Bran (Prairie Grooms, Book Six)

by Morgan, Kit

  “I suppose it would depend on the person's shoes, how fast they can walk, and whether or not they made any stops along the way.” She stopped kneading bread dough and stared at Apple. “Why are you asking all this, again?”

  “I'm practicing my numbers, I have to keep up my intellectual endeavors.”

  Belle raised one eyebrow at her. “Intellectual endeavors? And would these endeavors also include book reading?”

  “Of course.”

  “I see, well we do have some fine books in the study. I don't know if you knew they were there.”

  “I did, but I thought practicing my numbers would be more handy right now. I haven't had to do it for a while.”

  “Why don't you get some extra practice in and measure me out some flour,” suggested Belle.

  Apple got up and did as she asked, especially since she didn't want Belle to suspect anything. After all, if she was going to walk to town, she'd have to time it so that no one would know she'd left and have a chance to go after her. Not that any of them could, what with the only horse in the barn having gone lame, but she wasn't about to take chances either.

  Almost an hour passed before she was done helping Belle bake the first batch of bread. She stretched then glanced at the hallway. “I think I'll go up to my room and take a little nap.”

  “That actually sounds like a good idea. I think I'll do the same while this batch of dough is rising.”

  “Where's Sadie?” Apple asked, remembering it wasn't only Belle she'd have to watch out for.

  “She took Honoria over to Edith and Jefferson's cabin for a visit. She'll be back soon, I'm sure.”

  Apple bit her lower lip in indecision. Should she leave now, or wait until after lunch when Sadie would put Honoria down for her nap? Of course, after lunch she might want a nap! Better to leave now…

  “Are you going upstairs?” Belle asked, snapping her out of her plotting.

  “Yes, in a minute. I… I have to use the privy.”

  Belle yawned. “All right, just be sure you close the kitchen door all the way when you come back in.”

  “I'll do that,” said Apple as she followed Belle into the hall. When they reached the staircase Belle went up as Apple grabbed her shawl off the coatrack. She then went back into the kitchen, grabbed a few biscuits left over from breakfast, put them in her apron pocket, and headed out the kitchen door. A blast of cold wind hit her and she shivered. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, but then, once she got walking she was sure she'd warm-up. Yet, what was she going to do if she happened come across one of the men? What was she going to tell them? She hadn't thought if that before.

  “I know, I'll tell them I was looking for ‘His Majesty’, that will work!” Feeling her excuse would more than satisfy any interrogation from Colin or Harrison, Apple picked up her pace and hurried up and over the rise, leaving the Triple C behind her. Now all she had to do was figure out how she was going to get arrested. It was a good thing she’d have at least an hour to think of something.

  “Let’s see now,” she mused as she walked along. “I can't do anything too drastic, just enough to get to spend some time with him.” Of course the further she walked, the more she thought about her plan, and the more she thought about her plan, the more she realized that it wasn't a very good one. If she did something bad enough to get her arrested, then wouldn't Bran be upset with her?

  The thought brought Apple to stop. “What a ninny I am! How do I come up with these things?” She continued to mutter under her breath to as she glanced at her surroundings. She'd walked long and far enough to be at least a mile or more from the ranch, and noticed a faint trail off to her left. It had to be the one that led down ‘His Majesty’ and Clear Creek. Apple sighed to herself and shook her head. “I can't believe I almost went through with it! But now she also had no reason for being there, yet since she was where she was, she decided not to waste the moment.

  So, Apple started down the trail that led to ‘His Majesty’, partly because she needed to walk off her own embarrassment, and because she really did want to see the tree every one talked about. Besides, who knew how long it would be before Bran or anyone else would have the time to take her. She’d take a peek and be back before Belle even woke up from her nap.

  Apple picked her way down the trail as it descended into the canyon and was astounded at the beauty surrounding her. The leaves had turned to fall colors and many of them lay on the ground around her, carpeting the trail and meadow below with various shades of orange, brown and red. She marveled at the sight, and then looked across the meadow when she was halfway down the trail, and saw him. ‘His Majesty’. “Good Heavens,” she breathed. “Look at the size of him!

