by DiAnn Mills
Leah stiffened. She felt certain her inclinations were right. “All right. I’ll find the proof. In the meantime, I don’t want him alone with Davis or Ember.”
“Maybe you’re just missing Wirt.”
A flash of fury swept through her. “I am missing Wirt, but not for the reasons you may think. Steven is dangerous.” She lifted her chin. “Have you checked to see if the rancher in Wyoming or anyone from Missouri has responded to your telegrams?”
“Haven’t been in town except the day I rode in to get feed. Then I was in a hurry to get back. So, no, I haven’t checked for a wire.” He went back to brushing Racer, and Leah remained by his side with her arms folded across her chest. She had no intentions of leaving the barn until she received the response she needed from John.
“Ember doesn’t trust him.”
“Why? She hasn’t said a word to me.”
“Maybe she’s afraid to.”
John turned to her, his gaze troubled. “All right, Mama. I’ll tell him tonight after supper that it’s time for him to go. And tomorrow, when he leaves, I’ll send Mark or Aaron into town to see about those wires.”
Every portion of her heart eased with John’s words, but she didn’t know why.
Bert shucked corn for supper, adding two more to the huge pile in hopes Mr. Zimmerman would return. Simon’s mission of spying on the Timmonses for whatever wickedness he had in mind was running short on time. He could disappear or pull out a revolver.
Lord, please. If You have a better way, tell me.
As though her prayers had been answered, she glanced up and saw a familiar painted horse and rider heading toward the house.
Thank You. I’ll do my part.
With the boys working late in anticipation of Evan moving to Fort Collins soon and the younger boys heading back to school, supper came later than usual. All of them were tired.
Earlier in the day, Leah told her John had agreed to let Steven go and planned to tell him tonight after supper. Bert considered more than once the idea of pulling John and Mr. Zimmerman aside, but too many people were crowded into the house. She didn’t dare let Simon suspect a thing. Every word and move must be done according to her feeble plan.
Hungry boys and men crowded around the table, filling and refilling their plates. Bert waited for the right moment to expose Simon. He wasn’t wearing a gun, but he normally carried a knife in his boot. John sat on one side of him and Mark on the other. Wirt sat at the end of the table nearest the door with his rifle propped against the wall. Bert prayed no one would be hurt.
“What did you learn in Denver?” John said to Wirt.
“The cattle’s probably been sold. And you know how I feel about rustlers.” Wirt picked up a glass of water, staring at the clear liquid as though it held the answers to his problems. “We can talk later. I saw Parker and talked to the marshal there. I’ll tell you what they think.”
“Sure,” John said.
“I’d like to volunteer to help in any way I can,” Simon said. “Haven’t any experience as a deputy. But in a short time, this area has come to mean a lot to me.”
“Thanks,” Wirt said. “I’ll let you know. A man needs experience to ride as a deputy. John here remembers when I rode out to help capture some outlaws, and I was green as grass. Nearly got us all killed.”
“I understand, but I’m willing to learn.” Simon finished his coffee. “I believe a man has to stand up for what he believes.”
Bert swallowed the acid rising in her throat.
“This country needs more men who stand up for what’s right.” Wirt nodded as though he agreed.
“If it wasn’t for this gal waiting for me, I would have joined the army.”
Liar. Simon, you don’t know the truth.
“An admirable career,” John said.
“Thanks. I may enlist yet.” Simon smiled at Leah. “Think I’ll turn in. Thank you, Miss Leah, for a fine supper. You too, Miss Bert.”
“Steven, I need to talk to you,” John said. “I can follow you out there or—”
“Just come on out to the barn,” Simon said. “I have a few things to do first.”
“I’d forgotten you wanted to clean your rifle,” John said.
The thought soured Bert’s stomach. She forced herself back from the table and stood. “Simon, why do you need to clean your rifle?”
“Simon?” Confusion etched John’s face.
