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

by Maya Stirling

  He stepped inside and found himself in the middle of a riot. Clint was over by the two jail cells. In each of them, the prisoners were holding on to the bars and shouting at Clint.

  Tyler slammed the door. The sound brought instant silence to the jailhouse. The prisoners locked eyes on Tyler. Clint turned and saw Tyler. Clint's shoulders dropped in relief. He strode across to Tyler.

  "Boss. They won't shut up," Clint complained.

  "What's their beef?" Tyler asked wearily.

  "I'll tell you what it is, sheriff," the leader of the gang roared. His name was Caleb Black and his features matched his name perfectly. His dark eyes glared at Tyler. "You got no right holding us here like this. Heck. We haven't even spoken to a legal man. We got rights, you know."

  Tyler almost laughed out loud. He strode across to the jail cell. Folding his arms he peered through the bars at Caleb Black. "You got rights?"

  Black nodded. "There's no proof we did anything wrong."

  This time Tyler did laugh. "That's where you're wrong, Black. I have one witness with an unimpeachable character who'll testify against you and your friends in there."

  Black's face turned pale. "You can't go believing the word of a woman."

  Tyler just about managed to keep hold of his temper. Indignation rose inside him at the way Black had just dismissed Mary Hardesty's character. "You figured that woman came to harm last night?"

  Black peered at Tyler. "She didn't look too good when we got to town." Black sounded hopeful. The fact that he wanted Mary not to survive just made Tyler even more mad. He felt like opening the cell door and facing Black personally. But that wasn't going to happen. There were laws to follow.

  Tyler knew Black had seriously misjudged Mary Hardesty's condition. "We have a fine doctor in this town. And a fully-trained nurse, too. In fact it's like a regular hospital over at that house," Tyler declared. "But the woman's going to be fine. And she's got a good memory for faces, too." He took a momentary delight at the way Black's jaw dropped open. The man knew he was lost.

  Tyler scanned the faces who were staring at him from behind the bars. "You'll all be taking a ride to Austin. And it'll be my pleasure to make sure you all get a fair trial. Whenever that time comes. In the meantime, I hear the jail over there can be a little bit uncomfortable at times. Seems like the food isn't too good. And the cells are even smaller than these."

  Every one of the men exchanged wide-eyed looks. Tyler turned his back on them. He heard them all start to murmur amongst each other. Tyler knew they'd be quiet for the rest of their time in Testament Creek. Their anger had been replaced by worry.

  Tyler winked at Clint who smiled right back at him. "I'm going out, Clint. Any trouble, you holler, okay?"

  Clint nodded. "I sure will, boss."

  Outside Tyler gazed up and down the length of Main Street. He'd enjoyed putting Black and his men firmly in their place. They'd face justice. And that was the way it should be, Tyler told himself.

  Tyler leaned against the wooden support post and drew in a deep, satisfied breath. There were days when he couldn't imagine anything finer than being a town sheriff. And this was one of those times.

  Suddenly, across the street, the twin batwing doors of the saloon flew open and a body tumbled out, staggered for a few moments and then landed on its back on the dusty ground of Main Street.

  "Uh oh," Tyler said out loud and started across the street.

  From inside the saloon came men's roaring voices. Tyler heard glass breaking and what sounded like chairs being thrown. Tyler shook his head as he strode past the spread-eagled man lying on his back. Tyler checked quickly that the man hadn't been seriously harmed. The man, who Tyler recognized as one of the ranch hands on a nearby spread, groaned and shook his head.

  Tyler shook his head at the man and continued on into the saloon. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a group of men throwing punches at each other. Broken chairs lay in pieces against the bar which stretched the length of the room. Men and women stood, pressed back against the walls, watching the fighting.

  Tyler groaned. Lifting his head, he called out. "Quit the fighting, men! It ain't even midday."

  Heads turned and all eyes settled on Tyler. Arms froze in midair, punches held back. Tyler thrust his thumbs into his belt and gave the men the sternest look he could muster. "You're all starting early today. Is there a special occasion I don't know about?"

