The Cowboy's Make Believe Bride

by Kristi Rose

“Mrs. Z said she was bringing in some for breeding since her herds gotten thin,” Cori supplied.

  “She's an easy mark,” Deke added.

  “We need to find out if anyone else has brought some new cows in,” Fort said.

  Cricket said, “Cori and I are meeting some of the women this week to nail down the specifics for your wedding. We'll just move it up to tomorrow and see if we can get info out of them.”

  “Wait, y'all are getting married...soon?” Deke asked.

  “Apparently in a few weeks,” Fort said.

  Deke threw back his head and laughed a deep, belly one. “Oh, that's rich,” he said between fits of mirth. “Town won't let you drag your feet this time Besingame.”

  “Also means they aren't sold on you,” Cricket pointed out.

  Deke's laughter faded but his smile stayed. “I don't care, Cricket. Fort's the better candidate for sheriff anyway. I'll be all right if I don't get the job.”

  Fort held up a hand in question. “All that trash talk—”

  “Was to get you to run. I'll take the job and try my best, but I won't stay in it. I'll move on.”

  “Up,” Cricket said with heavy sarcasm.

  “Yes, Cricket, I have aspirations. I also have feelings for you that, apparently, I'm only allowed to display under the shadow of darkness.”

  “You were married to my sister,” she cried.

  “Laura has been gone five years.”

  “Doesn't matter. What will people say about us being together? What will my family say about us? Can you imagine reading your bio if you were commissioner? ‘Married all the girls in one family.’ It could never work.” Cricket looked like she could cry.

  “You're being ridiculous,” Deke said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

  “This is all very interesting,” Fort interjected, “but can we get back to the real issue? Cattle thieves.”

  “I've been trying to work it out,” Cori said. “How are they getting the cattle out without a trace?”

  “The train,” Deke and Fort said in unison.

  “How?” Cori asked and glanced at Cricket, whose puzzled expression matched Cori's confusion.

  “The midnight crawler stops for about an hour. Sometimes more. They could load then,” Fort said. “I should have put it together yesterday.” He grunted with self-disgust.

  “I don't get it,” Cricket said.

  Deke said, “When you go in with guns blazing, so to speak, and take as many cows as you can get in one swoop, you bring all the attention to you until you’re caught or the trail runs cold. If you do it in pieces, quietly, at night, people are slower to react. A person could make away with a good number, a few hundred head, before anyone is the wiser.”

  “Try over a thousand. Between us, Bison's Prairie, and Elk's Pass,” Fort said. “I have a number from four different counties. We're well into the thousands overall.”

  Deke gave a low whistle. “So they take the cows, how?”

  “By walking them out of the herd. Broad daylight. The dry earth leaves no sign. They know the ranchers schedule and work around it. Lead the cow out like a kid walking a dog,” Fort said.

  “Let them graze down in the valley behind the cabin, which is great pastureland,” Deke added.

  “From there I bet they transport them to the train.” Fort was looking at Deke.

  “Tomorrow, you stake out the cabin, and I'll take the pasture and train,” Deke said.

  Fort nodded. “We're gonna need to collect as much evidence as we can before we spring into action. This crew is crafty. I imagine we're looking at a crew with about...” He paused to calculate in his head.

  “Including Conway and Brody, there were four others at the bar,” Cori contributed.

  “Conway is the eyes and ears in town. So when you ladies are pumping info from the women tomorrow, be careful,” Deke said. “Cricket, you hear me?”

  “I'm not talking to you anymore,” she said and looked away from him.

  “Back to this?” He shook his head.

  “I can get photos,” Cori suggested. “Photos might help.”

  “No!” Deke and Fort said in unison.

  “Let us handle this,” Fort said. “It’s our job. You've already helped a bunch,” he added and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You and Cricket need to be at the diner first thing to find out who might be missing cattle or getting some new heads in.”

  “I'm sorry,” she said softly to him. “I'm really sorry,” she told the others.

  “I can't imagine whatever for,” Cricket said.

  “This is not your fault,” Fort said.

