Heather's Choice

by Shirleen Davies

  Bay nodded, thinking of that day and how close the men had come to being ambushed. “The rumor is correct. If they hadn’t arrived and spotted the rustlers, several of us might not have made it out alive.”

  Philip’s brow lifted. “You were there?”

  “I was. And I’m in the women’s debt.”

  “I heard the men attempted to steal close to a hundred head.”

  “You heard right. Did you also know several of the MacLaren cattle were poisoned?”

  Philip sat back, his spine stiffening. “When did that happen?”

  “Yesterday. They were all drinking from the same pond. Colin and Sean MacLaren rode into town this morning to speak with Brodie.”

  “I don’t know much about ranching, but it’s my understanding poisoning can be from what they eat, the water source…” His voice trailed off at the sight of Giles walking into the restaurant.

  Noting the strained expression on Philip’s face, Bay glanced behind him. Seeing Giles, he looked back at Philip, lowering his voice. “Sean believes it was intentional. Perhaps arsenic.”

  “Arsenic?”

  Bay nodded. “They’re hiring more men.”

  “I thought I might find you here, Philip.” Giles looked between the two, his gaze settling on Bay. “Good evening, Mr. Donahue. I didn’t know the two of you were acquainted.”

  “Mr. Donahue has been asking questions about our bank,” Philip interjected before Bay could respond. “Seems he has some additional funds to bring out from back east.”

  Pulling out a chair, Giles sat down, not waiting for an invitation to join them. “We’re always interested in new customers, Mr. Donahue. Perhaps I can help. I’d be happy to meet with you…tomorrow perhaps?”

  A wry grin formed on Bay’s face. “I’m afraid my schedule is quite full tomorrow, Mr. Delacroix.”

  “Then another time.”

  “It’s not necessary.” Bay glanced at Philip, then back at Giles. “I’m certain Mr. Aunspach will be able to answer all my questions.” Bay nodded at Philip, seeing his lips draw into a thin line.

  Giles looked between the two, then smiled. “Quite right. Perhaps we can talk another time.”

  “Perhaps.” Bay stood, pulling out some money and placing it on the table. “Gentlemen, it was good to see both of you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  Stepping into the cool night air, Bay felt a small measure of success at what he’d learned. He’d always been a good judge of men. Studying Philip, his posture, the tone of his voice, the way he acted when Giles joined them, Bay knew his initial instincts were correct. All he had to do was apply the right combination of incentives and pressure to get the young bank manager to talk.

  “It was so nice of you to invite me for supper tonight, Maggie.”

  She smiled at Miranda, waving a dismissive hand. “I’m sure eating alone at the boardinghouse every night must get tiring. And it’s nice to have company. Brodie works long hours.”

  “Will he be joining us tonight?” Miranda continued to slice the roast beef, laying it on a serving platter.

  “He will.”

  The words were out a few seconds before the door opened and Brodie walked inside.

  “Miss Harris. What a nice surprise.” He removed his hat, setting it on a table near the door before walking over to Maggie and kissing her cheek. “You’ll be staying for supper?”

  “Yes. If it’s no bother.” She set the knife aside, picking up the platter to place it on the table.

  “Nae. It’s good to have you here. Maggie’s cooking is better than what you’d be finding at the boardinghouse.”

  “I’m certain it is.”

  “I’ll be washing up, Maggie.”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t take too long. Supper’s almost ready.” She lifted a bowl of potatoes, handing them to Miranda. At almost five months pregnant, Maggie found herself slowing down a little. Naps had become a welcome part of each day.

  “When is the baby due?” Miranda set the bowl next to the platter.

  “Doc Tilden says not for four more months.”

  “And it couldn’t come soon enough,” Brodie said, walking back into the kitchen. “She sleeps half the day and still has little energy at night.”

  Maggie gently shoved him, feigning irritation. “I’ll have you know I slept no more than an hour today.” Walking to the table, she placed the vegetables down. She waited as Brodie pulled out Miranda’s chair, then hers before sitting down himself.

  “I heard your house will be ready in another week.” Maggie passed the meat to Miranda.

