“Excuse me, gentlemen.” Her eyes met Dax’s. “I’m leaving now. I’ll be back in a couple of days to check on the men again.”
“Wait up a minute. I’d like a word with you.” Dax followed her outside with Gabe, Hank, and Tolbert right behind them, leaving Luke and Cash alone.
Cash crooked a brow. “Is there something going on between Dax and Miss Davenport?”
Luke placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Darned if I know.”
“Thank you for coming out.” Dax stood beside Rachel and Old Pete, wishing they had time for coffee and conversation. “How about staying for supper? I’ll ride back to town with you afterwards.”
“I don’t know, Dax. It seems it would be best to start back now.”
“Best for whom?”
She gazed up at him, seeing the turbulence in his gray eyes. “For both of us.” She pressed her lips together and wished she knew another answer. “I’m going to ask Uncle Charles to come out to check on Tat and Johnny. Perhaps being away from me will help you decide what you want.” Rachel reached out to lay a hand on his arm. “I can’t be around you and pretend I don’t love you, Dax.” She waited, praying he’d say something to give her hope they might have a future.
Dax pursed his lips, not able to say the words she wanted to hear. He loved her, but acknowledging it now would be the same as saying he’d stay and he wasn’t ready to make that commitment—at least not yet.
“Rachel, I ...” His voice faded, a look of resigned acceptance clear on his face.
Rachel nodded in an attempt to hide the heart-breaking disappointment that gripped her. “Well, I’d better go.” She pulled herself up onto the saddle, adjusted her split skirt and focused straight ahead, then turned Old Pete toward Splendor.
Dax kept his eyes trained on her until she disappeared. He knew something he cherished was about to slip away. He wanted to reach out, grab it, stop it from disappearing, but he didn’t know quite how to do it—or if he should.
He no longer had to wonder how she felt. She loved him and he hadn’t responded. Dax accepted if anything more were to happen between them, it would be up to him. She’d left the decision in his hands.
He took off his hat and wiped an arm across his brow, wishing he understood what drove him to want to ride hundreds of miles south to a place not truly his home, leaving behind a flourishing ranch, his brother, and a woman he loved. He feared the answer had nothing to do with Texas, but with his own need to be free of commitment. And he knew, to Rachel, it wasn’t just a commitment.
Dax inhaled a deep breath, letting it out in a slow stream. He had to focus on the threats coming from Drake and the Mayes brothers. Once those were settled, he’d redirect his attention to his future, and a life with or without Rachel.
Chapter Nineteen
“Who else?” Gabe leaned back in the chair, frustrated at the lack of progress and evasive answers from the men who’d been with Drake the night of the stampede. Each swore they hadn’t seen or heard anything out of the ordinary, and all were adamant that Drake hadn’t ordered an attack on the Pelletier cattle.
“Just Swaggert and Pruett, who are close to Drake. My belief is they’ll say whatever’s needed to keep suspicion off of them,” Tolbert said. “I’m not surprised none of the men we’ve spoken to were involved. I let most all the men Drake brought with him go. Other than Swaggert and Pruett, the men have been with me since before Drake.”
“Were the two with him when you hired Drake?”
“They were. He said they’d been together for years.”
“Well, let’s hear what they have to say.” Gabe stood, stretching his arms above his head while waiting for King to get the men. He walked over to the cabinet to pour a whiskey when King reappeared, his face red with anger.
“They’re gone.”
“Who?”
“Drake, Pruett, and Swaggert took off while we were talking with the others.”
“Did they say anything before they left?” Gabe moved toward the entry door as he spoke.
“I didn’t ask.” King followed him outside and toward the bunkhouse. He stepped in front of Gabe and pushed the door open.
All activity stopped and the men turned toward their boss and the sheriff.
“Did Drake or the others say anything about where they were headed or why they were leaving?” Gabe asked, moving into the circle the men had formed in the center of the room.
A few shook their heads, others mumbled, “No.”
