{"id":302,"date":"2011-12-01T14:50:04","date_gmt":"2011-12-01T14:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/?page_id=302"},"modified":"2011-12-11T12:05:23","modified_gmt":"2011-12-11T12:05:23","slug":"cast-a-dark-shadow","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/?page_id=302","title":{"rendered":"Cast A Dark Shadow"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

CHAPTER ONE<\/h2>\n

A fiery gold and rose sunset blazed across the Californian sky, shading the vastness in a warm, vibrant glow. The day was dying fast, but it was sure going out in a blaze of glory.
\n     One man stood alone on the brow of a sage-covered hill overlooking the flat expanse of plain which stretched out as far as the eye could see towards an infinite misty horizon.
\n     Standing there, his tall, leanly muscled stature cast a long, dark shadow across the land, which aptly reflected the darkness in his soul.
\n     When a man has no past, he can never look back; cut adrift from whatever life he had before the present. Here was such a man, void of memory, gazing searchingly into the far horizon, feeling the need to see more than what had happened since yesterday.
\n     In a day, he\u2019d lived a lifetime.
\n     Viewing the distant horizon, his mind rewound the events of the last twenty-four hours . . .
\n     It began when he regained consciousness in the home of Doctor Evett Lainey.
\n     \u2018How\u2019re you feeling?\u2019 the doc asked, leaning over him with a concerned look on his scrubbed, world-weary, fifty-year-old face. A pocket watch and chain hung from his waistcoat which he wore over a freshly laundered, white, collarless shirt, giving the impression of a professional man who was both precise and pristine.
\n     \u2018Everything\u2019s kinda fuzzy,\u2019 he muttered, feeling groggy and weaker than a kitten. \u2018Where am I?\u2019
\n     \u2018You\u2019re in my home. I\u2019m Doc Lainey. My boy, Derry, found you lying unconscious near the river. We nearly took you for dead. You\u2019ve got a humdinger of a bump on your skull, feller. Lucky you weren\u2019t killed.\u2019 There was genuine concern in the doc\u2019s voice.
\n     Instinctively, he put a hand up to feel the bump, and audibly winced in pain at the touch. \u2018What happened?\u2019
\n     \u2018We were hoping you\u2019d tell us,\u2019 the doc replied.
\n     Us? It was then that he noticed a young woman standing a few feet away from his bedside. His vision was still a mite hazy, but she was a vision in herself. Golden-red hair framed a delicately pretty face, and she wore a dress that reminded him of sunshine and which gave a sun-kissed glow to her face like holding a buttercup under your chin.
\n     \u2018Can you tell us what happened?\u2019 the doc reiterated, interrupting his patient\u2019s secretly appreciative study of the young woman. \u2018You bein\u2019 a newcomer to town, nobody we\u2019ve asked seems to know anything about you.\u2019
\n     \u2018I, eh…\u2019 he strained to remember. \u2018I…\u2019
\n     The doc eased another question at him. \u2018What\u2019s your name, feller?\u2019
\n     His name? Alarm bells sounded in his head. What was his name? He couldn\u2019t remember!
\n     \u2018Can you remember where you\u2019re from?\u2019
\n     The anxious expression in his deep-set, river green eyes was all the answer the doc needed to confirm his diagnosis.
\n     \u2018I suspected this might happen, Amber.\u2019 The doc voiced his concern to the young woman.
\n     Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he demanded to know what was going on. A single linen sheet was all that covered his nakedness.
\n     \u2018Now just you relax there, feller.\u2019 The doc\u2019s tone was calm and steady, but it was Amber\u2019s hands on his bare shoulders directing him to lie back down that reassured him most. Up close, he could see her eyes were like two topaz gemstones and her lips, soft rubies. Altogether, in name and in appearance, Amber was a truly precious gem of a creature.
\n     \u2018Like I said,\u2019 the doc began to explain slowly, \u2018you were found unconscious near the river with a lump the size of a man\u2019s fist on your skull. You\u2019ve been out cold for the best part of a day. I suspect you may have lost your memory – temporarily,\u2019 he hastened to add.
\n     \u2018My father is a well-respected physician in these parts. You\u2019re in good hands,\u2019 Amber assured him further.
\n     He didn\u2019t doubt it, though it was her hands which were the best medicine.
\n     It was strange, he thought, that amid the awful emptiness and worry, he still found it in him to admire this young lady. She had a fresh, clean scent, like newly washed linen, and flowery overtones which reminded him of rosewater.
\n     \u2018What is it?\u2019 Amber asked, seeing a flicker of realization on his hard but handsome face.
\n     \u2018Are you wearing rosewater?\u2019
\n     She looked at her father, then back at him. \u2018Why, yes.\u2019
\n     \u2018So, I do remember something,\u2019 he said, beaming with relief.
\n     \u2018I\u2019m afraid it ain\u2019t as simple as that,\u2019 Doc Lainey explained. \u2018You see, when a person loses their memory, they remember most of the basic things which are stored in their mind. Things like talking, riding a horse, what colour the sky is. What they don\u2019t remember is who they are, who other people are. It\u2019s kinda confusing, I know, but you\u2019ll soon understand what I\u2019m getting at.\u2019
\n     \u2018How long you reckon it\u2019ll take before I can remember who I am?\u2019
\n     The doc shrugged. \u2018Hard to say, but you\u2019re a strong and healthy feller, so there\u2019s a good chance it won\u2019t be too long. Likely, it\u2019ll come back piece by piece; little things will trigger parts of your memory, until one day, everything returns back the way it was.\u2019
\n     Although Doc Lainey had advised him to lie in bed and sleep awhile, a restlessness stirred inside him, urging him to get up and start remembering. He had a heap of questions that urgently needed answers, so he was glad when the doc\u2019s talkative young son, Derry, took it upon himself to fill in as many gaps as possible.
