A Heart of Forgiveness
1890 – Texas
He would protect her, even if it would be the death of him. Everlee Davis was worth it, plus it wasn’t her fault that people were trying to kill her; it was his. His past was now catching up with him and threatening the one person he cared most about. This couldn’t be happening. He knew what he would have to do to keep her safe, and that would be the most painful thing ever: leaving.
“Mr. Parker, can I have my mail back, please? I am pretty sure it had my name on it, and last time I checked, any mail addressed to me is mine.” Everlee Davis said sweetly, sticking out her delicate hand, reaching for the letter. He reluctantly handed her the letter looking down at her small 5’3 figure. His face softened, so he wouldn’t scare her after she read the letter. He had recognized the hand writing from the moment he saw it on the table. It was written by an old enemy, one whose job was to make the rest of his life as difficult as it could be.
“Thank you” she abruptly replied and walked away heavily, clearly upset that he had been looking through her mail. Jake had expected that reaction. He had no right to be going through her things, but in this case her life was in danger, so he thought it was a justified response.
“How dare he look through my mail!” Everlee Davis thought, as she locked her bedroom door. She knew she was overreacting, but the nerve of that man to look through her mail. Jake Parker was annoying and always showing off how good he was. He had the highest position on the ranch: foreman. Worst of all, her father was entranced by Jake, and treated him as part of the family, which he most certainly was not. That man was a walking tornado, making a mess everywhere he went. She huffed and sat down on her old bed with her mom’s quilt on top. Everlee opened the note and read the big black letters. “Say goodbye, because time’s almost up. You will wish you never met him.” It wasn’t signed by anyone. Everlee Davis knew that whoever had left this letter was going to kill her.
It made sense why Jake hadn’t wanted to give back the letter, he didn’t want her to be scared. It was thoughtful of him, but she was twenty, old enough to take care of herself. Even as she thought about this she felt the hair on her arms stand up and her breathing became a little shaky. She was absolutely terrified! She had two questions: why were they after her and who was the man that she should have never met? She made a mental note to ask her father when he returned in a week, though she might not even have a full week left. She decided that she would go and ask Jake, even if she couldn’t stand the man. Everlee stood up, straightened the bright, multi coloured quilt and slipped out of her room without a sound. Dinner wouldn’t make itself and neither would her questions be answered.
The kitchen was empty when she returned. So she started busying herself to keep her nerves down. She was making beef sweetened with molasses, assorted vegetables and some homemade bread. For dessert, apple pie. Dinner was the biggest meal of the day and gave the men strength to work all afternoon. Everlee looked at the window and watched as the men worked with cattle in the field. She envied them. She loved the outdoors and riding. When she was young she practically lived outside.
“You’re gonna burn the pie,” someone whispered behind her. She jumped back and spun around, seeing Jake standing there in her kitchen. He was tall and strong. The sunlight played with his chestnut brown hair and gave his hazel eyes a sparkle. Everlee blinked a few times, trying to get her mind straight, which, for some reason, was challenging this time.
“Dash it. You’re right.” She spun back towards the stove and pulled out the slightly burnt pie. Setting it on top, she decided that she might as well ask him to see if he knew anything about what the letter said.
“Mr. Parker, does anything in this letter make sense to you? I was going to wait till Pa came home, but it might be too late, and since you took an interest in this note anyway, tell me what you know,” Everlee asked. He knew the day was coming where he would have to reveal his past, but now didn’t seem like the perfect time. Maybe he could gloss over and tell her the bare minimum. No, it had to be honest and the whole truth, last time he glossed it over, he got in major trouble. He had already made up his mind to leave. He would tell the truth, but leave out the parts that would hurt her. He took a deep breath and leaned against the island in the middle of the kitchen. What he was about to say would be the last thing he ever said to her.
“Miss Davis, the truth is that this note isn’t directed at you. It’s directed at me. And for your safety, I’m leavin’. I came here to say goodbye and wish you well.” That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to say, but it was the only way to be honest and not tell her the whole heartbreaking truth. It was his turn to walk out, and that’s exactly what he did. He knew if he didn’t walk out now, he might never leave and that would put her in more danger, and she didn’t deserve that. Not at all.
The note was directed at Him? Jake was the target. But why was she included in the threat? She needed answers so she rushed out of the kitchen and through the front door. She blinked heavily, trying to get her eyes adjusting quickly to the bright sunlight. Apparently not quick enough because she saw Jake riding off on his horse. She had to stop him and she would. If anyone could catch up to a man who didn’t want to be caught, she could.
