by Linda Broday
Ben tiptoed into the room after the sheriff left. Mabel had cleaned the blood from his lip and tended myriad other cuts. He sat in the chair and took his mother’s limp hand in his. “I wish she’d wake up.”
“She will,” Delta assured him. “She’s going to be fine.”
Her heart went out to the boy. He’d been through so much for someone so young. She made herself a vow—not only would he have Cooper as a guardian angel, but he’d have her also.
A person couldn’t have too many guardian angels.
Fourteen
Noon neared but Delta had more important things to do than eat. She’d just stepped out of the boardinghouse when her attention shifted to a fight in the middle of the street. Two men. One was Rand; she didn’t recognize the other.
“Cooper and I told you to leave Jenny alone,” Rand yelled, jamming his fist into the man’s face and knocking him backward. This must be Hogue. Delta joined the crowd that had gathered around. Her heart rejoiced that Jenny’s husband was getting his just deserts. She wished she could get in a few licks herself.
“She’s my wife,” snarled Hogue through a cut lip.
“Not for much longer, if we have our way about it,” Rand shot back.
Just then Sheriff Strayhorn barged through the flock of onlookers. “Break it up. I’ll handle this, Rand. Let him go.”
Rand Sinclair shoved Hogue to the packed street, where the man landed with a hard jolt. “Good thing you came along, Sheriff, because I meant to kill him. His brutality has gone on far too long.”
“Reckon I know that, Rand. But if you kill him, I’d just have to arrest you.”
“It’d be worth it.” Rand picked up his hat and slapped it against his leg, then he wiped a trickle of blood from his lip.
“Hogue, you messed up real good this time.” Strayhorn jerked his prisoner to his feet and shoved him toward the jail.
Delta hurried over to Rand. “Are you all right?”
“It’ll take a sight more than Hogue Barclay to whip me.”
“I was thrilled to see him get what was coming to him. Thank you.”
About that time, Pettibone came from the saloon. “Boss, got trouble inside. Better come. George just busted a bottle over Hank’s head. Blood’s spurtin’ everywhere.”
Rand went with Pettibone, and Delta turned in the direction of the livery. Minutes later, she’d rented a horse and buggy. She hated to have to use what little money she’d stashed away from her job at the mercantile, but with Rand tied up with business affairs, she had no choice. Little Ben had said Cooper was his friend and he needed him. She imagined Jenny would also say that if she could speak.
Besides, she suspected Cooper would want to know what happened. Thank goodness she remembered the way to the Long Odds. Soon she passed under the high crossbar. A quick scan told her he’d probably be in the thick of the branding. She was right. He stalked toward her with his leather chaps slapping against his trousers. He wore a deep scowl and Delta wasn’t sure that coming was such a good idea. She trembled a little as she climbed from the buggy.
“It’s really not wise for you to be here—”
“Save it. I came to tell you about Jenny. And Ben.”
Instantly his expression changed to one of concern. “What happened?”
Cooper’s big hands clenched and unclenched as she told him everything. He called a young cowboy over. “Saddle a fresh horse and make it quick.”
The cowboy nodded and sprinted for the barn.
“Did you tell the sheriff?”
“I did. At first he didn’t seem that enthused to do anything, but seeing Jenny changed his mind.”
Jerking his hat off, he slammed it to the ground. “I should’ve been there. They depend on me.”
She wanted to comfort him in some way but wasn’t sure how he’d take it. She finally brushed his arm with a light touch. “You have a ranch to run. They understand. I don’t know much about Ben or Jenny, but no one wants to be a burden.”
“I suspected Hogue was slapping them around. But I did nothing. I should’ve—”
“Cooper, you can only do so much. Stop torturing yourself.”
He shoved a hand through his hair, picked up his hat, and jammed it back on his head. “I promised I’d be there if they needed me. But I wasn’t.”
“There’s something else you probably need to know. Jenny’s in the family way.”
