Chapter Sixteen
Mile after mile, Walker kept heading toward home. He lived off the land, eating what fruits and plants he could find. After the sixth day out with no sign of the guards or their dogs coming after him, he decided it would be safe to build a small fire when he made camp.
Walker found a secluded spot near some mesquite trees to bed down for the night and was gathering up sticks, stones and dry grass to make the fire, when a rattlesnake struck at him. He managed to avoid its fangs and killed the snake with a rock. He had always understood the importance of having his knife with him, and he missed it now more than ever.
Walker hadn't eaten rattlesnake since his childhood in the village, but hungry as he was, he knew he had his dinner. He took the snake back to the campsite, and using a sharp-edged rock, he prepared it to cook over the small fire he built. Once it was roasted, he ate it quickly. He thought of the food he'd been given at the prison and knew the snake tasted better.
Walker picked up the sharp-edged rock and stared down at it. It was as close to a knife as he was going to get right now, so he decided to keep it with him.
The memory of using his knife to save Jim's dog came to him then. Though he had been thrown out of school for his action, that was the day their friendship had been sealed. That had also been the day he'd come to know Roni. He smiled, his first in many days.
At dawn, he moved out again.
It was late the next afternoon when he topped a low rise and saw a small ranch in the valley below. Staying out of sight, he kept watch to see how many people were around. He knew there would be little sympathy for him as an escaped convict, so he had to be careful. He was surprised to find that there didn't seem to be anyone in the house. He waited until dark, knowing the rancher might be out working stock, but when no one returned, he carefully made his way down to the house.
Staying low, he crept up and looked in a window to find there was no one inside. He went out to the stable next and checked inside it, too. There were several horses in the corral, and he took care not to disturb them. He didn't want the animals to alert anyone to his presence. Walker's relief was great when he found the stable deserted.
He knew he had to take advantage of the situation and work fast—real fast. He found a lamp and some matches inside and quickly lit the lamp, so he could see what he was doing. He searched for the tools he needed to remove the iron cuffs. He found them and went to work. It took a while to break them off, but he finally did it. His ankles were bloody and sore, but he was completely free, at last.
Walker took the cuffs with him as he went up to the house. He left the irons on the small porch and went inside. It was obvious the folks who lived there hadn't been gone very long, probably on a trip to the nearest town. The place was clean, and there was some food in the pantry. He wasted no time fixing himself a plate of beans and beef jerky. He devoured it quickly, then set about looking for clothes. He found a pair of men's pants and a shirt that would fit and quickly went outside to wash up and change. He considered spending the night there, but knew it was best that he keep moving.
Going back into the house, Walker took some more beef jerky, and though he found no guns, he did take a knife to carry with him. Taking up a pen, ink and a piece of paper, he left the owners a note thanking them and promising to return the horse he was borrowing and to repay them for what he'd taken. He did not sign his name. He would identify himself to them later when he returned to repay their hospitality.
It was near midnight when he rode away. He took the irons with him, not wanting to leave behind any clues to his whereabouts.
Stacy tried to go back to her normal routine. She thought if she kept busy, she wouldn't think about Walker so much. Being the sole owner of the ranch was a big responsibility, and demanded a great deal of her time and energy. She owed it to Walker and her parents to keep the Dollar successful.
Chet was being attentive, making regular visits. She appreciated his company, but she had to admit that she hadn't been able to forget Jim's kiss. She hadn't seen Jim since that day, and she found she missed him. Chet was coming to dinner that night, so she quit working early to get cleaned up and help Sandy with the cooking.
Sandy was the wife of one of the hands, and as much as Stacy had always appreciated her hard work, now that she was running the Dollar alone she appreciated the housekeeper's help more than ever.
Chet showed up right on time. He had a lot on his mind, and he knew he had to work on convincing Stacy to move up the wedding date.
"You look real pretty tonight," he said, eyeing her as he followed her into the house.
"Why, thank you," Stacy replied with a smile.
Once they were inside, he asked, "Is your cook still here?"
"No, she's gone for the day."
Knowing they were alone, Chet wasted no time taking Stacy in his arms and giving her a kiss.
