Prarie Fire Part 13

Chapter 11.

"What do you mean I'm not going?" Sarah's voice rose with each word.

"Tell me which part you don't get and I'll go over it again," Devlin said.

"Don't treat me like the men you work with."

The exchange had been going on for a few short moments, but the men on the ranch knew when to step out of harm's way and look busy. It wasn't the first time they'd seen the two women b.u.t.t heads during the stressful roundup, but it usually ended with a joke or an apology. Everyone on the Double Deuce was aware of the urgency to get the spring ch.o.r.es taken care of so they could begin the difficult task of putting together the largest cattle drive in which any of them had ever taken part.

Devlin lowered her head and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Sarah," she looked up, her hands on her hips, "the trail is the most G.o.d-awful place on earth. It's brutally hard. If you think you've lived with men, you haven't lived with them at all until you've spent two months with them like this. It's too dangerous."

"But not for you."

"Sarah, be reasonable," Devlin pleaded. "I've been doing this for a h.e.l.l of a long time."

"And all I do is play cattle queen all day? I do own most of the beef that's going."

"So you want to pull rank on me?" Devlin asked in a low voice.

The two women were toe to toe, hands on hips, staring each other down. Sarah flinched first. She looked up into the wounded blue eyes of Devlin and realized what she said.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"That's sure how it sounded," Devlin said. Sarah thought she detected a note of hurt to Devlin's voice.

"I know. I'm sorry, Dev."

Sarah instantly regretted allowing her bad humor to speak for her. Her temper created more problems some days, yet Devlin had become accustomed to her moments of fire. The incidents were usually short-lived and burned out in a hurry.

"It's just that-" Sarah began.

"Sachu-kash," Devlin interrupted Sarah with a touch of her hand, "remember how upset I was at the thought of you going through the rituals to become Chahta?"

Sarah grinned. "Hard to forget your reaction."

"But I agreed to stand behind you. I had to let you be the person you are. You may scare me half to death with your headstrong ways, but I would never ask you to be less than you are. Sa, don't ask me to be less than I am. I don't mean to say it like this, but I do know more about this than you do. Let me do what I do."

Sarah felt any residual anger flow from her like water from an overturned bucket. She leaned forward, her head hitting Devlin softly in the chest. "I'm such an old shrew some times."

"You're not old." Devlin laughed and engulfed Sarah in a hug at the expression on Sarah's face. "Sachu-kash, you're the woman I fell in love with. I wouldn't want you any other way."

"Dev, are you sure I can't just ride along as far as-"

"Sarah," Devlin drawled in warning. She took a step back and arched an eyebrow. "There is no way I'll be able to do my job properly if I'm worrying about you. And," Devlin held up a hand as Sarah opened her mouth to speak, "don't tell me that you can take care of yourself and I shouldn't be worrying. It happens to be something I'm good at and I do it whether you're with me or not."

Devlin held Sarah's face in her hands and kissed her lips. "Sa, I know it may drive you loco most of the time, and this may sound plumb crazy, but it feels good to have someone to worry about that way. Only this job is going to be the biggest thing I've ever done, and I'm going to need every last bit of concentration for it. Whenever you're around, nothing else gets my full attention."

Sarah chuckled and covered Devlin's hand with her own. "Well, if you're going to get all charming on me, I certainly can't be mad, can I, my tashka?"

"Tashka, eh? And is that the way you see me, as your warrior?"

"Absolutely. My charming warrior."

"I was kind of hoping you'd think that."

"Oh, you!" Sarah gave Devlin a gentle slap in the ribs that caused Devlin to grab her and hold her close.

"I love you, Sarah," Devlin whispered.

Sarah smiled into the kiss. "Love you, too."

"'Cause I'm so darned charming, huh?"

"And humble," Sarah added. "Dev," she made as if to push Devlin away, "the men are looking at us."

Devlin looked over her shoulder to the nearest group of men, then back to Sarah. She kissed Sarah again. "I don't care, let 'em get their own girls."

"Go on," Sarah said with laughter as she pushed Devlin back. "You and all that charm best get back to work."

Devlin was grinning from ear to ear when she returned to the fire where Hank and Matthew were branding and castrating spring calves. Every tenth bull calf that came through was released after branding intact to become a range bull. Matt had turned out to have some talent as a roper. He skillfully tossed ropes around the calves and dragged them over to one of the fires where the men had branding irons ready.

Hank paused to wipe the sweat from his face with a bandanna. He hadn't been able to avoid overhearing the heated exchange between the two women who had stood a short ways off. He laughed to himself because he figured it to be a kind of romantic justice that Devlin had finally met a woman who was as stubborn as she was.

"You talk her out of comin', did ya?" Hank asked.

Devlin stood and tipped her hat back on her head. "Yep," she said with a superior air, rocking back on her heels.

Hank knelt beside Matt and winked at the boy. "Must have been a lot of bowin' and sc.r.a.pin' on your part, I reckon."

Devlin eyed the two, who were kneeling on the ground and trying hard not to laugh. She burst out laughing. "You betcha."

