Foxfire Bride

by Maggie Osborne

  Brown nodded. "My daddy had a mule. She was smarter than all the horses put together."

  Tanner could believe it. Sliding to the ground, he approached the mule and took a close look at the pannier. The frame was busted. The tear in the canvas side panel had lengthened to eight inches. There were gold coins scattered over several acres.

  He was thinking about shooting the mule himself when Fox rode up and swung off her mustang. "I'll stake her right here," she said, passing him with a hammer and a metal spike. "Peaches will collect her once he gets the others settled down."

  "You and Peaches caught the other five?" Tanner asked, struggling to keep his voice level. After he spotted the mules about a half mile away, he turned back to Fox. It would never have occurred to him to carry a hammer and metal spikes in his saddlebags.

  "Peaches is chasing down the last of them. The others are staked with enough rope to allow grazing."

  For the first time it registered on Tanner that she was wearing glasses with blue lenses to protect her eyes from the sunlight. As hard as he tried he couldn't recall if she'd worn the glasses yesterday. What he wanted to know more than that was how she and Peaches had caught five mules while he, Hanratty, and Brown were making fools of themselves chasing one. He decided he didn't want to know badly enough to ask.

  She took off the glasses and scanned the valley searching for sunlight bouncing off gold. It wasn't hard to spot. "There's no easy way to do this," she said finally. "I'll get some pots and then we'll all go treasure hunting." She gave Tanner a shrug. "Meanwhile, you might want to stitch up that tear."

  "I suppose you've got a needle and thread in there, too," he said, watching her stow the hammer in her saddlebags.

  She produced a heavy needle and thin cord, gave them to him, then rode off to fetch containers for the coins. He narrowed his eyes and watched her fiery braid swinging across the back of her poncho.

  "Nothing I hate more than an uppity woman," Hanratty said. To underscore the point he spit on the ground then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Brown took a swig from his canteen. "What you hate is getting bested by a woman. I didn't see you catching five mules."

  "I'm getting tired of your mouth," Hanratty snarled, swinging off his horse. He started toward Jubal Brown.

  Tanner stepped in front of him. "Not while you're on my payroll." A challenge flickered in Hanratty's stare then receded. "If you two want a piece of each other, fine." Tanner addressed them both. "But you wait until this money is safely delivered in Denver."

  In silence they waited for Fox to return with containers. When everyone had a pot, Tanner took off his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves, then started the overwhelming job of picking up coins. After twenty minutes he wished for a blast of the morning's cold air. There was no shade on the valley floor, nothing to block the sun. After an hour, he was soaked with sweat.

  Once during the next two hours he looked over at Fox and discovered she'd removed her heavy poncho and opened her collar. Sitting back on his heels, he took his canteen from around his neck and stared at her as he took a long swallow of warm water.

  Underneath the poncho she'd worn an overlarge shirt. What she probably didn't know was that the shirt was thin enough that the sunlight behind her made a silhouette of her body against the side Tanner faced.

  He sucked in a soft breath. She was bending, reaching to pick up a coin, and he saw the shadowy outline of heavy breasts and a slender waist. His throat closed and he had to remind himself to exhale.

  It wasn't decent to take advantage of a situation she was unaware of. Turning his head, he blinked unseeing at a coin caught among short branches of sage. For some reason he had expected Fox to be small-breasted. It was an electric jolt to discover otherwise.

  He picked up the coin and dropped it inside the Dutch oven he carried. For five entire minutes he managed not to look at her, then he swore quietly and turned his head.

  This time she was kneeling, wiping sweat from her face and throat with the long tail of the shirt. When she spotted him watching, she raised an eyebrow then smiled and returned to picking up coins.

  When she smiled her whole face brightened, and to Tanner's astonishment he realized she might have been beautiful if fate had given her an easier life. Instead, she hid beneath shapeless clothing and a cantankerous expression guaranteed to repel rather than attract.

  Certainly she made no attempt to be particularly agreeable. She didn't address Hanratty or Brown unless they spoke to her first. And twice now she had stood up and moved when she found herself seated next to Tanner. The only person whose company she sought was Peaches. Every night before turning in, she spent a few minutes reviewing the day with Peaches. Occasionally Tanner heard her laugh, once her voice had been sharp and angry.

