Colorado Heart (9781101612026) Page 19

  “It should be easier from here,” Jake said. He swung up behind Cassie. “Slide forward and then sit on my lap,” he said. “It should be much easier on that bruised hip.”

  The fact that she agreed so readily let Jake know how bad she really felt. A compliant Cassie was much more worrisome than a sassy Cassie.

  “Talk to me, Cassie.”

  “What do you want to talk about?” She was tired and it showed in her voice. He needed her alert in case the way became more treacherous than it already was.

  “Let’s talk about you,” Jake said. “You heard all about me last night. I think it’s only fair that you return the favor.”

  “You telling me about your past was a favor?” Cassie said. “I’m surprised Skip can carry you, with that big head of yours. However do you find a hat to fit it?”

  Jake grinned. “Hey, you’re the one that asked.”

  “So I did,” Cassie agreed. He couldn’t see her face as it was below his chin, and he was concentrating on the path, on the lookout for sinkholes and random tree stumps, but he could easily imagine the look on her face and the way she stuck her nose in the air when they were sparring with words.

  He liked their verbal sparring. The challenge of keeping up with her kept things interesting.

  “You came from Illinois,” he prompted.

  “We had a farm. We lived on my grandparents’ farm in Illinois. My father was a doctor and he was killed in the war. My grandmother died soon after and that’s when my grandfather took off and came here.”

  “I know that part. What happened then?”

  “My mother was a teacher. She took a job at a private school for girls in Chicago. One of the benefits was I was able to go to school there also. We lived in a small cottage on the grounds.”

  Before she’d been short, reciting to him instead of telling him, but as she talked her voice grew softer and more melodious, as if she were telling him a story.

  “It was quite lovely there. I felt like the entire world was at my fingertips because of the extensive library. My mother made me believe there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do, if I wanted it badly enough and I worked hard enough. After all, my father was a farmer’s son and he became a doctor. My mother’s family immigrated to America when she was ten years old and she became a teacher. The world was full of possibilities, and I decided I wanted to be a lawyer.”

  Manuel had told him that much, but he wanted to hear about it from her point of view. Jake wanted to know why she came to that decision over all others. “That’s an ambitious undertaking,” he said.

  “Because I’m a woman?”

  “Because it requires a lot of studying. I don’t know if I’d have the patience to do it.”

  “I used to think I had all the time in the world for things like studying,” Cassie said with a yawn.

  Jake wanted to hear more, especially since she was being so agreeable. “Go on,” he said.

  “I started writing letters. I had the required schooling, the same as any man, but I needed an attorney that would let me study under him as an apprentice. I read every newspaper I could find for stories about court trials, and I learned the names of judges and college professors, and I kept on writing letters. Finally, after two years I received an answer from a man in El Paso named Arthur Gleason. He said he admired my spunk and wanted me to clerk for him. He even wired me the money for a train ticket and the stage. It was like a dream come true.”

  “El Paso is a long way from Chicago,” Jake observed.

  “Which is why my mother decided to come with me,” Cassie said. “We only had each other. She said I had followed her dreams of being a teacher long enough, now it was her turn to follow mine. And she was certain she could get a teaching position somewhere in town. So we packed up and we moved to El Paso.”

  She got quiet then for a long time and when she spoke again, her tone held a forced nonchalance.

  “Manuel told you what happened on the trip to El Paso. You know the rest of the story.”

  Manuel had, and Jake did. The details were something he could only imagine, and she didn’t need to share them. “I’m sorry for what happened,” he said.

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” she said. “I’m tired.”

  “Try to rest if you can. We should be home soon.” In a matter of minutes, her head lolled beneath his chin and he knew she was asleep.

  Jake understood more about her now. He knew where her stubbornness came from, and her tenacity, along with her fear. It was a sad thing that happened to her. But what was even sadder is that she let it continue to rule her life.

  If only there was a way to get her past it.

  The ground was a mess and the footing treacherous, but Skip, bless him, made it through, even when he had to slosh through water up to his knees. The sun was high in the sky, and Cassie felt as hot as the rays that shone down on his back when they came into her valley. In the distance Jake saw the sheep huddled up next to the barn and recognized Dan and Randy on horseback, with one of them dragging a large tree behind them. He kicked Skip into a ground-eating canter and his men saw him and came to meet him.

  “Is she all right?” Dan asked.

  “She’s fine,” Jake said as he shifted Cassie in his arms. She kept her head buried against his chest and squeezed his jacket into her fist. “A bit bruised and running a fever. How are things here?”

  “Peaceful,” Randy said. “It was kind of scary for a bit when the water came through, but everyone was more worried about you two than what was happening here.”

  “We’re just cleaning up the mess,” Dan said.

  “Remind me to give you boys a bonus come payday,” Jake said.

  “You can count on it, boss.” Randy grinned.

  Manuel, Max and Rosa were waiting on the front porch when Jake rode up with Cassie. “Thank God,” they said when they saw that she was alive. Cassie blinked as Jake lowered her to the porch from Skip’s back. Rosa immediately put an arm around Cassie’s waist.

  “Thank you so much,” Manuel said. Rosa already had Cassie through the door. Manuel shook Jake’s hand and followed them inside.

