Land of My Heart (42 page)

Hunger drove him to the first restaurant he could find. A placard outside the door promised they had the best beefsteaks in town. Trenton dismounted and looked around for a moment. The town’s growth was evident. Omaha bore an atmosphere that spoke more than ever of change and post-war prosperity. They were apparently not at all hindered by the fact the government had been arguing for months to move the capital south. Statehood had energized them and whether they retained the capital or not, Omaha was slated for expansion.

Trenton secured his mount, dusted off his clothes, then made his way to the eatery, still managing a sidewise glance down the boardwalk at the bevy of new stores. New stores meant new money. Who could tell how profitable this trip might turn out to be.

He was shown to a table by a middle-aged woman clad in black from neck to toe. She greeted Trenton with a forced smile.

“Good day, sir.”

Trenton took his seat, noting a full table of gentlemen to his left and a moony-eyed couple on his right. “What’s your special?”

The woman sighed as if annoyed by the question. “We have the finest steaks this side of the Mississippi. They’re served with vegetables and fresh bread.” She named the price and Trenton nodded.

“That’s fine. Bring me that and a cup of coffee. Oh, and don’t cook that steak clear through.”

She gave a curt nod and slipped away without another word. She brought the coffee in the same stilted fashion, then disappeared again until the meal was ready.

Trenton had to admit that the steak was the best he’d tasted, and he’d eaten steak from Nebraska to Texas. Settling in to enjoy his meal, Trenton was rather annoyed by the vigorous and noisy conversation taking place on his left.

“Then we force them to build a permanent bridge,” a balding heavyset man declared. The man sat closest to Trenton but would have been the loudest no matter where he sat. His voice held a booming quality that very nearly rattled the windows.

“They’ve assisted with the pole bridge,” another man commented. “They won’t see the need to do more.”

“We must make them see the need, perhaps.” This from a softspoken man who sat to the left of the booming voice.

“They’ll see the need, all right,” the heavyset man declared. “Otherwise we’ll threaten to move the railroad. The capital is moving—we can move too. We’ll build a bridge across the Missouri elsewhere.”

“Now, now. Let’s not be hasty. A great deal of work has gone into this road. We can’t simply pluck it up and move it across the state. I suggest we propose a meeting and explain the situation. I believe we can make it worth the while of the city fathers to push forward support,” Mr. Soft-spoken explained. “They’re merely cautious because of the amount of money involved.”

Trenton thought the whole thing rather amusing. When he’d been in the town years before, he’d heard other people arguing the very same thing. At that time they were hampered by war; now the suggestion was that money held them back.

“The Indians aren’t helping our cause any,” a fourth man threw out. “The wars to the west are not looked upon favorably by those in the East. Perhaps the Omaha city fathers are being discouraged from supporting the proposed bridge. After all, it would give the Indians an easy means of attack. It would allow them simple access across the Missouri River.”

“To what purpose?” the boomer questioned. “What possible use would they find with Iowa?”

Many of the men broke into laughter, but not the man who’d raised the question. A quick glance proved to Trenton that he was not amused by the suggestion.

The couple to Trenton’s right got up and left. The woman smiled sweetly as she caught sight of Trenton, but just as quickly she returned her attention to the man with whom she appeared so obviously in love.

Trenton wondered what it would be like to have someone care about him in such a manner. The devotion was obvious.

I’m a loner,
he thought, picking at the remains of his meal.
I would be a poor companion for any woman. I’d never be able to settle down to one place for long, and I’m hardly suited to do anything but play cards
.

The summary left his food souring in his stomach. Trenton took a gulp of the tepid coffee, hoping it might settle the turmoil. Instead it brought back a memory of his father. Standing with a cup of coffee in his hands, Trenton’s father had considered his son as he worked behind the counter at the store.

“I hate being a clerk,” Trenton said as the last customers of the day exited the store.

“You just hate committing yourself to a job,” his father declared after a long draw from the mug. “If I paid you to lounge around down at the river with your friends, you’d take well enough to it.” Ephraim Chadwick slammed down his mug, shattering the cup into several pieces, causing coffee to soak into the wooden counter and floor. “You’ll never amount to anything if you don’t set your mind to it.”

Trenton forced the memory from his mind and got up just as the man with the booming voice declared it was time to put an end to government telling free enterprise what to do. Trenton couldn’t agree more. After all, he was about the free enterprise of gambling, and more than once he’d felt the confines of government as it declared laws against his trade.

He smiled. The men at that table would no doubt give little consideration to Trenton’s line of business, although Trenton would be willing to wager money that he’d see these men in a game or two before the week was out.

He paid for the meal, then made his way outside. He mounted his horse, a black gelding he’d bought in Texas, and rode silently to the more advantageous part of town. A collection of saloons and bathhouses was interspersed between hotels and other businesses. Choosing the classier establishments, Trenton urged the horse to the left.

“Trenton Chadwick! Trenton!”

The feminine voice sounded from behind him, and shifting in the saddle, Trenton found Annabelle Tevis waving and calling to him. She wore a more respectable cut of dress than he’d seen her in the last time they’d shared company.

“I didn’t realize you were back in Omaha,” she declared breathlessly as Trenton dismounted.

“I just got here. It’s good to see you.” And it was good. In spite of his need to refrain from commitments and relationships, seeing a friendly face was always comforting.

“Are you still working at the Looloo?” he asked as he tied the black to a hitching post in front of the hotel.

“Oh no. My brother makes a good living and he’s helping me to get respectable,” she announced, tilting her chin up as though she had just assumed some finer quality by merely mentioning respectability.

Trenton pushed back his hat and eyed the young woman. “I guess I didn’t realize you even had a brother.”