  Bending to pick a coin out of the dirt, he frowned and decided he was spending entirely too much time thinking about his scout.

  Distances were deceiving out here, but Fox judged the valley stretched between twelve and fifteen miles wide. If they set out now, well past midday, they would have to camp in the open or travel in the dark to reach the foothills of the next range.

  Chewing over the problem, she considered the pots of coins set out on the ground. "Do you need to count them?"

  "If the bags contained the same number of coins, each would hold six hundred and twenty-five coins," Tanner said. "But the only way to know if the coins were evenly dispersed would be to count each bag." He shaded his eyes and gazed toward the next range on the far side of the valley. "It would take too long to count all the bags, but I do need to count the coins out of the broken bag."

  The money was the purpose of the journey. "All right," Fox said, her decision made. "We'll camp here. The animals could stand to graze, and you'll have the rest of the afternoon to count." Turning to Jubal Brown, she waved her hand over the ground. "There's too much brush to risk an open fire so one of you needs to dig a pit, and Peaches could use a hand unpacking the mules."

  "I'll dig a pit," Brown agreed, "but I didn't sign on to tote and haul supplies."

  Fox bared her teeth. "You signed on to get this money to Denver. That means doing whatever it takes. Right now it takes unloading those mules."

  "Then you do it yourself." The tight crazy light came into his eyes. "I'm not taking orders from a woman, and I'm not going to do a Negro's work for him."

  Fox stared at Brown but spoke to Tanner. "We're going to have trouble here." From the corner of her eye she saw Tanner start toward them, but she held up a hand. "It's my problem and I'll take care of it." She considered Brown for a moment. "Are you going to do what you signed on to do?"

  "I'm going to have a nap."

  "I don't think so." Making a fist, Fox punched him in the stomach hard enough that he'd have a bruise. Stepping back, she watched with a cold eye as he doubled over. "When you're finished bellyaching, give Peaches a hand. Or else I'll knock your teeth out." She turned to Tanner, and was tempted to smile at the astonishment pinching his expression. "You need any help counting those coins?"

  His gaze slipped past her to Brown who was bent over swearing, much to Hanratty's amusement. "I could use some help, yes."

  She turned over a water bucket and sat on it, her eyes a stormy gray. "I think it'll go faster if one of us counts and one of us runs a tally. Would you rather count or tally?"

  Before he could answer, Brown stomped up to the pots of coins. "You saw what she did!" He sent Fox a murderous glance. "Ain't you going to do something about it?"

  "What would you like me to do?" To Fox's satisfaction, Tanner's voice was cold and unsympathetic. But this wasn't his fight.

  She stepped between the two men. "You and me, and Hanratty and Peaches, we're the hired help. All of us. Not three of us with you being the exception. All of us. That means we share the work."

  "That means you follow the lady's orders, Brown." Hanratty's grin curved the lower part of his face. "When she cracks the whip, you jump, boy."

 
; "Shut up, Hanratty." Fox scowled at him. "But you do follow my orders. You knew that going in. You also know what needs to be done to set up camp. At this point I shouldn't have to tell anyone what to do. You should be able to see that a job needs doing and then pitch in and do it. Now get busy, or get out. Leave." To Tanner she added, "I'll get some paper. You count, I'll keep track."

  Before she returned to the pots of coins, she made sure Hanratty and Brown had moved to assist Peaches. Neither of them worked with any speed, but they were doing it. For a long moment she held Jubal Brown's stare, then she walked back to where Tanner waited by the pots.

  "I think we need to talk," Tanner said. Sunlight slanted across the valley, turning his eyes an amber color that made Fox think of good whiskey. She could have used a drink right now.

  "Let's get these coins counted and stowed, then we can talk."

  They counted all the coins from the broken bag and came up with a total of 622. "If you're right about how many coins should be in here, we're short three coins," Fox said, inspecting the mended bag. If she'd done the job, she would have used a patch instead of just stitching the rip. "We can fetch the others and go out there and look for them."

