Texas Blue

chapter 11



EM LEFT THE SEWING ROOM WITH BLANKETS FOLDED neatly in the corner and made her way through the sleeping house to the kitchen. In a few minutes it would be dawn and her long day would begin. With the rain, she planned to make a quick journey for mail and supplies, then work in the barn. She doubted Lewton Paterson would want to join her there. It had been interesting having him tag along yesterday, but she didn’t want company today. The man made her nervous. She’d taken risks she shouldn’t have, and it seemed he’d been the one who always paid.

When she stepped into the large kitchen, she was surprised to find coffee already made. Rose usually woke early to start the bread, but not quite this early. Maybe, if her sister was up, they could have a few minutes to talk before anyone else crowded around. The only thing wrong with Em’s great plan to avoid the potential bridegrooms lay in the fact that she had to miss most of her time with her sisters. They’d developed a habit, these weeks alone, of each listing everything they did each day. Em found it interesting and she knew that when each finished describing her day, none would have traded with the other.

After pouring herself a cup of coffee, she walked toward the only other light in the house. It glowed from the mudroom.

When she saw Lewt in the tub, surprise almost made her drop her coffee cup. He hadn’t bothered to draw the drape over the corner. Maybe he hadn’t even noticed it tucked away beside the windows.

His arms were over the sides, his knees out of the water, and his head propped against a towel at his shoulder. The low lamp offered little light. He was so still he could have been a painting. Even the soapy water seemed to belong more to a canvas than to life.

Em took a step closer. He looked younger asleep, she thought. The hardness in his jaw that said he’d fight the world alone if he had to was gone. Even though she’d spent the day with him, she knew less about him than about the other two men who’d invaded their quiet life.

When she’d met with her sisters late last night, they’d both learned far more about Boyd and Davis than she’d learned about Lewt Paterson. He’d said he was from the east but had not named a town. She heard no eastern accent in his voice. Yet looking at him now, it was easy to see that the man spent little time in the sun. Except for his face and hands, his body looked lean and pale. His wet brown hair appeared almost black in the light.

Em wished, for the hundredth time, that Duncan had sent them more information about the men he’d picked to meet them. He’d said they were all three from good families. If so, Lewt’s family must rarely venture outside.

Duncan had written that they were all three well off financially. Maybe Lewt came from a family of bankers who never did anything but sit around and count their money. That would explain the blisters and tiny cuts he’d gotten yesterday from a day’s work.

She could see the line of blisters along his open palm. He was a man not used to working for a living. Part of her thought less of him for it. Part of her admired his willingness to try. He’d obviously stepped into a foreign world yesterday, and he’d done so at a run.

Backing slowly into the kitchen, she pulled out a skillet and began making eggs, hoping the noise would wake him up. She wasn’t sure she was brave enough to wake a man in a bathtub. It would probably embarrass them both to death.

About the time she’d set the table for two and the eggs were ready, he appeared in the doorway between the mudroom and the kitchen. His hair was combed back and still looked damp, but he was dressed all the way down to the borrowed worn work boots he wore.

“Oh,” she said, as if surprised to see him. “I came in through the front. I didn’t know anyone was up.”

“I was just washing up.” He watched her carefully, showing no sign of having been asleep.

He must be an early riser. A strange habit for a man who didn’t work, she thought.

“No suit today?” Em couldn’t help but notice he was wearing the same clothes she’d given him last night. She noticed a bloodstain just above one knee. His wound had bled a little after she’d stitched it.

“Are you still going to allow me to ride with you today?” He walked almost within reaching distance from her and stopped.

She poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him before she answered. “If you’re up for it. I guess you can tag along.”

“I am,” he answered, as if she couldn’t see the damage the day before had done to him.

“Do you want me to check the cut?”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’ve already put a fresh dressing on the wound. The bleeding has stopped, thanks to your excellent stitching.” He glanced at the skillet she was holding. “I wouldn’t mind sharing those eggs, if you’re offering.”

She smiled. “I am. I guessed you’d be up early again, so I made enough for two.”

“How thoughtful,” he said, pulling out his own chair and taking a seat.

She shrugged. “I just didn’t want you passing out on me if you insisted on tagging along.” She dumped half the eggs on his plate. “And don’t get any ideas that I’m waiting on you in here. You’re doing the dishes.”

“You got it, boss. What do we do today?”

Em watched him slice off two thick pieces of bread and drop one on her plate. This guy must come from the strangest rich family in the world. They did no work, they stayed out of the sun, and they ate breakfast like field hands.

