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Authors: Dusty Richards

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“Jesus, tell Cole when he gets back tonight, he can go see his wife, if he wants. We won't leave tomorrow.”
“Good,” Jesus said. “I can do that. He won't be long behind us.”
Liz gave Chet a firm nod. “That was nice of you. He will appreciate some time with her.”
They put their mounts into a gallop. When they reached the ranch, the sun was low. They dismounted and two boys came to get their horses.
“You can stay at the house,” Chet offered Jesus. “We have plenty of beds.”
“Thanks, I'll do that.”
Monica met them. “Have you three eaten anything?”
Chet smiled. “No, we've hurried to be back in your company.”
“I have some food in the oven I planned to throw out if you didn't get here.”
They laughed. Liz came to their aid. “Sounds wonderful. Thanks.”
“Did you get them?” Monica asked.
“The men had run off,” Liz said as the men washed up. “Raphael and Jesus will move the women to town tomorrow. Chet will feed them for three months.”
“More folks to feed, huh?”
“They had several small children,” Chet said. “How are Rhea and Adam?”
“Fine. Gone to bed. Anita is, too.”
“We rode as hard as we could.”
The roast beef, potatoes, and carrots were delicious and Monica sliced freshly baked bread for them. Anita must have awoken, and came down dressed nice. After supper, she and Jesus sat in the living room to visit.
Sipping coffee at the table, Chet and Liz smiled over the couple.
Cole and Raphael rode in, and Jesus came into the kitchen. “I'll tell Cole about our switch.”
“That's fine.”
Jesus went out to tell Cole he could handle the women the next day with Raphael, and Cole could go home. He came back laughing. “That wasn't hard, to send Cole to his house. He'll check in, or we can send him word.”
Chet agreed and told Jesus what room he could sleep in that night.
When they went upstairs, Chet and Liz left Jesus and Anita standing close to each other in the living room.
When they were secure in the bedroom, Chet kissed her. “Nice to be in our own bed.”
She stretched out. “I want to include, nice to be with you all day. I had never seen that country and it was interesting. I love your understanding of the range like you do. I look a lot closer at grass and things.”
“I ever tell you I simply love your body?”
She went limp. “I wanted to tell you all the good things you do.”
“How about making love?”
She drew a deep breath. “That would take all night.”
He hugged her tight. “I love you.”
C
HAPTER
17
Come dawn, he was dressed and went down to watch the ranch operations. Raphael was giving orders for the day. Four men were going back with Jesus and two wagons to bring the women and children to town the next day. Already up and with the men, Jesus was quietly overseeing things.
“You get much sleep?” Chet asked him.
“Enough.”
“What will I tell Anita?”
Jesus shrugged his shoulders. “I was going to talk to her before I left, if she was up.” He looked at the back porch, but saw nothing.
“You stop by and see her before you go. I'll find a place in town for the women today.” He motioned Jesus toward the house. “Eat breakfast, too.”
“I will. Funny, about yesterday. We went up there to make war and ended up feeding them.”
“Either way, we did the right thing.”
“You are right.”
Chet went to thank Raphael.
“Hello, Patron.”
“Morning, I'm just Chet, remember?”
“Oh, I remember, but where I was raised we always called our boss patron.”
“Chet will do just fine. You've done so well, going to help Hampt, and moving those women and kids. We'll have a
fandango
for everyone tomorrow night. Tell the women to get the food for it today and put it on my bill.”
“Good, we need to laugh some.”
“Liz and I need to find the women a place to stay today. Have the boys hitch us up a buckboard to use in a little while.”
“Sure, Chet.”
“That's better. I'm not much of a patron.”
“Oh, yes, you are a good one. I love my job, and if you need anything, I can get it done.”
“Raphael, I appreciate you. And remember,
fandango
, tomorrow night.”
“Ah,
si
, like I said, we need one.”
“You had breakfast yet?” he asked Jesus, who still hadn't left.
“No, I was going to arrange the wagons.”
“Raphael has men to do that. Come and eat breakfast. Anita may be down by now.”
“Sure,
mi amigo
, we can hitch the wagons,” his foreman said.
“Oh, alright. I am coming.”
“There they are,” Monica said as the men entered the kitchen and she delivered Chet's plate of food to his place at the table.
“Boy, we are up early today,” Liz said, entering the room. “I asked her if you had left me.”
“Just arranging things,” Chet said, and hugged her, then kissed her on the forehead.
He noticed Anita coming from the living room and acting backward. “Better get in here and eat with him. He was fixing to leave without breakfast.”
She smiled and thanked him.
With Anita and Liz seated, he took his head chair. “We need to find a place for those women today. And Raphael and I decided we need a
fandango
tomorrow night.”
