Liberty House Page 2

  Tommy’s head snapped up at this. Matt had to be behind this plan. He was the closest to Cole and worked with him often through the years, though he was Maverick's partner most of the time. Tommy didn’t like the man. Her anger spiked. Before she moved upon them, she waited for Andrew to respond.

  “Is Cole all ready to come?”

  Matt nodded. “We just have to tell Tommy.”

  “We? No. You. She gon’ be madder than a wet hen,” he drawled. “Have Maverick help. She’ll listen to him.”

  “He still ain’t great on the whole idea. And he’d never try and convince her if he ain’t believing in it all the way.”

  She could not believe her family planned this idea without her knowledge. She scooped up some mud, formed a ball, and got to her knees. She wound up to throw it, aiming right for Matt, but the ball didn't leave her hand. Without a sound, Maverick appeared on the ground next to her. He shook his head and motioned her to get closer. “Let’s get ‘em bad where they’ll pay.” He flashed an evil smile; one she knew well.

  She smiled back. As they moved closer, they could hear Matt and Gloria still talking.

  “Or have Sawyer help. He put this together, so he should help if ya’ll ask him,” Andrew said.

  Sawyer, her best friend and closest brother, knew all about this plan but hadn’t told her? She was about to scream. Instead, she just moved faster.

  When they got close enough, they stopped to form more mudballs. Tommy made a hard one for Matt.

  “Sawyer’s outta town, and I dunno when he’ll be back. We need to tell ‘er before then,” Matt said.

  Gloria shielded her eyes and surveyed the area. “Where are they? Let’s get goin’ if they ain’t gonna show up.”

  “I’m right here,” Tommy told them. She knew they wouldn’t hit her knowing she’d heard all of what they said.

  She threw a mudball, hitting Matt’s very shocked face, then she winged another at Andrew, whose deep brown eyes blinked with surprise.

  Maverick whistled as he threw his mudballs.

  Next, Jesse, Katrina, Travis, Melody, and Jerry came running up, zinging mudballs as they went.

  “We have you surrounded! Surrender or die,” Travis told them.

  “We surrender!” Andrew called out between mudball volleys.

  “Oh, yeah! We beat you again,” Travis cried, hands waving.

  Travis and the others stopped throwing, but Tommy hurled one at Matt and another at Andrew then with her fisted hands on her hips, she glared at them.

  “How dare y’all not tell me! Susan ain’t coming and Cole ain’t goin’ to stay here.” Her accent became thick as she yelled at them. She stormed up the muddy hill, her bare feet sliding on mud.

  Maverick was by her side in a flash, helping her up the muddy hill.

  She loved her family, but they sure could try her patience, and she couldn’t just get rid of them. They had been through too much together.

  As the fair-sized cabin came into view, Maverick told her, “I’ll go to the creek to wash.”

  Tommy looked up at him. He was cleaner than she was, but he still had dirt on him.

  “Alright, tell the family they ain’t comin’ in, including Gloria. If I had a mind to, I’d throw all her stuff out,” she told him.

  Maverick put up a hand. “Don’t. Just go wash and give them time.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about Cole comin’?” She cared what he thought.

  “I was plannin’ on it. With Sawyer gone, I…put off telling you. You know what I think of Cole. With Matt’s wedding comin,’ we need more protection and not just for you, but for the whole Silkwood. Cole has the trainin’ to do it,” he paused, “I wasn’t sure when he was comin’, but Matt said he’d tell you. Let it go. We were thinking of you. Go wash up.” He kissed her muddy cheek.

  Tommy went up the stairs, and once inside her place, she locked the door. She locked it anyway, most of the time. But this time, to keep her family out.

  Maverick tried the door to Tommy’s cabin. Locked. He knocked. There was no answer. “Tommy?”

  “Great. Now, what do we do?” Matt’s blue eyes glared under a wave of light, blond hair, now clean after their swim in the creek. He had a beard he grew in the cool months.

  Maverick lightly tapped his younger brother’s head. “Don’t be stupid next time.”

  “I want a shower,” Gloria glanced from the locked door to Maverick.

