by Shari Dare
"Do you think Zeek is behind this?"
"I doubt it. Someone wanted it to look like he was and that we'd caught him in the act, but that's not the case. With luck, he'll pull through and be able to identify the real rustlers. Once we get some of your men together, we can ride over to Pete's and then stop at Zeek's place and let his wife know where he's at."
"There's no need for that. Zeek has been worried about everything that's been going on. He sent his wife and kids to visit her folks in Laramie for a while. He's been at his place alone for the past two weeks. Guess that would make him an ideal target, since no one would miss him until this morning. We'll get some of his men to help us, though."
* * * *
Belle paced the kitchen nervously. She certainly didn't like the fact that Black and Roy could be riding into an ambush.
"Just what did you see out there, Kate?” she asked, once she turned from the window.
"Like I said, the fence was cut and there were tracks leading to the east as well as to the west. It was hard to tell which way they came from and which way they went."
Belle breathed a momentary sigh of relief. “If there were tracks leading away from the canyon, that means the rustlers are long gone. Did you check to see how many head they got away with?"
Kate shook her head. “I didn't want to ride in there alone. I thought I'd come back here and get help. I never considered the fact that Black wouldn't want us coming along with him."
"I know, we've become used to depending on him. Of course the fact that we haven't been hit since last fall makes a difference as well. I certainly didn't expect to have to deal with any of this until at least April or May. I can't believe they're so brazen as to come this far onto our land in the hopes of raiding our herd. I mean when it first happened in October, it was because someone was trying to frame us, but now, in the middle of a blizzard, it's just too hard to comprehend."
"Someone?” Annie questioned. “Don't you mean that lowdown snake Clayte Adamson and his cohort, Joe Calhoun? You know as well as I do that the two of them are thick as thieves and are in this together. I don't understand why Black hasn't arrested them long before this."
"Well, I do, or at least I think I do,” Lacy replied. “Until Clayte makes a wrong move, it's our word against his. I asked Black about it one day when we were riding the fence line and he told me that he has to have solid proof before he can make his move. I can understand that."
"Guess I can too,” Belle agreed. “It's best if we eat our breakfast and prepare ourselves for whatever Black finds up in that canyon."
Belle played with her food, all the while concentrating on the half-eaten breakfast that sat on the plate at Black's place at the table. She wondered if she wanted the rustlers caught at all. If they were, Black would leave the Double Bar B and her bed for good. She didn't know if she could take the loss of the man she'd come to love and wanted to father her children.
"I don't want any tea this morning,” she declared, when Annie brought a cup of the steaming liquid to the table for her.
"Land sakes, child, have you lost your mind? I know you and Black are heating up the sheets on a nightly basis. Do you have any idea what could happen if you quit drinking this tea?"
Belle nodded. “I'll get in a family way. I think there's something you all should know about me, and then you'll understand why I'm so desperate to have a child."
"Are you talking about that business in Ohio?” Annie asked.
Belle was shocked. “I-I didn't think anyone would know."
"That aunt of yours could hardly wait to write to Matt about how his daughter had turned into the town whore. She told him that you'd been sent to a convent in order to hide her shame of the bastard you were carrying. Those were her words, not mine, mind you. It was no surprise when you showed up here without the child. We all knew that the sisters at that convent wouldn't allow you to keep it. There's just one question that I have."
"What's that?” Belle asked, still in shock that her well-guarded secret was public knowledge, even out here in Montana.
"Was it a boy or was it a girl? I would have loved either dearly, but those old black crows wouldn't give me the chance."
Belle couldn't help but smile at the description of the nuns who had cared for her. “They certainly weren't black crows. They thought they were doing the right thing for both my daughter and me. I was so young, I couldn't have taken care of a child. I didn't know how folks would take it if I showed up here with a baby and no husband."
"Did you name her?” Lacy asked.
Belle again nodded. “The nuns said it would be best if I gave her a name, even though she would be adopted by a family who would rename her. In that way I could pray for her safety and mention her by name. I called her Laura Leigh. I'm afraid the nuns weren't overly happy with my choice since it didn't come from the Bible, but I didn't care. I just insisted that she be baptized Laura Leigh, no matter what name her new folks gave her."
"What will happen when Black leaves here for his next assignment?” Cara asked.
"I'll raise our child. You said you want to turn this place into an orphanage once the railroad comes through. If we do that, my child will have plenty of playmates. I've already told Black that his presence isn't necessary and that he can visit whenever he wants. I also assured him that our child would know who its father is."
"You told her about the orphanage?” Lacy questioned.
Cara nodded. “It seemed like the proper thing to do, since the stage line won't be coming through here anymore. There's a lot of extra room in that addition and I just know that we could make the children happier here than in some convent. We wouldn't be pushing religion down their throats. We'd be teaching them useful things."
"Useful?” Annie asked. “Like being whores?'
