by DiAnn Mills
Good-looking piece of property, Wirt said, breaking the silence of their saddles creaking in rhythm to the horses gait. He turned to look behind him. It has the makings of a prime ranch.
My brothers oldest son, John, has managed it for the past four years. The boy looks at work like a challenge, a reason to get out of bed before daylight. Fortunately for Leah, John has a good mind for business and loves the land. Parker wasnt ready to tell Wirt about his fears that Frank may have been involved with the McCaws.
He isnt the first kid forced into the role of a man. Looks like he comes from sturdy stock.
I believe youre right. My father lived and breathed the work of his hands. Parker shifted in the saddle to ease the lingering pain in his ribs.
Wirt chuckled. Hard to believe were starting to agree on a few things.
Im sure there are subjects well differ on. Like Sage.
Any more ideas about how you and Charles Morrow are a burr under Aidens saddle?
The question was eating up his waking and few sleeping hours. Im thinking I might have arrested him for something, which makes sense if Aiden believes the man revealed information to me.
At least its something to go on. Did Sage describe Morrow to you?
Just hearing him speak her name ruffled his feathers. Brown hair. Green eyes. Average build. Nothing more.
No help there. Do you have a record of every man youve ever arrested?
Parker lifted a brow. I have a file of those whove committed murder or stolen horses and cattle during the past eight years while Ive been in office. I looked at that list of names and crimes last night, but nothing shook my memory. On Friday I sent a telegram to Denver with Charles Morrows description. Ill let you know when I hear back.
Dont miss much, do you?
Parker bit back a laugh at the brief hint of admiration. Try not to.
I heard youre running for office in the next election.
Word spread fast. But Parker imagined Wirt had been asking questions. Those are the plans if the folks around these parts will have me.
How does a rancher like you get interested in politics?
Parker gazed up at a red-tailed hawk and grinned. He knew it wasnt Hawk. The bird wouldnt leave Sage as long as she remained in bed. Dont you think Im smart enough?
Not at all. Just curious.
For a few more minutes, Parker let Wirt think he was aggravated before offering an explanation. After seeing what the war did to Virginia, I thought long and hard about being a lawyer. Didnt have any money, but lack of funds never stopped me from finding a way to do things. But Frank wanted to homestead here in Colorado and asked me to go with him. So I tagged along. Since then Ive read books on law, policy making, our Constitution, and kept up with whats going on in our country and state.
Youre a strange man. Most folks care only about what affects them where they live.
Id like to think I was different.
Oh, you are. Wirt chuckled.
Parker chose not to question what he meant. Theyd reached the little road leading down to Leahs cabin, and Parker swung his horse south to follow it. The first hint of trouble was when he spotted the cabin door wide open. Only two possibilities sprang to mind, and neither John nor his horse was in sight, leaving only one. Parker dismounted and drew his gun.
Wirt, steal around to the back of the cabin. Ill go in first.
Wirt nodded and quickly made his way around the small building.
Parker listened for signs of activity inside. John, you in there? Only silence greeted his ears. He climbed the steps and pushed the door to the wall. Chairs were turned over, and Leahs dry goods had been poured on the floor. A bear might have pushed its way inside, but an animal would have eaten the spilled food and the honey working its way through the flour. And an animal didnt wear boots or break Leahs favorite dishes with the red rosebuds. A different set of boot prints had scattered a small stack of wood.
He took long strides to Frank and Leahs bedroom. Clothes and quilts lay in a heap, and the trunk Parker had helped carry into the cabin years ago sat openempty. With gun in hand and his finger resting near the trigger, Parker mounted the steps leading to the loft where the boys slept. Everything lay in shambles.
Wirt, no ones here.
He heard the mans boots pound across the wooden floor. Wirt swore. Somebody was looking for something.
Parker knew whod destroyed Leahs and the boys few belongings. But this ranch would have been the second stop on their search. His ranch hands wouldnt have been ready for a shootout. If the McCaws have been here, theyve already been to my place. Lets go.
