by Marie Piper
“I’ll get him cleaned up,” Doc said.
Haven moved next to him. “I’ll help.”
“You don’t need to.”
“I know. I’m not going to let you deal with this mess alone.” Haven rolled up her sleeves and went for a pitcher of water and some rags.
Doc shook his head as he looked over the body, his eyes lingering on all the injuries. Haven knew he’d report everything he found to her father. “He was a vicious little varmint, but I don’t suppose anyone should come to an end like this.”
Callie came back in the clinic and locked the door behind her. She made no attempt to look at the body. Haven guessed that the combination of being with child and seeing such disgusting violence had turned her stomach something awful.
Doc indicated the stairs. “Miss Lee, if you’d rather head on up I wouldn’t blame you.”
Callie’s voice was soft, almost childlike. “Thank you very much. I ain’t much for blood. I’ll make us some coffee. In fact, I’ll make a whole lot of it.”
“That would be appreciated,” Doc answered. “Probably going to be a long night.”
Haven decided to treat Theo like any other dead person. Even a varmint deserved to be buried looking as clean as possible. As she dipped a rag in the bowl of cool water, she took a deep breath. The blood easily washed from his face and neck. His shirt was beyond cleaning, so Doc took it off him and threw it away to be burned.
“What will we do with him?”
“I reckon Luke will find a way to get him back to his brothers,” Doc replied. “Cows can’t move that fast, so they’re probably only a few days’ ride away. We’ll get him ready to travel. I’ll get him a coffin tomorrow. Whoever takes him can use my wagon.”
When the body was clean, Doc closed Theo’s lifeless eyes one last time.
“Are we all in danger?” Haven asked.
“I don’t rightly know,” Doc replied. He set a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Your father and Matthew and Braxton will do everything they can to keep this town safe, but a man who does something like this isn't predictable. There’s no telling what’ll happen.”
Haven thought of Matthew riding with the other men. He’d discovered the body, which must have been a big shock. She hoped he was doing well, and knew if he’d walked in the door right then she’d envelop him in a nearly unbreakable embrace. Whether they were fighting or not, she loved him and hoped he knew that, wherever he was.
The rest of the night passed as slow as molasses.
Doc wrapped the body in a sheet until they could get him a coffin and pack him in salt for the trip. Haven took her shotgun, Doc took his pistol, and they headed upstairs to Doc’s cozy living quarters above the clinic. Being locked inside made Haven feel less scared than she’d been earlier. Doc and Callie, both lively people, quickly struck up a conversation and a game of cards. Even though the three of them sat at a small table around one lantern, it felt safe. Doc even tried to show Haven how to play poker, but she proved pretty hopeless. No one spoke of the murderer on the loose, or the dead body one floor below. Callie didn’t mention her child, and though Haven wanted to bring it up, she knew it wasn’t her place. Eventually, they all grew sleepy. Doc stationed himself in a chair by the door and sent the women off to nap on his bed for a while. Haven tried to stay awake as long as she could, but her head hit the pillow, and she fell almost immediately into deep, dreamless sleep.
Hands shook her awake, and she woke up to see her father leaning over her. He looked troubled and utterly exhausted.
“You get him?”
Luke shook his head. “Let’s go on home.”
“Where’s Matthew?”
“I sent him to get some sleep at the jail. Jasper too.”
“What time is it?”
“About three.”
Rubbing her eyes, Haven nudged Callie awake and staggered out to where Doc already stood, talking to Braxton.
Callie smiled when she saw the bounty hunter, and he offered his hand to her. “I’ll get you back safe, Miss Lee.”
Haven noted how he used the formal address, despite everything Callie had told Haven about their close relationship. Braxton respected Callie, and for the first time, Haven realized that under the grit and grizzle, he was a good man. She locked stares with him for a moment, and quickly looked away. He knew her secret, and she hoped he’d keep it.
Cricket Bend didn’t move at three in the morning. Haven had never seen her town this late at night. The stillness surrounded her and she felt uneasy, as if a million eyes stared at her from the darkness. A dangerous man was somewhere out there, and he could be watching them at that very moment.
