Wildfire Creek

by Shirleen Davies

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Her name’s Dinah. She arrived on the stage today, walked in here, spoke with Amos, and walked out with a job.”

  “Upstairs?” Bull asked.

  “Yes.” She watched his expression change from fascination to acceptance. Belle told her he and Luke were impossible to entice upstairs. Belle didn’t understand why, but Ginny thought she knew. Neither seemed to have an interest in announcing their private lives to the town, much the same as Gabe and Noah. If any of those men had ever been upstairs, Ginny sure didn’t know about it.

  The night dragged on. Ginny’s mind jumped between two subjects. First, a small house not far from the lumberyard, near Noah’s tack shop. She’d noticed it months before and always wondered if anyone lived in it.

  Suzanne told her it had been built by an old widower who’d since passed. No one had ever shown an interest in buying it, so it sat vacant and unattended. She thought it had one small bedroom, a front area, and tiny kitchen. As far as Suzanne knew, the old furniture still sat in the place. She’d offered to go with Ginny to see Horace Clausen at the bank, but Ginny had refused. She’d keep it as a dream, something to focus on for her and Mary—a home of their own.

  As quickly as the image of the house slipped from her mind, another image appeared. Luke. She wondered if he’d made it to Denver. No matter her decision to never marry and just make a home for her sister, she enjoyed his company and wanted him as a friend. Pushing the thought of their kiss aside, she accepted he wanted nothing from her except friendship. Ginny could give him that.

  She felt warmth envelope her at the thought she’d made so many friends during her few months in Splendor. Luke, however, was special. She’d never had a male friend. When he returned, she’d work at being one he could depend on. She knew she could depend on him, and he would never want anything more from her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Denver, Colorado

  Luke shot straight up, drenched in sweat, blankets twisted around him, his eyes darting around the room. He and Tom had arrived in Denver, taking rooms at a boardinghouse Dutch recommended before grabbing supper, then collapsing in their rooms.

  He yanked the covers away and swung his legs over the side of the bed, scrubbing his hands over his face. Gripping the side of the bed, he tried to remember what he’d been dreaming of when he’d jolted awake.

  Ginny. He’d been in bed with her in his house on the ranch. They’d been making love, clinging to each other. She’d pulled away and smiled up at him, a guileless expression filled with warmth and love.

  His heart hammered in his chest as the dream-induced images played across his mind. Where the hell had they come from? He paced to the dresser and poured water into a glass, finishing it in three big gulps. In all his life he’d never once dreamed of a woman. Never. Why now? And why Ginny?

  Luke walked to the window, forced it open, and peered onto the street below, sucking the cool air into his lungs. The sun had begun to rise. At this hour the town seemed eerily quiet, as just a few lone wagons made their way from one end of the long block to the other.

  He turned away from the window and speared his fingers through his hair. The image of him and Ginny tangled together danced across his mind, causing slight beads of moisture to form on his brow. He shook his head in a desperate attempt to eradicate the vision.

  “Hell,” Luke muttered, grabbing his trousers and shoving his legs into them. He needed to get out of there and into the fresh air, into the openness where he could clear his head. Strapping on his gun belt and grabbing his hat, he walked down the stairs to the dining room, the aromas of coffee and bacon drifting from the kitchen. Strong coffee and food would clear his head and wipe images of Ginny from his mind. It had been just a dream after all, not some forecast of the future.

  He took a seat at a table by the window, accepting the coffee set in front of him.

  “Bacon, eggs, flapjacks, and lots more coffee.” He didn’t even look at the lady taking his order. Instead, he focused his gaze outside while taking a couple of deep, slow breaths. Luke and Tom would meet with Dutch, firm up what needed to be done, then he’d find a solution to whatever dogged him. He’d been without a woman too long. Perhaps it would be as simple as finding a willing companion for an evening.

  “You’re up early.” Dutch pulled out a chair and signaled to the server. “Have you seen Tom this morning?”

  “No. I just got downstairs myself.”

