Crumpets & Cowpies: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Baker City Brides Book 1)

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Thank you, Sam. Please let me know when you hear anything.”

  Sam tipped his hat to her and smiled reassuringly. “I will, ma’am. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Thane turned up his coat collar, hoping the sheepskin would block some of the wind trying to blow icy snow down his neck. If he hadn’t left the ranch like a whipped dog, sneaking off in the early morning hours so he wouldn’t have to face Jemma, he would have packed warmer clothes and made sure he’d grabbed a scarf.

  He only had a few more miles to go to reach the last of his four mines. He’d checked in at the silver mine, and two of the gold mines, finding everything in good order, although it had taken a week longer than he planned to go over all the books and inspect each mine.

  Tired and cold, he planned to speak with the foreman at the last mine, review the ledgers, and make sure they had all the supplies they needed before he left. He’d still check the fences on his way back to the ranch, but he missed home. He missed Jack dogging his every step as well as Lily’s giggling and singing silly songs. He especially missed their beguiling aunt.

  Every time Thane closed his eyes, he pictured Jemma rising out of the tub in the firelight. Heat speared through him.

  It was wrong to think such lustful thoughts of a woman he’d just offered to give an annulment, but the last thing he wanted was for her to move to town and take the children.

  Afraid to tell her the truth, tell her how much she’d come to mean to him, he fully expected her to toss his feelings back in his face.

  Although, as he recalled the few kisses they shared, she’d eagerly returned his passion and hunger. Maybe she wouldn’t be completely opposed to being his wife in every sense of the word.

  However, if she stayed at the ranch and became his true wife, she’d sentence herself to a life of hard work. There’d be snakes and dust to contend with in the summer, freezing temperatures and months of snow in the winter, and critters of all sorts throughout the year.

  Granted, she appeared to be settling in and adjusting to life on the ranch, he just didn’t want her to feel like she had an obligation to stay. He wouldn’t mind at all, though, if she chose to make it her permanent home, especially if she would release him from his promise and let him love her like he dreamed of doing.

  As his thoughts warred between holding Jemma tight or letting her go, an unearthly boom shook the ground beneath him. Thane lifted his gaze as a great puff rose into the wintery sky.

  Only a mile from his mine, he had a bad feeling it came from there. Uncertain if the dark cloud was smoke or dust, he kicked Ghost into a gallop and raced toward the mine.

  After leaving the horse at the bottom of the hill, away from the mine, Thane scrambled toward the opening. Another boom shook the earth and the sound of timbers cracking echoed above him.

  Shielding his head with his arm from the rocks and debris that blew out the mine opening, Thane hurried forward.

  When he reached the mine entrance, he impatiently waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. In the inky blackness, he felt along the wall inside the entry until his hand connected with a box and he lifted a candle. Hurriedly striking a match, he hoped it didn’t set off an explosion of escaped gas. He glanced into the tunnel and noticed two men amid the rocks and chunks of wood that had been support beams before the explosion. Rock and broken timbers filled the tunnel behind them.

  Recognizing one of the men as a miner who’d worked for him for several years, Thane established he was unconscious, not dead. The way the man’s leg bent awkwardly to the side, it had to be broken. He also had several gashes on his face. Until he got the blood cleaned away, Thane wouldn’t be able to assess the damage.

  The other miner, a young man barely old enough to shave, groaned and opened his eyes. He started to stand, but Thane put a restraining hand on his shoulder, holding him down.

  “It’s okay, son. Just take a minute to get your bearings. What’s your name?”

  The young man blinked and coughed before speaking. “Dale Darcey.”

  “Well, Dale Darcey, I’m Mr. Jordan. I own this mine. Where’s the rest of the crew?”

  “In the hole, sir. John and I were pushing a cart of ore out when Mr. Gaffney started yelling for us to run for the opening. John and I made it this far before it caved in.”

  “How many others are with Mr. Gaffney?” Thane hoped his foreman and the other men were fine. He hated cave-ins, hated the thought of the mine taking the life of one of his men.

