Valley of the Heart

by Moore, S. Dionne

  Whatever nervousness the animal harbored was lost in the grinding gait Tanner enforced with his spurs. “Go, Cupid. Fly, boy. Fly!”

  twenty-three

  Maira pounded her fists against the locked door. Levi’s shuddering, exhausted sobs leeched away her composure. “I’m here, baby. I’m here.”

  “Mama! I want you!”

  “Levi, hush. Listen to me.”

  But his sobs were too shuddering. Too afraid.

  She put a wall up around her shattering emotions and lowered her voice, talking to him as she did before bedtime. Low and soft. When she knew nothing else to say, she pulled the Bible from the table. Hazy memories of a boy’s fight with a giant came to her. Levi loved stories. He would love that one. But her fingers fumbled over the pages, and she couldn’t remember the book or chapter or verse. Oh, Jon, help me! God, please, please. . . The pages slipped through her fingers, one book after another. Leviticus. As she searched, she told Levi how much he needed to be brave. Joshua. Judges. Ruth. Levi had quieted, and a question balanced on her tongue. She hated to ask it. Didn’t want to stir Levi’s fear, but she had little hope other than to see what Levi was seeing.

  “Levi?”

  Silence.

  “Mama, I’m scared.”

  “I want to read you a story.” She continued to turn. “It’s about a boy and a big man.” Her fingers turned another page, and she saw the name at the top. First Samuel. With shaking fingers she scanned down the chapters, until she came to the story.

  “Big man?”

  “Like the one who held you.”

  “He left.”

  She drew breath into her lungs, pressed her hand against the trembling smile and the answer to the question she hadn’t even needed to ask.

  “Good. I want you to listen to this. It’s a good story. Your father used to read it to you when you were”—she choked at the memory—“you were in my tummy.”

  “Big man?”

  “Yes, yes, honey. A big man and a little boy.”

  “Like me?”

  “A little older. Now listen.”

  The door rattled as Levi settled his weight against it. She could picture him, ear to the door, head bowed low. She read about David, her voice weak, aware of the quiet outside, of the fact that the “big man” could return at any moment. The words flowed, and when she finished, Levi didn’t say a word. Her fingers longed to touch him, to smooth the hair from his brow and look into those chocolate-drop eyes.

  Chocolate drops. . .Tanner.

  “You are a brave little boy, Levi.”

  “Like David?”

  The burn in her throat birthed a single tear. “Like David.”

  She heard the distant pounding of hooves and tensed. At the window she saw Carrot dismount. He headed toward the house. She scooted to the locked door, wincing at the tightness in her side.

  “Levi.” She blew a breath. “The big man is back. You are a brave boy—”

  She heard his boots, heard the door slam and his raised voice. “Come here, boy!”

  “Mama,” he whimpered.

  “You’re a big boy. Be brave and. . .Levi, I want you to pray to God. Ask God to help you. Just like David did.”

  Fresh shame washed over her. Had she ever prayed with him before this moment?

  “Like David.”

  Carrot’s boots stomped across the floor. Levi whimpered.

  “I’m taking your boy, Mrs. Cullen. He’ll buy us some time. If he’s good, we’ll return him.”

  She capped a scream, pressed her palms flat against the door, weak, vulnerable to the threat on the other side of the door. “Please don’t. Let me out. Take me.”

  “We could do that, but women can be a handful.”

  Maira leaned her forehead against the door, all her fears bunching a knot. “Oh, please. . .please, no.”

  Levi let out a surprised screech. Maira jammed her fist against her lips to keep from crying out in protest, not trusting what the man would do if antagonized.

  A shot rang out. Panic surged, sucking her breath away. Levi howled.

  “Levi?!”

  Hard footsteps, a muttered curse. Carrot’s voice, another shot, closer this time. “Stop right there.”

  She had to know. “Levi?!”

  Little feet came running, the press of something against the door, a rush of ragged breathing. “Tan-wer, Mama! He’s home.”

