Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming (26 page)

Angel woke just before daylight, the images of the Morgan family fleeing from a fire still fresh in her mind. She shivered and jerked the blanket close to her chin, wanting nothing more than to escape into a dreamless sleep.

A strange smell tugged at her memory. Suddenly she threw back the covers and sat upright.

Smoke.

It couldn’t be the fire in the kitchen stove, as they let that go out after supper during the summer months. She stepped to the window. Flames licked the wall of the lean-to connected to the far side of the barn—the section closest to the cowboys’ bunkhouse. A trail of smoke rose in the air. Why hadn’t anyone else smelled it?

She grabbed a shirt and trousers, slipped into them, and whipped open her door. If only Libby’s and Travis’s bedrooms were on the ground floor. Racing through the kitchen to the base of the stairs, she lifted her voice. “Travis! Travis! The barn’s on fire.” She grabbed the banister and took the steps two at a time, calling as she went. “Wake up! Libby, Travis! Hurry!”

A door slammed open, and Travis stood at the top, barely discernible in the feeble light glowing behind him as dawn started to break. “Angel? What’s wrong? I heard you calling.”

Libby’s door opened and she stepped out, wrapping a robe around her waist and cinching it. “What is it?”

“Fire. The barn. Hurry!” Angel bolted back down the stairs, satisfied at the sound of boots hitting the floor above. She grabbed the front door and flew outside, racing for the bunkhouse. Before she reached it, the door slammed open and the cowhands tumbled out, slinging gun belts around their waists and jamming hats on their heads. Angel skidded to a stop and pointed. “We might be able to stop it before it spreads.” A sudden thought sent a shaft of fear deep into her heart. “Bella! The horses are in the barn!”

Footsteps pounded beside her as she ran. A masculine hand gripped the wood handle before she did and yanked it open. “Stay back, Angel. I’ll get the horses.” Travis’s rough voice filled her ears, but she didn’t hesitate. She dashed in on his heels. Smoke swirled in the dim light, making it almost impossible to see. Shouts from the men outside electrified her, and the screams of horses lent wings to her feet. Three long strides took her to Bella’s stall.

The mare plunged backward, thrashing at the walls and rearing several feet off the floor. “Easy girl. Calm down. I’ll get you out.”

Travis pushed past her. “Get out of the way. I’m turning her loose. She’s too terrified to lead, and she could hurt you.” He swung wide the stall door and slapped the mare on the rump as Angel sprang out of the way. The frightened horse lunged for the opening and raced for the door, disappearing into the early morning light.

Bella wouldn’t run far. She’d settle down, knowing where her grain came from, and make her way back to the corral. It only took a matter of minutes to help Travis set the other four horses free, and the two of them scurried out of the barn, coughing as they went.

Travis rounded on her as soon as they cleared the smoke-filled building and grabbed her arm. “I told you to stay out. You could’ve been hurt.”

She jerked her arm free. “I’m a big girl, Travis, and Bella’s my horse. I take care of my own.” She waved at the men racing back and forth with buckets from the water trough where Libby and James took turns pumping. “Instead of arguing, I think we’d better put out the fire before it reaches the main part of the barn.”

Travis spun around as though he’d forgotten the danger to his property, then dashed forward, joining the bucket brigade. “Men! Quit running and form a line. Pass the buckets down to the end. James and Angel. Bring them back to the man closest to the trough. Hurry!”

From what Angel could tell, the fire had smoldered at the base of a wall and the flames had burned halfway up. She’d noticed it before it engulfed the building. After an hour of dousing the wall the men slowed their frantic pace. Smoke drifted from a scorched area about twenty-five feet wide by six feet tall. Full daylight had broken, and the early morning sun shone on the dazed group. No one spoke for several moments, then pandemonium broke loose.

Wren pumped his fist in the air. “What in tarnation happened here?”

James stared at the cowboy and then looked at his mother, but she stood mute, just shaking her head.

Arizona glowered and slapped his hat against his leg. “Nothing good, I’ll swear to that. Fires don’t start themselves.”

