by Barbara Goss
Rory scratched his head. “He has to be protecting it somehow because no one has bothered us.”
Spence studied Rory as he spoke, and he believed him. He actually thought the ranch was being protected. Spence had always been a good judge of people. He doubted Rory was in on the crimes because he had nothing to gain. Rory went to church, he prayed before eating…he just wasn’t the criminal type. Spence’s only disappointment in Rory was that he was trying to trade his daughter for the protection of his ranch.
Spence pushed away from the fence. “Thank you for your honesty, Rory.”
“Wait,” Rory called. “If no one is protecting my ranch then why am I letting Asa court my daughter?”
“That’s a good question,” Spence said as he led a horse into the stables.
Rory grabbed Spence’s arm to stop him. “Do you think Asa is behind the land thefts?”
Spence thought carefully before speaking. “Who would benefit the most from stealing land from the farmers?”
Rory frowned. “The land office sets up the sales, but it’s the bank that provides the loans for farmers who finance their homes and barns.”
“And,” Spence said carefully watching Rory’s face, “how might Asa easily acquire your ranch?”
Rory gasped. “No!”
“I’m not making accusations, I’m just pointing out some facts,” Spence said. “If Asa married Glenna, there would only be one thing in his way from owning this ranch.”
Rory gave Spence a worried look. “Me.”
Spence nodded. “Who runs the land office?”
“A man named George Lanahan.”
“What do you know about him?”
Rory shrugged. “I don’t know him well. He has been running the office for about eight years, now. Of course, he and Asa work together a lot since the bank finances a lot of the loans for buildings and such.”
Spence put the horse into a stall. “Has either man spent a great deal of money lately? You know more than usual for what they make?”
Rory rubbed his chin. “Well, Asa built a mansion about six months ago. Bankers usually do well, but the house is rather extravagant. He also bought the salt mine and the factory. I don’t know about George, since I don’t know him well.”
“Have there been any more ‘accidents’ in which men have been forced from their land?”
“Just before you arrived, the Garrisons lost their farm on a hundred acres. The house caught fire and it spread to the barn. The sheriff said it looked like a kerosene lamp had caused it. A crew of men from the salt mine made some extra money by clearing the land, and so far, it’s just sitting there unoccupied. Garrison and his family went back east.”
Spence pulled Lightning from a stall and gently put a saddle on him.
“Are you going to ride him?” Rory asked.
Spence called over his shoulder as he pulled the horse to the corral. “I’m going to try as long as you’re here to pick me up after he throws me.”
He walked Lightning around the corral for several minutes, then stroked him and spoke to him gently. Spence had an apple in his shirt pocket and the stallion kept poking it with his nose—he’d trained Lightning to expect an apple when he obeyed.
Spence put his foot into the stirrup and slowly eased himself up into the saddle. He sat there for several moments before nudging the horse forward with his pelvis. Lightning shook his head and neighed loudly, but he didn’t throw Spence off. They walked slowly around the corral. Rory sat on the corral’s railing, an amazed look on his face.
Spence was careful not to pull the horse’s bridle to make turns. That would be tomorrow’s job. He slid off Lightning and gave him the apple.
Spence had gone in to wash up for dinner when Rosa came out of the kitchen to set the table.
“Hello,” she said. “Dinner is nearly ready, but…Glenna misses coming down to dinner. Would it be too much trouble for you to carry her down to the table and back up afterward? I’d ask her father, but he has a tricky back.”
“Has she said she wanted to come down to eat?”
Rosa blushed and nodded.
“I see. Did she by any chance ask you to request my help?”
Rosa nodded again. “Si.”
Rosa spoke perfect English but reverted to Spanish when she became flustered.
Spence smiled. “I don’t blame her for wanting to get out of the bedroom for a while. Just let me wash up, and I’ll bring her down.”
When Spence walked into the bedroom, Glenna was already dressed for dinner and appeared to be waiting for him.
“Rosa thinks you need a break from this room. Would you like to go downstairs for dinner?” Spence asked. He wouldn’t let on that he knew she’d planned it.
“I’d love to!” Glenna exclaimed.
Spence put one hand beneath Glenna’s knees and the other around her waist. “Put your arms around my neck,” he told her. He carried her down the stairs, concentrating on each step. It would be a bad time to lose his footing and fall with her.
When he reached the bottom, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Am I that heavy?” she asked
“No, you’re as light as a feather. I’ve never carried a person down a flight of stairs before, so I was relieved to finally get it over with.” He carried her into the dining room, set her gently on a chair, and pushed it in for her.
Rory looked up in surprise and smiled at his daughter. “What a nice surprise. Are you sure you feel up to it?”
Glenna smiled. “I felt like a bird in a cage. This is wonderful. Thank you, Spence.”
After dinner, while they were in the sitting room sipping coffee and tea, Rory sighed. “What are we to do, Spence?”
“About what?” Glenna asked.
“Spence and I think Asa might be responsible for all the land thefts.”
Glenna swung her head to look at Spence. “He does have the most to gain.”