“Yes, Simon Farrar, my brother. He’s behind the cattle rustlin’ and the murderin'.” Bert grabbed the rifle behind her and lifted it to her shoulder.
Chairs crashed to the floor, and Wirt headed for his rifle. Simon rushed to his feet, throwing his chair back.
With her finger near the trigger, Bert aimed at his cold, black heart. “I saw you kill enough men to know how to use this.”
John grabbed Simon and pinned his arms behind him, and Wirt jammed his rifle into Simon’s back.
“What’s this all about?” Simon appeared to startle. “I don’t understand this crazy girl.”
Bert’s courage grew. “I could start with you braggin’ about stealing Mr. Oberlander’s mare and how I tried to return it. What about how many men you’ve killed? Or the woman in Durango? Or the way you said you’d kill this family if I refused to help you?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Simon struggled against John’s hold.
“Then why are you fightin'?” She pressed her finger against the trigger, knowing it was wrong to kill him, but she couldn’t help herself. “You and I both know there isn’t a rancher in Wyoming who would vouch for you—unless you paid a man to say so. The only person in Idaho, not Missouri, who misses you, is Pa, and you two are alike.”
“What do you have to say for yourself?” John’s face hardened, and he tightened his grip on Simon.
Mark drew back his fist. Aaron clutched a wicked looking knife, and Evan held a rope from the front porch while Leah positioned Davis behind her.
“Ember, you don’t have to kill him.” Leah’s gentle voice reached deep into Bert’s soul.
“The man’s not worth you being his judge and executor,” John said. “Let the law handle this.”
Bert swallowed a rock-size lump in her throat. No doubt all of the Timmonses despised her for not telling them sooner about Simon’s deception. She watched Evan step behind Simon and wrap a rope around his wrists.
“Move away,” Bert said. “He doesn’t deserve to live.”
“Put the rifle down.” Leah touched her back, a comfort while her heart twisted with revenge.
Was she no better than her brothers?
Slowly she lowered the rifle and handed it to Leah. Simon stared at Bert with the rabid, murderous stare she’d come to recognize. “You heard me that day in Rocky Falls and again here. No matter what happens to me, hell is going to burst open. You’re cursed, little sister.”
“You’ve gotten too cocky, too greedy,” she said. “The stealing is over. The murdering is over. You’re wanted throughout the state for what you’ve done to folks, and I will tell every lawman I meet what I know. Including all about Clint and Lester. And I’m not cursed.”
“The Farrar brothers,” Wirt said. “Heard about you boys some time ago. Makes me real proud to be a part of bringing you in.”
Bert stared at John until she captured his attention. “I’m … I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before.”
“You’re so stupid.” Simon continued to struggle against John’s hold and the rope tying his wrists. “I’ll slit your throat myself.”
John whirled Simon around and laid a fist into his jaw. “Only a coward picks on a woman.” He grabbed Simon by the shirt collar and hit him again, sending the man sprawling to the floor. Mark jerked Simon to his feet, and John raised his fist again.
“Enough, John,” Wirt called. “He’s only trying to prove he’s in control by aggravating you. We’ll see how much he brags sittin’ in jail.”
Bert didn’t realize she was shaking until
dizziness threatened to overtake her. She slid back onto a chair. Leah bent and placed an arm around her shoulder. The touch meant so much, and she nearly gave in to a wave of tears. Simon would never hurt anyone again.
Not even her.
CHAPTER 44
John rode back home close to midnight. Simon Farrar was locked in jail, and he hadn’t stopped cussing and threatening. The whereabouts of Clint and Lester Farrar remained a mystery, but Simon might talk another tune in the morning. Obviously he’d evaded the law for so long that he thought the law owed him. The situation reminded John of the desperation he’d seen a few years ago in the McCaw gang. The longer John pondered the matter, the more he believed some folks felt like they were entitled to what they hadn’t worked for.
John also suspected another kind of abuse, and the thought made him want to kill Simon with his bare hands. He remembered when Ember flinched at his touch.
