Last Chance Cowboys Read online

  “I’ve been trying to find a time when we could talk. I hate that I can’t just come calling like any normal person.” He glanced at her, feeling suddenly shy. He saw how the evening wind played with tendrils of her hair. “You’ve taken a risk coming here.” He hoped that was a good sign.

  “Reverend Moore spoke with you?” She kept glancing back over her shoulder as if expecting any minute to be discovered.

  “Yes. We have his blessing if you—”

  “And you are convinced this is best?”

  He stepped forward and placed his hands gently on her shoulders, which made her look directly at him. “Nellie, who knows what’s best or not? This feels like something that will change things—certainly for the two of us, and perhaps for the entire territory. It’s a gamble, but one I am willing to take. The question is, are you?”

  “We’re really just strangers,” she said softly, speaking more to herself than to him.

  “I can’t argue with you there.”

  “You can’t be sure this is the right thing,” she persisted.

  He chuckled and bent his head so that their foreheads were touching over the barbed wire fencing that separated them. “Oh, Nellie, if there is one thing you and I both know, it’s that it’s impossible to know what’s right.” He stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “But it feels like something that we could make work if you’re willing.”

  She closed her eyes but did not move away. “I wish…”

  He felt a tear slide down her cheek, and although he wanted more than anything to take her in his arms and assure her everything would work out, the sharp prongs of the wire fencing made such closeness impossible, so he stepped away. Her tears confused him. Was she grieving her late husband, wishing he was the one standing before her?

  Trey cleared his throat. “Tell you what. I’ll make the plan with Reverend Moore and get word to you once it’s in place. It’ll take a few days at least, so you’ll have time to think about the idea.”

  “I should get back,” she said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Stop coming here, Trey. It’s far too dangerous.” She gathered her skirt and turned away.

  “Nellie?”

  She paused but did not look back at him.

  “I’ll set everything up and get word to you, but even then, it’s your choice. If you come, we’ll be married and figure things out together from there.”

  “And if I don’t come?”

  “Then I won’t bother you again.”

  She nodded and walked determinedly up the path. Trey watched her go and tried to recall the last time in his life something had seemed as important to him as winning the hand of Nell Stokes did now.

  * * *

  Later that week when Addie arrived for her biweekly visit to check in on Joshua, she handed Nell a sealed envelope. “Read this in private,” she muttered, her body turned away from Lottie and Henry, who were both seated on the porch. It’s from Trey, she mouthed.

  “What are you two whispering about?” Henry demanded.

  Addie faced him with a smile. “Matters of the female sort. Nothing that would interest you, Mr. Galway.”

  Nell saw the scowl that crossed Henry’s face. He did not like being dismissed, and he did not like Addie. She crumpled the envelope and shoved it into the pocket of her dress.

  “Lottie, it’s good to see you looking so much better,” Addie said. “Perhaps I could check you over as long as I’m here? Just to be certain there are no lingering effects from your recent illness.”

  “She’s fine,” Henry grumbled as he stood, glanced briefly at his wife, then stalked off toward the barn.

  Addie raised her eyebrows at Nell before entering the house and calling out for Joshua.

  Lottie sighed. “He’s got a lot on his mind,” she said to no one in particular as she watched her husband enter the barn.

  “Has he made the arrangements for the meeting with the cattlemen?” Nell asked.

  “Ernest and him have been talking about it. Ernest thinks it may be a trap.”

  “But Trey…Mr. Porterfield agreed to let the herders set the time and place and include Reverend Moore. Surely, they would not do anything with the minister there.” She was well aware that Lottie had not heard anything she’d said from the moment Nell had uttered Trey’s given name.

  “This Porterfield man seems to have caught your fancy, Nell. You’ll want to be careful. People are talking, and Henry says you’re in danger of losing everything if that man gets his way. Henry went to the bank just the other day to see how he might secure your property. It’s the reason why we came calling today. Henry wants to discuss something the banker suggested about him taking over for you as a kind of protector.” Nell mused that though Lottie was always demure when her husband was nearby, she did have one quirk—whenever Henry wasn’t around, she was almost bursting to tell whatever news she might have been privy to hearing. And today, that news was all about Nell.

  “But surely, I would have to agree to anything—”

  “I don’t know. I heard Henry tell Ernest there are ways around that. You know he wants you to marry Ernest, and if you ask me, where would be the harm?”

  Nell was practically speechless. Lottie knew what Ernest had done, and she was still defending the idea of a union between them? “You can’t mean that,” she finally managed.

  Lottie frowned. “Henry says you have this way of thinking you’re better than others. It’s not an attractive trait, Nell. I don’t see eligible men lining up here to take on you and Joshua or the debt of this place. Ernest is ready and willing to do that.”

  “And it doesn’t matter that I don’t love the man—really don’t even like him?”

  Lottie waved a dismissive hand. “Love? You had love with Calvin. You’re too old to play those schoolgirl games, Nell. You need to be practical and do what’s best for you and the boy.”

