Tried and True (Wild at Heart Book #1) (17 page)

Aspen Ridge had about fifty people living in town. Aaron went over his paper work and the few buildings in the ramshackle town all day and night and could come up
with only twelve women besides the Wilde sisters. Those twelve didn’t include wives of homesteaders.

Because however he chased ideas around, it made no sense for anyone to want Kylie’s claim, except that it could get her Gage Coulter.

The claim was in a poor spot, with no grazing, no land for farming. The water was good, but on its own no one would want that claim enough to steal it. There were much better claims available, though the land was filling up fast.

Aaron just couldn’t figure out which of those twelve women, running with two men, would attack Kylie. Two worked abovestairs in the saloon. No reason they’d want land, but neither did Aaron expect that those women were as honest as they ought to be, so they might team up with some varmints to cause trouble.

Setting aside his sorting of the Aspen Ridge women, he wondered how in tarnation to find out if anyone was talented with a bow and arrow. It was a skill that needed a lot of practice, and Aaron had never heard a whisper of such a thing, nor had he seen a bow and arrow in town. It was a weapon so associated with the Indians that white men rarely used one. Aaron and his friends had played with bows as kids, built their own, and gotten to be a pretty decent aim. They didn’t cost anything and were as silent as the tomb, which made them a good thing for young’uns. But most pioneers carried guns and used them for protection and for hunting.

The Wildes had all been in Kylie’s cabin this morning. Aaron tried to wheedle breakfast out of Kylie after scouting for her attackers, but he could tell right off that she wasn’t inviting him in. He knew why, too. If she let him
in, she’d have to ask Coulter and Tucker in as well. And she didn’t trust her sisters’ disguises to hold up. So he got run off right along with Coulter and Tucker. It still stung, especially since Tucker hadn’t ridden away. Instead, he stood off to the side, talking with Sunrise.

It left Aaron frustrated to the point he was tempted to take it out on someone. He had no idea who, though. Maybe he oughta arrest every single woman he saw. That’d make sure he didn’t miss the guilty party. Honestly, Aspen Ridge was a raw western town; most of the folks here had something they were running away from back East. He should just round up the whole town.

A half-wit idea if ever he had one.

He wandered to Sandy’s Livery and Blacksmith to check for horses with black manes. There were plenty. He was finding no natural skill for detective work and he was sick of trying. He hoped Sunrise was taking care of Kylie, and he worried about it until he wanted to punch someone.

“Howdy, Masterson.”

Aaron looked away from the corral. Matt Tucker rode up on his grulla mustang. It had a black mane and tail.

A smile broke out on Aaron’s face. Tucker reminded Aaron of the sheep he’d helped shear at Shannon’s place the other day. “What happened to you?”

Tucker’s face was scraped raw. A nick showed on his square chin, and a line around his neck was pure white to match his face.

“A shave and a haircut happened,” Tucker said. Bareheaded, he ran a hand over his hair that’d been cut nearly to bristle length. “After you left, Ma sat me down and barbered me half to death.”

Aaron chuckled at the thought of Sunrise bullying this tough mountain man. “My ma had a knack for making me sit down and do as I was told, too.”

Thinking of his mother, who’d still been a youthful, pretty woman when Aaron had left for war—the last time he’d seen her—took the pleasure out of the moment.

Aaron turned back to the corral. “I’ve been going over the women in town and around the area. While there aren’t many, I still can’t pick out which one was involved in the attack. After looking over the livery horses, I plan to wander around town to see who’s putting their own horses up at home. If we find the ones with black manes and check which of the horses are ridden by women, we might be able to narrow our search to here in town.”

Tucker grunted. “I reckon they’re from town. Why would a homesteader want to drive another homesteader off her land? They can’t buy it and can’t homestead it. Unless they’ve got a personal problem with Kylie, it makes no sense.”

“Did you stay and eat at Kylie’s?” Aaron tried to sound casual, but he saw Tucker’s eyes sparkle.

“I ate, but it was outside while sittin’ on the porch rocker. Ma sat with me, but Kylie barred the door from me just like she done for you and Coulter.”

“Coulter didn’t come back and harass her, did he?” Aaron’s temper rose. He trusted Coulter not to attack, yet he also knew Coulter wanted that land and he’d find a way to get it unless Kylie was careful, and some of Coulter’s tactics might not be pleasant.

Tucker didn’t stop a smile this time. “I rode over with Coulter this morning. I had a notion Coulter was riding
over there to sweet-talk Miss Wilde into spending time with him.”

