Finding Promise (3 page)

Cole and Rodriguez approached as Jake was dragging the tub to the wagon.

“This clothing is very costly,” Rodriguez said in his perfect English, eyeing the items Jake had placed in the trunk. “This trunk must have been made for someone of wealth,” he added, running his hand over the hand-carved silver embellishments.

“That's what I thought,” Jake confirmed. If Rodriguez said the items were expensive, they had to be. Jake had never seen as much silver on a saddle as the vaquero had on his. Rodriguez was the son of a wealthy rancher, having arrived from Spain years ago, and his family owned the largest spread in the New Mexico Territory. Rodriguez was well educated, and was expected to take his father's place running his vast empire, but Rodriguez wanted to see the country before he settled down. He was also the best vaquero Jake had ever seen, more at home on a horse than he was on the ground. Even though the other men didn't understand why Rodriguez would leave such an affluent life, they respected his abilities and work ethic.

“I've never seen a tub that large,” Cole added. “What I wouldn't give for a hot bath right now.”

“Let's get it loaded,” Jake said.

“What do you think the killers were looking for?” Cole lifted one side of the tub.

Jake hoisted the other side of the tub and they loaded it in the wagon. “I don't know, but it was something they decided was worth killing these folks in cold blood.”

“I only noticed one man wearing a holster,” Cole said.

“The same man wearing that holster had a rifle, but the rest of them weren't armed. I figure the killers could have taken their weapons, but if they did, they also took their holsters.”

Cole pointed to the trunk. “I found a smaller trunk similar to that large one, with some men's clothing inside. We found furniture, some books, and Bibles. Do you think they were religious folks? That might be the reason there were no guns.”

Jake questioned the sanity of anyone who would travel into this territory without guns. “Could be.” He pointed to where he'd seen the riders leaving the area. “I saw men riding off in that direction. I think there were about eight riders.”

“One thing's for certain; there won't be any tracks left now,” Cole told him.

“I don't think I scared them off riding in alone, so they probably spotted the Indians.”

“Maybe they found what they were looking for and took off. I just can't figure out what these folks would have that was worth all this killing,” Cole mused.

“You know as well as I do that some men will kill for no reason.” Jake looked around at all of the debris. “Still, it does look like they were looking for something in particular.” That was the only explanation he had for the destruction he saw. A loud crack of thunder shook the ground beneath them. “We can't follow them tonight, not with this storm and the cattle to keep calm. We've been lucky so far, and I just hope that our luck holds out tonight. If all goes well, I'll ride that way tomorrow and see what I can find.”

Cole picked up one side of the trunk. “What's in here, gold bars?” Cole joked.

Jake picked up the other side. “I've never seen so many dresses in my life,” Jake replied. Every article of clothing was wet, which might account for why the trunk was so heavy. Once they positioned the larger trunk, he glanced down at the initials on the smaller trunk. An S was the center initial on both trunks, giving credence to his belief they belonged to a married couple.

Ty walked up with another handful of dresses. “These are all of the dresses. You want me to collect more things, boss?”

Jake wished he could take some more items in case they belonged to the woman, but space was limited. “No, we're full. Let's get back to the cattle.” What he left unsaid was he wanted to hurry back to camp to see if the woman had awakened, because right now he had more questions than answers.

Chapter Three

“Boss, that little gal hasn't moved an inch,” Shorty informed Jake as he shoved a cup of steaming coffee at him. “I guess the Good Lord figures she needs sleep right now.”

Jake wrapped his hands around the coffee. “Thanks, Shorty. I don't know how you keep the fire going in this mess, but I sure do appreciate this hot coffee.”

“It ain't easy, but I've got a small fire going under the tent. Some men are sleeping under there, so get yourself inside that wagon so you can eat your food out of this blasted rain. It wouldn't hurt you to get some dry clothes on. You've been soaked to the bone since daybreak.” He took the horse's reins from Jake and pointed toward the cook wagon. “I'll see to your horse.”

Jake threw his saddlebag over his shoulder and accepted Shorty's offer. “Thanks, Ma,” he teased. He was grateful to have the hot cup of coffee more than food. It was near midnight, and every muscle in his body told him he'd been in the saddle too long. He plopped some beans and corn bread on a plate and he crawled inside the wagon.
Bless Shorty
, he thought when he saw the second pallet the cook had prepared near the woman. He appreciated the gesture, though he wouldn't have objected to sleeping on the dry wood floor.

Setting his plate and coffee aside, he leaned over to look at the woman. Shorty was right; it didn't look like she'd moved at all. After retrieving some dry clothes from his saddlebag, he tossed it in the corner with his slicker. Removing his holster, he placed it alongside his rifle, within easy reach. As he started unbuttoning his shirt, he felt the book he'd stashed inside earlier. Thankfully, it didn't get wet, so he placed it on the pallet by the woman. Once he changed into dry clothes, he sat down and ate his dinner.

Shorty stuck his head through the opening. “You want me to sit with her?”

“No, I'll stretch out in here for a while. It's nice to be dry for a change.”

Shorty held out the coffeepot. “Well, put that cup over here and I'll warm it up.”

Jake held his cup while Shorty filled it to the brim. “Tell Cole to wake me when he comes in and I'll take the second watch.”

“Will do, boss. She ain't feverish, is she?”

Leaning over, Jake placed the back of his hand on her forehead. “No, but I don't understand why she hasn't come around. That wound shouldn't have caused this.”

“I can't figure it out. I checked her wound earlier and it looks fine, no infection.” Shorty ran a hand over his white whiskers. “I guess she could have hit her head when she was grazed, and that did the damage.”

