Cowboy to the Max

by Rita Herron

  A siren wailed in the distance, and he tensed, knowing the police were coming for him. That he wasn’t free yet.

  He had too much explaining to do. He had broken out of jail. The police still believed he’d injured that guard in the escape. And he was wanted for other murders. Loretta Swinson, Jeff Lester and now his alleged cousin, Elmore Clement. There was also the stolen car.

  He was a long way from freedom. And if the police didn’t buy the evidence he’d found and Otto somehow beat the charges, he might never be again.

  The siren grew louder, then a trail of cars—a police car, an ambulance, then Johnny’s truck—rolled over the horizon. Sadie moved up beside him and clutched his arm.

  He wanted to assure her everything would be all right, but he’d been railroaded before, and he’d lost his faith.

  Then the sheriff’s car screeched to a stop, and a tall, lumbering man in uniform climbed out and strode toward him, his gun drawn. A second man with blondish hair in a deputy’s uniform followed, swinging his baton as if he was ready to club them at any moment.

  Johnny was on his heels, along with a team of paramedics, but the sheriff gestured for them to wait with a raised hand.

  “Carter Flagstone,” the sheriff said. “I’m Sheriff McRae. You called to turn yourself in?”

  Carter cleared his throat. “Yes. This man, Sheriff Otto, tried to kill us. He’s also responsible for murdering my father, Loretta Swinson, Jeff Lester—”

  “Put down your weapon,” the sheriff ordered. “Do it slowly.”

  “Wait,” Sadie cried. “He needs medical attention.”

  “We’ll see he gets it,” Sheriff McRae said.

  Carter reached for the gun at his waist, then eased it to the ground.

  Sheriff McRae retrieved the weapon and jammed it in his belt. “Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

  Carter grimaced but did as he said. It was either that or get shot.

  He’d known it would be hard to convince the cops to listen to his story. But still, his chest constricted as the sheriff reached for his handcuffs and snapped them around his wrists.

  When he’d secured them, the deputy turned to Sadie. “Sadie Whitefeather, you are under arrest for aiding and abetting an escaped felon and conspiracy to commit murder.”

  “What?” Carter jerked toward the sheriff, but he yanked his arm to force him to be still.

  Then his deputy grabbed Sadie, spun her around and snapped handcuffs on her wrists.

  “We’ll work this out, Carter,” Johnny said. “I’ll hire you both a lawyer. This time the truth will come out.”

  Carter wanted to believe him, but the system had failed him once before. And this time, he’d racked up a series of charges.

  If it failed this time, he’d never get out.

  Then he looked at Sadie and grimaced. If he had to, he’d make a deal just so she could go free.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Carter endured the police ride in bitter silence, angry that the sheriff had insisted on a separate car for Sadie. Apparently he didn’t want them to have time to collaborate on their story. He obviously believed that if he separated them, he could convince Sadie to turn on him and cut a deal for herself.

  He hoped to hell she took it.

  She’d been through too much already to have to suffer jail. Especially for a loser like him.

  But they took him to the local joint anyway. The paramedics treated him there, then the police hauled him back to the state prison.

  This time he was forced into a cell alone, solitary confinement, a punishment and a precaution in case he tried to escape again. The cell air seemed even more stifling than he remembered, the cell smaller, the loneliness so painful that his throat and chest ached.

  Just hours before he’d been on the BBL watching the boys grooming horses, breathing in the air and feeling alive. Hoping to have a future that included giving back to the kids there because it felt like the home he’d never had.

  And he had held Sadie in his arms and made love to her.

  He wanted to hold her and love her again.

  Would he ever have the chance?

  He laid on his back and counted the cracks in the ceiling, the dust motes floating in the shadows of the hazy darkness, the sounds of prison guards walking, cell keys jangling from their belts, of violence and sex echoing from the chambers deeper within the prison.

