Chapter Twenty
Bonnie liked Kai, and more than she’d expected to. Kai was a beautiful woman—gorgeous, in fact. She had no children because her husband had been killed by a white man three years earlier, and she wasn’t willing to get married again; not yet.
Kai seems content. Her heart is mending, but slowly. She really loved her husband. It’s a good thing she’s young.
As stars appeared overhead, Bonnie considered what she would’ve done in Kai’s situation. She was sitting at a campfire just outside a Choctaw village. Dallas was with her, and so was Clyde, but unsurprisingly, Ace was sitting off alone, working down a cup of coffee.
He’s a different sort of man. Wish I’d met him before Roscoe stole me away. I’d’ve asked to be his wife. He’s the type of man that would die before he’d ever hurt a woman.
Bonnie’s mind drifted away from Kai and locked on Ace. She’d seen how he’d looked at her earlier on the trail when the sun moved out from behind a cloud.
When he looks at me like that, I feel beautiful—I suppose that’s how most women like to be looked at. Oh, he ain’t some wolf howling at the moon or nothing, but he looks at me in a way that I like.
Ace was sitting alone in the falling shadows. He looked tired.
“Go talk to him,” Dallas urged, working down a cup of coffee himself.
Clyde yawned. “Since our friends are gonna watch the herd tonight, I reckon I’m gonna get some shuteye. Got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
Bonnie could tell Clyde was still plenty upset over Finn. Her heart ached for him, but what could she do? “Clyde, we’ll get Finn back… somehow.”
“Appreciate you saying that,” Clyde told Bonnie. He stood up. “I best get some shuteye. Night, Dallas.”
“Night, Clyde.”
Bonnie watched Clyde go to his horse and get his trail blanket. “He’s sad.”
“Has good reason to be. Ain’t often a fella finds a friend that turns out closer than a brother.” Dallas finished his coffee. “Well, I’m gonna get some shuteye, too. My old bones are aching something fierce. Night, Bonnie.”
“Dallas?”
“Yeah?” Dallas asked.
“Just want to thank you, is all. You’ve been mighty kind to me. Don’t really know why.”
“Maybe because you remind me of my own daughter. She’s in Heaven with the Good Lord now.” Dallas stood up. “Died about ten years ago from the consumption. Wife went shortly after. Sometimes, I wonder why I was left alive… Well, night.”
Bonnie remained at the fire until Dallas and Clyde were both settled, then made her way to Ace. “Air is fresh and nice.”
“Reckon so.” Ace put down his cup. “Dallas and Clyde asleep?”
“Yeah. They’re plumb tuckered out. Figured we could talk for a bit.”
“Have a seat.” Ace nodded at a log.
Bonnie sat down across from Ace. She could see the fire from here, along with Dallas and Clyde. She had a decent view of the village, too, and even the distant herd.
It’s okay for now. Roscoe ain’t gonna cause any blood tonight.
“Clyde is upset.”
“Can’t blame him,” Ace responded without much life in his voice.
Yeah, he’s plumb tuckered out, too. “I can go if you ain’t up to talking.”
“I’m okay, Bonnie. Just wondering about matters, is all.” Ace drew in a tired breath. “You seem to like Kai.”
“She’s nice. And she speaks good, too.”
“Kai’s husband was killed by a white man. A hunter. The killing was an accident.”
“That’s what Kai told me,” Bonnie agreed. “She’s still hurting.”
“Reckon so. I met Kai’s husband a while back. He was a good hunter. The man who killed him felt awful bad. He brings the Choctaw blankets and food when he can.”
“That’s what Kai said. She ain’t sore at him no more. Said she’s forgiven him.”
“Good thing to do.”
Bonnie looked at Ace through the darkness. She could smell his sweat. Kai had taken her to a stream, where Bonnie had managed to bathe and wash her clothes. Her clothes are still a bit damp, but she considered that a small price to pay—it was nice to feel clean again.
Wouldn’t hurt if Ace washed off. Not that he stinks, but he’s trail dirty.
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Bonnie wondered why she was concerning herself with how Ace smelled and looked. She felt a strange emotion grip her heart—almost like the way she imagined a wife would fuss over her husband. The feeling was sudden and intense.
“Stream is close by. Why don’t you go wash up a bit?”
“Probably will before I settle down,” Ace promised. “Just feels good sitting here. Mighty grateful Wicasi is going to guard the herd tonight. Hate to admit it, but I’m sore in my boots.”
“We all are, Ace. No shame in admitting it. You’re just a man.”
“That’s what Wicasi said.”
For some reason, Ace’s response made Bonnie smile—just a slight tug at the corner of her lips, but a smile, nonetheless. “You take too much on yourself.”
“That’s part of being a trail boss.”
“You won’t always be a trail boss.”
“No. Starting to think this will be my last time up the trail,” Ace told Bonnie. “Reckon I’ll just go back to my ranch and stay put.”
“You don’t seem like the type of fella that can stay put.”
“Well, I like to ride.” Ace grew silent for a couple of minutes before speaking again. “Truth is, Bonnie, you’re right. I ain’t so sure I’d be happy staying put. I like my ranch and all, but I ain’t never gonna run large herds. The trail is good for me. I earn decent money and keep moving.”
