by Nancy Howard
THE JOB IS DONE. IT's now past midnight as the men in the sheriff's posse mount up to begin the long ride back to Folsom. It was a ride of solemn silence, that seemed to take longer than it usually would. As the men in the posse ride home with the images of dead children still living vividly in their minds. Something that none of them will soon forget, since most of them are married and have children themselves. As they ride back, they all wonder in their minds where Hogg and his gang are lurking. And when and where they'll strike next? That, too, is something that they can't get out of their minds. And they think—what would they do if Hogg showed up at their home? How could they stop them? They know that they couldn't. But each of them hopes the time will come, when Folsom will get its revenge with Hogg.
7
Logan arrived with the Sanderson's at their ranch house that same afternoon. As they ride up to the house, they're immediately met by a big black man about the same age as John, that he addresses as George. The two men exchange greetings, and John hands him the reins of the buggy. Then John walks around to the other side of it, to give Catherine a hand, helping her down. Logan dismounts Warrior, and is about to tie him to the hitching post, when John tells George to come back and get the stallion. He tells him to stable him and take good care of him. Logan has taken her saddle bags, bed roll, carbine, and what few belongings she has off of Warrior. John motioned for her to go on inside the house, and they follow Catherine, who has already entered.
Right away Logan notices that the Sanderson house is very large. She'd observed that as she rode behind the carriage and up to it. It has two stories, and very large front porch that spans the full length of the house. The porch also has a swing and wicker chairs for setting in, with white picket fence railings all around it. The house is painted white with shutters on all the windows, and they are painted a dark green. The second floor has two dormers that seem to grow out of the roof above, that are the same color. The house sets up on a hill, above all of the other out buildings on the ranch. Logan noticed when she got off of Warrior that she could see for miles in all directions around the house. She also noticed when they rode onto the property, that the ranch is named Sanderson's Hill. Now she sees the correlation of that name, as it pertains to where John and Catherine's house is located.
Logan enters the front door and is awe stuck right away, as she just stands there amazed at what she sees. She's never been in a house like this one. Seeing the inside of the Sanderson house for the first time, causes Logan to think back to the places where she and her dad lived when she was growing up. She remembers moving around a lot, and that all of the places they lived in were little better than shacks.
From Logan’s view she is looking into a huge dining room with an equally big fireplace, and two draped windows in the rear. To her right is an office that she figures is John’s study, and on her right is an archway that leads to the parlor.
“It's so beautiful,” she remarks. Half talking to Catherine, complimenting her on the house and half saying it to herself as well. Catherine smiles, hearing Logan's compliments about her home. She’s quickly starting to see from Logan's compliments about their home, that she's never had much.
“Come with me, dear, and I'll show you where you can put your things.”
Logan follows Catherine up the stairs, still wide eyed and gawking at her new surroundings. Once at the top, she follows Catherine down a long hallway to a bedroom. There are four that Logan counts on this upper floor, and she sees one has the door closed. Three are open, Catherine walks into the one that faces the back of the house. “This is one of our guest rooms, Logan,” she says, turning around. “It's been some time since we've had anyone sleep in here, so I'll have Zelda our maid, put clean bed sheets on it for you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Sanderson. Thank you both for letting me stay here in your house with you,” Logan said.
“You're quite welcome, Logan. John and I want you to make yourself at home. And it's Catherine.”
“I will. Yes mam, I mean, Catherine.”
Catherine smiled at the young woman, and closed the door behind her as she left the room. Down inside she is very happy that Logan has come here, and is staying in their house with them. Even if it's because she as been hired by John to run off cattle rustlers, and this could be temporary. Having Logan, a young woman like their daughter in the house again, is something that has been sorely missing from Sanderson's Hill Ranch.
Gone with Jenny was her laughter, her grace, charm, and beauty. And now, suddenly Catherine has this girl, Logan, here. And down inside she hopes she will stay, at least for a little while. She knows that no one could ever replace her Jennifer, but it will be nice to have Logan around.
Logan turns around and sets down on the bed. It's a big soft bed with a down mattress, and huge, soft, down pillows. It is so high Logan's feet don't reach the floor, and it's just like the one she thought about in her camp the night before.
She thinks about Catherine and what a fine and beautiful lady she is, and what a lovely home this is. This room itself is nicer than anything that Logan has ever slept in. It is big and spacious with a large walk-in closet. There's a vanity with a big mirror, that includes a chest of drawers and a stool to set down on. She gets up and walks over and looks out the window, that looks out over the open range. Logan thinks, she can see forever from here. Then she sets back down on the edge of the bed, still looking out the window. She can see the Sangre De Cristo Mountains off in the distance, with their brooding storm clouds building up in the heat of the day. Down inside she longs for—and even aches for someplace like this. Someplace permanent, that she can call home.
It's mid afternoon and she lays down on the big soft bed, and stares at the ceiling. Then before she knows it she's quickly falling off into a nap. After sleeping for several minutes, Logan hears a soft knock on the door that wakes her.
She raises her head up, and gets up off of the bed and answers the door. It's Catherine.
