Blood on the Verde River (12 page)

“That's what we want. Let's go take a bath and I'll change clothes.”

“How is everyone at the ranches?”

“Fine, except my sister is scared.”

Marge nodded. “I know that. We can talk later. It is a little cool for the outdoor shower.” It sounded like she was concerned for him.

He shook his head to dismiss her worries. With her leading the way, they went through the house and kitchen, where he told Monica hi, and straight on to the back porch. He quietly asked Marge, “Have you seen JD?”

Tight lipped, she nodded.

“You give him money?”

She nodded again. “Should I not have done that?”

“It's no problem. I never thought about it until I asked Susie. She said she'd not seen him and that she had not paid him.”

Marge nodded, looking a little upset. “You didn't want him paid?”

Chet shook his head then hugged her to reassure her he wasn't mad about it. “I should have known you were the soft heart in the family. It isn't anything, except he's probably either drunk or on a binge.”

Arms full of bath needs, they went to the sheepherder's shower. The cold water about stopped Chet's heart as it struck his skin when he pulled on the rope. Whew. In combination with the cooler air sweeping his bare skin, the bath was a very quick task for him. Marge laughed the whole time, drying him off.

Under the long-tail nightshirt, he shivered going back to the house with her.

“Oh, did JD tell you why he needed the money?”

She shook her head. “I guess I should have asked. He said you'd pay me back when you got home. I said for him not worry about that.” She ruffled Chet's hair. “You need a haircut. Want me to do it?”

“Sure. Go get a bowl.”

She broke out laughing. “I'll go get scissors and a sheet. Oh, your friend the deputy came by.”

“Roamer. Was he looking for work?”

“He never said so. Said he was working up here now and just dropped by to say hello.”

“I'll look him up this week. Do they have a new baby?”

“Oh, yes and I guess they're working on having another,” she said quietly.

They laughed again.

Inside, she went after things to cut his hair. Monica brought a ladder-back chair for him to sit on and asked how his trip was.

“Fine. We have ranches all over, but things are moving along at a good pace. My sister Susie, as you know, is getting married Saturday night.”

“She is such a sweet person. I really like her. We all three went to the shop and she was so pretty in the gown at that fitting. Leif's a lucky man to be getting her.”

“She's been my right arm for years.”

“And I think you did the right thing for her,” Marge said, coming back with her things, “when you took her away from feeding the cowboys.”

“I broke her heart, but maybe Leif can mend it.”

Marge agreed. “Monica and I have talked about it. We think he's strong enough to do that.”

“Good.”

“Lunch can wait. Get shaped up here,” Monica said and left them.

When Marge was well into the haircut, Chet asked her, “Where was JD going?”

“I am not certain. Said he met a woman somewhere and needed to go see her.”

“That might be a shock, too.”

They both laughed.

The next day they drove into Preskitt. They went by and saw Jenn at the café. Bonnie and Valerie were working as waitresses. Both girls greeted them heartily and each of them kissed him on the cheek.

It was after lunchtime, so the crowd was gone. Jenn took a break, leading them to a back booth and she bubbled on how good things were going. How hard the two girls worked and how having two nice-looking girls serving food had increased her business.

Chet asked if she had seen JD. Jenn hadn't. In turn, she stopped Bonnie when she passed by to refill their coffee cups. “Where did JD go?”

“I am not sure, Chet. He was in here, oh, a few days ago.”

“Valerie where did JD say he was going?” Jenn asked.

“I'm like Bonnie. I'm not sure. He wasn't very talkative that day with me. Bonnie had his attention.”

They all laughed and Bonnie blushed. “Not so.”

Jenn told the two it was fine and Chet would find him.

“I need four top hands for the ranch at Hackberry. They better like to round up mavericks 'cause Lucy and Reg do that seven days a week,” Chet said.

“I'll find them,” Jenn responded.

“Thirty and found. But they have to know how to rope and wear a gun.”

Jenn frowned. “Trouble up there?”

“No, but you never know when it will start in. A big ranch is always a good place to steal from. Are you coming to my sister's wedding Saturday night?”

“We drew straws. I get to go. Those two are watching the store.”

“I need to see Bo about some land deals. We better get going,” Chet said.

Jenn and Marge exchanged a quick hug.

“I'll find you some cowboys and send them out to Marge's place to find you,” Jenn promised.

Chet nodded. “Thanks.”

The two drove over to the real estate office. Bo was behind his desk. He even looked clear-eyed and rose to shake Chet's hand and say hello to Marge. “Have a seat. I have news.”

“Good or bad?” Chet asked.

“I've found two sections west of the road junction at the base of the Peaks and I can buy them for twelve hundred dollars. The seller needs the money.”

