An Uncommon Protector

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  THOMAS WOKE UP BEFORE DAWN. EVERY NERVE IN HIS body felt raw, every sense on alert. Startled, he realized he’d felt the exact same way before going into battle. His stomach was in knots and his head felt clearer than it had in months. Even a faint metallic taste was in his mouth.

  He was both bemused and relieved to realize that his body hadn’t forgotten how to prepare for war. Maybe a small part of him had missed fighting after all.

  After hurriedly dressing, he carefully walked downstairs and stepped out to the kitchen. He hoped he hadn’t awakened Laurel. She’d sat with him and the men late into the night, listening while they made plans and answering questions about various parts of the Red Roan Ranch.

  He’d been proud of the way she answered each man’s questions. She had been both thoughtful and observant, and hadn’t acted either rattled or nervous when the men listened to her answers intently. He’d seen many men handle Captain Monroe’s questioning less well.

  Much later, well after midnight, Thomas had heard Laurel’s light footsteps going down the stairs. He’d sat up in bed, waiting to hear her ascend again. It had been a lengthy wait, almost an hour.

  While he’d waited, he let his mind drift again, imagining how pleased he would have been to have the honor of taking care of her. If she hadn’t been able to sleep, he would have held her in his arms into the night, soothing her worries by reminding her that he and his friends weren’t just former soldiers with battlefield experiences. No, they had years of practice tracking men in all sorts of terrain. They each had also fought several battles in hand-to-hand combat. She wasn’t going to have to worry about getting hurt.

  Unable to stop himself, he’d let his mind wander to places it shouldn’t. He thought about pressing his lips to her temple and brow, softly kissing her lips. Imagined whispering things only a lover would. That she was important to him. So important that he would be extra careful when he was out, because he now had someone to come home to.

  The bright light of morning reminded him he was a fool. He would never be her sweetheart, her husband, or her lover.

  No, he was destined to be only her hired hand, a prisoner in her eyes. A poor man without relatives to vouch for him or money to improve his situation. He was simply a man she would know for only a small amount of time. He was expendable.

  That was all right, though. Even if he did get nicked by a stray bullet, he wouldn’t mind dying to help her live a better life.

  After shaking off his doldrums, he entered Laurel’s kitchen. By now he knew his way around it well enough to make a pot of coffee. As he boiled some beans and reviewed their plans for the day, he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw the captain was already up.

  “Good morning, Thomas,” the captain said as he joined him, his blond hair damp and his cheeks freshly shaved. “I was hoping to find you here.”

  “Just making coffee.”

  Monroe looked around and smiled. “I never thought I’d say this, but domesticity looks good on you.”

  “I like to help Miss Laurel when I can. She didn’t sleep well.” Of course, the moment he said that, he wished he could take back the words. He didn’t want any of the men to think he wasn’t treating Laurel with anything other than respect.

  But if the captain had thought his comment was odd, he didn’t dwell on it. “That’s understandable. Today is a big day.”

  “Yes, sir.” Pointing to the pot on the stove, he said, “I’ll pour you some coffee momentarily. It’s almost done.”

  Leaning against the counter, Captain Monroe shrugged. “No hurry. Have you seen Miss Tracey yet this morning?”

  “No, sir. I’m hoping she’s still resting.”

  The captain seemed to relax. “Good. Poor thing. I thought I’d seen everything, but those siblings of hers were rather insufferable.”

  Thomas grinned. “That they were.” Satisfied that the coffee had been boiling long enough, he poured them each a cup. “Here you are, sir.”

  “Thank you.” Smiling at the dark, rich brew, he murmured, “No matter how many years pass, I find I can never take a decent cup of coffee for granted.”

  “This is certainly better than some of the drinks we ground up and sipped around campfires.”

  Monroe groaned. “Remember when we tried to make coffee out of ground black walnuts? To this day I haven’t tasted a more vile concoction.”

  “We were thankful for it at the time. I do remember that.”

