The Trail to Trinity (A Piccadilly Publishing Western

by Owen G. Irons

  ‘Will Brian be all right?’ the judge asked, still studying the curling flames in the fireplace.

  ‘He was when I left. Harvey was going to send some men out to check on him.’

  ‘Why did you leave?’ Judge Cable wondered. Sage laughed briefly. ‘It was Brian’s command. He gave me an order like I was one of his deputies, and I just automatically obeyed.’

  ‘Yes—Brian Paxton can be a forceful man, the kind of marshal that Trinity needs. I wish him a full recovery. The one thing you have not told me,’ the judge said, leveling probing eyes on Sage Paxton’s, ‘is how this young woman came to be riding with you.’

  Of course Cable had seen the looks the two had been exchanging throughout their visit; they were not new ones to the judge. He had been in the business for a long time. Cable waved off the explanation he did not really need to hear and went to his desk for his marrying book.

  Beryl was long gone from the ranch, but Brian Paxton remained there, sporting fresh bandages. ‘I wanted to wait around and see how you’d fared,’ he said to his brother. ‘Charlie Cable could be foxy.’

  ‘Greed sealed his fate,’ Sage said, settling on the wounded leather sofa with Gwen close beside him, her eyes sparkling. ‘Charlie Cable couldn’t bring himself to simply ride out leaving a sackful of loot behind.’

  Sage again rolled out his story as Brian sat facing them, his eyes asking more questions than his mouth. Gwen met his gaze, blushed and turned her eyes away in embarrassment. Sage had reached the point of the meeting with Judge Cable when Brian held up a hand and asked the same question Cable had asked. Sage answered.

  ‘Well, since I knew that Harvey was sending out some men to look after you, I figured I had time to stop and pick up a bride before returning.’

  Brian looked at Gwen once again, standing though it obviously caused him discomfort, and shook his brother’s hand. ‘Congratulations, Sage. You definitely do have your mysterious ways, but they seem to have worked this time. She’s a lovely girl. You’ll have to tell me all about how you did it sometime.’ Looking around, Brian then said, ‘As long as I’m on my feet, I’d just as well be going.’

  ‘That’s liable to be too much riding for you, Brian.’

  ‘I’ll make it all right. If I leave now I’ll just be about on time to drop by the doctor’s and have my regular restaurant breakfast. Then I’ll let Harvey have the job for the rest of the day.’

  They stood and watched as Brian, hobbling quite a bit, placed his hat on his head and started out toward his horse in the first gray predawn light. Sage watched his brother mount his leggy bay horse awkwardly, lifted a hand in farewell, then latched the door shut.

  ‘I don’t think we should have let him go alone,’ Gwen said, as Sage returned to hold her in his arms.

  ‘He didn’t want us along. He wanted us to stay here together. I wasn’t about to challenge his ability to ride or refuse an offered gift. If he feels he can’t make it, he’ll stop at the old cabin.

  ‘As for us—I’m not anxious to see that town again anytime soon. It’ll be a while before I’m ready to ride that trail to Trinity again.’

  They went off to bed then as the sky outside brightened with a flourish of color. It had been a long night but promised to be a fine morning.

  The End of

  A Piccadilly Publishing Western

  By Owen G. Irons

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