Blood on the Verde River (8 page)

Chet sat on his bedroll, musing. The mesquite smoke from the campfire filled his nose as the fire ate at the dry wood he'd bought from a wood peddler, the red-yellow flames licking the air. He listened to night insects, an occasional coyote, and the hoot of an owl or two. There was a vast world beyond that fire. He, the boys, and their horses were but a grain of sand in all of it.

JD and Jesus had turned in earlier, and Chet felt quite alone in the world.

Suddenly, he heard horses. They drummed the ground. In an instant, he rushed around to wake the boys. “Riders coming.”

They came awake and sat up with their pistols in their hands.

The lead horse stopped at the edge of the fire's light. Sanchez's familiar sombrero outlined him on his horse.

“Hold it. It is Sanchez,” Chet ordered. Among the riders, he saw a woman's face under a sombrero.

“Here is your woman, señor. I will be at your ranch this fall to get that colt.”

The words stung Chet for a moment, then he saw her dismount and rush to him in a dress and slip. A man rode forth and gave JD her reins, then heeled his horse to go back to Sanchez.

“Yes. Sanchez. We will show you our best hospitality.” Chet walked forward and shook his hand. “Tell Don Baca thank you. Her mother will be grateful.”

“Sí.”
In Spanish, the segundo told his men, “We must ride.” In a thunder of hooves, they were gone in the night.

Chet turned to the sobbing girl being attended to by his two young men.

“Oh, you must be Chet Byrnes. Mother wrote me about the man in her life.”

The reflection of the fire shone on her wet face. He pulled loose his kerchief and dabbed her cheeks.

She finally took it from him and scrubbed her face. “I am sorry but when they told me they were taking me to a man who had bought me—I feared the worst. Sanchez finally told me your name and I knew I was saved.” On impulse, she hugged him before giving back his kerchief.

Chet stuffed it into his pocket. “We better get some sleep. It's long ride home.”

“I'll put up her horse,” Jesus said, and undid the bedroll tied on her saddle.

Chet nodded. Some day he'd learn her story. It wasn't important at the moment. They needed to get back home and to the ranching operation. He gave a sigh.
Jenn, we have her and she is coming home in one piece . . . I hope.

They settled in their own bedrolls. Bonnie and JD were still talking.

That was all Chet needed. He frowned at the direction of his thoughts. That was being cruel. He had his own life to live, not JD's. He rolled over and tried to sleep, but it escaped him as his mind continued to wander. Busy trying to settle all his operations problems, he'd be in the saddle a lot when he returned. But the trip to get back first across the desert country would be another challenge. Bonnie's homecoming would be a celebration. It would be good to sleep in his own bed . . . with Marge. He finally fell into troubled sleep.

He awoke before dawn to the smell of coffee. JD, Jesus, and the girl were busy with breakfast preparations.

Chet noted in the fire's light her slender, willowy form and how she naturally flirted with the two of them. Busy rolling up his bedroll on his knees, she came over and sat down beside him.

“Your men have told me that you ransomed me with a very valuable horse.”

He nodded. “That is no worry. There are more horses.”

“I'm very grateful that you came for me and did that. I know your friendship to my mother sent you here. When she first wrote about you, I thought she might marry you.”

“No.” He hoisted the bedroll on his shoulder to put on the packhorse. “But we were and still are great friends.”

“When the four of us make it to the border, you and I will take a stage home. I hate to ride them, but I need to get home. JD and Jesus can bring the horses. Did they tell you I sent your friend Valerie to Preskitt?”

“Is she all right?” Bonnie asked.

“She's fine. She wanted out of Tombstone.”

His bedroll loaded, they joined the others at the fire, sat down on the ground cross-legged, ate the boiled oatmeal, and drank coffee. Their fire dusted out, all four mounted up and headed north in the growing day's heat.

 

 

Without an incident, they reached Nogales in four days. Chet told the boys to take a day's rest and then head north with the horses. He gave each of them ten dollars and paid the livery bill for the horses and the grain bill. Then he bought two tickets for the Tucson stage and in an hour He and Bonnie were rocking in coach seats going up the Santa Cruz River valley. They arrived in the walled city at night and learned their next stage to Papago Wells was leaving in an hour. Chet hurried to the telegraph office and sent news to Jen and his wife that they were on their way home.