  “We were thankful for a great many things. One had to believe that God had our backs, otherwise our reality was too hard to bear.” After draining half his cup, the captain looked at him. “How bad is your back, Thomas?”

  “From the whipping?”

  “Of course.”

  Hating that Monroe had brought it up, Thomas shrugged. “It’s nothing to be concerned about. It’s healing.”

  “Are you sure? Are you in a great deal of pain?”

  He certainly wasn’t eager to discuss his back with his former captain. “No, sir. Miss Tracey cleaned my wounds. That helped.”

  “Did she now?” he murmured. Staring at Thomas intently, the captain said, “She’s a good woman. Kind.”

  “She is.” After looking toward the door to make sure she wasn’t within earshot, Thomas shared what was hard to admit even to himself. “I guess it’s pretty obvious that I’m fond of her.”

  “I did take notice of that.” As he filled his mug to the brim again, the captain said, “If the way you stayed close to her side didn’t clue me in, the facer you gave her stepbrother demonstrated how you felt.”

  Now that his own mug was empty, Thomas set it on the counter and folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t understand the way those two are constantly putting her down. Laurel is just about the prettiest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

  “She is fetching, that is true.”

  Thomas was rather surprised that the captain’s statement didn’t sound more emphatic. After all, she was so much more than that. “She’s more than fetching, sir. She’s beautiful. It’s not just me who thinks that either,” he rushed on. “Why, when I accompanied her in town, I saw men watching her. I tried not to get too riled up. After all, how could they help themselves?”

  “Indeed.”

  “It’s all I can do not to keep my hand constantly on her arm or back,” he continued, since it seemed he was unable to stop himself. “People need to know she is not someone to be trifled with.”

  “I reckon she’s grateful to have such a devoted servant,” the captain said lightly. “Have you told her how you feel?”

  “That I admire her? I have. Not that it really matters.”

  “Why doesn’t it?”

  “It’s pretty obvious even to me that she deserves someone other than a worn-out ex-prisoner.”

  “I fear we are all ex-prisoners, Sergeant.”

  “You know what I mean. She paid money to release me from a cage. She deserves someone a whole lot better than the likes of me.”

  Captain Monroe walked to the pot, picked up a rag to hold the hot handle, and poured himself more coffee. “Forgive me, but it sounds as though you’re having confidence issues.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to deny it, but he couldn’t do so without flat-out lying. “Maybe I am.” He didn’t like the thought of that. Men needed to be confident and strong, not full of self-doubt and impulsive. “I’ll work on that.”

  Just as the captain smiled, Robert Truax poked his head into the kitchen. “Good. You’re both here.”

  “I’m surprised you found us,” Thomas said.

  “I followed the scent of coffee.”

  “I’ll pour you some,” Thomas said. “Let me just find another mug.”

  “That can wait,” Robert said with a grim look. “I need y’all to see something,” he said, then turned before Thomas or the captain could ask any more questions.

  Suddenly realizing that Robert smelled faintly of smoke, and feeling no small amount of dread, Thomas followed Robert int
o the main house, through the front rooms, and into the foyer. There he saw Ethan Kelly standing by the door, looking grim. His clothes were uncharacteristically rumpled.

  “What happened?” Thomas asked.

  Kelly opened the door farther so they could see outside without any barriers.

  Half expecting another dead animal, what he saw instead made his breath catch.

  A sizable plume of smoke was rising from the north pasture. “Fire?”

  “Only a small one,” Kelly said. “Someone took a barrel, lit a fire on the inside of it, and took off. If Robert and I hadn’t seen it when we were shaving, the barrel could have blown, and with the direction of the wind this morning, this house and the barn might have been destroyed, along with all the horses.”

  “So they’ve upped their game,” Thomas said.

  “It seems like they have, but their methods are still confusing. They kill cattle, but only a few. Now they start a fire, but intentionally limit it to threaten these buildings,” Robert said.