  Jesse pounded on the door again. “Tommy, let us in,” he called out, his voice loud and stern. He was normally kinder to Tommy than the rest of the family, but now he was angry at his sister for treating them all like this.

  “No,” they heard Tommy say from behind the door.

  “Tommy, let us in. You can’t keep us out here forever,” Jesse responded.

  “Watch me.”

  Gloria walked up to the door and threatened, “Tommy, if you don’t let me in, you’ll regret it.”

  Tommy walked to the door and opened it. She had washed and changed into a simple, pink dress. “Really? You might regret comin’ in…if I let you in.” Glaring at her best friend and closest sister, she placed her hand on the other side of the door so no one could come in.

  Gloria’s hazel eyes softened with sincerity. “Tommy, listen. I’m sorry for not tellin’ you. I wanted to, but we left that up to Matt.”

  “Why? You knew I’d get mad? So, you went behind my back?”

  “I’m sorry.” Gloria frowned in a way that seemed sincere.

  Tommy sighed. It did seem like Gloria really was sorry. “Fine.”

  Maverick walked up and tried to push the door open wider, but Tommy stopped him. “Hey, I’m hungry and I have to get back to the office,” he said.

  She felt a little bad for him and moved her arm. "Where are the children?" She missed them already.

  Katrina walked past Tommy. "They went home after washin’ in the pond," Katrina said, her voice a soft drawl with a soft lisp from being half deaf.

  “Fine, come in at your own risk.” Tommy followed Maverick, then took out the bread, butter, and cheese for sandwiches. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them as they each made their own sandwich with leftover fish.

  Gloria and Katrina went to take a shower. Most plantations did not have such up-to-date things, but the Starrys had money to get them.

  Jesse disappeared down to the cellar and came up a few minutes later, smiling as he displayed the jug of milk. He had changed his name from Jesé to Jesse when he had been adopted. Ellen let him; it was his name anyway.

  He was the youngest of the family-at age 21-even if only about five minutes younger than his twin brother Pedro. Pedro passed away at age eleven. The family had all taken Pedro’s death hard, but not like Jesse; it changed him. Tommy studied Jesse. Today, his dark, brown, curly hair, deep brown eyes, and darker skin betrayed his Mexican heritage. Jesse was still known as the ‘Wild One.’

  They all took seats around the table. Matt sat across from Tommy and prayed for the meal. Matt, Isaiah, Gloria, Andrew, Katrina, and Jesse were Christians. Tommy, Maverick, and Sawyer didn’t share their faith, but they all respected the others’ faith. None of them had much faith before they came to Silkwood, and Ellen and Owen let them each decide on their own what to believe. Tommy slit her eyes open to glimpse at Matt. He’d told her many times about what Jesus had done to save them, and she’d seen the change in him. He was the first of the family to step out and believe.

  He finished praying and looked at her.

  She quickly looked away.

  “Tommy, we need to talk.”

  “Says who?”

  “I do.”

  She met his gaze. “I ain’t havin’ Susan or Cole stayin.’”

  “What if you don’t have a choice?”

  She slammed down her coffee, spilling it on her fingers. She glared at her brother, but he was right… she didn’t have a choice. Thinking back to the past, five years before when the men hit for the first time with all the gi
rls there. They weren’t sure who they were after at first, but over time, it was for certain they were after Tommy. Some of the brothers said it was due to going after one of the family members for revenge. Some of them said it was due to just being a part of the family. But no one really knew why. Sometimes it took months for the men to hit and other times it happened every few weeks. Nothing stayed the same. All she knew; her life was always out of control. “What if I want a choice?”

  “I’m sorry, but Cole’s trained and knowledgeable about workin’ on land like ours. Just try it for a while.”

  “But...” She thought about Cole. “I don’t like the man.”

  “Why?” Matt tried. “Give me one good reason why?”

  “He’s pigheaded, stubborn, and just…” And way too good-lookin’. She would never let the family know that though.

  Gloria stepped in, her brown hair damp from the shower. “He is not. Just give him a chance. Get to know him.” Gloria got to know him through Jerry and the brothers. Tommy would rather for her to keep her distance.

