Sanderson's Hill

by Nancy Howard

  “Yeah one in the same. What's it to ya?”

  Then Doak says to Bailey, “Logan Kincaid. We heer'd dat' name when we was over by Lass Cruces sometimes ago. Member Bailey? She's a bounty hunter. I remember folks sayin' she's faster an shit, with that gun she's wearin'.”

  “Is zat' so,” Hogg responds, gruffly with a sneer. Then he turns his attention back to Logan. “What 'd' ya want?”

  “Hogg I want you and your boys to come out and surrender, but I know you won't do that.”

  “You got that right. Now how bout I tell you somethin'? I'm gonna kill your ass Logan Kincaid. I'm gonna blow you to fuckin' kingdom come.” Then he looks at the other two, nods to them, raises his rifle and the three of them start shooting at her.

  Logan tries to return their fire, but they have her badly pinned down behind the column. She sees the horse trough in front of the jail, it is about ten feet away, and she thinks about getting behind it, to have better cover. That notion quickly goes away because they're all shooting at her at the same time, bullets are flying everywhere, all around her. It's all she can do to keep from getting hit and killed.

  Then all of a sudden Logan hears the glass breaking in the store windows behind her. And then a barrage of rifle fire from a half dozen rifles. This causes Hogg, Doak, and Charlie, to stop shooting and take cover themselves. It's the towns people doing the shooting, and who have come to help Logan, per John's instructions. They're now giving Logan much needed protection.

  Logan hears this and sees that Hogg, Charlie and Doak have quit shooting. She decides to move closer to the saloon. She fires her gun and quickly runs across the street, getting behind a horse trough in front of the saloon.

  Meanwhile inside the saloon Hogg watches as Charlie and Doak get killed by the rifle fire from across the street.

  Logan has good cover, and she notices that only one gun was now firing from inside, which tells her that two of them are down. Just as she was about to charge up to the saloon, the swinging doors burst open. Hogg emerges his gun firing away, as he tries to escape. Logan pops up from behind the horse trough. Surprising him. He sees her but it's to late. She fires two quick shots, one hits him in the stomach and the other one hits him in his upper chest. He's not dead, but he's down and gravely hurt.

  Logan gets up from behind the trough, and walks slowly and carefully up onto the walkway, her gun pointed directly at Hogg. She's not sure if he's dead. All the shooting has stopped.

  The townspeople are now coming out on to the street, but stop when they see Logan standing directly over Hogg. Her six gun pointed straight down at his head.

  Laying there he knows he's not going to survive, so he chides Logan, “Go ahead you bitch, pull the trigger,” he says. “I'm bettin' you ain't got the goddamn guts to do it.”

  “Want a bet,” she says, glaring down at him, “this is for my Gavin and John.”

  Then she squeezes the trigger. It was the last thing Hogg ever saw.

  Seconds later Logan looks up the street and sees Catherine running toward her, as fast as she can, followed by John.

  When she gets to Logan, she leaps into her grasp, as she and the girl embrace and hug each other tightly," oh thank God! Thank God! You're all right," She exclaims!

  Logans says, “I am. I'm okay.”

  Just then John gets there and hugs Logan too. They break the embrace.

  Logan looks at John and says, "you told them to come and help me didn't you?"

  "I did. Girl I wasn't about to let you get yourself killed, if I could help it. You mean to much to me and Catherine now."

  Logan shakes her head, she knows this, and says, "Thank you. I'm glad you did it."

  Then Logan turns and thanks all of the townspeople for helping her, they're all now gathered around her and the Sanderson's.

  Logan did this, because she figured she had to protect the town from Hogg, and defend her family. She was the only one left to do that, or so she thought. She found that was not true today, as the townsfolk came forth and helped her today. Something she is thankful for, without their help she knows she might not have survived.