  “Yes. I can’t wait to move in.” Sliding meat onto her plate, she handed it to Brodie. “The boardinghouse is nice, but it will be wonderful to be in my own home.”

  Maggie looked at Brodie. “Colin and Sean came by this morning looking for you.”

  He nodded, the relaxed mood slipping from his face. “Aye. They came to the jail with some more news.”

  The fork stilled partway to Maggie’s mouth. “What happened?”

  “They found a dozen dead cattle near one of the ponds. Five were heifers ready to calve.”

  Brows furrowing, she set the fork down. “Shot?”

  “Sean believes they were poisoned.”

  “Who would…” Her sentence trailed off as Maggie thought about the shootings, fire, and rustling. “It can’t be the same men. They were all killed.”

  “Aye, but there could be more. We don’t know who’s behind it, but I will find out.”

  “What are you going to do?” Miranda asked.

  “First, we have to know for certain the cattle were intentionally poisoned. The lads stopped at the jail again before riding back to the ranch. Sean spoke to Doc Tilden about it, gave him a sample of the water. The doc used his equipment. His opinion is the water was tainted with arsenic. Sean also sent a telegram to a doctor in San Francisco.”

  “The friend of August Fielder’s?” Maggie wrapped her arms around her waist, her appetite disappearing.

  “Aye. Colin hired four men today and is looking for more. Sam and I are going to ride out early tomorrow morning, take a look around the pond. Maybe we’ll spot something the lads missed.” Brodie shook his head. “It’s clear someone is targeting the family. We’re needing to discover who.”

  Miranda looked down at her still full plate, her appetite vanishing, the same as Maggie’s. “Are the men all right?”

  “Aye. The lads moved the herd farther south. They’ll be staying with the herd until we arrest whoever is doing this.”

  “Maybe they’ll end up like the other six.” Maggie didn’t try to hide her disgust at those who’d tried to gun down the MacLarens.

  “Maybe, but I’d rather be taking them alive. Someone is paying them to do this and I want to be knowing who.” Cutting a piece of meat, he speared it. “The lads moved the cattle and men from the old Evanston ranch.”

  “No one is there guarding it?” Maggie asked.

  “Nae. The cattle were the main concern and they’ve been moved.” He put the food into his mouth, thinking through the events of the last week. “I should be with the family.”

  Standing, Maggie moved behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. “You’re the sheriff and you’re needed here.” She glanced over at Miranda, offering a grim smile. “Let’s talk about this more once the danger has passed.”

  Miranda clasped her hands in her lap. “I never realized how dangerous living on a ranch could be.”

  “We’ve had troubles before,” Brodie answered.

  “Nothing like this, Brodie.” Maggie moved back to her chair, exhaustion beginning to claim her.

  “Nae, love. Nothing like this.” Picking up his coffee, he took a sip. “I spoke with August today. Bay is investigating on his own. He has a theory who might be behind all this.”

  Miranda’s breath caught, eyes widening. “Who?”

  “Bay isn’t saying, not until he’s had a chance to explore his theory.”

/>   She leaned forward. “He must have told August something.”

  Brodie looked at Miranda, shaking his head. “If so, August isn’t saying. I’m going to speak with Bay when Sam and I return tomorrow. Maybe the lad will learn something more by then.”

  Miranda picked up her fork, her appetite slowly returning. “I hope you have good news once you speak with him.”

  “Aye, lass.” Brodie nodded. “So do I.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sam and Brodie walked around the pond, looking for any tracks or signs leading them to the man, or men, who’d poisoned the water. They found nothing. No boot tracks, hoofprints, or empty vessels.

  A telegram had been delivered to Brodie before he and Sam left for Circle M. A message for Sean from the doctor in San Francisco. He’d talked to his colleagues and they all agreed a small pond could be poisoned with enough arsenic to kill animals. And it could be accomplished quite easily by a single individual.

  Sam lowered himself onto his haunches, looking over the pond. He’d worked for Pinkerton during and after the war, traveling to Conviction on a case. Brodie had persuaded him to stay on as a deputy. A couple months earlier, Brodie’s sister, Jinny, had married Deputy Covington. The two couldn’t be happier.