Donning her leather gloves, Devlin took one look at Matt's face and ruffled his hair. "Don't ever forget, boy, out here I'm in charge, but in there," Devlin jerked a thumb back in the direction of the ranch house, "she's the boss!"

Sarah sat back in the soft leather chair. She closed her eyes and could still smell the faint aroma of cherry tobacco that her Uncle Art used to smoke in this room. She didn't know if it was in her mind or if the odor still clung to the fabric of the curtains. The den had been the central point of operations for the ranch. Sarah remembered watching many an evening as Art worked at the very desk she sat at now.

With her eyes still closed, she heard nothing outside but the lowing of cattle as they settled to the ground for the night. They surrounded her ranch for nearly as far as the eye could see, penned within the temporary rail fences the men had built. Men came from as far away as Texas when they heard about the undertaking at the Double Deuce; there were plenty of jobs to be had. Thousand of rails had to be split for the makes.h.i.+ft fences. Devlin had insisted they use rail fences. She had explained to Sarah that if anything happened prematurely, charging longhorns would be able to stampede through a rail fence.

Sarah had just finished writing the last of the bank drafts to their many creditors. Just the everyday operations on a ranch this size were expensive, but with the enormous task they were preparing for, they were colossal. She knew their ultimate goal couldn't be measured in dollars, but as she saw their bank account balances dwindle, she feared what would happen if Devlin couldn't make it to Abilene. She shook the negative thoughts from her head. Even if Devlin made it to Abilene with only half their stock, the price the railways were paying for beef would set the Double Deuce up for the rest of Sarah's life and then some.

True to her word, Cordelia Henley had persuaded every rancher within a hundred miles to pitch in with them. Devlin had been right with her first guess; the entire stock came to about fifty thousand. Sarah had heard of a trail boss who had led fifty-two thousand head on a drive up the Chisholm Trail, but taking that many was almost unheard of.

In exchange for trailing their cattle to Abilene, each of the ranchers agreed to provide enough provisions and riders for one herd. That was considerable since one herd would trail over three thousand head of cattle. That meant each rancher would provide at least fifteen to twenty riders, extra horses, a cook, wrangler, and all the supplies for the chuck wagon. Sarah was astonished when Devlin told her what they would need for the three chuck wagons her ranch would supply. She had no idea that many men could eat five hundred pounds of salt pork and two hundred pounds of beans or that it would take nearly two hundred pounds of coffee to keep them going. After Devlin hired the cook, Sarah deferred to the knowledge of the man Devlin introduced as Mexican Bob and ordered the supplies he requested.

It took the better part of a month to round up the cattle from the various ranches after calving season. The Double Deuce had the largest acreage and the temporary corrals, so they herded the animals into the makes.h.i.+ft holds there. Devlin called the next process organized chaos. The riders herded small groups into a long narrow chute. As the cattle went through, one man called out the brand, one man counted, and one put a road brand on the animal behind its left shoulder. The Double Deuce used a bar as its road brand, a sign to identify all the cattle as belonging to this drive. All the shouting took place at once, while at the same time some of the cattle panicked and tried to climb out of the confining chute. Matt earned his salt, as the riders liked to say, by being one of the information recorders. Since many of the riders could neither read nor write, a man who could cipher and knew his letters was invaluable during this process.

Everyone's temper ran a little shorter as riders worked with men they didn't know, each riding for a different brand. Each day after Devlin read the tally books, her expression grew more somber. As the numbers mounted, so did Devlin's concern.

Sarah looked up and realized she'd dozed off.

"Caught ya," Devlin said with a grin. She lowered herself onto the soft couch, leaned her head back, and released a sigh.

"Yep, now you know what I do all day, just sit in here and nap," Sarah said sleepily.

"I suspected as much."

Sarah moved to one end of the couch and encouraged Devlin to stretch out her legs. Devlin lay with her head in Sarah's lap as she ran her fingers through the long dark hair.

"You're working awful hard," Sarah said.

Devlin gave a half smile in agreement. "This won't feel like a thing compared to what I'll feel like on the trail." Sarah ma.s.saged her temples. "Mmm, you're gonna put me to sleep."

"It's okay, you need it."

"No, not before I talk to you about some things." Devlin opened her eyes wide and sat up. "I want to ask you how'd you feel about staying in the Thunderbird clan's village while I'm gone. Now just hear me out before you say anything," she added, as Sarah was about to speak.

"But, Dev, I-"

"Please, Sarah."

"Okay, speak," Sarah gave in with a smile.

"I know you've run a ranch with a lot less resources than you have now, so that's not what I'm worried about. There'll be plenty of men we trust staying to work the small herd that we're leaving behind. I keep thinking about your vision and what might happen if fire breaks out before I get back. I'd feel so much more comfortable if you were with my family. Besides," Devlin grinned, "if you go through the rituals to become Chahta, I can marry you when I get back."

Sarah took a moment to let Devlin's last sentence sink in. "Is that a bribe, Devlin, or a proposal?"

"That's a promise, Sa. Look, Sarah, I know-"

"All right."

