Lady Outlaw

by Stacy Henrie

  When she had no more tears, she lifted her head. Her eyes were dry, but her cheeks were warm with embarrassment. She scooted away from Caleb’s protective arm. “That’s why I haven’t been back to church and why I worry about going again.” She’d never told anyone the truth about her mother before.

  “I’m sorry, Jennie. I can’t imagine going through something like that at a young age.” Caleb set his hat on his raised knee, his brow furrowed. “I do have to disagree with one thing, though.”

  Unsure she’d heard him right, she gaped in shock. “I’m not asking if you agreed. You wanted to know what I was worried about, and I told you.”

  Jennie scrambled to her feet, but he grasped her arm and pulled her gently back down beside him. “Hold on. Hear me out. I only meant to say I think you’re wrong about being hard to love.”

  She struggled against his grip, but his hand stayed firm. “How would you know?”

  “Because your grandmother cares about you and your brother cares about you...” Had his face gone a bit red? “And well...I care about you, too.”

  He released her arm and locked gazes with her, freeing butterflies in her middle, despite the somber topic. “Your mother’s leaving likely had nothing to do with you. You were just a child, Jennie. Don’t let her mistakes dictate who you are or what you do.”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  “About time you admitted that out loud.” He stood and offered her his hand. She allowed him to help her up. “You’re strong and caring. Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise.”

  “Thank you...Caleb.”

  With a nod, he put on his hat. “Back to work.”

  She walked beside him to the garden and resumed planting the seeds they had on hand, but she couldn’t help shooting glances at Caleb as he worked.

  Could he feel a bit more than friendship for her, something more than obligation as her cowhand, even after rejecting her kiss? Deep down she hoped so, though her practical self argued with her heart. His friendship, however comforting and exciting, wouldn’t save her ranch or clear her debt. Only she could do that.

  * * *

  Jennie encountered little opposition about making the trip to Beaver alone. She had assigned enough tasks to Caleb and Will to keep them busy and Grandma Jones had begged off coming, saying she wanted to start sewing a new skirt.

  She arrived in town with enough time to buy the seeds they needed before starting on her long ride to the bandits’ hideout. Turning onto Main Street, Jennie slowed Dandy to a casual gait as she observed the activity on the street. Shopkeepers swept their front stoops, men called greetings to one another from the wagons and horses shuffling past, women hung laundry on bushes or lines and young children played about their feet.

  She guided Dandy toward the general store and dismounted. Before she could tie up her horse, Jennie’s neck prickled with the unsettling sensation she was being watched—intently. She peered over her shoulder at a group of women bustling down the street, but they seemed to be ignoring her. Thankfully she’d worn a dress instead of her breeches to be less conspicuous.

  Turning in the opposite direction, she saw a cowboy hitching his palomino pony to the post outside the saloon. His short stature drew her attention. When he darted a quick glance at her, Jennie looked away, embarrassed to be caught staring. Perhaps she’d given too much weight to Nathan’s warning that the bandits would be watching for her today.

  She tied Dandy to the hitching post and entered the coolness of the mercantile. She maneuvered her way through the assortment of home goods and tools to the far end of the counter where seeds of all kinds were displayed.

  “Can I help you, miss?” A man wearing a long white apron and wire spectacles smiled as Jennie approached.

  She pointed at the seed display. “I’ll take two packets each of cucumbers, carrots, beets and potatoes.”

  “Certainly.” The storekeeper began pulling the seeds off the shelf.

  Lifting the flap of her saddlebag, Jennie reached inside for her money. Her fingers grasped a folded piece of paper, and she pulled it into the light. A single word was scribbled across the front in unfamiliar handwriting: Jennie. It had to be from Caleb.

  She set her bag on the counter, her pulse racing. What would he possibly need to say in writing that he couldn’t say in person? Would he say something more about her stolen kiss? Would he confess he liked her?

