by DiAnn Mills
“Soon, I hope.” John relished this time with his uncle. Here he could be himself — not have to worry about appearing brave or sounding logical. The prospect of marrying Ember pleased him. Pleased him a lot. “You and I may be talking all day and night. But first tell me about Sage and the boys.”
During the rest of the way into town, Parker told one story after another about his family. He and Sage had weathered a rough start with her job as a bounty hunter and his position as Rocky Falls’ marshal. Neither one of them liked the other until they realized love didn’t always beckon a man and a woman who have everything in common. The differences were what made them one. John wanted a marriage with Ember like that one day.
“Tell you what,” Parker said. “I have a few connections in Austin. I’ll contact the law school on your behalf and see what I can find out about entrance requirements. It’ll be a couple of years before Denver has a law school.”
“I’d appreciate it. Not sure how I’d repay you.”
“I may need a good lawyer one day. Sure would like to use one who’s in the family.”
Life was going to work out … Dreams had a way of making a man wear a smile. The fight to find the lawbreakers in the community hadn’t ended, but the road at the end sure had a sweeter look. At least Simon was in jail, which meant Ember was safe.
Bert walked through what was left of the garden, searching for a single tomato or cucumber. Most everything had withered or gone to seed, except for the root vegetables. With winter knocking at their door, she was glad to have been able to help Leah with all the vegetables. When the snow piled high, the canned and dried vegetables would taste fine.
Next spring, the process would start all over again. By then, she and John might have their own home. He longed to study law, and she longed to be right there beside him, even if it meant leaving Rocky Falls. She fancied a job for herself to help with expenses. This could be an opportunity to show him how much she loved him and wanted him to succeed. And she’d add more arithmetic and history to her reading and writing skills. John deserved a wife who would do him proud when they were with educated people. The thought both thrilled and startled her. A new life … God was indeed good.
A raven flew overhead, and she lifted her gaze. The bird’s croak and caw didn’t have the pretty song of other birds, but she enjoyed the response of another raven hidden from view. Gideon used to say a raven could laugh, but she’d always thought their calls were harsh.
“Well, if it isn’t my little sister.”
Bert froze. Clint. She whirled around. “Why are you here?”
“That’s a fine welcome.”
“You’re not welcome.” She planted her hands on her hips, not even recognizing her own response to a man who could lay his fists into her as harsh as Simon.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m here, and you’re going with me.”
“No. I’m not.” Her heart hammered into her chest until it hurt.
Clint sneered. “You’ve gotten brave since you ran off. I’ll have to take care of that.”
She recognized the same bullying traits as Simon. “Do what you want, but I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Clint’s hard glint reminded her of the many times he’d stood by when Simon beat her and turned his head when other vile things were happening. He nodded toward the house. “You know, John Timmons has a fine looking ma. And all four of his brothers look like hard working boys. Would be a shame if anything happened to them.”
A rock slide of fear crashed around her. “Leave them out of this. I’d think you’d be glad I’m gone.”
“You’re too valuable to let you run off.”
God, help me. “For what? You’ve stolen cattle and horses, and murder is pinned on all of you. I’d think you’d be long gone before the law catches up.”
“Not yet. Got to make sure Simon is let go. And that means one more job before we leave.”
“What kind of a job?”
“Clearin’ out the 5T of its cattle and horses.”
Losing all John and his family had worked for would destroy all of them. “Can’t you just take what you already have and move on?”
Clint sneered. His greasy hair hung to his shoulders, and he stank of the weeks without bathing. “What’s it gonna be, little sister? Leave with me now, or do I start target practice on your fancy friends?”
Do I pretend to cooperate?
“I need an answer!”
“I’ll go.” She’d find a way to escape and get word to John. God would help her fix this, make it right for John and his family. “What will you have me do?”
“You’ll see. Lester and I found out you told the law about Simon. Gotta pay for betraying the family. It’s your fault this ranch will have nothing but empty pastures.”