Why hadn’t he seen Simon’s treachery? The circumstances filled him with anger and contempt for himself. There he was, the one in charge of protecting his family, and he’d been blind. Never again.
Studying law entered his thoughts. Having the cattle rustlers and murders handled had taken a load off his mountain of worries, but his and Ember’s future, possibly law school, and the responsibility he felt toward Mama and his brothers still seemed overwhelming. Wirt and Mama would marry for sure, but seeing John’s younger brothers through school was John’s job.
He took a deep breath and stared up at the star-studded sky. How long had he yearned for someone to talk to, and God had been there all along? He’d been stubborn, praying but not listening.
Riding closer to home, he asked God to forgive him for trying to solve his problems alone instead of asking for help. His unanswered questions had more to do with pride than anything else.
Back at the ranch, he unsaddled Racer and felt the ache of strained muscles. Tomorrow would come much too early for his liking. Once he started to the house and saw the lit lantern shining in the window, he thought about the risk Ember had taken to expose her brothers. Blinking, he saw the object of his musings sitting on the step.
“Can’t sleep, or did you wait up for me?”
“I wanted to see you before you went to bed, and I doubt if I could have slept.”
The sound of her sweet voice soothed his weary heart and mind. He sat beside her and took her hand. “What you did tonight took a lot of courage.”
“No, John. I’m a coward. I couldn’t tell you the truth until I simply had no choice. Simon approached me in Rocky Falls and once here at the ranch. He wanted me to help him or he’d kill all of you. I believed him instead of trusting God.”
“That’s easy considering he’d broken the law before. When you feel comfortable, I want to know all about home.”
“I’ll tell you. But I need to sort out bad memories.” She shrugged. “Leah always says the truth is what frees people, so I may need for someone to listen to my ramblings. Actually my past is vile.” She paused. “When I came here and Miss Leah discovered my poor reading, she began to teach me in the evenings. I’ve learned so many new words that express the thoughts in my head. I’m … I’m so grateful for all this family has done for me. I hope I can someday repay all of you.”
“None of us have done things for you in order to be repaid.”
She laughed, and he remembered her original debt to him. “All right, I’m the guilty one. Seriously, I’m wide awake if you want to talk.”
She leaned against him, her small body warm and frail. Although exhaustion invaded John, he was one content man.
“Are you sure?” she said.
He draped his arm around her. “We can talk ‘til daylight.” She sighed, and then trembled. Oh, for the day when fear vanished, and she could trust him. He longed to see her completely at peace. A side of her he’d never seen. A part of her she might not have experienced without embracing belief in God. “Start at the beginning. The best way for you to deal with the past is to talk about all those things that hurt you.”
A few moments passed, and he tucked her closer to him.
“I never lied to you,” she said. “But it was wrong not to tell you who I suspected was behind the cattle rustling and killings. Then when Simon approached me in Rocky Falls, I was so afraid for all of you. I should have trusted. For that I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. From what I can figure out, Simon used his fists to make sure you saw things his way.”
She stiffened and pulled away. “John, I know you care for me. And because of how good you are and what you deserve in a woman, I have to tell you something.”
“I’m listening.”
“Beating me isn’t all Simon did.”
John’s throat ached to release his tears. How could a man do such a thing to his sister — or any woman? While on the way back from town when he pondered the tragedies of Ember’s life, he’d considered Simon might have abused her. “I figured as such. I’m sorry.”
“So I understand I need to leave here and Rocky Falls.”
“Why? Because the man is an animal? What he did to you doesn’t change how I feel. We’ll work through this.”
Her sobs broke the silence around them. “You don’t know what you’re sayin'. A man like you deserves a woman who is … pure. I’ve been living a fairy tale by wanting to be a part of this family … wanting your love but not deserving it.”
“Purity is a state of the heart, Ember.”
“Not sure I can ever look at it that way. Guilt and shame settle on me when I least expect it.”
