His thoughts turned to the livestock. If the cattle were going to have any chance at surviving, he would need to get back down to the winter pastures with Virg and the other hands to shovel out as much snow as possible and spread out fresh hay for the Herefords to eat. At least they’d gotten several wind fences and snow barriers raised before the storm and he prayed that they’d been able to withstand the heavy snow that had fallen through the night.
Noah pulled open the door and pushed through the drift that had accumulated there. While the snowfall was nearly two feet deep, he was comforted that the storm had only lasted the better part of a few hours.
He made his way to the side of the cabin where he’d left the wagon and was relieved to see that Dell had at least unhitched the horses, leaving only the buckboard behind and giving them a fighting chance. Another carriage of sorts peeked out from behind the cabin, but he was in no condition to explore right now. Not in the deep snow.
The corral was empty and only scooped hills and vales in the snow gave any indication as to what direction they had gone. Westward. Toward town.
Noah guessed that another hour had passed by the time Kate opened her eyes. He’d found a roll of jerky strips wrapped in cheesecloth in a box on the hearth and a sack with several apples and a tin of tobacco under the table. Not that they’d have any use for the snuff.
He dragged the chair over to the edge of the bed and held out an apple and some of the jerky for her.
“I’m afraid it’s nothing like what Fannie can cook up for you.”
She snatched the fruit from his hand and bit into its crisp flesh.
It wasn’t until then that he noticed her newly scabbed wrists, the skin red and angry. He reached out and took her hands in his in order to inspect them more closely, then he glanced up at her, scrunching his brows together in concern.
“We got free,” she said with a simple shrug, still chewing her bite of apple.
“That we did.” He didn’t let go of her hands, but held them up in front of his face. “Thank you,” he said as he placed a kiss on one wrist. “You are an amazing woman, Kate Callahan.” He kissed the other wrist.
She smiled softly and swallowed.
“Thank you,” she replied, “for trusting me. For listening to me. For taking care of me and my blasted foot.”
They both laughed.
“And, for…waiting.” Her honey eyes met his, and she bit her lip.
Noah leaned forward, wanting desperately to taste again of her apple-laced lips. She closed her eyes expectantly.
The kitty jumped up onto the bed and into Kate’s lap, startling her. She jumped backward, her eyes shooting open with surprise. When she saw the visitor, she placed a hand over her heart before reaching down and picking him up so that his face was parallel with hers.
“Who is this little thing?” she asked, her crinkled brow evidence she hadn’t know the kitten had been there either.
“He must have found a way in when it started getting cold. I think he’s warm enough though as he’s been darting around the room all morning.”
“Flash,” Kate said with a nod. “He’s like a little flash of lightning, striking when you least expect it.”
They laughed again as Flash sniffed at the jerky in Noah’s hand. He stood and coaxed the kitty away from Kate, setting him on the floor where he’d placed a small cup of water from the bucket.
“Noooaaaahhhh!”
“Kaaaaaaate!”
“Did you hear that?” Kate asked, inching to the edge of the bed and gingerly standing up.
Noah strode to the door, peeking out the small window before swinging it wide.
“It’s Levi,” he announced, turning back to look at her.
She limped across the room and joined him at the door.
He placed his arm at her waist, holding her close to him, and they both raised their hands high into the air and waved.
“We’re in here!” he shouted, his hand cupping his mouth. Though, as he looked down at Kate’s smiling face, he almost wished they hadn’t been found so quickly.
Almost.
Chapter Seventeen
“We found him on our way out this morning to look for the both of you.” Levi motioned to the body wrapped in a sheet and strung over the back of Virg’s horse. “His mount must’ve thrown him. He’s got a large gash in the back of his head.”
It all seemed like one long nightmare and Kate just wanted it to be over.
Noah recounted what had happened with Dell in the cabin, while cuddling a still sleeping Flash in the underside of the wool blanket wrapped around him.
