So, the house sprawled across the land. Soon it would be as large as the Chapman Ranch if new additions were made to it. With all that work, Owen knew that building a home for himself and the wife he would never have wasn’t a priority. He and Oliver preferred to sleep in the barn and under the stars. He doubted if he would ever marry.
Owen dismounted the horse and walked Winchester into the barn. Until he knew how these horses would behave, he didn’t want to take any chances with his own horse.
He put Winchester in his stall and gave him some fresh hay. As the horse happily munched, Owen went outside to open the corral for the horses.
“Looks like they are almost here,” Jimmy said, walking over to help Owen lift the wooden gate. He retired from scouting and was now helping Owen prepare for the arrival of the herd.
Jimmy wanted the horses as bad as anyone did.
Owen heard hooves coming up behind them and the sound of laughter. He turned to see Penelope and Alice, his younger sisters riding up.
It was a perfect day.
Chapter Three
“Jake said the horses were coming,” Penelope said breathlessly, her red curls falling from underneath her hat.
She pulled the reins, stopping her horse right next to the barn. Hopping down, a curl bounced in front of her eyes. Penelope huffed and lifted her hat, shoving the wayward curls back underneath.
“They are almost here, Penny,” he said.
“Whoa,” Alice said, bringing her horse to a stop. Penelope grabbed the reins of Alice’s horse.
“Why don’t you hop down, Pint Jar?” Penny said fondly. Penny held Alice’s horse as she slid from its back. She shifted her skirt back and forth to release the wrinkles from riding. Penny gave Owen a pleading look, as she led both horses into the barn.
That was her signal not to say or do anything that might upset Alice. Trouble was, no one knew what might set her off at any moment. But at least Penny was able to get her outside and into the fresh air. Alice spent most of her time cooped up in her room, scribbling in her journal or sleeping the day away.
She walked over to the edge of the corral and stood on the bottom rung. She was a pretty girl, even if she was his sister. There were no shortages of suitors that came around to pay a visit. If the boys found out a man was calling, they found a reason to polish their rifles on the porch.
Caleb was the best at dissuading unwanted suitors. When a caller and one of their sisters were in the sitting room, Caleb would spend time target shooting right outside the window.
Marianne and Penelope took it in stride, as they had no desire for a suitor. Alice, however, wasn’t so understanding. She viewed this as her brothers making a stand and running off any opportunity, she may have to leave Nebraska.
Once word traveled about anyone wanting to court Alice Chapman, would need to contend with five brothers, not many came around more than once. And now, no one came around at all. Alice refused to see anyone.
Why Alice didn’t like Nebraska, Owen didn’t know. He loved it more than anywhere else in the world. And he had traveled to several different states when he served as part of the cavalry for the Union Army.
Nebraska was home. Owen knew he would never leave again. She gave a slight smile to Owen. He lowered his eyes and looked at her hands which were shaking. She caught him watching her and leaned over so he couldn’t see her hands.
Owen couldn’t look at her for long. Every time he looked at her, his heart hurt, and his mind filled with anger.
Their Pint Jar had been taken. She was stolen from right under their noses by someone they thought they trusted. A traveling preacher convinced Alice to accompany him to San Francisco. Desperate to leave, Alice was no match for the hypnotic preacher.
The brothers left immediately to go after them, but she couldn’t be found. After a week of searching, they needed to return to the ranch. Penny traveled to Denver in hopes that Marianne could help. Marianne worked for the Pinkerton Detective Agency and the Chapmans were hoping they could find Alice.
Unfortunately, when Penny arrived, she learned that Marianne had left for Chicago. Penny sent a telegram that an agent had been sent to find Alice and that Penelope intended to follow him to San Francisco.
Penelope returned several weeks later married to the same agent. They had found Alice in a horrific situation and brought her home as quickly as possible. Alice wasn’t the same carefree girl that she was before she left. Alice never discussed what happened while she was away and refused to answer any questions.