“Are they on the track survey where we can have a siding to load cattle?”

“Yes.”

“I'd take them.”

Bo grinned. “Good, 'cause I already bought them.”

Chet laughed. “How is Jane?”

“Mean as ever. It's like being married—excuse me Marge—it's like being married to a hellcat.”

“Good. She'll keep you lined up.”

“I agree. I am busy selling property.”

Chet nodded. “What a nice way to live.”

“Oh, hell, I don't have hangovers to get over, anyway.”

“Have you seen Roamer?”

“He may be up at the livery. I ain't sure he gets on that well with his boss these days.”

“Sims better thank his stars he has him. The sheriff won't get off his ass to get out of that oiled chair.”

“You running for that office?” Bo asked.

“Hell, no. Now show me on the map that land tract that you bought for me.”

“Right over here on the wall.”

Both Chet and Marge went to look at the location of the property. Bo pointed it out and Chet nodded. He'd had an idea where it was, west of where he found the wagon train camped.

“Good. We will see you later.” He and Marge prepared to leave.

“What? No land title you need cleared up?”

“Not this trip. Tell Jane hi for us.”

“I'll try, but she's ornery.” Bo grinned.

“Just what you need,” Chet called as he and Marge left the office.

He found his deputy friend at Luther Frey's Livery sitting on a milk stool in the alleyway and whittling.

Frey's wife talked to Marge in the office while Chet and Roamer had a short visit. Things were fine with his friend. Their new baby was doing good. Had a helluva pair of lungs on him according to his father. He'd only gone by Marge's place to visit. Things were quiet since the Apaches were calming down, except for horse stealing, and Roamer said that was due to so many folks traipsing back and forth though the country.

Chet told him about the arrow in his saddle and finished with, “Those two won't kill anyone else's saddle.”

They both laughed.

Marge came out of the office and they headed home. She reminded him about the liveryman's wife and how she had worked in a brothel to feed her kids. Frey got her out and married her and she was pregnant, too.

“I hope Bonnie and that other girl Valerie find themselves a place in life,” she said.

“You never can tell. JD was the best young man and he's a real worry now.” Chet drove down the hill toward the Preskitt Valley and home,
Where in hell has that damn near-grown boy gone off to?

Marge kissed him, turning his thoughts in a different direction. Damn he was glad he had her.

A big crowd was gathering at the schoolhouse for the wedding, including Robert Brown from the mill—no doubt to court his girl. Jesus and another boy from Marge's crew had set up a sidewall tent earlier on Marge's orders. It was to be the bride's quarters. A fat beef was barbequing on a large spit the wagon train blacksmith had built especially for the event. A hundred dishes of food covered the tables. Women and teenage girls became the security force to shoo flies away.

Marge walked up to Chet, watching all the activity from afar. “I'm going to get Susie from the ranch with the buckboard.”

“You may have to drag her,” Chet teased.

“No, in the end, she'll come.” Then she checked around to be sure no one was close before she spoke again. “I don't think she's been kissed by anyone four times in her entire life. We talked about it. She'll be ready.”

“Thanks. I'll be here. Drive easy. You have lots of time.”

“No worry, Mr. Byrnes, I will be careful.”

He joined the ranchers and their hands under the shade of the cottonwoods. They had a pint of whiskey or two they were passing around, but he declined any. The touch of fall was turning the hardwoods. Cottonwoods higher up on the rim were already golden yellow. He planned to go find a big elk before it snowed.

Casey Monahan from the Three Stars outfit said the elk bulls were screaming up on the high country. Chet hadn't heard any, but made some mental plans to look for them when he rode up to the east place. He saw Sarge and some of his men ride in. The poor man had secretly admired his sister, but had never moved an inch toward her. Chet would bet there were more men in the crowd who had put their boots under her table and felt the same way.

Sarge reined to a stop and dismounted. “The last trip went wonderful. No Indians. No stampedes. We may be getting better at driving cattle. Tom says he will have the next sale cattle ready so we can take them home Monday, if that's all right.”

“Sure. You two are the mainstays I count on. This cattle deal may be the best one yet for the ranch until we get trains in here.”

Sarge shook his head. “Not much news about the rails ever coming at Gallup.”

“Waiting for a train to build tracks is strange,” Chet said. “Then one day, they come at a mile a minute laying track.”

“We like herding cattle when things go smooth. I know winter is going to be hell.”

“We can handle it.” Chet shook the man's hand. Sarge told him Jenn had arrived and he wanted to talk to her. Chet had gotten Sarge from her, like so many others she'd found for him when he'd started out.

