“I can’t see it that way because you’re wrong about him. You’ve not liked him from the start. And you’re wasting your time while you can be searching for the real blackmailer.”
He shook his head and released a sigh. “Would you at least hear me out?”
She crossed her arms, ready to do battle on behalf of Thomas. Because of his small stature, he’d always been picked on, but never before had he been accused of something so awful. “I’ll listen, but I won’t believe you.”
Nate motioned to the steps in front of the store. They moved there and sat. She made sure there was plenty of distance between them. His touch always worked its way to her heart, and she didn’t want him making her weak in any way.
He cleared his throat. “Thomas has almost always been seen where something bad happens.”
She opened her mouth to refute his words, but he held up a finger to stop her.
“I’m not finished. Let me state my case. He was there when you and I were shot at. I saw him sneaking around town right after Mr. Zimmer’s mill was blown up. He has the perfect opportunity to move around at night without being seen, because he stays at your father’s livery. But what I think is the most important fact is that he was supposed to be here this morning guarding this place, and he was nowhere to be found.” He motioned around them. “And he’s still not here—and we can’t find your brother.”
She glared as if it would change Nate’s mind. “That doesn’t mean he took Andrew.”
“Then why isn’t he here to help?”
That question had her stumped. In the past, they could always count on Thomas to help them through anything. Regardless, she still refused to believe Thomas had anything to do with Andrew’s kidnapping. He loved her family as much as they loved him.
“I don’t know.” It was all she could think to say.
“Exactly. And that’s why I intend to look for him and find answers to all my questions.” He stood and helped her to her feet. “Now go inside and lock yourself in. Don’t let anyone in but me or your father.” He leaned close, his nose almost touching hers. “Not even Thomas.”
Defiant, but too bewildered to disobey, she stomped through the doorway and slammed it closed. After waiting a moment, she moved so she could peek out the window. Nate stood there with his arms crossed.
“I didn’t hear the door lock.”
Men! The word screamed over and over in her head. Gritting her teeth, she reached and turned the lock. “Satisfied?”
“Yep. Keep it that way.”
With that said he jumped off the boardwalk, climbed onto his saddle, and rode off.
She stood at the window, fuming long after he’d disappeared. Why was he being so stubborn? Why wouldn’t he listen to her and believe Thomas was a good man? She paced in front of the window, running all Nate had said through her mind. After several minutes of silent arguing, she couldn’t convince herself that Thomas had anything to do with the blackmailing or Andrew’s kidnapping. What scared her most was how strongly Nate believed just that, and because he did, he might hurt Thomas as he dug for the truth. He was wrong, and she had to convince him of that fact.
With that thought repeating itself with so much intensity, Rebekah could stand it no longer. She rushed to the counter, grabbed the pistol they hid there, and dashed out the side door. Knowing full well Nate would kill her when he found out she’d defied his command, she made a face and pushed away her fear, while praying there was at least one horse or mule left.
Chapter Thirty-five
Not quite certain where he’d find Thomas, Nate decided to begin where they’d first run into trouble with him—at the Loomis home. Or at least near there. Nate couldn’t quite swallow the tale Thomas spun about why he didn’t hear the rifle shot that could have killed him or Rebekah. Anyone would have heard a rifle shot over the chopping on a tree.
If he didn’t find Thomas there, he’d continue on to where he saw him the day of the last picnic he’d shared with Rebekah. Why Thomas would be out there, Nate couldn’t fathom, but he aimed to find out.
Rebekah. Seemed like everything in his life lately involved that woman. So much so that she invaded almost every thought and dream. That is, whenever he managed to get some sleep. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t get clear thoughts or feelings about her. If he could get some rest, he could think clearly.
He rode into the Loomis’s yard and reined to a stop. “Hello in the house.”
He didn’t have long to wait for a response. The children raced out of the house like they were thrilled to have a visitor. The boy he’d given the top to tugged on his boot and motioned for Nate to pick him up. He couldn’t resist the longing in the boy’s eyes and reached down to scoop him from the ground.