As they left Doc’s place, she gave Callie a quick embrace, their friendship a certainty. As they went past the saloon, she saw Hank in the doorway watching all of them. His face, which Haven had enjoyed studying, was now set hard, and she saw him give Braxton a look that could kill as the bounty hunter escorted Callie in the swinging doors. Hank paid Haven no attention at all. She could have been a ghost, for all she seemed to matter.
Riding alongside her father on the way home, she kept the shotgun in her lap just in case. Haven had never been so happy to see her home come into sight, and to be safely locked away inside.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Matthew
Braxton woke Matthew from where he slept on the cot in the jail as the sun rose the next morning. The bounty hunter leaned against the bars of the cell, loading his guns. “Reckon we should get going if we’re going to catch up with the cowboys.”
“You still mad at me?” Matthew asked as he rubbed his eyes. The previous night had been rough on all of the men, and tempers had flared. That he and Braxton were on speaking terms was honestly a surprise.
“Naw,” Braxton answered, “though I still don’t get why you didn’t just shoot him on sight.”
Matthew hesitated, and he knew Braxton caught it. “I told you. He didn’t try anything.” Though the confrontation had been chilling, and the discovery of Theo’s body was a sight Matthew would never forget, the man in the shadows had made no gesture or indication that he wanted to hurt Matthew. “He could have easily shot me in the back, but he didn’t.”
“Let’s hope he don’t shoot anyone else. Get up. We got a long road ahead of us.”
Matthew downed two cups of coffee to get his eyes to open. He had hardly slept the previous night, listening instead to Jasper snore and recalling what had transpired while rolling the pocket watch around in his hand. Theo’s eyes and mouth had been open as if to scream, and Matthew knew the face would be with him for a long time.
The smooth silver of the pocket watch seemed to call to him, almost stirring a memory. The silver was engraved with a picture of a small flower. He hadn’t mentioned the watch to Luke or anyone else, but something about it was familiar. He just couldn't place it. It felt like a fog lay heavy on the past; a fog so heavy it blocked Matthew’s view of any answers.
He tucked the pocket watch in his coat and went to get the things he’d need. A change of clothes, extra bullets, a book, and a big knife he kept around, just in case, all went into his sack. Doc had woken the mortician early, and the body had been tightly packed in a coffin full of salt. The coffin was loaded into the wagon, along with food and supplies Doc had stocked for them to make the few days’ journey.
“Two or three days to catch them,” Braxton said, “then we’ll head back.”
“I’ll let Luke know where you’ve gone.” Doc turned to Matthew. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell her you said goodbye.” He patted the deputy on the back. “She’ll worry, but she’ll be all right.”
Matthew hated the idea of leaving Haven alone in the same town as Hank Porter. Lord only knew what the rascal might try without Matthew around, considering what had already happened. Still, Haven had given him her word she’d end whatever there was between them, and he’d leave her to it. If he was being honest with himself, the idea of getting away from Cricket Bend for a few days so
unded as fine an idea as any. The wide open skies of the plains would likely provide a welcome chance to think things through, and a few days without seeing her beauty might help with the hurt chewing through his soul.
He thanked his lucky stars Braxton was the man riding out with him. Doc would have talked the whole way there and back, and Luke would have also done a fair amount of chattering. Braxton, however, seemed to prefer silence, which Matthew was endlessly grateful for. Hours passed without either man saying a word. Neither minded. They were both confident riders, familiar with the land, and each kept an eye out for signs of trouble, but there were none.
As they rode out of Cricket Bend, and past the things Matthew knew by heart, the world seemed big again. They barely encountered any other folks on their way toward the cattle trail. Matthew felt lighter, as if he was leaving behind the things that weighed him down. The men switched off driving the wagon and riding Copper, and Matthew felt his shoulders ache a bit after controlling a team of mules for so long. He hadn’t spent this much time driving a wagon in years, and he'd forgotten the strain it placed on a body.
