Redemption's Edge (32 page)

“I thought you’d say that. Ellis already saddled Hannibal.” Luke glanced at Rachel. “Doc says he has to go back to town tomorrow morning. He’d prefer to take both men with him, but doesn’t think it’s wise in their condition. He’ll come back tomorrow night to check on them.”

“I can stay while my uncle’s in town.” She directed her comment to Dax.

“I’d appreciate that.” He let his eyes drift over her once more before following the others outside.

Rachel watched them leave, more confused than ever about Dax, his reasons for leaving, and their own reactions to each other. Regardless, she had learned something. Luke was right. Dax struggled with demons he couldn’t define and perhaps didn’t understand himself.

“Sit down, Drake.” King indicated a chair across from the desk where he sat. He leaned forward, his eyes fixed. “When will the men be back?”

“I expect them by supper tomorrow. Why?”

“The sheriff wants to speak with them about the stampede. He’s certain my men are responsible. If either of the Pelletier men die, it will be murder.”

“I already told you none of the men were involved. They were with me.”

“How far were you camped from their herd?” King knew Drake must have known the Pelletier herd was close by. You don’t move a large number of cattle without hearing them.

“Not close, but we were aware of their location. We camped in the hill area and they were in the valley below.”

“And no one spoke of how interesting it could get if some of those cattle were spooked? No mention of the Pelletier herd at all?”

“No.”

“The sheriff said gunshots were fired. Are you telling me no one heard anything?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

King had no proof the man lied, although he suspected it. Most cowhands were honest men, working hard to earn a living. A few always wanted to stir up trouble. You didn’t need to look for them. They were the vocal ones, men who might joke about it, then go ahead and do it. Men like that had no place on his ranch.

“Send the men to me as soon as they return.”

“Sure. Anything else?”

“No.”

Tolbert waited until Drake left, then stood and walked to the window facing the barn. He didn’t know if Drake ordered the stampede or not, but gunshots and moving cattle could be heard for miles in the quiet of the night. The bigger question remained—Drake’s motivation for going against his orders and threatening the Pelletiers, shooting at their men, and stampeding their cattle. What did the man have against them? Tolbert considered himself a good businessman, willing to go to extremes others weren’t to achieve his goals. However, he had never ordered men hurt.

“Father?”

He turned as Abigail opened the door and stepped inside. “I’ll be retiring now. Tomorrow is a big day.” She walked up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Tomorrow?”

She tilted her head. “The ladies at the church are having a luncheon and I’ve been invited. You didn’t forget, did you?”

“Uh…no, of course not.”

“I’ll be leaving late morning. Do you need me to check for telegrams or mail?”

“Who’s riding with you?”

She smiled up at him. “No one, Father. I’m riding Willie.” She saw the concern on his face. Her father seldom allowed her to go anywhere alone. In fact, he hadn’t allowed her to travel anywhere by herself for quite some time. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’d prefer to have someone ride with you. Let me check with Drake.”

She kept her voice calm, even though irritation swelled within her. “There’s no need to send anyone. I’m perfectly capable of riding to town and back by myself. You used to let me do it all the time before…” Her voice faded at the realization she’d started to mention a subject her father preferred to ignore.

King shot a quick look at his daughter, clearing his throat before turning away at the reminder of what had happened a few years before. He knew he’d been keeping a tight watch over Abigail, demanding someone accompany her any time she left the house. He understood her need for a measure of freedom. All young men and women wanted to feel they could make their own decisions, set their own course, and his daughter was no different. Most women were already married or had plans for marriage by her age. Keeping her close, allowing her contact with others only when he or another man he trusted accompanied her to town could not last. He wanted to keep her safe, yet needed to let her go. She remained all he had left.

“When will you return?” A lump formed in his throat as he accepted the time had come to allow her more freedom.

“No later than midafternoon.”

He clasped his hands behind his back. “All right.”

“Thank you!” She kissed him once more and rushed from the study before he could change his mind.

Chapter Seventeen

“We’re looking for the boss.” Bill and Jed Olin looked down from where they sat atop their horses at the older man who’d come out to meet them.

“Neither of them are here. What do you want?” Hank shielded his eyes from the early morning sun. He didn’t care for the look of either one. Their appearance gave the impression of gunfighters, rather than ranch hands.

“We heard you might be looking for cowhands. That true?”

“Might be. Like I said, the Pelletiers run this place and neither of them are around.”

“When are they due back?” Bill persisted.

“Not sure. They’re out with the herd, so it could be days.” Hank looked behind the two men to see a welcome sight as the doctor’s wagon rolled up the road. He hadn’t expected the man for a few more hours. “You’ll need to come back.”

Bill shifted in his saddle, not pleased with the idea of riding back again tomorrow. “You mind if we wait a spell.”

“Suit yourself.” He wanted to discourage them, send them on their way. However, with the four men laid up, they were shorthanded. Ellis and Bull should be ready for work pretty quick, but Johnny and Tat had a lot more recuperating to do. Hank had to consider Dax and Luke might feel different about them and hire both on. “You can put your horses in the corral.”

Jed and Bill rode the short distance toward the barn, released the saddles and threw them over the fence, then opened the corral gate. They needed everything to appear normal, like any two cowhands looking for work, even though not having their horses ready to ride didn’t seem right. Bill rested a hand on the butt of his gun and leaned against the fence, watching the doctor pull his wagon to a stop and climb down.

