Joyce, Rebecca - The Cattle Drive [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Rebecca Joyce

I can’t even begin to imagine the pain you are feeling right now toward your father. There is no excuse for what he has done to you and to Rachael. Please understand that everything I have done, I did because I thought it was the right thing to do. I love you more than my life. Your well-being has always been my first concern. You have done an admirable job raising Henry, and thanks to you, he is nothing like your father. Thank you for that.

  Rachael is a wonderful woman, and I know she will make you happy. You take care of her, my darling son. She is so much like me. I know she doesn’t realize it yet, but she can sometimes get into trouble and cannot figure her way out. Be there and help her. She has a tough road ahead of her. Take care of that grandbaby. Love it, wholly, with your whole heart.

  She needs you more than you realize. As for your father, I will take care of him. This is something I should have done a long time ago. He will not expect what he is going to get. My only hope is that he never finds out about Henry, and I plan to do everything in my power to make sure he doesn’t. I am going home, my darling son. Enclosed you will find the deed to Rachael’s ranch. I have signed it over to both you and Rachael. I have also enclosed my last will and testament. I have left you boys everything. Please son, know that what I do, I have always done for you. My darling boy, I love you.

  Your mother,

  Sarah Abigail Armstrong

  Michael set down the letter and looked at the deeds and the will. Taking the will in hand, he read it.

  This is the last will and testament of Sarah Abigail Armstrong. If I am no longer on this earth it is due to my husband, Mason Harold Armstrong. Know that I did not go willing, that I fought him till the end. With that said, I leave all my worldly possessions to…

  Michael froze.

  Grabbing the letter once again, he reread the last paragraph. Jumping up, he ran out of the tent, yelling for his brothers. Digging in his pocket for the keys, Michael and his brothers all jumped into the truck. Together they all left, leaving a trail of snow and dirt behind them.

  * * * *

  “Hey, boss lady,” Kenny said, opening the camper door.

  “Kenny, stop calling me that,” she moaned, rolling over.

  “Okay, boss lady. Thought I should let you know the boss man took off with his brothers about ten minutes ago, took one of the trucks, too.”

  “Okay, Kenny. Did they say where they were going?” she whispered

  “No, boss lady.”

  “All right, give me a couple of minutes, and I will be out to help,” she said, sitting up. Rachael got dressed, and as she was putting on her boots, she noticed the papers on the floor. Picking them up, she read them. “Oh my god,” softly left her lips. Grabbing her jacket and the papers, she ran outside, and yelled, “Kenny!”

  “Yeah, boss lady,” Kenny shouted from the chow wagon.

  “Where’s Henry?” she said, running up to him.

  “Out with the herd, why?”

  “Keep him out there. Do whatever you have to. You keep him so damn busy, all he can do is sleep when he gets back here. Do you understand?” she ordered.

  “Sure, boss lady, sure.”

  “Jake, go find Brutus. I need you two to help me with something,” she shouted, walking toward the camper.

  Sitting down and grabbing the CB radio, Rachael tried to tune in the correct frequency. As soon as she heard the tone, she pressed the talk button.

  * * * *

  “Chris. Come in, Chris.”

  “Rachael?” the young voice said, sitting in his squad car out near Fullers Bend.

  “Oh thank God! Jimmie, is that you?”

  “Rachael, what has Chris told you about using that damn CB to talk? He can get into a lot of trouble. You don’t know what your father will do to us if he finds out. Besides, he has been really cranky lately…” Jimmie said, continuing on and on.

  “Jimmie! Shut up!” Rachael yelled into the microphone.

  “Damn girl, you don’t have to scream. This thing vibrates when you do that.”

  “Jimmie, please, not now. I need your help.”

  “What now? Get another speeding ticket you need me to fix,” he said, laughing to himself.

  “Jimmie, where is Chris?”

  “He took off for a two-week vacation, said something about white sandy beaches and hula girls with no tops on. Did you know that some girls did that? I sure didn’t. Man, my mom would flail me alive if I went somewhere like that. It isn’t very respectable for girls…”

  “Jimmie, you’re rambling! Enough!”

