Janie jumped up and hugged her brother as tears filled her eyes. Things finally appeared as though she would have her husband back. Sara watched as Logan comforted Janie, sensing his deep concern for her. She found that she could not stop her heart from fluttering at his boldness. He was a man to be desired, and he was quickly gaining a hold on her heart.
Chapter 11
As soon as the rain had subsided, Logan and Sheriff Graves made their way to the barn, dodging puddles all along the way. If the yard were this muddy, the trail was sure to be too treacherous for the wagon. Janie and Sara opted to stay home and allow Logan to tend to whatever business awaited him. That decision suited him perfectly, as it would give him the chance to deal with a matter that had been a long time coming.
With a quick promise to be back for supper, Logan saddled his horse and rode out of the yard with the sheriff. Janie and Sara brought the boys out of their room where they had been sent to play.
Janie could barely contain her excitement but did not want to get the boys’ hopes up yet. There was still much to be handled before they could welcome Tom home. Nonetheless, she could face the coming days with renewed confidence.
Janie earnestly set about preparing the house for Tom’s return. She knew that the plan could still crumble, but Logan’s confidence was bolstering. She had spent so much time in a state of emotional exhaustion that the house had begun to fall by the wayside, so she immediately pulled up the rug from the sitting room and took it outside to air out. The fresh air still carried in it the scent of rain, and the now wet wheat fields smelled sweet and inviting. Janie lingered on the veranda, taking it all in.
“Is everything alright?” Sara asked, stepping out to check on her.
“Yes, for the first time in weeks, I finally think it is,” she nodded. “There’s been such a dismal haze over this place as of late, I’d begun to forget the future I once saw in it.”
“I understand. But just think back on all of the dreams you wrote to me about after you moved here. Those things can still lie ahead of you. Mr. Hodges has done a marvelous job of keeping things running in Tom’s absence, and once he returns, everything will be as it should again.”
Janie smiled, and life began to creep back into her eyes. “There is still much to be done before Tom’s return. I don’t want him to feel as though we fell apart. A good deep cleaning on the house will leave it feeling refreshed.”
Happy to help, Sara agreed and followed Janie back inside. She grabbed a broom and followed along behind Janie, sweeping floors as she moved the couch and chairs. Next came cleaning the fireplace, followed by washing the drapes and cleaning the windows. It had been four long years since Sara had seen Janie with this level of stamina, and it was heartwarming to see the happiness returning to Janie’s eyes.
Assuring her that all would get done in plenty of time, Sara gathered up the laundry to be washed. Janie took the boys out to the barn to see the calf and check in on the mother’s health. Sara watched as the boys bounded across the yard in front of their mother.
This time, rather than dragging herself along she even chased after them, playfully pulling at their sleeves if she caught them. For the first time, Sara felt like she was witnessing what the ranch was supposed to be…a place of joy and promise for the future.
Arriving in town, Logan and Sheriff Graves went straight to the office. Logan wanted to be deputized before any encounters with Moran. Stepping inside the building, the sheriff took his place, directing Logan to take his oath of office. As soon as he’d finished, Sheriff Graves joyously pinned Logan’s new badge under his jacket.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have you at my side,” he grinned. “Putting Levi back in his place will restore a feeling of peace in Oakmede.”
Logan nodded. “Moran has had this coming for years, and it is going to feel good to rid this town of his tyranny.”
“Yes, indeed,” Sheriff Graves agreed, taking his seat behind his desk. “Do you need me along when you approach him?”
“No, thank you, I would rather do this alone,” Logan replied, quickly checking his revolver.
“I appreciate your eagerness to act, but don’t go getting yourself hurt the first day on the job.”
Logan chuckled. “I’ll take every needed precaution, but let me assure you that I have dealt with far worse than the likes of Levi Moran.”
“I’m sure of it. Just be careful.”
Logan assured him that he would and stepped out into the street. He raised more than a few eyebrows as he made his way to the saloon. People had grown accustomed to his presence, and his disappearance had been felt throughout the town.
A few people waved, but most could tell that he was on a mission. Music poured out of the saloon, along with the laughter and shouts of men trying their luck at the card tables. Logan glanced through the window before pushing his way through the swinging double door.
Rather than removing his hat as he usually would have done, Logan pulled it down a bit, blocking a decent view of his face. He wanted to be sure of where Moran’s men were before approaching the man himself. He spotted two of Levi’s cronies keeping watch over a card game, but they were not his primary concern.
He slowly made his way around the room, acting as though he might buy into a game. He soon laid eyes on Warren and Williams. They were standing behind the bar discussing something with the bartender. With the men temporarily distracted, Logan slipped past the last card table and up the stairs.
