed, aren't you?" Dillon hammered his fist on the table.
Harry smiled now. "Why, Dillon, I didn't know you cared."
"I don't. If you ain't got any better sense than to run off by yourself and try to take 'em, then so be it. I'll take her home. And we're liable to be married by the time you return," Dillon bragged.
"Then so be it…" Harry grit his teeth.
When they settled down and it got quiet, Mae looked from one to the other. "Cole will be travelin' light. And I would imagine he's headed for the north country. He'll want to get as far from here as he can. Where no one knows him."
"How far north?" Harry asked, his brows meeting in hers in mental battle.
Heart of a Lady (Book One of the Red River Valley Brides) Page 11