The Texas Sheriff's Family Blessing (Testament Creek Book 2)

by Maya Stirling

  Tyler heard Grace's voice coming from the back of the carriage. She was seated next to two young children. As Tyler made his way toward her, Grace looked up and saw him coming. Her brows furrowed and she shook her head, as if she didn't want him coming any nearer. Tyler halted and grasped the edge of a seat. Grace went back to talking quietly with the two children. It was clear she didn't want Tyler doing anything to interrupt her.

  As a distraction, Tyler sat down next to a couple and started asking them questions. All the while he did that, he occasionally twisted his head around and glanced back at Grace. She was still talking with the children. Curiosity was building inside Tyler. He really wanted to know why Grace had taken such an interest in the children. And he also wondered if they were the ones the engineer had talked about.

  After about five minutes, Grace stood, said something to the children, smiled at them and then headed straight for Tyler. He stood, watching her advance toward him. There was a familiar look on her face. One he'd seen plenty of times since they'd been stepping out together. It was the look Grace got when she was determined to do something.

  Tyler dragged in a deep breath. Grace looked mighty fine in her black riding pants, white blouse and brown boots. Grace Murray was a fine-looking woman, and no mistake, Tyler told himself. Seeing her blonde hair and pretty features never failed to warm Tyler's heart. Even when she looked like she was about to ask him to do something he might not like to do.

  Tyler lifted his chin and smiled at Grace. "Something on your mind?"

  Grace glanced over Tyler's shoulder and toward the carriage doorway. "Can we talk for a minute?"

  Tyler followed Grace to the carriage entrance. Leaning back against the wood-paneled wall, Grace folded her arms and peered up at Tyler. "What's up?" Tyler asked.

  Grace leaned to one side and peered along the length of the carriage as if she was checking that the children were still there. "Did you hear about that woman who got abducted?"

  Tyler nodded. "The gang took her. For some reason or other. Don't worry. I'll get a posse together and we'll ride those outlaws down. We'll get her back. Why?"

  "She was traveling with those two children," Grace told him.

  Tyler's brows rose in a line. "She was?"

  Grace nodded. "Uh huh."

  "Is she their mother?" Tyler asked.

  Grace's brows furrowed. "It isn't that simple."

  "What do you mean?"

  Grace grabbed Tyler's arm and tugged him to one side. It was clear she didn't want anyone hearing what she was about to say. "She isn't their mother," Grace told him. "Jack and Katie are orphans. The woman, Miss Hardesty, was accompanying them out west so they can be adopted."

  Tyler settled back against the wall and gasped. "Orphans?"

  Grace nodded. "They were being sent to start a new life out west. And Miss Hardesty was responsible for making sure they arrived safely."

  Tyler ran a hand through his hair. "And now she's the one that isn't safe."

  "Why do you think the outlaws took her?" Grace asked.

  He shook his head. "I don't know." Tyler's mood darkened. He saw that Grace was waiting for him to say more, but he kept his lips shut tight. He didn't want to go into any more detail about why the outlaws might have taken a pretty woman. "At least we know we're dealing with no-goods. If they're willing to take an innocent woman like that."

  Grace lifted a finger to her lips and shushed Tyler. "We need to think what we can do," she said.

  "We do?" he asked, genuinely puzzled by what she'd said.

  Grace nodded. "We can't just leave the children here on the train. Once the track is cleared, the children will be on their own. That can't be. They can't continue on the journey. They need to be returned to where they came from. Or at least until you can get Miss Hardesty back."

  Tyler sighed. He knew Grace was right. Her legal-trained mind was usually quick. This time was no exception. Tyler only had thoughts for the crime which had been committed. But Grace was already thinking of the children and their immediate future.

  "You think we should take them off the train?" Tyler asked.

  Grace nodded. "It's the only thing we can do. There's no-one else we can trust to look after them." Grace glanced down the length of the carriage. He saw her brows furrow. She was a woman with deep reserves of compassion, Tyler told himself. And she had a strong sense of what was right and wrong.