\n     Amber had laundered his jeans and dark blue shirt, which he wore with boots and a long duster coat and low-crowned stetson. The clothes on his back were the only possessions he had. No gun, no holster, no horse, no money – and no identity whatsoever.
\n     \u2018They must have robbed ya, mister,\u2019 Derry calculated as they walked the length of the small town of Copperstone Creek together. The gangly fourteen-year-old had a mop of unruly ginger hair and world-curious hazel eyes set in a pleasant freckle-sprinkled face which was as scrubbed as his father\u2019s.
\n     He gave the boy a quizzical look.
\n     \u2018Amber checked your clothing for something which would tell us who ya were, but your pockets were clean empty, which ain\u2019t like any man I knows. None of us have seen you around town before, but you must have been heading here, being so close to the river an\u2019 all. Question is, why were you coming Copperstone?\u2019
\n     \u2018And where was I coming from?\u2019 his deep, husky voice added ominously.
\n     The boy shrugged blankly. \u2018Father says you sound like a feller he used to know, and he was from Montana.\u2019
\n     \u2018Montana?\u2019 He tested out the word, but got no spark of recognition.
\n     \u2018How about Arizona? Texas? New Mexico? Nevada?\u2019 The boy was trying to be helpful, but it wasn\u2019t having any effect.
\n     They continued to mosey along the sun-baked main street, lined with a motley selection of wooden-constructed buildings. Redwood was the predominant feature, which gave a sturdy wholesomeness to the town\u2019s character. It appeared to have one of every kind of business people would need, including a blacksmith shop and livery stable, a saloon, hotel, bakery, and mercantile and general supply store. And at the far end of the main street stood a white-painted meeting house with a rooftop bell which doubled as a school and the local church.
\n     \u2018When ya found me, was there any sign of a horse? Perhaps it had wandered off a ways?\u2019
\n     \u2018Nope, I didn\u2019t see no horse, mister. And you wasn\u2019t wearing a gun or holster either, which I thought was mighty strange \u2018cause you looked like a rough-hewn type to me.\u2019
\n     Barely were the words out the boy\u2019s mouth than he realized his honesty might have caused offence.
\n     \u2018But ya clean up real good, mister,\u2019 Derry added hastily, his hazel eyes anxiously wide.
\n     \u2018Don\u2019t worry, boy,\u2019 he said, smiling. \u2018I ain\u2019t offended.\u2019 Momentarily evaluating his appearance, he deduced there wasn\u2019t a hint of softness in him. \u2018Reckon I am the rough-hewn type.\u2019
\n     \u2018There\u2019s nothin\u2019 wrong with that, mister- \u2019 The boy broke off suddenly and gave him a thoughtful look. \u2018We\u2019ll have to give ya a name. I can\u2019t be callin\u2019 ya mister all the time. Besides, no one should be without a name, even if they have forgotten it.\u2019
\n     A name? Probably the boy was right. For the time being, he would need one.
\n     \u2018What name d\u2019ya figure would suit me?\u2019
\n     Derry studied the man\u2019s features for a long moment. \u2018Somethin\u2019 special. And something\u2019 beginnin\u2019 with the letter J.\u2019
\n     \u2018The letter J?\u2019
\n     \u2018Well you got one of them tattoos on your shoulder.\u2019 Derry pointed up at the man\u2019s right shoulder. \u2018I seen it when you was lying in bed with your shirt off.\u2019
\n     He immediately pulled his coat and shirt away from his shoulder to reveal a small initial J tattoo. He felt it should have prompted some shred of recollection, but it didn\u2019t. The disappointment showed in his face and suddenly the town was too public a place for such private discoveries.
\n     \u2018Don\u2019t worry,\u2019 the boy said kindly. \u2018Pa says your memory will get better and he\u2019s the best doctor for miles around. I\u2019m goin\u2019 to be just like him when I\u2019m all grown up,\u2019 Derry announced proudly. \u2018And amber, she\u2019s already a fine medical assistant.\u2019
\n     He absorbed what the boy said, but a need for more privacy took precedence. \u2018Maybe we should be goin\u2019 back to the house?\u2019
\n     The boy agreed, and they turned in their tracks and headed back.
\n     \u2018Amber\u2019s also a great cook,\u2019 Derry said with a grin as he strode alongside. \u2018An\u2019 she\u2019s making something mighty tasty for supper tonight, Jay.\u2019
\n     
\nSupper lived up to expectations. Amber had made a tasty beef stew with mashed potatoes and corn bread, followed by apple pie and plenty of good coffee. It was served in the main room of the Lainey\u2019s comfortably furnished house, with the room being lit by the warm yellow glow of two coal-oil lamps. A polished mahogany dining-table assumed pride of place, spaciously seating Doc Evett Lainey, Amber, Derry and Jay.
\n     Despite the delicious meal, friendly company and polite conversation, the event of sitting down to a family supper seemed to be an unfamiliar experience to Jay, and he wasn\u2019t entirely comfortable with the situation. Nevertheless, he\u2019d done his best to look presentable. He\u2019d shaved the stubble from his harsh yet handsomely sculptured face and slicked back his rich, sable hair, in an attempt to look less rough-hewn, but his sun-darkened skin and tall, broad-shouldered, leanly muscular physique needed more taming than he was capable of.