“You got here earlier than I expected.” Hank watched as the doctor grabbed something from the back of the wagon.

“How are they doing?”

“Rachel’s done a great job. Doesn’t leave their side for more than a few minutes. She could use a break, if you can get her to go along with it.” Hank kept pace with Charles as he walked toward the bunkhouse.

“I’ll see if I can get her to rest, at least for a while. It would be best if she rode back into town tonight. I can stay here, if needed.” Charles pushed the door open. His eyes landed on Rachel, who leaned over Johnny as he spoke to her in a raspy voice. She nodded at something he said before turning to see her uncle in the doorway.

“Uncle Charles. Come over here. Johnny’s awake.” Both doubted the young man would make it through another night, yet he’d rallied and appeared to be on his way to recovering.

Charles gazed down at the boy, which is how he thought of him, and smiled. “Glad to see you’re better, young man.”

“Johnny,” he whispered, wincing as the word came out.

“Johnny it is.” He glanced at Rachel. “Why don’t you take a rest? I can handle these two for a bit.” Charles turned back to Johnny and pulled back the covers.

Rachel watched for a moment before removing her well-used smock and hanging it on a hook by the door. She ran the back of a hand across her forehead, then let her arm drop, feeling the fatigue which had progressed over several hours.

She stepped into the bright sunlight, her eyes landing on two men leaning against the corral. Too tired to introduce herself, Rachel ignored them and made her way toward the house, ready for some of Bernice’s tea and a slice of the cider cake she’d baked the night before.

“Hello, ma’am.”

She turned at the greeting, not wishing to start a conversation, yet unable to be rude. “May I help you with something?”

“We’re waiting to speak with the boss about a job. We heard he might need some help.” Jed stood a few feet away, hands on hips, and let his eyes wander up, then down. He hadn’t seen a woman as pretty as this one in a long time.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you. The men who own the ranch aren’t here right now. It may be best to come back another time.”

“The older man said we could wait. I think that’s what we’ll do.”

“It’s up to you.” Rachel walked up the front steps and through the door. Something about the man didn’t seem right. It wasn’t so much the way his gaze moved over her, which was irritating, though not threatening. The eyes—flat and cold—were what triggered a sense of unease, prodding her to take a small step back when he spoke. She hoped he didn’t notice the apprehension his presence caused.

“I thought I heard someone come inside. How about something to drink and a piece of cake?” Bernice dried her hands on a towel slung over her shoulder and took down a cup. “Tea?”

“Thanks. I’d appreciate it.” She took a seat at the kitchen table and let her mind drift back to the conversation she’d had with Dax. Until last night, she hadn’t realized the extent of the burdens weighing upon him. The calm strength he always displayed belied an inner turmoil, one she knew other military men faced when the battles ended. Unless he confided in her, there was nothing she could do. She wanted to help, get him to talk and release his burdens. Perhaps someday he would.

“Here you are.” Bernice set down a cup of tea and a plate with a large slice of cider cake. “Now you relax while I go outside to check the laundry.”

Rachel didn’t respond as Bernice disappeared outside. She slipped a piece of cake in her mouth and let her thoughts drift once more to Dax. He could stay or leave. His future hung in the air, and hers along with it. Whatever troubled him would be the deciding factor. Even if he stayed, there were no assurances he’d still want to see her. She might be a temporary respite in his search for a new life or a path back to the man he used to be. Would he still turn to her when he figured it all out? Right now, there was no way to tell.

The back door swung open, allowing Bernice to walk through. Her arms full of clothes and linens.

“Let me help.” Rachel stood and took some of the load, then set everything down on the table before grabbing a clean shirt. “Luke mentioned you and Hank talked of leaving. I’m glad you worked something out. It’s certain the Pelletiers would’ve been lost without you.”

 She grabbed a towel and made quick work of folding it. “Oh, I don’t know about those two being lost. They’re pretty capable.” Bernice chuckled. “Truth be told, it was more me than Hank who wanted to leave.”

Rachel’s brows drew together and she set down the trousers in her hand. “Why?”

“The shooting. We’ve been together a lot of years and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him to the violence taking over this area. It’s getting worse all the time.”

“Are you talking about the threats to Dax and Luke, or is it something more?”

“It all started months before the sheriff was murdered, before you came to Splendor. Ranchers on the other side of town were the first targets. Missing cattle, fires, random shootings. The sheriff arrested some of King Tolbert’s men, but had to let them go. He didn’t have the evidence needed to hold them. A few months later, someone gunned the sheriff down on his way to check on another shooting.” Bernice lowered herself into a chair and rested her arms on the table.

“He died not long after I arrived. I spoke to him a few times. Seemed like a decent man.” Rachel remembered him as tough, hardened, with kind eyes and a ready smile. His leathered skin and slight streaks of gray in his hair caused him to look much older than his true age of thirty-nine.

“We’re hoping Sheriff Evans can make some sense of everything.” Bernice stood as Hank came through the back door.

“Dax rode in with a couple of the men. I let him know Johnny’s improving.” He poured a cup of coffee and looked at Bernice. “He’s going to put Hannibal away, then talk to those two gents who rode in a while ago. Thought I’d take him some coffee.”