Unexpected (5 page)

She didn’t see him that morning at breakfast
either.  Hattie had told her that he’d ridden out before dawn, and returned just a short time ago.  He never told anyone where he was going.  She asked her aunt since she’d seen him leave, but Hattie made some comment about not asking that frightening man a darn thing.

Hattie watched Josie leave the room and couldn’t help but worry about her.  She was always trying to be strong for
Thomas and Ryker and not once did she ever display a selfish tendency. She knew they were desperate for help, but there was something about this stranger that gave her a deep uneasiness. She just didn’t know how to convey that to her family because Josie was right.  Not only did he save Ryker’s life, he agreed to stay on and help.  By rights she should be grateful, but she couldn’t shake that feeling.

Chapter Two

Josie spent the better of the morning in the garden trying to get her ripe vegetables picked.  It always helped her think when she tended to it alone.  Also she liked it.  She worried too much about her family.  She knew Ryker and Hattie did too, but she kept her feelings more to herself.  Normally she’d be doing this in the evening, but with Cogan there doing Ryker’s workload, she had more time. Her thoughts turned to the dark stranger and questions on why he was staying.  He said he was looking for work, but his clothing looked fairly new despite the dust, and the more she thought about it, expensive.   She didn’t think much of it when he showed up because Ryker was hurt and needed help, but now that she had some time to herself, she did.

Was he a bounty hunter?
A good bounty hunter can make himself wealthy quickly. Also, why was he coming to Bakersfield?   These questions started to nag her and she began to worry that she acted rashly in hiring him, but really, she had no choice
.
Chances are Ryker would have done the same thing, but he probably would have investigated him a little further.

The sun got hotter throughout the day and finally after several hours
, she decided that she needed to take a break. She stood up and wiped her brow while glancing toward the barn.  She could hear the pounding of metal on metal and knew that he was doing as he told Hattie.  Those blacksmith tools hadn’t been used since her grandfather was alive.

Even though he told her he could
smith, it surprised her that a gunman knew how to do it.  It was a lifelong trade. Her father actually dragged the equipment across the country when they settled near Bakersfield.  He sort of knew how to use them and it came in handy when shoeing a horse like now.  Yet, she and Ryker didn’t have a clue.  They never learned how.

Curious, she started toward the barn when the familiar sound of horse hooves pounding dry ground hit her ears. 
She turned toward the horizon and shaded her eyes from the sun.

She knew the sheriff’s grey horse and that was definitely it coming over the hill with another three riders
kicking up dust from the dry road.  Already she knew that this wasn’t a friendly visit from the presence of the extra men. More than likely they were Butch’s men here to turn the tables on her brother to make him out to be the bad guy.

T
he riders came in through the gate to the front yard swirling up yard dust around her skirts where she stood.

Gus
Johnson, the sheriff reined up and tilted his hat. “Good evening Miss Hamilton.”  His greeting was friendly but there was worry etched in his expression.

Although she knew Gus wasn’t on Butch’s payroll, he never stood
up for the townsfolk against him. She’d found that discouraging in a man.  Gus was in his early forties and never married.  He liked her. She knew he did because he’d told her and tried courting her. He must’ve proposed to her once a month since she turned eighteen.  He was a decent man but had no backbone to be a sheriff.  Then there was his age.  Although it wasn’t uncommon for girls around Bakersfield to marry older men, she found it really distasteful.  Maybe she wouldn’t if she was attracted to him, but she wasn’t.

It was true that most girls her age were married but she didn’t want someone as old as
Gus or as spineless. Also, she wanted to be in love with the man she married.  She didn’t believe in a marriage of convenience.  Her parents loved each other deeply and she wanted that. “Out with it Gus.  This isn’t a social visit,” she finally said looking past him to the sneering men.  It only took her a moment to know she was right in her assumption. She recognized them. They belonged to Butch.

“Elroy says that one of your men shot five of his.”  He turned and looked over his shoulder at Elroy who dropped his sneer and tried looking innocent.  Gus shook his head and turned back to her.  “Is it true?”

“No,” she said glaring at Elroy who was back to sneering at her.  His eyes ran down her front and inside she shivered.
She was perspiring and the neck of her gown was damp. “They ran our help out weeks ago.” She pointed to the burned down bunkhouse just past the barn.

“You can’t prove that!”

“Shut up Elroy!” Gus shot over his shoulder.

“
That’s him there!” exclaimed Elroy in a high pitched squeal while pointing past Josie.

Everyone turned to look at him
over the unusual tone he displayed. Their expressions ranged from quizzical to surprise.

“What?” Elroy looked around at the men not knowing why he was suddenly the center of attention. “Look what he did to me!” he further explained while holding up his bandaged left hand.  He shot an accusing look to the approaching stranger. Truth was, Elroy never did get a look at the man that shot him, but he did see a lone gunman when he was escaping the scene.  He was a big man, just like the one approaching them now. He had no fear in his expression despite being outnumbered.

Josie saw that there was old blood on the
cloth wrapped around Elroy’s hand and it took everything in her power not to smile.  She supposed that hurt like the dickens.

Gus
didn’t hear Elroy after he spotted what he was pointing at. “Holy
mother
of Jesus,” he mumbled seeing the size of the man that just emerged from the open barn doors.  His hand slid to the gun strapped to his hip.

“That’s not necessary
Gus. Unless you gang up on a helpless man, he’s harmless,” Josie accused with her eyes on Elroy not turning to look behind her.  She knew that Cogan’s size was unusual and the way he looked would frighten any man.  He wasn’t unattractive. He just looked hard—angry. As for the harmless statement, she didn’t believe it even though she said it.  Nothing about Cogan was harmless unless it was to do with an animal.

