Sarah gripped her hands together on the table. “No matter what happens, we’re not going back on the orphan train.”
The two brothers exchanged a look. “We’re all in agreement on that. There’s a boardinghouse in town and the landlady is willing to keep you for the next few weeks in exchange for some help around the place. She needs help with canning and yard work.”
Sarah’s face brightened. “I’ve never canned before, but I like to cook.”
Tony stuck out her chin. “I don’t know. Sounds like a trick.”
“It’s the best we can do right now,” John said. “I’ll finish my business in Fort Preble and we’ll take another look at the situation. Give it a chance. It’s better than sleeping on the street and stealing your dinner.”
Tony’s cheek bloomed pink at the reminder. “And you’ll help me find my uncle?”
“I promise. You have my word. I have the information I need on your uncle. I’ll do everything I can to find them. What I can’t do is make promises about the results. All I can do is try.”
Sarah glanced away.
Tony brushed at her eyes. “I trust you.”
“What’s going to happen to Champion?” Hazel spoke. “Can we take him with us?”
“I need him for a little while longer,” John replied. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of him. You’ll see him again.”
Hazel’s lower lip trembled. “I’ll miss him.”
“He’s going to miss you, too. Don’t worry. We’ll be back before you know it.”
After dinner the two brothers set off to complete the business Jack had mentioned earlier and the other girls retired to their rooms, chattering amongst themselves. Moira hovered in the restaurant after the others, feeling lost. Everything was settled. Everything but her future.
Recalling Darcy’s absence, she took the steps two at a time and paused outside her room. She rapped three times.
“Go away,” Darcy called.
Moira leaned her shoulder against the doorjamb. “No. I’m not leaving until I know you’re all right.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. Just a touch of the collywobbles is all.”
“Can I bring you something to drink? You must be thirsty.”
“Maybe later.”
The hairs on the back of Moira’s neck stirred. There was something off about Darcy’s voice. A certain hesitation in the other girl’s answers. Looking left and right, she took a step closer and leaned her ear against the door.
A thump sounded from inside the room. Alarmed, Moira twisted the knob.
A male voice spoke, “Get a move on.”
Moira shoved open the door and found a blond-haired cowboy sprawled on the chair in Darcy’s room, his hands linked behind his head, his feet crossed at the ankles.
“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded.
Darcy leaped to her feet. “It’s not what you think.”
Glancing between the two, Moira tightened her lips. “Actually, I don’t know what to think. Who are you, sir?”
The man smirked. “Who are you, sir,” he mocked in falsetto voice. “Why don’t you mind your own business?”
“This girl is my business. She’s in my charge.”
“Well, she and I are getting married.” He smacked his lips. “It ain’t your business anymore, is it?”
Hazel appeared in the doorway. “Is everything all right?”
“See if you can find Mr. Elder and his brother,” Moira ordered.
Hazel scooted away and the man guffawed. “They ain’t gonna help you none.”
“What is this all about?” Moira faced Darcy. “I need an explanation. Something...”
Darcy wrung her hands together. “He’s my fiancé. We met in Texas before travelling to Fool’s End.”
“But you’re only fifteen.”
“I lied. I’m eighteen this month.” Her gaze skittered away. “You’ve got no hold on me.”
Staggering back a step, Moira pressed her hand against the wall for support. She didn’t know much, but she could make a few assumptions. “You were the one who recruited those girls, weren’t you?”
Darcy stuffed a hairbrush into a bag at her feet and shut the top. “It’s none of your business what I done.”
The answer cemented Moira’s suspicions. “You recruited Hazel, Sarah and Tony,” Moira repeated. She glared at the cowboy who was picking beneath his fingernails with the pointed tip of his knife.
He smirked. “She couldn’t even get that right, could you, Darcy?”
Moira touched her throbbing temple. Bits of conversation flitted through her head. She recalled the glances exchanged between Darcy and Tony. The animosity, the feeling that something else had been going on the whole time. “The whole thing was planned. You gave the girls shelter and food for stealing for you. Then, when people grew suspicious, you made certain they were caught. That way you could slip away and no one would be looking for you. Except it didn’t work out that way, did it?”
The man grunted. “Darcy got herself caught. I lost seven days, I did. Been waiting in this two-bit fort full of stiff collars. I overheard the sheriff talking about your crazy plan. Never thought I’d see girls leading a bunch of cows.” He chuckled. “That’s the funniest thing I ever heard.”
Darcy glared. “It wasn’t stupid. We did it. We drove that herd.”
“Took you long enough. And it’s not like it’s that far.” He nudged her hip with the toe of his boot. “Them cows could have walked on their own and gotten here faster.”
Moira blocked the door. “You don’t have to go with him. You’re with us now.”
“It’s over, Moira. I’m not like the rest of you.” Darcy lifted her bag. “I love Preston. I belong with him.”
The man stood. “Yeah. She belongs with me.”