  “There’s three others, sir.”

  Thane nodded his head and reached down a hand to Dale. “Can you stand? Do you hurt anywhere?”

  The young man got to his feet. He worked his arms and legs, twisted his neck, and decided other than bumps and bruises, he was uninjured. “I’m right as rain.”

  “Help me get John to the cabin. I’ve got something I need you to do.”

  Carefully moving the injured man to the cabin where the workers bunked, they removed his filthy, torn clothing and settled him on his bed. Thane put water on to boil and asked Dale to stay with John while he returned to the mine.

  Lighting two lanterns, he carried them inside the mine to where the cave-in sealed the tunnel. The pile of rock and debris wouldn’t be easy to move, especially with huge timbers in the way. It would take more muscle than just he and Dale to move the solid beams.

  “Gaffney? Can you hear me? It’s Thane.”

  He listened and thought he heard something. Encouraged, he pushed and shoved some of the smaller rocks. The pile shifted slightly and he jumped back, waiting to see if anything else happened. When it didn’t, he continued moving rocks until he made a small hole. Even by holding the lantern up to the spot, it was impossible to make out anything in the penetrating darkness.

  “Gaffney? Are you there?”

  “Thane? Is that you?” The response of a weak voice made Thane release a sigh of relief.

  “It’s me. Are you hurt? Are the others okay?”

  “We’re all alive, thank the good Lord. I don’t think any of us have anything broken. How about Dale and John?”

  Thane tried to peer into the hole he made, but couldn’t glimpse anything beyond swirling darkness. “Dale’s fine. John needs some tending. If you’re okay, I’m gonna take care of him. Do you have enough air? Can you sit tight for a while?”

  “Yeah, we’re okay. Can you leave a lantern by the hole? It helps to have a little light shining down here.”

  “Sure, Gaff. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Thane set the lantern on a shelf of rocks by the hole he’d made and hurried out of the tunnel. Quickly returning to the cabin, he found a piece of paper and wrote a hasty note then scribbled out a list of supplies.

  “Dale, I want you to take this letter to Sheriff Barrett, pick up these supplies, and tell Milt at the livery I said to give you a team and wagon. If he has questions, have him talk to the sheriff. Then you hustle back here as fast as you can. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir.” Dale pulled on his coat and wrapped a scarf around his neck. Thane handed him the pieces of paper along with a handful of money to cover the expenses.

  “Remember, hurry back, son. The lives of those men in the mine depend on it.”

  Dale nodded his head and raced out the door. Thane heard the sound of horses’ hooves beating against the frozen ground as Dale rode toward town.

  Grateful he’d thought to put water on to heat, Thane filled a pan with warm water from the stove and sponged John’s face followed by his arms and torso. He had a few cuts and bruising, but nothing that looked to be particularly damaging. John groaned when Thane touched his side and added cracked ribs to the list of injuries.

  Intently studying the man’s broken leg, Thane knew it needed to be set before they could move him to town. He wasn’t a doctor, but he’d set plenty of broken bones, including a few of his own.

  A search through the cabin turned up the necessary supplies. He p
rayed John would remain unconscious as he pulled the bone back into place. Once it slid into alignment, he secured two sturdy sticks around the break and wrapped it tightly. He dribbled water into John’s mouth, then covered him with a thick blanket.

  After stoking the fire in both the stove and fireplace, Thane filled jars with water, found a tin of crackers, and loaded a box with supplies before returning to the mine.

  Determined to make the hole at least big enough to get some supplies to the men, Thane knew he wouldn’t be able to get them out until Dale returned with the supplies and some help.

  With the pile of rocks and timbers covering the tunnel, the easiest way to clear it would be with a blast. Nonetheless, the safety of those trapped inside ensured blasting wasn’t a viable option.

  Instead, they’d have to shore up the weakened tunnel then dig out the men using pry bars and muscle.

  Carefully setting down the box of supplies he carried, Thane worked at moving some of the smaller rocks until he had a hole big enough to stick his hand through.