“Can I do anything?” Liz asked.
Monica shook her head. “The ranch women are great at doing this. They are so proud when he calls for one, they bust their buttons to get it done.”
“Can I go on the house search?”
“You bet,” Chet said. “I noticed one of the ranch men hung your Indian headdress in the living room where you wanted it.”
“Oh, how nice.” She started to get up.
“We'll go look at it after breakfast,” Chet said.
“They did that last night,” Jesus said.
“It is a real trophy,” Liz said.
“Well, it's better to have his hat in here, than him,” Monica said.
They all laughed.
With things rounded up, Chet and Liz drove to town. Bo had a few places for them to look at. They found a big enough house to shelter the women and children and close enough to walk to town. He rented it for three months for sixty dollars. They would buy their food the next day. He'd get Raphael to bring a wagonload of firewood to cook and heat with. Then the women would be on their own.
Jenn was pleased to see the two of them for lunch. She fussed over them and chattered to Liz about her daughter, Bonnie, being with child, and writing her letters about the ranch operation down south.
Chet went by and talked to Ben about ordering four more mowing machines and dump rakes to expand his farming operation for the next spring season. While the men talked, Liz and Ben's wife, Kathrin, looked at some household things the store had just received in stock.
Going home in the buckboard, Liz spoke to Chet about Kathrin. “She and I had time to talk today. I knew part of the story about you saving her in Utah. But she gave me a lot more information today. You know she never got over you doing that for her. She still feels she owes her life to you. She said I was lucky to have you. You were so dedicated to Margaret, she knew there was no way for her to ever have you, but she told me I am lucky to have you, and she understood why—but if we ever needed anything, she wanted to help to repay you.”
“I was only doing what I thought was right. She needed a break from her situation.”
“Well, woman to woman, I got the big confession and I thanked her.”
“Susie said once, ‘Oh, my God, haven't you even noticed her? She's been there to help whenever you had a crisis.'”
“She and Ben will have another child next spring.”
“I'm glad they have each other and a family.”
She hugged him. “I am so glad I have you,
hombre
. You still plan in November to go to the south?”
“Yes, the citrus will be ripe. We can bring home a wagonload for Christmas. You want to go home then, too.”
“Yes, if I don't risk your life.”
“I'm not afraid of Mexico. My men will ride along. They are about out of federal funds for the Force, and Roamer has been promised a job with Wells Fargo. Whenever we shut things down, Shawn McElroy wants to come back home. The two younger Morales brothers have enough cattle to start a working ranch of their own at Tubac. Ortega and JD are getting along well, and the Rancho Diablo is working.”
“Will you miss the law work?”
“No. Things are going better in the territory, law wise. I wish they'd leave the capital up here at Preskitt, but in the end, the compromise is for a new capital that will be in the valley. It'll be in the Salt River Valley at the village of Phoenix.”
“Not Hayden's Mill and Ferry?”
“More politics are involved. Phoenix will get the dome someday.”
“We are still going elk hunting?”
“You bet.”
She squeezed his driving arm. “You are so good to this poor Mexican girl you found wandering in the desert.”
“Oh, no, the princess who came in the white and red coach from Mexico, and I stole her in a wild, crazy fairy tale.”
“What wonderful memories I have of our life. It has been a fairy tale.”
“You ever have an ounce of regret, leaving your land and coming to mine?”
“Oh, no. I didn't need—even want—a man when we arrived at what I thought was a goat ranch. Surely, they had made a mistake bringing me there to find the man who owned such a high-priced yellow horse. This lawman who struck fear in the hearts of Mexican bandits would not be there. Then he was standing there with his hat at his side—I knew then I was at the right place. My heart hurt. I was a young girl all over again. I must have blushed that day.”
He smiled and nodded. “Before I left for Tubac, I spoke about our life to Marge's spirit at the grave, and closed the book softly like a final chapter. But I needed no woman. I promised to raise her son.”
“Here I was. You offered to show me a ranch, no strings attached. My mind was like a dust devil churning up the land, whirling me around about what to do. Then you dried my feet like Jesus did his disciples at the Last Supper.” She laughed. “Somehow, I had to have this
grande hombre
.
“Oh, I was bold and shameless after that. I thought I may not win you, but I will do my damnedest to do that.”
“That's how your husband did you when you met him?”
“Yes, but I was a very innocent girl back then, not the owner of such a large
hacienda
of so many
hectares
. I wanted to escape with him. He was very much another man, but you two are so different. If he came by after I became a widow, I doubt he could have turned my head like he did the girl in me back then. Oh, his death was a greater loss in my life than the Grand Canyon you showed me.”