  He closed his eyes and tried to imagine himself back at the BBL. Living in a cabin and working with the kids and horses. Having a family with Sadie. The life he’d dreamed of years ago.

  Finally exhaustion from the fight and his weakened condition claimed him, and he fell into a tormented sleep.

  But he jerked awake sometime later, the haunting image of a prison guard leading him to the death chamber vivid in his mind.

  He tried to grasp on to the hope he’d felt when he’d called Johnny and decided to turn himself in, but once again hope had a harsh way of dying inside prison walls.

  SADIE PACED THE CELL, grateful when morning finally came. She’d spent all night rubbing her prayer beads and meditating, desperate to hold on to her faith.

  This time justice would prevail.

  It had to. Carter could not stay in prison for a crime he hadn’t committed.

  Dawn streaked the cellblock through the tiny windows at the top, the sound of prisoners being called to meet with their attorneys or to be escorted to court adding to her nerves. Minutes ticked into hours, and she still hadn’t been granted her phone call.

  But finally a guard appeared, his face pinched. “Your attorney’s here.”

  “What?” What attorney?

  The keys jangled as he unlocked the cell and took her arm. “Follow me. He’s waiting for you.”

  Sadie decided not to question him, but to follow and see what was going on. Maybe Jimmy had discovered her arrest and hired a lawyer for her.

  But when she stepped into the interview room, Carter’s friend Johnny stood by the door, and an older man with silver at his temples and wire-rimmed glasses had parked himself at the table in the middle of the room.

  “Miss Whitefeather,” Johnny said. “This is Harper Fitzgerald, your attorney.”

  “You hired him for me?” Sadie asked, shocked.

  “Yes, for you and Carter.” Johnny gestured for her to sit. “I’ve explained the circumstances, but I need you to tell Mr. Fitzgerald your story so he can arrange to have the charges against you dropped.”

  Sadie’s heart stuttered. “Thank you, Johnny. But what about Carter? He’s not a murderer, he’s a hero. By exposing Otto and this mining venture, he’s saving lives on the reservation and the BBL. And who knows how many more if the mining company’s methods aren’t monitored.”

  “We’re working on getting him a hearing,” Johnny said. “First we need your side of the story for the police records.” He offered her a tentative smile.

  Sadie slid into the chair. “All right.”

  She carefully relayed every detail of what had happened to her, starting from the threats Lester had made, the attack and his stalking tactics, to she and Carter finding Loretta Swinson’s body and then Clement’s body, and the evidence they’d found regarding Carter’s father’s ranch, then Sheriff Otto’s attempt to murder them.

  When she finished, Johnny gave her an encouraging look, and the lawyer patted her hand. Then he stood and left the room for a moment, and returned later with Sheriff McRae.

  “You have to hear this, Sheriff,” Mr. Fitzgerald told the sheriff. Then he turned to her. “Sadie, you need to repeat everything you just told me.”

  Sadie massaged her temple where a headache pulsed. She hadn’t slept a wink the night before and wasn’t sure she would sleep until she saw Carter again. No telling what could be happening to him in prison. If Otto had been working with someone else, Carter might still be in danger.

  So she retold her story, answering the questions the sheriff tossed at her with honesty and ease. No longer did t
he memory of Lester’s hands and knife torment her.

  Only the fear that she might never see Carter again did.

  CARTER STRUGGLED TO HOLD ON to faith, but he was remanded without bail, so he began counting the days in the cell. The lawyer Johnny had hired had offered him encouragement, and Johnny’s detective was working on digging up evidence to corroborate his story.

  Sadie had been released, thank God, and she’d asked to visit him, but he had refused. He didn’t want her to see him locked away like an animal.

  Johnny had informed him that she was staying at the BBL and had been helping out by setting up a clinic for medical purposes. He should have known his friends would come through and take care of her. And she would be wonderful with the boys on the BBL.

  Besides, it was time he faced facts and stop clinging to the ridiculous idea that they might have a future. He had nothing to offer.

