Brave the Wild Wind

Chapter 47

JESSIE was losing track of time. The pain was so bad she could hardly keep from crying out. The constant waiting and hurting was taking a terrible toll. She couldn’t remember ever being so exhausted, yet Magdalena kept saying, “Relax, it will not be for some time yet.”

And then she thought she was dreaming. Chase was there. “I could wring your neck, you know?” His soft tone belied the words.

“I’ve heard that before.”

“This time you’ve gone too far, Jessie.” Anxiety marked his face.

“How was I supposed to know?” she retorted guiltily. “If you’ve come just to holler at me, you can—”

She had to stop. This time, just to spite him, when the pain was at its peak she let out a scream. She was satisfied to see Chase lose every bit of his coloring. Maybe now he wouldn’t snap at her for being such a fool. She knew she’d been a fool.

“Jessie, for God’s sake, you need a doctor!” he whispered urgently.

“I’ve seen a doctor,” Jessie said tiredly, “and Magdalena is in the next room.”

“Where is the doctor?”

“He’ll be back.”

“But he should be here now!”

“To do what? He can’t help me, not until later. I have a long wait yet, they tell me.”

“Christ!”

“I don’t see what you’re getting upset about. I thought you knew more about this than I did.”

“Not about the actual—are you all right? Can I get you something?”

She wanted to laugh.

“Well... there is something I—”

“Anything, Jessie, anything.”

“There is something you can clarify for me.” She had to wait for another pain to pass before continuing. “I... have such vague memories of everything that happened after the ranch burned. Did you... did you bring Kate to me somewhere?”

“Yes, at the hotel the morning before we left Cheyenne. I found her in one of the saloons. She didn’t want to face you, but I thought seeing her might bring you out of your shock. It didn’t.”

“Did I forgive Kate? What did we talk about? Were you right?”

He nodded. “If the woman felt no remorse all these years, I think she does now. If you ask me, that’s very little price she’s paying for what her silence did to you and Rachel. And you didn’t talk to her at all, just stared at her, then turned away.”

Jessie groaned. The pains were getting closer and more intense.

“What happened to Jeb and my men?”

“Jeb said he’d see to letting the others go, but he’d stick around and round up whatever cattle remained. I told him to keep whatever he found. Rachel paid off your debt as a wedding gift, so you owed no one. I didn’t think you’d mind letting Jeb do whatever he liked with the strays.”

“No, of course not. I’m glad. That was very thoughtful of you.”

“He earned it, Jessie.”

“Yes, he sure did. Oh! What about the sheriff?”

“I left descriptions and reward money for Clee, Charlie, and Blue Parker.”

“What about Laton Bowdre?”

“I couldn’t charge him with anything.”

“What?”

“Jessie, Bowdre left town the day before the fire, so he couldn’t be implicated. The man is smart. But maybe not quite smart enough.”

“Chase, tell me what—”

“Your recognizing his hirelings could be his downfall. I talked it out with the sheriff, and he agreed that if he caught any of the three, he would let them go if they volunteered the name of the man who hired them. Clee and Charlie may think loyalty comes first, but I doubt Parker will feel that way. It’s just a matter of finding at least one of them.”

“Do you think there’s any hope of finding them?” she asked anxiously.

“We can always up the reward later,” Chase said.

“With what?” she said sharply. “You’re not exactly rich, you know. And I’m wiped out.”

“Well,” he reminded her, “I did inherit a sizable sum when we found my father.”

“You’re going to keep it?” she asked, surprised.

“I’d be three kinds of a fool to let a bad mood decide the matter. Besides—”

Jessie had tried to hold it in, but this time she couldn’t. The scream sounded horrible even to her. Chase panicked, thinking something had gone wrong. He gripped her hand.

“Jessie, you can’t die, you can’t! I love you! If you die, so help me—”

“You’ll wring my neck?” Jessie said weakly. She looked at him for a long time. “Love me?” she said softly. “You have a fine way of showing it, the way you’ve treated me lately.”

“I was jealous,” he said simply. “Damn it, I’ve never been jealous of anything or anybody before in my life, and now all of a sudden... I didn’t know how to handle it, Jessie. I wanted to scream at you, but I wanted to love you, too. I wanted to fight for you, but I held all the feelings in, afraid I might upset you too much. Believe me, Jessie, if you weren’t pregnant, we would have had this out long ago. I’ve never been more miserable in my life than these last months, being near you but unable to touch you, and afraid to speak my mind. And you kept encouraging Rodrigo—”

“I did not,” she interrupted tartly. Then her voice softened. “Rodrigo is sweet and entertaining, but h ... he’s not you, Chase. I felt nothing at all when he kissed me that one time. I guess just any man won’t do for me.”

Before Chase could reply, Jessie cried out again. Magdalena came in to say that she’d sent for the doctor. She tried to get Chase to leave, but he wouldn’t budge. It wasn’t proper, and she left shaking her head.

Jessie relaxed and gave Chase a reassuring smile. “She’s right. You’d better leave. It’s bad enough that I have to listen to myself yell, but you shouldn’t have to.”

“Don’t be absurd.”

“No, I really would feel better if I didn’t have to worry about you fainting.”

“It’s nothing to joke about, Jessie!”

“I’m sorry, Chase. Would you wait outside, please? I just don’t want you to see me like this.”

He couldn’t refuse such an earnest request, but he left very slowly, his face a mask of worry, looking back at the bed with every step.

“Chase.” Jessie caught him as he was going out the door. “I love you, too.”