“Two things I recall the most was the cinnamon you wore for perfume and the haystack.”
“Oh, I told myself not to make love to you in a bed or hammock. You are a man of the outdoors—I could tell that camp not being fancy did not bother you. You were a man who easily slept outdoors. Where would a boy seduce me and remember it?
“I worried so much about what I did that day. My chances to impress you were desperately short on time. Would he think I was some whore? That was my conscience needling me. I saw you were a big man in frame, but in that bathtub you were a giant.”
“Did that scare you?”
“Some, but I was so brazen by then, I had to have you—at any cost.”
“What if I'd made you pregnant?”
“I never considered it. My luck at that had been so slim, I had written it off.”
“No worry.”
“It really would not have mattered—I would have had a piece of you.”
He drew the team down to a walk. “I knew that yellow horse was a good investment, but I never figured he'd get me you.”
“Bonnie told me about her life. How she ran off to find a more exciting life and then regretted it, but she was in too deep to get out. And you trading those colts for her life.”
“Even if she went back to her old ways, which I'm glad she didn't, she was well worth two horses.”
“And you paid for Cole's wife to come up here, too.”
“Another lost girl. We met Valerie in Tombstone while looking for Bonnie. She really hated the trade, but was trapped. I gave her a few dollars for expenses and bought a one-way stagecoach ticket to Preskitt.”
“I knew nothing about your past, except I met Margaret in Mexico before you married her. I knew she had died, but I don't think I put two and two together until the coach door opened.”
“I'm glad you came.”
“My only regret is I am not with your child today.”
“That's up to God. Nothing we can do but try.”
She laughed all the way down the lane to the house. “Thank God, you haven't given up on me.”
“I won't. We may get some rain this afternoon. Clouds gathering and all.”
“Good, we can hide out and be by ourselves.”
“Amen.”
C
HAPTER
18
The next morning at breakfast, Chet was already at the table when Liz joined him.
“Are you going to get those women food today?”
“Yes, they stayed here last night. And we can get what they need today when we get them moved.”
“Good idea.”
He went out and spoke to Raphael and they squatted on their boot heels to talk. The land prep for the
frijoles
planting next spring was complete. They'd leveled it into borders, and Chet felt they were on the right track. The pipe project to water it came next. A young man from Preskitt had surveyed and staked it out for them.
“I think we can water it alright,” Raphael said.
“That will be a big savings for us if it works.”
Raphael laughed. “
Vaqueros
are like cowboys, they don't like to grub sagebrush.”
Amused, Chet agreed. “How many bulls do you need for next year?”
“Twelve?”
“I'll have to find them and get them here.”
“That would make all my bulls either Shorthorn or Hereford.”
The cool wind that swept through, moving a few pieces of trash along, reminded him they would soon be having winter. The two men squatted around the corner of the white-washed barn, out of the breeze.
“Winter is coming.”
Raphael nodded. “I am so grateful to have this job. Cold weather never bothers me anymore. We will have a good celebration tonight.
Gracias
.”
“You and your people are an important part of the ranches. Thank you,
mi amigo
.”
He went back to the house, kissed his wife seated at the table on the cheek, and stole his boy from Rhea so she could eat. Then he went in the living room with him in his arms, talking to him about Raphael needing more bulls. Finding good bulls for all the ranches was a constant demand on Tom. Even he wondered where they could get more of them—Arizona without rails was like an island. Besides, the Southern Pacific's effort to get across New Mexico to reach Arizona was weak. It would take a long time to get to the northern part of the state covered by a rail connection.
After breakfast, they loaded the women and children, a sullen outfit despite the fact that Raphael's cook had fed them supper the night before and breakfast that morning. They'd slept in a clean warehouse and no one had hustled them. He knew they, no doubt, figured their men couldn't easily contact them in town. But that was not his fault. Warrants had been sworn out with the sheriff for the ones that shot at his men.
Raphael had a wagonload of wood to go with them to town that morning. Jesus planned to take the lead woman to get the groceries and get back after noon. So it looked like that bunch was all set. And the ranch women, as he called them, the wives of the employees, were hustling around getting ready for the
fandango
.
Liz and Jimenez worked the golden colts on lunge lines. The young man had really worked them while they were gone, and when they got back, she was proud of his progress.
When she worked the colts, Chet could see how far they'd progressed. He could have watched her every move, working the two and so involved, but he left to check on the books. Millie had come up and worked on them. Everything looked current and well done—his operations were doing great. He needed to get Liz involved, but so far things looked good.