\n     \u2018Apart from getting your memory back,\u2019 Doc Lainey commented as they finished the remains of the meal, \u2018there are also the practical matters that have to be dealt with.\u2019 He went on to elaborate on what these were. \u2018You\u2019ll need money to live on, somewhere to stay, a horse, and other things a man needs to survive in these parts. Certainly, you\u2019re welcome to bunk here until you get back on your feet and I can lend you some money-\u2019
\n     Jay interrupted. \u2018I cain\u2019t be acceptin\u2019 any money from you folks. You\u2019ve already been a great help to me and I don\u2019t intend imposin\u2019 on your hospitality any longer.\u2019
\n     \u2018Oh, you\u2019re not imposing,\u2019 Amber insisted. \u2018We\u2019re doin\u2019 what any dutiful folks would do when someone\u2019s down on their luck through no fault of their own.\u2019
\n     She was wearing a beautiful blue dress tonight and her hair shone in soft liquid gold waves from the blue ribbon which tied it back from her heart-shaped face. Jay sighed inwardly. She was almost too good to look at. Frequently throughout the meal, he\u2019d deliberately kept his eyes from lingering too long on her loveliness for fear his desires might show and cause offence.
\n     \u2018You\u2019re decent folk, and I thank you for your hospitality, but I intend looking fer work to pay my own way in this town before movin\u2019 on,\u2019 Jay explained.
\n     Doc Lainey nodded. \u2018A man\u2019s pride is all fine and well, and I understand what you\u2019re saying, but I insist you live under my roof at least until you find work. And maybe I can help you there too; some neighbours of ours have been on the lookout for extra hands to work on their ranch, and I\u2019m sure they\u2019d be glad of a strong feller like you. I could introduce you tomorrow and explain your circumstances.\u2019
\n     \u2018I\u2019d be much obliged,\u2019 Jay said, pleased to accept the offer.
\n     \u2018Pa will tell \u2018em you ain\u2019t no outlaw,\u2019 Derry chipped in, trying to be helpful.
\n     \u2018That will do,\u2019 Amber chided her brother. \u2018Jay is obviously not an outlaw.\u2019
\n     \u2018I didn\u2019t mean no insult to Jay, \u2018cause I like him, but none of us knows for sure he ain\u2019t a wanted gunman; even Jay doesn\u2019t know who he is,\u2019 Derry reasoned.
\n     \u2018Well I\u2019m a very good judge of character,\u2019 Amber argued. \u2018And if Jay had a shady past, I\u2019d know it. Women can always sense these things.\u2019
\n     Her defence of Jay was a little more forceful than it should have been, unless she was secretly attracted to him which of course, she was. A blush rose in her cheeks as she realized she\u2019d made her feelings for him rather obvious to all concerned. Her father, brother and Jay pretended not to notice which, in itself, was silent and embarrassing testimony to the fact.
\n     \u2018Maybe you\u2019ve got a wife and family of your own?\u2019 Derry blurted out. His suggestion served to fan the flames of Amber\u2019s embarrassment, which she was doing her darnedest to hide behind a calm facade and despite rose-bright cheeks.
\n     Jay was inclined to disagree. \u2018Somehow, I don\u2019t think so. I don\u2019t feel married.\u2019 His timber-deep voice spoke the word married as if it were anathema.
\n     \u2018You never can tell,\u2019 the doc said, backing up Derry\u2019s suggestion. \u2018I\u2019d estimate you to be in your late twenties to early thirties, and you\u2019re a fine-looking feller, so the chances are you could be married.\u2019
\n     The doc turned to his daughter and said teasingly, \u2018What does your woman\u2019s intuition sense about Jay having a wife?\u2019
\n     Amber sunk her father with a withering look before addressing all three males at the dinner-table. \u2018I\u2019m just thankful I\u2019m not wed, \u2018cause most men aren\u2019t worth the trouble they bring to us women.\u2019 With that scathing comment, she went to make a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen.
\n     Jay hoped her ire wasn\u2019t entirely directed towards him, though he wasn\u2019t certain why she was riled.
\n     \u2018Don\u2019t worry,\u2019 Derry whispered to Jay. \u2018When a woman gets angry like that, it means she likes ya.\u2019
\n     Jay smiled at the boy\u2019s attempted wisdom regarding the female gender. Memory or no memory, Jay reckoned women were as unpredictable as a summer thunderstorm and he was certain he\u2019d never ever fathom them out. Derry probably understood his sister\u2019s moods very well, and it was warming to imagine that she kinda liked him, though where such feelings could lead, he couldn\u2019t presume to surmise. When he got his memory back, there was no telling what his past might divulge. Until he knew who and what he was, he didn\u2019t dare harbour any romantic notions for Amber Lainey.
\n     
\nSo, here he was, standing alone in the deep velvet stillness of the night, gazing into the far distance. The gold and rose sunset had now darkened to a purple and midnight-blue aurora. Even the languid breeze had gone to sleep.
\n     Slumber had escaped Jay. Far too restless to sleep, he\u2019d slipped silently out of the house where the Laineys had kindly let him bed down for the night. From his vantage point, he could see the lights of Copperstone\u2019s town flickering way below the hillside.
\n     Suddenly, amid the stillness, something stirred behind him in the long grass.
\n     Whirring round to face the threat, instinct made him reach for his gun, which wasn\u2019t there. Luckily, there was no real danger; the noise he\u2019d heard was simply a night-time varmint which was more scared of Jay than he was of it, and scurried back into the darkness from which it came.
\n     In that instant, he realized something about himself. Even though he wasn\u2019t wearing a gun, it was mighty clear he was used to having one around – and the lightning speed with which he\u2019d reached for it indicated he was a fast draw. Very fast.
\n     What kind of man did that make him, he wondered, tension gripping hold of his guts. An outlaw, or an upholder of the law, or maybe just a feller who was adept at protecting himself? He didn\u2019t have any answers, but the reality remained – he was incredibly fast with a gun, and there had to be a good reason for this ability. Even if it was a bad reason.
\n     
\n      <\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWO<\/h2>\n

     
\nBy sun-up, Jay was back at the Lainey house, sitting on the front porch, as if he\u2019d simply risen at the crack of dawn and was waiting for the rest of the occupants to awaken. The house was right in the hub of Copperstone and Jay sat on the porch steps watching the town slowly come to life.