  Feeling energized by the beauty around her, Apple hurried along the rest of the trail to the meadow below. It was indeed a beautiful place, and Apple could easily picture a magnificent castle at the opposite end of the meadow, or perhaps across the creek. She then imagined a drawbridge being lowered down next to ‘His Majesty’. Apple giggled at the thought and approached the mighty tree with reverence. “My, but you’re a big one, aren't you?” she said as she reached the massive trunk. It was then she noticed the pool beneath the tree’s branches. If it wasn't so cold she’d be tempted to go for a swim, but as it was, she could only dream about what it would be like to immerse her body into the cool water on a hot summer’s day. An image of Bran O'Hare splashing alongside her in the creek popped into Apple’s head. The thought made her shiver. Where did that come from? Tears pricked the back of her eyes. Wishful thinking, that's where. Swimming in Clear Creek with Bran O'Hare was a thought she couldn't afford to have, at least not yet. Not until she knew for sure she wouldn’t be the death of him.

  “Well, what do we have here?” a voice rasped behind her.

  Apple spun to the sound. A man stood there, another right behind him. How did she not hear them approach? But of course she knew, she'd been so wrapped up in her daydreaming and the sound of the bubbling creek, that she didn't notice. “Who are you?” she blurted.

  “Question is, who are you?” the first man asked.

  Apple quickly took in their attire. They weren’t the best -ressed chaps, but they weren't the worst either. “I live here,” she told them. “Which means that you’re trespassing.”

  “Live here?” one asked. “You mean to say you’re one of them Cookes?”

  “No, I'm not a Cooke. I'm a Sayer.”

  “A what?” asked the second man as he now stood next to his companion.

  “She means Cooke isn't her last name, you idiot,” the first man said and backhanded him on the chest.

  “Oh,” said the second man. “So your last name is Sayer?”

  “I just said that!” Apple huffed.

  “That means that you’re not part of the Cooke family,” the first stated. “You visiting them or somethin’?”

  “You didn't answer my question,” she said and took a step back. “Who are you?”

  “We ain’t nobody,” said the first man.

  “What are you doing out here?” she asked, her voice demanding.

  “Well ain’t you a high and mighty thing? What gives you the right to talk to us like that?” complained the second man.

  “I apologize if I sounded overly stern, but you… frightened me, sneaking up on me and such.”

  The men exchanged a quick look. “Well, shucks ma'am, we didn't mean to do that. But you know, it ain’t safe for a…” he looked her up and down… “pretty young thing like you to be wandering around out here all by yourself.”

  “Yeah, especially if you belong to the Cooke family. Do ya?”

  “They’re my cousins, so of course I belong to them,” said Apple with a raise of her chin.

  The men exchanged another glance. “You hear that?” the first one asked. “She is part of the family…”

  “Nah, she’s just sayin’ that for fun,” remarked the other.

  “Yes, I most certainly am,” insisted Apple. “Now that we
've established that fact, I'd best be going and so had you. If my cousins find you on their property, they might not be too happy.”

  “We totally agree little lady,” said the first one. “In fact we’ll escort you out of this here canyon.”

  “Why… that's very kind if you,” she told them. If it wasn't for the twist of fear in her gut, she might have relaxed, but as it is… “However, I can find my own way home.” She started to walk off but one of them grabbed her arm, and yanked her back.

  “But we know a shortcut. Why don’t you come along with us and we’ll show it to you?”

  Apple tried to struggle free from his grasp, but it was too tight. “I said I can find my own way home, now unhand me!”

  The second man grabbed her other arm. “Now we done just told you we know a shortcut, so why don't you settle down and let us show it to you?”

  At that point, Apple knew she was in danger, and did the only thing she could think of considering her circumstances. She screamed.