  Cori waved off his words. “Maybe not. But this isn’t over, and if I know my dad, and I do, bad things are gonna happen if these guys catch so much as a hint y'all know what they're up to. These aren't guys who run away quietly and leave behind what they started. They'll try and get what they can before they split,” she cautioned. “No, you'll have to be very careful. These guys wouldn't think twice of taking you out just to get the last of their count.”

  Cori's omen hung in the air, a thick cloud of icy cold truth that left goose bumps on her arms.

  24

  Heavy, gray clouds hung over Wolf Creek the next morning. Checking her weather app, Cori saw bad weather was expected. Finally, after months of dry days, a humdinger of a storm was heading their way, lightning and all. It felt like a sign from the universe that they should rethink everything.

  Wearing a false smile, Cori met Cricket at the diner at the designated time. Mrs. Z and Mrs. Williams were waiting. Cricket had called them the night before, using the ruse of wedding planning to get them to the diner. She and Cori agreed to let Cricket bring up the missing cattle and hoped things would take off from there.

  She and Cricket made it through the wedding talk, Cori deciding on a lavender dress for her bridesmaid, Cricket, because her friend happened to have a new dress of that specific color hanging in her closet. Flowers would be hydrangeas and food would be simple.

  Secretly, the entire event sounded lovely. Perfect for her. Knowing it wouldn't happen made her want to burst into tears. In the short time she'd been here, she'd sadly experienced more days of happiness then she'd had over the last ten years. Even when fighting with Fort in the early days. If this pretend life became real, she wouldn’t object. Secretly, she hoped it would. Not that she was expecting Fort to marry her. No, they'd need more than the few good days of sexy-time to build a foundation. Heck, she wasn't even sure she was needed anymore, or even if Deke was still planning on running. Maybe there was some way around this entire mess, a way that ended with her staying.

  Possibly. Doubtfully. Hopefully.

  Cori mentally pushed away the myriad of thoughts confusing her. She needed to stick to the task. Catching these cattle rustlers and finding out if her dad's hand was in it.

  Her stomach was a mess of knots and twisting tension. Breakfast with the other women was difficult. Even Cricket appeared to be having a hard time focusing, so much that Mrs. Z point-blank asked them what was going on.

  Cori used her lack of sleep to her benefit and yawned, touting a late night with a wink. Cricket brought up missing cattle from her family's ranch, which opened the door for the conversation they were trying to have.

  Only Mrs. Z had anything to contribute, telling the others that her foreman was out of town purchasing cattle for her ranch. He wouldn't be back for a few days. Nothing that would help Fort and Deke with the current situation.

  Cori noticed Conway sitting in the corner, nursing coffee. She was slightly impressed with his ability to drink so heavily and function the next day. Had it been her, she probably would still be in bed sleeping it off. At the very least, if she was tasked with scouting out incoming herds like she assumed Witty was, she would need to write down the info in order to be correct later when relaying it.

  No one else took Cricket's bait, and the women had nothing to pass along to Deke and Fort. They excused themselves using the news
paper as their reason to leave.

  “Okay,” Cricket said as they walked to the newspaper office. “We suck. As detectives.”

  Cori grunted her agreement.

  “What can we do to stay busy?” She'd texted Deke and Fort their dismal results.

  Cori stopped walking. Across the square, small children were playing while their mother's chatted, businesses were opening for the day, and the streets of Wolf Creek were unrolling. People were trying to get their business done before the storm broke. She wasn't about to let her father destroy another town.

  “Cori?”

  “I've got to do something. I can't sit here and do nothing.” She chewed her thumbnail. When her phone chimed, she pulled it out. She glanced at the screen and groaned. “Are you okay sitting in the office and waiting for Deke to tell you to come out from hiding?”

  “What? What's happened?” Cricket said, then snatched the phone from Cori. “What's the National Picture Contest?” Confusion was written on her face.

  Cori took her phone back and erased the reminder that she'd set. “It’s a photography contest that I had hoped to enter.” She tossed her phone back into her camera bag.

  Cricket crossed her arms and arched her brow. “Why does it sound like you aren't going to enter?”

