“Did you have to fight the Indians?”
“Not once. I never even fired my Spencer carbine other than target practice. My greatest value to my commander was that I could speak Lakota Sioux.”
“So, you’ve never shot a man?”
“No. I know what you’re going to ask. Will I be able to shoot my father if it becomes necessary?”
“I was going to ask you if you could, but also if you believe that your father was capable of shooting you.”
Jake stared into Sara’s dark blue eyes and for the first time, asked himself that question. He’d only been concerned about what he might have to do after he found his father and hadn’t given a thought to what his father might do.
Sara continued to watch Jake as he tried to answer her question. It was only after she had asked him that she realized he hadn’t considered what his father’s reaction would be when he saw Jake.
After almost two minutes of silence while Sara continued to pet Vulcan, Jake quietly said, “I don’t know what he’ll do. If you’d asked me last month, I would be confident that he wouldn’t even point a pistol at me. But after what he did to my mother, I’m not sure any longer. There are so many things about that horror that are beyond confusing.
“My father was a hard, dispassionate man, but never violent. I can’t imagine what might have triggered such a loud and tragic argument. Another thing that bothers me is why he ran away. I could understand why most men would run, but not my father. I would have thought that he’d just tell the men that she’d fallen and hit her head on the fireplace. No one would have questioned him.”
Sara said, “Maybe after he hit her harder than he had realized, he was so ashamed for what he’d done that he felt he had to leave rather than face you when you returned.”
“That’s possible, I suppose. I just don’t know. I haven’t even been back to the ranch for three years, and something could have come between my parents during that time. My mother never mentioned any troubles with my father in her letters but wouldn’t have included any problems even if they’d become serious. She knew that if she had, I’d return quickly, and she wouldn’t have wanted me to come back to face my father. None of the men on the ranch knew anything was wrong either.”
“But you’re still leaving on Tuesday to find your father.”
“I have to find him, Sara. I want him to tell me why he killed my mother. I doubt if he has any excuse that could justify what he did, but I want to hear what happened. Dave only heard their loud and muffled argument inside the house, but not what started it. Only my father can tell me what led to my mother’s death on the second of July. I’d much rather talk to him than shoot him, but it won’t be my choice. It’ll be his.”
Sara then took his hand and said, “Let’s go talk to Emmett.”
Jake nodded then stepped out of the stall towing Sara with him. When they started walking to the big doors, she said, “I still expect you to buy me lunch tomorrow, Mister Elliott.”
Jake smiled as he replied, “Yes, ma’am.”
Not surprisingly, as soon as they emerged from the barn, there was a full audience of male spectators aligned near the corral wearing assorted grins. Dave seemed to have recovered sufficiently to join the crowd, and even Emmett was in line with the others.
Jake tried to release Sara’s hand, but she wouldn’t let him before he said, “Prepare yourself for some off-color comments, but at least they’ll all be directed at me.”
As they continued to approach the currently silent bachelors, Sara said, “Feel free to fire back, Jake. If you don’t, then I might launch my own salvo.”
Jake softly snickered as they neared the corral and didn’t doubt that she could verbally emasculate each one of them.
They stopped just six feet in front of Dave Forrest and before any of them could launch his first barb, Jake said, “Be careful what you say in front of the future Mrs. Elliott. I may become your boss, but she’ll be mine. I’m not ashamed to admit it, either.”
After they laughed, snickered and chuckled, Dave removed his hat, bowed and swept his Stetson in a wide arc as he said, “Thank you for making Jake your responsibility, ma’am.”
Sara curtsied then replied, “I intend to, kind sir.”
Dave then asked, “Will you be able to talk him out of leaving, Miss Smith?”
“I won’t even try. I understand why he needs to go.”
Dave looked at Jake but didn’t say anything. When John Hatcher had popped into his house to tell him that Sara Smith was visiting Jake. Dave hoped to convince her to add her voice of reason to his. After learning that she was alone with him in the barn after spending forty unsupervised minutes with her in the house, he hoped he wouldn’t even need to have Miss Smith change his mind. But after seeing Sara’s determination shattered that notion.
Sara then said, “Emmett, did you find your horse?”
“Bill helped me. He’s a really nice five-year-old chocolate gelding with black boots. He said I could have a whole set of tack, too.”
“Well, mister, you’d better have him select another one for Orville. My fiancé has generously donated a second horse to your brother. After you have both horses and their tack tied to the buckboard, bring it to the front of the house and I’ll join you.”
Emmett looked at Bill Jackson, who beckoned him to
