Chapter 17

Chapter

Seventeen

The young couple left for the train station first thing in the morning, driven by Isaac and Walter. Nico was excited, and Eden appeared nervous. Nico wasn’t sure why, but she seemed reticent to talk about it, so he guessed it was because she’d felt so ill on the previous train ride. Suzette insisted that she take some snacks to nibble on as they traveled, so he hoped that would help.

Eden was actually worried to death about her parents’ reaction to her arriving with Nico. She had a strong hunch that her father had already picked out a future husband for her. So she just had to hope showing up with a doctor for a son-in-law would impress them enough that her parents would accept their union. In any case, she hoped she could avoid letting them know about her pregnancy, but if she had to tell them, she would. There were so many ways this could go wrong, but Nico had been adamant that he needed to ask for her hand properly before they married. He has to pick this one thing to be traditional about. She mentally shook her head.

As they traveled south, the scenery was fairly boring, but they did see some lovely orange groves and well-cared-for ranches. They debarked in Santa Ana, where Nico quickly found them transportation to the ranch, and they were off again. The weather was fine and the roads in decent shape, so the trip went as smoothly as it could. At least, for Nico.

Eden grew more silent and tense as they neared her home. Clouds of dust settled on their clothes and skin, so Nico wasn’t all that eager to open his mouth to speak unnecessarily either. It was a relief to finally stop moving and climb down to the ground. He grabbed their bags, and the driver took off again immediately without so much as a goodbye. Nico offered his handkerchief to Eden so she could wipe her face off before doing so himself, and they headed to the door.

It wasn’t locked, so Eden simply escorted Nico inside. Her family all sat around the dinner table having their evening meal. All conversation stopped, and multiple faces turned to look at them with startled expressions. Mrs. Godwin was the only female at the table among several men, so Nico assumed the various diners were both family and ranch hands.

“Well! Look who finally got here,” Mr. Godwin announced in a rather unfriendly manner. “We expected you days ago.”

Mrs. Godwin at least rose from the table, and Nico expected her to embrace her daughter, but all she did was fetch a couple of plates and utensils. “You can sit here,” she said, indicating the end of the table where there was still a bit of room. “There’s chicken, beans, rolls, and potatoes.” She looked at the young men sitting at the table and ordered, “Pass the serving dishes to Eden and her… guest.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Nico said with a smile. “We need to wash up before eating.”

“Suit yourselves. Eden can show you where.” Looking at her sons and employees again, she added, “Leave some food for them, boys.”

Eden stood up straight and cleared her throat. “Mama, Pa, I’d like to introduce you to Nicolo Stark-James. I wrote to you about him. He’d like to speak to you privately, Papa.”

Her father snorted and answered under his breath, “We’ll see about that.”

A dark-haired fellow whom Nico guessed was their youngest son looked at Nico and asked, “What kind of name is that? You Italian or Spanish or something?”

Nico smiled and answered, “No. I’m half French and the other half is definitely American. I’m named for Nicolo Paganini, who was a violin instructor of my mother’s when she was a young girl in France.” Everyone screwed up their faces as if he’d spoken some foreign language. Clearly, music was not part of this family’s repertoire. Nico was glad he hadn’t added that Paganini was quite famous. He certainly didn’t want them to think he was speaking down to them. He did add, however, “I’m pleased to meet all of you. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Godwin.”

Mr. Godwin continued to eat, and Mrs. Godwin sat down looking tired and flustered.

Eden took Nico by the arm and pulled him out of the room.

When they reemerged looking cleaner and more refreshed, Nico noticed one of the men was gone, leaving an empty place with a half-eaten meal on the table.

“Where’s Joshua, Mama?”

Before she could speak, Mr. Godwin answered for her. “I sent him out to check on… a birthing cow.”

Her mother just looked at her plate and slowly shoveled food into her mouth.

Nico thought he heard the sound of horse hooves leaving the area, and that made him wonder where the cow was.

Conversation at the table went in fits and starts and focused mostly on how many of their avocado trees had died and how many calves had yet to be born. They nervously discussed plans for the next breeding cycle, ignoring Nico and Eden. Apparently, their best bull Solomon seemed rather sickly, and that worried all of them.