“You ain’t taking him, mister.”
Nate looked up to see the mother standing on the porch, leaning against the pole just like the first time they’d met. “No, ma’am, I’m not taking him. I just thought he’d like to see the world from up here.”
She tipped her head. “I reckon that’s fine.”
Pretending to be engrossed in the boy, Nate glanced at Mrs. Loomis out of the corner of his eye. Odd that she’d think he was taking the boy. Had she heard about Andrew? Or was she a part of his kidnapping? He tried to examine her face without being obvious in order to gain an answer, but she was harder to read than a book in the dark. He didn’t have time for guessing.
“Have you seen Thomas today?”
She cocked her head. “Why?”
Nate tried hard not to look suspicious of her, but that task was getting more and more difficult, especially since she seemed so protective of Thomas. “There’s a problem in town, and we were hoping for his help.”
“What kind of problem?”
He gritted his teeth. This woman sure wasn’t making this easy. He cleared his throat. “Look, I’m kinda in a hurry. We’re running out of time. Have you seen him or not?”
Narrowing her eyes and studying him for a bit, she finally shook her head. “Nope. Not today.”
Praying she was telling the truth, he ruffled the boy’s head and set him back on the ground. Tipping his hat, he reined the horse around. “Thank you, Mrs. Loomis.”
Nudging his horse into a gallop, he headed east to look in the area he’d seen Thomas days ago. So much had happened lately that he couldn’t remember how many days had passed since he and Rebekah went on the picnic, nor did he want to muddle his thinking with Rebekah again. She was safe at the store and hopefully from his mind as well.
Almost to the tree line, near the stream where Nate fished Andrew and Rebekah from the water, he caught sight of someone disappearing into the trees. Slowing to a trot, then to a walk, he headed to that same spot, certain it had to be Thomas. Who else would be in this area? Almost everyone was out at Weavers’ mine.
Once he reached the trees, he dismounted and tied his horse to one of the branches. Too much noise might give him away, and he hoped to see what Thomas was up to before cornering him. After listening for rustling and breaking twigs, Nate headed off in the direction of the sounds. A few minutes later he spotted Thomas, crouched low next to the stream. Nate couldn’t tell what he was doing, but he hoped he didn’t have Andrew. When he stood and started walking along the bank, Nate moved to stop him, unwilling to take a chance on losing his prey.
Nate rushed toward him, stopping when Thomas turned and spotted him. “Wait right there, Thomas.” When all he received was a grimace before Thomas moved on again, Nate put his hand on his pistol. “I won’t ask again.”
This time Thomas obeyed but with obvious reluctance. He turned and faced Nate, crossing his arms. “What do you want? I’ve got work to do.”
“I bet you do.” He’d never disliked Thomas more. “Where’s Andrew?”
Thomas frowned. “What?”
Nate took a step forward. “You heard me. Where is he? Where’d you put him?”
Thomas tried to mislead him with an innocent look. “Nate, I don’t know
what you’re talking about. Andrew isn’t at home?”
Patience all but gone, Nate grabbed his shirt. “You know full well he isn’t at home. Tell me where he is.”
Thomas shoved his hand away. “I told you. I don’t know.”
Nate started to waver, no longer confident in his judgment of Thomas. Then a look that wasn’t quite sincere flashed across Thomas’s face, and Nate’s certainty returned. He grabbed Thomas by the shirt front and shoved him against a tree.
“I know you’re lying, Thomas. I saw it in your eyes.” Thomas pushed against him, but Nate had the advantage of height and weight. He thrust him back once more. “I can’t even imagine the amount of evil it takes to do this to someone who’s treated you so well. The Weavers are an incredible family, and Perry’s done nothing to deserve losing a son. He’s a great man, and I intend to give him his son back. Now tell me where he is.”