When they stopped for dinner and sleep, Braxton shot a rabbit. They cooked it over a fire, and included apples and bread to supplement their meal. A bottle of Doc's whiskey had also found its way into the supplies, and while they were far away from town, Matthew allowed himself to indulge in the bitter liquid. It helped him sleep, even if Braxton seemed content to stay up all night whittling away at a piece of wood.
They set out again at sunrise, and after a long day of riding began to catch sight of the sure signs of a herd: flattened grass, cow pies, and tracks from horses and wagons. For being lumbering beasts, cows were delicate and needed frequent breaks, or they’d get too thin and the beef wouldn’t be as high quality. Even when cows were moving, they couldn’t move very fast or for too long. Even hauling a wagon, Braxton and Matthew could cover more ground in less time.
Not long after their second morning, the McKenzie drive came into sight across the flatlands. It took the better part of the morning to catch up. By the time they’d reached the operation, four men had come around the back of the drive and stood in a line with guns drawn, waiting for them.
“Splendid,” Matthew muttered to himself.
“The hell do you want?” Andrew McKenzie stepped forward to yell as they approached.
Braxton glared at him, likely remembering the knife Andrew had recently shoved into his thigh. Matthew didn’t think pushing the bounty hunter was wise, but Andrew didn’t seem one to think things through.
“Ain’t here for any trouble, son,” Braxton said in a calm tone. “We brought your brother.”
Andrew saw the wagon, and had a moment of realization. Cocking his gun, he raised and aimed it at Braxton. “You killed him.”
“Pipe down, Andrew!” Bill McKenzie rode up to the face-off, putting himself and his horse between the two men. His appearance made his boys lower their guns. “Deputy, Mr. Braxton. I’m guessing I don’t want to know why you’re here.” He looked at the wagon they pulled.
“It’s Theo.” Matthew broke the news. “Found him in our livery. Got his throat cut.”
“You brought him all this way?” Andrew’s eyes showed his suspicion.
“We didn’t do it for you,” Braxton snarled, turning back to Bill. “Figured you and your pa ought to know.”
“Much obliged.” Bill’s face was stoic. “He went missing a few days back. No one saw him leave. We looked all over. Always figured he’d come to a bad end. I appreciate you bringing him all the way out here. Andrew, go get Pa.”
“But—”
“Go.” Bill didn’t look at his brother, and the younger McKenzie lumbered away. “We’ll make camp. You boys’ll join us. We’ll bury Theo at sunset.”
His men listened and obeyed. Off they went, back to their horses and positions.
Matthew drove the wagon further into the drive, and they were soon surrounded by cows and cattlemen. The two McKenzie wagons were parked by a small creek, and Matthew remembered the years he’d spent on drives. The worn leather of the cowboys’ clothes, the no nonsense way in which they went about their duties, and the simple life they led all reminded Matthew of the most exhausting time of his life.
He’d left Cricket Bend as a boy to work on a ranch, and he'd become a man out on the plains. The enormous responsibility of the job and the very real risk of death that came from running cows had weighed on him for a while. But he’d awoken one day, looked at the other cowboys with him, and realized they were all doing the same thing. All over the plains, young men were doing the same thing. It made Matthew realize he wasn’t anything exceptional, and that had been an incredibly freeing moment.
As he swam in his memories, Matthew looked around at the gathered men and saw all the faces he’d locked up in the jail in Cricket Bend. The two of them were outnumbered.
Braxton whistled, catching Matthew’s attention. Bill approached with an older man beside him. Side by side, it was easy to see they were father and son. Though the man by Bill was older and had slightly hunched shoulders, Matthew knew immediately he was looking at the patriarch and trail boss of the McKenzie drive.
“Josiah McKenzie, Deputy Frank, and Jack Braxton from Cricket Bend,” Bill said by way of introduction to his father and the boys. “I told Pa you brought Theo, and what happened.”
Josiah McKenzie’s crinkled face somehow crinkled even deeper. “Theo was a bad egg, I won’t deny it, but he was still my son. Mighty grateful to you fellas for making the trip.” He hollered over his shoulder to the assembled men. “Dig him a grave, boys.”