Hampt and May, the boys, and the girl arrived. The two boys beat the adults and their sister over to talk to Uncle Chet about teaching Susie how to fish. The two were wound up. May had made them matching shirts. In their felt cowboy hats, new jeans, and boots, they looked spiffy.
“We taught her
. Where is she?”

“She and Marge are coming,” Chet told them.

“Good. We could teach her, too,” Ray said. His brother echoed, “We taught Aunt Susie good. She caught some big carp, too.”

Chet shook Hampt's hand and hugged May as they caught up to the boys.

“I'm going to have a baby,” she whispered to him.

“Wonderful,” he said. “So are we.”

“Oh, I knew that. Is Marge behaving?”

“Oh, yes. It kicked her, and she about raised the roof over that.”

May smiled. “She'll get tired of that soon enough. Hampt's happy about it, too.”

Hampt quickly agreed. “Everything okay, boss man?”

“If you are,” Chet teased.

“Oh, God. I'm fine and about to bust my buttons over the baby deal. That woman is so good to me—”

“I understand. We're damn lucky to have them.”

“May's worried for a week. She's going to sing ‘How Great Thou Art' today. My land, she can sing, but she's afraid she won't be able to do it.”

“I'll encourage her.”

“Her father paid for piano and singing lesson when she was a girl, but she said she was so insecure she never played or sang for your brother. I found an old piano at a sale and we had it tuned. You need to come over and hear her play. She's real good.”

“Hampt, for an old, uncouth cowboy, you ain't half bad at this marriage game. May's been around us for several years and I never knew a thing about her skills. Marge told me all about it.”

Hampt shook his head. “She sings all the time at home. It is so great. I can't believe no one ever got it out of her before. She has them boys singing, too.”

Chet shook his hand again, and went on to see the newest arrivals—the Yeager family. He had recovered their horses stolen by outlaws in Bloody Basin. They'd come a long way. Shelia hugged him and he shook his hand. They visited and asked if it was all right for them to join the festivities.

“Lord yes. My sis is my favorite relative and I have a boatload. Good to have you. Speak to her today. She'd like to meet you and so would my wife Marge.”

“We will,” he promised.

The ranch woman Gail Cloud, who'd helped them down by Hassayampa City, came over to Chet and introduced her husband Clay. Pumping Chet's hand, the man thanked him for the return of his good horses and for taking care of his wife while he was gone.

Chet excused himself. Folks from all over were filing in, along with the bride and his wife returning from the lower place.

He escaped the effort of the sheriff committee to get him elected the next fall. He took a taste of some meat sliced off Tom's steer. Tom's crew had gone and gotten mesquite wood to cook it and it tasted so damn good.

“She looks beautiful in that dress.” Marge had come up behind him.

Chet turned and said, “Glad I didn't miss it.”

“Oh, you. Come on. I brought a brush for you to use. You look all right, otherwise.”

He laughed. “We've been busy. You know I should have invited Reg and Lucy.”

“They came.”

“Oh, that will please Susie.”

Marge agreed and brushed his hair, then kissed him. “Well, family head, let's go give your sister away.”

He made that walk down the aisle with his beautiful sister, talking in low voices to each other.

“Too many folks are here to have it inside,” he said to her.

“Oh my, Chet. I am so high and I had nothing to drink.”

“I know that. But breathe once in a while so you don't faint.”

“What is it? In me?”

“It is part of the process. I had it when I married Marge. Enjoy it. You will be happy. I promise you.”

“I'll try. I'll try.”

He squeezed her hand. “I love you, sis. Have fun.”

She gave him a short nod.

May sang her hymn and the crowd grew so quiet, he wanted to run over and kiss her when she finished. Hampt was there. Good.

The couple was married by the pastor.

The food—a banquet and a large cake—was served and enjoyed by all. Chet had a chance to speak to Reg and also told May how powerful her song was.

On the crowded dance floor, Chet waltzed with his wife and she beamed. “This was some wedding.”

“I'd say you and Tom need a big hug or kiss.”

“His wife helped us a lot, too.”

“Everyone worked.”

At last, the two newlyweds were off to an undisclosed location. Marge put her arm through Chet's. “This night should set the stage for their life.”

He agreed and said a small silent prayer for the newlyweds. Then he and Marge were off to the tent to sleep—some anyway. Closing the tent flap to shut out some of the cooler night air sweeping off the rim, he smiled to himself. They'd have a honeymoon, too.

 

 

Monday morning, Chet was at the Verde ranch to help get the cattle up that Sarge and his men, along with some of the headquarters' crew, were taking to the east place for the November allotment. Things went well, aside from a horse breaking his leg in a hole and having to be destroyed. The herd left by ten a.m. and would be up at the ranch on top by Tuesday evening.

