“What are we going to do with three lassies, Colin?” Quinn swiped at the blood on his cheek where he’d been scratched. “I always thought if a lass scratched me it would be for a much different reason.” His joke fell flat as they turned to watch the girls struggle with their restraints.
“Well, we can’t take them with us.” Colin watched the one he’d wrestled with, seeing her shoulders slump. “I wonder how long it’s been since they’ve eaten.”
“One way to find out.” Brodie pulled hardtack from his saddlebag, walked over, and offered it to one of the girls.
She hesitated a moment before nodding.
Kneeling down, he held it to her mouth, then quickly pulled his hand back. “You bite me and there’ll be hell to pay.”
It took almost an hour of feeding them by hand before the girls shook off further food and quieted. They’d learned nothing about them, not even their names.
“What now?” At a loss, Quinn crossed his arms.
Colin ran a hand down his face. “We’ll check the ropes one more time, then get some sleep. We can decide in the morning.”
“Aye. Maybe they’re fairies sent here to muddle our brains and they’ll be gone by morning.” Quinn continued to stare at them as if he thought they might actually disappear right before their eyes.
Colin laughed, slapping him on the back. “Aye, laddie. It might just be so.”
Chapter Five
“The girl will not be disrespecting me so, Robena.” Dougal paced in front of his desk, his hands fisted on his hips, cursing with each step.
“Calm yourself, Dougal. You’ll not be going into town to bring her home today.”
He stopped, his mouth agape as he stared at his wife. “And why is that?” he hissed out.
“It’s been one day. You gave your word to Reverend Olford to let Sarah stay with them until you both have time to calm your tempers.”
“She’s a brazen lass, defying me the way she did. Her actions cannot go unpunished.”
“Ach. Sarah is not a wee lassie you can scold for not behaving. She’s a grown woman. You shouldn’t have taken her birthday and turned it into a spectacle for all to see.” Robena would never have talked to him like this in front of others. In public, she played the dutiful wife, accepting his commands. In private, however, she didn’t hide her feelings, even though her pleas often had little impact on her husband.
“As long as she lives under my roof, she’ll do what I say. I’ve made an agreement with Wes. I’ll not go back on my word.” Slamming out the door, she watched him storm to the barn.
She breathed out a relieved sigh. Robena knew her husband didn’t see the flaws in his thinking. He never did. She wouldn’t blame her daughter if she never returned home to live under the brutal thumb of her da.
“Ma?”
Robena turned at the sound of her youngest daughter’s voice. At sixteen, Isla was quiet and studious, making her the opposite of twenty-one-year-old Geneen, who’d always been headstrong and would rather be out riding her horse than doing her lessons. Sarah fell somewhere in between. The oldest, she’d always enjoyed reading and had wanted to become a teacher—until Dougal informed her he had no money for extra schooling. Undeterred, she schooled herself, borrowing books, hiding them in her saddlebags. Like Geneen, she loved to ride and would often disappear for hours after completing her chores. Dougal considered her a good shot, learning to handle a rifle and shotgun as soon as they left the trail and founded their ranch near River City.
Now she’d left, and Robena had to wonder when she’d see her oldest child again.
“Are you certain it’s what you want, Sarah?” Bessie Olford asked as they sat at the breakfast table after her husband had left. Four days had passed since her father’s announcement of the agreement with Wesley, but Sarah’s resolve not to return to her home hadn’t faltered.
“Yes, Mrs. Olford. I couldn’t be more certain. I’m determined to be out from under Da’s rule.”
“What of Wesley?”
“I have no interest in him. None. I’ll wait as long as needed for Colin.” She sighed, touching the brooch on her dress. “He’ll not come here to find I’ve married another.”
“You’re certain the feelings you have aren’t just a young girl’s fantasy? If you decide on this path, make sure you’re in love with him and not waiting out of a sense of obligation.”