“I thought I’d go into town and pick up some supplies.” She shoveled in her eggs, fearing he’d eat her share if she didn’t. “If you come along, you could pick up clothes that fit your taste better.”

He looked up and smiled. “We taking the buggy?”

“No, there’s a back path through the hills. It’ll take half the time.”

Glancing out the window, he said the obvious. “It’s raining, you know.”

“I know. Work on a ranch doesn’t stop no matter what the weather. You afraid you’ll shrink if you get wet? You can back out. I’m sure there’ll be plenty going on here to keep you busy.”

“No,” he said. “This place seems to have a tendency to break into song. I’m going with you.”

His comment made her wonder how bad a job her sisters were doing at entertaining him if he’d rather climb back on a horse in the rain with her.

Before she could ask, the bedroom door, off the kitchen, opened and little Mrs. Allender waddled out. She was in her robe and had funny little rag bows tied all over her head. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I thought I smelled coffee.”

Em and Lewt both stood as she came closer. Lewt pulled out her chair as Em got her a cup of coffee.

“Thank you, dear,” Mrs. Allender said. “You must be Em. The girls told me yesterday that there was a woman running the ranch while the McMurray men were away. I must say, I admire a woman who makes her own way. When my Jessie was alive he used to say that he couldn’t manage the house and I couldn’t run the farm, but together we could do anything. He must have been right, because he bought more land every year and I had another baby. After thirty years we owned a good-sized corner of Mississippi.”

“And you had a house full of children?” Em asked.

Mrs. Allender sipped her coffee, then shook her head. “For a while we did, but then my three oldest boys died in Andersonville prison during the war. Davis only has one brother left, but I’m blessed with five daughters. During the war, they dressed like you are now and did what had to be done.”

“You must be very proud of them,” Em said as she put her hand on the old woman’s arm.

“Oh, I am. My children are my true wealth in this world. They all want to take up farming like their parents and grandparents, but my Davis, he wants to be an architect. He’s says Austin is growing. It’s the place he belongs. It’s his chance to leave a mark.”

Em found the sweet little woman interesting, but the first hint of dawn shone through the windows. “We have to go,” she said. “The rain seems to be letting up and I’ve a full day of work planned. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Mrs. Allender bid them good-bye as Em almost pulled Lewt out of the warm kitchen and into the rain.

“It’s not letting up,” he grumbled as he pulled on the dirty slicker she handed him. “If anything, it’s worse.”

She stepped off the porch and yelled back at him, “Then stay here and sing.”

“Not a chance,” he said as he followed her, splashing mud with each step.

In the shadowy light of the barn, he saddled his own horse. Sumner showed up about the time he finished and offered his hand. “Morning, stranger. Glad you’re up for another day. Thought Miss Em might have killed you yesterday.”

Lewt took the man’s hand, then felt something slimy spread from the old man’s palm to his.

When he frowned the old man laughed. “Don’t blame me, son. Miss Em said you’d need some of that for your hands. Rub it in good and it’ll help keep those blisters from getting infected.”

Lewt wondered how she’d even noticed, but he didn’t say anything when he met her at the door. A few of the ranch hands watched them, but none said a word to her or him.

She swung up and watched him climb into the saddle more slowly. “If I take you with me across the pass, I have to blindfold you.”

“You’re kidding.” He looked like his morning had just gone from bad to worse.

She pulled out a red bandanna. “It’s this or you don’t go. No one outside the family and a few trusted friends is allowed to know the back way into Whispering Mountain.”

He looked like he might swear, but instead he took the handkerchief and tied it around his eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’ll lead you safely through.”

He grabbed the saddle horn and waited, telling himself he trusted her. After all she wouldn’t waste oil on his hands if she was planning to let him fall off the first ledge they came to.

Em made a slight clicking sound that started both horses moving.

She had no idea what he was up to, but he seemed willing to do whatever was necessary in order to get it. They rode behind the house and began to climb. She’d been taught how to slice through the hills to the town without leaving a path an intruder could follow. There were points along the journey where she knew to stop to make sure she wasn’t being tailed. The state wasn’t as wild as it had been, but the family still kept the path secret. If rustlers would steal cattle, they’d steal horses as well.

Lewt had been right about the rain. It did seem to be falling harder, and the trip took more time than usual because she had to move slower across slippery rocks. Lewt didn’t say a word. Without a hat, she was surprised he wasn’t half drowned by the time they reached the summit and began the trip down. She might not know who the man was or what he was up to, but he wasn’t a complainer. That one thing she liked about Lewt.