How did they get the information about Simon so quickly? Someone in the area must be supplying them with it.
Bert refused to be defeated. Her brothers would not win. Not this time. By going along with Clint’s demands, he’d think she was the sister he knew before God entered her life. But she’d find a way to show them that good and right would win over their evil ways.
CHAPTER 52
Leah lifted her skirts and stepped down from the porch. On this Saturday morning, with a vibrant display of fall colors, came the promise of winter. A cool breeze greeted her face, a pleasant touch to a day spent baking bread, which had heated the kitchen far hotter than she liked. Now the loaves sat cooling on the table. Their pleasant aroma tickling her nose and stomach. She shielded her eyes from the sun and scanned the area for Ember.
“Ember, where are you?”
No sign of the tiny woman with the big heart.
Strange. Leah walked to the barn and peered inside. Only quiet greeted her.
The young woman had gone to the garden for any late ripening tomatoes. By the time Leah made the trek to the garden and saw the boot prints of a man and Ember leaving in the direction of the river, she wanted to scream. She knew this was not what Ember would have done of her own volition.
Leah followed the tracks to the river where two horses and another person must have awaited them. She raced all the way back to the ranch. Panic and near hysteria swept through her.
Who could she get to help? John had ridden off early that morning with a refusal to tell any of them where he was going. He said Wirt would be checking in on things this evening, which meant only God knew when John would return.
She hurried back to the house and pulled out pen and paper from her dresser drawer. Carefully penning a note about not being able to find Ember, she left it on the kitchen table in case someone stopped by the ranch.
Visions of what Ember’s two brothers might have done to her sickened Leah. She snatched up her rifle and ran to the barn to saddle her horse. Hopefully Wirt or Bob or Parker was in Rocky Falls. She prayed so. But not John. If Ember were … Leah refused to think about the awful possibilities.
John raised the binoculars to his eyes one more time. Besides being bored as the time crawled by, he’d seen nothing to indicate Victor Oberlander was involved with the cattle rustling or murders. Parker had been right; this might take days. He could have brought a book to read, but then he couldn’t keep his sights fixed on the Wide O.
His stomach protested the lack of food. But he didn’t think he’d get hungry before supper just sitting and watching the comings and goings at the Wide O. He hadn’t decided what he’d do come nightfall, when he couldn’t see a thing. Exasperation nipped at his heels. What a stupid idea.
Grass rustled behind him, and he whirled around with his rifle.
“Easy,” Parker said.
“Did you come to keep me company?”
“Not exactly.”
John didn’t like the tone in his uncle’s voice. “What’s going on?”
“Ember’s missing. Leah went looking for her when she didn’t return from the garden. And Leah saw Ember’s and a man’s tracks leading from the garden to the river. There were tra
cks of a second man and two horses headed west into the foothills.”
“Clint and Lester Farrar,” John whispered. “I’m heading to my place.”
“Do you want me to go with you or stay here?”
Strange Parker would ask John what he wanted him to do. John swung a glance at the Wide O ranch house and shook his head. “Ember means more than spying on Oberlander. I can’t lose her.”
Bert rode behind Clint on the back of his horse. She wished she’d fall … wished John, his Uncle Parker, Mr. Zimmerman, or Mr. Culpepper would ambush them … wished her brothers would change their minds about forcing her to hurt John and his family. Which could be worse, destroying a life or destroying property? Clearly, Bert had no choice, for life was more precious. But she despised herself for what lay ahead. More so, she despised her brothers for the power they held over her.
“Where are we going?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Clint said. “Tonight we have a job to finish, and you’re going to help us.”
Her heart plummeted. Evan and the other boys had left to drive the cattle closer to the 5T. “Must it be tonight?”
“That’s the plan. You don’t have a choice.”
“I don’t want to go with you.”
“You don’t have a say. We’re headin’ home once we’re done here.”
