Ellie's Legacy (26 page)

With Joshua and Mr. Dibbrell as witnesses, there would be
enough evidence to send Jeb away for a very long time.

Andrew Gamble pushed Jeb down on the couch next to his
father. “You two sit tight while I have a little chat with Joshua. Do I need to
cuff you too, Dude, or can I trust you aren’t going anywhere?”

With his mouth pulled into a frown that blended in with his
sagging jowls, Dude shook his head.

The sheriff pulled Joshua into the kitchen.

Ellie took a deep breath and walked over to embrace her
father. “Pa, thank God, we won’t have to worry anymore. Maybe things can get
back to normal.”

He dangled the crumpled transfer deed in front of her. “I
don’t think we’ll need this, do you?”

“Oh, my goodness,” she gasped. “That reminds me. I have
something important to show you. I’ll be right back.”

Leaving her father with a puzzled look on his face, Ellie
dashed to the cedar chest and rifled through the contents, pulling the mystery
deed from its hiding place. She hurried back to the parlor. Her heart raced
with apprehension. “Pa, I hope you don’t get angry, because I really wasn’t
snooping, I was looking…”

“For heaven’s sake, Ellie, get to the point,” he said,
raising an eyebrow.

“I found this in the cedar chest.” She apprehensively handed
him the deed. “I planned to take it into town after the dance and find out what
exactly it’s for, but, well, you know.”

Ben perused the piece of paper, and then raised inquisitive
eyes. “I’ve never seen this before. Where did you say you got it?”

“It was in Ma’s things.” Ellie explained. “I questioned Cook
about it, and she recalled Ma buying some piece of land for you as a gift, but
evidently she…” Ellie’s voice cracked.

“May I have a look at that?” Mr. Dibbrell stopped cringing
in the background and stepped forward. He took a deep breath and restored the
color to his face. “I have knowledge of deeds and such. It’s a large part of
what I do at the bank.”

He took the document from Ben and examined it. “This is
indeed official. It’s signed by Chester Deacon, the previous bank president,
and if I’m remembering my numbers correctly, this block of land is adjacent to
the parcel you own.” He turned and glanced at Dude. “I thought it strange we
couldn’t locate any record to indicate the owner of the land Mr. Bryant is
leasing.”

“Leasing?” Ben’s voice raised an inquiring octave.

“Yes.” Mr. Dibbrell looked back to him. “The bank agreed to
a long-term lease pending someone stepping forward with proof of ownership. We
knew for certain the land had been purchased, but this deed was never recorded.
There was no verifiable ledger entry. After Mr. Deacon’s passing, we discovered
he wasn’t as diligent as he should have been in keeping records.”

“So are you telling me I’m the Bryants’ landlord?” Ben’s
head turned in an inquisitive tilt.

“It seems you are.”

Ben slapped his knee and chuckled. He turned to glare at
Dude. “Then how do I rid my land of vermin?”

Dude jumped to his feet, holding his hat in his hand, his
face ashen. “There’s no need to worry
yourself
,
Fountain. I don’t aim on stayin’ on the mountain. Give me a few days and I’ll be
gone. You can have the land, lock, stock and barrel, seeing as it ain’t mine
anyhow.”

Andrew and Joshua came back into the room. “Did I hear you
say you plan on leaving, Dude?” Andrew asked.

“That’s what I said.”

“You’re leaving all right, but with me and Jeb.” Andrew
said. “You have a few charges to answer for yourself.”

“That’s fine with me. I’d prefer spendin’ time in a cell
with a devoted son over keepin’ company with a disloyal one.” His sneer
conveyed his feelings.

Ellie’s heart broke for Joshua. Despite his proud stance,
she imagined that his soul ached. It had to be painful to have such a heartless
father. Propriety kept her from hugging him.

“So, what are you plannin’ to do with him?” Dude nodded
toward Joshua.

Andrew slapped Joshua on the back. “Since Josh here saved
the day, and by his own admission was too timid for his own good, I think his
conscience will punish him enough.”

Ellie felt perplexed by her emotions as she stood on the
porch with Ty, Pa and Joshua, watching the Sheriff and Mr. Dibbrell ride off
with Jeb and Dude in tow. On one hand she wanted to dance with joy because Jeb
finally got his comeuppance, and on the other, she wanted to cry for his
brother. No matter how bad Joshua’s family had been, he now had no one.