\n     A raw, dazzling brilliance was a sure sign that the day was going to be a real scorcher. The sun, a gleaming white-hot gold, bolstered Jay\u2019s hopes of the new day shedding some light on his past.
\n     Although he hadn\u2019t had a wink of sleep, adrenalin was keeping him alert. He felt as if he were waiting on something, something vital, which of course he was. Apprehensively, he was waiting on his past to catch up with him. But there was something else, in the dark recesses of his memory…a feeling deep in the pit of his guts, coiled like a rattle-snake waiting to strike.
\n     Squinting against the sunlight, he noticed a man eyeing him from the other side of the street, and making no secret of it. Standing outside the mercantile, the stranger was givin\u2019 him a bone-breakin\u2019 stare. He was wearing a sombrero, high-holstered pistols, and a mean expression.
\n     For several pulsing seconds, their vision clashed. The emotion in the man\u2019s dark eyes was as cold as the day was hot.
\n     Jay stood up, undecided whether or not to cross the street and approach him. The man obviously recognized him and, for whatever reason, hated him on sight.
\n     Anticipating Jay\u2019s approach, the man immediately mounted his pinto and rode off, heading out of town, kicking up a cloud of angry dust in his wake.
\n     \u2018Who was that?\u2019 Derry gasped, drawing Jay\u2019s attention away from the departing Mexican. Derry had been standing in the open doorway behind Jay. \u2018He was staring at ya real hard.\u2019
\n     \u2018I dunno,\u2019 Jay replied, wishing he did know, instinct warning him it wouldn\u2019t be too long before he found out.
\n     \u2018If looks could kill, ya\u2019d be a dead man,\u2019 the boy exclaimed, seeming to shudder at the prospect.
\n     \u2018Well they cain\u2019t and I ain\u2019t.\u2019 Jay\u2019s response was casual, but only on the surface. Underneath the calm exterior, every nerve in his body was on red alert.
\n     \u2018Reckon he\u2019ll come back to git ya?\u2019
\n     Jay soothed the boy\u2019s trepidation. \u2018Nah, I shouldn\u2019t think I\u2019ll be seein\u2019 him again.\u2019 Nothing in Jay\u2019s strong face betrayed his doubt.
\n     Derry brightened, eagerly prepared to take Jay\u2019s word that nothing was wrong. \u2018Amber says breakfast\u2019s ready.\u2019
\n     Derry led the way inside to the kitchen where Amber and Doc Lainey were already seated and tucking in.
\n     \u2018Help yourself to coffee,\u2019 Amber instructed Jay, pointing to a pot on the kitchen stove.
\n     He did, and then seated himself down to breakfast. A hearty plate of bacon, eggs and fried bread was already laid out for him.
\n     \u2018How\u2019s your head this mornin\u2019?\u2019 the doc asked.
\n     Jay gave it a reassuring rub. \u2018Feels almost better.\u2019
\n     Doc Lainey leaned across to double-check. \u2018The swelling seems to have subsided,\u2019 he confirmed, prodding the bump. \u2018Another day or two and you\u2019ll be right as rain. Except of course, for your memory, but that\u2019ll come back in time.\u2019
\n     A shadow passed over Jay\u2019s face, as if something dark had crossed his soul. He chose his words carefully before asking, \u2018Even if a man had lost his memory, would he know whether his past was good or bad?\u2019
\n     \u2018You\u2019re asking me whether or not you could be a bad \u2018un?\u2019 the doc summarized.
\n     Jay nodded briefly.
\n     \u2018Depends on what you consider bad,\u2019 Doc Lainey hedged. \u2018Ya see, it\u2019s possible, though I\u2019m not sayin\u2019 you did, that you killed somebody and don\u2019t remember. Now that\u2019s only bad if ya killed \u2018em other than in self-defence and there was no other choice. If it was self-defence, that don\u2019t make you a bad person.\u2019 He hesitated, hoping he\u2019d made his point understood, before concluding, \u2018From everything I know about amnesia, a man can usually tell whether he has a black heart or a pure one. And, as far as I can figure, you ain\u2019t black-hearted.\u2019
\n     The doc\u2019s opinion was just the balm Jay needed to help push any worrisome notions to the back of his mind, at least, for the present.
\n     \u2018Father\u2019s going to take you over to the Mistral ranch this morning to meet the Garrett family,\u2019 Amber said. \u2018Likely they\u2019ll give you a job.\u2019 Her tone was light and breezy, as if the idea of him staying awhile in Copperstone Creek appealed to her.
\n     Jay\u2019s green eyes surveyed her under thick black lashes. She was wearing a pink dress this morning, and he pondered whether she had one for every colour of the rainbow? If he had it in his power, he\u2019d buy her all the pretty dresses she wanted and all the ribbons to match.
\n     Topaz eyes viewed him unblinkingly across the table as she awaited his response to her statement, trying to ignore the prolonged and intense scrutiny his eyes were directing at her.
\n     Reacting to her expression, Jay jerked his mouth into action. \u2018I\u2019d be much obliged.\u2019 Time just seemed to stand stock-still whenever he looked at her and his mind wandered way off the main track. Without a doubt, Amber was the type of woman who could derail him without even trying. How easy it would be to fall deeply in love with her. And, unless he was mistaken, Amber\u2019s heart was struggling against succumbing to his dark and mysterious sensuality.
\n     It was then he decided it wouldn\u2019t be right to encourage a young woman\u2019s affections, to entice her heart into danger. Much as it hurt him to shatter her illusions, this was neither the place nor the time to go a-courting.
\n     \u2018Reckon I won\u2019t be hangin\u2019 around Copperstone for too long,\u2019 Jay said, dashing her hopes. \u2018Once my memory\u2019s restored, I\u2019ll be movin\u2019 on.\u2019
\n     He deliberately dropped her heart from a great height, and although there wasn\u2019t a word or gesture from her, he sensed her drowning in her own internal tears.
