He took his hat off and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m going to see the sheriff, is all.”
“But you’re coming back tonight. Promise me you won’t run off to hunt that man down by yourself.”
Cooper slammed his eyes shut briefly, realizing he shouldn’t have gotten close to Rachel. He left her with the truth before riding into town, “I can’t make you that promise.”
Now Cooper stood inside Sheriff O’Reilly’s office hearing news he hadn’t exactly expected to hear. “Mr. Garnett, we’ve found the man responsible for shooting and robbing you.”
Cooper’s brows rose in astonishment. He’d been so bent on getting Hollings, he’d hardly given the other crime a thought.
“He’s locked up in there.”
Cooper glanced at the door that separated the office from the cells and nodded. The sheriff shoved a gun, holster, some cash and a daguerreotype toward him. He pointed to the image of Jocelyn, Donny and him on that picture frame. Cooper’s body went rigid. Of all the things stolen, that likeness was what he’d missed the most. “That’s how we knew these were your belongings. We believe the horse he was riding is yours.”
“How did you find him?” Cooper asked. “And who is he?”
“He’s a drifter. He doesn’t come from these parts. Name’s Clyde Berkins. He’d tried shooting Guy Wimbley, a local hired hand, as he was leaving town after dark. He took his shot and missed. Guy ran chase and downed him with a bullet to his shoulder. He’s gonna live to stand trial. Not too bright a fella. You’d think he’d have left the county after what he did to you. You want to see him?”
“Yeah,” Cooper said, and he was led to the other room where the man stood behind bars. Cooper didn’t say a word. He looked into the eyes of a killer, seeing no remorse, no regret on his face. The man was cold as a block of ice, brazen in his returned stare. After a few seconds, Cooper turned to the sheriff. “I’ve seen enough.”
The sheriff had him sign for his possessions and took him out back. Cooper took one look at his bay, Bell, and let out a curse. He stroked her gently, careful not to touch the welts on her body.
“Some men got no respect for anything,” the sheriff said with disgust. “Leave her at the livery with Mattie Sanders and he’ll fix her right up. Might take a few days of healing, but she’ll be fine.”
“I’ll see to it.” Cooper slid his hand down her snout with care. “You haven’t heard anything about the other matter?” Cooper asked. “Nothing about Hollings?”
“No, sorry to say. He might have moved on.”
“Maybe,” Cooper said. And maybe it was time he did the same.
On Saturday morning, four days before Christmas, Rachel packed a basket of pecan pies and sweet muffins she’d baked the night before then tied the woolen socks she’d knitted for Mikey Ray with ribbon and strode out of the house with Johnny in hand. “We’re going to visit Mikey Ray and his family,” she told her son. “He’ll be glad to see you, sweetness.”
She closed up the house and stepped down from the porch, walking toward the buckboard wagon. Cooper stood by the hitched team, waiting.
She narrowed her eyes. “Where’s Jess?”
“He’s not taking you. I am.”
Johnny released her hand and ran to Cooper, looking up at him. “Why? Is something wrong with Jess? He wanted to see Mikey Ray.”
“Nope, nothing’s wrong with Jess.” Cooper cast her a guilty look, one that he might’ve been able to disguise from someone else, but not from her.
Cooper had ridden off the ranch every chance he’d had this past week, going into town for supplies, finding excuses to visit other ranches, and she knew the reason why. He was deep in pursuit of a killer. Rachel’s heart plummeted thinking about it. After he’d come back from the sheriff’s office with news that they’d found his shooter, Rachel had been relieved. She’d thought that would have been enough to appease him for a time. But ever since then, he’d used every spare moment he’d had to continue his search.
“I know why you’re going, Cooper. Mikey Ray’s homestead is clear across the county. I doubt you’ve gotten that far as yet.”
Cooper lowered the brim of his hat and took the basket from her hands. “Couldn’t be that I want to see the boy.”
Rachel’s mouth curled down. “It would be the Christian thing to think, wouldn’t it?”
“Then you should be thinking it.”