  Hands dropping to their sides, the group of men separated and walked away from each other. Tyler knew the men. And he knew they were regular troublemakers. But, in contrast to the criminals in his jail who were willing to resort to serious violence, Tyler knew that the worst thing these men would do would involve taking one drink too many and throwing a few punches. That was bad enough, but Tyler knew how bad it could get.

  Tyler gave each of the men a stern look. "I've told you about this before. How hard is it to be just plain civil to each other?" The men lowered their eyes as if shamed by Tyler's words. He glanced at the broken chairs. "Now I hope you're all going to help clean up this mess you've made. You know I don't have room for you all in the jail at the moment. Otherwise I would not hesitate to take you all over there right now and lock you up."

  Tyler suddenly felt like a schoolteacher scolding some unruly students. But these were grown men. Sometimes he couldn't understand why folks couldn't get along.

  The men started to do as Tyler asked. The folks by the walls started to rearrange the tables back into some kind of order. Tyler sighed and glanced at the owner of the saloon who was standing behind the long bar. The man smiled back at him, clearly grateful for the sheriff's help.

  Tyler turned and walked out of the saloon. He saw some passersby look curiously across at him. The trouble was over. For now. Tyler smiled at them and started to make his way down the boardwalk. He spent the next few moments trying to regain that sense of delight he'd felt a few moments ago when he'd stood outside the jailhouse and reminded himself just how much he loved being the sheriff of Testament Creek.

  A few minutes later he was crossing the street near the hotel when a woman came running up to him. She halted in front of him. Tyler recognized the woman as Mrs Monaghan, a widow who lived on the east side of town. Ever since she'd lost her husband a few years ago, Mrs Monaghan had had to bring up her three boys on her own. Tyler had heard stories about some of the difficulties she'd had. The boys, aged between six and ten were a handful.

  "What is it, Mrs Monaghan?" Tyler asked her.

  "It's about my oldest boy, Calvin," Mrs Monaghan gasped. Tyler could hear the worry in her voice. "He's gone missing."

  "Missing!" Tyler exclaimed.

  Mrs Monaghan nodded. "I just got a visit from the school teacher. She said Calvin didn't go to school this morning." She frowned. "I don't understand it. I gave him his lunch pail and saw him off. Just like any other day. His brothers went with him. They arrived at the schoolhouse. But Calvin didn't." She shook her head. "I don't understand it."

  Tyler gazed steadily at Mrs Monaghan. He schooled his features, eager that she not see even a hint of what he was thinking. She might not understand why Calvin hadn't gone to school.

  But Tyler did.

  The rumor mill in town had been on fire recently. In a town as small as Testament Creek it was hard to keep a secret. Tyler had learned that the hard way. Ever since he'd started stepping out with Grace, hardly a day passed without someone asking him when he and Grace were going to get married. Luckily, so far, no-one had asked him that question when he'd been with Grace. If that happened there would sure to be fireworks, Tyler reflected.

  "What am I going to do?" Mrs Monaghan pleaded.

  Tyler took her arm gently. "I think I might have an idea where I can find Calvin."

  "You do?" Mrs Monaghan asked wide-eyed.

  Tyler nodded. "You just leave it with me, Mrs Monaghan. I'll go find him." He smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't you worry about a thing, ma'am. Everything's going to be alright."

&
nbsp; Mrs Monaghan looked like she was about to ask Tyler how he could be so sure, but he moved her gently toward the boardwalk on the other side of the street. "You go along home, now. I'll bring Calvin back to you as soon as I can. Then, if you like, you can give him a good talking-to."

  A clearly puzzled Mrs Monaghan walked slowly away from Tyler. She glanced back at him a couple of times and then reached the boardwalk.

  Tyler started back toward the jail house. If he was going to bring Calvin Monaghan back safely to his mother, Tyler knew he'd need his horse. As he mounted his horse, Tyler smiled. He knew where Calvin had gone. The only place around these parts where young people went who were stepping out together. Tyler had been there with Grace a few times. It was one of the most beautiful places around these parts.

