Big Sky Homecoming

She sat on the edge of her bed and, as was her practice, read a chapter in her Bible and then said her prayers, adding a special request. God, show me what to believe about Duke. I don’t want to trust his every word out of loneliness and weakness. Yet, if the feud is over, well, I’ll thank You wholeheartedly.

* * *

She wakened with a jolt the next morning, her heart pounding as she bolted from her bed. Something had startled her from her sleep. Hopping on the cold floor, she rushed to look out the kitchen window into the gray, predawn light. Cows, pigs, sheep and chickens milled across the yard. The cows mooed. The sheep baaed and ran around in crazy circles, making the chickens fly up with startled squawks. The pigs rooted through the spot where she occasionally emptied the slop bucket.

She hurried back to her room and donned warm clothes, then grabbed her coat and headed outside to again corral all the animals.

Only once did she stop to stare in the direction of the Caldwell buildings. So much for ending the feud.

Duke had not told her the truth. What else was false? His claim that he wanted to be her friend?

A cold wind whistled down the hill, stinging her eyes, causing them to water. There was no other reason for the tears she dashed from her eyes.

* * *

Duke’s emotions tangled as if they’d been caught in the wind. Disappointment, anger and helpless hope formed a rope that twisted tighter with every breath.

He’d ridden over to the Bells’ so certain Rose would be overjoyed at his announcement. Instead she had questioned his sincerity. She suspected his motives.

Come to think of it, she’d always been on the suspicious side. If he took her an apple, she’d check it for worms. If he found a pretty rock and gave it to her, she’d toss it aside wondering aloud if he meant to insult her.

Mrs. Humphrey had noted his distraction when he’d returned yesterday. “Who you mooning over, Duke?”

Duke had forced a boisterous laugh to his lips. “I’d never moon over anyone. You ought to know that.”

He tried to hold on to that sense of injustice this morning.

Over breakfast Mrs. Humphrey considered him in her motherly way.

He met her doubtful look without blinking as he had last night. “Good breakfast,” he said after a moment of measuring each other.

“Duke, I hope you can manage on your own a few days. I want to visit my son.”

“By all means.” It would be a relief not to have to endure her probing looks. “We can certainly manage.” He included Billy, who sat across from him at the table.

“You can always go to the cookhouse and eat with the men if you get hungry.”

Billy made a sound of distress. It hadn’t taken him long to discover how harsh the cowboys’ teasing could be.

“We’ll be fine.”

Not long after breakfast, when she was ready, he arranged for one of the men to take her to town in the wagon.

He wandered through the house; stood in his father’s office. He was in charge now, but it didn’t seem all that exciting. He returned to the kitchen where Billy sat with his papers and pencil.

“Billy, let’s go visit Rose.”

Billy cheered. “She said I could visit the cats anytime I wanted.” He gave Duke a sideways look. “I like cats.”

Was Billy asking to have a pet? Duke had no objection but would wait to check with Rose before he said anything.

They saddled up and were soon on their way.

It had grown colder in the past couple of days. Winter could not be avoided. Father was away and Duke wondered if there was something he needed to be taking care of. Though Father had assured him Ebner knew what to do.

Duke wanted to help. He wanted to work. But when he’d asked Ebner what to do, the foreman had waved him away.

“I got it under control. I always got it under control. I don’t need some young buck messin’ things up.”

Duke had stared after the man. Young buck? Is that how Ebner saw him? Duke shouldn’t be surprised. Ebner had never been all that friendly to him.

Forget Ebner. Sooner or later he’d learn to respect Duke.

His thoughts flitted ahead to this visit with Rose.

Perhaps if he’d been paying more attention he would have been prepared when a rabbit jumped out in front of King. The horse snorted, reared and got the bit. Knowing he was in control, King bucked.

Duke hung on through the first three bucks but he was off balance, unprepared for King’s behavior, and went flying, his arms windmilling. The ground rushed toward him and clouted him on the forehead. He closed his eyes and gasped for breath. Darkness pushed at the edges of his brain but he fought it off and sat up. The world tilted and spun. Something dripped into his eyes and he rubbed it away.

His hand came away bloody.

The black pushed closer.