  She doesn't want to be a bounty hunter ever again, and she's made that clear over the past several months. She has the life now that she has always desired now. She has stability, love and respect, along with two wonderful people who are now for all intents and purposes Logan's family, and parents to her. John and Catherine Sanderson.

  Now she must concentrate on Gavin, she doesn't know what she will do if he dies.

  CHAPTER TWENTY- NINE

  A week has passed since the shooting with Hogg and his gang happened, as the Rio Doso grapples with tying to get back to normal. Gavin has survived, but has not regained consciousness. He's still in a coma, and the doc has told Logan he doesn't know when, or if he will wake up. She sets patiently by his bedside this evening, something she's done every evening since the shooting.

  John is at home with Catherine, and recovering and getting better.

  Logan now finds herself coming and going, not getting much sleep at all. She's exhausted. She's working full time running Sanderson's Hill, then she makes the forty-five minute ride to Rio Doso every evening to be with Gavin. She often stays so late that she falls asleep in the chair next to his bed, never going home, just as she had done last night.

  She's suddenly awakened by Doc Burroughs, who lives upstairs, as he enters Gavin's room. He pulls the other chair in the room over to her, and sets down, “Logan I want you to know there's been no change in his condition. I just don't know.” he pauses. “I wonder now if he will ever regain consciousness. It's been more than a week now.”

  “What are you trying to tell me doc?” She asks, with trepidation in her voice.

  “Well what I'm saying is he may stay this way for months on end Logan. Then he might just pass away, or again, he may still wake up. Like I said I don't know. He's been through a hell of a lot, and right now the only thing that's keeping him alive is that he's so damn young and strong. But eventually that too will not keep him alive. So what I will say to you, and you can do as you like, I know you will anyway. But go home, and if there is any change at all in his condition, in anyway. I'll find Billy Halladay and have him come out to the ranch to get you.”

  Logan sets for a second then, shakes her head

  “You're tired girl. You're running the ranch and then coming in here and staying with him day after day, and not going home and getting proper rest yourself. Look dear I know how much you love him. Hell the whole town knows that. But bye-God I'm worried about you too, just as John and Catherine are. You know it ain't doing you or him any good with you just settin' here. And you bein' here all the time ain't gonna help one damn bit in making him wake up. Now go home and get some rest Logan, before you keel over and I have you in here, because you've had a nervous breakdown.

  Logan shakes her head okay. She says nothing and gets up and leaves. Going out the door, and mounting Warrior for the long ride home. She knows the doc is right. She's exhausted. Her tank is running on empty. She has an emptiness inside her that she has never experienced before. For the first time in Logan's life, she is wrestling with the reality that she may loose someone close to her. She has never cared for anyone the way she does Gavin. She has always loved him, all along, even back when they first started to ride together. And now, just when the two of them seem to be ready to settle down with each other, she may loose him. He may die. He is all she can think about, as she walks to the house.

  She goes inside. John and Catherine are setting at the dinning room table, as she enters the room, she immediately sets down.

  “Hey,” she says to them quietly, pouring herself a cup of coffee. They greet her back.

  Catherine says, “Is there any change in Gavin.?”

  Logan shakes her head no, “doc says he could stay like this for months. He told me that if there was any change that he'd send Billy out to get me. Said that there's no use me being there like I have been. He says it ain't g
onna make Gavin wake up any sooner.”

  She pauses.

  John says. “You're dog tired girl. Your not eatin at all. Catherine and I are worried sick about you. You been keepin' up your duties of running this ranch, and then every night for the past eight days, you've gone into town and set with Gavin all night.”

  Logan takes a breath almost a sigh, “Yeah Doc told me to come home and to get some rest. He told me he's worried about me too.”

  ”Catherine says, “Somewhere along the line you've got to stop and take care of Logan. We want you to do that.”

  “I will. I promise. But I have to make sure the round-up gets done, not to mention a cattle drive,” she pauses.

  “Well Brock and I will take care of driving the cows to Abilene, so you don't worry about that.”