  “Well, you asked where he went.”

  “Jimmie. I need you to call the local sheriff’s office up in Silver Lake. Tell them to get out here quick.”

  “Why? That’s not our jurisdiction, Rachael.”

  “Boy, I swear to God, I will beat the shit out of you if you don’t shut up and listen. Get the damn sheriff out there. Michael is headed out there, and he is going to kill his father.”

  “Girl, you have plumb lost it. Michael wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  “James Kyle Wilson. For the love of god, please do this. Do this as if your life depended on it, and trust me, it does!” she said, turning the CB off.

  Rachael was grabbing some items from the cabinet locker when Brutus and Jake walked in. She quickly handed them two rifles and a shotgun. Before closing the door, she loaded a nine millimeter Berretta and stuck it behind her back into her jeans.

  “Expecting a fight, boss?” Jake said, loading the shotgun.

  “A big one, let’s go.”

  Rachael left the camper, seeing the crew watch as they loaded down with guns, got into the last remaining truck, and sped away.

  “Oh, this drive just keeps getting better and better,” Jeremy said, looking at Kenny as he waved away the dust from the truck Rachael drove.

  “Gotta love it, though,” Hank said, walking up to them.

  “So what are we supposed to do now?” Jeremy asked.

  “Well boys, I don’t know about you. But I have worked with that lady for over ten years. I am not about to let her go into a gun fight while I sit on my ass. Round up the boys. The cavalry is a-coming,” Kenny said, looking toward the speeding truck.

  * * * *

  Michael and his brothers arrived at the main entrance to Crossfire Ranch to find the gates tied with chains and locked. Parking the truck at the entrance, they grabbed the shotguns from the back window and the bed of the truck, each checking their weapons before they climbed the gate. Making their way down the quarter mile road, they each loaded the guns with shells and cocked them.

  The ranch was quiet. No one was in sight. Michael picked up the pace, moving through the snow-covered fields toward the horse barn with Mark and Matthew, while Marcus and Mitchell headed toward the stables.

  The main house was set in the middle of the compound, surrounded by two pole barns, three bunkhouses off to the right, and a horse barn off to the left. Three corrals and a small riding tract were off near the back entrance of the house. Michael knew with the house centered in the middle of the property, it had a perfect view of who was coming and going.

  Making his way toward the horse barn, he heard the first shot.

  “Don’t you come any closer, Michael. I will shoot you,” his father yelled through a broken window from the downstairs living room.

  “Let Mom go, and there won’t be any problems.”

  “Your mom is fine. She is in the kitchen cooking dinner!”

  “Lets us talk to her!” Marcus yelled, turning and shooting toward the house.

  “Is the boy with you?” he yelled from the house.

  * * * *

  Racing down the snow-covered dirt road, Rachael could see the house. She could also hear the shots being fired. Seeing a road ahead, she quickly made a hard right, skidding. She corrected the vehicle and punched the gas, coming to a stop about a hundred yards down the road.

  “Thinking of coming in from behind, boss lady?” Jake said, grabbing his gun.

  �
�Exactly,” she said while the three of them filed out of the truck. They all jumped the fence and made their approach from the east.

  * * * *

  Michael moved around toward the front of the barn only to have another shot whiz past him. Looking up toward one of the pole barns, he saw three men on top of the roof with rifles. Quickly whistling to his brothers, he gave the signal of three above and pointed toward the pole barn.

  “I told you, I want what’s mine!” his father yelled.

  “Over our dead body,” all brothers yelled and fired.

  “Boys, put those damn guns down before you hurt someone!” their father shouted.

  “You took her Rachael’s ranch, you bastard!” Michael yelled back, firing another shot.

  “I did not!”

  * * * *

  “Jake, take the pole barn. Brutus, go toward the bunkhouse. I am heading toward Michael,” Rachael said quietly. Soon they spread out, each headed off in their own direction.