“Their gear is gone, boss.” One of the men pointed to a spot where they kept their belongings.
“I’d better go warn Dax and Luke.” Gabe grabbed Blackheart and was on his way within minutes, leaving Tolbert to deal with the situation at his ranch.
Ellis, Bull, and the two new men who called themselves Ted and Bob, stood on the corral rails watching Joe take one more turn on the green horse. As with his other attempts, the horse bucked in a wild rhythm, surging from one end of the fenced area to the other. However, unlike the previous two rides, Joe managed to hang on until the horse became exhausted. He took his time, not rushing the animal, while letting it know he was the boss.
“Good ride.” Bull slapped Joe on the back as he left the corral, brushing dirt and hay from his clothes.
“Anyone know who rode in with the sheriff today?” Jed Olin asked.
“Hank says he’s a friend of the Pelletiers. Knew them back in Savannah before the war,” Bull said. “I guess he’s some kind of bounty hunter. Says there’s some outlaws from Texas tracking them down for killing their brother.”
“I wonder if that’s when Pat got killed,” Ellis said as they made their way into the barn.
“Don’t know.” Bull grabbed a frayed rope and sat down as the others occupied themselves with other chores. “Seems like a lot of trouble has been plaguing this ranch since Pat died.”
Bill and Jed stayed a few minutes longer listening to Bull and Ellis, but heard nothing more.
“Ted and I are going to wash off in the creek,” Bill said as the two started to leave.
“It isn’t Saturday,” Ellis joked as they left.
“What do you think of them?” Bull asked him, watching as the men walked away.
“Bob and Ted? They sure don’t seem to know cattle like I thought they would. Guess they’re better than nothing.”
Bull grunted. “I’m not sure they’re better than nothing.” He turned back to his work, ignoring the men who’d walked out of sight.
“What do you want to do, Bill?” Jed’s eyes darted around the area between the barn, bunkhouse, and main house. One of them had to warn the others.
“We can’t both go. They’ll get suspicious.” Bill thought a minute. “We’ll ride toward the creek. You’ll take off from there to let the others know what’s going on. I’ll tell everyone you had a hankering to go by the Wild Rose. Just get yourself back here as soon as you can.”
Dax, Luke, and Cash sat around the supper table with Hank and Bernice, laughing at the stories the three recalled from their childhood in Savannah. To the men who’d fought for the Confederacy and then returned to a home they no longer recognized, it seemed like a lifetime ago.
“What made you decide to turn to bounty hunting?” Hank asked Cash as Bernice handed him a plate filled with roast beef.
“I didn’t make the decision. A friend of mine is a sheriff outside of Savannah. He needed help finding a man accused of murdering a neighbor. It took about a week to find and turn him in.”
“That led to the next one?” Luke asked.
“In a way.” Cash sat back in his chair, deciding this would be the best time to tell them of his search for Drake. “I’d ridden to Louisiana to visit my uncle, aunt, and cousins. They owned a farm near the Texas border and helped raise me before my parents moved to Savannah. A small place, a few head of cattle, pigs, and various crops. My uncle worked it with one other man—an ex-slave, Rawley, who’d been with them for years—and my two cousins. I a
rrived in the nearest town to learn they’d all been killed—murdered by persons unknown. I found Rawley still living at the farm, trying to take care of the place on his own. He swore he told the sheriff he knew who killed them.”
“They never arrested anyone?” Dax asked.
“Didn’t even search.” His voice held a deceptive calm, hiding the anger he felt for those who ignored what Rawley had told them. “You may have forgotten how the word of a slave, or ex-slave, is ignored and counted as less than nothing. They didn’t believe him. Some even wanted to hang him for the murders. Might have done it if the local preacher hadn’t come to his aid and talked some sense into the others. He brought in some tracker who convinced the town it couldn’t have been done by one man, not with the tracks of multiple horses and other evidence he turned up.” Cash took a deep breath, trying to control the rage that still consumed him when he thought of the evil which destroyed his family.
