Broken Feather Read online

  “It is yet to be discovered,” Vanessa shrugged.

  Two weeks later, Vanessa stood beside Bradford, on the front porch, watching Jason and the rest of the cowboys riding off with the herd, driving them out to the stockyards. It took a long time for the dust to settle, and Vanessa remained watching the cloud of dust in the distance, feeling unsure of herself, wishing she did not have to remain there with Bradford.

  Bradford looked down at Vanessa beside him and smiled. “I suppose you think that because Jason has warned me against upsetting you, I have forgotten about my threats. Once Jason learns the truth about you, this ranch can go back to functioning the way it should, without the meddling of a woman whining to her husband about his hired help.

  “Jason and I are practically partners, and before you came along, there was no talk of wives or heirs. If a man wants to get under a woman’s skirts, he doesn’t need a wife to accomplish the job. There are plenty of chorus girls at the saloon, in the next town over, that are willing to share their charms with a man.”

  “Then I suggest you take advantage of it. If you want to leave for a couple of nights, I won’t complain,” she smiled up at him.

  “When there is a warm woman right here, standing beside me?”

  “You forgot to mention a married woman,” she sneered. “If you plan to remain in Jason’s good graces, I would tread very lightly, if I were you!”

  “The thing is I just can’t get the sight of you and that scout together at the river out of my mind. I didn’t know you were such a feisty woman when you got with a man, you looking all prim and proper when you arrived. I’m just wondering if you are as aggressive with Jason as you were with that black Indian.”

  “You disgust me!” Vanessa hissed, as she started to turn away.

  “Not so quick, little lady,” he said as he grabbed her arm. “I kept your secret for you, before Jason left, to give you the opportunity to reconsider my offer. Once he returns, I won’t be so accommodating if you haven’t complied.”

  “I told you before, what my answer was, and it hasn’t changed.” She narrowed her eyes at him as she twisted free. “If you touch me again, I will talk to MacGregor about your insolence.”

  “What is he going to do? He is just an old man whose only ability is to cook. He can’t stop me, any more than you can.”

  “Only he will be my witness that you are trying to force yourself on me.”

  “It won’t make much difference, after all is said and done. Jason is still going to get rid of you, once he finds out about your black lover.”

  “I certainly don’t see what ever made Jason choose you as a friend, if you are the kind of man who wants to use his wife, and ruin his happiness. He loves me. When I first came here, I had no choice but to marry him. Of course I was going to rebel, and I do love Broken Feather, only now, my feelings have changed. I don’t want to ruin Jason’s happiness, and you shouldn’t either if you are truly the friend you claim to be.”

  Bradford shrugged. “That does sound all sweet and sappy, but you just haven’t touched a soft spot, yet,” he grinned.

  “Apparently you don’t have a soft spot,” she muttered.

  “That’s because you just make me too, dang hard, whenever I get near you,” he chuckled, as he pushed her hand down against him.

  Vanessa struggled to withdraw her hand, but he only laughed. “Keep that up, little lady, and I might just take you on the spot,” he said, refusing to allow her to move her hand away. “You’re making me feel mighty good!”

  Vanessa took her other hand and slapped him in the face, which only made him laugh again.

  “Now you are really exciting me,” he said, grabbing the hand that slapped him and bringing it to his lips. “I like a feisty woman, like I told you.”

  “In one moment, I am going to scream for MacGregor, and then I am going to jump on a horse and collect my husband, and let him tend to you!” she threatened.

  Bradford released her, but merely smiled. “I like it when a woman plays hard to get,” he told her.

  “You are delusional! I am married, as you well know. I am not playing hard to get!”

  “Funny, you were married when you were messing around with that scout. You weren’t playing all hard to get with him, so I just can’t believe a word you say! I’ll give it time, though. We have a few weeks to start seeing eye-to-eye, still.”