  Fortunately for Lottie, Nell had no chance to express her outrage. Joshua came running down the inside stairs and slammed open the screen door of the house. “Ma! Doc Addie says I’m better.” He was breathless but beaming by the time he covered the short distance from the front hall to where Nell sat in the wooden swing. He sat next to her and kicked the swing into motion.

  “That’s wonderful news, Joshua.” She looked up as Addie joined them on the porch. “Has there really been some change for the better?”

  Addie grinned. “Well, this young man is not exactly going to be running races anytime soon, but yes, the signs are there. Reminds me of when Trey started to improve—little by little—and just look at him today.”

  Lottie coughed, and Addie turned to her. “How about let’s have a listen to those lungs of yours, Mrs. Galway? Just to make sure they’ve cleared up.”

  “No, thank you.”

  Nell did not miss the way Lottie glanced toward the barn as if expecting her husband to overhear.

  “No charge,” Addie said.

  “I am fine, really.” Each word was bitten off.

  Addie shrugged and turned her attention back to Nell. “I’d like to get Joshua back into my office for another round of those breathing treatments,” she said. “And I might have promised Isaac that Joshua could be coming to spend another night or two with us,” she added with a grin. “I’m headed back to town when I leave here, and it being Saturday, he could stay over and you could collect him tomorrow after church. How does that sound?”

  Nell could feel Joshua’s body twitch with excitement. She placed a hand on her son’s knee and looked up at Addie. “You really think the breathing treatments are making a difference?”

  “They are, Ma. I can tell,” Joshua said.

  “I don’t see why these so-called treatments can’t be handled right here,” Lottie interjected. “After all, it’s nothing but steam.”

  Maybe it was the earlier conversation about Henry’s
plans for her future left unfinished, but suddenly Nell had had quite enough of her brother and his wife making decisions for her. “Go pack your Sunday clothes and your nightshirt,” she told Joshua, who was off the swing and through the door before she finished speaking. “And don’t forget your comb and toothbrush,” she called after him.

  Addie took Joshua’s place on the swing, and for a moment, it felt like the two of them against Lottie. Lottie stood when she saw Henry returning to the house from the barn. He stopped at the wagon he and Lottie had arrived in to retrieve a thin leather pouch, one Nell recognized as something he only used to transport important documents.

  He stepped onto the porch. “Nell, if you and the doctor are finished, we need to talk—in private.”

  “All right,” Nell agreed. She had learned long ago to gather her facts before making a decision. Lottie’s gossip had been upsetting, but perhaps she had misunderstood. Henry might not always make the best choices for her welfare, but she had little doubt that he took his responsibilities as her protector seriously.

  She turned to Addie. “Thank you for everything. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Addie stood and hugged her, then set about the task of putting away her stethoscope and closing her black medical bag. At the same time, Lottie seemed inclined to join her husband and Nell in the house.

  Nell had no intention of discussing the business of the ranch in front of her sister-in-law. “Lottie, would you be so kind as to make sure Joshua has what he needs and hurry him along so we don’t delay Doc Addie further?”

  Lottie pursed her lips and looked up at her husband.

  “Well, go on,” he grumbled. “We all need to get home before dark.”

  While Lottie went upstairs to Joshua’s bedroom, Nell led the way to the dining room, where she pulled out a chair, sat, and folded her hands in her lap. “What is this about, Henry?”

  He cleared his throat, laid out several official-looking documents, and took the chair opposite hers. “As you know, Nell, I have only your best interests at heart.”

  “I am grateful for that. What is all this?”

  The last item he pulled from the pouch was a fountain pen. He twisted the cap off and handed it to her as he slid one of the papers toward her. “I need you to sign here.” He pointed to a blank line toward the bottom of the page.

  Nell ignored the proffered pen and picked up the paper. “You haven’t answered my question. What is this?” She began to read, and while the language was English, the words made little sense to her.

  Henry snatched the document away and laid it back on the table. “Simply put, it appoints me as guardian for you and Joshua.”

  “And for this ranch?”

  “I’m not trying to steal your land, Nell.”

  “But you would be in charge? You would be the final word in any decisions to be made?”

  “Nell, you need someone to take control of this place. If you marry Ernest, then the problem is solved, but I know you’ve got a problem with him, so this is the next best thing.”

  “And what if I choose to marry someone else?”

  Henry actually laughed. “If that day ever comes, little sister, I will gladly relinquish my position to your new husband. But face facts. If you turn Ernest down, there aren’t many other options, and for the near future, you need protection. With me in charge, we can share the hired help and combine the flocks. You and Joshua can go on living here or go someplace else—move into town if you like.”

  She could see that in his way, Henry was truly concerned for her welfare. This was not about taking her land or livestock. But if she gave him control of the ranch, she gave him control of her life—her future.

  Gathering the papers and stacking them, she stood and reached for the leather pouch. “Give me a few days to read through these and try to understand them, perhaps review them with Reverend Moore and seek his counsel,” she said.

  Henry stood as well. He was not happy, but he agreed with a curt nod. “Don’t put this off, Nell. Right now, you’ve got two options—marry Ernest or sign the papers. Make your choice, and let’s get on with it.” He slapped on his hat and headed for the porch. “Lottie, let’s go,” he shouted as he went.