  Tanner scanned the broad valley floor then swept off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. "Three coins amount to sixty dollars. I'll add three coins to this bag before I give it to the kidnappers."

  Sixty dollars was a small fortune in Fox's view. "If it took until dark to find the missing coins, it would still be good pay for the effort."

  "I'm willing to pay sixty dollars not to have to spend another two hours searching dirt and sagebrush."

  "It's your money," she said, twitching a shoulder. The coins were counted, camp set up, the animals peacefully grazing. She could relax. Taking a cigar from her shirt pocket, she lit it and sighed with pleasure. "What did you want to talk about?"

  "You've knifed one of my guards, and beat up the other." Tanner also lit a cigar, one that smelled a lot better than hers did. Fox wondered what he'd paid for his. "You aren't making friends on this trip."

  "I have a friend. I don't need more," she said, glancing toward Peaches who was repacking what they wouldn't need tonight. "Besides, I only jabbed Hanratty, I didn't knife him, and I only punched Brown, I didn't beat him up."

  Tanner exhaled and watched the breeze dissipate the smoke. "These are dangerous men, Fox. It isn't wise to, begging your pardon, piss them off."

  "If I lose control of this expedition, we might as well turn around right now and call it quits. I need to gain their respect even if it means, begging your pardon, pissing them off." That was, in fact, what had to happen before they would respect her. "I know what I'm doing. This isn't my first experience with men like Hanratty and Brown."

  A silence opened between them before Tanner spoke again. "You're a remarkable woman."

  Her eyebrows soared in surprise. "Why? Because I smoke and cuss and know how to find east?"

  "That's part of it," he said.

  She held his gaze until she felt her cheeks grow hot, then she stubbed out her cigar, stood up, and dusted her hands together. "Well, we've still got a few hours of daylight, so I think I'll take your advice and mend some fences and build some respect."

  She hoped to hell that she wasn't about to make a huge mistake.

  "This is a damned fool idea," Tanner snapped, offering Peaches a cigar.

  "Don't mind if I do and thank you." Peaches sniffed the cigar, smiled, then bit off the end and accepted a light. "Don't worry, Captain. Missy knows what she's doing. She wouldn't have suggested a competition if she didn't think she could win."

  Right now an enthusiastic argument ensued among Fox, Hanratty, and Brown over how far out to place the targets. Tanner's instinct was to interfere and prohibit the shooting match. He didn't see anything good coming out of this.

  Once the distance was decided upon, Hanratty paced up the valley, counting off yards.

  "Are you sure you don't want to compete?" Fox asked, joining them. She took a puff off of Peaches's cigar.

  Peaches held up his hands. "You know I couldn't hit the side of that mountain if you gave me ten tries."

  Tanner shook his head. "Whatever's going on here, it's between you and them."

  "Then you can referee." She dangled her arms and shook her fingers. "Best shot out of two tries. If the shooter misses on both shots, he's out. We'll start in ten minutes."

  Hanratty and Brown used the time to have a smoke. Fox paced up and down, muttering and stamping her feet.

  "What is she doing?" Tanner asked Peaches.

  "She's getting mad. Making herself furious."

  "Why?"

  "If she don't get mad, Captain, she'll get scared." Peaches shrugged as if the answer was obvious.

  The idea that Fox was not totally fearless startled him. And touched him on a level he couldn't have explained.

  "All right, let's go. Come on, Tanner." Red-faced and cold-eyed, Fox strode up to the line Brown had dug in the dirt with his boot. "Get out of my way. I'll shoot first."

  "The hell you will," Hanratty protested. "We'll flip a coin." He turned to Tanner. "You got a coin?"

  No one laughed as Tanner produced a twenty-dollar gold piece. "You and Brown," he said. They didn't look happy, but both nodded and he spun the coin in the air, caught it, and slapped it on the back of his hand.

  "Tails," Hanratty said.

  "Tails it is. Now you and Fox."

  This time it came up heads and Hanratty won again. He smirked at Fox, knowing he had first chance to intimidate her and Brown. The losers swore and stepped back from the line.