Nico was out of his element and therefore had nothing to contribute, so he tried asking a few general questions such as, “How long have you had this ranch?” and “How many head of cattle do you have, sir?”

Eden put her hand on his arm and shook her head slightly. She whispered, “Never ask a rancher that. It’s considered rude.”

“Oh, sorry,” he said to her father and then smiled charmingly—he hoped. “I’m a doctor, and I’m afraid I know nothing about the cattle business. Please don’t take any offense. I’m sure having a ranch like this is quite fascinating. And you grow avocados too?”

Her father ignored him except for a loud snort. He looked at Eden finally, though, and asked, “Are you done with all of that stuff you wanted to do up north? You’re not hoping to go back again in the fall, are you?”

Eden frowned and then answered proudly, “I’m finished with the program, and I’m a full-fledged nurse now.”

“For whatever that’s worth,” her father answered.

“Her skills are impressive, sir, and nursing is a growing field with a lot of potential. I’m quite proud of her, and you should be as well,” Nico said, beaming at Eden affectionately. “It’s up to her as to how much or how little she ultimately wants to work in my Los Angeles clinic, but no matter what, I know she’ll be a real asset.”

Her father scooted back from the table, stood, and growled at Nico, “First of all, don’t try to tell me what to think. And don’t count on me agreeing with you if you do. Eden’s place is right here. This is where she belongs. I figured a little medical knowledge might come in handy with the kind of hard labor we do around here, or I’d never have agreed to letting her go in the first place.” He nodded to his wife and said, “I best be checking on that cow.” He tossed his napkin into the middle of his plate and stomped toward the door.

Nico felt as if icy fingers gripped him by the scruff of his neck. What ? He stood as well and asked, “Sir, may I have a word with you privately?” He figured he’d better ask for Eden’s hand quickly. This visit was not going well, and they’d just arrived.

“No,” was the older man’s terse answer. He left the house, slamming the door behind him. One by one, the ranch hands followed him out the door, though less dramatically and with no acknowledgement to Mrs. Godwin for the meal. Her brothers silently shuffled up the stairs with their heads down.

Eden looked pale as she asked, “Mama? What’s going on? Why is he so angry?”

Her mother wouldn’t meet Eden’s eyes as she answered, “That’s for your pa to say.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Eden tried for a smile. “It’s so nice to see you all finally. San Francisco was a wonderful adventure, but I missed you.”

“Huh.” Her mother got up and started to clear away the dishes. She paused as she gathered things and added, “You better do as your father tells you, or things won’t go so well.”

Nico couldn’t help but compare this dinner to those in his house where lively, diverse conversation and laughter accompanied every meal. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, the tension had been as thick as cold porridge at this table. And what her mother said sounded to his ears like a threat. His discomfort only increased when Mrs. Godwin added, “Show your guest out to the bunkhouse, Eden, and then come back and do the dishes. I have mending to do.”

“Thank you for dinner, ma’am. I’ll be happy to stay and help Eden do the dishes.”

Mrs. Godwin gave Nico a steely glare and turned to walk away. Nico noticed how much—facial expressions aside—Eden looked like her mother, and it was then he realized her hands were red and chapped from heavy use, and she walked slowly as if she were bone tired. She shrugged and didn’t answer his offer to help, so he assumed it would be acceptable.

It was completely dark outside when they finished the stack of dishes, and Eden explained, “I’d better take you out to the bunkhouse. You won’t want to disturb any of the men who are likely asleep by now.” She seemed disinclined to look Nico in the eye.

As they exited the front door, Nico asked quietly, “What’s going on, Eden? Why is everyone so angry? Did we come at a bad time?”

“I’m not sure. My family isn’t like yours, but it’s not usually so grim around here, I promise.” She finally looked up and tried for a smile. “I love you so much, Nico. Thank you for bringing me home, even if the reception hasn’t been the most cordial. Maybe tomorrow I can show you around the ranch.” They walked across a dusty area and stopped in front of a rough wooden door. “Here’s the bunkhouse. I’m sorry if the accommodations aren’t very comfortable. I thought they’d put you up in the spare room, but I guess I thought wrong. I can’t go inside for obvious reasons, so you’ll have to find your own bunk. There ought to be candles and matches by the door so you can find your way. The outhouse is out back. Again, I’m sorry. This is so different from your family’s house.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.”