A quarter moon hung in the sky behind them as the stagecoach headed for Picacho Pass station. At the stage stop, they disembarked with the others. Two salesmen who had snored all the way were still acting sleepy. Light came from the stage office that left a path where the stage had stopped.

Out of habit, Chet shifted the gun belt on his waist. Under his breath, he spoke to Bonnie. “The facilities are out back. Be careful, there isn't much light.”

She nodded. Most of the trip she had slept, never complaining and no doubt worn out from the hard push they made to get out of Mexico. When they rounded the building two masked men armed with six guns told them to raise their hands.

One of two salesmen stuttered. “W-who are y-you?”

“Shut up.” One of the robbers spun them around to face the other direction.

“Don't faint,” Chet said to her.

She took the clue and crumbled to the ground.

Both robbers backed up in shock. When they looked up, they faced Chet's drawn six-gun.

“Drop your guns. Who wants to die?”

The two reconsidered and dropped their pistols.

Holding his gun steady, Chet glared at the robbers. “You two get facedown.” When they were on the ground, he nodded to the salesmen. “Help her up, then hold their guns on them. Someone is holding the driver and stage bunch inside.”

He nodded to her, busy dusting herself off and then rushed around the side of adobe building. He could hear someone ordering the people around inside and eased along the wall, counting on the man's back being to him. Fist closed on the cocked revolver, Chet said to the outlaw, “Drop that gun or die.”

The robber whirled and before he could shoot, Chet put a bullet in his heart. The shot's percussion put out the lights and gun smoke filled the room. The outlaw crumbled to the floor and everyone rushed outside. Chet backed out on the porch.

Bonnie rushed to hug him. “You all right?”

He holstered his gun when she backed off. “I'm fine. Better go tie those two up for the law.”

Someone fetched a lamp. The two highwaymen were securely tied and the stage agent said they'd be turned over to the sheriff. The agent took his Chet's name and address. Bonnie's, too. “Oh, I thought you two were married.”

Chet smiled and shook his head. “No, she's more like my daughter.”

“The company will send you a reward, sir. Thanks again.”

When all passengers had climbed back into the stage, it left the station. Wheels whirling, dust boiling, the thunder of the horses' hooves and creak of leather accompanied their ride. At the big well where many Indians and wagons drew water from the source, Bonnie and Chet switched to the next stage.

By themselves on the Hayden Mills stage, they made the various stops at stations along the way, drank bad water, and ate worse meals.

“We can get a room here and rest or go on.”

She wrinkled her small nose at his offer. “Let's go on.”

Grateful for her decision, Chet hurried inside the station and sent telegrams about their arrival time. He was anxious to get back to Marge.

That task finished, he and Bonnie climbed onto their ride north in the twilight, and he listened to her story.

“An older man told me I could live in luxury and only have to entertain a few men for the man who would pay me lots of money for my efforts. He told me that I'd be paid two hundred fifty dollars a month and have to service less than a dozen men a month. That is a good wage. He lied. I was held in jail-like quarters and there was no pay.”

“Baca ran that place?”

“He may have owned it, but the man who ran it was named Conduras. There were drugs if you got too stir crazy and they whipped the girls who talked too much to their dates. No one stayed at that place for very long before they shipped those girls to Mexico City. I think they shipped them there when they were through with them.”

He nodded. “We found that old man in Tombstone. Under house arrest, he committed suicide. There is another man named Ramaras, lives in Mexico.”

“That bastard.”

“I'm sorry. What did he do to you?”

“He gave me three days of rape and hell before he sent me to Conduras.”

The lurch of the stage about threw them on the floor. He straightened her up and they both laughed.

“Shame I didn't get him, too.”

“He's a real cruel one. How can I pay you back? I would do anything I can for you. JD said he thought you were very loyal to your wife.”

Chet nodded. “I'm made a pledge to her when I married her. In my time past, I'd have been flattered by your sincere offer and accepted it. But those days are behind me.”