  “Gaffney? Can you see my hand?”

  “Yep.” Gaffney grabbed Thane’s wrist and gave it a shake.

  Relieved, Thane released his breath. “Good. I’m going to get some supplies in to you, starting with some candles.”

  Slowly, Thane passed a handful of candles and a few holders, the crackers, jars of water, and a box of matches through the hole.

  Gaffney lit the candles and set them around. Thane put his face to the hole and peered inside. The men looked tired and bruised, but not injured. Thankful for that, he tried to determine how far back they could move, but couldn’t tell in the dim light.

  “Can you get very far back in the tunnel?”

  “About forty feet, so we’ve got a little wiggle room,” Gaffney said, then took a drink from one of the jars.

  “At least this far into the mine, it’s somewhat insulated.”

  Gaffney snorted. “Always looking on the bright side, aren’t you boss.”

  “It could have been so much worse, Gaff. I’m glad you’re all alive.”

  “I know, Thane. Me, too. How long do you think it will be before you can get us out of here?”

  “I sent Dale to town to bring back supplies and help. We’re going to have to shore up the tunnel before we can try to dig you out. If I move to many more rocks, it might bring the whole thing down on you.”

  “I reckon we can sit tight for a while. Do you think you can get some blankets stuffed through the hole so we can sleep tonight? I doubt Dale will get to town and back before sometime tomorrow.”

  Thane nodded his head, although he doubted Gaffney could see him. “That’s what I thought, too. I’ll bring some blankets back with me in a little while. I’m going to check on John again. If you hand me back those empty jars of water, I’ll fill them up.”

  Gaffney passed him the jars and Thane set them back in the box, promising to return soon with more supplies.

  He spent the next several hours going between the cabin and the mine, caring for John and his men trapped beyond the rock and timber wall.

  “Boss, you better get some rest. We’ll be fine for the night. It’s not like anything can get to us and you’ll know if the mine collapses again. See to John and get yourself some shut-eye.”

  Thane pressed his face to the hole and glared at Gaffney. “Who’s in charge around here?”

  “Me. You made me the foreman for a reason. Now get out of here.”

  Thane chuckled as he turned and walked out of the mine, praying for the safety of his men through the night.

  As he sponged off John’s feverish brow, Thane worried the man suffered from an internal injury. He’d awakened a few times and groaned in pain before falling back asleep. Thane had no idea what to do to help him, other than to try and make him comfortable and keep pouring water down him.

  Aware that he needed rest if he planned to continue caring for his men, Thane flopped down on one of the beds and closed his eyes.

  “I hate to say it, Gaff, but I don’t think Dale is coming back.” Thane stood outside the hole in the tunnel and looked at his foreman in the light from the lantern he held in his hand. “It’s been four days since I sent him to town and he should have been back long before now.”

  “He probably took the money you gave him and ran. He’s young and stupid. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

  “He either better be dead or prepared to become that way if I ever lay eyes on him again.”

  Thane’s words made Gaffney chuckle.

  “He’s probably halfway to California by now. If I was going to steal money from my boss, I’d at least head someplace warm to hide out.”

  “California sounds pretty good right now,” Thane said, not pleased by the amount of snow that had fallen the last few days. It was going to make it harder to ride for help. “John needs to see the doctor and I need to get you all out of here, but I hate the thought of leaving long enough to ride into town. I’ll wait until noon and if Dale hasn’t showed by then, I’ll ride out for the ranch and send someone to town to get what we need. I’m so sorry to leave you boys in there for so long. If Dale had done what I asked, you’d be curled up by a warm fire with a hot drink in your hands, spinning tales about all this.”

  “Did you have to go and mention a warm fire and hot drink?” Gaffney glared through the hole at Thane. “As much as we appreciate your efforts to bring us hot coffee, the pot’s half-frozen by the time you get it here from the cabin.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to chance building a fire here in the tunnel. I’m truly sorry, Gaff.”

  “It ain’t your fault, boss. You’re doing the best you can. If you decide you need to ride out, the boys and I might just see if we can move some of these rocks regardless of the consequences. We can’t take too many more days down in this dark hole.”

