The Rancher's Daughter

by Pamela Ladner

  The night was quiet except for the sound of the swing creaking as they rocked and the men in the house arguing over their game. J.W rocked the swing back and forth and Hilary folded her legs up under her in the swing. They watched Heath and Josey, take their walk around the ranch.

  The night light cast shadows around the ground. The cattle mooed in the distance. A horse neighed in the barn and the dog pricked her ears forward and lifted her head. This was what life was all about.

  Chapter Seven

  Jared Lott showed up bright and early the next morning. He was there before the rodeo events even had a chance to be under way. “What can I do for you Sheriff?” J.W propped on a cane this morning. The cool air had settled into his bones, making them ache. He stared at the new sheriff in town, paying no mind to the deputy behind him. The sheriff stepped around in front of the cruiser “I’m looking for a Heath Jenkins. I got word this morning that he jumped a man out here yesterday. I have reason to believe he was wearing a set of brass knuckles.”

  J.W. grunted, “Is that so, Sheriff? Well I hate to tell you, but you’ve been misinformed about some of what you just said. He jumped a man that parts true. But I can promise you there weren’t any brass knuckles involved.” The sheriff nodded. “Well I still need to see him Mr. Chisholm.” J.W. opened the door and said. “Suit yourself Sheriff he’s sitting down to breakfast.” The sheriff and his deputy walked past J.W and waited inside the door for him to lead the way.

  “Heath Jenkins, you’re under arrest for the beating of Kyle Hutto, yesterday afternoon.” The deputy read Heath his rights and put him in handcuffs. Everyone watched in shock as they led Heath out of the house and put him into the backseat of the cruiser. J.W, Sam and Josey immediately followed in the ranch pickup.

  “What are they going to do with him Dad? Josey asked. “I don’t know sweetheart but we are going to find out. I just hope that this Hutto man drops the charges. That’s all we can hope for right now.” J.W said. Sam was shaking his head. “I just don’t get it. What’s the world coming to when a man can put his hands on a woman, then have someone arrested for protecting her? This is crazy. There were witnesses everywhere.”

  J.W picked up his cell phone. “Who are you calling?” Josey asked. “I’m calling an old friend of mine to see if I can find out what we’re dealing with. James can tell me what to expect. He may not be the sheriff anymore but he knows the law.” The phone rang three times. “Hello!” the voice on the other end of the line answered. James listened as J.W greeted him and then told him what was going on. He told him what he could and then asked him to meet him at the Sheriff’s department.

  James arrived about a half second before the acting sheriff and the deputy who arrested Heath. J.W, Sam and Josey arrived shortly after. “What are you doing here, James?” Sheriff Lott asked. He thought it a little odd to see the man who had been the former sheriff. The old man hadn’t set foot in here since retiring. “I’m here for a friend.” He nodded toward Heath and then looked at the sheriff once more. “Now I was there when this so called beating took place, that boy wasn’t doing nothing but protecting Josey. I seen it with my own two eyes as did about 200 other folks. I’m telling you right now, I was here a long time and I have a lot of friends in high-ranking places. All it’s going to take is one phone call. Are you willing to lose your job over this sheriff?” The sheriff looked at the former sheriff, his jaw tightened and he grimaced. He knew the old sheriff could follow through with his threat. It made him mad that the old man threatened his job.

  Stepping behind Heath, he unlocked the handcuffs on his wrists, “Watch yourself and I better not have to come back out to that ranch anytime soon.” He almost growled the words out.

  J.W walked forward and shook the old sheriffs’ hand. “Thanks, James, it just ain’t the same since you retired.” The two men shook hands and smiled at each other. Josey came forward and invited the old sheriff back to the ranch for supper. He accepted and followed them out the door.

  The sheriff watched as they left, he now had a false report on his hands. “Wait a minute,” he said. I need y’all to fill out these first.” He laid out a piece of paper for each of them. “I need y’all to write down in your own words exactly what happened. It looks like I have a false report on my hands, and I will need the proof.” Sheriff Lott may not have liked the way the old sheriff came into his department and threatened his job, but he could plainly see that the old man was telling the truth. That meant he had a false report on his hands and would need the proof to arrest the old weasel who filed that false report. “I’ll also need the names of anybody else who was a witness. I’m going to need their reports too.” The old sheriff smiled with pride, “yes sir, I can give you a pretty good list of names right now and have them here in no time.” The old sheriff named off names and phone numbers, he called a few people himself. One name on the list stuck out and would have a lot of credibility. It was Judge John Wilkins.

  “I told you all it would take was one call.” The old sheriff called his long time friend Judge John Wilkins, “Hey old buddy, its James. Listen I need you to come down here to the Sheriffs’ department and give your account of that fight we witnessed, yesterday. Seems there’s been a false report made.” The old Judge rattled something off in James ear and James shook his head saying, “right, right, yeah, ok good buddy see you when you get here.” He hung up the phone and asked, “Do you mind if we take a seat? My old legs can’t take much more of this standing. You know I took a bullet in this one here.” Sheriff Lott nodded. “Go ahead, you know where to go.”