Shock rippled across his face and deepened the lines around his mouth. She could tell he wanted to say something, but he didn’t get a chance, for at that moment the young cowboy galloped from the barn. He jumped off when he reached them and handed his boss the reins.
Cooper tied the horse to the back of the buggy and helped Delta up onto the seat. He quickly followed and yelled to her to hold on. Delta fell against him as the buggy jerked forward at a high rate of speed.
He put an arm around her and pulled her tightly to his side. Seconds later, the buggy careened around a curve on two wheels.
Even if she’d wanted to, she had no time to protest the fact she was in his lap.
Holding on occupied every thought as they flew down the road as though Lucifer’s hounds were chasing them.
***
The boardinghouse was tomb-like when Cooper raced through the door. Ben stumbled from the small parlor.
Searing anger burned a path through him at sight of the battered face. He’d walked in Ben’s shoes and knew what it was like to have fists pounding him and watching a father beat his mother to death.
“You got my blood in you, boy, an’ don’t you forget it,” his father, Otto, had snarled at him from the time he could remember. The man beat Cooper down until he’d rather be dead than live with the torment.
No, forgetting he had Otto’s killer blood inside him was impossible. It was burned into his brain. It was why he would never marry, why he’d never have children. He wouldn’t pass along his bad blood to anyone. The violence would stop with him.
He’d been no older than Ben when they hanged his father. Strangers came after that and hauled Cooper to the orphanage.
Shaking his head to clear the memories, he returned to the present.
The thing about Hogue Barclay was that he was fine until he took to the bottle—then he went plumb crazy. Cooper didn’t know what made a man crave alcohol when he had so much to live for.
The boy stared at the floor. “Pa done it, Mr. Cooper. He beat Mama real bad this time. I done thought he’d kilt her. I looked for you ever’place, but Miss Delta said you weren’t in town. She came and got Mama and brought us here.”
Cooper pulled the scared youngster to him in a fierce hug. “I know. I’m so sorry.”
He ground his back teeth. He’d warned Hogue of what would happen if he continued to take his anger out on his family. The man hadn’t listened. This time there’d be hell to pay. And this time he’d make certain that the man would never again get within a hundred miles of Jenny and Ben and live to tell it.
“Miss Delta had the sheriff put him in jail.” Suddenly Ben slowly smiled. “Pa cain’t get us now. He cain’t hurt us.”
“Nope, he sure can’t.” Cooper was going to make sure of that. He was done with Hogue Barclay. No more. The sooner he made a believer out of the man, the better it would be for everyone.
Ben was an old soul who’d lived many lifetimes. He’d dealt with things a young boy his age shouldn’t have had to. Cooper saw a lot of himself in Ben, so he knew what the youngster thought before he even said the words.
Delta stepped through the door just then. Their eyes met and held for a long second. His tongue seemed glued to the roof of his mouth. Frankly, he didn’t know what to say. Other than when she came to the ranch to get him a little while ago, they hadn’t spoken since the kiss. She’d most likely nail his hide to the wall if he so much as tried to explain. That
is, if he could offer a reason that made sense, but he had yet to figure out what happened that day, why he’d grabbed her like that. All he could say was that his brain went haywire whenever she was around.
Ben wiggled away from Cooper and wasted no time in throwing his skinny arms around her waist.
They looked a pair standing there, Delta with her proper manners and ready smile that hid the sadness in her eyes and Ben with his dark bruises and battered self-esteem.
It got under Cooper’s skin more than a little that the boy had turned to someone else. In fact, it appeared they’d grown awfully close in one day’s time. Thank goodness he hadn’t dillydallied coming into town, or Ben would’ve forgotten all about him. All the same, he was glad Delta had stepped up and filled in when he couldn’t be there.
At the first opportunity, he’d damn well let her know he could handle things from this point forward.
Cooper stood there with his hat in his hands and a big helping of regret lodged in his chest. “Well, I’ll just…I’ll go look in on Jenny.”