  Hanratty had raised his rifle and was about to squeeze the trigger when Fox said, "Wait."

  "What the hell are you trying to pull?"

  "Just wondered if you boys want to make this a little more interesting. I've got ten dollars that says I win."

  "The hell."

  The men looked at each other then reached in their pockets. Everyone gave ten dollars to Tanner for safekeeping.

  "Now shut up." Hanratty glared at Fox before he shouldered his rifle. The old skillet that Peaches had contributed fell off the tree stump. "Got it on the first shot."

  Brown narrowed his eyes. "Maybe it fell off by itself. Someone should go check." He didn't look at Peaches but it was clear who he meant.

  "I'll do it." When Peaches reached the target area, he held up the skillet and shouted. "He got it ." He reset the skillet as Fox stepped up to the line.

  "And I got it with one shot," Hanratty boasted.

  Fox fired before he finished speaking, and the skillet flew backward. She stepped away from the line without waiting for Peaches to verify the shot. "Your turn," she snapped at Brown.

  He, too, hit the skillet with one shot.

  "Move the target back," Fox called to Peaches, then resumed pacing and muttering and building steam under her hat.

  This time it took Hanratty two shots to hit the skillet. Fox and Brown scored with one shot, and Peaches moved the target farther back. Impressed, Tanner was glad he'd had the sense not to participate.

  No one spoke as Hanratty stepped up to the line. He gave Fox a thoughtful look then sighted in and fired. The skillet jumped off the stump and Peaches hurried forward to reset it.

  Fox fired and missed, swore, slapped her hat against her thigh, then knocked the skillet off with her second shot. Tanner released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Brown also hit on his second shot.

  Peaches moved the target to a distance that looked to Tanner as if it would be impossible to hit.

  Hanratty hit it on the second shot. Fox hit on the first shot. Jubal Brown missed both shots.

  "You're out," Fox said.

  Brown looked angry enough to tear something apart. But when Hanratty stepped up to shoot, he turned and walked away.

  Peaches moved the target twice more before dusk settled and Tanner decided it was time to halt the competition. He moved up to the line. "At this point i
t's no longer a shooting contest, it's more of an eyesight contest with some luck thrown in. I declare the competition a tie between Hanratty and Fox." Both protested vigorously, but Tanner held his ground. "It'll be full dark in a few minutes. Time for supper." He divided the money between them. "That was impressive shooting," he said, meaning it. "Congratulations to you both."

  No one had much to say during a three-B supperbacon, beans, and biscuitsbut Tanner noticed Hanratty and Brown scarcely glanced at their plates. Both of them stared at Fox with hard expressionless faces.

  It occurred to Tanner that she had made the same point with them as she'd made with the Indian boys.

  "How did you learn to shoot like that?" Brown asked over coffee.

  Fox didn't look up from scrubbing the plates with sand. "The same way you learned. Lots of practice." The noise of the fire popping and sand scraping tin was the only sound for a full minute, then Fox looked up and smiled. "Want to go again tomorrow? With pistols?"

  Hanratty and Brown laughed and Tanner felt the tension evaporate. The remainder of the evening passed quickly in talk of rifles, specifically a Sharps, versus pistols, particularly a Colt repeater, stories of various target shoots, and what weapons were reputed to be favored by famous outlaws and lawmen. For the first time since the journey began, Fox stayed at the fire with the men and they actually asked her opinion and listened when she responded.

  Before Tanner called it a night and rolled out his bedding, he took Fox aside, needing to satisfy his curiosity. "What would you have done if you'd lost the contest?"

  Her eyelids flickered, then her chin came up in a gesture of bravado. "I never considered that possibility."

  "Consider it now."

  Peaches had banked the coals in the fire pit. There wasn't enough light to see her expression. All he could make out was the pale oval of her face and the line of her throat. Imagination filled in blue eyes and a full shapely mouth.

  "I wouldn't have lost. Good night, Mr. Tanner."

  He sat beside the fire pit another five minutes, thinking about the day. Most of the events centered around Fox, her direction, her expertise, her assistance, her skills.