Chapter 13
All eyes were on Catherine.
Her eyes filled with tears. She looked down at her hands folded on the table. “I worked for him.”
She heard gasps before resuming her confession. “When the Yankees came through and demolished everything they didn’t steal, everyone ran for fear of their lives. I happened to end up in the wrong place.
“I was alone, hungry, no clothes, no money, and I stumbled on a camp one night. It was some of Staley’s men, on their way to our town to start buying up property cheap for Staley. He was still living somewhere else at the time but sent them ahead.
“They took me in and were nice enough to feed me, making me think they were my heroes. After they made me a nice bed off to myself, they sat around and drank, and…” she broke into a sob, shaking her head.
Leanne went to her and held her. “It’s okay. You don’t need to say it.”
A moment later, she took a sip of water and dried her eyes. “Only one of the four men was truly good to me. He couldn’t go up against the other three, but he tried and did slow them down.
“He took me off to himself once we got into town and took care of me. When Staley came to town a few weeks later, he told him about me and convinced Staley it would be good to hire a woman who knew the townsfolk.
“At first it was harmless. He just wanted information about who owned property, who was related to who, and things like that.
“It was when he got me in at the boarding house to be a spy that I really felt dirty, low down, rotten. I was spying on my friends!
“When I sassed him and fought back about it, some of his men slapped me around, so I did what I was told.”
She looked at Leanne. “It was because of me that you got caught up in all of this. Can you ever forgive me?” Heart-wrenching sobs lasted for over a minute before she could continue.
“That night they brought me in dressed like that, to force you into Staley’s web, they beat me, breaking two of my ribs so I could cry and play my part well.”
Leanne held her, crying her own tears as they rocked back and forth.
After a few minutes, Jerry asked Natalie to bring coffee for everyone. This was going to be a long afternoon.
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“Catherine, I think you and Natalie should move back here to the ranch until the trial starts.”
Leanne nodded in agreement to Jerry’s suggestion. She took his hand and kissed it, whispering thank you.
“The war took so much from all of us,” Leanne started quietly, growing louder. “We had to learn to survive on our own in a matter of hours. If the Yankees had just left us alone! They took our men, our homes, our dignity, and for what? Greed! The north wasn’t satisfied until they broke our backs. I despise Yankees.”
Walt and Max looked at each other sheepishly. Jerry hadn’t shared with very many people that he was a decorated Yankee officer. He had despised the war also, even before his accident. But then it nearly took his life, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, and now the final blow…he may lose his wife.
Leanne was sitting on the floor next to Jerry, holding his hand. She looked up at him. “I am so thankful to be out here where no one took part in such a horrific show of brutality. That’s another thing I can add to the list of indebtedness to you.”
He stroked her hair, feeling like a hypocrite, knowing he needed to tell her, but not tonight. This was the first time it had come up. He would have to soften her quite a bit before he could be honest about it.
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Max, Walt, and two of the ranch hands escorted the two ladies to town to get their things and move back to the ranch.
Walt had put everyone on high alert at the ranch. He told everyone to be suspicious of everything and report it immediately. “Listen for that bell on the front porch, and any shots fired anywhere on the property!”
Leanne helped get the girls settled and had to remind Miriam it was time to say goodnight to Ben. Finally, she was able to join Jerry for some alone time in the parlor.
She was scared and he could tell it, even before she curled up on his lap and he felt her trembling. He rubbed her hair and kissed her head.
“Jerry?”
“Yes, darling?”
She sat up and looked in his eyes. “Can you hold me tonight? All night?”
He could feel his face go pale. “What are you asking me?”
“Can I sleep in your arms tonight?”
“Are you sure? I mean, I certainly don’t kick, but do you think you would be comfortable?”
“The only comfort I need is your strong arms around me.”
He pulled her head back against his chest, knowing she felt his heart racing. “Yes. I would do anything for you.”
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Max walked toward the house with Walt. Two of the ranch hands followed them.
“I just saw the girls arrive home from work. Maybe we can get in a little practice before dark.”
Walt rubbed his chin and shook his head. “Sure don’t want to make any of them mad at me after this. Never did feel comfortable around a woman toting a gun.”
“Me neither. That’s why we need to make sure they know how to use one and handle it. As sulled up as Catherine stays, I’m surprised she hasn’t shot someone yet. Maybe she knows more about handling firearms than I give her credit for.”
“You actually intend for them to keep one on them at all times?”
“Yes. No telling what they hide under those big ole fluffy skirts.”
Walt laughed and slapped him on the back. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Just never thought about it.”
The two men with them, dropped back and started setting up big boards with a rough drawing of a man on each.