She hurried into the barn and opened the stall door of a huge 18 handed horse named Mo, short for Molasses. That was her horse, the one she had gotten for her 15th birthday. She quickly saddled it and she was off. She observed the direction his horse had gone and followed the few hoof prints. Then, way off in the distance, she saw Jake. She was gaining on him. She kept her horse at a very fast pace and caught up quickly.
“Mr. Parker, stop, we need to talk.” He ignored her and kept on riding hard, so she did the same. “Jake, please, we need to talk.” He turned his head and looked at her. That got his attention. He slowed his horse and so did she.
“Jake, you need to explain why I am in this, this – situation. And how this concerns you. Are you the man I am supposed to wish I never knew?” She looked up and quickly looked back down. Everytime she looked at him she got this funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Right now wasn’t the time for feelings, it was time to find out the truth.
Everlee was persistent, but she was about to regret it. The truth was about to come out and it wasn’t going to be pretty. He would hold onto that secret as long as possible.
“The truth ain’t pretty, Miss Davis. I did some bad things in the past. The end.”
“Jake, that’s not the end. Please tell me. Your past affects more than just you now.”
Her logic seemed to make sense but he still didn’t want to say anything. But then again he couldn’t wait too much longer because it was impacting her life too. He looked directly into her eyes and the brick wall holding his past came crashing down.
“Well, Miss Davis, you want the truth? Here it is” He took a deep breath and started to recount the tale of his past. “I haven’t always worked on the right side of the law. I used to work with the Garisaon gang. We did lots of jobs, but our final one together, we stole one million dollars. We were each supposed to get a quarter of it when all of the loose ends were wrapped up. Well, let’s just say, I didn’t stay long enough; I was done with that life, and wanted something more honorable. I took half a million dollars and held onto it for a little bit then gave it up to the sheriff. Holdin’ onto it was doin’ nothin’ for my conscience. So I gave up all the money and started fresh. Your father was gracious enough to hire someone like me. And I’ve been putting in an honest day of work ever since. Anyway, the writing of that threat is the same handwriting as the leader of the gang, Willam Evans. I know he’s tryin’ to get back at me for what I did – for stealing more than I was owed – and I know he wants it back, except I can’t give it back. I never thought he would retaliate by threatening you. And that’s the truth.”
Finally it was off his chest and as much as it felt good, he could just sense the anger that was emanating off her – the beautiful Everlee who he had hurt.
“Are you serious?” She looked conflicted. She took a deep breath and then said calmly, “You never answered my question of why I’m part of this?”
“I don’t know. My best guess would be they have been stalkin’ this ranch for some time waiting for the perfect leverage to get me to do what they want.” He replied.
“Okay, so what are we going to do about this?”
“I am goin’ to leave and you are goin’ to go on with your life and forget about me.”
“That’s a terrible plan. Try again. I was thinking more like tracking your old partner in crime down and getting him arrested for theft, and whatever else he is guilty of.”
“It’s a good plan except you’re not coming.” He knew arguing with her was hopeless but he had to try. This was going to be a dangerous mission; Willam Evans was a killer and would do anything to get his money. And there was no way Jake was going to let Everlee go through that.
“Jake, I’m coming and that’s final. I’m a good shot and can ride better than half of the guys on the ranch. You don’t really have a choice. So where are we headed?”
This was what he was afraid of, her stubbornness. But he also couldn’t deny the truth; he couldn’t do this mission alone, and she was a very good shot. It would be helpful to have someone capable like her, but her father would be plain mad if he found out. But he wasn’t due back for another week and this mission would mean he would get to spend some sweet time with Everlee. On the flip side, him spending any amount of time with her would completely ruin her reputation and he couldn’t do that. Oh man, he was in a tough spot.
“If you are trying to figure out how not to soil my reputation, forget about it. I am already an old maid. We are wasting time.” She had read his mind, how had she done it?
“Why do you want to come so bad – it’s a death mission!?”
“When do I ever get to do something crazy and dangerous? After Ma died, it was work in the kitchen, doing laundry and cleaning. You think I enjoy that? No! I need adventure – I used to always go out – but that was before Ma passed. Let me come along.”
“Can’t really say no to the boss’s daughter now can I?”
“No you can’t!” She had gotten her triumphant win, but she really didn’t know what she was getting herself into. And he didn’t know how he would survive being so close to her.