  Michael squatted down next to the barn, leaning his back against it and reloading the shotgun, when he heard another shot. Thinking the worst, he stood and looked at the house. He watched another man fall from the pole barn. Then off to the left, he saw Jake running toward the bunkhouses.

  Off in the distance, Rachael heard the sirens she so desperately thought would never come. “Thank you, Jimmie!” she whispered to herself, running toward the horse barn only to have a shot stop her in her tracks. She quickly turned to see a ranch hand aim for another shot, but the shot came from the wrong direction, and she watched the man fall backward as the bullet hit him dead square in the chest. She turned to see Kenny and the boys riding up, guns drawn and all firing.

  Rachael headed toward the barn to find Michael and his brothers pinned down, unable to get closer to the house.

  “Hey boys, need some help?” she said, walking over to him.

  “What the hell!” Michael said, turning on her.

  “What? I can’t let you boys have all the fun.” She smiled.

  “Rachael, you shouldn’t be here. Damn it, woman, you’re going to have a baby.”

  “So that means I should be home barefoot and cooking you dinner?” she said with her hands on her hips.

  “I didn’t say that,” he said, getting defensive.

  “Oh yes you did! You said because I am pregnant, I didn’t need to be out here.”

  “Damn it, Rachael, that’s not what I said.”

  “Yes you did, Mike, you said…” Matthew began.

  “You shut up,” Michael shouted at his brother.

  “Then please explain, Mr. Armstrong. I would just love to hear why I can’t be out here,” she said, standing firm with fire in her eyes. Michael cursed and ran his hand through his thick hair. “Of all the damn pigheaded women in the world, I have to fall in love with Annie Oakley.”

  Mark looked at Matthew. Matthew just smiled and nodded.

  “Damn, I want to marry this woman. Shit, Mike, if you don’t want her, I will take her!” Mark said, smiling.

  “Too bad, I called dibs already!” Matthew replied, grinning.

  “Would the both of you shut up?” Michael shouted. “I already asked, and she said yes!” he added.

  The brothers’ smiles got wider as they started patting Michael on the back.

  “Hey congrats, big brother,” Matthew said.

  “About time you made an honest woman out of her,” Mark said, hugging Rachael.

  “Rachael, go back to camp!” Michael ordered. She walked up to him with her hands on her hips and faced him head-on. “I am not going anywhere.”

  “Oh yes you are!”

  “Want to bet!”

  “Oh, this is way better than fighting Dad,” Mark said, standing back and giving the two a wide berth.

  “Ten bucks on Rachael,” Matthew said quietly to Mark.

  “You’re on! Mike can take her,” Mark replied as the two shook hands again.

  * * * *

  Over at the pole barn, Marcus and Mitchell watched as Mark and Matthew started backing up away from the horse barn. They all looked at each other.

  “What the hell is going on over there?” Mitch asked.

  “Don’t know, but Mark looks amused,” Marcus replied. They all turned when they heard footsteps approaching and found Mason, Jake, and Brutus.

  “What the devil are you guys doing here?” Mitchell asked first.

  “Boss lady figured you guys needed some help. We got these boys if ya want to go help her,” Brutus offered.

  “Hey, Rachael is here!” Mason said, pointing toward the barn.

  “Yep, she’s down there.” Jake nodded.

  “Don’t have to tell me twice. I’m going down there!” Mason said quickly, heading down with his brothers following closely behind him.

  * * * *

  “Damn it, woman, get your ass back to camp,” Michael shouted at her.

  “There ya go, Mike. Tell her who wears the pants in this family!” Mark said, offering his assistance. But when Rachael turned to look at him, he quickly looked the other way. “I am staying here!” she yelled back.

  “You’re going!” he said, grabbing her arm.

  “Michael. I would let go of my arm before I break it!” she said sternly.

  “What the hell is going on?” Mason said, walking up with his brothers and looking at Rachael and Michael in a heated battle.

  “Our big brother is exercising his Alpha genes! He wants our soon-to-be sister back at the camp so she can nurse that baby they have coming,” Matthew said, laughing.

