Ambush Valley (15 page)

He woke with his arms and body coiled tight around her. There would be no disengaging himself without waking her up. All he could recall about the night before was that he couldn't get enough of her, and she was the same about him. Then she stirred and opened her eyes. No woman in his life had ever been closer than that. Awake, she raised up and shook her head, then went to laughing.

“Sneaking away, huh?” she accused.

“I tried.”

“I knew it. I knew it. You're tired of me already.” Then they kissed and snuggled flesh to flesh.

“Oh, yes. How long have we been married?”

“Years.” She threw her arms back. Then she quickly returned to savor their closeness.

“How many anniversaries have I missed?”

“Not many, thank God.”

“If I don't get out of the bed we both may get wet.”

“Oh, serious, huh.” Reluctantly she gave him up.

The second part of making this adventure so neat was her genuine laughing. Nothing forced. Free laughter came from her that eased the whole situation from being somewhat awkward to settling between a man and wife. She could find humor in everything they did. Not silliness, but sincere laughter that made him happier by the moment with his choice.

They finally got up and she made coffee. There were some Danishes for breakfast. Monica was going to gather the bed covers and what they left. The rest was on the packhorses waiting for them in camp up on the rim. The ride up was pleasant and en route they watched a large herd of elk, cow, and calves. Mid-afternoon they reached Victor and the camp. Everything was in order.

Victor met them when they rode in, took their horses, and he told them he had supper cooking for them, and to get some rest. Chet smiled. There would be no rest in the tent and cots set up inside, but they did enjoy each other.

The next morning at the sawmill, he spoke to McKnight, who said that it was all going good and he had plenty of logs at the mill thanks to JD and his crew. Chet hated that his nephew hadn't come on that Sunday. JD could have told him about Kay's separation from her husband as well as if it had occurred before they left the mill. They rode across the Marcy Road used by east–west bound stagecoaches and went around the high San Francisco Peaks to head for the Grand Canyon.

They spent a few days exploring along the south rim. Chet was impressed with the colors and majesty of the large chasm, and felt very small in the presence of the mighty cut into the earth. Some people had warned him that the Hualapai Indians who lived west of there could be cranky. But most folks thought they were tame enough not to bother them. The tribe lived down in the canyon itself, so they stayed clear and finally reached the community of Hackberry, which consisted of a few bars, blacksmith, saddle repair shop, and two stores, and had not changed much since he was there a year before.

He met both storekeepers in the village. A stoic man named Herman owned one, and an Irishman named O'Malley who did a jig for Marge and laughed when he shook Chet's hand owned the other one.

“Welcome to me land. And where do you two lovely folks hail from?”

“Camp Verde.”

“Ah, indeed I've been there a time or two.”

“Next time look us up. We are west of the town. Quarter Circle Z ranch.”

“I'll do that very thing. What brings you to Hackberry?”

“I'm looking for another ranch for my nephew to run up here.”

“Ah, and there is a big one north of here for sale.”

“How big?”

“Six sections deeded land.”

“That sounds interesting.” Marge nodded to his words in her approval.

O'Malley asked, “Do you know how the United States government issues sections of such land to the railroad to raise money for their tracks?”

Chet shook his head. “I don't, perhaps Marge does. But tell us.”

“They give them as apposing sections of land. One section would be on the right of the line, the next one would be on the left of that line. Well, this man bought them from some line headed west and exchanged them with the government for land up here, 'cause he said the land they had given him on those other tracks had no water. They showed him a plat up here and said this land isn't far to the Colorado River.” The storekeeper slapped his legs laughing. “And he took it sight unseen. So it sure is for sale.”

“Who is this guy and where do I find him?”

“His name is Boxley Austin and he lives in Saint Louis. Maddest man I ever met when he came back from looking it over. He stomped around here for days, finally went down and used the telegraph in Preskit. But the government said it was too late, they had already made one trade with him. He had to keep it.”

“What about the land? Where exactly is it?”

“Starts about five mile north and runs over this rangeland east to west for six miles. He spent a fortune having it surveyed before he came out here.”

“Is there a guide who knows it and can show me that land?”

“It's a girl, one of the Wright sisters. She'd do it for two bucks a day. I can send word and they'd be here in no time—say in the morning. They're tough ranch hands, any one of them girls.”

“Let's do that. That may be interesting.” He looked at Marge and saw she was interested too. “Yes, we will meet her here about sunup.”

“That'll work fine.”

All the way back to camp he and Marge talked about the possibility of having perhaps found a bird's nest on the ground. A man who bought a ranch he can't use sounded too good to be true.