Her mind pushed Pa and his fiery temper to a faraway place she hoped never to venture again. If she couldn’t have a life with those she loved, she wanted no life at all.
“How is stealing the Timmonses’ cattle going to free Simon?”
“We’re guaranteed a lawyer to get him out.”
John wouldn’t even be around to protect his family or his livestock. He’d believe she had betrayed all of them and used them for her own gain. Her stomach twisted. He’d think she’d lied about her love for him.
Dear God, if You love my adopted family as I know You do, help them. I don’t care what happens to me. But help John and his family. Please.
CHAPTER 53
John and Parker spurred their horses toward the 5T. Mama should be there with Wirt, then the four of them could try to make some sense of Ember’s disappearance. Each time an image of Clint and Lester hurting her entered his mind, John pushed it away. Crazy ideas made a man forget his good sense, and he was nearly there. Other thoughts fed on his worries—like what Simon had done to Ember and what her brothers were capable of doing.
At the 5T, Wirt’s painted horse hitched to the post out front told him Mama did not have to pass the time alone. For the first time, he wished Davis was there too.
If only he’d open the door and find Ember inside, smiling up at him with a sparkle in her eyes meant only for him. She’d have a reason why Mama couldn’t find her and an explanation for the two men at the river. They’d take a walk and plan the future.
Foolish man. Accept it. You may never see her again—alive.
Wirt sat at the kitchen table with Mama. Both had full cups of coffee in front of them, and John failed to see any steam rising from the tops. Mama’s eyes were red, and if he weren’t a full grown man, he’d cry on her shoulder. Fear … a formidable thing.
“She hasn’t returned,” Mama said. “I keep waiting.”
John gave her a grim smile meant to reassure her and nodded at Wirt. “Parker told me what happened. I’m going to follow the tracks.”
“I’m going too,” Parker said. “Are any of the boys here?”
Mama shook her head. “They all went to drive the cattle back. I don’t expect them before tomorrow.”
“I’ll head their way,” Wirt said. “Hopefully I can find them in case … Perhaps hurry things along. I can find them in the dark.”
John understood what Wirt meant. Concern for his brothers also plagued his mind. He leaned on the table. “Mama, this means you’re going to be alone for a while. We’ll all do our best to get back here soon. In the meantime, keep the door locked and the rifle with you.”
She nodded. “Seems like I’m praying as much as I’m breathing.”
Wirt picked up Mama’s hand. “Without your prayers, none of us have a chance of finding Ember.”
With nightfall creeping in, Wirt left for the free range and summer pastures, and John and Parker led their horses to the garden to pick up Ember’s trail from the river.
Parker bent to the ground to study the tracks. “Doesn’t look like she struggled. Of course, he probably had a gun pointed at her.” He stood. “There’s where they crossed the river.”
Another thought crawled up John’s spine. Would she have gone willingly? But he shook it off. The two followed the trail until darkness stopped them, noting the men wasted no time in riding west toward the mountains.
Parker reined in his horse as the shadows danced off the rocky peaks. “We’re going to lose them.”
“I’ll start fresh in the morning.”
“We’ll both start fresh then. What are you thinking?”
John twisted in the saddle for a panoramic view of the countryside. Fall glistened all around them, the end of harvest and the steady march of winter. Some folks called winter the death season. Lifting his binoculars to his eyes, he searched for a sign of any man. But just like the past miles had indicated, the riders had seemingly disappeared into the foothills.
“I love her,” John said. “No point denying it. Except right now I’m helpless in finding her.” Without a word, he turned his horse southeast toward home.
At home, a light in the kitchen window showed Mama moving about. She’d faced enough heartache alone. Since John realized his love for Ember, he understood the love between a man and a woman was different from love for family. He’d been told that before, but he had to experience the consuming emotions to understand what love for a woman did to a man.
He wished he had good news for Mama. He wished he had good news for himself.