“Geoff ’s a good man. He’ll be here in just a minute and I can introduce you. He was mighty happy to hear what you’d done for me.” She pushed an annoying piece of frizzy red hair back into her bonnet and smiled. “There he is. Geoff! Geoff, I’m over here!” she yelled out.

Geoff Tevis looked like the kind of man Trenton had tried to avoid most of his life. The stocky man had the facial set of a bully who would take great pleasure in tormenting his victims. He appeared well muscled but agile, as was noted when a carriage went streaking down the street, nearly running him over. He easily dodged the conveyance, hurling a stream of insults, then crossed to join his sister.

He eyed Trenton suspiciously. “Who are you?” he asked without waiting for an introduction.

“Geoff, this is Trenton Chadwick. He’s the man who saved my life a couple years back.”

Tevis’s expression softened. “So you’re the man. I owe you a big thanks. I appreciate what you did for my sister.”

Trenton relaxed a bit. “No thanks are necessary. I would help any lady in distress.”

“Most wouldn’t have seen my sister as a lady,” Geoff replied. “Most still don’t.”

Trenton didn’t know what to say, so he offered the first thing that came to mind. “I wish I could have given those men as good as they gave me. I’ve always wondered what happened to them.”

Geoff twisted his face into an almost grotesque demonic smile.

“That’s easy to tell,” he replied. “I killed them.”

Trenton had been so dumbfounded by Geoff’s casual statement that it wasn’t until later, when he was seated across from the man in Annabelle’s meager home, that the reality of his situation began to sink in.

Annabelle told proudly of how her brother had hunted and gunned down each of the men responsible for the attack. She felt it was the least they could do for Trenton’s troubles, and it was only fair punishment for what they had intended to do to her.

Trenton could scarcely believe his ears.

“Don’t look so surprised,” Annabelle laughed as she poured Trenton a glass of whiskey. “Geoff ’s a gun for hire. He makes a good living that way.”

Trenton tossed back the contents of the glass without giving it a second thought. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but at times like this he felt the whiskey helped to boost his courage.

Geoff studied him for a response. Trenton met his eyes and found them cold, lifeless. The man appeared to have no regret for his actions.

“I’ve never known a gunfighter. Not personally,” Trenton finally managed.

Geoff laughed at this and Annabelle giggled. “I s’pose most folks wouldn’t have a daily encounter with my kind. Annabelle tells me you’re a gambler.”

Trenton nodded and offered a smile. “Seems safer than what you do.”

Geoff roared at this, but the laughter was cut short when the sound of glass shattering sent them all to the floor. Trenton noticed the rock first. It was about the size of his fist and a note had been tied to it with a bit of twine.

He picked it up and considered it a moment as Geoff rushed to the window. “They’re gone—whoever they were.” He made his way to where Trenton stood. “Gimme that,” he demanded. He tore off the twine and looked the note over. “Those lousy, no-account …” He stopped as he realized Trenton was watching him. “I’ll be back, Annabelle.” He tossed the note aside and stalked out the door, muttering.

Trenton picked up the note as Annabelle began sweeping up the glass. “That’s the second time this has happened, and I’ve only got the one window. Glass ain’t cheap. Don’t know why they can’t just throw the rock at the door.”

Trenton read,
Get out of town by midnight or this will be your last Independence Day celebration
.

“Some folks just don’t know how to deal nice with other folks.”

“Maybe Geoff killed someone they cared about and they’re after revenge,” Trenton offered.

Annabelle shrugged. “They ought to know better. Geoff will kill ’em now for sure.”

Trenton felt weak in the knees at her lack of concern for the lives of those her brother deemed unnecessary. “Maybe he’ll calm down and rethink things.”

Annabelle reached out to take hold of his hand. “It’s when Geoff calms down and rethinks that he takes action. He don’t like folks messing around here. He feels like they blame me for his actions and in truth, some do. It gets pretty lonely.” She rubbed his hand gently.

Trenton didn’t care for the way Annabelle was cozying up to him. She seemed to imply a relationship between them that wasn’t now nor ever had been in existence. “Ah … here …” he said, pulling away. “Let me help clean up that glass.” Trenton went to where Annabelle had swept the shards into a neat little pile.

“Don’t bother with that,” Annabelle said softly. “Geoff won’t be back for some time. Don’t you think it would be nice if you and I was to just have some time to ourselves?”

Trenton felt his breath catch in his throat. The last thing he wanted to do was offend the sister of a gun for hire. He tried to steady his nerves, glancing wistfully at his empty glass.

“Maybe we could talk over another drink,” he suggested.

She smiled. “I can manage that just fine, Trenton. Now, why don’t you sit yourself right down while I get the whiskey.”

Trenton felt much like a fly being coaxed into a spider’s web. He took his seat, his mind spinning in a hundred different directions. His ability to bluff his way through the game completely failed him. Of course, he’d never played this game before. Apparently the rules were quite different.

CHAPTER 31

D
IANNE LOVED LATE OCTOBER IN MONTANA—ESPECIALLY THIS
day. The skies were cloudless and painted in the palest shade of blue. The air held the taste of snow—the promise of winter—yet the valley was splashed with the colors of autumn. It exhilarated and excited Dianne.

Unwilling to pass up the chance to enjoy the day, Dianne had ridden Dolly to the place where she’d first gazed down upon the Vandyke ranch. The valley spread out below, while the Madison Range jutted above. The mountains had been dusted with snow only the night before, and it wouldn’t be long until snow fell in earnest and covered the land.

In another month Dianne would be twenty. It seemed a milestone in her life, but she wasn’t really sure why. In another year, when she turned twenty-one, she would put in for homestead land that adjoined Uncle Bram’s land. That way they could continue to expand the ranch.