Breaking Jacob (2nd in Breaking Series)

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

"Jacob's gone out to the fields already," Susie told Ellie when she asked the girl about her brothers whereabouts the next morning, "There was a section of fence left down and some of the cattle got out, so they're rounding them up."

"Where's the babies?" Ellie asked, looking at the empty cradle in the kitchen.

Susie shrugged, "With Liz I guess. She has this papoose that she wears and both babies can sit inside of it," the girl smiled, "The ranch hands laugh because she rides around with both babies strapped to her chest and back."

Ellie shook her head, "Why am I here if she's going to take care of the babies herself?" Susie blushed and began to wipe down the table.

"Liz brought you here for Jacob.... She claimed she wanted a nanny and a tutor, and in a way she did need those things. But then she figured the nanny and tutor might as well be a pretty, single, young woman."

"Did Jacob know that?!" Ellie demanded. Though she had no right to get angry over the small lie when she was hiding so many of her own.

"No," Susie said, shaking her head. "Jacob had no idea. He really loves you, Alice. I've never seen him smile the way he does now that you're here."

"I love him too, Susie," Ellie admitted and Susie smiled. "Now I have to run to town. Can you take care of Sally alone for a few hours?"

Susie nodded, "Of course. She's not nearly as moody today as she has been."

Ellie laughed, "Thank goodness for that!"

She walked out of the kitchen and through the sitting room. Ellie stepped out on the porch and realized she was going to have to go to town alone since everyone was busy. She was sure Jacob would be angry about it but he wouldn't be angry over that for long... Not once he found out all the other reasons he had to be angry with her.

She walked out to the barn and was getting a horse ready to hook to the buckboard when Cookie walked in, "Where you going? You can't go to town alone," he warned in his grizzled voice.

"There are some things I need to take care of in town. Since everyone is busy I'm going alone," Ellie replied, doing her best to sound authoritative.

Cookie shook his head, "You can't go alone," he insisted.

"She won't be alone." Ellie turned to see Brody standing behind her in the barn doorway. His eyes were cold as they looked at her and his jaw was tense. Ellie felt a shiver of fear run down her spine. "I'll go with her," he added.

"No, that won't be necessary," she assured him as she tried to go back to rigging her horse.

Brody walked forward and shoved her out of the way with his body. His expert hands had the horse ready and was leading it outside to the buckboard in seconds.

"Well come on then, Miss Bradshaw," he called as he mounted his horse.

Ellie swallowed hard, and with shaking hands she climbed up on the buckboard and grabbed the reins. Brody was silent for a long time as they traveled down the road. She couldn't take her eyes off of him riding next to her. He was clearly angry and she wondered just what he knew.

She saw him pull a match and a cigarette from his pocket. He ran the match along his cheek, lighting it, and then stuck it to his cigarette and took a long draw, "I think it's about time I heard your real name, ma'am," he said without looking at her.

"What do you mean?" Ellie squeaked, praying she had heard him wrong.

"Joshua told me something interesting," Brody said, looking at her for the first time. "Seems you've been sending all your wires to Otis Black. Can I ask why you're sending your wires to a known thief, saloon owner and self-titled entrepreneur instead of that dear old sick daddy and little sister you talk about?"