A Promise of Thunder (37 page)

“Oh, Grady, I can’t bear it!” Storm wailed. “All our crops, everything we’ve worked so hard for. What will we do?”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, we’ll survive somehow,” Grady said grimly. Then Mabel arrived with Tim, and Grady left to continue his losing battle with the locusts.

Storm watched from the window, wringing her hands and fretting. How were they to survive with their crop destroyed? It didn’t even help to know that all the homesteaders in the area were suffering the same fate. Before the scourge was over not a field for miles around would be left unscathed. No wonder so many homesteaders gave up, selling their land to speculators or losing it outright when taxes came due and no money was available to pay them.

By nightfall the destruction was complete. Around dusk Grady and Clem returned to the house. All they had managed to save was the vegetable garden. Grady’s face was grim, his eyes bleak. They sat down to a silent, dismal meal. After the dishes were done the Martins returned home. Storm put Tim to bed while Grady stood in the open doorway, his eyes sweeping across the golden stubble that had once been abundant fields of grain. After she tucked Tim in, Storm joined him.

“How will we survive?” She was thinking of their new baby and the burden another mouth to feed would place on Grady.

“We could sell your land,” Grady suggested. “Speculators are buying up large tracts. There is talk that rich deposits of oil lie beneath the
surface. Drillers are already predicting success in Texas.”

“You can’t sell the land—you’ve just rented part of it to the Martins. They’ll be devastated if they have to leave. They’ve spent the last of their money building their cabin.”

“With no crop to harvest, there will be little work for Clem. Thank God for the cattle. I’ve already been out to check on them and they’re prospering. Tomorrow Clem and I will round them up and count the calves. Fortunately, there have been many new births this year. We can sell the older cows to the army and keep the calves and bull. We’ll get by, sweetheart, and if we’re careful there will be enough left over for seed next year.” He turned to smile at her. “If you hadn’t insisted on those cattle we’d be in a hell of a mess right now.”

“What about the Martins?”

“I’ll start paying Clem a small salary in addition to the free rent. I was going to offer him a share of the profits from the wheat, but now he’ll have to make do with a salary. There’s always the vegetable garden for our immediate needs.”

“You could ask your father for help,” Storm said. “I know he’d be glad to lend you enough money to get by on until another crop can be planted.”

“This is something I have to do myself,” Grady said stiffly. “I’d feel less of a man if I couldn’t support my family through my own efforts. I’ll turn to Dad for help only as a last
resort. I’d never let my family starve. Come to bed, sweetheart. I need you tonight. I don’t think I’ve ever needed you more.”

Turning into his embrace, they kissed with a need born of desperation. With their mouths still joined, Grady picked her up and carried her into their bedroom. He undressed her slowly and made love to her with such loving tenderness that when he finished there were tears in her eyes.

“I love you so much, Grady,” she said on a shaky sigh.

“Oh, lady, you make me feel ten feet tall. I know I’ll never measure up to Buddy, but I don’t ever want you to have regrets about marrying me.”

“Buddy is just a dim memory from my past. You’re my life, my love, my future.”

Grady hugged her tightly. “I hope I never give you reason to change your mind.”

The combine was returned two days later. With the crop destroyed they would have no need of such a machine. Storm knew Grady hated to part with it, but if they had a crop next year they could think about purchasing one then. When Grady returned from Guthrie he was full of news.

“There isn’t a field left intact anywhere in the Cherokee Strip. Speculators in town are doing a booming business buying up homesteads from destitute owners. Nat Turner may no longer be around, but other men like him
have arrived to take his place. It’s a damn shame that good farmers are placed at the mercy of unscrupulous men because of a swarm of locusts. Next year it could be a drought, or excessive rain, or any one of a dozen natural disasters. I tell you, sweetheart, it’s a damn miracle any homesteaders survive.”

Grady and Clem began the tedious job of rounding up the cattle from the surrounding hills and driving them down to graze on the stubble left behind by the locusts. Grady was overjoyed to find that the herd had nearly doubled in size due to the large number of calves born during the spring and summer. Days later, when he heard that the army was in Guthrie buying cattle for the surrounding forts, he informed Storm that he was going to town to contract with the quartermaster for the sale of their cows. When Storm expressed the need to purchase material for baby clothes, Grady suggested that she accompany him. She eagerly agreed, and they dropped off Tim to spend the day with Mabel and Clem. Before they left Tim begged to spend the night with the Martins, and they gave their permission.