  ❧

  Tanner watched the man descend the steps. Carrot, foreman of the XP. The man’s terse command and the unblinking eye of his gun slowed Tanner’s advance toward the house. He was too late to protect Maira and Levi. He lowered his still-smoking gun, biding his time, hoping to draw Carrot away from the house.

  “You’ve got some cows of ours.”

  Carrot’s chuckle held no humor. “Thought it was you Casey saw.”

  “Nice little deal you’ve got going. Jon Cullen was on to you.”

  “Not me, but to the fact cows were disappearing. He found our little hiding place, but Casey saw him first.” Carrot stroked his chin. “Never liked the idea of him poking around. Or you for that matter. Sorry Casey missed.”

  “Jon was my brother.”

  “Don’t matter none now. It’s time to round them up and move them out. I’ll cut some from the herd to sell and use the rest to build up my own spread.”

  “It’s all about you, is it?”

  “My men will be well paid.” Carrot spit into the grass and smirked. “I’m an honest rustler.”

  “The sheriff will gather a posse.”

  “Nope. Because the way I see it, Young, you’re going to let me out of here. I’m taking the boy. You follow me, he dies. The sheriff comes after me, he dies.”

  “And you’ll let him go. . .when?”

  Another dry chuckle. “When I’m good and ready. Might make him a partner.” Carrot swiped his free hand across his mouth. “If he squalls too much, he’ll become a silent partner.”

  The door behind Carrot hadn’t latched and was swinging open. Tanner was about to use the movement as a distraction when a small figure barreled through the open door, plunging, hitting Carrot behind the knees. The man staggered forward, lost his footing, and tumbled down the steps taking Levi with him. The gun flew from Carrot’s fingers, landing in the tall grass.

  Tanner lunged for the weapon and caught it. A scream rent the air. He glimpsed a face in the front window—Maira’s room. Levi lay still on the ground. Tanner cocked the gun and dug it deep against Carrot’s neck.

  “Get down flat.”

  With slow moves, Carrot lowered himself flat against the ground. Tanner adjusted his position accordingly, edging toward the boy, heart in his throat. He crouched, keeping the gun in line with Carrot’s back as he touched Levi. Before his fingers grazed the boy’s shirt, Levi stirred. Tanner’s breathing came easier. The boy sat up and squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them.

  “Hey, little cowpuncher.”

  “Tan-wer?” Big brown eyes blinked up at him. Eyes unlike Jon’s but very much like his own.

  Levi got to his knees, before jumping forward, clasping his little arms around Tanner’s neck. Tanner spread his hand on the boy’s back, warmth rising in his chest. “You saved my life.”

  “Like David.”

  “Let me take care of this man—”

  “I took down the giant!”

  Levi pushed from his one-armed embrace and ran to the porch, waving at his mother as if he’d just roped the biggest steer in the world. Tanner chuckled as he came to his feet and dug his boot into Carrot’s side. Sure looked like Levi had done just that.

  twenty-four

  “Maira?!”

  Even before the second syllable was out of his mouth, Tanner saw Levi crouched at the door to Maira’s bedroom. He didn’t doubt that the man had locked her inside somehow. He scanned the simple latch. No sign of any lock at all. Levi got to his feet, face anxious as he pointed.

  “Can’t get that out.”

  Tanner
kicked at the wedge of wood lodged to trap Maira in the room. He worked it free with his fingers, and the door swung inward. Maira stood there in a simple skirt and blouse, her hair tousled and untamed, her face pale. Levi plunged into her arms. Tanner caught her grimace when she took Levi’s weight. They shared a look over the boy’s head. Tears sparkled in her eyes. “I’ve never been so scared—” She lowered her face and sniffed then stiffened, green eyes wide with panic. “Ana!”

  “Out in the barn. They tied her up and left her. I told her she might want to sit a while to recover from the blow Carrot gave her.” He shifted his weight and laughed. “That’s the most riled I’ve ever seen her.”

  Relief smoothed the tension from Maira’s brow. “Carrot?”

  He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry with the desire to do more than stand beside her like they were strangers. “I tied him up and put him in the barn. The other man rode away, probably back to the canyon.”