“Did the man give you a name?” Dax asked, frustration burning in him at the sheer brutality.
“The leader introduced himself when the gang rode up asking for water and feed for the horses. Even though he was in the barn, Rawley said he heard it clear as day. Parnell Drake.”
Bernice gasped at the mention of Tolbert’s foreman, as Luke and Hank let out muttered curses.
Dax sat forward in his chair, leaning his arms on the table, his eyes locked on Cash. “You’re certain?”
“No mistake. Problem is, there’s no wanted poster or warrant for him since they didn’t believe Rawley.”
“That’s when you decided to track him down yourself?”
“Yes, Drake and whoever rode with him.”
“What did you plan to do once you found them?” Dax would do whatever he could to help his friend, short of gunning someone down without cause.
“I’ll do what needs to be done.” Cash pushed from his chair and stood, pacing away from the table at the same time loud pounding came from the entry door. He yanked it open to see Gabe, tired and windblown.
“I need to speak with Dax and Luke.”
“We’re here,” Dax called. “Come on inside. We just finished supper.” He noticed the look of deep concern on Gabe’s face.
“Drake and his two partners, Pruett and Swaggert, have disappeared. Rode out of Tolbert’s ranch while we were talking with the other men.”
“Shit,” Cash muttered and walked toward the hook where he’d hung his gun belt.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Dax asked.
Cash finished strapping on his guns, then glanced over his shoulder as he grabbed his hat. “They need to be found and brought in before they disappear.” He started out the door, but came to a halt when Gabe grasped his arm.
“Do you know something about them I don’t?” Gabe asked, confused at Cash’s sudden interest.
Cash glanced at Luke and Dax. “They’ll explain.” Once again, he turned to leave.
“Wait. You have no idea where they are, if they’re holed up someplace or halfway across the Territory Range by now. If you want to help us, stay and we’ll go with you to track Drake after we’ve brought in the Mayes gang.” Dax stood next to his friend, his calm voice penetrating Cash’s overwhelming need to take off after the men he suspected of gunning down his relatives.
Cash’s hands moved to his waist as his head tilted up and he searched the dark sky. He knew Dax was right. He hated waiting, knowing the men he hunted were close. He let out a deep breath, pushing away the urge to do what he wanted. Putting the Mayes brothers behind bars had to come first. He stepped back inside and shot a look at the sheriff. “Grab some supper and coffee, then I’ll explain what I know about Drake and his men.”
“You’re sure that’s what you heard?” Duff asked Jed as his cousin finished explaining the new arrival at the Pelletier ranch.
“Certain. The man’s been tracking us for weeks.”
“Dammit, Duff. I told you we were being followed.” Whitey’s gut had warned him more than once they were being hunted, the same as they were hunting the Rangers.
“Quiet. I need to think.” Duff paced away a few feet, pondering the possibilities for continuing their mission and still getting away alive. When the gang had started in Texas, the decision had been simple.
They’d learned the Rangers were in a small Montana town with no sheriff and no law nearby. Now they had a sheriff plus a bounty hunter to contend with, as well as losing the element of surprise. He turned back to Jed.
“Do they suspect you and Bill are with us?”
“Not from what I can tell.” Jed chewed on a piece of hardtack, dipping it in his coffee every couple of bites.
“And you’re certain the bounty hunter told them he knows where we’re camped?”
“That’s what the old man said.”
“All right. First, we need to move our camp. Tonight.”
“Where to?” Clark asked.
“Have you spotted any places to hide closer to their ranch?” Duff asked Jed.
“A couple of canyons leading into the Territory Ranch might work. The closest is at the base of Redemption Mountain, which butts up to the Pelletier place.”
“We’ll follow you there tonight, then you can ride back to join Bill. No sense pulling either of you out yet.”
“Then what?” Whitey’s voice still rippled with the anger he felt at his suspicions being ignored.
Duff faced his brother. “We get them alone and kill them.”