Grumbling sounded from several quarters and Travis swung around, staring at James. “Young man, come here.”

James took a short step back. “I didn’t do nothin’, Uncle Travis. I swear.”

Charlie walked over to the burned section and squatted on his heels. He waved a hand at Arizona. “Look for tracks, pard.”

The cowboy sprang into action, and the two moved slowly from one corner to the next, disappearing out of sight.

Nate stepped over to James and draped his arm across the boy’s shoulder. “You didn’t get up in the night and come out here for any reason?”

“No, sir.” James shook his head and peered up at the man. “I swear, Nate. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Travis met Nate’s eyes and nodded. “I believe you.”

James slumped against Nate’s side. “Thank you, Uncle Travis. I’d never do anything
this
bad. Honest I wouldn’t.”

Libby ran to her son, wrapping him in her arms. Nate stayed close, alternately patting the boy’s back and stroking Libby’s hair. She looked up at him, tenderness and gratitude lighting her face. “Thank you for believing him.” Libby reached out, and his large hand engulfed hers.

Angel turned away, a deep pain filling her chest. Happiness warred with the pain—Libby needed a husband and a father for her son, but her own sense of loss bit deep. She felt someone’s gaze on her, but she kept hers trained on the ground. Right now was not the time to see a look of longing on Travis’s face. She knew she’d run to him and wouldn’t let go, and that couldn’t happen. Arizona was right. Fires didn’t start themselves, and since there’d been no lightning that meant only one thing. Hinson had torched the barn.

“Boss!” Charlie’s shout turned everyone around. He stepped around the corner and motioned. “Found something you’ll want to see.”

Travis and Nate led the way and the women and James followed. Arizona squatted on his heels, staring at something white ground into the dirt. He stood, nudged it with his toe, and leaned over. “Cigarette.”

The single word dropped like a boulder falling from a cliff. No one moved and all eyes were trained on the small brown tube. It had been smashed flat by a boot toe after half of it had been smoked. Arizona held it higher. “No one on the ranch smokes, and this here cigarette’s been rolled Mexican style. Not common around these parts.”

Travis swung toward James. “I’m sorry for suggesting you did this, son. I was wrong.”

James nodded silently.

“Who wants your barn burned?” Wren’s words sliced the air. “I don’t know.” Travis shook his head, deep lines of worry creasing his cheeks.

Angel choked back a gasp and covered her mouth. Thankfully no one noticed as they all continued to stare at the offending cigarette. Hin-son had gotten her note early and made good on his threat. He must have had a man waiting near the tree, just out of sight. She should’ve known. What made her think she could get away without retaliation?

Charlie stooped over and took a few steps toward the back corner. “Looks like there’s tracks here that some hombre tried to wipe out. They’re not clear, but they lead off this way.” He strode off, stopping every few yards. “He’s headed into the brush, but there ain’t much sign left. The gent’s good at hidin’ his trail, I’ll give him that.”

Travis jerked his head toward Arizona. “Go. Find the man who did this if you can and bring him back.”

Arizona sprang into action and ran after Charlie.

Wren leveled a hard gaze on Travis. “What you want me to do, Boss?”

“Saddle up and check on Bud. No telling what’s happening out on the range.” He swung around and looked at his foreman. “Nate. You’d best go with Wren.”

“Sure. We’ll head out right now.” Nate smiled at Libby and ruffled James’s hair.

James raised pleading eyes. “Can I go with you? Please?”

“Not this time, boy. You stay here and take care of your mother. We need a man on the place to help guard the women.” A grim smile broke his solemnity. “You think you can handle that?”

James straightened his shoulders and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” He leaned over to whisper something close to Libby’s ear, then stalked off toward the corral on Wren’s heels.

“Angel?” a shaky voice called from the porch. Grandmother stood by a post, her anxious eyes focused on the barn. “What’s happened? I woke up and heard shouts and smelled smoke.”

Angel hurried across the clearing and up the steps. She wrapped her arm around the tiny woman’s shoulders and pulled her close. “I’m sorry you were worried. There was a fire, but the men put it out.”

