Cowboy Homecoming

by Louise M. Gouge

  “Humph. Seems a mighty poor mother who can’t keep track of her own children.” Mr. Parsley moved toward the front door.

  Mrs. Runyan opened her mouth, but Laurie could stand no more.

  “Hush, you horrid people! Mrs. Starling is an excellent mother.”

  Mr. Parsley started to reply, but Tolley cut him off. “Either come help us find the child or shut your mouth and get out of my sight.”

  As the two boarders silently slunk into the house, Tolley turned to Mrs. Starling. “Where’s Adam?”

  Mrs. Starling stood back from Laurie and wrung her hands. “He went looking for Molly before the fireworks started.”

  “Jack and the baby?” Tolley appeared ready to take charge. Laurie’s heart swelled over his concern for the young Starling children.

  “With their father. They were tired, so I took them home early.” Mrs. Starling began to cry.

  “Ma’am, could you start at the beginning?” Tolley was clearly trying to calm her. “It may help us find her.”

  Mrs. Starling sniffed back her tears. “Molly wanted to stay with Adam for the fireworks. When I went back to the park to join them, Adam realized she was gone.” She hiccoughed on a sob. “He said she’d chased a puppy, but he didn’t expect her to leave the park. When we couldn’t find her, he went off in the same direction just as the fireworks began.”

  “We’ll find her.” Laurie hugged her again. “You come inside and sit in the parlor to catch your breath while I check on Mrs. Foster. Then we’ll join the others.”

  “Molly probably got tired and fell asleep someplace.” Tolley gently touched Mrs. Starling’s shoulder. His tender concern moved Laurie. “I’ll get a lantern and join the searchers.”

  Even though Mrs. Starling wanted to return to the park, Laurie persuaded her to wait for her. She went upstairs to tell Mrs. Foster about Molly and to settle her for the night. She found the older woman in the doorway of her bedroom, her steel-gray hair hanging loose, and her dressing gown clutched around her.

  “Who was that man?” Concern and a hint of confusion filled the lady’s expression. At least it seemed so to Laurie in the shadowed hallway.

  “Which man, dear?” Laurie guided her back to the bedchamber. “Tolley was home most of the day. Mr. Parsley just returned.” She could hear the watchmaker fussing about in his room.

  “I’m not in my dotage, child.” Mrs. Foster permitted Laurie to prepare her for bed. “About ten minutes ago, I saw a man, a rather shabby cowboy, I think, going down the back staircase. He saw me and ducked his head. It was dark, so I couldn’t make out his features, but he was of medium height.”

  The prowler! Inside the house! An icy chill swept down Laurie’s back. “Can you settle yourself in bed?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Good. Lock your door, and don’t open it for anyone but me.”

  “Bring a lamp when you come.” Determination filled Mrs. Foster’s face. “I’ll load my derringer and put it on the side table. Wouldn’t want to shoot you by mistake.”

  “Yes, of course.” Making one’s identity known quickly was the rule for everyone in the West.

  Laurie hurried to her room, fetched her own Colt .45 and loaded the chamber. She met Tolley in the upper hallway. “I can’t go with you. The prowler was here.”

  “I know.” The tightness of his voice drew her attention to his stricken face and then the paper in his hand. “Someone slipped this under my door. Molly and Adam have been kidnapped.”

  Laurie inhaled a sharp breath. She took the note in hand and tilted it toward his lantern.

  We got the brats. If you want them alive, bring Purvis to the hills above Cat Creek tomorrow morning. Come alone. No law, or they die. Bring five hundred in gold.

  Laurie’s knees threatened to buckle, but she refused to succumb to the weakness. “What can we do?”

  He shook his head, looking lost for a moment. Then determination came over him. “I can’t exactly get Purvis out of jail by myself.” He took note of the gun in Laurie’s hand. “You take care of things here. I’ll go see the sheriff.” After placing a quick kiss on her lips, he turned toward his room.

  “Tolley.” She gripped his arm, wishing she had time to return his kiss. “Be careful.”

  He brushed a hand across her cheek. “I will.”

