Dorothy Garlock - [Colorado Wind 03] (22 page)

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At the end of two days of hard travel they came down out of the foothills and entered a wide valley that stretched for miles. On each side lay rolling hills topped with glossy evergreen, and beyond were snow-capped mountains. It was a breathtaking sight, one Vanessa was unable to appreciate because she was so worried about Kain. He was hurting and as cross as a bear. His stomach had been troublesome, and he would allow only Ellie to attend him.

Junction City was a town of unpainted buildings and rutted streets. Small boxlike houses set in rows fanned out from the main street which was lined with false-fronted stores. Vanessa drove into town with Jeb and Clay Hooker leading the way. She looked with dismay at the crude buildings, the curs that ran out from between the buildings to nip at the heels of the mules, the big-wheeled freight wagons, the loafers sitting along the boardwalks and the drunken Indians who staggered along the street. The double swinging doors of the saloon opened and a man was tossed headfirst into the street.

Ellie sat stiffly erect, her face white and drawn, her hands clenched tightly together. She turned her head and stared dully at Vanessa.

“We’ve traveled hundreds of miles for this?” she asked in a low, strickened voice.

Jeb reined in his horse and waited for the wagon to catch up.

“Stop here, ma’am, and I’ll do some askin’. Ain’t no use us goin’ on if’n the place we’re lookin’ fer is back yonder.”

Vanessa pulled up on the reins and the wagon stopped in front of the harness and blacksmith shop. It was no longer difficult for her to remain quiet and let someone else take over. Humiliation had drained her of energy and she hurt as she had never hurt before.

“Hey, thar, mister.” The man Jeb spoke to had come out of the harness shop with several horse halters hanging from the crook of his arm. The cowboy put his foot in the stirrup, swung into the saddle and turned his mount toward them.

“Were ya talkin’ to me?”

“Howdy. We’d be obliged if you’d give us some help in findin’ a place. We’re looking fer The House. That’s what the feller said the place is called: The House. Would ya be knowin’ where it’d be?”

“The House? Why shore. Ever’body knows where The House is at.” A huge grin split the cowboy’s weathered face. He leaned on the saddle horn and grinned with open admiration at Vanessa and Ellie, then craned his neck to see who was in the wagon behind. “Yo’re a-goin’ to open The House?”

“Figgerin’ on it.” The Texan’s voice was less friendly and he edged his horse between the cowboy and the caravan.

“The House is openin’?” The cowboy threw back his head and let out a wild yell. “Yahoo . . . ee!”

Vanessa looked at him in astonishment, then looked quickly around. His bellow hadn’t attracted the slightest bit of attention from the people in the street or on the boardwalks.

“Yo’re a-goin’ to open The House!” he repeated excitedly. “Doggy! I’m pure proud to hear it. If thar’s anythin’ I can do to help ya get settled in, ma’am, jist send out a call fer Stan Taylor. Now, don’t ya be fergittin’ that name. Yes siree, Stan Taylor’ll shore be proud to help ya ladies out. Jist wait till the fellers hear.”

“Give us a pointer, mister, so we can be on our way.” Jeb’s voice was hard with impatience.

“Jist go right on through town and foller the river road. Hit’s a plank house painted white. Hit’s a right purty place, but it’s been boarded up fer ’bout a year now.” The cowboy leaned over and spoke to Ellie. “Don’t ya be frettin’ none, ma’am. Stan Taylor’ll spread the word. The boys’ll be plumb tickled to hear The House is openin’.”

Jeb nodded to Vanessa and she slapped the reins against the backs of the mules and the wagon moved ahead.

“We’re obliged to ya.” Jeb dismissed the man with a nod of his head.

The cowboy grinned. He tipped his hat to Mary Ben when she passed, then headed for the saloon to tell the news.

“What in the world was that about?” Ellie drew her shawl closer about her shoulders. “He was sure friendly.”

“Too friendly, if you ask me. He acted as if he hadn’t seen a woman for years. What’s the matter with these men out here?”

“I doubt he’s seen one as pretty as you. You
are
a pretty girl, dear. You don’t know what a beauty you are, do you?”

“Pshaw! Beauty doesn’t get you anywhere, Aunt Ellie. I might as well have been as ugly as a mud fence.”

“Speaking of Kain—”

“Who is?” Vanessa countered sharply.

“Anyway, dear,” Ellie said patiently, “when we get out of town, stop and let me get in back with him. The last time I looked in on him he was sleeping. He may want a drink of water by now.”

