“No, sweet pea. It makes you human.”
“Hm… Well, how did you get shot?”
Heath chimed in. “Jessup’s older brother took exception to the judge’s decision and came in with guns blazing. The marshal there was doing his duty to protect the public and took one in the shoulder for the judge.”
“You jumped in front of a bullet! Are you crazy? A few inches to the left, and he’d have killed you.”
“Hush, darlin’, Heath’s exaggerating.” Janelle watched him shoot his brother a fulminating glare before he continued calmly, “I didn’t jump in front of a bullet. I dove to knock the judge out of the way.”
“I don’t see how that’s different—dove or jumped. Well… Don’t do it again, husband. I forbid it.”
“You forbid it?” He looked at her with an amused expression. “You’re sure full of spit and vinegar this morning.”
“Yes, I am. Because you will not leave me in this rustic, backwards, miserably-hot, prehistoric century without you.” She realized what she said may have offended some of them, and she immediately backpedaled. “Oops. No insult intended.”
She felt their collective gaze as they stared at her for a second before bursting into gales of laughter. Everyone, except Aaron. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and hauled her against him. His lips hovered above her as he stared into her startled eyes, “I have no intention of leaving you alone again, ever. I’m sorry for that, Janelle.” He then captured her lips and kissed her in a way that was entirely inappropriate for a dining room, especially in front of his family. She was just beginning to relax into it and forget their audience when he raised his head. “I love you, sweet pea. Now finish your breakfast. You’re getting too thin.”
A trembling hand lifted to her lips, and she sighed heavily. The men chuckled at her discomposure, but they didn’t comment. Letty was smiling though, and her heart was in her eyes, making Janelle wonder what she was getting mushy about now.
“That’s her I-want-a-grandbaby look, Janelle,” Henry warned as he looked adoringly at his wife. “Along those lines, when can we expect one?”
Janelle blanched at his words as she looked at his teasing grin, then at Letty’s eager smile. She worried she’d have to go through the birth control lesson with her new family as well, but Aaron came to her rescue by changing the subject.
“So, tell us what happened at the Meyers’ last night, Pa,” Aaron asked while reaching over to place another biscuit on Janelle’s plate.
As his head dipped near, she whispered her gratitude as his diversion worked and Henry began to talk.
He simply nodded and urged, “Now, eat,” and returned his attention to his pa.
“Well,” Henry began, “it seems Louise took extreme insult to the set down Janelle gave her at Ivinson’s store, and she was seeking a little revenge. She had already spread the word that Janelle trapped Aaron into marriage and was in fact a loose woman.”
“What? Why, that’s a malicious lie! Do people believe her?”
“Let him finish, Janelle,” Aaron said as he patted her hand gently.
“No, no one believes a word those vile women spew, except Junior Jessup. Evidently, Jamie told Junior some wild tale about Janelle luring him to the cabin. He also told him that Janelle made up the story about being abducted when Aaron found out.”
“Like I’d try to seduce that pipsqueak! I beat him up with both hands tied, literally.”
“Yes, sweet pea, everyone was quite impressed with your boxing skills. Now let Pa finish.”
Janelle wanted to go on with her protests, not having vented her anger nearly enough, but she could tell by the rigid set of her husband’s jaw that what people thought or believed was the last thing on his mind at the moment. She nodded, so affronted by the nerve of some people; she couldn’t keep from grumbling softly, “What on earth is wrong with these people? They don’t even know me.”
Letty tried to reassure her, whispering, “People that count won’t believe a word of it, honey.”
“There is a bit more to the story, if I may finish?” Henry looked pointedly at the two whispering women, continuing only when they’d hushed. “The judge instantly charged, tried, and sentenced Junior with attempted murder, assault on an officer, and a number of other charges. After the boys left with Aaron, the judge and I paid the Meyers coven a visit.”
“Henry…” Letty gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Although she sounded appalled by her husband’s language, Janelle could see the delighted humor in the upward quirk of her lips.
