by Linda Broday
Dragging his thoughts back to the task at hand, he made sure his rifle was loaded. It wasn’t a time for dreaming.
He’d positioned all eight of his men across the east side of the ranch, the only way to get onto his land. That left one man to guard over five hundred yards in the pitch-black. They were stretched thin.
Still, he dared the raiders to come back. If they did, they’d have a wad of double-aught buckshot waiting for them.
The moon cast nothing but a thin ribbon of light over the valley. It was a good night for righting wrongs and evening scores.
A little while past midnight, he heard them.
Trouble rode at a full gallop. Pounding hooves struck the hard ground as they came closer and closer. When they rounded a stand of oak trees, he counted at least a dozen riders. Hell was coming straight at him. It would either swallow him up whole or, if he was lucky, he’d run it back into the bowels of the earth from where it came.
Cooper tightened his grip on the rifle and clenched his jaw. Only cowards rode at night. The black hoods they wore over their heads indicated these cowards were even more spineless and lily-livered. He could see nothing but round eye sockets where their eyes should be.
He let loose a volley of gunfire. But the raiders quickly formed a circle around him, making it difficult to hit a moving target. They returned his fire.
Horses screamed.
Men cursed.
Bullets flew.
The quiet night became a chaotic bedlam.
“Get the hell off my land,” he yelled.
Firing again, he hit two of them. Shouting curses, the hooded cowards retreated to a safe distance, where they watched.
Just then Cooper’s men rode up and rained hell down as they emptied their rifles. Evidently seeing they wouldn’t win on this particular night, the mysterious raiders lit out in the direction they came.
All except one.
That lone man whipped his horse around and galloped straight for Cooper. One of the ranch hands fired, striking the man’s chest. The bullet seemed to hit metal and bounced off. That told Cooper the rider wore a piece of armor of some sort beneath his shirt.
A dozen more shots hit the armor.
Cooper took aim at the spot on the hood between the eye sockets, but a second before he squeezed the trigger, the rider’s horse reared into the air.
As the animal landed back on its feet, another cowboy got luckier and put a piece of hot lead into the man’s thigh.
Still he came. The attacker seemed to have a death wish.
Cooper braced himself, ready to leap out of the way if he needed to.
When the rider got within a few feet of Cooper, he suddenly whirled. As he did, the hood came off.
Staring into the raider’s face, Cooper sucked in a quick breath.
What he saw was impossible. A ghost sneered down at him.
The ghost of the man he’d personally sent to hell.
Eighteen
Rand rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and sank into a chair in the saloon’s office as though his legs would no longer bear his weight. “Are you sure?”
Cooper wished he hadn’t had to break the news so early in the morning, wished he could go back to that night so long ago and do it all over again, and he wished to damn hell that they didn’t have to tell Brett.
“As certain as I’m standing here,” he answered quietly. “I’d never forget that birthmark that covers the whole side of his rotten face.”
“But you said you killed Tolbert Early.”
Cooper was most thankful that he’d kept Rand out of the confrontation with Early that night. Rand had gotten Brett and helped him straighten his clothes. Cooper had no regrets for shielding them. This shooting was all on him, on his shoulders alone.
“There was so much blood. I would’ve bet my life on it.” And almost had, thinking back to the grisly scene in that bathhouse. Furious that Cooper had barged in to save his little brother, Early had grabbed a knife and slashed Cooper’s chest and belly before he could reach the gun lying on the floor beside the tub. He still bore the scars to prove it.
Rand’s voice lowered to a raspy whisper. “We were scared out of our minds that night. Just three frightened boys.”
Pounding his fist on the desk, Cooper spoke in a tight voice, “One thing about it, we’re not boys now and we don’t scare all that easy. Early had best get ready for a fight, because we aren’t backing down from the no-good spawn of the devil.”
“Did he say anything to you?” Rand idly picked up the ring of keys he kept close by.
“Nope. Too busy dodging hot lead.” Cooper allowed himself a smile at the memory.
“And you’re positive it was him?” Rand asked again. “After all, it was dark and the moon wasn’t that bright.”
“It doesn’t help to keep circling the same damn bush, Rand. How much clearer do I need to be?” If Cooper was a drinking man, now would be the time for a stiff shot of whiskey. “What we’ve gotta do now is think of a plan of action. But warning Brett of course has to come first.”
Rand opened a drawer, took out a bottle of whiskey, and poured a hefty portion into a coffee cup. “Damn. Just curious, how did Early get away, with his men running off and leaving him like that?”
“I swear, it was like trying to shoot a raindrop in a stiff gale. On top of wearing some kind of armor, he was twisting and whirling and his mount was rearing up. One of my men finally managed to shoot him in the leg. Wounded, he turned and raced into the blackness of the woods.”
“At least you got some satisfaction. I wish we could keep Brett out of it.”
“I don’t like it any better than you. We’ve got no choice in the matter. If Early goes after him…” Cooper’s stomach turned over at the thought of Brett in Tolbert’s clutches again.
