The farm and house would be fine. She could take care of the few animals and keep up with the garden and area around the house. Once William returned with the stragglers that hadn’t been taken, he would help her make sure the other crops were taken care of and watered. She hoped men could come from Birch Creek to help them get their herd back. The more help they had, the better their chances of success.
As she’d watched them gather their rifles and pistols, she prayed there wouldn’t be a need to use them at all. But worrying wouldn’t help. She’d worried over Matthew since the moment she had seen his first blood touched handkerchief. Worry didn’t solve things. Work did.
And Cora knew how to work.
If only she could shut off her mind and the sneaky little tendrils of concern that kept popping up.
***
Levi couldn’t believe how foolish he had been. He’d been with Cora for over a week, and the two of them had tiptoed around each other so much. If they’d have taken the time to talk of things, he would have known her feelings toward him. But he’d been too worried about being rejected for the sake of another man’s memory that he hadn’t put himself out there.
He’d always thought of himself as a strong man, capable of dealing with anything that came his way. Yet he’d been a complete coward when it came to dealing with intricacies of marriage. He’d wasted so much time fearing his new wife couldn’t possibly begin to love him because of the experience she’d had.
And now, he was racing away to save his herd and reclaim what was rightfully his. He hated the fact that he had left the woman who had braved coming to a new place to join him all alone to fend for herself.
William would be back to help her soon enough, and if things worked out like he hoped, he could send Pa back as well. Though he doubted his father would agree to go back once they got very far. So unless they had a half dozen or more men come join them in tracking the cattle rustlers, his father would be here with him to the end of the line.
Levi just prayed it would work out well.
CHAPTER NINE
Levi couldn’t ride his horse as hard and fast as he wanted to. The trail his stolen herd left was obvious enough to follow. His father, a much better tracker than Levi, figured they would be able to catch up with them by the following day. Tucker had been quicker than Levi had expected at bringing the sheriff of Birch Creek and five other men to join them the second night they were out. With this support, Levi’s hope of retrieving his herd grew even more. Of course, there was really no way of knowing how many men had joined Drew in taking the herd.
But now with the sheriff here, Levi knew they could actually move faster. As he sat in front of the fire and listened to the stories the men who’d come with the sheriff told, Levi allowed his thoughts to return to Cora. He could almost picture her working in the kitchen to make more jam from the berries she gathered near the stream that ran along side the corn field.
Or maybe she was sitting in the rocking chair that had been his mother’s as she did some sewing. He’d been surprised to see the bolt of fabric that his mother had tucked away being used. He hadn’t asked about it, but knew his father had given it to Cora to do something with.
How he wished he could be back home with her.
“Levi,” Pa said as he returned from checking the horses. “You should get some sleep. Let someone else take first watch tonight.”
“I’m all right,” Levi said, sitting up straighter, but he could feel the tiredness deep in his center.
“Tomorrow will be tough enough without you falling off your horse as we come upon the herd. Get some rest.”
Levi knew he couldn’t argue with his father. Pa never listened to him anyway. That’s why Pa was still here and planning on coming to reclaim their herd instead of heading back to the ranch to watch over Cora.
Levi stood without a word of response to his father and moved over to his gear where his bedroll had been placed. He spread it out not too far from the fire but out of the way of the men who would be talking around the flames for a while yet.
It had been some time since he’d had to rough it on the trail like he’d done these last few nights and he once again appreciated the comforts of his home. He’d do his best to get back there as soon as possible.
***
Cora woke to the sound of the rooster crowing and stared at the ceiling above her for a moment. She hated feeling so alone. It wasn’t as terrible of a loneliness as she’d felt when Matthew had passed. That had been compounded by the complete loss of everything with him. Their farm, her home, and her way of life.
Now, she didn’t have to worry about losing her home or the farm. At least as long as Levi returned. But there was no assurance that things would be as wonderful as that kiss he’d given her before he left had made her believe. If the men who’d stolen the herd were desperate, they might do anything to keep from losing them. Including killing the men coming after them.
Cora placed her hands on her chest above her heart. She sent a prayer heavenward that things would work out. That the good Lord above would protect Levi and his father and the men who were helping them. She wouldn’t give up. And no matter how long he was gone, she had things to do. She couldn’t pine away after him. His house, garden, animals, and fields would need her.
Cora climbed out of the bed and got dressed quickly. She pulled the quilt up to straighten the bed and then caressed his pillow and sent another prayer heavenward. It was something that helped ease her worries to feel as if someone more powerful than herself was there to help.
She made herself some breakfast then made up a plate for William. He refused to come into the house with her to share breakfast, and she appreciated his concern for her reputation. She had no worries he would do anything inappropriate but didn’t mind bringing his meal out to him. Whatever helped him feel more comfortable.
