Ellie's Legacy (4 page)

Leaning against the cell door, Jeb crossed his arms and
leered. “Yeah, well, nobody says you have to be my shadow. I swear
,
if you weren’t such a coward, you wouldn’t have to follow
me everywhere I go. Learn to be a man, stand on your own two feet. I dare you.”

Joshua rolled his eyes. It wouldn’t do any good to argue
with his brother.

Jeb was bullheaded and ornery, and in his own mind, always
right. Joshua stood and stepped up on the bunk to peek out the window
overlooking Main Street. He saw nothing unusual.
Just a
steady parade of horses and wagons passing by and stirring up the red dirt.
But something across the way caught his eye.

“Hey, come have a look.” He nodded toward the window. “Isn’t
that the Fountain gal over there in the alley by the mercantile?”

Jeb crossed the cell in giant steps and clambered up next to
his twin. “Well, I’ll be. Wonder what the pretty little filly is up to.
Looks like she’s hidin’ from someone.
Sure like the way she
fills out those britches.” He paused for a moment. “I wouldn’t mind helpin’ her
out of ‘em,” he added.

Joshua gave him an angry shove. “It don’t matter none how
Miz Ellie dresses. She’s still a proper lady. Why don’t you stick to your
saloon whores and leave her alone.”

 
“It sounds like
someone’s sweet on that little redhead.” Jeb grinned. “Couldn’t be that you’re
afraid your brother might beat your time, could it?”

Joshua jumped down from the bunk with fists so tightly
balled his knuckles felt numb. His jaw tensed. It took a lot to rile him, but
Jeb pushed Joshua too far. Before he was able to act, the sound of metal
against metal drew his attention from throttling his brother.

The Sheriff inserted a large key, opened the door and made a
sweeping gesture, “C’mon you two. Your pa is here to fetch you. One of these
days he’s gonna leave you here ‘til you learn a lesson.”

Dude Bryant’s top lip quivered with anger as he stepped
toward the cell. “I’ve about had it with your antics. You two knuckleheads get
back to the ranch. I have a few errands to tend to. I’ll deal with you when I
get home.”

Joshua imagined the lecture they’d get later and a whoosh of
air escaped his lips. He hated having people upset, especially at him.
Forgetting his earlier anger, he slapped his brother on the back. “Let’s get
our things and get back to the ranch like Pa said. We’re already in enough
trouble.”

After they’d collected their sidearms and Stetsons, they
left the jail. Joshua scanned the street for Ellie, but she was nowhere in
sight.

Chapter Three

The ride home was mostly uphill. Ellie let Chessie have her
head and sat back to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The painter’s pallet she saw
in the mercantile came to mind with all its beautiful colors. The trees lining
the trail already modeled their fall colors, and before long, the surrounding
hills would show off a blanket of white that would eventually drift down to
cover everything.

Although Ellie welcomed cooler weather, she hated the
frequent winter storms that kept her inside. For now, she’d enjoy what was left
of fall and the beautiful blue sky dotted with powder puff clouds.

An image of Ty crossed her mind. She huffed in annoyance.
Why, she wondered, did she continually think about him? Moreover, how could she
stop? He was a thorn in her side and an obstacle to her rightful place on the
ranch. He didn’t deserve the time of day, let alone time spent pondering him.

She pulled her hat further down to shield her eyes from the
sun and concentrated on finding the overgrown fork in the road that lead to the
old mine. There were a few hours of daylight left, and no time like the present
to start practicing with her new gun.

Hoof beats sounded behind her. She turned to look over her
shoulder and saw Jeb and Joshua Bryant riding in her direction. She reined
Chessie to the left and off the beaten path. Hopefully, they’d pass by without
a problem, but it wasn’t likely. Her jaw tightened with worry. Maybe she should
have heeded Ty’s warning.

Jeb stopped his mount next to hers. “Well, well, if it isn’t
Miss Roselle Fountain. What are you doing out here all alone?”

The odor of sweat permeated the air around him. She wrinkled
her nose in disgust, but tried to remain civil, yet aloof. What rotten luck to
run into them, especially after her near miss with a bullet. She had to keep
her head.