From the balcony, he could easily view the entire establishment. He made his way along the walkway until finally reaching the door to Levi’s office. He swung the door open and stormed in, clearly taking Moran by surprise. Levi quickly scrambled to his feet.
“What are you doing here? And how dare you barge into my office!” he hissed.
Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out the two thousand dollars he had finally scraped together, slamming it down on Moran’s desk. “Here is your money! I have fulfilled my bargain.”
Levi eyed the wad of cash, glancing up at Logan. “So it seems,” he replied through gritted teeth. He slowly began to count through it. “Fine, I will consider Mr. Bailey’s debt paid. Though it will do him little good considering where he will be spending the next five years!” An evil grin spread across his face, waiting for Logan’s rage to set in.
“About that…,” Logan snapped, lifting his jacket and revealing his new deputy’s badge, “five years is nothing compared to what you will get for bribing a judge!”
Levi’s face quickly fell pale, and he swallowed hard. His eyes narrowed as he studied Logan’s glare. “You can’t possibly prove anything. Your threats are empty, Payne!”
“Are they?” Logan countered, replacing his jacket. “I have a witness prepared to testify. Your game is over, Moran. You have finally made the mistake that will ruin you. Considering your crooked ways, it was only a matter of time.”
Levi laughed at Logan’s forcefulness. “Do you honestly think that you can trip me up that easily? Clearly, your months away have dulled your memory. This town is mine, and I’ve no intention of backing down from you or anyone else!”
“I don’t need you to back down, Moran. I’ll be happy to watch you rot in prison!”
“You’re mighty bold coming into my office with such threats!” Levi slammed his fist down on his desk. “You barged in here alone. What makes you think I’ll let you walk back out of here? We both know how many men I have stationed around this saloon. I honestly took you for a smarter man, Payne.”
“You know your men are no match for me,” Logan countered, running his hand over his revolver. “If you thought they were, you’d have tried to run me out of Oakmede long ago.”
“Shall we find out?” Moran taunted, taking a step toward the door.
“Having them out of the way will only make my job easier,” Logan reminded in his firm, steady voice. He stepped closer to the desk, pushing Levi back into an uneasy state. “Here is what is goi
ng to happen. Either you call off your men and demand that they confess to wrongfully accusing Tom Bailey, or I have Sheriff Graves testify to your boast of bribing the judge. Do not underestimate my connections, Moran. You will not come out of this well. Whatever you decide, things are going to change in Oakmede. And if you intend to stay, you had better get used to playing by the same rules as everyone else.”
Levi scowled, recognizing that he’d been beaten. Logan’s reputation as a gunman had left no doubt of his superiority over Moran’s hitmen. Calling them down on him now would undoubtedly result in a one-sided gunfight. With no other option, he conceded. “Alright, Payne, I will speak to my men.”
“Good,” Logan nodded. “Do it now.”
Levi again shifted, having not anticipated Logan’s forcefulness. He glared at his opponent, angered by such audacity. Still, Levi rose and gingerly slipped past Logan, stepping out onto the balcony. Motioning to the bar, Warren and Williams soon made their way up the stairs. Joining their boss in the office, their shock over Logan’s presence was unmistakable.
“You wanted to see us, Boss?” Warren asked without taking his eyes off of Logan.
“Yes, it seems that Oakmede’s new deputy sheriff wants a word with you.” Moran smoothed back his hair, struggling to regain his composure.
Williams’ fingers twitched as he fought the urge to draw his own weapon. Logan quickly squared off with him.
“If you want to live to see supper tonight, you won’t do that,” he warned. “Now, I know that Tom Bailey is innocent, and I have a man prepared to testify against you,” Logan stated, getting straight to the matter. “Either you and your cohort here confess to your crime, or you’ll soon be rotting in prison alongside your boss.”
Panic spread across both of the men’s faces. They looked to Levi, who simply shrugged and held up his hands in defeat.
“We’ve been bested. I expect you to report to the regional law office immediately, retracting your statements against Mr. Bailey. The sooner we can clear this up, the sooner the deputy will be leaving us alone,” he said, glaring at Logan.
“Yes, sir,” the men replied.
Logan ushered the men out of the office, never taking his eyes off of Moran. The wicked grin that lingered on Levi’s face assured Logan that he had not dealt his last with the man. Once downstairs, he escorted Warren and Williams over to the sheriff’s office, leaving them in Sheriff Graves’ care. “I will be back in the morning to make sure that they pay the judge a visit,” Logan instructed. “This needs to be cleared up immediately.”