  "Won't there be some objections?" Tyler asked. "Some of the other passengers will know that the children were traveling with Miss Hardesty."

  Grace looked up at Tyler. "You're the sheriff. Folks will understand you need to keep the children safe."

  Tyler nodded. Grace was right. It was the only way they could ensure the safety of the children. "Do the children know about this?"

  Grace shook her head. "We can explain it to them." She tugged on Tyler's shirt. "I think you should introduce yourself first, though."

  Tyler nodded and followed Grace down the length of the carriage. Some passengers watched with visible curiosity as he and Grace sat down next to the two children. Tyler leaned against the back of the chair and remained standing. He smiled at Jack and Katie.

  He guessed they were both around five or six years old. Both were blonde-haired and blue-eyed and neatly dressed. Jack wore a dark traveling suit and Katie a blue, cotton gown. Katie played nervously with a straw bonnet.

  Tyler's heart sank when he saw the look in the eyes of each of the children.

  Fear. Confusion.

  He glanced at Grace who nodded imperceptibly back at him. She was right, Tyler told himself. There was only one way to deal with this situation.

  "I'm Sheriff Tyler Smith of Testament Creek, which is not too far from here," Tyler announced. "And you two must be Jack and Katie."

  Both children nodded their heads. Jack's gaze settled on Tyler's silver badge. "Are you a real sheriff?" The boy's voice was bright with sudden curiosity.

  Tyler touched the badge and nodded. "I sure am."

  The boy's eyes widened. He looked visibly impressed. Maybe he hadn't met a sheriff before, Tyler reflected. "Did you catch the criminals?" Jack asked.

  Tyler glanced quickly at Grace. "Not yet. But we will. You can take my word on that."

  When she spoke, Katie's voice shook with emotion. "Miss Hardesty didn't want to leave us," she said.

  Grace leaned closer to Katie and rested a reassuring hand on the little girl's arm. "I know she didn't, Katie. But sometimes things happen and we don't know why. The most important thing is that the sheriff is going to do his job real well." Grace smiled up at Tyler. "Isn't that right?"

  Tyler nodded. Right now, he felt like choking up. He could see how much the recent events had affected the children. Grace had been right. There was no way the children could stay on this train.

  Tyler leaned down and smiled at them. "Me and Grace have an idea. What do you say to coming with us and visiting with Grace at her ranch?" Tyler saw Grace's brows lift, but he continued. "That is until Miss Hardesty returns. You'll like the ranch. It is real pretty. And there're horses and cattle."

  Jack and Katie exchanged looks. They both paused for a while and then the little girl nodded. Jack turned to Tyler. "Okay."

  Grace smiled at Tyler. He could see a hint of doubt behind her eyes. Maybe she'd have words to say to him later. But for now, all that mattered was getting the children off the train before it left. "I'm going to help with getting that big tree off the tracks. Then I'll come back and we can all get going."

  Grace stood and looked about to say something to Tyler but he furrowed his brows and shook his head. "They're waiting for me," he said to Grace.

  Then he touched the front brim of his Stetson, smiled at the children and made his way along the carriage.

  CHAPTER THREE

  It took an hour to shift the tree trunk from the track. A dozen men worked hard lifting it inch by painful inch, until finally the track was clear. As she stood on the high crest of the ridge overlooking the
train line, Grace realized how close the children had come to being involved in a catastrophe. If the train had hit that tree it might have been derailed. The thought made a chill sweep up her spine.

  Jack and Katie stood alongside Grace while they waited for Tyler to complete his duty down at the train. She saw him wave goodbye to the two engineers and then start to make his way up through the trees.

  Grace glanced down at the children. They stood alongside the border fence of the Circle T. They each had a single small suitcase containing all their belongings in the world. On the other side of the fence the two horses shifted impatiently. It was as if they could feel that something bad had happened.

  "Everything is going to be okay," Grace told them.

  Each of the children nodded. Grace secretly hoped she'd spoken the truth. She thought about Miss Hardesty and where she could be at this very moment. In a brief conversation with Tyler he'd told her it was likely the gang would have headed west toward the border. Tyler said there were more options there for hiding out. Grace couldn't figure out why they'd taken Miss Hardesty. She did her best not to consider the more unpleasant reasons.