A short while later, Parker and Wirt pulled their heaving horses to a halt in front of Parkers cabin. The front door was closed. The men dismounted and again Parker pulled his gun.
Duncan, are you here?
No answer, but that wasnt surprising. Fences needed mending. And yet he feared what he might find.
What do you think? Wirt said. Like before?
Parker nodded and waited until Wirt worked his way behind the cabin. He strode up his front steps and opened the door. His gaze swept around the room. The same disarray met him. Except a man lay on his back beside the fireplace. Blood poured from his chest and trailed across the floor.
Duncan. Parker whispered and stared at the vacant eyes. Regret, fury, and grief swirled like an angry funnel cloud. Murderous animals.
A shadow blocked the light in the doorway. A friend?
More like a brother.
Evening shadows traversed the sky as Sage watched Hawk through the window of her bedroom. The bird surveyed the area around him, then cast his sights through the window at her. Tall Elk told her five years ago that Hawk would be her protector, and the bird had lived up to his destiny. He watched, guarded.
Odd that she hadnt seen Parker today. Usually he brought supper from the hotel, which helped Mrs. Slader. Her nine boys ate everything but the table and chairs. Although Sage shouldnt look forward to his visits, she longed to see his face, hear his voice and the sound of his laughter. The deep voice of Doctor Slader seized her attention. He spoke the name of Parker. She held her breath and waited until the light rap sounded on her door.
Come in. Anticipation warmed her.
Parker stepped inside, hat in hand, his face a mask of stone.
Whats wrong? She caught his gaze and read the misery.
He eased down onto the chair beside her bed and picked up her hand. She didnt protest, not with the agony etched across his face. Wirt Zimmerman and I rode out to Leahs ranch. Someone had ransacked their house, left it a mess. Figuring it was Aiden and his gang, we rode on over to my place. Found the same thing, except my foreman had been shot in the chest. Then the rain set in and washed away their tracks.
The McCaws. Sage held her breath. How many more friends would Parker lose before the gang was stopped? Im so sorry. What about his family?
All in Arkansas. Hewas a good man. Like a brother to me. Wirt and I took his body to the undertakers.
You shouldnt have come here, not with the tragic news and your duties as marshal.
He dragged his tongue across his lower lip. This is where I wanted to be. Needed to be.
She read so much more in his words than grief for a good friend. But it was wrong. Leah and her sons needed Parker. Sage had nothing to offer but a clouded past and a heritage that would stand in the way of his aspiring future. I have to get out of this bed and help you stop the McCaws.
Not tonight. Not even tomorrow or the next day. The best way you can help me is to regain your strength.
His words addressed the truth, and yet she fought the urge to argue. He hurt, and she wanted to help him work through the loss. Tell me about your foreman.
Parker lightly squeezed her hand. Duncan worked for me about nine years. He did whatever was neededeven cooked. He listened when I needed to talk. I listened when he needed to talk. I trusted him with everything. When work at my ranch was caught up, he rode over to help John. He paused. Be
fore today, I made my peace with God. Gave Him my anger and bitterness about Oden and Frank. Right now Id like to yank it all back.
Sage understood his emotions, although she had no intention of making any peace with God. I know youll do what is right. Youre too good of a man to allow Aiden to get the best of you.
Do you? Because right now Id like nothing better than to kill him and his brothers with my bare hands.
I understand. But you wont. Youll remember what is noble and follow what the law requires.
They said nothing for a few minutes, and for the first time Sage wished she could give up the blackness of her own soul.
I need to leave, he said. I want to talk to Preacher Waller about Duncan. Make sure he gets a good send-off into Glory.
Im sure you know the right words to explain how you feel.
He smiled. Thanks for listening. Im glad I didnt insist on you recuperating at my ranch. Because then Id be facing two more killings. I feel better. You always make me feel better. He paused, and something in his eyes softened. Sage, you mean a lot to me. I
She pulled her hand from his grasp. Parker, dont say anything that youll regret later.