“Who’s the other one?” he asked, pointing with his nose at the other body strung over the back of Eamon’s horse. “He our shooter?”
Levi lifted back the sheet and a white boater hat fell to the ground.
Gregory Stiles.
“We’re not sure how he was involved, but there’s no question he’s the one who shot you,” Levi said grimly.
Kate opened the blanket and pulled out the papers she’d snatched from the table before they’d left the cabin, handing them to Eamon.
“Maybe these will help.”
The Pinkerton scanned several pieces of the parchment and then looked up at Kate. “Where did you get these?”
“They were in the cabin. I almost burned them.”
“Good thing you didn’t. Do you know what you have found here?” he asked, handing them to Noah.
Flash jumped down out of Noah’s arms and scampered across the snow, dashing from one location to another until he ran up the stairs and perched himself on the cleared porch railing, watching the goings on.
“Looks like you found a furry little friend,” Levi nudged Noah.
“He’s quite a survivor,” Noah said as he glanced to the paper’s Kate had found. “I imagine he’ll keep vermin out of the house.”
Kate looked back at Eamon. “Something told me they were important, but I didn’t get a chance to look at them.”
“They are detailed plans, outlining several heists, rustling jobs, and…”
“The murder of your father,” Noah said quietly as he turned the next page, reading intently.
She stared at him, his words not registering properly with her.
“I’m sorry? What about my father’s murder?”
Noah looked up at her.
“It was Stiles, Kate. He’s the one who killed your father. It looks like he, Dell, and Clifford Thomas were all working together.”
Kate shook her head. It couldn’t be. Dell would have never allowed anyone to…to…
“You must be mistaken. Marshal Long killed my father,” she insisted. “For White Willow. Just like he killed so many others for their ranches.” She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince more, herself or the others.
“The correspondence is all right here. Gregory Stiles was no businessman from back East. He’s a cattle rustler and a thief. Been living up in that cabin a yours in the east pasture since your father died, waiting, scheming to get this land.”
“But, why? Why did he want this land so badly? It’s mostly just open range farmland and mountains.” She loved her land, but would gladly have given it all up to have her father back.
“I’m sorry, Kate,” Levi said, putting an arm around her shoulders.
All the pain, the anger, the sorrow came flooding back in one giant wave of emotion, and she turned into him, not wanting Noah or the others to see her cry. She wanted Mr. Deardon, no, needed him to believe she was strong.
“There’s some sort of chart here that diagrams all of White Willow Ranch, in its entirety. Look at this.”
Kate waited a moment, sure her eyes would be red and puffy. She sniffled, then, reluctantly, she pushed herself away from Levi to stand next to Noah and see what he was talking about.
He handed her a handkerchief and she wiped her eyes.
“If this schematic is correct, it looks like this land—especially the mountain areas are a wealth
of natural commodities.”
“No wonder they wanted it,” Levi said, looking over Noah’s shoulder.
“Besides,” Eamon chimed in, “the ranch was a good front for the stolen cattle. No one would have questioned the beef from a well-respected rancher.”
“Excuse me, Miss Callahan,” Virg stepped up, hat in his hand. “I apologize for interruptin’ ma’am, but there’s something I think you need to see.”
They followed the hired hand out to the barn. Several pathways had already been cleared between the buildings and Kate noticed a few large mounds of snow, nearly as tall as haystacks, in the pasture where a large section had been shoveled away from the ground. The towering open barn at the far edge of the biggest corral had also been cleared and a couple hundred head of cattle grazed on the hay someone had spread there.
“Virg?” she asked before he opened the oversized barn doors. “Did you do all that?” She pointed at the fields.
“I helped,” he said as he swung the doors wide open.
Amidst the animals on either side, there in the middle of the barn lay Cal, his hands and feet tied together like a new calf going in for branding, his mouth bound with a cloth gag.
“Virg, why is Cal tied up?” Kate asked as she rushed forward to help the hand.