  They had no sooner sit down when Judge Wilkins came barreling through the front door followed by several other people who had been witnesses of the fight. A while later Sheriff Lott came forward and said, “You folks are free to go, oh and Heath I almost forgot. Here’s your pocketknife and wallet that I took off you back at the ranch. I’m very sorry about the mix up. Just stay in town, in case I need you.”

  The sheriff knew now he had another arrest to make of that no account for making a false claim, not to mention that weasel of a banker who’d came in here with him. He was going to enjoy it too. He hated liars, and more than that, he hated bankers. Ever since, they took his grandfathers farm. It would have been his one day. It was his legacy. It had been in his family for generations. This was going to be one arrest he was happy to make.

  Chapter Eight

  Back at the ranch, everyone gathered around the table to eat. Hilary fixed a big meal and there was plenty to go around. The old sheriff rocked back in his chair patting his now, well rounded stomach that had once been flat and hard. “Well now, that was a meal to last me a month. That’s some mighty good cooking, I ain’t had a meal this good since.” His voice trailed off and there was a sadness, which crept into his eyes. It was plain to see he was remembering his late wife. Everyone pretended not to notice but they all looked at one another, acknowledging they understood.

  Josey helped Hilary clear the table and they talked of things from the past. Hilary had been her mom. She had been the only real mom she had. She would no longer claim her biological mother. She called Hilary Mom now, and had for a long time. She remembered the look on Hilary’s face the first time she called her mom. Her grin was bigger than the Mississippi. She took her in her arms and nearly squeezed the life out of her. It was odd how one little word could make someone that happy.

  Josey let her mind wander while she washed dishes. Hilary didn’t speak she just watched her. She was thinking of Heath. She loved him, always had. Her mind floated back to the hurtful words she had said to him.

  She would give anything to take them back. If only she hadn’t said those awful things to him, maybe he wouldn’t have left. They could have gotten married years ago, and have little babies running around. She stopped herself from crying and refocused her thoughts.

  This morning had been scary. She’d only just gotten him back, and she almost lost him to jail. She tried to get her mind off Heath. The rodeo f
estivities would be starting soon. There were already people piling in. There were several cowboys who had stayed the night on the ranch, their RVs parked all over, she waited for them to pile into the yard.

  She decided she might rather stay in the house today. She didn’t want any more incidents from her carelessness. She scrubbed the last dish and Hilary reached for it, towel in hand, ready to dry it and put it away.

  Josey drained the soapy dishwater and rinsed the suds off her hands and wrist. “I think, today, we might just have enough money to cover the bank note.” She said. Hilary nodded her head, and sat down at the table. Josey joined her, elbows on the table and her chin propped on her hand. “I just hope I never have to lay eyes, on that snake, Williams again. He’s nothing but a crook.” Hilary groaned, “Tell me about it. I’d like to wrap my hands around his wormy little neck.”

  They sat and gossiped for a bit. The men were walking around in the yard, getting things done. Josey was not usually one for idleness and neither was Hilary. For reasons they could not name, today just seemed different. There was so much on both of their minds lately, and they both needed a break.

  They worked together cleaning the house from top to bottom. Living on a ranch, it seemed, the housework came last most days. There was dust everywhere. They talked while they worked. Both of them preferred to be outside working but with all the commotion, they tucked themselves away inside.

  They moved the coffee table, then rolled up the big rug and carried it out the back door. It needed a beating out really, bad. They laughed when Hilary hit the rug with a board and dust settled all over them. “You know, this sure does say a lot about our cleaning. We are horrible,” Josey said grinning.

  “Girl, I know you didn’t just call me a bad housekeeper.” Hilary and Josey, laughed at their own jokes. Work was so much easier when you could enjoy it. Josey and Hilary, carried the rug back in and went to work on the bedrooms.

  They stripped the sheets off all the beds and took them to the laundry room. Next, they would wash and hang the quilts out to dry. They worked the whole day. By the time, night came the place was spotless.

  People finally started pulling out around midnight except for a few of the cowboys with their RVs. Most of them would be leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow, they would set down and figure up the earnings from the rodeo. Josey prayed it was enough.

  She lay down that night and her mind drifted to the past. She thought of all the times she and Heath had snuck off at night to meet. She remembered the first time they made love and she dreamt of all the things they could have had, if she had not sent him away. She tossed and turned all night, unaware that the man she loved was also wide-awake remembering their past.

  She was the one that got away. He should have never left. He should have tried to make it better. She needed him more than ever. No other woman had ever come close to replacing her in his heart. It had always been her. Now here he was and he had a chance to make things right.

  He hoped she still loved him. He knew she was still physically attracted to him, but did her heart still ache for him? Had it ever ached for him, the way his ached for her? She was a part of his soul. He needed her and he vowed he would have her. Nothing was going to stop this wedding from happening. Come hell or high water, he would have the woman he loved. He didn’t give a damn if the ranch was part of the deal. He wanted his own ranch but this wasn’t about the ranch. He wanted her and even if she would have turned him down, he knew in his heart, he would have given her the money anyway.