  “Don’t hold your breath,” she said as she scurried away, went to her room and locked the door, trying to stop the uncontrollable beating of her heart. Vanessa decided she would write her father and request that he send Broken Feather out there. She just hoped he would get the letter soon enough for Broken Feather to show up before Bradford got any braver than he already was.

  After the letter was deposited safely in the letter box, Vanessa felt much better. She made sure that Bradford was nowhere in sight, and instead of leaving the letter in the bowl to allow someone else to take it to the letter box, she went out the back way and scurried to the letter box herself. She knew the box would be checked the next day. When she returned, Bradford was sitting on the front porch, watching her approach.

  “Where have you been?” he asked as she got closer.

  “I went for a walk. There was a stench here that I could barely stand. I needed some fresh air,” she said, starting to swish past him on the front porch.

  Bradford stuck out his foot, to block her progress. “Don’t be all high and mighty, thinking you are better than me, my dear,” he almost growled. “You carousing around with that half-breed Indian, says what kind of woman you are. You ain’t any better than those chorus women and, eventually, I am going to prove it.”

  “Only in your dreams,” she spat, stepping over his leg, and continuing on into the house.

  Although the majority of the cattle had been taken to the stockyards, there were still cows with calves and the heifers left behind, which would be bread to the main bull, to increase the herd, along with the younger steers that were not big enough to send to market, that had to be taken care of. With only Bradford and Morton left to keep the ranch running, Vanessa felt lucky, considering most of Bradford’s time was taken up doing chores checking the cows that were about to drop a calf, and those who had just had one. She didn’t even see him for the first few days, thinking by that time, her letter should have reached her father.

  After a while, she decided that Bradford’s bark was worse than his bite, and started taking an easier breath, when he stopped harassing her. Maybe he had just been trying to scare her away, hoping that while Jason was gone, she would hightail it out of there like she had before. When almost a week had gone by without any further incidents, she started letting down her guard.

  The day was hotter than most, so far, and Vanessa decided to make her way down to the river, to cool off. She had seen both Bradford and Morton heading out to the pasture to check on the cows about to give birth, and decided it was safe enough to find a few solitary moments where she wouldn’t be bothered. When she reached the river, she couldn’t help but remember that time with Broken Feather, Bradford had taunted her with, and it made her heart ache.

  She had been a lot slimmer back then, but even now, she was barely showing. Mostly her hips and breasts had filled out, with just a little pooch to her stomach. She smoothed her hand over her stomach, through her pantaloons that she had left on, along with her shift, as she started walking down into the cool water. She wondered if she was carrying a boy or a girl, and what she would end up naming it, once it was born. She and Jason hadn’t even discussed names, and she decided that when he returned, she would approach him about it.

  Vanessa lay back in the water, floating on her back, looking up into the clear, blue sky, with just a few faint hints of clouds floating overhead. She could hear the frogs croaking and birds chirping in the cottonwoods along the bank. White down from the cottonwoods floated on top of the water, like little miniature fairies dancing on the smooth surface. It was the time of the year when the
river was not flowing very fast and was almost standing still.

  She couldn’t help but think about Broken Feather, remembering when they were there last, and she wondered when he would show up or if he would actually come. Her father may end up having to send someone else, if Broken Feather refused to come. Only if he knew she had asked for him to come, he may think she had decided to go with him to Mexico after all. Now she worried that he would be angry when he discovered she was going to remain with Jason.

  Vanessa’s thoughts and the singing of the birds were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.

  “Fancy seeing you here,” she heard Bradford saying, which caused her to upright herself and sink down under the water, with just her head sticking up.

  “I don’t know why you are acting so modest. I already got an eyeful, and I saw you all naked with that scout. Not anything new to these hungry eyes,” he chuckled. “I knew if I waited long enough I would find you in a compromising position, and now here we are all prepared to have a little fun.”

  “Go away, Bradford,” Vanessa demanded.

  “I brought us some wine to drink,” he said, holding up a half empty bottle, as he started to stumble towards the bank.