  “Whoever did this knew where the herd would be, how much arsenic to use, when to get in and out, and left nothing to trace the action back to them. A group of men would’ve been sloppy, failing to cover their tracks.”

  “You’re thinking it was one person, Sam?”

  He nodded, then stood. “I am. There was a similar case back in 1863. Confederate raiders poisoned a pond where Union soldiers watered their mounts. Several horses died before it was discovered. The raiders were found and their confessions included how they poisoned the water. They were an arrogant bunch.”

  Brodie looked across the water. “Can the pond be used again?”

  Sam shook his head, settling his hands on his waist. “I’m no expert, but seems to me you wouldn’t want to risk it. I’d fill it in and keep the cattle as far away as you can. It would be safest to move them to Boundary River. There’s little chance anyone would be successful poisoning the rushing water.”

  Colin, Sean, and Caleb stood several feet away, listening to the conversation. The rest of the MacLarens and their ranch hands watched the herd or guarded the other ponds. Leaning down, Colin picked up a rock, skipping it across the still water, then turned to face Brodie.

  “Sam’s right. We’ll drive the cattle to the river. There are eddies where the water runs in a circular motion before returning to the main river. It runs right through Circle M land and there’s good grazing on both sides. It will work for a while, but we’ll be needing to find another solution before long.”

  Brodie nodded. “You’re in charge out here, Colin. Do you need my help?”

  “Nae. The lads and I can take care of it. Sean, what do you think about this pond?”

  “I agree with Sam. We fill it in and hope whoever did this doesn’t poison any others.”

  Quinn stepped up. “We’ve men guarding each one, but we’ll not be able to do it for long.”

  Caleb stood off by himself, with little to add. Same as the others, he knew nothing of poisoning cattle or reversing the damage done to the pond. He could handle rustlers. This threat was beyond anything he’d ever experienced.

  Moreover, he didn’t want to explain to Brodie and Sam about the cuts and bruises on his face. He’d been the subject of merciless teasing since he and Quinn had joined the others. Worse, everyone knew the cause, and Heather wouldn’t be pleased to know she’d been the subject of their bantering, no matter how friendly.

  Something caught his attention. A sound, smell, gut feeling. Whatever alerted him, he turned around, spotting a cloud of black smoke in the distance. Not saying anything, he jumped on Jupiter’s back, racing up the hill to get a better view. What he saw sent a shiver through him.

  Reining around, he headed back down the hill, stopping in front of the others. “Fire. It appears to be south of the ranch. Maybe as far as Evanston’s old house.” Caleb looked at Colin. As the oldest cousin, and in the absence of Ewan or Ian, they all looked to him for direction. “Do you want me to ride out and see?”

  Colin dragged a hand down his face. “We’ve no lads to spare.”

  “Sam and I will ride with Caleb,” Brodie said. “We’ll stop at the ranch and get Thane, and anyone else they can spare.”

  Colin nodded, his voice urgent. “The worry isn’t the house and barn, lads. We don’t want it spreading to the pastures. We’ll be needing that land to graze the herd over the winter.”

  Brodie and Sam raced to their horses, following Caleb up and over the hill.

  Colin watched them leave, turning to Quinn. “Could this be getting any worse?”

  Quinn clasped his cousin on the back. “It could have nothing to do with what else is happening.”

  Colin stared at him. “Are you believing that’s true?”

  Letting out a breath, Quinn dropped his hand. “Right now, I’ve no idea what to believe.”

  Caleb couldn’t push Jupiter any harder. Watching the smoke thicken, blocking out the sun, his chest tightened. Not for the house or the barn, but for the land surrounding them. The structures had been well located.

  He knew a wide swath of dirt separated the structures from the lush pastures. Plus, there were two wells. They just needed to take enough people to man the buckets and pray the wind stayed calm, as it had since dawn. Racing down the last hill, they spotted the Circle M homestead, all three letting out a relieved sigh.