  * * *

  Bran had a little over a mile to go before he’d reach the Triple C and Apple. She was all he could think about since the night before, and he couldn't wait to see her again, even if it meant putting up with the Cooke brother’s scowling faces. But how else was he going to call on the woman if he didn't just show up? It's not like he could send Harlan out with another note, especially since he told Bran that morning he and Henry were going to scout the tree line near the caves, it being a favorite hideout spot for outlaws.

  Bran continued on and wondered what he would say to Apple when he saw her. He'd been on his absolute best behavior the night before, and did his darndest to remember how to act in front of a lady, which, of course she was. An English lass used to balls, parties, and a social status he couldn’t begin to aspire to. What she saw in a lowly deputy such as himself he had no idea, but he was glad she did. The more he thought about their situation, the more he realized he'd be a very lucky man to have her at his side. He smiled at the thought and rode on.

  He whistled an Irish tune, one of his favorites when he heard the scream.

  “Whoa,” he called to Grady, stilled in the saddle, and listened. Where had it come from? Maybe if he hadn't been whistling he could better tell. His horse snorted with impatience and tried to walk forward. “Grady, stop it,” he hissed.

  Another scream.

  This time, Bran had no doubt. He also had a gut feeling he'd heard that scream before. He looked to his right, and sure enough there was the trail that led down to ‘His Majesty’ and the Cooke’s Canyon. He kicked Grady and they were off, racing to the trailhead and then down into the canyon. For a brief moment he didn’t wonder if Harrison and Colin were putting their plan for mayhem into action. But if they were, why didn’t he know about it? No, someone was in real trouble.

  Within minutes he reached the bottom and quickly scanned the area. He didn't see anyone during his descent and figured they had to have either hiked up the creek, or down it. He wouldn't know until he took the time to look around for signs of their trail. He galloped across the meadow, brought Grady to a stop, and jumped off. Scanning the grounds near ‘His Majesty’, he noted several sets of footprints near the water's edge, one of them smaller then the rest. A woman. Judging from the other footprints there were two, maybe three men, and it looked like there'd been a struggle. She probably tried to fight them off.

  He grabbed Grady's reins and began to follow the trail up the creek, but soon noticed that the woman's footprints had disappeared, only the men's remained. They must've picked her up and were now carrying her. But Bran knew that the trail narrowed up ahead, and it would make for slow going. He should be able to catch-up to them easy enough. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to be able to take Grady with him, and would have to leave the horse behind. The trail through the young trees along the creek bank was too tangled for a horse the size of his to traverse.

  He tethered Grady to a small tree and set out. He hadn’t gone far when he noticed the footprints ended. He also saw that the water here was much shallower. “They carried her across the creek,” he said to himself. He looked around but saw no one. Just to make sure, he went up the creek a short distance to see if he was right, and sure enough, there were no sign of footprints. They did cross! He'd been near this spot at the last town picnic, and knew that on the other side of the creek was a trail that opened wide enough for two horses. It wound its way up the other side of the canyon to the prairie beyond. Colin told him it was created by their own cattle coming down to the creek to drink. Unfortunately, that meant that whomever he was tracking could be long gone in a matter of moments if they had horses waiting for them on the other side. He had to hurry.

  He waded across the creek and once on the other side, used the trees for cover and tried to pick up the trail again. It didn't take him long to find it. It also didn't take the outlaws long to find him. Before Bran could turn around, someone hit him in the head with a rock. He then fell to the cold, hard ground.

  Fourteen

  Apple trembled in her bonds and stared at the unconscious form of Deputy Bran O'Hare. The two men she'd met in the canyon had been joined by several others, and together, they took their captives and rode over some pretty rough terrain to make their escape and anyone that might be pursuing them. Her predicament was precarious, this she knew. What she also knew was that Bran might be seriously injured. He was still out cold and had been for over an hour. This, of course, led her to one solid conclusion. The only one that made sense and why she was now staring at a trussed up Bran beside her.

  The curse was real.

  Of course, this also meant it was only a matter of time before further harm came to her precious deputy, which meant she would have to come up with a way to save him. But the only thing she could think of, was to get herself as far away from him as possible, but to do that, she'd have to escape the outlaws. Come to think of it, as they were outlaws, why hadn’t they killed Bran, or her, for that matter? Even worse, had their way with her? She got her answer soon enough when they set up camp.

