Ask No Tomorrows (28 page)

“
But she’s a woman of means, Hattie. She has more money than I
could count,” Sam explained. “Why would she give up all that, to
come here?”

“
So, what has money to do with how she feels?” Hattie
asked.

“
Have you ever once been sorry you fell in love with Lee?” Sam
asked, staring into his beautiful sister’s eyes.

“
Not once!”

Sam nodded
silently. “She’d have so much to give up.”

“
Would she? Remember one thing Sam, a woman thinks with her
heart first, no matter who she is. If she really loves you, she
won’t hesitate to come…” Hattie got to her feet and stared down at
him. “Ask her Sam, for both your sakes.”

Sam
smiled.

Chapter Eighteen

It
took two weeks to get everything packed up to go, but Riley helped
Miss Tilda do it and all the girls were for it. When they arrived
at the ranch, it was deserted. The door swung open with the wind,
batting against the frame of the door as it opened and closed. The
barn door was open too. No one was there. She figured the Sheriff
had done his job and she was rid of Harry once and for all. Feeling
the freedom of moving about her ranch once more, she mentally
assessed what she might need in the way of supplies, as Miss Tilda
and the girls went to work on cleaning the place out. There wasn’t
a cow or horse on the property. Harry had taken everything, it
seemed. She had learned her lesson, this time she would really size
the men up before she hired them. She’d go on her gut feeling about
them and hope she was right.

Within a couple of days, she had notices posted on tree trunks
all over the valley about the girls being there. She had visited
enough neighbors to know she had a lot of work ahead of her, there
were a lot of questions by the ranchers and all were eager to see
them get settled on her ranch.

She
found a makeshift grave in the cemetery and figured someone must
have buried Gordy. The lone wooden cross looked forlorn. She’d buy
him a stone; he deserved at least that much.

“
Sorry Gordy, I should have been there for
ya.” She shook her head and let a tear fall.

Friend
acquainted himself quickly of the property and followed her
about.

The sunflowers
still bask in the sun, as she sighed heavily of losing her
beautiful roses she had planted last year.

Things were
not the same anymore. Gordy was dead, her cattle gone, not a hand
on the place. It looked so different to her now.

A couple of
days later, she was cleaning out the kitchen when she heard voices,
she wondered if Miss Tilda had come down early. But to her dismay
when she came out, she ran right into Harry.

“
Well now, lookie here. Miss Riley isn’t
dead after all,” Harry snarled as his partner came inside behind
him. They were both drunk.

Jarvis pulled his gun and Harry approached her. “We thought
you was dead.”

“
Not hardly.” Riley swallowed hard as Harry
pulled his gun on her and pointed it at her.

“
That’s too bad, ‘cause we was getting to
like it here.” Harry laughed.

“
I see you made yourself at home and made a
mess of the place,” Riley fumed.

“
Well now honey, if we’d have known you’s a
comin’ we’d have cleaned up better.” Harry winked at
Jarvis.

“
Get out Harry, and don’t come back,” Riley
ordered. “Get out before they throw you in jail where you
belong.”

“
But honey, I jest told you, we like it
here.” Harry laughed again. “Besides,” He pointed the gun at her
ribs. “We’re callin’ the shots now. It’s too bad you didn’t die
already…‘cause I hate messin’ the place up again after you got it
cleaned up.”

“
The Sheriff in Dallas is after you,
Harry.”

“
Yeah…we done run into him once, but we got
away, me and Jarvis. Now what for is he chasin’ us?” Harry moved
the barrel of the gun to her head.

“
The stagecoach robbery…” She sighed
heavily.

“
The stagecoach robbery? Well now, how would
he…or you for that matter know about that?” Harry
laughed.

“
I was there, Harry…I recognized your
spurs…” She stood her ground.

“
You were there? But there was only one lady
there… and it weren’t you,” Harry spouted.

“
Don’t matter, I was there,” she
repeated.

Harry looked
puzzled then he lowered his gun.

“
Ain’t we gonna do her in?” Jarvis asked,
his yellow teeth bearing in a sarcastic grin.

“
In due time, Jarvis. Don’t be in such a
rush. First, we’ll get her to fix us some vitals, then we’ll do her
in.” Harry pushed her with the gun barrel. “Go on, rustle us up
some grub, Riley.”

“
Fix it yourself!” she yelled.

“
Unless you want me to blow your head off
now, fix us some grub…” Harry ordered, as he cocked the
gun.

Riley finally relented and went into the kitchen. She
considered getting a knife after them, but was sure she’d only get
one of them before they got her. Maybe a pot of hot water would
help. She went out back to the well and drew some water, then began
heating it on the old stove. She stocked the wood so she didn’t
have to chop wood to fix their meal, but she wished she could stall
longer.

She peeled
some potatoes and stirred the beans she put on that morning to
cook. Then she got out a skillet to make some cornbread.

Both of them
came into the kitchen to watch her every move. Getting to the knife
now was impossible.

Friend came
inside to sniff them out and began growling and snarling at
them.

“
Call ‘em off,” Harry demanded.

Riley called
Friend down and waited for a better time.

Friend whined
and sat beside her at the stove, all the while snarling at the two
men.

“
You cut your hair, Riley, it don’t become
you.” Harry laughed. “No, I liked you better when it was long
enough to curl my fingers into it. ‘Course, you wouldn’t let me do
that back then, would ya?”

“
No…”

“
I almost had your money ‘til that cousin
showed up and mucked up the works. I know the old man hid some
around here too, but I never did find it,” Harry snarled at her.
“That’s how come we held up the stage, we gotta pay taxes on this
place or we won’t have it long. Want to tell me where it’s hidden?
I might reconsider and not put a bullet in you, if you
did.”