She was a little surprised by his ardor, but she linked her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.
"I've been missing you," he told her, "and I've been worrying about you."
"There's no need to worry."
"But I do." He looked down at her, keeping his expression filled with tenderness and concern.
"You're sweet," Stacy said, lifting one hand to touch his cheek.
"No, you are," he replied, kissing her one more time.
They went into the kitchen, and Stacy served up the dinner she and Sandy had prepared. They had fried chicken, fresh rolls and greens, along with Sandy's apple pie for dessert.
"That was delicious," Chet complimented her as he finished off his piece of pie.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"It won't be too long before we'll be having supper like this every night."
Stacy just smiled at him.
He went on, "I've been thinking, once we're married, the two of us are going to have the biggest and the best spread in the area. I heard some talk that the Thompson ranch might be going up for sale soon, and if it does, we ought to buy it."
She was put off by the idea. "There's no need to buy the Thompson place. I've got enough to handle just running the Dollar."
"I'll be running things once we're married," he said arrogantly.
Stacy wanted to remind him that they weren't married yet, but she held her tongue. She was still dealing with the horror of Walker's death and was in no mood for an argument. "Chet, I'm just not ready to start thinking about all that yet."
He looked at her, his expression sympathetic. "That's why, when Walker first left, I thought we should move up the wedding date. I knew this was going to be too great a responsibility for you to handle all by yourself after all you've been through."
Stacy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe Chet thought she was incapable of managing the Dollar. Her father and Walker had taught her everything she needed to know to run the ranch, and she intended to do just that.
Chet went on, unaware of her inner reaction. "Maybe now you'll decide to change your mind about the wedding. You know I love you, and I just want you to be safe and happy. If we got married now, I'd be here to help you all the time. I hate that you're here alone."
Tears welled up in her eyes at his words, and she realized he had no idea how being reminded that Walker was never coming back tore at her heart. "No. I'm not ready—not yet—"
He nodded as if he understood her misery, but in truth he wanted to throttle her for being so stubborn and bull-headed. "When I was in town last, there were rumors going around that the railroad might be coming through soon. If it does, we could stand to make a lot of money."
She could hear the eagerness in his voice as he thought about being so rich, but money was the last thing on her mind. "Oh, Chet, I just can't think about all that right now. There's just too much happening—too much going on."
"I understand. I only want you to know things are looking up for us."
"I know things will eventually get better, but right now, it's so hard."
Chet couldn't believe she cared so much about her brother. He got up and went to her, drawing her out of her chair to hug her. He kissed her sweetly. "I'll always be here for you. You know that."
"I know."
Stacy accepted his kiss, but felt no desire. They talked for a little while longer, and once again, she found she was relieved when he finally rode away. She went to the kitchen to start cleaning up.
Sandy had seen Chet leave and she came to help with the kitchen chores.
The housekeeper took in Stacy's troubled look and asked worriedly, "Is everything all right?"
Stacy didn't realize she was being so obvious about her confused feelings for Chet, and she quickly masked her emotions. "I'm fine. Just tired, I guess."
"You have had a long day. Go on to bed. I'll finish things up here."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Go on."
Stacy didn't need any further encouragement. She retired to her bedroom and quickly went to bed. She couldn't help wondering, though, what Jim was doing right then.
In Two Guns, Jim was having a drink at the Ace High—alone. He wasn't really much of a drinking man, but his mood had been so dark lately, he'd decided he needed some distraction.
Antonio, the bartender, was glad to see him. Everyone in town knew how wealthy the banker was, so Antonio figured Jim would be spending some money tonight.
When the saloon girls saw Jim come in, they made bets among themselves to see who could work her magic on him and get him upstairs the quickest. They were eager to help him part with his money; besides, he was a far cry better looking than the usual clientele they had to deal with.
"How's it going?" Antonio asked, just to make conversation as he poured Jim a tumbler of whiskey.
"Just fine," Jim answered tersely.
And Antonio knew right then that the banker wasn't there for fun. "Enjoy your drink. You need anything else, just yell."