“Billy.” He looked around for the man... Where was he? He lifted his head and squinted to focus his vision.

Billy galloped away, leaving Duke alone.

The blackness overwhelmed him.

Chapter Three

“Rose! Rose!”

She turned at the sound of her name. Her heart leaped to her throat as Billy raced toward her on horseback, bouncing as though he’d come unseated any moment.

As Billy reached her side, she grabbed the horse and steadied it. Her heart beat a frantic tattoo against her breastbone at the sight of his tearstained face. “Billy, are you hurt?”

“No. No.” He blubbered out the words.

“What’s wrong?”

Billy’s mouth worked and a few garbled words came out, but nothing she could make sense of.

The muscles in her neck started to spasm. She glanced around, searched the horizon for any sign of danger. It took only a few seconds to assure herself there were no cows racing toward them, no cowboys watching from the crest of the hill. At least with the skiff of snow the risk of fire had been dealt with. She shuddered. Fire was her biggest fear.

She helped Billy to the ground and patted his back, trying to calm him. One of the half-grown cats rubbed around her ankles, giving her an idea. She scooped it up and put it in Billy’s arms. The cat purred and pressed its face to his chest.

As she hoped, the animal calmed Billy and he sucked in a deep breath.

“Billy, what’s wrong?”

A shudder shook the man from head to toe. “Duke.” He choked and couldn’t continue.

“What’s he doing?” Did he have some kind of mischief planned and Billy meant to warn them?

“Hurt,” Billy said, his mouth working as he tried to explain. “Duke hurt.” He patted his head.

“He hurt his head?”

He nodded. “Fell.”

She stroked the cat, pulling Billy’s attention back to the animal.

Billy shuddered again but petting the cat helped him relax. “Duke fell off his horse. Hit his head.” A sob caught in the man’s throat. “Blood. Lots and lots of blood.”

Rose quickly analyzed the information. If Billy had come to the Bells, did that mean Duke was near? She again scanned the horizon, this time looking for either a wandering animal, though King had likely headed for the barn, or an unusual lump on the ground. She saw neither.

“Billy, where is Duke now?”

He turned and pointed.

“Do you remember where?”

He nodded, then his face wrinkled. “Maybe.”

“Wait here while I saddle Hope.” Never before had she clung to her horse’s name but now she did.

Ma stepped from the house wearing a warm jacket. “Is something the matter?”

Rose quickly explained. “Billy’s upset. Can you stay with him?” She introduced the pair and Ma spoke softly and soothingly to Billy.

He wouldn’t go anywhere as long as Ma was there to watch him.

She returned in a few minutes with her horse saddled.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

Her ma nodded. “Billy was telling me how much he likes cats. I asked if he’d like to own this one even if he has to leave it here.”

“I’ll call her Patches ’cause she’s all patchy with different colors.” He rubbed his cheek against her fur.

Patches purred and licked his face.

Grub sat nearby watching.

Billy put the cat down and patted the dog. “I like you, too.”

Relieved that Billy had calmed down, Rose led both horses to his side. “Why don’t you show me where Duke is?”

“Wait a moment.” Ma hurried back to the house and returned shortly with a small sack. “I’ve put in some bandaging and other things you might need.”

“Thanks, Ma.”

Rose indicated Billy should mount up and then swung into her own saddle.

Ma tsked and shook her head but didn’t say anything. She and Pa had long ago given up trying to make her ride sidesaddle.

For a few hundred yards Rose easily followed Billy’s back trail before it disappeared in a mess of cow tracks and trampled snow.

“What direction now?” she asked him.

He looked around, twisting in his saddle to glance back in the direction of the farm. “We just came that way, didn’t we?”

“Yes, Billy. That would take us back to my home.”

He nodded. “I rode there as fast as I could.” His whole body quaked. “I was so scared.”

“Yes, when you saw that Duke was hurt.” She gave him a moment to sort through his thoughts. “Where did Duke fall?”

“On the ground.”

She hid her grin. It was a stupid question. “Was he over there?” She pointed to the north.

“Maybe.”

Good. “Then let’s go find him.”

“Or maybe he was over there.” He pointed south.

“I see.” In other words, Billy didn’t know. Maybe he’d remember something else. “Where were you planning to go?”

