Authors: Kathryn Long
"We are not cowards!" yelled another.
"Please! Please! Listen to me, please," Jorgé begged.
Once again the room grew silent.
"I have five beautiful
niños
," he continued. "I protect my family as any decent man would, but I will
not
let them be a part of something dangerous. And
this
!" He slammed his fist into the open palm of his other hand. "This is dangerous because someone could get hurt … or worse." He stopped at this point and looked around the room as if daring anyone to disagree with him.
"Where will you go?" one man finally asked.
"There is fertile land everywhere. Some much better than here." He looked solemnly at the crowd, nodding his head once or twice. "And a lot safer."
Daniel watched as many began to nod their heads in agreement. How fickle people were. Would they really consider selling and moving away?
Jorgé sensed opinion was shifting his way so he quickly added, "I'm sure we could still get a good price, if we move now, before anything else happens."
Daniel shook the cold feeling that traveled through him as he recalled those conversations with both Emma and Jess yesterday. Was Jorgé just scared for his family, or was it something else?
"Why do you care if anyone else leaves or stays, Señor Thorton?" Daniel asked, hoping to get to the truth.
"Why?" Jorgé looked surprised.
"Yes, Señor." Daniel leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "Just what's in it for you?"
"Why, I don't—What do you mean?" he stammered.
"It's simple. Why do you want them to sell?"
All eyes in the room shifted their gaze toward Jorgé. Faces appeared frozen in motion, not a word, not a sound issued from anyone's lips. This, of course, seemed to have the desired effect on Jorgé, Daniel noticed with satisfaction. Beads of sweat formed on the Mexican's forehead and began dribbling down to his chin and neck. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly as if struggling for something to say.
Finally, he raised a hand to wipe his brow, and while forming a nervous smile, he began once again. "
Mis amigos
, friends, I only want to save you from grief. Many of you," he gestured all around the room, "are as close to me as my own family. I merely wanted to help."
He shrugged his shoulders and lowered his head in what appeared to Daniel as an attempt to seem humble and apologetic. As Daniel glanced at the others, he could see that many were buying into his story. Daniel shook his head in disgust. He was becoming even more suspicious of Jorgé's intentions. He watched as Jorgé began walking toward him, smiling and excusing himself to all along the way. When he reached Daniel, though, the smile turned to a glaring frown. Then he whispered as he passed by Daniel, his hot breath leaving an uncomfortable mark on the Indian ranch hand.
"Don't cause trouble,
amigo
. Or you'll have ten times more coming back to you," he hissed, and then quickly exited the back door.
"Well, what do we have here?" Daniel exclaimed to himself in a low tone so no one would catch his words. He suddenly had the urge to return to the ranch and talk to Jess. Saying a few brief goodbyes, Daniel quickly left the room, which was still full of excited conversation. But all this would have to wait. His steps picked up the pace. Tomorrow, he'd find out from his brother, what, if anything, would be decided on tonight. Right now, he had a more urgent matter to discuss.
* * *
He threw a few small pebbles at her bedroom window. Daniel had realized how late into the evening it was, when he arrived back at the Dusty Rose. Emma would have turned in hours ago. The only way to wake Jess without waking Emma … well, he knew it was kind of lame. He even felt stupid, but he desperately needed to talk to Jess. He sighed impatiently and tossed a few more pebbles. How soundly could she possibly sleep, he wondered irritably? Just then, the window slid open.
"What the …? Daniel! What are you doing?" Jess whispered as loudly as she could, upon seeing Daniel standing below her window.
Daniel smiled apologetically and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, but I really need to talk to you," he urged. "Will you please come down?"
Jess frowned for a few seconds, and then quickly nodded before closing the window.
"Most people use the front door," she lectured, coming outside while placing a jacket over her shoulders.
"I didn't want to wake Emma," he began, but after pausing he added, "Actually, that's not quite true. I really just didn't want Emma to worry."
"Worry?" Jess looked puzzled, then gave an exasperated sigh. "Just what is this all about, Daniel?"
"I was at a very interesting meeting a little bit ago," he started and continued on by describing the incident, particularly Jorgé's conversation, including the threat. "What do you think?" he asked with an anxious tone.
"What do I think about what?" Jess looked clueless.
Impatient, Daniel sighed and blurted out, "About Jorgé's words and his behavior, of course."
"Well, I don't know … Maybe he was nervous?" She ended the statement more as a question, not certain what exactly Daniel was looking for or wanted.
Trying to maintain his patience a little better, he used a different approach. "Remember what Miss Emma suggested as a theory the other night?"
Jess continued to frown and look dazed, Daniel noticed. He was just about ready to give up and walk away when she suddenly gasped.
"You mean about the land?" she whispered as if there was someone else close by to hear and she wanted to keep the news just between her and Daniel.