“You’ll want to call them worse when I’m done. When we arrived, the witches—I mean ladies—were packing up their belongings. Evidently, they’d had a parade of visitors yesterday. Citizens who they thought were their friends were demanding they pack up and get out of town, or be run out. Of course, the judge offered them a deal: get out of Wyoming and never return, or get a one-way ticket to the Territorial Prison under a conspiracy conviction. I hear it’s not a pleasant place for a woman. The Meyers must have known that, because they hightailed it out of town. I followed them to the station and saw them on the next train myself.”
“So they’re gone? The citizens and the judge forced them out?”
“See, honey, the people that count didn’t believe their lies,” Letty said with certainty, squeezing Janelle’s hand reassuringly.
The sound of a horse out front caught their attention. Henry immediately began to grumble. “What is going on in Laramie that folks can’t wait until a decent hour to come calling?”
“I’ll see who it is, Pa.” Heath pushed back his chair and headed for the front door.
Henry watched him go. When he didn’t immediately return, he kept leaning back in his seat, trying to see out the front window. Huffing in agitation, he then began routinely looking at his pocket watch.
“Henry, just go see who it is before you strain your neck.”
Grumbling about rude visitors interrupting his breakfast, he left. Luke followed closely behind him.
“Aren’t you curious, Aaron?
“I expect it’s Hiram Jessup, don’t you think, Ma?
“I was expecting him earlier, actually.” Letty nodded, getting up to follow the others out to see for herself.
Dying of curiosity, Janelle fidgeted in her seat, watching the door expectantly. “Hiram is a relative of Jamie and Junior Jessup, I assume? What do you think he’s doing here?”
“He’s come to plead with me to drop the charges.”
“You can do that?”
“No. Their cases have already been tried, and the sentences conveyed. He’ll have to see his attorney about an appeal, and he knows that.”
“If that’s the case, why would he come?”
“He’s got another son in my jail, so he’s probably going to beg me to let him go.”
“Just how many sons does the man have?”
“Seven.”
Henry, calling from the front porch, interrupted, “Aaron, you better get out here!”
“Dang, this is becoming a regular occurrence,” was Aaron’s response as he got up from the table.
“This is a little like déjà vu,” Janelle groaned as she trailed behind. “I’m with Pa. I’m beginning to dislike morning visitors.
Twenty minutes later, she watched as Aaron grimaced in pain as he strapped on his gun holster. He had been half right; it was Hiram Jessup and Sheriff Bozeman. Mr. Jessup did plead for leniency, but it wasn’t because his sons were in jail. It was because another of his sons had busted them out. He begged Aaron to ask the posse not to shoot them on sight, which would have been lawful after their escape. Apologizing for his sons was difficult for the proud man, and he offered aid in whatever manner he could. Embarrassed that three of his own children could act so foolishly, he was beside himself with guilt, declaring Jamie’s actions with Janelle to be abhorrent.
“They are no longer my sons. I have disowned them. Their mother and I have wracked our brains to figure
out where we went wrong with the younger three.”
Henry offered his longtime neighbor what little comfort he could. “You’ve always been an honest man, Hiram. All you can do with your children is teach them well and hope they follow your example. They are grown men now, and you aren’t responsible for their actions.”
Mr. Jessup acknowledged Henry with a nod. Then without another word, he mounted his horse and left, looking ten years older than his fifty years.
Janelle wrung her hands nervously as she watched Aaron check his weapon and slip it in the holster. They were standing alone in the dining room, the other men having left to saddle the horses and arrange for security with the ranch hands.
“You can’t possibly be serious about going after the Jessups in your condition. You’ll tear your stitches for one.” Her voice slowly rose in pitch and volume as she spoke. “Aaron? Are you listening? You only have one good arm. This is crazy!”
“It’s my job, Janelle. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with my shooting arm.” Adjusting his sling, he grimaced again as he walked toward her and kissed her quickly on the lips. “Stay put, Janelle. I’ll be back as soon as we find them.”