\n     
\nThe Mistral ranch was on the outskirts of town, a fair-sized property set amid a flat expanse of plain. Copperstone\u2019s river touched one edge of the ranch where the grass was greener under a canopy of juniper trees.
\n     Doc Lainey took Jay over in his horse and buggy, having kindly given him a well-worn leather bag containing a collarless pale-blue shirt, shaving kit and a few necessary odds and ends to help him out.
\n     After explaining the circumstances to the Mistral\u2019s owner, Chuck Garrett and his wife, Verity, the doc returned home, leaving Jay at the ranch. The Garretts had been mighty pleased to take him on, though their charge-hand, Trask Draven, had been less enthusiastic. Abruptly, he\u2019d excused himself from the proceedings after hearing all he needed, or wanted, from Doc Lainey. At best, Draven was a man of few words, and this morning, his silent opinion had spoken volumes.
\n     \u2018Good help is scarce,\u2019 Chuck Garrett admitted to Jay, as they sat on the ranchhouse porch discussing their business. \u2018We sure could use ya.\u2019 Garrett stood up and held out a hand that was as large and steady as Jay\u2019s.
\n     Rising to his feet, Jay gripped Garrett\u2019s hand firmly. \u2018I\u2019m grateful for the work.\u2019
\n     Having secured their agreement on a handshake, they then walked outside across the yard towards the bunkhouse. Chuck Garrett was a robust, square-set man in his early fifties. Greying brown hair poked out from under his stetson and his moustache was a feature in itself, resembling a pair of buffalo horns turned upside down. His ruddy face was seamed with deep-etched lines like a sun-dried riverbed, and life\u2019s trials and tribulations had watered-down his eyes to an almost colourless blue, but Jay got the impression they still didn\u2019t miss a trick.
\n     \u2018The hours are long, but the pay\u2019s fair, and we\u2019ll feed ya and give ya a place to bunk.\u2019 Garrett pointed towards a log-built bunkhouse adjacent to the painted timber ranchhouse. The bunkhouse consisted of two large log cabins adjoined by a dog-trot. A shelf ran along the outside of one half of the cabins where a number of bare-chested ranch-hands were shaving, using the shelf to rest their soap, brushes, shaving mugs and razors.
\n     Several sets of unwelcoming eyes turned to glare at Jay. It was hate at first sight, at least on their part. Either too fat, or too darn skinny, Jay inwardly applauded their nerve at standing there trying to look tough.
\n     Draven stood beside them, the smug expression on his chiselled face indicating his triumph at having poisoned the men against Jay before they\u2019d had a chance to get properly acquainted.
\n     Jay sensed they intended giving him a hard time, but for some inexplicable reason, maybe a quirk in his nature, he didn\u2019t give a damn.
\n     Garrett halted and spoke in a low tone just out of earshot of the other men. \u2018Bein\u2019 as you\u2019re a friend of Doc Lainey, and \u2018cause of your predicament, I\u2019m prepared to advance ya a month\u2019s wages.\u2019
\n     \u2018That\u2019s mighty decent of ya. I won\u2019t let ya down.\u2019
\n     \u2018Don\u2019t go tellin\u2019 the boys,\u2019 Garrett confided. \u2018They can be a wordy lot when they\u2019re riled, but I need \u2018em to work the ranch. And take no mind of Trask Draven, he don\u2019t like nobody. Indifference is as good as ya\u2019ll git.\u2019 Garrett passed Jay a sly wink.
\n     Jay nodded. \u2018Ah git your drift.\u2019
\n     \u2018This here\u2019s Jay,\u2019 Garrett announced to the men. \u2018He\u2019s gonna be workin\u2019 here awhile.\u2019
\n     There was a low rumble of acknowledgement, not to Jay, but to Garrett.
\n     Garrett then addressed Draven. \u2018As charge-hand, see he gits his share of the tasks,\u2019 he ordered, before walking back to the ranchhouse.
\n     \u2018Sure, boss,\u2019 Draven confirmed with vicious glee behind Garrett\u2019s retreating figure.
\n     Jay had a bad feeling. Garrett had just given Draven a big stick with which to beat him. He cussed inwardly. Life at the Mistral ranch was gonna be a heck of a time. The charge-hand would make sure of that.
\n     Trask Draven matched Jay in years and stature, but bitterness had gnawed his hawkish features into an ageing grimace. The bitterness seemed to run in rivulets down his face, the furrowed lines ending at the precipice of a pointed chin. Inborn resentment towards most things had dragged his features downwards, and his character with it. Even his overly broad shoulders sloped at a pessimistic angle, but Draven bore the inclined posture with a fierce defiance.
\n     The threatening figure of Draven approached Jay, his cold grey eyes lancing him to the core. \u2018Ya better tread warily,\u2019 Draven rasped in warning. \u2018We don\u2019t cotton to strangers round here, especially when they\u2019re as strange as you.\u2019
\n     The gibe ricocheted off Jay\u2019s untrammelled masculinity, hitting Draven straight in the eye.
\n     The strength of Jay\u2019s wordless parry gave the charge-hand pause for thought.
\n     \u2018He looks real shifty ta me, Draven,\u2019 a skinny cowboy said, throwing his opinion of Jay into the ring, safety in numbers being the reason for his bravado.
\n     \u2018Garrett must have a soft spot for stray vermin,\u2019 another chimed in, ridiculing Jay, \u2018because I smell a rat.\u2019
\n     A sneer rippled through the men as each one condemned him without justice. Clearly, they were spoiling for a fight, mistaking him for an easy target on whom to vent their resentment.
\n     Up to a point, Jay understood their animosity, though he didn\u2019t like it one iota. And if he hadn\u2019t been desperate for work, he\u2019d have spat the threat back in their faces and left the ranch there and then.