  He was going to give it everything he had to make her fall in love with him. They were a perfect match, always had been. It was the same with them as it had been with J.W. and Hilary. Only Josey could match his temper, his brains, and his work ethic. Only Josey had ever been able to read him like a book. There could be no other woman for him. His heart and soul belonged to Josey.

  He paced the floor in his father’s office. He had been given permission to take over some of the foreman’s duties. His father used the excuse that he was too old and he didn’t trust anybody else to do the job. The fact was Heath had been groomed to be the foreman of this ranch from the time he was a boy. He had no doubts about it, if he’d stuck around, he would be the foreman already. That’s why he got the job of foreman so easily, at the Rocking K.

  He would have to contact his old friend and boss and let him know that he should be looking for a replacement. He figured on staying here as long as Josey would have him. He knew that the boss of the Rocking K would understand.

  Chapter Nine

  It wasn’t long after everyone ate breakfast that they all joined J.W. in his office to figure up their earnings from the rodeo. After everyone was paid for their part and Heath was paid back the loan he’d made, there was enough to cover the mortgage and catch up.

  As happy as she was, she knew that soon they would have to come up with a way to pay the next note and she was completely out of ideas. She didn’t want to disappoint everyone though. She let them all celebrate and they drank a toast, to their success.

  J.W and Josey, took the check to the bank that morning. J.W said he wanted to personally, hand the money over to that weasel banker himself, just to see the look on his face. Heath tagged along saying he had to see about some things in town. They dropped him off at the feed store where he insisted he needed to go and went on to the bank.

  The bank was in walking distance from the feed store. There was a mechanic shop in between, where Heaths grandfather had once been the owner. At the back of the mechanic, shop was a front-end alignment shop owned by his uncle. He hadn’t seen him in years and decided to walk on over there after he was through at the feed and seed.

  The old man was nearing eighty and to Heaths surprise was at work under an old clunker. He worked alone, got up every day in spite of his age and made it to work at the same time every morning.

  “Hey old man, remember me?” Heath said. The old man was down in the pit and peaked his head up to see who it was. “Well now, I don’t know you look a little familiar, but I can’t say.” The old man laughed at his own joke, climbed the steps out of the pit, and shook his nephews’ hand. Heath noticed the fragile body of the man looked like it would crumble if the wind so much as blew. Still his grip had not weakened his handshake. The old man looked weak but he was strong as ever. “How you been, Uncle? It’s been a long time.” “I’d say you sorry cuss. You been gone so long, I barely recognized you. It wouldn’t have hurt you none to bring your sorry tail to town once in a while. The least you could do was show your face at Christmas.”

  Heath felt a little ashamed of the way he’d left town without so much as a visit in ten years. He lowered his head and apologized to his favorite Uncle. The old man slapped his back and told him to forget about it. They sat on an old truck seat that his uncle used as a bench. He remembered his grandfather had one in his shop many years ago and he wondered if it was the same one. They sat and talked for a while, until he saw Josey’s truck pull up in front of the feed store. He hugged his Uncle and thanked him for the talk then told him goodbye.

  The old man watched his great nephew take his long legged frame outside and head toward the Chisholm’s. He shook his head knowing all about Heath’s past with the Chisholm girl. He’d often wondered if she was the reason Heath left. After their long talk today, he now knew it.

  Josey slid to the middle and let Heath drive. She was too distracted and didn’t want to have a wreck. The banker reminded her that while this payment might catch her up, as soon as she was late again, they would be taking her family’s ranch.

  That weighed heavily on her mind and she knew it was bothering her father as well. He’d expected to have the last word with the banker when he shocked him with those words. J.W shut his mouth and clamped his jaw shut. She could hear him grinding his teeth. It was all he could do not to punch the banker right in his nose. She noticed, his knuckles turn white and realized, he was struggling to control his temper. He was not the young man he once was a
nd she worried about him constantly. The accident had taken a toll on him. He was a man that all his life had to be constantly doing something. Now, he was, restrained to doing very little, when he very much wanted to do more. It bothered him, she knew, not to be able to use his fist the way he once could, not to be able to throw hay bales like he once could. She knew he wanted to ride long hours in the saddle and fix fence the way he used to. He was broken down but he would not, be beaten.

  Heath noticed the tension and said nothing. He knew J.Ws temper was quick and Josey’s could peal the hide off a mule’s ass. They were both stubborn and pigheaded, but then again so was he.

  The ride home was long and quiet. It gave Heath time to think. Only, he didn’t want to think because all he could think about was Josey’s arm touching his, her legs rubbing his and the shifter being between her legs made his mind go places it shouldn’t, especially when her father was in the truck with them. He forced his mind to concentrate on driving. Before long he was, tense too. No one in their right mind would get near the three of them right now. He shifted gears and arm grazed Josey’s knee. He actually felt electricity run through his body.

  They had to hurry up and get home or he was gone be in a world of hurt. He forced the thought out of his mind and pressed down on the gas giving the truck some speed. No one seemed to notice. They probably wanted to get home as much as he did.