  Watching Tyler make his way up the hill, she told herself she had absolute faith in him. If anyone could bring the woman back to safety it would be Tyler. He had a determined streak in him. She'd seen it more than once, and she liked it. Behind Tyler's polite, even charming exterior, lurked a strong spirit. She'd been to church with him a few times and had witnessed the depth of his faith. That was where his sense of right and wrong came from. She respected that, even if her own faith was somewhat lukewarm. Tyler had told Grace, more than once, and in the nicest way possible, that he was working on making her faith stronger. Maybe that would happen, she told herself. But that was for another day.

  Right now, they had two children to care for. That simple thought made Grace draw in a deep, calming breath. She wondered what she and Tyler had gotten themselves into. But there had been no other choice. She recalled something Tyler had said to her. Sometimes the Lord just makes it plain and clear what He expects us to do. When Tyler had said that to Grace she'd struggled to make sense of it. But now she understood his words perfectly.

  Tyler reached them and halted, slightly out of breath. He turned as the train's whistle echoed along the narrow cutting through the tree-lined hills. Then the train started to make its way slowly northward. Faces pressed against the carriage windows, some of the passengers gazed up at Grace, Tyler and the children.

  The engineers had checked the rails after the tree had been removed and had deemed it safe to continue. Grace was relieved to see the train successfully roll past that point and on into the distance. A few long moments later it was lost to sight. The valley was silent except for the distant calls of birds.

  Tyler turned to them and pointed at the horses on the other side of the fence. "Have you two ridden on horses before?" he asked the children.

  Jack and Katie peered at the horses and shook their heads. "There weren't any horses at the orphanage," Katie said.

  The mention of the orphanage made Grace's heart skip a beat. She rested her hands on the shoulders of both children. "Well, if I can learn to ride a horse, anyone can," she declared.

  Both children looked up at Grace as if she'd promised them a precious gift. "We're going to learn horse riding?" Jack asked enthusiastically.

  "If you're going to be at the Circle T for a while, I don't see why not," Tyler said and walked to the wire fence. "You're both going to get to see what its like to live on a ranch." Tyler smiled. "Take it from me. It's real exciting." He lifted a brow and looked at Grace. "Ain't that right, Grace?"

  Grace nodded. "It sure is, sheriff," she said. She saw Tyler squint at her when he heard her use his title instead of his name.

  Stretching out his arms, Tyler lifted each of the children over the fence and set them down on their feet on the other side. Tyler lifted a brow and drew up one of the fence wires and looked at Grace. She stepped low, being careful not to catch her riding pants on the wire and twisted herself through the gap. Tyler lifted the two suitcases over and then followed.

  Jack seemed incredibly small standing next to the Tyler's horse. Katie stood stiffly, hands clasped at her middle and frowned as she gazed at Grace's horse.

  Tyler spent a few minutes tying each of the suitcases to a saddle by using a thin rope he drew from his bag. "Jack, you can sit with me. Katie, you can go with Grace."

  Tyler lifted Jack up onto the saddle. The boy's eyes widened as he found himself perched high up on the horse. He looked genuinely thrilled. Grace was glad the boy could enjoy a moment of delight. After what he'd been through, she figured he deserved it.

  Tyler came to Katie and stretched out his arms. Almost instinctively, Katie took one step back, away from Tyler, and shook her head. Tyler froze and glanced at Grace.

  Grace stepped forward. "Let me help you," she said to Katie and took her gently by the hand. She led Katie to the horse. Pointing to the stirrup, she said: "Just put your foot there and lift yourself up."

  Tyler came around and took the horse's reins, just to make sure it didn't react in a way which would upset Katie.

  Katie put her small booted foot into the stirrup. Grace held Katie's middle and gently hoisted her upward. She heard Katie gasp as she lifted herself up and settle on the saddle. Grace saw Katie's white-knuckled hands gripping the saddle's edge.