  “Don’t take offense, but you look about as useful as a man recuperating from a three day drunk. You want to talk about it?” Dutch thanked the lady for the coffee, then focused his attention on Luke.

  He’d known Dutch long enough to accept the man could sometimes read his mind, a disquieting ability when all Luke wanted was to rid his thoughts of a certain woman.

  “There’s nothing to talk about besides finishing the job you started and getting out of Denver.” Luke’s words were terse, devoid of the usual charm Dutch had come to expect from his friend.

  “Good morning, gentlemen.” Dutch and Luke glanced up as Tom approached and took a seat. “Have I missed anything?”

  “Not a thing.” Dutch shot a look at Luke, not believing for a minute Luke wasn’t troubled by something, but he let it go. “I’ll tell you about it while we eat.”

  The reason for Dutch’s request they help him became clear as he explained the assignment. In Luke’s mind, Pinkerton should have sent additional men long before now.

  “The rustling had been going on for months before Gus Salter and his son, Elgin, gave up trying to find the culprits on their own and contacted Pinkerton. I spoke to everyone on the ranch, the local sheriff and his deputies, plus anybody else who might have ideas on who is behind the thefts. What I found has not been discussed with Salter or anyone else.” Dutch sipped his coffee, his expression grave as he guessed what Salter’s reaction would be when he explained his conclusions.

  “Who do you think is behind the rustling?” Luke asked.

  “His foreman, Bob Bray, along with some of Salter’s men. The man’s been with him for over twenty years.”

  “Shit,” Luke mumbled. “I hope you have a good amount of proof before approaching the old man.”

  “I do, including the testimony of Bray’s lady friend.”

  Tom and Luke glanced at Dutch, wondering how much they could rely on her story.

  “She’s reliable, if that’s what you’re worried about. Her name’s Nell Deeds, and she works for Salter as his cook and housekeeper. Been there a few years. She and Bray have been seeing each other a while, but Salter knows nothing of it. Seems Bray got careless and began confiding in her.”

  “About the rustling?” Luke asked.

  Dutch nodded. “It took her some time, but she finally told me what he’d confessed to her.” Dutch signaled to the server for more coffee, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. “Messy business.”

  “How many men is he using, and how do you want to proceed?” Tom asked.

  “I believe it’s a small group. A few men from the ranch and maybe a couple others. They cut out small groups and drive them to a predetermined location. There, the buyer uses his own men to rebrand the same night. They’re not just stealing from Salter. Bray and his men are hitting the neighboring ranchers, just not in the same numbers. It’s been quiet as of late, which makes me think they’re due to hit again soon. I want to ride out today and let Salter know what I’ve found and introduce you two. This is what I have in mind.”

  Splendor, Montana

  “They took at least one chicken, dried beans, and flour. Don’t know how one person could carry it all.” Hiram Frey tossed his hat on Gabe’s desk. He and his brother, Frank, made the journey into town to seek the sheriff’s help after two more weeks of missing supplies. So far, from what they could determine, the thief hadn’t taken any livestock. The brothers believed they’d eventually lose cattle and horses if the culprits weren’t stopped.

  “You heard anythi
ng from Noah or Luke? Those boys missing stuff, too?” Frank paced back and forth in front of Gabe’s desk, none too happy they had to take a day away from the ranch and ride to town.

  “A few days ago, Noah told me a sack of beans and a shovel were missing. Luke left for Big Pine almost two weeks ago, but I’ll ride out and check his place. Did either of you see any tracks?”

  “Nothing. Whoever they are, they’re like ghosts. No noise, no tracks, just missing supplies.” Hiram grabbed his hat and settled it on his head.

  “I’ll ride out to Luke’s place. We’ll need to get a group of men together from your ranch and the Pelletier place to search the area.”

  “Let us know what you need. We want this stopped.” Frank stepped outside, followed by Hiram, and headed straight for the livery to speak with Noah.

  Gabe watched them leave, baffled by the strange thefts. No cash or other valuables were missing, which meant whoever did this needed the food. All of it pointed to the Blackfoot camp north of Pelletier land.