“I get the feeling he’d just as soon never set eyes on me again. If I hadn’t promised him we’d stay at his house we’d leave him there with the Hookers and camp while we look around for a place of our own.”

“He didn’t mean anything last night, Vanessa. He’d suffered something terrible jostling around back there all day.”

“It was his own fault. He wouldn’t let us stop.”

“I’m sure he had his reasons, dear.”

“Why are you always defending him? You heard him tell me to get out and leave him alone. That was awfully hard to take, Aunt Ellie.”

“I’m sure he didn’t intend to speak so sharply.”

“I told him I was sorry. What more can I say?”

“He was throwing up, dear. I don’t think any man would want a young woman to see him vomit. Especially if he was fond of her.”

“Oh, fiddle faddle! Don’t give me that nonsense about him being
fond
of me. We’ve been at swords’ point since the day we met and he can’t stand the sight of me.”

They reached the edge of town and Vanessa stopped the wagon. Henry rode up to lift his mother down. When they started up again he rode alongside.

“What did you think of the town, Henry?”

“It’s nothing like Springfield. I don’t think I want to live in town, Van.”

“Maybe we won’t have to. We’ll stay at Kain’s until he’s better, then we’ll decide what to do.”

After only a few minutes of conversation, Henry drifted back to ride beside John’s wagon so he could be near Mary Ben, and Vanessa allowed herself a moment of self-pity. Henry was so in love with Mary Ben that he wanted to be with her all the time, Vanessa thought painfully. They shared what they had seen or done during the day, how the country looked, how tired they were or how scared. Loneliness crept into her bones like an ache. There was a clammy, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had been there for the previous two days, sapping her strength, eating away at her self-esteem and so controlling her thoughts that she had not been able to eat or sleep.

The night before she had just stepped into the wagon to see how Kain was feeling when he asked her to go and leave him alone. His tone had hurt her even more than the words he had spoken. Thank God she had been able to hold back the tears until she could grab up a bucket and go to the stream for water. There she had cried as she had not done in years. After supper she had crawled into the wagon with Mary Ben, leaving Ellie to tend to Kain during the night. Even now, thinking about it, she blinked her eyes rapidly to keep them from filling.

Vanessa brought her attention back to the mules and slapped their backs with the reins. The road ran alongside a rushing stream. It was level and meandering and quiet after the noise of the town. Several riders were on the trail ahead. As the distance between them and the wagons grew smaller they shifted into a single line and curiously eyed the fancy caravan and the girl driving it. They tipped their hats and Vanessa nodded coolly.

When Vanessa first saw the white house in the distance, it didn’t occur to her it was Kain’s house until they drew closer and she could see the planks nailed across the doors and lower windows. It was larger than she had expected and had a shiny tin roof. Surrounded by large oaks, it loomed tall and square with a barn and several sheds and outbuildings behind it. Dry, brown weeds were knee-high in front, and porch and window boxes were empty of flowers. The place looked sadly neglected, Vanessa thought, but with some work it could be beautiful again.

Jeb rode ahead and opened the wire gate so the wagons could enter. Vanessa drove through and pulled the team to a halt between the house and the barn. She sat on the high seat looking around, uncertain as to what to do. Evening was approaching and a chill wind was blowing down from the mountains. She shivered, but more from nervousness than the cold. The back door of the caravan opened and Ellie called to Henry.

“Kain said to get some tools and pry the boards off the door, son. We’ll cook supper on a cookstove tonight.”

Vanessa climbed down and began to unhitch the tired team. She and Mary Ben helped John turn the mules and horses into the pole corral where they rolled in the dust, then began cropping the sparse grass. Henry called to Mary Ben to come look at the house.

“Go on. I can finish.” Vanessa slung the heavy harness over her shoulder and went to the barn. John followed carrying the horse collars. It was the first time she had been alone with him since Kain had been shot.

“John, I want you to know I’m sorry for what I said that day you tried to stop me from riding away from the wagon. You see . . . I thought I was so right, that by riding out to meet Tass I could keep him from killing Kain.”

“It’s all right, missy. I knowed why ya done it.”

“I heard you say I should be ashamed. I am, and for the way I talked to you. If not for you and Mary Ben and Kain—” She stopped, turned her head and sniffed back tears, hating herself for being weepy. “We were dumb to think we could make it out here alone, weren’t we, John?”

