The Rancher Takes a Cook (2 page)

Making her way down the street, a stirring
by the livery caught her attention. Anna squinted to make out what
was happening. Three figures in blue pushed something back and
forth between them. A gasp slipped from Anna’s throat. Not
some
thing
, some
one
. She hurried toward the crowd
beginning to form around the men. As she neared the group, Anna’s
chest clamped like a vise. The form these soldiers were tossing
back and forth like a rag doll looked alarmingly familiar.
Edward.

Rushing forward like a bull, Anna charged
through the crowd and planted herself in the middle of the three
jeering men. “What are you doing?” she demanded, hands planted on
her hips. She drew back her shoulders and forced a hardened look
onto her face. “Leave him alone.”

The man holding Edward let him drop to the
ground in a lanky heap and stepped closer. Out of the corner of her
eye, she glimpsed Edward scrambling back. At least he was still
conscious. She turned her focus back to the man…and almost cowered.
He had a big mop of thick, almost-black hair that swooped down over
his eyes, and a full-grown beard. If she could have likened him to
an animal, he would have been a bear.

“Well, lookee here, boys. We got us a female
to play with, too,” the man growled. He reached toward Anna and
grabbed her arm with his big paw. She struggled, but his grip was a
solid clamp.

In an instant, Edward grabbed the man’s free
arm to pull him away. “Take your hands off my sister!”

A flash of annoyance crossed the man’s face
as another of the soldiers snatched Edward and dragged him back.
“Sister?” the bear-man sneered, keeping his attention focused on
Anna. “You mean your father was a yellow-livered Johnny Reb, too?”
Gripping both of her arms, the man jerked Anna to his massive
chest. “That’s too bad, pretty little rebel. ’Cause we were gonna
have some fun with you.” The man’s tobacco-laced breath clouded her
face, and her lungs refused to fill, despite the galloping in her
chest.

“Private, unhand that woman.” The sharp
command forced Anna’s captor to look up, thrusting her away from
him. Anna wheeled around to face the new threat. Another man clad
in a blue uniform sat astride a chestnut horse. His jaw clenched
tight, and fire radiated from his glare.

“Corporal. I, uh, was just, uh, reprimanding
a civilian, sir. She and her brother were being insolent toward our
men, and I was letting her know that behavior would not be
tolerated.” Some of the bully left the man’s tone, but he kept one
giant hand clenched around Anna’s upper arm.

“I
said
release her,” the corporal
snapped. The soldier obeyed at last, shoving Anna so she had to
scramble to stay on her feet. “I think you’ve made your point. You
men can be on your way, and I’ll make sure this woman and her
brother don’t cause you any more trouble.”

The look the Corporal gave her when he said
‘this woman’ made Anna’s blood run cold. His penetrating gaze
started at her face then roamed down her body and back up again,
hovering everywhere it shouldn’t. Anna wanted to wrap herself in a
big lumpy blanket, despite the scorching Texas sun.

The bear-man turned with a “hmmph” under his
breath and stomped off.

“The rest of you folks, go on about your
business,” the Corporal said to the crowd that had gathered.
“There’s nothing more to see here.”

Anna spun to find Edward and gasped at his
face. Blood trickled from a cut on his lip and another on his right
cheekbone. Dirt and hay clung to his mussed hair, giving him a
pitiful look.

Grabbing his arm, Anna whispered, “C’mon,
let’s get out of here. “ She glanced back at the Corporal to make
sure his attention was distracted then pulled Edward into a group
of men that ambled in the direction of the Mercantile. She prayed
they could blend with the crowd until they were far enough away
from the Yankee Corporal not to attract his attention again.
Anonymity was a welcome relief at the moment.

A few days later, Anna stood in Aunt Laura’s
kitchen, elbow-deep in hot, sudsy water. The pungent odor of lye
tickled her nose. The repetitive action of scrubbing kept her body
focused, while her mind had opportunity to examine topics she’d
pushed aside.

She wrung out Edward’s brown work shirt and
handed it to Aunt Laura to hang on the line they’d rigged across
the kitchen. The patter of raindrops on the roof had forced them to
keep the laundry duties inside for the day, but Anna didn’t mind as
long as she wasn’t out under the scorching sun that seemed to be a
Texas standard. She wished it was as easy to escape her
worries.

