Stronger Than the Rest (10 page)

******

“Tess? I wonder if you’d like to go outside for a bit?” Drew’s voice was hesitant, hopeful. He’d spent the last hour with Jericho, and even though he was tired, he wanted to see her, spend time with her. Hell, he wanted to just be around her. Their short time in the barn just wasn’t enough.

“I’d like that.” Tess set down the book she’d been reading and grabbed a shawl. She stepped back to let Drew precede her onto the front porch and closed the door. Her hands began to shake, from nerves or the cold she wasn’t sure, but either way, she grabbed the ends of the shawl to wrap around her so Drew wouldn’t notice. Tess walked over to the swing and Drew maneuvered his chair next to her.

“We haven’t had much time together.” Drew said.

“No, we haven’t.” Tess was rocking the swing with a slight motion. It was enough to help hide her nervousness at being alone with Drew. She’d felt this way in the barn, but the mare had been a distraction. Tess had no distractions now.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet and the clear night sky. “Are your sessions with Mr. Jericho going all right? Does it help?”

“If nothing else, the liniment and massage relaxes me. I can’t say for certain they help, but doubt that they’re causing any more damage.” He tilted his head up to gaze at the stars. “I missed you, Tess.”

“You did?” Her surprise wasn’t fake. She hadn’t believed he’d thought about her at all since leaving Cold Creek for Denver.

“You thought I wouldn’t?” Drew turned to look at her.

“Well, I know you’ve had to focus on other things. I didn’t think you’d have time for much else. Except perhaps your fiancée.”

“Ah, I see.” And he did. He’d left the ranch after the shooting when Louis Dunnigan and his daughter, Patricia, had arrived. She’d identified herself to everyone as Drew’s fiancée, and Tess had believed it.

“She was never my fiancée. I never courted her, Tess. I cleared that up with Patricia before I left Denver.”

Tess let that roll around in her head.
Is he trying to tell me something or just making conversation?
“Are you courting someone else?”

He chuckled. “No, I’m not courting anyone. Are you being courted?”

“Me?” she squeaked out. She knew her family would find the question humorous, not because they saw her as unattractive, but because of her total disinterest in meeting someone, making friends outside of the family. “Of course not. Who’d be interested in someone like me when there are so many beautiful women with more to offer?” There, the words were out, and she meant them. Let him know that she didn’t expect that any man, especially someone like Drew MacLaren, would find her attractive or interesting enough to court. She sank lower into the swing and continued to rock.

The disbelief Drew felt at Tess’s words grew until he wished he could stand, draw her to him, and tell her how wrong she was. How could she think of herself as unattractive or uninteresting? She was a beautiful woman with a kind heart and quick mind. Her radiant smile and uninhibited laugh brought joy to those around her.

“Tess, look at me.” Drew’s soft voice broke the silence. Her head turned in small increments toward him until their eyes met and held.

“You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I have ever known. There is so much about you that I admire.” His words were soft, but the intense look in his eyes told her that they were from his heart. “I find it hard to believe that no one is courting you. There must be a great many fools in Cold Creek if no one recognizes the jewel right in front of them.”

Tess was so stunned by Drew’s words that she found herself unable to respond. She stared at him as tears welled in her eyes. She swiped at them before breaking contact and looking down into her lap. When she looked up, Drew saw the most magnificent smile he’d ever seen. He wasn’t sure, but thought his heart may have missed a few beats in that moment.

He reached over and placed his hand on Tess’s. She turned hers to fit into his large palm. Neither said a word, just enjoyed the night with its brilliant white stars.

******

Ira shoved both hands in his pockets and paced back and forth in the large office. Luther’s latest attempts to scare Widow Bierdan and her men into leaving had failed. She was no more interested in selling than she had been two months ago. Luther was a brute but, in Ira’s opinion, he hadn’t exerted the right kind of pressure. They needed to go after her directly. With MacLaren already in Cold Creek, Walsh had no option but to change plans.