So maybe winning wasn’t the best idea, but how could she not? She had been stuck in a kitchen for way too long and maybe finally the gang would get what they deserved.
“What do we need, Jake?” She was prepared to race back, grab all the supplies, a new mount and race back.
“Well, Miss Davis-”
“Please, call me Everlee. We are in this together.”
“Everlee, then. We need food, water, blankets, rope, guns. I probably missed so much. Let’s just head back and figure out the full list on the way,” Jake said.
The two rode back to the ranch, she fed the ranch hands, packed the leather saddle bags and they were off. They rode east of the ranch passing by field after field.
Jake ran over the plan during supper that evening. They were going to go into town and notify the sheriff of the situation, then they were going to go to where the Garisaon gang used to hang out to see if they could find them. Once they were spotted, the sheriff would take it from there. It sounded like a good plan and they would finally get punished for what they did to her Ma. It would be dangerous but if everything went well they would be home by tomorrow evening. They planned to stay in town that night and head out at first light. So that is exactly what they did. Once the Sheriff was notified, they went off to their respective rooms and met at the livery at dawn.
“Ready to go, Everlee?” Her name coming from him sounded so sweet.
“Yep” She responded with enthusiasm. She was ready for adventure, but most of all revenge.
“Let’s go”
He had to make sure that she didn’t die. Taking her along was the worst decision. All she wanted was adventure and danger, and he wanted none of it. She rode behind him as they moved quickly across the plain and into a deep, lush forest. He followed the worn dirt trail – they were making progress. They would make it to the cave hideout of the Garisaon gang in an hour if they rode hard. He ran over the plan in his mind again: spot them, get back to town, lead the sheriff to them and have them arrested. Simple, if it worked. The Garisaon gang were the toughest and most ruthless gang in Texas, and that was a very hard title to keep. He remembered when he still worked for them.
It was exactly five years ago to the day. He could still taste the dust as they rode away from the big bank in Fort Worth. The sun was out and its golden rays beat down on him, blinding him as he rode. He still saw the face of the young woman who knelt down beside her mother as she bled to death from his bullet. He had aimed and fired that bullet for one reason – a diversion – yet seeing that girl’s face, he knew that had been the biggest mistake of his life. He was the Snipper; trained to kill. Having been orphaned at ten and taken in by the gang, he practiced the art of killing every mission, and got good. But after seeing this girl’s heartbroken face as her mother died in front of her, he knew he was done with crime, killing and being on the wrong side of the law. He was done ruining other’s lives for the sake of money. He was 21 at the time and perfectly able to do heavy labour. So instead of going back to the rendez-vous, he rode the opposite direction, taking half a million dollars with him.
Now he was going back, and this part scared him. He knew what they did with traitors, he saw it first hand as a kid, but he had no choice. Everlee was in danger and if he didn’t face his past, he would never be free of it.
This mission was important for her for more than one reason. Her mom had died in the hands of the Garisaon Gang five years ago. They had murdered her. Everlee had gone to Fort Worth with her Ma and Pa for a cattle auction. Her Ma had always managed the finances, so she had gone to the bank that day to get the money for the new herd and that’s where she was shot down. She had been with her Ma, and saw the whole thing. She looked up at the top of the bank to see who shot her, but the sun was too bright. It broke her heart and it was payback time. She had made up in her mind that revenge was necessary, but her Pa would never allow it, so thank goodness for Jake.
She was a good shot. She had grown up on a ranch as an only child, so her Pa decided to teach her everything he would have taught a son. Astride riding, how to shoot a rifle, climbing trees, fishing, hunting, roping, and so much more. She was thankful because she could hold her own in races and target practice and fishing.
They’d arrived. Well, arrived within 200 feet of the cave. He wasn’t letting the princess go any closer. He would take a closer look and she would stay with the horses. He slid off his horse, grabbed his rifle, and tiptoed through the dense forest till he reached the side of the cave. Having been there many times he knew how to sneak around without getting caught. He could see a couple men standing at the entrance. Listening closely he heard two voices. One, the villainous Will Evans and the other: Spencer Worth. Spencer had been their powder man whenever they had needed to blow up things. Jake wasn’t expecting him.
“You think they’re actually going to show up, boss?” said Spencer in a low voice.
“Of course they will. Jake is in debt to the Davis family; if the girl wants revenge, he would take her, and then she’s going to turn on him and he won’t know what hit him. We take advantage of the situation.” Will grumbled .