“What?” Aaron spun toward Tucker. “I need to ride out to Kylie’s right away and warn her.”

“Hold up, Masterson. Coulter changed his mind before you got there.”

“Why’d he do that? What man would see Kylie Wilde and not want her?” That was saying too much, and Aaron knew it even before Tucker’s smile widened.

“I didn’t ask. I only saw Gage again while you were there, but he sure enough didn’t have Kylie with him and he didn’t stay after we went tracking. The man has good instincts about people, so I’m guessin’ he saw it was a wasted effort and decided on a new way of going after what he wants. I work for him every now and again, and I know the man well. One thing you can be sure of: He ain’t giving up that pond. That’s one of the most dependable water supplies in the area, and he thinks it’s his. And we’re heading into a dry summer. One pretty little lady nester isn’t going to turn him aside, at least not easily.”

“There’s law in the area now. Coulter isn’t going to get away with breaking it like that.”

“I reckon he knows that as well as anyone. Which’ll make him more careful. But there’re ways of getting through to a woman without breakin’ the law. He won’t turn aside from his plans.” Tucker looked out at the corral and the herd of horses, resting his arms on the top rail of the fence out back of Sandy’s Livery.

Half of the dozen horses had black manes. “Some of these Sandy owns,” Aaron said. “He rents them out by the day. Some belong to others and he boards them.”

A stocky old man, mostly bald, came out of the livery stable. He walked with a rolling gait, as if his knees pained him.

“Howdy, Sandy,” Tucker said.

“Tucker, I ain’t seen you in town in an age.”

“I haven’t needed much a town could give me.”

“Can I help you?” The old man’s eyes shifted to Aaron. “Or you, Masterson?”

Sandy knew the riders, the horses, and the town a whole lot better than Aaron. And Aaron boarded his horse here, so they’d talked many times.

“We got us some questions about these horses, Sandy.” Tucker hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his fringed buckskin pants.

“Come on in. I had a quiet morning, so I used the forge fire to make coffee,” he laughed.

The old man’s laugh was on the ragged edge of a giggle. A strange old bird, but he took good care of his stock and was the town’s only blacksmith. And in a town full of horses, that made Sandy one of its leading citizens.

He was just the man they needed to talk to.

M
yra had ridden out here several times in the last week, and for a while she thought they’d done it—driven Kylie off. Now here she was back again, and since she’d come there’d been others coming and going constantly. Kylie had a good scare, but instead of giving up her claim and running, she’d just surrounded herself with help.

They were going to have to scare her worse.

Today she was here, and there wasn’t a passel of folks around. Finally.

Myra had spent much of the war—after all the money was gone—hunting in the swamp around their home, and she was better than fair in the woods. She’d done a sight of exploring in this new northern land. If she wanted to be a rancher’s wife, she needed to figure out how all her swamp skills translated to the pine forests and mountain peaks.

Besides, staying in the miserable rooms they lived in had become downright unbearable.

Archie hissed and caught her arm. She froze as a squat Indian woman stepped out of the cabin, rounded it, and disappeared between the house and pond.

Myra and Archie had left wounded Bert back in town. He wasn’t up to being much help anyway. But without him, they couldn’t use burning arrows again. Neither she nor Archie were skilled enough, though Myra intended to start practicing soon. She couldn’t do it now, though. Someone might notice and start asking questions.

“What’s an Indian doing in there?” Archie whispered. They saw the woman emerge from the far side of the cabin, stride across an open stretch, then vanish into the thick woods to the east.

They’d seen the forest cut back from the front door and had slipped up on the side across from the pond. Archie had a gun, but Myra wasn’t going to be party to any killing. While she wanted this land, she’d seen a man hung once and had no wish to die in such an ugly way. She’d get this homestead without turning to murder. But she wasn’t opposed to scaring someone.

“You’re sure this will work?” Archie held up the writhing burlap bag Myra had handed him.

“I’m sure it’ll scare her. Added to the worries of the Indian attack, it oughta move her along.”

“There’s no window on this side of the cabin. How do we—?”

“Hush!”

Archie obeyed. She could see it riled him that he had, but still he kept his mouth shut.

The door swung open, and a young woman showed herself. Kylie.

Myra hadn’t gotten a good look at her before; she’d been on the porch the first day they’d come, mostly standing behind Masterson. Kylie walked down the steps and stood facing the pond as if enjoying the view.