"You're independent and-"

"I said all right."

"What?" Devlin finally stopped to listen.

"Dev, I said all right. I agree." Sarah smiled in that way that made Devlin's tongue tie up so she couldn't speak. "I've been thinking about it myself and I think it's a good idea."

"Oh," Devlin muttered. "Oh!" she exclaimed, a wide grin on her face. "So you and Hannah will stay with Tima. You'll be okay without me there?"

"As long as Tima doesn't throw me out for being too mule-headed, I guess we'll be okay." Sarah laughed.

"Nah, remember, she raised me. She's used to a stubborn daughter. I have a feeling she's going to love spoiling Hannah."

"Will you be okay with me going through the ceremonies without you there?"

"I have to admit, if I was there, I'd probably do something to get both of us banished from the clan. It's something in me, Sa. I can't stand the thought of you in any sort of pain, physical or mental."

"It's okay, I understand." Sarah touched Devlin's cheek with her fingers. "I may not show it the way you do, but I do feel the same way. You know there wouldn't be a safe enough place for any man to hide from me if he hurt you in any way."

"I know." Devlin kissed Sarah's forehead. She flashed back to the look on John Montgomery's face when he looked down at the spreading crimson stain and realized that Sarah had shot him in the chest.

"Do you think Matt will be okay with staying in the village?" Sarah interrupted Devlin's thoughts.

"What? Oh, um, that's another thing I want to talk to you about. Sarah..." Devlin ran her fingers through her long hair. It had become an unconscious habit when approaching a delicate subject. "...I sort of promised Matt that he could come on the drive. I mean, I told him only if you agreed, but he's got the smarts and..." Devlin's voice faltered as she looked at Sarah's stricken expression.

"But he's just a boy, Dev. It's too dangerous."

"Sarah, you're looking at Matt like a mother."

"How else am I supposed to look at him?" she said with tears forming in her eyes.

"He's going to be thirteen tomorrow. h.e.l.l, half our riders are only sixteen. He's a young man. He's smart, respectful, and a hard worker, everything you taught him to be. Only now it's time to let him learn some lessons that aren't taught by you."

Sarah couldn't fight Devlin on that point. It was hard to run from the truth, and she knew what Devlin said was true. It didn't stop her mother's heart from breaking, though.

"What would he do, would you watch out for him?"

"Of course I would." Devlin sat back and opened her arms for Sarah to nestle in. "I'll make him the wrangler for the herd I'll be leading. He'll drive the remuda, the loose horses. After he ties off the horses for the night, he'll help the cooks, wash dishes, gather firewood, things like that. He's not going to be doing a rider's job, I can promise you that. He'll start out at the bottom. I guarantee you that by the time he's done with one full day, going back east to college and getting a sit-down education will start looking mighty good."

They both laughed and Devlin wiped the tears from the corners of Sarah's eyes. "I'll look after him, Sa, I promise."

"I know you will, Dev, that's why I'm agreeing. Is that why you talked me into getting that quarterhorse for him and why you bought him that fancy saddle for his birthday?"

Devlin grinned sheepishly. "Well, it's a wrangler's saddle, and he'd need a good strong horse, but I would have never said anything to him without talking to you first, Sarah. He's your son and-"

"He's our son," Sarah interjected. She bowed her head and took a deep breath before continuing. "Peter was a wonderful man, and I don't want either of the kids to ever forget he was their father, but you have qualities I want them to learn from, too."

"Me? I have ways you want the kids to take up?" Devlin asked in astonishment.

"Absolutely. You're smart, you know this land, and you know people. You know how to deal with them. You work harder than any two people I know. You're a loyal friend and you have integrity. I want Matt to grow up knowing all those things."

Devlin didn't know what to say. She was sure that if she opened her mouth to speak, she would start crying like a baby. No one had ever placed that much faith in her before and she was determined to be worthy of Sarah's trust. "I won't let you down," she whispered.

The exhausted women felt as though they had just gone to sleep when it was time to rise again. There was still much left to do before Devlin led the cattle out on the following day. At the noon meal, they had a party for Matt's birthday, but Sarah and Devlin decided to wait until later in the day to give him his presents.

The rest of the day was filled with last-minute details and organizing the herd. Devlin wanted to leave after the herd had quit grazing in the morning, a few hours after sunrise. She ordered the men who would ride in the drive to camp with their herds that night, standing watch as though they were on the trail. She didn't want any cattle spooked after dark. She told the rest of the riders to stand watch and all the men who were going on the drive to meet up at the ranch house in one hour.

Sarah walked into the corral as Devlin sidestepped a ma.s.sive set of horns.

"Anabelle," Sarah chastised the cow. The longhorn snorted and stood still when it saw Sarah approach. "What are you doing to her?" she asked, knowing the dislike Devlin and cow had for each other.

"Anabelle's going on the drive," Devlin said.

"Oh, Dev, you're not going to sell-"

"No, but don't think I didn't ponder it some." Devlin raised her voice and Anabelle snorted again. Sarah thought the cow really did understand Devlin.