Where There's a Will
Page 9
She’d only once lost a mare, and the fear that it could happen again tonight had settled deep in her heart. She worried that if she’d lost the mare and failed Adam, he might question her abilities. She’d been so fearful using the rope wouldn’t work, but she’d underestimated the physical strength and mental determination of those men. Stubborn individuals like herself who refused to accept failure. After discovering the reason for the stalled laboring and working together during the birthing, they’d averted disaster. The mare and colt both survived, and she had to believe they would continue to thrive.
“You did an amazing job. Get some sleep now, Willow,” Adam whispered, kissing the top of her head.
Relief flooded over her. Hearing Adam’s praise, she hoped this wonderful, kind-hearted man would remain in her life forever. But a huge secret stood between them, ensuring their time together would end eventually. No matter what good things happened to her, something kept preventing her from finding true happiness.
Life seemed so unfair.
She cried even harder.
Chapter 13
Adam paced the parlor floor in the main house, waiting for Daniel to arrive. The telegraph from the family Pinkerton agent warned that he had initiated his investigation and he would be arriving at the end of the week. By Adam’s reckoning, tonight could be the night.
Adam couldn’t begin to imagine what Daniel uncovered during his probe into Willow and Leonard’s life, but he hoped what his brother had learned would resolve whatever matter had caused problems for his horse wranglers. With any luck at all, Daniel could bring the entire business to an end.
Floyd created a ruckus in the front yard and Adam hoped it had been his brother’s arrival that initiated the dog’s barking. The front door opened and closed, and Adam hurried into the hallway. Daniel stood there, hanging his bowler on one of the hooks by the door.
“Take a look at you,” Adam blurted, chuckling. The denims and vest that his brother wore as a local deputy had been replaced by a three-piece suit, white shirt and tie. As well as the bowler he’d hung up. Daniel McLennon truly looked the part of a Pinkerton.
His newly arrived brother chuckled. “I’m fine, Adam. Thank you for asking. And how have you been?”
Adam laughed. “We’ve all doing fine here. Where’s Iris?”
“Although uneventful, the trip tired out my wife, so I acquired a room for her at the Milestone Hotel and left Amanda fussing over her. Iris will be out to the ranch tomorrow to see Jackson and Lily’s new baby.” Daniel followed Adam into the parlor.
“Care for a drink?” Adam pointed to the glasses and bottle of whiskey on a nearby table.
Daniel shook his head. “Not when I’m here on official business. Could we speak with Willow and Leonard? They should hear what I’ve learned also.”
“No time like the present. I put them up in the cabin in front of Lawrence’s.” Adam led the way back to the front entry, grabbing his Stetson off the hook.
“How’s your ranch foreman?”
“Lawrence is good. Busy like the rest of us.”
Daniel reached for his bowler and followed his brother out the door.
* * *
Relaxing in the cabin she shared with her brother, Willow stretched and rolled her shoulders, still thankful every day that her boss hadn’t fired her for her little white lie. She continued to work as a horse wrangler by day and enjoyed life as a young lady in the evenings.
She ran one hand down the skirt of her dark pink dress, loving the feel of the calico. So soft in comparison to the denims she wore while working in the barns and pastures. Unabashedly wearing a dress helped Willow forget the past ten months she’d been forced to live as a boy while she and Leonard evaded their past. She trailed one hand through her hair which thankfully had grown quite quickly, although there would be some time to go until her locks returned to their original length. Her life had definitely taken a turn for the better. And kind-hearted Adam McLennon had contributed greatly to this new contentment.
She continued to join the McLennon family for the noon meal on Sundays, spending time with family members including Jackson’s wife, Lily. Their new son, Edward Alexander, couldn’t be more adorable and Lily claimed he was growing like a weed. The garden she’d helped plant with Mrs. Sheridan was thriving also, and everyone enjoyed the fresh vegetables served up every evening.