Spence nodded. “Now, wait—we have no proof, and I’d hate to condemn someone without evidence of some kind. All I know so far is that he said he was protecting your ranch, and I’ve checked—no one is protecting the ranch, so whoever is the leader of the band of criminals, he doesn’t want this ranch for some reason.”
“I’m glad of that,” Rory said.
Spence held up his index finger. “Unless, they can get it another way. They might not want to damage such a lucrative ranch. They might prefer to get it in mint condition another way.”
Glenna gasped. “Do you mean by marrying me?”
Spence shrugged. “It’s possible.”
Glenna set her cup of tea down on the end table. “That puts me in the middle, here. What should I do?”
Rory emptied his cup and set it down. “Glenna, I think you should tell Asa you don’t want to be courted anymore, and I’ll hire men to guard our ranch.”
“Hire men? From where? Do we have any idea who Asa’s men are?” Spence asked.
Rory sighed. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Spence tapped his chin, deep in thought. “I think if Glenna is willing, we should wait until the cattle drive crew returns. They can guard the ranch, can’t they?”
Rory smiled. “Yes, that’s a great idea.”
Spence and Rory gazed at Glenna who rolled her eyes. “All right. I’ll keep seeing Asa until the crew returns.”
“Will you carry Glenna up, Rory, or shall I?”
“You’d better do it; my back is killing me.”
“All right.” Spence picked Glenna up and carried her up the stairs. Again, the scent of her hair drove him crazy, and why was she holding on to his neck so tightly? She rested her head on his chest.
“Glenna?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in days,” she crooned.
“You can let go now. I’m standing over your bed.”
She lingered for a few moments. Spence wasn’t sure what she was up to, but if she didn�
�t let go soon, he knew he’d end up kissing her.
Glenna looked up at him with wide eyes. “Thank you, Spence.” She finally let him go, and he slid her onto her bed.
Chapter Eight
Glenna was still nursing her sprained ankle, so Asa couldn’t take her anywhere, but he visited every other day. Her father got her some crutches, and she hobbled around the house.
To her absolute delight, the crew returned from the cattle drive before she was off the crutches. Glenna aimed to tell Asa that she didn’t want him to court her anymore the next time he visited, but she’d make sure her father had the crew protecting their boundaries first. The north end of their property had a deep woods that were impassable. Their home, barn, and stables were to the south, viewable from the road, and unlikely to be a target. The river bordered the east side of the property, so the only place from which they could enter would be where the dogs were, on the west end. When no one was home, they’d planned to secure the house, barn and stables, too.
“You’re looking better every time I visit,” Asa said to Glenna when he walked into her room.
“Thank you. Sit down Asa. We need to talk.”
Asa sat near her bed, wearing a worried look. “All right.”
“You’re a very nice man, but there just isn’t any chemistry between us. I don’t think we should continue courting. It’s just not working out.”
Asa twisted his hat in his hands. “Does this have anything to do with your new ranch help, Mr. Blackworm?”
“Blackwood. Not at all. I hardly know him.”
“I was going to carry you down to my buggy and take you to see my house. I hoped it would impress you, and then I planned to propose.”
“You’ll make someone the perfect husband, Asa. You’re smart, rich, and successful, but I couldn’t marry for just those reasons. We’d both end up unhappy. A marriage needs more than that.”
Asa nodded. “I have to admit, I didn’t feel any sparks between us either. I kept hoping, though. You see, you’re the only woman I know who’d make the perfect wife for me because of your upbringing. There aren’t any women in these parts as perfect as you for my wife. Every successful man needs a beautiful, well-bred wife.”
“If you pray for one, God will send you one.”
“Ah…I’m not big on praying.”
“Maybe you need to start.”
“I’ve gotten this far without Him.”
“Yes, you have every material need, but your money won’t keep you warm at night.”
Asa stood. “Thank you for your honesty. And maybe I’ll try that praying. Goodnight, Glenna.”
~~~**~~~
Asa stopped in front of Rory who was sitting by the fireplace, reading as he was leaving. “I guess I won’t be courting your daughter, so I also won’t be protecting your ranch anymore.”
“You never were,” Rory said.
“I was. Who do you think shot at your ranch hand that day? One of my men thought he was up to no good. He was a stranger approaching Glenna.”
“There were some nights the dogs barked, and no one came to see what they were barking at,” Rory said.
“Really? Well, then someone was shirking their duty. I had a few men from the mine watching the property day and night.”
Rory stood. “I think I can handle watching the place myself.”
“Are you sure? I offer a protection plan to all landowners. For just twenty dollars a month I can have men watching your land.”
Rory’s jaw dropped. “You’ve been selling protection?”
“Yes.”
“Is that even legal?”
“The sheriff says it is.”
“I’ll protect my own place,” Rory said as he opened the front door.
Asa walked through the door. “Truthfully, the town needs your beef, so I don’t think your ranch will be hit anyway.”
“Sorry things didn’t work out with you and Glenna. Goodnight, Asa.”
~~~**~~~
Rory relieved Spence of his duties when the cattlemen returned. He and Rory had gone over the plans for the new addition to the barn, and Spence rode into town to look over the stock at the lumberyard. It was a smaller yard than his father’s, but it had what he needed, and he ordered the lumber. Then, he went to the hardware store for nails and tools. After he had everything he needed to start the stables, he stopped into the General Land Office.
