Pioneer Passion (5 page)

Although, he had been gone for a while, Rusty
could smell his musky scent lingering in the small house. She
decided to go to the pond for a swim since she had given up her
daily baths the last two days in fear her true identity would be
discovered, and she didn’t feel clean with just her morning sponge
baths. What her brother called, “Whore baths,” making her blush.
Her sibling was older than her and she felt certain that he was not
a virgin, like herself. And she’d probably die innocent. So what!
She cared less! And she knew if she continued to tell herself that,
she’d soon believe it. Standing by the clear pond, she shucked off
her clothes. Her conscience, pecking at her like a hungry
wood-pecker, caused her to swim vigorously. She wished her problems
would wash away as easily as the dirt on her skin. If only Scott
were here to give her some brotherly advice. But would he
understand the confusion that warred within her and how this
stranger affected her? She doubted he would comprehend anymore than
she did. How would she tell Guy she was not what he thought she
was? Surely, he wouldn’t take the news lightly; he was not a man to
be made to look the fool. Rusty reminded herself that her motives
were innocent at the beginning and it had been for her own
protection. The thought that, sooner or later, she’d have to tell
the truth about her deception didn’t make her happy. Deciding on
later, she had to admit she was being a coward which wasn’t her
nature.

After the swim, she relaxed with the feel of
the hot sun against her wet skin. She lay relaxed on grass,
thinking about the trials of the last two days. If someone had told
her this turn of events was going to happen, she would have
laughed. All this was hard to believe, although things at this
moment didn’t seem as bad as before. Rusty had been overwhelmed
when Guy had told her she could stay and raise her orange trees.
She’d still have her garden and a small plot of land to grow her
orange crop. That small patch of land would be hers as long as she
wanted. With her eyes closed, the memories of happier days became
vivid in her mind; times when she and Scott were young and her
mother and father were here.

A growing nostalgia caused her to miss her
family anew and her thoughts reopened fears about her brother.
Would he stay knowing they no longer owned this land? Rusty sucked
at her lower lip, dreading he might not return. She dressed
noticing the day was losing its light and she was losing her wits
thinking about things she had no control over. Back at the house,
she sat on the broken step and gazed at the gray clouds gathering
in the sky. Her lips widened into a smile feeling some comfort in
the fact that Guy had given back some of her independence and she
was grateful for that. Now, if she could only get back her
sanity.

Chapter Six

Rusty heard the buckboard, turned her head,
shaded her eyes and scanned the distance. She sighed at the sight
of Scott finally returning home, glad for the opportunity to talk
with him alone. She waited for her brother in the front yard, and
wondered how he would take the news about their father’s death and
loss of their homestead, though she was sure he didn’t care about
the farm. Still annoyed at him for taking his sweet time in
returning, she steamed inwardly but felt this was no time to vent
her spleen.

She waited until Scott had carried in the few
supplies before talking with him. He smiled but it didn’t hide the
touch of guilt in his green eyes, eyes that matched hers. Her
brother was very handsome with reddish brown hair. They resembled
each other quite a bit, except Scott’s nose was larger and slightly
bent from a fight. Although curious and wanting to ask about the
days he was away, she said instead, “Scott, you’d better sit
down.”

There was no doubt in her mind that Scott had
spent three days in town with not a care in the world, but he knew
all too well she wouldn’t be pleased with him. Rusty was certain
her brother spent most of the time at the local bar.

“So, after a couple of evenings of drinking
and whoring, you decided you’d better return home before I came
after you with a gun.” Rusty knew she was better with a six-shooter
than he.

“Aw, Sis, I’m sorry to be gone so long but I
did some work sweeping and loading shelves in the Dryfus General
Store to earn a few silver coins….”

Her brother opened his mouth and she believed
that it was on his tongue to say more but she snorted and he wisely
thought better of it.

“God! I’ve never seen you so upset before.
What happened while I was away? I’m sorry Sis, but….”

Tears glisten in her eyes. Incensed, Rusty
squirmed from his grip.

“Oh, here it comes,” he muttered.