“Did I wake you dear,” she asks? “I'm sorry.”
“Oh, that's okay, I just drifted off. Does John need me?”
“No, no, dear it's nothing like that. I just wanted to let you know that we will be eating dinner at six-thirty. John and I discussed it, and decided we would like very much for you to join us this evening, if you would like, too.”
“Would I? Yes, of course, I'd love too,” Logan says, smiling.
Catherine returns the smile at Logan's response, and says, “oh, I almost forgot to ask you. But would you like to take advantage of the time before then, to take a bath and freshen up. You've got time to do that, you know.”
“Yes, mam, I would.” Logan says, with enthusiasm in her voice. She hasn't bathed in a several days, and the offer of a bath is music to her ears.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“What's that,” Logan asks?
“Would you please wear your pretty new dress to dinner tonight?”
“Yes, I will, I promise.” She said smiling at Catherine. Having her question answered as to when she to when she would wear the dress.
“Good, come on downstairs dear and I'll show you where you can bathe. I'll have Zelda get you some clean towels to dry off with.”
Logan quickly closes the door to the guest room and follows Catherine back down the stairs, and into a room that is adjacent to the kitchen. She looks in and sees a big tub of steaming hot water waiting for her, that she cannot wait to get into.
TWENTY MINUTES LATER Logan gets out of the tub and reaches for a towel and quickly begins to dry her hair, then wraps it around her head. Then she picks up the big white fluffy towel that Zelda laid right next to the smaller one. Before she begins to dry herself off though, Logan plants her face deep into the towel. Taking a deep breath into it, smelling its fresh cleanliness. It smelled so good, and she thinks that a girl could get used to this, even her, a bounty hunter.
After she’s dry she wraps the big towel around herself, tucking it in at the top securely arou
nd her. Only then did she notice that her clothes were gone. Zelda had taken them when she brought the towels in, and Logan didn't even notice. They were really dirty, and needed to be cleaned badly. She picks up her boots which are still there on the floor next to the door, opens it, and walks barefooted into the big dining room.
She stops for a second to take the time to look at it, before she makes her way to the stairs. She takes the time to peer into John's study, out of curiosity. Then she walks across from it, and stands below the archway and looks into the parlor. Thinking again that the Sanderson ranch house is so very beautiful. Then she suddenly hears men's voices outside, coming toward the front door. So she quickly turns and runs up the stairs, holding onto the towel wrapped around her head.
8
Logan enters the guest room and takes the towel off her, and stands in front of the mirror with the other towel still wrapped around her head. She looks around and quickly notices that the bed has been turned down, and fresh sheets and pillow cases now adorn it. While she was bathing she figures that Zelda, or whoever, had come into the room and did that.
She sets down on the vanity stool and unwraps the towel that is around her head, and begins to dry her hair again. She rubs it a long time, getting it as dry as she can. It has gotten way too long. She picks up the brush laying on the vanity and begins to gently brush it, using long, gentle strokes to get the tangles out. She takes her time with her hair wanting to spend as much time as she can brushing it out, before she gets dressed.
Logan lets her new dress drape down over her, as she shimmers and shakes herself until it looks satisfactory to her. She pulls her hair outside of the dress, letting it lay softly on her back and shoulders. Then turns this way and that, in typical female fashion, to make sure everything looks the way she wants it to.
She does this, because it matters to her tonight. She wants to look as nice as she can before she goes downstairs to dinner. She also wonders what the others will think when she does go down. She has heard the Sandersons greet other dinner guests. Never before has Logan cared this much about her appearance, but it does matter to her this evening.
She looks at the clock and it says six twenty. She is finished dressing and opens the door and goes out into the hallway, then down the stairs.
She could smell dinner being cooked while she was in her room, the aroma, of which has made her stomach growl even more. Logan is starved. She hasn’t eaten all day, except for the spearmint candy she ate in town earlier, and coffee that morning in camp.
When she enters the dining room, she is quickly greeted by compliments from everyone present.
“Well, well, Missy, don't you look lovely,” John comments, with approval.
Catherine is standing next to him, and immediately says, “yes, she's beautiful.” She smiles, in approval at Logan, who smiles back at her.
Logan is blushing, as everyone in the room compliments her. Something that she rarely has ever heard, except from Gavin. Logan is completely taken by the accolades toward her from these complete strangers.
She thanks them all.
“Bill, Jane, I'd like for you to meet, Logan Kincaid,” John said, introducing her. “Logan, this is, Bill, and Jane Chatfield.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Logan said. Offering her hand in friendship to shake, which they accepted. “I remember you from the bank this afternoon.”
“Yes, I'm the bank president, Logan. You're the same girl who took care of that drifter out in the street this morning, that was trying to hurt that saloon gal?”
“Logan smiled sheepishly, and said, “yes sir, I’m one in the same.”
“You're a bounty hunter,” Jane asked?
“Yes mam,” Logan responded, in a rather subdued tone. “That’s me the girl with the six gun.”
“You don't look like a bounty hunter?”