Riley stiffened. She wanted to stall for time, but no one was
coming to rescue her, so what good did it do? Harry was going to
kill her and that would be that. Miss Tilda would come down those
stairs at noon, she’d be dead, and the ranch would be full of
outlaws.

She
needed to act but she wasn’t sure what to do.

Without a plan
in her head, she picked up the hot water and flung it, hitting
Jarvis in the face and hands.

“
God almighty,” Jarvis yelled and danced
about the room trying to comfort himself. He headed for her first,
then turned and holding his hands carefully he headed back to the
table. “Where’s the damn butter? Shoot her Harry, shoot her
now.”

Harry drew his
gun and held it on her as Jarvis danced about in pain and
agony.

“
You want to die right now, Riley?” Harry
asked, his face screwed up as though trying to figure out whether
to help Jarvis or kill her.

Riley put the
pot back on the stove off the hot burner.

Harry grabbed her by the back of the hair and slung her across
the kitchen. He leveled his gun on her now and with eyes of steel
narrowed his gaze. “You’re dead, bitch.”

“
Let her go,” came a heavy voice from behind
them, it was Miss Tilda.

“
Miss Tilda?” Riley gasped. “What are you
doing up this early?” Riley screeched.

“
Trying to find out what the ruckus is
about. What are you men up to?” She stared Harry and Jarvis
down.

“
Now, who we got here? This don’t look like
no lady, dressed like that,” Jarvis said, his eyes going over Miss
Tilda’s see-through gown with interest and a snarl on his
lips.

“
I’m Miss Tilda, from Dallas…” she
explained.

“
The one that ran the Silver Slipper House?”
Harry asked, his brows raising a bit.

“
That’s right. Who are you?”

Harry laughed. “She’s a whore, Jarvis. I been there a time a
two. I thought I recognized her. But what are you doin’ way out
here, is the question.”

Miss Tilda smiled coyly, rubbing herself against Jarvis for a
moment. “We’re runnin’ a new kind of breedin’ house out here now.
Haven’t you heard?”

“
You’re jawin’ me?” Jarvis
smiled.

“
Ask Riley…” she offered as she looped her
arm with Jarvis.

“
Whores…in the country? Whoever heard of
that?” Harry asked.

Miss Tilda had no trouble carrying the conversation, and Riley
was thankful. “Oh dear, you hurt yourself. Come here, let me doctor
you a little.”

“
Riley there tried to burn me alive.” Jarvis
frowned at Riley.

Miss Tilda smiled at him. “Well now, it’s a little early, but
if you want to come up and let me take care of that for you, I’d be
more than happy to, honey.”

“
He ain’t goin’ nowhere.” Harry frowned at
the two of them. “Get your hands off him, Tilda. Enough of this,
come on, Riley, we’re leavin’. Looks like Miss Tilda will have the
run of the place for a while at least,” Harry grunted, grabbing
Riley by the hair and pushing her toward the front door. “Jarvis,
get the horses.”

Jarvis
frowned, tipped his hat to Miss Tilda and ran outside to hitch
them.

Harry looked hard at Miss Tilda. “You open your mouth about
us, it’ll be the last time,” Harry warned her.

“
I’m no fool!” Miss Tilda declared. “But
you’re takin’ the wrong woman, I’d be a lot more
company.”

“
We ain’t got time for that,” Harry
snarled.

Jarvis had
wrapped a rag around his hand with butter on it, and even though he
was in considerable pain. But he threw the rag down as he ran to
get the horses.

“
Come on, Harry,” he called after he’d
mounted and had gotten Harry’s horse and pulled it close to the
door.

Harry glanced outside. “You got a horse?”

“
In the barn.”

“
Jarvis, get her horse out of the barn,”
Harry called to him.

Harry watched Miss Tilda follow them with her eyes. “We’re
leavin’ here now, don’t be foolish and try to follow, I’ll kill
her. Understand?”

Miss Tilda nodded. “I understand.”

“
Remember what I said, I’ll kill her,” Harry
repeated then spurred his horse into a run. “You send a posse…she’s
dead.”

“
I’m not a fool,” Miss Tilda
announced.

Miss Tilda stared down the road ‘til they were out of
sight.

When the other girls came downstairs, she was sitting on the
cowhide couch in stunned silence.

“
Something wrong?” Nannette asked as she
went into the kitchen for coffee.

Miss Tilda didn’t answer until Nannette came back and sat down
opposite her. “Plenty is wrong. Those men that were chasing
Riley…well…they got her. And it sure looks like they might kill
her.”

Nannette dropped her coffee. “Oh my God, what are we gonna
do?”

Miss Tilda sighed heavily. “Said they would if we sent a
posse.”

“
Oh Tilda, what should we do?” Nannette
shook her head. “Poor Riley. Shouldn’t we follow them or
something?”

“
I don’t know yet,” Miss Tilda cried. “I
thought maybe if we waited a bit, to see if they are gonna release
her or not…”

Nannette shook her head. “They aren’t gonna release her. But
they shore might kill her.”

Several of the
other girls came down and Miss Tilda explained what happened. As
they were discussing it, someone came to the door.

Miss Tilda answered it, and swung the door wide when she
recognized Sam. “Sam…am I glad you are here.”

Sam glanced
about the place wide-eyed, obviously not expecting Miss Tilda or
her girls to be here. He moved slowly into the room and looked from
one to the other with question.

“
What’s goin’ on?” he demanded.

Miss Tilda had him sit and listen to the whole story and Sam
shot to his feet. “I’m going after her.”