Why would Everlee want revenge? Had the gang done something to her in the past? It now made more sense to him why she insisted on coming. But which one of the members had hurt her? At least he knew that Will was here, and if he was here, so would the rest of the members. The last thing to do was to alert the Sheriff.
He crept back to the horses, being careful not to alert the men guarding this cave, and found Everlee looking off into the distance. She just stood there, silent and perfect. Her blonde hair glistened in the rays of sun that could make it through the dense forest. A strong breeze shook the leaves and tore strands of hair from her long braid.
“Ready to go?” He asked her in a whisper coming up behind her.
“Yeah” She climbed onto her horse with no assistance, which was pretty impressive for any woman. He watched as she gave her horse a kick and he followed closely behind him.
They rode in silence till he couldn’t hold it any longer. He asked the burning question, dominating his every thought.
“Why do you want revenge?”
“Huh?” She responded. Apparently he had caught her daydreaming.
“I overheard Will talking to another member about you wanting revenge. What did the gang do to you?”
She turned to him and explained about her mothers death. “I did not know who did it because the sun was so bright, but I know someone in the Garisaon gang did it. It was all over the newspapers. Pa says we need to forgive even if someone wrongs us badly, but I can’t and won’t. Pa is not here right now, so I need revenge. Whoever killed my Ma deserves to die,” Everlee said passionately and angrily.
Jake gulped at hearing this. He knew the exact event. It was that moment that had turned him from crime to working an honest day. He remembered seeing a young woman’s face, he looked at Everlee and it all clicked. He had shot her Ma and it had been her face that had stayed with him. He hadn’t recognized her because her Pa had sent her to her aunt’s place in Colorado for two years to help out on that ranch. How would he ever be able to be honest with her?
“So do you know the person who did it? Was the leader, Will? Or someone else?” She asked, eagerly wanting the truth.
He closed his eyes. How could he ever tell her? His own Mama’s voice came to mind – “lies come back to haunt, truth sets you free, no matter how bad it is.” – it would be painful, but she would find out eventually.
“I was the sniper. I was told to make a distraction, and that’s what I did.”
“You did what?!” She abruptly stopped her horse facing him, giving him a glare only promising death. “How could you murder an innocent person? She did nothing wrong. All for a stupid distraction! I can’t believe I ever trusted you. You’re a no good criminal. I’m getting my revenge on all the Garisaon gang, including you.” She turned her horse back facing the right direction and took off at a full gallop.
“Wait!” He cried, but she ignored him. Completely expected. Oh why didn’t he just lie to her and tell her he didn’t know.
A piercing scream broke through the still air. Terror filled his viens. That scream could have only come from one person: Everlee. He had played into their trap; they had her.
A large sweaty hand was placed over her mouth to muffle her second scream. She bit it and the hand moved, replacing it with a gag. He hoofed her off her horse and on to his. One of his beefy arms was wrapped around her waist keeping her up right as they rode. The man took a different route to the cave, not the one her and Jake had taken. When they arrived at the opening, he threw her right into the arms of another man, one who had a piercing stare and a lack of teeth. These men had scowls planted on their faces and were over a head taller. The two men brought her into the cave to meet their boss. He was probably six feet tall and had a long bushy beard. His eyes stared deep into her soul and his frown set the mood.
“Revenge is never a good option, young lady. You should have listened to your papa. But instead you went with Jake and here we are now. Spencer, get Jake off our trail.”
“Yes sir,” the man named Spencer said. He walked briskly out of the cave and she heard him get on his horse and gallop away. She squirmed, but the gap-toothed man held her wrists tighter.
“Don’t even try to escape, you’re staying right here.” The boss snarled in a low, terrifying voice.
Everlee stood there petrified. Silent tears streamed down her face as her hands were still locked behind her back. Even if the toothless man released her, she probably wouldn’t be able to move. What were the men planning to do with her? Kill her? Hold her ransom? All she knew was that this cave was dark, cold, damp, smelled like cigar mixed with fish, her throat was dry, her wrists ached from the tight hold, and no one was coming. No one knew where she was. The ranch hands knew she was going to be gone for a couple days but she didn’t tell them the location. Jake might guess, but would he even come after she called him names and treated him rudely.
The only thing that she could do is pray. Pray that the Lord would send someone to rescue her before it was too late.