  She opened the paper with trembling fingers and three dollars slipped onto the counter. Picking them up, Jennie stared wide-eyed at the cash, then she read the words scrawled on the page.

  This money is for you to buy a new dress for church. I don’t want you to repay me. Find something you like.

  Caleb

  “I say, miss, are you feeling all right?”

  Jennie blinked. She’d forgotten the storekeeper was even there.

  “Oh, yes. I’m fine,” she said. A feeling of light-headedness washed over her and she gripped the counter. “Actually, I think I could use a chair and a glass of water.”

  He bobbed his head and hurried around the counter to her side. Jennie held on to his arm as he led her toward the back of the store. Several chairs crowded the black stove. Jennie sank into the closest one, the money and letter still clutched in her hand.

  “I’ll get you some water.”

  Jennie nodded and shut her eyes, hoping to clear her head. I can handle swindling armed robbers of their stolen loot and I can practically run the ranch single-handed. But I get faint over the generosity of one handsome young man.

  Releasing a mirthless laugh, she opened her eyes and read the letter a second time. Caleb’s thoughtfulness and the idea of something new to wear left her stomach fluttering with anticipation.

  She didn’t have time to order a new dress, not if she planned to be at the bandits’ hideout before they left. Then again, the money in her hand might be put to better use for the ranch. If she returned home empty-handed, though, she would have to either lie about her reasons for not buying something or divulge her financial troubles to Caleb. She didn’t want to do either, fearing he would read the truth on her face.

  Resting her elbows on her knees, she dropped her head into her palms and groaned. What could she do? She felt like a horse being jerked one way and then another by a lead rope.

  What if I simply pass on this job?

  Jennie sat straight up in the chair, some of the tension and light-headedness disappearing with the thought. Her loan wasn’t due in full for another four months—plenty of time to get the $850 she still owed before she lost the ranch. Nathan could easily find two lucrative jobs before August. Besides, if she was being watched, a simple trip to town for supplies and a new dress might convince the bandits she’d given up her thieving ways.

  “Here you go, miss.” The storekeeper handed her a cup. “You look like you’re feeling better.”

  “I am.” Jennie swallowed the cool well water. Handing back the cup, she stood. “I’ll pay for those seeds now.”

  “Of course.”

  The man followed her to the main part of the store. He placed her seeds beside the cash register. Jennie lifted her neglected saddlebag and placed the money and note into one of the interior pockets. After purchasing her seeds, she left the general store.

  Outside, she paused to locate a suitable dressmaker’s shop along the street. To her surprise, the short cowboy she’d been staring at earlier sat in one of the rocking chairs outside the saloon, watching her. The moment their eyes locked, he yanked his hat over his eyes and appeared to be sleeping.

  Was it just coincidence? Shrugging off the unsettled feeling creeping up her spine, Jennie darted into the roadway between two wagons and onto the opposite side of the street. A whitewashed sign over one of the buildings read Miss Felicity’s Tailoring Shop. A tremor of girlish excitement leaped inside Jennie at the thought of something to wear besides faded dresses and men’s trousers.

  Inside the shop, bolts of fabric—deep blues, mint-greens and b
utter-yellows—spread over chairs, a table and several dress dummies. A smartly attired woman met her at the door, a tape measure hanging about her neck.

  “What can I do for you, miss?” She sized up Jennie.

  Jennie flushed, conscious of the patched calico she wore. She’d never ordered a dress before. “I need a new dress.” She lifted her chin. “Something suitable for church and special occasions.”

  The woman smiled. “I think I have just the thing to go with those beautiful brown eyes of yours.” She waved Jennie into a vacant chair and headed into a small room at the rear of the shop. A moment later, the seamstress returned holding a dress of rich brown draped over her arm. “I finished this last week, but the woman who wanted it changed her mind.”

  Reaching out, Jennie touched a corner of the silk material. The brown dress was edged in cream-colored ruffles. “It’s gorgeous,” she murmured, wondering if she had enough to pay for it.