“Did you ever consider my mother?”

“No. I love her, but not as lover.” He slid down on the seat and folded his arms. “My sister Susie is, maybe, a little older than you and engaged now. She told me back in Texas to find a nice chunky German girl to marry who'd have my children.”

Bonnie laughed and leaned over and kissed him. “Thanks anyway. Did you look for her?”

He shook his head. “I had an affair with a woman whose husband mistreated her. My enemies murdered her before she could leave him. I found her body and a note saying she wanted a divorce. She must have written it before the killers arrived. I tore it up.”

“That must have been tough.”

“Yes, it was. Another woman and I became very close. Her husband was dead.” Chet skipped the fact he'd hung the man a few years before for stealing his horses. “She had parents to care for and had to stay in Texas. I had to move my family here to get out of a war.”

“I knew Margaret before you met her. She was very rich and had a real fancy husband who—cheated on her.”

“Oh?”

Bonnie elbowed him and smiled in the dim starlight. “He'd not said no to me.”

“He got himself killed in a horse wreck?”

“Yes, and not a shady lady in Preskitt cried.”

“Marge and I have a nice marriage. I don't question her past and she doesn't mine. We may have a baby next year. I really enjoy our lives together.”

“Did she agree for you to go rescue a soiled dove?”

“Yes, she did.”

Bonnie chewed on her lower lip. “I take back all the bad things I said about her in the past. Really, you are one of the most honest men I've ever met. When they took me to you I worried about you being my new master. You never asked me a question about my past or anything.”

“My intention was to get you back to your mother. She's worried about you being in Tombstone ever since I met her.”

Bonnie threw her hands in the air like she was feeding chickens. “You know, some of my times in this business were heaven. I thought I was a queen. But the black days were being beat up. Hurt by mean men for no reason and having to do things that made me sick. Do you think I could change and live a real life?”

“It would help to have some religion. Then, if you believe in God, you'd have someone to help you. I don't think leaving your profession will be easy. The thrills of that lifestyle will be hard to replace in ordinary day-to-day life.”

She nodded and her chin slumped. “I'm glad I'll be home to think on it all. You are right. I went down there because I was bored to death in Preskitt. I wanted to dance on tables and seduce rich men. I thought I was good enough to seduce one in that crowd and he'd make me a rich mistress.”

“I suppose you never found one?”

“Those bastards don't marry whores. They want to marry a rich family's so-called virgin and then go back to whoring around 'cause she never bucks in bed.” Her laughter made him smile.

“Well, you are captain of your own ship today. I hope you find a way to live out your life.”

“I will.”

“Good.”

She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I hope I have some of your strength.”

“You will. You will.”

After Bonnie's disclosure of what had happened to her, Chet's mind drifted. How were his ranches doing? Sarge must be driving cattle to the Navajos. Who will meet the stage? Chet expected Marge and Jenn to meet them. He was ready to hug and kiss his wife. There were lots of unanswered questions for a man with a lovely wife and a life in Arizona.

A huge roar interrupted his thoughts. The crowd was there when the stage swung to a stop. The driver was laughing when he came down and undid the door. “What is this, Mr. Byrnes?”

“Bonnie Allen's coming home party.” Chet stepped down, then took her hand and led her out of the coach.

Bonnie waved and called, “Hello everyone. It is so good to be back home.”

Jenn raced to her, squeezing her in a fierce hug and they went to shouting and dancing around in the midst of things.

“Good to have you home,” his wife said in his ear, holding his arm.

“Better yet to be here.” He turned and kissed her hard. Damn, he was glad to be back.

“Did you have any problems?” she whispered.

“Only at Picacho Pass. There were three holdup men. I had to shoot one of them.” He leaned in close. “The baby all right?”

“He kicked me.” She smiled big. “We're all going to drink champagne at Jenn's café. She said the bars were too rough to celebrate in.”

“Good idea. Is Susie engaged?”

“Oh, yes. They will get married in three weeks.”

He nodded that he heard her. “I can tell you more later.” He looked around. “The whole troop is here. There's Hampt and May even.”

“I sent them word.”

Chet hugged and kissed his sister-in-law. “How are things?”