“Good afternoon.” She gazed at Joshua, rather than at Jeb.
Looks-wise they were identical, but Joshua’s friendlier attitude made him much
more attractive. She noted the beads of perspiration dotting his brow, the
fullness of his lips, and the dark carpet of chest hair exposed by his
unbuttoned shirt. If only he wasn’t a Bryant. Ellie shook her head slightly to
clear the unladylike thoughts. The air felt much warmer.

“I’m on my way home from Sparta,” she explained. “I had some
shopping to do.” Why was she even talking to them? She mentally chastised
herself for sharing anything.

Jeb eyed her up and down and licked his lips like a hungry
animal.

Her skin crawled, but she kept her composure. She squared
herself in her saddle. “If you’ll pardon me, I’ll be on my way.”

Recollections of her morning dive into the dirt flashed
through her mind.

She reined Chessie back toward the trail, but Jeb’s big hand
reached across and grabbed the mare’s bridle. “Wait a minute, little gal. Don’t
be in such a hurry to leave. Josh and I were wonderin’ what you were doing back
in Sparta, all huddled up in the alley next to the mercantile.”

Her mouth dropped. How did he know? She struggled for an
explanation. “I was not huddled anywhere. I just happened to…ah…”

“Just happened to what?”

“Actually, it’s none of your business. I’m not going to justify
my actions to you or anyone else. Now, get out of my way.”

Did he see her hands trembling or hear the quiver in her
voice?

He didn’t budge, but his brows peaked. “Don’t go gettin’ all
mad. I was just hopin’ you and me might get to know each other a little
better.” He accented his invitation with a suggestive wink.

The prospect shivered her. “I’d just as soon acquaint myself
with a rattlesnake. Now, if you’ll remove your hand, I’ll be on my way.” She
prayed her pretense at bravery was convincing because her chest constricted
with fear.

“Leave her alone, Jeb.” Joshua finally spoke. “Let her go.”

Jeb released the bridle, but glared at him. “Sure, Josh
whatever you say. I didn’t mean any harm. I was just hopin’ the pretty lady
might be interested in having me come a courtin’.”

Jeb had to be joking. A skunk held more appeal. His abrasive
behavior and cocky attitude masked what some might consider a handsome man, but
a bad bout of the ague was preferable to spending time with him. Hopefully, her
disgust wasn’t displayed on her face. She eyed him with caution.

He reached up and politely doffed his hat, but a scandalous
smile spread across his face.

“Have a good day Miss Fountain. Oh, by the way, I hear tell
you had a near miss with a bullet this mornin’. You might wanna be more
careful.
If you get my meanin’.”

Ellie dug her heels into Chessie’s side and held on tight as
the mare broke into a gallop. If ever she had good reason to practice her
marksmanship, she’d had just had a close encounter with it. Jeb practically
admitted to being the bushwhacker.

Where was Ty Bishop when real trouble reared its head? She
reached down and patted the hard bulge in her saddlebag.
“You
and me, Mr. Smith & Wesson, just you and me.”

Unless she was wrong, she heard only one set of hooves
pounding the hardened trail—Chessie’s. Ellie glanced over her shoulder to make
sure before slowing her mare to a walk. She heaved a sigh of relief and
adjusted her hat’s tilt. With her gaze trained on the ground, she searched for
the old trail, still determined to get in some practice.

She occasionally glanced over her shoulder to make sure she
wasn’t followed.

“Aha, there it is.” She urged Chessie into the thick
overgrowth. Nature had taken advantage of sporadic usage and disguised the once
frequently used road with knee-high grass and sundried scrub brush.

Ellie picked her way through the overgrown brush, making
sure Chessie didn’t step into a hole or gully. She certainly didn’t want to put
her horse down because of a broken leg.

The road didn’t improve as she traveled back into the
forest. Ellie maneuvered Chessie through the trees. She strained to see the
trail and watched for familiar landmarks. The air wasn’t terribly warm but the
humidity was unbearable. Damp from perspiration, her shirtfront clung to her
bosom. She wiped wetness from her brow and surveyed the area. If only she could
remember the exact location of the old mine shaft.

The last time she visited, she was only a child. Back then,
tents, wagons, mining equipment and men hungry to find a vein of gold ore
crowded the area.

