Someone Like You (5 page)

Susannah was relieved when she heard the laughter. She felt her body relax and she leaned back, about to make a comment to her aunts, when Violette spoke up.

“I hear Mabel’s coffee is strong enough to raise a blood blister on a rawhide boot.”

Susannah waited for Dahlia to contradict, but heard not a word. It was the first time she could remember her aunts agreeing on something.

When the laughter died down, Sheriff Carter confronted Reed. “What’s this about you stealing a cow?”

“I wasn’t stealing that cow.”

“All right. If you weren’t stealing the cow, what were you doing with it, taking it for a walk?”

Everyone laughed.

Except Reed Garrett, who said, “I was going to get myself a cup of milk.”

“What did you want a cup of milk for?”

“Maybe he was baking something,” someone shouted and members of the crowd laughed again.

As Susannah looked at Reed, she noticed his feet were placed well apart, as if he were ready to hold his ground; in spite of his standing quite still, there was nothing about him that spoke of fear. His face was expressionless and the narrowed eyes moved from time to time to stare dispassionately across the throng. Susannah had a feeling he was judging the temperament of the bystanders.

The sheriff looked at Reed, waiting for his answer.

“I told you. I was hungry.”

“And since you didn’t eat the pie, you thought you’d try a little milk,” Jonah said.

“That’s right.”

That answer caused a stir of conversation by the bystanders. “If you don’t have a horse and you can’t even buy a cup of milk, what are you doing here in Bluebonnet, destitute and down on your luck? Were you expecting a handout?”

“No, and I wasn’t destitute when I arrived. I had money and two horses, but I was robbed and dragged behind a horse until I lost consciousness. When I came to, my horses, saddles, guns, and my money were gone.”

Jonah didn’t seem to believe Reed or to disbelieve him. When he opened his mouth to say something, the thundering sound of approaching horses caused everyone to turn and look up the street. The mounts of half a dozen hands from the Double T Ranch were kicking up a cloud of fine, powdery dust that settled on everyone.

Susannah coughed a few times to clear the dust from her throat, then busied herself with brushing off her skirts. When she finished, she saw that Reed Garrett was watching the ranch hands with an angry look and clenched fists.

“That’s one of my horses and that’s my saddle,” he said, and nodded at a large red roan.

“Curly,” the sheriff called out to the man on the roan. “Where’d you get that horse you’re riding?”

“From the remuda at the Double T.”

“And the saddle?” the sheriff asked.

“Belongs to the Double T.”

“Well, where in tarnation did the Double T get them?”

Curly was flummoxed. He took off his hat and rubbed his bandanna over his bald spot. “I don’t rightly know,” he said. “Just found the horse in the remuda this morning when I went out to catch myself a mount, and the saddle was in the tack house.”

“I’m going to have to ask you boys to come over here,” Jonah said. “We’ve got a little problem that needs clearing up.”

“Old man Trahern ain’t gonna like this,” Curly said, and guided the roan through the parted crowd to where the sheriff stood.

“Old man Trahern doesn’t run things in Bluebonnet.” Jonah turned toward Reed. “Is this one of the men who took your belongings?”

Reed shook his head. “No, he wasn’t with them.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

“And yet you say this is your horse and saddle?”

“That’s right.”

“Do you see any of the men who robbed you in this group?” Jonah waved his hand in the direction of the hands from the Double T.

“No. None of these men robbed me.”

“Of course, you can prove this horse is yours,” Jonah said. “Do you have a bill of sale?”

“I did, but it was taken with my money and other belongings.”

“So you have nothing to prove the horse is yours.”

“Nothing except my word.”

Some people in the crowd began expressing doubts, but Susannah saw a glimmer of admiration in the sheriff’s eyes. What did Jonah Carter see that she and the others didn’t?

She noticed that as the stranger spoke, he looked about, his features twisted in obvious frustration. He glanced around at the people who had gathered to watch. His hard gaze swept the crowd until it came to rest on her.

She shifted her position on the hard wagon seat. She could not help feeling a bit fidgety beneath his scrutiny, and she wondered if he remembered her. She needn’t have wondered. Before she knew what he was about, Reed nodded toward Susannah accusingly. “Ask that woman over there. She can verify what I say.”

“Me?” Susannah asked.

The sheriff nodded and folded his arms across his vast middle, which served as an indication that he would wait all day if necessary.

Susannah considered Reed warily. He might wear his clothes elegantly and have impeccable manners. He might speak eloquently and with the airs of a person of a wealthy class; but his face, hard and tanned as if carved from stone, was closed and remote. Beneath the dark brows, gray eyes stared at her and Susannah shivered.

When Susannah didn’t say anything, Sheriff Carter asked, “Is that right, Miss Susannah? Do you know what he’s talking about?”

Before she could answer, Reed said, “She saw me on that horse. She was working in the cornfield when I rode by. I stopped and asked her for directions.”

Susannah blinked, but didn’t open her mouth. She couldn’t. The words were frozen in her throat, not that it would have mattered. She was certain her heart was pounding so loud, it would have drowned out anything she said.

“Miss Susannah? Can you vouch for what this here fella is saying?”

Once again, every eye in town was turned toward her. Normally, that would have been enough to send her shrinking away, but without knowing why, she suddenly felt brave—and ready to come to the stranger’s defense. “Yes, he stopped on the road where it passes by our farm. He was riding that roan just as he said.”

“And the saddle? Did you see it?”

“Yes, Sheriff. It’s the same saddle I saw today!”

“Anything else?”

“He was leading a fine-looking dapple-gray packhorse as well.”

A buzz of conversation went through the crowd.

Susannah saw the gleam of victory in Reed’s eyes. “He was looking for work,” she said, then gave him a hard stare.