He set the basket in the back then helped her up, his arms wrapping around her waist. Their eyes met and she found no comfort in their deep depths except for the slightest flicker in his eyes. But oh, having his hands on her again brought back such yearning.
She adjusted her position on the seat and Cooper hoisted Johnny up, giving him a bit of a twirl, enough to make her boy giggle. They set off for the Hanson homestead, Johnny’s questions and excitement over the trip keeping them both from speaking their minds. The ride was long and Johnny began fidgeting. Rachel had trouble keeping him still in her lap. She’d tried calming him, playing games and singing songs, but Johnny’s attention lapsed, and she struggled with her hold on him.
“Settle down, boy,” Cooper said in a stern voice, reaching out to put his hand on Johnny’s shoulder. “Mind your ma.”
That was all it took. A stern reprimand from Cooper and Johnny immediately settled on her lap. He stared at Cooper and the next time Cooper glanced at him, Johnny grinned.
The little devil.
They reached the homestead by midmorning and were greeted by Mikey Ray’s entire family. Rachel introduced Cooper to the boy’s parents and brothers and they all thanked him for saving Mikey from a herd of frightened horses.
Mikey looked well rested and announced he would be returning to work on the ranch after the holiday. When he bent down to give Johnny a big bear hug, Rachel saw firsthand his recovery. He lifted Johnny in his arms and carried him into the house without flinching.
Not a minute after his mother set out the basket, Mikey Ray dug into one of the cinnamon-and-raisin muffins she’d brought along. He jammed half of it into his mouth. “This is delicious as ever, Miss Rachel.”
“Mikey, I’m so glad to see you’re feeling fit. And with a hearty appetite again.”
“He’s eating more than a grizzly,” his mother, Marie Hanson said. “I can’t seem to stop him. Pretty soon you’ll see what I mean with your boy. Now, isn’t your Johnny just the sweetest thing.”
They all looked at Johnny, who at the moment had become curious about a crocheted handkerchief covering a small round table. His little hands grabbed for it, and before Rachel could stop him, he yanked and a thin, beautifully etched crystal flower vase fell onto its side and began to roll off the table. Cooper was there instantly, catching the flower vase with one hand, while scooping up Johnny with the other.
“You saved the day again, Cooper,” Mikey Ray said with a grin. “That was my ma’s favorite vase.”
Cooper righted the handkerchief and the vase.
“Not to worry,” Mrs. Hanson said in a rush. “No harm’s been done.”
Rachel strode over to Cooper and faced him with gratitude. Johnny hung sideways against Cooper’s hip, like a sack of potatoes. Apparently, her son loved it. She reached for Johnny, taking him out of Cooper’s arm. “Thank you,” she whispered, nearly mortified. For the rest of the day, she kept Johnny within her reach.
“I’ll be sure to wear my new wool socks, Miss Rachel,” Mikey Ray said as he bid them farewell once their visit was over. “Thank you kindly.”
“You’re welcome, Mikey Ray. We’ll be seeing you at the ranch soon. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too,” Mikey Ray said with a wave. The entire family, all five of them, came outside to see them off.
Rachel waved to them until they were no longer in sight. Then she turned back around and adjusted Johnny on her lap, tossing a light blanket over him. He rested his head on her chest and she knew he’d be napping in just a matter of minutes.
“Well
? What did you find out?” she said to Cooper, sounding like a chirpy little bird.
“About what?” Cooper held the reins and stared straight ahead.
“You went outside with Mr. Hanson and Mikey’s older brothers for a smoke. I saw you through the window. You were questioning them.”
“And you want to know what I found out?”
“Yes, I do.”
He glanced at her and shook his head. To his credit, genuine concern formed in his expression. “You really don’t want to know.”
“I do,” she said firmly with a nod, but when he remained silent she touched his arm. “Cooper, this affects me, too.”
His lips pulled down. “I know. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“But it did.”
He was quiet for a few more seconds. When he finally spoke, his voice held no emotion. “You know Mikey’s father and brothers hire themselves out to local ranches for work. Jed is a smithy at the Bar K and Mikey’s other brothers work for the Circle Six Ranch.”