The question brought laughter from everyone around the table. “You know it wouldn't be like that, Annie,” Belle said. “I've been giving this a lot of thought and between you and me we could teach the girls to cook and sew and keep house. As for the boys, we could teach them about ranching and by the time they came of age, they would be prepared to face the world. I remember the kids at the convent. They spent most of their days on their knees praying for the redemption of their souls because of the actions of their mothers. As I recall, there was never enough to eat and I heard the kids crying themselves to sleep at night. The only reason I allowed them to keep Laura was because they promised me that they had a family who would take her. At least here the kids would get to play outside and learn some skills that will take them through life."
Before anyone could answer, they heard horses in the dooryard and hurried to the door to see who was coming. The sight of Roy leading a horse with its owner slung across its back made Belle's heart sink. Had they run into the rustlers? Had Black been injured, or worse yet, killed?
She pulled herself together and took a better look at the horse. It wasn't Black's appaloosa, it was a chestnut gelding, and the man slung across its back was Zeek Willows.
"What happened?” Annie asked as she ran out onto the porch.
"We found the fence cut and Zeek lying facedown among the cattle. Someone went to great lengths to make it look like he was one of the rustlers and we killed him when he was making off with our cattle. We didn't lose many, just enough to send a message. Whoever shot Zeek wasn't very good, because he's still alive. He's hurt bad and it's not just from the gunshot. Someone beat him up pretty good. We've got to get into the house so that we can make him comfortable. As soon as we do, I'll go into town and bring out the doc as well as the sheriff."
"I don't want that no-good son of a—"
"Slow down, Belle,” Roy cautioned. “I know what you think of Joe, what we all think of Joe, but we can't leave him out of this. If we do, we'll be sending the message that we're guilty, which we ain't."
"Where's Black,” Belle asked, her tone one of defeat. “Did they get him, too?"
"Hardly. They were gone when we got there.
It looks like they drove the cattle in from the east and out to the west. Black followed the trail while I brought Zeek back here."
"Do you think that was wise?” Belle questioned, unable to keep the concern from her voice.
"It was the only thing we could do. We had to get Zeek back here. I'll help you girls get him in the house and then I'll go to town and fetch the doc."
Belle and Kate helped Roy lift the man's body down from the back of the horse and carry him into the house. By the time they got there, Annie had the downstairs bedroom opened up and the bedcovers stripped down to the sheets.
As soon as Zeek was in bed, Roy left for town. Alone with Zeek in the bedroom, Belle unbuttoned the blood-soaked shirt from his upper body and assessed the wound. The bullet had penetrated his chest, but on the right side and not the left, missing the heart but rendering him unconscious. When they pulled him from the horse, she'd noticed that the back of his shirt had no blood on it, indicating that the bullet was still inside his body.
"Get out of my way,” Annie ordered. “I need to clean up that wound and wash some of the grime from him before the doctor gets here. I don't need you in my way."
Belle stepped back and watched Annie work. It could easily be Black who had been shot. Just the thought of it brought tears to her eyes. She told herself that they were because the man and his wife were close friends, but she knew it was something else entirely. Her tears were for Black, and the fact that in his line of work he could be shot at any time or in any place in the line of duty.
* * * *
Black herded the Double Bar B cattle into the box canyon and watched as the hands from the other ranches became specks on the horizon. Pete and Jeb made no move to follow their hands, instead they stayed with Black until the Double Bar B steers were secured and the fence had been mended.
"Thought we'd go back to the house and check on Zeek,” Pete said when he rode up next to Black.
"By the looks of the sun, it's almost noon. You boys are welcome to stay and have dinner with us. I'm certain Annie is expecting extra. Wouldn't want to send you away hungry."
"Sounds like you're runnin’ the show over here,” Jeb commented. “What would Belle think of you extending her hospitality without asking her first?"
"She'd think the same thing that I do. I'm bein’ neighborly. Now if that don't suit you, then I guess you won't be eatin’ with us, will you?"
"Black's right,” Pete agreed. “Ain't never heard of Belle turning anyone away from her table. I even heard that Joe Calhoun was eatin’ with her that first day Black was here. Besides, I'm so hungry I could eat my horse, but one of Annie's meals sounds a hell of a lot better to me."
The three of them rode toward the ranch in silence. Black figured that it had to be because they were worried about Zeek. From what he'd seen of the wound, the man was shot bad. It was hard to tell just where the bullet went in, but one thing was for sure, it hadn't come out.
It didn't take long to arrive at the ranch house. When they did, the first thing Black noticed was the carriage that had to belong to the doctor as well as Joe Calhoun's horse. Annie would certainly have a full table for dinner today.
Roy greeted them as soon as they entered the house. From the look on his face, Black knew the situation wasn't good.
"So, you finally decided to show your face,” Joe said as he got to his feet. “I figured you probably lit out after you tried to kill Zeek. I should arrest you."
"Arrest me?” Black questioned. “Roy and I are the ones who found Zeek and sent for you and the Doc. I didn't ‘light out', as you put it. Since I knew that Roy could handle things here at the house, I went to get Jeb and Pete. Together, we brought the steers from all four ranches back here and their men took them to where they belong."
"That's right, Joe,” Pete said. “After Black trailed our cattle to where they rustlers stashed them, he came and got us. We took charge from there. It's funny, this time there wasn't one Diamond A steer in the bunch. Why do you think that is?"