  Thane nodded his head and turned away, leaving the lantern burning outside the hole to provide added light in the men’s unending darkness.

  Stamping the snow from his boots, he entered the cabin and checked on John. His fever wasn’t better or worse, at least that Thane could tell. He spent most of his time sleeping and the few times he did awaken, he muttered nonsense.

  Thane put together a pot of stew with canned beef and vegetables. The smell of it filled the cabin with a savory aroma that made him look forward to eating a bowl. As soon as he fed the men in the mine, he’d saddle Ghost and ride to the ranch.

  Gone more than a week longer than he planned, he hoped Jemma missed him, at least a little. Thoughts of seeing her again, breathing in her alluring fragrance, holding her in his arms, made even his cold toes warm as he whipped up a batch of biscuits and placed them in the oven.

  Movement outside the window caught his attention as he filled extra jars with water and made another pot of coffee. He checked the gun holster on his hip then grabbed his coat and rushed outside. Unable to believe his eyes, he grinned as Ben and Walt dismounted from their horses and hurried his direction.

  “Man alive, boss. You’ve got half the county in a fuzz trying to find you,” Ben said, grasping his hand and giving it a hearty shake. “I’m pert near teary-eyed to see you alive.”

  “You two are a sight for sore eyes. What are you doing here?” Thane asked as they tied their mounts to the hitching post outside the cabin.

  “Your wife must miss you something awful. Miz Jordan asked Sam if he could send someone to find you, since you missed Thanksgiving and all. According to Jack, she put out quite a feast with turkey and all the trimmings. He said she even made pumpkin pie. Course we had our own dinner at the bunkhouse.”

  Thane’s mouth watered thinking of the meal he missed, as well as his delectable wife missing him.

  “Anyhow, Sam decided you’d been gone longer than he expected so he asked us to ride out to all the line shacks to see if you were holed up in one. When we didn’t find you in one of the line shacks on the ranch, Sam asked us to check each of the mines. This was the last on our
list. Guess we shoulda started here first, but since it’s the furthest ride, we kinda hoped to catch up to you sooner.”

  “I’m powerful glad you boys made it. I’ve got four men trapped in the mine and an injured miner in need of a doctor. I sent the one idiot on the payroll to town for help and I think he skipped out with the money I gave him to buy supplies.”

  “What can we do, boss?” Walt asked, following Ben into the cabin. The two cowboys made note of the injured man on the bed, giving each other a concerned glance.

  “Warm up and get some food in your bellies. I’ll take this stew up to the men and be back in a few minutes. Walt, I’d like you to ride into town and get Tully to round up some help along with the supplies I need.”

  Walt nodded his head as he took the bowl of stew Thane held out to him.

  “Ben, I’d appreciate it if you’d ride back to the ranch and let them know I’m okay. Maybe bring a wagon back with some blankets and padding so we can get John into town to Doc. I hate to move him, but he can’t stay here.”

  “Sure, thing, boss. Soon as my toes no longer feel like they’ll chip off in my boots, I’ll hightail it for home.” Ben grinned at Thane as he sat down at the table with his bowl of stew and two hot biscuits.

  Thane hurried out to the mine, letting the men know two of his hired hands arrived and they’d have help soon.

  “Thanks, Thane,” Gaffney said, sticking his hand through the hole to shake his hand. “We’ll be fine a while longer, now that we know help is coming.”

  “I’m sorry it took so long. I should have left Dale here and gone myself.”

  “Who’s to say that ignoramus wouldn’t have stolen what money and gold is here and left us all to die.” Gaffney gave him a pointed glare. “No, you did what was best.”

  “Glad you think so, Gaff. Just hang in there a little while longer.”

  Thane returned to the cabin, glad to see Ben and Walt ready to ride. He gave Walt a list of supplies and sent him on his way. Relieved the ordeal was nearly over, he sat at the table and wrote a note to Jemma then one to Sam, handing them both to Ben.