Sheriff Graves nodded. “I will keep an eye on them for the night. We’ll be expecting you early.”
“I’ll be here,” Logan promised, tipping his hat to the sheriff and giving a last glance toward the men before collecting his horse from the stable behind the office. As he swung himself up into the saddle, he glanced across the street at the window situated above the saloon. There, Levi stood watching him. Logan knew that he’d just added one more name to the list of men who’d prefer to have him out of the picture, but Tom’s freedom was worth the danger.
Logan hurried along the path toward home, eager to pass along the good news to Janie and Sara. If Moran cooperated as he’d said he would, Logan would not be putting him behind bars. The thought of him continuing to roam free, despite his crimes, did not sit well with Logan. That was not the level of justice he’d hoped for, but Levi was a cunning man. Having sent his men to do his dirty work for him, he’d protected himself against the possibility of harsher punishment.
The knowledge that Levi would be free to come and go as he pleased placed a new concern for Janie in Logan’s mind. Moran was not the sort of man to drop a matter without revenge.
Though there had never really been a need for security measures around the ranch, Logan feared that was about to change. He determined to speak with Hodges about the matter before turning in for the night. By the time Logan rode into the yard, the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon. After tending to his horse, he triumphantly walked into the house.
“How did things go?” Janie asked, quickly rising from her seat on the couch.
Sara hurried in from the kitchen, hearing Janie speaking to someone. Her heart skipped as she waited for Logan’s answer.
“Tom will soon be a free man!” he grinned. “Warren and Williams will be speaking with the regional office tomorrow morning!”
Janie squealed with excitement, rushing into her brother’s open arms. “Thank you!” she cried as tears now filled her eyes. “Thank you for giving him back to me.”
Logan smiled and gave her a little squeeze. “Soon everything will be back to normal,” he promised. Meeting Sara’s gaze, he fell silent, moved by the relief in her eyes.
“When will Tom be back?” Janie asked, pulling away from Logan and urging him toward the kitchen where supper was being held warm for him.
“It will take a little time, but at least it is happening,” he explained. “I will be accompanying Moran’s men to the regional office tomorrow morning. Once there, they will retract their accusations against Tom, which will cause Tom’s case to be reopened.”
Sara urged Logan to sit and placed a steak in front of him. “And what happens once the case is reopened?”
“The presiding judge will review the remaining evidence in light of the men’s retractions. With no other accusations in the case, he will have no choice but to overturn the verdict.” Logan’s stomach began to growl as he eyed the steak. He readily cut into it.
“But didn’t the sheriff say that the judge had been bribed? If he is willing to pervert justice for monetary gain, what is to guarantee Tom’s release?” Janie asked, pouring tea for all of them.
“I could have taken Moran to justice, and the judge with him, but that still may not have released Tom. Since Tom’s freedom is more pressing, I gave Levi an ultimatum if he wished to avoid prison. Chances are good that it will not be the same judge, considering that the case should be looked over with new eyes. But either way, they will have no further cause to keep Tom behind bars.”
Sara smiled, giving Janie’s hand a squeeze. “Things are finally looking up, and we can soon welcome him home. How long do you think it will take?”
“About a week, I would imagine,” Logan answered between bites.
Janie cupped her hands over her face, failing to hide her relief. She took a deep breath and sat back in her chair.
Sara quietly watched her for a moment before asking the last question that lingered in her mind. “What do you plan on telling the boys?”
Janie glanced toward their bedroom door, listening to the peaceful breathing that could be heard from within. “The less they know about this whole ugly affair, the better. All that matters is that they will have their papa back with them.” She gently swirled the tea in her cup, pondering their tender hearts. “Perhaps, once they are older, a lesson can be pulled from the tale, but they need not be concerned with it now.”
Agreeing to maintain silence on the matter, Logan, Janie and Sara enjoyed the first genuinely relaxed evening they had spent together. After Logan had finished his supper, the three of them moved into the sitting room.
Gazing off into the fireplace, Logan pondered how to tell Janie of the possible danger that now loomed in the air. He’d promised long ago that he would not allow the risks of his job to threaten his family. But with Tom already in prison, he supposed that that threat had already come too close for comfort.
He finally pulled his gaze to Janie. “For the time being, I would suggest that you keep a wary eye out around the house,” he began.
“Keep an eye out for what?” Janie asked with a furrowed brow.
“We both know that Levi is not a man easily beaten. If we were correct in our assumption that he had Tom imprisoned as a means of accessing you, he is not likely to give in so quickly,” Logan explained. “I don’t mean to scare you. I only want you to be careful.”
Partners in Justice and Love: A Historical Western Romance Book Page 13
