“I understand. You’ve done more than we expected and we thank you. I wish I had more money, but…”
“No need, young man. You provided enough, and the girls weren’t shy about helping my wife. I know she’ll miss the extra hands.”
Colin introduced Sarah and Geneen, then huddled with his cousins and Caleb. “We do have the three extra horses. We’ll need to buy extra supplies, enough to get us to Crocker.”
“Quinn said the girls are from there. You know the town’s reputation isn’t the best.” Caleb shot a look at the girls. They didn’t appear to be as rough as Quinn led him to believe when he’d explained the situation during the ride.
“Hell, the place is fit for outlaws and no one else,” Brodie growled. In his mind, any town not fit for decent citizens shouldn’t exist.
“I don’t see as we have much choice except to take them home with us. We can ask around about a family to take them in once we’re at the ranch.” Colin didn’t like it any better than the others. “Agreed?”
They nodded without enthusiasm, resigned to three extra females until they could find a home for them.
“All right, girls. Pack whatever you have. We’d best get going.”
As the others helped them load their belongings onto the horses, the reverend took Colin aside. “You need to know about a group of bank robbers who were here a few weeks ago. We heard they rode south, but no one knows for certain. Not sure if they headed for Nevada or not, but you should keep watch. They killed a farmer making a deposit when they robbed the bank here.”
“The sheriff told us about the bank robbery. Outlaws hit the bank in River City not long before we arrived. Their sheriff took off after them, riding south. I wonder if it was the same gang.”
Rubbing his face, the reverend thought a moment, then shook his head. “Could be. There’s more than one gang roaming the country around here.”
Colin sure hoped they didn’t run into them on the trail home.
“Thanks again, Reverend. Look us up if you’re ever around Settlers Valley.”
Taking Colin’s outstretched hand, the reverend nodded. “I’ll do that, son. You be safe.”
“Are you planning to take the girls into Crocker with us?” Caleb rode up front with Colin, each taking turns scouting ahead as they got closer to the wild frontier town. They’d rotated positions every few hours, keeping watch on their surroundings. No one trusted what they’d find ahead of them.
“Nae. They’ll stay with Sarah, Geneen, and Brodie while you, Quinn, and I go into Crocker. We’ll get supplies and get out, then take the trail heading west to avoid all of us riding through town.”
“And ask about the bank robbers?”
Colin shook his head. “All they have are outlaws in that town. Bank robbers, murderers, men running from the law. I doubt they even have a sheriff. The last I heard, theirs was killed in a shootout months ago and they never found anyone fool enough to take the job.” Taking off his hat, Colin ran a hand through his hair, then shifted in the saddle toward Caleb. “We may ask about the girls’ kin, though. Find out if anyone’s heard of them. That is, if they’ll tell us their last name.”
“Coffman.”
“One of them tell you that?” Colin had tried several times to get Coral to tell him.
“Coral. She told me last night over supper.”
“Did she tell you her parents’ names?”
“No. Said their parents are dead and they’re orphans, the same as they told you.” Caleb glanced over his shoulder, hearing Coral laugh at something Quinn said. “Truth is, I don’t believe it. I think they have kin somewhere in that town.”
“Why is that?”
“I’ve caught Coral scolding her sisters a couple times, saying something about us not finding out or we might leave them in Crocker. Of course, if they’re that afraid, taking them to your ranch may be for the best. I’m heading to the back with Brodie. I’ll send your lady up here.” Caleb smiled before reining around.
It surprised Colin the way the younger girls kept up with the pace he set. They’d ridden harder and longer than anyone expected, allowing them to make up more time. And they’d yet to encounter any foul weather. If nothing changed, they’d be home by the end of the week.
“Brodie doesn’t need to stay with us. Why don’t you take him with you into Crocker?” Sarah felt no unease staying with Geneen and the girls while the men rode into town. They didn’t plan to be gone long, and they hadn’t encountered another soul since leaving Mindell. “Who’d bother us way out here when there’s food and alcohol to be found a couple miles away?”