  They parted ways, Tolley to gather his hat and gun, Laurie to go downstairs and give Mrs. Starling the bad news.

  Lord, help me say the right thing to her. Please help us all. Please keep the Starling children safe. Please bring Tolley back safely.

  * * *

  Tolley ran the four blocks to the sheriff’s office, where he found Justice Gareau on duty. Huffing to catch his breath, he poured out the story to the deputy and handed him the note.

  Gareau’s face turned to granite. He opened the door to the cell area. Tolley peered past him to see Purvis lying on his cot, apparently asleep. Gareau closed the door.

  “Go get the sheriff,” the deputy said. “He’s still at the park leading the search for the girl. Don’t say anything to anyone else. When he gets back here, we’ll make a plan.”

  Tolley shook his head. “The note says no law. I only showed it to you so I could get Purvis out of jail.”

  Gareau glowered at him. “That’s not the way it works. Go get the sheriff. And while you’re at it, figure out how to get five hundred dollars in gold.”

  His mind numb except for desperate prayers, Tolley bowed to the man’s experience. He dashed to the park, beyond which lantern light winked among the trees and houses as townspeople continued their quest. To his credit, banker Nolan Means walked with the other searchers. Nate had also stayed in town, sending Susanna and the children home. Tolley prayed the outlaws hadn’t found his sister-in-law and her children alone on the road toward Cat Creek.

  His heart cold with fear for Molly and Adam, he reported his news to Sheriff Lawson. The lawman’s entire demeanor changed from concerned to a brick wall, like Justice’s. He sent a man to call in the searchers. So much for not telling anyone else. Tolley couldn’t fault him. It wouldn’t be fair not to tell people they could go home.

  Once the crowd gathered, Lawson said, “We know where Molly is. You’re free to go. Thanks for your help.”

  Very clever. He hadn’t mentioned the outlaws at all. Tolley was learning new things by the minute.

  The sheriff called aside several men, including Nate and Nolan. Now Tolley began to worry.

  “Sir, the note said—”

  “Son, you let me handle this.”

  Tolley exhaled sharply. Maybe he should’ve taken care of the matter alone. Except he had no way to get five hundred dollars either in gold or in cash.

  “Men, we have a situation.” The sheriff told the five men about the kidnapping.

  Nate stepped over to Tolley. “You all right, little brother?”

  “Not sure. I’m afraid of the way the sheriff’s handling this.”

  Nate nudged his arm. “God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, Tolley. Lawson always seeks the Lord’s guidance, and neither he nor the Lord has ever let us down.”

  After the sheriff finished his report, Nolan stepped forward. “I’ll get the money from the bank right now.”

  The sheriff waved away his offer. “That’s mighty generous, son, but I think a bag of rocks’ll do fine. We aren’t gonna fund a getaway for these varmints.”

  Nolan laughed. “Actually, I have some fool’s gold collected from hapless miners who thought they’d struck it rich. I’ll put it in a bag.”

  Lawson snorted out a laugh. “Good idea. All right, men, follow me.” He waved his arm again, this time like he was leading a cavalry charge.

  The “troops” fell in behind him and made their way to the sheriff’s office. First, he closed the door b
etween the office and the jail cells so Purvis couldn’t hear them, then deputized the lot of them, including Tolley. As he quietly unfolded his plan to rescue the young Starlings, Tolley’s mind eased considerably. He’d trust in the Lord first and then in the two experienced lawmen.

  “Now go on home and get some sleep. Be back here at four a.m., and we’ll go get those young’uns.”

  After parting from his brother and the other men, Tolley couldn’t imagine how he’d sleep, so he went to the parsonage to tell Reverend Thomas and Grace what had happened and ask for their prayers. Then he returned to the boardinghouse. Laurie had walked Mrs. Starling home and then returned, as well. He wished he could tell her the plan for the rescue. But the fewer people who knew about it, the better. Only problem, he didn’t count on her wiles.

  “I have some chocolate cake left over from last night. Come out to the kitchen and eat a bite before you go to bed.”

  “Well...”

  She snagged his arm and dragged him through the dining room and the swinging door to the kitchen. “Sit. Talk.” Seemed like she’d done this to him before.