“Why we might buy this one cheaper than the valley ranch,” he said to her as they rode back to camp across the rolling plains of juniper, pear cactus, and lots of grass.

“It also could be lots of work, too. Building headquarters, developing stock water, finding land suitable for haymaking,” she pointed out to him.

“It is lots of land and this country has grass and water in places.” He laughed. “But I'm not counting on the Colorado to supply much.”

She broke up over his comment. “No, it would not be likely to supply much.”

“Tomorrow we can see the terrain with our guide.” He watched three shy mule deer slip off into the junipers after a curious sighting by them.

“This cowgirl guide may be interesting,” Marge said. “She sounds like a real one.”

When they drew closer to their camp, they could hear Victor chopping wood with an ax. Chet knew him from the trip out from Texas, but he had decided from the first day on this trip, this youth was a hard worker. Keeping camp and things going for two honeymooners was no small job. And he took it serious like he'd been doing it all his life.

“What do you think now about our adventure?” he asked, helping her dismount.

“I absolutely love it. I first thought taking a honeymoon on a camping trip might be boring.” She removed her hat and shook loose her hair. “Anything with you is a great adventure and fun. Tomorrow we go look at the man's ranch on the river and I'm excited. It sounds interesting.”

Then with her familiar laugh she hugged him tight. “I simply wish we had been teen lovers and had spent our entire life together. It would have been so neat.”

He hugged her. “The best part is we found each other. I lived in Texas, you were out here, and we might never have known each other except for the problems that drove me out here. Fate was kind to both of us.”

“You know I lived in total fear you'd not come back after your nephew's death.”

“All of it was tough business. But I had a family to protect. And I'm glad I came back here. One less thing for me to dread in my life. Besides, I have you.”

After supper, they helped Victor clean up and did the dishes, while Victor played the guitar. Marge knew the words in Spanish and those two sang the ballad about a wild
cabayo
. His music went on as they sat by the campfire under a blanket while the night's coolness came in on a soft wind.

“We better get some sleep,” Chet finally said. “Tomorrow we are going to look at another ranch.”

“Will you sell the ranch back at Verde?” Victor asked.

“No, no, this is another ranch,” he said to the youth.

His brown face looked relieved. “Oh, good, I like that place.”

After telling him good night, they went arm in arm to their tent. She pulled off his boots and teased him. “Aren't you glad you have a wife now?”

“Oh, yes, I used to sleep with them boots on and they always got tangled in the sheets.”

Laughing, she tackled him on the bed and the force of their collision turned over the cot, spilling them both on the ground. He reached over in the tangle of blankets and kissed her between laughs. “Since we're here, guess we can sleep here as well.”

She was laughing too hard to protest.

Their guide the next day, Lacinda Wright, was perhaps eighteen, maybe older. She wore a dress over her jeans and reminded him of that “girl that Susie spoke about.” The chunky-built young lady wore boots with spurs and a once-white hat with a floppy brim over her short-cut blond hair.

“They call me Lacy.” She shook his hand with the callused palm of a man. Then did the same with Marge. “O'Malley said you want to look over the railroad survey up north. We can see some of it in a day. Except for the nearby Colorado River that that old man screamed about when we showed him that down in the canyon.”

“We heard about that.”

She smiled. “The Canyon River is over twenty miles north of this land.”

“Lacy, we don't expect any water from it.”

“Good thing, Mr. Byrnes, 'cause I ain't got a rope that long to dip a bucket in it.”

They were laughing going out the store door after he thanked O'Malley for finding her. She stopped on the porch and looked at their horses. “Wow, you sure got some real ponies. I've got Jud and he's got lots of bottom, but he ain't half that good looking.”

Marge chuckled. “You're going to keep me in stitches all day. I hope you don't mind my laughing.”

“No, ma'am, go right ahead. I'm just a scatterbrain cowgirl and say too much sometimes.”

“Not for us,” Marge said. “We really want to see this ranch and appreciate you taking time to show us.”

“Lordy me, do you know what I'd had to do today at the ranch if I hadn't got this job?”

“I have no idea.”

“Why, shoe a couple of horses. My dad's back is stove up and he can't do it.”

“Whew, you shoe horses. I won't give you any lip.”

As they rode, Lacy went to shaking her finger at her. “Why I know now who you are. I've seen you at Preskit on the Fourth of July in a nice dress driving a buggy. I know you're his wife, but what are you doing up here?”

“This is my honeymoon. I mean our honeymoon.”

Lacy's blue eyes narrowed in wonderment. “I thought, well, ladies like you went to, like, Paris for those sort of things. Camping out?”

“Hey, I'm as content as anyone out here with him looking for another ranch than I would be over there—even more so.”