  “See how it forms a slight bustle in back? Very stylish.” The woman spun the dress around to show Jennie. “It might be a little big for you in the waist, but I can take it in.” She reverently laid the gown over a nearby dressing screen, calling over her shoulder, “Come try it on, honey, so we can see how it fits.”

  Jennie ducked behind the screen to change. She gladly slipped off her own dress and pulled the smooth silk over her head and shoulders. Glancing down at her figure, she could tell the woman had been right about the size. She swished the skirt like a bell.

  “How does it fit?” the seamstress asked.

  Jennie stepped around the screen and curtsied. “Rather well, I think.”

  The woman laughed. “Ah, you’ve fallen in love with it.” She adjusted the seams at Jennie’s waist and arms and fastened some pins into the proper places. “I’ll take a little in here...and here. Then it ought to fit like a glove. You can come for it this afternoon.”

  “How much will it cost?” Jennie held her breath, her fingers toying with one of the cream cuffs.

  The dressmaker pursed her lips in thought. “With the adjustments I’d say $2.75.”

  Jennie exhaled, her shoulders drooping slightly. She’d hoped for a new hat, too. Running a hand over the dress, she knew she’d never find anything so lovely.

  “I’ll take it.”

  She stepped behind the screen and changed back into her drab gown. This time she didn’t care quite so much about the state of her appearance. She would have a beautiful dress before the day was over.

  She handed the dress to the woman with a promise to return. Once outside, Jennie surveyed the other shops. She was rarely in town long enough to study the options. Down the way stood the saloon where the cowboy in the chair still appeared to be napping.

  Relieved, Jennie decided to cross the street so she wouldn’t have to walk past him. She hurried at her usual pace until she remembered she had the whole day to wander. When she spotted a millinery shop, she stopped and lingered in front of the window. She thought of Caleb’s words: Find something you like. And that something was a new hat for her dress. With a little money left over after buying the seeds, she hoped she might find a nice, simple one for less than a dollar.

  Determined, she walked into the shop and viewed the stunning creations bursting with flowers and feathers. She breathed in the smell of straw and new cloth. Tears came to her eyes at the memory of the stylish hats her father had purchased for her. How many times had he come into a shop like this, excited to find a millinery treasure for her?

  One of several customers, Jennie had time to browse uninterrupted among the shop’s wares. A green velvet hat captivated her interest, and she reached out to stroke the luxurious fabric. Upon seeing the price card, she forced herself to peruse the modest straw bonnets. When she discovered she couldn’t afford any of them either, she headed to the box of leftover trimmings.

  Jennie rifled through the contents and found a long piece of gold ribbon and three tiny brown flowers. She could use them to make over one of her old bonnets into something new and no one need know differently.

  She took the trimmings to the counter.

  “Twenty-five cents,” the young female clerk said.

  She waited while the girl wrapped her purchases in brown paper. Tucking the package under her arm, Jennie left the shop. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. She’d brought along jerky and bread for her trip, but the nearby hotel advertised fresh pie.

  With her remaining coins from the mercantile, she purchased a glass of milk and a slice of pie for twenty cents. Jennie gobbled up the sweet treat as she watched the passersby through the window.

  She hadn’t been sitting long when the cowboy from the saloon strolled past the window. Jennie thought nothing of it until he turned and saw her through the glass. He stopped and his eyes widened with recognition at the same moment hers did. From the brief glance she’d had of the men who rustled her cattle and Caleb’s description of them later, she knew this man was the short cowhand who worked for Mr. King.

  Jennie jumped up from her chair, prepared to go outside and confront him, but the cowboy sprinted down the street away from the hotel. Unnerved, she sat down and forced herself to finish the last few bites of her pie. This time the treat tasted less scrumptious.

  Why would Mr. King’s cowhand be following her? Why did her neighbor care how she spent her time? Was he waiting for her to be away from home so that he could go after her cattle again? For a moment, she considered leaving the dress behind and heading straight back to the ranch, but she forced herself to sit still. She trusted Caleb and Will to look after everything in her absence.