Jim only nodded in response and took his tumbler of whiskey to a table near the back of the room to drink in peace. He didn't want any company, he just wanted to be left alone to think things through. His peace didn't last long, though.
Suzie and the other girls were eyeing the banker hungrily as they stood near the bar with Antonio.
"He's all mine, ladies," Suzie declared.
"Not if I get him first," Honey said defiantly.
Brenda was standing at the bar, too. "Whoever gets him upstairs is going to be one lucky lady."
The three women sashayed over to Jim's table.
"Evenin', banker man," Suzie greeted him. "We don't see you in here near often enough."
"I'm usually too busy working," he told them, wishing they'd go away.
"Every man's got to take some time off once in a while," Honey purred. She leaned forward to give him an unrestricted view of the low-cut bodice of her gown. "You want to let me help you relax and enjoy yourself, big guy?"
"Yeah, I could show you a real good time—if you're in the mood," Brenda invited suggestively.
Jim didn't want to waste their time. "Sorry, ladies. I'm not interested."
"You sure?" Honey leaned down closer and pressed up against him. She was hoping the scent of her perfume and the feel of her breasts against his shoulder would change his mind.
"I'm sure. Have a drink on me"—he said, tossing them some money—"and make sure I'm left alone the rest of the night."
They were surprised that he'd turned them down, but they appreciated his generosity.
Pocketing the cash he'd given them, they moved off.
Suzie looked at her friends. "I just wish Chet was as easy to please as the banker man."
The other ladies laughed, enjoying their easy-made money.
Jim heard Suzie's comment about Chet and quickly looked her way. "What did you just say?"
"Oh, nothing," Suzie said, hurrying away. She realized she'd made a mistake saying Chet's name out loud. He'd always told her what they did in the privacy of her room had to be kept quiet.
Jim stared after Suzie. He hadn't even finished his first drink yet, so he knew he was still sober, and he knew he'd heard what she'd said very clearly. The fact that she wouldn't repeat herself just convinced him that he'd heard her right. Obviously, Chet was one of her regulars. The knowledge disgusted him. Stacy was beautiful and loving and Chet was engaged to her. As far as Jim was concerned, Chet was the luckiest man alive, and yet he spent time here—with Suzie.
Jim downed his drink and got up to leave, his anger and frustration barely under control.
Stacy didn't sleep well that night. She tossed and turned, desperate for the peace sleep would give her, but it eluded her.
Memories of Jim's kiss tormented her.
She told herself she was being ridiculous.
She loved Chet.
She'd been thrilled when he'd proposed, and she had eagerly accepted.
But lately, Chet seemed so different. Just the conversation they'd had over dinner that night troubled her. She was seeing a side of him she'd never known. It seemed all he cared about was power and money, and being the richest rancher in the area.
And he seemed in such a hurry to get her to the altar now.
Stacy considered relenting. She thought about giving in to him and moving up the wedding, but the memory of Jim's kiss stayed with her and would not be forgotten.
Stacy stared out the window at the slowly brightening eastern sky and thought about Jim. She had known him, it seemed, forever. He was a good man, an honest man. He was like family to her—another brother, in fact, so she'd never thought of him in a romantic way . . . until he'd taken her in his arms and kissed her that day.
The misery and loneliness that filled her drove her from bed, and the knowledge that she was going to see Chet first thing this morning didn't help her mood.
She was in dire need of a friend.
She needed someone she could confide in.
Someone who would understand what she was going through.
She thought of Roni and knew Roni was the one person she could talk to about this. Roni knew everyone involved and would be able to give her advice on how to deal with her troubled feelings.
After getting dressed, she went down to the kitchen to find Sandy already there, starting to cook breakfast.
"I checked in at the bunkhouse, and Chet was up and moving. He'll be here in a few minutes to eat breakfast with you," Sandy told her.
"Thanks, Sandy."
Chet showed up just as Sandy had said he would.
Stacy managed to make it through the meal and see Chet off without revealing the truth of what she was feeling that morning. Once he'd gone, she put Zach in charge, and rode for town.
She only hoped Roni would be in her office and not out making a house call somewhere.