He penned a quick message to the one man he was confident could make things happen, Sabastian Drago. He’d kept him out of this part of the business, preferring for Drago to concentrate on other matters. Ira felt certain that Langdon and Bierdan saw Luther as a threat. Walsh knew the man was a mere nuisance compared to the fear Drago would inflict.

Ira poked his head out of his office and called for one of his men to take the message to the telegraph office. He didn’t like doing it this way—preferred a more subtle approach—but he wanted that ranchland. In the process, he wanted to rid Cold Creek of its most recent arrival. Ira’s thinking was like many—MacLaren was only half a man anyway.

******

Eloise walked down the dirt-covered boardwalk and stopped to look at the new merchandise in the window of the mercantile. A yellow calico caught her eye. When her husband was alive she would have gone right in and bought the dress. Now? She had to satisfy herself with looking.

“Hello, Mrs. Bierdan.” The deep, masculine voice came from behind her. She looked up to see the man’s reflection in the window. An odd feeling passed through her as she studied the sheriff before turning to greet him.

“Good morning, Sheriff Alts. I was just on my way to see you.” Eloise always thought him a handsome man, but for some reason, his solid frame and broad shoulders had her heart beating today. It was a new feeling—something she’d never felt with her husband. She had the oddest urge to walk forward and touch him, place a hand on his shirt-clad chest. Eloise was embarrassed at the path her thoughts took, and her face must have transmitted her inner turmoil.

“Are you all right, Mrs. Bierdan? Do you need to sit down?” Frank asked.

“Ah, no, Sheriff. I’m fine. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment.”

“Have you had dinner?”

Eloise shook her head.

“Good. I was just heading to the restaurant. I’d be honored if you’d join me.” Frank hadn’t realized how much he wanted to share a meal with the attractive widow, but the pull he’d felt toward her intensified with each meeting.

“I’d like that, Sheriff,” Eloise replied and took the arm he offered.

The restaurant was close, just three doors down. Eloise felt fortunate to have a table by the window. It would give her something to look at other than the gentleman escorting her. He wasn’t handsome like the dandies who’d frequented her employer’s home in Boston. His face was rugged, weather-beaten, and his nose was just off center, as if he’d injured it. Intriguing was the word she’d use for him.

“The beef stew for both of us,” Frank told the waitress and looked at Eloise for approval. “So what brought you to town to see me?”

“You said the MacLarens are well-known to you. You trust them?”

“I do.”

“You’re sure Drew MacLaren wouldn’t harm someone? Absolutely sure?”

“I’d stake my life on it. I trust him and his brothers.” Frank sipped his coffee and considered what she was really trying to ask him. “Why don’t you come right out and tell me why you wanted to meet today.”

“There’s another man, from Denver, who’s expressed an interest in my land. I’ve put him off, but under the circumstances I believe I need to at least discuss my options. I don’t want to sell, but if I do, I want the best price for the land.”

“And the motivation of the person who might purchase your land. Do you care at all about that?” Frank asked, concerned about where this conversation might be going.

Eloise thought about what the sheriff was implying. She hadn’t really considered the character of the buyer, just that she’d get a reasonable price for the ranch and a fair deal for her men. “If I decide to sell, I’ll want the best price I can get plus assurances that the buyer will continue to employ my men. They’ve worked hard to keep the ranch going and have stayed when others have left.” She stopped to consider what she’d said, then looked up at Frank. “That’s reasonable, don’t you believe, Sheriff?”

“I believe it is reasonable, but an agreement is only as good as the word of the man behind it. Contracts can be broken, and believe me, I’ve seen it many times. How hard would you be willing to fight if you sold your ranch, moved away, then discovered all of your men had been fired? Would you come back to fight for them?”

Frank glanced out the window to see two men ride in and dismount in front of the saloon.  Each looked up and down the street, then hurried into the building. They fit the descriptions of Luther and Vern. One tall, bulky, with broad-shoulders, the other one shorter and lean.