He returned her stare and that prompted Susannah to speak with a tone that sounded smug even to her. “I did not hire him.”

Apparently Dahlia had been silent as long as she could. “If you ask me, she showed uncommonly good sense in not hiring anyone who looks like he does.”

Violette made a disbelieving sound. “And what, pray tell, is wrong with the way he looks?”

“Too handsome,” she said, matter-of-factly. “A handsome man is good for nothing except giving a woman ideas she’s better off without.”

“What ideas would that be?” Violette asked.

“That is not something I care to discuss right here on the main street of town, within earshot of half the community.”

“That means she doesn’t know,” Violette said.

As Susannah watched, Violette looked at Reed Garrett with keen interest—which quickly turned to deep speculation.

“Looks like you’ve gone and found yourself a witness,” Sheriff Carter said.

“I’m thankful for that,” Reed said. “Does that mean I get my horse and saddle back?”

Sheriff Carter looked down at the ground and pondered the question for a minute. He kicked a dirt clod one way and then back the other. “I guess I can’t see any reason why not,” he replied. “Miss Susannah’s word is good enough for me.”

He turned to Curly. “Hand over the man’s horse.”

“Tate ain’t gonna like this any more than his old man,” Curly said.

“Well, you tell Tate to come on into town because I’ve got some things to ask him. I’m not through with this. Not by any means. I want to know how this man’s horse and saddle ended up on the Double T, and while I’m at it, I’d like to know what Tate knows about this man’s other belongings.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“And you can also tell him if he wants to get mad at anybody, he can get mad at me.”

Curly handed the reins to the sheriff. “I’ll see that he gets the message,” he said.

The sheriff watched Curly walk off and join his friends. He turned to Reed and offered him the reins. Realizing that Reed was still tied, the sheriff turned to Hiram Bixby, who stood nearby, looking sheepish, and said, “I guess you’d better untie him, Hiram.”

“What about my cow?”

“You’ve got your cow and your pie,” Jonah said.

“But he was stealing my cow.”

“I don’t recollect ever hearing of any thief who rustled cattle on foot or by looping a belt around the neck of the creature. If part of this stranger’s story is true, then I reckon all of it is.”

Hiram didn’t say anything, but he did untie Reed.

“Thanks,” Reed said, and began rubbing his sore wrists.

Susannah was wondering if that was going to be all there was to this incident when Jonah said, “Folks around Bluebonnet don’t cotton to aimless, drifting strangers in town.” He paused and hooked his thumbs through his belt loops, doing his best to look wise. “Course, I might be persuaded to release you—seeing as how you’ve gone and got yourself a witness and all—if you give me your word that you’ll get out of town and stay out. Bluebonnet is a peaceful enough place and everyone here wants to keep it that way.”

“I’ll be happy to leave, but not without all of my belongings.”

Jonah stroked his chin, then nodded. “Sounds fair enough to me. You’ve got your horse and saddle now, so you can be on your way.”

Evidently that didn’t sound too fair to Reed, for he was quite adamant when he said, “I won’t leave until I have everything that belongs to me, and that includes my money, hat, guns, and pack, as well as my other horse.”

“I’d like to remind you that you don’t have a place to stay, and the town of Bluebonnet has a law against vagrants. You’ll have to be moving on, son. With or without all of your belongings.”

“Excuse me, Sheriff,” Violette called out.

“Have your say, Violette. Lord knows everyone else in this blasted town has spoken his piece.”

“I wanted to tell you Mr. Garrett has a place to stay. I hired him to work for me when he stopped by our farm.”

Once again people in the crowd broke into discussion.

“Your niece said she sent him on his way,” Jonah said.

Violette glanced at Susannah in a mildly sheepish way. “Yes, so she did, but you see, I hired him after she sent him packing.”

“Hired?” boomed Susannah. “Him? Aunt Vi, what are you saying? Why… I… You can’t mean… This is too much.”

Violette patted Susannah’s hand. “Now, dear,” she said, attempting to sound severe, “that’s really unlike you to—”

Dahlia spoke up. “Violette Wakefield—”

“Just a moment, Dally.” She turned back to Susannah. “I’m sure you couldn’t possibly have an objection to hiring a nice man like Mr. Garrett.”

Dahlia tried again. “Vi, you can’t—”

“Hold your horses, Dally.” She turned back to Susannah. “As I was saying, I am certain you couldn’t have any objection to Mr. Garrett’s coming to work, especially considering how much it will benefit all of us to have a strong back to help with things. We have been discussing hiring someone to work full-time.”

“We’ve been talking about hiring Jester Buford,” Susannah said, “not some stranger.”

“Well, after he’s been working for us a spell, he won’t be a stranger.”

Susannah opened her mouth, but Violette spoke too quickly. “Well, go on, Dally. You wanted to say something?”

“I have been
trying,”
shouted Dahlia, “but you keep interrupting me.”

“I am not interrupting you now, so have your say.”

“I would rather be mad,” she said forlornly.

By this point Jonah was looking a bit put out, and as he always did when he was a bit put out, he took out his pouch of tobacco and rolled one of his enormous cigarettes.

For the first time in her life, Susannah wished she smoked.

“I’ll be leaving you ladies to work out your differences,” Jonah said. “I’ve got a mountain of things to do.” He turned back to the crowd. “All right, folks. Break it up. Show’s over. You’re blocking the way, and there are folks waiting to get past. Come on, now. Get on with what you were doing.”

Completely flabbergasted at her aunt’s out-and-out lie, Susannah continued to sputter and stammer until Dahlia took up the cause once again.

“You don’t mean to sit there and tell me that you hired that…that reprobate!” Dahlia whispered to her sister. “I won’t tolerate it, you hear? I simply won’t tolerate it.”