  “Ya had better be right about this, you two,” snarled a man with an eye patch.

  “Have we ever steered you wrong before?” asked one of the men she’d met in the canyon. She'd learn through their conversations that his name was Eli, and that his companion was in actuality his cousin. His name is Luke.

  “You Randall boys lie like a rug,” said the man with the eye patch. “And as I've never seen or heard of any of these gals before, I'm not likely to believe you.”

  “She says she's their cousin, and that means she's family, and wouldn't a family want to get their cousin back? Come on Spider, we can ransom her for a lot of money.”

  The man with the eye patch was named Spider? For a brief moment Apple thought of the last penny dreadful Imogene read to Cutty, and its heroine, Miss Penny Winkle. Apple herself was beginning to feel like the proverbial damsel in distress, and if she wasn't so frightened at the moment, she’d be amused. But because her erstwhile hero lay next to her bound, gagged, and not to mention unconscious, things were looking rather grim.

  “All right,” said Spider. “But my boys, what's left of them, haven't been around a woman in a long time, and I can't guarantee that she'll be returned the same way ya found her.”

  “She'll be worth more if she’s sent back in the same condition we got her,” said Eli.

  Spider looked at Apple with his one eye, and leered. “Yeah, but I haven't been around a woman in a long time either, and she's a mighty fine looking piece of sweetness.”

  “Well, since me and Luke found her, then we should be the ones to decide.”

  Spider growled. “You're lucky I’m hungry, or I’d have to shoot ya.” He turned toward the fire the men just built. “Hurry up and get what’s left of them beans cooked, then put that fire out. Won't be long before they start lookin’ for her.”

  His men quickened their efforts and hurried to do as he said. “What about him?” Eli asked as he p
ointed to Bran. Apple's eyes flicked to the still form next to her.

  “I don’t understand why ya had to bring him along in the first place,” hissed Spider.

  “We thought maybe he was another cousin to them Cookes. Two is better than one in this line of work.”

  “As hard as you hit him, he probably ain’t gonna be worth nothin’. Is he even still alive?”

  Apple's eyes widened in panic, and she studied Bran. She breathed a sigh of relief through her nose, gagged as she was, when she saw his chest rise and fall.

  “Yeah, he's alive. We'll find out who he is as soon as he comes around.”

  “Well if he ain’t no relation to them Cookes, then kill him,” ordered Spider. He turned and went to the fire where his men were heating up a small pot of beans.

  Kill him! Oh no! Now what was she to do? As soon as Bran came to and they found out he was a lawman… wait a minute… They should already know he's a lawman, shouldn't they? Apple studied Bran more closely and noticed he wasn't wearing his deputy’s star. Where could it be? Maybe he lost it hiking through the trees after her. She’d heard her captors say that Bran had followed them up and across the creek. He must have lost it pushing through the branches and brush. It was one of the reasons the outlaws—after binding her wrists and gagging her—had picked her up and carried her. It was easier than having to pull and push her through the trees. Her skirts having caught on every limb, branch and bush.

  Soon the outlaws settled themselves around the fire, ignored Apple, and got down to the business of eating. Thankfully, while their attention was on their food, Bran moaned. Thank Heavens he was gagged! He might say something that would tip them off that he was a lawman. She had to find some way to let him know that he needed to tell them he was a relation of hers. A brother perhaps?

  Apples thoughts were interrupted as Bran's eyes slowly opened. She quickly looked at the outlaws to make sure none of them glanced their way, then scooted over to Bran and nudged his leg with her foot. He turned and looked at her, his eyes opening wide. He quickly scanned the area, saw the outlaws, and then looked at her again. She shook her head for him to stay quiet and still. She then made a show of closing her own eyes and letting her head loll to the side, to tell him to pretend he was still out. He gave her the tiniest of nods and did just that. If he pretended to still be unconscious he could learn for himself the nature of their predicament. It didn't take long for him to find out.