The only comfort was that Brett had grown into quite a man. At twenty-four now he’d become exceedingly proficient with both a knife and a gun. But their little brother would also need to have eyes in the back of his head. Besides, Cooper didn’t know if Brett had killing in him if it came down to it.
One thing for sure, Cooper knew he himself did, and would without losing a wink of sleep over it.
“Early’ll have to go through all of us to get to one.”
“My feelings exactly. No matter which one Early is gunning for, he’ll find a mess of trouble. Still, Brett needs to know about the situation.” Cooper rose. “Strap on your gun. I say we ride out there together now.”
Just when life had gotten halfway comfortable, up popped the devil with a pitchfork.
***
Delta pushed aside the torn lace curtain and looked out her bedroom window to catch the sunrise breaking over the town. Her eyes widened. Cooper and Rand strode from the Lily of the West.
Cooper untied his horse from the hitching rail and the pair proceeded toward the livery. Something had changed in the way Cooper walked. His movement wasn’t as fluid, and there was a hardness, as unyielding as a piece of granite, that hadn’t been there before.
Overnight, he’d changed into something to be feared. She wondered if anything could ever soften him now.
Both grim-faced men wore holsters strapped around their hips, and Cooper had his tied down to his muscular thigh. She was used to seeing Cooper wearing a gun—he was rarely without his Colt—but she’d never seen Rand sporting one. Judging by their expressions, they appeared to be on their way to a gunfight…or their own lynching.
At the exact moment when Cooper passed by, he glanced up and saw her. Their eyes met and held. He stopped as though he wanted to come in. Or wanted to say something.
A glimmer of yearning, and something she couldn’t quite decipher, turned his charcoal stare into dark, brooding shadows.
She tried to step back, or at the least let the filmy curtain block his view, but the stron
g pull of his gaze rooted her in place. Unsure what to do, she lifted her hand and gave a tiny wave along with a hesitant smile.
That small action broke the spell binding them.
Cooper returned her smile, the kind that flashed his white teeth for merely an instant before it was gone. He raised two fingers to the brim of his hat in a salute…and winked.
Or maybe he’d done nothing more than react to the sun in his eyes and she was a ninny. She couldn’t be sure of anything where Cooper Thorne was concerned.
Still, she chose to believe that he’d winked. It made her feel special somehow.
When the wink faded, the hardness returned to the lines of his face.
Rand said something to him, and without anything more, they continued down the street. She stood there a good minute watching the tall, lean rancher. With each purposeful stride he made, she could almost hear the jangle of his spurs in the quiet morning.
Wherever he was headed, whatever business he and Rand had, she got the distinct impression that he didn’t want to go.
No amount of speculating would get answers, though. She’d just have to put away her curiosity and get her day started. Being nosy could buy a lot of trouble, and she and trouble had parted company when she came to town.
Dressing quickly, she looked in on Jenny. Sure enough, the woman was awake, so she aided with her morning ablutions and brushed her hair until it shone.
“Mabel tells me she’s been helping you and Violet clean up Granny Ketchum’s house,” Jenny said, leaning back on her pillow, exhausted from moving about.
“That’s right.”
“I wish I could help. I feel so useless.”
“Don’t rush things. You will soon enough.” Delta moved the porcelain bowl of water back to the wash stand. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”
“I’m all ears.”
“What do you think about forming a women’s garden club?”
“In Battle Creek?”
“Yes. If Cooper and his brothers can have a bachelors’ club, then we women can sure have a garden club.”
“But I don’t know much about growing things.”
“You misunderstand. A garden club is just for women to band together and do different things to better the community. What I have in mind is cleaning up the town, painting and fixing up whatever needs done. This town is very special to me and I hate its run-down appearance. If it looked nicer, it might lure new people and businesses.”
Towns were like people. They both needed a direction. From Delta’s point of view, Battle Creek had no clear purpose—it simply moved from one day to the next, dying a little more with each sunset. It broke her heart.
“I see. I think you have a brilliant plan.”
“We need a school and a library. We could form a committee and bring in a teacher.” A memory from her childhood surfaced without warning. In Cedartown, the teacher had urged the children to bring an egg every morning so that she could sell them to help buy books and other things. They could do the same here. Everyone would benefit.
Jenny’s face glowed. “I want my Ben to know how to read and write and learn interesting things. I’ve long despaired of him getting much of a chance.”
“Then, what do you say?”
“Let’s do it.” Jenny threw back the covers as though ready to get up right then and start.
“Wait a minute. You’re not well enough yet.” Delta quickly drew the sheet and quilt back over the woman.
“I’m so excited. You’ve given me hope, given this town hope. Oh, I’m so very glad you found us.”
As though the people of Battle Creek had been lost. Delta smiled, knowing it was she who’d been wandering around waiting for someone to actually see her. No longer was she unseen and unheard, and that brought her such overwhelming joy.
“I don’t know anything about forming a women’s club, Delta.”