Grabbing his wrists, Thomas shook his head, but Nate couldn’t tolerate any more of his denial. It was time for the truth. Holding Thomas against the tree with one hand, he pulled out his gun. “Stop it, Nate!”
He heard Rebekah’s voice but refused to believe she was actually behind him. He’d specifically told her to stay at the store. Turning, he found her standing next to one of Perry’s mules with no saddle, a pistol in her hand. What in the world was she thinking?
“Rebekah, I told you to—”
“Leave Thomas alone. You’re wrong about him, so stop your threats and holster your gun.”
Still holding Thomas by the shirtfront, Nate wasn’t about to give up. He just knew Thomas was involved. “But Rebekah—”
“No! Let’s take this to the sheriff. We can straighten this out in front of him. But I won’t let you continue to harass Thomas like this.”
Nate released Thomas as he holstered his gun, then looked fully into Rebekah’s face. The disappointment he saw there cut him deeply. He shifted his gaze to Thomas and saw confusion in the man’s eyes. In his love for the Weaver family, and his desire to get Andrew back to them, Nate had allowed anger to cloud his thinking. He had never been the same since the murders of his dad and brother. The unfairness ate at his soul—the need to avenge, relentless. This time he’d gone too far.
Nate shrugged. “Just trying to help.” Who was he kidding?
As much as he distrusted the sheriff, maybe he’d misjudged him as well. Maybe God had put the lawman in his path to help him see himself more clearly. And just maybe the answers he sought would be sorted out in that office, face to face with the sheriff.
Hanging his head, he moved in front of Rebekah. “I’m sorry.” He turned slightly to include Thomas. “I could try to give excuses for my behavior, but when it comes right down to it, there is no excuse except that I wasn’t trusting God to lead my decisions.”
Rebekah nodded. “Good. Now you’re back to the Nate I—” She sighed. “We need to get moving. We still don’t know if Andrew is safe.”
Nate wagged his head. “I’m still not sure about Thomas here. His comings and goings have been suspicious since I got here, and—”
“Thomas?” Rebekah looked from Nate to Thomas. “Do you have anything to say to Nate?”
Nostrils flaring, he shook his head. “Nope. I don’t trust him either.”
Mouth dropping open, Nate was about to ask what he’d done to earn distrust, but Rebekah made a growling sound deep in her throat. Nate couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard her say “men” under her breath.
She moved to climb onto the mule. “Then let’s go to the sheriff. Now. We can’t keep wasting time.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me.” Thomas helped her up, then started walking.
“Climb up behind me, Thomas. Walking is too slow.”
In no time, Nate was left standing by himself. He hurried to catch up, running to where he’d left his horse. He wasn’t ready to let Thomas off so easy. He had questions that needed to be answered first.
Chapter Thirty-six
Squirming almost from the moment she’d landed on the mule’s back, Rebekah tried to get comfortable. She should have taken the time to hitch the beast to a wagon, but she didn’t want Nate to get too far ahead of her or she’d never find him. She’d always hated riding on the back of an animal, but at the moment, it kept her from dwelling on Nate’s actions.
Thomas took the reins and held them in front of her. “You keep wiggling like that, this mule will buck us both off.”
“Well, this isn’t exactly the most comfortable ride I’ve ever been on.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad you came, though. No telling how that mess back there would have ended up.” He nudged the mule, but the animal refused to go faster. “What happened to Andrew? Nate didn’t tell me anything.”
She turned around to examine Thomas’s face and found what she sought. She knew he was innocent. “He was gone when we got up this morning. We couldn’t find him anywhere. Then we found a note in the livery demanding money for his safe return.”
Thomas sagged in the saddle. “A note in the livery. I knew I should have stayed. No wonder Nate suspects me.”
Nate galloped up to them, keeping them from chatting further, mainly because Thomas refused to talk in front of him, the fact made obvious by his stiff back and tight lips.
She’d had enough of these two men acting like children. “You know, if you two would just open up and talk to each other, maybe we could get to the answers we all need a whole lot faster.”