“No, not really, not tonight, anyway,” Logan said, smiling. “I clean up nice, though.”
To which everyone laughed.
John then explained, “I've hired Logan, to help me with the rustling problem I'm having out on the north side of the property. She's staying up here in the house with us, while she's here. And Catherine and I thought that she would enjoy having dinner with all of us this evening.”
To which the Chatfields smiled, and agreed.
After they were all seated, Logan said very little during dinner. She listened to the conversation about another rancher named Henry Baker. Logan learned that Baker is an Englishman, and is supposedly a very rich man who owns the property right next to John and Catherine. Logan also learned that Baker has been buying up land in the area, at a very rapid rate. His property is now nearly as big as Sanderson's Hill, which has John worried a bit.
“So, what do you make of all of this Bill?”
“Well, he is buying land legitimately. But he seems to be buying land closest to your property, John.”
“That's what worries me. Do you think he's trying to hem me in? Trying to force me into a corner, so I wouldn't have any other choice but to sell the ranch to him.”
“I don’t think so he’s told me he’s doing it to have better grazing for his cows. I don't want us to jump to conclusions about Henry's intentions. In all my dealings with him, he seems like an honest man.”
Then Jane spoke up, and asked, “isn't his daughter supposed to marry Jay this summer?”
“Yes, that is the way it is now, they're engaged,” Catherine said.
“So, Logan, you've been very quiet. What do you think about all of this,” John asked?
“I'm not sure what to think, being that I just got here, today. And am hearing all of this for the first time.”
John looked at Logan for a few seconds, studying her, then asked Chatfield if he'd like a Cuban cigar ordered straight from Havana. Chatfield took him up on the offer, then the two men got up from the table and left the dining room. Excusing themselves from the ladies. They exited the front door, and went out on the front porch.
Logan watched as they left the house, and lit up the cigars, outside. Wanting to talk about business away from the women, and the dinner table. Logan knows that she is supposed to stay inside with Catherine and Jane. But she is more interested in what is being said outside by the two men.
“So, Logan, you're a woman, and a bounty hunter. What on earth made you become a bounty hunter?” Jane asks, interrupting Logan’s attention to what the men were saying outside.
Logan pauses before she answered, “Yeah...I mean yes, mam. It's true I'm a bounty hunter and it's a long story as to how I became one,” Logan replied. “Believe me when I say it's a long story.”
Logan didn't want to bore these ladies with her life story, she didn't think it was all that important right now. Logan being a loner, she has not had the upbringing to learn to trust. Living with, and being raised by her abusive father was horrendous for her. She feels like it is best to leave those things unsaid, for now.
Catherine senses Logan's preoccupation with what the men are talking about, and says to her, “Logan, why don't you go on out and listen to what John and Bill are saying?”
“Are you sure, it's okay, I mean...”
Catherine winked at Logan, and said, “I think it would help you, if you heard what they're talking about. Go”
“Yes mam,” Logan said. Smiling at Catherine.
Without hesitation, Logan got up from where she's sitting at the table, walked over and opened the front door, and went out onto the porch. She looked at the two men, and asked, “is it okay for me to listen in?”
John looked at her and he quickly affirms to Logan, that she was more than welcome to listen to what they were saying.
“Logan, we have been discussing what to do if Henry is responsible for the rustling of my cows. Bill here, doesn't seem to think that's possible, given that Henry seems to be a good and honest man.”
“Do you think he is? Stealing your cows, I mean,” Logan said. She looks first at John, and then at Chatfield. She walks o
ver and leans on the porch railing, with her arms at her side, her hands on the rail.
“We aren't sure,” John says. “But we have to consider that a possibility. Don't you think?”
“Yeah, I guess, you do. Anythings possible, I guess. My question is, why would he want to do that? Rustle your cattle. What's there to be gained by him doing something like that?”
“You raise a very good questions young lady,” Chatfield comments.
“Well, for one thing, he would know it's costing me a lot of money,” John says.
“Does he know about the rustling? I mean, have you talked to him about what's going on out there,” Logan asks?
“No, I haven't, there's very little communication between us, like I said at dinner. Have you talked to him about it, Bill?”
Chatfield shakes his head no, “like I told you at the bank this afternoon, I haven't ask him.” Then Bill tells them that he only sees Henry Baker when he comes into the bank to do business.
“Well, if he knew, or knows about the rustling then you're right to think that he knows it's costing you a lot of money. If this is true, it sounds like he wants to run you out of the territory. I suspect, he wants this ranch for his own. That's the only reason I can think of if he's behind the rustling,” Logan says.
“Doing it to run me out of business quicker, cause he wants Sanderson's Hill for his own,” John says.
“Right.”
Logan looks at Chatfield and comments, “you said, you think he's an honest business man. You sure?”
“Yes, Logan, I believe he's honest. He says he has big investors in Britain, and on the continent. I believe him.”
She nods her head, with a look of skepticism.
Chatfield notices and says, “I don't want us jumping to conclusions here about any of this. We have no proof that anything the two of your are saying is true.”