What a waste of time, staring at water.

“Give me that bag.” Myra hated touching it, yet she didn’t trust her brother to do things right.

He seemed eager to hand it over, and who could blame him? Myra untied the rope that fastened the burlap, clutching the bag tight to keep it closed.

After a long old time spent staring, Kylie walked around the cabin.

“Wait here.” Myra rushed for the cabin, quiet as she could manage, darted up the front porch steps, doing her best not to make them creak, opened the front door and, with a wild fling, shook the bag so it opened and the contents emptied onto the floor.

Myra had lived close to the swamps in Alabama and learned many things, including a skill that’d come in handy today. Keeping hold of the bag, she quickly closed the door and ran back into the woods.

She snapped at Archie, “Let’s get out of here!”

She was no killer, but what she’d just done could end up with Kylie scared out of her wits, and that was the goal.

Sprinting to their horses, Myra was in the saddle and racing for town without even looking back for Archie. But he was a dependable coward, and she knew he’d keep up with her.

Kylie thought about the little talk she’d had with Shannon and Bailey this morning. It was all part of her claiming
her new life. She’d told them to stop dressing and acting like men and start planning to round up a husband. It was the bossiest thing she’d ever done. They’d taken it well.

Either that or she’d left them speechless.

Once they’d left, she’d helped Sunrise finish the roof of the new chicken coop. Now Sunrise had gone into the forest to gather firewood while Kylie piled up the chunks of kindling left from their building by the side of the cabin. That wood needed to dry before it would burn well. As Kylie stacked it, she thought of all the company she’d had lately. Why, it was almost a social whirl! Then bossing her sisters, and now finishing a building.

It had been a fine day.

Kylie headed for the cabin, pleased with her accomplishments. Walking up the steps, she swung the door open and hurried across to the stewpot, hoping to get it warmed up as soon as possible so they could eat. The morning’s work had left her famished.

She pulled the pot forward, then turned to the woodbox and reached for a piece of kindling to stoke the fire.

A rattlesnake lashed out at her from the woodpile.

A shriek tore from her throat and she leapt back. She tripped over her own feet and fell, screeching.

The snake went straight for her, its hissing head quickly pivoting as it got ready to strike. On her backside, she spun to face it and clawed away, afraid to turn her back. The snake lunged forward, and she felt the impact on her boot.

Though she felt no sharp fangs cutting her skin, the snake’s six-foot-long body coiled around her skirts. She screamed again, scrabbling along, desperate to escape, but
she brought the snake with her. It wrapped tight around her ankles.

She slammed hard against the cupboard. Pulling herself to her feet, her hand landed on a knife. Her butcher knife. She grabbed it, turned, and aimed for the snake’s head and slashed it hard, severing its head.

Thankfully her boots were made of thick leather and had protected her from venom, as well as the knife.

She ripped the snake from around her legs. Even headless the snake hung on. As she struggled with it, her eye caught another, larger snake slither out from the cold fireplace. It hissed at her, gathering itself to strike.

The door flew open. Aaron stepped in, gun drawn. His eyes followed her gaze. He spun, saw the snake, and blasted it.

“Rattlesnakes!” Kylie screamed. “Two of ’em. Careful, there might be more.” She whirled around, looking in every corner. “Get me out of here!”

Aaron rushed to her, relieved her of the butcher knife by tossing it on the table. Then he ripped the dead snake loose from her body.

Just as the coils finally let go of her, Sunrise came running in. She entered with an arrow notched in her bow, surveying the bleeding snakes and then Kylie.

Breathless, Kylie sprinted for the door, but Aaron caught her and hoisted her into his arms. “I won’t put you down until we’re sure there aren’t any others.”

Kylie threw her arms around his neck and nodded.

“This is a good cabin. Tight, well built.” Sunrise’s calm voice penetrated Kylie’s panic just a bit. “These snakes did not crawl in.”

“Someone put them here.” Aaron stated it as an absolute truth. “Just like the flaming arrows.”

Hearing their voices soothed Kylie, and although she was by no means calm, she was able to think again. “Someone wants me dead.”

“No,” Aaron said. “These aren’t poisonous snakes.”

“They are. They’re rattlers. I’ve seen rattlesnakes before.”

“They look like rattlers, but they’re gopher snakes. Whoever did this wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“They’re not . . . deadly?” Kylie tried to get herself under control. All she could think of was to run and never stop running.