  “I’ll come by and check on her tomorrow,” Jake said to his retreating back. The door closed behind Manuel and just like that, he was alone. Jake stared at the door for a minute and then sighed. “I need a drink,” he told Skip and turned his horse toward home.

  TWENTY-ONE

  Another Saturday night at the Heaven’s Gate Saloon. Every table was full, which was good for his pockets. Ward looked out over the crowd of cowboys and miners that gathered around the tables. Pris flitted between them like a butterfly, serving drinks and playfully smacking away wandering hands. Spirits were high. Most of the heavy lifting of spring was done and the flooding had been minimal for most everyone, the worst of it being at the Parker place, if what Ward heard from the gossip among the tables was true.

  He’d like to get close to the table where Watkins’s men were gathered. Just in case they decided to talk about what they were up to a few days past. But since they were in the corner it would be a bit obvious. His only hope was to get them in a card game and hope they’d become distracted enough to let something slip.

  Lady looked at the door and wagged her tail. Ward touched her head as the door swung open. Jake entered, followed by Cade and Jim Martin. Ward walked around behind the bar to serve his friends.

  “You look a bit rough,” he said to Jake as he poured four shots of the good stuff. Jake had dark circles beneath his eyes and at least two days’ growth of beard.

  “A couple of nights without sleep will do that to you,” Jake said.

  “Something else happen at the Parker place?” Cade asked.

  “Nothing beyond Cassie being stubborn,” Jake said. Jake told them about his recent adventure with the
very stubborn Cassie Parker. Ward could tell there was more to the story, but Jake shared all he was going to share. Something must have happened between those two. Whether it was good or bad remained to be seen.

  “And you’re saying Libby showed up to let you know that something was wrong again?” Jim asked.

  “She sure did,” Jake said. “Came right up to my front door this time.”

  “Maybe I oughtta hire that donkey as a deputy,” Cade said.

  “She does have a nose for trouble,” Ward agreed.

  “But Cassie’s all right,” Jim said. “That’s the important thing.”

  “She’s bruised up from the fall and sick from being wet for so long, but for the most part, she’s fine,” Jake said. He tossed his shot back and turned his glass over. Ward watched as his eyes searched the patrons reflected in the mirror over the bar. “Busy night,” Jake said.

  “I noticed a couple of your guys are missing,” Ward said. “Something going on?”

  “Dan and Randy volunteered to keep an eye on the Parker spread, for which I was very grateful and will have to pay them extra come the first of the month.”

  “You can’t buy a good heart,” Jim said. “But they are worth every penny you pay them.”

  “But you can buy bad deeds,” Jake said. “And there are many willing to do them. Any word from Watkins?” he asked.

  “Nary a peep,” Cade said. “But I’m keeping an eye out.”

  “I’d bet money the guilty ones are sitting at that corner table,” Ward said.

  “Well how about we go have a chat with them,” Jake said, and pushed away from the bar.

  “Wait a minute, Jake,” Ward said. Jake ignored him of course.

  “Let him go,” Cade said. “He might get them to do something stupid enough so that I can throw them in jail.”

  “Works for me,” Jim said.

  “You just want the entertainment,” Ward said.

  “Well there is that,” Jim said. He shook his glass and Ward poured him another shot. Jake stopped off at a table that held some of his men to talk with them. Ward would have bet money it was to tell them that there might be a fight, not that any of them would mind. A good fight was often a highlight of a Saturday night in town, as long as they kept the breakage to a minimum.

  “I’m a bit worried about him,” Ward confessed. “I think he’s got a thing for Miss Parker.”

  “Why is that a problem?” Jim asked.

  “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Cade added. “I highly recommend it.”

  “Once Jake sets his mind on something, he has a hard time letting go. For example, your wife,” Wade reminded Cade. “Jake made up his mind that he was going to marry her and even though Leah told him time and time again that she didn’t love him, Jake just kept on telling her that she would eventually come to her senses and that it was the best for all concerned if she’d just marry him.”

  “She said as much.” Cade nodded his head. Ward was glad to know Cade bore no ill will toward Jake. Why should he? It was obvious that Leah loved her husband, even with all the problems his coming had caused. “But that doesn’t explain why Jake having feelings for Cassie is a problem.”

  “Jake discounted Leah’s excuse about not loving him time and time again. He scoffed at it. Jake’s a practical man and, for him, love is just another word. So what if he suddenly finds himself in love after all these years of never knowing what it is? Might make him do something foolish.”

  “Like take off in the middle of a rainstorm to look for Cassie?” Jim said.

  “And side with her against the Watkinses, even if it means defending her sheep,” Ward said. “A few weeks ago Jake would have been the first one to say that sheep didn’t belong here. But now he’s their biggest defender. Yeah, Jake’s falling in love with Cassie, but he’s not ready to admit it yet. But when he does . . . well let’s just hope Cassie Parker is open to the idea.”

  “I don’t know,” Cade said. “She seems kind of standoffish where men are concerned.”

  “There’s some sort of history there,” Ward said. “Something that happened in Texas, I’m sure. But Jake’s just stubborn enough to not let that stand in his way.”