When they reached a wooded area at the corner of town, Em told him he could take off the blindfold. She handed him the reins to his horse and noticed Lewt hadn’t shaved. A dark shadow of the beginnings of a beard made him look far more like an outlaw than a man from a good family.

“You all right?” she asked as she watched him wipe his eyes with the wet bandanna.

“Do you care?” he answered.

“Not really.” She laughed. “But I might get my pay docked for killing one of the guests.”

He glared at her. “I’m all right. Don’t worry about me.”

“I won’t.” She turned to cross a stream and never looked back to see if he followed.

When they reached the road, he pulled even with her.

Within a few hundred yards, buildings began to block the wind. Em pointed to the train station. “I’ve got business. I’ll meet you at the station in an hour. You can leave your horse in the covered area over by the livery. They never bother McMurray horses. The town square is just beyond. You’ll find several stores there. You might even talk the tailor into making you another black suit.”

He didn’t smile when she looked over at him. Em told herself she didn’t care. She had banking to do, a list of supplies to pick up from Tamela’s mother, and a stop at the post office to make. She had no time to babysit him.

Her first stop was the post office, where the postman’s wife told her to be careful. A couple of no-good drifters had been robbing folks outside town. The woman said they were probably two of a dozen or so trail tramps who wintered in town waiting for spring and the cattle drives to start. Most of their types made money in the spring and summer and then found odd jobs come fall. Those who didn’t work either budgeted their money or looked for work on the other side of the law.

Touching her Colt strapped to her leg, Em felt like she could handle any trouble that came along. Over their mother’s protests, Papa had taught all three of the girls to handle a gun.

She stopped by the sheriff’s office to see if any of the deputies had heard from her uncle Drummond. When he was in town serving as sheriff, the wrong type never hung around long, but he always went with his wife, Sage, when she made her rounds doctoring the sick.

The deputy, who looked like he’d been sleeping in the back, said he hadn’t heard from anyone. He also told her not to worry about the drifters. He’d run a few of them out of town last night.

Em moved on to the bank and then to Tamela’s mother’s dress shop. She’d never figured out how Tamela could be so shy and quiet and her mother such a chatterbox. On second thought, Em was surprised Tamela got enough practice in to learn to talk.

When she finally broke free, she ran toward the train station.

Ten minutes later she was furious. It had taken her a little longer to do her errands than she thought, but Lewton should have been waiting for her. She’d paced the platform twice and he was nowhere in sight. For two bits she’d leave him behind and let him find his own way home.

At least the rain had stopped, or, more precisely, decided to hang in the air like thick fog. It occurred to her that this tagalong stranger might have gotten lost. After all, the town had a dozen stores, three cafés, and several saloons. They even had three hotels. With her luck one of the drifters had spotted him as an easy target and conked him on the head. He was probably lying in an ally half dead, and somehow Duncan and the others would blame her.

Another ten minutes passed and Em began planning ways to kill this son of a wealthy family.

A tall stranger stepped on the platform. His high-topped boots stomped along the planks, drawing Em’s attention. He was dressed in dark brown from his well-made Stetson to his lined leather riding coat. When his open coat flapped in the wind, it revealed a tan vest beneath the same color as his gloves.

He reminded her of someone.

When he was within five feet of Em, he raised his head and tapped his hat with two fingers in salute.

Em froze. “Lewt?”

He frowned. “You said buy something appropriate. Doesn’t this pass muster?” He removed his hat and made a low bow, reminding her of what a buccaneer might have looked like a few hundred years ago.

She looked him up and down. The difference between Lewt in a city suit and this man was astonishing. “You’ll do,” she snapped, angry that she should care what he wore. He was still dumb as a rock about work and near worthless on a horse. “We need to be getting back. We’ve wasted half the day already.”

He didn’t argue but simply followed her to the horses. A sack hung off his saddle horn. She didn’t ask what was in the bag as they headed home. More clothes, she guessed.

“You going to stay mad at me all day?” he asked as he swung into the saddle.

“You were late.”

He didn’t apologize; he just thought about it, then said, “So you are going to stay mad.”

“You’re not planning to say you’re sorry.”

He smiled. “Would it help?”

“No.”

“Then I might as well save my breath.”

When they reached the trees at the edge of town, she told him to put on the blindfold again.

He passed her his hat while he tied on the red bandanna, then leaned over and reached out for his hat. His hand bumped her arm.

“Sorry,” he said as he found the hat. “I didn’t know your arm was there.”

“Forget it,” she said, reaching for his reins. “We’ve wasted enough time.”