An elderly man stood as he entered. “Can I help you?”
Spence removed his hat. “I’m Spence Blackwood, and I’m thinking of buying some land in Salt Creek. I hear there’s been a lot of trouble here with landowners being run off their property, and I am, of course, concerned. What can you tell me about it?”
“Have a seat, Mr. Blackwood. I’m George Lanahan.” When Spence had been seated, he opened his ledger.
“The only farms that were vandalized and chased off land were not land grants.” Lanahan rose and walked over to a tome of large books. He pulled one out, brought it to his desk, and blew the dust from the cover. “Maybe this old book can tell me more.”
Spence watched him flip through the yellowed pages.
“Here it is: a man called Amos Spaulding owned all that land, having purchased the land grant in 1862. He bought the rest of the lots surrounding his place for his children. That’s all that is listed here. I don’t know what became of him or his family.”
“Amos Spaulding.” Spence wrote the name down in his diary. “Any idea who might know where to find Mr. Spaulding?”
George closed the book. “You could try the cemetery or ask some of the older folks in town. I don’t know how these other families came to live on that land unless they were his kin.”
“One man’s name was Smith,” Spence told him.
George shrugged. “Well, he didn’t get the grant from the government.”
Spence stood. “Thank you, Mr. Lanahan. I’ll see what I can find out.”
“If you’re still interested in land, I have only two parcels left. Let me know.”
“I will, thank you.” Spence left the office more confused than when he’d come in.
He wrote in his diary that an Amos Spaulding had originally owned the land.
Spence returned to the ranch and sought Rory out. He found him setting up a branding site in the meadow, building the fire as some of the men were lining up the calves to be branded.
“Do you have a minute, Rory?”
“Sure.” Rory motioned to one of the men who stepped in to continue starting the fire. Rory approached Spence. “Did you get all the building materials?”
“Yes. I have everything, and I can start tomorrow if it doesn’t rain.”
“Good, good.” Rory clapped his back. “I’m excited about this. I want to breed horses.”
Spence bit his lower lip. “I need to ask you a question: do you know a man named Amos Spaulding?”
Rory rubbed his chin and repeated the name. “You know, I do remember the man…well, not him, exactly, but I’ve heard the talk about him. I never met him personally. Rumor has it he owned a large spread somewhere on the other side of town. He bought up four large parcels of the land there for his four boys. His wife died rather suspiciously, and he was arrested and later hanged for killing her by hitting her over the head with a fireplace poker. The four boys were young and sent off to family back east.”
“What happened to all of his land?” Spence asked.
“I don’t know. That’s as much gossip as I remember.”
“Who was sheriff then?”
“Oh, let me think…a man named Sullivan. I don’t recall his first name. A bank robber shot him just a month after the bank opened. He was a darned good sheriff, too. That’s when the town council chose Lester Small. He was pretty useful at first, but now he’s become a lazy drunk.”
“Isn’t Spaulding’s land near where the latest farmers were run off?”
“Could be. It’s in that direction.” Rory smiled. “Say, do you aim to solve this mystery
before you buy land here? If you are, I hope you do. You’d like it here.”
“The thought has crossed my mind. I want to know the answers before I decide.”
Rory sobered. “Well, if you’ve a mind to ever court Glenna, you have my permission, but only if you plan to stay here, in Salt Creek. I couldn’t bear to lose her. She’s all I have.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Rory.” Spence tipped his hat and walked back to the ranch.
Spence had to admit, Glenna McKay sorely tempted him. She was becoming harder to stay away from lately. The way she curled up against him while he carried her up the stairs nearly got her kissed. He’d had to use all the willpower he had not to. She was just the sweetest gal he’d ever met.
He knew Glenna could have married Asa Livingston and lived like a queen for the rest of her life, but instead, he guessed she had her eyes set on him, a man who had nothing to offer her here in Kansas. Staying in Salt Creek was out of the question—he was already homesick for Arkansas.
He walked to the back of the house where Rory had given him a small den to use as a bedroom since the bunkhouse was full, took out his diary, and tried to make himself comfortable on the daybed. It was difficult to maneuver himself as the daybed had arms but no back, and when he turned in the night, the bed moved slightly. His feet were too long for the bed so he had to prop them up on the bed’s arms, or curl up his legs. He propped the pillow up against one of the arms and lay to read his diary.
What had he learned so far? He was fairly sure Rory McKay and Glenna were innocent, and George Lanahan had only worked at the land office for eight years. In the past year, Asa Livingston had built a mansion and bought a salt mine and the salt factory. For whatever reason, the person or persons behind the carnage didn’t want Rory McKay’s ranch. All the people driven away from their farms did not have land grants and had settled on Amos Spaulding’s land. Finally, he learned that Sheriff Lester Small was a lazy drunk.
Spence lay back and closed his eyes. He knew what he had to do next: he had to meet with Asa Livingston, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. He disliked the man, but he had to learn how the men who’d started farms on Spaulding’s land had received the land in the first place.