Sarah’s face softened, recalling their last moments together. She’d loved him with all her heart then and those feelings had never wavered. “I love him, Mrs. Olford. I’m certain of that. Of course, if I do stay in town, I’ll need to find work and a place to live.”
Sipping her coffee, Bessie thought of how hard it would be for a single woman to find respectable work in River City. Though the town had grown to over two thousand people, it still offered few opportunities for women. Except…
“Would it be all right if I stayed a few more days?” Sarah didn’t want to impose, yet she had no other options.
“Yes, yes. Of course, dear,” Bessie answered, waving her hand in the air, her thoughts already shifting. “If you’ll excuse me, I just remembered an errand for my husband.”
Sarah’s brows drew together in a combination of surprise and amusement at Bessie’s quick departure. Washing the dishes left on the counter, she dashed upstairs, grabbing her bonnet and reticule. Checking herself in the mirror, she adjusted the brooch. She’d never had a chance to wear it in public before, afraid her father would guess its meaning. Now she could do what she’d promised Colin. Stepping outside, she lifted her face to a bright, cloudless sky and smiled.
She bit down on her lower lip. Her father would be beyond angry when he learned what she’d done, but Sarah couldn’t bring herself to care. As she walked, a thought crossed her mind. Dashing across the main street, she entered the general store, waving to the owner as she headed straight toward the dresses.
An hour later, she emerged, arms laden with packages. She’d collected items needed for living on her own, including a few cooking supplies, which would be delivered to the reverend’s home. Hearing a shout as she stepped into the street, Sarah turned as a rider barreled down on her.
“Watch out, Sarah!” Bessie’s voice reached her in time to get her terrified body moving.
Her eyes wide in fear, she dropped her packages and jumped away, tripping over a step, landing on her behind.
“Are you all right, dear?” Bessie helped her to her feet, then whipped around, trying to find the maniac who’d almost run Sarah down. “I don’t see the fool. Did you recognize him?”
Shaking her head, Sarah straightened her dress and bonnet, then stepped back on the street to collect her packages.
“Let me help you.”
She glanced up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, ready to reject his help, then stopped. Something about him looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place where she’d seen him.
“Um…thank you.”
“That was a fool act. Did he hurt you?”
“No. I’m a little shaken. Nothing more.”
“If you show me where you’re going, I’ll carry these packages for you.” Not raspy, or deep and smooth, but somewhere in between.
Turning to look at him, she crossed her arms, head tilted. “Do I know you, sir?”
“In truth, yes, you do, although I doubt you’ll remember. I’m Caleb Stewart. My family and I were on the same wagon train as you and your family.”
Sarah’s jaw dropped. “Oh my. Yes, I do remember you, Mr. Stewart. It’s been so long and you have, well…you’ve…”
“Grown taller?” he prompted, a smile touching the corners of his mouth.
Laughing, she nodded. “Yes, you have.” When she’d first met him, he’d been as thin as a bean pole. Now he had wide, muscled shoulders and strong hands. His dark blond hair touched his collar at the back. Although his hard, chiseled features weren’t exactly handsome, his face held a certain warmth and sincerity, making him more than easy to lo
ok at.
Both turned at the sound of Bessie clearing her throat.
“Are you going to introduce me, Sarah?”
“Oh, I do apologize. Mr. Stewart, this is Mrs. Olford, our minister’s wife. This is Caleb Stewart. We came west on the same wagon train.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Olford.”
“Mr. Stewart. Are you planning to give Sarah back her packages?” Bessie’s brow quirked upward.
“He’s offered to carry them to the house for me, if that’s all right with you.”
Bessie glanced between the two, making a quick decision. “Of course, dear. And you’ll stay for cake, Mr. Stewart. I’ll not take no for an answer.”
Cocking one eye open, Colin lay in his bedroll, hoping Quinn might be right and the girls would have disappeared during the night. Letting out a weary sigh, his gaze locked on the oldest of the three. She stared back at him, her anger no less evident than the night before. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes, then stood.