When she reached him, there was a piece of paper attached to his ropes that read in large, black letters, “RUSTLER.”
Kate ripped the tag from him and turned it to show the others. She stepped back as the man struggled, shaking his head wildly, and attempting to speak. She reached down and untied the gag from behind his head.
“He’s crazy, Miss Callahan. Don’t believe a word he says.”
“Who, Virg?” she asked, her brows crumpled.
“No, the new fella. Everett.”
She looked back at Virg and the others. She hadn’t hired anyone new since before her father died. The only extra sets of hands they’d had on the ranch were…
No. Couldn’t be.
“Everett?” she asked. “Mason Everett?”
“I don’t know,” Cal spat, emphasizing each word. “He came into the bunkhouse last night, just as the storm was starting, and took charge like he owned the place. Now, will you get me out of these things?”
“Not just yet,” Kate replied, daring a glance at Noah.
He watched her with a raised brow.
“You know this Everett fella?” Noah asked as she returned to them.
How could she explain Mr. Everett to Noah? The letters? His intentions? She had told him about the man, but now that he was here, she didn’t know what to say.
“No one wanted to work for a woman!” Cal called out, pulling Kate from her thoughts. “But I stayed, didn’t I?”
Noah strode into the barn and dropped down onto his haunches. “Why does this Everett character think you’re a rustler, Cal?”
“I ain’t never stole nothin’.”
“Cal?” Noah’s voice held a warning.
The hired hand dropped his head. “I didn’t steal from anyone, I swear, but I didn’t stop it from happening either. Dell paid me to keep my mouth shut. So I did. When I saw his cattle roaming with the others this morning, I just tried to round them up, is all. I don’t know how he knew. I swear.”
“Where is this Everett now?” Noah asked.
“Still shoveling snow out of the pastures, I’d reckon. He’s hell-bent on making sure those cows don’t freeze to death. Now, please. I told you what you wanted. Let me go.”
“We’ll let the sheriff deal with you,” Noah said, standing up.
Cal whimpered. “Please.” His plea was no more than a whisper.
Kate closed the gap between them as quickly as she could, her foot still not allowing much pressure. “Mr. Deardon,” she started, then put her hand on his arm and looked up at him. “Noah, we both know that Nate and his Vigilance Committee are out to make examples out of anyone they can. We need to let him go,” she whispered the last sentence. “Please.”
Noah ground his teeth together, she could see his jaw pulsating, but he nodded his agreement. She reached down, lifting the hem of Noah’s trousers and retrieved the knife from the sheath in the top of his boot.
He sucked in a loud breath.
She smiled at his reaction to the touch of her fingertips as they grazed the skin of his calf.
“You can stay on here through the winter if you’d like,” she spoke as she knelt down next to Cal.
In that moment, she realized that the actions of just one man could have prevented her father’s death, if he’d just had the courage or the integrity to report Dell’s wrongdoing. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, looking inside of herself for the courage to do what was right.
“I forgive you, Cal,” she said quietly, opening her eyes and slicing through the ropes like butter. “But if you want to stay on here, you’ll have to prove yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And, Cal…”
“Yes, ma’am?” he said, sitting up and rubbing his wrists.
“I can only employ people I trust.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Cal pushed himself to his feet and stretched, then he strode toward Noah, Levi, and Eamon, his head bowed, but he stopped just before leaving and turned back to her. “Thank you, Miss Callahan. I won’t let you down.”
Kate watched as he left the barn, feeling at peace with her decision. She spotted Virg standing behind Levi, twisting the hat in his hands.
“Virg.” She waved him to her. “Is everything all right?”
“It will be,” he answered, unable to meet her gaze. “You are a good woman, Miss Callahan, and I just wanted you to know that I am more proud today to work for you than ever before.”
“Thank you, Virg,” she responded, her hand reaching out and resting on his shoulder. “You know, there is a foreman position that just opened up. I don’t suppose you’d be interested?”