  “Because I don't have anything good to send. A picture should tell a story, and everything I have needs more words to explain. Plus, many are landscape, and those don't really win. I'll try again next year.”

  Cricket’s raised brow furrowed. “Have you entered before?”

  Cori nodded. “A few times. Every year I get my hopes up that I'll have a picture that will knock their socks off.”

  “And not this year?” Cricket dropped her crossed arms.

  “I've got more photos of Deke and Witty than anything.” Cori rolled her eyes.

  “What if I told you I know a place that merges old world with new. It's breathtaking. It might not be the picture you want to take, but it might be worth submitting.”

  “I'd beg you to take me to it.” Cori grinned, excited for something purposeful to do.

  They both looked up at the clouds. “We better hurry,” Cricket said.

  They rushed to Cricket's SUV, and while Cricket drove, Cori prepped her camera. They drove west, away from Fort's family's ranch, and turned off on a dirt road that pointed toward the foothills.

  “It's nice to have the distraction,” Cricket said as they bumped along. “Beyond those mountains is Yellowstone, but the springs aren't contained to that area alone.” They crossed over railroad tracks and went off-road down a hill.

  Cricket pulled the SUV to the side and pointed through some trees. “We're going that way.”

  More clouds had rolled in, and lightning arced across the sky.

  Cori laughed. “Nothing like cutting it close.”

  They walked fast into the woods, a freshly trodden path leading the way.

  “Do people come out here often?” Cori pinched her nose. The sulfuric odor was strong, putting her off eggs for the foreseeable future.

  “We did a lot as kids. I suppose it still goes on. You'll get used to the smell.”

  The copse of trees broke open to reveal a hot spring. It was stunning. A contrast of vivid color and black and white. In the center, rimmed in deep golden yellow, was a spring of water that turned bluer as the eye drew to the center. Trees with white trunks resembling barren sticks surrounded the area. Shades of brown and yellow added to the desolate feel and yet, ten feet beyond were green hills, browned at the roots from the dry earth. Full evergreen trees stood tall surrounding the area like sentinels. In sunlight, the place would be breathtaking, sparkling. With the day being overcast, shadows hung near trees and whispered a foreboding message. Though the colors bounced off the landscape, the shadows clung. With the right lens, the landscape would be almost eerie. As if offering two paths of humanity, light or dark, only the choice was left to be made.

  Cori took several shots from different perspectives using a variety of lenses, stopping only when a few large drops of rain splashed around her. Lightning cracked overhead.

  “We should go,” Cricket yelled and waved Cori to follow her.

  “I want to see what it looks like in the rain,” Cori called back.

  But as soon as the drops began to fall, they stopped. Lightning arched across the sky.

  “This isn't good,” Cricket said while staring up.

  No, indeed it was not. Rain was a wanted and welcome visitor, but the lightning with the dry earth was not.

  Another flash.

  Cori laid on her side and angled the camera to capture both the landscape and the sky, hoping for a shot of the lightning.

  Thunder boomed, and she pressed the shutter. Another bolt streaked across.

  “Cori!” Cricket had come up next to her and nudged her with her shoe. She waved for her to follow, then took off through the trees.

  Cori jumped to her feet and, staying among the trees, wove her way to Cricket.

  “I saw something,” Cricket said and pointed through the trees. “Look.”

  Cori held up her camera and used the lens to bring the image in closer. “It's a truck,” she whispered. “With a cattle trailer.” Cori glanced at Cricket.

  “I don't have phone service out here,” Cricket said next to her, their heads together.

  “I recognize one of the guys from Bruno's.” Instinctively, Cori pressed the shutter.

  “They're by the train tracks,” Cricket pointed out.

  “Do you think this is where they're loading them?” If so, then Fort and Deke were in the wrong place.

  Uncertain, Cricket grimaced, then pointed to her SUV. Cori nodded.

  They made sure not to slam their doors, which was pointless since Cricket had to turn the engine over.

  “Wait for thunder,” Cori suggested. They waited for the flash of light and the immediate following boom of thunder. Cricket's timing was perfect, and the engine purred to life.