  Three options, Nell thought. If she was going to marry anyone, at the moment, her choice would be Trey Porterfield. She slid the papers back inside the pouch and carried them to the desk dominating one corner of the sitting room. She had always thought of it as Calvin’s desk, but these days, this was where she sat to study reports related to the flock and to work through the tight budget that kept the ranch in operation.

  After placing the satchel on the desk, she thrust her hands into the pockets of her skirt and felt the crumpled edges of the envelope. She took it out, opened it, and pulled a single sheet of paper free.

  I am counting on the fact that Addie has persuaded you to let Joshua stay the weekend. Reverend Moore has given us his blessing. Come to the falls at sundown…alone. If you have changed your mind, I understand, but I will wait there.

  The message was signed simply: Trey.

  No endearment, but why would there be? The union he had proposed was a business arrangement, nothing more.

  * * *

  Juanita stood in the shadows of the corridor that led from the kitchen to the bedrooms and watched. Trey stared at himself in the mirror, smoothed back his hair, then put on his Stetson, brushed off his shoulders, and softly closed the door to his room.

  “Where are you off to now, Trey Porterfield?” She spoke in a normal tone, but Trey flinched, and she knew he’d been unaware of her presence. Juanita had a sixth sense when it came to the offspring, both Porterfield and her own. Jess had once accused her of being able to smell when they were up to something, and she definitely smelled something amiss now. “Well?” she pressed.

  “I’ve got a meeting,” he mumbled.

  “With?”

  He hesitated. “Reverend Moore,” he replied.

  Because his voice held a hint of triumph, she knew he was either lying or not telling her the whole truth.

  “It’s business,” he added.

  Now she was certain he was padding the facts.

  “So after all these years, you’ve found religion?”

  She watched his shoulders slump in defeat.

  Slowly, he turned to face her. “I need to go, Nita. I can’t tell you the whole of it until I know for sure it will all work out, okay?”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  He smiled. “Then we move on, right? Isn’t that what you always told us when we were kids and got upset about something?”

  Juanita moved into the light so she could see him better. “This isn’t about the business with the herders then?”

  He shrugged. “Depends on who’s asking.”

  She punched him hard with her forefinger. “Do not be smart with me, joven.”

  He looked down at her. “I promise you, Nita, if this works out the way I hope, then I think you will be mighty pleased.”

  “And no one will get hurt?”

  Again, she saw his hesitation, but this time, she was pretty sure it was because he hadn’t considered that idea. His smile was the one she remembered from the time he was a sick child, the one where he always tried to put a brave face on his feelings, not wanting to worry his mother—or her.

  “There won’t be trouble, Nita, and I’m in no danger. But I might not get back until morning, so don’t sit up all night worrying.”

  She patted his forearm. “I see you’re determined, and whatever happens, you know Eduardo and I will be here. We are as much your family as any, I guess.”

  Trey kissed her forehead. “You have no idea how much I count on that,” he said softly. Then he straightened and tipped his fingers to the brim of his hat. “Wish me luck,” he said as he turned and left the house.

 
“Oh, mi’jito,” Juanita whispered to herself as she watched him ride away. “I wish you more than luck. I wish you happiness and peace. It’s your turn.” She mentally recited a prayer to the Blessed Virgin, crossed herself, and went back to her kitchen to await the outcome of Trey’s mysterious meeting.

  * * *

  The sun was low and the sky streaked with orange, pink, and lavender as Trey paced the uneven rocky ground that ran up to the falls. Now that spring had mostly passed, the rush of water fed by the melting snows had weakened some, but still gurgled over the rocks in a steady flow. By contrast, the countryside was dangerously arid, and unless they got rain soon, the falls—and the creek they fed—would dry up altogether. But Trey had things other than the weather on his mind.

  Will she come? And even if she does, will she go through with this marriage?

  Reverend Moore had met Trey at the falls and sat on a boulder, his short, stubby legs swinging idly back and forth as he studied the sky and setting sun. He pressed his Bible to his chest with one hand, and Trey suspected he was praying. And well he should. The idea that a marriage between Trey and Nell would change minds on either side was a long shot at best and downright foolhardy at worst.

  Footsteps on the loose rocks of the path made both men turn. Reverend Moore got to his feet and stepped forward to offer his hand to Nell, guiding her over and around the last of the boulders that led to the apex of the path.

  “I’m here,” she said, slightly breathless from the climb.

  Trey could not help but notice she made the declaration as if she were surprised. He also noticed she did not look at him but kept her focus on Moore. She was wearing a cotton calico dress in shades of blue. Her hair was twisted into a knot at the base of her head. She looked a good deal as she had that first day he’d called on her.

  “Why don’t the two of you sit here?” The minister pointed to a large, flat rock and waited for them to follow his suggestion. They sat side by side, leaving several inches between. Reverend Moore cleared his throat and opened his Bible. “I thought it might be appropriate for us to discuss this union together before we proceed.”