  “What! He asked her?” Mason asked, looking at Matthew, who was nodding yes.

  “Hot damn. Way to go, Mike!” Marcus offered his congratulations.

  “How’s he doing?” Mitchell asked, looking at Mark.

  “Not good,” Matthew replied.

  “All of you shut up!” Rachael screamed at the brothers.

  From the house, all of them turned when they heard, “I say let the lady stay! She has more balls than any of you ingrates!” their father shouted through the window. Rachael shouted, “You just shut up and stay out of this!”

  “Just puttin’ in my two cents!” their father yelled back.

  The boys all shouted, “Shut up!”

  Rachael looked at Michael and placed her hand on his face and smiled sweetly at him. He turned to look at her, realizing that he wasn’t going to win this. He slowly released the grip on her arm and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “Well now that you have come to your senses, can we get this mess over with? I am getting hungry,” she said, walking around him, taking the rifle from her shoulder, and leaning down to look through the scope. She made a few adjustments, waited until her target was in her crosshairs, and fired one shot into the house.

  “Okay. He won’t be walking anywhere anytime soon,” she said, getting up and walking toward the house. Michael just stood there, shocked.

  “Damn! She shot Dad!” Mason said, stunned.

  “Serves him right,” Michael responded, chasing after Rachael, who was already walking toward the house.

  * * * *

  Rachael’s boys quickly entered the house, clearing it within a matter of minutes. Kenny, Jake, and Brutus came walking toward the house with ten men with their hands up. As Jeremy and Hank walked out the front door with Sarah, Henry came out dragging M.H. Armstrong by the foot.

  With the sheriff’s department speeding down the drive, all the boys kept their guns on Mr. Armstrong’s men, while Michael and Mason went to their mother.

  “Are you okay?” Michael asked, taking his mother’s face in his hands.

  “I’m fine,” she said, hugging Mason. “I thought I told you to watch them?”

  “I was. You didn’t say watch her,” he replied, pointing to Rachael.

  “Which one of your ingrates shot me?” M.H. shouted, looking at his sons. They all just smiled and pointed toward Rachael. “She shot me!” he yelled.

  “That’s what you
get for taking my ranch. You’re lucky it was only your leg,” she said, walking over to Michael.

  “I didn’t take your ranch! I just wanted to see my son!” he shouted back, looking at Henry.

  “Your son?” Rachael said, looking at the brothers.

  Henry slowly backed away, not understanding what was being said. The shock ripped through him as his uncles and his dad looked his way. Their eyes told him the truth. His life was a lie. Nothing was as it should be.

  Rachael quickly walked toward Henry, wrapping her arms around him to lend her support. The realization even shocked her. She held the trembling boy as he clung to her, needing her strength.

  It was Sarah who spoke after the long silence.

  “Henry is his son, from an indiscretion one night in Denver,” Sarah answered when the boys wouldn’t.

  “But… Michael? I thought…” Rachael tried to speak, but couldn’t find the words.

  “Oh, the boys all would have been happy to be Henry’s father, they all fought over him, but it was Michael who was the likely choice. You see, Rachael, my soon-to-be ex-husband may be a good rancher and good at making money, but when it comes to being a father, he is the lowest piece of scum on earth. When I received a call from a young woman telling me that she was going to have my husband’s baby, something in me snapped. Oh, I made sure the young woman had the best care possible, and I was even there when she gave birth, but there were complications, and she died. I didn’t know what to do, so I called the boys. We all discussed it, and we decided there was no way on this earth we were going to let M.H. get his hands on that baby. So the boys all put their heads together, and Michael said he wanted him. My boys gave Henry the life they never had. They all loved him and devoted their time to him. They all took part in raising him. I even loved the little critter. It wasn’t hard being his grandmother. Henry was always a sweet little boy, so loving,” she said, raising her hand to touch Henry’s face. Tears shed from her soft eyes as she looked at the boy. “Henry, what I did was wrong, but I would do it again in a heartbeat to save you from the life my boys lived. I did it for you,” Sarah explained.