Cal knew there would always be a need for good nursing, and Hope certainly fit the bill. She'd attended to Lucas with great care and kindness. She'd seemed pleased to be using her skills. It couldn't have been easy going from being a nurse to suddenly needing to learn everything about running a ranch, Cal reflected as he headed down a long, steep hillside.
In the distance the trail cut across an area of flatland dotted with scrubs and through some groves of trees. It then wound its way alongside the creek. Cal rode down into a valley. Up ahead, he knew the trail rose and narrowed again. It edged along a deep crevasse leading down to the creek's edge. When the rains came, this was a dangerous place. Parts of the trail had eroded over the years. For a buckboard, it could be treacherous. This was the main trail into town. Cal figured he would be in town before Grace and Prudence left. Then he could escort them back to the ranch. At least, that was what he hoped he'd be able to do.
Reaching the crest of a ridge, Cal paused, savoring the vista of the land ahead. He saw the riverbed snaking through the hills. Beyond the narrowing trail, he saw the flat country. Seeing a plume of dust in the distance, he narrowed his eyes. Taking out the small spyglass from his saddlebag, he focused it and saw a buckboard. The colored gowns of Grace and Prudence shimmered in the bright sunshine. The women were chatting animatedly while Prudence drove the buckboard. Cal smiled to himself and moved the glasses, preparing to stow them away and ride down to meet the women before they reached the narrow pass by the river's edge.
His attention was caught by a glint of light as he scanned the narrow valley. The reflection of light on metal. He focused the glasses. What he saw made him grunt quietly.
Two men, mounted on horseback, were hiding in the shadow of a grove of live oak trees. They were dressed in dark outfits. Their mounts shifted nervously, as if they'd been waiting a while. Where they were hiding lay to one side of the trail along which Prudence and Grace were driving.
The men were waiting for the two women.
It was going to be an ambush!
How had they known where to wait and that now would be a good time? Looking to the right, Cal saw the narrow, westward trail which had allowed the men to reach the spot by the trees. He knew that hardly-used trail was an alternative route into town. It wasn't a good trail for a buckboard. But the two horseback riders could easily have used it to ride northward, ahead of Prudence and Grace.
Cal took one last look at the buckboard. They'd be riding past the two ambushers within a few minutes. Cal knew he had to act. Digging spurs, he drove his mount down the hill. He cut across west, aiming to come up behind the two men. He knew had to be quick. And he had to be quiet. Using the spyglasses, Cal had seen that the men were fully armed.
Cal slowed as he came to the grove of trees by the trailside. Bending low beneath the branches, he halted, got down and tethered his horse. He took his Colt .45 out from his holster and edged forward, careful that his steps wouldn't betray him.
The light was soft beneath the trees. Cal dragged in a cooling breath, feeling his heartbeat quicken. Moments later he reached the two riders. They were still unaware of Cal. He leaned against a tree and watched as one of the men turned to the other and spoke: "They'll be here in a couple of minutes."
Both men lifted bandanas around the lower part of their faces. Each held a pistol at the ready. They planned to do the women harm, Cal told himself. Indignation rose within him as he moved slowly around the tree trunk. He felt anger that these men would even consider causing harm to two innocent women. The men were clearly being paid to do this. There was no other explanation which made sense.
And Cal could imagine who had paid them. Largo must be behind this. But for now, Cal pushed that thought away. All that mattered was that Prudence and Grace needed to be protected.
Cal took a few steps forward. Now he was six feet behind the horses. Sensing that he was there, the horses turned slightly. One of the men tugged on the reins and twisted in his saddle. It was then that he saw Cal standing behind him.
The man cried out and started to lift his gun, but Cal called out: "Don't move!"
Ignoring Cal, both men wrenched on their reins. One of the men lifted his pistol and fired at Cal. Lead slammed into the tree trunk behind Cal and he dived to one side, landing on the thick grass. He rolled a few feet and then lifted his head, raising his Colt at the same time. He was ready to fire if he had to.