Rachel watched the sunrise from the hill behind their house. She’d found peace on more than one morning by carrying a cup of coffee up to the top and watching the yellow ball peek above the trees, washing the area in early light. Even though the nights still required a shawl or coat, the days were warming. She loved this spot and fantasized about building a small home right here one day so she could see the sun rise each morning and the moon rise at night.
She thought of Dax. Had it been only yesterday she’d told him she loved him and he didn’t respond? The ride back to town had been long and painful with the realization he didn’t share her feelings. How wrong she’d been to think he felt the same. At least she could now accept the truth about his reasons for leaving. They had everything to do with following his dream in Texas and nothing to do with her. She had, in fact, been a stop along his journey. It seemed odd she held no embarrassment or resentment about announcing her feelings. In fact, she felt the opposite. She’d rather he knew than always wonder how he would have responded if he’d known.
Rachel and her uncle had talked at length when she returned, making the decision to start their visits to the outer ranches today. He wasn’t expected to check on Tat and Johnny for a few days, which would give them plenty of time to visit the ranches on his list.
They’d take the wagon south out of town, toward the Murton ranch, then several miles further to the Weston ranch where he could check on their daughter, Janie, and possibly stay the night. Tomorrow, they’d travel to the Kuhn place, then make a last stop at the Frey ranch, staying the night before riding back to town the next day. Charles had seen only the Westons over the long winter and early spring, although he’d heard from Stan Peterman at the general store that all the families had made trips into Splendor a couple of times since Christmas. His concern wasn’t so much for the adults as for the children.
“Rachel, I thought I’d find you up here.” She looked up to see her uncle standing close by, watching the last bit of the sun coming up over the horizon. “We should get going if we hope to make it to the Weston ranch tonight.”
“You’re sure you’re up for this?” She stood, tossing out the last of her coffee.
“The wagon is loaded and Old Pete is hitched up. I’m ready.” He smiled down at her. She knew this type of medicine excited him—traveling to distant locations to meet with families who had little, if any, access to standard medical care. Even if they didn’t need him right now, they would at some point and they’d already be comfortable with him.
&nb
sp; “All right. Let’s get started.”
It didn’t take Rachel long to throw a few items in a satchel, grab her coat, bonnet, and gloves, and meet Charles at the wagon. As she started to climb up, she stopped and ran back inside. Within minutes, she returned.
“I’m ready now.” She cast him a smile. “Almost forgot my gun. Does anyone in town know we’re going?” Rachel both looked forward to and dreaded the trip. She had little experience in the wild areas outside of town and knew of occasional reports of tragic endings to those who traveled alone.
“I spoke with Horace Clausen at the bank and Stan Peterman at the general store. They’ll tell everyone else.” He slapped the reins. “Peterman gave me directions along a portion of the river. He says it will take about four hours to get there, which will be a perfect time to stop and eat. It was smart of you to have Noah Brandt check on Old Pete when you got back yesterday. More than likely, he would have thrown at least one shoe halfway through the trip.”
“He’s a good man. We’re lucky to have him.”
Charles turned toward Rachel at her comment. She had yet to mention Dax since she’d returned from checking on Tat and Johnny, although she had asked him to continue their care while she stayed in Splendor. Both men were improving with each visit, enough so leaving town for three or four days wouldn’t be a problem. He knew his niece had strong feelings for the oldest brother, and his instincts told him Dax felt the same. He didn’t understand what stood in their way.
It took about an hour to reach the first ranch, and seconds for Tilly Murton to step outside to greet them. “What a wonderful surprise.” She waited for Rachel to climb down, then gave her new friend a quick hug. Tilly looked across the wagon. “Hello, Doctor Worthington. I’ll go get Ty and Gil.” She had made it halfway to the barn when her husband appeared, covered in dirt and hay.
Ty looked up to spot his wife and sweep her into a careful hug, letting her feet dangle inches from the ground.
“Ty, put me down.” Her laughter rang through the air as she turned her head toward the wagon. “We have company.”
Redemption's Edge: Book 1, Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance Page 24