  Tommy looked at her coffee-stained hands. She didn’t really mind Cole that much. He was nice and gentle, though he was stubborn, but so was she. He treated her like a real lady, and she secretly loved it. He was a true southern gentleman. Still, the thought of him living here was scary. But Matt was right; she didn’t have a choice. She needed protection. Someone wanted her and her loved ones dead, and no one knew why.

  Matt interrupted her thoughts. “And what about Susan? Why don’t you want her to stay?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want you to be hurt Matt, but Susan is…I don’t know.” She looked down again. She’d rather not say and hurt Matt’s feelings.

  “Just you tell me what you want.”

  Tommy narrowed her eyes. “What, you gon’ listen to me?” She said sarcastically.

  “Yes. I always do. Or I try.”

  “It’s that...Susan. I don’t want ‘er to know things.”

  “She won’t judge you. Not like others have.”

  She said nothing. She pushed away the rest of her food.

  “You don’t like her that much. She thinks a lot of you. I thought you liked her too.” The hurt in Matt’s eyes betrayed his true feelings, though he tried to cover them up.

  “I’m sorry. She’s nice, but I don’t know. She’s a little uppity.” Tommy didn’t want to hurt him but told him honestly.

  “You don’t think Cole’s uppity?” Jesse asked, getting at the truth.

  “Cole’s different. He knows ‘bout what we go through here. Maybe cause he ain’t been raised in a perfect, rich family.”

  “How do you know he ain’t been raised rich? He’s richer than Susan,” Maverick commented.

  “You can tell he ain’t been spoiled.”

  “Susan is not spoiled.” Matt defended his fiancée.

  Tommy lifted her brows in surprise. He had to be kidding.

  “What, do you not want me to marry the spoiled little rich girl?” Matt said, covering his hurt.

  “I didn’t mean that. I just don’t want her living here. Why does she wanna move in anyway?”

  “She wants to know if she can handle this life forever. She wants to get used to it,” Matt answered.

  Tommy frowned, got up, and went to the kitchen, which was connected to the dining room. She pulled a pot out and started to cook supper. Stew with lots of hot stuff in it would be just the thing to cool her down.

  Matt followed her. “You can’t keep runnin’ away, Tommy.” No one could say a Starry gave up.

  “I ain’t, but you just won’t listen.”

  “Okay, if you really want, I’ll tell Susan you haven’t decided yet, but Cole is comin’”

  Feeling exhausted, she looked at him and asked, “When is he coming?”

  “He’ll be here in a week.”

  “I ain’t happy with this.”

  “I understand.” Matt hugged her.

  She hugged him back. “I’m scared.”

  “I know, sis. I’m tryin’ to help.”

  She stepped back. “Yeah. Well, we’re all tryin’. And I’ll think about Susan stayin’ here.”

  Matt nodded.

  Tommy remained silent, lost in thought. What would the future hold? Whatever it was, she was afraid of it.

  “We’ll get through this,” Matt told her, reassuring her as he had always before. But this time, Tommy wasn't sure if they would ever get through this.

  Chapter Two

  Coleman Donovan rode his ranch for maybe the last time. His piece of land sat along the Gulf of Mexico and was as beautiful as it was big. The ranch was in his name, but his cousins ran it, which was fine by him. He liked his job as a U.S. Marshal.

  ‘God, what do I do?’ He removed his hat and ran a hand through his curly, black hair, surveying the land. Reining his horse onto the east road, he headed to his train station to see his twin sisters. When their grandfather passed and left the train station to them, his cousins and sisters took on the business. He worked there when he could, but he didn’t like it. He would much rather work for himself as a U.S. Marshal. Now, he was considering taking a job to protect his partner’s sister.

  Cole didn’t know what to say to them. He wanted to do this job. There was something about her that made him want to go.

  He remembered first meeting Tommy. He was working as a U.S. Marshal and had taken his second job in Alabama for over a year. He was at a fair where he was walking with Maverick and one of the other brothers. He saw someone walking three little horses and wearing a heavy hooded coat that went all the way to the ground. When one of the little horses reared, Cole jumped to get the animal under control, as he tried, the other little horse almost took a chunk out of his leg. When he got them calm, he saw the person’s face and realized his mistake. Who he thought was a boy was a girl-a young, pretty woman.