Knowing that Will would do everything in his power to keep him in his trap, Jake had made the quick decision to get help immediately. He rode as fast as he could into town, and contacted the sheriff. He also sent a telegram to Mr. Davis and told him in as few words as he could about the situation. Jake then traced a map out for the sheriff and they both went in their separate directions. The plan was to have the Sheriff and a few men from town confront them at the mouth of the cave. They would try to make a run for it and Jake would catch them, then the sheriff would come and arrest them.
Getting into position at the side of the cave, Jake readied his rifle and said a silent prayer for protection and help. Rescuing her wasn’t going to be easy and he didn’t know if this was playing into the Gariason gang’s trap. He had to try because Everlee was in danger.
Gun shots snapped him out of his thoughts. He heard pounding hooves and took off after the sound. His lungs burned as he rode hard and his chest tightened. Sight lines opened up as he left the forest behind and entered a field. He saw Will and two other men, one of them holding Everlee captive on their horse. He kicked his horse to go faster. Jake was gaining on them. A few more feet and then he could snatch Everlee back. A little faster, just a little closer and…
Another set of hands wrapped around her waist and they pulled her away from the toothless man and on to another horse. She knew exactly who it was – Jake. He kept them moving until they reached town. He slowed down the horse as they arrived. She could smell the comforting scent of the dusty roads and hear the loud voices of the men in the saloon. They passed by the general store and the old wooden inn. Jake reined in the horse and stopped it when they were in front of the sheriff’s office. He helped her down off the horse. The moment her feet hit the ground, a feeling of relief swept through her body. She was safe and sound.
Now that she was safe, all her previous emotions of anger and betrayal came back, swamping her. With everything that had happened, she was not willing or ready to face Jake. Yes, he had just saved her life, but he had also murdered her Ma. He had lied to her family. He was a no good criminal who deserved the harshest punishment – death. She decided right there and then that she wouldn’t talk to Jake again. He didn’t deserve any of her respect or acknowledgement. He had killed her Ma.
Jake opened his mouth and said, “Everlee, are you okay? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” She deliberately chose to look away from him. Why would she talk to him after all he had done? She knew that he had rescued her but there was no way that small thing would make her forget what he did, and so she wasn’t going to say anything back. Instead, facing the opposite direction from Jake, she walked to Mo, who was tied up in front of the sheriff’s office. She mounted smoothly and heard him groan. Making his life difficult would be her new favourite thing.
The Sheriff arrived coming in from the west side of town. He quickly assured Everlee that the Garisaon gang were no threat and that they were already being taken away to jail in Houston. This was a big relief for her, except for the fact that Jake hadn’t been punished yet. “Sheriff, Mr. Parker here was part of that gang and murdered my Ma. Doesn’t he get punished for that crime?”
“He would be Miss Davis, but all charges have been dropped so there isn’t anything I can do.” The Sheriff said.
“How could anyone drop those kind of charges on a murderer and a theif?” She said angrily, frowning and glaring at Jake.
“Because, Evie, I forgave him.” Everlee turned to look at a man getting off a horse. He removed his Stetson cowboy hat and faced her. It was her Pa. He wasn’t supposed to be home for another two days!
“Pa, you knew he killed Ma? And you still hired him? How could you do that!” She spat out, eyes filling with a fresh set of tears.
“Let me explain Evie.” He calmly replied in his deep soothing voice. “He was brought to court for killing your Ma in cold blood. When he gave his statement all I could think about was your Ma and what she would do in this situation. She would say to do what Jesus would do and that’s to forgive. I dropped all charges, paid his bail and forgave him. I hired Jake and he did exactly what he assured me he would do: put in an honest day’s work. I know you have always wanted revenge for your Ma’s death, but did Jesus ever seek revenge? Did He try to get back at all the people who crucified Him? No! He forgave them. He said on the cross, ‘Father forgive them’, not take revenge. Evie, I know it’s going to be hard, but I hope in time you will forgive him.”
By this time Everlee’s face was drenched with tears and she had gotten down from her horse. Her Pa opened his arms wide and she ran right into them. They hugged for a while. Could she forgive the man who killed her Ma? She looked directly into his eyes, searching for a sign that this was the right choice. Ma’s words came flooding back, ‘Evie, forgiveness grants freedom, both for you and for the other person.’
“I…forgive…you” Everlee whispered weakly. Her eyes were still locked on his. She finally felt free from this weight she had been carrying for five years. In his eyes she could see that he was finally free too.
“Thank you,” he replied.
The sun was setting in the West as the three mounted their horses and rode back to the ranch, sun at their backs. She had finally found freedom and accepted Ma’s death. Jake had been able to put his past to rest. They were both free.