Looking up at him, she didn’t like the glint she saw in his eyes. It appeared regularly whenever they parted now and usually meant another lecture on rules and proper wifely behavior, or he warned her against some harebrained scheme that was sure to get her in trouble. Obviously he thought reminders and frequent preventative measures were called for. But considering all the mischief she’d gotten into lately, she really couldn’t blame him.
“Janelle, I know we still need to have a serious discussion about our marriage, but I want you to obey me in this. Do you remember rule number one?”
“Of course.”
“What is it?”
“I’m to stay where you put me.”
“Can I trust you to follow that rule and stay here with Ma? I’d like to know you’ll be here safe and sound when I return.”
“I promise, Aaron. But I need you to promise me you’ll be careful. Please come back to me in one piece.”
“I will, honey. I swear.” After kissing her once more, he left to join the rest of the men forming the posse.
Janelle sat by herself at the dining room table and felt at a loss. As in one of her Dad’s old western movies, the marshal was forming a posse and going after the escaped outlaws. She stood and paced, stopping only when Letty came back from seeing them off. Shaking her head in disbelief, she was astounded that her life had become one of those old westerns in which the women folk were left behind to worry and wait.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The frustrated posse returned empty handed, however. For days they followed the Jessup’s trail south into Colorado, but as time passed and a day of steady rain set in, the trail grew cold, and they had to return. Aaron notified law enforcement in surrounding counties and issued wanted posters with a reward for information leading to their arrest. In the meantime, the Jacksons stayed alert and vigilant.
Aaron in particular was afraid that Jamie Jessup would be looking to return to seek his revenge against Janelle. His physical injuries were minimal: a few scrapes, bruises, and some minor burns. Bruised pride is what concerned Aaron. Being bested by a 115 pound woman was a blow to the male ego, and at Jamie’s age, his image as a man was everything to him. Worried that Jessup would follow through on his threat for revenge, Aaron decided they’d stay at the ranch.
A few more weeks passed with no sign of the Jessups. One morning, Janelle found she had the house to herself. Henry and Letty had gone to town, while Luke and Heath were out mending some fencing. Aaron was gone as well, which wasn’t unusual. He was rarely on the ranch during the day. She didn’t waste the opportunity and took a long leisurely bath.
As she relaxed in her bubble bath, she thought back to the night before. She had been extolling the delights of modern fast food to the family for days, and Heath—being the tease that he was—challenged her to prove it. He dared her to make some of the delicious hamburgers she’d been bragging about so they could see for themselves. Rising to the challenge, she told them she’d be in charge of supper the next night and that the menu would be burgers and fries. She laughed as she remembered their reaction, which clearly illustrated their doubt in her culinary skills.
Letty had eagerly helped her with the ingredients and prep work. Having to make everything from scratch was something she hadn’t considered, and she had to rely on Letty more than she planned. In the morning they made the dough for the buns and set it to rise. They also had to grind the beef. On a cattle ranch, beef was abundant as well as a fair share of pork, chicken, and other livestock. Letty had a sausage grinder, so they easily prepared the ground beef. When Janelle told her how tasty the meat was grilled over an open flame, she had surprised her by showing her the fire pit out back. In the summer time, Letty said, she often used it to keep from overheating the warm house. It was there that she cooked large pots of beans, apple butter and other foods for canning, as well as occasionally adding a rotisserie for a slow roasted pig. Letty even produced a cast iron grate, which would do for the burgers quite nicely.
Finally everything was ready. Janelle figured the men would eat at least two burgers apiece, so she made up an even dozen, leaving two to spare. She had painstakingly julienned potatoes, which she deep-fried in a pot of oil on the stove. Onions, tomatoes, and lettuce were sliced, and Letty had contributed baked beans. Janelle was pleasantly surprised that they had prepared mustard and a bottle of Heinz Ketchup for the fries. Letty had said the ketchup was a new product that she had purchased in town but had never tried. Janelle knew they were in for a treat.