The memory of Edward being tossed back and
forth between the soldiers, face covered in dirt and blood, was
imprinted in her mind. And why had they done it? For no better
reason than because he was the son of a Confederate soldier. A man
who had taken action to stand for his beliefs, the same way these
soldiers had. Of course, her father was much nobler than these
good-for-nothing ruffians. He never would have pushed around
innocent women or children. Her insides seethed all over again.
Were all Union soldiers so mean-hearted? Papa had always said there
were good and bad men in every lot. She and Edward would need to be
careful to mind their own business until things settled down.

The two women worked side by side, the
silence between them companionable. At last, Aunt Laura spoke.
“You’re not happy here are you, my dear.” It was a statement, not a
question. Aunt Laura had always been intuitive, and her caring
nature made her an easy confidante.

Anna cringed and let out a breath. “Oh, Aunt
Laura, I’m just so worried—about Edward, the soldiers, our future.
You and Uncle Walter have been so good to us. I hope you don’t
think I’m ungrateful. But I keep thinking I should be doing
something more to protect Edward and make a home for us here. We
can’t trespass on your hospitality forever, and I’ll eventually
have
to find a way for us to have our own home. I just
haven’t figured out how to do that yet. I keep feeling like I’m
missing something—that God has a bigger plan for us, but I can’t
find it.”

“Anna dear, you can’t take on the world by
yourself. Give it a little time and you’ll see that God will work
all things together for good, as long as you stay in His will.”

The lines around Aunt Laura’s eyes deepened.
“Edward seems to be enjoying himself, except for his run-in with
the soldiers. That boy loves doing odd jobs around town. Did you
hear the stories he told at supper last night? He seems to be
enamored with the cowboys that come into the blacksmith shop,
spinning their wild tales about the cattle and living on the range.
It wouldn’t surprise me if he joined on to a ranch one of these
days.”

A new tightness settled over Anna’s chest.
“You don’t think so, do you? I know Edward’s a capable horseman. Pa
made sure we were both competent in the saddle. But there’s no way
he could be a cowboy. That’s way too dangerous.”

Aunt Laura chuckled. She opened her mouth to
respond but was interrupted when the door banged open and Edward’s
lanky form shuffled into the room, one hand over his eye and the
other holding his head.

“Edward. What’s wrong?” Anna dropped the wet
pants she’d been scrubbing and was by his side in an instant,
leading him toward a chair. “Here, sit down.”

“Oh…” He moaned, plopping down and leaning
back to look at her through his one uncovered brown eye.

“What in the world happened to you? Where
are you hurt?” Anna perched in the chair across from him and rested
a hand on his bony knee.

“It was those blasted soldiers again. I was
cleaning stalls at the livery, minding my own business, and two of
’em appeared out of nowhere. I tried to be polite, but they kept
insultin’ Pa and I couldn’t take it no more. I got in a couple good
licks, but then one of ’em caught me from behind and the next thing
I knew I was on the ground with boots flying all around and into
me. I must’ve got knocked out ’cause when I woke up, Mr. Tucker was
swinging a pitchfork and yellin’ at ’em to get out of his barn. He
helped me wash up, then sent me home.”

Anna gasped and sat back in her chair, fire
burning her insides. How could anyone be so cruel as to hit an
innocent boy like Edward, especially soldiers who’d been put there
to protect the town? It was unthinkable.

“Stay right there, dear boy,” Aunt Laura
crooned, peeling his fingers back to examine the already darkening
skin around Edward’s eye. “I’ll bring you a damp cloth and a
poultice for your eye.”

Edward nodded and leaned back in his chair
with a sigh. “I didn’t mean to get in a fight with them, sis.
Honest. I just couldn’t stand them talkin’ about Pa like he was
some black-hearted murderer.”

The earnest expression in Edward’s good eye
was more than Anna could take. “I know it, love. You relax now and
let Aunt Laura tend to you. I’ll be back in a little bit.” She rose
and grabbed her bonnet from the peg by the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Army headquarters.” Before he could
protest, she slipped out the door and held her breath as the latch
clicked into place. She had to get away before Aunt Laura returned
to the room and stopped her. The wisest thing would be to let Uncle
Walter handle the situation, but she was not about to sit back and
allow someone else to fight her battles, especially when Edward’s
safety was at stake.