  Sweetheart Bend was on the river about a mile south of town. It was a favorite place for couples. And, for those young enough to enjoy such things, there was a rope swing hanging from the large tree which arched across the edge of the river.

  As he started to ride off, Tyler smiled. Calvin Monaghan was in love with his sweetheart, a girl from school. Or so Tyler had heard. If it wasn't love then it was definitely an infatuation.

  On the gossip grapevine, Tyler had heard that Calvin was sweet on Mary-Lou Webb. She was the same age as Calvin. And recently the scandal was that they'd been seen holding hands while coming out of the mercantile after buying some sugar candy. Most folks thought their friendship was sweet and funny, all at the same time.

  Tyler remembered when he himself had been sweet on a girl at his school. Her parents had left town a few months after Tyler and the girl had become friendly. And, of course, they'd taken his sweetheart with them. When Alice had left, Tyler had thought his world had ended.

  As he rode south along Main Street, Tyler realized it was turning out to be one of those days. The kind where he didn't stop dealing with all sorts of problems. Only one thing worried him, though.

  With all this going on in town today, would he be able to keep his word and go to the Circle T ranch and see the children and Grace?

  CHAPTER TEN

  "Lucia. Have you seen the children?" Grace asked the ranch housekeeper a few hours after Tyler had left.

  "No, ma'am," Lucia replied looking up from the kitchen table at which she was peeling potatoes.

  Grace frowned. The house had been eerily quiet for the last hour or so. Grace had been in the parlor waiting for Tyler to arrive. It was almost four o'clock and he still hadn't come to the ranch. Grace had assumed the children were up in their room. But when she'd gone up to speak with them she'd found their room empty.

  Worry clutched at Grace's heart. She'd already been out around the ranch house searching for Jack and Katie. But there was no sign of them.

  Lucia looked thoughtfully at Grace. "I did hear Cal talking with the children this morning."

  "Cal?" Grace asked. "What was he talking to them about?"

  Lucia narrowed her eyes. "They were asking him about looking after cattle. What it's like to be a rancher. He promised he'd show them what he does when he's working with the herd." Lucia smiled. "Jack was really excited about that."

  "Surely they haven't gone searching for the herd," Grace speculated. The thought of Jack and Katie running around the rangeland hunting for cattle scared Grace. So many things could happen to them. Being around cattle was dangerous.

  Lucia shook her head. "Cal said the children could visit him and Prudence. Then he'd show them around the spread. Give them a tour, he said."

  So that was it, Grace said to herself. She was sure the children had decided to take Cal up on his offer. The cabin Cal had built for himself and Prudence to live in as a married couple was about a ten minute ride away. It lay east of the main ranch house and was easy to find because it lay on one of the trails which criss-crossed the ranch.

  Grace figured Cal would have told the children how to find the cabin. Having been brought up in an orphanage Grace was sure Jack and Katie were both used to taking advantage of any chance to have an adventure. And living on a ranch must seem like the biggest adventure they'd ever had, Grace told herself.

  "I'm going over to see Prudence," Grace announced.

  She left the house and saddled up her horse. Soon she was riding out across the rangeland. Any thoughts of why Tyler hadn't arrived were banished as Grace rode across the beautiful land she owned along with the two women who'd become her best friends.

  As she rode, Grace took some time to enjoy the beautiful landscape. Rolling, grass-covered hills stretched off into the distance. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The air smelled sweet with the aroma of flowers. The wind flowed through Grace's loose blonde hair.

  Cal had given all three women horse riding lessons soon after they'd arrived to take possession of the ranch. The lessons had paid off. Grace was confident on horseback. Riding across the rangeland had become one of her personal delights.

  Grace kept her eyes peeled, just in case she saw the children. But, by the time she was over halfway to Prudence and Cal's cabin, Grace was sure she wouldn't find Jack or Katie on the trail. If the children had set out an hour ago, they'd already be at the cabin.

  Grace crested a ridge and looked down into a shallow valley. The trail curved down the hill and ran past the small cabin which was nestled alongside a tributary of the main creek which ran through the spread.

