"To your right, due south. And not so far, either, our ranch ends at the Rio Grande you know!"
We drove the rest of the way making small talk. I pointed out the mesa and some markers so he could find his way around if he needed to. I got him settled into the guest bedroom of the house and got to work making dinner. We ate that night and then settled into our respective beds.
I lay awake most of the first night still comparing the two men in my life and wondering what would happen when Randy finally came back home.
Ronnie adjusted to the ranch rather quickly. He insisted on seeing everything on the ranch. He was so fascinated with everything, it seemed. I was glad that I finally had something else to take my mind off of Randy and the fact that he was still out chasing the rustlers after a week. One day Ronnie came to me and asked to borrow the car. He had a bundle in his arms wrapped in a towel. "Ronnie! What on Earth have you got in those packages? Sending my ranch home piece by piece?" I said smiling. Ronnie gave me a big grin and said "Just some souvenirs for my friends back East my dear.. May I borrow your car please? I would like to take them in and post them." As he was driving away, he called out the window "I'll be right back Mary. Wouldn't miss that steak dinner for anything" I waved as he pulled away from sight and thought "Ronnie is so nice! He's never mentioned marriage or even tried to kiss me. But if he does ask me, I think I will accept" The car was barely out of sight when Randy galloped up beside me. He looked tired!
"Randy," I said in surprise, "Did you get the rustlers?"
Randy scowled, "No such luck. The varmints got away. There's something mighty funny going on up on that north range. These ain't ordinary rustlers either." He got down off the horse and led him to the barn so he could get some rest. Poor Randy, he looked so tired that I forgot I was angry at him and took him into the house for a drink. We settled in the kitchen and I poured two big glasses of iced tea. Randy was still lost in thought but suddenly, he spoke again. "Something else is going on besides rustling. I'm sure of it. It's some kind of decoy. I'm thinking, something to keep us up on the north range when we should be looking somewhere else, Mary"
"Huh, I'm Mary again." I thought but aloud I said, "Then why haven't we heard of any trouble except up north?"
Randy was lost in thought again. He stayed that way for a good ten minutes before he got up and started gathering his stuff to leave. Just before he walked out the kitchen door, he looked at me and said "I heard you got a dude friend out here Mary. That maybe you're aiming to marry. I still love you Mary Roper. and I still want you. So keep that dude out of my way." With that, he walked out the door before I could even form the words to yell at him. I set to fixing the steaks for Ronnie and I and soon I had forgotten Randy's words. Ronnie and I shared a nice dinner and had a nice conversation.
I forgot all about Randy until the next morning at breakfast. Ronnie came down the stairs and sat the kitchen table. His eye was blackened.
"Good Grief, Ronnie!" What happened to your eye?"
"I couldn't sleep last night so I took a walk. I was having a smoke when this fellow named Randy attacked me. "
I didn't say a word. I went straight to the corral. Randy was there cleaning his horse and getting ready to go check on the cattle. I marched straight up to him and stuck my finger in his face. "You're fired! Get out right now. The very idea... striking Ronnie because you are jealous."
Randy was taken aback and it took him a full two minutes to speak. "But, Mary! It didn't happen that way at all. Caught him snooping around and when I asked him some questions, he got nasty" He said with his hands up in surrender.
"I don't believe you, Randy. He is a gentleman, not a ruffian! Please leave at once!" I said angrily and stomped out of the barn.
The next day, I stayed most of the day in my room. I just couldn't believe Randy would make such allegations against Ronnie. Randy had left early that morning; I was assuming to hunt for the rustlers again. I was sitting at my window staring out when I noticed Ronnie leaving again with a bundle wrapped up in a towel. "There goes Ronnie off to mail some more souvenirs home. Must be costing him a fortune. All those!" I thought it was strange but decided he must have his reasons and let it go. I stayed busy the rest of the day so I would not have to think about all my problems.
Later that night when I was laying in bed I heard tapping on my window.
"What? Someone tossing stones against my window, but who..at this hour?" I got up and looked out the window. "Randy, What are you doing here? Please go away!"
"No time to argue now Mary. Get dressed and come down quick. Something I want to show you. Bring a gun with you and you better dress for the saddle too"
I thought it was really strange, Randy was never usually that insistent on things. I knew something must have been really wrong for him to act like that. When I got down to the corral, Randy was already waiting with the horses ready.