His hand rested on the porch railing and she gave it an
encouraging pat. “I’m so sorry, Joshua. I know this has to be very hard for
you. What do you plan to do now?”

He shrugged. “I really don’t know. I guess I should have
figured something bad would come from all Jeb’s scheming, but…”

Ben stepped over and put an arm around Joshua’s shoulders.
“I have an offer for you, son, and I hope you’ll seriously consider it. How
about coming to work for me?”

Joshua’s eyes widened.
“Really?
You
want me?”

“I figure I owe you something for steppin’ in to save my
daughter. You’d be doing me a favor. I can always use a good hand.”

“But—”

“No buts. Let’s just forget everything and start fresh.” He
looked past Joshua. “What do you think, Ty?”

“It sounds like a mighty fine idea to me.” Ty looked Joshua
straight in the eyes. “Ben’s a fair man to work for, and as a foreman, I’m not
too heavy handed myself. We’d be pleased to have you join up with us.”

Tears welled in Joshua’s eyes and he hurriedly brushed them
away with his coat sleeve. “I can’t think of a reason to say no. I’m just
surprised you all don’t hate me.”

“I believe somewhere in the Bible it says, ‘as a man thinks
in his heart, so he is’. We’ve all suspected that you are nothing like you’re
brother—kind of like Cain and Abel.” Ellie lowered her head, feeling redness
creeping into her cheeks.
“Oh my goodness!
Why am I
quoting the Good Book all of a sudden?”

“Well, since you are,” Ben said with a smile, “who are we to
question it? Just say yes, Joshua, and move your things into the bunkhouse.”

For the first time, Ellie saw real contentment on Joshua’s
face. Her eyes clouded with happy tears when he sealed the deal by shaking
hands with Ben and Ty.

“I’ll be back as soon as I get my stuff together,” Joshua
said with a big grin as he mounted his horse and rode away.

Ben went to his chair, sat and as usual, removed his boots.
The clicking of the rockers against the porch floor was a soothing sound. For
the first time in a long while, Ellie sensed his peace of mind, and she shared
the serenity. Jeb and Dude were gone from their lives. She had survived what
could have been a horrible fate, and Ty was her hero.

Maybe amidst all Jeb’s devious plotting, she could at least
thank him for that. Funny, after all he’d done, she didn’t wish him a
unpleasant existence; she just wanted him to learn, as she had, that life
didn’t revolve around just one person, or one family for that matter.

Her eyes scanned skyward as a smile tugged at her lips.
Gosh, somehow, she had matured into a rational thinking adult.

She took a deep breath, her mind on Joshua, and wondered
what he’d gained from all this. His true spirit had surfaced despite what he
had to lose. Maybe there was a streak of that goodness in Jeb somewhere. Miracles
happened every day. Perhaps he’d learn. She hoped so.

Ellie remained at the railing and watched Joshua until he
was just a dot on the horizon. She took a deep relieving breath and turned to
look at her father. “That was really nice of you, Pa. I’m so happy you want to
give Joshua a chance to show what a kind of man he really is.”

He nodded. “I think we’ve all felt he wasn’t anything like
his Pa and brother.”

Ty,
perched on the railing next to
Ellie and cleared his throat. “On the topic of giving a person a chance, I have
a question for you, Ben.” Ty’s voice held a nervous tremble. “How would you
feel about me marrying your daughter?”

Ellie gasped aloud, turning wide eyes to Ty.

A furrow creased his brow as he returned her gaze. “What?
Did I do it wrong again? I did, didn’t I? I should have asked you first. Oh, I
can’t get anything right. For the life of me, I thought you knew how I felt,
that I love you, and want to—”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
Ellie
placed a silencing finger to Ty’s lips and looked to her Pa. “I hope what I’m
about to do doesn’t stun you, but I think I can assume your answer is yes, Pa.
I know mine is.”

The happiness she saw in his eyes was answer enough. He had
his daughter back, and her marriage to Ty would give Pa that son she always imagined
he wanted. This had to be the happiest day of her life.

She turned, locked her arms around Ty’s neck, and silenced
him with a kiss. When his shocked body relaxed, Ellie pulled away and gazed
lovingly into his eyes. “It sounds like it’s your turn to issue a challenge and
I gladly accept…but this time there will be no guns involved.”