Wrapping his arms around her, he lowered his mouth for a searing kiss. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he let out a deep breath. “We didn’t count on the Baldwin brothers riding by our camp, but they did. We were all lucky to come through it alive. I won’t leave you without protection. Brodie has no issue staying and that’s what’s going to happen.” Colin stepped back, checking his guns once more, then fixed her with a hard stare. “You’ll do as I say this time. Don’t follow us or try to send Brodie into town. While we’re gone, I want to know you and the others are safe, protected, and far away from the blackguards in Crocker. Do you understand?” A ball of ice formed in his gut at the thought of what could’ve happened with the Baldwin brothers. He had to keep reminding himself how much life at their ranch differed from the lawlessness of much of the land. The Baldwins were a harsh reminder.
“Sarah?” he asked again when she didn’t respond.
After life with her da, Sarah hated being ordered around. No matter how much it stung, she had to remind herself Colin had to do what he felt necessary to keep her and everyone else safe. Still, she crossed her arms and glared at him. “I’ll stay and won’t try to send Brodie after you. Does that satisfy you now, Colin MacLaren?”
He’d already learned when Sarah used his last name, he’d crossed some imaginary line. So be it. She’d cross one of his if she defied him on this.
Grasping her shoulders, his lips turned up into a smile. “Aye, Sarah MacGregor. It does.” Looking around, he saw everyone else occupied with their own preparations. “Come with me.” He took her hand, pulling her behind a stand of thick-trunked cedars, quickly drawing her into his arms before capturing her mouth. Resting his hands on the curve of her hips, he drew her close, hearing her moan at the intense contact.
“Colin? Are you ready?” Quinn’s voice had them pulling apart.
Dropping his arms, Colin took her hand, placing one more kiss on her lips before returning to the camp. “I’m ready.”
“All right then. We should be off.” Quinn chuckled at Sarah’s flushed appearance.
Watching them ride out, Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that washed over her. Lifting her hand in farewell, she shook her head. Although her instincts had always been good, she felt too much happiness to take the latest warning seriously. The men would purchase supplies, ride back, then they’d leave for the last part of their journey…and her new life with Colin.
Chapter Sixteen
“What can I get you, fellas?” The bartender rested his hands on the bar, leaning forward.
“Three whiskeys.” Colin turned, leaning his back against the bar, getting his first good look at the customers. As expected, the faces were ruthless, cruel in their intensity. The kind of bitter, unforgiving presence he expected from those who lived in Crocker.
“How do you want to deal with this?” Quinn took a sip of his whiskey, enjoying his first taste of the amber liquid since leaving River City.
Colin focused on one group of men at a table in the corner, men who’d been keeping watch on them since they took their places at the bar. Their looks weren’t subtle. More of a warning to finish their drinks and leave. He turned, nodding to the bartender.
“You know a Coffman family in Crocker?”
The man’s hands stilled, one holding a glass, the other a bottle. He shot a look at the table of men Colin had been watching
, not outwardly acknowledging the question. Setting the glass down, he turned his gaze to Colin, holding out the bottle.
“More whiskey?” His voice, edgy and tense, had lowered to a whisper.
Tossing back what he had, Colin held out his now empty glass. “Sure.”
As the bartender filled it, then Quinn’s and Caleb’s, his eyes shifted to the table again. “Why do you want to know?”
Colin’s eyes narrowed, brows furrowed. “We heard his name in Mindell. It sounded familiar. Nothing important.”
The man straightened, setting the bottle on the shelf below the bar. “Since it’s not important, I’ll give you some advice. Coffman is a name you best forget. He and his men aren’t the kind who take kindly to strangers, especially those asking about them.” He started to move down the bar.
“One other question.”
Stopping, he turned back to Colin. “What’s that?”
“Is he in here now?”
Shaking his head, he let out a breath and leaned forward. “It’s your life. No, he’s not here, but those are some of his men at the table. The same men who haven’t taken their eyes off you fellas since you walked in.”