Are you telling me that you have no feelings for me?
She pressed her lips together, while an inner war raged. Lying did not become her. Neither could she encourage him on a path that would lead to his destruction. He must not have heard what Preacher Waller had said about them, and she wasnt going to discuss the matter with him now. When this is over, youll see that you turned to me at a time when life seemed to turn against you.
Parker stood and fingered the brim of his hat. The face once bathed in despair now held only tenderness. No, I havent. Wait and see. You and I will be together.
THIRTY-ONE
Aiden watched Rex guide his horse up the winding mountain trail to where theyd made camp. Good thing his brothers had seen Rex get cleaned up a few days ago, or hed been shot by now.
Aiden cursed and turned to Mitch. We picked Parkers and his brothers ranch clean and didnt find a thing. Theyd left both places in shamblesfrom the cooking area to the bedrooms. No hidden doors or empty areas beneath the floor. Theyd even gone through the tack and feed in the barns in an effort to find the money. Parker and another man almost rode in on what they were doing at Franks ranch. But Jeb had done a good job in warning them.
Aiden strongly considered riding into town and blowing another hole in Sage Morrow and ridding the town of one no-account marshal.
I see that look on your face, Mitch said. If you want to head to Rocky Falls and kill those two and anyone else who gets in our way, Im in.
Aiden couldnt speak for anger swelling his head. He had to calm down. Riding off without a plan could get them killed. Parker could have a dozen men waiting for them.
Then there was the money. With Parker and Sage dead, the McCaws would never see it. The past two years would be wasted. Karls death for nothin. Quincys sufferin for nothin. Aiden didnt have a choice, and he hated giving any man, much less a woman, that much power.
Once Rex rides in, I want to see him right away, Aiden called to Jeb.
His brother waved in response. Some days Jeb acted simple, and other days he was real smart. This wasnt one of the smart days. All hed done was complain about everything from the rain to the lack of flour and sugar.
Aiden paced the camp for the next hour until Rex rode in. Water from the afternoon downpour dripped off his brothers hat and slicker. He did look real goodalmost respectable.
Good to see you survived proper folk. Any luck in Rocky Falls?
Rex flashed his teethhe was the only one of the brothers who had a decent mouthful, and he wasnt one to let the others forget. Best news came right from the preacher.
Church folk always claimed to be doing good when they were really making life miserable for others. Come on over here and get yourself a hot mug of coffee. What happened?
Rex traipsed through the mud and found an empty mug by the fire. He eased down on a log beside Aiden. I stayed at the hotel. Liked to have killed me to leave good whiskey and women alone, but I did. Bought a few provisions at the general store. Talked to folks like you said. And then I went to church on Sunday morning. Got an earful.
Aiden licked his lips and watched Rex take a big gulp of coffee. So what did you hear that we can use?
Rex grinned. Looks like the preacher and Parker arent seeing eye-to-eye on a few things. The deputys widow and kids are staying with the preacher, except the older boy. Hes sleeping at the jail with Parker. The preacher said from the pulpit that Parker was unfit to be marshal because when he and Sage rode in, she was wearin his shirt and they spent nights together in the mountains. Rex started laughing. Aiden, do you know how stupid that is? Sage was all shot up, and the preachers complaining about her clothes.
Aiden had to think about this for a while. If Parker wasnt wearing a badge, then he and Sage would have more use for the money. The latest twist of events might not have played Aiden a bad hand after all. Is the preacher askin folks to get rid of him?
He said only a fool would want Parker as marshal. He asked them if God would vote for a man who spent all those nights in the mountains alone with a woman that wasnt his wife.
Great luck. Yeah, this was going to work out just fine. So Sage is recovering?
I heard an old woman at the hotel say shed been sitting with Sage at the docs house, and I watched the marshal head there a few times. Oh, and a US Marshal is in town. A yellow-headed feller who asks a lot of questions. His names Wirt Zimmerman.