Before she could turn the horses, a shadow of a man moved out from behind one of the trees. He was dressed in the ragged clothes of a down-on-his-luck cowhand. “Interesting game you two are playing,” he said, looking up at them with bloodshot eyes. “You wouldn’t be kidnapping this man, would you, kid?”

Em saw the gun in the stranger’s hand and froze. If she spoke, he’d know she was a woman. Maybe it was better for her if he thought she was a young man. Her braid was hidden beneath her hat, and the slicker covered her body. Unfortunately it also kept her Colt out of easy reach.

She felt, more than saw, Lewt nudge his horse forward, blocking most of the drifter’s view of her. Moving only her eyes, she risked a quick glance at Lewt. He’d pulled off the blindfold as if he thought he could face the man down with a stare.

She almost yelled for him to get back. He wasn’t armed. But then she saw his face.

His features were hard and unyielding almost as if he were the one stalking prey, but his words came calm, casual. “We’re just testing my skills at direction, friend, but I appreciate the concern. We didn’t mean to disturb your sleep.”

“I’m not your friend,” the man shouted. He wavered from side to side as if still drunk on last night’s whiskey.

To Em’s surprise, Lewton Paterson smiled and said, “You don’t want to be my enemy, sir.”

The man looked as confused as Emily felt. Was Lewt threatening him or advising him? If Lewt wasn’t going to be frightened, a robbery might not work unless the man before them was a cold killer. She could see the man stagger, unsure what to do next. He pushed the gun high as if to make sure Lewt saw it.

Lewt said casually, “Put down the weapon before someone gets hurt.”

For a second, the barrel lowered a few inches, and then the drifter changed his mind and waved it.

“I think I’ll take the horse before I go,” the stranger said, trying to keep his voice steady. “When the deputy told me to leave town last night, he didn’t seem to care that I was walking.”

“I don’t think I can give her up.” Lewt patted his mount. “The horse is not mine to give.”

“Get off that horse or I’ll shoot you off it.”

Em fought down a scream. No wonder Lewt’s family never came out in the daytime. They were too dumb to survive in the real world.

Just as she reached for his arm, she heard Lewt say, “All right. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Lewt stood in the saddle and pulled one foot from the stirrup. “I was really hoping we could be friends. It’s always so much better for one of us.”

What happened next was a blur to Em. Lewt seemed to make a great show of swinging his leg over the horse. The tail of his coat flew in the air like a huge bat wing. As he leaned, his free hand moved down the side of his leg, still in the stirrup. A heartbeat later, a knife flew through the air and landed in the robber’s hand.

The stranger yelled in pain as he dropped the gun he’d been pointing at them.

Lewt’s new boots hit the ground. In two steps he was in front of the robber. He picked up the bumbling bandit’s gun with one hand and retrieved his knife with the other.

The outlaw screamed as the blade pulled back through his flesh and his knees buckled beneath him. He cupped his bleeding hand in his unharmed palm. “Look what you did!” he wailed. “It went all the way through.” He cried and babbled on about how bad it hurt. Blood filled his unharmed hand and was dripping in the dirt.

Lewt jerked the bandanna hanging loosely around his neck and began wrapping the wound. “Sorry about that, but I did warn you.”

The stranger looked like he might pass out. He glared, glassy-eyed, at Lewt as if he could no longer understand the language.

“Come on. We’ll get you to a doctor.” Lewt helped the robber onto his horse, climbed up behind him, and looked at Em for guidance. “Lead the way,” he snapped, as if waking her with a slap. “There must be a doctor in town.”

Em jerked into action. She kicked the horse and rushed toward a big white house at the edge of town. There, her aunt had run a small clinic for almost twenty years; Em knew the shortcut and she took it as fast as she thought Lewt could manage.

Five minutes later they were in the doctor’s office. The nurse, Bonnie Faye, started to greet Em when she hit the door but reconsidered when she saw the blood on the man who followed her in. She began barking orders to all, including the doctor. This was an emergency, and emergencies were Bonnie Faye’s specialty.

Dr. Hutchison was an old man who usually helped Aunt Sage out only occasionally, but with Sage gone, he took over in the office. He’d seen enough to no longer be curious. He simply directed them into the inner office, cleaned the entry and exit wounds, put three stitches in the palm and four on the back of the robber’s hand without bothering with any painkiller, and wrapped the wound.

The robber screamed awhile and then cried.

Em watched as Lewt stepped to the doorway and talked softly to the nurse. The city slicker probably couldn’t take the sight of blood, even if he was the one who caused the bleeding. All she could figure out was the guy must have some luck because he didn’t look like the kind of man who’d have skill with a knife.