He wrapped his arms around her and was about to give her a kiss when the unmistakable sound of her father’s voice boomed out, “Get yourself to bed, girl! And tell that young man not to disturb my hard-working men.”

In the moonlight, Nico could see that her father’s shirt was covered in blood. Nico’s instant reaction was to ask, “Sir, are you hurt? Can I be of assistance?”

“Get to bed,” was all he heard by way of a disgusted reply as Mr. Godwin stomped back to the house. But then the man mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like, “You’ll be leaving soon enough, I hope.”

“He’s been delivering a calf,” Eden explained. “Good night, Nico.” She squeezed his hand and turned to follow her father back to the house.

Nico stood puzzling over them for a moment before opening the bunkhouse door and fumbling around in the dark for a candle. Once he managed to get one lit and into a holder, he tried to be as quiet as possible and not trip over anything. It took him a good ten minutes to discover there were no empty bunks anywhere, but there was a somewhat wide bench in the far corner that would have to do. It crossed his mind that Eden’s parents clearly had to know how many men there were and how many beds. Shaking his head, he removed his shoes and wadded up his shirt to use as a pillow. The air was pungent with the smells of livestock, manure, human sweat, and the ever-present dust. Several men were snoring and occasionally that sound would be punctuated by a loud fart. Nico was glad he’d skipped the beans at dinner. Thinking about dinner, he wondered if Eden knew how to cook any better than her mother. The food had been remarkably tasteless. He realized just how spoiled he’d been growing up with a skilled cook who took care of their meals. His own mother had often joked that she could barely boil water to make tea. This made him wonder if the Godwins’ cook was on a vacation or they just didn’t have one. But then he remembered Eden complaining about cooking endless meals and reminded himself that not everyone had grown up in a house with wealthy parents who could afford a household staff.

Sleeping on a hard wooden bench was also not something he was accustomed to, and it made him think about the stories his fathers told about the hardships they’d faced as they made their way across the country as part of a wagon train to California and how they’d nearly frozen to death crossing the Sierra Nevada. He knew he was fortunate and had no call to complain over a hard place to sleep for one night when his parents had sacrificed so much to make a great life for him and his siblings. Still… he was darned uncomfortable and confused by Eden’s parents and their uncordial attitude toward hi m. Something was clearly up with that. He fretted and stewed about it until sheer exhaustion finally took over and he fell asleep.

His rest did not last long enough for him, even though the other bunkhouse occupants were gone by the time Nico’s sleep was shattered. He was rudely awakened by a rough hand covering his mouth like a lead weight and strong arms dragging him upright. At first, Nico was too shocked to struggle, but then sheer terror filled him, and he began to twist around violently as he chomped down on the hand covering his mouth.

“Ow! The son of a bitch bit me!” This came from Eden’s brother Joshua who’d left dinner supposedly to take care of a cow. He pulled his hand back and shook it.

“Quiet, you big baby!” grumbled the man with a vise grip on Nico.

“Let go of me!” Nico hollered. “Help!”

“Shut up, or you’ll be sorry.” The hands tightened their grip. “I have a gun.”

Nico continued to struggle until someone clobbered him in the face, making him see stars. The shock of the blow momentarily made Nico stop thrashing.

Joshua began grumbling even more about his hand and then said, “Listen, you ornery shit. You’re going to leave my sister alone, hear me? She’s spoken for, and she’s gonna marry the love of her life here, Silas Hatchett.”

“She is not ,” Nico argued with conviction. He hoped his teeth were all still intact and ran his tongue around exploringly. He could taste blood, but nothing seemed to be missing or loose. Thank heaven .

“I don’t know what she’s been telling you, but we’ve been in love for a quite a while,” Silas explained in an oily voice. “I was just waiting for her to finish that nonsense up north and come home so we could unite in holy matrimony at last. Thanks for delivering her. You saved me the trip.”

“If she’s so in love with you, why didn’t she ever mention your name to me? And why does she hate it here so much? Are you the reason?” It would certainly make sense, Nico thought to himself.