  And she deserved better, especially after all she’d suffered because of him.

  Ten days into his incarceration, and he received word that a hearing had been set. Nerves balled in his stomach as he showered and dressed that morning. Brandon had sent him decent jeans and a dress shirt, and he’d shaved for the occasion, wondering if he was ever going to see the daylight without bars blocking the view.

  He had been interrogated several times already, and questioned repeatedly to see if he had information about the whereabouts of the other escaped prisoners. He didn’t, but he wasn’t convinced the police believed him.

  Outside the courtroom, his attorney shook his hand, and when he led him inside, the first faces he spotted were Johnny’s and Brandon’s. Fitzgerald had explained that they had split his retainer, and Carter vowed to pay them back some day.

  That is, if he was ever released and got a job. Without freedom, he had no hope of doing either.

  Johnny offered him a smile and Brandon gave him a thumbs-up. Kim was beside him, her support evident in her eyes.

  The bailiff called the hearing to order, then the legal jargon spilled out. Finally, after the prosecutor detailed the charges against him, his lawyer took the stage.

  “Your Honor, we have evidence to submit today that proves without a doubt that my client Carter Flagstone was not only innocent of the crime he was convicted of five years ago, but barring escaping prison, which was a desperate act on his behalf to prove his innocence, that he was framed for murder and is innocent of all the charges against him.”

  Carter remained stoic, sitting stone still as Fitzgerald presented his case. Evidence of a money trail from Sheriff Otto to Jeff Lester and Elmore Clement, both former prisoners whom he had coerced into helping him orchestrate his crime, proved a connection. Johnny’s detective had uncovered Carter’s father’s real will, and had proof from a handwriting analyst that Clement had forged the papers giving him ownership of the property, and they produced signed affidavits from Mulligan stating that he had expressed interest in the uranium mines on the Flagstone ranch, land he believed legally belonged to Clement.

  Bullet casings from Otto’s weapon matched ballistics found in Lester and Clement’s body.

  A nurse from the local hospital testified regarding the injured guard’s condition. “Amos Herbert has been in a coma for the past few days due to injuries sustained during the prison attack. He is now stable and regained consciousness yesterday.”

  “Was he questioned regarding the attack?” Fitzgerald asked.

  The woman nodded, then gave Carter an encouraging smile. “He stated that Mr. Flagstone was not the man who assaulted him, that he actually pulled the other prisoner off of him and saved his life.”

  The prosecutor jumped up to object. “This is hearsay, Your Honor—”

  “It is not hearsay,” Fitzgerald stated. “Officer Turner is here to verify this woman’s testimony.”

  “Objection overruled, counselor,” the judge said. “Continue, Mr. Fitzgerald.”

  Fitzgerald called the policeman who corroborated the nurse’s story, then Fitzgerald called his last witness.

  Carter clenched the table edge as Sadie entered and took the stand.

  The bailiff swore her in, and Sadie squared her shoulders and relayed her side of the story.

  Carter stared at her in utter awe. She was the most beautiful and strongest woman he’d ever known. He loved her so much his throat hurt.

  And when she stepped down from the stand and looked at him with those enormous brown eyes, he wanted to beg her forgiveness, declare his love, and promise her that he would make everything all right.

  The bailiff called a ten-minute recess, and Carter sweated the entire time, unable to look at Sadie or his friends for fear he’d let them down.

  Finally the judge returned, his sharp gaze cutting toward Carter. Carter swallowed hard, straining to contain his nerves.

  “Under the circumstances and in light of the evidence and testimony I’ve seen and heard today, I have to rule in the defendant’s favor. Mr. Flagstone, you are hereby exonerated, with the court’s apology, of course. Every effort will be made to ensure your name is cleared in the community and to instigate monetary retribution for your suffering. You are hereby free to go.” He slammed the gavel. “This court is adjourned.”