“I’ll help,” Matthew offered. He was stiff from sitting so long.
The boys set to work digging a grave, and Matthew picked up a shovel. The physical labor gave him a chance to think about something other than his busted heart. He dug into the dirt hard, breaking the earth and throwing it aside.
Once the hole was dug, he stopped to wipe his brow. When his arm came away, the dirt combined with sweat left a smear of mud on his sleeve.
“You want a job, Deputy, you’re hired.” Josiah stood above him, offering a cup of water. Bill was by his father’s side.
Matthew took a long drink and felt the water quench a thirst he hadn't been aware of. “No, thanks. I’ve eaten more than my share of hardtack for a lifetime.”
Despite standing over a hole that was meant to be his son’s grave, Josiah chuckled. “Well, you work harder than some of my boys do.”
“Figured it was the least I could do.”
“I know he went after your girl,” Bill said, easing into the conversation while squinting into the sun. “Having you dig his grave is more than he deserved from you.”
Matthew thought of Theo wrestling with Haven, and shook the memory away. Even so many miles out of town, he couldn’t escape thinking of her.
“You got any idea who did this?” Josiah asked.
Matthew nodded. “There’s a man Braxton’s been hunting. Bill said you all had a run in with him.”
“We did, indeed,” Josiah answered. “Should have shot him while we had the chance.”
“I had a chance too.”
Josiah shrugged. “The past is the past.”
The others brought the coffin to the grave and lowered it in as smoothly as they could. Matthew thought Theo McKenzie was a lucky bastard. So many cattlemen wound up buried in holes out on the plains without a coffin. Or they didn’t get buried at all and simply went missing, or got eaten by something and didn’t leave a trace. Better men than Theo McKenzie wound up worse off. He looked at all the McKenzie boys and hands, wondering how many of them would still be around to ride through Cricket Bend the following spring.
He knew he could take Josiah McKenzie up on his offer and join their group. He was a good rider and knew how to handle horses and cows. Those had been nice days, the drives. Not much was as good for a man as sleeping out under the stars, feeling like he could go anywhere in the world and do any
thing he wanted.
If Matthew joined the McKenzie drive, he’d work so hard he’d have little time to think about Haven and Hank Porter and all that had transpired. He could ride the drive, spend the winter at their ranch, and return to Cricket Bend next spring to find that everyone was fine and safe.
If he was far enough away from Haven, maybe his feelings for her would settle a bit.
Though, in the meantime, another man might make a play for her. Matthew didn’t doubt Haven loved him, but with the way they’d left things, he didn't think she’d wait forever for him. He couldn’t go on living if she was married to someone else.
Josiah spoke a few brief words once they buried Theo, surrounding him with rocks and a small cross with his name on it to act as a headstone. The whole ceremony took probably only a minute before the boys went their ways to mourn and rest. A few went to a nearby stream, others headed back out to the herd, and the trail cook started to set up a fire.
“We'd best head back,” Braxton suggested.
“Nope. You’ll stay for dinner, and you can head back in the morning,” Bill said. “We can at least feed you for coming all this way. And sleeping here as a group is probably best, in case you been followed. The stream is pretty cold, if you want to wash up.”
Matthew remembered the mud, and realized he was a mess. He headed to the stream and stripped down, same as the other boys, and went into the water, going under as soon as it was deep enough. He came up and floated, watching the sky and feeling the warmth from the last light of day on his skin.
He wondered what Haven was doing right then. It was getting dark, so she was most likely at home either having dinner or cleaning it up. Maybe Doc had come to the table to join the Andersons. They would be talking and Doc would be trying to brighten the mood to take their minds off Matthew’s absence and his empty chair. Luke would be acting like he wasn’t bothered by any of the events of the past few days, though he’d be thinking through every detail and barely paying attention to the dinner conversation. Luke would be thinking, and Doc would be talking, and Haven, he hoped, would be missing him, worried out of her mind.