“For a ride.”

“Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? Were you going to see someone?”

Billy grinned. “You.”

“Me?” Why would Duke want to visit her? She hadn’t been exactly welcoming yesterday and didn’t much care to see him again after she’d spent several hours sorting animals and getting them into their proper pens this morning. “Why?”

Billy ducked his head. “’Cause he likes you.”

She sputtered. Then forced herself to relax. This was Billy talking. He saw what he wanted to see. She sat back and considered her surroundings. The most direct route between the two places would be over that hill. She nudged her horse in that direction.

From the crest of the hill she could see no sign of Duke or his horse. “Did you come this way?”

“Maybe.” A cry choked off the word.

He didn’t know and couldn’t tell her. She’d have to figure it out herself. She took a deep breath. Think. This was Duke. Would he take the most direct route? No. Not anywhere near. He’d take the most dangerous, the most challenging. That meant he’d ride along the escarpment and cross the coulee that lay to the west.

She reined her horse in that direction. She had to confess it was one of her favorite places. From the top, she often observed deer feeding in the coulee and hawks circling overhead. There’d been a nest she’d looked down on in the early part of summer to watch the baby hawks.

She reached the coulee. Some vicious rocks lay scattered across the snow-crusted slopes. If Duke had hit his head of one of those—

She shuddered. She’d imagined finding him injured but perhaps his injuries were beyond help.

Her breath whooshed out when she didn’t see a body anywhere. Perhaps she’d been mistaken in thinking he’d come this way. “Do you remember this place?” she asked Billy.

He nodded. “Maybe.” Then his eyes focused. “Duke wasn’t with me.”

Rose tried to understand what Billy meant. Had they been on this route but Duke had fallen before they reached this place? Only one way to find out.

She made her way across the coulee and climbed the upward path. From there she could see several miles in every direction, clear to the trees filling the hollow toward the Caldwell buildings. And there was no sign of Duke.

Billy jumped to the ground. “He was here.” He pointed. “He’s gone.” He turned his face upward, his eyes wide. “He’s gone to Heaven.”

“No, Billy. I don’t think so.” At least not from this spot because there was no body.

She dismounted and bent to examine the ground where Billy stood. There was a rock and a large dark spot. Blood. Lots of blood. She shivered. Duke might be a Caldwell and a royal pain, but she had no wish to see him dead. She looked around.

Her heart clinging to the back of her throat, she went to the edge of the cliff and looked down. But there was no sign of Duke or his horse. Had the horse remained with him and Duke was now riding homeward?

She swung into the saddle, indicated Billy should do the same, and rode toward the Caldwell Ranch. She veered to the right of the trees.

A movement caught her eye. Something was in there among the stark branches and dark shadows. It could be a deer or even a bear. Or perhaps Duke’s horse. Should she check? She didn’t want to waste time but neither did she want to neglect caution. She reined in and peered into the shadows.

There it was again; something lurching from shadow to shadow. She blinked hard. “Duke?”

Billy hit the ground running. “Duke, you ain’t dead.”

The figure folded to the ground.

Rose dismounted and hurried after Billy.

By the time she caught up with him, he’d squatted beside Duke who was struggling to sit up.

Blood covered his face and soaked the front of his coat. He rubbed his eyes to clear the dripping blood and squinted up at them. But it was plain that he couldn’t bring them into focus.

She squatted in front of him and took his chin to bring his gaze to her. “Duke, do you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

Which was more than she could say about his answer. He sounded as if his tongue had gone to sleep.

“Don’t die, Duke. Please don’t die.” Billy sobbed the words.

Duke pulled his legs up and tried to get to his feet. “Got to go home.”

Yes, she needed to get him back to the ranch where he could get warm and have his wound tended.

“Billy,” she said calmly, “can you bring the horses?”

He got started on the assignment without answering.

She turned back to Duke and gently pressed him back to the ground. “Relax. We’ll get you home.”

He nodded, groaned at the movement and grabbed his head. “Hurts.”

“I expect so.” She touched his forehead, trying to see the cut through the blood. It looked deep, deep enough to mar his handsome features. Could he handle knowing that?

Billy led the horses forward.