  He snorted out a laugh. “You sure are bossy.” Even so, he accepted the cake and glass of milk, feeling very much like a boy back home in his mother’s kitchen.

  Laurie sat beside him, arms crossed on the table. “So, what’s the plan?”

  She loved Molly and had a right to know. Between bites of the mouth-watering cake, he explained the sheriff’s plan. A glint of determination filled her eyes.

  “I’m going with the posse.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “We’ll see.” She stood and snatched up his plate and carried it to the sink. “Don’t bother to gather the eggs tomorrow morning. I’ll take care of that for you.”

  He studied her in the dim light of the kitchen. She was planning something, and it wasn’t Sunday dinner for the boarders. But weariness overcame him, so he didn’t confront her.

  “Thanks. We all need to work together on this.”

  “Right.” She gave him a too-sweet smile. “We sure do.”

  After making certain the front and back doors were secure, Tolley climbed the stairs to his room while worry teased at the back of his mind. He didn’t need Laurie to interfere in the rescue. But he was far too tired to figure out a way to stop her.

  * * *

  Laurie could hardly sleep for the anxiety tumbling around inside of her alongside a sense of purpose she’d never felt even in her most ambitious moments regarding her music career. She had so much to do in preparation. Molly was too dear for her to sit and wait for someone else to save her. All of those men might scare the excitable child more than calm her.

  Lord, help us to save this precious child and her brother.

  Hours before first light, she hurried to the kitchen to do morning chores, prepare a buffet breakfast and put the usual Sunday roast in the oven. Because Mrs. Foster assured her she could come downstairs for meals from now on, Laurie left a note under her door saying she’d be away for the morning. She also said not to worry about “that other matter,” knowing Mrs. Foster would understand she was referring to the prowler. No need to say anything about the kidnappers.

  The landlady would need to check the stove fire before going to church, something she could do without hurting her injured arm. Everything else should run smoothly. This morning’s church service might have to go on without an organist, but somehow the congregation must manage. Maybe either Susanna or Marybeth Northam, both fine pianists, would step up. Unless Nate and Rand wouldn’t let them leave home knowing the kidnappers were not far from Four Stones Ranch.

  Shortly before four, Tolley came downstairs. Eyeing her suspiciously, he helped himself to the buffet breakfast and sat at the dining room table. “You’re up early.”

  “I wanted to be sure you ate before you left.”

  “Thanks.” He acknowledged her with a dip of his head. “Did you practice the hymns for this morning’s church service?”

  “Of course.” Silly man. He was testing her. She poured him a cup of coffee, hoping he wouldn’t notice the riding boots on her feet or the trouser hems peeking out from beneath her skirt. To her relief, he appeared too focused on the job ahead to notice in the dimly lit room.

  After he left, she allowed enough time for him to get to the livery stable, saddle his horse and join the posse at the sheriff’s office. She hurried to the livery to fetch Little Bit and rode south ahead of the men, passing her family’s spread and Four Stones Ranch. Before reaching Cat Creek, she took a detour, crossing the creek nearer the hills she knew so well. Surprised, and yet not, she found Nate and Rand Northam lying in wait on a ridge some thirty yards away from the outlaws’ campsite. Seemed Tolley hadn’t told her everything about the sheriff’s plans.

  “What are you doing here, Laurie?” Rand whispered as he gave her a big-brother frown.

  “Go back to town.” Nate mirrored his brother’s expression. “We don’t need to look out for you while we’re doing this.”

  “Look out for me?” She kept her voice low. “You forget I was right in the thick of it when we took down Hardison and Smith during the bank robbery four years ago.”

  The brothers traded a look and rolled their eyes.

  “Don’t do anything foolish.” Nate gave his attention to the campsite.

  Laurie peered down, too, and her heart lurched at what she saw. One outlaw stood watch—not too well, obviously, since he hadn’t heard this little rescue group—while the other one slept comfortably in a bedroll. Molly lay sleeping on the ground with nothing to protect her from the night’s cool air but her brother’s arm wrapped around her. Laurie’s temper flared at their cruelty. She didn’t worry much about Adam. He was a hardy young man. But poor little Molly, still dressed in her blue skirt, thin white shirtwaist and red kerchief she’d worn to sing yesterday morning, must be chilled to the bone by now. Laurie longed to dash to the site and rescue the precious little girl right away, but that would be foolish.