\n     \u2018For all we know, we could be sharing a bunkhouse with a rustler, an outlaw or a cold-blooded murderer,\u2019 Draven sniped.
\n     \u2018Better hope I\u2019m not a murderer,\u2019 Jay retorted, low and deep. \u2018Nor give me any reason to become one,\u2019 he added, with an edge of malice that seemed to come natural to him.
\n     There was a long moment of charged silence, as several men\u2019s eyes mentally gunned him down.
\n     Although outnumbered, Jay stood his ground. Whoever he was, he\u2019d just discovered something else about himself – he didn\u2019t react well to threats and, when backed into a corner, was quite prepared to fight.
\n     Draven was the first to retaliate, shattering the silence with a hail of verbal bullets. \u2018I don\u2019t like ya, and I ain\u2019t afraid of ya neither. In fact, I reckon your useless piece of hide needs whippin\u2019, and I\u2019m just the man to do it.\u2019
\n     The ranch-hands stepped back out of harm\u2019s way, leaving Jay to whatever fate Draven had in mind.
\n     Fiery emotions ablaze, Draven was like a powder keg about to go off, and they didn\u2019t want to be too near him when he blew.
\n     \u2018I ain\u2019t lookin\u2019 for trouble, mister,\u2019 Jay said, attempting to diffuse the explosive situation.
\n     \u2018Then ya came to the wrong place,\u2019 Draven responded, grinding the words out between gritted teeth. A hungry dog with a bone, the charge-hand wasn\u2019t prepared to let go.
\n     \u2018As I said,\u2019 Jay repeated calmly, \u2018I ain\u2019t lookin\u2019 for trouble.\u2019
\n     Draven\u2019s grey eyes sparked dangerously beneath the shadowed brim of his dark stetson. \u2018Well it\u2019s lookin\u2019 for you.\u2019 His shirt-sleeves were rolled up to reveal the corded muscles in his forearms. The muscles twitched as he spoke, as if anticipating using their strength to strangle Jay like a rope of steel.
\n     Within him, Jay felt a surge of adrenalin charge through his veins, preparing to defend himself if necessary. And it seemed it would be necessary because Draven\u2019s eyes were boring holes into him and his hands, held loosely at his sides, were clenching eagerly into fists.
\n     Tension singed the hot air as the two men stared each other out.
\n     Any second now, Jay knew Draven would strike the first blow, and he mentally steeled himself to counter it ferociously. Although he had no recollection of how to fight, an inner belief told him he could. He let go the grip he had on his leather bag, letting it fall to the ground, leaving both hands free to defend himself.
\n     Suddenly, Draven advanced, challenging Jay with a vicious punch straight to his face. Jay jerked his head back, causing the punch to hit nothing but thin air. This maddened Draven, who issued a second fist to the head. This time the blow struck its mark, contacting with Jay\u2019s chin.
\n     His strong-boned jaw absorbed the blow without any damage being done. In immediate retaliation, Jay threw a forceful right hook to Draven\u2019s jaw which blasted him clean off his feet. He hit the ground with a dull thud, bone-dry dust gusting up from the force of his landing.
\n     Jay could have kicked in his ribs while he lay there, but he didn\u2019t. Instead, he let his opponent scramble to his feet, so he could knock him straight back down again.
\n     A chorus of voices encouraged Draven to get up and kill Jay.
\n     It crossed Jay\u2019s mind that someone might die today, but it sure as hell wasn\u2019t gonna be him! He\u2019d fight \u2018em tooth and nail.
\n     Incensed, Draven pulled a knife from his boot and lunged full force at Jay, who side-stepped the attack, thereby causing his assailant to lose his balance and eat the dust yet again.
\n     \u2018Had enough?\u2019 Jay asked, glaring down at him, and kicking the stray knife out of reach of Draven\u2019s vengeful grasp.
\n     An enraged growl erupted from Draven\u2019s mouth, his own anger having caused him to bite through his bottom lip. Wiping the blood away with the back of his hand, Draven dragged himself to his feet and once more entered into the fray. Punching wildly, he tried to sink a body blow on Jay. It was futile. Jay blocked every punch with a fierce countering strike.
\n     Then finally, with a force which came from deep within him, Jay thrust an iron fist mercilessly into Draven\u2019s face, busting his nose wide open and sending him reeling to the ground, splashing blood.
\n     Seeing their charge-hand knocked senseless, three of the ranch-hands rushed Jay at once, fists flailing.
\n     Jay assumed a strong fighting stance, taking down the first man with a clean punch to his exposed torso. He dropped like a stone.
\n     The other two kept coming at him, and he suffered a few blows before delivering two hardhitting strikes to the second man, effectively eliminating him from further attack.
\n     The third was a dirty fighter, kicking and trying to eye-gouge. He was joined by a fourth man, and between them, they managed to wrestle Jay to the ground. But Jay was quick to react, despite being overpowered and outnumbered. He elbowed the fourth man in the throat, causing him to retreat on all fours gasping for breath.
\n     Instantly, Jay got to his feet, but the dirty fighter had got hold of Draven\u2019s knife and was wielding it with the savage glee of a man keen to slaughter.
\n     He repeatedly jabbed the knife at Jay, who did his best to avoid being cut. Suddenly, the knifeman lashed out and upwards, finally managing to slash across Jay\u2019s upper right arm, ripping through his shirt sleeve to reveal his initial J tattoo. The knife wound sliced at an angle, underlining the letter. Blood spurted from the open cut, and Jay winced slightly at the sharp burning pain which seared his arm.
\n     A sadistic smile blazed across the knifeman\u2019s face, and he held the weapon aloft as a mark of triumph. The cold steel of the blade glinted in the sunlight, its point dripping red.