Epilogue

Five Years Later

Ellie sat next to, Ty, enjoying the newly installed bench
along the outside wall of the house. It was his anniversary gift to her so that
the entire family could enjoy the beauty of Fountainhead from the porch.
Luckily, the ranch and most of the surrounding land had escaped the ravages of
war. Only a few buildings, like the inn next to the Rock House and the Bon Air
Springs Hotel had been destroyed, most likely by northern sympathizers.

For the most part, the fighting had only consisted of
occasional skirmishes in and around Sparta. Many men who had joined the
county’s regiment and traveled to the battlefront were injured or killed. Words
etched in the stone of Sunset Rock were a testament to those who didn’t come
home. Ellie was grimly reminded of them each time she passed by nature’s
monument on the way into town. Those who did return probably carried memories
to haunt them forever.

Ty had stayed on the mountain in case it became necessary to
protect the homestead, but constant fear kept Ellie fraught with worry he would
be ordered to duty. Luckily, General Lee had surrendered to Grant, putting an
end to the useless waste of life and property.

Ellie raised her eyes skyward and praised God for sparing
her friends and family. The sound of happy giggles drew her from her prayer.

Little Rose sat at Grandpa Ben’s feet, piling one wooden
block atop another. The toy was something he picked up at the mercantile on his
last trip into town—typical since he was determined to spoil her rotten. She
had more toys than Ellie had ever owned.

Ben sat in his well-worn rocker, beaming over his first
grandchild. “I swear she gets prettier every day.” He bent over, helping the
little one stack a perfect column.

A devious smile tugged at Ellie’s mouth. “Are you gonna have
a fit if Rosie decides to be a tomboy, too?”

Pa pulled Rosie up onto his lap. “She can do whatever she
wants and she’ll get no complaints from me.” He kissed her cheek.

Her little bow-shaped lips pulled into a smile. She loved
her Paw-Paw just as much as he loved her.

Ellie’s heart warmed at the sight of the two of them
together. For so many years she’d assumed Pa wanted a son over a daughter,
spent too much time worrying about something that wasn’t even true Her own
jealous insecurities had robbed her of so much time.

Now watching him with Rosie, it was plain that age and a
granddaughter had softened his gruffness. Ellie’s children would never have to
wonder how he felt about them. She’d been blind not to notice what had been
right in front of her own face.

Ty reached over and patted Ellie’s swollen belly. “Think
we’ll get a boy this time, Ben?”

Ben shrugged. “
Don’t make no
difference to me. I’ll be tickled with whatever the rabbit leaves under the
lettuce leaf.”

Ellie tossed her head back and laughed. “If only it was that
easy. Don’t you remember how long it took to bring Rosie into the world?”

Cook came out the kitchen door, balancing a laundry basket
on her hip. She stopped and tousled Rosie’s penny-colored curls. “They say the
second babe comes easier and faster, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.
According to Doc Smith’s calculations, this child should be here before the
month is up.”

Ellie took a deep breath and placed her hand on her stomach.
A fall baby.
Already most of the tree leaves were
tinged with oranges and reds, while others were golden yellow. The cool weather
was a welcome relief from the hot and humid Tennessee summer, and having a
second child in October would be Ellie’s reward for carrying a babe during
those horridly hot months.

Being with child made the summer months pass even more
slowly than usual.

Since marrying Ty, so much had changed—but nothing so much
as Ellie. She no longer fretted over silly things; instead she devoted herself
to her husband and daughter.

Soon she’d have another child to care for, and that suited
her just fine. Who would have thought she’d ever trade her denims for
comfortable cotton dresses?

Certainly not her.

Maybe all those years of
Pa’s
wishing and Cook’s influence had paid off. Ellie smiled.

The baby gave a healthy kick that jolted Ellie. She glanced
at Ty, amused by the wonder in his sparkling eyes as he saw the movement of his
child. What a wonderful father he’d turned out to be.

His daughter was his pride and joy, and Ellie had no choice
but to relent when Daddy had insisted the little one be named Rose. Although
the name hadn’t suited Ellie, it seemed perfect to name their beautiful
daughter after a delicate flower and the sweet woman who helped raise her
mother.