  “I’m not sure that I understand.” Her eyes were on his, a silent question there.

  His attraction to her was like the pull of air when a tornado ripped through. In that second he wanted to believe things might work. Maybe he could shake the past and settle down with hope and happiness. Maira would be his wife, Levi his son, and there would be more children. A ranch. He had a chance. The invitation was in every facet of her face, even if there were no words, until she looked down at Levi, ran her hand over his head. She bit her lip and leaned to pick the boy up then gasped, lips pressed tight.

  “Best not.” Tanner brushed away her hands and lifted the boy into the cradle of his arms. Levi clung. “Sit down, Maira.”

  She brushed past him and went outside to the porch. Her hair was in disarray in the back, the part showing where she’d been lying against pillows. Her dishevelment tugged out a grin and pleased him somehow. As if by witnessing it she was allowing him to get close. To know her on a new level, or maybe with all that had happened she simply had forgotten.

  He watched as she sat in the rocker, her sigh more a painful gasp.

  “Lying down might be better.”

  She ignored his words and gestured for him to turn around. He bent at the knees and twisted his upper body so Maira could see Levi’s face over his shoulder. Levi felt warm in his arms. It felt right for him to be there. His hero.

  “He’s sound asleep,” she whispered.

  Ana stepped from the barn. Tanner quirked an eyebrow at Maira, who followed his gaze. Ana drew closer, eyes rimmed with red. “I’m so sorry, Maira.”

  “It’s not your fault, Ana.” Tanner gave the answer. “They’ve been doing Mrs. Cullen wrong for a long time. It just so happens we caught up to them. Slim must have ridden out with the others this morning?”

  She nodded.

  “You’d do well to keep that man close. He loves you, you know.”

  Ana’s head tilted up at him. “Mr. Price. . .”

  “He has no hold on you, only the hold you give him. I’m sure Mrs. Cullen would love to have you stay here. You’d be safe, warm, and if I don’t miss my guess, you’ll be married before too long.”

  A deep redness pushed into the young woman’s cheeks. She took the stairs and held out her hands to take Levi. “I’ll tuck him in.”

  Tanner exchanged a secret smile with Maira as Ana lifted Levi close. She pressed her lips against the boy’s cheek.

  “Mr. Young is right. I’d be delighted to have you stay. I wouldn’t be able to pay you—”

  “Mr. Price doesn’t pay me. . . .” She bit her lip and glanced at Levi, then at Maira. “I’d love to stay, but if Mr. Price comes looking for me. . .”

  “You have nothing to worry about. Slim and I can handle Price, Ana.”

  She stared at him a full minute before she gave the slightest of nods. “You’re right.”

  ❧

  Throbs of pain stabbed along Maira’s side. She did her best to relax the muscles. To sit still. She wanted to talk to Tanner. Share all that she had learned in the night. Instead, the question foremost in her mind slipped out. “Where have you been?”

  “I needed to move on.”

  “But you came back. I deserve a better answer, Tanner.”

  He nodded and scratched at the stubble of dark beard along his jaw. “There were some things I needed to think about.”

  “You were leaving us for good?” She did her best to keep the plaintive note from her voice. “Frank said you took everything.”

  “I did.” He turned his face in profile, his boot catching the lower post of the porch. She felt like she’d seen him stand that way a thousand times.

  “I found what I think got Jon shot, Maira. There’s a canyon about three miles beyond XP and R7 land. It edges the place where I found Jon.” He paused, stared over at her.

  “You found. . .Jon? But when they found him, he was. . .” She lifted her face. “I don’t understand.”

  Tanner straightened and came to stand in front of her. “He was my brother, Maira. Jon and I met for the first time in years that day he went into town. He suspected someone was rustling his stock and came to hire an investigator. I was that man. When I saw him, I knew he was my little brother.”

  She tried to remember. To connect the loose ends of the conversation. “Jon?” She saw it then. The planes of his face, those eyes, the same color as Levi’s. Physical similarities ended there. “Then you’re. . .”

  His lips curled upward. “Family.”

  “You didn’t tell me.”

