He seemed to know when they were fatigued, frightened or ill and supplying the remedy was second nature. He'd become indispensable to Arrow Q as they were turning out not only excellent stock, but now they could sell trained mounts as well. Arrow Q mounts were trained to be ground tethered and they were unflappable to noise which included gunfire.
Both traits were life-and-death for a soldier. The army had always been their biggest client, but now their mounts were so coveted that Louie could offer a man an Arrow Q mount as payment for a season's work. It was a great boon as the war had choked the economy to a stand-still. Having something so valuable for trade was a blessing and they owed it in part to Bo.
She was resting her feet on the porch when she noticed a little puff of dust on the horizon. A few minutes later a rider appeared as a dark speck in the dust cloud. It was about ten minutes after she first noticed the dust that the dogs started barking and the Man-of-the-house appeared around the corner with rifle in hand.
"No worries, Will." Vicky said struggling to her feet. "It's just the Tate boy. He's probably bringing a letter."
"If it's all the same to you," he nodded, "I'll wait to be sure."
She smiled as she shuffled to the stairs and began to climb down. The railing was a little loose. She'd have to mention that to Will. By the time she managed to waddle down off the porch and ten feet into the yard, the rider reached the gate and Will was jogging forward to open it.
"Hi Miss Vicky!" he waved as he came to a stop and jumped down from the unsaddled mount, "Got a letter and a telegram for you today. Grandma Katie said I should ride it out right away."
"Then be sure to thank Grandma Katie for me." She said happily as she reached out her hand, "Come on. Let's go inside. I have cookies and milk and then you can read to me for spell."
"Oh, I'd like that, Miss Vicky..."
"But?" she paused holding the door for him to pass ahead of her.
"But Grandma Katie said I was to get myself right back and not to dawdle."
"Ah. Well then. Just cookies and milk while your horse rests a few minutes then you can get right back and if Grandma Katie gives you a hard time you can blame it on me."
"I don't think she'll mind if I stay for a few minutes. That wind is something fierce today. Near blew me off old Lupe when I went through the pass. Next time I'll take time to saddle up first!"
"Yup. Southern New Mexico spring doesn't tolerate the lingering of Old Man Winter. She blows him right out of town. These winds are our own version of the famous Santa Anna winds that California has."
"I don't envy your friend traveling in this stuff. It will make for a nasty ride if you can't get out of it and she seemed like a fussy sort."
"Fussy is one of the nicer words I could think of to describe that woman." She chuckled at the surprised look on the young man's face. "Janelle might have been family by marriage but I would hardly call her friend."
He shrugged and stuffed a whole cookie in his mouth to avoid having to answer. It didn't matter really. She'd made no secret of her dislike for Janelle. In fact, the dislike was mutual and that suited her fine. She was arrogant and spoiled and completely ungrateful for the hospitality and the arrangements she and Katie had worked out for her travel and accommodations in California.
Vicky was glad to be rid of her abrasive houseguest. No one could have been more surprised than she was when Janelle announced she'd like to try working at the dress shop as it sounded "absolutely charming". When she left on the stage a week ago she climbed aboard and never looked back, not even to spare a look for her son and brother that waved until the coach was out of sight.
At first Vicky thought it was horrible and that poor Little Quin would be so upset. She had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing out loud when the stage disappeared and he turned to Bo to announce it was gone...now could they go get stick candy? Vicky was against separating mother and child but reflecting back, in Little Quin's case it was obviously for the best.
As comfortably as Bo and Little Quin settled into life on the Arrow Q, Vicky felt anxiety in the pit of her stomach as she waited for the bad news to come. Janelle was no picnic and Vicky was sure that Katie's friend would send her back. Vicky cringed when she thought of the trouble Janelle's attitude would cause with clients and she dreaded the return of the horrible houseguest.
"You said there was a telegram?" Vicky asked as a feeling of dread settled over her.
"Oh, yeah." He fumbled in his pockets and produced a letter folded in half and a telegraph folded in quarters.