Rose considered her options. She’d like to put Duke on Billy’s horse and let Billy hold him on the ride to the Caldwell Ranch, but Billy was scrubbing tears from his face. She couldn’t count on him to know what to do.

She pulled Hope close. “Help me get Duke on my horse,” she instructed Billy.

Between them they pulled Duke upright. He wobbled so badly she staggered under his weight. “Grab the saddle horn,” she told him as she wrapped his fingers around it. “Hang on.” She and Billy boosted him into the saddle and she climbed up behind him. She sat back, reluctant to hold him as intimately as this ride would require.

He listed to the south. Billy grabbed him. “What if he falls again? I don’t want him to go to Heaven today.”

“He won’t.” She wrapped her arms around Duke and pressed tight to his back. “He won’t.” Though whether she meant fall or die, she wasn’t prepared to say.

He groaned and tried to reach his head but his arms were firmly pinned at his sides.

“You’re okay now,” she soothed. “I’ll soon have you home.”

He grunted and leaned into her hold as she urged Hope to move forward.

Billy followed on horseback. “Is this my fault?”

“Of course not. Why would you think that?”

“’Cause I’m stupid and do stupid things.”

“Oh, Billy, don’t you believe that. Besides, we all do stupid things at times.” Anger twisted inside her, both at the knowledge that this gentle man had been made to feel that way and because Duke had chosen to ride a horse that almost killed him. “Such as how smart is it to ride a horse you can’t control?”

Duke mumbled something but she couldn’t make sense of his ramblings.

“You’ll soon be home safe and sound,” she murmured.

He mumbled again and seemed to snuggle into her arms. It sounded as though he’d said, “Nice.”

Heat stole up her cheeks. Surely he didn’t mean having her arms around him. It was only to keep him from falling on his head again. She marginally relaxed her hold but he swayed and she fought his weight to keep him in the saddle. She had no choice but to hold tight.

The ranch buildings came into sight. She glanced around. Now would be a good time for that obnoxious foreman, Ebner, to show up and offer a hand. Or anybody.

But apart from the neigh of King who stood outside the corral wanting in, there wasn’t another living, moving being to be seen.

She rode up to the front of the house and stopped at the steps. This was only the second time she’d been this close to the house. Once, she and her sisters had come with Ma in the wagon. She and Lilly had been eleven or twelve, which would have made Cora fourteen at the time. Ma had heard Mrs. Caldwell was ill and had done the neighborly thing and brought over a hot dish.

Cora had protested. “Ma, do you think they’ll welcome us? Most likely they’ll chase us off with a shotgun.”

Lilly had clutched her hands in her lap. “They might be really mad.”

Rose smiled as she recalled how fiercely she’d reacted. “They don’t deserve Ma’s help.”

Ma had shushed the girls. “We will do what is right and good, and not let the actions of others determine our own.”

A woman who wasn’t Mrs. Caldwell had come in answer to Ma’s knock and, with a friendly smile, had thanked Ma for the dish. Rose learned later the woman was Mrs. Humphrey who worked for the Caldwells.

They’d been informed Mrs. Caldwell was indisposed, and no invitation had been offered for them to step inside.

Ma had smiled as if there had been no insult and said to tell Mrs. Caldwell they’d pray for her recovery.

Rose had been so impressed with her ma’s attitude that she promised herself to be more like her. All too often her anger dictated how she acted, but today would be one time she actually succeeded in doing what was right despite her feelings.

“Billy, help me get Duke off the horse.” She slipped to the ground as she and Billy steadied Duke, then he slid into Billy’s arms. Billy would have crashed under his weight if Rose hadn’t taken a portion of it.

Together they guided Duke up the steps. Billy pushed the door open.

Rose released Duke and stepped back. She’d never been in this house, knew she wouldn’t be welcome. Any more than she had welcomed Duke into the Bell house.

Billy staggered under Duke’s weight and glanced back at Rose. His expression drooped. “Rose, don’t go. Don’t leave us.”

Duke’s head came up. “Rose...” She understood that word well enough. “Help.” And that one, too.

She could not resist a call for help from anyone.