But the most enjoyable time every Sunday was spent during the buggy rides with Adam while he showed her yet another area of the ranch. She couldn’t fathom the size of the Double M, covering more acres than she could count. Their family ranch back in Texas had been a quarter the size, but they hadn’t raised cattle in addition to the Thoroughbreds. She hadn’t a clue what the future held for her and Adam, but for now she couldn’t be more content. Of course, she’d learned long ago that nothing lasted forever.
She peeked at her lapel watch. Eight-thirty. A bit early for bed. But being too restless to concentrate on the story, she set her book aside on the table beside the sofa. Leonard recently returned to the cabin after helping Lawrence with a temperamental Morgan gelding, and disappeared into his room to change out of his soiled and smelly work clothes. She thanked her lucky stars she wasn’t in charge of laundry on the ranch.
“Should I make a pot of coffee?” she called.
“Only if you want some.” Her brother strolled into the front room. “I’m heading over to the bunkhouse to play cards with a couple of the other hands.”
Willow’s eyebrow rose.
“No cash wagers, just a fun game for matchsticks.”
“All right. I’m at loose ends tonight. Perhaps I’ll work on the needlepoint Mrs. Sheridan brought me.” Willow headed for her bedroom when a loud knock on the door stopped her.
Leonard met her eyes. “Expecting someone?”
She shook her head. “Maybe one of the Thoroughbreds is having problems.” She strode across the floor and opened the door. When she spotted Adam, her breath caught. Had he come calling on her, like a true beau? And then Willow noticed the man standing beside Adam, dressed in an official capacity holding a Pinkerton badge in one hand. The family resemblance meant the one thing she dreaded most. Adam’s brother, the Pinkerton agent, had discovered their whereabouts.
Had Adam informed his brother of their presence on the ranch?
Had he betrayed her trust?
“Willow and Leonard, could we come in, please?” Adam inquired.
“My name is Daniel McLennon. At my brother’s request, I initiated an investigation into your lives. I’ve learned several interesting things, and I’d like to talk over the situation with you,” the Pinkerton requested.
Willow met Adam’s eyes. “How could you do this?” she whispered.
Adam took a step toward her. “I won’t apologize for helping you.”
Willow waved off his words. “You’ve done anything but help me.” She stumbled across the floor and slumped onto the sofa, fighting back tears. The man she’d been falling in love with just brought her happiness to an abrupt end. Depending on what his brother had learned, she had nothing to look forward to now except a cell in the local jail. Why hadn’t she fled the Double M Ranch when he’d first discovered her lie? Once again, she’d learned the hard way that you could never trust any man.
“We need to listen to what he has to say,” Leonard stated, meeting her eyes.
Did her brother hope the Pinkerton hadn’t learned anything of importance? Could it be Daniel hadn’t discovered everything that had happened? “All right,” she whispered her reply. Did she have any choice?
The two men crossed the threshold and entered the cabin. Adam closed the door behind them while Leonard pulled two of the kitchen chairs over to the sofa.
“Take a seat,” her brother offered and the two McLennon brothers seated themselves, facing Willow. Leonard settled beside his sister on the sofa.
“Well, get on with it,” Willow blurted, making no effort to hide her contempt for what Adam had done.
Willow shifted in her seat. “Who else is there to blame?” she muttered.
“Actually, the Pinkertons were already involved in an investigation concerning Willow and Leonard Harrison.” Daniel remained stone-faced after dropping that information into their laps. “Approximately nine months ago, the Pinkerton Agency was hired to find both of you.”
“We knew no one would believe us,” Willow whispered.
Leonard glanced at Willow. “Thank goodness we left when we did.”
Daniel cleared his throat. “If you’re willing to hear me out, you might be surprised by what I’ve learned.”
“Well, you’ve certainly got me intrigued,” Adam admitted.
“When Adam telegraphed me to investigate his newly hired ranch hands, Willow and Leonard Harrison, I realized the names sounded familiar and I checked with my superiors. The Pinkerton Agency had already been hired to find you two.” Daniel held up his hand when Willow slid forward on the sofa, preparing to pepper him with questions.