William had managed to round up twenty-seven head of cattle and he’d brought them back to the main ranch area in order to keep track of them better. He had put them inside the fence Levi and his father had put up to hold the horses when they weren’t in the barn or being ridden. Every day, William would herd them out of the corral to graze on the grasses and plants near the homestead while he kept an eye on them. Then each night he’d bring them back into the corral and fence them in so he could sleep nearby.
William had already been up and had milked the cows and placed the milk in the cans on the front porch. She walked out to the barn and when she saw him shoveling the manure out of the pens, she thanked him for his help.
“No problem at all, Mrs. Finch. Happy to help where I can. Just wish I could have stopped those blasted men from taking the cattle in the first place.”
Cora nodded. He’d mentioned something like that every day so far, and she knew he felt guilty for what had happened. But no matter how many times she told him it wasn’t his fault, he just shook his head and returned to work.
“William,” Cora said. “I wondered if you might gather me up some of the currants that grow along the creek bed. I’ve finished making the jam from the last batch I picked and I’d like to get more done.”
William gave her a small smile and nodded his agreement to her request. She wasn’t positive, but thought he had perked up a little bit. If he continued to look depressed and unhappy, she’d find more little things for him to do. In her experience, men liked to feel helpful. If she could make him think she couldn’t do without his help, he might eventually come to feel less bothered by the fact that he hadn’t been able to go help bring back the cattle.
Of course, with how careful he walked and the way he seemed to get dizzy or off step as he worked, she was sure the head injury had been worse than he let on. There would have been no way he could have managed the long journey with Levi and the others.
She sent another plea toward heaven that the sheriff or other men had been able to join her husband. No one could survive in this place all alone.
***
Levi was the
first to wake the next morning. The fire had died completely, and he looked around the campsite to get his bearings. There was one man standing guard near the horses. Levi stood to stretch and wondered why he hadn’t been picked to take a turn to watch.
Of course, he had slept soundly through the entire night, so perhaps his body had really needed the rest.
Levi set about restarting the fire so they could make breakfast and heat the water for the coffee they’d all want. He knew better than to try to urge his group to head out before they had a meal. Rushing off to find the herd without a good plan and happy men with him wouldn’t bring his animals back any sooner.
Before long, the rest of the men woke and began to break camp and pack up their things while Levi finished preparing their meal.
They all ate quickly and were soon mounted on the horses and on their way to find the rustlers. It hadn’t seemed like the trail was taking them to the railroads or any side trails. Perhaps the thieves were just trying to get them to Boise as soon as possible.
The fools were pushing the herd harder than Levi would have done on a normal drive. Too fast and the animals didn’t have time to eat and maintain a good weight for selling. Of course, the thieves probably didn’t care about the optimal weight. They just wanted to sell as quick as possible and take off with the profits.
Levi forced himself to remain calm. He had never been a violent man, but thinking about what had been done to him made him angrier than he’d ever been before. If he didn’t keep his head on straight, he might do something stupid, and that wasn’t something he could afford. Losing his herd would devastate his finances, but if someone lost their life on account of helping him reclaim his property, he didn’t know if he could live with that.
And above all that, Levi couldn’t run the risk of leaving Cora a widow for the second time. He would have to return to her no matter what.
Pa rode up next to Levi and nodded up at the two men in the front. “Powell says the droppings up there are less than a day old. We’ll for sure catch up with them today.”
“That’s good,” Levi said. He urged his horse a touch faster, unable to stop himself, but his father just kept pace with him, and the rest of the men in the group joined in as well. None of them went faster than a trot since the horses would need to be fresh enough to keep up with the cattle if they ended up bolting. And if any gunshots were fired when they approached, the cattle would be likely to stampede.
This would be a tricky situation, and Levi was grateful Sheriff Mills had had experience with this kind of thing. Levi would be happy to follow the sheriff’s lead when they reached the thieves. In fact, he’d let the sheriff and his men take care of the rustlers while Levi focused his attention on regaining control of his herd.
They rode for a few hours and as Levi looked into the distance, he realized today was the day. He was certain the haze in the air that hung low was dirt and dust from the movement of more than a hundred head of cattle.
“Looks like we found them.” Sheriff Mills brought his horse up next to Levi’s.
“Looks like,” Levi agreed. He stopped the horse and waited for the other men to join them.
The herd wasn’t spread out wide, which meant they would be easy to spook. They would need to get much closer and do it unnoticed or risk having the bandits get them to bolt. They were still only half way to Boise and there was no other place close that they could be taking the herd to.
“My men and I will take care of the thieves,” Sheriff Mills said. “You and your men take care of the cattle. If things go down the way I’ve seen it in the past, your herd will stampede. Keep your wits about you and don’t engage with them unless you absolutely must.”
Levi nodded. He had his pistol in a holder at his waist, and his rifle was attached to the saddle. He’d never had to fire against another man and hoped he never would. But he would protect his cattlemen as best he could.