  “You were right, lad. The fire is farther south.” Brodie reined to a stop in front of Kyla’s house, hurrying to dismount. “Let’s get help and ride on out.”

  “We’ll need buckets and shovels,” Caleb called as he rode to Audrey’s house.

  “I’ll get them.” Sam raced to the barn, grabbing all he could.

  Caleb raced up the steps, shoving the front door open. “Heather!”

  Audrey rushed out of the kitchen, wiping her hands down her apron. “She’s not here, Caleb. Ewan, Ian, Thane, and the older lasses left as soon as they saw the smoke.”

  “How long ago?”

  “No more than thirty minutes. Will you be following them?”

  “Yes. Brodie and Sam are with me.”

  Audrey followed him outside, waving at the other two as they rode past. Clasping her hands together, she turned to go back inside, stomach churning as she wondered what else could go wrong.

  “More water over here, Emma.” Heather stood as close as possible to the smoldering embers, an empty bucket in her hand. Heat seeped through the soles of her boots, the bottoms of her feet beginning to feel the burn. “Thane, are you needing more water over there?”

  “Nae. We’re good here. Maybe the barn.” Her younger brother pointed to where Ewan and Ian used sledgehammers to knock down siding still hot from the flames they’d been able to douse. Geneen and Coral shoveled dirt onto low flames refusing to die, as Opal helped Emma haul water from the well.

  Thane had spotted the smoke early, alerting his uncles. They’d wasted little time. Within minutes, they gathered tools and rode off.

  They worked in unison from the moment they arrived. The fire had never taken hold, allowing them to squelch the flames quickly. The reason the flames seemed overwhelming from a distance became clear as they dismounted. Mildred loved her oil lamps and kept several gallons of kerosene in both the house and barn. These had ignited just before the MacLarens arrived. Focusing on those areas, they were able to stop the fire before it spread too far.

  Stopping to take a breath, Heather swiped a sleeve across her brow, doing her best not to breathe in too much of the smoky air. Glancing behind her, she blinked into the hazy sun, surprised to see three riders approaching. Blinking again, her lips curled into a smile when she recognized Caleb. Dropping the bucket, she stepped carefully around the scattered debris, rushing toward him.

&nb
sp; “Caleb!” Her voice echoed across the now still yard. Everyone stopped in their work to watch as he slid from his horse, wrapping his arms around her, both totally unmindful of those around them.

  He was within an instant of kissing her when a loud cough jerked them apart. Looking behind him, Brodie stood next to Sam, neither bothering to hide their smiles. Heather recovered first, moving toward Brodie.

  “Are you here to help or just stare?”

  Brodie chuckled. “Aye, lass, we’re here to help, although it appears you’ve got it taken care of.” His gaze moved from the house to the barn, seeing his father. “Da,” he yelled, then started toward him.

  Grasping Caleb’s arm, stopping him from following Brodie, Heather’s gaze narrowed on him. “What happened to your face?”

  Touching the cut on his lip, he shrugged. “I walked into an angry brother.”

  It took her a moment to catch his meaning. When she did, her eyes widened, then sparked with anger. “Quinn did this to you?”

  “He saw us on the porch.”

  Crossing her arms, she stepped closer to him. “Ach. The lad spied on us.”

  Caleb choked out a laugh. “He heard us outside and looked out the window. You were on my lap, and we were—”

  She placed fingers across his lips, stopping what he was about to say. “So the lad hit you.”

  “I’d have done the same.” Reaching out, he touched her cheek. “He loves you, Heather.” Dropping his hand, he rubbed his jaw. “I got the message.”

  She cocked a brow. “And what message did my brother give you?”

  “Not to hurt you, which I have no intention of doing.” He looked behind her, seeing Brodie with Ewan. He smiled at Heather. “We’ll speak of this later. For now, we need to finish here.” They followed Brodie, coming up behind him.

  “What can we do to help, Da?” Brodie asked.

  Ewan clasped his son’s shoulder, gesturing behind him. “As long as the fire doesn’t flare up, we’ve got it taken care of.”

  “Any idea how it started?” Brodie asked as Sam joined them.