Chapter Eighteen
It was after luncheon on their second day aboard and they were homeward bound. Jenny leaned drowsily against Heath. Her full belly combined with the rhythmic rocking of the well-sprung car had her lids drooping and soon her head was lolling on his shoulder as she dozed in and out.
Her lids parted slightly as she heard Will excitedly urging Letty to read another chapter from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. His eyes gleamed with enthusiasm, making it hard to believe he was the same boy who’d wept in her arms a few days ago. She thought he’d be sick, he cried so much, taking the news of papa’s death hard, as expected. He was papa’s boy, and the news that he too was gone, so soon after their mother’s death, had devastated him. Jenny’s heart ached for him. He’d had so much loss in his short life already.
At a loss how to comfort him, she had been grateful when Heath had stepped in. He’d pulled her little brother onto his lap and told him to dry his tears. Appealing to his protective nature, he talked to him like a man, telling him he was going to have to be strong for his sister. Then he told him all about dastardly Uncle Eugene, about how he’d tried to swindle him and Jenny out of their inheritance, and lied to him about his papa being in Omaha. Even worse, that Eugene was responsible for Jenny’s black eye and the cut on her lip. This diverted Will’s attention instantly and sparked his anger.
“He’s a bad man. I hope they shut him up in the calaboose and throw away the key.” Looking up at Heath, he explained in a serious tone, “Jimmy Sloan at school told me that means jail. Marshal Aaron can lock him up in his jailhouse, can’t he?”
“Yes, but I’m sure the one here in Omaha will do, bub.”
“Yeah, I reckon I don’t want him back in Laramie around Jenny anyway.”
Heath had smiled at his vehemence. For Jenny, that her young brother could put aside his grief to defend her was so touching that her tears, which had finally dried, broke free again. She had turned her face into Heath’s shoulder, not wanting Will to see and have him start in again too. In a soft whisper, she had given Heath her heartfelt thanks for handling Will so masterfully.
Will’s voice had her stirring from her memories. “One more chapter, Aunt Letty. Please! You can’t leave off with Tom and Huck in the haunted house. Don’t you want to know what happens?”
“Yes, but my voice is about to give out. Henry, can you take over?”
“Give me that book, woman. You’ve got me hanging by a thread too.” Henry perched his glasses on his nose and began to read in a smooth, rich baritone, so much like Heath’s it was uncanny. He added inflection and funny voices to the tale, which captivated his audience. Jenny’s lips curved upward as Letty’s mesmerized expression matched that of Will’s.
Heath’s low chuckle beneath her ear told her he’d also been observing the trio.
“I adore your parents, Heath,” she whispered.
“So you’ve told me several times, darlin’,” he whispered back. “I’m kind of partial to them myself.”
“I love them more each day. They are very good with Will. It’s been a godsend having them on this trip.”
“They’ve been anxious for grandchildren. Young Will there will be spoiled by their attention.” He then offered a word of caution. “Don’t think that will let us off the hook, though. Ma wants a grandbaby to dote on and soon.”
She closed her eyes, snuggling into him. The thought of having Heath’s child sent warmth flowing through her. She loved babies and children of all ages. Being twelve years older than Will, Jenny had helped to raise him, so she didn’t have any qualms like a first-time mother would. She wanted several of her own, believing children brought joy to a home. They were always exploring and discovering, bringing a fresh perspective to each new experience.
Will was that way, gaping in wonder and asking a million questions. He’d been awe-struck by the fancy Pullman car, a reaction very much like her own. As he relayed it, his train ride to Omaha had been quite different. The second-class accommodations didn’t have the plush seats or the fold-down sleeping berths overhead. He grumbled about how the car had been cold and crowded, and most important in his eyes, it lacked a porter to cater to the passengers’ every need.