She about swooned in his arms. “Wonderful.”

“Good.”

“Great,” she said, sounding as excited as he could recall she'd ever been since he knew her.

He shook Hampt's hand and then clapped him on the shoulder. “It's good to be home. How are things at your place?”

“The grass is coming back. If we get some more rain, I'll be back in the ranch business. We were lucky to have any regrowth. Those Hartleys let all them cows eat them out of house and home.”

“It will work.” Chet looked around again. “This is quite a party.”

“I wish Hoot was here, but he was too far away tell him about it.”

Chet nodded.

The wave of people moved up the hill toward Jenn's Café, singing and enjoying themselves. Jenn came in on the other side and hugged him with a bump of her hip. “Is she all right?”

“She's fine. Has lots to think about. She may find her way back.”

Jenn nodded, matching his steps. “How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing. You helped me a lot and you're a friend.”

“Oh, you must have spent lots of money going and coming.”

“The most important thing is she's here right now. We have to convince her it is worth staying.”

“She said you paid a fancy horse for her. How much was he worth?”

“A million dollars.”

“Oh, land's. What was he?”

“A colt from my stallion.”

“Why my lands, Chet Byrnes. You gave that expensive horse for her?”

“It was just a horse. Bonnie is here now. Don't worry. I can raise more horses. You can't raise another girl.”

Marge squeezed his hand and nodded.

The lights were on and the café was open. Valerie rushed over and hugged him. “I do have a place in this world.” She looked at Marge. “Oh, Margaret, I am so glad you let him go look for Bonnie Allen. I'd never be here other wise.”

“He's a real lifesaver,” Marge said to her.

They went to a booth in the back and let Bonnie Allen meet her friends and well-wishers. The bubbly flowed, and several people came by and talked to Chet.

“Who was holding her?” one asked.

“I'm not sure. She can tell you, but I went to the biggest, richest man in that district and made him a swap. One of my horses for her. He got it done.”

“Lucky that they didn't kill you,” another offered.

“No one bothered us. The boys will be back in a week. Bonnie and I took the stage from the border.”

“There was a robbery?” one asked.

“Some men tried to hold up the stage at Pacacho Peak station. Two went to jail and one to boot hill.” He was chuckling. “I am getting a reward from Wells Fargo and or the stage line for doing that.”

“Can we go to San Francisco on it?” Marge asked as the crowd around the table drifted off.

Chet frowned. “Who wants to go there?”

“I am teasing you.”

“I need a lot of teasing and lots of you.”

“So do I. Would it be impolite to simply go home?”

“No. Is your team and buggy here?”

“Outside and ready.” Marge grinned.

“Let's tell them good-bye and go.”

“I was afraid you'd never ask.” They both laughed.

The drive home was dreamy.

When they got there, Marge found a nightshirt, soap, and a towel and they went down to the outdoor shower by starlight. To Chet, the water was cool and the night air even colder. He laughed and kissed his wife, then they ran to the house.

Monica was making coffee and heating a skillet on the stove. “I figured he needed to eat to have energy enough—” Embarrassed, she laughed.

“I'm going to shave him,” Marge said, shaking her head, amused over Monica's comments.

“Well by damn, it is good to be home and have two wonderful women fussing over me again.”

“You will think it's wonderful,” Marge said, getting the shaving mug and a razor out of the cabinet.

“Hey. Any bad news from around here?”

“Not really. But you've been gone three weeks.”

“We were on her trail or trying to find it all that time. Did you get my letter?”

Marge nodded. “Yes and I am saving that. Not many women have letters from their husbands.”

“I just wanted you to know what I was doing.”

“Oh, Reg sent you a letter. I opened it in case he had a problem.”

“That's good. What did it say?”

She bent over him, razor in hand “You can read it after I get you shaved. All right?”

“Sure.”

When the shaving was finished, Monica brought coffee and the letter. Chet turned the page to the light.

Chet laughed. “He sure may see some real snow this winter.”

Marge grinned. “Those two are having too much fun together. I can't believe it. Should you send him help?”

“No, I think they want to be by themselves up there. So they can get off their horses and make love whenever they want to.”