She glanced back at Noah with a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t consulted her soon-to-be husband before offering Virg the job. He simply raised a brow and came to stand next to her.
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” the hired hand said, his face donning a smile as he reached out to shake her hand, then Noah’s. He shoved the hat on his head. “Better not stand here jawing. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.” He hurried out of the barn, leaving just Levi, Eamon, her, and Noah.
“Will there ever be a time when those words aren’t true?” she breathed the question, ending in a sigh and they all laughed.
“I’m sorry about your dad, Kate,” Noah said, slipping his hand around hers and squeezing.
She leaned into him, enjoying how well she fit below his arm.
“Me too.”
“Well, we’ve got a train to catch tonight,” Levi stated with a clap of his hands. “That is, if they’ve been able to clear the snow and attach the plow to the cowcatcher.”
“We’ll miss you around here,” Kate said, stepping forward and putting her arms around Levi. “What time is the train supposed to leave?” she asked as she released him.
“Six o’clock. I hate to leave you all with everything that just happened, but I’m afraid my responsibilities lie elsewhere.”
“I heard you were looking for me.”
All heads turned to look to where the voice had come from. A tall, dark-haired man with ice-blue eyes and a muscular physique stepped into the doorway, sticking his shovel into the ground.
“I’m Mason Everett.”
Oh, my!
“Everett.” Noah’s head bobbed up and down as he did a quick sizing up of the man. “Ahhh, the mysterious new cowpoke. I understand we have you to thank for securing the cattle last night and helping to clear out much of the snow this morning.” He extended his hand. “I’m Noah. Deardon.”
“Deardon?” Mr. Everett asked with a little tilt of his head. “You’re not any relation to Lucas Deardon from Montana?”
“He’s my little brother.” Noah nodded prou
dly. “You know Lucas?”
Kate hadn’t heard a lot about Noah’s family and talk of his brother piqued her interest.
“Yes, sir!” Mr. Everett said enthusiastically. “Just came from Whisper Ridge where I’ve been working as foreman for the last few years.”
She watched the exchange with curiosity and trepidation.
“What brings you out this way? You’re lucky you made it before that storm hit. Travelling that kind of distance in the winter is either mighty brave or mighty stupid.”
“Yes, sir. I thought the reward would be well worth the risk.”
Kate took a deep breath and bit her lip. She needed to be the one to tell Noah, not Mr. Everett. When the fine-looking stranger’s eyes found hers, heat filled her face at the appraising smile that touched his features.
“And what reward might that be?” Noah asked nonchalantly.
“I’ve come to marr—”
“Hello, Mr. Everett,” Kate said, stepping forward. “I’m Kate.”
The man practically knocked the hat from his head, pulled off his gloves, and extended his hand with a slight bow. “Miss Callahan,” he said warmly. “You are even prettier than I’d imagined.”
“Thank you,” she said with an uneasy smile. “So are you.”
Heat flooded her cheeks at the admission.
Despite the chilly morning, the air around her seemed a bit stifling as all eyes fell on her.
“Noah,” she turned to him and took a deep breath before continuing. “Mr. Everett is here…”
Just say it.
Yes?” Noah said, waiting, one brow raised.
“…in answer to my ad.” The rest of the sentence spilled out of her mouth faster than she knew herself capable. Then, she folded her lips together, wary of his response.
Noah threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Is that what’s gotten you all nervous and acting so strangely all of the sudden?” He turned to the mail-order-suitor. “I came for the same reason, Everett. She’s quite a catch.”
The man’s smile faltered.
“Mr. Everett, I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed your letters. I looked forward to them every week.”
“As did I, Miss Callahan,” he responded, switching his glance back and forth between her and Noah. “I’ve thought about this day longer than I care to admit.” He settled on looking at her. “I guess I was just too enamored to realize that others would see in you what I have and that they would call on you as well.”
The Deardons Complete Mini-Series Page 32