When Will had met Rodney, their porter in the first-class car, he’d been fascinated, vowing to work on the railroad when he grew up. Thankfully, the man had indulged the curious boy and hadn’t minded being pestered with infinite questions. He’d been kind enough to arrange a visit up front to meet the engineer and Will rode in the locomotive for a while, giving the adults a welcome respite from his endless exuberance.
Will was also fascinated by Aaron, having developed a case of hero worship for the marshal during the time they’d spent together in Omaha. He followed him around like a duckling after its mother. The big man was always patient with him even when Will interrogated him with rapid-fire questions about being a lawman. Can I see your badge? Ever been in a shoot-out? Ever killed a man? Jenny had to step in a time or two to give her new brother-in-law a break.
Around Heath, he was polite, although a bit skittish. He’d known the Jacksons his whole life, but now that Heath was his guardian, things had changed a bit. Jenny hoped Will would bond with Heath as he had with Aaron. Her husband seemed to be putting forth the effort to see that that happened.
While dozing again later, she heard Heath call Will over. Letty and Henry had evidently found a safe place in the book to take a break.
“Have a seat, bub. Let’s talk a bit.”
Peeking through her lashes, she saw her brother climb up into the double seat across from them. “Okay,” he said with all seriousness, “but Uncle Henry is going to be back in a minute. He and Aunt Letty only went to get coffee. They said they’d bring me milk and cookies if there was some.”
“This will be quick, I promise. You’ll be back with Tom and Huck before you know it.”
“It’s my new favorite book.”
Jenny, who was faking sleep, bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Every book was Will’s new favorite.
“I wanted to make sure you know that since I’ve married your sister, when we reach Laramie, you and Jenny will be coming to live with me on the ranch.”
“At the big house with Uncle Henry and Aunt Letty?”
“No, although I’m sure they’d be happy to have you visit. I have my own place on the eastern section, not too far from your farm. Did you know our ranch borders your place?”
“Un-uh.” Jenny could see his face fall, full of disappointment.
He’d been to the big house with mama and papa many times and every time he came home, he talked about it for days. It was a grand, two-story home. Huge and sprawling. The front of the house featured a round section that resembled a turret, with glass windows all around, giving it a gothic appearance like a castle, which was bound to appeal to a child. The stables, however, were what fascinated him the most.
“I know how much you like horses. You’ll have plenty of time to ride and work with the trainers since the main stable is located at my place.”
“But the big house has a huge stable.”
Heath chuckled. “I’m sure it seems that way, but that stable houses the horses the ranch hands use for work. The one near my place is where we breed and train the horses we sell.”
“Gosh! If it’s bigger than the big house stable, it must be gigantic.”
“There are seven barns in all.”
“Wow.”
“Since you don’t have Brownie anymore, you’ll need a horse. There are two I have in mind for you, both three-year-olds, one chestnut, the other is black. You can have your pick.”
“I get my own horse? Hot dang!”
Heath’s chest jiggled her head as he chuckled again, but she kept up her ruse of sleep.
“There will be rules as I mentioned. You ride with permission and never alone. We’ll have to see how well you do. Give you a few lessons, if needed. Although you rode all the way to your farm by yourself, so I suspect they may not be necessary.”
“I can ride real good, Mr. Heath. Papa taught me, but he said I had to be ten before I had a horse of my own.” His face fell without warning as it came back to him that his papa was gone.
The train lurched suddenly. Her eyes flew open and she latched onto Heath’s thigh to keep from falling to the floor. His arm tightened around her, but he didn’t stop speaking gently to her brother, honest and frank, as was his way.
“I’m sorry about your ma and pa, Will. Although we can never take their place, I hope you come to know and love my family in time and accept them as part of your own. I’ll give you and Jenny a good home, take care of you both, and do my best to give you the happiest life possible. Can you trust me to do that?”
There was a pause and curiosity got the best of Jenny. She peeked through her lashes as Will nodded seriously. “I want Jenny to be happy, Mr. Heath. So yes, I’m gonna trust you.”
“Call me Heath, bub. We’re brothers now.”