“Look, boy, we’re going to get you off this ranch, and if you don’t start cooperating, I’m gonna drag you off behind the wagon, and I hear tell that getting dragged ain’t no picnic,” Silas said with a sneer. “Might be fun for me, though.”

“I’m not leaving here without Eden!”

“Stick something in this fool’s mouth before he wakes up the dead, Josh.”

Joshua left for a moment while Nico continued to holler for help and thrash around, trying to extricate himself from Silas’ grip. Although similar in size to Nico, Silas had years of backbreaking labor on his side, and he was as strong as an ox.

When Joshua returned with a smelly sock, Nico clamped his mouth shut as firmly as a bank vault. When Joshua tried to pry his mouth open, Nico bit him again and turned his face away quickly, spitting out the disgusting edge of the sock while Joshua shook his hand. “Damned city boy!”

Joshua was so angry, he made a fist with his unscathed hand and plowed it into Nico’s gut. Fortunately, Nico saw it coming and tensed up his muscles, but it still took the wind out of him and hurt like the devil. He gagged and tried to suck in a breath while Silas held Nico’s hands behind his back and wrapped a cord around them, tying them securely. Then Joshua took the filthy sock and crammed it into Nico’s gaping mouth, and Silas tied it in place with a rope.

Silas tried to haul Nico to his feet roughly, which was no easy task because Nico, having no desire to get up, acted like dead weight and didn’t help him a bit. Joshua approached closer to help Silas, so Nico kicked out with his stockinged foot and caught Joshua right in the balls. This made him double over and gag.

“Quit messing around, Josh. Get up and help me get this pile of dung outta here!”

Joshua merely made retching noises loudly punctuated by Nico’s muffled hollering. Silas let go with one hand long enough to grab one of Nico’s shoes and smash him in the temple with it. Nico’s last conscious thought was, I hope I don’t end up with brain damage . He swayed and passed out.

Over the next however long it was—Nico had no idea—he became vaguely aware of nearly smothering under a heavy tarp that smelled like shit and a hard, jostling surface beneath him. He was lying on top of his hands, which was extremely uncomfortable. The sound of hooves, rattling of wheels, and the buzzing of flies were the only noises he could detect. He also gradually became aware that his feet were tied like his hands. He wouldn’t be delivering anymore kicks to anyone’s soft, lumpy spots, that was certain. The heat that bore down on him made him think that the sun had risen, so he’d been moving for a while. He wiggled his hands and toes experimentally, grateful at least that his circulation wasn’t impaired. That was about the only positive thing he could come up with, but then he cheered up more when he realized he was also alive and apparently not addle-brained from the blow to his head. To test himself, he went through the names of bones in the body according to groups. He was heartened to realize that he was fine. His head ached and he was terribly thirsty, but apart from that, his body appeared unscathed—at least as far as any permanent damage went.

After a while, the conveyance stopped, and he could hear muffled voices. He detected a sound that might be a barn door opening, and the jostling started up again for just a moment. He felt like they’d moved inside a barn because the heat of the sun on his cover seemed to decrease. He could hear the sounds of two horses being unhitched from what he assumed was the wagon that carried him, and it sounded as if they were led to stalls. Finally, the filth-encrusted tarp was torn away from him in a cloud of dust that made his eyes water. They were indeed inside a rather spacious barn.

Silas and Joshua dragged Nico from the back of the wagon, earning him a few painful splinters in his hands along the way. They set him on his feet, and Silas explained to him, “Look mister. I don’t particularly want to kill you on account I’d have that on my conscience for a while if I did. However, I will if I have to. And you’ll end up somewhere no one will find you. So I’m going to tie you up over here to this post, and Josh is going to undo your gag…”

“Why me?” Joshua protested. “He’ll just bite me again!”

Ignoring him, Silas continued. “You probably need water, so I’m going to be a nice fellow and give you some. But pay me some mind here. There is no one around for miles, so you can yell and scream your head off and all you’re going to accomplish is getting yourself a sore throat. Don’t even bother. It’ll just make me mad, and you don’t want that.” He dragged Nico over to a wooden beam and tied him to it, then he looked sharply at Joshua and ordered, “Get on with it! We don’t have all day.”