“You might want to consider telling Mama. She won’t judge you, and talking woman to woman would probably help.”
“I’m so ashamed.”
John had to ask what weighed heavily on his heart. A reality he might have to face and handle. “Are there any children?”
She stiffened again. “No. I would never desert a child, no matter who was the father.”
He sensed relief and then questioned his love for her. What would he have said or done if she’d responded affirmatively? He wanted to believe he’d have done right by her, but the thought of a child as a result of Simon’s cruelty rattled him. Right now he could only praise God she had survived. “Seems like all I can say is I’m sorry. No wonder you ran off.”
She said nothing for several seconds, but her body still nestled against his, where she belonged. Where he could always take care of her and protect her. But she’d proven her courage with Simon, and he’d never forget her selfless act. “My brothers are all so different, but then again so are yours.” She touched the top of his hand. “My mother died when I was born, just like I told you. My oldest brother Gideon was twelve years old at the time. If not for him, I would have died. He took care of me like a parent. Taught me things like how to play the fiddle.” She sighed, a sad lonesome sound that spoke more than words could convey. “But, John, he didn’t know God, and Gideon’s reasoning for family loyalty was wrong. He died of pneumonia about five years ago. That’s when Simon started breaking the law even worse than before.” She breathed in deeply. “He was always wild, but after then he added killing—and other things.”
“Were Gideon and Simon close?”
“They were opposites. Gideon liked music and taking long walks. Simon wanted to hunt and looked for reasons to fight.” She tilted her head. “Sorta like Jacob and Esau from the Bible.”
“That’s what I was thinking. I just wondered since you said they didn’t share common interests.”
“I do know he blamed me for family misfortunes. I tried to look at things the way he did. His ma died giving birth to me, and his brother died when I was supposed to be taking care of him.”
You’re cursed, little sister. John remembered Simon’s words spoken earlier this evening.
“Just before Gideon took sick, Pa got thrown from his horse and couldn’t walk anymore. Simon took over our dirt patch of a farm in Idaho. Like you, he had a sense of wanting to take care of everyon
e. But unlike you with your love for your family and respect for others, Simon took to breaking the law. I helped our other brothers hunt and fish for food while Simon rode out and returned with money, horses, cattle—whatever he’d stolen. Soon he got my other two brothers to join up with him. Things got worse after that. At times when I look at all the evil he led them to do, I wonder if a devil got into him. He always said the hard times were because everything I touched spoiled or died.”
“You know better, right? We’ve been blessed since the day you arrived.”
“Depends on how you look at it. Simon shot you. He told me so. Leon and Mr. Hawkins are dead, and ranchers are missing livestock. Who knows what happened to Mr. Oberlander’s missing ranch hands?”
“Simon and your brothers choose what they do. So did Leon and those ranch hands. You have no reason to blame yourself.”
Again silence fell between them.
“I don’t think Clint and Lester will attempt any crimes without Simon,” she finally said.
“So you think they’ll leave the area?”
“There’s no reason for them to stay.” She turned to face him. “They’re a bad lot, but I never wanted to see any of them hanged.”
“Family loyalty has always come easy to me. It pains me to hear what yours have done.”
“I’ve never broken the law like my brothers.”
He smiled in the darkness. “Thank you. Sure would hate to take another trip into Rocky Falls tonight to put your scrawny hide in jail.”
“So now I can expect more teasing?”
“Will the sun rise in the morning?”
A chilling wind blew around them, and she snuggled closer. “I don’t care if you do tease me. Coming from you, I like it. Goodness, I think I said too much.”
He kissed the top of her head, and the gesture felt natural. “I’m about to say too much. And most likely too soon, but I don’t care either. The future is like being lost in a cornfield, except I don’t want to take the journey without you. I’m not sure if God wants me here running this ranch or if He wants me in the city studyin’ law. But I do know I want to be with you, Ember Rose. Never been so sure about anything in my life.”