  “They want Laurel afraid, or homeless, but the ranch intact.”

  “There’s one thing more,” Ethan said as he handed Robert a sheet of paper. “This was nailed to a nearby mesquite tree.”

  Thankful that Laurel wasn’t there to read this one, Thomas said, “Major, have you read it yet?”

  “I did. It says, ‘This isn’t over.’” Looking intently at Thomas’s face, Kelly said, “Does that mean anything to you?”

  “Only what it probably means to you. Escalation.”

  Looking at the other men surrounding them, Ethan Kelly’s expression seemed almost lethal. “I don’t know how y’all feel, but I sure as heck didn’t survive the war and prison camp just to deal with some idiot setting fires while I sleep.” His voice rose. “I don’t take kindly to someone setting out notes for me to find like it’s a bloody game.”

  Just then, Captain Monroe walked out the front door and joined them on the porch. “My patience has reached its end,” he said. “We need to ride out immediately. Track who did this.”

  “I’ll be ready in ten,” Robert said. “Just give me a minute to drink some coffee.”

  “I’ll fish out something for us to eat on the ride while you’re doing that,” Thomas said. “I think Laurel has some biscuits left over from yesterday.”

  Kelly shook his head. “Appreciate you getting us some food, but we need to stick to the plan we devised last night. You need to stay here to protect her.”

  “I can’t stand down while the rest of you take care of this business. I’ll tell Laurel to stay inside with the doors locked. She has a rifle, and so far no one’s tried to come into the house.”

  “We don’t know they won’t now, not after this fire. This could be a trap.” Major Kelly shook his head. “You don’t know what kind of men they are. Not for certain.”

  Kelly was right. But Thomas couldn’t see another way to fight the men. “We need every man on horseback to track and fight. Plus, I know the terrain. You all need me.”

  “We’ll make do,” Captain Monroe said. “That lady is going to be scared to death when she discovers what happened. We can’t leave her to sit and worry by herself.”

  “But—”

  “You know I’m right.” Lowering his voice, he said, “Think about what you just told me in the kitchen.”

  “That is precisely why I need to go. I can’t stay behind while the three of you solve my problems.”

  Robert placed his hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “If it’s any consolation, I just went through something like this with my wife.” He paused as he looked at Thomas more closely. “Do you really want what’s yours left unguarded?”

  Thomas exhaled. He didn’t dare meet the major’s or captain’s eyes. No doubt they were amused by his newfound love for such an innocent, sweet girl.

  But he couldn’t deny his friends’ words made sense. If he rode out, he might feel better about what he was doing, but he would also be putting Laurel at risk. She would always be on his mind. And he would never forgive himself if something happened to her while they were all away. “You have a point,” he said around an exhale. “I’ll go find some food for y’all. And thank you for what you’re doing.”

  “I’m just glad you contacted us,” Captain Monroe said. “Whoever is doing this needs to stop.”

  Thomas turned to walk back inside . . .

  And was brought up short by the sight of Laurel standing right inside the open door. Her face was pale, and a question was in her eyes. “Thomas, what happened?” she asked, her voice tremulous.

  “There was a fire, but it’s out now.”

  “Where?”

  “North pasture. Someone started a fire in a barrel.” No reason to tell her what could have happened if the barrel had exploded, nor about the note.

  “What are we going to do?” she asked as Robert and the captain joined them.

  “You and I are going to stay here while Robert, the captain, and Kelly attempt to track whoever set the fire in your pasture.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t do that.”

  “You can’t do what, darlin’?” Robert asked. When he caught Thomas’s glare, he rolled his eyes.

  “I can’t stay here. I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.”

  Thankful that his friends had coached him, he reached out and rubbed both of her arms. She was frightened to death. Why had he ever thought it would be okay for him to leave her to worry and fend for herself? “You aren’t going to be alone, Laurel. I’m going to stay with you. I promise, no one is going to hurt you while I’m nearby.”

  But instead of looking reassured, she shook her head. “No, I want to go too.”