“I’m sure she’d like that.” Delta gave a half smile and smoothed Ben’s obstinate cowlick. “Even if she’s still sleeping, she’ll know you’re there.”
With a nod, he went up the stairs. Mabel directed him to Jenny’s room. He wasn’t prepared for what he saw. Jenny’s hair was caked with dried blood, but it was her face, all swelled and bruised, that made him suck in a wobbly breath. Her eyes were closed and she didn’t stir when he came in.
Though Jenny was just a young woman on the shy side of twenty-four, she looked at least forty years old.
Taking a chair beside the bed, he held Jenny’s hand. He glanced at her belly, where a new life grew. “I promise you I’ll make this right. You won’t have to go through this ever again.”
Of course, she couldn’t reply, but it felt good just saying the words. He sat there silently, breathing with her and praying she’d be all right. A short while later, he kissed her hand and told her he’d be back.
***
White-hot fury settled in every bone, every muscle, every ounce of blood coursing through Cooper’s body. People scattered as he took long strides toward the jail. He didn’t pay them any mind. Justice for Jenny was the only thing he cared about. And by God, he’d have it.
Sheriff Strayhorn glanced over the rim of his coffee cup when Cooper shoved the door open. “Want some coffee, Coop?”
“Nope. You have Hogue in one of your cells?”
“I do.”
When Cooper marched to the door separating the sheriff’s office from the jail, Strayhorn yelled, “Hey, you can’t go back there.”
The sheriff’s chair clattered to the floor in his hurry to plant himself between Cooper and the door.
“The hell I can’t.” Cooper’s hard glare might’ve given some men pause, but not Strayhorn.
“Take a seat, Coop. I’m not letting you back there all worked up like you are, and that’s that. I couldn’t care less what you do to that drunk, but I’m not in the mood to clean up a bunch of blood today.”
Though sitting was the last thing on Cooper’s mind, he obliged the tall, barrel-chested sheriff. “You saw what he did. He deserves like treatment, not a dry roof over his head, a soft mattress to sleep on, and meals handed to him like royalty.”
Righting his chair, Strayhorn sat down and leaned back. “Don’t you think I know that? Hell, I’d just as soon turn you loose on him and sit back and watch. But it’s my job to uphold the law and that’s what I aim to do.”
“How long you planning to keep him?”
“Cain’t hold him but a couple of weeks, I reckon.”
“You know that’s not long enough. He’ll kill Jenny when he gets out.”
“What do you want me to do? I can talk to him until I turn blue in the face, but if the man ain’t of a mind to listen, I might as well save my breath for breathing.”
“Do me a favor. Let me know when you’re set to release him. It’s the least you can do for Jenny and Ben.”
“Okay, Coop. I hope you have a plan to protect those two.”
Not yet, but he was working on it. One thing he was sure of, he wouldn’t let Hogue near enough to Jenny and Ben to do any more damage. No matter what steps he had to take. Even if he had to break the law, even kill the low-down skunk, he’d keep them safe.
“You can bet on it.”
Now that he had the matter of Hogue Barclay out of the way, Cooper told the sheriff about the raiders who’d ridden onto the ranch big as life the previous night.
“And you didn’t see their faces?”
“I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you if I had,” Cooper snapped. “I’d have delivered their bodies to you in the back of a wagon.”
“What about the brand on the horse they left behind?”
“Didn’t wear one.”
“That’s pretty strange.”
“Yep.” Cooper rubbed eyes that felt as though they had sand in them. He’d only gotten a couple of hours sleep. “I have a hat that belonged to one of them.”
“Anything distinguishing about it?”
“Not much. It was just a black felt one that had a bullet hole in the crown and a narrow strip of a red bandanna for a band.”
“Not much to go on. I’ll ride out to the ranch if you want and take a look around.”
“Appreciate it, Sheriff.” With his stomach feeling like he’d just taken a big gulp of sour milk, Cooper rose and strode out the door, wishing he could put off this next piece of business.