Joshua gingerly plucked at the binding that held the sock in Nico’s mouth, and once he had it untied, he snagged the edge of the material quickly as though he were trying to avoid the fangs of a rabid dog. As soon as he finished, Silas ordered him, “Now take your horse and skedaddle on home, Josh. You don’t want to be involved in case I do have to kill this fool here. And keep your trap shut when you get to your pa’s place.”

Nico’s mouth was so dry, he coughed and had the strongest urge to spit out the flavor of stinky foot from his mouth, but he couldn’t produce any saliva. Within a few moments, however, Silas produced a small cup of water that he generously held up to Nico’s mouth. Nico drank greedily but did not offer his thanks. He simply glared at Silas, wondering how many horrible things he was swallowing with the water. Once the cup was empty, Silas pulled up a crate and sat in front of Nico with a serious expression on his face.

“Now, I need to tell you something,” Silas began. “I’m not a bad man.” Nico scoffed, but Silas ignored him. “All of this is because I’m helping out Eden’s family and doing something her father has wanted—and needed—for years. You see, his ranch is not the most successful around here. He’s had a heap of trouble with his water supply. He’s been trying to get me to partner with him and combine our ranches. He has more acreage and had more livestock until he couldn’t keep them healthy anymore, but I have better land. So we cut a deal after my wife passed and my sons lit outta here. He’d give me Eden, and we’d all become one big, happy family. Eden hasn’t been too cooperative, so we agreed to let her go off and try doing something on her own for a while, certain she’d hate it. I know for a fact that she hates the sight of blood, so becoming a nurse sounded pretty hare-brained to me. But… she insisted, and I’m an open-minded man. I’m reasonably patient, but I’ve waited long enough.

“Then her family’s ranch began having some serious trouble about the same time that Eden started writing those sappy letters home to her parents saying she was in love. Well, mister, we can’t have that. She’s supposed to love me! She’s my future wife. So if you care about her and her family, you’ll understand that her daddy’s ranch ain’t going to last much longer without my help. I’ve watched that girl grow up from a spindly legged brat to a beautiful woman, and you barely know her. She’s mine, and that’s all there is to it. What we’re going to do is you’re going to write her a letter telling her that you’ve changed your mind and you’ve headed for home. You do that, and I’ll send you up to the train myself. Don’t do it, and… well, we have some hungry damned buzzards out in the desert to the east of here.”

Nico briefly considered telling Silas that Eden was pregnant, and he was the proud father, but the man seemed a bit unhinged and definitely dangerous. The convenient passing of Silas’s wife and disappearance of his sons when Eden became of marriageable age troubled Nico, so he decided silence was the best route to take. Faking acquiescence seemed even more prudent, even though he had absolutely no intention of leaving Eden in this man’s clutches. “Fair enough,” he answered hoarsely. He’d figure out something to do. “I’ll write her a letter. You’ll just have to untie my hands.” Then he added rather piteously, “Just please don’t hurt me.” He hoped Silas would think he was simple-minded, or at the very least, cowardly.

“You bet, sonny. I’ll go fetch something to write with. You wait here.” He cackled at his own joke and sauntered away. Before he left the barn, Silas drew his pistol and gave it a quick, showy spin on his finger before re-holstering it. Nico recognized that for the warning it clearly was.

Left with nothing to do, Nico gazed around the spacious barn that housed several horses. Nico noticed it was quite clean and smelled better than the Godwins’ bunkhouse had—probably due to the lack of people in the barn. There was the smell of horses, of course, but also alfalfa, fresh straw bedding, and clean tack. Silas Hatchett may be a little crazy, but he kept things tidy, although the structure itself looked like it needed some serious repairs. He wondered where the ranch hands were, or if there were any at all. Nico suddenly realized he needed to stop woolgathering and come up with a plan to let Eden know he was not deserting her.

He had plenty of time to think, as it turned out—it took Silas an awful long time to return. Nico noticed a mild aroma of coffee and bacon about the man when he reappeared; he’d obviously stopped inside for some breakfast. Nico ignored his own rumbling stomach.