The frown on Thomas’s face went so deep, the furrow between his brows could hold water. “That reminds me of my other question I meant to ask. Why doesn’t the sheriff know about any of this?”
Rebekah drew her head back in surprise. She didn’t know the answer. “I have no idea.” She looked at Nate. “Do you?”
He looked everywhere but at her.
“Nate?” A sick feeling stirred in her belly. “You know why the sheriff doesn’t know about Andrew, don’t you?”
He shifted in the saddle. “Maybe.”
Rebekah waited for more, but he was just like Thomas. She’d have to pry the answer from him. “Well? Do you plan to tell me why?”
After a few moments of fidgeting, he finally looked at her. “Because I don’t trust him.”
Thomas snorted. “You don’t trust many people, do you? I hope you have a better reason for not trusting him than you do for me.”
Nate craned his neck to see Thomas. “Look—”
“All right, you two.” Incredibly frustrated, Rebekah wanted to grab them by their earlobes. “You’re getting worse than Andrew. And he’s supposed to be the only one we’re concerned about right now, so stop it.” She leaned to see Nate’s face and caught a glimpse of his anger. Maybe he’d talk more freely in a temper. “So why don’t you trust the sheriff?”
He held up one finger. “One, he never does his job, as though by allowing others to break the law, it will cover the fact that he is too.” A second finger rose. “Two, I thought it odd that he released those two young men only hours after he’d arrested them—the very same men who told me to leave town after beating me. That tells me the sheriff might be friends with them.” He added a third finger. “Three, he tried to arrest me because I was on the street after dark, then didn’t plan to bring me to his office but led me in the opposite direction. I have no idea what he had planned, but I’m thankful Mr. Gilmore stopped him.” He blew out a loud breath. “There’s more, but hopefully you’ll take my word that he isn’t the kind of man this town needs to uphold the law.”
Rebekah stared, more than ready to take his word, trusting his instincts completely. But what else were they to do but go to the sheriff? In this situation they needed the law, and the sheriff was all they had.
Nate frowned. “What? You don’t believe me?”
She shook her head. “Just the opposite. So, what do we do?”
His expression softened. “We go to the sheriff.”
Shocked, her mouth dropped open. “But you just
said—”
He smiled. “I know what I said, but this might let us see the man’s reaction, maybe even give us a chance to trap him in some way. So when it comes right down to it, you had the best idea.”
Thomas adjusted his position. “Does this mean you trust me now?”
Nate eyed him for a bit. Rebekah noticed his mouth open and close a couple times.
Finally Thomas growled and nudged the mule to go faster. “Never mind.”
Nate reached out and snared the mule’s reins. “Hold up a minute. Can we talk without getting mad at each other?”
Not about to interrupt the two of them coming to an understanding, Rebekah thought it was about time they talked. But they needed to get it done soon. They were almost to town. Before they could say another word, though, the man they’d been talking about rode up to them, his badge glinting in the sun.
“What’s going on around here? There’s almost no one in town.” He motioned to Thomas and Rebekah. “And why are you two riding like that?”
Nate closed one eye as he looked at the sheriff. “You been sleeping or out of town?”
Rebekah held her breath. Nate seemed to know just what to say to get people angry. She could almost see the steam radiating off the sheriff’s head. Before the sheriff could spew any wrath, Nate put up a hand to stop him.
“We were just on our way to your office to talk to you.”
The sheriff lifted his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Then let’s get there and out of this sun.”
Rebekah caught the look Nate sent her way. Why hadn’t she noticed the sheriff’s lack of effort and responsibility before? Probably because she never had much to do with him. Her father handled anything to do with the law. Confused, she kept her mouth shut, as did everyone else. The remainder of the ride to town was silent except for the clip-clop of hooves and the squeak of leather of the saddles whenever Nate or the sheriff moved. The sounds should have been soothing but only served to add to the mounting tension.
Love Finds You in Silver City, Idaho Page 23