"I wouldn't know and I don't care. I just want to get the man responsible for Zeek's injuries."
"Well, you won't find him here,” Jeb declared. “I suggest you ride over and talk to Clayte. Seems he is the only one of the neighbors left untouched. I'm willing to bet that he's up to his armpits in this mess and for that matter, I'm not too sure about you either."
"I-I'd never..."
"Maybe not, but you're damn quick to point fingers. If you recall, we were with Black when the rustlers hit us the last time. If he was in on it, do you think he'd willingly let us check the brands on the Double Bar B herd? For that matter, the rustling started long before Black arrived in town, so I don't think you can pin it on him so easily."
Before anyone else could comment, Dr. Franklin entered the kitchen. “I got the bullet out of him,” he said as he slumped into one of the kitchen chairs. “A couple of inches to the left and we would have been calling the undertaker. He'll be fine, but I'm afraid he'll have to stay here for several days until he can regain his strength. He took one hell of a beating. I'm certain whoever did this brought him over here after they beat the shit out of him and then shot him."
"I couldn't agree more,” Black commented. “There was a lot of blood in the area where we found him, but no sign of a struggle. It was as if someone had dumped him there and then shot him. It's possible he was unconscious when they brought him to the spot where they intended to kill him. It would be the perfect way to pin all of this on Belle. Unfortunately, they're a greedy lot. They must have decided to take one last batch of cattle and make it look like Zeek was one of them. ‘Course, they weren't too smart about it. I'm certain they thought we'd think the cattle trampled him. I've seen men caught in stampedes before, and they ain't beat up the way Zeek was."
"I need to get into town and send a wire to Zeek's wife,” Joe said, pushing back his chair. “She's visiting her folks in Laramie. She should know what's going on so she can get back here to take care of him."
"There's no need for you to go into town to do that,” Belle commented. “We have a telegraph here for the stage line. We can send the wire to Bessie right now."
Black studied Joe's face. Either he was a complete idiot, or he hadn't remembered about the telegraph line running to the Double Bar B.
"Guess you're right. We should send it right away."
"Any one of the girls can do it for you,” Black said. “They all know how to run the wire, but you shouldn't be so quick in bringing Mrs. Willows and the children back here. These men are desperate. They hit Zeek once, there's nothing to say they won't try to do it again. I'd feel better if there weren't women and children in the middle of it when and if it happens. They're safer in Laramie than they are here at the moment."
Joe shook his head, but made no reply to Black's logic. The others looked at him in surprise. He certainly hoped he hadn't said too much.
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Chapter Thirteen
Black could feel the tension that filled Belle as soon as he pulled her into his arms. The girls had insisted that they be the ones to take turns sitting by Zeek's bedside to tend to his needs. Even so, Black knew that Belle wanted to help as well. He was secretly glad the girls had taken the responsibility from her and allowed her to be in his bed.
"What's wrong?” he asked, leaning over to nuzzle her neck.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he could feel her tears wetting his cheeks. “Make love to me. Give me your child."
"We already had this discussion, and I agreed to everything you asked. There's something else bothering you, something else that's making you cry. What is it?"
"It could have been you that was dragged from your bed, beaten senseless and then left to die. I couldn't stand it if it were you. Maybe it's for the best if you didn't continue this investigation. It's too dangerous."
"Honey, living is too dangerous for any of us. You could ride out to check on the cattle and be thrown from your horse and ki
lled. It doesn't mean that you don't continue to do your work. It's the same with me. Ever since I was fourteen years old, I've known that someday there will be a bullet with my name on it. It's the chance I took on when I decided to be a gunslinger, and one that continued to follow me when I became a lawman. It's the cost of living for all of us."
Belle sniffed loudly. “Then give me a part of you that I can have forever. One that won't be riding away to the next assignment anytime in the near future."
Could he give her that and ride away without caring? He doubted it. Something told him that if she carried his child, he'd give up the profession that had been his for so long. He'd missed the entire life of his son in Mexico. He couldn't do the same thing to any child born of his blood in Montana.
He'd watched her intently at supper and noticed that she took her tea from a separate pot as the girls. Living with the whores on his mother's ranch, he knew that the effects of the tea would linger for a while. Maybe they would linger long enough that Belle wouldn't be carrying his child when he left the Double Bar B for his next assignment.
Is that what you really want? the voice of reason asked.
He knew it wasn't. He wanted Belle to be his forever, but could he give up the life he'd lived for so long? The answer was a resounding yes, but the doubt that lingered was one of what would happen when he told Ed he wanted to quit being a marshal. Ed had turned Black's life around less than ten years ago. Could he turn his back on the only man he had ever called friend?
He shook his head, refusing to think of what his betrayal of Ed would do to their friendship. Instead, he lifted Belle in his arms and carried her to the bed.
Earlier they had pulled back the comforter, and he knew the sheets would be cold against her bare skin. He sat down on the bed and pulled her on top of him. The chill of the sheets prompted him to lay down without shifting her position.