He sure as hell didn’t look harmless
, thought Gus watching the man warily. Gus’s eyes went to her, and trusting her words, he nodded and released his gun.  “What happened then?”

“He saved Ryker’s
life when Elroy and his gang tried to hang him.”

“That’s not true!”
blurted Elroy. “We were gonna let him go.  We were only funnin’.”

Josie could hear Cogan’s footsteps as he closed the gap behind
her.  She could see the mixed looks of awe and fear on the faces of the men and actually had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.

“It’s true,”
came Cogan’s deep voice. “If you like, you can go have a look at the rope burn around his neck. It near took his head off.”

Gus
sized the outsider up.  This was definitely a man that was no stranger to a gunfight.  Just the way he stood stated he wasn’t frightened easily. Then there was the way he stared fearlessly at the four of them with dark frightening eyes.  He didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable or worried whereas Gus was beginning to feel it a bit under that cold stare. He already knew he wasn’t going to pursue this complaint Elroy had. Josie’s word was worth all three of the men sitting behind him. He also didn’t doubt the stranger’s words about the rope burn.  Butch had something about threatening to hang people like he was the town’s judge and jury. Furthermore, if this man took down five of Butch’s men, he sure as hell wasn’t going to challenge him.  “Did you kill five men?”

“Yes,” he admitted easily. “I rode out early this morning and
gave them a respectable burial.”

Josie turned and looked up at him over her shoulder thinking that was more than what they deserved.
  She wanted them rotting under the sun.  It wasn’t like her to be so unfeeling, but what they did to her brother was unforgivable.

“I didn’t want them stinking up the landscape and scaring cattle,” he remarked looking down at her
seeing her reluctant expression.

She bit her lip to keep from smiling.  Lord
help her in taking pleasure in something so morbid, but Cogan was right, they were bad men, but regardless, they should have a decent burial.

“You’re a murderer!” s
houted Elroy.

Cogan narrowed his eyes and looked past
Gus focusing on the weasel sitting behind him.  “You care to get down and tell me that one on one?”

That shut him up.

“Ryker gonna live?” Gus asked with genuine concern.  He believed the stranger about them ganging up on Ryker.  Ryker Hamilton was a good honorable man, just like his father, and no one would question the defense because of the history Butch had with innocent townsfolk.

“
Yes. No thanks to their efforts,” Josie shot pointing at Elroy who sneered again. Chew was caked in between his teeth and Josie felt repulsed.  She wondered if he ever even washed. As for his fearless demeanor, he knew he was untouchable. Gus would never do anything to anger Butch.

“Butch wants him arrested,
” Elroy demanded.

“Butch isn’t my boss.
”

“He’s the mayor!
” Elroy protested almost having his voice rise to that high pitched squeal again.

“And like him I was elected by the people
without
stuffing the ballot box,” Gus answered without taking his eyes off the stranger. “What’s your name stranger?”

“Cogan Reid.”
Cogan let a smile pull on his lips before addressing Elroy again. “For a man sitting behind a lawman with two armed goons, you act brave. Last time I saw you, you were leaving failed lynching in a trail of yellow dust.” Cogan was referring to the day before. Elroy rode out of there hell bent like a coward less than a second after he shot him through the hand.  He’d left the rest of the men to die.

Elroy turned red with rage and stood in his stirrups.
His voice rose to that unusual pitch again and the men next to him winced. “I’m no coward, you son of a—”

Gus
turned and looked at him again. “Shut it Elroy. I see no crime here except for one man protecting another against an illegal hanging.  It sounds like you were on their land and tried to lynch the owner. If anything, I should arrest you for attempted murder.  Mr. Reid had every right to come to Ryker’s defense.  You and the others should be tried instead, if they weren’t corpses.”

“You take a stranger’s word over mine!” Elroy spat back.

“No, I take Miss Hamilton’s word over yours.  Her family has been here for years and you are some hired mercenary from God knows where.”

“You can’t prove a damn thing,” Elroy countered with confidence.
“The judge won’t even look at this case.”

“No, except for the word of a stranger I can’t.  So I’m telling you that if Ryker dies, I’ll be charging you with murder Elroy.  You just consider yourself lucky
that I don’t wire for the Marshal.” He turned back to Cogan. “And consider it even.  Right stranger?”

“You won’t get trouble from me unless it
comes lookin’ sheriff.”  His dark eyes went back to Elroy.  The corner of his mouth twitched as he dared him to do just that.

“Just the same.
  You should leave if you’re not from around here.  Folks don’t take kindly to strangers killing their citizens,” Gus added.  He knew no good could come of Cogan Reid’s presence. A war was going to break out.  He didn’t want the innocent to get caught in the crossfire.

“Townsfolk will be celebrating,” said Josie staring pointedly at
Gus. “Ryker and I are the only ones who would ever say that to Butch’s face, but it’s true.” Gus’s cowardice disgusted her and she made no secret about it in her expression. 

Gus
’s face softened.  He knew how this looked and it bothered him more than he let on, but he was helpless under a tyrant like Butch even if it made him look like a coward in Josie’s eyes.  By rights Elroy and the stranger should be arrested until a judge straightens this mess out.  However Elroy was right about proving it. The judge is deep in Butch’s pocket and most likely the stranger would be hung.  He actually did them a favor by not pursuing this accusation.  In turn the stranger killing Butch’s men was menial.  They would be replaced by the end of the week.  Then there was the fact that Butch wouldn’t let this go.  He’d go after Josie and Ryker because of the way he was embarrassed.  Josie may not have known it but Butch had a thing for her too.  Hell, every man in town did.  She was a rare beauty, but showed no interest in any of them.  Gus had offered to take care of her but she turned him down.  It was true he was twice her age, but that wasn’t unusual around here.  She was marrying age and there were a lot of men willing to give up bachelorhood for her.