  This was Prudence's dream home. Or at least that was the way her friend had described it after Cal had surprised her one day. He'd brought her out along the trail on a buckboard, promising Prudence a big surprise. Reaching the exact ridge where Grace was currently seated atop her horse, Cal had told Prudence to cover her eyes.

  Then he'd told her to look and Prudence had squealed with delight when she'd seen the cabin for the first time. Grace smiled as she recalled Prudence's excitement when she'd recounted the event to herself and Hope over tea in the parlor of the ranch house.

  Grace had to admit it was a beautiful cabin. And the location was perfect, including as it did a perfect view southward. The cabin was built on a wide stretch of flat land. There was plenty of room for future expansion. Grace dug her heels into her horse's sides and rode down the hill, eager to find out if the children were here.

  She halted her horse in front of the cabin and dismounted. Up close, it was obvious the cabin was well-constructed. This was no sod house. The logs were of thick timber. Gaps between the logs had been filled with chink. There would be no chilling drafts during winter. The roof was angled and well covered. Smoke drifted up out of a small chimney. The front of the cabin had two windows. One for the main living area. Another for the bedroom Cal and Prudence shared. Both windows were covered with simple panes of glass and hung on the inside with floral-patterned curtains.

  Grace smiled. Prudence had been right. This was a cozy place to live. Perfect in every way. A good place to start a family, too. The thought of children dragged Grace's attention back to the reason she'd come to the cabin.

  As she tied up her horse's reins, Grace heard familiar voices from inside the cabin. Then she heard laughter. She heard Prudence say something. There was a long pause and then the sound of children giggling came from inside. Any lingering worries faded as Grace smiled and shook her head. One thing this did confirm. Both children had adventurous spirits. Thinking back to what she'd said to Tyler, Grace realized that would mean there was even more to worry about.

  Grace went to the door and knocked. The voices inside the cabin quietened immediately. The door opened and Prudence smiled at Grace. Prudence's eyes were bright with delight.

  "Have you come to find someone?" Prudence asked.

  Grace glanced over Prudence's shoulder. "I thought I heard some laughing," she said. "I thought I'd find Jack and Katie here."

  Prudence waved a hand and Grace entered the cabin. The children were sitting at the table in the center of the room. In the middle of the table was a plate piled high with biscuits. Jack and Katie each grasped a glass filled with w
ater in one hand and a biscuit in the other. Their eyes widened with concern as they watched Grace enter the cabin.

  "There you both are," Grace declared and smiled at the children. "I wondered where you'd got to."

  Prudence went to the table and sat across from the children. "They decided to pay me a surprise visit. Apparently Cal gave them instructions on how to find the cabin. It seems he told Jack he'd show him how to become a ranch hand."

  Grace's brows lifted. "He did?" She smiled at Jack. "Is that what you want to be?"

  Jack shrugged and then bit into his biscuit.

  "Jack says he wants to be a cowboy," Katie said and then rolled her eyes.

  When she shook her head, Jack frowned. "I did not."

  "You did," Katie replied instantly.

  "Children," Grace said abruptly and took a seat next to them. "Next time you decide to go wandering around the ranch, please let me know." Grace tried her best to not sound annoyed. However, judging by the furrowed brows on each of the children's faces, it seemed she hadn't entirely succeeded. All chewing of biscuits had been temporarily suspended as the children seemed to be making up their minds about whether or not they'd just been scolded. As both children stared back at Grace, she shifted uneasily on the wooden bench.

  Grace felt a sinking sensation in her middle. Before Grace had a chance to add anything, Prudence came to the rescue. "I think what my good friend is trying to say is that she was worried about you. And she wants you both to have a lovely time while you're here at the Circle T." Prudence lifted her brows and peered at Grace. "Isn't that so?" Prudence added.

  Grace swallowed and then nodded at the children. "Of course. After all, you're probably going to be here for a while. We just want to make sure your time here is enjoyable." As she said those words, Grace thought about the uncertainty of Jack and Katie's future. There were so many unanswered questions. But, right now, she just needed to reassure both children.