“How did it start? Does anyone know?”

Angel hesitated, not sure how much to share. “It looks like some careless person dropped a cigarette too close to the dry wood.” She hoped that would satisfy Grandmother and she wouldn’t need to explain any more.

Grandmother nodded and tugged her sweater close to her chest. “Where’s Smokey?”

Libby gasped. “Smokey? He’s not in the kitchen?”

“No. I thought he’d be out here with the rest of the men.”

Travis strode over. “You haven’t seen him this morning?”

“No.” Grandmother shook her head, small lines creasing her forehead.

Angel stepped toward Travis. “We’d better start looking. He’d be out here if he was all right.”

“I agree. You check the bunkhouse, and I’ll head to the privy.”

They separated, and Angel stopped on the front porch of the bunkhouse, hesitating to enter the cowboys’ private domain. A minute later, she pushed open the door and peered inside. Six beds lined the walls in sets of two each, one stacked above the other. A small table with chairs stood in the center, and a wood stove perched in the far corner with a stack of wood piled alongside. A deck of cards lay strewn across the middle of one table, and a book lay facedown on another. All of the beds had blankets thrown back, with some of the bedclothes trailing on the floor. Angel took in the room at a glance. Nothing in this area would hide a man Smokey’s size, and all of the beds were empty. She backed out of the room and closed the door.

A shout sounded from behind the bunkhouse. Angel ran around the corner and skidded to a halt. Travis knelt beside Smokey’s prostrate body, cradling his bleeding head in his arms.

“Call Libby. Tell her to bring water and rags. I’ll get Smokey onto his bed.”

Angel did as she was asked, then helped Travis half drag, half carry Smokey into the bunkhouse. They hefted him onto the cot nearest the door. The bed sagged and creaked as his weight landed solidly in the middle.

The man moaned. His eyelids fluttered and he tried to sit up, then fell back against the straw-filled mattress. “What happened, Boss?” His voice came out in a husky whisper.

Travis leaned close. “I hoped you could tell us. You’ve got a gash on the back of your head. What hit you?”

“Not sure. Feels like it were somethin’ awful hard, though, like maybe a gun butt.” He groaned, and his eyes closed.

Libby rushed in carrying a basin of water with cloths draped over her arm. “Stand back and give me some room.” Her no-nonsense tone took charge, and she bustled to Smokey’s side. “Maria is heating more water, and James will bring it out.”

Angel stood to the side, feeling out of place and useless. “What should I do?”

Travis turned to look at her, his expression showing he’d forgotten her presence in the turmoil. “Round up the horses we ran out of the barn. I’d hate to have them wander too far.”

“Sure.” Angel strode for the door and pushed it open, stepping into the smoke-tainted air. Her gaze roamed over the area. The barn door gaped, and gray tendrils still drifted from the charred boards on the side of the lean-to. Buckets lay where they’d landed, and patches of mud dotted the ground. Sadness swept over her spirit and she shook her head, hating what had transpired. A feeling of menace hung over the ranch. First the cattle gone missing, then Hinson’s arrival, and now the fire and attack on Smokey. What would be next?

The front door of the house slammed open, and James scurried across the porch, a bucket swaying in his grip. Water splashed over the side. Angel lifted her voice. “Slow down there, or you won’t have any left by the time you get to the bunkhouse.”

James dropped to a walk, holding the bucket away from his leg. “Yes, ma’am.” He ducked inside the cowboy’s abode and disappeared.

Angel spotted Bella grazing a hundred yards or so behind a corral. She grabbed a lasso from a nearby post and hurried after the mare. Slipping the rope over Bella’s head, Angel led her back to the barn, tying her to the hitching post outside. Angel wrinkled her nose at the smell as she stepped inside, but there was no help for it. She needed her saddle and bridle if she hoped to find the rest of the stock. Swiftly tacking up the mare, Angel swung aboard and headed down the lane.