As everyone sat down to Janelle’s 21st century fast food creation, she was amazed that it had taken practically all day to create what McDonald’s did in minutes. She showed them how to assemble the burgers, and everyone watched as she took the first bite. The bread was a soft roll, and the burger was thick and juicy. Janelle closed her eyes and groaned—it was heavenly.
A grunting noise beside her had her turning to Aaron. Everyone else had dug into his or her food with relish—everyone except for him. He had a pained look on his face as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.
“Don’t you like it, honey?” she asked him with concern. She had been certain everyone would love a hamburger.
“I’ll have his, Janelle,” Heath piped up. “He looks to be a bit off his feed this evening.” Heath was looking at Aaron with amusement, and Aaron was shooting him a freezing cold glare, not in the mood for his teasing. Janelle’s eyes flew between them. What was going on?
“Mind your own food, Heath,” Aaron grumbled. “I haven’t even tried it yet.”
“Well, if you don’t like your hamburger, son, I’ll take it. These are wonderful, and Luke has just taken the last one.” Henry frowned at his middle son, whose appetite was legendary. In total, he’d had four of the huge burgers before anyone else had eaten their first.
Looking up guiltily, Luke asked, “You mean there aren’t anymore?”
Everyone laughed, except Aaron who continued to shift uncomfortably in his chair. She also noticed that Heath was unusually interested in her husband’s behavior. In fact, he grinned at him throughout the meal with a smug little smirk on his face. At one point, Heath had even winked at her, bold as brass. Something was up, and she intended to find out what.
Janelle had planned to ask him about it while in bed later that night, but he’d been called out by one of his deputies. Evidently, there was a dispute at one of the saloons—guns had been drawn, furniture busted up, and a few people were injured—and he’d left right away, telling her not to wait up. She had missed him last night. Having gotten used to his warm, solid body next to hers in their big bed, she had tossed fitfully all night. Now as she sat, soaking in a tub full of warm, sudsy water, she thought back on her first attempt at cooking for the family. Despite the brothers’ odd exchange and Aaron’s even odder behavior, the
meal had been a success.
Chuckling to herself, she blew at the bubbles. Just wait until she made the next 21st century meal—pizza. That would require many napkins and licking of lips. As she remembered Luke scarfing up more than his fair share, she laughed, vowing next time to make double.
A noise from the hallway startled her. She’d thought she was alone in the house. She had been edgy ever since the kidnapping, and the footsteps moving in the hall made her nervous, especially when they halted outside the bathroom. The door had no lock, and she was always concerned someone would just barge into the house’s lone bathroom. An unsecured door was the primary reason she usually took her baths mid-morning, when it was just her and Letty in the house.
* * *
“Janelle.” The fatigue was audible in Aaron’s voice as he entered the ranch house. It was silent. His first thought as he peaked in the kitchen and found no one at home was that he’d finally get a few minutes of sleep. Sighing at the thought of sinking into a soft bed, the image of his even softer wife came to mind.
The thought brought him to a halt. Janelle wasn’t there to greet him. She was usually helping around the house or digging in the flowerbeds out front or in Ma’s herb garden, but both had been empty as he rode up. He looked all over downstairs—empty. Maybe she went to town with Ma and Pa, he thought, looking around for a note. They’d mentioned at supper last night they had business in town today. Surely Pa wouldn’t let Janelle tag along without letting him know.
“Sweet pea?” he called as he wearily climbed the stairs. At the top, he turned toward their bedroom, his boots scuffing along the wood floor, barely having enough energy to put one foot in front of the other.
“Darlin’, I’m home.” The long night of breaking up drunken brawls both at the saloon and the jail had nearly done him in. He’d also had the displeasure of dealing with several unhappy wives who’d come in to pay their husbands’ fines, each categorically reading their spouses the riot act for paintin’ their tonsils with whiskey and beer. Poor women, he reflected. It’d be a cold day before he did that to Janelle. He would much rather have been home snuggled up with her than listening to beer swilling men puke up their toenails in his jail cell.
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