Instead of gold, they found coal. In comparison to the
hustle and bustle of those days, the silence was almost eerie.

When the trees fanned into a clearing, the area looked
familiar. Ellie dismounted and led Chessie toward a small outcropping of rocks.
She dropped the mare’s reins and left her to graze on what remained of summer’s
greenery.

The area, although somewhat overgrown, was just as she
remembered. Ellie shielded her eyes and scanned the area. Her lips curved into
a smile. There, almost concealed by fallen branches, was the entrance to the
old mine. As she pushed debris aside, she grimaced. Stringy cobwebs hung in
masses and changed her decision to venture inside. She shivered. Perhaps this
wasn’t the best place after all. Something might live here she didn’t care to
meet. It was too early for bears to seek places to hibernate, but not for
wolves or coyotes. She expected to see glowing eyes peering back from the
darkness.

“C’mon Ellie.
Stop being such a
baby.”

Visions of Jeb Bryant’s face played in her mind. “You’ve
already encountered one dangerous varmint today,” she muttered. She swatted her
way through the sticky mesh and stepped inside.

Even in the dim afternoon sunlight, it was clear that beyond
the spiders’ creations, the wooden beams crisscrossing the digs were old and
fragile. Funny, she hadn’t even considered the noise of discharging bullets might
disturb the timber supports and bring tons of rock crashing down atop her. She
wanted to learn to shoot but not at the expense of being crushed to death.

Where else could she shoot without raising suspicion?

She backed out, let the branches drop back into place, and
looked at the area surrounding the mine. The location was fine except for one
thing. Although it was far enough from the ranch that her shots wouldn’t be
heard, it was too close to a nearby road. Anyone passing might stop to
investigate, and how would she explain herself, and more importantly, keep
practicing in secret?

What other options were there? The boundaries of
Fountainhead were limitless. Her father owned acres of expansive land, but
there she risked Ty’s intrusion. Ellie shook her head at the thought of
meandering closer to home. This was the perfect spot. She’d chance being heard
by someone passing by rather than answer to Ty.

The sun dipped lower in the sky. She’d have to hurry before
all light was lost.

She dug into Chessie’s saddlebag and withdrew the wrapped
package. The horse turned her head to the side and cast a curious eye at her
owner but returned to grazing. Ellie laid the parcel carefully on the ground,
and peeled away the layers to expose her new gun.

The gun belt and holster fit perfectly, and she was ready to
shoot, but…at what?

Only brush and trees grew in the area. She needed a
target—something she could check for accuracy. She saw nothing suitable within
arm’s reach inside the cave, and wasn’t about to go traipsing any further
inside to look for something.

She snapped her fingers. The fabric!

Ellie never intended to make a new dress. She had better
things to do with her time than spend them on foolish feminine trappings—how
impractical. She folded the flowery material into a large square then looked
for the best place to hang it. A dead tree caught her attention.

Perfect.

Lightning had most likely ended its life, but she was about
to give it a new purpose. She carefully laid her would-be-gown against the
trunk and secured it on surrounding branches. With excitement tingling through
her, Ellie walked twenty paces back, turned, and took aim.

Her first shots missed the mark by a mile. The pistol had
more kick than she expected, but she reminded herself to take time and use the
gun sight to aim at the cloth. After several more attempts, a passable grouping
of holes in the colorful print rewarded her patience.

The sunlight faded fast. Ellie wasn’t generally afraid of
the dark, especially now—she patted her gun, but given the recent event at the
ranch, she didn’t want to worry Pa. Her stomach rumbled
,
reminding her suppertime was near.

She proudly wrapped the evidence of her marksmanship around
her weapon, placed it in her saddlebag and mounted Chessie. Traces of a smug
smile tugged at her lips. Ty Bishop and the Bryant brothers had best watch out.
If they messed with her, they might get more than they bargained for.

Ellie reached home shortly after sunset. With her secret
hidden in the hayloft, tucked safely behind several stacks of baled alfalfa,
she hung the lantern on a hook and took a few minutes in the barn to feed and
curry her horse. While she ran a comb through Chessie’s mane, the mare nosily
munched oats from the feedbag secured to her head.