“You don't sound like you'd be happy over there.”

“I wouldn't be. Fancy people trying to impress other fancy people. I'm ten times happier being out here with you doing this.”

“You'll have to meet my sisters. They'd love you.”

“I will meet them. Do they have a dance up here?”

“Don't they have one of them everywhere in the West?”

“Come to think of it, they do. Do they have them in Texas, Chet?”

“Heavens, yes. Let's trot, we've got lots to see.”

“We better get back to business, Lacy. He's busting to see this place.”

They all three laughed.

The country ranged from wide open to clustered in canyons. Some even had pines. Many he found showed some water that needed to be developed. His family had done lots of that originally in Texas. Built cypress boxes they buried in the creek sand, and they soon filled with water.

There was a lot to see and they found a good spring and a steep set of hills to protect a headquarters from all the north wind. It was well inside the second section that the man owned.

“I like this spot,” he said, dismounted and passing out some jerky he'd brought to feed them.

Marge had taken a large drink from the powerful spring chocked with watercress and was getting off her knees. “That is wonderful water.”

“It's ice cold all year round too,” Lacy promised them. “There's some other sites we can look at, but this is the one that would be my choice for a ranch headquarters.”

“Girls, we better get back. Tomorrow we'll move our things over here and camp since I want to see all of it. Do you have the time to show it to us, Lacy?”

“It's Friday today. I'll come get you tomorrow right after lunchtime here and take you two to the dance and supper, if you want to come with me.”

“We'd love that. Lacy, Chet can dance our boots off.”

“Good. I'd be real proud to have you two go with us.”

“What can we bring?” Marge asked.

“Yourselves. They will all want to meet you.”

“Good, we'll ride east from here to our camp and get back here to reset up in the morning.”

“Shucks, my sisters and I'll be here to help you do that tomorrow.”

“They don't have to.”

“We can help. I think you will be our new neighbors from the way you have looked at this land.”

“At least part of us. We have about fifteen men, not counting ranch hands, now at work on the ranch down there. They can move up here next if I can buy it.”

Lacy half laughed and kicked a small pinecone off for a distance. “Why that old man went crazy when he saw this country, but the ride to the river was the funniest part. He kept going back and forth to get peeks at it way down there and cussing like a sailor.”

“O'Malley said he was mad. Good, we'll try to buy it if it looks like a ranch to me. Thanks for your invite, we will be privileged to be your guest tomorrow night.”

“That will be mine.” In a large swing off the saddle horn, she was back on her horse and in the saddle.

When she was gone, Marge laughed. “I really can't see either of us in Paris.”

He agreed and hugged her. “No, we don't fit the part. My sister had a fit. ‘You can't take her on a honeymoon on a camping trip!'”

“She was wrong. I wanted you, not some fancy man. This is getting somewhere. I can see this as a great ranch. The water's cold, but I'd take a bath downstream in it.”

“Get naked. There ain't nothing to peek at us but camp birds.”

“Wonderful.” And she began to undress and waded out in the water. He went after soap, towel, and a blanket from his horse. In minutes they were both in the cold water and with a shiver sharing his bar of soap and lathering up. Then they used handfuls of water tossed on each other to rinse off. Then they sat in the bright sun and dried the rest of the way.

And like honeymooners, they made love next on the blanket.

Riding back to camp, they discussed their day.

“It has lots of grass.”

“Developing water will be a big need, but we can do that. I've done that in Texas, though it will be a bigger challenge up here. Looks to me like it will be something we have to stay after.”

“Where will we live?”

“Oh, I think at the Verde ranch. You will some day have your father's holdings and the ranch over there will grow. It's been so mismanaged by the last guy. We will be years making it as smooth a ranch as the one in Texas.”

“I never dared asked you before but did it hurt you to sell it?”

“Sure, but I was so committed by then, I knew it was the only way for my family to survive.”

“I could feel every inch of you even at a distance.”

“I thought you might find someone more dependable than me.”

“No. My mind and heart was set for you. When I went to get you and his body, I knew if there was any way I could have you I wanted you for myself. I thought I didn't have much appeal when you never took me to bed in those long days. I wasn't some innocent girl. But then I realized you were still obligated to her like you said, and that had to be settled. When you came back I was trembling—that first day at the house I knew it was too good to be true.”

“Oh, you were hard to resist, but you sure stood by me. I'll never forget that day either. Let's get back. I want to be up here tomorrow.” They put their horses in a lope for camp.

In the morning, the three were loaded by sunup and headed for the new place. They came at a long trot and reached the site. At his first sight Victor nodded his approval. “Oh this is a great place for a big ranch. Who are they?”