***
Rand occupied a corner table, shuffling a deck of cards, when Cooper strolled into the Lily of the West. He took a chair across from him.
“I can tell by the set of your jaw that you’re not here on a social call,” Rand drawled.
“Looks like you tangled with a mountain lion.”
The middle brother touched his lip. “Not much of a fight, really. Got a piece of Hogue is all. Would’ve mopped up the street with his damn carcass if Strayhorn hadn’t stopped me.”
“More than I got. Guess we have to be satisfied with that. Just came from the jail, but Strayhorn threatened to shoot me when I tried to go back to the cells.”
“Guess you came into town to see Jenny.”
Cooper nodded. “Delta came to get me.”
“I haven’t seen Jenny since I carried her to the boardinghouse,” Rand said quietly. “She’s in a bad way.”
“Reckon it’s a little hard to justify.” Cooper’s words came out sarcastic and hard as a chunk of granite.
A dark flush crept up Rand’s neck. “Just what are you saying?”
“I’m merely curious why you sold Hogue a snootful of whiskey when you know how mean he gets. Surely you knew what he’d do to Jenny and Ben. Or didn’t you care?”
“Believe it or not, Coop, I don’t have time to write down how much each man drinks. I was in my office working on the books. For your information, I fired my barkeep. Told him to draw his wages and clear out. He should’ve seen how drunk Hogue was getting and refused to sell him any more. I run a reputable place. Hell, you know that.”
Even though Cooper was still mad enough to drive his fist into Hogue’s face and come out the back side of the man’s skull, he knew Rand wouldn’t lie to save his own skin. “I apologize. Seems that’s all I do anymore. I should’ve known you didn’t have anything to do with it. Friends?”
Rand grinned. “Always. Gonna take a sight more than Hogue Barclay to come between us, big brother. You’re gonna have to realize though that Jenny is a grown woman. She makes her own choices.”
“You know why I have to watch out for her,” Cooper snapped.
“I do, but at some point it’s gotta sink into your thick skull that you can’t save the world.”
No, but he could try, especially when he owed a debt.
“Want something to drink?” Rand asked after moments ticked by.
“Coffee, if you’ve got it.” Though he doubted it, maybe a cup of strong brew would get rid of some of the hate bubbling in his gut.
Within a few minutes, Rand slid a cup in front of him, along with a hot fried pie. “How are things at the ranch?”
Cooper’s mood improved a tad as he took a big bite of the pie and licked his lips. Blueberry, one of his favorites. Between bites he told Rand about the raiders who’d brought another sick cow onto the Long Odds the previous night and the shots they’d exchanged.
“You’re lucky they didn’t kill you, Coop. But at least now you know this is deliberate. It’s clear you’re in a war with someone. Wish we knew who. Have you posted guards at night?”
“Yep. I just wish I could’ve seen the polecats’ faces.”
“They weren’t wearing masks?”
“Nope. Had their hats pulled down low onto their foreheads, though, and the quarter moon only gave out a thimbleful of light. Zeke and I visited every ranch in a ten-mile radius just after daybreak to see if any had hoof-and-mouth amongst their herd.”
“I take it they didn’t.”
“You would be right. According to them, they have no sign of the disease on their land.”
“But you think they might be speaking with a forked tongue, as the Indians say?”
“Can’t say, but men have lied about less. No rancher likes word to get out that he has disease spreading through his herd. That’s one secret that’s been known to start a mess of trouble.” Cooper fumbled in his pocket, removing the brass token he’d discovered the morning Rand and Delta had come to the ranch. “I found this near a dead steer. Been meaning to show it to you.”
Rand took the coin and examined it. Shock rippled across his face. “The only Steamboat Bathhouse I’ve heard of was in Hannibal. How did it wind up on the Long Odds?”
“Asking myself the same question. Since Tolbert Early lies in a grave, it has to be some friend of his who’s out for revenge.”
“Or a brother maybe?” Rand handed back the coin.