She knew that. She could only afford to hire one Hanson, the youngest, since she paid lower wages than most other ranches. She waited patiently to hear more.
“Well, both Mr. Hanson and Jed know of a drifter who keeps to himself. They’ve seen him in town a few times. He never says much and he’s always wearing a scarf around his neck, even if the weather is clear. His hair touches his shoulders and he’s got a beard. They say he looks sort of strange.”
Rachel’s heart stilled. “You think it’s him?”
Cooper shook his head. “Don’t know. Jed said he might be working one of the smaller spreads up by the foothills.”
Rachel swallowed the news with dread spreading through her body. She was certain of one thing. Cooper would go in search of his family’s killer and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.
Christmas was fast approaching, and Rachel continued with traditions she’d started when Josh was alive. During the nights leading up to the holiday, she invited all her hands to the house after their meal to help her with stringing popcorn for the little pine tree she’d asked Cooper to chop down for the holiday. She served hot cider and baked pumpkin muffins then led them all in cheerful Christmas songs. The younger boys helped her tie colorful ribbons and lace onto the tree.
The house filled with neighbors stopping by with Christmas cakes and good wishes. Except for Cooper, who was always deep in thought, everyone’s mood was light and cheerful.
Rachel didn’t press him on those nights, but she didn’t allow him to escape from the festivities, either, which seemed his inclination. She’d conjure up little chores for him to do, making sure he was always part of the group. Johnny loved the commotion and was always in the middle of everything. Too often, she’d see Johnny reach for Cooper’s hand. It broke her heart to witness Cooper bond with him and know that maybe one day, he’d be gone.
Two nights before Christmas, as the celebration continued in the evening, Chick handed her two gifts, one tied with a pretty pink ribbon and a bigger one tied with blue. “This is from all of the boys,” he said. “The pink one is for you, of course. Johnny gets the other.”
“Thank you,” she said, her heart truly touched with warmth. She opened her gift and marveled at the pretty pendant, etched with a rose design that they’d given her. “It’s lovely. I’ll wear it on Christmas Day,” she said. Then she cast a look at her boy, who had quieted some, sitting on Jess’s lap concentrating on the story Jess was telling him. “I’ll save Johnny’s for Christmas morning.”
A short while later, Rachel said good-night to everyone, handing them their gifts as they returned to the bunkhouse. She’d knitted a wool blanket for Jess, and scarves and socks for everyone else. As Cooper was leaving, she stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm. “Can you stay an extra minute?”
He nodded and waited by the door. He didn’t speak much these days, his expression always pensive with a distant look in his eyes. Rachel went to her bedroom and brought out a package she had tied with simple string. “This is for you. Merry Christmas, Cooper.”
“You didn’t have to do this,” he said, humbled.
She put the package in his hands. “Open it.”
Cooper stared at her a moment. She nodded her encouragement. As he pulled the strings loose, the surrounding brown paper unfolded and the plaid shirt she’d sewn appeared. He lifted it up and took a second to admire it. “Did you make this?”
She tilted her head and smiled. “I thought you might be tired of wearing Josh’s clothes.”
“It’s thoughtful,” he said, fingering the fabric before folding it up again. “Thank you. I don’t have a mind for Christmas, Rachel. I can’t celebrate—”
“I…know.”
“I wish things were different. I wish I had a special gift for you.”
She met his eyes and spoke softly, from deep in her heart. “I only want one thing from you, Cooper.”
He looked at her with such pain on his face she could barely stand it. “I can’t give you what you want.”
She touched his cheek and lifted up to brush a tender kiss on his lips. “I wish things were different, as well.”
She turned away from Cooper then, and as soon as she heard him close the door, tears she’d held back bravely streamed freely down her cheeks.
Chapter Eight
The next morning, the day of Christmas Eve, Rachel walked toward the barn and wasn’t surprised to see Cooper standing by her buckboard wagon. He would accompany her to town and it wasn’t because she was such engaging company, but because Cooper was bent on his search. He’d managed to convince Jess that he needed to see as much of the county as possible in the shortest amount of time.