They didn’t turn to look. If the bartender’s warning was accurate, there’d be no point confronting them about the girls. At least they now knew Coral had lied to them about being orphans. Their father was alive.
Assuming Coffman was like the group at the table, he wouldn’t be the type they’d leave them with anyway. According to Coral, the three would run again. They’d probably try to make it to Circle M Ranch alone.
“Let’s get out of here. We still have supplies to buy.”
“Hard bunch of men.” Caleb spoke first as they walked toward the general store. “Wouldn’t be too anxious to start anything with them or Coffman, if we ever figure out who he is.”
“I agree with Caleb. Let’s get what we need and get back to camp.” Quinn glanced over his shoulder, unable to ignore the dread burning in his gut.
It didn’t take long to gather the supplies they needed.
“You boys ain’t from around here, are you?” The clerk totaled the purchase, giving Colin an amount. Short and lean, with weathered skin and a scrawny beard, the man looked close to seventy.
“Nae.”
“Where you headed?” Picking up the cash Colin set on the counter, he placed it in a tin box.
“Conviction. We have a ranch near there.”
“That a fact? You hear about the shooting in Conviction? Group of outlaws robbed the bank, killed two or three people from what we heard.” The old-timer scratched his beard, eyeing them. “Heard the dead owned a ranch nearby.”
Quinn reached across the counter, grabbing the man by his shirt, almost pulling him across the low divider.
“The murdered ranchers…do you have names?” he asked, his eyes burning into the man.
His face reddening as he tried to swallow, the man’s eyes grew wide. “No…no name. Just heard about it. That’s all.”
“Let him go, Quinn. The man’s done nothing.” Colin placed a hand on his cousin’s shoulder, his heart pounding as his chest squeezed in pain. “We need to get out of here. Now.”
Not reining Chieftain to a stop before he jumped off, Colin dashed toward Brodie. “Pack up. We have to get to the ranch.”
“What is it?” Brodie saw the same apprehensive look on both his cousins’ faces.
“We heard of a bank robbery in Conviction. Some ranchers were killed.” Turning in a circle, Colin searched for the others. “Where is Sarah?”
“She and Geneen are at the creek with the girls—a few yards that way. I’ll get them.”
Colin grabbed Brodie’s arm. “I’ll go. You help Quinn and Caleb pack.”
Dashing in the direction Brodie pointed, he heard their laughter before seeing them in a clearing not far from the camp.
“Colin!” Sarah stood, running toward him, then stopped. “What is it?”
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he turned her away from the others. “There’s been a bank robbery and killings in Conviction. We need to get there as soon as possible.”
“Do you know who was killed?” She could feel heat radiate from his body, see the dread in his eyes.
“Just that it was local ranchers.”
“My God, Colin. Do you think…?” Her shaky voice signaled her own fear.
“I won’t think the worst, Sarah.” He dropped his arms, turning toward the others. “Hurry and pack. We’re leaving.”
On their way north, it had taken them several days to travel from their ranch to Crocker. Riding each day until they felt compelled to stop, the trip back took almost three days. Three agonizing days of not knowing if one of their family members had been murdered.
“Is that it?” Sarah pointed toward the valley ahead dotted with several houses, barns, and corrals. Her breath hitched at the beautiful sight before her. Colin had told her of Circle M Ranch, the large spread owned by his father and three uncles, but nothing could have prepared her for the impact of the first view.
“Aye. That’s home.”
“It’s…magnificent…” Her voice trailed off as Colin gave her one more glance, then pushed Chieftain faster, not waiting for the others to catch up as he rode straight for the main house.
“I’ll stay with the women. You two go on,” Caleb offered when he saw the anxious looks on Quinn’s and Brodie’s faces.
Not answering, they moved their horses into full gallops, following Colin to the house. Reining to a stop in front of the big wraparound porch, they sat frozen at the way Colin wrapped his arms around his mother, Kyla, muffling her sobs as her body shook. Pulling back, her tear-streaked face searched Colin’s, misery edging her features.