She didn’t comment on his sassiness but did
give him a piece of her mind! “It’s bad enough you didn’t care that
I was out here all alone, but don’t insult my intelligence as well
with lies and feigned apologies.” She winced when he reached out to
her. “I’m glad mother isn’t around anymore to see how her son
turned out. It would have broken her heart!” She knew that the
truth hurt him more than he would have liked to admit. Her wet eyes
pleaded with him. “Please, just listen to what I have to say.” Her
hands trembled while she spoke and when she finished breaking the
bad news, she cried anew and Scott stood silent for a long minute
before gathering her in his arms. She clung to him showing a moment
of weakness. This sudden change in Rusty surprised her and he
showed brotherly for the first time, but she sensed a little
discom-fort too. Moments later Scott slowly pushed her from his
arms and brushed her tear-streaked face and she could feel an
apology in his touch.

“I’m sorry, Sis,” he said sincerely this
time. “Here, sit. I’ll get you some water.” He returned and knelt
before Rusty, helping her sip the cool liquid as if she were a
child just learning to drink. Water dribbled down her trembling
chin as her lips quivered. Rusty looked into her brother’s eyes and
saw her remorse mirrored there. She believed that his feelings for
their father ran as deep as hers, even though the two men never saw
eye to eye about anything.

“Scott, I know you never wanted to be a
farmer and resented the fact that, in the years after mother’s
death, pa began to spend less and less time here, forcing you to
look after me and staying where you didn’t want to be, but this is
a nightmare and---”

“Come on Sis,” her sibling grinned. “It’s not
the end of the world. From what you’ve told me, this stranger, Guy
Strong, is willing to let you stay and work some of the land.”

Rusty sensed his indifference and challenged,
“You don’t care that pa’s gone, do you?”

“Now, Sis, that’s not fair,” he snapped back.
“You know I do. It’s just that… well, err, you know how I feel
about this place and….”

Rusty wiped her runny nose on her sleeve.
After a hiccough, she asked, “What are you going to do? Will you
stay with me? The cowboy said he could use some help.” Her eyes
pleaded for a moment before she lowered them, knowing his answer
before he responded.

Scott snickered. “You expect me to work this
place for a stranger when I wouldn’t work for family?”

She was saddened even more by his remark, but
didn’t show it. “Where are you going? What will you do?”

“There was talk at the saloon last night
about a cattle drive. It appears they’re looking for hired hands.
It could give me a chance to see the country. Like you, I’ve never
been far from this place. Now don’t look so dejected, you got your
precious crops. What you see in this dried-up old place I’ll never
know, but I’ll not hang around to find out. I really am sorry about
pa, but he was old and he wasted so many years looking for gold. He
became a dreamer, not the father we used to know before ma died. He
became worthless and....” Rusty hit him so fast then even she was
startled at what she had done. Her brother touched his burning
cheek as his eyes went from anger to disgust.

“Stay if you want and dry up like an old
maid! Soon you’ll look like that God-forsaken land out there!”

Scott turned and went to the barn. She had a
feeling that he was going to pick up his bedroll and the few
articles he kept in the rafters. She stood fixed to the spot
feeling a familiar tightness in her chest. She was all alone; her
only kin was leaving and the only home she’d ever known was not
hers anymore. Scott couldn’t leave like this. What if she never saw
him again? What if something happened to him? She regretted that
they were parting like this and those thoughts plagued her
conscience and she’d never forgive herself. Forcing her legs to
move, she ran and caught up to him as he rode from the barn. She
knew he wouldn’t stay and she didn’t have the stomach for another
scene. When he saw her standing in the yard teary-eyed, he made
amends.

“I’m sorry,” he bent over and placed a kiss
on her wet cheek and she felt the trembling in her face. “No hard
feelings, Sis?” She nodded and squeezed her eyes tight wishing the
pain and hollowness in her body would leave. This wasn’t right.
When she opened her eyes, he was gone. As luck would have it my
fate just become worse.