Jesus was back in mid-afternoon. The women had food and were settled, so that was over. Cole and Valerie came back with him, ready for the big
fandango
. Valerie kissed Chet on the cheek and thanked him for her husband being home for a few days.
Late in the afternoon, a wire came from the marshal's office in Tucson.
CHET
I HAD WORD YOU WERE BACK HOME.
A GANG HELD UP THE ARIZONA
NATIONAL BANK IN THATCHER TWO
DAYS AGO. THREE MEN. TWO DESCRIBED
AS ARMY DESERTERS AND A BREED
NAMED LOGAN BLUE WERE DESCRIBED
AS THE GANG MEMBERS. THERE MAY
BE TWO OTHERS INVOLVED, BUT WE
HAVE NO NAMES OR FACES. THE TOWN
MARSHAL TOBY HANKS THINKS TWO
MEN CASED THE PLACE BEFORE THE
ROBBERY WAS HELD. THEY STOLE
OVER TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE
UNUSUAL LARGE SUM WAS THERE FOR
SOME PAYROLLS. THE LAW THERE
THINKS THEY HAD INSIDE HELP AS
WELL. THE POSSE LOST TRACK OF
THEM IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. BUT
THEY SUSPECT THEY WENT NORTH.
COULD YOU MOVE THAT WAY AND
LEARN ANYTHING? I KNOW IT WILL BE
A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK SITUATION,
BUT YOU HAVE THE REP.
PAUL CONNORS THIRTY-TWO DESERTER
U.S. ARMY. CONVICTED. ESCAPED WHILE
BEING TRANSFERRED TO PRISON IN
KANSAS. KENNETH SATTLER TWENTY-
EIGHT DESERTER U.S. ARMY ESCAPED
WITH CONNORS IN NEW MEXICO.
LOGAN BLUE PART APACHE MEXICAN
AROUND THIRTY YEARS OLD. KILLED
TWO AGENCY POLICE. WAS WITH THOSE
TWO WHEN THEY ESCAPED FROM THE
GUARDS MOVING THEM TO PRISON. LET
ME KNOW YOUR PLANS. I UNDERSTAND
YOU ARE BUSY RANCHING. I HAVE
WARNED FEDERAL LAWMEN IN NEW
MEXICO AND COLORADO TO BE ON
THE LOOKOUT. THANKS.
ACTING US MARSHAL GREG ERSKINE
Liz had taken the boy from him to allow him to read it. “Bad news?”
“Any time the acting U.S. Marshal sends you a wire this long, there's trouble attached. A gang of three to five men held up the bank in Thatcher and got away, headed north. Two are Army deserters, and one is a breed who killed two Indian police. There may be two more. He doesn't know much more, except they eluded the posse sent after them. Probably Hanks included some businessmen on horseback for the search, and they're usually a poor excuse for a posse.”
“What will you do?”
“See if we can find them over east. It may be a futile trip, but if they went north they either went to Horsehead Crossing on the Little Colorado and pushed on to Utah, or rode for New Mexico.”
She smiled at the baby boy who she had laughing, and shook him gently. “We leave in the morning?”
“I won't tell you no, but these chases are never nice.”
“Chet Byrnes, I will be with you and those two nice partners of yours. It will beat me rolling over at night in bed without you.”
“I agree. It is just more tough camping out and riding hard after ghosts.”
“Oh, now we are ghost chasers?”
“At times, it will seem like that. I better get hold of Cole and tell him. He and Valerie can stay here tonight. They can get her back to town tomorrow.”
“Jesus is here?”
“I think so. When I don't have plans, he helps Raphael. I'll catch him. You need to go to town and get anything before we ride out?”
Liz nodded. “Yes. I can take your wire back to him. I will be back in time for the celebration tonight. Why do you look so grim?”
“I worry about you getting in on these tough cases.”
“I understand, but I obey you and keep my head down.”
“It isn't you. It's the worthless madmen we run down that worry me. Give me that boy back. Rhea needs him, and you need to make your plans. I'll write the wire for him and you can send it.”
“He is fun to play with.” She held Adam out for Chet to kiss.
“I'll take him back to Momma Rhea,” Liz said, and took him to the kitchen.
He heard her tell Anita they'd go to town. He put the last newspaper back on the stack. His next move needed to be to get those girls a buckboard hitched and find Jesus.
The boys at the barn rushed off to hitch up a team. Liz and Anita promised to make a short trip. They left in a cloud of dust and he smiled. They wouldn't miss any part of the festivities.
After the women left, Chet found Jesus busy replacing a girth on a saddle.
After he spoke to him about the robbery, Jesus made a grim face. “Bank robbers. We need to try to head them off?”
“Yes. Can we leave tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes. Liz is going along?”