A roan gelding lifted his head and snorted at her approach, sidestepping out of the way as she drew close. She shook out the lasso she carried and held it at the ready, urging Bella forward. A couple of swings dropped the loop over his nose and settled around his neck. She backed Bella, tightening her hold on the gelding. All of the riding stock was used to being roped, so he settled down and followed her back to the ranch. It didn’t take long to round up the rest. She drove them back into the corral and closed the gate.

An idea had been niggling at her the past hour. There might not be any better time to implement it than now. She checked the load in her rifle, then swung back onto Bella. One way or another she had to make this right. Travis’s family and cowhands were suffering because of her. Hinson had hunted and finally tracked her here. It was up to her to deal with the man.

Travis finished bandaging Smokey’s head. He’d sent Libby back to the house after she’d dressed the wound, knowing she’d have her hands full fixing dinner. Maria would probably help, and James could certainly set the table. The men had left without breakfast, and his own rumbling stomach reminded him of the omission.

His thoughts turned to his cowboys, and he clenched his teeth. He prayed they’d find Bud alive and unharmed and no more cattle missing. The fire and the attack against Smokey left him stunned. Who would want to harm his ranch and why? Rustlers weren’t usually this bold, and the ones who’d operated here in the past had only stolen unbranded calves—mavericks—that they could slap their own brand on without raising suspicion.

Travis thanked the Lord that Smokey’s wound looked worse than it was. He’d lost some blood, but the gash wasn’t deep. More than likely his head would hurt for a few days, but he’d be up and around in no time. In fact, he’d had to force the man to stay in bed and not get up to fix dinner. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully now, and Maria promised to keep an eye on him.

He walked to the corral and leaned on the bars. Looked like Angel had rounded up the horses. He’d best ensure the burned area was completely out. They didn’t need smoldering wood igniting again.

James appeared on the porch and waved his arm. “Uncle Travis, Ma says to tell you dinner’s ready. Could you call Miss Angel and let her know?”

Travis’s head jerked up, and he stared at the boy. “She’s not in the house?”

“No sir. I haven’t seen her since you sent her to find the horses.” James turned and reentered the house, letting the door bang behind him.

Strange. He let his gaze rove over the horses. No Bella. A quick check of the barn revealed her saddle and bridle were gone. She must have headed to where Bud had been keeping guard on the cattle. He frowned, not happy with the turn of events. Angel was a crack shot, but that didn’t give him much comfort. He didn’t want her tangled in a shootout with a bunch of cattle rustlers.

She may have turned down his proposal, but that didn’t stop him from caring. A new thought crept in, and hope trickled through his heart. As long as she remained on the ranch there was always the chance she might change her mind. He headed back to the house, his gnawing hunger driving him toward the aroma of hot food drifting out an open window.

His boot landed on the bottom step when the sound of trotting horses came up the lane. Nate, Wren, and Bud reined in their mounts at the hitching rail. “Bud. Glad to see you’re all right. Any problem with the herd?”

“No sir. Didn’t see or hear anything all night. The men sure surprised me when they rode up and told me about the fire. Wanted us to get back in a hurry so’s you’d know there ain’t nothin’ else the matter.”

Nate leaned on his saddle horn. “We’ll eat and get Smokey to put up some grub. A couple of us will head back right away.”

Travis shook his head. “There’s been more trouble while you were gone. Smokey got clobbered over the head. I found him behind the bunkhouse. Probably got attacked when he headed out early this morning.”

A low rumbling started among the men, and Travis picked up more than one sharp retort. “Any of you run into Angel on your way back?”

Wren frowned. “No, Boss. You send her out to find us?”

“No. She headed out on her own hook after bringing in the horses. Maybe she trailed after Arizona and Charlie instead.” Travis wanted to saddle up that moment and head after her. What was she thinking, trying to track the man who attacked Smokey and set the fire? She might be a varmint hunter, but that was a far cry from hunting an outlaw.

Nate swung down from his horse and looped his reins over the rail. “If she’s not back by the time we’re done eating, we’ll go looking.”

Wren and Bud chimed in, agreeing with the plan, and Travis held up his hand, motioning them inside. “Fine. Hurry up and fill your bellies. I want to find her before anything more happens.”