But the family could see the signs. Her eyes, rimmed red, the incoherent babbling that made no sense, scratching the skin on her arms until it bled, and the tremors in her hands and face. The first week was the hardest as Alice would wail in the dark.
Owen would stand at the door of her room and watch as Marmee rocked her youngest daughter back and forth. The anger that consumed him was overwhelming. He felt as though he had failed somehow in the older brother department since he simply dismissed Alice’s infatuation as just that… an infatuation. Oh, how wrong he was. How wrong they all were.
Owen was happy to see her finally venture from her room. He turned his attention back to the herd. It was getting closer, as he could hear the calls from his brothers.
“Oh look, Owen,” Alice said, lifting on her toes and stretching as tall as she could over the corral. “Here they come. Do you think the black is with them?”
“It doesn’t look like it,” Owen said. The majestic horse had eluded them for six years. “You need to move back, honey,” he said softly. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Alice moved to the end of the corral, closer to the barn. She was joined by Penny, who was waving to her brothers.
“Haw! Haw!” Oliver yelled, waving his hat at the horses as they ran past Tot’s cook wagon. Scratch started guiding the horses around the corner of the barn and into the corral as Oliver rode his horse to the far end of the pen and came to a stop.
He was followed by Caleb, then Everett. Ranch hands Lucky, Rich, Smokes, and Goodie, followed behind. When the last horse entered the pen, Goodie hopped down to help lift the gate back in place.
As the horses circled around the wooden pen, Owen started to count them off. One… two… three…fifteen.
“How many did you count, Pint Jar?” he called to Alice and Penelope.
“I counted fifteen.”
Owen turned to his brother. “How many?” he asked with a smile.
Oliver pushed his hat back. “Fifteen.”
“Good call, Pint Jar,” he said, taking a notepad from his pocket and writing the number on one of the pages. The horses were lathered and panting from the run. He slid the notebook back in his pocket. “Let’s get them watered.”
“There are several mares ready to drop in there. Should have five or six foals we can use to start the breeding stock,” Everett said.
“Breeding stock?” Owen said, lifting his eyebrow. “I thought cattle ranching was in your blood.”
“It may have just been replaced,” Everett laughed. His brown eyes sparkling with excitement. It was Everett’s first roundup for wild horses.
Owen knew exactly how Everett felt.
Penny walked over and held the harness on Whiskey, Oliver’s horse. “Let’s get these boys rubbed down and fed.” She touched the lather on the horse’s flanks and rubbed it between her fingers, grimacing. “You really gave them a run,” she said.
“Those mustangs can really move,” Oliver said, sliding from the horse. “Thanks, Penny,” he said, tapping her nose. Alice walked over to grab the reins from Caleb and Everett. As she passed, Oliver grabbed her in a side hug and planted a kiss on top of her blonde hair. “Glad to see you, Pint Jar,” he said. Alice froze and her mask slipped back in place. Oliver gave her another quick squeeze, oblivious to Alice’s reaction, then he released her.
Alice wrinkled her nose. “You stink.”
Oliver laughed. “We’ll get cleaned up as soon as we get everyone set
tled.”
Owen watched Alice and Penelope lead the horses back to the barn. He turned to his brothers who walked up beside him. “Any sign of the black?” he asked.
Oliver shook his head. “I thought we saw him, but it appeared to be a younger version. Maybe two years old at the most. The black we are looking for may have moved his harem further north.”
A harem consisted of a group of breeding mares and a strong stallion. Stallions would fight for the choicest females to breed with. During gestation and for a year after birth, the stallion would stay with the mares to protect the offspring.
“And what about this harem?”
“We were able to separate it. Appears that the grullo there protects this herd,” Oliver said, pointing to the slate horse that was circling the mares.
Owen waved to the ranch hands. “You guys go get cleaned up. Tot has some hot food. Jimmy and I will get these horses settled. Good job, men,” he called to them.
The hands led their horses towards the barn. Owen lifted his leg and placed his boot on the middle railing of the pen. Oliver came over and leaned on his arms, looking at the horses.