  “You sure John, cause I was planning on going myself.”

  “No. You're gonna be needed here,” he says. Sides I was planning on telling you I'm gonna do it anyway. You got enough on your plate, with Gavin and all. If you did go your mind wouldn't be out there anyway, it'd be on him. That would be very dangerous for you. You have to be alert on a cattle drive, one hundred percent of the time, cause cows can be damned unpredictable.”

  Logan manges a soft smile at what he said, she is quiet. She just stares down at her coffee, not really interested in drinking it.

  “To change the subject, after breakfast Cath and I are goin' in to town. We got an appointment with Jordan Whiles.”

  “The attorney?”

  “Yes. He's been working on the changes we're making to our wills, and some other legal papers for us. When we get back home this afternoon, we will want you to look over the legal papers, and tell us what you think.”

  “Okay. Anything important?

  “Yes it is Logan it's very important too us,” Catherine says. “We'll fill you in when we get back.” Then they get up from the table. Both of them walking over and hugging her, kissing her on the top of her head, as they leave the room.

  Catherine says, “Love you.” As she hugs Logan, again.

  “Yeah, I love you guys too.” Logan says back, and turns around to watch them go out the door, wondering what they're up too.

  THAT AFTERNOON LOGAN is down at the barn with George and Timmins as they stock the chuck wagon, while she goes over a list of provisions for the drive, which is to start on the day after tomorrow. She makes sure that there is enough food and provisions for the trip until they reach the first stop. After that it will be John's job to make sure the cowhands are well provided for.

  Logan has had no problems with hiring men for the drive. Cowpokes talk among themselves, and the word is always that Sanderson's Hill is a good place to work, and the cattle drives are always well provided for. She has turned down no one for the cattle drive. She knows John and Brock will need every man that goes along, to push over two-thousand head of beef several hundred miles.

  She sees George look up from stocking the chuck wagon and says, “Mr. John and Lady Catherine are back. If you'll excuse me for a few minutes Miss Logan I need to go and get the buggy.”

  “Sure that's okay George, I need to go back up to the house myself, they said they had some legal papers for me to look over. Will you and Timmins be alright doing the rest of this?”

  “Yes mam we've done more 'n' a few of em for Mr. John.”

  She shakes her head and smiles slightly, as the two of them walk toward the house. George walks over and gets the buggy and Logan goes inside. She enters the office, and sees John and Catherine setting in the two big chairs in front of the desk.

  “Hey,” she says, going behind the desk and setting down.

  “Hey to you,” John says. Catherine smiles as she watches Logan set in the chair that John once sat in, but hated every minute of it. It makes her feel good inside that he has Logan to run the ranch now, so he can be out on the range, where he loves to be.

  “So how was your meeting with Jordan,” Logan asks them? She notices right away that John has a large envelope laying on his lap. Logan figures that it must contain the legal papers that they told her about that morning.

  “It was very good Missy. Catherine and I, well we been talking about doing this for a longtime.”

  “Changing your wills.”

  “Yes. As you probably surmised, if you've thought about it at all, with Jenn gone we don't have an heir to the ranch. And we don't want it to fall into receivership once we are both deceased. So we went to Jordon and had him change our wills to reflect that you, Logan would be the sole heir to this ranch, once we are both gone.”

  Logan sets quietly, she just looks at the both of them, suddenly taken in at what she just heard him say. She knows they love her like a daughter, and now they make her heir to the property.

  “So the ranch will be mine once your gone? That what you're saying?"

  “Yes. You or your descendant which you don't have right now, but in the future that might change. You or that person will own this ranch. The only stipulation is that you must keep it in the family for five years, after the last one of us passes on.”

  “I assure you that won't be a problem, “she says, her mind off of Gavin for the moment. “Thank you. I'm completely flattered. I don't know what to say. You think enough of me to do this sort of thing.”