The men were struggling to control their horses which had been panicked by the sound of the single shot. For a moment, Cal thought the men were about to advance on him. Maybe finish him off. Instead, the masked men exchanged one look. Perhaps they'd planned what to do if they were discovered.
Cal started to rise from the grass, expecting a firestorm beneath the trees. His fingers gripped his pistol, ready to fire. But the men pulled hard on their reins. Both horses lurched forward heading straight for Cal. His eyes widening, Cal leaped to one side as the horses pounded past him. Their hooves thudded heavily on the ground. Cal landed next to a tree and saw the riders lower their heads beneath the branches as they forced their way past Cal's own horse. Moments later, the riders were gone.
Cal considered chasing after them, but rejected that idea. He needed to make sure the men wouldn't try to double back and cause harm to Prudence and Grace.
Cal raced to his horse and was soon emerging out onto the trail past the trees. Waiting a few moments, he could hear the rolling wheels of the buckboard in the distance. He composed himself, eager not show any sign of what had just happened.
The buckboard roared around the bend in the trail and headed straight for Cal. He saw Prudence's eyes widen with surprise when she saw him. Leaning back, she pulled on the reins and drew the buckboard to a halt amidst a cloud of dust. Cal rode up to the side of the buckboard.
"Cal. What are you doing here?" Prudence asked.
Forcing himself to smile, Cal said: "I thought I'd come into town and see what you two have been getting up to. Thought maybe you might need some help."
Grace's eyes narrowed and she glanced over toward the grove of trees by the trail. Grace seemed to have an eye for trouble, Cal told himself. Maybe it was being around all those attorneys which had made her that way, he concluded.
"Now that you're on your way home, maybe I should take this chance to enjoy the company of two fine ladies," Cal said brightly.
Cal was pleased to see that Prudence didn't seem disappointed to see him. In fact, she looked downright delighted. Her eyes were bright and he couldn't help noticing the way she was glancing up and down at him as he sat on his horse.
Cal saw some packages in the back of the buckboard. "You've been shopping?"
Prudence waved a dismissive hand. "Just a few things we needed."
Cal quirked a brow. "Maybe it was just as well I wasn't around." He smiled. "You know what they say about men and shopping."
Grace frowned. "No. What do they say?"
"Men would rather tame a wild bronco than spend time buying stuff in a store," Cal joked.
Prudence laughed quietly, while Grace just took a few moments to think that one over.
"You ready to go home?" Cal asked.
"Lead the way," Prudence instructed.
As they made their way northward, Cal glanced casually back in the direction of his confrontation with the men. It had been a close call. Something hard settled in his gut as he thought that Prudence and Grace had come perilously close to getting into deep trouble. Cal resolved to find out who the men were. And figure out ways to guarantee the safety of all three women. It was clear that some enemies were targeting the new owners of the ranch. The reason for that would have to wait for another day.
But, for now, he had to get these two precious women back to the safety of the Circle T ranch house.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
After dinner that evening Cal said he wanted to speak with Prudence, Grace and Hope in the parlor of the ranch house. Helping Lucia to tidy up after the meal, Prudence reflected on
what Cal would want to talk about. Maybe he'd want to discuss what had happened on the trail back from town. As she and Grace had been driving on the buckboard, and nearing the place where they'd met Cal, Prudence had heard the sharp crack of a single gunshot echo down the valley. She'd heard enough gunshots around the ranch since her arrival to be able to recognize the distinctive sound.
When Cal had met the buckboard, Prudence had noticed he'd seemed uneasy about something. But he'd said nothing about the sound. His friendly attitude had seemed forced.
Later, after they'd arrived home, Grace had asked Prudence if she thought Cal had been dealing with some troublemakers in the grove of trees next to where they'd met him. Grace had also heard the shot and was sure something had happened.
During the dinner, Cal had seemed pleasant enough. He'd been friendly. As usual. But, once or twice, Prudence had seen a hint of darkness in his gaze. He was worried about something, and she could guess what it might be.