“Oh, no.”

“Yes, I think Reg found himself a real woman who loves him and she don't give a damn where they are.”

“But you said—”

“I said Juanita was lovely. Pretty girl—but all pretty girls aren't that loveable.”

Marge shrugged and chuckled. “Well, a man would figure all that out.”

The breakfast meal served, Monica went back to bed.

Marge sat on Chet's lap and they fussed around kissing and playing with each other. “Let's go to bed,” she whispered.

“I thought you'd never ask me.”

She began slapping him easily, like she was mad. “Dang you, anyway. Saying how Reg don't want anymore help.”

“Aw, I'm ready to go to bed.”

“Good thing.” They went upstairs for another honeymoon.

 

 

In the morning, he and Marge rode to the Verde in the buckboard. She wanted to talk to Susie about her wedding plans.

Thinking of what needed to be done yet, Marge said, “My wedding dress is way too long for your sister. We've tried to alter it, but there's no way to make it work.”

“We can afford a dress. Have her come into Preskitt and have one made. I'm getting a reward from the stage people that should pay for it.”

“Oh, we don't have to wait for that, silly.”

“I know. Just teasing.”

“Now, how did you ever figure out that man would trade Bonnie Allen for a horse?”

“I have three quarters of an idea he never had her, but he must have known who did. Probably some Mexican pimp. So he sent Sanchez there and bought her, then sent her to me for the horse.”

“When does he get the horse?”

“His man is coming for him, sometime in the fall. His name is Sanchez.”

Chet reined the horse for the descent off Mingus Mountain and looked across the great valley spread out to the Mogollon Rim in the north. The sweaty horses acted impatient, but he stopped them to let them settle down some before going down the steep grade off the mountain. He turned and kissed Marge.

She hugged his neck afterwards. “I'm glad to have you back. Oh, your baby kicked me again.”

“Wonderful.” He shook his head, amazed.

Her smile beamed.

They reached the ranch at mid-morning and Susie came out on the porch. She and Marge hugged each other on the top of the stairs. Then his sister hugged him.

“You're back I see. Did you find her?” She looked up at him for her answer.

“You remember what Dad always said?”

“No, not really.”

Chet grinned. “Don't send a boy when you need a man.”

She drove her fist in his muscled gut. “Is JD all right?”

“I left him and Jesus in Nogales to bring the horses.”

“Was she all right?”

“I think she was, but she's had a hard lesson. We'll see.”

“Our man,” Marge said proudly.

“Come in. I am going to talk to my brother about hiring a new employee.”

“What do we need?”

“Sit down. I have hot water and want to make some coffee.” Susie hustled around and added the coffee, telling them about a cowboy who broke his leg and that the doc had come out and set it. The cowhand was hobbling around up at the cook shack and couldn't wait till he could ride again.

She sat down and folded her hands on the table. “Leif needs a job. His dad doesn't have a very big ranch. Since I am a part owner, I can't cowboy, but can my husband work here? I would like to live in this big old house, even by ourselves.”

Chet considered her request. “Let me think on it. I like him. No reason we can't find work for him. I don't want to anger Tom, but he doesn't have Hampt or Sarge any more. He could use Leif.”

Susie clapped her hands. “Thank you. Sarge sent word they were on their way to New Mexico. He needs four hundred more head to add to the ones he has on hand for the November drive.”

“I better line some up and send them up there, hadn't I?” Chet grinned.

“Yes,” Marge said. “That means buy some cattle from ranchers around here.”

He agreed, feeling good that his contract would start helping the other ranchers. He'd order a hundred head from four different men Saturday night to start his next month's sale.

“I think we have all our herds cleaned up here,” he said to the girls.

Susie agreed. “That's what Tom told me, too. We compare notes a lot. He can hardly wait for those Herefords to start dropping calves on the Perkins Place.”

“I am ready, too.”

“Since my dress won't fit you, why don't you ride back with me tomorrow and we can get your dress order turned in?” Marge said.

Susie nodded. “Why am I so cold-footed about doing that?”

“You don't have much time left,” Marge said.

“Maybe I'll wear one of my good dresses.”