“You were lucky, Barnaby,” the doc said as he tied off the bandage. “In a few weeks you’ ll be good as new if you keep that hand clean.”

The disheartened outlaw nodded. “It don’t matter none. The deputy is going to shoot me as soon as he realizes I’m in town. He told me to get out and never come back.” He raised his head enough to stare at Lewt. “You’re probably going to turn me in for attempted robbery.”

“No,” Lewt said simply. “I see it as just a misunderstanding between friends.”

“We’re not actually in town, Barnaby. Town line is at the road.”

Lewt nodded at Bonnie and moved closer to the bandit. “You’ll have to work off the doctor’s fee. The nurse says it’ll take you two weeks, but you can sleep in their barn and she’ll feed you two meals a day as long as you put in a good day’s work.”

The tall nurse stepped inside. “I agreed to this, Barnaby, on two conditions. You don’t step foot off the property or take a drink until the bill is paid.”

Em raised an eyebrow. She’d heard her aunt make several such deals to men who couldn’t pay. Usually if they stayed sober a few weeks they looked good enough to find a job in town or at one of the ranches around. This time she wondered if Bonnie or Lewt had thought of the plan.

Before the nurse could get chatty and give her away, Em stormed past Lewt and said, “We’d better be going. We’ve still got a day’s work to do.”

He raised an eyebrow but followed.

When they were at their horses, she twirled toward him so suddenly the man almost slammed into her. “Want to tell me what happened back there in the trees? Like for one, where did that knife come from?”

“Look, Em, can we just forget it happened? What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t very well kill a man for being down on his luck. I didn’t think he would have fired that old gun, but I wasn’t sure. From the looks of it, I’d say the weapon was as likely to go off in his hand as at us.”

“I was thinking of killing him for trying to steal a horse,” Em cut in, “but you? You wound him and then help him. I swear, the man could have shot us both and you worried about his cut.”

Lewt took a long breath. “Can we just act like it never happened? The guy was too thin and hungry and desperate to be able to kill us. Even if he’d got off a shot, the odds were he wouldn’t have hit us.”

She glared at him. Who was this man who worried about hurting a robber? A nut, she decided. A rich, from a good family, nut.

To her surprise, he pulled out his watch and checked the time. Now he was worried about the time. Not an hour ago when she was waiting for him, but now when they’d already wasted half the day.

“I know we’re on your time schedule, Em, but do you think we could stop in at one of those cafés in town and have a meal before you try to work me to death again? I’m starving.” He hesitated, and added, “I’ll buy.”

She opened her mouth to say no, then reconsidered. It was almost noon. They’d never make it back to the ranch in time for lunch, and the two eggs she’d had at dawn seemed a far memory. “All right. You’ve already wasted an hour knifing and doctoring a bandit, we might as well take time to eat.”

They turned around and rode back into town. Lewt stopped at the first café and waited for her to swing down.

She walked in ahead of him and took the table in the corner, placing her back to the door. He circled around and took the chair facing her. When the waitress passed, he ordered two of the specials with coffee.

Emily kept her head low and her hat on.

“You eat here often?” Lewt asked.

“Never,” she answered. “How’d you know what to order?”

“If there’s no board and no menu, they always have a special. If you never eat here, no one is likely to recognize you. This kind of place tends to have the same folks every day.”

“If I keep my hat and coat on, they’ll think I’m a man.”

Lewt laughed. “If you keep them on, I’ll think you’re a man.”

“I don’t care what you think.”

“I know,” he said softly. “I think that’s why you’re so much fun to be around. No matter what I do or how hard I try, you’re still not going to like me, right?”

“Right,” she answered.

“So I guess there’s little chance you’ll help me figure out which one of the McMurray sisters to marry?”

“Right.”

The waitress sloshed their coffee on the table as she slammed the cups down and rushed past.

Lewt tried again. “Come on, Em. Can’t we be friends?”

She couldn’t help but smile. “The last friend of yours has a half dozen stitches in his hand.”

Lewt shoved his hat back and smiled at her. “You’re right. I guess I’m a dangerous man to know.”

“Why do you want to marry one of the girls, anyway? There must be a hundred girls in any big city you could marry.”

“I need a wife,” he said simply. “A good wife.”

After a few moments he leaned on the table and whispered, “I’ve got to have a lady from a good family. I need to get married right away.”

She met his gaze. “In a family way, are you?”

He laughed. “Something like that.”

Em decided she liked this strange man who must have been raised by rich moles and who could throw a knife better than anyone she’d ever seen. “I’ll help you learn ranching, but that’s all. You’ll have to court the girls all by yourself.”

“Fair enough.”