Rusty concealed her sadness and loneliness by
baking bread, a treat now that she had flour again. Then she went
down to the pond to relieve some of her frustrations by beating her
laundry against a rock but only succeeded in damaging one of her
worn shirts. A good swim, she decided, would do wonders for her
taut nerves and she stripped and dove into the crystal water. It
was cool and refreshing; she floated, letting her woes drift away
unconcerned with her surroundings. Before leaving, she checked the
net and found it had snagged a tiny minnow. Since it was not big
enough to eat, she freed it, wishing she could free herself by
tossing her trouble into the pond as easily as she tossed the
fish.

Rusty relaxed and the next two days blended
together peacefully. Sitting on the porch that night she looked up
at the stars and recalled many warm nights of yesterday, but never
had she felt solitude engulf her so. She found herself wishing Guy
would return. For some inconceivable reason, she felt isolated when
he was not near. Albeit, they argued and he brought disturbing news
and pain, there was a touch of security when he was close by,
something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

A cool breeze wafted by making her shiver and
she rose up a trifle distressed and went inside to strip the bed.
She looked sadly at the small cubicle that had been her bedroom
since pa decided Scott would sleep in the barn with him. Before her
mother’s death, she and her brother slept on cots in the large room
by the fireplace. But after Hanna’s death, Sam couldn’t sleep in
that room without his wife so he moved to the barn to let his
children share it. She straightened the clean bedding while the
memory crossed her mind of the day when she woke to find red stains
on the linens. Her face still felt warm at the recollection of her
father trying to explain the facts of life to her; he was most
uncomfortable, searching for the right words. That was the night
Scott moved into the barn and it was at that time in her life that
the loss of her mother affected her hardest.

At first, Rusty was scared being all alone in
the house though she knew her pa and brother were not far away.
Soon she grew accustomed to the creaky noises of the night and
began to feel all grown up, proud to be the mistress of the house.
She laughed now at the notion; mistress of a broken down house.
Absorbed in her daydreams a horse’s whinny penetrated her musings,
snapping her out of her disturbing reflections. It excited her to
know that the cowboy was back. Not able to fight back the prickly
feeling in her stomach, her hands shook as she finished
straightening the bed.

Chapter Seven

Guy returned hot and tired. He wondered if he
should tell of his success in town, how he had been able to hire
enough men to build a barn. How he planned to construct a large new
house on the far hill, overlooking the valley. Peter Perry, the
architect who designed his father’s beautiful home, would design
his also. He received a return wire from his father and was elated
to find Hal Storm had forgiven him for not finishing law school and
was willing to help him start his ranch. His old man had the best
cows and many prize bulls; what better way to start than with his
father’s stock. Guy was also asked to return home for a visit when
possible.

The hired hands and lumber would arrive
shortly. The steers would come within two months and Guy figured
the barn and corral would be finished by then. The building of the
house would come later, but not soon enough to suit him. He entered
the shack and saw Rusty coming from the bedroom. Their eyes locked
for long minutes before the kid lowered his head. Guy stared at the
top of that dumb hat.

Did the kid sleep in it? He cleared his
throat and spoke, “I bought a wagon in town and it’s full of
supplies. I could use a hand.” He turned saying over his shoulder,
“I’ll help you make a decent meal. Do you like ham?”

Much later, Rusty admitted that her stomach
was bulging and she couldn’t remember ever

feeling so full. “The ham steaks were
delicious and you’re a good cook. I’m glad I baked fresh bread
today.”

He declared it was the best bread he ever
tasted and stated that a man should know how to cook too and that
it didn’t make him a sissy. Guy then explained, “I learned to cook
on one of my drives when the cook died. No one else wanted the job
so I took to the pots and pans, enjoying my new chore. After that
drive, I always lent the cook a hand. Many men ribbed me,” he
chuckled, “but after they tasted my chow, the teasing stopped.”

Guy could see that Rusty felt at ease making
small talk as they ate, so he decided to tell the kid of his plans.
But, when he mentioned he was going to tear down this house and
build a bigger and better one something inside the kid must have
snapped. Without warning, he slammed the tin plate on the
table.