“Quinn, Brodie, up with you.” Strolling behind a bush several feet away, he took care of his business. Looking up at the early morning sky, he knew their plans to hunt might need to be changed until they figured out what to do with the girls.
“We need to decide what to do with them, Colin,” Quinn said as Colin returned to the camp.
“I say we get ourselves ready, give them some food, then continue on our journey. We can’t be sidetracked by three young lassies.” Brodie rested his hands on his hips, glancing over his shoulder at the girls.
Colin agreed, but it didn’t seem right to leave them out here without protection. “We can’t leave them here alone. We need to find out where they’re from and what happened.”
Cursing under his breath, Brodie’s eyes narrowed. “And what then? Do we take them home? Seems they either ran away or they have no home to go back to. Why else would they be out here alone?”
“Guess we won’t know until we ask.” Colin grabbed the water pouch, crouching in front of the oldest girl. “Have a drink, then you and I are going to talk.”
Glaring at him, she took a sip of water. “I need some privacy.”
Untying the rope around her ankles, he helped her stand, giving her time to get her wobbly legs to adjust. He guided her to a cluster of bushes.
“There.” He made no move to leave.
“You can’t stand there.”
“And why not?” He crossed his arms, his eyes sparking in amusement.
“Fine. If you want to watch, go right ahead, but I need my hands free, unless you want to undress me, too.”
He knew she taunted him, but she was also right. Stepping forward, he turned her around, loosening the rope on her wrists, then adjusting it so one end still held firm to her arm. The other end he held tight, like he would a lead line on a horse.
“All right. Go do your business.”
By the time they walked back, Quinn and Brodie had finished doing the same with the other girls, with one difference—Brodie had learned their names.
“Coral, Opal, and Pearl.” Brodie nodded from the oldest to youngest.
Colin stooped next to Coral, lifting her chin with a finger. “Where are your folks, Coral?”
Her eyes shot open in surprise, then closed. “Don’t know.”
He stifled a curse. “Where’d you come from?”
She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. “Don’t send us back, mister. Please.”
The fear in her eyes surprised him. She’d been so strong, so determined. Now he saw a scared young woman with nowhere to go.
“Don’t send you back to where?”
“Crocker.”
Colin, Quinn, and Brodie had ridden through the town of Crocker three days before, taking as little time as possible to do their business, then leave. It didn’t seem like much to outsiders, maybe a hundred people and a few stores. Most saw it as a stop for settlers to replenish supplies rather than a place to lay down roots. And those perceptions were close but not completely accurate. The MacLarens knew what most others did who lived anywhere near the Nevada border town. Crocker was a haven for some of the worst criminals in the western United States.
“Why don’t you want to go back?” Colin wondered why anyone would choose to raise their children near a town lacking any sense of right and wrong. In his mind, there could be only one reason—their kin were a part of the lawless element of Crocker.
Coral didn’t answer.
He tried again. “Are these your sisters?”
She nodded. “Opal and Pearl.”
“Will you run if I take off your ties?”
Jutting her chin out to him, he saw the spunk return to her face. “Yes.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Colin stood. “I’m guessing you try everyone’s patience,” he murmured before motioning for Quinn and Brodie to follow him.
“They’re sisters from Crocker.”
“That answers why they ran. I sure as hell wouldn’t stay there if I had another choice.” Quinn settled fisted hands on his hips, staring at the girls. “It’s three days behind us.”
“Three days ride, then three days back to this spot. We’d lose almost a week.” Brodie didn’t like the idea of losing the time or leaving the girls in such a miserable town.
“They don’t want to go back. They’re running from someone, but Coral won’t say who or why.” Slamming his hands in his pockets, Colin looked at the sky. They were wasting time. “We’re going to Mindell for supplies. We’ll leave them at the church, pay the minister to keep them until we return.”