He was young, not much older than Moira, exuding a certain shifty charm with his blond hair and lanky frame. While a girl might be taken by his glib manner, she doubted he’d fool anyone for long. She’d thought Darcy smarter than someone like Preston, but everyone had a blind spot.
They pushed past her toward the door. As though unwilling to look her in the eye, Darcy rushed ahead, skirting the banister and rushing down the stairs. Moira made to follow her, but the cowboy grasped her shoulder.
“Get your hands off of me,” Moira spoke, her teeth clenched.
“Don’t you get uppity with me, you little troublemaker.” He leaned closer, his breath whispering against her cheek. “Unless you want to come along.”
Moira strained away. “Never.”
The man laughed and shoved her. Moira stumbled and cracked her head against the doorjamb. Stars exploded in her head before the whole world went black.
Chapter Sixteen
His blood boiling, John took the stairs two at time; Jack pounded close behind. Moira lay on the floor of Darcy’s room, her eyes closed and her face unnaturally pale. He knelt and cradled her head with his hands. His brother crouched on the opposite side.
Moira groaned and her eyes fluttered open. “What happened?”
He felt along her head and discovered a raised knot. “I was hoping you could tell me. Hazel said there was a man in Darcy’s room.”
Moira limply raised one arm. “She says he’s her fiancé. She went with him willingly.”
“Then how’d you end up on the floor?”
“He pushed me and I tripped. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
John cursed his inattention. He’d known something was suspicious about Darcy the whole time. She’d seemed older, more mature than the other girls. More worldly. He should have realized there was a man involved.
John met his brother’s concerned gaze. “Find them.”
With a communication born of family con
nections, Jack tightened his jaw and stood.
John slid his hand beneath Moira’s knees and hoisted her into his arms. After what he’d heard from Hazel, he didn’t want to leave her alone in the room. Sarah reached the top of the stairs and gasped.
“Which room belongs to Moira?”
Sarah led the way and opened the door to the sparsely furnished room. John carefully rested her on the bed.
Tony hovered near. “They’re sending for a doctor.”
“I’ll be all right,” Moira said. “I feel more foolish than anything.”
She struggled upright and he gathered pillows behind her back. “Did you get his name?”
“Preston,” Tony answered from the door. “His name is Preston. We never did know much else about him.”
Moira pressed her hand against her head. “How long were you working for him?”
“I never figured he’d follow us,” Sarah said. “I always thought... Well, I always thought Darcy sorta liked him more than he liked her. I figured once we were caught and he didn’t come for us, well, you know. I figured Darcy would forget about him. That’s why Darcy was reluctant about the escape.”
“At first, anyway,” Tony said. “Once she figured out he saved his own hide, she took her chances the same as the rest of us.”
“Then she didn’t know Preston was at the fort?” John watched the girls for any sign of deception.
“No. I don’t think she knew until she saw him today. That’s when she started acting strange.”
Moira touched the back of her head and winced. “I sure am tired of feeling unsafe all the time.”
John tucked two fingers beneath her chin. “If the doc checks you out and says you’re okay, and if you rest a while, I’ll show you a couple of tricks for defending yourself.”
Seeing Moira hurt had ignited a rage in him he’d never felt before. He fought against the guilt and anger; he might have had his suspicions, but he hadn’t seen this coming.
He tucked a curl behind her ear. “Promise you’ll never scare me like that again. It took ten years off my life, finding you like that.”
Moira offered a shy smile. “You must be getting tired of rescuing me.”
“Never.”
His chest swelled. He may not be a hero, but she sure made him feel like one.
* * *
After receiving a clean bill of health from the doctor and a good night’s rest, Moira and the girls met John back in the barracks’ restaurant.
Tony had donned her trail drive clothing and was itching for the instruction on self-defense that John had promised earlier. “It isn’t fair that we’re not safe. That other people can take advantage of us just because we’re smaller. No one tells the boys they can’t go out alone at night.”
“The question isn’t whether it’s fair or not,” John replied. “The point is keeping you girls safe.”
“I wish I had been packing a gun. I’d have shot him,” Tony declared.
“We’re going to use the resources we have,” John said. “And those resources are brains and common sense. We’ll need some space to work.”
Moira helped Sarah push the chairs against the wall. While she didn’t have much confidence in learning skills to outmuscle a grown man, she was willing to listen. Once they’d cleared the room, the girls took their seats on the line of chairs while Moira stood a distance away.
John Elder paced before them, his arms crossed over his chest. “I grew up with six older brothers and I learned a few things. First off, don’t make yourself a victim. A bully isn’t looking for a fair fight, he’s looking for an easy win. Look how Miss O’Mara is standing.”
Moira started at her name.
“She’s got her arms crossed over her chest, her chin is tucked. She’s making herself smaller. She doesn’t want to be noticed. You know what a bully sees? He sees a victim. Stand up straighter.”
Moira glared and planted her hands on her hips. “Like this.”