“Maybe you’re just lonely,” Bonnie said before she could catch her mouth.
Now, what did I go and say that for? Of course Ace is lonely—but I don’t need to go blabbing my mouth about it.
“Reckon, at times, I am lonely.” Luckily, Ace didn’t seem to be fazed. “There was this woman. Her name was Belle. Thought I was gonna marry her… She ran off when I was away fighting in the war.”
Bonnie grew quiet and listened. She watched Ace raise his head and look up at the stars for a minute before letting his eyes check on Dallas and Clyde.
“She’s better off, though. She left Texas and went back north where she belongs.” Ace shifted on the log he was sitting on. “Never could bring myself to think of a woman the way I thought about Belle. Maybe I just didn’t want to.”
“Yeah?” Bonnie asked.
“Easier to just keep moving,” Ace went on. “When a fella is on his saddle, moving up the trail, he’s got purpose. Ranching ain’t a bad life. Hard work, sure, but with the railroad expanding the way it is… Well, cattle drives ain’t as important as they used to be.”
“You’ll be out of a job soon, you mean.”
“Reckon so.” Ace removed his hat and wiped his forehead. “Smaller drives’ll always need a trail leader, but the larger herds will be given to the railroad. Faster to haul beef by train. Safer, too.”
Bonnie felt bad for Ace. Even Roscoe knows the railroad is taking over, though he don’t like it one bit.
His resistance to the change is at least one of the reasons Lucien wants to take over.
Don’t matter none to me. I hope they all get run over by a train.
But Ace is a good man. He belongs on the trail. He also needs a good wife.
“Do you miss Belle?” Bonnie asked Ace.
“Used to. Don’t anymore. She has a family of her own,” Ace answered. “A fella has to think on what’s standing in front of him. Belle is far away. I ain’t ever likely to see her again. Don’t see no need to. She has her own family to tend to.”
“Shame she ran off while you were away fighting. A woman is supposed to stay faithful to her fella.” Bonnie shook her head. “I heard lots of women left their fellas during the war, though.”
“Just the way it is. I ain’t sore at her.” Ace wiped at his forehead again. “Fighting was hard. Seen a lot of good men die. Came close to dying a few times myself. Got the sense knocked out of me by cannon fire. Ear still rings some from that injury.”
Bonnie tried to imagine Ace fighting in the war. She pictured him out on a bloody battlefield, firing his rifle as he fought to stay alive.
I heard stories about men deserting their positions and running yellow—from both sides, Union and Confederate—but Ace don’t strike me as the type who’d ever run yellow.
“Glad you didn’t get killed.” It was amazing how a man like Ace ended up on the same trail as her. What would’ve become of her if he’d died in the war?
“Just the Lord’s Will, is all.”
Bonnie began thinking about God’s will—what was His purpose for her? Did He have her future all planned out?
Sure be nice if He’d let me in on it.
Then, she felt Ace look in her direction. “I ain’t much to look at, Ace. Don’t know why you look at me the way you do.”
“How do I look at you?” Ace asked in a careful voice.
“Like I’m pretty,” Bonnie answered, “and not just that, either—you look at me in a way that makes me feel respected.” She swallowed. “But I ain’t worthy of neither. Roscoe made sure of that.”
“Can’t let that skunk poison your life for good, Bonnie,” Ace insisted. “You’re… a very pretty woman. I reckon the Lord has a good fella waiting for you out there somewhere.”
Bonnie felt her heart sink. I wish he’d said he was waiting for me. Probably thinks I’m too broken to ever love anyone enough to settle down and get married. If only he knew I dream of a good man sweeping me off my feet.
“Ace, you’re a good man. I was terrified when I ran away from Roscoe. Dressing up like a man seemed smart to me, but you saw right through me.” Bonnie sighed. “You’ve been taking real good care of me.”
“Man’s gotta do what’s right.”
“I know.” Bonnie removed her hat, letting the night air wash over her hair. The breeze felt warm and clean. “Do you think my hair is pretty, Ace?”
“Sure.”
“And you think I’m pretty?”
“Well, sure.”
“I’m glad. You’re a good man, Ace. A gal couldn’t do any better than you,” Bonnie responded. “You deserve a good wife. I pray you find one someday.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Ace tensed up like a work horse riding up on some sharp rocks. “A gal could do a lot better than me, Bonnie. I’m just a trail drifter.”
“Seems to me,” Bonnie dared to tell Ace, “you’d be mighty happy staying home if you had a wife.” She stood up. “Well, I best go get some sleep. I’m tuckered out, myself. Feel safe enough to lay down.”
“Yeah, me, too.” Ace got to his feet. “I’ll walk over to the fire with you and get some more coffee.”
Bonnie liked that Ace wanted to walk back to the camp with her. When she reached the fire, she went for her trail blanket. After getting situated, she lay down and turned over onto her side, staring at Ace. He was sitting beside the fire, drinking coffee and looking up at the stars.
The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was Ace look at her—into her heart, somehow—and for a moment, she almost felt as though she could see the shape of his, as well.
Goodnight, Ace. May God bless your dreams—and mine.