“Who hired the Pinkertons?” Leonard demanded.
Daniel consulted his notebook. “The man who hired us to find you was a Mr. Clarence Pearson.”
Willow gasped and her hand covered her mouth. “That’s impossible!”
Adam frowned. “Why?”
“Because he’s dead,” Willow whispered.
Leonard slid forward on the sofa. “Clarence Pearson was our uncle. He’s the reason we left our home.”
“Why would you believe the man’s dead?” Daniel exchanged a look with each of them in turn.
“Because we found his body in the…” Leonard said, his face paling.
Willow grabbed her brother’s arm and whispered, “Sh. Don’t say another word!”
Adam gaped and glanced at Leonard and then met eyes with Willow. “You found a dead body?”
“Um… Leonard spoke out of turn. He… he didn’t… he didn’t mean that,” she stammered.
“Willow…” her brother warned.
She swatted his arm. “It’s all a trick. You know Uncle Clarence is dead!”
“Actually, that’s not true,” Daniel chimed in. “I know for a fact he’s very much alive.”
Willow shook her head. “No, he’s not. We saw him with our own eyes.”
“What did you see?” Daniel slid forward on the ladderback chair.
Willow shook her head, revisiting the disturbing scene in her memory. “This is some sort of trick. Uncle Clarence must be dead… there was so much blood. He can’t possibly be alive.”
“During my investigation, I learned there was a robbery on your family ranch almost a year ago. Clarence Pearson, apparently the new owner of the ranch, had been shot during the robbery and left for dead. Mr. Pearson was discovered by the ranch housekeeper when she returned home unexpectedly that night. She’d been visiting a family member and returned to the ranch a day earlier than she’d planned.”
“Mrs. Griffith.” Willow loved their housekeeper dearly; the older lady had stepped in after her mother’s death and raised Willow and Leonard as her own. More a grandmother than mother at her age, but she’d ensured they’d felt wanted and loved. She’d provided Willow the guidance every young lady required, teaching her about womanhood and information she wouldn’t receive from a father.
“So, Willow and Leonard have been on the run for killing a man who isn’t dead?” Adam summarized, sounding astonished at the irony.
“That would appear to be the case,” Daniel reiterated.
“Not Willow, just me. I would have been blamed for his killing,” Leonard blurted.
“But he’s alive,” Adam reminded him.
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” Leonard muttered. “I was certain he was dead and the door to the safe in our father’s study was wide open. We knew I would certainly be blamed for killing our uncle and folks would assume we were to blame for any robbery as well. We lit out of there and never looked back.”
Daniel cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. “When your uncle recovered and returned to the ranch, he claimed he reported several thousand dollars was missing from the ranch safe. He blamed the two of you for robbing him and leaving him for dead. He also reported neither of you had accepted him as the new owner of the ranch. He reported that after your father passed, the family lawyer informed him that your father had willed the property to him.” Daniel glanced at Willow. “Your uncle also informed us Leonard had made public threats against him.”
“You could say that,” Willow muttered.
Leonard scoffed, “I hated the man.”
Daniel frowned. “Do you care to explain?”
“Will it land me in a jail cell?”
“Depends upon what you tell me.” Daniel shifted forward on his chair. “How about starting with the truth?”
Chapter 14
Willow closed her eyes against the pain of betrayal, hearing Adam had contacted his brother and then listening to Daniel McLennon explain his findings.
So, Willow and Leonard have been on the run for killing a man who isn’t dead?
That would appear to be the case.
She should have known life had been moving along too smoothly for her and Leonard. Could she hope for a moment that it was true? Was her uncle alive? If that was the case, neither she nor Leonard could be charged with a murder they hadn’t committed. But the matter of the robbery still hung over their heads. Would they ever learn the culprit responsible for that? Probably the same fellow who attempted to kill their uncle.