“Ya might be lackin’ in knowin’ the trail, but ya know how to crack heads,” he said with a grin that showed his tobacco-stained teeth. “Don’t ya be worryin’ none, missy. Ya got grit. Ain’t no city woman I ever heard of could a stood up to drivin’ that span of mules clear to Colorady.”

“Oh, John, if you don’t be careful I’m going to start liking you a lot.”

“Wal, now, wouldn’t that be plumb grand? I ain’t had no purty redheaded woman after me fer quite a spell.”

They left the barn just as Mary Ben and Ellie came out of the caravan with armloads of sheets and bedding. The young girl was talking excitedly to Ellie.

“Now don’t that jist beat all?” John took off his hat and scratched his head. “Women’s jist like a cluck a hens when it comes to buildin’ a nest. They jist can’t wait ta get at it without givin’ a thought to a man’s empty belly.”

“Aunt Ellie’s in her glory. I guess I better go help. Thank you, John, for not being mad at me.”

“As long as we’re apassin’ out thanky, I thanky, lass, fer bein’ friendly like to my . . . Mary Ben.”

“I think Henry wants to marry her. How do you feel about it?”

“If’n it’s what she wants ’n if’n Mrs. Hill ain’t carin’, I’m plumb tickled. Mary Ben ain’t goin’ to be no drag on nobody. She’ll hold up her end ’n be a heap a help to Mrs. Hill.”

“Henry will be good to her, you know that.”

“I know it. I done took his measure. He’ll do jist fine with Mary Ben helpin’ him.”

Vanessa looked at the old man. He dipped his head sideways and studied her. She had the feeling he was trying to reassure her about something. The smile on his face was hard and bright and strangely pleased.

Her legs were unsteady, but her shoulders were square and her back straight as she walked up the path to the house. She stopped at the end of the caravan, glanced in, and saw Kain sitting on the bunk trying to put on his boots. She didn’t even consider offering her help; she didn’t think she could bear another rebuff from him. He looked up and held her with his gaze. They continued to face each other, neither speaking, neither moving, while the silence built up between them. Vanessa watched him carefully for some slight break, for a softening in his expression, but there was none. She turned and walked slowly to the house.

She stepped up onto the lean-to porch feeling somewhat like an unwelcome guest, paused uncertainly, then entered the kitchen. It was large and square, with cupboards along one side and a black iron cookstove on the other. An oblong table large enough to seat a dozen people took up the far end. She could see into a pantry through one open door and into a hall through the other. The sounds of a hammer and male voices came from somewhere inside the house.

Ellie came in from the hall followed by Mary Ben.

“Isn’t this a lovely house, Vanessa? Mary Ben and I have been preparing a bed for Kain. There’s a bedroom down here and five more upstairs, plus rooms in the attic. Did you ever see the like? There’s twice the room we had back home. Oh, it’s grand to be in a house again! I didn’t realize I was so tired of that wagon.”

“What do ya want me to do now, Mrs. Hill?”

“You can start a fire in the cookstove, Mary Ben. The house has been shut up for so long it has a damp feel about it.”

“I ain’t never seen such a fancy stove. I don’t know as know how.”

“Vanessa, will you show Mary Ben how the stove works? Kain is worn out. I want to get him in here and in that bed as soon as I can.”

“I’m in.”

Vanessa turned to see Kain leaning against the doorframe The part of his face not covered by whiskers was pale, and there were deep dark circles under his eyes. He was holding his hand to his side.

“My goodness, Kain.” Ellie rushed to him. “You shouldn’t have gotten out of that wagon by yourself. Mary Ben, help me get him to bed.”

“No,” he said. “Not yet.”

Vanessa made a quick turn and stepped into the hall, but not before she had gazed up and been caught by the look in Kain’s eyes. Surprise held her immobile for seconds, unable to tear her eyes away from his brooding amber eyes, which held something other than physical pain. What was it? she wondered.

Kain took a quivering breath and sank down onto the chair. Damn! He was weaker than he thought. The look on Vanessa’s face had cut him to the quick. She was hurting. An old saying came to mind, “you always hurt the one you love the most.” After he had shouted at her to get out the night before he would have given anything to recall the words. Later, trying to justify his outburst, he told himself he was desperate to keep her from seeing the blood in his vomit. Damn! Why did he have to have the attack just when she entered the caravan? It had been almost a week since he’d had the terrible pain in his stomach.