Vicky opened the telegraph first and cringed as she saw the top.
TO: MRS MCCLINTOCK, LAS CRUCES, NM
FROM: MRS. J. KELLEY, VISALIA, CA
The woman had only been gone a week. What could she possibly have done already? It was with reluctance that Vicky turned her eyes to the very brief missive.
FORWARD NEWS TO SEAMSTRESS AND JONAS. JOURNEY TIRESOME. STOPPED IN VISALIA. CHARMING TOWN. DECIDED TO STAY.
"Well." Vicky shrugged. "Isn't that just like her? No apologies or thanks. Just the demand to pass it along."
She tossed the telegraph on the table and looked at the letter. She didn't recognize the writing. Curious she opened the letter and looked first at the signature. "Kelly" Her eyes got round and she blinked a few times before she looked again. It was indeed signed Kelly and the hand was a feminine one. Her hands fell to the table like a stone in a pond with the letter still in her fingers.
"Are you okay Miss Vicky?" Joe Tate set his glass down and stood nervously. "I'm going to fetch Will and send him in."
Vicky didn't register his leaving beyond a perfunctory nod. She didn't want to read the letter. She didn't want to hear about another Kelley. How many women had Jeremy found time to marry in his months away from her fighting a clandestine part of the war? She didn't want to know, did she? With a groan she propped her head in her hands letter and all.
"Miss Vicky?" Will burst through the door and saw Vicky leaned on the table. "I'm going to get the Boss."
Vicky heard him, knew he was worried, but just couldn't care at the moment beyond an "OK." Bo came running in a moment later. Vicky looked up as the door slammed open.
"Vicky!" he cried out.
"Here." She mumbled as her head dropped back onto her hands.
"What's wrong?" he was at her side and gently tried to pry her face from her hands; all he got was the letter.
"Close the door." She mumbled.
When he rose and turned to go she swiped the letter off the table and stuffed it into her pocket with her pistol. She didn't want to share that little bundle of joy just yet. It was harder than hell to keep a level head the farther along with this baby she got. She clasped her hands on the table and tried to sit up, breathing slowly to gather her wits. Bo knelt by her side and rubbed her back.
"It's okay. I'm here, Vicky. Whatever it is we'll get through it together." He hoped like hell he was wrong and it wasn't news of her husband's passing.
"I'm okay. I just got another letter from a woman and it's signed Kelly. Just a little upsetting but I'll deal with it later. I'm sorry I lost it."
"Oh." He couldn't disguise his relief. "When I saw you I was afraid it might be news of your husband."
"Oh Dear Lord!" she crossed herself. "I should hope never to get that letter aga..."
She'd almost said 'again'. That would never do.
"I do have news of your sister though. She sent a telegram." Vicky pointed to the wrinkled ball on the table with a shrug.
He looked at her quizzically before pulling the ball toward himself and smoothing it out. She was surprised when he chuckled.
"It doesn't surprise me. Only she could find that town charming." He shook his head, "But it's probably for the best. Janelle managed to find the one town in the entire west where a spoiled Southern belle would fit right in. That town is peopled with southern bachelors intent on living life the way they once knew it. She'll have them eating out of her hand in no time."
"I suppose so." Vicky conceded. "I guess she does represent a life they left behind and they'll cherish her southern as a piece of home. She'll be pampered and ..."
"She'll be adored and doted on and cherished like a jewel. I think she'll do fine there in Visalia. I have no doubts at all she'll find a suitor...or two or three."
"She won't marry rich but at least—"
"Oh, don't jump to conclusions. There are some very wealthy Southern gentlemen living there. She'll have a fair chance at living her dream. It might not be on a plantation, but she'll be the belle of the ball again. Mark my words."
"My experience with Visalia leaves an entirely different impression on me, but I'll take your word for it."
"Oh. Yes." Bo suddenly became somber. "I recall, Jeremy said you lost your daughter there."