  “Just as stubborn as she is?” Jim asked.

  “Time will only tell.” Ward raised his glass as Jake stopped to talk to some of Jared Castle’s men. “Here’s hoping for a happy ending.”

  Jim and Cade touched their glasses to his. “For a cynic, you sure are romantic,” Cade said after they’d downed their shots.

  “I have my moments,” Ward confessed. But that was all he was going to say on the matter. He put down his glass and came out from behind the bar. He wanted to be ready if something was going to happen. And it was a sure bet that something was going to happen, because Jake was on his way to Watkins’s table right now.

  * * *

  “Just checking to see if you boys had any flooding at your place,” Jake said to the men gathered around the table. He recognized Baxter and the other man from the run-in on the trail. The rest looked about the same. Average men who followed where they were led, whether it was good or bad. Occasionally one would stand up against wrong, but in a crowd like this, that man was wise to move on to greener pastures. They’d all gotten quiet when he approached, which Jake expected. It meant they were talking about something they didn’t want him to hear. Another raid at Cassie’s place, perhaps?

  Baxter drained his beer and looked up at Jake. He smiled at his companions and tilted his chair back so that he was balanced on only two legs. As Jake expected, Baxter was the spokesman for the group. “When you say flooding, do you mean water? Or stinking sheep shit?”

  “Well I was being neighborly and asking about water,” Jake said, although he knew they knew good and well why he was there. The thought of burying his fist into Baxter’s face, and having a good enough excuse to do it, was tempting. “Can you not tell the difference?”

  “Oh, I know the difference between sheep shit and water,” Baxter drawled. “Just like I know the difference between sheep and cows. But here’s a question for you . . .”

  Say something, anything, that will let me pound that smug expression off you face. Jake was so full of pent-up frustration that he was about to bust. And he knew it wasn’t Baxter’s fault that Cassie had him tied up into knots. But he was pretty sure Baxter was the one who had attacked Manuel, and he knew for certain Baxter was the sadistic bastard who’d killed the sheep by dragging it. The man deserved a beat down, and Jake was hoping he’d be the one to give it. But he couldn’t just hit the man for no reason.

  Baxter leaned his head back and scratched his neck. “Do you know the difference, Jake? Because from where we sit, it seems like you’ve got a fondness for sheep.” He looked around at his friends. “Or maybe it’s just for the shepherd.”

  Jake leaned hard on the table and put his face close to Baxter’s. The man reeked. Obviously he’d skipped the annual Saturday afternoon bath in his haste to get to town. “What I have a fondness for is none of your dang business.”

  “Does she baa when you stick it in her?” Baxter asked and the rest of the table started baaing.

  Thank you! Jake grinned dangerously, stuck his boot under the back leg of Baxter’s chair with a flourish and scooped the chair out from under the man. Baxter landed on his back and the rest of the gang jumped up from the table with a crashing of chairs. Jake heard more chairs hit the floor behind him and knew, without looking, that his men, along with Jared Castle’s, were staring the bunch down.

  Jake put his boot on Baxter’s chest. “It looks like you need a lesson in manners.”

  Baxter grabbed Jake’s boot with both hands and tried to push it off. “Are you the one who’s going to give it to me?”

  “Yes I am.” Jake backed off.

  “Jake, you paying th
e damages?” Ward asked.

  “Just put it on my tab,” Jake said with a grin. Baxter climbed to his feet, put his head down and charged into him. Jake braced himself and the two crashed into a table and then rolled to the floor.

  Jake lost the next few moments to a haze of punching and being punched. Wood broke, glass shattered and Lady barked. Jake couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun. He relished in it. Every bit of the frustration that he felt over Cassie he poured into his fists. He was aware that there was fighting going on around him, and part of his mind winced at the money he was going to owe Ward, but it was worth it. Every time his fist landed on Baxter’s face he felt satisfaction. He hit him because he’d dared to attack Cassie’s land. He kept hitting him to let him know he wasn’t going to tolerate it again.

  Finally the sound of a shot at close range brought him back to his senses. His hand was clenched in Baxter’s shirt and he released it. Baxter dropped to the ground like a stone.

  “Party’s over, boys,” Cade said. “Anyone who wants to continue is welcome to do it over at the sheriff’s office. And for those of you who are too dense to think right now, it means that the next one who throws a punch is spending the night in jail. Got it?”

  Jake tested his jaw and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His left eye felt tender also, where Baxter had landed a solid punch. Was it worth it? Yes, it was. He checked on his men. They all were okay, with black eyes and sore fists. They went to work, picking up chairs, turning tables right side up and kicking broken glass out of the way. Bob walked from behind the bar with a broom and immediately started sweeping behind Cade, who stood in the middle of the room.

  The sheriff nudged Baxter with the toe of his boot and the man grunted. “Yeah, you like it when they can’t fight back, don’t you?” Cade said as he poured a beer in Baxter’s face. Baxter came up sputtering but wisely kept his hand off his gun. Cade jerked his head at the Watkins bunch. “Your night is over, boys. You can hightail it back to your ranch, or you can spend the night at my luxury hotel. The choice is yours.”