  When she left the hotel, she searched the street for any sign of the cowboy. She couldn’t see him anywhere. Hoping the whole incident had been some bizarre coincidence, she returned to the dress shop. Inside, the woman was spreading a large sheet of wrapping paper on a table.

  “It will fit better now.” She smiled and lifted the gown for Jennie to see.

  “Thank you. Your work is amazing.”

  The dressmaker beamed as she wrapped up the dress and handed it to Jennie. “Do you have a beau?” she asked after Jennie paid for the gown. “He’ll be dreamy-eyed for days after he sees you wearing this. See if I am right.” She laughed.

  “I’ll count on it,” Jennie said, smiling. She moved slowly back up the street toward her horse. She imagined the admiration she hoped to see on Caleb’s face when she modeled the dress for him and her family. She frowned a little and reminded herself that Caleb didn’t see her that way. He was kind to her, protective, even generous. But loving her was clearly something he had never even considered.

  Just as she reached her horse, she remembered with all the excitement of the new dress she’d forgotten to post the letter Caleb had given her for his family. She’d nearly given in to the temptation to open it, curious if he’d written anything about her, but she didn’t feel right about prying into his personal affairs.

  “I’ll be right back, Dandy,” she muttered, shifting the parcels in her arms to give the horse a reassuring pat on the nose. “I won’t be long.”

  She walked back to the hotel.

  “Back so soon?” the proprietress asked. “Would you like more pie?”

  Jennie blushed. “No, thank you. I forgot to post a letter.” She handed Caleb’s letter to the woman, along with the money for postage.

  “Would you like me to see if any mail has come for you?”

  She nodded, though she didn’t expect anything. Her grandmother occasionally received a letter, but Jennie rarely did. “It would be for Jennie or Aurelia Jones.”

  “One moment.” The woman entered a small room off the main entryway.

  As Jennie waited, she hugged the bundle in her arms to her chest. A new dress and new trimmings for a hat. Much better than dealing with foolhardy bandits. In spite of the strange encounter with the cowboy, she’d thoroughly enjoyed her outing to town and almost wished she had a reason to stay longer.

  “There are two letters for you, miss.
” The hotel proprietress handed them to Jennie.

  She thanked her, added the letters to her pile and stepped out of the hotel. When she reached Dandy’s side again, she stuck the letters between her teeth as she stowed away her other purchases for the ride home.

  Once her hands were free, she studied the letters. The first was for Grandma Jones. Jennie recognized the name of a long-time friend written on the back. The other was addressed to her. Curious, she turned over the envelope. The words Albert Dixon brought a deep frown.

  What does he want now? She tore open the letter and drew out the paper, forcing herself to take a steadying breath. Perhaps the bank president had come to his senses and forgiven her debt—or at least extended the deadline.

  Hoping for good news, Jennie unfolded the letter. To her surprise, the date at the top read only two days earlier.

  Dear Miss Jones,

  In light of circumstances both difficult and unforeseen for our banking establishment, I regret that I must change the date for which the total balance of your debt is required. Your debt must now be paid in full by the first of June in the year of our Lord 1870 or we will be forced to foreclose on your loan.

  Regrettably,

  Albert Dixon, bank president

  “No, no!” Jennie crushed the letter in her fist. The new deadline gave her less than five weeks. Five weeks to come up with nearly a thousand dollars—an impossible task.

  “What do I do? What do I do?” she moaned, pressing her head against the worn leather of her saddle. Panic brought the taste of bile to her throat and she clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from retching.

  She’d been a fool to buy the dress and a meal in town instead of going after the bandits’ stolen money. Even if another robbery came along, it wasn’t likely to pay what she needed, especially after she gave Nathan his half.

  Nathan. Whirling around, Jennie hurried in the direction of the saloon, forgetting her horse and bags for the moment. She had to get another robbery job as soon as possible.