Walt called the ladies out to join them, giving Leanne time to push supper to the back of the stove.
Jerry followed them to the porch and listened to Max as he began to teach them about the selection of artillery he had in front of them.
“This,” he picked up a shotgun. “Is a shotgun. When you shoot it, the pellets scatter. Now remember that, because even though it doesn’t take as much aiming to hit your target, you have to be aware of anything or anyone else close. You could shoot them accidentally.”
“This is a rifle. It’s the best one for aiming at a specific target. It will shoot something at a distance where the others need a closer target.”
He set it down and picked up a pistol. “This is what you need to be most familiar with. You will carry one with you at all times. My goal is for you to go from holding it at your side to bringing your arm up quickly and hit your target.”
He smiled. “You will practice with all three. Ready?”
Catherine stepped up beside him. “Why didn’t you ask if we knew how to shoot? Some of us may be able to outshoot you,” she snipped.
“Catherine,” he smiled and gritted his teeth. “Why don’t I just use you as a target?”
She laughed. It was the first time any of the men had heard her laugh.
“I’ll go first. I may be helpful teaching the others. I’m familiar with the rifle and pistol.”
“Okay, let’s start there.”
A few minutes later, everyone was amazed at her marksmanship.
“Ready to try the shotgun?”
“Sure. I’ve never used a shotgun.”
“You’ve never shot one?” Max started to give her fair warning about a shotgun kicking, but she had dismissed him, and he was sick of it.
He turned and shrugged at Jerry and Walt, then winked as he moved to stand directly behind her.
“BOOM!” The shotgun blasted, knocking Catherine backwards and into Max’s waiting arms.
Trying to resist smiling and feeling so smug, he looked down at her in his arms, stunned with tears in her eyes.
“I tried to warn you.” He took the shotgun that was still clutched in her right hand and helped her stand.
She huffed at him and rubbed her shoulder. Embarrassed and angry, she stomped into the house.
Walt and Jerry were looking downward and away, trying not to laugh.
“Next?” Max called.
After everyone had a bit of practice, with Miriam surprisingly showing them all up, they helped clean up everything and washed up for supper.
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Leanne pushed her hair back from her face with her forearm. She was hot and tired, but the harvest had to be preserved. Jerry had been a great help to her every minute that he could, but he had lots of ranching business to attend this time of year.
She hated to ask the girls to help in the evenings after they had worked all day, but they saved her the trouble of asking by volunteering.
“I always wondered why there was such a huge garden,” Natalie remarked.
“Mrs. Cooper said we have a lot of mouths to feed. She says there are over twenty men that work here on the ranch, and then sometimes we have a few extra when we need a helping hand from neighbors.”
“Looks like the ranch could afford to buy their produce,” Catherine sighed as she stuffed more green beans in the jar.
Leanne smiled at her. “Yes, I thought so as well, but Jerry explained that since his accident, he’s had to cut back in some areas and spend more in others. He has regular doctor bills, and he had to give someone a raise to take Walt’s place, so he could be more help to Jerry. Then he had to hire Mrs. Cooper, and the list goes on.”
“Has he ever told you about his accident?”
“Only that he was thrown from his horse and the horse rolled on him. He was busted up pretty bad.”
“Here on the ranch?” Miriam asked while handing another clean jar to Leanne.
“I don’t know. That’s a rather touchy subject. I don’t bring it up. He’ll tell me when he’s ready.”
Miriam looked at her with sparkling eyes. “Do you love him, Leanne? Do you feel good about how everything is working out?”
She reached out and touched the girl’s face. “Yes, I do. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. If all of this had to happen just to get us together, then it was worth it, to me. I’m just sorry that all of you are involved.”
“I’m happy!” Miriam chirped. “Ben is wonderful. We’ve been courting for two months, and if he asked me to marry him tomorrow, I would.”
“Slow down, little girl,” Catherine clucked. “Don’t you want to see your choices? I hear there’s a social this Saturday. About time, if you ask me.
“We’ve been here three months and haven’t had any good excitement. I, for one, am looking forward to it.”
“Looking forward to what?” Jerry rolled into the kitchen.
Leanne smiled at him. “The social. But never mind that, what did the doctor say?”
He winked at her. “He said I’m stubborn and ornery, and that I must have a good nurse.”
If she only knew how good the report really was, she would be jumping up and down. But he wanted to surprise her, hopefully one day soon.
She had slept curled at his side every night for a month, giving him more determination than he dreamed possible. That, mixed with the conversation he had with the doctor, she was making his dreams come true in other ways. The doctor had convinced him that one day they would probably fill this house up with little Leanne’s and Jerry’s, just like Mrs. Cooper said.