  He guessed the village consisted of less than a hundred people and, for the most part, they lived in peace with the neighboring ranchers. Their chief, Running Bear, would oftentimes seek to trade for what his people needed.

  A group led by a renegade warrior splintered off over a year ago after a dispute with Running Bear. Long Feather had no use for the whites. He and his band were suspected of attacking settlers and wagon trains in the northern part of the territory over the past year. They’d swoop in, steal what they could, kill the men, and capture the women and children. There had been no survivors on more than one attack. If Long Feather’s band needed anything, it wouldn’t be a bag of beans or hardtack. They’d steal cattle or horses, not basic supplies.

  Gabe grabbed his coat and hat, then walked outside toward Blackheart, the stallion he’d had for years. He’d ride to the Pelletier ranch, talk with Dax, then go to Luke’s place and check around. He hoped to avoid making a trip to Running Bear’s camp, but would if needed.

  He was so lost in his own thoughts, he almost missed the small child who ran out in front of his horse. Gabe reined the large stallion to a halt with a quick move and looked down to see a frightened Mary staring up at him, wide-eyed.

  “Mary!” Ginny ran from the boardinghouse, Suzanne right behind her, and grabbed her sister by the collar, pulling her away from the horse. “I’m so sorry, Sheriff. She knows better than to run out like that.” She glared down at Mary, who shook under her grasp. Ginny’s heart still pounded from the fear at seeing Mary run toward the huge animal.

  Gabe slid to the ground and knelt in front of the frightened child. “Are you all right, Mary?”

  She didn’t speak, but nodded once. He could sense how scared she felt and didn’t want to upset her even more.

  “I’m sure Ginny has told you how dangerous it is to run out into the street, right?”

  She nodded again, trying to hide behind her sister’s skirt.

  “You won’t do it again, will you?” Gabe asked in a low, calm voice.

  Mary shook her head.

  Gabe stood and glanced at Suzanne, then Ginny. They walked to the side, away from the passing wagons and horses.

  “Appears she’ll be fine.” He looked down the street toward the new saloon. They’d made considerable progress in a short time. Gabe figured it would be open for business in another week. “What do you think of the new place?” He directed his question to Suzanne, nodding toward the building as he continued to watch the men work.

  She took a breath, her heart settling down from the scare. “To tell you the truth, I’m not real comfortable about it since no one seems to know who owns it.”

  “Horace Clausen does, but he isn’t talking.”

  “I understand Horace has to honor the owner’s wishes. All the same, it doesn’t seem right. Besides, who’s going to work there? He’ll need at least one bartender, serving girls, and well…you know.” Suzanne did wonder if he planned to have the same upstairs services Amos offered. “You don’t think King Tolbert is behind it, do you?”

  “Could be. Clausen did say the owner is out of Big Pine and Tolbert owns considerable property around there.” Gabe turned his gaze back to Suzanne and Ginny. “Guess I’d better get going. Hiram and Frank have had more thefts, and I need to find out if Dax or Luke are missing anything.”

  “Is Luke back from Denver?” Ginny hadn’t heard anything about him returning, yet her heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name.

  “I doubt he’ll be back for several more weeks. It’s a long trek from here to Denver.” He swung up on Blackheart and tipped his hat at the ladies before heading north toward the Pelletier ranch.

  “You know the empty building at the end of the street, next to the general store?” Suzanne asked Ginny as each took one of Mary’s hands and walked toward the boardinghouse.

  “Yes.”

  “A new restaurant is opening in there within a week. One of the settler families who came in when you did has been working on it.” Suzanne’s voice sounded cautious and weary.

  Ginny stopped as her gaze flew down the street, surprised at the revelation. “I haven’t heard anything about it, or noticed anyone working inside. Who is the family?”