She stared at the door and swallowed hard. If anything symbolized the difference between the Bells and the Caldwells, this door did—big, heavy-looking paneled wood with a fine brass handle. The door to the Bells’ house was a plain slab of wood with a black knob.

Billy wobbled. She pushed aside any insecurities and grabbed Duke’s arm, lifted it over her shoulder and edged through the door.

They were in a kitchen about the size of the entire living quarters at home. A big wooden table, several inches thick, stood in the middle of the room. Half a dozen chairs were pushed up to it.

At one end of the room a fireplace lay with wood ready to light. A huge black stove occupied the opposite side of the room. Cupboards and shelves filled the walls.

“He needs to lie down,” she told Billy.

“Through there.” He pointed to one of the three doorways and they shuffled into a sitting room. Her eyes scanned a burgundy sofa and several armchairs, each with a table and lamp beside it. But she didn’t see anywhere she could rest a person dripping in blood.

“Is there a blanket or towel to cover the sofa with?”

Billy hurried to fetch something, leaving Rose to hold Duke up on her own. He turned unfocused eyes on her and grinned crookedly. “Hi.”

She laughed. “You wouldn’t sound so welcoming if your brain wasn’t scrambled.”

“Yes, I would.” He nodded, causing him to almost lose his balance.

“Whoa! Take it easy.” They sidestepped a bit before she got him steadied.

Billy trotted into the room with a heavy gray blanket.

“Spread it on the sofa.”

He did so, meticulously smoothing it into place.

She edged Duke to the sofa and eased him down. She stood over him, studying him. “About the best I can say for you at the moment is you’re alive.”

He wiped his eyes. “That’s not such a good feeling right now.”

“You’re not gonna let him die, are ya?” Billy wrung his hands.

Duke cracked open one eye. “Are ya?”

Why did his question bring such a rush of emotions? Regret, determination and wild wishes all tangled together.

“Of course not. I need to get some water.” She rushed from the room, pressing her cold hands to her hot cheeks. What was the matter with her? One glance around the room answered her question. She didn’t belong here and, should Duke be in his right mind, he’d be the first to tell her so.

And yet...

Didn’t it feel good to have him need her?

She shoved the thought away and concentrated on the task before her, dipping hot water from the reservoir on the stove, filling a bowl, opening drawers until she found towels. She searched through them, looking for a ragged one that would serve to clean up Duke’s blood. All she found was one towel that had a slight stain. She took it and a couple of others with her back to the other room.

She pulled a stool up to the sofa and carefully began to wash away the blood on Duke’s face. The wound continued to bleed. With barely a hesitation that she was about to ruin a beautiful tea towel, she pressed it to the wound and held it in place while she gently washed his face.

Once the blood was cleaned from his eyelids, he opened his eyes. Aware that his gaze locked on to her face, Rose avoided meeting his eyes. She dragged the towel over the blond whiskers along his jaw to his hairline. She couldn’t help noting how golden his hair was. Slowly she cleaned toward the wound and lifted the cloth. The bleeding had slowed enough she could see that it was deep, but thanks to the amount of blood he’d shed, it was clean.

“Billy, will you please get that sack of things Ma sent with me?”

He dashed away to do so.

Duke continued to stare at Rose and she tried to ignore him, keeping her eyes glued to the wound as if by doing so she might meld the edges together.

His hand wrapped around her wrist.

She jerked her attention to the hand, then slowly brought her gaze to his. Not for a moment did she doubt he was clear in his mind. So much so he threatened to mentally overwhelm her. She couldn’t pull away from his gaze, couldn’t talk reason to herself.

He smiled somewhat crookedly as if his mouth hurt. “I’m glad you’re here.” His hand fell to his chest and his eyes closed.

“Duke, wake up. Don’t you dare fall asleep.” Ma had taught her well. If he slept, he could easily slip into unconsciousness and from there to—

He was not going to Heaven today. Not if she had anything to say about it.

* * *

Cool fingers brushed his cheek. The touch pushed back the thick fog that threatened to enclose him.

“Duke, wake up. Stay awake.”

The voice seemed concerned. He tried to think about how to reassure the person. Who was it? Rose Bell. He smiled and fought his way to the surface.

“What are you doing here?” His tongue staggered under the weight of the words.