As usual Guthrie was teeming with people. After dropping off Storm at the general store, Grady headed directly to the small office where the army quartermaster was buying cattle for nearby forts. Grady waited in line until it was
his turn, and when he finally spoke to Lieutenant Murphy, a deal was struck without too much haggling. Murphy set a time for him to come out to inspect his purchase two days hence, and Grady left feeling he’d accomplished something. Thank God they would have money to see them through the winter. By the time the new baby arrived next spring the fields would be replanted and the cattle thriving.

Storm hadn’t finished shopping when Grady arrived at the general store to pick her up so he headed to the nearest saloon. It had been a long time since he’d been in a saloon, and longer still since he’d shared a drink with male companions. He and Storm needed to meet some of the nearby homesteaders, he decided as he entered the smoky interior of the Whistle Stop Saloon, across the street from the general store. He ordered a beer and lounged against the bar while he looked the place over. It didn’t look much different from any other saloon he’d visited in frontier towns across the west.

The man standing to his right was deep in conversation with the bartender, so he turned his attention to the man on his left. He was startled to find the man staring intently at him. He looked like a drifter, no different from any of the other nameless, faceless drifters Grady had encountered in saloons just like the Whistle Stop. The drifter was dressed in dusty, rumpled clothes that reeked of the trail. A dark stubble shadowed the lower half of his face
and a battered, wide-brimmed hat covered a head of dark, shaggy hair.

“Don’t I know you from someplace, mister?” The man’s small eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he searched Grady’s face.

Grady shrugged, uninterested in continuing the conversation. He’d met scores of men like him before and wanted nothing more to do with them. “Could be.” He turned away.

The man wasn’t about to be brushed off so easily. “I ain’t through talkin’ to ya, mister.” He placed a hand on Grady’s shoulder and turned him around.

Grady stiffened, sensing immediately that the drifter spelled trouble. Would he never be free of his violent past?

“What’s yer name, mister? Mine is Darnell. Slade Darnell. I know I seen ya someplace.”

“The name’s Grady Stryker, and I seriously doubt we’ve met before. I own a homestead ten miles west of town.”

“Homesteader, huh. That’s damn interestin’. Didn’t know they let half-breeds homestead. Ya sure look like someone I should know.”

“Sorry, Darnell, you’ve got the wrong man. We’ve never met.” He finished his beer in one gulp. “Well, better get going. My wife is waiting for me at the general store. See you around, Darnell.”

“Yah, see ya around, Stryker.” Grady left the saloon as quickly as possible without seeming to be in a hurry. While Darnell had been talking he had suddenly recalled where they had met.
It was at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas.

Grady had just paid for the services of a young whore and was accompanying her upstairs when Darnell, drunk and looking for a fight, insisted that he had already engaged her services. Though the whore had said otherwise, Darnell had persisted, until Grady had been forced to throw the man from the saloon. Darnell had picked himself up from the dirt and drawn on Grady. Because Darnell had been drinking, Grady hadn’t wanted to kill him, so he had merely winged him in the left arm. When Grady returned downstairs after his romp with the whore, Darnell was gone. Afterward Grady had forgotten all about it. But apparently Darnell had not.

Grady hurried across the street to the general store, where he had left the wagon. He waved and grinned when he saw Storm waiting for him. Her pregnancy was quite noticeable now, and a warm, melting feeling spread upward through his body whenever he looked at her. Which was quite often. He couldn’t believe that Wakantanka had given him such happiness. He took the packages from Storm’s hands and placed them in the wagon bed. Then he lifted her onto the seat.

“Are you ready to go home, sweetheart?”

“All set. Did you get a good price for the cattle?”

“The army is desperate for cattle to feed the troops through the winter months. The price I
received is slightly more than I expected. Someone will be out to inspect them in a couple of days.”