Chet smiled. “She says so. She's going to town to deliver my answer and get some things. We need to tell Cole we're leaving, so he and Valerie can stay here tonight.”
“I will find him. These men must be desperate criminals?”
“Bank robbers and Army deserters, plus a breed who killed two Indian policemen.”
“Real nice citizens, huh?”
“Real nice ones.”
Jesus asked, “Where were they going?”
“North from Thatcher. The posse lost their trail the first day.”
Jesus shook his head. “I bet you said, ‘businessmen ain't posse men.'”
Chet clapped him on the shoulder. “You're learning, partner.”
“Where will they go from there?”
“What I know about that country is that it's damn near as tough as any. The gorge for the Salt River is up there, and they say it rivals the Grand Canyon in depth and high sides. Maybe west of that would bring them out at Young. That's Mormon country. We were up there chasing other outlaws above the Tonto Creek—Salt River Fork.”
“Oh, yeah, the ferry deal, where they sunk one.”
“That's the place. The ferry was cut loose and crashed in the rapids.”
“Will they go to Horse Head Crossing?”
“There or New Mexico. I would suspect they'd go to New Mexico. Lee's Ferry is the only way to get out of Arizona on the north side.”
“I know that well. Sounds like another wild goose chase.”
“You and Cole have been in many cases we solved. We will do all we can on this one.”
“And Liz will ride with us. I really love her. She never complains, she's funny, and she works hard as any man you could hire.”
“She spoiled me bad on the cattle drive. I'd be ready to kick someone in the ass and she'd say, ‘He don't know any better,' and I'd relent.”
“She is a man's woman. But you knew that before Cole and I did. She has a way of supporting you, and she is not like most women. She doesn't need any big deals to be sympathetic, but is sincere.”
“I'm glad I found her or she found me. I worry about her riding with us. But she came to be with me and I understand that.”
Jesus nodded. “I will get the supplies packed and be ready to leave at dawn.”
“Good.” He thanked him and went over where all the ranch women were working on the
fandango
. They were singing and doing lots of food preparation.
“Señor, do you need something?” a middle-aged gray-headed wife asked.
“No, you girls have it under control.”
They laughed at him calling them girls.
“Patron, we are so glad you have these events, we don't care about the work to get ready. You want a
fandango
, we are ready anytime.”
A cheer went up to support her words.
“I know who you are,” he said. “I applaud all of you.”
 
 
He went back to the house and found Monica in the kitchen, baking pies and cookies.
“They are all mad; they didn't want a
fandango
.”
“Oh, yes, they are so mad.” She shook her head. “Crazy man, they love them. Did your wife get off?”
“She went to deliver my telegram, and must be shopping. Are you worried about her?”
“No.”
“Should I send someone to check on her?”
“No. Just my motherly ways. Tell me, you are happy?”
“Yes. Is that wrong, in your opinion?”
“No. I have said before, Marge would be unhappy if you had not picked up your life.”
“I know you were so close to her, closer than maybe I even was. And she and I had a great life. This woman is a different person. I love her and she fills my life, but in a different way, but it doesn't matter. I am really glad she came along.”
“So am I. You would be a bear to live with.” Then she laughed and turned away from him like she had things to stir. But not before shining tears filled her eyes. God bless that woman.
He went and read more of his papers until he heard some shouting in the yard. It was five o'clock by the big grandfather clock. He hurried to greet them.
“Hey, you two stayed in town all day?” he shouted at them from the back door.
They were getting hatboxes and dresses in tissue paper from the buckboard.
“No, we were getting fixed up to represent you tonight.”
“Good.” He went down to help them and kissed her.
“You two will be sparkling.”
“We hope so, don't we, Anita?”
“This lady I work for is radiant in any clothes. She bought me a dress to wear tonight.”
“Ha, will Jesus like it?”
She looked over at him. “I certainly hope so.”
He hugged her. “Anita, he will be pleased.”
“No big deals today?” his wife asked, loading his arms with dresses.
“Not a one.”
“No more wires in town or much mail. We still are leaving in the morning?”
“Yes, and see what we can find.”
“Good. I will be ready.”
She glanced at the house. “I bought Monica a dress to wear, if she will come to the event tonight.”
“That was sure sweet of you.”
“If not, she can wear it to church on Sundays.”
“They are really working hard to get ready.”
“I suppose Anita and I can help them.”
“They will be fine.”
“I know you are pressed by our leaving.” Anita held the back door open for him.
“Here, while you are not cooking, try this dress on.” Liz filled Monica's arms with a tissue paper–covered outfit.
“You should not have—”
“Go try it on.” She headed her toward her room.

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