“She was on the ground, so that's possible.”

“Call me if you need anything, boss.”

Jake leaned back, drank his coffee, and stared at the woman. He figured she had a right not to wake up; she'd probably been terrified if she'd seen everyone murdered. He wondered if she saw her husband being killed, or whether she had been shot first. He was of the opinion it would have been more merciful if she was shot first so she wouldn't have to witness the atrocities committed by those killers.

Closing his eyes, he listened to the steady rain beating on the canvas. It was a nice, comforting sound if you weren't out in it. He pondered the woman's situation. Maybe he should try to take her to Dodge City tomorrow to see a doctor instead of trailing the killers. Yet, he questioned if he should leave her alone in Dodge with no one to look after her. He worried someone might take advantage of a beautiful woman like her, especially in a place like Dodge City. He figured they could stay where they were for a day or two to see if she came around. Normally, he wasn't an indecisive man, but he didn't like any of the alternatives where she was concerned.

Where were these people from, and where were they going? He opened his eyes and looked down at the leather-bound book beside her. Cole said they'd found several Bibles, but this wasn't a Bible. Opening the book, he realized it was a journal, and the beautiful script told him it most likely belonged to a woman. While he wasn't a man to snoop, he reasoned it might give him some insight to her identity. On the inside cover was one word.
Promise
. Puzzled, he glanced in her direction, wondering if that was her name. He started reading.

Assuming the book belonged to this woman, Jake was obviously reading her private thoughts. At least he had more information than before. She hailed from the coast, and she had painted the pictures he found in the trunk. Glancing down at the woman who could have penned these words, he found it surprising someone so beautiful would prefer painting to parties. His gaze returned to the open book and he stared at the one word . . .
Promise
.
Is that her name? Wouldn't that be a coincidence!
He heard his brother's voice in his mind. Colt always said there were no coincidences in life. He called them God-incidences. Jake couldn't help himself from turning the page to the next entry.

Closing the book, Jake fixed his eyes on her again. She looked so lovely lying there, reminding him of an angel with that mass of blond hair surrounding her like a golden halo. Did she actually think her husband would permit her to attempt such a journey without him? He'd heard about independent women, but surely no man would contemplate allowing his wife to go on such a dangerous journey alone. It was difficult for him to imagine that a man would even allow a woman who looked like her out of his sight. He surely wouldn't. He wondered about Charles Worthington. Who was he and why had he tried to talk them out of their journey? Why didn't her husband want to go West? He shook his head at himself; the U.S. Marshal in him was coming out. It was a hard habit to break. It frustrated him that he had no answers, and without them he couldn't help her.

Before he called it a night, he reached into his saddlebag for the cloth he needed to clean his firearms. It was a nightly ritual he enjoyed, since it generally calmed him down enough to do his best thinking. He also cleaned the pistol he'd found beneath the woman. Once that task was finished, he turned the woman on her side because she'd been in the same position for such a long time. After he felt her pulse to make sure it was still strong, he turned the lantern down and stretched out on the pallet. He fell asleep staring at her, questions spinning in his brain.

 

 

It was still dark outside when a loud crack of thunder woke him. He groaned, dreading another day of thunderstorms. His muscles still ached, but on the positive side, he did smell fresh coffee. He leaned over to check the woman again. Her breathing was steady, but she hadn't moved, so he turned her again. It was time for him to relieve Cole, so he pulled on his boots, grabbed his gear, and jumped from the wagon. He'd taken only a few steps when Shorty met him with a cup of coffee. “Here you go, boss.”

“Thanks. What time is it?”

“It's going on five o'clock,” Shorty answered.

He didn't feel like he'd slept that long. “Why didn't anyone wake me for my watch?”

“Cole said to let you sleep because you'd only had two hours of sleep in forty-eight. Cole and Rodriguez split your watch.”

Jake didn't know how Shorty kept track of everything, but he was thankful for the extra rest. He leaned against the wagon, drank his coffee, and looked at the lightning in the distance. “I sure wish this rain would let up for a few hours.”

“I guess that little gal didn't come around?”

“Nope. I moved her a couple of times since she'd been on her back so long. I was thinking about taking her to Dodge and having a doctor look at her. What do you think?”

“I'm not sure she should be moved right now.”

“Maybe we should stay here for a day and give her a chance to heal. Jostling around in the wagon might make her worse,” Jake mused. “I could take her to Dodge tomorrow and have a doc look after her.”

“Boss, you can't leave that poor gal in that town with no family to look after her.”

Shorty was voicing all the things Jake had considered. “I don't see how we can take her with us. A drive is no place for a woman.”

“That's true enough. Some men think women are downright unlucky on a drive, but I still don't think you should leave her alone in Dodge. That just ain't right.”

Jake couldn't disagree, so he changed the subject. “There's some clothes in that large trunk that look like they'll fit her. They'll need washing, but the least we can do is provide something decent for her to wear when she comes around.”

Before Shorty could respond, another crack of thunder shook the earth and the downpour began. Jake handed Shorty his cup and took off to saddle his horse. He rode out to relieve Cole, and to tell the men they were going to stay put for the day. Jake instructed them to change watch every couple of hours, which lifted their spirits. Staying on a horse all day in the rain was something no cowboy enjoyed. They'd been pushing hard for weeks, and they deserved the rest.

Before Cole rode back to camp, Jake discussed the situation with the woman. When Cole raised the same objections he'd heard from Shorty, he figured since they were all on the same page, he'd wait another day to see how she was before he made a decision to take her to Dodge.