When Clint and Lester rode toward the mountains, veering away from where Evan and the others were driving the cattle back from summer pastures, Bert had hoped her brothers might have changed their minds about stealing the Timmonses’ cattle. But as dusk was beginning to settle, they turned abruptly to where she feared the boys were camped. They dismounted and waited. Perhaps they couldn’t find the cattle.
Hours later Clint and Lester mounted their horses again, with Bert in tow, and rode, seemingly knowing where to go.
“Get down from the horse,” Clint whispered. “If you want those kids to stay alive, then keep quiet.”
The midnight darkness around them should have given her a moment to get away. She might be able to outrun a bullet. Except Clint and Lester held the ace—they’d shoot the Timmons brothers for spite.
Bert slipped off the horse. Another sound met her ears. The cattle were closer than what she originally thought. Darkness had always disoriented her, and the night sky had few stars to guide her.
Clint and Lester slipped to the ground. A rifle barrel pushed her along toward the herd.
“Hold up,” Lester said. “I don’t trust her.” He made his way to her side and wrapped a dirty bandana across her mouth.
Her last hope of alerting Evan and the others vanished. She prayed for their safety—to stay asleep until it was too late to grab their rifles. They walked closer to the animals … She could smell them, almost hear them breathe.
“Stay here,” Lester said. “I’ll scout out the area and get back to you. One of those boys might be watching the cattle from this side, and I’m not ready to get shot.”
She waited with the understanding her footprints sealed her guilt. Having John and the others confirm her betrayal in this way felt worse than anything she’d ever endured.
“This herd will bring us a fine price. Even with splitting the money, we’re doing good. We’ll get Simon out of jail and head back home.”
She wanted to tell him Simon would hang. No fancy lawyer could pay off a judge and jury, especially for a man convicted of murder and stealing.
Lester returned within the
hour. “One of them boys was keeping watch. He ain’t dead, but he’s gonna have a bad headache. The other fellas are waiting for us to signal.”
Bert cringed. Hot tears scalded her eyes. More men helped Clint and Lester?
“Let’s get us a few cows,” Clint said. “Our last job for a while.”
One more time, she rode behind Clint. One more time, she wished she could stop them. One more time, all she could do was pray for whoever had been hurt and those asleep.
Rifle fire pierced the air. Frightened cattle fell prey to thieves and began to move.
John couldn’t sleep. He’d been up and down the loft and inside and outside of the house, noting the steadily colder temperatures. The frosty air matched his mood filled with fear and doubt. Yes, doubt about Ember’s disappearance. He tried to shake off the suspicions, but they were vivid and alive. She wouldn’t have used John … no, of course not.
Parker slept, and John wondered how the man could relax with so much to think about. But reality proved John had more at stake … more to lose. The days ahead filled him with dread. The cold and snow could hold a man prisoner. He’d envisioned those times with his Ember and making plans for the future. Now those dreams were as cold and lifeless as the coming months.
He wanted to be riding into the mountains after Ember, and light could not come soon enough. He wondered how his brothers were faring and if they were warm enough tonight. He should try to sleep. No, pray. Those he loved needed shelter from possible harm.
Ember, where are you?
Throwing back the quilt, he carried his boots down the loft for the last time. No point disturbing Parker with his tossing and turning on a creaky mattress. He might as well stay up and keep thinking and praying through the worries — oh the worries.
The enormity of trouble besetting Rocky Falls needled him, and it didn’t make him feel any better about Oberlander claiming Ember was working with the cattle rustlers. Leon’s death, followed by Ted’s and the ranch hand’s from the Wide O were reasons for every rancher to get trigger happy. John had almost been number four in the killings. Some folks were taking advantage of Oberlander’s offer and were selling out to him. The idea of someone capitalizing on a man’s loss sent a hollow feeling to the core of John’s soul. He still believed Oberlander had a hand in the misfortune.