In the parlor she, Grace and Hope took their places on the sofa. Cal stood with his back to the empty fireplace. He thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans and gazed down at Prudence and her friends.
"What do you want to say, Cal?" Prudence asked.
Cal sighed. "It's about today."
"What happened at the pass?" Grace asked. "We heard a gunshot."
Cal's brows rose. "You did?" He seemed genuinely surprised.
Grace nodded. "Just as we were riding along the side of the creek, we heard a single gunshot."
"The sound does carry a long distance," Prudence said. She'd been doing some reading and had discovered some surprising facts about guns. Shots could be heard for miles, if the terrain was right.
"You're not telling me anything I don't already know," Cal said with a surly tone of voice. It seemed like they'd stolen some of his thunder. He nodded. "In any case, you're both right. You did hear a gunshot."
Grace gave Prudence a triumphant look. "I told you."
"You both are turning out to be regular detectives, aren't you," Cal said looking from Grace to Prudence.
"We just want to know what's going on," Prudence declared. "Especially if it involves us."
Cal shifted on his heels. "Well, you see, that's the thing. What happened down there today did involve you." He peered intently at Prudence. "There were two men down there today. I'll tell you as plain as I can. They were going to dry-gulch the two of you."
Prudence frowned. "What does that mean?"
Cal gasped in obvious frustration. "I mean they were intending to cause you both some harm." His voice was full of feeling, now. More than she'd heard before.
"Oh!" Prudence exclaimed, quietly shocked. Suddenly it all seemed so much more serious.
Hope reached across and took Grace's hand. "Oh, my dear. The two of you were in danger. I should have been there with you." Hope gazed at Prudence. "You weren't frightened, were you?"
Prudence glanced at Cal and met his concerned gaze "We didn't know for sure until now. Did you see the men?"
"I did," he said grimly. "That shot you heard was fired at me." All three women gasped in unison. "But the men made their getaway before I could do anything to apprehend them. Or even find out who they were."
"Didn't you see their faces?" Grace asked.
Cal shook his head. "They were wearing bandanas over their faces. I didn't recognize them." He lifted a brow. "Could this have anything to do with what you both did today while you were in town?"
Prudence and Grace exchanged looks. Grace nodded. Then Prudence described their conversation with Sheriff Brady. As he listened, Cal's features darkened. Prudence saw his jaw tighten when she described how the sheriff had treated herself and Grace. It seemed Cal and Sheriff Brady weren't on the best of terms.
"So he refused to take your complaint seriously," Cal said.
Grace shrugged. "It doesn't matter. After we spoke to him, I sent some telegrams to my legal colleagues back in Kansas City."
"You did?" Cal seemed amazed that Grace would do such a thing.
Grace nodded. "I figure we can cause a bit of trouble for Sheriff Brady. Especially if the local judge knows about what's going on."
"You figuring on getting the sheriff replaced?" Cal asked.
"That's not all," Grace stated. "I also asked my colleagues to look into the background of Rafael Largo."
"You've been busy," Cal observed wryly.
Grace grinned with obvious delight. "I like to know who my enemies are."
Cal laughed quietly. "Maybe the sheriff should be worried. And maybe he had something to do with those two men."
Prudence breathed out sharply. "You don't think he arranged for those two desperadoes to be there, do you?"
"I don't know," Cal replied. "But we can't rule it out. If you annoyed him as much as you said you did, there's no saying how far Brady would be willing to go to stop you interfering in what he does for Largo."
"You believe the sheriff is corrupt?" Hope asked.
"I know it for sure," Cal said. He grinned at Grace. "Depending on what you get back from your inquiries, maybe the time has come for the sheriff to take early retirement. But we won't know for while." He frowned. "In the meantime, I'm going to have to teach you ladies one more skill."
"What's that?" Prudence asked.
When Cal smiled at Prudence she felt something warm in her middle. And she felt her cheeks flush hot, too. She was sure her face was as pink as the flowers in the garden behind the house. Cal's appreciative glance told her that was probably the case.
"I'm going to have to show you all how to shoot a pistol," Cal announced.