With a determined step, she strode through
the mercantile and out the front door. She was met by a steady rain
that drenched her hat and shoulders within seconds. No matter. A
little rain wouldn’t melt her. Hurrying through the streets while
dodging mud puddles proved challenging enough, but she had to
glance up periodically to make sure she was headed in the right
direction. Uncle Walter had said the soldiers were encamped on Live
Oak street, a few roads over.

At last, the double row of tents came into
view, and Anna pushed forward. As she neared a larger tent with a
sign that read
Headquarters
, Anna began to have second
thoughts. What was she thinking, waltzing right in the middle of a
Yankee camp, unescorted, and looking like a muddy, wet dog?
Probably smelling like one, too. Would they throw her out? Or
worse, hold her prisoner?

Taking a deep breath, she sent a prayer
heavenward. Lord, You promised You would never leave me or forsake
me. Right now, I really need Your help. Please protect me and help
me to protect Edward. With a weight lifted from her shoulders, she
marched toward the Headquarters sign and knocked on one of the
wooden posts holding up the canvas.

“Come in,” called a deep voice from
inside.

Come in? She had expected to be questioned
by a guard and searched, not invited in like an expected guest.
Peering inside, two uniformed men sat around a small table, a stack
of papers between them. Their eyes connected with her and widened.
They rose and removed their hats.

“Please come in, madam.” The deep voice
boomed from the man on the right as he gestured to the dry ground
in front of him. His face looked a little older than middle-aged,
but the silver in his hair made him look a decade older than that.
The stripes on his blue wool jacket proclaimed him to be a
Major.

She approached, eyeing both men as she gave
a quick curtsey. One glance at her water-logged and drooping attire
sent a pang of regret through Anna’s chest. Why hadn’t she stopped
to grab an umbrella?

“It’s not often we receive the honor of a
visit from a lovely lady, especially on a dreary day like today. To
what do we owe such an honor?”

Heat rose to Anna’s cheeks, and she dipped
her head, but then Edward’s blackened eye flashed through her mind
and she raised her chin. “Please pardon my intrusion, Major…” She
paused, waiting for him to provide a name.

“Barnes. Major Barnes,” he supplied.

“…Major Barnes,” she continued. “My name is
Miss Anna Stewart and I have an important matter that must be
addressed immediately.”

“Indeed, Miss Stewart. I am pleased to make
your acquaintance,” the older man said with a slight bow. “May I
introduce you to Captain Randall?” He pointed to the slender man
next to him.

The Captain also bowed, his heavy mustache
and somber manner giving him the appearance of an undertaker. “A
pleasure, Miss Stewart.”

Major Barnes turned back to Anna and waved
toward a chair near the entrance of the tent. “Won’t you please be
seated?”

Anna sat and, after inhaling a deep breath,
began her tale. She spoke through the lump in her throat as she
recounted the story of the three soldiers who had harassed them on
the street then told of the same soldiers who had sought out Edward
to taunt and beat him. “Even after he lay unconscious on the
ground, they continued to kick and abuse him. Not stopping until
the livery owner accosted them with a pitchfork.” Anna’s voice
pleaded as she finished the tale.

The Major’s face looked suddenly worn, his
eyes tired and sad. “I am so sorry, Miss Stewart, for the
ill-treatment you and your brother have experienced at the hands of
my men. It is not our intent to be cruel to the people of Seguin
but to help restore peace and a sense of unity. It saddens me to
say, though, that some of my soldiers still bear a grudge for those
who fought against them during the War. I will make every effort to
squelch such vile behavior and punish the offenders. I do
appreciate you bringing it to my attention.”

Anna’s shoulders relaxed as relief washed
over her. Her mission had been accomplished and this man would help
to make things better for them. With a grateful smile she said, “I
thank you, Major Barnes, for hearing me out and for your attention
to this matter.”

Rising, Anna turned to leave the tent but
stopped as the Major called to her. “Please, Miss Stewart, won’t
you stay until the rain stops? If you’ll wait, I will have one of
my men escort you home.”