“That’s much better. Her head is up and she’s taking up more space. Showing confidence. She’s less of a target.”
Tony fisted her hands. “Are you saying it’s our fault?”
“No. No.” John waved his hands. “I’m offering you tools. The most important thing to remember is that fighting is your last option. When you’re fighting a larger opponent, chances are, you’re not going to win. You have two other choices before fighting back.” He held up his thumb. “You can run.” He stuck out his index finger. “Or you can hide. When you’re in a vulnerable place, stay alert. That means being aware of your surroundings. Know your escapes, know your hiding places. If your head is up, you’re aware.”
Sarah folded her hands. “What if you don’t feel very confident?”
“Fake it. People believe what they see. If you have to fight, get your attacker on your level. Use what you have. An elbow in the stomach doubles your attacker over and you’ve got a clean shot at a face. Don’t forget to scream. Make noise. It’s not time for being ladylike.”
“I’m not sure if I could do that.” Sarah glanced around.
“Of course you can. This is your life. It’s not Sunday tea in the parlor. Use everything you have.”
“Wendell caught me off guard,” Tony spoke. “Otherwise I would have socked him.” She swung her arm in a wide arc.
“And chances are, he’d have socked you back. Men are bigger and stronger than you are. Your best defense is a good offense. Watch his hands. You can duck out of the way if you see him cock back his elbow.”
Tony swung her arm again.
“No,” John admonished. “Not like that.”
He searched the group and his gaze lit on Moira. “Watch me, I’ll show you.” He carefully pulled her around beside him. “Stay on the balls of your feet, that way you’re ready to run at the first sign of trouble. Keep your hands up and protect your face.”
Moira lifted her arms and John shook his head.
“I feel ridiculous.”
“Not like that.” He circled around behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, not touching, but she could feel the heat of his body through her clothing. “Keep your elbows tight to your body and hands up.”
Moira swallowed around the lump in her throat. “Like this?”
“That’s it.” He stepped to her right. “You’re looking for an opening, a chance for escape. Go for the vulnerable spots. Eyes, ears, nose, throat.”
Moira tightened her fist.
“The best way to win a fight is to avoid it altogether,” the cowboy continued. “I can’t repeat this enough—trust your instincts. If someone is making you uncomfortable, put as much distance as you can between you and that person. If you have to be out at night, make certain you’re not alone. All of you were picked up when you were alone.”
“I walked right into him,” Moira mumbled.
“What was that?”
“The deputy. I walked right into him. I was distracted, I had my head down. I bumped into him. Then he looked at me and he just kept looking. Like he was studying me or something. I could have run or hollered. I knew there was something strange about the way he kept staring at me. But I didn’t do anything. I just stood there.”
“That’s what I’m talking about.” John clapped. “Moira brings up a great example of why it’s so important to be aware of your surroundings. It’s also a good case of why you should trust your instincts. I never trust a man who’s mean to dogs or children. Anybody who picks on somebody more vulnerable isn’t trustworthy.”
“But what if that person seems nice at first?” Sarah asked, her voice low.
“Most folks can’t hide their true natures for very long. Even when they’re charming, you can see bits and pieces of the real person showing through the cracks. Never settle for a man who drinks too mu
ch or treats you bad. You’re better than that.”
“But what if you’re not?” Sarah asked. “What if you’re not better than that?”
The cowboy grew serious. “We’re all God’s creatures. You’re all worthy of love and acceptance, and anybody who tells you any different is wrong. Just wrong.”
“Even if you’ve done something bad? Even if you messed up?”
“What would the world be without forgiveness?”
Tony stepped forward. “This is a lesson on defense. Y’all want to hash up the past, that’s fine. But I don’t feel bad. I did what I had to do. We all did. There wasn’t much other choice.”
Moira dropped her arms. “Is this about Preston?”
Hazel sat in one of the abandoned chairs pressed against the wall. “It was Darcy’s boyfriend that got us into trouble.”
Moira had already pieced together the circumstances, but she wanted to hear it from the girls. “How?”
Sarah squirmed in her seat. “I guess we were drawn to each other from the beginning. Darcy had been on her own the longest. She was confident. She knew things.”
“She had nice clothes. She knew stuff.” Tony hung her head. “At first we were just taking food. Then she convinced us we should take more.”
Sarah heaved a sigh. “You can convince yourself of anything, I suppose, if you try hard enough. The stealing was getting out of hand, but I didn’t know how to back out. I tried once, but Darcy said she’d turn me in.”
“Preston was the worst,” Hazel said and the group turned in her direction. “Darcy wanted him to like her.”
Moira pressed a hand against her throbbing forehead. “You’re probably right.”
Having seen Darcy’s boyfriend, Moira didn’t doubt the draw he had over her.
Sarah stared at her hands. “What do we do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“What about Darcy?”
“I don’t think there’s much we can do,” John said. “Jack searched. He didn’t find a trace of either of them. They’re of age. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.”
The Cattleman Meets His Match Page 22