All three women looked at one another. "I'm not sure I want to do that," Hope said. "My whole career has been about saving lives. Not taking them."
"I understand that, Hope," Cal said. "I surely do. And that is all fine and dandy back in Kansas City. But you're in Texas now. And, out here, folks need to defend themselves." Cal ran his gaze across all three of them and added: "Especially beautiful women."
Now it was the turn of Grace and Hope to get red cheeks, Prudence observed.
Cal cleared his throat. "I reckon I can give you all some lessons. Of course, you're not going to get to be expert shooters right away. It'll take time."
Prudence leaned back on the sofa and looked up at Cal. The thought of learning how to fire a gun made her feel uncomfortable. It went against every part of her faith. Taking life wasn't something she was willing to do. Prudence had always believed that if she prayed enough, and kept the faith, dealing with folks the way her Lord wanted her to, then everything would turn out for the good. That conviction had been burned into her heart from when she was a youngster sitting in her church back home in Kansas City. She wasn't about to overturn that belief.
"I reckon we could make a start tomorrow, if you like," Cal continued and smiled at all three of them.
The women exchanged glances. Prudence saw that Grace seemed interested in taking up Cal's offer. Hope still seemed hesitant, but maybe she would come round to seeing things Cal's way. Prudence knew that Hope had a practical streak in her. Maybe it came from dealing with medical matters. Fixing people who were damaged. Prudence could understand Hope's hesitation, but she figured she might change her mind after some careful consideration.
Prudence looked up at Cal. "I think we'd like to talk about this amongst ourselves, Cal," Prudence said. She looked at Grace and Hope. "Do you agree?"
The other two nodded.
Cal nodded. "That seems reasonable. Its a big step you're all about to take. Once you learn how to hold a gun, there's no going back. But I'll be a whole lot happier if I know you can all take care of yourselves."
Cal bid them goodnight and left the parlor. All three watched Cal as he left the room.
"I believe he's only thinking of our safety," Grace said.
Hope sighed. "Maybe. But I have to think about this."
"We should all sleep on it. Let Cal know in the morning."
Grace
and Hope nodded. As they all stood, Prudence knew she already made up her mind.
She'd tell Cal that she would refuse his offer.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Cal knew something was wrong when Prudence didn't look at him over the breakfast table the next morning. She averted her gaze the whole way through the meal. She didn't even laugh at a single one of his jokes, either. That really made him lose his appetite for the bacon and beans on his plate.
After breakfast, Cal and the others went into the parlor. Hope and Grace announced that they'd both like to take him up on his offer to learn how to shoot a pistol. Hope did seem a little hesitant, but Cal could understand that. Hope was in the business of saving lives, not taking them.
He couldn't help but notice that Prudence had been the only one who hadn't accepted his offer. And when Prudence asked Cal if she could talk with him outside, Cal knew this wasn't going to be as straightforward as he'd hoped.
Prudence followed Cal out to the porch. It was a bright, sunny morning. On any other day, Cal would have taken his usual delight at the start of new day. Especially with Prudence right next to him. She sure looked good, dressed in that pretty blue gown. Her hair was pinned back and tied in a neat bun. He really liked the way the sunlight glinted on her dark hair. Her clear skin shone in the bright, early morning light.
It was good to be with her, he reflected. But he still suspected that this morning wasn't going to go the way he wanted. He could feel it in his bones.
Cal and Prudence sat down on the porch bench. Prudence rested her hands in her lap and faced the yard. Cal figured she looked businesslike, as if she'd made up her mind about something and was determined to speak it out. Prudence got straight to the point. "Cal. I thank you for your kind offer, but I'm going to have to turn it down."
Cal twisted on the bench and rested his arm across the back of it. "Why?" Even though he'd half-expected her to say that, he still felt disappointed.
She didn't move to face him. Instead, she sat upright, staring ahead, refusing to make eye contact. "I don't think its something I can do and still have a clear conscience. It goes against everything I believe."
The Texas Cowboy’s Courtship (Testament Creek Book 1) Page 7