  “You are drunk!” she accused.

  “Why not, I’ve been drowning my disappointment in sweet, sweet wine, and then, what do you know, I see you heading towards the river. You should drown your disappointment too. I know you don’t want to be married to Jason. What you really want is that black Indian.”

  “Sometimes we don’t always get what we want,” she murmured.

  “Well, today, I think that is going to change,” he said as he plopped down and started taking off his boots. “We are out her all alone, and you can scream for MacGregor all you want, and it won’t do you a lick of good. You might as well join me in a drink,” he said.

  “You need to leave,” Vanessa warned, backing up in the water, when she saw Bradford pulling his denims off and discarding his shirt.

  “Nope, I think I’m coming in to join you,” he smiled as he grabbed the bottle and brought it with him. “Share some of this wine with me.” He held the bottle out to her.

  “Very well,” she said, thinking to humor him. Maybe she could get him even drunker and he would be too inebriated to do anything. “You have another drink first.”

  “Fine with me, this is Jason’s best wine, you know. He might be a might upset when he discovers I broke into his favorite supply.”

  “And he trusts you so much,” Vanessa half sneered.

  “Well, there comes a time in a man’s life where he just has to follow his desires, and right now, I desire the best wine, when I plan on enjoying the most beautiful lady I have ever seen.”

  “You flatter me. I think it is the wine talking,” Vanessa said coyly.

  “Nope, it’s the truth.”

  He had already reached Vanessa and stopped to pull the cork out of the wine bottle with his teeth. He took a swallow and handed it to her.

  Vanessa put the bottle to her lips and tipped it, but she didn’t take a drink, handing the bottle back to him again.

  “Yep, this is right good wine,” he smiled as he took another drink and corked the bottle again. “Now it’s time for me to taste something more than just wine,” he murmured, as he started to lunge for her, only she stepped back, and he ended up falling face first into the water.

  Vanessa sidled past him and started heading towards the bank, but when she looked back, Bradford was still face down in the water.

  “Bradford!” Vanessa called, and turned back, trying to pull his face up out of the water.

  “Gotcha!” Bradford sputtered, as he grabbed Vanessa the moment she touched him. “Fooled, ya didn’t I?” he laughed as he gripped her wrist in his iron fist. “I have a great capacity for holding my breath for a long period of time,” he snickered.

  “Let go of me!” she screamed, pulling back.

  “You might as well give in,” he laughed, pulling her to him and putting both arms around her waist, crushing her against him. “Your body feels so good pressing up against mine like this,” he mumbled in her ear.

  “Please Bradford, you are hurting me,” she cried, trying to work herself out of his imprisoning arms.

  “Then just relax. I can be gentle, ya know.” As he was talking he was struggling with her pantaloons, trying to pull them free of her, while still holding her with his other arm. “You just got me all hot and bothered, and I need something sweeter than that wine to quench my thirst. Just hold still now!”

  “Leave me alone!” Vanessa bellowed, as she tried to push him away, only he was stronger than she was, and she was starting to lose the battle, as Bradford started dragging her back to the shore.

  “You might as well accept it, little lady, I have been dreaming of this from the moment I laid eyes on you. You don’t even like Jason, and you aren’t fit to be his wife, so there is no reason why I shouldn’t have a part of you too!”

  Now Bradford had her pinned beneath him, holding her in place until he could position himself, and then his weight fell upon her, forcing her to accept him, as she let out a blood curdling scream, and started to scratch his back with one hand, while her other hand found itself grabbing a rock beside her, lifting it, and crashing it into Bradford’s head.

  When the blow hit, Bradford immediately went limp, and Vanessa pulled herself out from under him, panting in fear.

  “What is going on here?” she heard a voice say behind her, and she turned to find Broken Feather standing there.