True to his word, Silas produced a pencil and paper and undid Nico’s right hand, then scooted the crate over so Nico would have a flat surface to write on, but he had to bend awkwardly to get to it, and it was hard to stay upright with his feet lashed together. Seeing the problem, Silas brought another crate over so Nico could sit down to write at least. Nico didn’t bother to thank him for his thoughtfulness.

His mind raced with possibilities. It was imperative that she know he was being held against his wishes and had no desire to leave her. Considering Eden’s previous unwillingness to go along with her family’s arranged marriage plans, Nico hoped she would be on the lookout for clues in his letter.

Silas was looking impatient and fiddling with his gun, so Nico put the pencil to the paper as Silas spun his pistol around.

Eden,

Now that I have seen where you come from, I think we are too different for this marriage to work. I’m leaving this morning to return to my family home in San Francisco and won’t be seeing you again. I’m sure you’ll be happy with Hatchett on his ranch. He seems like a thoughtful man, and it’s the best place for you. Wishing you a healthy life.

Nicolo Matthew James-Stark

Nico was pretty certain Eden would see through all of his falsehoods enough to be warned, and he thought the letter looked innocent enough not to alert Silas of its deception. It was all he could do at the moment. He hoped no one remembered his last name from Eden’s introduction, but he thought it unlikely that anyone was paying close enough attention and would remember it was actually Stark-James. He also hoped lying about San Francisco and invoking Matty’s name would strike a chord.

Silas saw that Nico was done and snatched the paper from him. He read it quickly, folded it in half, and stuffed it in his pocket. “I might let you live after all,” he growled at Nico as he yanked him into a standing position and re-tied his hand to the post. He viciously kicked the crates out of Nico’s reach. Then he added a rope around Nico’s neck for good measure, securing it to a side support. “Now you need to just sit tight here while I go take care of some business, and I’ll be back for you later.” Cackling like a maniac, he repeated, “Sit tight,” like it was the funniest joke on earth. Smirking, he spun his pistol around another couple of times before exiting the barn on a handsome chestnut horse.

Nico had a lot of thinking to do.

While all of this was going on with Nico, back at the Godwin ranch, Eden had roused herself from bed and descended the stairs to find her mother busily preparing a mountain of food for the next meal. “Where’s Nico, Mama?” she asked with a yawn.

Without looking up or pausing what she was doing, Mrs. Godwin answered in a bored tone, “He must be as lazy as you. I haven’t seen him. ”

“Sorry, Mama, I couldn’t help sleeping in. I was exhausted. But didn’t he come in for breakfast?”

“I told you I haven’t seen him. Either he’s still sleeping, or he lit out of here.”

Frowning, Eden muttered to herself, “That’s strange. I’m sure he’d be hungry by now, and he wouldn’t have left.” She headed outside for the bunkhouse. Stopping at the door, she knocked loudly and called, “Nico, are you up? Come on in the house and get something to eat.”

When there was no response, she tried knocking again and hollering, “Nico? Come on out!”

That summons also got no response, so she figured none of the workers must be inside. She opened the door and stuck her head in. “Phew! These men need to do some laundry. It smells awful in here,” she grumbled. Looking around the dim interior, she could see there was no one there. The place was such a mess—she didn’t spot Nico’s shoes on the floor, but it was obvious that the man himself was missing. She quickly withdrew from the doorway and headed back to the house.

“Mama, he’s not out there. Someone must know where he is.”

“Well, I am not that someone. Now eat something so you can help me. Hurry up.”

“But Nico is missing ! I need to find him.”

“He’s a grown man who doesn’t need you traipsing around looking for him. He’s probably halfway back to Los Angeles by now if he has any sense. So forget about him and get busy. I’m tired of this whining.”

With her stomach churning, Eden realized she absolutely needed to eat something before she could figure out what was going on, so she grabbed a bowl and dished up a serving of porridge from the stove. It tasted like mud, but at least it would help settle her stomach.

While she ate her breakfast, there was a knock at the door.

“Get that, will you, Eden?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The man at the door was a stranger. He smiled and handed her a piece of paper.

Eden took one quick look at the contents of the note and had to sit down before her legs gave out.