The cattle move was well on the way, so Tom and Chet rode back to headquarters together and talked about all the projects they had going on. Tom had rented a place to wean the Hereford calves to have a good winter growing space. They wanted to use the Hereford bulls as yearlings and that required a growing ration over the winter. They also wanted to get a crop of calves from the heifers as two-year-olds rather than at three years. This project would take some care, but the profits forced them to do it.

Tom was cutting out the cows that didn't have calves that season and culling them. Those culls could go to the next Navajo drive. This made it a big project for his men to cut those cows out on the range from the others and to send them back to the main headquarters. They had the skills. It was no small deal, but a good one.

Chet reached his wife mid-afternoon and went inside out of the cold wind sweeping the porch. Monica brought him coffee and smiled. “Margaret said you were the absolute father of that family walking your sister to the altar.”

Smiling at her words, he hugged her shoulder and laughed. “I impress her too easy.”

“No. You are the father for many of us and we love you, big man.”

“Good. Thanks for the coffee.”

“You are most welcome.”

“I hate to think summer is about over.” He shook his head, slipping into the Morris chair and smiling at his wife on the couch. “But it was cold this morning and getting colder. I hate to think about it. Being a Texan, I am certain it will be tougher up here than I knew down there.”

Marge smiled. “Monica, go bring that jacket we had made for him.” She turned to Chet. “Trust me, you won't freeze in it.”

Monica left the room and he frowned at Marge.

“Don't worry. You won't freeze.” She popped up and helped her housekeeper hold up the coat. “Here is your birthday present. Try it on.”

The jacket was made of leather, the inside lined with sheep wool. He eased into the sleeves and smiled when it covered his shoulders. “Wow, I damn sure won't freeze in this. You two are schemers. I can tell you don't want me to sit by the fireplace all winter, shivering.”

They laughed and nodded. He slipped it off and Monica took it back. Then he kissed his wife and softly thanked her. They stood in each other's arms for a long while. Damn he had a good life.

 

 

A week passed without an incident. Marge's ranch crew worked hard stock piling firewood at the house and bunkhouse. They had lots already cut, because the cuts were not fresh-made on the ends, but they busted and stacked it in what looked like a mountain. Chet hoped hands at his other places were doing the same.

He rode to the Quarter Circle Z and went over the main books. Susie and Leif were still on their honeymoon and Chet spent time looking carefully at the incoming money from the cattle sales—paid in script that could be cash when the federal money reached the Indian Agency account. He had expected that, but it was not cash at the moment. The cattle sales, when they finally got paid, would sure straighten things out. The two sales amounted to over a hundred thousand dollars.

No wonder old man Clanton holds onto those contracts.
Chet frowned. He needed to keep that financial information under his Stetson. That much business was well worth shooting him over.

His reserves still looked all right and that money for the cattle would eventually come from the federal government. With a pad of paper, he studied the mill operation and what it would cost to expand. Currently, it was paying out lumber for his projects. Could the mill pay him cash when he completed his building? That was something he'd have to know about before he expanded his operation. He gave it serious consideration and decided if and when the railroad reached the mill, it probably would have enough business to make it work, but until then the freight charges would keep them from competing. He'd look it at later.

He met with Tom and his foreman who said Sarge already had the cattle and was ready to deliver them for November.

“Maybe in the winter we may need to drive them over there whenever the way is open. Can we secure feed on that end of the drive?”

“Good idea. I will have Sarge find some feed and a place to hold them on his next trip.”

Tom thanked him. “I have a long list of sellers that say they are ready to deliver stock to us.”

“It will help lots of cattlemen in this end of the territory. I like taking a hundred from each operator. That will provide enough money for them to stay here.”

“Good plan. I'll watch so it gets around to the small ones, too.” Tom shook his hand and Chet headed for home.

A cool wind at his back, he headed up Mingus Mountain. So far, the weather was still too warm to wear his big new coat. The blanket lined jumper was warm enough, but a big storm was knocking on his back door—some time in the near future.

He was surprised that Susie and Leif hadn't been back, but considered any lengthening of time away meant they were getting along and enjoying each other's company. A tall cloudbank on the northern horizon against the stars showed when he climbed out of the valley and it was dark when he got home.

His wife and Monica had a fire in the living room fireplace and he hung up his own hat, coat, and gun belt on the wall pegs in the hall.

“Anyone home?”

“Surprise!”

There were Leif and Susie, Marge, Monica, Jenn, Bonnie Allen, Valerie, Bo and Jane. He could also see the liveryman Frey and his wife, along with the banker and three men who'd ridden with him after the Anderson killers.