Daniel was nodding so quickly and forcefully it looked to Jess like his head would bounce right off his neck. The comical image caused her to laugh, but nervously, as she realized what they were suggesting here. "You think Jorgé has anything to do with these accidents?"
"I'm definitely not ruling it out," he exclaimed. Then, he shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking off toward the barn. "What if someone has been trying to scare people with these so-called accidents? And what if Jorgé has been hired to encourage as many ranchers and farmers as he can to sell?"
Jess hurried to keep up with Daniel's vigorous pace. "But why? Why encourage them to sell? You said yourself the soil is poor for crops and the grass too sparse for grazing." She suddenly stopped.
Daniel did likewise and gave her a reproachful glance. "Now what?" he asked
"Daniel," she said, paused a moment, and continued, "And why just the Indian land owners? Why not others? Does that make sense to you?" she finally asked.
Yet, Daniel couldn't think of anything to say. He shoved his hands still deeper into his pockets and continued walking awhile in silence. He didn't even notice Jess fell right into step with him, also quiet in thought. They continued on past the barn, out into the field. Neither one noticed how golden yellow the moon had become nor the scent of the wild prairie flowers carried in the strong breeze of the cool night. However, the cry of a coyote jolted them back into consciousness. Both looked at each other as if it was a surprise to see each other there.
Daniel began to speak first. "Maybe the vandals are afraid to mess with the white community. Remember, I told you most of the Indians don't trust the authorities very much. So, without registering a complaint, nothing gets investigated. I don't know, Jess. Guess I'd need more information or evidence to really figure out an answer to your question. And maybe that's what I should start doing."
"What? Doing what?" Jess asked.
"Well, Miss Emma claims her nephew isn't exactly spending any sleepless nights or moving any mountains trying to use his 'sheriff's talent' to find answers about Fred's attack." He then looked at Jess and smiled slyly. "Maybe he needs a little help."
"Oh, Daniel!" Jess exclaimed. "I like the way you are thinking. Maybe together we can get some answers to all this."
"Whoa, there. Who said anything about
we
?" he replied sternly. "I don't want you getting mixed up in this, Jess. You could get hurt, and then Miss Emma would tan my hide."
"Well, you could get hurt, too!" she argued loudly.
"Yes, but you're …" he began, but quickly cut off the rest of his words. It was too late though. He noticed the anger suddenly coming to Jess' eyes. All at once, Daniel was wishing he could just disappear under a rock or something. Anything to avoid the scene that was about to develop.
"But I'm what, Daniel Ross?"
Her words were biting, like tiny swords being stabbed into him.
"A
girl
?" she emphasized. "Is that what you were thinking?" She was practically spitting out the words now, her anger grown beyond control. After all she had been through the past few weeks, her parents dying, her becoming the head of the household overnight, in charge of two young siblings, and then traveling across half the country to get here. And he was holding
gender
against her? It was just too much.
"I'm sorry, Jess. I didn't mean …" He tried to apologize, but realized the futility of his words. They were trite, overused phrases. Maybe he should just keep quiet.
Sure
, he lectured himself.
Be a coward.
She now came very close to Daniel's face, her body held rigid with her hands gripped tightly into fists, down close to her sides. "I could go on about how this is no longer the dark ages, how women's lib was supposed to imply equality, how as a woman I can take care of a lot more than you obviously believe, but I really don't want to waste my time or energy on deaf, ignorant ears! So, good night!" She hurriedly walked off toward the house and hollered over her shoulder, "Though I hope you don't sleep well, cause I sure as hell won't!"
Daniel winced in emotional pain from all the verbal blows, while he wondered incredulously at how he managed to stick his foot in his mouth all the time. And he speculated on—as he slowly walked back to the house, not very anxious to catch up with Jess—why all this mattered to him. He hardly knew her. She would get over it. Still, he realized miserably, she mattered. More and more, she did matter.
Chapter 14
The Prairie Dog Inn appeared as a dark silhouette in the backdrop of the setting sun and deep purple haze of the surrounding sky. Standing alone, no other sign of manmade intrusion for miles and miles, the structure seemed almost eerie. The only signs of life were parked next to the building. A pick-up truck, red with quite a few chips and scratches, was situated alongside a newer model Jeep. Driving up to the inn cautiously, he glanced around for signs of any movement and let out his breath as he noticed two figures, one familiar to him, walk out the front door of the building. Reaching the parking lot he waved them over.
"'Bout time!" growled the one called Sonny, but with a grin on his face. His companion, however, just stood there, taking puffs off a cigar and remained silent.
"Sorry. Just got into town an hour ago," he explained in a voice that said he really wasn't sorry, then looked over at the quiet member of their group and extended his hand. "I know Sonny, here, but didn't catch your name."