  "How does that feel?" Grace asked softly.

  Her heart lifted when she saw Katie smile and then nod her head. "Okay," the girl said in a low voice.

  Grace and Tyler exchanged relieved looks. Tyler lifted a querying brow. "You know what to do?" he asked. When Grace frowned at him, he shifted on his heels. "I mean, if you follow my lead and do what I do. Katie can sit behind you and hold on."

  Grace nodded. "I think Katie and I can work that out," she said and glanced up at the little girl. "What do you say?"

  Katie smiled but she was still clearly nervous. Grace watched as Tyler got up onto his horse and made himself comfortable. Jack wrapped his arms around Tyler's middle. Tyler looked across at Grace. "We're waiting," he complained teasingly.

  Grace got up onto her horse and soon had Katie's arms holding on tight. Tyler took the lead as they started to make their way across the Circle T land. Grace was glad to be back on her own territory. She felt Katie's arms tighten around her waist as she followed behind Tyler's horse. There was something pleasing about the way Katie was holding on. Grace had no sisters or brothers. Sibling rivalry hadn't been a part of her upbringing in Kansas City. So she'd had to learn the hard way how to stand on her own two feet. School years had been hard. Getting into work in the Kansas City law office even harder. Grace had often reflected on the fact that being an only child had probably made her tougher than she would otherwise have been.

  "The sheriff said this is all your land," Katie asked in a quiet voice. "Is that true?"

  "It isn't all mine," Grace explained. "I have two friends who share the ranch with me. We each own an equal share of it."

  "Did you buy it?" Katie asked.

  Grace shook her head. "We inherited it from a very good and very kind man."

  "Was he a relative? Like a parent or a brother or something?" Katie asked.

  Grace smiled. "No. Silas was his name. And he was just a man who appreciated the help me and my friends gave him. He gave us the ranch as a way of saying thank you."

  "So it was like a gift?" Katie asked.

  Grace laughed softly. "You could say that. A most wonderful and very surprising one."

  The little girl possessed a natural curiosity. Or maybe she was trying to take her mind off the events of the least few hours. Either way, Grace found it pleasant to be answering questions. She had plenty of questions of her own. Why were the children being taken out west? Who were they going to live with? And why did she get the impression that neither of the children was pleased about being taken away from Texas?

  Grace heard Tyler and Jack
talking together. Maybe Tyler was telling the same things to Jack. He heard Tyler laugh and Jack giggled excitedly. Again, Grace was pleased the children were putting behind them the difficulties they'd just experienced. Even a few moments of forgetting what had happened would help the children.

  Tyler, meanwhile, had work to do. It might take him days before he knew more about Miss Hardesty. Grace quietly offered up a prayer for the other woman. Lord, protect Miss Hardesty. Wherever she is, protect her from evil and give her the strength to wait until Tyler comes to her rescue.

  When they reached the Circle T ranch house, Grace heard both children gasp with excitement when they saw the big house.

  "Is that where you live?" Katie asked.

  "It sure is," Grace replied.

  Grace saw Jack turn and look across at Katie. The boy's eyes were wide with incredulity. Maybe neither of them had seen a ranch house before, Grace told herself.

  As she followed Tyler's horse into the yard, Grace saw two figures emerge from inside the house and halt on the porch. She saw her two friends, Prudence and Hope, staring at the new arrivals. Grace drew to a halt beside Tyler and quickly dismounted. Tyler helped Jack down from the horse. Katie held her arms out, clearly expecting Grace to do the same. Grace smiled up at the little girl and scooped her into her arms.

  Hope and Prudence were both dressed in green gowns. They stepped off the porch and advanced toward Grace. Their expressions showed puzzlement.

  Grace glanced down at Katie. "Let me introduce you to my friends," she told the little girl.

  Prudence halted in front of Grace, glanced down at Katie's petite form, and then looked back at Grace. With a quick lift of her eyebrows Prudence made it clear she expected an explanation.

  "Prudence. I'd like you to meet Katie," Grace said brightly. "She and her friend Jack are going to be guests at the Circle T."