  “Percy Slater and his wife. Gabe mentioned it to me a couple weeks ago. They’ve been working nights, and since all the stores down at that end of town close up by sundown, no one noticed what they were doing—except Gabe. He spotted them entering in the back during his rounds. Slater told him they plan to serve breakfast and dinner at first, maybe add supper service if the others go well. I’m telling you this as I don’t know how the place will affect my restaurant.”

  A knot formed in Ginny’s stomach at the thought that Suzanne might lose business. Perhaps enough to impact Ginny’s job.

  Suzanne saw the concern on Ginny’s face and reached out to touch her arm. “I’ll let you know if I need to make changes. For now, don’t worry too much about it. I just thought you should know.”

  The words didn’t ease Ginny’s fear. First a new saloon and now a new restaurant. Both could impact her and Mary. She couldn’t afford to lose even one hour at either place. Well, she’d just have to wait, like Amos and Suzanne were doing, and pray all would go well.

  “I’ll ride with you.” Dax didn’t like what Gabe had told him about the continued thefts at Noah’s place and the Frey ranch. There’d been no time to ride over to Luke’s as he’d planned. Now he had no choice.

  Hank had told him about the change in the daily egg count. Every few days he’d find no more than a dozen eggs when he expected to see three times as much.

  They covered the short distance from the ranch house to Luke’s place in little time. Both men reined to a stop fifty yards from the porch at the sight of the front door standing open and what appeared to be a broken window.

  Gabe pulled out his pistol as he slid from Blackheart. “Better check it out.”

  “I’ll circle around back.” Dax moved behind the shrubs and trees surrounding the house. He guessed whoever had entered would be long gone by now.

  Gabe climbed the three steps and stopped next to the open door. He glanced around, seeing Dax make his way to the back.

  “Anyone here?” It didn’t surprise Gabe when he got no response. He repeated his question, then entered, taking in the sparse furnishings in the front area, then moving toward the kitchen. Nothing caught his attention, except a cupboard standing open at one end of the room. He turned to check the bedroom when Dax entered through the back door.

  “What have you found?”

  “Cupboard doors are open, but I can’t tell if anything is missing.” Gabe walked to the bedroom to see sheets, blankets, and pillows missing. He holstered his gun before returning to the kitchen.

  “Luke brought over sugar, flour, beans, coffee, and some fruit Rachel had put up. I don’t find any of it on the shelves.” Dax closed the cupboard doors.

  “Bed’s been stripped. There might be some clothes
missing, but you’d have to check to be sure.”

  Dax walked through the rest of the house. Foodstuff, bedding, and a few clothes were all he found missing. The answer seemed obvious.

  “Someone’s living up in the caves.”

  Gabe took one more look around. “That’s my guess. I’ll need some of your men, along with some from the Frey ranch. If I can get enough help, we might be able to cover a good-sized area in two to three days.”

  “Blackfoot?” Dax asked.

  “Hell if I know. We’d better check around outside, see if we can find any tracks. Neither Hiram nor Frank have found anything, but they’re certain it’s more than one person. Noah believes the same. By the looks of what’s missing here, I’d say they’re right. No one person could carry all that’s missing from each place.”

  They circled the house, then concentrated on the path the men had created to the creek. A few feet wide, it contained enough loose rock to hide most tracks.

  “Look at this,” Gabe called as he crouched down.

  Dax squatted next to him. “They dragged something along here.”

  “Some kind of tool. Strange there aren’t any boot prints.” Gabe glanced at Dax, knowing they both had come to the same conclusion.

  “It has to be a group from Running Bear’s camp.”

  “Or Long Feather’s band, although they’re quite a ways north. I’ve never heard of them taking much besides cattle and horses.” Gabe stood and looked around. “Guess I’d better talk to Running Bear.”

  “I’d hold off on it until we’ve had a chance to search the caves. Bull knows where a good number of them are located.”

  “So do Hiram and Frank,” Gabe added.

  “Good. When do you want to start?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Big Pine, Montana

  “It’s lovely, Frederick.” Felicity walked around the house Rick had purchased at the edge of town. The place had been vacant for months, allowing him to get it at a cheap price. It stood a few blocks from her home.