  “I didn’t know at first. Only when I heard your last name did it dawn on me that you were his widow.”

  So many questions. “What brought you here? What took you so long?”

  Tanner drew a deep breath and squinted out into the yard. He told her about finding Jon that day. He’d set out behind his brother to begin investigating Jon’s allegations. Only by accident had he stumbled upon Jon’s body. Maira processed every word, beginning to understand the depth of Tanner’s isolation.

  “No one likes you much when they know you’re investigating them. I hired on at the XP as game hunter before I found Jon, you see. It was a good cover for what I really did.” He inhaled long and deep. “If someone was willing to kill Jon, then the likelihood of Jon’s accusations being correct increased. I just had to figure out all the details and put together evidence, but the rains washed everything away, and a mountain cat came on the scene. . . .”

  She shuddered and turned her face away, and he saw her swallow.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, no. It’s true.” She hugged herself. “Jon didn’t tell you about us?”

  “He told me very little about himself before our time was cut short by a scuffle that broke out. I gave him some gold.” He swallowed hard, the muscles in his jaw working. “A gift.”

  She gasped. “Walt said he stole it! I knew it was a lie, but the miner said it was true.”

  ”I wish now I’d talked sooner, but there were those rustling allegations to investigate.”

  “What about this canyon?”

  “Found it by tracing Jon’s body. It’s well hidden. Someone shot at me, so I rode back here figuring they’d come looking for me. I detoured to Frank and the other men. Told them to check out the canyon.”

  “They’re out there now?”

  He nodded. “When I got here there were two men, Carrot and one other. The first one took to his saddle pretty quick. I expect he went back to warn the others.”

  “What about Frank? The men?”

  “They’ve got their guns; they’ll figure it out.”

  “Tanner—”

  “Enough talking. You need to get in bed and rest.” His hand was a light pressure on her arm. He gave her time to move at her own pace, and she took it, slow and easy, not entirely because of the pain, but because of the closeness his arm offered. Her brother-in-law.

  She caught his hands, suddenly afraid for him to let go. She hated this, her vulnerability. It was time to put her trust in God. If He wanted this
man for her, it would work, but she had to know. “Will you stay?”

  His eyes searched hers. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

  And it was enough. For now.

  twenty-five

  Tanner clamped the arms of the rocker Maira had just vacated. He’d given his word, and he would stay, but for how long? The ranch needed more work. She needed help. Frank couldn’t do it all, as evidenced by the shape of the place. If he didn’t stay, it would only be a matter of time before the Rocking J went under. Rustlers or not, Maira didn’t have the resources. Cowpunchers might agree to deferred payment, but it gave the ranch a reputation that might make it harder for her to get help.

  Old fears rose to the surface. Maira had taken a bullet because of him. He was no good. Too quick tempered. Too easily provoked. He’d wanted to believe he had matured. He heard a light scuff and turned to see Levi. The boy said not a word but came to him and crawled up in his lap.

  Tanner relaxed his fist and spread it over Levi’s back, his other arm securing the small body against him. “Couldn’t sleep?”

  “I got scared.”

  “Is your mama asleep?”

  No answer.

  “Levi?”

  “I wanted you.”

  It was like a punch to his heart, shattering all the negative thoughts. Lodging warmth into his cold world. How many times had Levi done this? Shown him a love that knew no fear? Tanner’s lip trembled, and he bit it hard, his throat burning with emotion.

  “Tan-wer, you scared, too?”

  He couldn’t see Levi’s face, nestled as it was against his shoulder. “No, son. I’m not scared.”

  The boy’s hand reached out, touched his cheek. Tanner felt the smear of wetness. “Then why you cryin’?”

  He dug his fingers against his eyes to wipe away the tears.

  Again Levi’s hand touched his cheek. “Like sticky hay.”

  Tanner’s smile shone through. He looked down into Levi’s face, taking in those wide brown eyes and long lashes. “What if I shave it off?”

  Levi nodded against his shoulder, his eyelids sweeping downward, lashes brushing his cheeks then opening.

  “Can I stay here?”