“No, Kylie. They’re big and ugly and startling, but not dangerous. They’re just here to scare you out of your wits.”

“Scare me out of my cabin, you mean. And off my land.” Kylie lifted her eyes to meet Aaron’s.

“That’s right,” he said with an angry tone. “Whether he ordered it or not, this is because of Coulter.” Aaron’s arms tightened around her, and she felt like he was the only solid thing in her whole world.

“As soon as you’re calm, I’m going to go see him and demand some answers, and this time I’m not leaving until I get some.”

“No!” Kylie said. “You can’t leave me.”

Kylie wouldn’t let go. Her breathing sped up, but her lungs seemed unable to grab ahold of air. Pinwheels of light exploded in her head. The world darkened at the same time she saw bright explosions. Her vision was like looking down a long tunnel.

“I can’t stay. I can’t . . .” Her voice rose to a near scream.

A sudden splash of cold water against her face startled her out of the panic. She blinked and saw Sunrise holding a tin cup, now empty.

“Better now?” Sunrise asked. Though the water seemed cruel, Kylie quit gasping and panting. It had worked.

But it didn’t change a thing. “I can’t stay here!”

Aaron took her by the hand. “Then come with me to Coulter’s.”

“You go,” Sunrise said. “I will stay and make sure there are no other snakes in the cabin. Then I will hunt the real rattlesnakes, the ones who put these beasts in here.”

Kylie didn’t like that plan at all. “No, you shouldn’t stay in here, Sunrise. Who knows what these folks will do next? Forgive me—I never should have asked you to come out here when I knew I was in danger.”

“Don’t worry yourself. I know how to handle all kinds of snakes, rattlers, or men. Do you need more water thrown in your face?” The strong response from Sunrise made Kylie feel safer, just as Aaron’s arms did.

Kylie shook her head. “I feel a little better now, thank you.”

Sunrise rested a hand on Kylie’s shoulder, and some of the woman’s strength seemed to help steady Kylie’s wobbly spine. Sunrise said quietly, “I stepped too far away, my girl. I am sorry I was slow to come.”

Kylie reached up and clasped Sunrise’s strong hand. It was all right. No one could watch over her every minute of the day and night.

She would let Aaron take her away. She would leave Sunrise to clean up the mess and chase after evidence of
who had done this latest attack. What she wouldn’t do is ever sleep in this cabin again. Not for a single night.

Whoever wanted her gone had won.

Aaron carried Kylie out of the house and straight to where his horse stood, unhitched. He lifted her into the saddle. No snakes up there.

“Watch her while I saddle her horse, Sunrise.” Aaron wasn’t sure Kylie would let him go, but she managed it. It felt wrong to take even a step away from her. He wanted to hang on. Every time he shut his eyes, he heard her screams.

When Kylie’s mustang was ready, he helped her onto her horse and mounted up himself. As they were about to head out, Sunrise said, “Send Tucker if you can find him. He might be at Coulter’s.” Then she melted silently into the woods.

Though he’d put Kylie on her own horse, Aaron kept wanting to pluck her off and carry her in his lap, hold on to her tight, soothe her. She startled at every dancing limb and each time a shadow flicked ahead of them on the forest trail. She rode so close to him, her horse bumped his several times.

He didn’t want her so scared and defeated when they faced Coulter. Aaron was positive she’d just tell Gage she was leaving and the land was his. That didn’t give Aaron much power to strike a bargain.

The trail widened into a mountain meadow of lush grass, swaying in the breeze. He spotted a tumble of boulders piled near the base of a bluff along the meadow’s edge.
There was a tranquility here. It was so open there wasn’t much to frighten anyone.

“Let’s sit a spell,” he said.

Kylie looked at him, her eyes wide. “Have you never heard the words
snake in the grass
?” She glanced down at the thick grass, as if the ground were crawling with rattlers.

“It’ll be all right. We’ll sit on those rocks over there.”

“Don’t snakes sun themselves on rocks?”

Aaron decided to stop talking. He took her reins and guided both horses toward the rocks. Dismounting, he made quick work of switching to a halter on both horses and staking them out to graze. He went to help Kylie off her horse, but she had her hands gripped on the pommel so hard her knuckles were white. With some resistance she finally let go.

He carried her to a big flat rock off a ways from the others. “Look at this boulder, Kylie. No place for a snake to hide.” He toted her like a crate of vegetables, in a complete circle around the slab of stone, and he had to give her credit for obeying him.