Grady waited until Storm settled comfortably on the seat, then started to walk around to the driver’s side. He had managed only a few steps when he saw Darnell hurrying across the street toward him. He let loose a few choice words beneath his breath. He wanted to leap onto the wagon and whip the horses into a fine froth, but it was too late. Even as the thought came to him, Darnell was standing before him.

“I recollect who ya are now, Renegade. Yer the hombre what winged me a few months back. I was laid up fer two weeks and had ta pay a doc ta patch me up. I swore I’d make ya pay if we ever crossed paths. Pick yer time and place, Renegade. Right now would suit me jest fine.”

“Grady!” Storm’s voice rose on a note of panic. This couldn’t be happening again. How many times would Grady be forced to defend himself before he’d be left in peace? “Please, tell the man to go away.”

Grady’s face was stark as he fought his natural inclination to oblige Darnell. But he had promised Storm, and he had every intention of holding to that vow. “You heard my wife, Darnell. Go away. I’m not interested in drawing against you.”

“Well ain’t that too bad.” Darnell raked Storm’s swollen belly with contempt. “Has the little woman stolen yer guts?”

“Get out of here, Darnell, before I forget I’ve sworn off violence.”

“Sounds ta me like ya turned yellow,” Darnell said slyly, seeming to know exactly the right words to goad Grady.

Grady’s hands balled into fists and his face grew so red Storm feared he would explode. Slowly his hands inched upward, pausing scant inches above his holstered gun.

“Go ahead, Renegade, I’ll even let ya draw first. I ain’t drunk this time, and I’ve been practicin’ some. I rode with the Dalton gang fer a spell.”

“Grady!” Storm’s voice brought Grady abruptly to his senses. It wasn’t easy to let a miserable, worthless skunk like Darnell call him a coward and get away with it. He slanted Storm a look filled with regret and apology, then turned back to Darnell.

“This is neither the time nor the place, Darnell. My wife is pregnant and doesn’t need the aggravation of seeing me gun you down.”

Grady’s words brought Storm’s world tumbling down around her feet. Did Grady’s word mean nothing to him? Why couldn’t he just turn and walk away? So what if the man called him a coward? They both knew Grady was no coward and that was all that mattered. Darnell didn’t dare shoot Grady in cold blood; the sheriff of Guthrie was a scrupulous peacekeeper and Darnell would surely hang for murder.

“So yer gonna be a papa, ain’t that touchin’,” Darnell sneered, obviously unmoved by Grady’s
words. “Name the time and place, Renegade.”

Grady thought a moment, then said, “Sundown, behind the saloon. I want to take my wife home first.”

“Oh, God.” Storm clutched her stomach as the baby lurched inside her. Why did this have to happen now, when they had come so far to attain happiness?

“Sundown,” Darnell agreed. “Don’t be late or I’ll come lookin’ fer ya.” He flashed Storm a leering grin, then walked away.

Grady scrambled into the driver’s seat. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

“How could you?” Storm screamed, clearly distraught. “Does your word mean nothing? You promised! I hate you, Grady Stryker! I hate you for what you’re doing to me and Tim and your unborn baby.”

Grady picked up the reins and set the horses into motion before replying to Storm’s angry outburst. “I don’t intend to break my promise.”

“How can you say that when you’ve just agreed to meet a gunslinger behind the saloon? I never should have returned to Oklahoma with you. It would have been best for all concerned if I had just disappeared from your life. I don’t know if I can go through the terrible anguish of losing you.”

“You’re not going to lose me, sweetheart.”

“You’re not God, you don’t know that.”

“As soon as we get home I’ll explain what I have in mind. You’re too distraught now to think coherently.”

Storm lapsed into sullen silence, wondering how many times she would go through this same kind of torture if she stayed with Grady. When they reached the homestead she jumped down from the seat without waiting for Grady to assist her and stomped into the house. She was waiting for him when he returned a short time later after unhitching the team and carrying their supplies inside.

“I’m ready to hear what you have to say now,” she challenged hotly.

“Sit down, sweetheart,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to the couch. “There isn’t much time left before I have to return to town, but I’ll try to explain what I intend to do. I’m definitely not going to draw against Darnell.”

“But you agreed to meet him.”