  “Miss Tracey, forgive me, but you don’t understand,” Robert said. “We all rode together for months, if not for years. There’s a trust there and a familiarity. If you came along, you would only get in the way.”

  “I can ride well too. I grew up on a horse.” She straightened her backbone. “Plus, I know this land better than any of you could ever hope to. You need me.”

  While Thomas considered the best way to cut off her argument, she stepped away from him and raised her chin. “I am not going to be scared, and I am not going to slow you down.”

  “And if someone is shooting at us again?”

  “Then I’ll do my best to shoot back,” she said. Staring at him, she said, “Look at me, Thomas. Really look at me. I am not a spoiled hothouse flower. I, too, survived the war. I am also the same woman who walked through a crowd and bought myself a convict.”

  Feeling the other men’s approval, Thomas exhaled. It seemed there was only one thing to do. “Can you be ready within the hour, Miss Laurel?”

  She smiled. “Since I’m nearly ready now, I believe my answer is yes.” Turning toward the kitchen, she called out, “I’ll gather some food to take with us and meet you in the barn.”

  “Before you start gathering, may I beg a favor?” Robert said, moving to her side. When she stared at him warily, he offered a sheepish smile. “I’m parched and half asleep. May I have a cup of coffee, Miss Laurel? Preferably right this minute?”

  “Of course,” she said around a relieved exhale. “I’ll be happy to get you anything you need.”

  When they disappeared down the hall, Thomas met Captain Monroe’s eyes. “I’m sorry, sir,” he bit out. He hated to disappoint Devin Monroe. “I know you were right, but it seems I am hopeless against her. I couldn’t think of another way to encourage her to stay.”

  But to Thomas’s surprise, the captain chuckled. “Don’t apologize, Sergeant. She was extremely persuasive. She also happens to be right.”

  “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”

  “At one time, I wouldn’t have either. However, times have changed. During the war, our women had to take care of themselves without our help. Some even thrived. Now I’m afraid we can’t expect them to always be content to sit and wait while we do our best.”

  “We sure couldn’t have expected
Miss Tracey to do that. She was determined.”

  “She made some good points too. I couldn’t have said no to her if I’d tried. Buying herself a prisoner, indeed. You got lucky the day she decided to free you.”

  Trotting up the stairs to get his weapons, Thomas smiled to himself. No matter what happened next, he knew one thing for certain. Laurel Tracey was a woman like no other.

  31

  HER SKIN FELT TINGLY. EVERY ONE OF HER SENSES FELT AS though it was on alert. Actually, Laurel had never felt more alive, not even when she’d made the decision to walk through a crowded square and claim Thomas Baker as her own.

  The reason could be the company surrounding her. The four soldiers were gruff and confident and seemed to be solely focused on implementing the plans they’d made. She’d taken a leap of faith when she made the decision to join Thomas and his friends on their mission, though she’d been fairly certain Thomas was going to refuse her request to join them.

  A part of her wouldn’t have blamed him. Although the war and the following years had changed her, she was still her parents’ daughter. They’d taught her both to mind authority and to know her place. But she’d also witnessed her mother making decisions about their home or about her and her brother that her father hadn’t necessarily agreed with.

  But time and again he’d bowed to his wife’s decisions.

  But this felt different. She didn’t have people to lean on. She had only herself. And while she might have Thomas for the year, and he claimed he would stay as long as she needed him, the day would come when she would be safe and he would be ready to move on. That day would no doubt come sooner than she was ready for.

  Because she had that knowledge, she knew she had to do everything she could to help herself, and to learn too.

  After she’d made some bacon sandwiches and served Robert a cup of coffee, she decided to put on her most comfortable riding boots, a brimmed hat, and her sturdiest gloves. She also took her brother’s rifle from its resting place.

  Then she gathered up the sandwiches and hurried out to the barn. The last thing she wanted to happen was for the men to be waiting for her to make an appearance.