  Carter sat in stunned silence, the judge’s words echoing over and over in his head. He was free. Exonerated. His name would finally be cleared, the shame of being called a murderer lifted.

  Johnny and Brandon whooped with joy, and Kim hugged him. His lawyer patted him on the back and said something about receiving restitution and working on handling his father’s will, but Carter barely heard a word.

  Sadie was the one he wanted to be with right now.

  He looked over at her, the yearning so strong he could barely contain himself.

  He could go to her and declare his love. He had his dream. His life back.

  Then reality interceded.

  No—not all of his dreams.

  He was five years behind and broke.

  And he couldn’t make promises to her when he had nothing to offer.

  He was a hard-luck cowboy who had to focus on climbing back into the saddle and overcoming all he’d lost.

  Sadie deserved more.

  So when Johnny and Brandon dragged him out of the courtroom to celebrate, he gave her an apologetic look, turned and walked away.

  SADIE’S HEART BROKE as she watched Carter leave with his friends. She was elated that he had finally been exonerated and was free, but she loved him and wanted to leave the courtroom with him.

  Obviously that wasn’t Carter’s plan.

  He had hunted her down to force her to help him, not because he cared about her, and now he was finished with her.

  She sucked in her pride and exited the building. The hot Texas summer sun beat down on her, the sky a crystal-clear blue with powdery soft clouds dotting the distance.

  But she felt dismal inside, as if she’d just lost the most important person in her life.

  Across the way, she spotted Carter climbing into the cab of a truck with his best friends.

  She would not beg for a man’s love. And she would always be thankful that Carter had forgiven her for betraying him. And for helping her overcome her fear of being with a man.

  Not that she intended to get involved with another man anytime soon.

  Maybe never…

  No, instead she would reclaim her life just as Carter was about to do. The first step was to look into medical school again and start the application process.

  Taking care of the boys at the BBL had reminded her how much she’d wanted to be a doctor.

  With the revelations about the uranium mines, there were bound to be more cases of cancer to treat on the reservation. There would also be lawsuits as well, and she would fight for her people. Maybe she would even start a free clinic on the reservation. She would move back there tonight. She couldn’t live on the BBL with Carter there and not be able to be with him.

  She reached the bottom of the steps and heade
d toward the parking lot when the truck carrying Carter and his friends drove by. Carter’s gaze met hers through the window and for a heartbeat she thought she saw love and yearning flash in his eyes.

  Then he frowned and threw up his hand and waved goodbye.

  She raised her hand to say the same, then blinked back tears as he disappeared out of sight.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Four months later

  Carter ended the riding session with the ten-year-olds, his heart tugging. Working with the boys at the BBL since his release had helped him heal. He finally felt as if he was making a difference.

  He kicked dirt off his boots, then drove to the bar to meet his buddies. Ten minutes later, he accepted the mug of beer from Brandon, then he and Johnny and Brandon clinked glasses.

  “Congratulations, buddy,” Johnny said. “First you receive retribution from the government for false imprisonment.”

  Carter smiled, his head still reeling from the meeting with Fitzgerald yesterday. The restitution would have taken years, but his lawyer had cut a deal. Still, it had been far more than he’d expected.

  “And you get your old man’s land,” Brandon said with a hefty sip from his mug.

  Johnny patted him on the back. “And now you’ve sold it and have a fortune.”

  Carter turned the mug up and drank, overcome with all that had happened the last few weeks. Mulligan had claimed innocence regarding the murders, but faced with numerous lawsuits, stepped down from the Uranium Mining Venture. Carter had imagined freedom but never that he’d come out financially so far ahead. And he’d managed to sell his land to a man who’d taken over the Uranium Mining Venture and signed paperwork agreeing to institute environmental safety standards.

  He wanted that for Sadie and her people and the BBL. He’d come to respect and admire all the men involved with the BBL, along with the ranch hands and counselors, and he loved working with the kids.