And Jess, she suspected, was only too happy to give up this trip to town. Somehow, over the past weeks, Jess had taken a shine to Cooper and thinking himself a matchmaker of sorts, had seen to it that she and Cooper spent a good deal of time together.
When she reached the wagon with Johnny in hand, a frown pulled her lips down when she met with Cooper’s stare. His eyes, filled with determination, and his stance told her he was ready for her argument. After last night, with her tears spent and her heart aching, Rachel didn’t have any fight left in her. Cooper’s will had won out.
He helped her climb into the wagon as he’d done many times before, his hands always gentle yet firm on her waist. She tried not to long for his touch or for the simplest of gestures that set her heart and mind spinning. She tried not to think about him at all. But that was proving darn hard to do with him wearing the new shirt she’d given him, looking perfect in red-and-gray plaid and handsome as the devil. She tried to focus solely on Johnny and making him comfortable for the ride.
They rode in silence for a spell and on occasion she caught Cooper glancing at her with a questioning look on his face. She ignored him until finally, after several more minutes of silence, he turned to her. “Have a bee in your bonnet, Rachel?”
She shrugged and glanced around. “I’m not wearing a bonnet and last I looked, there are no bees around here.”
“Uh-huh. You want me to believe that you’re not sore with me about something?”
“No, I’m not sore at you.”
“I’m not believing that.”
“Well, I don’t…I don’t rightly care what you believe, Cooper Garnett.”
“Okay, but it’s too dang pretty a day to be mad. The sun’s out bright and clear and you should be happy.”
“I’m happy,” she lied.
“I’d sure like to hear you sing one of them Christmas songs.”
“You would?” Rachel turned to him fully, confused by his sudden interest in the Christmas spirit. “Why?”
“’Cause the only thing prettier than the way you sing is your sweet smile. Figure I’d get both if you sang a song.”
Cooper was, in his own charming way, trying to make up for hurting her last night. In her heart, Rachel believed she’d never really have him until he put the past behin
d him. She also believed he truly didn’t mean to cause her harm. But knowing it and trying to justify that truth wasn’t easy. She’d never met a more stubborn, determined man in her life. “Which song do you like?”
“‘Joy to the World,’ is real nice.”
Johnny tugged on her skirt. “Sing, Mama.”
Rachel had no choice now, and though she narrowed her eyes at Cooper, he was wise enough not to smirk when she sat up straighter in the seat and began to sing. After a few verses, her mood lightened and the smile that Cooper thought so pretty, returned to her face.
Once they reached town, Cooper asked, “Where do you want to stop first?”
“Oh, I’d like to say hello to Pastor Alton and his wife and then I should stop by the bank, before I go to the mercantile.”
Cooper drove the wagon to the church. He waited while she and Johnny had a short visit with the Altons. Rachel brought them fresh oatmeal cookies and a mince pie and wished them a Merry Christmas before returning to the wagon.
Then Cooper drove the wagon farther into town toward the Bank of California. Robert Livingston, who’d just stepped out of the bank, caught sight of her and waved. Rachel almost wished Cooper would drive on, but Robert had already taken measures to greet the wagon. He had a smile from ear to ear and Rachel cringed inside. He’d been a persistent would-be suitor and Rachel tried time and again to discourage him. “Hello, Miss Rachel. I’m so happy to see you this morning. Might I escort you into the bank?”
“Well, uh, yes. That would be fine.” Rachel turned toward Cooper. “Would you stay with Johnny while I take care of some business?”
Cooper gave a cursory glance to the younger man and nodded an acknowledgment. “Livingston.”
Robert inclined his head. “Mr. Cooper.”
“Do you two know each other?” Rachel asked, looking from one man to the other.
“Well, uh, yes. I met Mr. Cooper a short time ago. He, uh, had some questions for me…about his half brother. Poor man had been burned in a fire.”
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