“I always wished for a brother.”
“That’s good, because now you’ve got three.”
Hearing the smile in his voice, she couldn’t stop her own from breaking free.
* * *
They arrived in Cheyenne after supper that evening and stayed the night, boarding the once daily train for Laramie the next afternoon. Fifty miles by locomotive had taken a little over two hours with the sloping terrain. At the depot, Aaron and Bennett bid them goodbye after Jenny once again gushed with thanks and words of undying gratitude. The rest of them had stopped at Miss Annie’s Restaurant for an early supper before heading home.
The sun was dipping toward the tops of the Snowy Range as the wagon headed west out of Laramie toward the ranch. They rode along the banks of Silverbend Creek for a while, the water glistening like quicksilver in the sunshine, and Jenny acknowledged that its name was well earned. It was beautiful; no wonder the Jacksons had chosen the same name for their ranch.
As they bounced along, Jenny longed to be motionless. It seemed for the last week or more, she had swayed in a train or been jostled along in a buggy, wagon, or cab. When they arrived at their destination, she planned to sit in a chair that didn’t rock and sleep in a bed with four posts planted firmly on a solid surface, wanting to be stationary and blissfully motionless for at least two days in a row.
As they crested a small rise, Jenny looked up. Ahead of them in the distance was a cluster of barns surrounded by several large paddocks with split-rail fences that ran as far as the eye could see. Heath steered the horses onto a lane that led directly to the largest structure. As they rode, on either side they were flanked by dozens of the most beautiful horses she’d ever seen. It put her papa’s enterprise to shame.
“Dang,” Will murmured behind her.
“Why did you breed with papa’s horses when you had this?”
“Many of our buyers are particular about color and markings. These are quarter horses; your pa bred paints. Occasionally, we receive special requests but not often enough to start another line. In those cases, we turned to your pa. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. We kept our buyers happy and your pa got the sale.”
As they came even with the barn, Heath nodded as his men called out greetings, but he didn’t stop. Past the last stable in the row, he turned down another lane, which led into some woods. A short ways into them was a clearing, at the back sat a small house, more of a cabin, really. There was a small barn off to the left nearly as big as the house, if not bigger. Jenny was surprised when Heath reined in the horses.
Figuring it was his overseer’s residence and that he was checking in, she didn’t move to get out. The next thing she knew, his hands were at her waist and was lifting her down.
“It’s small, I know, but we can build on to it.”
She blinked up at him, not understanding. Why would she be concerned about the size of his manager’s quarters?
“Do I get my own room, Heath?”
“Yeah, bub, you’re up in the loft. There’s a ladder leading to it, like in a treehouse. Why don’t you go check it out?”
Will took off on a tear, leaving Jenny to stare after him in bewilderment. The big house where Letty and Henry lived was huge; she’d been there often. Aaron’s home in town was grand. She couldn’t figure out why Heath would have such meager quarters. He must be building or planned to build elsewhere.
“I know it’s not what you were expecting, but marrying so quickly, there wasn’t time to build.”
Then it struck her. A bachelor wouldn’t need a grand house with extra room for guests or an expanding family. A bachelor who never intended to wed would only need room for himself.
Her heart spasmed. Spending the last few days in his company and the nights in his arms, she’d all but forgotten the circumstance surrounding their marriage. He’d made love to her each night no matter the location, whether in the hotel or the berth. He’d been considerate and attentive, like a true husband, so she’d begun to think that he was one. Dang! She used Will’s word, but because it wasn’t nearly strong enough, advanced it to Damn!
“How long have you lived here?” Jenny asked, somehow keeping her voice normal.
“About six years. With so many acres of cattle to run, we realized we needed a constant supply of horseflesh, so we started our own breeding program. Soon after, word got out and folks were clamoring for our thoroughbreds and willing to pay a mint for them. We built our first horse barn and it grew into what you saw today. As far as the cabin, I was tired of riding back and forth every day and decided to build nearby. This section of Silverbend is my deeded section of the ranch.”