"Not there...near there. But just the same..." she sighed. "I'm just relieved she won't be coming back to the Arrow Q! I don't think I could have tolerated her much longer without losing my temper."
"I'm really sorry about the Kelly letter." Bo said standing and crossing to fetch a cup of coffee. "I almost wish it was word of your husband instead."
"BITE YOUR TONGUE!" she snapped.
"No, I mean..." He poured a second cup half-full for her "It's just that you haven't had a letter from him since I've been here."
"Oh." She felt her shoulders droop. "Yes. It would have been a much different feeling if the letter had been from Quin."
"He's alright, you know."
"Yes." She smiled sadly as she took the coffee from him. "I know. Still. It might have been nice if the letter were from him..."
"Louie told me about Black Wolf. Your husband's got a pretty tough job finding men that don't want to be found."
That night after the rest of the house had gone to bed Vicky pulled the letter from her pocket. She held it in her hands and stared at it for a good long while before she took a deep breath and opened it again.
Mrs. McClintock:
I am not at liberty to say much as the secrets Jeremy died protecting must never be revealed. There are other things that I can reveal. He was an incredible man whose contributions to the war effort were significant and far reaching. It is very likely that he saved us all from a very different future.
I know how much Jeremy loved his family. It was love for his family that he pushed himself to continue on, though his body was failing him. He died a hero in the truest sense of the word, for his acts were completely selfless. He received no recognition for his work while he lived. The nature of his work made that impossible. However, in this note I wish to recognize him.
I want to let you know how much your country appreciates your sacrifice, though there are precious few who will ever know its true magnitude. I regret that it has taken me so long to find you. In truth it was more difficult to find a way to get this to you anonymously. And so it is that I must remain a stranger and an anonymous admirer of one of the truly great men of this war.
Someday, perhaps when this war is over, I should like to find you and tell you the great things Jeremy accomplished. For now let me just offer this little bit of solace. Jeremy did not die in vain.
Regretfully Anonymously:
Kelly
Vicky's hand flew to her mouth to stifle the cry. Kelly could be anyone but one fact was clear. Kelly was a woman. She called herself merely an admirer of him but it was clear she hinted that she knew things many people did not. Did she know Vicky's true identity or was she only being notified because she was family? Oh dear. What if the people that killed him had found her?
She needed to let Quin know that...what? That she got an anonymous letter with no clear threat? No. That wouldn't do. She'd hang on to this and wait to see if anything more came of it. She always carried her pistol anyway and the men were always armed. She was safe so long a she was on the Arrow Q. She would just have to be a little more careful when she left...if she left.
---
It was the end of May before she managed another trip to town, probably her last for a good long spell as her time was very near.
"I remember Janelle before Little Quin came. I'll go slowly but you really should go out. I know that very soon you won't be able to go out and I've come to know you well enough that you'll regret it later if you don't go with me today!"
"Are you certain you won't mind going slow?"
He grinned widely showing straight even white teeth. She could almost swear his eyes twinkled in amusement.
"On my honor as a southern gentleman." He bowed deeply and she giggled.
"Alright. But the children must stay here and I insist we bring two hands with rifles."
"I'm sure we can manage that. I'll have one ride alongside to watch the front and the other can ride in the wagon bed and watch the back trail. Will that satisfy?"
"It will. Thank you." She said sincerely, grateful he hadn't pressed her for a reason. "I think we should stock up for a few months so have the second man tie his horse behind. We'll have a load going back. You'll be glad for the help loading anyway."
"That makes sense since you're the one that always does the shopping..."
"Bo?" she tipped her head and looked at him carefully. "What are you not telling me?"
"Aw. No fair reading minds." He shook his finger at her. "Katie made me promise not to tell so you'll just have to take it up with her when we get to town."
Vicky rolled her eyes and shrugged.
"Fine." She nodded. "Let me get changed. If this is my last trip, I aim to enjoy it. You'll be dining with me in town today. So you might want to get cleaned up."
He chuckled and bowed very graciously.
"As the lady wishes." And with another dazzling smile he was gone.