\n     \u2018Cut his throat, Bodine,\u2019 someone urged.
\n     Bodine didn\u2019t need to be encouraged; he\u2019d tasted blood and he was out for more. Jabbing the knife at Jay\u2019s head and throat, he tried his damnedest to cause permanent injury.
\n     Ducking and weaving away from the flashing blade, Jay evaded the knife, biding his time for the split second when Bodine\u2019s guard would drop, allowing him to fell him with a debilitating parry.
\n     Confident he\u2019d be the victor, Bodine shortened the distance between them, and that\u2019s when Jay made his countermove. He buried a backfist into Bodine\u2019s face, finishing him off with a downward hammer blow to the back of his neck. Bones were broken.
\n     The fight was over.
\n     Simultaneously, a gun-shot fired into the air a few yards away, causing everyone to freeze.
\n     \u2018Hold it!\u2019 Corey Garrett yelled, still pointing his Colt .45 skyward. \u2018You\u2019re paid to work, not to kill each other.\u2019
\n     \u2018Your pa hired this troublemaker,\u2019 one of the ranch-hands shouted accusingly, trying to saddle Jay with the full burden for what happened.
\n     Corey\u2019s blue eyes immediately locked with Jay\u2019s, icing him with a glacier-cold stare. Jay noted the likeness between father and son, right down to the upside down, buffalo horn moustache. Corey was a thirty-year-old version of Chuck Garrett, robust and square-set with the same brown hair minus the grey, and blue eyes which life had yet to fade to the colourless hue of his father\u2019s.
\n     Drawing his eyes away from Jay, Corey addressed the ranch-hands. \u2018Put Draven and Bodine in the buggy and take \u2018em into town to see Doc Lainey.\u2019
\n     Bruised and beaten, three of the ranch-hands lifted Draven\u2019s and Bodine\u2019s unconscious and bloodied bodies on to the horse-drawn buggy. Two of them travelled with them into town.
\n     \u2018It\u2019s probably best that I leave,\u2019 Jay said to Corey, picking up his leather bag from the dusty ground.
\n     \u2018Nobody asked to you leave.\u2019 Corey\u2019s response was blunt, but accompanied by a sharp-eyed glare. \u2018However, if you\u2019re gonna work this ranch, you better keep your fists to yourself. Understand?\u2019
\n     Jay nodded.
\n     \u2018You\u2019ll work with me today,\u2019 Corey stated briskly. \u2018I need a hand with the fencing.\u2019 Corey walked off, his attitude indicting Jay should follow.
\n     Once out of sight of the ranch-hands, Corey spoke his mind. \u2018That was a damned fool thing you did back there. Draven and his men could have ripped you apart.\u2019 He threw Jay a curious look. \u2018Where did you learn to fight like that?\u2019
\n     Jay shrugged his shoulders.
\n     \u2018Oh, I forgot, ya don\u2019t remember nothin\u2019.\u2019 Then he added with a wry grin. \u2018Maybe just as well. Any man who fights as tough as you do must have a whole lot of trouble taggin\u2019 along behind him.\u2019
\n     \u2018I didn\u2019t intend to cause no trouble,\u2019 Jay assured him.
\n     \u2018I know. But Draven could cause a fight in an empty prairie, and the other men look to him for their lead.\u2019
\n     \u2018You saw what happened?\u2019 Jay asked.
\n     \u2018Yep. I was watching – just in case they got the better of ya.\u2019 He smiled. \u2018Sure was good to see Draven gettin\u2019 what was comin\u2019 to him. I\u2019ve always said someday he\u2019ll cross the wrong man and git himself killed. Well, ya didn\u2019t kill him, but you sure gave him a whippin\u2019 he\u2019ll never forget.\u2019
\n     Jay grimaced. \u2018Chances are Draven will want to get even when he recovers. Bodine too.\u2019
\n     Corey thought about it for a moment before replying. \u2018If Draven\u2019s as sly as I think he is, he\u2019ll keep his distance from ya for a while – but I\u2019d watch my back if I were you. He won\u2019t go risking another public beatin\u2019, but he\u2019ll bide his time waiting to catch you off guard when no one else is around.\u2019 He paused, then added, \u2018And as for Bodine, well, he\u2019ll likely try to git on your good side. He won\u2019t want to cross the likes of you again.\u2019
\n     \u2018With any luck, I\u2019ll be gone quite soon. Once I git my memory back, I\u2019m heading outa here to wherever I really belong.\u2019
\n     Corey viewed him sceptically. \u2018Some men don\u2019t belong anywhere. They jest drift from town to town.\u2019
\n     \u2018I don\u2019t feel like no drifter,\u2019 Jay commented as they reached the ranchhouse where Verity Garrett was standing alert on the front porch.
\n     \u2018Where\u2019s Pa?\u2019 Corey called out to his mother.
\n     \u2018He\u2019s headed over to the south range,\u2019 she replied, eyeing Jay as she spoke. \u2018What happened?\u2019
\n     \u2018Draven and the boys got outa hand. Bodine cut Jay\u2019s arm with knife,\u2019 he explained briefly. \u2018Could ya fix him up while I git the horses ready? Jay\u2019s working with me today.\u2019
\n     Verity, a small, slight but tenacious looking woman, wanted more details.
\n     \u2018Jay will tell you all about it while you\u2019re fixin\u2019 his arm,\u2019 Corey promised, leaving Jay to do just that.
\n     Verity cleaned the wound which wasn\u2019t as bad as the amount of blood on the remains of his shirt sleeve suggested. She was kind, and keen to hear Jay\u2019s version of the story as she wrapped the bandage around his arm.
\n     \u2018Is this the reason they call you J?\u2019 she asked, seeing the tattoo.