Levi listened to the instructions from the Sheriff. When his pa brought up a suggestion of trying to get around to the front to head them off, the sheriff shook his head.
“You don’t want to be in the way of the stampede, and it wouldn’t be safe to spook them this way either. We’ll want to be to the side and behind them for sure, but not get to the front.”
“We want everyone to make it home in one piece,” Levi said. “I appreciate everyone coming to help, but if it’s between you and the cows, let them go. Drew will be arrested here or when he reaches Boise.”
Sheriff Mills nodded. “Everyone knows your part in this?”
The rest of the men in the group nodded, and a few of the sheriff’s men checked their pistols. Levi felt the weight of his own against his hip. God willing, they wouldn’t need the weapons. With the way Drew had just taken off with these and headed down the same trail Levi would have taken anyway, it didn’t seem like Drew or the men with him had thought this all out completely. It was beginning to seem more like a crime of opportunity.
If that was the case, then hopefully they could scramble the thieves and make them abandon the herd.
Each of the men pushed their horses forward and they traveled quickly, but not at a gallop. The horses would need their strength when they got closer to the herd.
CHAPTER TEN
Cora rested her forehead against the cow’s belly. She had hoped that working herself ragged would help her keep from worrying. But though her body was exhausted, her mind would just not rest. The men had been gone for almost two weeks. Levi had told her it would be anywhere from two weeks to a month before she should expect them back.
That didn’t mean she had to like it.
She’d made as many batches of jam as possible from the berries she and William had gathered. The apples weren’t ready yet, and the corn was getting close, but not fully ripe. She had picked all the beans and cucumbers that were ready and pickled them. Tomorrow she would check the fields with William to see what they needed to do for the watering.
When she’d finished milking the cows, she carried the buckets back to the house, going slowly to avoid spilling any of the milk. Without the men there to drink it, there was a lot available for her to make butter and cheese. Having extra cheese was always a good thing. And with it wrapped well and stored in the cool underground cellar, it would last a good while.
As she worked with the milk and cream, Cora ran through the other things she could do while waiting for the days to go by. In the evening of the second day, after all the chores had been finished, she had found the books that had been Levi’s mother’s. Cora had finished one already and had just started on another last night. She had two more after that, and then she could start over with them again.
“Mrs. Finch!”
Cora looked up from the butter churn. William’s voice called again.
“I see someone coming.” William had arrived on the kitchen porch and opened the door to peek in. “Keep alert. You got that rifle Levi left ya?”
Cora looked over at the weapon that hadn’t been moved from the place Levi had placed it when he left. She hated the thought of needing to ever use it, but Levi had been adamant about it.
She joined William at the door to look out across the field where the potatoes had been planted. There were two horses and it looked like each horse had one rider.
Cora’s heart leapt with joy at the thought it might be Levi. The horses came slowly and she wondered why they weren’t moving faster now that they were in sight of the house. Unless that meant they weren’t family or friend.
“Can you tell who it is?” Cora asked.
“Looks like Tucker’s horse, and I think the other might be Levi’s.”
Cora looked at William and a smile broke through the worry that had been plaguing her. Of course the man would recognize the differences in the horses.
“Go out and meet them,” Cora said, hoping William could bring them in faster.
He glanced at her and shook his head. “No ma’am. I’m staying right here to make sure you’re
safe.”
“But if it’s Tucker and Levi, everything is fine.”
“I ain’t sure who it is yet. Until I’m sure, I’m staying here.”
Cora tried not to grumble her frustration, but her worry was soon eased when the one horse began to run while the second horse continued on more slowly.
“I’m thinking it really is Levi’s horse,” William said after a moment. “You grab that rifle anyways and stay put right here and I’ll go out to meet them.”
William walked into the barn and came out with a horse. Though it had no saddle, the bridle was on it and William mounted quickly without difficulty and headed out to meet the approaching rider.
When William neared the man, he pointed back to the house and Levi removed his hat making it possible for Cora to see for sure that it was him.
The two men talked for a moment before William rode out to meet the other man still coming more slowly. Levi urged his horse into a gallop and Cora bolted down the two stairs and across the front yard to reach him sooner.
He was here. He was alive and whole and back in her life.
Levi pulled his horse to a stop and jumped off the horse before Cora reached them, but he had her up and in his arms in seconds.
***
“Levi!” she shouted. “You’re back!”
The excitement and obvious relief in her voice reaffirmed once more that things would be well with them. She was happy to see him. And not just because she didn’t want to be a widow again. With the way she gripped him tight and kissed him like she’d been starving, he knew she wanted him for him. Not just what he could provide.
The two held and kissed each other up until the time William and Tucker arrived in the front yard.
The Cattleman's Bride: A Golden Valley Story (The Brides of Birch Creek Book 4) Page 9