Never heard of him. Good job, Rex. Were that much closer to gettin our money and making them two pay for all the trouble theyve caused us. Id hoped to find it at one of the Timmonss ranches. In factAiden slapped his kneeI think Ill send you back there in a few days to stir up some more trouble. Dont you imagine Parker and Sage are gettin real personal at the docs place? Makes me wonder about a marshal who spends more time with a woman than tending to his job.
Bet so. Rex waved at Mitch and Quincy. Id be glad to ride back to town. Maybe Ill be Rocky Falls next marshal. Ill see if your money has bought any more information. I saw her working the saloon, but I stayed clear.
I bet them other girls at the saloon know that US Marshal real well too. Aiden let his mind twist and turn with the possibilities.
I can give the preacher plenty to talk about.
And rile folks up about the marshal spending more time courtin than bringing those McCaws to justice for the killings they done.
Ill spend more time at church. They have church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and a Wednesday night prayer meetin. All that God and singin and prayin would drive me to drink. He laughed.
Aiden took a deep breath, and satisfaction rose from his boots to his hat. Time to bring out the bottle of whiskey hed been hiding from his brothers.
THIRTY-TWO
With all of Sages grand intentions to recover faster than Doc Slader predicted, she still slept much of Tuesday and Wednesday, even when she refused the wine-tasting laudanum. In her waking moments, she wondered if her past gun wounds had slowed her healing or if shed truly been injured that badly. Doc claimed shed overdone it with well-meaning visitors, and she was inclined to agree. She longed to be whole againto be outside and feel the warm July sun on her face. Eight years ago, when the McCaws had finished with her, it took weeks to recover. But now she didnt have time for such nonsense. She had business with Aiden and Mitch McCaw.
Leah came by every morning and Bess in the afternoon. Parker stole moments to see her, but she wished he wouldnt. With Duncans funeral behind him, he appeared more determined to coax the McCaws out into the open where he could deal with them. Yet he talked logically, not with the intensity of a man half-crazed by too many senseless deaths. Every time she saw him made it more difficult to tell him good-bye and ignore the tender feelings building in her heart. As much as she wanted to forget his words of endearment, they entered her mind unbidden and spun magic that she couldnt w
ill away.
Sage closed her eyes and allowed sleep to close her thoughts and heal her body. What knowledge did Charles carry to his death? The money the McCaws killed him for? Had they been unable to locate it and were still looking? Seven years seemed like a long time for them to carry a vendetta. It had to be a tidy sum. But then again, why hadnt they come after her when she first recovered? The questions, the endless ponderingsspeculations that battled her wits while the McCaws left a trail of blood in their wake.
Tuesday afternoon, Parker detected Wirt had something worrying him. Granted, all their talking hadnt gotten them a single deputy, but that didnt mean either man had given up on forming a posse to go after Aiden and his bloodthirsty brothers. Parker and Wirt sat at the hotel dining room with a map of the area spread over the tablefrom Rocky Falls to Estes Park and on to where the gang had taken John and Davis.
Whats on your mind? Parker said.
Rumors thick as mud.
You might as well tell me.
Why dont you tell me why you arent on Preacher Wallers list of upstanding citizens.
Parker nearly groaned. Whats he done now?
This morning I overheard a couple of women at the general store talking about church. The good preacher doesnt believe youre fit to be the towns marshal.
And Parker knew why. Let me guess. When Sage and I rode in, she was wearing my shirt. No matter that she was near dead. Waller took offense to the shirt and the nights in the mountains alone.
That goes along with the local talk. Next time ask Aiden to chaperone. Maybe youll stay out of trouble. Is it just me, or is the preacher a little quick to condemn?
The latter. But Im not his favorite citizen right now. Did you hear anything else? Hate to be relieved of my job before rounding up the McCaws. However, Ill bring them in with or without a badge.