  “There’s only two. Why can’t we pick them off now?”

  “And risk hitting Molly or Adam?” Nate glanced at her handgun. “A pistol’s fine for closer shooting, but not so good at this distance.”

  As if she didn’t know that. Why hadn’t she brought her rifle? Easy answer. Because she planned to join Tolley when he made the prisoner exchange so she could take care of Molly. She could hide her Colt under her jacket, but not a rifle.

  “There.” Rand pointed toward the trail from Cat Creek.

  Tolley rode Thor toward the campsite, with Purvis beside him on another horse. Laurie’s heart lodged in her throat, and tears stung her eyes. Sitting tall in the saddle, Tolley looked so brave, so competent. If only Pa could see him now, he’d be proud to know him. She’d never admired him more than she did in this moment.

  Soft sounds behind them caused all three to turn. Rifles in hand, Sheriff Lawson and Deputy Gareau hustled toward them on foot, keeping low to the ground. They must have left their horses down the other side of the hill with the brothers’ and Laurie’s. Without a word, they slid into place beside Laurie.

  The sheriff tipped his hat to her and whispered, “Tolley said you’d be here.”

  She suppressed a nervous giggle. Tolley knew her better than she’d thought.

  “Since you insist on helping out,” Lawson said, “here’s what I want you to do.”

  * * *

  As he and Purvis approached the campsite, Tolley had a hard time keeping his eyes forward when he desperately wanted to look up toward the ridge where his brothers were supposed to be. No doubt Laurie had gone to the familiar overlook, and by now, the sheriff and deputy should be there, too. It’d been tricky to convince Purvis only Tolley accompanied him, but the two lawmen and two other deputies left town not far behind. Tolley did his best to keep Purvis e
ngaged in conversation, appealing to him to mend his ways, turn over a new leaf, get religion and every other cliché Tolley could think of so Purvis wouldn’t notice they were being followed by four men on horseback. Purvis’s only responses were some interesting words Tolley had never heard before, even among the sailors on the Boston waterfront. His ploy must have worked, though, because Purvis had eyes only for the bag of fool’s gold hanging from Thor’s saddle. His mind dull from seven months in jail, he truly thought those pale yellow rocks were gold nuggets.

  As they drew closer to the outlaws’ camp, Purvis called out to his twin. “Jed! I’m here. We got the gold.” He cackled with laughter like a madman.

  Yep. He’d been in jail so long he’d lost his mind.

  One man stood guard with a Winchester, and the other one began to stir from his bedroll. Tolley saw Adam sit up and gather Molly into his arms. Neither had a blanket or any other covering, which nearly sent Tolley’s temper over the edge. Men as cruel as that would stop at nothing to achieve their ends, not even harming a small child. How Tolley wished he had his gun, but Purvis had made sure he hadn’t brought one. But the outlaw had been so eager to get out of jail, he hadn’t checked his own gun, which the sheriff had jammed before returning it to him.

  They entered the camp, and now two firearms were trained on Tolley. Before he could dismount, Molly emitted a piercing cry and began to weep hysterically.

  “Shh, shh.” Adam held her close, but she refused to be comforted.

  “Make her shut up, or I’ll do it for you.” Heep Skinner, the third outlaw, pointed his handgun at the child.

  His face pale and solemn, Adam moved his sister behind him, which only made her cry harder.

  Tolley didn’t try to give them any reassurance. Instead, he addressed the outlaws. “Now, now, no need for shooting.” He slipped out of the saddle and fussed with the rope around the canvas bag of fool’s gold. “Uh-oh. Got a knot here.” Where was Laurie? He didn’t dare look back toward the trail.

  Purvis dismounted and greeted his brother, who held one hand over his ear closest to Molly’s wails.

  “Hey, wait up.” Laurie rode up, waving a hand in the air.