“The Wright sisters,” Chet said, looking at three cowgirls in dresses with jeans on under them, talking to Marge who had already joined them.

He soon met them. Lacy introduced her middle sister, Fern, who was the tallest and a much better dresser than Lacy, but still a cowgirl; and the dark-eyed younger girl, about fifteen, Hannah.

“This is my
segundo
, Victor,” he said, and his intro about made the boy blush. They shook his hand like men and welcomed him.

“Good day,
señoritas
,” he managed to say.

They each took a packhorse. Then tie-down ropes and canvas flew off the panniers. Chet knew it sure unloaded a lot faster than it went on. Marge made them coffee, and they took a break to sip it. The girls sat cross-legged on the ground so she never set up her canvas chairs. Chet and Victor joined them.

“Sis said you were real serious about building a ranch up here,” Fern said.

“We'd like to. We have one down at Camp Verde. But my nephew needs one.”

“I see. This place could be a good one.”

“Thanks. Marge and I have only seen a small part of it. That's why we moved over here. Sure was a lot faster with you girls helping us than us doing it.”

“Hey, we can use some good neighbors.”

“Do you have some bad ones?” he asked.

“We got some ain't worth the powder to blow them up.”

They all laughed.

“Were you the man,” Fern asked, “who about a year ago arrested those men in the saloon that you'd trailed all over, and took them in chains back home?”

“Yes, that was me.”

“My, my, I never thought I'd get to meet you. Why when that man and his boy got back from hauling them, folks had him tell that story a hundred times.”

“Where are those two?” He'd wondered about them.

“They went on to California. Kinda hard to make a living here. I bet several folks will recognize you at the dance tonight.”

“No big deal.”

“Marge, does he say that all the time?” Lacy asked between sips of her hot coffee.

“A lot. He came to see me after he got back on his first visit, and he took off before I could hardly kiss him, and went after some men who had rustled some of the ranch horses. They killed my foreman and another good worker and he ran them down. For days I didn't know if he was alive or not.”

They began to laugh at how she told them the story.

“We see why you took a honeymoon with him,” Lacy said.

“Only way I could keep up with him.” Marge exchanged a wink with him.

After the camp was set up, the girls shed their jeans for the dance. They washed up and brushed their hair. Chet and Victor got a kick out of them getting ready.

“You want to go with us?” he asked his helper.

“No, I can watch the camp.”

“Grab that guitar, Victor,” Lacy said. “Won't no one bother your outfit up here. They can always use a musician.”

“Oh, yes,” the youngest one said. “They can sure use some help.”

“Saddle a horse,” Lacy told him. “They pay in good food for your help.”

“If I don't have to cook it, I'd like it much better.”

 

 

At the schoolhouse, the girls had strung a thick rope up for a picket line. Their father, a big man, had brought their pies in a buckboard. After telling Chet and Marge his name was Jake, the girls ran off to check on the pies he'd already set on the table. Chet figured by then that they ran everywhere they went.

“Good to meetcha,” Jake said, shaking Chet's hand. Then he did Victor the same. He nodded to Marge. “Lacy said you liked the Railroad ranch.”

“I think it could be a good one.”

He nodded. “I was here in town the day you got those guys. That sure took lots of nerve.”

“You do what you have to.”

“Glad I never had to do anything like that. Ma'am?” He removed his hat for her. “Them girls are talking up there, just go on up there and join them.”

“Thanks,” she said, and nodded to Chet.

“I'll be along,” he said after her.

“Grab that music box, Vic,” Jake said, like he knew the boy all his life. “I'm going to introduce you to them players.”

Chet nodded for him to go with the man. “I'll go check on the women. Good to meet you, Jake.”

“Me too.” And Jake went on with his conversation with the boy.

Marge joined him and the three girls who were talking to several ranch wives. Marge had a piece of fruit bread for him that one of them had given to her. The cake on his first bite flooded his mouth with saliva at the flavors of cinnamon, raisins, and sugar.

Later, after a wonderful meal, he danced the night away, meeting wives and husbands, and he was a dance partner with the Wright sisters and Marge.

Victor told him on the break they really were nice to him and wanted him to stay.

At last together on the bench along the wall, Chet and his bride sat out a dance and talked about things.

“They really think you're a hero. Of course I knew that, but they all remembered you.”

His arm around her back, he hugged her, then he whispered in her ear, “Not much ever happens up here in Hackberry.”

They both chuckled.

“You're probably right.”

“I am. We'll take a few more days to look at the ranch and then head home.”

“Good. I'm in no rush. It has been very entertaining. And I am so glad you found the place.”