  “Broken Feather!” she cried and crumpled into his arms.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Vanessa clung to Broken Feather’s neck sobbing with fright. Only he wasn’t hugging her to him. Instead, he had his hands on her waist, pushing her from him, forcing her to look at him.

  “Tell me what is going on here, Vanessa. Your father said you feared for your safety, only he said you didn’t tell him why you feared that. He insisted I come out here and investigate. What are you and Bradford doing here together like this? Where is Jason?”

  “Are you blind? Bradford just tried to rape me and I hit him with a rock. When he comes to, you need to deal with him!”

  “Why would he do that? He is Jason’s foreman. I thought they were friends.”

  “He was there at the river that first day Jason left to buy the cattle. He saw us together, and has threatened to tell Jason if I didn’t let him have his way with me. Only I refused, so he decided to force me. Jason left him and Morton here to take care of the ranch while he was gone on the drive. When Bradford threatened to take me against my will if I didn’t comply, I wrote to my father to have him send you here, so you could keep Bradford in his place.”

  “Why do you even bother, Vanessa? You should come away from here. You don’t even love Jason, and now you have Bradford to contend with.”

  “Didn’t my father tell you? I am expecting a baby, Broken Feather. I have to stay with Jason now. I’m going to be the mother of his child.”

  “So I see you have made your choice. You don’t need me here, Vanessa. Now Bradford knows about us, which makes everything even worse. If he tells Jason, Jason will report it to your father. I will get kicked out of the army for having touched you, when your father put you in my care, and you will just go on your marry way, like none of this ever happened, living happily ever after with Jason, raising your children together.”

  “Only I love you, Broken Feather. I have never stopped loving you!”

  “A lot of good that does either of us, I thought your life was in danger, and what really is going on is you having to face up to your infidelity to Jason. Only I am the one who is going to suffer in the end. When I leave here, I might as well just go back to Mexico! One way or another, someone is going to shoot me over this debacle.”

  “Don’t you put all of the blame on me, Broken Feather! It took two of us to betray Jason, and you had no problem participating in it! I thought you loved me!”<
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  “Heaven help me, I do love you, Vanessa, only unless you come with me to Mexico, there is no hope for that love ever being fulfilled. If you are having Jason’s baby, it is just what he wanted from you. Now there is no hope for us to be together. And since Bradford knows about us…” He glanced over at Bradford who was still lying limp where Vanessa had left him, blood oozing out of his head. “Are you sure he is just passed out?” Broken Feather asked abruptly.

  “He had been drinking a lot of wine, and I did hit him in the head with a rock,” Vanessa mumbled.

  Broken Feather left Vanessa’s side to examine Bradford. When he knelt down and turned him over, he let out a shocked breath. “I think you killed him, Vanessa,” he murmured, feeling for Branford’s pulse in his neck.

  “I couldn’t have. I didn’t hit him that hard.”

  “He’s not breathing, and I can’t find a pulse.”

  “What are we going to do?” she asked, her voice shivering in fright.

  “Get dressed. This does not look good. There is no way you can prove that Bradford was attacking you. There is a bottle of wine, there by the bank, and neither of you have any clothes on.

  “My pantaloons are in the river somewhere,” Vanessa mumbled.

  “Forget about them. You can find them later. Just get dressed, and we need to put Bradford’s clothes back on him too.”

  “Then what?” Vanessa wanted to know.

  “He’s been drinking. Grab the bottle out of the river and put it in his shirt pocket. There’s a canyon, not far from here. I’ll put him on his horse, take him there, and let him roll down the side. Eventually, his horse will probably return to the ranch. When he is found, it will look like he got drunk and either got or fell off of his horse, then slipped and fell, hitting his head, and died.

  “You go back to the ranch, and sit down and play the piano I saw in the great room. No one knows I am here. When I didn’t find you in the house, I followed your tracks to the river. I think Mags and MacGregor must have been in the kitchen and didn’t hear me come in. The house seemed empty and I was trying to figure out why everyone was gone.”