  “Yes we do dear, and it's no secret to anyone around here how fond we are of you, and how much we both love you,” Catherine says. “We love you like our own.”

  “I know that,” Logan says. “It goes both ways.”

  They shake their heads.

  “Which brings us to this next thing we wanted to talk to you about,” John says.

  “Those the legal documents in your hand, that you said this morning that you wanted me to take a look at?”

  “Yes, yes Logan,” John says. “But before I hand them to you, and you open them to read. I want you really give what's in here very serious thought, and consideration. We know what must be going through your mind being worried about Gavin and all. We are too, so if this is not something you want to do or think about right now, then that's okay with us.”

  Logan looks at him and slowly takes the envelope out of his hands, and opens it. Wondering what this could all be about, she's still trying to process that they've made her heir to the ranch. She knows this very important to them, because he just called her Logan rather than Missy, which he always does.

  Logan pulls the papers out of the envelope, and begins reading. After a few minutes she drops them down into her lap, and looks out the window, biting her lower lip to hold back tears. She leans forward trying to keep her composure, and puts her hand over her mouth. The papers say that John and Catherine want to adopt her as their legal daughter. As she finishes reading, she sets there and looks at both of them, absorbing what she just read.

  Her voice quivers, as tears sneak their way down Logan's cheeks, that she wipes away, only to have more form. She clears her throat, and pauses briefly, “it...says here that you want to adopt me?”

  She's completely floored by all of this, even more so than she was just a few minutes ago, when they told her about being the heir to Sanderson's Hill.

  “That's right, Logan it does,” John says. “Maybe we should have talked to you about it first. Cath and I, we been talkin' about this for sometime now too.”

  Logan is quiet as she listens to them, still wiping tears.

  Catherine begins, “Logan you don't know any of this, and of course, we've never mentioned it to you, or told you. But two years before Jennifer was born we birthed another child, a little girl. She was still born. She never had the chance to grow up, and with Jenn gone we didn't have her anymore. Ever since you came here to live with us, we've always wanted you to stay here. Even if at first it was just work for us .We never wanted you to leave, not since you walked though that front door that first day you were here. It's no secret to anyone around how much we love you like our own daughter. And since we've lost two girls, we feel like it was the good
Lord himself that has landed your here to us. Many times John and I have talked about you. Wondering if we were doing all we could for you. From the beginning Logan, we've always wanted you to be happy here.”

  “We have also wondered if that little baby girl that was still born, that she might have grown up to be a lot like you. Smart, tough, independent, and beautiful like you. You have always made us so proud and happy everyday, since you've been here with us, and I'm not just talking about when you went after Hogg. You've always conducted yourself with such grace, poise, and intelligence, everywhere you went with us. You're a sweet, beautiful, and caring young woman Logan. This is mine and John's gift to you, for allowing us to have a daughter again.”

  Logan is crying softly, tears are rolling down her cheeks. Catherine is wiping tears away too, trying to keep her composure, just as Logan is. But it's futile, neither of them is doing that very well.

  John is quiet for a few seconds before he says, “And Missy it was important for us to discuss this with you before I went on the cattle drive, and now with Gavin in his condition. Catherine and I discussed on the way into town if we should do this today. We hope you're okay with us doing this?

  “I am,” she respond, softly, though the tears.

  Now do you understand why I was so emphatic with you the day you went after Hogg, that we didn't want you to get killed. This is how damn much you mean to us girl.” He pauses and looks at her. “So what do you say about this?”

  Logan shakes her head yes.

  “You. She pauses almost speechless. Both of you are just too much. You know that. I, I Love you both you know that. I've known that since I got here, I always wanted to stay here. I never wanted to leave. I knew I'd found home. I just decided that if you needed me to be your daughter then I'd do it. I told Gavin that. And now you want me to be your legal daughter.”

  “Yes we do,” John says.

  She looks at them and wipes the tears away again. They won't stop.

  “So my name would change to Logan Marie Sanderson. Right?”