“And your brother, Luke?”
“He built on his section, which is on the western edge. Why?”
“Curious, is all. Does he have a cabin, too?”
“Not Luke. He built a huge house. Heck, his is even bigger than pa’s.” He looked at her then, with an odd expression. “I can see you’re disappointed. I would be too, as a new bride coming home to a two-room cabin with a loft, but we can add on easily, or pick out a new home site and build there. There’ll be a few months of close quarters this winter, but come springtime, we can have a place as nice as Aaron or Luke.”
Six years. As the oldest, he would have built first and his choice had been this. Luke, who was yet unwed, had built a fine, spacious home. Aaron had done so as well, long before Janelle came into his life. Both had built homes with plenty of room for a wife and family, which fit into their plans. Apparently, Heath had done so as well. What fit into his plan, however, was a one-bedroom, rustic cabin with plenty enough space for a single man.
It wasn’t as though she didn’t know beforehand; Janelle had explained, Letty and Henry had grumbled over it, even Heath had made it painfully clear when she’d overheard him that day. Jenny and Will weren’t part of his plan; no wife and child were. Seeing the tangible proof of that in how he’d chosen to live only drove that fact home. Out of whatever sense of misguided gallantry, he’d sacrificed himself for her and Will, and entered into a marriage he absolutely did not want.
As her mind spun in circles, Heath had stood quietly by, waiting for some kind of reaction. Now, he shifted impatiently beside her. “If this is intolerable, we can stay at the main house until spring.”
Trying not to reveal the ache tearing into her heart, she gave him an answer in the steadiest voice she could muster. “I’m sure this will meet our needs for the time being.”
He let out a sigh, as if he’d been expecting her to cut a shine or something. “Let me show you the place. It’s actually quite cozy.”
As she walked into the small, but tidy cabin a minute later, she determined that their definition of cozy was worlds apart. In fact, it was the most uncozy home she’d ever seen. It was cold and completely impersonal. The main room consisted mostly of a huge fireplace. When she peered inside, she saw that it had no back and was actually double-sided. She could see straight through to the next room. In front of it was a single thickly padded chair with well-worn fabric. A wooden stool next to the chair served as a footrest and there was a small side table with an oil lamp. On the table, several books were stacked high. The small reading area was the only thing that came close to being cozy as far as she could see.
There was no cushy couch, no curtains over the windows, not even a rug on the bare wood floor. The only other thing in the open space was a wooden table by the wall with three ladder-back chairs. An odd number, but at least all of them could sit down to eat together.
The kitchen was essentially non-existent, consisting of a small sink. On the wall beside it hung a large tin tub; it was the only thing on the wall in the entire place. Squinting slightly, she corrected her assessment, two things hung on the wall if she counted the small shelf above the sink. It was purely functional, holding his dishes, which by her count was two plates and two china cups.
One other thing was glaringly missing from the kitchen—a stove. How did he cook? Her eyes flew to the fireplace with its hook and cast-iron kettle. There was also a coffeepot sitting on the stone hearth. Glory be!
As if reading her thoughts, he explained, “I eat at the main house or at the bunkhouse with the hands. We have a decent cook. At least the men never complain. I can have meals sent up or we can eat with ma and pa until we decide what we want to do about a bigger place.”
She nodded, masking her shock. “Whichever you decide will be fine, Heath.”
He gave her another look. “I wasn’t expecting…”
As if realizing how it would sound, he didn’t finish, although the few words he’d spoken hung like a dense fog settling around the room.
“I understand. We don’t want to put you out.”
“Darlin’, this is your home, however temporary. I don’t want to hear about being put out or being a bother. We’ll cozy up this winter and come spring, have you a nice, roomy place built. You’ll see.”
She nodded, but she couldn’t see it because she’d already decided. As soon as she could, preferably tomorrow, she planned to give Heath Jackson his freedom back.