  “If I wanted your help, I’d have asked for it, mister,” she said tersely and took the horse from him.

  Shocked, he stared at her and then looked down at the horses. “What is that?”

  She looked up at him like he was a fool. “What do you think? They are mini horses.” She turned away from him. “Take them, Jesse,” she said in a much gentler tone to a young man who just walked up. “Watch Butch. He is in a sour mood.”

  Jesse chuckled, “Ain’t he always.” He winked at her as he walked away.

  “Tommy, go get ready,” Matt told her.

  She nodded.

  “Tommy, you wanna meet my partner later?” Maverick asked her.

  “Finally, the handsome Texan,” Tommy smirked.

  Maverick just shook his head. “Go.”

  She eyed Cole again then walked away. As she did, Cole could see she was wearing a skirt under the heavy coat.

  Maverick pulled Cole aside. “Cole, I would’ve introduced you, but she already doesn’t like the idea of you being my partner. That's why she hasn't met you before now.” He sent him a wry grin.

  Cole wondered what he did wrong. “What did I do? I thought I was being a gentleman.”

  Matt, who’d walked up with Jerry, answered for him as they started to walk toward the arena. “You helped her, and no man does that here. We ain’t met another man or person for years who would help her. We’re the Starrys, which means Yankee orphan and men don’t like or help her unless they want something.”

  Cole walked with him. “What do they want? You said you don’t have much.”

  “She has something they want...that she won’t give ‘em.”

  The girl was about seventeen, though somehow, she looked older. Her ice-blue eyes bore a look of someone who’d already seen the hard knocks of life but had yet to experience the evils of men. This girl still had some of her innocence. He knew what they wanted from a beauty like Tommy. “That would destroy her if...” he didn’t have to finish it.

  Maverick nodded. “I know. That’s why we stay close to her and the other girls.”

  “Good.” He nodded, “She’s
purdy, that’s what I say.”

  “Oh, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Maverick said. “Catch up with you later, Donovan.”

  Cole nodded to Matt and walked away as they arrived at the arena.

  Mayor Grayson came to the stage, gave a long speech like he liked hearing himself talk, then he finally said, “Now, please welcome Maverick Starry to sing ‘America’.”

  Maverick came to the stand. “Men remove all hats. Please, all stand for the raising of the flag.” He then started singing.

  Cole was astounded. Maverick had a great voice, beyond great, excellent. Cole’s chest swelled with pride. He’d soon be working with Maverick, a tough, guarding, strict man who lived through hell and came out more generous for it. Never had he heard a voice like Maverick’s-so broad and powerful.

  When Maverick was done, he said, “God bless all of America, this great nation. Whatever good or bad may come, may we stay strong. Thank you.” He saluted.

  Mr. Thomas came back on now. “And now, we will have the Starry trick rider, please welcome Tommy Starry!” He pointed to the gate.

  Cole and Matt turned to see Tommy ride up on a white-gray stallion. She was now wearing a dyed-white buckskin divided skirt with fringes at the bottom. Her teal blue shirt contrasted nicely with the white buckskin jacket, decorated with blue beaded flowers and fringes on the edge and the arms of it. Flat, white boots rested confidently in the stirrups and buckskin, and white elbow-length gloves gripped the reins. She had done her hair up in two braids, a bun at the neck, revealing her deep tan. As she approached, she lifted her head, and ice-cube blue eyes met him beneath the white buckskin cowgirl hat.

  Cole tried not to stare, but she wasn’t pretty; she was beautiful.

  “Wow, sis, you look prettier than any Southern Belle. Have fun.” Matt put a hand on her leg.

  “Will do.” She giggled. A little girl giggle didn't fit her woman’s body and character. She rode into the arena, and the crowd cheered her on as she waved. She then started to run her horse. First, she slid down the side and underneath the horse. Next, she climbed up on the other side, and still at a run, she held the reins and stood up. Cole watched in amazement as the young beauty and her horse expertly performed trick after trick. She slowed her horse, dismounted, and bowed. As she told her horse to kneel, the crowd cheered. She then left the arena.