“Looks like a good lot.”
“We might get a fair price for them,” Oliver said, then laughed. “I think I’m getting too old for these roundups. My backside is killing me. I’m thirty-two and walking like an old man.”
“Don’t tell me your problems,” Owen laughed, wincing as he rubbed his leg. It was like looking in a mirror when he looked at his brother. They were identical in every way, apart from one tiny feature. Oliver had a birthmark on his neck, where Owen didn’t have one.
They had light brown hair and brown eyes. Owen kept his short where Oliver wore his longer.
Neither had been married, although Owen had nearly been once. He shook the memory off and watched three more hands fill the water trough and provide fresh grass for the horses.
“Boss,” Jimmy said. “We got company.”
Owen turned to see five horses riding up to the barn. His blood boiled as he recognized the man leading them.
They rode up to the barn and pen. The leader placed his arms on the saddle horn and leaned forward.
“Hartman,” Owen said through clenched teeth. “What are you doing on our land?”
Owen stood his ground, his three brothers flanking him on either side. He looked at Chat Hartman and then spat on the ground.
Chat Hartman was the oldest of the Hartman brothers. He was just a year younger than Owen.
The Hartmans lived on the other side of the Chapman’s Ranch. The Flat River divided the two properties. They raised longhorns as well. The children were raised together, and they all attended the small one room schoolhouse in Flat River where Ma Hartman was a teacher. At one time Chat was Owen’s best friend. It was nice to have a best friend that wasn’t his brother. But now Owen could barely stand to look at the man.
Not many knew what occurred between Randall Hartman and Weston Chapman. There was speculation in town, but Owen tried not listen to gossip. One day they were business partners; and the next day they weren’t.
Not only did the Chapmans lose a business partner, but the Chapman siblings lost all their friends in one afternoon and one of the fiercest rivalries began on the plains. Even though it had been over ten years, the air was still thick with anger and hurt.
“Chapman,” Chat said, his eyes roaming over the mustangs in the corral. “You movin’ to steal horses now?” The men behind him laughed.
Caleb moved forward, his fists clenching in the air. “You get off that horse, you lily-livered…”
Oliver placed his hand on Caleb’s shoulder, pulling his brother back. “What do you want, Hartman?” Oliver called.
Chat looked around. Owen noticed his gaze pause at the barn. Owen looked and spied Alice standing in the doorway, her arms crossed as she watched the events unfold.
“Ma’am,” Chat said, tilting his hat. Alice visibly relaxed her arms. Owen watched as Alice’s mouth opened and closed. He recognized that look. He moved over to block Chat’s view of his sister.
“Don’t talk to her,” he said. “What do you want?”
Chat sat back up in the saddle and rubbed his jaw. “Seems she’s old enough to speak if she wants to.”
Owen clenched his jaw. “Caleb?” he asked without taking his eyes off the man in front of him.
Caleb walked behind. “Let’s get you to the house, Alice,” he said leading her away.
“I don’t want to go,” she said, looking over her shoulder at the men on horses.
“Alice, go to the house,” Owen said softly.
He heard Alice snort and the sound of footsteps as Caleb led her away.
“I’ll ask you once more, Hartman, before my Remington does the askin’ for me. What do you want?”
“We’re looking for Frank.”
“Frank? Your brother?” Owen recognized two of the three men surrounding Chat on their horses, as the other Hartman brothers: Baxter and Rex. He didn’t recognize the third. Must be a ranch hand.
“Frank disappeared about three days ago. Hasn’t come home.”
“Maybe he’s in town drunk? Heard he spends a lot of time in town,” Oliver volunteered.
“Why you…,” Baxter said moving forward. “I should get down off this horse…”
“And what? Lick me?” Oliver danced out of the way. “I can’t help it if your brother is a drunk.”