"Now what is this all about Randy Hilton. I wouldn't have come except you sounded so... so"
"So serious," Randy interrupted. "Well I am! And so is this business I roped into tonight. But let’s get started and I will show you."
I hopped up on the horse and we started riding. "We're heading south, toward the river. The Rio Grande" I said in surprise.
Randy looked serious still as he said "Yes, I was right when I told you that petty rustling was a blind. It was meant to keep us busy up north while certain other folks kept busy in the south; across the border"
We kept riding and eventually came up to a hill. Randy turned to me and said "Shhh… don't talk! Just look. Watch those men when they cross the headlights of that car and tell me who you see" I squinted my eyes as the men walked around. About a minute passed and then one of the men stepped into the long flow of the cars lights. It was Ronnie!! I couldn't believe it. I felt betrayed, angry and hurt all at the same time. Suddenly, Ronnie spoke "That's all for tonight. Let's clear out. I'll meet you at the same time day after tomorrow."
I spoke before I realized what I was doing, "Ronnie! It's Ronnie... but why..."
"Leaping cactus Mary! Quiet! You want to get us drilled full of holes!" Randy whispered angrily.
All of a sudden, Randy was knocked back and then I heard the report of the shotgun. I heard them shout down below "Spies! Plug 'em!"
Randy screamed, "Uhh... winged me! My gun hand! Don't let them get away Mary!"
"Randy! Darling! They've hurt you!" I was in shock but I knew I had to recover quick if I wanted to make it out of this alive. "Some of them might get away," I thought. "But not Ronnie! I'll see to that. He made a fool out of me; almost as big a fool as I made myself!"
I mustered up all of my courage and saw Ronnie roaring past me in the car. I whirled my lasso and sent my horse plunging down toward him. "Stop Ronnie," I shouted, "Stop or I'll pull out of that car!" I heard Ronnie scream "Mary! They'll never get me now."
Too bad Ronnie was in a convertible. I threw my lasso and got him. He was pulled out of the car as it sped away. He screamed in surprise. "There you ornery coyote! Ought to teach you a lesson" I said in satisfaction. "Listen to me, will you", I thought to myself, "Don't sound like that fancy Eastern school now." I jumped down from my horse and hog tied him. I found a handkerchief in his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth. I looked up and noticed that his convertible had crashed into a nearby tree. I looped my lasso around him again and drug him to his car. There I helped him up and set him the passenger seat. He wasn't going anywhere that night but to jail. I looked up and saw Randy galloping toward me on his horse. When he saw that I had the situation under control, he rode away to get the sheriff. He came back a few minutes later with his arm in a sling and let me know the sheriff was getting some people together to come get Ronnie and the car.
While we waited he filled me in on everything. "I caught him coming back to the house late the other night... when he got nasty and I gave him the black eye. After you fired me, I hung around and followed him tonight. They were smuggling drugs across the border. He wa
s sending it back east by mail. The rustling up north was to keep us busy and away from this part of the range." I was hurt all over again. "He must have had this planned all along. That's why he was so nice to me in New York. And I thought he was a gentleman! Randy, can you ever forgive me for being such a stupid fool! I almost turned down a man for..that! Oh, if you'll only have me Randy!"
"Reckon I'll never give you up Mary. All of us go a little loco once in a while. I guess when your dad comes home. I'll ask him if it's all right if his foreman marries his daughter." Randy said with a smile. With that he gave me one of the biggest kisses ever. The sheriff showed up a few minutes later and took Ronnie and the car away. Ronnie got 20 years for drug smuggling and I'm told they have caught all of his accomplices.
Dad came out of the hospital a few weeks later. He was itching to get back to work and worried that Randy and I had somehow burned the ranch down. Randy went to town and brought him back home. During the ride he told him everything and asked for my hand in marriage. Of course, dad approved and we set the date for the wedding that spring. It was a beautiful wedding at the ranch. All of the ranch hands were there along with some of my best friends from school. As soon as the minister said the words I was longing to hear, everyone let out a big yell and started shooting their guns in the air. As we were walking down the aisle, Randy leaned over and whispered in my ear "Looks like the boys are near happy as I am"
I just smiled up at him and thought "I'm the lucky one! I had the right man all the time and almost let him get away"
So I Tamed a Texan Page 2