\n     \u2018Yes, ma\u2019am. It was Doc Lainey\u2019s boy who came up with the idea of callin\u2019 me Jay. But I\u2019m hoping it won\u2019t be long before I know what the initial J really stands for.\u2019
\n     Verity finished bandaging his wound and looked him straight in the eye. \u2018Jay suits ya,\u2019 she confirmed. \u2018Although I knew a man once who had his sweetheart\u2019s name tattooed on his forearm.\u2019
\n     She looked away, unable to hold his gaze, and he suspected she might be talking about herself.
\n     \u2018Verity is a mighty pretty name for any man to wear on his arm,\u2019 Jay said, grinning.
\n     \u2018Don\u2019t you go mentioning this to Chuck,\u2019 she whispered, trying to contain her own smile. \u2018We\u2019ve been married for more than thirty years but he still gets jealous about my first beau.\u2019
\n     Jay\u2019s green eyes lit up with his smile. \u2018I won\u2019t ever say a word.\u2019
\n     \u2018Say a word about what?\u2019 Corey asked, walking in on their conversation.
\n     \u2018About nothin\u2019,\u2019 his mother said, nipping Corey\u2019s question in the bud. \u2018Jay\u2019s all fixed up, so you two can be getting on with the ranching and let me get on with my own chores.\u2019
\n     \u2018Thanks, Ma,\u2019 Corey acknowledged, then turned to Jay who was wearing the clean shirt Doc Lainey had given him. \u2018Come on, I got a mustang saddled and ready for ya.\u2019
\n     Outside, Corey mounted his roan and Jay did likewise on to the mustang.
\n     \u2018Some of the fences on the north side need mendin\u2019. You can give me a hand,\u2019 Corey told him as they rode north together. \u2018I cain\u2019t imagine what it must be like not to know who ya are,\u2019 Corey added, seemingly unable to fathom Jay\u2019s situation.
\n     \u2018I\u2019d never have believed it possible,\u2019 Jay admitted. \u2018It\u2019s hard to explain what it\u2019s like.\u2019
\n     \u2018Well, you sure know how to fist fight, and ride as good as any ranch-hand round these parts,\u2019 Corey credited him. \u2018If you\u2019re good at mending fences, Draven better watch out you don\u2019t git his job.\u2019
\n     Jay sensed the comment was made half in jest and half in earnest, but he really had no intention of staying in Copperstone that long.
\n     \u2018As I said before, I\u2019ll be movin\u2019 on soon, but I appreciate your being fair-minded about everything, Corey.\u2019
\n     \u2018Ya never can tell how things will work out,\u2019 Corey concluded. \u2018Pa don\u2019t like Draven any more than I do. If the truth be known, we\u2019d be glad to see the back of him – if we\u2019d a suitable replacement. Maybe ranching\u2019s in your blood?\u2019
\n     \u2018Ya never can tell,\u2019 Jay echoed, trying to keep an open mind, but doubting this was where his future lay.
\n     
\nCorey had to show Jay how to mend any gaps in the fences, but he proved to be a quick learner and a tireless worker.
\n     Later, back at the bunkhouse, Draven and Bodine were resting from their injuries. No words were exchanged between Draven and Jay, just a grudging silence which spoke volumes. The other ranch-hands made no bones about the situation, though they did tread warily around Jay. Bodine, true to Corey\u2019s prediction, tried to make friends with Jay. He didn\u2019t want a friend like Bodine, but with allies thin on the ground, he didn\u2019t need another enemy. They shook hands over their differences – a gesture which Bodine wrongly assumed made them friends.
\n     Jay chose a bunk for himself at the far corner of the cabin away from the others. Here he ate a plateful of stew and bread, washed down with coffee. He kept to himself, and that\u2019s the way he planned to continue while he was here.
\n     After supper, Jay assisted Corey and Chuck Garrett to secure the horses in the corral for the evening.
\n     \u2018I\u2019ve told the boys I want no more trouble, so you shouldn\u2019t have any problems sharing the bunkhouse,\u2019 Chuck avowed to Jay before he and Corey retired to the ranchhouse.
\n     \u2018We\u2019ve got an early start tomorrow, Jay,\u2019 Corey added. \u2018Git some shut-eye.\u2019
\n     \u2018See ya in the mornin\u2019,\u2019 Jay affirmed, walking away into the darkness, guided only by a dim light glowing from the bunkhouse.
\n     His thoughts were rewinding the day\u2019s events, when a faint noise triggered a disturbing warning. Halting in this tracks, he listened warily. There was nothing but silence -and darkness.
\n     In that instant, something flickered in his mind, as if the chord of a distant memory had been stirred. What it was, he couldn\u2019t fathom, but something in his bones told him it was vital to his survival.
\n     Walking on, the whispered sounds followed his every step, almost as if something invisible were pursuing him.
\n     Keeping a strong, steady pace, he continued towards the bunkhouse, heaving an inner sigh of relief when it reached it safely. Draven, Bodine and the others were all present and accounted for. Whoever, or whatever, was outside lurking in the shadows, was a stranger. It certainly wasn\u2019t the Garretts, for he\u2019d seen them go into the ranchhouse.
\n     Reining his stray thoughts together, he considered that he might be just plain dog-tired. Unsure, he decided to give himself the benefit of the doubt. So, attributing it to lack of sleep, he settled down for the night.
\n     Lying in bed, his thoughts returned again to recent events, which were his only real memories.
\n     At the end of his first day at the Mistral ranch, he concluded that little light had been shed on his past – but he had the feeling he was at least one day closer to remembering something important. Something which might save his life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CHAPTER ONE A fiery gold and rose sunset blazed across the Californian sky, shading the vastness in a warm, vibrant glow. The day was dying fast, but it was sure going out in a blaze of glory.      One man stood alone on the brow of a sage-covered hill overlooking the flat expanse of plain which … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":299,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-302","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=302"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":328,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/302\/revisions\/328"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}