“Of course, I’ll tell you the truth.” Leonard glared at Daniel. “At least, I’ll tell you the truth as my sister and I know it.”
“Leonard, I’m not convinced our uncle is alive.” Willow crossed her arms and glared at Daniel. “Adam’s brother could be here to trick us.”
“He’s alive. One of our agents talked to him in Cactus Plains, Texas,” Daniel insisted.
Willow’s heartbeat raced, hearing the Pinkerton mention her hometown. Could Adam’s brother be telling the truth?
Leonard shrugged. “I suppose it’s possible. I didn’t check for a pulse or try to see if he was breathing, just assumed with all the blood that he was dead. But your report is right. I made threats against my uncle. Mostly, I didn’t agree with how he was running Pa’s ranch.”
“What do you mean? I require an explanation.”
“Mr. McLennon… Agent McLennon… Uncle Clarence was more interested in spending money, gambling on horses and cards, than caring for our horses.” Leonard shook his head. “I criticized his ability to run the ranch, and he didn’t appreciate our attitude toward him.”
“Truth hurts,” Willow muttered.
“How did your disapproval escalate into making threats?”
Willow touched Leonard’s arm. “Tell them what he did. The last straw,” she encouraged him.
“I will go to my grave believing Uncle Clarence did something to one of our horses. Charlie’s Wish was almost guaranteed to win, but on the day of the race, our uncle bet a large sum against him. Willow and I were furious.”
“Who bets against his own Thoroughbred when everyone assumes he’ll cross the finish line first?” Willow blurted.
“Unless you know he’s going to lose,” Adam speculated.
“Because you ensured he would lose,” Leonard added. “Of course, Uncle Clarence covered his tracks very well and we couldn’t prove anything.”
Willow met Leonard’s eyes. “Tell him the rest.”
“Our uncle was socializing with some of his cronies in a local hotel dining room after the race, celebrating his big win, when he and I got into an argument. The man made me so angry over Charlie’s Wish that I told him he had better start doing a better job of running the ranch or I’d kill him.” Leonard shook his head. “Of course, I�
�d never do it, but he made me so dang angry. Half the patrons heard me utter the threat, and most of them our uncle considered his friends.”
“Daniel, you’ve got to investigate this further. Learn the truth and prove what Leonard and Willow are telling you is the real story,” Adam chimed in.
“You believe us?” Willow met Adam’s eyes.
“Yes, I do.” Adam settled on the sofa beside her.
“Why?” Leonard blurted. “You hardly know us.”
“You’re the children of ranch folk. Heck, you are ranch folk. You understand ranching and fair play. If someone had mismanaged the Double M to the same degree, I’d be threatening him, too.” Adam slipped his arm around Willow. “A family ranch means everything to the entire family, even uncles. I can’t understand this man’s thinking. Something isn’t right here. And no honest rancher would ever tamper with one of his race horses.”
Willow leaned her head on Adam’s shoulder. “That you believe us and you think we’re innocent of any wrongdoing, means a lot to me.”
Daniel cleared his throat. “Adam is not the only McLennon who believes your version of the story.”
“Thank you. I’m just so blame tired of running, especially knowing I haven’t done anything wrong.” Leonard extended his hand and Daniel shook it.
“I’m going to learn the truth, and prove it’s the truth, one way or another,” Daniel vowed.
“We found that safe open. We found our uncle lying nearby in a pool of blood and we assumed he was dead. We panicked and we lit out of there.” Leonard glanced at Willow. “We were stupid. We should have stayed and called for a doctor.”
“When you believe everyone is against you, your confidence suffers for it,” Willow admitted. “And you make foolish decisions.”
“After the public threats, I figured I’d be blamed. At that point I knew the ranch was going downhill so quickly, if something wasn’t done soon there’d be nothing to fix anyway.” Leonard straightened his back. “And I sure as heck wasn’t going to hang for a murder I hadn’t committed.”