  “Can we get past them? Are they blocking our way out?” Cori asked, looking over her shoulder. She'd only seen the one way in.

  Cricket nodded. “My dad used to let Laura, our brother, and I drive his beat-up old truck even before we had licenses. Sometimes he would take us out to the prairie and we'd do donuts and stuff. Or he'd take us out in the snow and teach us how to manage that. When we were old enough to drive, we'd go out with brother and do much of the same. So buckle your seat belt. It appears I've been training for this moment all my life.”

  She flung an arm over the back of the seat, twisting to look out the back window, then gunned it. Cricket backed down the trail at a speed that made Cori's stomach roll with apprehension and fear. They flew backward out of the trees and lurched to a stop on the other side of the path out.

  Both Cricket and Cori looked out the driver's side window at the cattle rustlers. Cori lifted her camera and grabbed some more shots. The two men stood mouths’ agape, staring at them for a frozen moment. Then one lurched, and another came running out from the woods, gun in hand.

  It was Brody.

  Cricket threw the SUV into drive and punched the gas. They sprung forward, jerked to the right, and shot out onto the path. The SUV fishtailed, but Cricket kept it under control. They flew down the dirt path, hitting every bump known to man and some extras. Once, Cori's head hit the roof, her teeth banging painfully together.

  “Keep checking for a signal,” Cricket shouted as they crested up on what would be considered a speed bump in suburbia. The SUV caught air and flew forward only to quickly drop like a lead ball, slamming onto the ground on its tires.

  Cori screamed. Cricket hooted with joy. They sped away.

  They hit the county road at breakneck speed. Pulling out in front of another car in a squeal of tires, leaving it far behind them seconds later.

  “I have a signal,” Cori cried out and hit speed dial for Fort.

  Lightning lit up the dark sky, thunder vibrated the earth, and the heaven
s opened up. Rain pummeled the SUV, making it hard to hear.

  “He's not answering,” Cori cried while hanging up. She redialed.

  Nothing.

  “Try Deke.” Cricket handed Cori her phone.

  She sent the call through and waited, desperate to reach one of them. “He's not answering either.” Panic made her voice sound shrill.

  The woman shared identical looks of fear.

  “Oh, my word! What's that?” Cori pointed beyond the window where a streak of gray smoke lifted from the ground to the sky.

  25

  Deke and Fort parked their trucks a half mile past the cabin into the deep woods and hiked their way in, Deke splitting off to go toward the creek and railroad tracks.

  Large thunderheads rolled across the sky, making the midday hour feel more like evening. Fort guessed the temperature dropped at least ten degrees. If he was to take the dark sky as an indication of how today was going to go, he'd cancel. Stay home with Cori, doing easy things like feeding the horses or changing out salt blocks. His gut was the second indicator that today was going to bring trouble. Like he'd known a building in Afghanistan was rigged, he knew this day would bring bad shit.

  He picked his way around the cabin, looking for signs of people moving about, coming or going. Fort stopped and waited every few feet, being as still as the woodland animals, which was another bad sign. The wind whipped the tree branches around in all directions but the birds and animals were quiet.

  The plan was for Fort to approach the cabin and confront the guys for illegally using the place. Force them into action. Last night, Fort had read Tinsdale in on the situation, and the sheriff had contacted neighboring county sheriffs. Deputies were strategically placed on all roads out of Wolf Creek in hopes of catching these guys red-handed.

  Deke texted. 6 head down by creek. No tags or brands.

  The question to ask was if someone was bringing more heads as Deke and Fort waited, or was this the haul and tonight they would load it on the train?

  Fort hunkered down next to an evergreen, hoping the branches would provide some relief from the impending rain. He glanced at the sky. He needed the rain to hold until these guys made their move. Twenty yards in front of him was the cabin. Parked beside it was the same beat-up white and blue truck Witty and Brody had been seen in. Inside, he could see a shadow moving around. Fort guessed they were using candles based on how the light flickered. It was too difficult to tell if there were one or two people inside.