“I’ve never done it before either.” When she’d tried to join the club in Cedartown, the members had blocked her, said she wasn’t good enough to associate with them. That had stung her to the quick. Even now she wondered what it would take to be good enough for some people. “I know we have to get the word out, though, and see if other women would want to join. I’ll visit the newspaper office and place an ad. And I’ll put a notice in the mercantile window.”
“I’ll try to think of a name for us to call ourselves.”
“Very good. Something catchy.” Delta’s mind whirled. Maybe she could get the mayor to pass an ordinance, fining people who let their property fall into disrepair. However, that would rile everyone. She didn’t want that. Not when they’d started to accept her.
“Just one word of caution,” Jenny warned. “Battle Creek has been this way as long as I can remember. Folks around here balk at making changes.”
“If they want the town to grow and prosper, they need to make certain improvements. I think they just need someone to show them that this can be a place brimming with all kinds of exciting possibilities.”
Once she got the town on a new path, then maybe she could start to work on fixing the part of her that was broken, the part that harbored her secret shame. Maybe with enough practice she could feel whole again. Yet a part of her wondered if that would ever truly be possible. A warped board that someone had left in the sun and wind and rain could never be straight again. Maybe people were like that sometimes.
All she knew was that she’d try her best. She had to believe that would be enough.
“Let’s set a date for the first meeting.” The words had burst from Delta’s mouth without any warning and she wondered what she was getting herself into.
“How about a week from today?” Jenny suggested.
“I agree.”
This would show Cooper Thorne that he wasn’t the only one who could form a club. Only theirs would do worthwhile things for the betterment of everyone in addition to giving women a voice. Everyone needed a voice, especially those who were weak and downtrodden. If she could give them that, then she’d consider everything worth it.
Later that afternoon, she broke the news to her work detail and Granny Ketchum.
“Hee-hee! You’re gonna make this town sit up and take notice of you, girl. Count me in.” Granny clapped her hands.
“Me too,” said Mabel and Violet at once.
“Thank you.” Delta glanced from one to the other. These women were dear friends, the best kind to have. “I’ll visit the newspaper office on Monday and get it all started. Tell everyone you know.”
With that, they set about cleaning Granny’s house. The old dear followed them from room to room, fiercely clutching an old cigar box under her arm. Did Granny smoke? Somehow that seemed unlikely. She never smelled tobacco when she hugged the woman. Then it dawned on her—the box probably held the important papers Granny spoke about. Delta finally urged the woman to sit down and let them do what they came for.
It made her heart ache to see a lot of the things Granny had initially said she would part with yesterday back where they’d been. But it had driven home an important lesson. She couldn’t make Granny bend to her will. The caring woman had to want it for herself.
After explaining that to Mabel and Violet, they stopped throwing away and instead straightened everything into neat, organized piles.
Hours later, the trio finished the cleaning and gathered their brooms and mops.
Softly closing the door of Granny’s house, her sweeping glance up and down the street took in the peeling paint, dilapidated structures, the burial plot in the center of the street, and the broken planks in the wooden sidewalks.
It would be just a matter of time until she and the rest of the ladies fixed it all up. She’d show Cooper what a few women could do when they put their minds to it.
Even a hardheaded bachelor needed convincing.
&n
bsp; Again she thought about the bold wink and decided that he’d only had something in his eye. The man who’d refused to marry her would never give her a wink.
***
That afternoon, Cooper, with Sheriff Strayhorn’s help, put the finishing touches to his hasty defense plan.
They’d rolled out every wagon they could find and spaced them at intervals across the eastern portion of the ranch, including the opening to the Long Odds. Brett and Rand had brought others and added them to the line. It would make it a lot harder for the raiders to come onto his property now.
Brett wiped his forehead and put his hat back on. “We’re ready for ’em. I think this’ll make ’em think twice.”
“I hope so. Thank you for coming to help, little brother.”
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else—you know that.”
Cooper took in the slender man clad in knee-high moccasins laced over his trousers. He’d heard that Rand gave Brett the soft leathery footwear and that had brought a lump to his throat. Rand had always been the least sentimental of the bunch, and for him to give Brett something that was evidently so treasured made Cooper’s heart smile.
“Things are looking good,” Rand said, joining them. “We’ll run those yahoos back to Missouri so fast, their heads’ll have the dickens keeping up with their feet. I already have my name on the section I want to guard tonight.”
Clapping his middle brother on the back, Cooper had a hard time trusting himself to speak. After several tries, he managed, “You have everything worked out at the saloon?”
“Yep. Even if I didn’t, though, you can bet all the tea in China I’d be right here beside you.”
“I know. And that means more than you’ll ever guess.”
Sheriff Strayhorn ambled over to join them. “I hope all this pays off. Coop, you never told me exactly why this bunch of riffraff wants to kill you.”
Here was the question Cooper feared. To come clean about everything now was impossible. He ducked his head and mumbled, “A long-standing grudge. Happened a while back before Rand, Brett, and I came to Battle Creek.”
“Well, if they show up tonight, they’ll find themselves locked in my jail.”