“They didn’t have time to draw their weapons. They were murdered in cold blood.” Her voice broke, the cries of agony slicing through each of them.
Sliding from their horses, Quinn and Brodie approached in slow, tentative steps, not wanting to know the truth, but needing to hear it.
“What happened, Colin?” Quinn’s hands fisted at his sides, anticipating the worst.
Colin’s shocked face, eyes red and swollen, turned toward him. “They’re dead. My da and yours…dead.”
Quinn stumbled backwards, pain like he’d never felt before wrapping itself around him, drowning him in unspeakable agony.
“Ma? Where’s Ma?” Quinn asked, breath labored, his chest tight.
“Heather and Bram are with her at your house. From what I know, she hasn’t eaten or slept since Gillis was murdered.” Kyla stepped away from Colin to wrap her arms around Quinn. “Doc said they died right away, without pain…”
Quinn swallowed the growing lump in his throat, swiping at the hot tears streaming down his face. He didn’t notice Caleb and the others ride up, and wouldn’t have cared even if he had.
Brodie stood to the side, disbelief, anger, and hatred warring within him. “Do they have the men who did this?”
Kyla looked at him. “Nae.”
“What is the sheriff doing about it?” Brodie demanded. “He must have a posse out looking for them.”
“For one day, then they stopped, giving up without any explanation. Ewan and Ian may know more about what’s going on, but they’ve been wrapped up in their own grief.” Kyla referred to the two remaining brothers. Ewan was Brodie’s father and the third oldest.
“Then I’ll speak with Da. We need to find the men who did this and make sure they hang.” Brodie stormed from the porch, swinging up on Hunter, riding at a gallop toward his family’s home.
Sarah walked up the steps, stopping next to Kyla, placing a hand on her shoulder while the girls stood, listening. Coral fidgeted, wrapping her arms around her waist, staring at the ground. Beside her, Opal and Pearl did the same, not looking at the adults.
“Come on, girls. Let’s put away the horses.” Caleb had heard enough to learn the two eldest MacLarens had been murdered with little being done to find the
ir killers. He’d help get the girls settled, introduce himself to Colin’s mother, then find out what he could do to help track down the men responsible.
The family had waited to have the funeral until the boys returned. Boys, Kyla thought, shaking her head as she stood near the open graves next to Quinn’s mother, Audrey. They’d left young men, full of enthusiasm for their journey and finding the lass Colin intended to marry. Not one of them anticipated any of the trials marking their trip or the tragedy awaiting them at home.
Colin and Quinn had returned to find themselves the head of their families, forced to take over for fathers who’d died well before their time. As for Brodie, his father, Ewan, was now the eldest. Therefore, as with Angus, he held the deciding vote, a role he didn’t want or embrace. Kyla believed he’d look to Ian, Colin, and Quinn for guidance, leaning heavily on them before making decisions.
“Da and Uncle Ian won’t speak of the sheriff’s decision and won’t ride out on their own. With winter approaching, they’ve too many burdens here at the ranch to hunt the men who murdered Uncle Angus and Uncle Gillis.” Brodie slammed a hand against a wall in the study of the big ranch house where Kyla, Colin, and his brothers and sisters lived. He and his cousins shared Angus’s favorite whiskey, each wrestling with their own hate and bewilderment at the senseless killings.
Slamming his glass down, Colin crossed his arms, turning toward the others. “I’m tired of excuses. We need to speak with the sheriff ourselves, find out what the man is doing to find the murderers.” Colin had been filled with a burning rage since coming home to learn of the deaths. The depth of the hate scared him, fueling his need for revenge. Someone had to pay for what happened, and he wouldn’t rest until they did. The one person who gave him solace was Sarah. Taking long rides after supper each night, she’d let him rage, burning through his anger until exhausted, then wrap her arms around him, telling him over and over that all would be well.
He felt the same. Everything would be all right, but not until the killers had been put in their own graves.
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