“Please tell me you aren’t suggesting we take them to the ranch with us.” The idea didn’t appeal to Quinn at all. He wanted them out of their lives, not more deeply ingrained in them.
“I’m hoping the minister can find a home for them so by the time we ride back through, they’ll be settled.”
“Colin, I never thought I’d say this, but you’re daft. No one is going to take three sisters. The best we can hope for is they each find a family. Might be best to leave them with the law in Mindell. They can sort it out.” Brodie wanted another answer, but he knew the choices were few.
Quinn scrubbed a hand down his face. “I understand you want to help them, Colin, but hell, they aren’t our problem. I’ll go along with taking them to Mindell and either leave them with the law or the church, but that’s where it ends.”
Colin and Brodie knew he was right. There was a reason for their trip, and it didn’t include being responsible for three young girls.
“All right,” Colin responded. “We’re agreed then. They ride with us to Mindell. We’ll start with the church and hope that’s the end of it.”
“Are you living around here, Mr. Stewart?” Bessie set a slice of cake in front of him, along with a cup of coffee.
“Please, Mrs. Olford. I’d appreciate it if you and Miss MacGregor would call me Caleb.”
Bessie nodded as Sarah leaned forward.
“Then you’ll have to call me Sarah.”
His mouth curved up at the corners. “To answer your question, my family has a ranch a little bit north of here.”
“How come we’ve never seen you in church?”
Caleb chuckled. “Oh, we go to church. Ma would have our hide if we didn’t, but it’s the one in Slade. We get most of our supplies and Pa conducts his business there. It’s closer than riding to River City.”
“What brings you here, Caleb?” Sarah picked at her slice of cake. The presence of a person who experienced the same hardships as her family during the trip west reminded her of Colin. Without thinking, her hand fingered the brooch. The feel of it always gave her comfort.
He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “It was time I headed out. I waited until my brothers and sisters were able to help our folks. If I didn’t leave now, I worried I might end up staying in Slade the rest of my life.” He pushed his empty plate away. The Stewarts had been in this country several years before the MacLarens made the journey.
He’d always had a strong urge to see more of it. “I was born shortly before my family came to America. When they decided to move west, I wanted to stay behind, see more of the country. I couldn’t then, but now…”
Sarah cocked her head. Most people she knew stayed close to where they were raised, preferring what they knew to the unknown.
“Where do you plan to go?” Sarah let go of the brooch, dropping her hand to her lap.
“I thought I’d work here for a spell, maybe through winter, then move on. The next town south is Mindell, but I’m not quite ready to start for it yet.”
“Well, you speaking of finding work reminded me of my morning. In truth, I may have good news for both of you.” Bessie had already made up her mind she liked Caleb. Maybe if he got a good job, he’d stay. They could use people such as him.
“What news, Mrs. Olford?”
“Well, I spoke with the head of our town council this morning. He confirmed our teacher is leaving and we’ll need a replacement.”
Sarah’s heart beat so hard, she thought it would burst from her chest. “And what did he say?”
“He’s asked to meet with you. I believe he might offer you the position.”
No longer able to contain her excitement, Sarah jumped up, hugging Bessie. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough, Mrs. Olford.” She swung her gaze to Caleb. “It’s always been my dream to teach. I can scarcely believe it.”
“Now, Sarah, you still must meet with the men who will make the decision. Although, I do believe you have an excellent chance.”
“When would they like to meet with me?”
“Tomorrow morning. They’d like you to be there right after breakfast.”
Sarah’s heart began to slow. Settling herself back in her chair, she took a large bite of cake, following it with a swallow of lukewarm coffee. Looking at Caleb, she smiled, then set down her fork.
“And what news might you have for Caleb?”
Bessie shifted in her seat, turning toward him. “You may not have heard of Fergus Bell, but he owns the largest ranch in River City. Hundreds of acres. He’s always looking for men and made it a point to mention it to my husband, Reverend Olford, at last Sunday’s service.”
Colin's Quest Page 6