He picked up his cup of coffee and took a swallow. “I’d feel more comfortable knowing who’s behind the beatings, the threats, before you make a decision to sell. Someone is after your land, and the Langdon’s, and they’re not above using force to get what they want. Now, I don’t know who this other Denver buyer is, and he may be as honest as they come, but I’m certain that Drew would never work for a man who used those tactics to entice you to sell.” He set his cup down. “All I’m suggesting is that you be sure of the buyer’s character before you make a decision.” He continued to keep watch on the saloon. Frank wanted to finish dinner and take a better look at the men before they left town, but as the plates were set down the two men emerged from the saloon and walked toward their horses.

“Mrs. Bierdan, you’ll have to excuse me but I believe I may have found the two men that threatened Clint and Jay.” He moved out to the street in time to walk in front of the men’s horses just as the large one mounted.

“You Luther and Vern?” Frank asked as his hand instinctively went to the butt of his pistol.

“Who’s asking?”

“I’m Sheriff Alts….” Frank began, but before he could finish, Luther kicked his horse and would’ve run the sheriff down if he hadn’t jumped out of the way. Frank pulled his gun just as the man he believed to be Luther’s partner, Vern, started to follow his partner.

“Don’t try it, Vern. I’ll shoot you if I have to.” Frank’s gun was trained on Vern’s chest. At three yards away there was little chance he’d miss.

Just then Frank’s deputy, Eddy O’Dell, came up from the other direction with a rifle pointed at Vern. “If the Sheriff doesn’t get you, you’d best believe I will,” he said as he raised the rifle and sighted on Vern’s head.

Vern dropped the reins and slid off his horse. He looked around to see a sizable crowd milling about. A crowd that included the Widow Bierdan.

“Turn around,” Frank ordered and pulled handcuffs from his back pocket.

“What’s this about, Sheriff?” Vern asked.

“Go to the Bierdan ranch. Bring back Clint and Jay,” Frank called to his deputy, then turned to Vern. “We’ll talk at the jail. Come on.” He nudged his prisoner forward and came face-to-face with Eloise Bierdan.

“Is this the one who attacked my ranch hands?” She glared at the prisoner, taking in his scruffy appearance as a strong odor drifted towards her. Eloise covered her mouth and coughed at the stench.

“That’s what I plan to find out. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

“I’m coming with you,” Eloise declared.

“No.” Frank retorted.

“You can’t stop me, Sheriff. It was my men he attacked. I want to hear what excuse he has for what he did to them.”

Frank stared at the widow and let out a deep breath, his frustration with her demand obvious. “You’re right, Mrs. Bierdan, I can’t stop you from coming to the jail. But I can stop you from talking to him or listening to our conversation.” He still had one hand on his prisoner’s arm and one on the handle of his gun. “This is no game. I need to get answers, my way, without any distractions or interruptions. Let me do my job. I promise you’ll be the first to know if I can find a link to what happened to Clint and Jay.”

Eloise considered his words. She wanted to hear what was said, but didn’t want to hinder the Sheriff. “All right, but I’ll hold you to your word. You’ll find me in the mercantile if you learn anything.” She took one more disgusted look at the prisoner and turned toward the general store.

Frank watched her walk away before turning back to his prisoner. “Let’s go, Vern.”

Chapter Nine

Denver, Colorado

Ira lifted his head from the ledgers on his desk when he heard the commotion downstairs. It was a Saturday night and the saloon was full of local cowboys looking to find release in cards, whiskey, women, or a fight. It didn’t seem to matter to some of them—one release was almost as good as another.

Another loud crash had him walking out of his office to stand at the balcony. He looked down into the crowded room. A big circle had formed in the center with two men rolling around on the floor, smashing fists into each other’s face. His manager stood off to the side, observing but not interfering. Connor was good at controlling these situations and under normal circumstances, Ira wouldn’t have interfered. But tonight’s hullabaloo added to the building tension he’d felt for several days. Ira let it go another minute before he’d had enough. “Conner!” he shouted down.