“Stop it!” Chat said putting his hand up to silence his brothers. “Frank ain’t no drinker. Never was. He was the only one with a lick of sense.” Chat dragged his hand down his face. “Appears Frank went to scout out that large stallion on Mustang Hill. Never returned.”
“Did he take anyone with him?”
“He was just scouting. I know you boys were out there.”
“We didn’t see him,” Everett volunteered.
“Hmmm,” Chat said. “If you were after the same horse he was, perhaps you did see him. Maybe you didn’t like anyone scouting around where you were doing a roundup. Might make sense that you got rid of him?”
Owen moved forward, placing his hand on the gun strapped to his waist. “Mind your words, Hartman.”
Chat looked as though he was going to say something but then stopped. “His horse came back. The saddle was missing, but the halter was still in place. Ma is right torn up.”
Owen nodded. He could understand Mrs. Hartman worrying about her son. She was a hard woman, but Owen recognized a mother’s love. Marmee was inconsolable after Michael’s death and then when Alice disappeared.
Owen relaxed. “If my brothers said they didn’t see him out there, then they didn’t see him. Stupid thing to go out by himself; why’d he do it?”
“Makes no mind why he did. He just did.”
“He was mad because…”
“Shut your mouth, Rex,” Chat said. “That ain’t no one’s business but our own.” He turned his eyes to Owen. “If he wasn’t on the mountain, did he stop by here?”
Owen shook his head. “I’ve not seen him come by here either. I doubt he would come on our land. It appears at least one of your brothers has a lick of sense.”
“You are probably right.” Chat leaned back in the saddle. “Pa didn’t want us to come over, but Ma insisted we check.” He made a clucking sound with his tongue and turned the horse away from the barn. “You alright if we cut through to see if he fell off anywhere?”
Owen nodded. “Yes, but then get off our land and don’t return. Otherwise, we might shoot you.”
Chat tipped his hat. “Let’s go,” he said to his men and they headed across the pasture towards Mustang Hill.
Despite its name, Mustang Hill wasn’t much of a hill. It was a large flat rock jutting from the ground. If Frank were up there, he could have fallen between any of the fissures.
It wasn’t his problem, Owen thought.
“What do you suppose happened to Frank?” Oliver asked.
Owen looked at his brother. “Dunno
.” Oliver took off his hat and ran his fingers through his dirty brown hair. “Dunno and don’t care. Alice is right. You stink.”
He felt Oliver’s hand clasp his shoulder. “Let me get cleaned up and we can go eat. I hope Marmee is making steak.
“You hope for that every evening.”
Oliver wiggled his eyebrows. “Makes me the predictable brother. Hey, Everett, wait up,” he called and trotted to catch up with their youngest brother.
Owen followed his brother towards the house. He looked over his shoulder, stealing a glance at the horses and then once more to the men riding away.
Chapter Four
Ellie pulled her best friend into a hug.
“I can’t believe you are really leaving!” Polly cried as she wrapped her arms around Ellie. “You’re the first one of all our friends to take a trip by train!”
Ellie pulled away and looked at the large steam locomotive that was huffing in the station. This was sure to be an adventure.
Who would have thought her life would change so rapidly? It had been nearly a year since her broken engagement.
Mr. Lloyd died, and Arlo wasted no time in spending his sizeable inheritance. Last Ellie heard; Arlo had married a woman of means.
Ellie wished him well and said a prayer for the woman he married. Rumor had it that she hadn’t been seen since the wedding.
She gave a shudder realizing that would have been her. She had been writing to Frank twice a month. They faithfully exchanged letters and last month he sent her money for a ticket and asked her to come to Flat River and be his bride. It took everything Ellie had not to jump on the train immediately.
She had said her goodbyes to her parents at home. Her father gave her a small linen bag tied with a string. She was surprised when she saw how much money he had put in it. For an emergency, he said. Her mother wouldn’t stop crying, so, Polly came to see Ellie off instead.
Her large trunk had already been packed and was loaded on the train. She was carrying her small bag and a basket that Polly had packed for the journey.
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